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Blog with Ash: Diwali Lights are up! | November 14th 2020
My foot makes an unintentional photo appearance
It feels so so so good to be writing after a long long break from my last blog. I am keeping myself engaged with the #30 days Productivity Challenge and my University department has found the ultimate way to get past our timetable and class schedules. We had last-minute submissions and rush up of internal examinations. Yes, you guessed it right…End of 7th Semester. I am someone who likes to finish everything off so that I don't freak out when the deadline nears. I have submitted all my works and term-end projects and I still have a week. I wanted to slow down the pace and watch something on Netflix. Also, a perfect chance to look outside my balcony to see the sky and for once break this chain of looking into my laptop continuously. I’ve never been home for any major festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Pongal, Diwali because we barely get 3 days off and it usually falls on a Sunday making no difference. I remember how my last year was during this time! HAND WASHING a huge pile of clothes. We had to wash our own clothes, anyway…moving past this sad short flashback of mine…I only get up from my place to exercise, get my own food, put back the used plate in the sink and sometimes volunteer to make dinner. And as I am pretty much free….this was the first time I was sooooo awestruck by the Diwali decoration in everyone’s home. Living in Mumbai …there are 25 plus tall storey buildings everywhere…and it was so colourful. We wanted to add up to this pretty sight by playing a small part…we put up the lights too…After a long time …I felt I've been harsh on myself and have always wanted to time to go fast so that I move to the next phase as soon as possible. Thankfully I felt so much relief that I’ve realised it before it’s too late. I don't want my future self to look back and feel as if she never lived an adventurous and joyful one without appreciating the family time and even trivial things happening around. My eyes sparked up and I enjoyed everything that happened today!
What Happened Today?
I got up late around 10:30 am and had a nice long hair bath. (psst…I don't wash my hair for 2 weeks straight and a maximum of 1 month because …frequent use of chemicals present in the shampoo and hard water damages my hair also I pretty much lose a bunch of hair while untangling ) plus after the hair wash ..my hair becomes triple times the volume and its damn hard to manage!.
I wore new clothes and prayed for a while ..wishing all those whom I couldn’t wish and prayed that they stay happier doing everything they wanted to do. I prayed for their well being and longevity. After a lonnngggg conference video call with my family ..we ate together (me, my sister, dad and mom). I hate how all the channels compete to telecast new movies which I would have already watched on Amazon Prime. When one channel starts playing the advertisement we would jump to the next channel to watch the next scene of another movie, finally ending up watching nothing!.
I tried traditional wear with my mom in the evening. That was a very stuffy experience. My mom ordered 3 sarees in Amazon’s Diwali Sale...I thought it was for her but she asked me to use one. She helped me drap it ..but as I don't suit much in sarees...It was just just! No comments further.
Again Diwali Festive has its own benefits. Domino’s Offer! Buy 1 and get 1 free! Obviously, we had to get 2 medium pan pizzas. I ate so many pieces and I'm so full …
I also had a lot of fun UNBOXING! …My Dad works in a private firm and he meets a lot of people. He brought home a lot of complimentary Sweet boxes and other gifts. My dad was talking about how every year my younger sister had no competition and she had a blast unboxing and eating everything…this year I took over. She was giving me a stare every time I rip off the wrapper and scream to see all my favourites inside.
Mumbai Special Sweet Box
A big box of Italian Chocolates
Actually…many many more…but these were my favourites. The packaging was so pretty and a foodaholic like me …..I'm satisfied with anything eatable. So far ….I’ve loved Oreo White Chocolate Bites. Cashew coated in white chocolate ..covered in Oreo Dust….Just Imagine it melting when eating the whole thing as it is. Also, another new flavour I tired was Pan-Flavoured Resins (My mom’s favourite so far!). Okay….I’ll stop bragging right here. I’m just too excited and its been so long since I got gifts this nice! It perfectly meets my expectation. I’m having a blast this festive season …..How was yours? Different? Same?? or even better?
I want you to have an even better time …and enjoy trivial things that make one’s day. Wishing you prosperity, longer and healthy life for a new beginning.
Cheers, With Love, Ash | https://medium.com/@hashtag-hash-ash/blog-with-ash-diwali-lights-are-up-4abe863a2170 | ['Blog With Hash'] | 2020-11-14 16:01:56.133000+00:00 | ['Light', 'Colors', 'Diwali', 'Me', 'Blog'] |
Validate a Domain Name’s Quality Score in Python | It is important that you know which domains you can trust and which should be avoided. With support for over 9 million domain names, the following API will validate the quality score of an input domain with values ranging from 0.0 to 10.0. The value of 0.0 is the lowest quality and 10.0 is the highest quality.
Run this command to install the SDK:
pip install cloudmersive-validate-api-client
Then, you can call the function:
from __future__ import print_function
import time
import cloudmersive_validate_api_client
from cloudmersive_validate_api_client.rest import ApiException
from pprint import pprint # Configure API key authorization: Apikey
configuration = cloudmersive_validate_api_client.Configuration()
configuration.api_key['Apikey'] = 'YOUR_API_KEY' # create an instance of the API class
api_instance = cloudmersive_validate_api_client.DomainApi(cloudmersive_validate_api_client.ApiClient(configuration))
domain = 'domain_example' # str | Domain name to check, for example \"cloudmersive.com\". try:
# Validate a domain name's quality score
api_response = api_instance.domain_quality_score(domain)
pprint(api_response)
except ApiException as e:
print("Exception when calling DomainApi->domain_quality_score: %s
" % e)
This will ensure that you and your information remain safe. You can retrieve the API Key from the Cloudmersive website at no cost and with no commitment. This will provide you with 800 monthly calls across our library of APIs. | https://medium.com/@cloudmersive/validate-a-domain-names-quality-score-in-python-9e8c3f0aa1a2 | [] | 2020-12-24 17:32:20.871000+00:00 | ['Python', 'Domain Quality Score', 'Tutorial', 'Python Programming', 'API'] |
Notice Me, Senpai! | Two things about me might have been evident by now. First, I really love cats. Please tell me if there is a potion that turns humans into cats so I can sleep all day and have furry friends. Second, I am quite an introvert. No wonder I prefer books over people. I am an ardent book lover which is one of the reasons why I write. Books made me realize how powerful words can be. Few of my other obsessions are Harry Potter, minions, and BuzzFeed quizzes. Currently, I am working for Restronomy.com, a website that emphasizes on recent updates and resources for the restaurant industry.
As a kid, I was very shy and silent. My family was worried if I will ever talk. Always watched T.V. or played alone. It took me some time to open up. The reason I was like that is that my mother, sister and I left my abusive father’s house when I was almost 5 years old. We started our lives from scratch in a different city with the help of my mother’s family.
My mother worked for many years in the world of accountancy but now that my sister has grown up and taken over the steering wheel, she is living her best life. My sister is a Chartered Accountant. I am pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management. My end goal is to have my own food truck and flourish as a writer. I love the idea of being my own boss.
Living in an all-female house, knowing how our previous life was, has encouraged me to learn and read about intersectional feminism and activism every day. It inspired me to make my voice heard. One of the best ways to express oneself is to write. So, I started writing poetry on Instagram. But now that I have my own personal space here on Medium where people would really want to know and read what I have to say, there’s no going back.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
To sum up what you can expect from me as a writer, I wrote a little poem. | https://medium.com/illumination/notice-me-senpai-1b8c67417ea1 | ['Swagata Deshmukh'] | 2020-09-08 07:23:07.026000+00:00 | ['Introduction', 'Writer', 'Illumination', 'Feminism', 'Poet'] |
Birth Certificate | Once you receive a social security number for your new born, the next immediate step should be to try and get (multiple copies) of birth certificates.
Getting birth certificates is easy, and the main thing to remember is to get multiple copies right from the start. I would say at the very least, get three.
All that the birth certificate needs is collecting the document from the County Clerk-Recorder. Find your nearest County Clerk-Recorder office, walk in and there is a self service counter where you need to fill in some forms which ask for basic information about you (the parents) and the new born.
Allow at least three-four weeks in between before walking in to the office. Once there, you will get a token on filling in the form, and your name will be called and the requested number of Authorized birth certificates will be handed over to you.
Remember to carry a valid ID card to show your identity, and to carry either cash or check (card has a convenience fee). Get only the “Authorized copy, (not the informational one) since the latter cannot be used as a valid document for applying for a passport or the likes. | https://medium.com/@gadgilsanjeev/birth-certificate-5d0f68570d28 | ['Sanjeev Gadgil'] | 2019-07-22 18:19:12.843000+00:00 | ['Birth Certificate', 'Transgender', 'Baby'] |
Next-Gen vaccines and what they have in store for us | As the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic mounts, attempts at finding a vaccine have intensified. The WHO lists about 180 COVID vaccines being developed around the world. Some use traditional methods, while others have their sites set on newer technologies that have never been tried before.
What is a vaccine?
Vaccines are substances that prepare the immune system to fight a pathogen(known as active acquired immunity). They mimic different molecules present on the pathogen without infecting the body with the actual pathogen. The result is that the body has a “memory” of the infection without actually getting it.
Traditional vaccines
Traditional vaccines do so by using by either using non-virulent varieties of the pathogen(known as “attenuated vaccines”), inactivated pathogens that have been destroyed (inactivated vaccines), using related microorganisms that do not cause the disease in humans(“Jennerian” vaccines), inactivated toxic compounds released by a pathogen(toxoids) or by mimicking the surface polysaccharides of the pathogen(conjugate vaccine).
However, these methods, while being very useful, also have a few drawbacks. To circumvent these, several innovative vaccines are also in development.
DNA & RNA Vaccines
There are many types of biomolecules present in the living cell. Some of them are deoxyribonucleic acids(DNA), ribonucleic acids(RNA), proteins, carbohydrates, etc. In these molecules, DNA is more stable than other biomolecules in the cell. Due to its inertness, cells use DNA to store their genetic information. This property of DNA gives rise to the idea of using DNA as a material to make vaccines. These types of vaccines are called DNA vaccines.
DNA vaccines
The plasmid is a small, circular, and extrachromosomal DNA present mostly in the bacteria. They may be found as single or multiple copies and may carry half a dozen to several hundred genes. While making plasmids synthetically, replacing some of the DNA by a sequence of base pairs that code for a protein present on the disease-causing agent’s external surface, we produce a potential vaccine. The synthesis of plasmid DNA (pDNA) with a gene of interest follows its insertion in the person’s body.
There are two ways to insert pDNA in the human body. Intradermal delivery of vaccines means that the layer under the skin is the site of delivery of the pDNA vaccine. Gene guns facilitate intradermal delivery of pDNA vaccines. A Gene gun is a device used to deliver exogenous DNA, RNA, or protein to cells. On the other hand, intramuscular delivery of vaccines is the insertion of pDNA vaccines in a person’s muscle cells. If this method is assisted by electroporation, the DNA quickly passes through the membranes of the cell. Electroporation is a technique in which an electrical field is applied to cells to increase the cell membrane’s permeability, allowing chemicals, drugs, or DNA to be introduced into the cell. This method improves the efficacy of the vaccine. The following table lists differences in the intradermal and intramuscular methods of delivery of vaccines:
The plasmid enters the nucleus and integrates with the DNA of the cell. The central dogma of molecular biology occurs in the cells. Post translation, corresponding proteins are expressed on the cell membrane of the cells to trigger immune responses. The lymphocytes(one of the subtypes of a white blood cell in a vertebrate’s immune system), especially T cells, recognize these structures and develop immunity against those foreign structures. The plasmid DNA vaccine is thus successful in creating immunity against the causative agent. DNA vaccination had emerged as an attractive immunotherapeutic approach due to its simplicity, stability, and safety.
Drawbacks of the DNA vaccine
The body has a natural mechanism to prevent autoimmunity, i.e., the system of immune responses of an organism against its own healthy cells and tissues. As a consequence, the lymphocytes fail to develop sufficient immunity against causative agents. The mechanism of central and peripheral immune tolerance makes the DNA vaccine inefficient. Central tolerance, also known as negative selection, eliminates any developing lymphocytes(one of the subtypes of a white blood cell in a vertebrate’s immune system) that are reactive to themselves(known as “Autoreactive Lymphocytes”). Through the elimination of autoreactive lymphocytes, tolerance ensures that the immune system does not attack the host. When autoreactive lymphocytes escape the central tolerance and spread to the rest of the body, peripheral tolerance ensures that they are deleted or become anergic (functionally unresponsive to antigen). Naked DNA does not easily spread from cell to cell in vivo(within the body). Destruction of naked DNA can occur while delivering it. Also, it is difficult to transfer it to other surrounding cells.
Researchers are, thus, trying to find better options than DNA vaccines.
mRNA vaccines
Our cells have biomolecules called messenger ribonucleic acid(mRNA), present mainly in the cell’s cytoplasm. According to the central dogma of molecular biology, DNA information is converted to mRNA and, ultimately, to proteins that perform various functions. In the DNA vaccines, DNA is used to store information about the protein expressed to build immunity against the disease-causing agent. mRNA vaccines skip the step of converting DNA to mRNA (i.e., translation) and directly store the required information into an mRNA molecule.
The main component of the mRNA vaccine is the mRNA molecule. The purpose of making the vaccine is to help cells make proteins that will stimulate the immune system to build immunity against disease. The mRNA molecule is made synthetically according to the sequence of amino acids(building blocks) required to make the antigen protein expressed by the cell on its membrane.
Some vectors help in the delivery of this mRNA molecule. One of the methods used is the delivery of mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles. The lipids are a group of non-polar biomolecules. the lipid nanoparticles help deliver the mRNA in the cell’s cytosol.
The cytosol has many ribosomes. These make proteins(antigen) using the mRNA template. Expression of these antigens on the cell membrane stimulates the immune system to build immunity against the disease.
Advantages of mRNA vaccines
Production of mRNA vaccines is flexible and highly scalable. Translation of mRNA occurs in the cytosol of the cell itself. RNA does not integrate itself into the host genome, and the RNA strand in the vaccine degrades once the protein generates. As a result, the cell’s genome is not perturbed and prevents the cell from adverse effects due to the DNA strand’s addition in the genome. mRNA vaccines can be produced more rapidly in the laboratory in a process that can be standardized, improving their responsiveness to emerging outbreaks.
Conclusion
Now, we know about the DNA vaccine as well as the mRNA vaccine. Along with these, there are many types of vaccines. Both have their pros and cons. The choice of the vaccine solely depends on the purpose, cost, efficiency, safety, and many other factors. | https://medium.com/bitesized-biology/an-overview-of-next-generation-vaccines-df2f0f3302a | ['Manas Joshi'] | 2020-10-09 13:41:44.883000+00:00 | ['Rna', 'Vaccines', 'Synthetic Biology', 'Immunology', 'Dna'] |
Sex and Ableism | When I talk about disability justice, I mean my body.
I mean this fucked up body of mine. I mean the fact that I have been sick with bronchitis for six months this year, five months last year. With maybe some pneumonia mixed in.
I’m looking at you, endless string of concussions from riding horses as a child. Back before we knew concussions could fuck you up for life. Back when I believed my helmet would protect me from brain trauma, instead of just shielding my skull from fractures and death. My brain was rattled around an awful lot. Sometimes I forget names, faces. I word-hunt, like a very bad typist pecking for the right letter on a keyboard. I sound confused, my sentences garbled. In direct sunlight, talking becomes difficult. Focusing.
I’m looking at you, year straight of puking my guts out for no reason medical science was ever able to solve. I own a pharmacy’s worth of herbal supplements and yeah, they work, because now I can digest food properly most of the time. This counts as a major life accomplishment for me, okay?
When you’re disabled, your world shrinks. It has to. Basic life activities are swept off the table of what is possible. Holding down a full-time job becomes as unimaginable as dunking on Michael Jordan. Childhood dreams fall by the wayside fast then faster. Your life transforms into one long experiment in the art of the possible, and the possible shrinks every year.
And, you have a lot of time to think.
You think about love, because you don’t have it.
You think about sex. Sometimes, you think about sex in the context of disability justice.
So you think about things like erectile dysfunction. You think about this idea that a man who cannot force his body to do what his mind wants, is failing. You think about this idea that a man’s ability to produce the next generation is supposed to act like a tool in the hands of his elders, that he is supposed to want whomever they tell him to want. You think about how many men you know who don’t really know what they want sexually, maybe not even who they want. You think about these men who get turned on thinking about one woman then fuck another, these men who want a woman for her soul then fuck the woman whose body they think they ought to find attractive.
You think about these men who find a woman who will make other men envy them. Who will impress the men they work with. Who will make the men in their life stop mocking them, stop disrespecting them. These men who treat the bodies of women like physical barriers against other men’s cruelties.
You think about how women accept that we are going to be objectified. How we focus on trying to meet an impossible ideal of ‘pretty,’ in hopes we will be the one chosen to go to the ball or even, even, marry the prince. How we believe that if we do it right, if we obey feminine norms and discipline our bodies properly and never eat in public and exercise off every calorie, then. Maybe we will find prince charming. Who will love us for our minds, sorta, but of course the disciplined body is a package deal.
I chose my body, a long time ago. I had to. I had been through so much. I chose my body over trying to become some lost boy’s fantasy. I do what I want with my hair and weight and exercise routine. I still hate eating in front of men I like, but that is because I am afraid of how they might see me. It is because the more a man likes me, the more afraid I am of him.
Men view real desire as a threat to their personas. They view sexuality as too dangerous, too socially awkward. They do not want to trip, spill food, feel vulnerable. They do not want to risk sex in front of someone whose opinion they care about. They do not want to lose control.
And so erectile dysfunction has become a real diagnosis. Not being able to have sex with someone a man does not want to have sex with has become a ‘disability.’ A flaw. Something to be corrected with medication.
I know, I know, many men are limited by old age or medical side effects in ways they would like to dodge. Okay. Okay! This is different. Agreed.
But still there is that man. Staring at the girlfriend or wife or hookup beside him, trying to convince himself he truly does want her. Telling himself to be a man. To fuck her, to fuck up her pussy, to do it, to dominate her, to do it right. As though this is what it means to be a man, is to harm women, to get off on the idea if not the act of harming women, to treat women like enemies.
To view real sexuality, real desire, as the enemy. To fight off women who bring this enemy too close. As though passion is the thing men must protect against. As though passion is a threat either to men or to the women they long so much to protect.
There is a secret: the rapists who blame their acts on misguided passion are lying. They were always lying.
Rape is about domination. Not passion. Always.
Men who try to force their bodies to obey, who try to seduce or manipulate or physically dominate women who do not want to, these men are enacting rape culture even if they are not enacting rape.
Sexuality is not the enemy. Rape culture is. Domination of women’s bodies in the name of preserving patriarchal civilization, is. And fighting misogyny is as simple as wanting what you want, and rejecting what you don’t, and telling that vulnerable, necessary truth of yours to the whole wide world.
Still there is that man who runs from the woman he really wants. Because what if he comes too fast, or too slow? What if he puts his hands in the wrong places. If he accidentally whispers I love you. If he cries. What if he cries?
I am an adult, and I know better than to treat sex like a performance. I know better than to score a man I care about on these things that do not matter. I know that passion is messy and deep and vulnerable and filled with feeling. I know I want to experience this mess before I die. To feel something this deep.
TV shows are full of female characters sitting around sharing private details of their partners’ sexual proclivities to a laugh track. I have shared stories about male fetishes or flirtations in order to score ‘cool’ points. I was not paying attention to what I was doing. I know better now. I am changing.
Sometimes people really do change. If we let them. If we believe for them in the person they are trying to be.
I have a lot of faith in the men of this world. I have faith in their bodies. I have faith in the wisdom of their own sexualities. I believe that the impulse to rape is the exact inverse of the impulse to lovemaking.
I hope one day the men I love will find a way to also believe. | https://medium.com/@arwolf-88575/sex-and-ableism-c091dbfb373c | ['Rivka Wolf'] | 2020-12-20 06:54:01.386000+00:00 | ['Masculinity', 'Romance', 'Sex', 'Erectile Dysfunction', 'Sexuality'] |
The Secret to Managing your Time as a Startup Founder | The Secret to Managing your Time as a Startup Founder
Photo by Snapwire from Pexels
Startup founders and CEOs have a limited time to get their company to the next stage. If you don’t know how to manage your time, your role will quickly become irrelevant.
Your company will stagnate and you will be replaced by someone who can execute better (or a competitor).
So how can you become an A-player, on the top of your game, all the time? Here are some notes from my own experience:
Know your strengths and weaknesses as a person and as a CEO.
What things do you like doing best?
What things do you like doing worst?
Which tasks will be delegated to someone else in your company?
Who will take these roles and where will these tasks have an impact on your product or service?
How will you delegate or train others to take over these roles without compromising on product quality or services delivered to customers?
Implement the delegation process into the overall plan
Support them by keeping them accountable for their tasks. Set up a system to track progress and set up checkpoints with concrete milestones for them so they are aware when they should finish their tasks. They need to know what is expected of them before they start working on something. This is especially important for new hires.
The purpose of delegating is to free up your time in order to give you more time to focus on tasks that you are good at and enjoy the most. But you are responsible for making sure that delegated tasks are done or taken over by someone else.
If you work on other things at the same time, then you will lose control over the delegation process and your people will feel invisible or unappreciated. This can have a negative impact on motivation and ultimately on the quality of your products or services delivered to customers.
Focus doesn’t always mean working harder
It is sometimes important to work smarter, not harder, depending on the situation. Managing multiple projects requires different skills than managing daily operations of a company.
Plan ahead and set deadlines accordingly. When setting deadlines, allow enough time for something to go wrong so you have a buffer time in case something unexpected happens during execution of your plans (e.g., health issues, family emergencies etc.).
Don’t sacrifice quality if you’re under time pressure and do not be afraid to ask for help when needed!
Develop mastery in one area, know everything about what happens there (your expertise)
While it is important to focus on your core area of expertise, you need to know what is happening in other areas of your company. This can be difficult, but it is possible to master several areas at the same time.
For example, if you’re a tech-savvy person and have a deep understanding of the technical side of your business, then you need to develop your business acumen so you can also understand what happens in the sales and marketing side of your company.
This will help you understand why things are happening a certain way in a certain area and how it impacts other areas. It will also help you to understand when something needs attention from someone else outside that area (or if someone needs more training.)
Understand what each person does and their role in achieving the vision or strategy (your people)
As a CEO or founder, you need to know who’s on board and what they do for the company. Their roles & responsibilities should be defined so that everyone knows who does what and how their role impacts other areas of your business.
This is especially important when it comes to people who work remotely or with different time zones (e.g., freelancers). You need to make sure that they are available when needed and that they deliver on time (e.g., weekly sprint reports).
Develop systems for tracking progress so you can see if something is going wrong with the delegated work before it becomes a problem.
If there are issues with people not meeting deadlines or providing quality work, then set up meetings with them immediately so they can explain why things have happened this way and how they are going to fix it.
Developing mastery takes time, but it is worth it. It will help you to develop a holistic view of your company and see all the interconnections between different areas.
Eventually, you will be able to make better decisions for the company without being distracted by details that don’t impact the overall strategy of your company or its vision.
Make time for planning
You will need to plan ahead in order to stay on top of things and make sure that your team is on track with their tasks. Ask yourself: which areas are most important for you and your business right now? Which tasks should be done in the next 3 months? Which tasks should be done in the next 3 weeks? Which tasks should be done today? Plan ahead so you can reach your goals!
Make time for learning and development (your personal development)
As CEO or founder, you are responsible for making sure that everyone is growing as a professional and career-wise. Make sure that each person has enough room to grow their skillsets, set up meaningful projects where they can try out new things and master new skills.
It is also important to support them when they need feedback or coaching on particular areas of their performance that needs improvement (e.g., their communication, leadership skills etc.) so they can improve as professionals.
This also means that you have to be willing to take risks and invest in people who might not yet have all the skills needed for their role but could potentially become great assets for your company if given more time and training (e.g., leadership training).
In conclusion
Being on top of things is not easy, but it is possible if you work hard and plan ahead. If you’re working on too many things at the same time, then rely on your team members to help you out. If you can’t afford to hire staff or freelancers to help out, then find someone who can help you out for free (e.g., friends, family members etc.) until you have enough resources to hire a full time person (or people) to take over the task and allow you to focus on other things that are important for your business.
I hope this helps and I wish all of you the best!
About the Author
I am the Founder of Cudy Technologies (www.cudy.co), a full-stack EdTech startup helping teachers and students teach and learn better. I am also a mentor and angel investor in other Startups of my other interests (Proptech, Fintech, HRtech, Ride-hailing, C2C marketplaces and SaaS). You can also find me on Cudy for early-stage Startup Founder mentorship and advice.
You can connect with me on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderlhk) and let me know that you are a reader of my Medium posts in your invitation message. | https://medium.com/@alexanderlhk/the-secret-to-managing-your-time-as-a-startup-founder-d8ce10d3cc46 | ['Alexander Lim'] | 2020-12-27 10:03:57.308000+00:00 | ['Startup', 'Startup Lessons', 'Founders', 'Founder Advice', 'Founder Stories'] |
What I learned designing a new design system and how to get started | The result is a mess!
Designers don’t know which component to use and when. It takes a long time to design/ship new flows because the team have to design everything from scratch. Developers need to spend an enormous amount of time to build different components. Users are overwhelmed because of the many different patterns of interaction they have to deal with. They don’t have a coherent and consistent user experience across different platforms and customer entry points.
1. PRODUCT — Reuse design patterns for products at scale
The solution to our problem is simple: we need a design system to efficiently reuse design elements.
A design system is a set of components, with clear standards and rules, that can be used together by teams to build products at scale with the result of saving time and effort for developers and designers.
The large benefit of having reusable components becomes evident when we take a closer look at our product that have multiple components that serve the same purpose. For example, each of the different CTAs that we mentioned before represents developer, design and quality assurance time and if you multiply this across different parts of a product on multiple products and across platforms, you will soon realise this is a lot of effort.
A design system is not only one part, but many parts. For example, only a Sketch/Figma Library is not a design system. A style guide alone is not a design system, a single pattern library or a CSS framework is not a design system either.
2. PEOPLE — Teams and design system
I like to think that the design system gives teams the tools to collaborate putting people at the centre with the result of increased efficiency. You might feel that this will initially result in an increased amount of design time, but in reality, there is an overall time saving and a better end result.
With this:
The development and design teams could focus on iterating, innovating and improving rather than on rebuilding
QA tasks could be centralised and automated
The design system documentation could become a hub for reference and design/development best practices for teams and new hires (e.g. storybook)
It could be used to develop patterns across products
People in the teams will be happier because
💯 Less time spent to re-develop/re-design
🎉 More time to focus on real user problems
People using our products will be happier because
💌 Coherent user experience and more reused learnt patterns
3. PROCESS — Where to start
#1 Make a plan
In the past, I was lucky enough to work with some of the best design systems out there, but this time was different because I had to create one from scratch.
Designing a new design system is a HUGE job and requires good planning in order to get all the moving parts working.
You will need to collaborate with your peers, PMs, stakeholders, devs etc. It is a long process that will continue for months if not years, for this reason, you have to make a plan, putting down all the phases of the process and how to move forward.
When I had to begin the project I first did a discovery phase where I defined deliverables, I started to collect insights and once I had enough research I begin the ideation phase with the creation of different components and prototypes.
#2 Setup deliverables
I defined a set of deliverables for our teams to focus on, keeping in mind that our design system will evolve constantly with the product and with the new tools and technologies that we will use. We apply the design system to all the user touch points starting from the company website to platforms, to mobile. For this reason, I work closely with the marketing and content team to make sure not only the visual elements are aligned but also content and messages.
User touch points where the design system will be applied
The design system will help scale and create a visual language that stretches across platforms. I also applied the design system components and visual language to the deck that stakeholders use internally and externally with customers.
Deliverables part of our design system
#3 Conduct a visual Inventory
If you are creating the design system for a product that already exists in the market, an important thing to do is to create a visual inventory.
Conducting an audit of the current components could help you to define the different styles and components used across these products.
Collecting CTAs, dropdowns, all the different existing components gave me a big picture of the current digital ecosystem of our products. It’s a good idea to get the development team involved in this process, as they will have a good overview of what is happening inside our platforms and also helps to break silos and increase collaboration. After this process, you’ll be grouping the similar components and then you can start your prioritization. This will give you a good overview of what focus first.
#4 Define design principles
Design principles are foundations that are used across all teams to focus on the global vision and principles that our design should follow. Which also ensures that when we work on the overall design our interfaces are functional, easy to use, intuitive and memorable.
A good example is the following by Atlassian.
Our design principles reflect our design philosophy and underpin how our digital experiences unleash the potential in any team. We use the Atlassian Design Principles to inspire creativity and to continually push ourselves to make our products, websites and integrations better at helping people and teams be more effective.
#5 Create a visual language and a style guide
The visual language is important in order to articulate a general brand design direction, philosophy and approach to be used across all ecosystems of products. Consistency, visual recall and clarity are the main goals of our visual language. This will help to set up a style guide that is a set of company’s rules regarding its branding covering both visual elements, such as logos and imagery, as well as typography, palette and tone of voice. It defines how the company is represented throughout online, offline, in-house, and external appearances.
1.Typography. It is extremely important that your brand has a strong foundation of typography. Choose fonts, set a hierarchy, and integrate them with components in order to make your UI legible. Typography is an essential part of visual hierarchy which helps to reduce friction across products.
2. Colour palette. Colour distinguishes your brand. By defining a colour system you can ensure you have a single palette of colours used across products to create a consistent experience. Brand colours can be integrated into the palette in order to maintain brand personality throughout your UI. Colours need to be accessible to ensure sufficient colour contrast so that people with visual impairments can use your products. You should define a primary palette, text palette, secondary palette and tertiary palette.
Other elements of the style guide are icons, margins, padding, grids and so on.
#6 Design a pattern library
The pattern library is often influenced by a style guide and it is a collection of user interface design elements and components. This can include living documentation like HTML snippets and it focuses on user interface design.
Pattern libraries include components like CTAs, search bars, images, hero elements, sliders, cards, galleries, navigation, tables etc.
As a starting point, I didn’t create the pattern library from scratch but I used one of the many existing libraries out there in Figma as a foundation and then I iterated. This helped me to save a huge amount of time. I tested all the components with internal stakeholders but also with end-users, to ensure that they were involved in the conversation. Another thing to keep in mind is to ensure to follow the accessibility standard so that everyone can use our products.
#7 Alignment and collaboration with your dev team are gold
Collaboration and good communication between teams are the keys to move forward and to bring our design system to life. All the parts should work together as one team with a common goal.
Practices that helped and help me today to be aligned with my dev team and stakeholders:
Creating a redline specs document to be handed off to developers will ensure that designs are made according to specifications. The red lines are guides, that communicate exact spacing, margin, etc. When delivering to my development team, I use Figma and I use design tokens, comments and guides there.
It is useful to create one place to manage brand and UX components and documentation across teams. This is referred to as a single source of truth. This can be created as HTML pages and hosted on GitHub or something similar for easy distribution among your team. In the past, I’ve used Atlassian Confluence to create wikis with all the details about the design system and its use. Remember that these can be useful for not only design and development teams, but also marketing and content teams.
My design system toolkit that I use every day. Figma, Jira, Miro, Storybook
Shipping a design system pilot project. It is important you align with your PMs and plan to ship a pilot project to launch your initial design system. This will allow you to have a starting point and to measure metrics that can be used later on when you define KPIs for implementation. You will need also to create a backlog for your design system. Your PMs and developers should help you with the prioritisation of stories.
Help your developers with the creation of a storybook. A storybook is an open-source tool for developing UI components in isolation for React, Vue, Angular, and more. It makes building stunning UIs organised and efficient.
4. CONCLUSION — Summary and takeaway
As of today myself and the team are still working on the design system and there is still a lot that needs to be done.
Designing, building and maintaining a design system is hard work and it requires months of work. I learned that working on a design system is an experimental process. Patterns and components are made to be edited, extended, added or removed based on experimentation, testing and new findings. 😀
Example of storybooks:
Other useful links:
Thank you for reading! 😀 Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter | https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/what-i-learnt-working-on-a-new-design-system-4e50f10aa964 | ['Annalisa Valente'] | 2020-12-02 08:59:17.472000+00:00 | ['Product Design', 'Design', 'Pattern Library', 'Resources', 'Design Systems'] |
How to Load data on Kaggle Notebook? | Before showcasing your awesome data science project to Kaggle, please make sure that the dataset is successfully loaded on Kaggle Notebook.
You have two options:
The first one would be selecting existed dataset or uploading your own dataset. ( File-> Add or upload data)
and then use the following code to figure where your dataset is
import os
for dirname, _, filenames in os.walk('/kaggle/input'):
for filename in filenames:
print(os.path.join(dirname, filename))
finally | https://medium.com/@yanwei-liu/how-to-load-data-on-kaggle-notebook-3699ed63d91a | ['Yanwei Liu'] | 2020-10-01 11:32:48.570000+00:00 | ['Kaggle', 'Data Science', 'Machine Learning', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Deep Learning'] |
It Doesn’t Matter Who Wins in 2020–75% of Voters Won’t Support the Winner | The President doesn’t represent the country and hasn’t in a long time, but now whoever wins will probably also be called a fraud.
Since the election of the 45th president of the United States many millions of Americans have been loudly, or at least with handclaps 👏 and ALLCAPS online, denouncing Donald Trump. This crass person does not represent us! America is not Trump’s America.
But neither was this Obama’s America. Or Bush’s. Or Clinton’s. For every election that I’ve been eligible to vote in (that’s ’96, if you must know), the results were functionally irrelevant when it comes to representing the wishes, let alone the character, of the country. If you’ve ever thought that your vote doesn’t matter, you’re right: whoever wins, 75% of voters didn’t vote for the president. What does that mean?
Average voter turnout in presidential elections over the last 60 years is 55%. Turnout in 1960 was 63%, the highest in over a century and almost the high water mark of the 20th century (you’d have to go back to 1908 to get the peak of 65%). The 21st century so far has not bucked this trend, although we saw a small jump in 2008 to 58%. Basically half of America doesn’t vote and we’ve been like this for over a half century. An election in which only half of the country shows up to vote may not be a shining example of democratic integrity.
That only half of eligible Americans cast ballots is not necessarily cause for alarm — a proverb about cooks and broths comes cynically to mind — however the strength of American democracy is further questioned when we look at who we’re voting for. The same pachyderms and jackasses, in the same quantities, every time.
The popular vote in every election since 1984 has ended up in more or less a fifty/fifty split, along major party lines. The winner declares victory with no more than an 8% margin of victory, usually just between 2–4%. No matter who wins, the end result is that 75% of eligible voters did not cast their ballot for that person. A president who sails to office with only 55% of the vote is captain of a ship in which half the crew thinks they’re unqualified and most of the passengers feel ignored.
The whole point of the democratic process is that leaders will govern with the consent of the people. Elections aren’t just the process by which we choose our executives and lawmakers, it’s also how their roles and subsequent rules are legitimized. The process demands respect because the process respects those of us who make it happen. It’s hard to argue that you represent anything when only 25% of voters put you in office.
These are historical problems that we’ve been dealing with for many decades but five elections ago a new twist developed. This century began with an election that set the stage for a problem that every president in the new millennium so far has faced and, in my opinion, poses the greatest challenge to the continuity of our system. Besides being voted in by only 25% of the voters, every American president in the 21st century was illegitimate for a large minority of the country.
In 2000, the election was famously contested and George W. Bush was dogged by constant undermining of the legitimacy of his presidency. In 2008, Barack Obama suffered one of the more heinous accusations of political illegitimacy when his citizenship itself was questioned. Current President Donald Trump was dealing with suggestions of impeachment for colluding with a foreign government even before he was inaugurated.
Not my president? Every president for the last nineteen years has been called a fraud at best, a subversive threat to the nation at worst. This has happened before, many presidents were best with accusations of illegitimacy, corruption, or even treason.
In 1960, Richard Nixon actually declined to contest the election results, even though there were many believable claims of corruption and vote tampering from the Kennedy campaign.
John Tyler, was famously called ‘his accidency’ after becoming president upon the death of William Henry Harrison. Andrew Jackson was loud in denouncing the 1824 election as the result of corruption. Lincoln’s election was so contested it fractured the country and started the Civil War. The 1876 election was so compromised that the only way Rutherford Hayes could enter office was to end Reconstruction and hand the South to corrupt racists.
But this is the first sustained period of pervasive belief that the person in the Oval Office does not belong there. Every president in this century so far, does not enjoy universal recognition that they won the office in a fair contest. This is new. This is dangerous. We need to move past this.
Maybe recognizing that the president is not a representative of us is a good first step. We can fix our democracy only if we recognize the problems. That Trump was elected is not the problem, that we swing so wildly from Bush to Obama to Trump is not the problem. That they were each elected by less than 25% of eligible voters is a problem. That so many people think the winner is illegitimate is a problem.
We can fix this though.
By ceasing the hyperbole. If your candidate loses, it isn’t the end of the world. No, the president doesn’t represent the country. He never really has as far as basically your lifetime is concerned. When your team loses, it doesn’t mean the fix is in. Whoever wins won’t have a mandate, regardless of whatever the electoral college says or the popular vote results are. We need to get over ourselves, accept defeat graciously, and maybe encourage more people to vote.
Thomas Brown is a history teacher and recovering political consultant hiding out in the American South. He is also managing editor of The Swamp and has been published in The Bipartisan Press, Alaska Native News, GEN, Human Events, Times of Israel, Dialogue & Discourse. Argue with him on Twitter: @reallythistoo. | https://medium.com/discourse/it-doesnt-matter-who-wins-in-2020-75-of-voters-won-t-support-the-winner-5d5b8de3a9f0 | ['Thomas Brown'] | 2020-04-30 15:43:56.799000+00:00 | ['Elections', 'Politics', 'Trump', 'US Politics', 'Voting'] |
New BoE governor must “green Britain’s financial system” say more than 100 leading figures | The letter calls on Bailey to “lead the way in aligning finance with the 1.5C target” and commit to a number of actions ahead of COP26, the international climate conference taking place in Glasgow this November.
According to the signatories, Bailey and the Bank of England should make it mandatory for firms to disclose climate risk “as soon as possible”, exclude fossil fuel assets from both future rounds of quantative easing (QE) and the assets the Bank accepts as collateral, and consider changes to the Bank’s macroprudential framework to see high-carbon lending penalised.
Fran Boait, executive director of Positive Money, said: “As the institution overseeing and underpinning our financial system, the Bank of England must lead the way and do everything it can to stop environmental breakdown being funded on its watch.
Former Greek finance minister Yannis Varoufakis is among those to have signed the letter
“With less than a decade to drastically cut emissions and avoid irreversible climate breakdown, Andrew Bailey must ensure that climate remains high on the Bank’s agenda. These steps are a necessary starting point.”
This public appeal is being made before a pre-appointment hearing at the Treasury Select Committee tomorrow, with Bailey scheduled to take over from outgoing governor Mark Carney on March 16th.
Speaking to this committee last year, Carney admitted that government “policy is not yet consistent with stabilising temperatures below 2°” and the financial system at large is funding an increase in global temperatures of more than 4C. Under Carney the bank has signalled that it understands the financial and economic risks associated with climate change, acknowledging in a speech last year that up to £20tn could be lost from stranded carbon assets.
The letter was coordinated by a number of research and campaign groups, including Positive Money, Greenpeace and the New Economics Foundation.
Signatories include academic and UBS senior scientific advisor and former government chief scientific advisor Sir David King, economist and author of The Case for a Green New Deal, Anne Pettifor and Professor of Geography at Oxford Univeristy, Danny Dorling.
You can read the letter in full here. | https://medium.com/justpolitical/new-boe-governor-must-green-britains-financial-system-say-more-than-100-leading-figures-da1ebc8675c8 | ['Ethan Shone'] | 2020-03-03 22:36:01.241000+00:00 | ['UK Politics', 'News', 'Climate Change', 'UK', 'Journalism'] |
Bhagavad Gita: Understanding One Shloka at a time. (Chp. 2, Verse 44) — HBR Patel | Bhagwan Shri Krishna speaks about the ones that have endless desires for materialistic pleasures and opulence. The mind of such individuals is always wandering and they are not able to concentrate on the path of the Bhagwan.
The material desire always keeps them on the edge and their actions are directed towards the attainment of those materials and pleasure. Their mind is attached to the sensual pleasures and their actions are always to fulfill their desires. They are attracted to the flowery words and endure to attain the materialistic pleasure and enjoy them. This effort of theirs is based on the false notion that they will one day their heart will be satisfied after enjoying these materialistic pleasures. They think that after enjoying all these their heart will be contented at one point in time.
But they don’t know that it is never going to happen. Our desires trick us into making us believe that they will be over once we fulfill them. A bike owner may want a car, a car owner might want a plane, a plane owner might want a yacht, the chain of desires continues.
To fulfill those desires, the individual is constantly enduring on the path of material pleasures and thus is unable to have a firm resolve to travel on the path to Samadhi. They are unable to surrender their actions for the devotion of the Bhagwan and thus they are unable to perceive and realize the Bhagwan. | https://medium.com/@hbrpatel54/bhagavad-gita-understanding-one-shloka-at-a-time-chp-2-verse-44-hbr-patel-996f3fbe7a1d | ['Hbr Patel'] | 2020-12-27 03:51:42.642000+00:00 | ['Yoga', 'Scripture', 'Bhagavad Gita', 'Hinduism', 'Spirituality'] |
The Making of “The Business of Arresting Time” | The Making of “The Business of Arresting Time”
Arrest. Noun, “a stoppage or sudden cessation of motion.” Verb, “seize (someone) by legal authority and take into custody.” Time. Noun, “the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.” Verb, “measure the time taken by (a process or activity, or a person doing it).” — Definitions by Oxford Languages.
Project 1 Final Print Design (11 x 17) — Created using Adobe Illustrator and Flourish
The Assignment, the Story
In my grad school class “Introduction to Info Graphics and Data Visualization,” Prof. Alberto Cairo tasked us with visualizing a story based on the theme of mass incarceration in the US. The assignment entailed reading The New Yorker article “The Caging of America” by Adam Gopnik, January 23, 2012, to help us find an avenue for the story.
Though the article provided many possible stories, I was immediately impressed by the opening, painting the inmates’ relationship with time as a daunting source of despair. And after reading through the full article, I kept going back to time.
For many of us, it sometimes feels as if there is not enough time. There is anxiety and fear of the ever rapidly, wrinkling time and the need for more months in a year, more days in a week and more hours in a day.
For the inmates as expressed in the article, it is painted quite the opposite and to a depth of feeling difficult to fathom—time as a seemingly never ending, torturous expansive entity. Envision the years, months, mornings, afternoons, evenings, nights, hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds to infinity.
The story is time.
The Data
There can be a lot of stories in a single dataset, so many that I found myself a little overwhelmed by all the possibilities. To help with the challenge, I chose to narrowed my focus to Florida arrests. I ultimately compiled datasets from several to obtain information from various years across counties. Data sources include Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Crime in Florida, Annual 1989, 1999, 2009 and 2019 Florida uniform crime reports [Computer program]. Tallahassee, FL: FDLE; Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Total UCR Arrests for Florida by Jurisdiction, Offense Type, and Race, 2019; and Vera, Incarceration Trends.
The Proposal
I made my proposal of time and the charts I planned to use to show the volume of arrests over time and volume of time that equated. I proposed the following charts.
A very rough sketch of proposed charts before drawing the proposal sketch in Adobe Illustrator.
Slopegraph to compare change over time. Increasing volume of arrests by county 1970 vs 2018/2019. Encoding: line weight and color hue.
to compare change over time. Increasing volume of arrests by county 1970 vs 2018/2019. Encoding: line weight and color hue. Choropleth Map of Florida arrest rates vs population by county to show volume, 2019. Encoding: color hue.
of Florida arrest rates vs population by county to show volume, 2019. Encoding: color hue. Stacked Bar Graph to show arrest comparisons between South Florida counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties) 1989, 1999, 2009, 2019. Encoding: Bar thickness, length and color hue.
to show arrest comparisons between South Florida counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties) 1989, 1999, 2009, 2019. Encoding: Bar thickness, length and color hue. Exact Values to show grandness of time. Total number of arrests in one day multiplied by 24 hours and total number of years, months, weeks days, hours, minutes and seconds it equates.
Design Drafts and Critiques
For the assignment, we were tasked to create both a print Info Graphic 11" x 17" and a companion mobile version.
For the proposal design draft, I spent quite a lot of time creating my sketch in Illustrator to show as closely as possible my intended layout. I wanted to provide approximate proportion and placement and be as detailed as possible. This proved to be helpful with the following draft versions. | https://medium.com/@e-estefan/the-making-of-the-business-of-arresting-time-6c7539710abd | ['Elizabeth Estefan'] | 2020-11-23 20:52:52.062000+00:00 | ['Infographics', 'Data Visualisation'] |
Delivering PPE and school supplies to the Navajo Nation — autonomously | Autonomous aviation will redefine how goods and people move around the world, especially for regional distances, typically too long to drive but too short to fly commercial aviation. It will help connect local communities like never before.
Over the past few months, we’ve performed close to a hundred flight tests. Given the COVID-19 pandemic raging nationwide and the aircraft’s capacity to carry significant payload, it seemed like a no-brainer to combine our flight test program with an actual cargo delivery of critical supplies to people in need. We just had to figure out where to source them from and whom to bring them to.
Native Americans have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. Due to a lack of infrastructure including lack of electricity and water, “sheltering-in-place” is virtually impossible. With more deaths per capita than any U.S. state, the coronavirus has particularly devastated the Navajo Nation in part due to various compounding issues such as unreliable road infrastructures, unregulated water sources, and a lack of access to basic medical care and critical supplies. As the school year started, children’s education became another victim of the pandemic. Without proper infrastructure, distance learning is impossible.
We decided to partner with two great organizations: Protect Native Elders, a volunteer-based inter-tribal organization that offers necessities to Native American communities and GetUsPPE.org, a doctor-led non-profit that provides PPE to frontline workers. They helped us, along with our own contacts source donated supplies.
Through this initiative, 2,000 PPE gowns and masks are being deployed to Indian Health Service centers with the aim of providing hundreds of frontline workers with the supplies needed to safely perform their job duties.
In addition, 50 Osmo devices and accompanying Amazon Fire Tablets donated by Osmo are going to students at local schools who are faced with learning in an entirely new socially-distant classroom environment. What’s more, many kids are using these devices for the first time having never had access to tablets and learning apps before today.
The Flight
We loaded the airplane with over 700 lbs of cargo. With full tanks to cover the 730-miles distance plus reserve, and 3 team members, for a total of 8,727 lbs, the aircraft was close to its Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW).
Airplane is loaded — Ready for departure
Optimizing our flight plan for wind and given that the aircraft does not have oxygen (problem that will not be relevant once all humans are on the ground), we flew South-East to go around the High Sierras.
Our flight path (KCCR to KINS)
Departure
We prepared for an early departure, in order to avoid potential thunderstorms at the destination. We engaged Xwing’s AutoFlight system on Runway 19R before takeoff. It deployed the flaps to 20 degrees, then progressively ramped up the throttle to reach the maximum torque allowable. The brakes were then released and the aircraft quickly accelerated, accurately tracking the runway centerline. Once airborne, the aircraft smoothly proceeded along the flight plan. Our system stayed engaged the whole trip until the end of roll-out on runway 29 at Winslow Regional Airport. We covered the 730 miles in 4 hours and 6 minutes — a new record for Xwing.
N101XW being tugged out
The smoke from the wildfires filling in the Sierra valleys
Despite a challenging high altitude and “never seen before” runway (see previous post about high density altitude landings), the aircraft performed a successfully autoland at Winslow airport. Upon touchdown, the aircraft tracked the runway centerline and decelerated. After a little over 4 hours, our safety pilot disengaged the system and took back manual control of the aircraft.
Approach path into KINS
Automatic Landing at Winslow Regional Airport
On the ground, Bleu Adams and her team from Protect the Native Elders were waiting for us. We unloaded the payload onto two pickup trucks and, after spending a bit of time getting to know each-other, they were on their way!
“It takes a village to make a change in the world; it takes a community to uplift those in need. Many indigenous communities have been overlooked for decades as it relates to basic needs such as food, water, health, and infrastructure. We applaud technology innovators such as Xwing for seeking ways to help address these disparities and applying their technology in support of others. Solving such economic and social challenges requires all of us to unite and work together for the betterment of others” — Bleu Adams, Navajo activist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Protect Native Elders.
Unloading the airplane in Winslow, Az.
Bleu Adams (center left) with the Xwing crew
While this delivery may be a drop in the bucket in terms of overall quantity delivered, it demonstrated the ability of autonomous aviation to bring relief to hard-to-reach communities. We look forward to a future where this technology can help support underserved communities better.
We’d like to thank the organizations on the ground for their assistance in making this happen.
Watch NBC’s coverage of how underfunded Native American communities struggle with remote learning.
Watch NBC’s coverage of how autonomous aviation can help revive remote and isolated communities. | https://medium.com/@xwinginc/delivering-ppe-and-school-supplies-to-the-navajo-nation-autonomously-9111f5c543d7 | [] | 2020-10-19 15:39:11.326000+00:00 | ['Ppe', 'Delivery', 'Autonomous Vehicles', 'Aviation'] |
Email Marketing Design Tips To Improve Your Open Rates | Many email marketers frequently fail to realize that their subscriber’s email application preview pane is the first opportunity their content has to attract the attention they require. And unfortunately, those that don’t allow for a snapshot preview in their content design fall victim to lower than expected open rates as their subscribers are less likely to open the message in full.
Here are four simple steps you can to take to ensure your next email message preview pane design gets all the attention it should:
First, be aware that prior to Outlook 2003, the preview your subscriber sees runs horizontally along the foot of their screen. In Outlook 2003, this view is a vertical slice showing the left-hand side of your content.
As a tip take a blank sheet of paper and then reveal the top third of your next message and then the left third. Does what you see in both instances seem interesting enough to entice your subscribers to click on?
Second, by allowing for the thinnest of newsletter mastheads, you should cram into these viewable snippets as much content as you can. Plus, if this content tells your subscriber exactly what your message contains, then the chances of them opening it increase even further.
sh-link.me/email-marketing
Third, don’t have too many images cluttering the preview space. By default, my version of Outlook 2003 suppresses all images sent to me in HTML messages. All I see is a sea of red crosses, which tells me nothing about the message. (I tend to leave these messages until later, which CAN become NEVER! Your subscribers may well do the same.)
And finally, the smart newsletter designers use images sparingly in this top part. Even better, they build their masthead using not images, but HTML text and color to effectively get across their message. As a consumer, I’m far more tempted to break my train of thought and dig down deeper into that juicy piece of content I can see.
sh-link.me/email-marketing
Thus, by treating the preview pane of your newsletter as a quick-peek mini-summary for your subscribers, you are on the right track to grab a new client!
It’s simple really–the quicker your readers are intrigued by the very first lines of your email, the more they will read them. | https://medium.com/@miab3/email-marketing-design-tips-to-improve-your-open-rates-b7a854295c2f | [] | 2020-12-26 14:48:43.835000+00:00 | ['Email Marketing Lists', 'Email Marketing', 'Email', 'Marketing', 'Email Marketing Tips'] |
E52 Part 2: Bob Moesta — Choosing Better for Learning and Healthcare | In the second segment of our super-sized “Bobcast”, uber-innovator and Jobs to Be Done expert Bob Moesta digs deeper into his recently released first book, Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life, co-authored with Michael Horn. The book isn’t just about the college decision — it encompasses life-long learning, whether it’s executive education, bootcamps, or on-line classes. Since many parallels can be made between the higher education and health care industries, Ben & Jay also engage Bob about the struggles in making health care decisions and their similarities to education decisions. Having helped many companies develop thousands of products, Bob is now on a mission to help consumer be better consumers, in many aspects of their lives. Whether its education or healthcare, if people can prepare themselves better by helping them understand their own context and the outcome they are seeking, they will choose better — making the implicit explicit. As you will come to realize, choosing the right learning experience is just a beginning for Bob’s work to enable people to make better choices.
@bmoesta @michaelbhorn @ChristensenInst
Learn more about Choosing College HERE
Purchase a copy HERE
Examples cited:
@JayGerhart @TheBenReport @SherpaPod
A Sherpa’s Guide to Innovation is a proud member of the Health Podcast Network @HealthPodNet -
Listen Now: | https://medium.com/a-sherpas-guide-to-innovation/e52-part-2-bob-moesta-choosing-better-for-learning-and-healthcare-7f6639d3a072 | ['Jay Gerhart'] | 2019-09-21 12:38:41.239000+00:00 | ['Higher Education', 'Innovation', 'Jobs To Be Done', 'Healthcare', 'Podcast'] |
DataBroker DAO is now one of the smart solutions on bee smart city | Smart city managers are facing a daunting task. Depending on their size, location, population and numerous other factors, every city has different needs and requirements. And to make things worse, the smart city market is currently neither transparent nor digitalized, making it extremely difficult for them to see the forest through the trees and find the appropriate solutions for the problems their cities are facing.
bee smart city, founded in 2017, has one simple goal: to accelerate the development of prosperous and livable smart cities and communities around the globe. To this end, they provide an efficient toolset for smart city analysis and for facilitating collaboration and the successful implementation of the best smart city solutions available.
Their database currently features about 500 smart solutions, neatly divided in subcategories like Smart economy, Smart environment, Smart government, Smart living, Smart mobility and Smart people. Recently DataBroker DAO was added, showing cities all over the world the road to our decentralized marketplace for sensor data.
Benefits for smart cities …
As a user, registering will enable you to search the database for solutions, using smart indicators to filter the results. You can learn how other cities address problems and challenges, explore their aims and the results of implementing individual solutions and access information on involved partners for project implementation. In addition, it will allow you to share solutions, label them as being smart and add them to your favorites. And soon a rating will be displayed on every solution in the bee smart city database, enabling you to quickly identify the best solutions available.
… and for solution providers
As a solution provider, you can add new solutions to the bee smart city database and edit or modify your solutions. Seizing the opportunity to make your solutions available globally and increasing your visibility in the market by showcasing your portfolio of solutions, connecting with municipalities, companies and other organizations around the world and helping them to accelerate their smart city projects by acquiring them as new clients or partners.
424 cities worldwide are already using the bee smart city database, with top cities Amsterdam, Moscow, Winnipeg and Columbus already deploying dozens of solutions. And now that DataBroker DAO is added to the list of solutions, we’re curious to see which city comes knocking on our door first…
In the meantime, we’re working on a new website for DataBroker DAO, soon on air… Stay tuned!
Join our Telegram channel for all information and questions or drop us a line: [email protected] | https://medium.com/databrokerdao/databroker-dao-is-now-one-of-the-smart-solutions-on-bee-smart-city-51d5c55e43a9 | ['Frank Van Geertruyden'] | 2018-08-21 14:59:38.432000+00:00 | ['Smart Cities', 'Data Marketplace', 'Digital Challenges', 'IoT', 'Data'] |
Exciting times for fintech in Kenya and this is just the beginning! | Fintech is an umbrella term that encompasses any technology that is applied in financial services in order to make it simple for businesses to manage financial aspect, and it could be a software, an app, or a process. The fintech sector is growing at an exponential rate in the world, and Africa is no exception. As technology is defining the everyday operations of businesses across the world, fintech companies are offering multiple innovations to embed technology in the field of financial management, like mobile money, mobile banking and savings, mobile payments, and alternative channels of funding.
The financial services ecosystem has changed a lot, thanks to growing fintech companies and the financial management solutions they offer. It is simple for any person with a smartphone to open and maintain bank accounts, receive and send money, transfer funds, pay bills, shop online and pay for the shopping or even access a loan. Along with South Africa and Nigeria, Kenya is among the top innovators in Africa in the financial sector. The use of electronic payment methods and tools for financial planning is on the rise, and transactions are faster and simpler with such products and tools. Fintech is all set to take over the financial management services sector, and displace the traditional services for good.
The growth of mobile phone related technology in the financial management sector is certainly a great convenience for people in Africa to manage their money in the most efficient manner. Kenya, in particular, has exhibited an extremely dynamic financial sector and is the frontrunner in B2B and P2P financial management solutions. The ripple effect of such solutions has led to the rise of a plethora of fintech firms in Kenya, and Finserve happens to be one of the leading fintech firms, offering financial management, financial accounting, Eazzy loans, Equitel loans, APIs, payment gateway solution and a versatile, fun keyboard app as well.
Fintech solutions providers have changed the way Kenyans access financial management services, and there is a lot more innovation happening in this sector. As digital financial services continue to grow in Kenya, the opportunities as well as challenges are significant. Logical innovations are the need of the hour, and some organisations have executed such solutions successfully, with intuitive products that address real problems. With such products, it is becoming easy for even small businesses to have a digital footprint and cater to customers all over the world.
Since fintech largely depends and operates on the internet, it is susceptible to cybercrime and technological glitches. It is imperative for fintech solutions providers to offer complete security to their users, and ensure no breach of sensitive financial data. High-level protocols of data security are crucial to fintech services and products. It is imperative to offer such innovations and products that would help people interact, share and learn from each other. The possibilities in the fintech sector are exciting, and there will be more products and better services in the days to come, and Finserve promises to be among the leading names in the ecosystem. The future looks interesting, and this is the right time to be a part of the rising fintech wave. | https://medium.com/@chandanin/exciting-times-for-fintech-in-kenya-and-this-is-just-the-beginning-1bd8fcc62da7 | ['Chandani Nayak'] | 2019-05-06 11:37:25.395000+00:00 | ['Fintech Technologies', 'Financial Services', 'Finance', 'Fintech'] |
“Talenta, a local blockchain consulting firm, recently partnered with China’s co-working space giant, Ucommune to establish Singapore’s very first Blockchain Hub.” | Based in Singapore and operating globally, Infiny is a professional management consulting company that provides one-stop solution to blockchain projects and crowdfunding campaigns.
Follow | https://medium.com/talenta/talenta-a-local-blockchain-consulting-firm-recently-partnered-with-chinas-co-working-space-3c3c69b50f77 | [] | 2018-08-01 03:00:07.713000+00:00 | ['Cryptocurrency', 'Blockchain', 'Bitcoin'] |
COVID-19 and Vaccine Hesitancy: A Story Behind the Silver Bullet | Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash
Written by: Aisyah P Rahvy, a student in the Department of Health Administration and Policy, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
Up until now, Indonesia has been fighting COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning of 2020. From dealing with 2 first cases until 700,097 cases on 23rd December 2020, all of the efforts have been done by the government to make things better. Social distancing regulation, health promotion, anything to educate society and raise their awareness so that efforts done by the government will not be in vain.
Lately, the idea of vaccination to help us win the battle has been legally implemented through Permenkes (Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan, Ministry of Health Regulation) Number 84 the Year 2020. As we all know, vaccination is considered as a “holy grail” of preventive action, especially for diseases caused by virus. President Joko Widodo, on 16th December 2020, announced that there would be six vaccines used in Indonesia: Bio Farma, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinopharm, Oxford-AstraZeneca, dan Sinovac (Kompas.com). To maximize utilization of the vaccines, government rules some groups of the society those will have to be vaccinated as an obligatory. These groups include health worker, military soldiers, police officers, teachers, and more. But still, good intention is not always being followed by good response.
As IDI (Ikatan Dokter Indonesia) claimed to be ready if doctors must be vaccinated first as well as other health workforce, we should take a deeper look to other parts of society. Can anyone guarantee that other parts of our society will be just fine about this vaccination? Well, the term of vaccine hesitancy is not a fresh issue here in Indonesia. Vaccine hesitancy is defined by WHO (World Health Organization) as delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccine services. Vaccine hesitancy often be the greatest barrier of immunization coverage, and at the same time increase the risk of people being infected by certain virus if they refuse to be vaccinated. Wellcome Global Monitor, a survey from Wellcome Trust, in 2018 found that Indonesia is among countries with the lowest coverage of immunization in ASEAN. One of the reason this ironic fact happened was because some of the parents did not believe in vaccine.
Talking about the pandemic, it is so possible that our people will refuse the idea of vaccination. Several reasons like religious issue, safety issue, conspiracy theory, hoax news, and many more lead to vaccine hesitancy. Religious law like haram halal of vaccine materials usually be the main reason why certain religious groups deny the idea of vaccine. Furthermore, vaccine safety is still being questioned of some parts of society. Is it really okay to be vaccinated, will the vaccine cause no side-effect, and many more questions about it. At the same time, conspiracy theory and hoax news about COVID-19 vaccination program is spreading everywhere. A conspiracy theory about vaccine once says that vaccine contains microchips to control and track human, other theory says the vaccine is purposely made to destroy some population of human. Funny and dumb? Maybe yes for us as scientists, but for society, this is a mighty idea to believe in.
Let us imagine this scenario. If this vaccine hesitancy keeps raising, some of our people will refuse to be vaccinated and it will higher their risk of being infected by a coronavirus. Meanwhile, there are still a lot of people who do not obey social distancing regulation even when the government already formed the punishment. These people are truly making it harder to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2. In this kind of situation, vaccine is more like a silver bullet to make this pandemic end. But what happen if the people use vaccine hesitancy as a bullet-proof vest? Virus will still spread rapidly while most of people do not have immunity to fight it.
The government should really keep an eye for this issue. Unclear information about halal haram as well as safety issue of vaccine must be communicated well, unless it will trigger society to believe on conspiracy theory and hoax news as it is in line with their own faith and believe upon vaccine. Transparent information, on the other side, will increase people’s trust to the government so that they unlikely have negative sentiment to vaccination idea. Along with this, government also has to show strong commitment as well as consistency between regulation and its implementation by governmental actors in combating COVID-19. Social distancing applies to all people in society including government, and the same goes with vaccination. Inconsistency between regulation and implementation done by government will significantly raise people’s distrust and reluctance to government’s regulation and policy. This is what good implementation should be: no governmental actor is excluded from obeying the regulation and policy.
Last but not the least, all of us are in charged to end this pandemic even if it takes us to be vaccinated. Well, I believe that providing silver bullets is such a ridiculous thing to waste if no one wants to use it to kill the enemy. | https://medium.com/risalahkebijakankesehatan/covid-19-and-vaccine-hesitancy-a-story-behind-the-silver-bullet-2149a7dcf00a | ['Aisyah Rahvy'] | 2020-12-26 06:08:10.192000+00:00 | ['Pandemic', 'Indonesia', 'Vaccination', 'Vaccine Hesitancy', 'Covid 19'] |
Five Elements of a Successful Roku Channel | By Phil Autelitano
@PhilAutelitano
Since I developed and launched my first Roku channel five-plus years ago, a lot has changed, not just in the platform itself, but in the quality of channels being presented, the quality of content, the amount of content, and more importantly, the number of viewers . Roku viewers are now well above 20 million and still growing — that’s more than any other Connected TV platform! …and we still have a long way to go.
I’ve developed over 100 channels now. I’ve seen channels come and go, not just some I’ve developed, but many (dozens, if not hundreds) I haven’t. Some Roku channels stand the test of time, others are here and gone. It all comes down to what I believe are FIVE characteristics that make for a great Roku channel. If your channel has all FIVE characteristics, you’re golden — your audience loves it, and they keep coming back for me. If it has two of them, you’re 40% golden; your audience is more sporadic, your channel is doing “OK” but it could be doing a lot better. And if it has none of them, well… you’re fucked — your audience hates it, no one is adding it, those that do are dropping it, and you’re not getting a lot of return viewers.
The more of these FIVE characteristics your Roku channel has, the better it will do both in terms of viewers and revenue. Here they are, in order:
#1 — An Catchy Name
The name of your channel, along with #2, can make or break your channel before viewers ever decide to Add it. If you’re a major brand, or studio, or artist, with a name that people recognize, USE IT. Red Bull, Cuisinart, WWE — these are all brand names that people know and recognize it. They could call their channels anything else, but they use their brand names because people RECOGNIZE them.
If you’re not a major brand, however, you have to come up with a name that’s short and sweet, that tells people who you are and what your channel is about, without being long and drawn out, or confusing. Short and sweet and catchy will always win out over long and boring or generic. I see a lot of church channels, for instance, naming their channels after their churches. While this is “nice,” and convenient, it’s not exactly effective; the channel name doesn’t stand out and pretty much gets lost among all the other church channels. You need to be more innovative and CREATIVE in coming up with channel names.
The FIRST thing potential viewers see is your channel name and channel icon — in most cases, that’s your ONLY chance to get them to click-through, see what your channel is all about and ultimately, add it.
#2 —An Attractive Channel Icon
This goes along with your Channel Name and is the visual representation of it — these are the very FIRST things potential viewers see; their first glimpse into your channel and what it’s about it. Most channel-add decisions are made at first glimpse of a channel name and icon.
An attractive Channel Icon is just that — it ATTRACTS viewers. Maybe they see that famous brand logo they know and love (or at least, recognize), and add your channel. That’s great. But if you’re not a famous brand, they need to see something equally appealing that catches their eye. Whatever it is, it must compel them to see more. This is no place to skimp.
Be honest with yourself, is your channel icon attractive?
Be even MORE honest with yourself, do people outside your brand’s world even KNOW who you are or what you’re about? Simply throwing up a name and logo that MOST of the world doesn’t know will not get you much in return. Coca Cola can do it, many major brands can, but the rest of us, we need to be more creative to match their pulling-power.
Of course, there’s not much you CAN do in the limited 540x405 space Roku allows you for your channel icon. Solid and gradient backgrounds work well. Simple is better. If you try to squeeze too much into your icon, it becomes too busy and looks cheapish and amateurish and does more to work against you that for you. Keep it simple, but be creative.
Font
Use a font that’s different from everyone else’s, that stands out, but at the same time is EASY TO READ. Crazy cursive fonts or very ornate fonts are a huge NO-NO. It should be clean and easy to read.
Colors
Stick to two to three colors — so long as one of those colors is white. Unless it’s the Rainbow Channel, two to three colors (one of them being white) is a good Rule of Thumb. Why white? White is white is white — everyone’s TV screen display will display colors differently. That awesome, bright Ferrari Red on your screen may look boring-burgundy on mine, but white is always white. If your content is fun, use fun, bright colors. If it’s serious, use serious tones. If it’s luxury content, use luxury colors. Bright yellow for a horror channel probably won’t work, but black and blood-red will sing!
Images
Any artwork should be relevant to your logo and your content. Don’t muddy up your channel icon with images that overwhelm the channel name or logo. Images faded into the background may look good on your computer screen, but they can look like crap on the TV screen. Be sure to offset your text from any backgrounds by applying a knock-out — that is, add some solid color around the text to separate it. Don’t use a “Drop Shadow” in Photoshop to do it, as Drop Shadow can render differently on a TV screen. Same goes for “Stroke.” Instead use, enlarge the text in a separate layer, using your background color, and place it behind the visible text, but above the image. Layer it, people.
Also, be sure the text doesn’t run too close to the edge of the channel icon, give it about 10% all around. Your image or background image, however, should “bleed” off the icon. This creates a nice, professional effect.
Go to every category in the Roku Channel Store and look at all the channel icons “above the fold” — that is, the first NINE of every category, before you have to scroll to see more. Those channels are in those positions (save for Netflix, Hulu and Amazon) because they are POPULAR. Use those channel icons as a guide in creating your own.
#3 — A Compelling Channel Description
After your channel name and icon, the next thing potential viewers see is your Channel Description. This is a short, two to three lines of copy that describes what your channel is about. Notice I said “copy.” In advertising, “copy” is text that’s written to ATTRACT, to compel, to evoke action. Write your channel description as if you’re trying to convince someone to BUY your content in as few words as possible. Technically, you are SELLING something — you’re selling potential viewers on adding your channel.
A boring description can stop potential subscribers dead in their tracks. A catchy one, however, and they won’t be able to add your channel fast enough. ENTICE them into adding it.
“Lose weight fast! Add the Weight Loss Channel today and shed pounds by tomorrow.”
will work much better than:
“The Weight Loss Channel presents a series of educational and instructional videos designed to help you lose weight fast.”
Rule of thumb: There should ALWAYS be a meaningful statement of benefit in your Channel Description. No one cares that you’re the leading expert in Widgetry. Instead, they want to know how Widgetry will BENEFIT them.
#4 —Kick-Ass Content
This probably goes without saying, but Content is King. Now that your channel name, icon and description have prompted a viewer to add your channel, it’s time to WOW! them with your content. While channel name, icon and description are the most important factors to ATTRACTING new viewers, CONTENT is what keeps them coming back.
I’m not going to spend too much time telling you WHAT content to present but rather HOW to present it. Here are my five rules of content:
It must be COMPELLING. That means in must be INTERESTING and worthwhile. It should be inherently entertaining. Boring content is the fastest way to get un-installed. It should be QUALITY. Not just quality in terms of video quality, which should be SD or better, and preferably HD (240p web video looks like SHIT on a TV screen, by the way), but quality in terms of me spending my valuable time watching it, which brings me to… It should have VALUE. If I’m going to spend my time watching, or spend my money subscribing to it, or watch TV commercials in exchange for it, it damn well better be worth it. I better LEARN something, or be ENTERTAINED, or whatever the purpose of it, else I’m NOT coming back to it. It should be ORGANIZED. Content should be classified into relevant sub-categories, making it easy to browse, with actual titles (not file names) and informative descriptions. Screenshots should be ATTRACTIVE. Every video in every category should have an attractive screenshot, whether it’s a movie “poster” or simply a screenshot of the content. Screenshots should be appealing, and NOT just some random screenshot that was automatically generated. Viewers want to see a visual description of what’s in store, and NOT an image of ending credits or the blur of someone moving or someone with a dorky-looking look on their face, mid-sentence.
Roku requires all content to have relevant titles, descriptions, screenshots and run times. These should ALL be on-point. Just as your channel description is copy that entices people to click on your channel, so too, should be the video descriptions — they should entice viewers to click on that video.
Organizing your content into categories should create a nice FLOW to your channel. The most popular categories should be at the top. Put your best content at the top. Then move down from there. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, from your channel name to your icon to your descriptions to your content, it’s ALL about putting your best foot forward.
Consistency
The real key to successful content — and ultimately a successful channel — is CONSISTENCY. (That should be #6 on the list above, but warrants its own paragraph here.) Your content must be consistent in that it all jives together (it’s all relevant to each other) and also consistent in the fact that it’s updated regularly.
If you just throw a bunch of content on a channel and never touch it again, you’ll get a lot of viewers, but over time, they’ll drop off because there’s nothing new. A successful Roku channel is one that keeps viewers COMING BACK for more. It’s the same as any business — the REAL MONEY is made in the repeat business. So if you want your channel to be successful, you have to focus not just on getting new viewers, but keeping them, and keeping them coming back. That means making regular and consistent updates to your content.
#5 —Reasonable Monetization.
We launch these channels to make money off them. Whether it’s to generate revenue through actual monetization like advertising streams or subscriptions, or to generate brand awareness and loyalty that results in more product sales, or whatever, the whole idea here is to MAKE MONEY from your content.
As a viewer, however, the last thing I want to do is FEEL like I’m PAYING for content. If you inundate me with advertising straight off the rip, I will resent you and I’m gone. If I feel like I have to WORK to watch and enjoy your content, I’m gone. If I feel “taken” by you, in that I spent $0.99 or $4.99 subscribing to a bunch of crap, again, I’m gone.
Monetization must be subtle. Too many ads before or during content quickly makes a “free” channel NOT FREE. A good rule of thumb for advertising is NO ADS up front, then ads every 10–12 minutes of content. (Roku recommends 7–10, but I think even 7 is too often.)
Subscriptions should be cheap. Charging $10 a month for content is way too much. Viewers can get a lot more out of a subscription to Netflix and Hulu for that. Besides, in most cases, they’re already spending $10-$20 a month in subscriptions to those channels, they really DON’T want to spend more if they don’t have to. And if they do, it darn well better be worth it.
I can’t tell you here whether it’s better to do an AVOD (ad-driven) or SVOD (subscription-driven) channel for your content, but I can tell you that whichever you do, it needs to be as subtle as possible. The moment a viewer REGRETS subscribing to your channel — whether it’s “free” (AVOD) or not (SVOD) — they will uninstall it as quickly as they added it, even more so, and they will tell all their friends how much your channel sucks.
It’s a fine-line between advertising and subscription. (I don’t suggest doing both, unless you’re Hulu). I recommend that unless you already have a built-in viewership, or an established following, or a marketing plan in place to get subscribers, or content that can ONLY be sold via subscriptions, that you go the AVOD route. There’s a lot of money to be made either way.
Conclusion
While I can’t guarantee the success of your Roku Channel, I can tell you that if you take those FIVE things into account when launching it, your chances for success will be far greater than if you don’t. There are of course several other factors that go into developing and launching a successful Roku Channel, but that’s the kind of info I charge for. =)
— P.
Now available at www.mediarazzi.com
Phil Autelitano is author/creator of the Publish Your Own Roku Channel program and founder/CEO of Mediarazzi, a leading developer and producer of Roku and Connected TV channels. www.mediarazzi.com
Looking to launch a Roku Channel on a budget? Advergent offers complete, turnkey Roku channel development starting at $500. Visit www.Advergent.com for details.
IF YOU LIKE THIS POST, PLEASE RECOMMEND IT. | https://medium.com/business-marketing/five-elements-of-a-successful-roku-channel-22a604c08433 | ['Phil Autelitano'] | 2018-11-09 02:05:59.941000+00:00 | ['Roku', 'Content Marketing', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Digital Marketing', 'Streaming'] |
AUKEY Focus Duo 63W USB-C PD Wall Charger REVIEW | Mac Sources9.6 | Keep your USB-C powered devices at-the-ready with 63W of power. Enjoy more than enough power to rapidly charge a tablet+phone or even a MacBook/Laptop.
I just finished the Audible version of “Fahrenheit 451,” by Ray Bradbury, and was shocked with the uncanny similarities to our modern world. As more of our devices turn to USB-C charging, we require expanded options to maintain a proper charge. With an always on-the-go, always plugged-in, tech-hungry lifestyle, our demand for data surges upward. Unfortunately, many of our homes were built before the tech revolution. We have rooms with outlets that are hardly ever used and others that may border on fire hazard. We have piles of cables from USB-A to USB-micro/mini, USB-A to Lighting, USB-A to USB-C, USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to USB-micro and USB-C to Lightning. So far, I have relied upon power strips, surge protectors, and several power-hubs to maintain power. However, as the challenge intensifies like the levels of Tetris, a power-cord-Tetris, I seek to expand/replace my wall chargers. My basic requirement is that a single wall port must provide power for at least two devices.
I have many Apple Charging Cubes, but the single output port tends to be both inadequate and wasteful. Luckily, devices like the AUKEY 63 W Dual-Port PD Wall Charger will provide a good charge, and without the need to shell out a hefty premium. The charger arrived in a tan 4 1/4 inches long by 3 3/4 inches wide by 1 5/16 inches thick package. The cover provided the company name and “63W Dual-Port PD Wall Charger” title along the top left, and a 1 7/16 inches wide by 1 1/4 inches tall inked-outline image of the charger along the bottom. Examining the four side panels, I found that both the front and back panels were left unadorned, while both sides displayed a recycle icon and “GO GREEN WITH AUKEY.” The bottom panel provided the PA-D5 model number, the company’s Chinese address, www.aukey.com address, [email protected] support address, and several of the typical manufacturing labels. I lifted the front flap and found the plastic-wrapped charger resting within a cardboard cubby. Beneath the cardboard, AUKEY provided a 2 1/8 inches wide by 3 3/8 inches tall 24-month product warranty card and a 3 1/8 inches long by 2 inches tall Hexa-lingual instruction manual.
The instruction manual was well-received, allotting five pages to each of the six languages. The first page provided a list of the package contents, a diagram of the two USB-C (PD 3.0) ports, and an appreciation paragraph for their customers. The second page proved to be the most useful of the five, displaying a two by eight table of product specifications: Model PA-D5, PD 3.0 technology, USB-C Output 1 18W PD 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A, USB-C Output 2 60W PD 5V/3A, 9v/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/3A, 63W maximum, 67x64x29mm (2.64"x2.52"x1.14") dimensions, and 148g/5.22oz weight. Pages three and four added a short paragraph detailing Power Delivery technology, the need for a USB-C capable device/cable, and a quick step-by-step how-to guide. To enjoy the 63W power, remove the 2 1/2 inches long by 1 1/8 inches wide by 2 5/8 inches tall black dual USB-C port charger from the thin opaque bag, deploy the foldable type-A prongs on the rear side, and then plug the device into a Type-A or Type-B wall socket. You will notice that the wall prongs are not centralized on the back. Rather, they are offset, which will allow you to angle the device downward when in the lower port or to flip it upward when using an upper port. This design should prevent you from losing the second wall outlet. Next, obtain a USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to Lightning cable, or USB-C to micro cable, and plug it into either of the USB-C PD ports on the AUKEY wall charger. Lastly, plug the other end of your cable into your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
To test the output of the device, I inserted a DROK USB-C Multimeter into the USB-C port and then the USB-C cable into the output port on the DROK Multimeter. Using a USB-C to Lightning cable, I placed my iPhone 11 Pro Max onto charge at 6:03 am at 7% and found the multimeter read 9.16V/2.57A. I tried both of the USB-C ports and found both to output the same amount of power. By 6:14 am, my phone was at 28% charge and by 6:32 it was at 57% charge. Previous tests with the iPhone XS/XS Max, XR, and iPhone 11 series phones showed rapid charging could provide 50% power in 30 minutes. This AUKEY charger provided the appropriate amount of power to duplicate the fast charging scenario. By 6:36 am, my phone was at 60% power. By the time I showered, shaved, and dressed for work, my phone had 53% power. Personally, I was rather impressed with the power supply. When I plugged my USB-C to USB-C cable from the charger into my iPad Pro 11", it read 15V/2A. I charged my iPad for about 10 minutes and found that the battery percentage increased from 9% to 24%. I was happy with the ability to provide 30W to my iPad Pro 11" and with the ~18W for my iPhone 11 Pro Max. Several similar tests were conducted, all with similar results. Additionally, I alternated the configuration of charging, changed which port I used for each device, and found no difference.
I was pleased with the design of the device and with the above tests. The retractable type A wall prong allowed for increased portability and reduced the chances of snagging the mesh lining of my backpack. I liked the matte black surface color and the use of orange highlights around the USB-C ports. Looking closely at the device, you will find “AUKEY” etched into one of the sides of the charger. The opposite side panel, top panel and back panel, like the packaging, did not have any markings. The lower panel displayed the product specifications, as outlined in the manual. Throughout the tests, the charger did not appear to increase in temperature, did not change shape/warp, and worked as advertised. The instruction manual was well laid out and the inclusion of the six language options was generous. AUKEY continues to surprise me with the quality, durability, and reusability of their tech. If you have not visited their website, I highly encourage you to check out the Focus DUO 63W PD Dual Charger and many of their other device.
Learn more about the AUKEY 63W DUAL PORT PD Wall Charger.
Follow AUKEY on Facebook and Twitter. | https://medium.com/@macsources/aukey-focus-duo-63w-usb-c-pd-wall-charger-review-mac-sources9-6-c7fc640f2cb0 | [] | 2020-02-03 19:10:59.556000+00:00 | ['Usb C', 'Aukey', 'Charger'] |
The hard work ahead | Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in history, asked the American people, “Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?”
With those words, Gorman articulated what so many are feeling right now. This week marks the end of a shameful, violent, and despairing time in our history. Four hundred thousand lives have been lost due to COVID-19 — a direct result of failures of leadership, willful mistrust of science, and the politicizing of public health tenets. Americans have lost faith in the government’s capacity to address the problems they face or even uphold their basic constitutional rights. As Nava’s COO Sha Hwang wrote, the last few years have been both unimaginable and totally predictable, both utterly shameful and painfully revealing of the fragility of our democracy.
After four years of lies, bigotry, and injustice, where do we begin to find light? What will it take to build the trust that has been so badly depleted?
Rebuilding trust
In 2016, we reflected upon the importance of government being responsive to the needs of its people as fundamental to our democratic process. Four years ago feels like a lifetime away, but now more than ever we need a responsive and respectful government. We need to build it together.
Over the last ten months, I’ve met with government leaders and dedicated civil servants who are facing an unprecedented surge in need and the consequent challenges of rolling out new programs and services in response to the pandemic. We’ve seen what happens when government services aren’t simple, accessible, or effective when people need them most. Yet, despite the myriad challenges we face today, as we look ahead to 2021, I feel hopeful. I feel deep resolve. I feel that we can and must do better. We — digital services teams that work with and for government — have a unique opportunity to repair and rebuild our public institutions in ways that are responsive and humane, and that deliver real results for people. And we’re already underway.
As the world watched Kamala Harris become the first woman and person of color to be vice president, the administration’s tech team was hard at work. The new Whitehouse.gov website now includes a Spanish language section that had been removed during Trump’s tenure. The website’s contact form asks for your pronouns and the site is accessible again. The United States Digital Service even got creative with their recruitment strategy.
This past year has required monumental efforts nationwide to support a country in crisis, and has shown how the agencies that have been able to proactively build capacity for digital service and digital infrastructure delivery have been resilient to change and the unexpected. San Francisco Digital Services was able to launch and ship services quickly because they had repeatable and tested processes. Colorado’s Digital Service started in 2019 and was able to support CDPHE’s COVID-19 response and exposure notifications work. And Alaska has been able to top the charts in vaccine distribution with leadership from Tribal health groups and support from Anchorage’s tech team scraping available appointments to make it easier to find shots.
We’ve also tried to play our part. Nava’s digital infrastructure work supported smooth Open Enrollment periods for both HealthCare.gov and Medicare so millions of people could access health insurance coverage. We adapted quickly to make Veteran appeal hearings virtual, and therefore accessible, during a global pandemic. Working with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we are helping build and roll out their new Paid Family and Medical Leave legislation, and we’ve rolled up our sleeves to help California navigate a historic unemployment crisis and waves of new legislation.
Rebuilding together
Better service experiences, better program outcomes, and more adaptable government agencies are an investment in this country’s future. Nava will continue to invest our resources in work that furthers our founding mission to focus specifically on serving vulnerable populations. We will continue to build collaborative partnerships to address the needs of these communities. We will continue to do our part to rebuild the broken trust that threatens the integrity of our democracy.
Trust is easy to destroy: it takes no special skills to tear something down. Trust is much, much harder to build, it’s slow and methodical work — it takes skill, character, persistence, and bravery, qualities I see in my colleagues at Nava and across the public interest technology ecosystem.
As Gorman said, “There is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
If you’re feeling ready to contribute to the difficult but rewarding work of building better systems and structures to support our democracy, consider a career in public interest technology. In addition to Nava’s open positions, United States Digital Service, 18F, Coding it Forward, and many state and local digital services teams are hiring. | https://blog.navapbc.com/the-hard-work-ahead-82a73d9c14c5 | ['Rohan Bhobe'] | 2021-01-22 20:53:45.664000+00:00 | ['Tech For Good', 'Inauguration Day', 'Civictech', 'Government', 'Technology'] |
Time and time, life must hit rough patches…. To remind you how strong you’re!! To kill that older self to give birth to a newer you!! To make You realize that happiness comes from within. And that… | Time and time, life must hit rough patches….
To remind you how strong you’re!!
To kill that older self to give birth to a newer you!!
To make You realize that happiness comes from within. And that it’s independent of any possession or living being you’re attached to.
To prove that you need NONE but yourself to water that soul, that helps the seeds of hope sprout. To soak some sun and bloom flowers one day.
BUT, It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, patience, consistent efforts to see those colorful flowers and smell their fragrance!! | https://medium.com/@flexivegan/i-shall-water-my-heart-daily-1a0472bb8f30 | [] | 2020-12-20 08:07:34.096000+00:00 | ['Peace', 'Thoughts', 'Self Love', 'Feelings', 'Happiness'] |
The Art of Giving and Accepting Sincere Apologies | The Art of Giving and Accepting Sincere Apologies
Photo credit: iStock
By Raymond Michael
In its most basic expression — a simple, yet sincere apology satisfies many situations. No matter how effective your communication skills, how sensitive you may be, or how compatible or in love you might be with your spouse, sooner or later you are bound to do something that will either hurt or embarrass your partner. How then do you know when you have wronged your partner and to sincerely apologize?
An apology need only be made for something that in retrospect the giver sincerely intends not to repeat. It means taking responsibility for something that you genuinely feel remorse over and intend not to repeat. A sincere apology has the power to heal a world of hurts.
It is a magic wand that can melt the hurt and restore your relationship. Saying “I am sorry” and meaning it is a miraculous healing tool. Nobody is perfect and we are all bound to make mistakes, fail occasionally and sometimes even harm other people. It is necessary to understand that while we are capable of making changes in our behavior, we have very limited power to change the behavior of others, even our lover. This understanding of your limitations and capabilities, and acceptance of the fact that you can make mistakes, makes it easier for you to take things less personally and feel encouraged to apologize when you feel you have wronged someone. Offences, the Bible says, must surely come.
As we get more intimate in our relationships, we tend to open our hearts to our partner and therefore we become more vulnerable. Things that were once considered inconsequential assume more weight and any unconscious or insensitive behavior hurts more deeply. What do you do when they come?An apology is a two-way thing — giving and receiving. If you are the one that was hurt, you can keep a list of the offences and literally carry them about with you or you can find it in your heart to sincerely forgive the offender. However, when you need to forgive someone, there is no guarantee that the individual will apologize or do anything to improve the situation. When offended, you should be willing to accept an apology when tendered.
Avoid bringing up past wrongs the person might have committed as doing so might re-open the argument or even escalate it. This could also make the person giving the apology reluctant to do so next time. Saying “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings”, is not apologizing rather you say “I’m sorry for hurting your feeling”. If you apologize, really mean it. What’s more, whether you did it unintentionally or not is not the issue but the fact that your action was unkind enough to hurt your partner. Your therefore need to wholeheartedly apologize to your partner because he/she feels hurt. The more you put off apologizing, the stronger the feelings grow.
Time only intensifies feelings but diminishes the urgency of the impulse. It is also wrong to say that you are not going to talk to partner unless they tender an apology for something they have said or done. Extracting a forced apology or admission of guilt from anyone will only make them become resentful. While you may feel temporarily victorious, this action will silently undermine your relationship. The most difficult time to apologize is when you believe that you have not done anything wrong. Already fragile situations are often escalated when someone is compelled to say sorry just to pacify the aggrieved person in spite of feeling that their actions were tight.
At such times, it will be best to try and listen open-heartedly to see the other person’s perspective, and then it will be easier for you to summon the courage to apologize. However, apologizing when you feel you have not done anything wrong does not mean that you should condone things that your partner may be doing that do not work with you. In you feel that you have not done anything wrong but your partner is unhappy with you over it, you can show him/her empathic understanding by saying that “You are sorry for how he/she feels” but that you are not sorry for the issue under consideration.
This goes to show that while you stand your ground, you still care about how they feel. Saying you are sorry — and meaning it — only hurts your ego. However within it lies the potential to rebuild the bridge between you and that person. When you hurt others, rather than mentally replaying the hurt, look for ways to apologize, make amends and if necessary retrospectively make behavioral changes in order not to make the same mistakes again. | https://medium.com/change-becomes-you/the-art-of-giving-and-accepting-sincere-apologies-357c2da9df93 | ['The Good Men Project'] | 2020-12-25 23:27:28.601000+00:00 | ['Healing', 'Marriage', 'Relationships', 'Apology', 'Mistakes'] |
TASTE IN IDEAS | TASTE IN IDEAS
“If it doesn’t taste good it doesn’t go on the menu.”
“You can’t just eat good food. You’ve got to talk about it too. And you’ve got to talk about it to somebody who understands that kind of food. “food in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. Its not about the nutrients and calories it’s about sharing, it’s about honesty it’s about the “
Why is it special always?
“Celebrate each single moment”
Certain moments in our life are special because we wanted it to be special, most remembered moment. When this moment is for our dear ones it will be more special because we are living or dependent for each other’s.
Why woodlands restaurant?
“searches for best ends up in best”
Woodlands restaurant is known for its combination of both north Indian and south Indian dishes, a real beauty to the galaxy high street. Celebrates each special day in a very special way.
Best vegetarian restaurant in vapi
Ø Ranked 3 in Indian vapi restaurants
Ø Ranked 3 in best restaurant in vapi
Ø Best restaurant in vapi
Ø 4.5/5 rating by tri advisor
Woodlands restaurant is known for its combination of both north Indian and south Indian dishes, a real beauty to the galaxy high street.
Provides both Asian and fast food at a very low-price range.
What’s special there in woodland?
Ø Vegetarian friendly
Ø Vegan option
Ø Gluten free options
Ø South Indian and north Indian
Ø Best atmosphere
Ø Fast serving/delivery
Hence having a great wide opportunity and a great ambience, woodlands is always best in vapi, but also one of the tourist destinations. | https://medium.com/@tejal-59150/taste-in-ideas-503903f3d483 | ['Tejal Pokharkar'] | 2021-07-15 12:26:15.011000+00:00 | ['Foodies', 'Woodlands Restaurant', 'Best Restaurant In Gujrat', 'Taste'] |
The Pelotoning of Education | Source: Pexels
Schools have historically — and I’m referring to the 20th century history here — been centers of education; within the confines of this framing, there’s been a lot of discussion recently about the advantages of homeschooling. Two popular concerns with schooling are:
Schools are becoming quite inefficient as mechanisms of education because teachers end up teaching for the average student; no one student’s needs are fully met since the teacher’s efforts aren’t enough for students that need more help, and classroom time is inefficient for students that don’t need as much help or attention. Students adapt to these challenges by taking on tutors and “extra classes” outside of school when needed or by pursuing interests outside of school curricula on their own time. This leads to a less exploratory and highly results-oriented school life. Schools are becoming quite inefficient as mechanisms of education because the content is very generic and often does not align with students’ aptitude or interests. Forward-thinking nations try to alleviate this concern by allowing students to pick electives, but students still need to operate within a sandbox; there are enforced diminishing marginal returns for students that want to really delve into something specific. In a world where higher education still (albeit on its last legs) counts for something, students attending traditional schools still need to play by an increasingly irrelevant set of rules.
In short, the one size fits all nature of education is very last-century. In the last couple of years, there’s been increasing talk of homeschooling as the alternative to schools. Homeschooling is interesting in that it appears to diagnose the problem appropriately; but is it the right solution?
In my opinion, it isn’t. That’s because — as made amply clear by COVID-19 — the primary role of schools isn’t education: it’s babysitting. Regardless of how the concept of schools came to be, its role in the industrial era is very clear. Schools are what enable people to show up to work in the first place. Without childcare, there likely wouldn’t be a labor shortage per se (since money has to be earned somehow) but it’d be awfully challenging to get everyone to work 9–5. This — higher efficiency and productivity — is the indispensable value of schools, and homeschooling is generally incompatible with this requirement (it would only work in cases where parents have surplus time or money).
A secondary — and in my opinion, overlooked — value of schools is social and personality development; note: results may vary. | https://medium.com/@ninadnaik/the-pelotoning-of-education-c04f61a72160 | ['Ninad Naik'] | 2020-04-07 10:58:21.505000+00:00 | ['Schools', 'Internet', 'Homeschooling', 'Startup', 'Education'] |
Real Men & Real Doctors & Real Difference | Time to get real about change …
In the Department of From-the-Ridiculous-to-the-Sublime Department, The New York Times is batting a thousand this morning. Seriously.
Representative Adam Kinzinger, Republican of Illinois, tweeted, “I want to be clear: the Supreme Court is not the deep state. The case had no merit and was dispatched 9–0. There was no win here. Complaining and bellyaching is not a manly trait, it’s actually sad. Real men accept a loss with grace.”
You’re a little late to the party, Mr. Kinzinger. What real men? Where? Because there’s nary a one anywhere near The White House. I still maintain that getting him out on January 20th, which is allegedly accomplished by a literal army of staff from the moment the Inauguration starts until the new inhabitants arrive at the door of their new home, is going to require a Special Ops extraction.
Opinion Columnist Ross Douthat maintains that there are two G.O.P.s. “The other G.O.P. is acting like a bunch of saboteurs: insisting that the election was stolen, implying that the normal party’s officials are potentially complicit and championing all manner of outlandish claims and strategies — culminating in the lawsuit led by the attorney general of Texas that sought to have the Supreme Court essentially nullify the election results in the major swing states.”
Oh, you mean the real men and women who are doing their jobs and upholding the Constitution they’ve sworn to uphold? Them? The unsung heroes of this electoral travesty. The faceless and nameless people who have done and are doing and will continue to do the legal, moral thing for which we may be profoundly grateful.
Mr. Douthat continues in the vein I noted yesterday, “The Republicans behaving radically are doing so in the knowledge — or at least the strong assumption — that their behavior is performative, an act of storytelling rather than lawmaking, a posture rather than a political act.”
Yes, indeed, step right up, folks, see the Amazing, Freak …, uh, I mean, Sideshow we have come to know as the federal government. It has, indeed, been performative, positional jockeying so as not to upset the labile Reality-Star-in-Chief. Truthfully, they actually think the sun rises and sets on the whims of this one despot, or maybe, that their political fortunes rest thereupon.
Isn’t it time we enacted term limits so that this fossilized behavior might slowly be eroded by people who are meant to serve the constituencies they purport to represent? Long overdue, as far as I’m concerned. Long, long overdue. The behaviors exhibited by the Senate in particular since May have been a partisan condemnation of representational government. They are only representing their own political selves. If their constituencies were even a consideration, there would have been a second relief package.
Then, “The American Institute of Architects said Friday that it had approved new ethics rules prohibiting members from knowingly designing spaces intended for execution or torture, including for prolonged periods of solitary confinement.”
How’s this for In-The-Too-Little-Too-Late Department? “The decision came a day after the Justice Department’s high-profile execution of a Black man, Brandon Bernard, for a murder that he committed when he was 18 years old, even as requests flooded into the White House asking to give Mr. Bernard clemency.” Ten such federal executions have happened in the past month. Ten.
Michael Kimmelman, the architecture critic for The New York Times, wrote in June, after the murder of George Floyd, “Architects should not contribute their expertise to the most egregious aspects of a system that commits exceptional violence against African-Americans and other minorities. The least the American Institute of Architects can do now is agree.”
Indeed, and here is a lesson best learned this very minute by all of us. You will note, please, that Mr. Kimmelman did not overreach his expertise or his influence. He did not call for the dismantling of the Prison Industrial Complex, although he might easily have done so. No, he limited his CTA [business-speak: call to action] to his own realm.
Mr. Kimmelman cannot destroy the entire system; he doesn’t have that kind of power. But what he can do, he has done. He can call for disruption of the blithe continuation of designing and building physical spaces “that incarcerate and execute an overwhelmingly disproportionate percentage of Black Americans.”
Mr. Kimmelman has done what he could do. The American Institute of Architects has done what they could do. That is all that is ever required of us, Beloved. Ever.
Then, there is this little gem. “In an opinion piece published online on Friday, the author, Joseph Epstein, addressed Dr. Biden as ‘kiddo’ and offered her advice on ‘what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter.’
“‘Any chance you might drop the “Dr.” before your name?’ he wrote. ‘“Dr. Jill Biden” sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic.’”
Really. It made me sputter, which is hard to do.
“Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, said Dr. Biden had earned her degrees ‘through hard work and pure grit.’ She is an inspiration to me, to her students, and to Americans across this country,” he wrote on Twitter. “This story would never have been written about a man.”
No, it wouldn’t have. And I loved the response of most women and the Twitterverse, and I wondered severely at the editor at no less than The Wall Street Journal who published the essay. Why, sir, why would you do that?
This paragraph reminded me of a story from my own life. “(The New York Times’s house style allows for anyone with an earned doctorate, such as a Ph.D. or Ed.D., to be identified by the title on subsequent references, provided it is ‘germane to the holder’s primary current occupation.’)”
Yeah, well, I personally changed the policy of The Times’ wedding pages when I was hired years ago to do a New York high society wedding. The paper called me at home to check on my title for the wedding announcement, as per their policy. I promptly told my caller, “Rev. Dr.”
There was a slight pause, and the young woman said, “We don’t do that. We use either Reverend or Doctor but not both.”
“So?” I challenged. “You asked for my proper title. I told you what it is. If you refuse to use my proper title, you dishonor me and the work that I do. I suggest you take this to your superiors.” She gulped audibly and hung up.
An editor called me back within the hour. In full argument mode. I finally interrupted her, “Look, I was ordained, ergo Reverend, then I went back to school, post-ordination, to earn a Doctorate in Divinity, a D.D.. My proper title is Reverend Doctor. Too bad. If you want to get it right, you’ll use both.”
A long story made a lot shorter, the editor of the wedding pages overruled The Times then editorial policy. I was Rev. Dr. Susan Corso in The New York Times that Sunday, and the policy stayed changed.
I made a difference to an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny subset of professionals. #DrJillBiden, #MeToo. Dr. Jill Biden, by using her hard-earned title, elevates the entire profession of teaching — which has long been in need of such altitude — in both esteem and, hopefully, eventually, compensation. Dr. Biden is making a difference in her own arena, Beloved, as we are all called to do.
You have to give it to us humans, Beloved, there are all kinds amongst us, and it is our choice how, if, or whether to honor one another or not. The best part of today’s news is that change is in the air. Change is the only constant in this miraculous adventure we know as life, Beloved. And as always, we have a choice. We can go with change and make a world that works for everyone or we can fight change kicking and screaming which works for no one. So, what’ll it be?
Dr. Susan Corso is a spiritual teacher, the founder of iAmpersand, and the author of The Mex Mysteries, the Boots & Boas Books, and spiritual nonfiction. Her website is susancorso.com. | https://medium.com/@susan-15721/real-men-real-doctors-real-difference-c4fd4d0c76a5 | ['Susan Corso'] | 2020-12-13 15:46:39.390000+00:00 | ['Real Men', 'Metoo', 'Real Change', 'Execution', 'Drjillbiden'] |
Securing an API using Open ID Connect from AAPIM | Securing an API using Open ID Connect from AAPIM
Introduction
Configuring OpenID Connect for your APIs hosted in Azure API Management adds an extra layer of security and prevents unauthorized access. This is a very important configuration form Security point of view for your Endpoints and is provided out of the box by Azure. This is the Fourth part of a series of Blogs on Securing your API using OpenID Connect in Azure API Management. Please go through all the parts to find easy and detailed steps that will help you configure the OpenID Connect Authentication.
Note: This Blog will demonstrate the steps to configure and test the Open ID connect Authentication with Developer portal (Legacy). The steps are similar for Developer Portal Open ID connect Authentication Configuration. But it is worth noting that the Developer Portal currently only supports Implicit Mode of Authentication and might give you a 401 Error.
Configure a JWT validation policy to pre-authorize requests
At this point, when a user tries to make a call from the Developer Console, the user is prompted to sign in. The Developer Console obtains an access token on behalf of the user and includes the token in the request made to the API.
However, what if someone calls your API without a token or with an invalid token? For example, try to call the API without the Authorization header, the call will still go through. The reason is that API Management does not validate the access token at this point. It simply passes the Authorization header to the back-end API.
2. You can use the Validate JWT policy to pre-authorize requests in API Management, by validating the access tokens of each incoming request. If a request does not have a valid token, API Management blocks it. For example, add the following policy to the <inbound> policy section of the Echo API . It checks the audience claim in an access token, and returns an error message if the token is not valid.
<validate-jwt failed-validation-error-message="Unauthorized. Access token is missing or invalid." failed-validation-httpcode="401" header-name="Authorization"> <openid-config url=""https://login.microsoftonline.com/{aad-tenant}/.well-known/openid-configuration"" /> <required-claims> <claim name="aud"> <value>{App-ID}</value> </claim> </required-claims> </validate-jwt>
Note
1. This openid-config URL corresponds to the v1 endpoint.
2. For the v2 openid-config endpoint, use https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/v2.0/.well-known/openid-configuration.
For our scenario the XML Policy is as follows:
<validate-jwt
failed-validation-error-message=”Unauthorized. Access token is missing or invalid.”
failed-validation-httpcode=”401"
header-name=”Authorization”>
<openid-config url=”https://login.microsoftonline.com/26c4b2e4-ec07-4c7b-92e5-97f52865e98b/.well-known/openid-configuration" />
<required-claims>
<claim name=”aud”>
<value>7ebb5796–56b5–46ef-896d-d3c41206e127</value>
</claim>
</required-claims>
</validate-jwt>
Now go back to the developer console and without selecting the Authorization Code try to click on send.
You will get an error message.
Links to All Blogs of this Series
Part 1: Register an application in Azure AD to represent the API https://bi-fixes.medium.com/securing-an-api-using-open-id-connect-from-aapim-5d4f46f178dc
Part 2: Configure/Setup and Enable Open ID Connect in the Developer Console https://bi-fixes.medium.com/securing-an-api-using-open-id-connect-from-aapim-bc40f432f90f
Part 3: Successfully call the API from the developer portal (legacy) https://bi-fixes.medium.com/securing-an-api-using-open-id-connect-from-aapim-bf58fad7335
Part 4: Configure a JWT validation policy to pre-authorize requests https://bi-fixes.medium.com/securing-an-api-using-open-id-connect-from-aapim-1cf4134be814 | https://medium.com/@bi-fixes/securing-an-api-using-open-id-connect-from-aapim-1cf4134be814 | ['Rushank Karekar'] | 2020-12-03 08:34:30.138000+00:00 | ['Azure Api Management', 'Security', 'Azure', 'Authentication', 'Openid Connect'] |
Colin Rea-Biography,Tiktok,Jail,Family,Age,Networth,Sister | Age: Colin Rea is 27 years old (as of 2021)
Home Town: Chambersburg
Height: 1.7m
Nationality: American
Marital Status: Committed
Read more about Tik Tok Star Colin Rea Height, Weight, Age, Birthday, ethnicity, Religion, Biography, Body Measurements, Shoe size, Dress size, Eye, Hair, Wiki, Net Worth, Family, Marriage, Spouse, Girlfriend, Children & Much More here.
Wiki/Biography:
Colin is a TikTok content provider who’s among the individuals to go viral recently on the social networking website. He has a rocky past, during one of his Qna he revealed to his fan that once he has been t jail.
Colin Rea Family, Parents, Sister:
He hailed from his hometown of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. He is the son of David Rea and Gina Giannascoli-Rea.
His family consists of two younger sisters: Isabella Rea and Alexandra Rea, along with an anonymous older sister, and a younger brother named Ian Rea.
Why Did Colin Rea Go To Jail?
The TikTok celebrity Colin has been to prison, however, he’s a free person as of now. Colin told supporters he was 18 years old when he moved to prison and had”just graduated a year earlier.”
He did not offer specifics about what he’d done, but he did promise to place a movie where he is sporting his jumpsuit. This resulted in lots of excitement on the internet since fans started to wonder exactly what Rea had done until he became a celebrity on the stage. Now, they have started to discover details of their pre-fame life.
But according to sources Judge Joseph D. Seletyn found him guilty in three counts, prosecution graded as a primary first-degree law, criminal conspiracy to commit prosecution in criminal activity amount 2084–2011, also attempted prosecution at 2087–2011.
As the local authorities’ jurisdiction mentioned, his bond had been set at $200,000.
Colin Rea Height, Weight, Physical Stats
Colin Girlfriend, Wife:
Colin is unmarried as of now,he has notrevealed his girlfriend name yet.
Frequently Asked Question:
How tall is colin Rae tiktok?
Colin Rea’s height is 5ft 7 inches.
real name?
His real name is Colin Anthony Rea.
how old is colin Rae tiktok?
He is 27 years old as of 2021
Follow Colin Rea on Social Media: | https://medium.com/@konesig976/colin-rea-biography-tiktok-jail-family-age-networth-sister-71c016c7c890 | ['Koenig Perry'] | 2020-12-22 06:11:40.036000+00:00 | ['Biography', 'Wiki'] |
TV’s Spoken Prologues: An Homage | Frankly, I think eliminating such introductions is a mistake because, in many ways, they help solidify a show’s identity with audiences. In his 1992 study, Jeffrey Alan Hicks writes similarly that TV theme songs function not only as an important area of artifactual research, but also as “miniature representations of a program,” possibly helping to unify social collectiveness and teach societal norms.
So this avid television watcher has been thrilled to see the return of extended opening credits and theme songs (or pop songs as themes) in non-network programming like Grace and Frankie (Netflix), Killjoys (SyFy), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix), and Stranger Things (Netflix).
Still, while opening credits are experiencing somewhat of a resurgence, one programming element remains a rarity: the spoken prologue.
These prologues, while never as ubiquitous as opening credits or theme songs, are integral parts of the series that have them. Their narration can be beneficial to viewers by helping set the premise, tone, and thematic framework of a series.
Interestingly, spoken prologues or opening credits have been most popular with shows based in science fiction and fantasy. Unlike police and legal procedurals, medical shows, or family dramas, which often mimic reality, genre series are set in worlds with fantastical elements. To this end, the use of well-conceived prologues provides tantalizing overviews of the universe and the mythology of the genre series in which audiences are being asked to invest.
Although it’s unlikely we’ll see a grand revival of these, here are eight spoken prologues (in no particular order) from some of the most iconic sci-fi and fantasy series ever put on the small screen.
The Six Million Dollar Man (1973–78)
In The Six Million Dollar Man, astronaut Steve Austin’s (Lee Majors) body is critically injured during an experimental test flight. Using bionics, the U.S. government rebuilds him to serve as a covert intelligence operative. Most of this, we learn from the show’s spoken prologue.
In Hollyweird Science, Kevin R. Grazier and Stephen Cass describe The Six Million Dollar Man’s title sequence — with its “archival NASA launch video, high-tech medical graphics of cyborgian surgeries, and the dulcet tones of Oscar Goldman’s” as a “near-perfect introduction to the concept of the show.”
Yes, via only nine words, the series’ opening credits dramatically underscore Steve Austin’s transformation: “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology.”
Battlestar Galactica (1978–79)
The original Battlestar Galactica premiered in the fall of 1978. This ambitious drama, about a near-extinct race of space-faring humans seeking a fabled sanctuary known as Earth, was the inspiration for the SyFy channel’s 2009 reboot.
A hallmark from the original series (but lacking in the reboot) is a stirring prologue narrated by late British actor Patrick Macnee: “There are those who believe that life here began out there.”
SeaQuest DSV (1993–96)
This futuristic series produced by Steven Spielberg imagines that by the twenty-first century, humanity will have colonized the other final frontier — the depths of the world’s oceans.
Late actor Roy Scheider not only starred in the series, but also lent his voice to narrate the aspirational prologue of the show’s first season: “For beneath the surface lies the future.”
Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001)
This network TV series about a formidable warrior woman seeking redemption became an international hit and a pop culture phenomenon due to its charismatic lead (Lucy Lawless), provocative blend of drama, action, camp, and unapologetic feminism.
Oh, it also features a rousing opening sequence complete with an appropriately epic spoken prologue: “She was Xena, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle.”
Babylon 5 (1994–98)
Set in the the mid twenty-third century, Babylon 5 is a sweeping science-fiction space opera about a space station populated by humans and members of several alien civilizations.
Though it features different prologues for each season of its five-year run, one theme remains in place — the Babylon 5 station was built to be a place that facilitated peace and diplomacy among the denizens of the galaxy: “It can be a dangerous place, but it’s our last, best hope for peace.”
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–08)
This award winning Nickelodean animated series is set on an ancient world comprised of four nations demarcated by the four elements: Air, Earth, Water and Fire. Certain people are able to manipulate or “bend” telekinetically the element symbolic of their nation.
The protagonist of the series is a 12-year-old boy named Aang, who is also the Avatar — a special individual reincarnated each generation with the unique ability to control all four of the elements. Aang, along with his friends and allies, must bring unity and peace to his world that is being torn apart by war.
The prologue for Avatar alludes to the grand and majestic scope of this acclaimed animated series: “I believe Aang can save the world.”
Farscape (1999–2003)
Farscape is the story of American astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder) who gets sucked into a wormhole during a test flight, and is flung far into the cosmos. Desperate to return home, Crichton finds himself aboard a living starship, crewed by alien beings who consider him as strange and unfathomable as he thinks of them.
The show’s intense prologue is narrated by Browder: “I’m lost in some distant part of the universe on a ship, a living ship full of strange alien lifeforms.”
Star Trek (1966–1969)
The most popular and celebrated science fiction series of all time, Star Trek, remains a powerful and influential force in our cultural zeitgeist fifty years after it debuted on television.
Almost every aspect of Gene Roddenberry’s visionary space western is iconic, including the original prologue narrated by series star William Shatner: “Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.” | https://medium.com/the-outtake/8-of-the-greatest-spoken-prologues-in-science-fiction-fantasy-television-caa54efb4296 | ['Rod T. Faulkner'] | 2016-09-04 09:11:59.271000+00:00 | ['Culture', 'Science Fiction', 'Television', 'TV', 'Fantasy'] |
Protecting your Application Database on the Network Level | In a recent blog post, we outlined different security risks that a database for a Web application may be exposed to. One of these risks is access to the database on the network level: this opens the opportunity to perform Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks, or to brute-force your database credentials, eventually leading to the possibility of unauthorized access to your and your users’ data.
One of the very basic things you can do to prevent unauthorized access to your database is to not expose it to the public Internet, but instead run it within a private network. Therefore, direct access from anywhere is impossible.
Of course, the servers hosting your application will still need to access the database. If your users (or your mobile apps) connect to these servers directly, they will need to be reachable from the outside. One thing that helps in such a situation is to separate your application across two sub-networks:
a public network where the components reside that are reachable from the Internet (e.g., your application servers), and
a private network that hosts all components that should only be reachable internally (e.g., your database, cache, or file store).
Of course, this requires careful configuration of the routers between these networks, so that the traffic that is required by your application is permitted, but all other traffic is disallowed. For instance, in the private subnet you will need to allow incoming traffic to your database hosts on the right port (say, 3306 for MySQL) but restrict this traffic’s origin to the public subnet.
One thing that helps to increase the segregation even more is the introduction of load balancers. These terminate your client connections and forward them to the application servers, which actually handle and process the requests. In such a scenario, you can move the application servers into the private subnet, too, and therefore close up your private network even more.
The figure below shows such a network setup.
In such a setup, the following traffic would be allowed:
Public Subnet: allows incoming traffic from everywhere on ports 80 and 443; additionally, if needed, allows incoming traffic from origins you trust (e.g., your company network) to port 22 for SSH
Private Subnet: allows incoming traffic from the private subnet on port 80 or 443 (depending on whether you encrypt internal traffic or not) and, if needed, allows incoming traffic to port 22 from the private subnet. All other traffic (in particular, any traffic from the outside) is prohibited.
As you can see, your application servers will not be reachable from the outside. That means, if you need to ssh into them, you need to go through servers in your public subnet. If your Load Balancers do not allow you to ssh into them, you can setup another host in the public subnet that acts as an ssh bridge (also known as “bastion”).
If you, like us, are running on Amazon Web Services, you should use Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to set up different a private network and the required subnets within that network. (It may be useful to set up multiple subnets in multiple availability zones.) You should configure Network Access Control Lists (NACLs), which basically are sets of rules for incoming and outing traffic. These are applied on the subnet level. Further, you should configure Security Groups; again, these are sets of rules for incoming and outgoing traffic, but this time on the host level. | https://medium.com/monsterculture/protecting-your-application-database-on-the-network-level-6393749c9c3c | ['Bernhard Schandl'] | 2017-11-03 13:47:52.462000+00:00 | ['Software Development', 'Networking', 'Security', 'Cloud Computing', 'Amazon Web Services'] |
HOW TO MASTER DIGITAL MARKETING BUSINESS? | ONLINE MARKETING IS THE BEST BUSINESS MODEL EVER EXISTED
So, you want to start making more out of your life as a digital entrepreneur? You want to find ways to enjoy the work you’re doing more, to earn more and to progress more? In this article, I am going to cover some usual everyday “obstacles” of the digital marketer’s lifestyle. You’ll learn how to find a discipline and a rhythm in your work and how to design the kind of lifestyle you want around it. You’re going to get ideas how to maximize your productivity, earn more diversified income and look and feel like the kind of successful businessperson you probably dreamed of. All the while, you’ll figure out how to grow your business and turn it into something incredible so that you never start to feel like you’re stagnating.
You should constantly educate yourself online and find new opportunities
YOU MUST HAVE A PROPER PLAN
In order to do this, you need to have a vision of what you want to achieve. At the same time though, you need to start making smaller, concrete changes to the way you work on a daily basis. You need to be able to see the forest and the trees. If you are a sole trader who is running the show alone, then that makes you both the CEO and the workforce and that puts you in a unique and challenging situation.
The problem is that you can get so swamped by the grunt work that you are never able to think about the logical direction that your business needs to take. That means you’re constantly treading water and trying to stay afloat and you’re never able to implement the systems that would allow you the free time in order to start working less or more efficiently.
GRASP THESE TWO VITAL”SECRETS”TO MAKE IT
This is why many people who work online find themselves stuck in a vicious cycle of trying to get work done without having the time to look after themselves or enjoy life. Secret number one is to focus on those things that really matter. You should acquire smart resources and initiate some outsourcing. Secret number two is to learn from high achievers who have struggled first but eventually made it to the top and changed their lives permanently. Those two secrets can save you lot of time and money, right?
Ironically though, in order to give ourselves time to focus on the big picture, we first need to score in on the smallest of details. You probably know you’re overworked, and you probably know that you should drop some of the clients you have. You’re probably well aware that there are likely to be higher paying clients out there who could help you to earn more while working less! But if you’ve been too afraid to drop or negotiate with your current clients until now, chances are that you aren’t about to change any time soon.
SCHEDULE YOUR DAYS IN EFFECTIVE MANNER
So, we need a solution, and that solution is to look at the way you are handling your current workload. Because I’m willing to take a bet that you could be more effective and more efficient. If you’re currently starting work at 1pm or even 10am, then you are wasting hours of your day. Likewise, you may well be struggling with things like procrastination or distractions. Perhaps you find yourself constantly interrupted by phone calls or struggling to stop playing Doom every morning for the first few hours before you do anything useful.
Likewise, there’s a good chance that the right technology or even a change in the way you present yourself could help you to get a bit more done. More importantly, that will buy us the time we need in the short run to start implementing change.
Take initiative and learn how to scale online
PILLARS OF PROGRESS, RESULTS AND SUCCESS
Here are three fundamental pillars to put in place:
1. There is nothing Casual About Worthwhile Achievement. You must Earn your way to success in life-no matter what you do. Only then will you achieve a casual lifestyle with enough income for you and your family to enjoy it in style. Your personal achievements funnel your home-based business.
2. Trying is Not Doing. People with a ” see what happens” attitude get to see what happens, alright…they sit their lazy butts down as they “see” others rapidly making wheel barrels of success-but they never do it themselves. The success of entrepreneurship depends solely on YOUR drive and desire.
3. You need to be honest with yourself to avoid wasting your time in a home-based business. If you only kid yourself, you won’t experience a positive change in your life until you first make a positive change. Through personal growth techniques people usually realize that focusing on positive energy will replace the negativity that is keeping you from achieving the success in your home-based business that is vital for your financial freedom.
If you take this to the absolute extreme, then you can find ways to streamline your business or to get it to run itself. That way, you can earn a purely passive income, meaning that you’ll earn even when you’re sleeping or up in the air flying to your destination. Imagine waking up the next day wealthier after stellar sleep!
TAKE MASSIVE ACTION AND DESIGN A LIVE YOU TRULY LOVE
It’s time to change the way that you approach digital marketing and to start choosing the lifestyle you want — instead of having it forced upon you.
Please, download your free online business guide HERE!
It’s time to get off the hamster wheel that you’ve been on…However, stop buying crap that claims to be a “Magic Button” that you can press right now to have hundred dollar bills fall into your lap. Don’t listen to those “gurus” that claim to have a “Super Secret Formula” that they’ve never shared with anyone. And stop wasting your time with garbage that’s supposed to be “so easy a 3-year-old child can do it”.
Discover, learn, and implement digital skills.
You just need to FOLLOW A PROVEN approach that’s already worked for countless other people just like you. Also CHECK THIS source to learn the truth about making living on the Internet, and exactly what to do if you’re serious about making that a reality. Skip the B.S. and bogus claims…Stop wasting your time with all of the “hypey” nonsense that everyone is trying to sell you, and simply do what clearly works…and do it only if you are really serious and willing to put the effort needed! This is not getting rich quick scheme! Instead you´ll learn skills to build a sustainable online business from scratch and for the long haul. Https://www.yourdigitalknowledgebase.com | https://medium.com/@riku-wiitala/how-to-master-digital-marketing-business-96b6bd03bc6d | ['Riku Wiitala'] | 2020-12-25 13:50:38.372000+00:00 | ['Digital Marketing', 'Online Business', 'Affiliate Marketing', 'Online Marketing', 'Resources'] |
LeBron James and the Hustle Bustle of 2020 | LeBron James and the Hustle Bustle of 2020
Celebrating 36 years of basketball greatness in a form of a kid from Akron.
Artwork by Pradipta Alessandro.
More than three decades ago, LeBron James was born from the womb of a 16-year-old mom with no father figure in his life. No one knew what the future holds for him. Yet, since joining the NBA in 2003, James believes his talent will not just make an impact on the court but also off it. He felt he could carry it throughout the boundaries. 2020 itself is a tumultuous year for the United States. Besides dealing with COVID-19, American citizens like James must face at least two big agendas, the protests for equality and the presidential election.
That cacophony pushed James to become something more than just an athlete, proving the belief that had been in his mind for a long time. He realized he could be contributing for the benefit of society. One of the examples was establishing the non-profit movement More Than a Vote alongside fellow black athletes and artists. More Than a Vote activities were focusing on inviting more people to be involved in the election. For example, by encouraging sports arenas to become a safe voting site. More Than a Vote wanted those places to accommodate large numbers of people while exercising the social distancing protocol asCOVID-19 is still a problem for most countries around the world, including the United States.
More Than a Vote itself began from a virtual meeting in response to the Black Lives Matter movement which reverberated back in May 2020, after the death of a black man named George Floyd in the hands of police officers. Sean Gregory from TIME reported that James attended the meeting from his home in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 8. He even moderated the meeting so the conversations attended by more than 20 celebrities could go smoothly. James wanted the momentum that occurred last May to not stop. He hoped people like him can come up with ideas to push society to take more actions against racial injustice and create systemic change at the same time. James stated he was ready to open up the way. “That was my initial actions”, James told TIME in late November, “to let people know what my mission was, what my passion was, and how we were going to deliver.”
On June 23, James and his associates officially launched More Than a Vote. Half a month later, several groups joined in as members of the movement, some of them being active and former NBA players. Ben Simmons, Damian Lillard, Draymond Green, Jalen Rose, Jaylen Brown, Kendrick Perkins, Kyle Lowry, Ray Allen, Trae Young, and Udonis Haslem were some who became part of the movement. James utilized multiple platforms to promote More Than a Vote to his millions of followers. He even looked like a walking billboard when wearing a Vote or Die! shirt, which was part of the More Than a Vote campaign, during practice. James understood the media’s attraction to him and used it as a platform to bring the issue he was raising to become national attention. “We didn’t tell you who to go vote for. We didn’t pick one side versus the other side.” Said James as quoted by USA Today. “We just wanted to educate you, enlighten you, and empower you. And let you know how important your right is.”
More Than a Vote, in collaboration with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, then successfully recruited more than 40,000 people to keep an eye on the general election. They managed the queues and opened access to the election locations. More Than a Vote also recruited young generations to replace older people who are at more risk to be infected by COVID-19. More Than a Vote’s efforts were ultimately worth it. Several media outlets stated that voters growth in 2020 will break the US general election record. Michael Donald, a political observer who was involved in the US election and a lecturer at the University of Florida, had even predicted the growth. Eyewitnesses also witnessed long lines at election venues. Ballot papers were arriving from all over.
***
For his efforts to create change, Lebron James was given at least two awards in 2020. TIME rewarded him as Athlete of the Year, while Sports Illustrated named him as Sportsman of the Year. Those awards added more to an already highly decorated cabinet of achievements. James again reminded many people that he could never just “shut up and dribble”, as once asked by Laura Ingraham, a conservative television host at Fox News because the player nicknamed the King knows his big name can be useful for many people. He understands very well that his voice had value. It’s not enough to just focus on his basketball career. He has to keep speaking.
For a long time, James indeed often expressed opinions and was involved in activities off the court. For example, by opening the I Promise School in 2018. The school has helped families in Akron, Ohio, get their children to access better education while offering free transportation, lunch, uniforms, and bicycles. In July 2020, James continued his efforts to help those families by launching I Promise Village. He built a residence so they could have a place to live in. Michelle Campbell, executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, explained that the foundation has an interconnected program to help families in the United States. “It’s more than just taking the kids to school. It’s about keeping them alive. We see families struggling every day with very real and often unexpected problems that turn their worlds upside down. This will give the family time and opportunity to grow without worrying about them being homeless,” said Campbell in an official statement on the homepage of the LeBron James Family Foundation website.
James’ efforts seemed easy at first glance, considering his name and nearly $ 40 million per year salary from the Los Angeles Lakers. Not to mention his collaborations with big brands. Forbes put him on the list of the richest athletes in the world. However, it’s still such a challenge for him to help people.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, an NBA legend and previous Sportsperson of the Year winner agreed with that. He felt that a successful athlete is not always able to do everything easily, especially with regard to matters which are relatively sensitive. Abdul-Jabbar gave an example of several athletes who experienced difficulties, such as Muhammad Ali who lost his boxing title and license was in prison for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War and later, an outspoken objector to the military campaign. Also Colin Kaepernick, who drew controversy after kneeling while the national anthem was played before his NFL game. Abdul-Jabbar knew those who made bold statements could end up trapped in an uncomfortable life. “Success gave LeBron the opportunity to speak out, but it was his own courage that made him seize that opportunity, knowing that discussion hot-button issues like systemic racism and police brutality risked his life and the lives of his family,” said Abdul-Jabbar in his tribute to James, as quoted by Sports Illustrated. | https://medium.com/the-amateurs/lebron-james-and-the-hustle-bustle-of-2020-28ca11961475 | ['The Amateurs.'] | 2020-12-30 02:12:17.142000+00:00 | ['Basketball', 'Lakers', 'Opinion', 'NBA', 'LeBron James'] |
3 necessary steps to become a freelance fashion writer | Writing for fashion magazines is a dream of many fashion enthusiasts who want to work in this industry. In a survey I did on Instagram last week, more than 20% of the people who viewed the stories expressed that they want to write for a fashion magazine and most of them prefer to become a freelance fashion writer whether it’s full-time or on the side.
In this article, I talked about how writing fashion articles is beneficial not only if you want to become a fashion journalist, but also if you want to pursue another career such as stylist, buyer, in marketing … Writing articles is either a full-time job for those who want to choose this career path but also an additional source of income or even just as a passion to accompany to a full-time or part-time job. For example, it is not uncommon for many stylists to be freelance writers as well. But even those who work in PR and marketing just to mention a few, write fashion articles. In fact, writing fashion articles and being a freelance writer does not only mean sharing style tips. Anyone could write about fashion sustainability, business, communication, influencer marketing… there are many different topics anyone could cover and in fact, there are many different freelance writers: those focused on giving styling tips, those who do beauty reviews, catwalks reviews, those who write about the business side, the critics and also those who mix everything up!
Writing fashion articles is also an option that considers who is at the beginning of their career in fashion, given that even those who are still in school or just graduated can publish articles even just to add some experience to their CV.
I did this as well, even though unconsciously. When I applied for my first internship in fashion, I had already started Glam Observer and published some articles on careers and the business side of fashion. Being able to add Glam Observer to my CV even though it was only a blog read by a few at the time, gave me more confidence in the application phase even though I wasn’t applying for a job that was related to publications (in fact I applied for a fashion e-commerce internship). Having my own fashion site has allowed me to be able to add some experience to my CV as well as different skills such as the use of WordPress, Google Analytics, content management, and of course writing. Even though it wasn’t the reason why they hired me, it for sure helped and they asked about my experience with my blog during the job interviews. That’s why writing articles is a perfect experience for those who are starting their careers. You don’t have to write about careers and business like I was doing but write about anything you are passionate about helps. For me, it worked because I was passionate about that topic (in fact, I do this full-time now 😉 ).
Obviously, if you want to write for fashion publications full-time it is absolutely necessary to write articles, but as in my case, having some articles published even if just on your personal website/blog can help you with your career even if it’s not related to working full-time at magazines.
Being a freelance fashion writer is also the most common (and easy) option for those who want to work in fashion remotely from their home.
So as you can see the benefits of becoming a freelance fashion writer are multiple.
But let’s get to the point and see what are the 3 absolutely necessary steps to become a freelance fashion writer and work with fashion magazines.
1.An Outstanding Writing Portfolio
Many believe that it’s absolutely necessary to take a fashion journalism course to become a freelance fashion writer. The truth is that the #1 thing you really need to become a freelance fashion writer is an excellent writing portfolio. Your writing portfolio is a collection of your articles, which in technical jargon are called clips, to be sent to magazines and editors to show your writing skills. It doesn’t matter if your articles have been published on Vogue or only on your personal blog or they are still only on your desktop, an excellent article is an excellent article and an editor knows it, so a properly done writing portfolio beats any course, qualification and previous experience. Even if you have never published any article because you are still at the beginning of your career and you are starting from scratch, it is absolutely necessary that you start writing the articles to be included in your writing portfolio because it is the thing that will allow you to be able to publish your articles and work with magazines.
You can send your articles to publications through simple google doc links, but the most professional freelance writers have their own website / digital portfolio where they publish their articles. Your website doesn’t have to be anything complicated, but having just a simple one can really make the difference.
2. The art of Pitching
The most common mistake of those who want to become freelance fashion writers is to apply only for the job vacancies published on the various freelance and job websites. This is not profitable not only because the best freelance writing jobs are rarely posted on these sites, but also because the jobs that you found on these platforms are generally not well paid and the competition is higher because everyone has access to these published offers. The most effective way to work as a freelance writer is pitching /cold-emailing directly all the fashion publications for which you would like to write for. This is what makes or breaks your freelance career. Pitching is crucial. It doesn’t matter if you write amazing articles, if you don’t pitch correctly, no one will publish them. When pitching publications don’t just consider the big names such as Vogue, Glamour, but reach out also to niche magazines and blogs.
3. Writing is just 30% of the work
The most successful freelance fashion writers don’t spend their entire days just writing. You have to start considering your writing career as a business (you are a fashion boss) where your writing is your product and editors are your customers. Being a freelance fashion writer, in fact, is much more than writing articles. To get your work published in a fashion magazine, you have to learn how to sell your articles to the publications. The difference between making a full living from it or treat it just as an extra income depends on how hard you work to get clients. You decide if you want to get clients to make up to six figures per year (yes because if you learn to do it the right way you could be one of the freelance writers who make SIX-FIGURES PER YEAR! 💰💰💰) or if you want to just publish a couple of articles per month. As a freelance, it’s all up to you. You are responsible for how much money you make. The more clients you get the more money you make. So this means that of course you can’t spend your days just writing. Especially at the beginning of your career, you have to deal with lots of pitches, sample articles, emails… The more you go ahead and acquire clients, the more you’ll spend on writing and less on these other things.
Ok so now that you know WHAT are the 3 fundamental things, you should know HOW are you going to implement these things. HOW you can create a writing portfolio, HOW to choose what articles to add in there to grow your chances to get the job, HOW to create your own fashion website (even if you’re not tech-savvy), HOW to pitch correctly publications and editors and what to write in these pitch emails, HOW to learn the business side so you could get your work published in more magazines and make more money, HOW to find publications to pitch.
And if you might be wondering if together with these 3 things you need to know something else, the answer is YES! There is a lot more you need to start a successful freelance writing career.
But don’t worry because I do have everything ready for you so within a week you have already started pitching publications, created your sample articles and fashion website and if you work hard, probably you could be already working for some publications!
I have just opened the doors to my brand new online course on how to become a freelance fashion writer available now for pre-sale for a super special price until May 10th (you save $100 from the regular price when it launches on Monday!) Click here to read all the details because it’s everything you need to start a successful freelance writing career and the price is sooo good now!
PS: you can get the course now and start it later just to take advantage of this super offer! It will never be as low as it’s now in the pre-launch phase. | https://medium.com/@glamobserver/3-necessary-steps-to-become-a-freelance-fashion-writer-10da4ef85fc7 | ['Glam Observer', 'Giada Graziano'] | 2020-05-07 06:28:05.389000+00:00 | ['Fashion', 'Freelance Fashion', 'Freelance Writing', 'Career Advice', 'Fashion Jobs'] |
Evening | Did you find this article interesting?
If you liked it and if you feel like it, leave some claps to help whoever wrote it to pay his Lamborghini Urus.
Thank you! | https://medium.com/the-fluxus/evening-74d647ec3803 | ['Martino Pietropoli'] | 2020-07-02 21:46:26.889000+00:00 | ['Drawing', 'Graphic Design', 'Humanity', 'Illustration'] |
Waves in the Sea of Possibilities | Somewhere there is a drama playing out as a result of actions one took in the past. While one may be far from the ensuing drama one is connected to it thanks to the energy one put into it long ago. Somewhere a story comes together that is partially written by you even though you are not there and not even aware of the story. But our role in the creation of the story ties us to it and allows us access if we choose to connect.
Likewise, our actions today create the basis for stories to be played out whether or not we are around to witness those stories as they unfold in the future. We tend not to think of these possibilities but to become aware of the possibilities our actions create, we see a broader view of our actions and we can change our actions with this in mind. Every change of action creates a whole new field of possibilities upon which stories will be written.
Our lives are like a boat flowing through the sea of possibilities leaving a wake that flows out over the sea affecting more than we are aware of since our attention is up ahead in the boat. As our boat continues flowing through the sea, changing course over time we eventually come across the wakes we left behind and see the stories built on the energy we left behind.
As we live we create waves. These waves travel the sea of possibilities as do we. It is inevitable that we come across the results of the waves we create. Waves go out in all directions so we can come across these waves in the past, present, or future. And when we do, we come across one part of the wave while the rest of the wave spreads outward without us experiencing it directly. To experience the totality of the wave we must become the wave. To experience all of a wave can take several lifetimes and many focuses within the sea of possibilities.
Every wave eventually subsides into the sea yet each new action creates another wave. Thus we are constantly creating new stories that come to life, with or without us, somewhere in the All That Is. Being aware of our actions in this way we can imbue them with as much unconditional love as possible and thereby impact and change the world. | https://whitefeather9.medium.com/waves-in-the-sea-of-possibilities-d036f2482614 | ['White Feather'] | 2018-05-31 16:39:37.431000+00:00 | ['Philosophy', 'Spirituality', 'Life', 'Essay', 'Advice'] |
Solved: Spotify Error Code 30 | It'll be utterly annoying when you’re trying to log in to your Spotify account but only to find that the Error Code 30 pop up on your screen. No matter you’re a Premium user or free user, this problem may ruin a day that could have been better.
In the following parts, we’re going to analyze the causes of Spotify Error Code 30 issue and solve it with some solutions.
Causes of Spotify Error Code 30
There’re several causes that will lead to Error Code 30, here’s a list of them:
1. Spotify Proxy is Activated
Once you activate the proxy within the Spotify app, the error may appear. The easiest way is to set the Proxy option to No Proxy. But to reset this field, you’ll need to log in to Spotify first, so you might need to reinstall Spotify to clean the user cache and settings.
2. You’re Using Third-Party VPN
When you use the VPN at a system level, the Spotify app might think you’re using the app in another country. So you’ll need to close your VPN or change the IP address to your home country.
3. You’re in A Different Country
Spotify will deny you from logging in to your account when it finds that you’re in a different country. You can either change your Country in Spotify or use a VPN that has a server in your home country.
4. Overprotective Firewall
An overprotective firewall will block the Spotify connection. You can fix this by classifying the Spotify app to the white list of the firewall.
Fixes to Spotify Error Code 30
1. Disable Spotify Proxy Server
The most common Error Code 30 cause is that the Spotify Proxy server is accidentally activated. To disable Spotify proxy server:
1. Open Spotify on your computer, then go to settings.
2. Scroll down to Proxy, set the Proxy type to No Proxy.
3. Restart the Spotify app.
2. Change the Account Country
In many cases, if the user moves to another country, then the Spotify app can no longer be accessed. To change account country:
1. Log in to your Spotify account page
2. Click Edit profile
3. Click the Country bar below and select the country you’re in from the dropdown list.
4. Click SAVE PROFILE
3. Disable Third-Party VPN
If you’re using a third-party VPN, make sure to disable or route the Spotify app every time you log into your Spotify account.
But if you move to another country and don’t want to change your account country, you’ll have to do it in reverse. Apply the server of your own country in your VPN, then you can log into your Spotify account.
4. Exempt Spotify from Firewall
If you used to set an overprotective Firewall, it may block the Spotify app to connect. You’ll need to allow Spotify through the Firewall:
1. Click the search icon on the left of the taskbar on your computer, then type in firewall to enter Firewall settings.
2. Click Allow an app through firewall.
3. Click Change Settings, then scroll down to find Spotify, then allow spotify.exe through both Private and Public connection.
4. Click OK to save settings.
5. Download Spotify Songs for Offline Listening
All the solutions above may work, but you can never predict when the error will come back again. So the best way to play Spotify songs is to go offline. Normally even if you have Spotify Premium, you’ll still need the Spotify app to play songs offline, which means you can possibly come across the error code 30 again.
But with TunesKit Spotify Music Converter, you can directly download all your Spotify songs to your computer without Premium. Then you can play these songs on any media player, which means that you don’t need the Spotify app any more. So you won’t run up against Spotify Error Code 30 issue again.
TunesKit Spotify Music Converter is designed to convert Spotify audio files into 6 different formats such as MP3, AAC, M4A, M4B, WAV and FLAC. Almost 100% of the original song quality will be kept after converting process. With 5X faster speed, it only takes few seconds to download each song from Spotify.
1 Launch TunesKit and Import Songs from Spotify
Open TunesKit software and the Spotify will be launched simultaneously. Then drag and drop tracks from Spotify into the TunesKit interface.
2 Set Up Output Parameters
After adding music tracks from Spotify to TunesKit, you can choose the output audio format. There’re six options including MP3, M4A, M4B, AAC, WAV and FLAC. And then you can adjust the audio quality by selecting the output channel, bit rate, and sample rate.
3 Start the Conversion
Once all the setting is finished, click the “Convert” button to start loading Spotify music tracks. After the conversion, all the files will be saved to your specified folder. You could browse all the converted songs by clicking “Converted” and navigate to the output folder.
4 Play Spotify Songs Offline without Spotify App
After download Spotify songs to your computer, you can access them on your file manager. And you can play them without the Spotify app on any other media players. That means you won’t need to log into Spotify account again and nor you won’t see the Error Code 30 again. | https://medium.com/@johnclaytonmayor/solved-spotify-error-code-30-df8c5c1d55ac | ['John Clayton Mayor'] | 2020-12-07 01:42:51.403000+00:00 | ['Spotify'] |
How four leaders on the frontlines are fighting to save their communities | DeSoto, Missouri
Susan Liley was tired of seeing her community devastated by flash floods year after year. Following the drowning of neighbors trapped in their cars, and the drowning of horses trapped in a barn during flash floods, Liley and a few friends formed the Citizens Committee for Flood Relief to find viable solutions. The Citizens Committee connected with the US Army Corp of Engineers Silver Jackets program, who undertook a flood study and worked with the community to develop a flash flood warning system, so local residents can monitor rainfall and water levels to the inch on their phones, and get life-saving advance warning of a deadly flash flood. Liley is still pushing elected leaders to prevent dangerous “fill and build” real estate practices that leave more families vulnerable to flooding, and to implement natural solutions to absorb floodwater at its source.
On Predatory Real Estate Practices:
“We’ve got to work hard on ‘re-buying flood homes.’ We’ve got to stop that practice… We don’t need to have another family come in and go through the same pain that the other family has already been through. Repetitive loss homes should never be sold. People will contact me at least once a week and say ‘hey, how about this home?’ and I’ll say, ‘well maybe water didn’t get inside, but a car washed away.’ Or, ‘a huge 60-yard dumpster went down the creek there,’ but people feel like these homes are so cheap, and it’s not going to happen again. It is going to happen again. We’ve got to stop the repetitive loss flooding.”
“A lot of people these days think that ‘fill and build’ is the solution. ‘If you fill it up and make it higher, you’re not going to flood.’ Well that doesn’t work out either. Somebody else is going to flood because you build. These people in town, their homes are at least 60 to 100 years old. They didn’t build in a floodplain, the floodplain built around them.” | https://medium.com/i-heart-climate-voices/flood-activists-fight-to-save-communities-75e3a6e659e4 | ['I', 'Climate Voices'] | 2020-06-23 14:56:37.490000+00:00 | ['Flooding', 'Justice', 'Racial Justice', 'Activism', 'Climate Change'] |
10 Amazing Benefits of Coworking. Coworking spaces are the new world… | fa
Coworking spaces are the new world substitute for typical office places which we have seen growing up. They are an evolution of the typical offices filled with cubicles and empty desks. Coworking spaces as the name suggests are the places where professionals of different industries and domains sit together in a variety of shared office settings. Be it a small entrepreneur or any small business, co-working spaces are becoming the first choice for workplace selection because of their cost-effectiveness, their versatility in features and their ambient working atmosphere. They not only offer business space for rent but they take care of all the extra baggage of responsibilities that comes as an add-on in setting up any regular office. All you have to do is, book a space and voila, everything else will be perfectly taken care of. While it may seem like the perfect solution for your business, considering the upsurge of such places, you will need to make sure you choose the right one before stepping into a coworking community! We are sure you don’t wanna ruin your experience.
10 Amazing Benefits of Coworking | https://medium.com/@Coworkingers/1top-0-amazing-benefits-of-coworking-2aeacf1168e | [] | 2021-10-20 10:34:20.898000+00:00 | ['Coworking Space', 'Coworking'] |
The Top 10 Solana Projects | Hi Readers,
Solana is a fast, secure, and censorship-resistant blockchain providing the open infrastructure required for global adoption. It is by far one of the fastest blockchains out there, with 400ms block time and currently 60,000+ TPS. If you’re not yet familiar with Solana, have a look at our article “A Quick Introduction and Overview of Solana”. For this article, we’ve taken a look around the Solana ecosystem and have selected the top 10 projects that we find most interesting right now. So, let’s dive right into it.
Raydium
Raydium is a DeFi (Decentralized Finance) application and works as an on-chain order book AMM (automated market maker) to power the evolution of DeFi. Unlike many other AMM platforms, Raydium provides on-chain liquidity to a central limit order book. That means that the users and liquidity pools of Raydium can access the order flow and liquidity of the entire Serum ecosystem and the other way around.
On Raydium, it is also possible for liquidity providers to generate rewards from trading fees for contributing. Key pools are incentivized with $RAY assets as farming rewards. Projects that like to reward users for providing liquidity can also add extra reward tokens.
Interestingly, as the platform progresses, it aims to partner with other DeFi and AMM communities and provide support to build out their products on Solana. That will make sure that more liquidity is added, and more and more DeFi protocols will be brought to the Solana ecosystem. Through these additions, Raydium can incorporate additional flexibility and function for future versions and new features.
Serum
In the paragraph above, we already quickly mentioned the Serum Project. To dive further into it, the Serum Project is a decentralized exchange (DEX) and ecosystem that brings unprecedented speed and low transaction costs to decentralized finance. It is built on Solana and is completely permissionless. Because it is built on Solana, Serum offers sub-second trading and settlement, with an on-chain order book and extremely low gas fees.
There are many different DEX’s built on the Serum ecosystem, as well as swaps and wallets. For an extensive list, please visit here.
Bonfida
Bonfida is another network building on top of the Serum and Solana ecosystem. The platform offers a complete product suite that helps bridge the gap between Solana, Serum and its users. Additionally, Bonfida brings data analytics to Solana with their API, which is used by some of the largest market makers in the space and has seen a significant growth rate during its existence.
Apart from an API and DEX, Bonfida is also a Serum GUI. The GUI provides the features Serum users ask for and has a great UX/UI. To grow its base, the GUI aims to achieve the following:
Exclusive markets and listing.
On-chain Advanced order types.
Order Placement Through TradingView Charts.
Advanced and Basic User Interface Options.
Orca
Orca is a cryptocurrency exchange or DEX built on Solana and focussed on user-friendliness. Orca seeks to provide a more straightforward, more human-centred experience for the traders on Solana, which is made possible by utilizing a Fair Price Indicator, Aggregator and Token Balances.
First, the Fair Price Indicator is created to solve one of the most significant pain points among DeFi users: determining whether a given pool currently offers a fair price. Through the Fair Price Indicator, users no longer need to blindly trust DEX proposed market rates or search through time-consuming trackers and exchanges to compare rates.
Second, Orca is not just an AMM but also an aggregator. Each time you input a trade, itoffers the best available rate from either Orca or Serum Swap’s liquidity pools. Finally, Orca has built a Tokens panel directly into its interface. So that users can see their balance or all tokens listed on Orca, including live updates whenever a trade is made or liquidity provided.
Mango Markets
Mango Markets offers decentralized cross-margin trading with up to 5x leverage. Mango Markets aims to create a trader and maker-friendly decentralized platform. Initial core features of the platform are on-chain margin trading on limit order books and perpetual futures, which are the main drivers of centralized exchange revenue. Thus, moving those to DeFi is a vital step to overcome CeFi (Centralized Finance) platforms.
Mango Markets can also be used to lend digital assets or to play the liquidator role when positions don’t meet their collateral requirements.
Oxygen
Oxygen.org is a DeFi Prime Brokerage Protocol built to support hundreds to millions of people in the future. The platform helps its users as holder of digital assets, generate liquidity, earn yield, borrow assets to go short, get trading leverage against portfolio assets and allows for more efficient use of your assets in three ways:
First, through multiple uses of the same collateral, Oxygen enables you to generate yield on your portfolio through lending out your assets and borrowing other assets at the same time. Second, cross-collateralization, lets you utilize all your portfolio as collateral when you’d like to borrow other assets. This means, a lower margin call or liquidation risk for your portfolio. Finally, Oxygen Protocol is order-book based, and thus gives a fair price for borrowing and lending at all times.
Phantom Wallet
Phantom Wallet is a digital wallet created for DeFi and NFTs. The wallet offers a browser extension that can be used to manage digital assets and access decentralized applications on the Solana blockchain. It works by creating and managing private keys on behalf of its users, allowing them to store funds and sign transactions.
Furthermore, the extension injects a Solana object into the Javascript context of every web application the user visits. Next, the application can interact with the wallet, such as asking for permission to perform a transaction, through this injected object.
The UI is very friendly, and it’s most likely the best Solana wallet if not one of the best blockchain wallets out there!
Star Atlas
Star Atlas is developing a unique gaming experience by combining blockchain mechanics with traditional game mechanics. When Solana launched the first-ever “web-scale blockchain” in 2019, it became the only blockchain solution capable of hosting applications with the computational bandwidth akin to the modern internet, presenting the capability to power decentralized versions of Twitter, Nasdaq and a myriad of other blockchain applications. Star Atlas embraces the potential of decentralized self-sovereign ownership of assets permitted through the implementation of blockchain into asset ownership and NFT marketplaces.
Synthetify
Synthetify is a decentralized protocol focussed on the creation and exchange of synthetic assets without the need for a counterparty. Synthetic assets are backed by $SNY assets. Thus, staking of $SNY gives users participation in a global debt pool, which acts as a counterparty for other users to trade against. Participants of the debt pool earn a share of fees created by an exchange of synthetic assets. Users can free up their staked assets by burning synthetic tokens of the value of users’ current debt.
The price of assets is determined by oracles that gather the price of specific assets and post it to the Solana blockchain. Synthetic assets can be used in all other applications (Serum, Raydium) or even migrated into other chains via a bridge. Users of Synthetify exchange can expect fees near-zero (0.001$) and close to instant confirmation time.
DISCLAIMER: This is not financial advice. Staking, delegation, and cryptocurrencies involve a high degree of risk, and there is always the possibility of loss, including the failure of all staked digital assets. Additionally, delegators are at risk of slashing in case of security or liveness faults on some protocols. We advise you to do your due diligence before choosing a validator. | https://medium.com/stakin/the-top-10-solana-projects-ea9f52020219 | ['Gisele Schout'] | 2021-07-26 14:02:36.219000+00:00 | ['Solana Network', 'Solana Ecosystem', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Staking', 'Blockchain'] |
去中心化交易所的运作机制 | DEX.top
News, updates and industry insights from the DEx.top team. | https://medium.com/dex-top/%E5%8E%BB%E4%B8%AD%E5%BF%83%E5%8C%96%E4%BA%A4%E6%98%93%E6%89%80%E7%9A%84%E8%BF%90%E4%BD%9C%E6%9C%BA%E5%88%B6-52ef710a4b76 | ['Caterina Lu'] | 2018-09-21 03:38:46.728000+00:00 | ['以太坊', 'Research Reports', '交易所', '区块链', '去中心化'] |
Solving Common Data Structure Questions Using Python | According to Wikipedia, Data are the quantities, characters or symbols on which operations are performed by a computer which may be stored and transmitted in the form of electrical signals and recorded on magnetic, optical or mechanical recording media.
So, data needs to be managed in such a way so that it can produce some meaningful information. And that is why, we use data structures.
A data structure is the systematic way to organize data, so that it can be used efficiently.
Linear data structure — In this type of data structures, all the elements are arranged one after the other (i.e., sequential order). For example — Stack, Queue, linked lists, Arrays etc.
Non-Linear data structure —In this type of data structures, all the elements are not arranged in a sequential order. For example — Tree, Graph etc.
Static data structure — Here, the memory is allocated at the compile time. It provides faster access to the elements stored in it. But, the insertion and deletion is slow. For example — Arrays.
Dynamic data structure — Here, the memory is allocated at the run time. The insertion and deletion of elements is faster. But accessing the elements is slower. For example — Linked lists.
Now, we’ll solve some common data structure problems using python.
Problem 1
Write a program to find the number of trailing zeroes in N!.
For example:
5! = 120 (trailing zeroes = 1)
10! = 3628800 (trailing zeroes = 2)
Approach to the problem
First of all, we’ll calculate the factorial of the number using iteration. Then, we’ll divide the factorial by 10. If we get remainder as 0, we’ll then divide the factorial by 100. If, again, we get the remainder as 0, we’ll then divide the factorial by 1000. That is how we’ll divide the factorial with 10000, 100000, and so on, if we keep on getting remainder as 0. But if, at any time, we get remainder as non-zero, we’ll break out of the loop. So, the number of time the loop got executed will be the number of trailing zeroes.
Program
Outputs
Problem 2
Write a program for modular exponentiation.
` Result = (m^n)%p
For example:
(2³)%3 = 2
(5²)%2 = 1
Approach to the problem
The problem looks very simple to solve. But if we follow the traditional method, the value of x^y will grow very fast. To mitigate this problem, we’ll use a property.
For our case, we have (m^n)%p . So, it can also be written as -
Program
Outputs
Problem 3
You are given an array of integers from 1 to N in any order, that has one entry missing and you need to find it out with the help of a program.
For example:
array = [5,2,4,1] => Output = 3
array = [3,2,4,1,6] => Output = 5
Approach to the problem
Method 1: We’ll sort the array in ascending order. Then, we’ll iterate over the array to find the missing term.
Method 2: We can find the sum of the input array and then subtract it from the sum of first N natural numbers. The result will be the missing term.
Program (Method 1)
Output
Program (Method 2)
Output
Problem 4
Given an array of size N. Write a program to find the minimum number of operation required to convert the given array to ‘Palindromic Array’. The array [2,1,2] is a ‘Palindromic Array’ but [2,0,1] is not.
The only allowed operation is that you can merge first two elements of the array and replace them with their sum.
For example:
Input array : [1,2,3,1,6]
Operation1:
1+2 = 3 => array = [3,3,1,6] => Not in palindrome
Operation 2:
3+3 = 6 => array = [6,1,6] => Palindrome.
Output: Total operations = 2
Program
Output
Problem 5
Given an array of integers. Find the length of the longest subsequence such that elements in the sub-sequence are consecutive integers, the consecutive numbers can be in any order in the array.
For example:
Input: [3,2,4,1,7,10,6,11]
Output: Length of longest sub-sequence = 4
Approach to the problem
Input — [3,2,4,1,7,10,6,11]
Sort the array — [1,2,3,4,6,7,10,11]
Iterate over this array and check the difference between each two consecutive array. If it is 1, then copy the elements as it is to another array. If it is not 1, then insert a blank space.
New array — [1,2,3,4,’ ’,6,7,’ ’,10,11]
Now iterate over this new array and count the number of elements before the blank spaces and store them in a dictionary.
Then, find the largest value stored in the dictionary.
Output — 4
Program
Output
Problem 6
You are given an N x N 2D matrix. Write a program to rotate the matrix by 90 degrees (clockwise) without using an additional array.
For example: | https://medium.com/python-in-plain-english/solving-common-data-structure-questions-using-python-e55e76345de3 | ['Souvik Paul'] | 2020-12-20 14:48:14.914000+00:00 | ['Algorithms', 'Data Structures', 'Programming', 'Software Development', 'Python'] |
Skin: A Dialogue with Myself | Skin: A Dialogue with Myself
Photo Credit: Ricardo Garcia for Pexels.
If skin is the casing that keeps our insides in, then why am I feeling so inside out? Like a cat overturned, with its legs up and kicking, I find myself on my back screaming. Internally- of course, and lying down I should re-phrase, but the feeling I am trying to desperately describe is the same.
This seeping of self onto society’s floor. I cannot contain the leaking. When did the freedom of my youth become encapsulated in boxes, and stamped with labels?
One becomes lost in a sea of questions, when one does not understand themselves. I’m walking on the line of extinction trying to find the answers. | https://medium.com/blueinsight/skin-a-dialogue-with-myself-c9d25b625927 | ['Lexus Ndiwe'] | 2020-12-18 05:58:03.664000+00:00 | ['Blue Insights', 'Self Reflection', 'Microfiction', 'Society', 'Stereotypes'] |
The Future of Capitalism… As Told By A Recovering Capitalist | By Mat Chacon, CEO of spatial computing company Doghead Simulations
Personal prosperity is born from capitalism.
In fact, capitalism is the only system consistently proven to not only accelerate innovation, and economic wealth, but also democracy. It is a beautiful system of amelioration. However, it can also be a cookie cutter recipe of destruction. With all of the prosperity and freedom it enables, capitalism also widens the wealth gap. While there has been no better ideological system for personal and societal prosperity to date, I’d say that traditional capitalism today is largely failing to meet society’s needs and the COVID-19 pandemic is shining a very bright light on this insufficiency as are the recent protests over racial injustice and economic inequality. We’re teetering a knife’s edge of revolution. A new system may need to be explored.
Before you continue with this article, you should know that I am a successful serial entrepreneur. But, it wasn’t always that way. I grew up in poverty, raised in the American urban metropolis of south central Phoenix, Arizona. It was our capitalist market economy that enabled me to pull myself out of that poverty and enjoy a rich life of abundance. But, I never forgot where I came from. That is why I freely donate my time to anyone on earth that wants or needs it, completely free of charge; 10% of my day, every day. However, after 22-years of being a successful entrepreneur and CEO, I now find myself in an odd position that I must admit to you now:
“My name is Mat Chacon… and I’m a recovering Capitalist.”
Though I do see some obvious pitfalls with modern capitalism, I sincerely believe that a new system of capitalism does not mean that we should simply abandon capitalism altogether. Like most systems, capitalism is organically evolving with the ever-changing political and economic landscape and it is rapidly maturing into a more egalitarian structure being driven primarily by today’s youth.
As capitalism evolves, we must be sensitive to the protections of democratic ideals and guide it’s development toward more meritocratic practices and away from the state-led market economies being favored by the current governments of Mainland China, Russia and Venezuela. That being the case, it is important that we recognize that people are not their governments. People should not fear their governments, and that happens in state-led capitalism because those governments abhor the free market system. Those governments act in the best interest of the few people at the top and not in the best interests of society at large.
I see the same thing happening in America. The few are benefitting far too richly from the many, and without any reciprocation of those benefits. We can do better.
Personally, I like the idea of stakeholder capitalism, where companies do not solely act in the best interests of their boards or shareholders. This is a system where companies act in the best interests of not only those people, but also the people that work at those companies and the human beings who purchase and interact with their products and services… in effect, the best interests of society.
After all, doing something that benefits society can and will benefit you, personally. This is a mindset shift that is desperately needed if we are to positively advance without abnegating our fellow human.
To that effect, I’d like to advance the idea of Entrepreneurial Capitalism. Now, I know those two words may seem entirely congruent, but hear me out. Entrepreneurial Capitalism is a system where success is achieved and rewarded through hard work and high standards, rather than class privilege or wealth. Entrepreneurial Capitalism is specifically focused on taking calculated risks, and disrupting the status quo. Consider it a “level up” of meritocratic capitalism.
There is no contesting that capitalism conceived the entrepreneur. It is those entrepreneurs that have consistently led improvements and innovations that have helped society flourish. Entrepreneurs start-up small companies that disrupt the status quo and then those start-ups become the mega-corporations we all interact with, and then new entrepreneurs disrupt those behemoths to bring about new innovations that make life better. It is not big governments or taxes or giant corporations or even a select few people at the top that improve society. It is the lone entrepreneur working diligently in their own self-interest to improve their personal station in life that, in-turn, improves the world at large.
Entrepreneurial Capitalism can be a beautiful cycle for consistent improvement. It can challenge the free market to do better by the people who are challenged by it. One of the more immediate challenges to the current free market system in an entrepreneurial capital economy will be to celebrate the the right things.
Too often, as entrepreneurs, we celebrate the wrong people and the wrong accomplishments. Instead of celebrating a $20 million investment by people wealthy enough to lose that $20 million and not need to live on Top Ramen the rest of their lives, we should celebrate the customer wins that enable us to raise that $20 million investment from the people that actually purchase our products and interact with our services on a daily basis. Running a business with a customer-centric approach, essentially running a largely customer-funded business, will enable a freedom that doesn’t necessarily exist when you raise money from investors.
Another challenge will be to disrupt the current boards of companies and involve employees of different levels in an organization on those boards to help steer the company in directions that are profitable and can also benefit society.
So, before we find ourselves in a system will only benefit even fewer people, like state-led capitalism, let’s get in front of the groundswell of change that is already happening and promote a more equitable system that rewards the hard work, high standards, and risk taking of the lone entrepreneur while also benefitting the society that helps that person flourish.
Entrepreneurial Capitalism promotes growth in society-benefitting, business building activities like abundant and economical housing and afforable, high-quality education that require some loosening of existing restrictions to be successful. It is also a system that requires government cooperation to enact new restrictions on society-limiting activities like lobbyists for politically connected companies and removing certain requirements in accredited college degree programs that require students to spend years in college and get deep into debt paying to learn about subjects that they’ll only forget and never use in life.
As we move into a future impacted by a global pandemic and violent protests on racial and economic inequality, we need to recognize what we can improve to not only elevate our own personal prosperity, but also enhance the lives of the people who make up our society.
Personal prosperity is born from capitalism. But personal and societal prosperity can be achieved with Entrepreneurial Capitalism. We owe it to ourselves and our society to do and be better.
A new system of capitalism must be explored.
For more thoughts, essays and other fun posts, you can find and directly message me on Twitter @TheVRCEO or here on Medium, using my name, Mat Chacon. | https://medium.com/@thevrceo/the-future-of-capitalism-as-told-by-a-recovering-capitalist-d58a625de0bb | ['Mat Chacon'] | 2020-12-17 21:09:21.251000+00:00 | ['Government', 'Capitalism', 'Prosperity', 'Entrepreneurship'] |
Inside A Shoebox of Travel Memories | During the lockdown and travel restrictions, decluttering has become one of many things I put myself into it. One final decluttering job was the basement storage. Looking around piles of junks collected over the years and thinking where I could start first, my eyes caught a pile of shoeboxes covered by a thin layer of dust.
There were nine or ten of them piling up against the wall. Each one was labelled with a country and the year of visit. I was drawn to the one that I had forgotten for long. It was the one with the label ‘Vietnam’. The year was 2018.
If this shoebox is a flashback of the past, then let the past celebrate the present.
Then I lifted the lid. I found a pile of attraction brochures with a wrinkly city map of Hanoi and Saigon, Vietnam travel guide book, travel bills, Vinaphone SIM card, magnetic pin souvenirs, tickets from museums and Saigon Sky Deck tower, and a little black notebook with a faded photo. The ink blotted all over the pages that I could hardly read it.
The written words may vanish. The ink may be blotted out, obscuring stories I’d written. But only the memories would lead me back to remember the travel tale on each page.
On that photo, across Paris square, the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral in the distant background remained intact. The terracotta roof tiles looked orange and rustic, against the twin white towers tipped with iron spires.
It looks like a wedding cake. I heard you, pointing out at the Cathedral.
The neo-Romanesque church, built in the late 1880s by a French architect Jules Bourard, is a dominant landmark in Ho Chi Minh government quarter. That day, I was looking up at the large windows, admiring those highly skilful crafted stained glass and the detailed ornaments on the walls. They indeed showed the neo-Romanesque era like the one you see in France.
Across from the Cathedral, a French colonial post office is well preserved. At first, I believed it was built between 1886–1891 by a renowned French architect Gustave Eiffel. But the tour guide, a Vietnamese lady who prefer speaking in French than English, corrected me. She said it was designed by a French designer Alfred Foulhoux before she described in details how the building was the marriage of gothic, renaissance, and French colonial.
Look at the Game of Thrones map! You said, pointing out at the wall.
Our tour guide lady, again, corrected. She explained that it was the map of Saigon in 1892. She then showed another map of South Vietnam and Cambodia, made in1936.
I wouldn’t believe that actually, I was in Vietnam. A country in South East Asia that forty-three years ago was torn apart in a perpetual war of two decades. Officially renamed Ho Chi Minh in 1975, Saigon wouldn’t forget the past. It had arisen from the wounds of war, torture, and atrocity. Colonial buildings are preserved in a way to remind the present and the coming future that the wars had paid its cost.
Everyone in Vietnam — if you dare enough asking them — has their stories of war. They can talk about it eloquently like it happened yesterday. The city and its people moved on.
I remember the day trip to Mekong Delta, a two-hour bus trip from the government quarter. The tour guide told us that the Vietnamese are resilient people. We had been in so many wars, he said. Even now, looking back then, Vietnamese can make jokes out of war stories and laugh out of life misery.
There are ten wars to be precise. Vietnamese had witnessed the wars since the beginning of the 20th century; the first one was the Franco-Thai border in 1941, and the last one was the Sino-Vietnam war in 1979. Among those, only one was significant — because of the American involvement, American-Vietnam war 1956–1975.
The boat was running through the murky brown vast body of water. Mekong Delta was like a giant sleeping dragon.
For the first time, I saw your vulnerable side. Stories of war always touch the cores of humanity.
Mekong’s charms are the livelihood it gives to the people of Vietnam; trains of boats transporting logs and goods, fishers make their daily commutes, the boat ladies selling anything from food to kitchenware. The pulse of the river makes the Mekong attractive in its own way.
From the boat journey in Mekong delta to the 48th floor watching the city lights, we sipped our cocktails from the height of Eon Heli Bar at Bitexco Financial Tower. From the sky deck, we watched the sunset beyond the river, rustic roofs of white-chalk houses, and towering buildings. The river, gold and silver, dotted with illuminating lights from boats and cruise ships.
Because you were here with me, I was a lover in Saigon.
We spent the night on Saigon river cruise while watching a singer performing her rendition ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’ that it was as jazzy as illuminating city lights. Though the night was young, and the city was charming, it saddened us to farewell the river of night and life. Tomorrow awaits another adventure, you said.
We were both lost in the city — or did we just let us get lost?
The smell of Huong, the burning incense, filled the humid air of the city. You asked, ‘how are we getting back home now?’ I said, ‘Follow the pathway of the divine.’ The smell of Huong was pungent in the humid air of Saigon. The city streets were buzzing. I was bathed in sweats. We then walked through laneways and bustling traffic, following the smokes of incense.
If you ever read this story, do you remember?
Somehow the pathway of divine ended us at a jade Emperor pagoda, the red walls with rustic tiled roofs and a mysterious tropical garden. The kind of place that made you believe again that the Jade emperor once defeated the green dragon.
In front of the city god, you threw a red banknote into a box — as the gatekeeper lady instructed. When you rubbed the red paper against the city god statue, you made a wish.
And ‘wish’ was the last word on the page.
I closed the notebook and placed all other pieces of the memories back in the shoebox. I owed Saigon and Vietnam a thank you, and it was, in fact, two years overdue. Well then, thank you Vietnam that you remember me as a lover.
Mercy Saigon, for remembering me that once upon a time in my lifetime, I had been loved. | https://medium.com/illumination-curated/inside-a-shoebox-of-travel-memories-4d0f9b92d42a | ['Doody Richards'] | 2020-10-03 23:05:05.997000+00:00 | ['Life Lessons', 'Travel', 'Vietnam', 'Self Improvement', 'Personal Essay'] |
week note 49/8 | weeknote #49/8 my reflections from the service design team at Dorset Council
4 things to celebrate!
Wowzer! Last week whizzed by again, with some really positive stuff coming out of it. One success in particular highlighted to senior managers a missed opportunity with regards to staffing — this has now been addressed and I hope the result will provide more support and the sharing of best practice, mentoring and generally create a team spirit which will also assist with a drive to recruit new staff — showing that carers ARE valued and what they do is a valued even more. (*see footnote). This can be attributed to the constant culture change we in the service design team continue to seek out and turn in to another success story.
Another possible opportunity I identified whilst carrying out the Addressing the Digital Divide user research arose from the fact that we don’t capture digital capability of vulnerable residents anywhere and therefore it’s harder to identify them in order to help them access signposting and pathways that will help them in their current situation whether that be social isolation, access to healthcare or simply finding a better household utilities deal. So many equalities if you’re not online.
By intervening early and by supporting people living real lives, in often difficult and chaotic circumstances, we can save money for the Council and feel proud that we’ve helped them achieve their newly founded goals. The result from this is that DCR are looking at including a digital rating in My DCR and it’s on their pipeline for further consideration and inclusion and a feasibility study is being done at high level for the same in Mosaic social care case management system, this will help the council to achieve its target of designing with data too.
The third good thing last week was that the Councillor Register of Interests form is almost ready to launch for Alpha testing and despite the arrival of the new platform, won’t be held up. Talks with senior managers and the DAPTC have been really encouraging, Neil Wedge the DAPTC CEO is really behind the e-form and how that will help all Councillors to be more accountable for this information.
I saw that there could be an opportunity for the Digital Champions to assist here too, so that clerks could direct less tech savvy councillors to get support and learn the skills required to do the job, may even mean more online council meetings longer term which would be good for democracy while we still find a way to operate safely during the pandemic and encouraging councillors to work in an open and transparent way.
I just wanted to add following on from my post in the Digital and Change Team site, in that it was great to see Lisa and Neil being interviewed on Corporate Services Employee Show by Aiden Dunn, I thought they both did brilliantly! Neil made the comment that he was proud to be up there with councils such as Camden, Greenwich and Bristol leading the way by having a team called ‘Service Design’ It’s something I’ve been really aware of since starting in my new role back in January, lots of other council’s don’t and are asking almost daily in Slack about how we go about evidencing the benefits and change the culture to achieve a better way of delivering services that people actually want to use because they are simple, quick, stress free and accessible in the right channels.
* The Reith Lecture with Michael Carney on 2nd December available on BBC Sounds app talked about value and how we assess value both shape our values and constrain our choices. Dr Carney argues that society has come to embody Oscar Wilde’s aphorism; “Knowing the price of everything but the value of nothing”. | https://medium.com/@helenmtimms/week-note-49-8-e6f3a5f9d026 | ['Helen Timms'] | 2020-12-06 16:01:44.205000+00:00 | ['Success', 'Culture Change', 'Service Design', 'Change Management', 'Retrospectives'] |
Creating an experience for a daily Subscription Plan for Swiggy: UX Case Study | Hey you, yes you, the awesome reader who has taken some time off to read this article about my case study, welcome to a case study where we tried creating an experience inside the Food Delivery App-Swiggy , to help users discover the feature, configure their subscription based on their daily needs and buy.
How it all began?
So recently I was a part of a UX Design Hackathon, conducted by Growth School, it was a 48 hours event where we were given 5 Problem statements and we have to chose one of them and make a design solution right from the scratch in the given time frame. Overall it was an awesome experience which pushed me to my limits and turned out to be a great learning curve.
Now I just wonder that even coming from engineering background why I never took part in hackathons?
Also there is a Surprise waiting for you at the end of the article. Nope, DO NOT SCROLL to the end just or you will miss the fun😁
Problem Statement & Reason for Opting it!
So our problem statement and the reasons why we chose it are as follows,
Due to the pandemic, a lot of people have been ordering food daily from Swiggy. However, Swiggy has noticed that most people don’t order every day from them. To make sure that these customers from Swiggy every day, they are planning to launch a food delivery subscription. Create an experience inside the swiggy app to help users discover the feature, configure their subscription based on their needs and buy
Why did we picked it?
All team members had a thorough knowledge about this product (Swiggy) as everyone had used it before. Food is something everyone can relate to and if you are living away from your home who wouldn’t like a hygienic food delivered at his doorstep with a hassle free experience? Given the time constraints, we ourselves could be the users and share the experiences that we have had previously. Comparing other problem statements, we thought it would take us more time on research to understand the core problems faced by those users.
🎬Action Plan:
In order to have a successful execution of the “ To-Do Things” it’s essential to have a roadmap and since we had to update our mentors about our progress after every 12–15 hours we decided to create presentations/notion documents about our project progress. Below are the steps which we took,
Choosing Problem Statement (Day 1)(3 hours) — Since it is a must and ample time should be devoted to it, we gave it sufficient time and completed this task well in time. Decided on responsibilities (Day 1)(2 hours) — As they say with great power comes great responsibility. Preparing for Presentation for Review 1 (Day 1) (90 Minutes) Desk Research (Day 2) (2 hours) — Though in such time specific events it is tricky to come up with responses but we collected whatever we could lay our hands upon. Primary Research (Day 2) (4 hours) — Again requires good investment of time but we decided to lay emphasis on it as a good research acts as a strong backbone for the design stage. Deciding on HMW (How might we) questions (Day 2) (30 minutes) — How we could reframe the problem statement. Deciding on the Subscription Model (Day 2) (4 hours) — We made 3 models and eventually decided to go with the feasible one. Wireframing and Prototyping (Day 2) (6 hours) — Covered both the Low and the High Fidelity ones after the initial paper one. Preparing for Presentation for Review 2 (Day 2)(90 Minutes) — This time rather than a ppt it was a notion document. Testing stage (Day 3) (2 hours) — We sent our wireframes to the users we interviewed and received their feedback. Video Preparation (Day 3) (4 hours)— We were asked to showcase our findings, research, design via a 7 minutes long video by screen recording.
“L et the cat come out of the bag at the end” 😁
12. Showtime (Day 3)— Final presentation!!!
Desk Research
It was mainly accomplished by two of the team members and we came to know about these points from our findings.
Slow recovery in the order demand for online food delivery is expected by August end, the overall orders for the year 2020 is expected to be 50%-60% lesser than total orders of 2019 The online food delivery market of India is expected to grow with a CAGR of 27.4% through the future period of 2019–2025 F India Food online delivery industry has recovered 75–80% of its pre-covid Sales. The online order volume recovery is much below 50%
Frequency of ordering restaurant food from food delivery apps after the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown in India as of May 2020.
Image Courtesy: Times of India
5. The future of online food ordering seems to be very bright as there is a continuous increase in urbanization.
6. Also, India has the largest population in the age group of 18–36 years which is also regarded as the vibrant and dynamic population has the potential of earning and spending more.
7. This will influence the habit of using online food ordering apps. Even, the events like IPL, FPL and KPL may put a positive impact upon the using of online food apps as during these events, lakhs of Indians especially youngsters remain stitched to their television for hours.
Primary Research
After secondary research it was time for the primary one as it will lay the foundation of the strategy and design part. So we sent out a google doc questionnaire which could help us in quantitative research and at the same time help us in identifying the right audience to interview, we interacted with 3–4 people and got to know about their views.
Here is a Quantitative Research Analysis (Online survey) in a form of a pie chart as collected from the users: | https://medium.com/@amanmathur21/case-study-creating-an-experience-for-a-daily-subscription-plan-for-the-swiggy-app-f9e49c3c92af | ['Aman Mathur'] | 2020-12-16 06:47:28.874000+00:00 | ['Hackathons', 'Food', 'Swiggy', 'Case Study', 'Subscription'] |
State of the Guild #21 | GuildChat release schedule updates and TronTrade event news
Welcome to this week’s State of the Guild, where we’ll update you on everything that’s been going on at BitGuild HQ. This round of news includes changes to GuildChat 2.0’s release schedule, and an update on some TronTrade events that were affected by server issues. Let’s dig in.
GuildChat
Our development team continues to work around the clock to create the best user experience possible and surprise our community with a new and exciting GuildChat. This past week we made the hard decision to push the public beta release back a few weeks, due to unexpected issues encountered and potential risks identified by our team.
Among the reasons that led us to push back the release of GuildChat 2.0 to the second half of October are:
Manpower allocation: We are approaching a major holiday in our Chinese office, National Day, which runs from October 1st to October 8th. During this time, the majority of our engineering staff will be unavailable;
Shared engineer resources: GuildChat, GuildWallet, and TronTrade teams share some of the engineer resources, specifically full-stack engineers.Simultaneous updates for all three products will mean delays on the development of GuildChat. We are fixing this by adding two full-stack engineers, who are due to join the team next week;
Performance optimizations: We have identified the need to optimize the performance of a few key elements in the app interface, and that requires the addition of around 196 engineer hours.
As per the development updates, this past week our team has been mainly focused on the following tasks:
Front-end engineers have completed most of the tasks for Sprint 9 and fixed 93.6% of all issues and optimizations identified (563 out of 601);
The first demo of Unread Messages Locating and Message List didn’t match the product standard. Engineers spent an additional three days on research to provide an optimized solution;
This week, our team will focus on fixing current bugs and completing all tasks for Sprint 8, solving technical issues on Image Selection and Message List, optimizing performance (front end and back end), and making some final UI optimizations.
TronTrade
In the past week, TronTrade faced some stability issues in the event server, which caused delays in order matching, as well as created duplicate trade orders. Given this issue, we delayed the distribution of rewards for TOPIA events in order to get accurate numbers and ensure the rewards were being sent to the right traders. Our team has been working tirelessly to fix the issue as fast as possible, but we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
All rewards have now been distributed, and this event server issue should not affect ongoing events. We continuously work to ensure the best user experience on TronTrade, however, we can’t avoid being affected by the performance of the TRON network when it does present issues.
Those are all the news we have for you this week, but tune back in next Friday for more updates and other tidbits. And as usual, if you want real-time information on your favorite BitGuild products, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Telegram. | https://medium.com/the-notice-board/state-of-the-guild-21-2ed56633f107 | [] | 2019-09-13 09:22:40.380000+00:00 | ['Tron', 'Trx', 'Crypto', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Cryptocurrency News'] |
Challenge Accepted | Challenge Accepted
Tutor Girl’s Diary — First part, day 2
Following day 1 — A New Raven?
Dear Diary,
I’m so stressed about today! In the evening, everyone will gather up at the river court to watch a one on one match — Lucas versus Nathan. Scott versus Scott.
The two of them have been exchanging deadly glances since the day couch Durham gave an open invitation for the team at Lucas. Nathan has always been aggressive towards him and against all those who didn't belong to his small clique, where he manages to play the role of leader. Yesterday he started a big fight at school and challenged Lucas to play a game with him, and if Lucas loses, he will “disappear” from his life as it was for so many years. Luke’s condition from the very beginning was that if he wins the game — he was about to join the team, but then he challenged Nathan even more by saying that he would win for Peyton.
Peyton was, is, and will be Lucas’s dream girl. We were still around 10 years old when he was already saying she is a blonde angel. I always say that these two should be together. He — melancholic, always with a book in his hand and headphones in his ears. She — ways quiet and lonely painting or listening to hits from 1970 to 2000. Peyton was one of the most popular girls at school just as much as was her best friend — Brooke, but in so different ways. Brooke is the classic, popular, prom queen, incredibly beautiful, and shallow girl. While Peyton was the most melancholic cheerleader there is, and always makes me wonder why she is a cheerleader, honestly? Oh and also, Peyton happens to be Nathan’s girlfriend since last year.
Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) and Peyton Sawyer (Hillary Burton) as cheerleaders. One Tree Hill — Season 1, episode 2.
When I asked Luke last night if he thought he could really win against Nathan, and why did he provoke him even more, he told me that he did it mainly for his mother — Karen.
I think he has good chances. And I’m very happy thinking that in a few hours Lucas will be able to rub on Nathan’s face not only a victory in a one-on-one match but also every point he scores after that, as a Raven in his own team. | https://medium.com/illumination/challenge-accepted-4249a88f2262 | [] | 2020-11-22 15:28:03.694000+00:00 | ['TV Shows', 'One Tree Hill', 'TV Series', 'Teens', 'Diary'] |
You Can’t Grow Out of ADHD | One of the most prevalent memories from my childhood is sitting at the kitchen table hysterically crying because I didn’t understand my math homework. Or, sometimes, I understood the concept, but my method for getting the correct answer differed from what the teacher showed in school, which was a major no-no (Assuming I could even remember what the teacher had taught just a few hours prior).
My poor parents tried their hardest to be patient, but they misinterpreted my inability to focus as a lack of interest. To understand/empathize, they often compared me to my elder sister, who also did not like math but did not have the same issues I did with starting and finishing tasks.
It also didn’t help that teachers would assign multiple pages of homework in a single night, which would take me far longer to complete, delaying dinner together as a family and any other activities we’d had planned.
ADHD is criminally misdiagnosed in girls and young women. Like autism, it was long believed that these conditions were unique to males and that females didn’t have the same issues. More recent studies show gender is not a factor in whether someone will develop ADHD. We can place much of the blame on genetics, yet there are other determining factors.
One of the top reasons for misdiagnosis is that a child can/will be hyperactive, inattentive, and hyper-focused on ‘less important things’ but they may not have ADHD. Those actions may be a facet of their personality and means of self-expression. When something like this happens consistently, however, it is time to consult a medical professional.
According to the American Psychiatry Association, there are two main types of this condition: inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive (I have experienced all of these things at one point or another).
Some highlights in the inattentive bracket are:
making careless mistakes during school/work tasks
can’t stay focused during long lectures/readings
has trouble starting and finishing tasks in a reasonable time
has difficulty with time management and organizational skills
losing items such as keys, wallets, cell phones, and glasses
Some highlights from the hyperactive/impulsive bracket are:
constant fidgeting
always moving, as if driven by a motor
nonstop talking
has a tendency to blurt out answers or finish others’ sentences
will mentally respond to a conversation but forget to speak the thought aloud (this wasn’t included in the list but definitely should have been)
When I was a child, I had several developmental issues that often varied in their intensity. I was born nine weeks premature, spent 53 days in the neonatal intensive care unit, needed a feeding tube, didn’t talk until I was three, and strongly favored being creative over being analytical.
Combine these issues with loneliness, a predisposition to misunderstanding social cues, and the general cruelty of kids, and you could say I had a rough go of it.
As I grew older, I used books as an escape from my everyday life. It got to a point where, when I was in high school, I would borrow large stacks of books from the library and read all ten of them cover-to-cover in a week. (I basically went full-on Matilda, and I’m not sorry for it.)
Books were some of the only things I could focus on for long periods of time. I could spend hours saying ‘one more chapter’ and ‘one more paragraph’ to myself, but do not understand that any time had passed at all.
So, you might be wondering: what does this all have to do with ‘growing out’ of ADHD? | https://medium.com/invisible-illness/you-cant-grow-out-of-adhd-26b3a96b6655 | ['Brianna Bennett'] | 2020-11-26 17:59:54.565000+00:00 | ['Ideas', 'Mental Health', 'Disability', 'Life', 'Psychology'] |
Forest Feature: Wildlife Sightings With Red Earth Tadoba Resort | Every day at Red Earth Tadoba, the isolation of our property and the proximity to the Zari Kolas gate give us wildlife sightings that are nothing short of breathtaking. With such unhindered access to the true wild, it made sense to us that these stories deserve sharing. With that in mind, we decided to start a series called Forest Feature! | https://medium.com/@redearthpnjxn/forest-feature-wildlife-sightings-with-red-earth-tadoba-resort-8260fd3f9cbf | ['Redearth Pnjxn'] | 2020-12-02 04:46:39.207000+00:00 | ['Redearth', 'Redearthtadoba', 'Tiger Safari', 'Wildlife'] |
Patton: The Movie and the Man | Released in 1970, this film is a masterpiece of the Genre, with Patton a Mad Genius of a General…
General George Patton always considered himself a ruthless, innovative, and brave professional soldier, as he had undoubtedly proven himself to be in WWI, and again in North Africa and Sicily in 1942. The German High Command certainly thought him the best general the Allies had, and for them it was therefore inevitable that Patton would lead the invasion of Europe, whenever that might be.
The Supreme Allied Commander, General Eisenhower, also knew the respect the German Army had for Patton, and he intended to use the blaspheming, mad genius of a General (who loved to sport, in western style holsters,
a pair of ivory handled .38 revolvers) as the major player in a massive game of deceit and subterfuge in the days and weeks leading up to D-Day. It has to be said that Patton, the man of action, wasn’t too happy about that, but it had of course been all his own fault.
Patton with Eisenhower
And the director of the 1970 movie, Franklin J. Schaffner — who also made The Planet of the Apes — gets it right from start to finish — with a brilliant script by Francis Ford Coppola.
Schaffner.
The start of the film has been described by DailyHistory.org as:
“… one of the most memorable opening scenes in Hollywood history. George C. Scott emerges as Patton and gives a remarkable speech in front of a huge banner of the Stars and Stripes. The scene was not intended to be in the final cut of the movie, but the director had second thoughts and luckily left it in. The speech is a unique blend of patriotism, nobility and crudities. However, Patton never actually gave such a speech. Coppola cleverly took quotes from several of Patton’s speeches, combining them in a brilliant way. The result is one of the most outstanding introductions in movie history.”
I think the writer of that little piece may have got slightly carried away with his or her own rhetoric, but Patton would have loved it. I doubt if George C. Scott would have given it a second thought.
The writer of the screenplay, the aforementioned Francis Ford Coppola, had virtually no idea who Patton was, until 20th Century Fox asked him, in the late 1960s, to write the script, based on Ladislas Farago’s book, Patton: Ordeal and Triumph, which the studio had just purchased. Fox considered Coppola a ‘war writer’ after his success with Is Paris Burning, which didn’t bother Coppola too much, especially with a $50,000 payout from Fox safely in the bank.
Coppola’s ignorance of Patton was a godsend for the future director of The Godfather, enabling him — free from the myths of Patton’s reputation — to create a screenplay that was fresh and powerful. Six months after the writing commission Coppola had finished the script, which, in Hollywood fashion, was then passed to another writer, Edmond North, who, according to Coppola, only really added some additional battle scenes. Coppola is the first to admit that it was Scott who created Patton and not his script.
Coppola. Source: Academy of Achievment
Of course it was Patton who created Patton, no one else.
George Smith Patton Jnr was born in San Gabriel, California, on the 11th November 1885 into a military household, and was surrounded by stories of the Civil War. Although the young George was a slow learner, and unable to read properly until he was 12 — who would no doubt be considered dyslexic in today’s world of handy labels — he decided early that he was destined to be a hero, so set out to become one.
When Patton entered the Stephen Cutter Clark’s Classic School at the age eleven — his parents had taught him at home until then — the love of ancient Greece, that his father and instilled into him, soon encouraged his reading, and by the age of 13 his major subject was history — especially ancient Greek military history — reading every book the Cutter Clark’s Classic School had to offer. After graduating from high school he was sent to his father’s old alma mater, The Virginia Military Institute.
After a year there he was accepted at West Point, where he distinguished himself in strategy and military history. He also became a formidable athlete and in 1912 represented the USA in the pentathlon event at the Stockholm Olympic Games, coming 5th overall.
After leaving West Point the young Lt Patton found himself — like many another officer before and after — helping to administer obscure and dusty outposts of the US Army with his new wife, Beatrice Ayer — whom he’d married in 1910 — performing the expected duties of an army wife, namely that of promoting her husband’s career.
A young Patton. Photo: Wikipedia
Patton and Beatrice did their jobs well, very well, and in 1916 George was appointed to General ‘Black Jack’ Pershing’s staff during that old warhorse’s punitive expedition into Mexico against Pancho Villa.
When America declared war on Germany in 1917, Pershing promoted Patton to Captain and assigned him to his staff in England. Again Patton proved to be an extremely efficient staff officer; but soon asked to be transferred to a fighting unit in France.
Pershing could hardly refuse such a talented officer and transferred Patton to the newly created American Tank Corps. To gain experience George worked with the British Tank Corps, taking part in the battle of Cambrai.
Captain George S. Patton then trained at the French Tank School, before creating and running the first American Tank School in France.
Patton 1918. Photo: Wikipedia
In 1918 Patton was promoted to Lt Colonel and led the American Tank Corps at the battle of St Mihiel, where his tanks reconnoitred way ahead of the infantry, destroying German positions as they came across them, leaving the American infantry to ‘clean up’ as the tanks continued ahead. It was a tactic Patton used to great effect again and again during World War II.
Lt Colonel Patton — as ever leading from the front — was seriously wounded in the final stages of St Mihiel when his tank was hit by a German shell. Whilst in hospital he was awarded a Purple Heart, and the DSC, for his gallantry and leadership during the battle. The armistice was signed as he was recuperating.
After the Great War Patton’s army life, like Eisenhower’s, was again one of administration, and with America’s entry into World War II in 1941 it was soon obvious that Patton was the only man to take control of the American 7th Army in North Africa. This Patton did with zeal (with a little help from the British and her colonial allies), pushing the German Afrika Korps out of North Africa and Sicily.
But it was after the victory in Sicily, and while Patton was visiting a hospital to award medals, that, as the film shows, he blotted his copybook.
He’d just pinned a Purple Heart on a badly wounded GI when he saw another GI, still in battledress, sitting on the edge of a bed. Patton went over to him. The conversation went like this:
“What are you in here for, son?” asked Patton.
“ I can’t take it, sir, the shelling, I can’t take it anymore.”
“ You can’t take it? See that poor son-of-a-bitch over there, he took it. I’ll tell you what you are, son, you’re a dirty coward, and cowards don’t belong in the same room as heroes.”
With that Patton slapped the GI around the head and ordered him out of the hospital and back to the front line where, if he was lucky, he might just get killed.
The slapping scene
In the film Patton then pulled one of his pistols and pointed it at the soldier’s head. Patton’s aides ran to the general and restrained him.
That incident resulted in Patton having to make a public apology in front of his troops, and accept, with as good a grace as possible, his recall, via Eygpt and Malta, to England where he was to take command of the US Third Army.
To fool the Germans into believing that the invasion of France was likely to be at Calais Eisenhower created the US Third Army — which did exist, but not to the extent the German’s believed — basing it in the south east of England, with Patton ‘visibly’ in charge. With the use of dummy tanks, dummy buildings, and dummy aircraft — created by the special effects departments of the British film industry — and a huge amount of false intelligence information sent back daily to Berlin by double agents, the German High Command was totally fooled into believing that Calais was to be the invasion point. Even when the Normandy invasion was well underway on the 6th of June, 1944, the German’s truly believed it was a diversionary raid and that the real invasion would still take place at Calais. And because of this false belief the German High Command refused to allow an entire Armoured SS Panzer Division to move south to defend the Normandy beaches. Had they done so the invasion may very well have faltered, or even failed completely.
In the six weeks after D-Day the US Third Army was brought up to strength as a real fighting force, and under Patton, a formidable one, and one that would see the job through to the bitter end.
General George Patton was fatally injured in a road accident near Neckarstadt, Germany on December 9, 1945. He died on the 21st of December from a pulmonary embolism.
Patton’s Funeral. Photo: Nico’s Space
Schaffner’s film is a good, and honest,reconstruction of Patton’s life, from 1942–45, with George C. Scott portraying Patton in a wholly believable way.
After that opening speech you know that, with George C. Scott, you’re in safe hands. | https://stevenewmanwriter.medium.com/patton-the-movie-and-the-man-5233a176a86 | ['Steve Newman Writer'] | 2020-12-15 18:41:20.169000+00:00 | ['Film', 'Culture', 'WIB History', 'Writing', 'Movies'] |
VR and Anxiety Disorders | VR in anxiety; key concepts
As mentioned in our previous instalment, the majority of research in the current literature is focussed on anxiety disorders. This demonstrates the advantage of VR in the recreation of believable ‘real-world’ scenarios and its potential for ecological validity. (1) Due to this, we will focus this piece on anxiety and review the effectiveness of VR in eliciting realistic anxiety responses in treatment and assessment. As anxiety was ranked the ninth largest contributor to global disability by the Global Burden of Disease Study in 2015, (2) VR has a potentially significant contribution to make.
As discussed in the last instalment, a large proportion of studies have revolved around exposure therapy (VRET) as VR is ideally suited to it. The first VRET study was conducted in 1995. (3) This looked at VR and acrophobia and demonstrated that VR was successful in reducing fear of heights. Since then, VRET has repeatedly been shown to be effective with other specific phobias but also with many other anxiety disorders. A treatment course for VRET follows typical clinical practice, with VR in place of the usual in vivo or visualisation techniques. This is advantageous in patients who may find imagining scenarios difficult. In high quality VRET, this can also be tailored to the patient. For instance, with flying phobia, certain aspects can be focussed on, such as the cabin door shutting in agoraphobic patients or turbulence and storms in those afraid of the plane crashing. (4) This has been further developed in some cases, through the combination of other interventions or medications. For example, the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left prefrontal cortex in individuals with spider phobia which was followed by exposure to spiders in VR. The combination reduced activations in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) during functional near-infrared spectroscopy, when elicited by emotionally-irrelevant words with an emotional Stroop test. (5)
As will be shown, exposure therapy is an important intervention technique. Due to the nature of VR, VRET can be radically adapted to individuals, therapy groups, and even the therapist administering it. Exposure therapy can used in ways that would not be possible in real world context. We will now discuss the contribution of VR in relation to specific anxiety disorders.
a. Specific phobias
A phobia is defined as a marked and persistent fear cued by the presence or anticipation of specific objects or situations, followed by a desire to avoid these because of high levels of fear and discomfort. (6) Examples include flying phobia, needle phobia, and phobias of animals and heights. This is a widely studied area in VR and VRET has been found to beeffective in addressing phobias, with VRET having a lower drop-out rate than in vivo exposure therapy. (7) Patients are more willing to cooperate as they are not as afraid to confront virtual phobias and maintain a feeling of control over the situation. (8)
A meta-analysis which focussed on the efficacy of VRET in heights and fear of spiders found that VRET patients scored significantly better on behavioural assessment than those on inactive conditions. (9)They also found no significant difference in behavioural assessment scores between VRET and standard behaviour therapy. A systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis which compared VRET to gold standard in vivo therapy found that there was a negative effect size in favour of in vivo exposure. However, this was non-significant and below the level of a small effect. This indicates that VRET is not significantly less efficacious than in vivo therapy. (10) As VR technology improves, it may reduce the difference and even supersede in vivo with regards to certain phobias. At the very least, VR could provide a stepping stone to in vivo exposure. Effects from VRET also appear to be long-lasting, with research showing that these can persist from 3 months to 3 years. (11,12, 13) Although, it must be noted, all of these studies are small and require repetition.
It has been suggested that the next steps in VRET research could investigate the optimal way to present stimuli. It has been shown that small changes to the context of presentation and using multiple stimuli can have an impact. (14) With these promising results, there is still work to be done to fine tune the process further.
b. Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a condition marked by anxiety in social conditions which may involve judgement or evaluation by others and a consistent fear of embarrassment or humiliation. These types of situations may be faced and ‘suffered’ through or avoided altogether. (15) Commonly in VR, fear-inducing scenarios are recreated, such as: classrooms, pubs or auditoriums — in the case of public speaking phobia (which we will discuss later in this instalment). Such environments are then populated with avatars which may react to the individual. While there is less research in social phobia and VR than specific phobias, perhaps due to the skill required to develop realistic environments and reactions from avatars, the results do appear to be encouraging.
Many studies focus on the feedback that individuals receive from VR avatars, as reported by Kishimito & Ding. (16) This study also shows how effectively VR can elicit feelings of social anxiety for individuals with SAD. Participants with SAD and controls gave two 3-minute speeches and the effects of either ambiguous or negative virtual social feedback were examined. Individuals with SAD experienced higher levels of subjective anxiety when the feedback was ambiguous, and this was also higher than the controls. This also highlights the necessity for VR avatars to clearly manifest their emotions in SAD research. Likewise, a study by Lange & Pauli, where avoidance behaviour in individuals with SAD was studied, found that the facial expressions of avatars (neutral or angry) changed avoidance behaviour in participants when passing them. Participants with SAD had increased avoidance of both categories of avatar. (17) As well as eliciting feelings of social anxiety, there are physiological markers connected to SAD that manifest when participants have undergone VR testing. Salivary cortisol, cardiovascular activity, electrodermal activity, eye movements, galvanic skin response and skin temperature have all been studied and found to be similar to those elicited in vivo experiences.(18, 19, 20, 21)
Research has also shown that VR can have an impact as an intervention for SAD, with Morina et al. examining verbal interaction between individuals with SAD and avatars. (22) This involved participants with high SAD having two sessions of free speech dialogue with avatars in anxiety-provoking situations while being monitored by a therapist. The results demonstrated significantly lower levels of social anxiety and high self-efficacy three months after exposure. A review conducted by Emmelkamp et al. found that there were no differences in efficacy between CBT and VRET in social phobia. (23) However, there is a need to investigate VRET as a stand-alone treatment, as many randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted involving a combination of cognitive interventions and VRET.
VR also has the potential to be used as an assessment tool for SAD, but studies so far have been inconclusive. Kampmann et al. examined if a VR Behavioural Assessment Task (BAT) predicted social anxiety in daily life. (24) They used two situations: one representing fear of small talk (engaging in conversation at a bus stop), and another representing fear of public speaking (attending a foreign language class where the teacher asked questions). Healthy participants were asked to rate anxiety with the subjective unit of distress scale (SUD). They were also asked to give an unrehearsed five-minute speech in front of a camera with a researcher present and then record their anxiety on the SUDs (in vivo BAT). It was shown that the individuals with high SUDs during the VR BAT reported higher social anxiety on a daily event survey, compared with the in vivo BAT which was found not to be a significant predictor of social anxiety as assessed by the State Social Anxiety Questionnaire.
In future research, there is a definite need for more studies which look at the interaction between individuals and avatars, especially verbally. These interactions should aim to be more natural and more unpredictable in order to allow individuals with SAD to challenge their beliefs. As examined in the next section, a lot of social anxiety research to date has been focussed more on performance or public speaking phobia as it is easier to programme a large auditorium space with a crowd, than a one-on-one experience.
c. Public speaking phobia
Public speaking phobia (PSP) is a sub-type of social anxiety and is a ‘performance’ related phobia rather than the more generalised social anxiety. This involves debilitating anxiety when speaking in front of crowds (25). It can have a long-term impact on academic, career, and social aspects of a sufferer’s life. It is one of the most common lifetime phobias (21.2%) (26), with sufferers overestimating negative judgement in others and underestimating their own ability. CBT and graduated exposure therapy have been found to be very effective in treatment. However, this requires the use of venues and an audience for an individual to practise, which is difficult to organise and not always economically viable. As avoidance is also a large part of PSP it can also be very difficult for patients to commence with this kind of therapy and there can be high drop-out rates.(27)
Most studies have used a graduated exposure therapy and are based around common in vivo techniques; recreating feared situations such as classrooms and auditoriums and then manipulating a variable such as the audience size or their reactions to the speaker. This has also been found to affect real world behaviour, with follow-ups showing that these effects can be long-lasting. Anderson et al. compared in vivo therapy with VRET in a sample of 97 participants,(28) where they were randomised to receive eight sessions of VRET, group exposure therapy or waiting list. It was found that both therapy groups had significantly improved from waitlist and this was maintained at 12 months. A follow-up study was conducted with the same group 4–6 years later and found that these effects were still evident for the VRET and in vivo exposure groups Anderson et al..(29) These findings have also been replicated in other studies and VRET has been shown to be a very viable alternative to in vivo therapy, removing many of the impediments to success such as cost and accessibility. There is a need to have more studies conducted with younger participants however, as this is a phobia which begins to affect individuals’ lives and academic performance from an early age. (30)
To find out more on work which Animorph has conducted around public speaking phobia please visit our website.
d. Panic disorder and agoraphobia
Panic disorder and agoraphobia have been combined here for ease, but while these conditions frequently occur together they may also arise individually with no history of the other. Panic disorder is classified as a sudden rush of anxiety symptoms (palpitations, sweating, digestive discomfort, derealisation, fear of dying, going crazy etc.) which tend to peak within 10 minutes of onset. In the case of panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA), these anxiety symptoms are provoked by situations where an individual may feel they cannot escape, where escape may be embarrassing, or help may not be available. These situations tend to take place outside of the home where an individual would be on their own such as on public transport, being in crowds or standing in a line or on a bridge. This has the effect that individuals will avoid these situations or will endure them with distress or only with a companion.(31)
As with other forms of VRET, situations which elicit anxiety are presented to individuals (e.g. a cinema, tunnel, crowded bus) and a graduated procedure is followed. If efficacious, this is preferable to working outside the clinical environment as it is more confidential, secure and controlled for both the patient and therapist. There is not a large amount of research on VR and PDA but the majority of studies which have been carried out have had positive results, finding VR comparable to conventional treatment or more successful in some cases. (32, 33) It also appears to have an earlier impact and shows good results at follow-up. (34, 35) However, despite this earlier effect on symptoms, the long-term outcome is similar to the standard treatment CBT. Future research could aim to harness this advantage to create a more economical and less stressful therapy method for patients.
e. Generalised anxiety disorder
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a condition where patients experience daily, persistent, intrusive and excessive worrying about a range of topics, from which they are unable to distract themselves. This can interfere with daily life, affect concentration, and cause irritability, restlessness, fatigue and muscle tension.(36) It is one of the most common disorders noted in primary care, and it is estimated that two-thirds of the patients suffering from GAD do not receive anytreatment for it. Complete remission after 5 years of clinical treatment occurs in only 18–35% of patients and it is associated with other disorders such as depression. (37)
The first study to look at GAD and VR (38) investigated relaxation techniques where VR was combined with biofeedback. The small sample size meant that between-group analyses were not possible. In the experimental conditions VR had an impact in reducing symptoms of GAD with biofeedback contributing to this. The physiological effects of VR on anxiety were also shown in a study, which combined VR with electroencephalogram (EEG).(39) The control condition (quiet rest) and VR-assisted meditation significantly reduced subjective reports of anxiety and increased Alpha power. (Increased alpha power has been associated with mindfulness in other studies also. (40) However, only the VR intervention resulted in lower Beta frequencies, and significantly reduced broadband Beta activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, which is in keeping with research showing a physiological reduction in anxiety. (Beta waves tend to be observed in a wakened state and are associated with logical thinking and have a stimulating effect. (41) These findings are promising and demonstrate that VR could have an impact on this disorder. However, outside of this study, there have not been many similar trials. A review by Maples-Keller et al. proposed that this lack of studies may be a result of the myriad worries that individuals with GAD experience and suggested that future research could focus on common subtypes such as health anxiety, finances, or relationships.(42)
With this observation in mind, general treatments such as simple relaxation and mindfulness techniques should could be further investigated as they could be helpful for most individuals. A recent study by Navarro-Haro et al. investigating mindfulness in GAD with VR.(43) Poor concentration in GAD can greatly impact therapy as patients may find it hard to follow. This is where VR may have an advantage, as patients can block out external distractors more easily and are presented with visual and auditory stimuli. The study took advantage of the ‘immersive’ qualities of VR, which allow the patients to be present in a computer-generated world. Mindfulness training was found to reduce anxiety in the group that was receiving additional VR and those receiving mindfulness alone. The training also effected symptoms in depression, emotional regulation and interoceptive awareness. Patients with the additional VR treatment were found to be significantly more adherent to the treatment (100% completion rate in mindfulness + VR vs. 70% completion rate in mindfulness alone); which may demonstrate that VR could prevent drop-out in this patient group. With the popularity of apps such as Headspace, there is a potential to expand this further in VR.
f. Obsessive-compulsive disorder:
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition marked by intrusive, unwanted thoughts and ideas, which can be distressing (obsessions), and intentional, repetitive behaviour which can relieve anxiety (compulsions). Examples of common obsessions are contamination and a need for symmetry, and common compulsions are washing, counting and arranging objects in a certain manner (44). Currently, the most common therapy is CBT with exposure and response prevention (ERP), which involves exposure to an obsession-provoking situation and then prevention of the usual compulsion which the patient has learned will alleviate the anxiety associated with their obsession. Thereby teaching the patient to tolerate their distress or cope in a way which will not fuel their symptom cycle. For example, touching something the patient believes to be contaminated and then not washing their hands. (45) However, in recent years it has been posited that metacognitive training (a therapy style which helps patients consider their problematic thinking style) could be as effective. (46)
VR has the usual advantage here as situations difficult to explore in therapy can be recreated, such as a contamination obsession around public toilets. It can also act as a stepping stone for patients until they are ready to confront something in real life. Finally, it avoids the issues with diagnoses made using a patient’s retrospective memory as it allows therapists to observe behaviour in real-time. However, as with GAD, patients’ obsessions and compulsions may be highly idiosyncratic and they can experience many simultaneously. Therefore, it can be difficult to tailor a programme to match each patient exactly or to create one applicable for many patients. Perhaps because of this, there has not been much research in VR and OCD, except some studies showing that VR can elicit anxiety in those with OCD. These studies also demonstrated that the level of anxiety was associated with the level of presence experienced by the patients. (47, 48) However, a study by Kim et al. which showed that anxiety was much higher in patients with OCD than in controls, also showed that their decrease in anxiety was much larger than that in controls, suggesting that using ERP in VR is viable. (49)
There has also been some research looking at the idea of developing a VR assessment.(50) A game was devised which aimed to provoke compulsions in individuals with OCD. It was found that the number of performed compulsions in the game was significantly higher for patients than controls. The sample size was small but there is potential that this kind of environment could also be used for ERP treatment as well as assessment if the patients can experience compulsions and anxiety in a realistic manner. However, like other areas in VR, there is a still a need for a randomised controlled trial looking at VR interventions for OCD.
Conclusion
This second instalment of our literature review illustrated the capacity of VR as an intervention and assessment tool in anxiety disorders. We have discussed the symptomatology of each disorder and how VR can elicit or treat these. We have also outlined the work that is still needed in many of these disorders.
The final instalment will discuss the sue of VR in other mental health disorders; from post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and eating disorders to psychosis and depression.
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4k TV and surround sound from a power bank in a narrowboat! | The problem
We narrowboaters don’t have it good when choosing onboard entertainment. 12v systems usually suck and are expensive for what you get. You can use household TVs etc but although they are getting more efficient but they expect more power than we would like to share through our inverters and often we have to suffer this while the engine is running! Not the most ideal way to spend an evening.
Power needs are either via 12v TVs, of limited choice, or inefficient inverter power to run more household larger TVs. What if you could run your setup from a power bank for 6 hours?
OLED TVs provide the best image quality but the smallest* are still too big for a narrowboat and draw too much power that you’d want a boat to provide. How about QLED quality at a reasonable, but still at an impactful screen size?
*recently LG are now making 32" OLED monitors, to be assessed! Also mini led technology is coming.
Traditional TV reception methods need ongoing management each time you move and need cabling. Today, mobile data networks are so good that streaming services are now a viable option. Would you like to have perfect 4K streaming with cinema style sound and have it as a truly wireless setup?
Possibly the perfect setup
I’ll show you perhaps the most perfect entertainment setup you can build for yourself today for a narrowboat.
What you’ll end up with will be a totally cable free setup enabling you to position your entertainment system wherever you want. You’ll get 28 inches of rich 4K QLED image quality alongside soundbar audio quality that fills your boat with cinema like audio. You’ll be able to power it from either inverter or battery power bank too.
Read on and I’ll show you how. | https://medium.com/@jeremybyfordrew_47448/4k-tv-and-surround-sound-from-a-power-bank-in-a-narrowboat-d9f72e1d8ada | ['Narrowboat Dev'] | 2021-01-21 15:10:41.665000+00:00 | ['Soundbar', 'Canal', 'Narrowboat', 'Power Bank', 'TV'] |
covid prep list | I’ve got the ‘rona.
It’s “presumed covid” because my test came back negative, but the latest research shows the tests are less reliable indicators of infection than symptoms, and my symptoms are covid all over. My symptoms are very mild, I’m in no danger. I’m quarantined on the second floor of my house with my husband downstairs.
Emily and I talk about a lot of the process of having covid on the Feminist Survival Project, but my main suggestion there is to prepare. Be ready. Make a plan for what you’ll do if each person in your household gets sick — who stays in which room? Which bathroom do people use? If you must share a bathroom with a covidite, what is the plan for bathroom sanitation? (Pro tip: close the lid before you flush.) Who feeds the fish?
If you’re healthy, but you have to quarantine with a covidite, make sure you’re stocked up on food you like so it feels like less of an imposition when you’re cooped up for what will seem like no reason. Grocery delivery is awesome but expensive.
If you’re sick, you’ll want supplies ready. If you’re living basically in one room for two weeks, what do you need in that room? Here’s what worked for me:
EQUIPMENT IN MY ROOM
tiny fridge for milk for tea and shakes
tiny electric kettle
smoothie blender
two mugs (one for tea, one for soup)
tall drinking glass
collection of disposable flatware from the junk drawer & trash bags
at least two fans — one to circulate air in the room, another blowing out a window
masks
thermometer
pulse oximeter
laptop & phone & chargers
baby wipes for hands and between-shower refreshing
saline wipes for nose
extra pillowcases if not sheets
at least five pajama tops/nightshirts
at least three pajama bottoms
at least eight (but if you have fifteen or twenty that’s not overkill) super comfy underdrawers you’d gladly wear regardless of menstrual status
EQUIPMENT IN THE BATHROOM
antimicrobial wipes for bathroom surfaces (you could just use cleaners and a rag, but that’s more contaminated laundry!)
antimicrobial spray
laundry soap for washing clothes by hand if necessary
menstrual supplies
at least four bath towels just for you
at least six hand towels or your own roll of paper towels for hand drying after washing if you’re sharing a bathroom
separate toilet paper if you’re sharing a bathroom?
FOOD/DRINK:
tea bags
shelf stable foods like freeze dried soups and meal replacement shake powders
ginger things for nausea
tiny single-serve cans of prune juice for constipation
DRUGS:
anti-diarrheal pills because that’s also a thing
NSAIDs for aches and fevers! Big economy size bottles.
cough drops
all my prescriptions I take every day, plus something for sleep
STUFF MY HUSBANDS LEAVES ON THE STAIRS FOR ME MOST DAYS:
disposable cups of milk
take-out deliveries
Here’s the micro kitchen I set up in the bedroom.
covid-ready bedroom microkitchen
I could easily live like this for two weeks, with the help of my husband bringing me milk for tea and shakes, and the occasional single-serving, individually-packaged take-out meal. It’s a little like camping, but with way more cleaning.
Our cat has free roam of the house, but her food and litter are upstairs so I take care of that. I don’t touch her, though, because she could carry my germs downstairs. Our dogs stay downstairs, so my husband is taking care of them. | https://medium.com/@amelianp/covid-prep-list-7bbc6a8ee3d2 | ['Amelia Nagoski'] | 2020-07-03 20:22:55.721000+00:00 | ['Coronavirus', 'Covid 19', 'Feminism'] |
Job Interview Question: Best way to answer “What do you do outside work?” | Your reply will tell so much about you.
This is a seemingly harmless question in a job interview but often ends up becoming the reason for losing against other candidates.
This question is asked by the interviewer to get to know you better, and understand how well will you fit in the team.
The incorrect way is to say something cliched and bland like, “I like to watch movies”, or “spend time with my family”. Nothing wrong per se in that answer, except that it tells them nothing new or impressive about you.
The correct way to answer is that no matter your hobby or interest, speak of it with passion and expertise.
If you enjoy playing a sport, talk about your style of play, your recent games, how many years have you been playing it and what have you learnt from it.
If you do community service, talk about your projects there and the ones you are most proud of, the impact or results you’ve been able to generate.
Even if you say that you like to watch movies or TV, mention the genres that you closely track, the actors and directors you follow, recent movies or shows that impressed you and why.
The interviewer will thus understand you better as a person, the way you think, and what drives you. They will see you as a passionate, mature, and intelligent person who is likely to bring these traits to work.
And all said and done, it’s actually a fun question and so I hope you too have fun with it too.
All the best!
As always, stay cool and keep building a better life.
Gain Access to Expert View — Subscribe to DDI Intel | https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/job-interview-question-best-way-to-answer-what-do-you-do-outside-work-1f638afbf0b6 | ['Arif Mansuri'] | 2020-12-26 16:51:02.923000+00:00 | ['Interview Questions', 'Job Search', 'Career Advice', 'Job Hunting', 'Interview Tips'] |
Outlander Season 5 Keeps The Adventure Brewing | Outlander Season 5 Keeps The Adventure Brewing
Outlander is available to watch on Prime/Starz. The first five episodes of season 5 have forged their way into Series streaming history, like their predecessors.
Medium Templates/www.pinterest.com (Catriona Balfe/Sam Hueghan in Outlander)
Like all other seasons, the mastermind behind the streaming show, Ronald D. Moore, ensures it is rife with violence, shock, vile language, realistic but not over the top explicit and sensitive scenes, and more.
Do not let the kiddies watch Outlander!
Caitriona Balfe, like other women in the series, seems to have with-gone as many nude scenes, and such fully visual sex scenes since the “me too” movement took its wonderful stronghold on entertainment, two years ago.
Not to suggest that is the reason at all, or the driving force of less of those sometimes necessary, and perfectly filmed attributes of the show.
I just watched the entire 4.5 seasons in the past three weeks. It sucked me into its ridiculously phenomenal portrayal of an era, from the history of my own Scottish heritage, I’d never known.
Beside the fun of repeating every Scottish character’s line back with their voice and brogue, learning how to speak with the accent well, I became mesmerized with the intricately beautiful and amazing dialogue.
Even more so, I am enchanted with the elite acting abilities that emote from every single person on camera. Give or take a few of those pesky extras that look uncomfortable in the background, rarely.
As has been custom, Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser’s chemistry is every romanticists’ dream. You would probably be happy, if it were just them in the whole series. Alas, we need a story, and oh what an epic one it is.
I’d be punished, to be sure, if I didn’t speak of Sam Heughan’s raw, uncanny, sexy and solid performances. He is just as deserved of the awards and acclamations he’s piled up in his young career, as Balfe has earned herself.
Seemingly, unlivable or unsurvivable situations are overcome over and over again, and although you’d expect to say, “that’s just too much”, or laugh at something amiss, it never happens.
Every moment of every scene is carefully and methodically directed by several directors, and adapted by many writers, from the books written by Diana Gabaldon, so that nothing stretches the possibilities, imagination or even poetic license, further than your mind can accept.
No. In fact, you will bawl, laugh, whimper, sob, smile, and feel incredible joy, as if you were on a very long and windy rollercoaster.
Most series, even movies have those snore moments, but not this one! I’d start watching 8pm and next thing I’d know, it’s 4:42am.
I am not one to tell the story or plot in my reviews.
If you are looking to get away, vacation in your mind, experience another time deep in your heart and soul, desire romance, English, French, Scottish, Irish and other ear-tickling accents, this might be your way to pass the time and clear your mind.
You will learn from Outlander many, many, very important lessons about life. You will be reminded of what really matters in life.
Take the adventure of a lifetime with Claire and Jamie, and see their smitten love for each other (former real-life mates), whether you’ve never seen the series or are in the middle of it.
Meet incredible characters like none you’ve ever known and be ready to be shocked, no matter your level of life experiences.
I guarantee ye. Ye never seen living like this.
I dinna ken if ye will love it as much as I, but if yer heart is as big as mine…I can only say…wow!
You will fall in love with these characters.
To think that Caitriona Balfe was once one of the top elite models in the world. Now, she is definitely one of the top, if not greatest actors I’ve ever been lucky enough to watch perform at a level of truth to herself and her character, that it is oddly baffling to see.
Outlander boldly deserves:
🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 | https://medium.com/rainbow-reviews/outlander-is-available-to-watch-on-prime-starz-a1651cee798a | ['Colin Munro Wood'] | 2020-05-24 15:25:35.058000+00:00 | ['Outlander', 'Movies', 'Streaming', 'Love', 'Binge Watching'] |
SVM — Support Vector Machine 🐱🚀 | SVM (Support Vector Machine) algorithm is used to find the best fit hyperplane in n dimensional space.
Here n — no. of features or independent variable (xi), SVM can be used for both regression and classification (SVR and SVC).
Why SVM?
SVM is a linear model for classification and regression problem, SVM can solve linear and non-linear data in effective way. Let’s us take non-linear data set like this 👇
Here it’s not practical to draw a line to classify or to perform regression, no other algorithm can solve it too (Linear , Logistic , ..), we can use SVM to achieve the desired results.
Let’s see HOW?
In SVM there is a concept called kernel, it helps plotting non-linear data to higher dimensional to fit the hyperplane.
In higher dimension we can fit the hyperplane, so we can able to classify the data point. After the fitting the hyperplane we can convert to original dimension.
SVM can be used for Classification and Regression
Let’s how to implement SVR in python | https://medium.com/@dj-sri-vigneshwar/svm-support-vector-machine-fa897f1e5187 | ['Sri Vigneshwar Dj'] | 2020-12-07 16:39:41.465000+00:00 | ['Svm', 'Regression Analysis', 'Svr', 'Regression', 'Machine Learning'] |
Classifying the Universe with Bayesian Neural Networks | The Invisible Universe
It is perhaps a rather uncomfortable fact that, despite decades of eyes glued to telescopes and scratches imparted on astronomer’s foreheads, we still do not know what most of the Universe is made of.
Fortunately, artificial intelligence may finally help resolve this frustratingly persistent question. Here’s how.
Everything that we can see with our telescopes, including every planet, star and galaxy, comprises but a tiny percentage of the total constituents of the Universe. There is definitely more stuff out there. Astronomers know this because where there is matter there is a gravitational pull, even if the matter is invisible. This pull influences the movement of galaxies and even light. From observations such as these, we now know that approximately thirty percent of the Universe is filled with this dark matter.
If this wasn’t strange enough, the attempt to understand what remains has caused many a headache in the cosmology community. Labelled dark energy, this mysterious substance is thought to drive our Universe’s current phase of accelerated expansion. Our best guess is that dark energy arises from a constant energy inherently associated with empty space, although getting this idea to fit into a cohesive theoretical framework has proved doggedly difficult. Another possibility is that we do not yet understand how Einstein’s theory of General Relativity works on the vast cosmological distances where dark energy begins to dominate. In the same way that the movement of electrons in an atom isn’t affected by gravity, an additional “fifth force’’ could kick into gear when we consider the size of the observable Universe, potentially driving cosmic acceleration.
Theoretical physicists require a well-functioning imagination to wrap their heads around these ideas, and these imaginations have produced a plethora of possibilities which attempt to explain what dark matter and dark energy, collectively known as “the dark sector’’, really are [1]. But how does one go about separating the theoretical wheat from the theoretical chaff?
One key method is to look at how strongly dark matter clusters together at different length scales in the Universe, quantified by something called the dark matter power spectrum. Different theories give characteristic predictions for the shape of this power spectrum. Imagine a theory which slightly strengthens gravity and thus enhances the pull a clump of dark matter exerts on the surrounding dark matter. If this were the case, one would hope to see this in the dark matter power spectrum.
The astute among you may have gathered that, by virtue of being dark, astronomers cannot directly measure the shape of the dark matter power spectrum. Rather, it must be inferred from the influence dark matter has on say, galaxies or light trajectories. Generally speaking, the more galaxies tend to group together or light seems to be bent, the more dark matter there is at that particular spot.
Over the next decade, many new cosmological surveys will map out the positions of literally billions of galaxies, providing us with the most detailed map of the cosmos ever produced. Cosmologists hope to use this galaxy map to create a map of the Universe’s dark matter and thus provide us with our Universe’s very own dark matter power spectrum. The question is, once we obtain this data, how can it be translated into a deeper understanding of the fundamental nature of the dark sector? | https://towardsdatascience.com/classifying-the-universe-with-bayesian-neural-networks-f20d0983e9b5 | ['Joe Kennedy'] | 2020-12-24 11:14:58.523000+00:00 | ['Cosmology', 'Dark Matter', 'Machine Learning', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Editors Pick'] |
CAN INDIA AFFORD TO BOYCOTT CHINA’S PRODUCTS? | The clash between the Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Galwan Valley was the first clash between the two Asian giants since 1975 that involved fatalities . The nationalistic sentiments have been on high on both sides of the border. This resulted in a clarion call for the boycott of Chinese goods in India.
The twitter in India was trending with various versions of hashtags like #boycottchina , #GoChina and #GoChineseGo. People hurled their Chinese television sets out the window. In the national capital of Delhi, Chinese goods were torched , and so were the effigies of the Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Government of India never bluntly announced the boycott of Chinese goods but the political dispensation found this time to reiterate the importance of Atma Nirbhar Bharat and simultaneously criticize Chinese arrogance and their profound lack of respect for India’s territorial integrity. The Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) were by all accounts directed to desist the issuing of new contracts to Chinese companies. The Government also asked the ecommerce companies to display the country of origin in all the products they sell , emphasizing their need to create a self-reliant India.
The bilateral trade between the two countries which had already slumped down by 15% since 2018 is expected to further slow down as India seriously considers tariffs and anti-dumping duties on Chinese goods at the same time searching for China’s alternatives.
The importance of China?
After the United States of America (USA), China is India’s largest trading partner. With the USA, India has a trade surplus. But with China, we have a whooping trade deficit of about $50 billion . What is not good for India however is that it’s important sectors like chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automotive components, consumer electronics and mobiles fulfill 12% of its import needs from China.
According to Sudarshan Jain, the President of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, around 70% of India’s drug intermediaries are fulfilled by Chinese imports.
Although India has announced the policy of Atmanirbhar Bharat, it takes time to push domestic manufacturing and build local supply chains.
India’s profitable mobile sector has huge Chinese players in the form of Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo. The present feasible access to smartphones which have actually pushed the cause of Digital India Campaign by the Indian Government. It will be difficult to wean off such dependency because as of now, the Indian alternatives are not very competitive. Moreover, if we take’ boycott China’ at its face value then it’s not possible to fully realise it. China has integrated itself into the global supply chains and has established itself as the factory of the world. Even for domestic Indian manufacturing of smartphones to happen, imports from China would be required. In essence, it would be extremely difficult to produce a Chinese-free mobile in india as of now.
BlueStar Limited in India manufactures air purifiers, air conditioners and water coolers. Its managing director B. Thiagrajan insists that the worry is not about finished products but the intermediary components required to achieve that finished product. Many countries in the world import compressors from China. Indian companies have now been spoilt and this dependency on Chinese imports will only be reduced over a period of time.
Many Indian unicorns are funded by China
A unicorn refers to a technology based startup which is valued at over $1 bn. Indian unicorns like Zomato, Ola, Paytm, Big Basket have Chinese companies like Alibaba and Tencent that inject billions of dollars in India as they fund them. Thus, they deeply entrench themselves in the socio-economic and technological fabric of our society.
Gateway House, a Mumbai based think tank states that more than 90 Chinese investments have been made in Indian startups. At least 18 out of 30 Indian unicorns have a Chinese investor. Although the foreign direct investment (FDI) that China has in India is about $6.2 bn and might seem not very significant, a problem comes when one has to restrict the possible monopolies that can be created by giants like Alibaba. These are kinds of investments that have an ‘outsized impact’.
To curtail this, India did amend its FDI rules to prevent hostile takeovers of Indian companies in the post COVID scenario. Although China accused India of breaching the WTO principles but there is no mechanism in WTO where a breach can be questioned upon if the parties involved have a serious trust deficit , are under conflict and cite national security as their reasons.
The $50 bn trade deficit has been a sore point in India-China’s bilateral relations as India demands fair access to the Chinese market and tries to cut down or find alternative channels for its imports. This seemed like a distant or rather a non-existent future so the time is ripe for India to jump the bandwagon for Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
Is self-reliance the answer?
An article in Global Times saw the call for self-reliant India as anti-China in nature, insisting that creating a public opinion against China would be counter-productive to India’s urgent need for economic recovery and that nationalistic sentiments should not dictate economic policy.
But the fact of the matter is that over the years Indian industries have become dependent on Chinese imports which is unhealthy. The rating agency Acuité has stated that India can domestically produce at least 25% of the imports it makes from China, reducing a bill of around $8 bn annually in the process. For example in the handicraft sector, $431 million was imported from China when these needs could have been locally fulfilled.
However in terms of value addition, the think tank Gateway House agrees that it’s better to ban Chinese apps like Tik Tok and many others than ban China’s goods. Moreover, Prime Minister Modi quit the app Weibo .
Such bans would actually hurt China because it could significantly narrow a top growth market for Chinese technology firms. Beijing based ByteDance , the creator of Tik Tok has found a huge market when it comes to India accounting for $611 mn downloads or 30% of its total downloads. Slashing off new users and restricting older ones as they try to install updates would create a significant dent in the company’s revenue. It also sets a global precedent. Talks of initiating similar bans are rampant in the USA and Australia. This is a damper on China’s ambition to enter and reign the social media sector currently championed by the USA.
All in all it is high-time India becomes self-reliant. The glaring gaps in our supply chain are evident. If we aspire to be a $5 trillion economy in the next half decade, these issues need to be addressed. When needed, India beautifully rose to the occasion to manufacture lakhs of personal protective equipment (PPE) gear and became an exporter from an importer. The goal is to have the same drive in other avenues without a pandemic or a fatal border clash hanging over our heads. | https://medium.com/@agkhyati/can-india-afford-to-boycott-chinas-products-1194d7a2f0c2 | ['Khyati Agarwal'] | 2020-11-26 12:58:36.569000+00:00 | ['India', 'Export', 'Trade', 'China', 'Tik Tok'] |
How Writing 1000 Words a Day Changed my Life | I wrote at least a thousand words a day every day from the age of twelve on. — Ray Bradbury, Zen and the Art of Writing
When I interviewed Julien Smith for the first time in 2012, he had one of the most popular blogs on the internet. Of all the things he shared with me in our conversation, one thing he said stood out to me. I write 1000 words every day.
Shortly after that conversation I started writing 1000 words a day and it’s something I’ve been doing ever since. To say that the habit changed my life would be an understatement.
It’s served as a form of meditation, therapy, and clarity.
It led to a 2 book deal with a publisher and helped me to launch a career as an author and speaker
It’s enabled me to finish a 45,000 word manuscript in 6 months and write 100’s of articles.
This simple daily habit has literally had a six figure ROI. It’s changed my life and my career.
1. A Habit Born out of Necessity
What started first out of curiosity, eventually turned into something that I had to do out of necessity. The demands on my production increased dramatically almost overnight.
I was writing 2–3 posts a week for my personal blog in addition to a weekly newsletter
I was being paid $1000 a month to write one piece a week for a client
I was writing a weekly piece for a blog at a startup that I owned a small equity stake in.
In order to keep up with the demand, I had to develop a system.
If I waited to be inspired I would be screwed
As I’ve said before, systems are essential to increasing your creative output. 1000 words a day became my system. Within a few months it was a habit so deeply ingrained into my life that it was like brushing my teeth. And that’s when things started to get really interesting.
2. The Art of Being Unmistakable
As part of my 1000 words I would publish a really long Facebook status update, what I jokingly referred to as committing career suicide one status update at a time. After a few months my writing started resonating with people like it never had before. In September of 2013, I compiled all of my Facebook status updates into a google doc, had it edited, had Mars Dorian design a book cover, uploaded it to Amazon and called it the Art of Being Unmistakable.
The first week it sold 300 copies and I considered that a success. But about three weeks later, a media circus erupted. When I check the rankings on Amazon, I noticed that my book was #1 in the entrepreneurship category. When I tweeted about it, somebody said “you might want to thank Glenn Beck. He raved about your book on his show today.” When I asked a friend she said “I don’t think you realize how big a deal this is, check your sales.” When I logged into the Amazon dashboard, I noticed that the book had sold 1000 copies in a day. Shortly after that I ended up being on the Glenn Beck show and my self published book became a Wall Street Journal Best Seller.
3. A 2-Book Deal with a Publisher
Between 2013 and 2015, I never stopped writing 1000 words a day. A few months into 2015, I got the following email from an editor at Penguin Portfolio.
I recently rejoined publishing after working at online education startups, having just left Skillshare to join the Penguin Random House team. While it might seem counterintuitive, I came back just for this specific division that works and thinks differently than most of the industry — and is setting out to help entrepreneurs and changemakers with the stories, experiences, and motivation of people who have successfully forged their own path, people like Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, Ryan Holiday, Nir Eyal, Nick Bilton, and more. You are one of those people, and are top of my list of who to contact to work on a book together.
Writing in many ways is like planting seeds. You plant seeds today for the person you eventually want to become. After a few conversations, my daily writing habit resulted in a 2 book deal. The first book Unmistakable: Why Only is Better Than Best was released on August 2, 2016. And I’m currently working on my second book.
So how exactly do you incorporate this habit into your life?
4. Design an Environment Conducive to Writing
You have to design an environment that’s conducive to the person you want to become. If you want to become a writer, your environment should reflect that. If you came to my apartment you would notice two things:
1) I read a lot of books
2) I have stacks of Moleskine notebooks
It’s likely that you’d notice something similar in the environment of anybody else who is a writer. When I ate dinner at Tucker Max’s house for the first time, the first thing that caught my attention was the sheer number of books he had. In Ryan Holiday’s post about maintaining a physical library you’ll see that he has multiple bookshelves that are filled from floor to ceiling.
5. Activation Energy and Success Accelerants
In his book The Happiness Advantage, the author Shawn Achor talks about how reducing the amount of energy it takes to do something increases the likelihood you’ll do it. Something as simple as decreasing the number of mouse clicks to do something will increase your odds of doing it.
The simple hack for this is using a distraction free writing tool like Macjournal. Set it up the night before, so when you flip open your laptop in the morning, it’s the first thing you see. Then you just write. If you prefer to write with a paper notebook, put it out with a pen the night before. The simple act of putting your notebook out the night before with a pen increases the likelihood that you’ll actually follow through on writing.
Another variation of this hack is to write one sentence the night before, ideally right before you go to sleep. Write down somebody else’s words. Suddenly the page appears less daunting. This is one of the many reasons I always read before I write. Since your brain makes progress towards a goal based on how close it thinks it is towards that goal, starting with a quote allows you tap into the power of success accelerants.
6. Be Prolific
“All good writing begins with terrible first efforts” — Anne Lammot
It’s likely your early writing efforts will be lousy. Don’t be afraid to write a shitty first sentence. To this day only a small amount of what I produce on a daily basis is actually usable. But when you write 7000 words a week, you don’t need much to be useable. Say you write 1000 words a week that are decent. That’s 52,000 words. That’s one book in a year. Your cumulative output matters more than any individual writing day. If you want to become a better writer, start by becoming a prolific one.
7. Don’t Judge Your Work
It’s possible during the course of 90 minutes of writing that you’ll wander. This happens to me all the time. I’ll get 3–4 paragraphs into a train of thought and suddenly I’m writing stream of consciousness psychobabble. At this point your natural temptation will be to give up or give into a source of distraction. But if you can resist this temptation and just let the verbal vomit show up on the page, you’ll get back to a place of making sense. In that sense it’s a bit like meditation. You simply observe the wandering mind and return to focusing on your breath.
8. Make it a Habit
Inspiration is an unreliable strategy for creative work. The muse is a fickle mistress and she tends to show up on her own schedule. You on the other hand have the option to show up every day. By showing up every day, you tap into the profound power of consistency. Something that starts as an item on your to do list eventually becomes a habit and you start to build momentum.
On a related note- if you struggle with habits, I’ve put a guide together on optimizing productivity & creativity. Sign up for my newsletter here and you’ll receive it shortly.
9. Always Carry a Notebook
Inspiration has a funny way of striking at unusual times. Usually you’re not in front of the computer when this happens. A habit I picked up from my friend AJ Leon is to always carry a notebook. A notebook is like fertile soil where you can plant seeds for your creative ideas.
10. Learn to Recognize Patterns
If you pay attention to how you work, you’ll start to see patterns. These patterns are incredibly useful in helping you to develop systems and mental models for you to get your work done. They give you a personal operating manual for yourself. Recognizing patterns helps you adjust your behavior to reach optimal levels of performance.
A pattern I saw in my life was that waking up before 6am and meditating led to deeper levels of flow and focus. I also knew that after 10am things seemed to go downhill and after 1pm I’m essentially worthless.
I tend to experience flow most consistently when I give myself 90 minutes of uninterrupted creation time.
If I go more than a few days without sweating or exercising, my depression and anxiety tend to be exacerbated.
I saw that text messages that weren’t responded to after I sent a text were causing me anxiety. I turned of all notifications after this.
These patterns play themselves out throughout our lives. Not just in our work. They occur in nearly every situation. You might notice something as simple as a phrase in an email that always elicits a positive response. If that’s the case it makes no sense to deviate from that pattern.
You might think that adjusting to patterns might make your life repetitive and boring, but the opposite seems to be true. The beauty of recognizing patterns in your life is that it frees up your cognitive bandwidth for much higher value activities than trying to decide how you plan to behave for the day. Recognizing patterns in your life requires you to take actually take time, slow down and reflect on the results that your behavior is producing.
Understanding your own behavioral patterns and the results they produce is the closest thing to a “success” pill you could find.
If x causes y, then it would make sense that you choose the x that causes the y that you want. As you recognize patterns you’ll begin not only work more efficiently but work more effectively. By utilizing the patterns you recognize to develop processes and systems, you free your mind up to think creatively. If your mind is taxed with decisions like how long and how much you’re depleting your willpower.
One of the most valuable sections of the BestSelf journal is Lessons learned for the day. We learn tons of lessons every day, but without the discipline to capture them, it’s no better than if we didn’t learn them at all. In fact this idea of patterns was inspired by a lesson I learned yesterday which was that 90 minutes of deep work was my consistent sweet spot. Once I saw that pattern I started looking for other ones. As you recognize patterns in your life, you’ll go from a frenetic scatterbrained pace to one that is fast paced, focused, sustainable and generates momentum.
There’s a point at which any habit you adopt eventually becomes a part of who you are. You no longer have to think about it. It’s what James Clear refers to as an identity based habit If you see in me in a coffeeshop, at a conference, or anywhere else before 8am, it’s more than likely you’ll find me writing 1000 words. This is no longer something I just do. It’s who I am. In order for a habit to truly change your life, it has to become a practice, likely one that is lifelong. | https://medium.com/the-mission/how-writing-1000-words-a-day-changed-my-life-cf72453b8fef | ['Srinivas Rao'] | 2018-08-24 15:23:18.229000+00:00 | ['Writing', 'Motivation', 'Life', 'Creativity', 'Productivity'] |
Taking a look at Java, from a Ruby Guy | This week I started to look at Java. I was not initially going to venture out past my normal stack of Ruby on Rails, JavaScript React and Redux, but I have a few friends who are going through bootcamps and college and asked me to take a look at their work. From what I was told about coding, is once you understand one language, you can learn the rest very quickly, and at least read and understand the other languages in their syntax.
I found this to be very true surprisingly. It was very basic iteration and creating lists and dictionaries, but at first this sounded somewhat daunting. I was a little bit shocked when I learned that a list was an array, and a dictionary was a hash, and after that everything lined up for me. It showed me that other than lingo, there is just a few small differenced and it really is the same thing, just in a different order, syntax, or available calls.
One negative thing about going from Ruby to Java, was not knowing basic functions of Java, like the operator “in”, which was our solution. I started coding out a very “complex” for this entry level problem of figuring out GPAs due to my lack of knowledge, when the assignment ended up just being changing the call to “in” from the provided problem, and then creating a dictionary to store the data, and return the data.
To be completely honest, I don’t know how much more I will choose to dive into Java until I get into a work environment, because I would much rather perfect my current learning and become a better Ruby and JavaScript developer. As the saying goes “Jack of all trades, master of none”. This definitely shows to be true here because I can still learn so much more about Ruby and JavaScript, and with my picking up Java and learning that on the fly, I can see how it translates relatively smoothly. I want to practice my iteration and Leetcode style problem solving more, and get to the point where I can easily solve those problems on at least a medium level before I really venture off to something else.
I think I had just got a little bit over zealous with an internship opportunity that was going to be using Java, which ended up falling through. It did make me far more confident in applying to those types of internships knowing that I can take the learning they will provide and use that to progress in a way that they can see my true potential and further my career, and hopefully be able to stay with a company. I do have a very big love for Ruby development though, and I think that would be my ideal job opportunity.
With that being said, I did work on some of my previous projects this week for updating my Github, and just changed some visual things such as CSS and wording on parts of my websites I wasn’t happy with, and next week I will go deeper into adding functionality in to them that I didn’t have a chance in school. I will probably want to research what is really common with companies looking for Ruby developers and design something around that so I have have some practice and something to show for it. Having no professional experience with coding will lead me to need something to put me ahead of the rest, and maybe get me a foot in the door to try and wow someone in an interview.
I did get some good feedback from a few companies with my application that they may be going to the next level due to my reaching out to them and contacting the right people. One being in Nashville which would be a fun and amazing opportunity to see new places I haven’t had the privilege to visit. Most jobs with COVID are remote, and that is great to see if I will fit in with the company, and although it is remote, if things are going smooth I would want to relocate to where the headquarters is located (and it is significantly cheaper than being here in Seattle!). | https://medium.com/@parker-williamson/taking-a-look-at-java-from-a-ruby-guy-ea8beedb70f9 | ['Parker Williamson'] | 2020-12-15 07:52:33.730000+00:00 | ['Ruby on Rails', 'Java', 'JavaScript'] |
Creating Load Balancer : Using Ansible & Haproxy | Task Description:
Use Ansible Playbook to configure Reverse Proxy i.e., Haproxy and Update it’s Configuration file automatically on each time new Managed Node(Configure with Apache Webserver) join the inventory.
Ansible is an open-source automation tool, or platform, used for IT tasks such as configuration management, application deployment, intraservice orchestration, and provisioning. Automation is crucial these days, with IT environments that are too complex and often need to scale too quickly for system administrators and developers to keep up if they had to do everything manually.
HAProxy is free, open source software that provides a high availability load balancer and proxy server for TCP and HTTP-based applications that spreads requests across multiple servers. It is written in C and has a reputation for being fast and efficient.
Lets Start →
Firstly create Inventory File in Controller Node
Inventory File
Create a Ansible Playbook
ANSIBLE PLAYBOOK
To make our code dynamic and automatically configure the Haproxy configuration file add the below code in haproxy configuration file in controller node.
Now Run the Playbook,
Now lets check in Loadbalancer.. cmd: vi /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg
Haproxy configuration file updated in Managed Node
php code created in Controller Node
my.php file
Now when we provide the loadbalancer ip in the web browser we get the content from the backend web server (WEBAPP)
Finally we configured Haproxy and Update it’s Configuration file automatically on each time new Managed Node join the inventory.
Github url: https://github.com/dileep-hub/Creating-Load-Balancer-using-Ansible-and-Haproxy/tree/main
Thanks for Reading…… 🙂 | https://medium.com/@dileepkumar1422002/creating-load-balancer-using-ansible-haproxy-dafc77035eb5 | [] | 2020-12-20 13:46:50.356000+00:00 | ['Haproxy', 'Ansible', 'Load Balancer'] |
Implementasi Motion Shake dalam aplikasi iOS | 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/dipantry/implementasi-motion-shake-dalam-aplikasi-ios-ffb672cfb05e | ['Auriga Aristo'] | 2020-12-26 03:03:12.932000+00:00 | ['Responder', 'iOS', 'Motion', 'Swift', 'Events'] |
Top Officer Joins Stanford Faculty | by AJ Sugarman
Colonel Joseph Felter’s all-American good looks and chiseled jaw practically make him a walking military recruitment poster. But this title belies his full personality; in addition to his extensive military experience, he holds a PhD.
After a twenty-four year career as a Special Forces and foreign area officer, Felter is joining the Center for International Security and Cooperation as a Senior Research Scholar.
Felter’s most recent assignment was leading the Counterinsurgency Advisory Assistance Team (CAAT) in Afghanistan. This unit, created by General Stanley A. McChrystal (Ret.), was designed to be “an organization that could go around the battlefield, pick up observations, and report directly back to [McChrystal] unfiltered through layers of command and also to communicate his guidance and orders directly to the field.”
As head of the unit, Felter described his role as being a “directed telescope” for the commanding generals in Afghanistan, first reporting directly to McChrystal, and then to his successor as Commander of US Forces in Afghanistan, General David H. Petraeus (Ret.). Felter had free reign to travel anywhere in Afghanistan to see what progress was being made and to ensure that orders were being properly executed by the commanders on the ground.
On his two renowned bosses, Felter said, “both of them [were] just extraordinary officers, the finest leaders you could hope to work for…an inspiration.”
But Felter does not reserve his praise only for his superiors; he pointed out that when he served at the end of the Cold War, “[the conflict] wasn’t easy, but it was simple.”
He contrasted this with the experience that current officers have in the more ambiguous post-9/11 world: “We’ve created a generation of leaders in the military that have tremendous experience in this complex threat environment…I know [it] sounds kind of ‘ra-ra’ but, however things end up in Afghanistan, there’s been an incredible performance by so many of our young leaders out there.”
Though he is transitioning an academic career, Felter’s interest is anything but abstract: “We have great warfighters out there but we need to give them better policy, and this is a great opportunity to tak[e] those tactical insights that my unit was getting from around Afghanistan and communicat[e] them in a strategic context.”
Towards this end, Felter will be working on the Empirical Studies of Conflict (ESOC) project, which he co-directs with former PhD classmate Jacob Shapiro of Princeton University. The goal of the project is to create a “reservoir of quality data that scholars around the world can tap into” on conflicts in places such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Colombia.
The project will work to make accessible data that had been out of the reach of scholars for a variety of reasons, including classification issues and danger in collecting it. The project will allow for selectively crowdsourcing the previously limited effort to study conflict, specifically insurgencies.
Felter’s respect for the rigor of political science methodology comes through in his explanation of the project’s underlying premise, the idea that, in his words, “if you provide quality data to scholars they can really do some great work with it.”
Felter talked frequently about the importance of basing conclusion on more than a “gut feeling,” arguing that “we owe it to ourselves to use a really rigorous methodology when developing policy of huge consequence.”
If the ESOC project is Felter’s research initiative, then Faculty College is his teaching project.
Faculty College, an effort to fundamentally rethink how teaching is done at Stanford, consists of six teams of faculty designing new multidisciplinary, thematically-oriented courses. Felter will work with political science professor Scott Sagan, philosophy professor Debra Satz, senior Law School lecturer Allen Weiner, and School of Medicine professor Paul Wise on the Ethics and War project.
Even during his military career, Felter was exposed to academia, having taught at West Point, his alma mater, and Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, as well as directing the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. He regards teaching as “the essence of the university.”
Felter co-taught the Face of Battle Sophomore College class this year with professor Scott Sagan, and said he is thinking about developing some courses in the future, potentially including a course on counterinsurgency next year.
One reason Felter seems so excited about teaching at Stanford is the absence of a strong sense of hierarchy between the students and the faculty. Asked about his favorite aspect of Stanford, Felter cites the atmosphere in which you can see “your Nobel Prize-winning professor…getting off his bicycle in shorts talking to a student who pulls up on a skateboard.”
Felter also mentions the desire to take his three boys of seven, nine, and eleven years to some Stanford football games, which he himself enjoys.
For now, Felter seems content with his ongoing research and teaching commitments, writing a book based on his dissertation, and having time to spend at home with his family after many years spent overseas. However, he does retain a passion for public service, noting that “many Stanford faculty members have contributed a lot from academia but then taken that expertise and gone to Washington to make a difference.”
With his distinguished military record and burgeoning academic credentials, it is not hard to imagine Felter becoming one of those faculty members. | https://medium.com/stanfordreview/top-officer-joins-stanford-faculty-7db2ac89722a | [] | 2016-12-12 08:16:30.163000+00:00 | ['Leadership', 'War'] |
The Art of Demotivation | Use negative self-talk to your advantage
Memes and quotes that motivate you to greater achievement, that create the sort of behavior that will make you more successful in all that you attempt to do in life? You’re not going to use any of that.
In the art of demotivation, you’re going to do just the opposite.
Find or make up negative quotes or memes that judge behavior. The effects of negative self-talk are widely known to derail your attempts to get better at something.
Sounds effective in stopping you cold, doesn’t it? Why not use that to your advantage?
As an example, say you want to lose weight. Rather than positive messages that your mind knows are fake, like “carbs are bad” or “my caveman ancestors didn’t need it, so neither do I,” try something like this:
“What you eat in private you wear in public.”
That’s pretty negative, right? But it makes you think twice about running for the pantry, doesn’t it?
Here’s another for someone who’s trying to quit smoking:
“You’re friends hate how you smell becaues you smoke all the time.”
That one gets even worse if your friends have actually said something like that to you. If you’re single, make it instead about how kissing a person who smokes tastes like licking an ashtray.
This point may sound harsh, but there’s a reason negative self-talk regarding self-esteem ruins any attempts at happiness: it’s effective. | https://medium.com/curious/the-art-of-demotivation-b672cca1d16e | ['Ryan M. Danks'] | 2020-12-02 03:11:12.476000+00:00 | ['Self Improvement', 'Motivation', 'Self', 'Life Hacking', 'Inspiration'] |
Reverse Arrow of Time with Genetic Algorithm and GPU | How does a Genetic Algorithm work?
Genetic algorithms are among the most fascinating techniques for optimizing problems. They draw inspiration from Charles Darwin’s theory of natural evolution.
How the genetic algorithm works:
First, the algorithm creates a random initial population of individuals. Scores each individual of the current population by computing how well it solves the problem. Selects individuals, called parents, based on their scores. Some of the individuals in the current population that have a lower score are chosen as elite. These elite individuals are passed to the next population. Produces children from the parents. Children are produced either by making random changes — mutation — or by combining the vector entries of a pair of parents — crossover. Replaces the current population with the children to form the next generation. Return to step 2 unless we meet a stopping criterion.
For this competition, individuals considered are potential boards at their initial state. To take full advantage of pytorch, the population is stored in a single boolean tensor with dimensions (number_of_individuals, N, N) where N is the dimension of a board; N=25 for this competition.
Random initial population
Create a random initial population made of n_parents boards of size NxN . I also included a hyper-parameter to set how many cells are live (20% in sample code below).
Score individuals
The competition metric is defined in the evaluation section of the competition:
You are evaluated on the mean absolute error of your predictions, stepped forward by the specified, and compared to the provided ending solution.
In other words, to score an individual, we need to apply the Game Of Life rules to this board and count how many cells are different than the target solution.
Note: each cell is expressed with a boolean, therefore computing the absolute error for each cell between the input (board after applying the game of life rules) and the target can be done with a single xor . Then we can compute the score for all individuals within the population with a sum on only the two last two tensor’s dimensions.
Apply Game Of Life rules
The first step is to determine for each cell how many of its direct neighbors are lives. For counting neighbors, we are using a simple 2D-convolution on the whole board.
Notes:
I am using float16 (mixed precision) as it offers a x2 speedup on RTX NVIDIA GPU. int8 would offer a x4 speedup but at time of writing, pytorch did not support convolution with this type.
Crossover
We are combining the genetic information of two parents to create a new individual. Choosing randomly cells between the two parents was less efficient than replacing a complete region of one parent with cells from another parent. That is the reason why I am using masks of random 17x17 squares. Cells outside the square are taken from the first parent and cells inside the square are cells from the second parent. To improve speed, 625 masks are generated in advance and kept in GPU memory and are randomly chosen for each new individual.
Mutation
We randomly flip cells of parents from live to death and conversely, with a probability of MUTATION .
Results
The results of this implementation are pretty good as it reaches 9th position in the competition leader-board by running less than 4 hours on my computer’s GPU (9 hours on Kaggle’s GPU). The score continues to improve if we run the algorithm longer (for instance by increasing the population size).
The implementation is also memory efficient as we can grow the population up to 1 million individuals on a 11GB GPU.
Conclusion
We saw how to implement from scratch a genetic algorithm on GPU using pytorch. It is a pretty performant solution both in term of speed and results.
I learned a lot along the way about Genetic Algorithm, pytorch and how to optimize computation on the GPU.
I would like to thank my amazing teammates: Konstantin, Robert and Maximiliano for their great approaches that push the team to the second position.
Complete Source Code
Implementation is available as a Kaggle notebook:
As well as on my github repository:
References | https://towardsdatascience.com/reverse-arrow-of-time-with-genetic-algorithm-and-gpu-1871a7b4fff8 | ['Eric Bouteillon'] | 2020-12-12 23:51:06.619000+00:00 | ['Pytorch', 'Machine Learning', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Programming', 'Kaggle'] |
How Does the Sun Burn Without Oxygen? | When asked to describe the Sun, many of us may say some variation of the words: “a big ball of fire in the sky.”
Of course, if pressed, most of us would explain that the Sun isn’t really in the sky. No birds are going to accidentally fly into it and get turned into crispy chicken sandwiches. Instead, it is out in space, about 91 million miles away from us. The Earth orbits around the Sun, as do the other planets in our Solar System.
But there’s a conundrum here. When most of us learn about fire, we’re taught that it needs three components: heat, a fuel source, and oxygen. Take away any of these three factors, and the fire goes out. (This is why you can smother a fire — you’re taking away its oxygen source.)
However, there’s no air in space. Once you leave the Earth’s atmosphere, you’ve got no more oxygen, unless you bring it with you.
So how does the Sun burn? If it’s a big ball of hydrogen fuel, where’s the oxygen so that it can remain on fire?
It turns out that the Sun doesn’t burn the same way that our campfires do. Here’s how it works.
Combustion, Fission, or Fusion?
When we talk about something burning, we’re usually talking about a process called combustion.
Combustion is a chemical reaction where a fuel interacts with an oxidant, forming new bonds and releasing energy. Once you add enough heat into a situation with a fuel and an oxidant both present, the weak bonds of the oxidant break and stronger bonds form with the fuel, leading to a release of energy.
This reaction can become self-sustaining — that is, the fire can grow, as long as all the ingredients are present. But take away one of the three legs of the stool, and it collapses. Run out of oxidant, fuel, or heat? The fire goes away.
But there are other types of energy-releasing reactions.
The next reaction is called fission, and it occurs when a large atom breaks apart. The most well-known example is the fission of uranium atoms in the early atomic bombs.
Large atoms, such as uranium and plutonium atoms, are unstable. When they’re hit by a small particle, such as a piece of an atom, they break apart. This little mini-explosion releases energy, but also sends out more fragments. These fragments can strike other uranium atoms, breaking them into more pieces in turn, leading to a chain reaction of energy release.
Finally, we have fusion. Fusion is the opposite of fission; it’s the process of combining smaller atoms to create a larger atom. This also leads to a release of energy — as well as the creation of a heavier element!
We can smash together two hydrogen atoms, for example, to form one helium atom. Smash helium atoms together, and in turn, we get heavier elements. This process keeps going, although as each atom gets larger, it’s tougher to force it together to keep the fusion reaction going.
So, our three different methods of fire: | https://medium.com/@westwise/how-does-the-sun-burn-without-oxygen-f5600dfeaeb2 | ['Sam Westreich'] | 2020-12-16 12:02:58.173000+00:00 | ['Science', 'Energy', 'Space', 'Sun', 'Solar Energy'] |
On Fear, Weaknesses and Versatility | On Fear, Weaknesses and Versatility
Make of versatility your craftsmanship and go toe-to-toe with your fear
Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay
Let’s kill the suspense right away, here’s my point: counterintuitively, your fears and weaknesses may be your most precious allies towards self-development.
The unstoppable rise of connectivity gave birth to a winner-take-all trend in many domains. It’s probably way harder to rank second at both a chess contest and a MMA championship, but even if you do so, you won’t receive as much economic and social return as the #1 chess player or the #1 MMA fighter. Name anything you’d like to accomplish and great chances are that you’ll find on Youtube a “master” who dedicated his entire life to that one thing, gathering thousands of views.
Common advice, if not injunction, is thus to focus on your strengths and become #1 at what you’re already good at. To thrive economically and on social media, you need to find your niche, however absurd it may be, and specialize in it to become the mascot the market will reward.
To me though, this model doesn’t suit everyone, and what labor market and social media rewards you the most for doesn’t necessarily coincide with what your inner self will reward you for.
Of course, some people — let ’s call them the craftsmen — will walk through their 10.000-hour journey to mastery in the art of X or Y, continuously refine their practice and find their path to fulfillment in this process. But let’s recall that it’s okay not to belong to that tribe. It’s okay to think that as a human being, one may need diversity. It’s okay to feel that overspecialization not only narrows your horizon but also limits your adaptability. And let’s take it even further by saying that one may need to focus on one’s weaknesses and fears. | https://medium.com/the-ascent/on-fear-weaknesses-and-versatility-a8773447e14e | ['Quentin Pierrot'] | 2020-05-11 15:54:43.198000+00:00 | ['Self Improvement', 'Fear', 'Versatility', 'Personal Growth', 'Self'] |
I AM FIRE (a poem) | (painting by me)
I am fire
Though I may appear as ice
Do not come close
The heat is far too intense
A fire which scalds
Not keeps you safe and warm
For my thermostat’s busted
And the gas has sprung a leak
I am a boil
Waiting for my lance
Explosion imminent
Raise your shields and retreat
Come closer
Come closer
Come closer
I yearn
I plea
I beg from muffled soul
But I am fire
Though I may appear as ice
No locks pure as gold
I am never just right. | https://medium.com/@williamfaicher/i-am-fire-a-poem-a7199205fae5 | ['William F. Aicher'] | 2020-12-27 20:13:02.569000+00:00 | ['Poetry', 'Poems On Medium', 'Poem'] |
[Leet Code] Unique Morse Code Words | Leetcode: https://leetcode.com/problems/unique-morse-code-words/
International Morse Code defines a standard encoding where each letter is mapped to a series of dots and dashes, as follows: "a" maps to ".-" , "b" maps to "-..." , "c" maps to "-.-." , and so on.
For convenience, the full table for the 26 letters of the English alphabet is given below:
[".-","-...","-.-.","-..",".","..-.","--.","....","..",".---","-.-",".-..","--","-.","---",".--.","--.-",".-.","...","-","..-","...-",".--","-..-","-.--","--.."]
Now, given a list of words, each word can be written as a concatenation of the Morse code of each letter. For example, “cab” can be written as “-.-.. — …”, (which is the concatenation “-.-.” + “.-” + “ -... "). We'll call such a concatenation, the transformation of a word.
Return the number of different transformations among all words we have.
Example:
Input: words = ["gin", "zen", "gig", "msg"]
Output: 2
Explanation:
The transformation of each word is:
"gin" -> "--...-."
"zen" -> "--...-."
"gig" -> "--...--."
"msg" -> "--...--." There are 2 different transformations, "--...-." and "--...--.".
Note:
The length of words will be at most 100 .
will be at most . Each words[i] will have length in range [1, 12] .
will have length in range . words[i] will only consist of lowercase letters.
Solution: | https://medium.com/@matthewboyd123/leet-code-unique-morse-code-words-3b37b0d6e3e8 | ['Matthew Boyd'] | 2020-12-25 18:03:01.492000+00:00 | ['Leetcode', 'Data Structures', 'Leetcode Solution', 'Algorithms', 'Leetcode Easy'] |
Independent Music: Events | Music Events: Saachi Sen live in concert in London, UK on 12th July, 2020 | Music Discovery XO
Music Event. Buy concert tickets to see Saachi Sen live in concert in London, UK on 12th July, 2020 at… | https://medium.com/@musicdiscoveryxo/independent-music-events-445f6eb53804 | ['Music Discovery Xo'] | 2020-12-23 01:55:32.079000+00:00 | ['Music', 'Entertainment', 'Music Industry', 'Events', 'Music Discovery Xo'] |
Where the wild things aren’t. | Results from long-term anthrome changes show that wilderness (wildlands and semi-natural lands) has decreased 42% globally. This decrease comes at the expense of a 25% increase in rangelands and a 17% increase in populated lands and croplands since the 1700s. During these four centuries, land changes have been more widespread in Australia, Europe, North America, and South Africa. On the other hand, areas with harsher conditions for humans are the ones that remained less impacted: Sahara, the North-American north west, and north-eastern Asia.
Hope for all!
While these results show great habitat loss at the expense of human development, we remain hopeful. There is space to work on and improve the current situation. These models do not only show a grim depiction of the effects of human development on Earth. They also show potential for restoration, and vast knowledge on how to advise land management worldwide. Based on the findings by the previously mentioned research, rangelands (grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals) could constitute restorable lands with the potential to reach near-natural state.
Restoration and conservation efforts, however, cannot put at risk the identity, culture, and livelihood of the human populations that inhabit them. “Restoration interventions are as much about people as they are about environments” (Koech et al., 2020), although this has not always been considered. Even more important is the consideration that traditional and Indigenous knowledge on land management has been proven successful at conserving ecosystems. Despite constituting less than 5% of the global population, Indigenous peoples manage most of the planet intact landscapes.
Considering its social implications, the restoration of these lands could partially revert four centuries of increasing degradation trends and contribute to the protection of biodiversity worldwide. Scientific research supports the idea of short-term effective action to tackle human-activity-derived issues on biodiversity and climate change. Furthermore, science-backed public calls for change have been successful in the past. For example, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring started a movement that ended with the banning of DDT pesticides worldwide.
Reinforcing positive —and realistic— science-backed messages can prompt public and non-profit calls for change, political action, and encourage the private economic sector to revise supply chain management. Only with collective action can we make the temporary effects that the planet experienced during the 2020 anthropause long-lasting and improve ecosystem quality worldwide. | https://medium.com/vizzuality-blog/where-the-wild-things-arent-7f3d3a994cca | ['Greta C. Vega'] | 2020-12-16 16:48:00.423000+00:00 | ['Biodiversity', 'Conservation', 'Data Visualization', 'Wilderness'] |
AWS Serverless Deployment — 101. AWS Lambda is the compute service under… | AWS Lambda is the compute service under the AWS Serverless ecosystem. For development and deployment of Lambda function along with the infrastructure it needs, one tends to use development frameworks. Two of the most popular frameworks used for this purpose are —
AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM) Serverless Framework
Assuming you are using AWS SAM, initializing a green field Hello World Lambda function with SAM CLI (tool that operates on an AWS SAM template and application code) is a three-step process:
Step 1 > sam init In this step, you get the option to select runtime for the Lambda function, provide service name and few other options depending on the runtime selected. Once done, you get a folder structure with basic resources created.
sam init console output
The Hello World Function inside the template file looks as below:
Hello World Resource in Template File
Step 2 > sam package --s3-bucket <bucket name> In this step, the application code and dependencies are bundled into a deployment package and is pushed to S3 bucket. And generates a Yaml template file as output.
sam package console output
Step 3 > sam deploy --template-file package.yaml --stack-name hello-world --capabilities CAPABILITY_IAM In this step, the lambda function and other infrastructure resources gets deployed via SAM template which gets converted to CloudFormation stack.
sam deploy console output
Every time the sam deploy command is issued, SAM template gets translated to CloudFormation template, and it eventually publishes the new version of the Hello World Function. This new version is tagged as $LATEST.
Hello World Lambda Function in AWS Console
With this deployment, any new request coming for the Hello World function is handled by the latest version of the lambda. And all existing running instances of Hello World function gets terminated. Cool!!!
But what if the new function has got some bug in it which could not be captured in the early stages of Unit testing and Integration testing. All your traffic will be impacted, and User Experience will go for a toss 😩.
We can handle such issues by following the Blue Green deployment strategy. It helps to increase the availability of the system and reduce risk associated with deployment.
In this strategy, we can have 2 versions of the function running at the same time and traffic can be diverted to the latest version in an incremental fashion.
AWS SAM supports multiple traffic dialing strategies out of box.
Canary — Traffic is shifted in two increments from old version to new version Linear — Traffic is shifted from old version to new version in equal increments with an equal number of minutes between each increment.
To use the Blue/Green option, SAM template has two attributes which needs to be configured in the Lambda function —
AutoPublishAlias — AWS SAM manages the traffic distribution by creating an Alias with the name specified and assigns the percentage of traffic to be distributed between new version and old version depending on the deployment preference type mentioned below. Deployment Preference Type — Dictates how distribution of traffic between new and old version is to be handled.
Some of the pre-configured deployment preference type are available out of box —
Canary10Percent30Minutes
Canary10Percent5Minutes
Canary10Percent10Minutes
Canary10Percent15Minutes
Linear10PercentEvery10Minutes
Linear10PercentEvery1Minute
Linear10PercentEvery2Minutes
Linear10PercentEvery3Minutes
Let’s say we want to route 10 % of the production traffic incrementally to new Lambda version every 1 minute. To configure this, the Hello World Lambda Function will look something as below —
Hello World Lambda with Blue/Green Deployment Strategy
When sam deploy command is issued with the above changes, AWS SAM internally configures AWS Code Deploy (another AWS Serverless service for deploying the code and managing the traffic distribution using Blue/Green pattern) application which manages the traffic dialing.
This is how it looks like in the AWS Code Deploy console when the deploy command is issued —
AWS Code Deploy Console with Linear Blue/Green Deployment
You can also configure Cloud Watch Alarms which if triggered can roll back the deployment process.
As part 2 of this blog, will have an actual Serverless Micro service implemented with Lambda and configured with end to end CI/CD DevOps process using AWS Development tools — AWS Code Commit, AWS Code Build, AWS Code Deploy and AWS Code Pipeline.
Till then, Cheers!!! | https://waswani.medium.com/aws-serverless-deployment-101-b8917bae137f | ['Naresh Waswani'] | 2020-08-16 17:12:53.078000+00:00 | ['Blue Green Deployment', 'AWS Lambda', 'Serverless Framework', 'Deployment Model', 'AWS'] |
Designing for Power and Simplicity | The spectrum of work and ideas that Microsoft Office supports is diverse beyond imagination.
That’s not hyperbole; it’s simply what happens when over a billion people use Office across vastly different industries, disciplines, geographies, and generations. People trust Office to help manage trillions of dollars of global business as much as they trust us to help with their child’s homework.
For Microsoft Design, our biggest challenge and our biggest reward is that our audience is quite literally everyone.
An audience of this size brings into laser focus the universal need for simple, powerful tools that help people stay focused amid an increasingly crazy world. Office has always offered a powerful set of tools with a wide range of useful features. Through refreshed UX, we make that power even more accessible with simple designs that use AI to supercharge a diverse range of ideas and workflows.
One billion people can’t and shouldn’t have a one-size-fits-all design solution, and we’re evolving Office 365 into a suite of connected services with experiences that adapt to the needs of whoever is using it. We’ve put a lot of heart (and some serious midnight oil!) into these changes, and we’re excited to share them with you today. As always, we welcome your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
Designing for simplicity: expanding our Fluent Design System
Last year, we unveiled the Fluent Design System, a simple and connected visual system that supports Office as it moves toward faster, frictionless, and more intelligent experiences. For the first time in history, five generations share the workplace — this remarkable reality makes improvements like these more important than ever.
We’ve been working hard to expand Fluent Design, and we’ve now aligned the entire Office 365 suite on typography and iconography. You’ll notice a shared header across products, the same grid everywhere, and added depth to focus on what matters.
Our entire Office suite now aligns on the Fluent Design color, grid, iconography, and depth to create a simple and familiar experience everywhere.
Microsoft has long been committed to inclusive design principles, and themes like Dark Mode ensure Office 365 can best adapt to the diverse needs of our many users. We’ve also evolved our color palette so, while still very familiar, the hues are lighter and more vibrant.
Dark Mode, shown here in Microsoft Teams, enables Office to adapt to the diverse needs of our many users and we’re excited to be bringing it to Microsoft Outlook on the web.
Designing for power: meet Microsoft Search
If Fluent Design removes what’s not necessary through simpler visual interfaces, Microsoft Search delivers what is necessary through powerful intelligence.
People rarely create content in a vacuum, and we typically need to reference files or conversations outside a single workspace. It’s a disruptive process that invites distraction while toggling between tabs and tools.
With Microsoft Search, we combine AI with Microsoft Graph to deliver results directly into your workflow. Search is visually prominent across every Office app, fostering a consistent experience that brings contextual results before you even begin typing.
Our zero-query search means just that: there’s zero for you to do. The simple act of putting the cursor in the search bar surfaces relevant apps, content, and people based on past behavior.
Our redesigned start pages also leverage intelligence to organize files by frequency and activity instead of date and size.
A unified experience of Search across web and mobile.
Designing for superpower: sharing Ideas with you
Human-centered design underlies everything we do and beyond powering tools like Microsoft Search, weaving AI throughout the design process has enabled us to carefully craft experiences that intelligently extend your own capabilities in natural ways.
Not everyone using Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or Microsoft PowerPoint is going to be a professional designer, writer, or analyst (I’m certainly not innately geared toward Excel wizardry!). Still, that shouldn’t bar people from creating professional-quality work. Our new companion experience, Ideas for Office, docks alongside your work and offers one-click assistance with grammar, designs, data insights, rich imagery, and more. Ideas helps you work faster and look like a pro while doing so.
Ideas uses powerful intelligence to help design slides, check grammar, provide data insights, and much more.
To complement this sidebar experience, we’ve also designed in-canvas interactions that help keep you in flow and will be forthcoming in future releases. (By the way, “canvas” is Microsoft lingo for the main body part of a tool, like the page in Word or the slide in PowerPoint). For many types of work, it’s where you want to stay when you’re in the zone. To enable that, we’ve made it lightning fast to pipe in the contents of other files; in Excel, for example, simply type “Insert a chart” and all of the relevant docs and graphs come right to you.
We always engage deeply with users to collect feedback. For example, we learned that people often leave reminders for themselves within documents. To help complete the task at hand without distraction, you can now simply type “todo” into the main body of the document to create a reminder or @mention someone who can help.
Instead of leaving your document to find what you need, Microsoft To-Do allows you to stay in the flow by bringing content and people directly to you.
In Excel, we found that people were spending a ton of time crunching numbers about geographies and stocks, so we made that process faster and more accurate. Now, you just type the names of places or traded companies in succession, mark them as the appropriate data type, and Excel can automatically pull in related information about the geography or security for further analysis.
Designing for you: let us know what you think
Any designer knows that our process is one without a beginning, middle, or end. It’s an iterative cycle, and even huge milestones like today’s mark the start of the journey’s next leg. Our customers are on this journey with us, and the improvements we’ve unveiled are all part of our effort to support their best work. If you have feedback on how to make our designs even stronger, we welcome them in the comments below! | https://medium.com/microsoft-design/designing-for-power-simplicity-9cddec615567 | ['Jon Friedman'] | 2020-05-19 04:57:52.458000+00:00 | ['Microsoft', 'User Experience', 'Design', 'UX', 'Fluent Design System'] |
Review — Group Norm (GN): Group Normalization (Image Classification) | Review — Group Norm (GN): Group Normalization (Image Classification)
Error Rate by Batch Norm (BN) Increases When Batch Size Decreasing While Group Norm (GN) Still Can Maintain Similar Error Rate
In this story, Group Normalization, Group Norm (GN), by Facebook AI Research (FAIR), is presented.
In conventional Batch Norm (BN):
Normalizing along the batch dimension introduces problems — BN error increases rapidly when the batch size becomes smaller, caused by inaccurate batch statistics estimation.
This limits BN’s usage for training larger models, like computer vision tasks including detection, segmentation, and video.
In this paper:
Group Normalization (GN) is treated as a simple alternative to BN .
. GN divides the channels into groups and computes within each group the mean and variance for normalization.
GN’s computation is independent of batch sizes, and its accuracy is stable in a wide range of batch sizes.
This is a paper in 2018 ECCV with over 900 citations. (Sik-Ho Tsang @ Medium) | https://medium.com/@sh-tsang/review-group-norm-gn-group-normalization-image-classification-5f7fe0f58eb6 | ['Sik-Ho Tsang'] | 2020-12-27 06:02:00.514000+00:00 | ['Image Classification', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Convolutional Network', 'Batch Normalization', 'Deep Learning'] |
Sports Betting from Your Phone — Mobile Bookmakers | Sports Betting from Your Phone — Mobile Bookmakers
To place a bet from a portable gadget, you can use one of three main methods.
Log in from a mobile device to the regular desktop version of the bookmaker’s website. On the one hand, this is the easiest way to get into the bookmaker’s office. However, not all devices support the correct operation of all sports betting and online casino functions and services.
Go to the mobile version of the site. Most bookmakers have a mini-version of the site designed specifically for tablets and smartphones. Such sites work much faster than the desktop version, consume fewer resources, and at the same time allow you to use most of the functions of the main resource of the bookmaker’s office.
Install the mobile application. Many bookmakers develop applications for popular mobile operating systems. Please note that each system may require a separate program: an Android application will not run on iOS and vice versa.
Some bookmakers develop applications for all popular systems: Windows Mobile, Android, iOS. Others are limited to Apple or Android products, offering other users to use the mobile version of the portal.
Working with a mobile application
You can download the mobile sports APP (먹튀검증) on the official website of the bookmaker. Before installing any application, you must complete a number of procedures:
Go to the browser settings and go to the “Security. Open the “Administration” tab and check the box next to the “Unknown sources” group. After that, it becomes possible to install programs that are downloaded from the sites of bookmakers. The changes made must be confirmed by clicking the “Yes” button in the dialog box.
After that, you can install the application.
After installation, registration is performed, if it was not done earlier. When registering, you must fill out a standard questionnaire — indicate your last name, first name, contact information, select the game currency.
On the main page, you can select the tabs “Line”, “Live”, “Toto”, “Cyber football”, etc. If you would like to place your bet before the start of the match, see the offers in line. If you plan to bet in real-time, the “Live” section is at your service. Further — the standard procedure: the choice of sports discipline, tournament, match. A suitable outcome is chosen in the painting. Next, you need to enter the amount and complete the placement of the bet.
Benefits of Phone Betting
The main advantage of sports betting from a mobile phone is the ability to place bets anytime and anywhere: in a traffic jam, on a bus, in a canteen during lunch. Mobile sites and applications are especially popular among fans of real-time betting: you can sit in the stadium, watch the match, draw conclusions and place bets.
With the help of a mobile application or website, you can register at a bookmaker’s office, analyze a line, and place bets. Some bookmakers provide their customers with the ability to replenish their accounts from a mobile phone. Others are developing applications focused not only on mobile betting but also on other entertainment: virtual casinos, financial trading, etc.
The functionality of mobile applications and websites is slightly inferior to the desktop versions. At the same time, mini-sites surpass stationary versions in terms of speed, convenience, etc. And their content is quite enough for the vast majority of beginners and experienced players who rarely use all possible functions. | https://medium.com/@ibuzzing/sports-betting-from-your-phone-mobile-bookmakers-d9e700fa5a41 | ['Deepak Gupta'] | 2020-12-25 15:46:53.075000+00:00 | ['Sports Betting'] |
Holocaust Museum Opens George Floyd Exhibit | Holocaust Museum Opens George Floyd Exhibit
Image: Jack Smith // The Molyneux Post
The Holocaust Museum in Orlando, Florida announced and unveiled it’s ‘George Floyd Exhibit’ recently.
The exhibit consists of images of Black people with quotes next to them and far-left BLM propaganda (seen in cover of this article). It is meant to honour George Floyd and others ‘killed’ by the Police.
This unveiling is incredibly odd, considering the medical report released by the Minnesota Attorney’s Office outline that George Floyd had lethal doses of Fentanyl including other illegal substances.
It also states ‘Floyd did have COVID-19 as well as the the lethal amount of Fentanyl.
George Floyd also has a terrible criminal past. The daily mail reported on a few of his past — criminal convictions.
He plead guilty to entering a woman’s home, pointing a gun at her stomach and searching the home for drugs and money, according to court records. — The woman also was holding her young child at the time.
Floyd was sentenced to 10 months in jail for having less than one gram of cocaine in a December 2005 arrest.
He had previously been sentenced to eight months for the same offense, stemming from an October 2002 arrest.
Floyd was arrested in 2002 for criminal trespassing and served 30 days in jail.
He had another stint for a theft in August 1998.
Floyd had been sentenced to five years in prison in 2009 for aggravated assault stemming from a robbery where Floyd entered a woman’s home, pointed a gun at her stomach and searched the home for drugs and money, according to court records.
Floyd had at least five stints in jail. In one of the charging documents, officials noted Floyd had two convictions in the 1990s for theft and delivery of a controlled substance, but it is not clear if Floyd served any time for either of those offenses.
George Floyd, in no way whatsoever, should be a martyr of Black people. He is a violent criminal, who overdosed whilst under a negligent Police custody.
He is not a Jew, he was not executed in a concentration camp for no reason.
This was met with righteous controversy online, as commentators and pundits weighed in on this absolute idiocy and fecklessness from the Holocaust Museum.
The Museum have not provided comment and have kept the exhibit open (bar COVID-19 restriction) and continue to promote it.
Steven Watson on Summit News also published an article regarding the outrage around the George Floyd Exhibit. | https://medium.com/molyneuxpost/holocaust-museum-opens-george-floyd-exhibit-396c84aaa476 | ['Jack Smith'] | 2020-11-24 08:20:56.125000+00:00 | ['Holocaust', 'George Floyd', 'Molyneux Post Stories'] |
iOS 14's New Logger API vs. OSLog | iOS 14's New Logger API vs. OSLog
At WWDC 20, Apple announced a new unified logging API to gather, process log messages, and help debug unexpected behavior
Photo by William Hook on Unsplash
Let’s Start
We will go through in short with migration from existing print logging to the new Apple Logging API.
Then we will revisit the OSLog API and check differences between existing old OSLog and new iOS 14 Logger APIs.
To start off, let’s convert a simple print statement from this, which we use often in our project to log messages:
print(“Start network call”)
to this:
let log = OSLog.init(subsystem: "com.mandy.loggingdemo", category: "main")
os_log("Start network call", log: log)
Remember to use os_log API for this; you have to write import os.log statement. The unified logging system has been Apple’s standard for logging since iOS 10. (It was announced at WWDC 2016.)
You can consider subsystem as a unique bundle id of your app and category as app modules.
Now, in iOS 14, Apple has introduced a new Logger API. To use this API, we have to write same import os.log statement, but the syntax is quite different to os_log API.
let logger = Logger.init(subsystem: "com.mandy.loggingdemo", category: "main")
logger.debug("Start network call")
You can view the os_log and Logger logs in Xcode console in debug mode and also in the Mac Console app.
The Console app is very powerful; I would recommend using it as you can filter the values using subsystem and category and debug your app more extensively.
It also helps when you want to debug issues of device and export the logarchive. The archive file opens in Console and helps you determine the issue. Below is an example in which we have logged iPhone 11 Pro and filtered the simple log with subsystem com.mandy.loggingdemo. | https://medium.com/better-programming/ios-14s-new-logger-api-vs-oslog-ef88bb2ec237 | ['Mukesh Mandora'] | 2020-07-15 01:12:52.851000+00:00 | ['Xcode', 'Swift', 'Programming', 'iOS', 'Mobile'] |
Create Jira issue workflow step for Slack | Today we are excited to announce our latest feature to further reduce context switching and keep your team in sync. With our release this morning you can now include Jira in the steps of your workflow in Slack.
When Slack announced the open beta for workflow steps from apps we know immediately that creating issues in Jira would be a powerful addition for the 75% of workflow builders that are non-technical.
This zero-code integration provided with Jira Integration+will open up endless possibilities for teams working in Workflow Builder.
How it works
Navigate to Tools > Workflow builder in Slack Create a new workflow or choose our template “track a new bug” Configure the project in Jira and map your fields
4. Publish your workflow
5. Check out the results in Jira — this works for Jira Cloud, Server and Data Center.
The possibilities are endless, what will you build?
Let us know your ideas for workflows in Slack with integration to Jira. We can’t wait to see what you build!
Let us know what you are thinking the comments below… | https://medium.com/@nextupai/create-jira-issue-workflow-step-for-slack-f8a01f71f2a2 | [] | 2020-10-07 16:39:11.332000+00:00 | ['Platform', 'Integration', 'Slack'] |
Logistic Regression | Logistic Regression
Contrary to its name logistic regression is a classification algorithm. Given an input example, a logistic regression model assigns the example to a relevant class.
A note on the notation. x_{i} means x subscript i and x_{^th} means x superscript th.
Quick Review of Linear Regression
Linear Regression is used to predict a real-valued output anywhere between +∞ and -∞.
Each example used to train a linear regression model is defined by its properties or features which are collectively called as the feature vector. Your name, age, contact number, gender, et-cetera correspond to a feature vector describing you.
A linear regression model f(x), is a linear combination of the features of the input examples x, and is represented by f(x) = wx+b.
Transforming the original features (consider a 1-dimensional feature vector x) by squaring or cubing them results in polynomial models (such as f(x) = wx²+b or f(x) = wx³+b).
Generally for a data set with R-dimensional feature vector x, and 1-dimensional output y, linear regression models a hyper plane as the decision boundary. Hyper plane is a line in case of a 2D region, a plane in case of a 3D space, a 3 dimensional shape such as a sphere in case of 4D space and so on. Hyper planes have one less dimension than their surrounding space.
The mean squared error cost function is used to find the optimal set of values w* and b* for a linear regression model.
Motivation
For the sake of understanding let’s assume John, has been assigned the job of predicting whether a given email is spam or not spam. He collects a dataset represented in the table below. The data set consists of n examples, where each example x_{i} is represented by a 2-dimensional feature vector, comprising of the number of words and the number of links in that email. The target variable y, is equal to 1 if the corresponding example is a spam and is 0 otherwise.
Y takes value 0 for a negative class which corresponds to absence of something (like not spam) whereas, Y takes value 1 for a positive class which corresponds to presence of something (like spam).
Here each feature vector is 2-dimensional consisting of the number of words, and the number of links in the email. The target variable Y is 1 for a spam email and 0 otherwise. This is an illustrative data set.
John first decides to build a linear regression model to solve this problem. However having built the linear regression model he is quite unhappy with his results.
Remember, that linear regression is used to predict a real-valued output where the output may vary between +∞ to -∞ whereas in this case y, the target variable takes only two discrete values, 0 and 1.
John’s decides to extend the concepts of linear regression to fulfil his requirement. One approach is to take the output of linear regression and map it between 0 and 1, if the resultant output is below a certain threshold, classify the example as a negative class whereas if the resultant output is above a certain threshold, classify the example as a positive class. In fact, this is the logistic regression learning algorithm.
We will crunch the real-valued output obtained from a linear regression model between 0 and 1 and classify a new example based on a threshold value. The function used to perform this mapping is the sigmoid function.
Sigmoid function.
The graph shows that the sigmoid function has successfully mapped values from +∞ to -∞ between 0 and 1.
Note that the value of sigmoid function is 0.5 at x=0. Also, if x>0 then the value of sigmoid function is >0.5, on the other hand if x<0 then the value of sigmoid function is <0.5.
The graph of Sigmoid function.
Model
Following the above discussion, the model of logistic regression is represented as —
The model of Logistic Regression. x is the feature vector whereas w and b correspond to the weight and bias respectively. The goal is to find the optimal set of values for w and b.
In above equation, the output wx+b, from the linear regression model has been passed as an input to the sigmoid function, thereby crunching values ranging from +∞ to -∞ between 0 and 1 and, giving us the model for logistic regression. The output of the model is interpreted as the probability of an example x falling into the positive class. Concretely, if for an unseen x the model outputs 0.8, then it implies that, the probability of x being classified as positive is 0.8.
It is apparent that different values of w and b correspond to different models of logistic regression. But, we want an optimal set of values, w* and b* which will minimize the error between the predictions made by the model f(x) and the actual results y for the training set.
The Best Model
The cost function for a logistic regression model, called the log-likelihood function is given by —
The log-likelihood function. N is the total number of examples. x_{^i} is the i_{^th} feature vector and y_{^i} is it’s corresponding class either 0 or 1.
The goal is to find values of w and b for the model f(x) which will minimise the above cost function. On observing the cost function we notice that there are two terms inside summation where, the first term will be 0 for all the examples where y=0, and the second term will be zero for all the examples where y=1. So, for any given example one of the summation terms is always zero. Also, the range of f(x) is [0,1], which implies that -log(f(x)) ranges from (+∞,0].
Let’s try to understand the cost function better by considering an arbitrary example x_{^i} for which y=1. The second term will evaluate to zero as (1-y_{^i}) becomes zero. As far as the first term is concerned, if our model f(x) predicts 1, then the first term will also become zero because log(1) is equal to 0, therefore both the first and the second term become zero, subsequently the cost also becomes zero, which makes sense as our model has predicted the correct value for the target variable, y. Had our model predicted 0, the value of -log(0) would have approached +∞, signifying the high penalty imposed by the cost function on our model.
Try out an example where the target variable y equals to zero.
The average over summation signifies that we want to the minimise the overall error for all the training examples.
An Example
Having developed this intuition John now decides to build a logistic regression model for the spam classifier problem. He starts by plotting his data set.
An illustrative data set for classifying e-mail as spam or not spam.
It is apparent that a linear decision boundary is unlikely to fit the data set. Just like linear regression we may transform features to higher order comprising of quadratic or cubic terms to fit a non-linear decision boundary to our dataset.
Let’s say, John decides to fit a quadratic decision boundary to his data set, therefore he includes the second degree terms such as (number of links)², (number of words)² and (number of links)*(number of words). He finally ends up with the following decision boundary.
A non-linear decision boundary. For illustrative reasons a perfect circular decision boundary has been considered. However, in real world scenario decision boundary need not be this perfect a circle.
The above decision boundary corresponds to the circle with the centre at (55,5) and a radius of 4 unit —
Equation of the circle representing the above decision boundary.
Which gives John the following logistic regression model —
John’s logistic regression model.
For an unseen example falling inside the circle (decision boundary) the equation of circle returns a negative value therefore the above model returns a value less than 0.5, implying the probability of that example being spam is less than 0.5. If the threshold is also 0.5, the target variable, y takes the value 0, implying the example to be a regular email.
Consider a case where example falls outside the decision boundary.
More on Threshold Value
Choosing a threshold value is in itself a topic for discussion — one interpretation is that, the threshold value signifies how tolerant the model is. Take an example of a model which classifies patients as being affected with a heart disease — in such a scenario it is preferred to have a lower value of threshold which captures the idea that— whenever in doubt, classify the patient as being effected by the disease and have him/her checked just to be sure — it means your are willing to accept more false positives (classifying a healthy patient as unhealthy or classifying a not spam email as a spam email).
Technically, sensitivity is the ability to correctly identify patients with the disease (true positive), whereas specificity is the ability to correctly identify patients without the disease (true negative). Ideally, one would want a threshold value that balances sensitivity and specificity however, the value of threshold is problem specific and depending on how tolerant you want the model to be, the value has to tuned.
Multi-Class Classification
Consider a classification problem with three arbitrary classes represented in the plot below —
An arbitrary plot with data belonging to three different classes represented by circle, cross and diamond shapes.
Now the goal is to extend the ideas of binary classification to multi-class classification. The following plots illustrate how to convert our original problem of multi-class classification to a binary classification problem.
Each plot considers only one class at a time and predicts the probability of an example falling into that class, finally the class with the highest probability is assigned to a new example. This method is called as one versus all classification.
One versus all classification method.
In general, to solve a multi-class classification problem with n classes, n logistic regression models are trained each considering only a single class. Whenever a new example has to be classified, all the n models predict the probability of the example falling into its respective class. Finally, the example is assigned to the class with the highest probability as predicted by one of the n models. | https://towardsdatascience.com/logistic-regression-fa1a86270eb | ['Abhishek Kumar'] | 2019-07-28 23:37:05.142000+00:00 | ['Supervised Learning', 'Machine Learning', 'Logistic Regression'] |
ERC Token Standards for Dummies, Like Me | Ethereum based tokens which can be bought, sold, or traded, have become the backbone of Ethereum ecosystem, innovative companies use them as internal currencies within their ecosystem. Some are listed on exchanges and act like shares of the company and some become collectibles, as in the game of CryptoKitties. But still people aspiring to join the crypto race, are troubled by questions like these:
Which type of Token best suits my idea?
How many types of token standards are circulating in the Ethereum community?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of various ERC token standards?
How different token standards work?
If these questions linger in your mind too, or otherwise you’re just a scholar aiming to expand your knowledge, here is a technical introduction to various ERC standards popular in the Ethereum community. But, do you know what is ERC?
KEEP IN MIND BEFORE YOU PROCEED: The code present in this blog is solely for educational purposes and not written in its entirety. Please do not implement it in production applications!
First, what is ERC?
ERC stands for Ethereum Request for Comment. Every open source community needs a proposal request-approval system to accept revolutionary changes put forward by its users and improve itself. ERCs serve this purpose for Ethereum, they include some technical guidelines elaborating suggestions about development of the Ethereum network.
Development is a step by step process
Developers of the Ethereum community propose new standards for the Ethereum platform, by submitting an Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP). This includes protocol specifications and contract standards. Once that EIP is approved by a committee and finalized, it becomes an ERC.
The finalized EIPs give the Ethereum developers a set of implementable standards. This allows Smart Contracts to be built with these standards, which a common interface can access.
My Assumptions
After this part of the blog I’m going to make some assumptions, while explaining token anatomy concepts, if you don’t, you should skip the anatomy part for each token standard, they will be as follows:
Reader should have basic knowledge of Solidity’s syntax. Or at least you should be a developer who could relate to it. You are able to refer to a subject explained in a previous section of this blog and relate it to the current subject to further your understanding. You know about standard zeppelin contracts, if you don’t you should be able to browse the following Github handle to understand my references:
ERC 20
ERC 20 is the most well-known among all the standards present within the entire crypto community, and most tokens issued on top of the Ethereum platform use it. Helping developers to accurately predict how new tokens will function within the larger Ethereum system.
The impact that ERC 20 therefore has on developers is massive, as projects do not need to be redone each time a new token is released. Rather, they are designed to be compatible with new tokens, provided those tokens adhere to the rules. Developers of new tokens have by-and-large observed the ERC 20 rules, meaning that most of the tokens released through Ethereum based ICOs are ERC 20 compliant.
ERC 20 Anatomy
Here’s a basic interface describing function and event signatures of ERC20 contracts, which is followed by the explanation of each function:
contract ERC20 {
event Transfer(
address indexed from,
address indexed to,
uint256 value
);
event Approval(
address indexed owner,
address indexed spender,
uint256 value
); function totalSupply() public view returns(uint256);
function balanceOf(address who) public view returns(uint256);
function transfer(address to, uint256 value) public returns(bool);
function allowance(address owner, address spender)
public view returns (uint256);
function transferFrom(address from, address to, uint256 value)
public returns (bool);
function approve(address spender, uint256 value)
public returns (bool);
}
totalSupply
Public function totalSupply , is accessible to all, and it displays the number of tokens in circulation. Since, it is labelled with a view modifier, calling it won’t consume any gas. So you can know about the total tokens in supply for any ERC 20 based token, for free. Zeppelin implements this logic by updating the value of internal variable totalSupply_ every time new tokens are minted. Its value can be accessed as follows:
// its value is increased when new tokens are minted
uint256 totalSupply_; // access the value of totalSupply_
function totalSupply() public view returns (uint256) {
return totalSupply_;
}
balanceOf
Function balanceOf is another public function with view modifier making it accessible to all and gas free. It takes in an Ethereum addresses and returns the number of tokens allocated to that address. Zeppelin maintains an internal mapping for this purpose, as follows:
// Updated when tokens are minted or transferred
mapping(address => uint256) balances; // Returns tokens held by the address passed as _owner
function balanceOf(address _owner)
public view returns (uint256 balance) {
return balances[_owner];
}
transfer
Function transfer is different from the above two functions because it will consume gas, since it will result in a state change within the Ethereum Smart contracts. It is used to transfer tokens from one address to another, when called by respective token holders. _to address is the recipient of the tokens of value amount, in the following representation taken from Zeppelin:
function transfer(address _to, uint256 _value)
public returns (bool) { // Check for blank addresses
require(_to != address(0)); // Check to ensure valid transfer
require(_value <= balances[msg.sender]); // SafeMath.sub will throw if there is not enough balance.
balances[msg.sender] = balances[msg.sender].sub(_value);
balances[_to] = balances[_to].add(_value);
// Event transfer defined in the ERC 20 interface above
Transfer(msg.sender, _to, _value); return true;
}
allowance, approve and transferFrom
Lastly, functions allowance , approve and transferFrom offer some advanced functionalities and are used to authorize some other Ethereum address to utilize your tokens on your behalf. This other Ethereum address could be a smart contract designed to handle tokens or just another account. Following is the implementation by Zeppelin solidity, incorporating the required logic for these functions:
Function approve is used by a token owner, to allow some spender to use a particular value of his tokens on his behalf.
is used by a token owner, to allow some to use a particular of his tokens on his behalf. Similarly, allowance can be used to check spender's allowance for a particular owner
can be used to check allowance for a particular And transferFrom can be finally used by spender to transfer allowed number of tokens.
What was the problem with ERC 20?
Now that you have gone through the basic functionalities of ERC 20, we can start discussing it flaws and the different requirements which resulted in various flavors of token standards present in the Ethereum driven market.
To be true, there were many. Not that ERC 20 has many flaws, but it is the most basic standard for tokens, and to solve specific problems, many upgrades were needed. Here we will first discuss various improvements suggested by ERC223.
ERC 223
ERC223 is built on top of ERC20 and is backwards compatible, meaning it incorporates all the functions mentioned above in ERC 20 section, it solves the following problems:
Problem of lost tokens
It happens during the transfer of ERC 20 tokens to a contract. When people mistakenly use the instructions for sending tokens to a wallet and send them to a smart contract which is not designed to handle it, their tokens get stuck in the smart contract. What’s worse? Since, the contract was not designed to handle these tokens, these tokens will be stuck there forever.
Here is an explanation of the problem from ERC 223 official github page:
Reducing energy consumption
The transfer of ERC223 tokens to a contract is a one step process rather than two steps process (for ERC20), and this means two times less gas and no extra Blockchain bloating.
Anatomy of ERC 223
After understanding the problems solved by ERC 223, let’s look into a simple implementation to understand how it works:
contract ERC223 {
event Transfer(
address indexed from,
address indexed to,
uint value,
bytes indexed data
); function totalSupply() public view returns(uint256); function balanceOf(address _owner) public view returns(uint256); function transfer(address _to, uint256 _value)
public returns (bool); function transfer(address to, uint value, bytes data)
public returns (bool);
}
ERC223ReceivingContract
Standard ERC223ReceivingContract must have a function tokenFallback , the sample interface would be like this:
contract ERC223ReceivingContract {
/**
* @dev Standard ERC223 function that will handle
* incoming token transfers.
* @param _from Token sender address.
* @param _value Amount of tokens.
* @param _data Transaction metadata.
*/
function tokenFallback(
address _from,
uint _value,
bytes _data
) public;
}
transfer
Functions totalSupply and balanceOf have been discussed in ERC 20 the change comes in implementation of the new transfer function.
function transfer(address _to, uint _value, bytes _data)
public {
assembly {
codeLength := extcodesize(_to)
} if (codeLength > 0) {
ERC223ReceivingContract receiver = ERC223ReceivingContract(_to);
receiver.tokenFallback(msg.sender, _value, _data);
}
require(super.transfer(_to, _value));
}
In the above code, our new transfer function takes in an extra parameter compared to the one mentioned in ERC 20, i.e. _data . It is used by assembly to retrieve the size of the code on target address, for a contract address codeLength will be greater than zero and tokenFallback function will be invoked for it. The token transfer will fail if the recipient is a contract but does not implement the tokenFallback function or the fallback function to receive funds.
In short, ERC223 checks for byte code length of the address tokens are being transferred to, and if it is a contract, it looks for a function with the signature of tokenFallback , hence solving the problem of tokens stuck in contracts.
ERC 827
ERC 827 is a standard which rivals ERC 223, it can be used to solve the same problems solved by ERC 223, moreover it offers flexibility to transfer data along with tokens to smart contracts and execute them. This means it can be used to solve specific problems other than tokens getting stuck in smart contracts. In recent times ERC 827 seems to be winning against ERC 223 as it has been included by zeppelin in its open source contracts, while ERC 223 is still not present in the tokens provided by them. The motivation stated in ERC 827 ERC/EIP is as follows:
This extension of the ERC20 interface allows any tokens on Ethereum to be re-used by other applications: from wallets to decentralized exchanges. The ERC20 token standard is widely accepted but it only allows the transfer of value, ethereum users are available to transfer value and data on transactions, with these extension of the ERC20 token standard they will be able to do the same with ERC20 tokens.
To understand the usage of ERC 827 token let’s think of a hypothetical shopping cart on a merchants website.
Shopping cart on a merchants website
This cart has items waiting to be bought stored in it. But it cannot proceed to checkout unless user has the required number of tokens. When someone transfers tokens to the owner of the cart, some data is passed with the cart, which calls another function present within a contract which checks whether the cart owner has enough balance and proceeds to checkout for the items saved in cart accordingly.
Anatomy of ERC 827
A sample implementation of the ERC 827 contracts implemented by Zeppelin is as follows:
contract ERC827 is ERC20 {
function approve(
address _spender,
uint256 _value,
bytes _data
) public returns (bool);
function transfer(
address _to,
uint256 _value,
bytes _data
) public returns (bool);
function transferFrom(
address _from,
address _to,
uint256 _value,
bytes _data
) public returns (bool);
}
The ERC827 contract here inherits the standard ERC20 contract. Hence becoming backwards compatible it updates the signature and logic behind only three functions of the ERC 20 contracts- approve , transfer and transferFrom . We will discuss them in detail one by one:
approve
It allows to approve the transfer of value and execute a call with the data sent during the approve function call.
Beware that changing an allowance with this method brings the risk that someone may use both the old and the new allowance by unfortunate transaction ordering. One possible solution to mitigate this race condition is to first reduce the spender’s allowance to 0 and set the desired value afterwards:
function approve(address _spender, uint256 _value, bytes _data)
public returns (bool) {
require(_spender != address(this));
require(super.approve(_spender, _value));
require(_spender.call(_data));
return true;
}
transfer
It transfers tokens to a specified address and executes a call with the sent data on the same transaction. It will return true if the call function is executed successfully.
function transfer(address _to, uint256 _value, bytes _data)
public returns (bool) {
require(_to != address(this)); require(super.transfer(_to, _value)); require(_to.call(_data));
return true;
}
transferFrom
Like transfer function it also transfers tokens from one address to another and make a contract call on the same transaction. But this can be used in coordination with approve function and execute different logic while approving and transferring tokens.
function transferFrom(
address _from,
address _to,
uint256 _value,
bytes _data
) public returns (bool) {
require(_to != address(this));
super.transferFrom(_from, _to, _value);
require(_to.call(_data));
return true;
}
ERC 721
ERC 721 presents a totally different concept from ERC 223 and ERC 827. To understand it properly readers must grasp the concept of fungible and non-fungible items.
Difference between fungible and non fungible?
An item can be considered fungible if it can be exchanged with another item of same type. This means the value of two fungible items is same in everyone’s eyes and they’re interchangeable. Consider a 100 Rs bill.
Fungible 100 Rs
This 100 Rs is interchangeable with another 100 Rs bill with a different reference number. So, it is fungible.
Non-fungible Healey Westland
Non fungible comes from the word “not interchangeable”. Lets try to understand this with a Healey Westland, one of the rare collectible cars. The value of two different Healey Westland may vary on their age and conditions. They may vary from collector to collector. This makes Healey Westland a non-fungible item.
ERC 721 based Cryptokittes
Now, we’re ready to understand the usage of ERC 721, which portrays the concept of non-fungible tokens. You cannot differentiate between two ERC 20 based tokens, they’re one and the same for you, but ERC 721 proposes a concept by which token holders will be able to differentiate between the tokens they hold. One famous example is CryptoKitties, it is a game in which players can buy, sell, trade, and breed digital cats. Each cat is unique in some way and this uniqueness makes the CryptoKitties extremely collectible, as someone could take interest in the characteristics of several kittens and wish to own them.
However, there are various other cases too, when non-fungibility of tokens tokens, can prove to be an asset. For instance, tokens can be used to represent real estate objects, intellectual property rights, etc… And each token might have some different parameters added to it. Or they can be used to represent items on a merchant’s website where an Adidas shoe will be different from a Nike shoe. Even different shoes within the same brand can be represented in a similar fashion.
Adidas vs Nike
ERC 721 Anatomy
Now we know why we need ERC 721 tokens so lets understand how they work. Here is an interface of ERC 721 followed by Zeppelin, followed by the explanation of functions mentioned in the interface, as implemented by zeppelin.
contract ERC721 {
event Transfer(
address indexed _from,
address indexed _to,
uint256 _tokenId
); event Approval(
address indexed _owner,
address indexed _approved,
uint256 _tokenId
); function balanceOf(address _owner)
public view returns (uint256 _balance); function ownerOf(uint256 _tokenId)
public view returns (address _owner); function transfer(address _to, uint256 _tokenId) public; function approve(address _to, uint256 _tokenId) public; function takeOwnership(uint256 _tokenId) public;
}
balanceOf
In the following snippet ownedTokens represents the list of token IDs owned by a particular address. And balanceOf function returns the number of tokens owned by a particular address.
mapping (address => uint256[]) private ownedTokens; function balanceOf(address _owner) public view returns (uint256) {
return ownedTokens[_owner].length;
}
ownerOf
Mapping tokenOwner takes in tokenId and returns the owner of that ID, but since it's visibility is private, ownerOf function is used to make the value of this mapping available publicly. It also includes a check against zero addresses before returning the value.
mapping (uint256 => address) private tokenOwner; function ownerOf(uint256 _tokenId) public view returns (address) {
address owner = tokenOwner[_tokenId];
require(owner != address(0));
return owner;
}
transfer
This transfer function takes in the new owner’s address as _to parameter and _tokenId of the token being transferred, also note that it can only be called by the owner of token. It must include the logic to check whether the transfer clears approval check, required for a transfer. Then comes the logic to remove token’s possession from current owner and add it to the list of tokens owned by new owner.
modifier onlyOwnerOf(uint256 _tokenId) {
require(ownerOf(_tokenId) == msg.sender);
_;
} function transfer(address _to, uint256 _tokenId)
public onlyOwnerOf(_tokenId) {
// Logic to clear approval for token transfer // Logic to remove token from current token owner // Logic to add Token to new token owner
}
approve
Approves another address to claim for the ownership of the given token ID, this is another function restricted by a modifier onlyOwnerOf , which means only a token owner can access this function for a particular token. Variable tokenApprovals is a mapping from token ID to approved addresses. Similar to the transfer function discussed above approve too, takes in _to (the new token owner’s address) and _tokenId as input parameters. It checks new owner must not be the same as previous owner of the token then if any one of the addresses among _to and previously approved address passes the address(0) check, it updates the tokenApprovals mapping and fires an event named Approval .
mapping (uint256 => address) private tokenApprovals; modifier onlyOwnerOf(uint256 _tokenId) {
require(ownerOf(_tokenId) == msg.sender);
_;
} function approvedFor(uint256 _tokenId)
public view returns (address) {
return tokenApprovals[_tokenId];
} function approve(address _to, uint256 _tokenId)
public onlyOwnerOf(_tokenId) {
address owner = ownerOf(_tokenId);
require(_to != owner); if (approvedFor(_tokenId) != 0 || _to != 0) {
tokenApprovals[_tokenId] = _to; // Event initialised in the interface above
Approval(owner, _to, _tokenId);
}
}
takeOwnership
Function approvedFor has been explained in the previous section, function isApprovedFor returns a Boolean value depending upon the response of condition approvedFor(_tokenId) == _owner . Function takeOwnership takes in _tokenId and applies the same check on message sender, if he passes the check logic similar to the transfer function is applied to claim the ownership of given _tokenID .
function isApprovedFor(address _owner, uint256 _tokenId)
internal view returns (bool) {
return approvedFor(_tokenId) == _owner;
} function takeOwnership(uint256 _tokenId) public {
require(isApprovedFor(msg.sender, _tokenId)); // Logic to clear approval for token transfer // Logic to remove token from current token owner // Logic to add Token to new token owner
}
Summary
Ah, this must have been a pretty intense read. So, congratulations on reaching the end. Now you should be having some basic knowledge of the popular token standards circulating within the Ethereum community.
Congratulations!!!
For those who need to choose a particular Token standard for their application, please keep in mind that at the time of this writing most of the standards explained in this blog, i.e. ERC 223, ERC 721 and ERC 827 are still not accepted officially and may undergo revisions.
Sources | https://medium.com/deqode/erc-token-standards-for-dummies-like-me-b6b8ace0f303 | ['Ayush Tiwari'] | 2019-01-31 12:00:57.893000+00:00 | ['Token Sale', 'Smart Contracts', 'Token', 'Ethereum', 'Erc20'] |
This month’s most useful tools for developers — November 2017 | Some are about new thinking or new techniques, some are about old or legacy technology and some are just useful resources for different languages or platforms. The brief is simple — if we think they’re useful, you might too.
Simplified App Signing with Secure Files in Visual Studio
Install apple certs and provisioning profiles into VSTS for Xamarin builds. New and very useful.
Xamarin.Forms 3.0
From performance improvements to new platforms, here’s a look at what’s coming down the road for Xamarin.Forms developers.
RubyMotion IDE
Lets you quickly develop cross-platform native apps for iOS, watchOS, macOS and Android. RubyMotion
Define dynamic user groups based on predicted behavior
If you’re using Firebase then Google will now predict which of your users will spend money or leave your app, and let you know. As our man Paul said, “Wow.”
We like the look of Viper
“Good architecture is not what makes a product successful, but it does make a product maintainable and helps preserve the sanity of the people maintaining it!” Architecting iOS Apps with VIPER.
Revenge of the Algorithms (Over Data)… Go! No?
How do we tease apart what’s real vs. what’s hype when it comes to the (legitimate!) excitement about artificial intelligence and machine learning?a16z Podcast.
What are the Most Disliked Programming Languages?
Despite the provocative title, this is an almost academic data-analysis study of Stackoverflow tags (with graphs and everything), with a surprisingly balanced conclusion. The tech we want to work with — and the tech we don’t.
Farewell old friend
When it came out in 2005, Firebug was the first tool to let programmers inspect, edit, and debug code right in the Firefox browser.
Saying Goodbye to Firebug.
Human-centred Machine Learning
“As more and more experiences are built with ML, it’s clear that UXers still have a lot to learn about how to make users feel in control of the technology, and not the other way round.” 7 steps to stay focused on the user when designing with ML
Devhints — TL;DR for developer documentation
A ridiculous (in a good way) collection of web development cheat-sheets. “ a modest collection”
30 days of React
Fancy learning react, but don’t know where to start? Well then, a free introduction to React in 30 bite-sized morsels might be just the thing.
Why did you update?
Puts your console on blast when React is making unnecessary updates. Checks for unnecessary re-renders with your components. Very handy.
Reakt (with a K)
If you’re forced to do React, why not React Kotlin? A Kotlin wrapper for Facebook’s React library.
WebWorkers
In this Supercharged Live Code Session, Mariko and Surma show you how to use WebWorkers to keep your main thread jank free.
“Planetary-scale applications” Golly.
How Earth Observation data on AWS can be used in your startup, enterprise, or research institution. Build planetary-scale applications in the cloud with open geospatial data. Golly and indeed gosh. Earth on AWS
How To Code Like The Top Programmers At NASA
As our recommender Adam says “Most of this is for lower level languages, but an interesting read nevertheless.” 10 Critical Rules
Any cryptographers fancy €5 Million?
EU Officials Reveal €5 Million ‘Blockchains for Social Good’ Contest. Winning entries must have a clear social impact, be decentralized while allowing for transparency, and still be both useful and scalable. Easypeasy Kerching.
Look maybe, but probably best not to touch
WikiLeaks Releases Source Code of CIA Cyber-Weapon. | https://medium.com/the-reading-room/this-months-most-useful-tools-for-developers-november-2017-d6abc2de66c6 | [] | 2017-11-15 12:27:28.913000+00:00 | ['Ruby', 'React', 'Programming', 'Software Development', 'Mobile App Development'] |
Thinking about 2021? | Thinking about 2021?
We all do.
I think we are sick and tired of 2020. It is time for a change. It is high time for a positive change for that matter.
(Image Contributed by the Author)
I think about 2021 quite a bit. As much as I would like 2021 is be wildly different from 2020 – In truth, it is anyone’s guess.
And “different” can mean “worse”. Am I right?
That said, it is time to put 2020 behind.
It is time to plan for a productive and positive 2021.
Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year.
Aldric | https://medium.com/j29creative/thinking-about-2021-3420d5fb1ea4 | ['Aldric Chen'] | 2020-12-25 12:10:43.235000+00:00 | ['Life Lessons', 'Reflections', 'Self Improvement', '2021', 'Self-awareness'] |
Simple Securtity Steps You Can Take Right Now To Prevent Hackers | You may have seen an article taken from WMC, a television station in the States, which has been shared on social media, of a hacker infiltrating the home camera which the LeMay family put into the bedroom of their three daughters. WMC Action News 5 presenter Jessica Holley says that the family had only recently installed the Ring security camera system when all kinds of strange things started happening. Those strange occurrences included voices and music coming through the speaker attached to the camera. The hacker claims to be 8 year old Alyssa’s “best friend” and “Santa Clause” after playing Tiny Tim’s version of Tiptoe Through The Tulips.
After running a couple of segments of footage where the clearly distressed child is alarmed by the voice of the hacker, which it’s claimed also instruct her to carry out destructive behaviour (not shown) Holley follows up by informing us that Alyssa’s parents hadn’t carried out all Ring’s recommended steps needed to fully secure the device against possible hacking and security breaches.
While Briant Communications would never ‘victim blame’ we feel it’s important that we use the LeMay family’s example of why it’s so important to take ALL the steps we, and manufacturers recommend to prevent hacking whenever you’re installing security devices around or inside the home.
Using Smart Home Technology To Keep In Touch With Family
Mrs LeMay bought the Ring camera during the Black Friday sales after seeing a colleague using the app on her phone to see and talk to their own kids at home and thought this would be great for her as she works as a nurse in a nearby hospital. However, only four days after the camera was installed Alyssa LeMay heard banging and music coming from her room and when she went to investigate she was spoken to by the hacker.
Home cameras are really handy devices to have around the house, whether you have a young family, pets, or not. They are an important and useful addition to a smart burglar alarm system and augment your CCTV camera surveillance too. If you have kids who misbehave you can keep an eye on them to make sure they’re not fighting when you’re away from home, or you can use them to watch over an elderly relative who you’re worried about but who doesn’t want to move out of their home into a retirement village.
In all of these instances it’s a real bonus to have an indoor home camera, but, as this story highlights, it is vitally important that you take care of their security settings as soon as you install them.
All The Security Steps You Need To Take To Secure Your Smart Technology From Hackers
One of the benefits of simple synchronisation is also one of its drawbacks. If you find it easy to add devices to your home network so will a hacker. And once a part of that network they can potentially switch from device to device making changes, watching footage, ordering things online, or unlocking your doors or disabling your alarms when you’re not home. All of the devices you buy will have additional security measures available to you, and you should definitely take advantage of them. The tips we run through below apply to all of your Smart Home Automation devices, not just cameras, alarms or CCTV. They should apply equally to lights, thermostats, smart home hubs and all of your voice or touch controlled Smart installations.
1 Give Your Router a Name
Giving your router a name means that it is hard to identify, consequently it’s hard for hackers to use any of the default settings and password that your particular brand of router shipped with. And that default password was probably ‘admin’ anyway. If you haven’t done so already, CHANGE THE NAME AND PASSWORD NOW!
2 Use Strong Security Settings
Wi-Fi routers have WPA2 built in, so use it! WPA or Wireless Protected Access encrypts the data that your router and your devices send to one another, and the web at large. When you look in your security settings you may also find WPA3, a more recent update, and if you have that option, use it!
3 Apply Passwords To Everything
As well as your router, each device you have should be password protected. Again they generally ship with ‘admin’ as a default password, or one of a very few six digit numbers. These passwords are available to anyone who cares to look hard enough on the internet, including hackers, as people unthinkingly reveal what the default was when discussing user issues online. The best device names simply say want the device is, such as ‘lounge light’ or ‘master bedroom thermostat’ making them easier for you to use while not giving away any manufacturer details to hackers. Passwords should be long and complex. Use a variety of special characters and numbers and make sure they’re at least 8 characters long if you have to remember them, and much longer if you use a password generator.
And don’t use the same password for everything! It’s human nature to keep things simple, and once you’ve decided on a brilliant password, to apply it to all of your online accounts such as email, Insta, Facebook and Twitter. But then using that same password with your home network means that all of them will be vulnerable to hackers too. This is down to the fact that your Smart System is fundamentally a domestic appliance. Your kids will use it, your partner, your extended family, your neighbour or your kids’ friends when they pop round and want to get onto the internet to play games, online or show you a video on Youtube…
4 Set Up a Guest Network
Setting up a guest network is a very simple thing to do to prevent hackers as it separates your internet data from your home automation system. When those friends of the children or the video loving neighbour pop by you can let them go on the guest network using a dedicated password and though they’re using your data there is no way for them, or anyone that they might let that password slip to, to get into your Smart Home controls.
5 Disable Features You Don’t Want And Enable Two Factor Verification
Features such as remote or guest access may be turned on as default. It’s important to check, and think about how you’re going to use each device. If you have no intention of ever using it from afar or letting anyone else control it, shut those options off immediately.
However, when it comes to two factor verification, that’s something you definitely want turned on if you’re serious about securing your network. Two factor verification means that you don’t get access simply by knowing the user name and password. Instead all that knowing these details means is that you get a unique short duration code either emailed or sent via SMS to your phone. You then use the code, within the allotted time-frame, to access the particular device. Because it’s time sensitive any hacker getting hold of it, writing it down and trying to use it again later will be disappointed, and because the code is sent to your phone number or email address you are the only person who’s going to have access to it.
6 Keep Up To Date With Security Updates
Sign up to the manufacturer’s newsletter and watch out for software updates for your phone, computer, tablet et cetera. If there are any significant security breeches or patches which need to be applied to keep your Smart device safe the first way the makers will try to contact you is via their newsletter. Sure they’ll try to sell you the latest version of the thing you just bought, but if anything goes wrong their end it’s the fastest, most reliable way for them to get in touch with you. Always be aware of phishing scams though, and if there is anything to give you cause to think the email isn’t genuine, don’t click on anything but search for the latest manufacturer updates on your favourite search engine.
Briant Communications are here to help. If you’re interested in installing security cameras, Smart burglar alarms, Smart thermostats and environmental controls we offer a free initial consultation and cost estimate service, we install and securely synchronise all of your Smart Home Automation with guarantees for parts and labour. Give us a call on 01273 465377 now or get in touch via our Contact Us page to book your appointment. | https://medium.com/@dancrash/simple-securtity-steps-you-can-take-right-now-to-prevent-hackers-b841d7868188 | ['Dan Crash'] | 2019-12-16 11:57:54.036000+00:00 | ['Home Security', 'Online Security', 'Security Camera', 'Cameras', 'Smart Home'] |
External factors, fear of myself and letting go | Tuesday night and I was back from my run as usual; shower, dinner and ready to sit down for a while to get my writing done for the day. I started to feel a bit heavy on the head and thought that the chilly wind on the way back affected me, which usual and suffer it more often than would I’d like to, but that cannot control, however, in just a matter of second that “bit” turned into a massive headache, heavy eyes and complete indisposition. Even though, I tried to get my lines in before going to bed: “I’ll write something brief and I’ll go to bed early”.
At this point, my girlfriend already asked me a couple of times if I was feeling ok (she knows me well). At this point, she also knew I was going to seat for a bit before going to bed, but due to the rapidly growing discomfort she just took me by the arm and closed my laptop. I said ok and let it go for a moment, I said to myself I’ll do it on my phone, as I’ve done before under similar circumstances when really tired. It didn’t happen.
Things got worst in a matter of seconds, that small pressure in the head turned into unbearable and I just couldn’t cope.
You know the drill, resting, cold bag, sparkling water; all the usuals. The interesting thing to me was that it was only when things got very uncomfortable physically speaking, that I finally said, you know what, if it happens to go away fast I’ll do it, otherwise I’ll do it tomorrow.
Even when started to recover about an hour and a half later, waking up from the post pain-relief nap I thought about it for second but decided to go back to sleep. This has to keep me thinking about it deeply today, for several reasons.
The serious commitment I feel for this project, something I’m now very proud of. The fact that I kept thinking about it constantly before, during and after the episode makes me unsure about me being too committed, attached or just afraid of myself and the consequences I know can be triggered by skipping it one day.
Right now I’m feeling a bit of the last one like I fall into the trap and it is something around me just whispering for me to do it again, because I know myself, and I know it can happen.
I also know that I’ve done it now, until yesterday, for 56 days in a row, and that one minor bump into the road caused by external factors will not be the cause of me letting down myself, and that the only way to keep doing as I’ve done it so far, it’s to keep doing like I’ve done so far.
I feel weird, vulnerable and like there is a weight on my shoulders, but just like yesterday, it is also a matter of letting it go. | https://medium.com/thoughts-on-the-go-journal/external-factors-fear-of-myself-and-letting-go-169f17a0cd30 | ['Joseph Emmi'] | 2018-05-30 21:20:09.494000+00:00 | ['Fear', 'Personal', 'Life Lessons', 'Commitment', 'Personal Growth'] |
Volume Seven of The Best Illumination Writers Christmas Reads | Photograph by @Freestocks on Unsplash
And so we arrive at volume seven of these Christmas reads I have been compiling this last ten days. Seven is reputedly the luckiest number, and so I sincerely hope that this marks the beginning of a luckier, more fortunate chapter for all of our writers, our families and our friends during these difficult days. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
Rui Carneiro
Debesh Choudhury
Dr. Deborah M. Vereen
Michael Patanella
Breanna Lowman
Darren Richardson
Denise G
Kit L.
Markus Scorelius
Joseph M. Learned
Kevin
Liam Ireland | https://medium.com/illumination/volume-seven-of-the-best-illumination-writers-christmas-reads-30eab2209fe1 | ['Liam Ireland'] | 2020-12-26 11:37:19.746000+00:00 | ['Illumination', 'Christmas', 'Writing', 'Writers Stories', 'Short Stories And Poems'] |
How to help local shops or practitioners to improve their online presence by designing or redesigning a website during pandemic? | Ironhack’s 2nd week project as a UX designer
Context
Due to COVID-19 local shops and practitioners are suffering a decrease in the demand of their services and products. This can affect local economies and many families. If you want to compete on this digital market it is important to have an online presence for any local services providers. During my learnings at Ironhack, one of my project was to help these local shops or practitioners to improve their online presence to be more competitive in the actual market.
Challenge
Design or redesign a desktop website for a local business or professional.
Emphasis more on benchmarking and market research.
Analyse what is already there and propose a better solution for the store’s online presence
Select Client
We were a group of three UX designer, kind and humble. We wanted to help a cleaning service provider, as in this crisis it is difficult for them to reach out their clients. Normally they use face to face interaction when they searched for their clients and now during the lockdown, the situation become tough for them. They are unable to know the demands in the market and to contact the right person is also seems impossible for them.
Empathize Phase
Our first step is to develop a deep understanding of the problem by following business analysis and user research.
Market Research:
We did market research to identify well known cleaning service providers in France. We decide to go with NHPS, O2, Wecasa, Companeo, Confov and Spicandspan. Furthermore, we divided in two for each to identify their existing features, services they offered and their reviews on google. Finally we found our client Confov to redesign their existing website https://confov.fr/ to help them to reach out to their clients easily.
2. Business & Competitive Analysis:
Understanding the business:
Founded in 2015, CONFOV is a cleaning company oriented towards the needs of its partners. (B2B service provider)
They are present in major cities of France such as Nice, Cannes, Marseille, Lyon, Valence, Montpelier and Strasbourg.
User research:
To identify actual needs and problems of users we have to talk with them. By reaching out to them, you will know about their expectations and pain points of the existing website. We choose interview (qualitative method) to gather more information.
The Followings are the statements from our three users interviews:
“How should we collaborate during the pandemic?”
“It’s too hard to get in contact with the company.”
“Where can I find the price?”
“I need to see user’s reviews about the company.”
Stakeholders Interview:
Our stakeholders are like founder of Confov, Market specialist, branding specialist of Confov. We managed to have a direct interview with them to better understand their business. So before contacting them we started to prepare interview scripts. We asked questions like about the company, their roles, services they offered, their target market, communication source, how they worked on users feedbacks?, what they do for improvements of their website, what are their future concerts etc…. We managed to conducted two interviews, where I was the observer.
Competitive Analysis
A competitive analysis is a strategy where you identify major competitors and research their products, sales, and marketing strategies. So to identify competitors we have begun with feature analysis.
Feature analysis:
Branding Analysis :
Market Positioning
As per our analysis we’ve found out that our ideal brand is Spic&span which is highest in terms of innovation and luxury. On the other hand we observed that Confov is also trying to reach luxury, but because of lack of innovation our brand is unable to create a good position in the market.
3. Affinity Diagram
So after business analysis and competitive analysis we have a lot of data, so we have to structure it. So we decided to do brainstorming on information we all had. Then we cluster out our data and created four main categories.
Information Quantity Accessibility Website Architecture Other
4. User Person & User Journey Map
After gathering all information we managed to identify pain points and gains of our users. So to keep our user in mind during the whole process we have created a user persona, and we wanted to understand our user’s current journey, so we managed to create that one too.
User Journey Map
Define Phase
Now we are at the point where we will be able to define a problem of our user. So to define it precisely we did HOW Might we. Every time when we have to decide we choose brainstorming method to select the best and accurate one.
How Might we chart:
Followings are our main three How Might We’s define problem statements:
HMW create a platform which has enough organized information about the company and its services? HMW create a platform where users can collaborate and communicate with the company easily? HMW create an e-contracting workflow to facilitate company’s interaction with B2B users?
Problem Statements
“Busy Arnaud needs to get informed, communicate and enter into contract with the cleaning service company online, because it is difficult to partner and collaborate due to the pandemic restrictions.”
Hypothesis
“We believe redesigning an engaging and collaboration-based platform for Busy Arnaud will achieve our goal of having an end-to-end service in one place. We will know we are right when more than 90 % of interactions are online.”
Ideate Phase
Now we know our problem and goal so we started to brainstorming of ideas as many as possible and for that we have created an ideation board.
Prioritization of Information
There are so many methods are available to do prioritization of information, and we choose the most famous one MOSCOW priority method.
Where our main “must have” are the following:
Add price estimation facility
Add booking system
A feedback section/Testimonials
A contract workflow and e-signature
2. MVP — Minimum Viable Products
“Our website enables users to get in touch directly with the company, have all the information about available services, get an estimated price for the chosen service, and sign the contract online.”
3. Website Content Audit
As our client is already in presence online we have to redesign their website. So before started to redesign it is important to audit existing website. It will help to understand their current flows and algorithms. So we divided important pages to audit the whole website.
4. Site Map
Site map is important to understand components of website. We did two site map, 1st site map is as-is and 2nd is to-be.
So you can see on the above site map we have highlighted new features we wanted to add. As now our main focus is to give organized information, e-contracting facility and easy price estimation feature which was not exist.
5. User Flow
To keep our “must have” in mind we have decided to fulfil user flow. Which is “How user can submit partnership request via website?”
Prototyping Phase
Lo-fi Wire framing
Now when it comes to finally work on solutions, we started to do brainstorming of ideas we have in our mind. We wanted to select the best possible idea to solve our user’s problems.
2. Mid Fidelity Wire framing
3. High Fidelity Prototyping
Click here to see Hi-FI: Here
Testing Phase
Before working on high fidelity we’ve decided to do a usability test on our Mid-fi with users.
Step 1: Friendly Welcome
Step 2: Context questions
Step 3: Introducing prototype
Step 4: Tasks
Step 5: Quick Debrief
Followings are the main insights from our usability testing:
User A didn’t understand how to get back to the simulation page: “We can’t go back directly to service pages after the simulation page. I need to compare the services”
User A prefers to have information on services one by one and choose what she wants.
User D says: “At first, I didn’t understand why to simulate but after with the flow, it was more clear”.
User E finds that he doesn’t need ‘Hours/Day’ in the Appointment page because the service duration depends on the company and its way to deliver the service.
Learnings
I learned time management during the project as we only had 1 week to deliver our project.
Team collaboration and understanding is very important when you have limited time to deliver it.
I learned how to be patience with others.
The Most important thing I learned is the whole process of redesigning website from the beginning. It was fun and amazing to know users journey with existing products it will give you instant ideas of needs of users.
There are many methods to complete user experience process, and you will learn it during the project.
Sometimes it happens when you finally identified the flow you wanted to work on, but then you realized there are other flows are interconnected, so you have to consider every possible aspects of your user flow.
Testing part is very important before you start working on your hi-fi prototype. It will help you to save you lots of time.
Thank you so much for your time and any suggestions would be appreciated. | https://medium.com/@megha-parekh/to-help-local-shops-or-practitioners-to-improve-their-online-presence-by-designing-or-redesigning-6215656c3711 | ['Megha Parekh'] | 2020-12-23 08:39:09.631000+00:00 | ['UX Design', 'UX Research', 'Redesign', 'UX', 'Redesign Challenge'] |
Blockchain for Identity | Advantages of putting Identity on the blockchain:
Establishment of a corruption free system.
Not restricted to governmental norms.
Can be used anywhere across the world.
Explicit Security towards one’s assets and identity.
Flexibility and prompt validation.
No Central Database.
Data being compromised is highly unlikely.(Dependant on security standards)
Time Stamping.
Usage of Misplaced or lost identities can be revoked, tracked and monitored.
Less human labor.
Standard for consistent and reliable identity theft prevention.
People can use flexible ways to prove their identities and not rely on just passports or identity cards which are of materialistic value.
Disadvantages:
The need for higher security.
By using multiple layers to allow flexibility, trust falls down to the establishment in charge.
Data stolen during verification can be misused, same as a cop running away with your ID.
Data being on public domain allows people to reverse engineer and misuse the system to provide or restrict access to unauthorized people.
Managing documents and efficiency.
Challenges of putting identity on the blockchain:
Multiple wallets must be tracked all together for illegal activity.
Making sure that Data can’t be directly retrieved and used from public domain for illegal purposes or impersonation.
Curbing misuse and identity theft.
Preventing data theft during verification.
Making the process transparent to build and back trust.
Having Governments on board to accept Blockchain based Identity solutions.
Flexibility allows loopholes which ought to be monitored and regulated.
Incorporating methods for retrieving Data when a person has lost their wallets, memory or requires validation from family or trustworthy entities. | https://medium.com/blockchain-fanatic/blockchain-for-identity-cd0d29610307 | ['Belavadi Prahalad'] | 2017-04-29 01:29:51.588000+00:00 | ['Tech', 'Bitcoin', 'Identity', 'Blockchain', 'Government'] |
How to keep track of opportunities on LinkedIn [#0] | [Docklands, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia]
If you feel swamped with LinkedIn connections and messages, then my 3 tips today will show you to keep track of your opportunities on LinkedIn.
Private coaching clients have asked me they can keep track of everything so high-value opportunities don’t fall through the cracks.
The key is getting people over to email and into your CRM — in a systematic and effective way.
If you’d like my guide please type “conversions” in the comments and I’ll send it to you.
WATCH MY VIDEO
TRANSCRIPT
Good day. It’s Adam Franklin from Bluewire here. And have you ever felt swamped by not only the number of connections that you’ve got on LinkedIn, but also all the messages that you’re getting? Well, you’re not alone and a lot of my private coaching clients have been asking me how do we keep track of everything that’s going on, on LinkedIn, particularly because we don’t want to be missing any high value opportunities. Because if one of those opportunities falls through the cracks, that can be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Okay, so basically I’ve got 3 tips for you today.
1. The first is if they a really high value prospect them simply add them into your CRM, your customer relationship manager straight away so you don’t miss them.
2. The second tip is just to send a one on one email, or Gmail or Outlook to the people that you’ve actually started to have a meaningful conversation with. That way I find once you move off LinkedIn and over on to email, it’s a lot easier to keep track of because you can put them in folders, you can tag them, you have a lot more control over that communication.
3. And the third tip for when you’re doing this stuff at scale is to have a system in place whereby you can move people from LinkedIn across to your email marketing system. Now of course for this you need people to actually opt in. So the mechanism to do this is to invite your contacts.
Once you’ve had some exchanges with them, invite them across to register for something like a Webinar or a piece of flagship content on a landing page. That way they’re entering their name and email and then moving across over to your email marketing system.
That’s how you keep track of various opportunities that you’ve got so that nothing slips through the cracks. If you found that useful, then I have my LinkedIn Conversion Guide that may be useful to you. If you’d like a copy, just write “Conversions” in the comments and I’ll send it over to you. No opt in required, nothing like that. I’ll send it directly to via a direct message on LinkedIn. So that’s it from me. Take care.
100 videos in 100 days. Want more?
This is part of my 100 videos in 100 days challenge.
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For more videos and tip, let’s connect on LinkedIn:
Or subscribe via my website and download my popular Web Strategy Planning Template.
PS. When you’re ready, here are 5 ways we can help you grow:
1. Web Strategy Planning Template (PDF). Our flagship 1-page tool we co-created with David Meerman Scott. It’s been downloaded over 1 million times and featured on Forbes.
2. Read a free chapter from our book: Web Marketing That Works — — an Amazon #1 best seller.
3. Join my private invitation-only group on Facebook. It’s a great place to get to know us better and hang out with peers.
4. Watch my pitch-free ‘LinkedIn 101’ on-demand training on improving your profile, building your network and growing your pipeline on LinkedIn.
5. Work directly with me. If you’d like to grow your pipeline by $100k in the next 30 days, email me with “I’m Interested” and I’ll tell you more! | https://medium.com/@adam_franklin/how-to-keep-track-of-opportunities-on-linkedin-0-207432283628 | ['Adam Franklin'] | 2019-05-20 04:18:30.596000+00:00 | ['LinkedIn', 'Social Media', 'Sales', 'Video Marketing', 'Digital Marketing'] |
A Holiday Wish | A Holiday Wish
Ending the deeper dark.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
By Ira Rabois
It’s snowing. Large flakes lazily fall. But in the distance, some light breaks through dark grey clouds.
News reports say tomorrow in the late afternoon, a snowstorm will develop. A large storm will be carrying over a foot of snow to the Northeast, maybe the biggest storm in the last few years.
Such storms generate great anticipation and emotion. Especially early in the season, there’s excitement along with trepidation. We wonder if the storm will really appear. Is the excitement, and danger, as real as we hope or fear? We often get so caught up in the human social world we forget the power of the universe that cradles us. Such storms can wake us up to this fact.
In normal years, we’d also wonder⎼ will schools be closed? This year everything is different. What will the effect of the snow be on remote learning? We will marvel at what nature can do, but many schools (and too many businesses) are already closed, at least to in-person attendance.
As we enter the darkest time of the year here in the northern hemisphere, we leave behind an even deeper darkness, a more intense cold. The pandemic, which is now killing more people per day than the 9/11 attacks, may by summer be ended due to vaccines and the policies of a new administration. The incitements to hate, violence, and attempted destruction of our voting system by the present President will be replaced with a true concern for others. For the last 4 years, DT has shown us what an utter lust for power can do to our nation, shown us the darkness and division that descends on people when a ruler is concerned only for himself.
But as we move toward the solstice and the darkest day of the year, we are moving also toward the spring. The winter reminds us we can endure and act.
I guess this is one reason I write blogs. It is a wish made physical and sent out into the universe to make explicit there is reason to hope, love, and care.
President-Elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated January 20th, although just saying it, making it real like that, excites yet scares me. I don’t want to jinx it.
Yet, DT’s followers in the government know he has lost the election. After the vote by the Electoral College to certify Biden’s victory, many GOP said the certification should end the opposition to the election results. They know how much of a self-consumed liar and threat to our lives and to democracy DT is. Yet some GOP continue to support him and his efforts. They have knowingly undermined not only the constitution and nation they swore to serve, but the very idea that the law should be applied to everyone.
These intransigent GOP know inauguration day is coming, and they are doing everything they can to make sure that 2021 is as divisive as 2020. These GOP are doing all they can to make sure that when President-elect Joe Biden becomes President, he won’t be able to get a cabinet approved or laws passed and to lead the government to help the people of this nation.
And then, DT and these GOP hope, we the people will turn against democracy itself. Turn against the idea that a people can rule themselves. That people can grow in intelligence and character so the better angels of our nature⎼ love, compassion, friendship, community⎼ can rule over our devils⎼ greed, ignorance, and hate.
They are hoping that the shock, anxiety, fear they manipulate will spread so deeply amongst us that we the people will not be able to come together. They hope to divide Democrats, Centrists, Liberals, Progressives, so we hold on so strongly to what we think is right we will call all others wrong, and never work with others, never compromise, not even with those who share most of our values.
But in this last election, more people than ever overcame their anxiety⎼ and fear of a pandemic⎼ in order to vote. More people than ever took to the streets for justice. More people spoke out and acted to get out the vote, canvas, phonebank, write letters and postcards, and confront hate groups. The news itself has been so hurtful it makes us sick. Yet, most of us, when we can, listen to the news. We stay informed. We share with others. We create supportive networks.
We now know how to do this and why it’s important to make political action a normal part of our lives. We know what the alternative might be. Those who are now assaulting democracy and our sense of humanity, those who use hate, racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, etc. to serve their greed will not give up so soon. Certainly, once Biden is in office, DT’s pulpit will be lessened. But the greed and hate will only be diminished if the rest of us do whatever we can to make it happen. And we will. We must.
We will fashion a more equitable and just society and the political spring will come; the deeper dark will be ended. And we’ll have a truly great new year, a far better 2021 than 2020.
This is my Holiday and New Year’s wish.
—
The story was previously published on The Good Men Project.
—
About Ira Rabois
While teaching for 27 years at the Lehman Alternative School in Ithaca, N. Y., Ira Rabois developed an innovative curriculum in English, Philosophy, History, Drama, Martial Arts, and Psychology, and refined a method of mindful questioning. He writes a blog on education and mindfulness. Mr. Rabois is the author of Compassionate Critical Thinking: How Mindfulness, Creativity, Empathy, and Socratic Questioning Can Transform Teaching. | https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/a-holiday-wish-f9286467f943 | ['The Good Men Project'] | 2020-12-28 15:37:14.484000+00:00 | ['Covid 19', 'Elections', 'Politics', 'Holidays', 'Ethics'] |
Dear VA Secretary Nominee Mr. McDonough: Here’s How We Fix the Broken VA (A Veteran’s Perspective) | Then White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough at a 2013 Pentagon event. Joe Biden nominated him as the next VA Secretary. (DOD photo)
Dear Mr. McDonough, as a disabled veteran, I support your nomination as the next VA Secretary, but only if you promise to bring about radical change and innovation at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Truthfully, I am sick-and-tired (literally and figuratively) of the impersonal nature and impossible hoops we must jump through to obtain the VA care and benefits we have earned for our service.
Millions of other veterans feel this way, too.
There are three things you must do Sir, if confirmed as the next VA Secretary.
First, it is time for our leaders to THINK DIFFERENTLY about the VA.
In my humble opinion, the main problem plaguing the VA is its leaders have failed to imagine new solutions to old problems, primarily because they lack the ability to ask the right questions.
Heck, they might not even realize there are problems.
Albert Einstein once remarked, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Touché.
You must be weary of the deeply entrenched and bureaucratic “advice” you will hear from your leaders at the VA.
You must challenge all assumptions, ask better questions of those around you (and be prepared to raise the “B.S.” flag), and listen carefully to what us veterans are telling you.
Just because everyone agrees with you does not mean you are right, and just because everyone disagrees with you does not mean you are wrong.
Follow your heart, your gut, and your intuition, and always do what is best for veterans.
Second, it is time for FEWER pills and MORE community.
The VA’s answer to the veteran’s mental health crisis and suicide epidemic is more pills.
Wrong.
The answer is more community.
It is time for the VA to unite with local communities, to include creating and leading in-person and virtual events for veterans worldwide.
Depression, anxiety, and mental health issues are often underlying symptoms of loneliness and isolation, not necessarily the cause.
Veterans like me are craving a sense of identity, belonging, and purpose again that we have long lost since leaving the military.
We want to feel important.
Stop calling us by our last name and last 4 of our social security number — we are not numbers in your system — we are people, with first names and close ties to our branch of service, who courageously volunteered and raised our right hands to defend freedom.
Instead, try starting every interaction by asking us for our branch of service, thank us, smile, and welcome us home at the VA.
Let us know we matter, and that you care.
Third, it is time for the VA to create a free BASIC EDUCATION and TRAINING course for all things VA benefits.
It must be simple and easy to understand for all veterans.
While I am not the brightest bulb on the porch, I am not stupid, either.
Yet, it still took me seven years of seemingly endless battles and multiple rounds of denials after leaving the military to finally get the VA benefits I deserved for my honorable service.
And I consider myself lucky.
Many millions of veterans have it far worse.
75% of veterans alive today do not have any VA benefits at all.
In fact, according to the most recent Veteran Benefits Administration’s (VBA) annual report to congress, just one in four (1/4) veterans get any benefits from the VA.
This is shameful and it must change now.
In my experience, this is due primarily to the lack of basic education and training on the subject.
It should not take an advanced degree and thousands of hours of time in the trenches to obtain VA benefits we deserve by law.
The time for radical change and innovation at the VA is right now, and it starts with you Sir.
Brian Reese is one of the world’s leading experts and advocates for veterans’ benefits. A former active-duty Air Force officer, Brian deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. He is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from the United States Air Force Academy and earned his MBA as a National Honor Scholar from the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University. | https://medium.com/@briantreese/dear-va-secretary-nominee-mr-mcdonough-heres-how-we-fix-the-broken-va-a-veteran-s-perspective-385fd82f2348 | ['Brian Reese'] | 2020-12-21 23:23:47.761000+00:00 | ['Veterans', 'Military', 'Veteran Benefits', 'Veterans Affairs', 'Veterans Administration'] |
For the Re-CORD: This 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton May Steal the Show | On November 2-4, 2017, in Greensboro, N.C., more than 500 classic and specialty cars will cross the auction block during the GAA Classic Cars at the Palace.
Although there will be plenty to ooh and ahh over, there is one particular car that will draw its fair share of interest — a 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton that is slated to go under the hammer on Saturday, November 4.
Since the Cord, specifically the Cord 810, was first introduced in 1935 by E.L. Cord at the World’s Fair, it has been considered one of the most attractive cars. Jay Leno had this to say about the Cord: “It’s one of the most revolutionary and certainly one of the most beautiful cars of all time.”
That is certainly high praise from a man who knows his cars and is often sought out for his sage advice pertaining to classic cars. The magazine, Car and Driver, even called the Cord, “the coolest car you never knew existed.”
Cords were first produced from 1929 to 1932 and then again from 1936 to 1937. A little more than two decades later, the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Co. — the company that manufactured Cords — went bankrupt.
Glenn Pray, a high school shop teacher, bought the company in 1960 for $75,000. Six years later he began producing the second generation of the Cords, which resembled the originals. That same year — 1966 — Pray was forced to leave the company and the production of the Cords soon thereafter ceased.
For the second time, the company that was responsible for producing Cords went bankrupt. By the time production of the Cords stopped only 97 of them had been made.
Although Cords were saddled with bad luck when it came to finances, the cars themselves were some of the most innovative of their time. Features that were first found on Cords include front-wheel drive, hidden headlights, gas caps hidden behind a door in the body and a horn ring around the inner circumference of the steering wheel.
It wasn’t until 2016 that Cord started its slow ascension back into the country’s conscience. After the passage of the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2015, Craig Corbell II purchased the rights to the Cord Motor Vehicle in 2016 at an auction. The new law eases some of the automotive manufacturing requirements for boutique manufacturers.
The 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton that attendees at the GAA Classic Cars at the Palace will have an opportunity to bid on is a yellow two-door convertible with red interior. It is the first American-designed and built front-wheel drive vehicle with independent front suspension.
The car, which carries the iconic Gordon M. Buehrig design, retains its original 289 engine with semi-automatic 4-speed transmission and retractable headlights. The previous owner owned the car for 20 years.
To learn more information about this car, click here. To see all the cars scheduled to cross the auction block on November 2–4, click here. | https://medium.com/motorious/for-the-re-cord-this-1937-cord-812-phaeton-may-steal-the-show-7ea714263977 | ['Sam Maven'] | 2017-10-25 04:28:17.418000+00:00 | ['Cars', 'Cord', 'Auction', 'Classic Cars', 'Gaa'] |
My work as a Social Media Volunteer for Smiles For Veterans | As part of my journey into digital marketing, one of the coaches at Udacity said I should try volunteering with CatchaFire and see if I can put my skills to good use. That said, it has been good so far. I worked with Jan from SmilesForVeterans over a two-month period to help them set up their social media accounts.
This will be reflection of what I have understood and learnt so far.
Problem to Solve: Social Media Set Up.
They were looking for someone who could do the following:
Setup of professional social media profile(s) consistent with the Organization’s brand messaging in platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.
Training for the Organization’s staff on how to manage social media account(s)
My approach:
I initially set up to do a Social Media Audit by using some online free tools. However, that got into a bit of issue as becoming an ‘Admin’ or getting passwords took some time. In any case, I decided to do a ‘Content Audit’ and by that I realised that they were not posting regularly and it was not eye-catching with relevant hashtags, etc.
Over the two month period I worked with Jan, we set out to post frequently using online tools like Infogr which has some amazing stickers. Since this is a site which looks at getting funds for Veterans for Dental care. I was able to dig into Infogr and find a lot of useful eye catching stickers.
Source: Infogr
As you can see from the chart below, engagements have since shot up and increased over the past one-month. My focus was simple. I first analysed what was not being done. In this case, I realised that content needed to be visual and get the followers attention while remaining relevant to the brand’s main purpose.
Some of the areas I worked on included:
Making the facebook a non-profit page Helping set-up an account with Canva for Non-profits. Helping use fb business suite and how to cross post Use of relevant hashtags on Instagram Connecting with journalists in USA who cover this area Tagging influencers on posts Training on how to use fb/Instagram on Mobile Verifying the Instagram handle (Pending verification)
Overall, it has been a very nice experience. Jan is very nice to work with and open to feedback and suggestions and that makes a lot of difference.
Catchafire has some cool projects to work on and I highly recommend signing up with them
#Onwards&Upwards
Read the impact story here. | https://medium.com/@sanjit-oberai/my-work-as-a-social-media-volunteer-for-smiles-for-veterans-8426d224fad | [] | 2020-12-15 18:33:24.731000+00:00 | ['Veterans', 'Catchafire', 'Content Strategy', 'Volunteering'] |
Discovering The Artist Ugo Mochi | Ugo Mochi 1889–1977
“The Poet of Shadows”
It is difficult to separate an artist’s work from the time in which they lived. Circumstances and events impact all of our lives. Who we are, and what we achieve, often depends on our ability to adapt to what is beyond our control; to adapt without losing sight of ourselves. This is the human experience. It is familiar and it resonates because it is as true now as it has ever been. Today, the sudden change, the instability, and the pandemic that continues to sweep through our world will deeply impact our lives and our choices moving forward.
More than 130 years ago when my father, the artist Ugo Mochi (mōKē), was born, World War I and the Spanish Flu were still a quarter-century in the future. Italy was in a state of extreme social and political unrest. This is a story of the life of a young boy who lived through those perilous times; how he persevered and went on to live a full and creatively rich life.
His story begins in the magnificent city of Florence, Italy. Ugo Mochi was born into a large family of comfortable means in the year 1889. As a young boy of six, Ugo endlessly observed the streets of his neighborhood. He studied horses, carriages, and people going through the motions of everyday Italian life.
One of the paper cutouts made with a pair of scissors by Ugo Mochi at age 6.
With few tools to use, he took scissors and paper and cut out all he saw. His many cutouts were his toys. Who would think that one day this very young boy would become known and admired around the world for his beautiful paper cut artworks?
Sculpture created by Ugo Mochi, then a 14 year old student of the Academy of Fine Arts Florence.
At the age of 10 Ugo’s parents, recognizing his talent, enrolled him in the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. He would study there for the next five years. His life was perfect. He aspired to be a famous sculptor and, if things had gone as planned, he might have been. Tragically, at the age of only 15, Ugo’s father was killed, and shortly after, his mother died. The sudden and unexpected death of both his parents left Ugo and his six siblings orphans.
Soon after, Ugo was sent to Bergamo to work at a commercial design studio to support himself. Despite his age and limited experience, his talent allowed him to rise rapidly in the company, but his heart was not in it. Still grieving the loss of his parents, he was unhappy, heartbroken, and alone. He longed for his family. His older brother, an engineering student, advised him to leave Bergamo and join him in Milan. Still a teenager, he earned money doing design work for other students and took voice lessons in hopes of becoming a singer.
In 1909, he traveled to Berlin with ambitions of attending the Conservatory. Though he lived a very unsettled life, Ugo was never without his sketchbook, pencil, and knife. Alone in a foreign country, they came in handy. When he first arrived, he spoke no German and often drew pictures to be understood. When necessary, he would sleep on park benches and literally, sing for his supper.
On one such occasion, singing in a popular restaurant, he met individuals from the local arts community and their well-connected patrons. They became interested in the artistic talents of this very handsome and elegant young man. That chance encounter led Ugo to introductions to the right people and before long he received a scholarship and was enrolled in the Berlin Art Academy studying under one of Germany’s most famous master sculptors, August Gaul.
Portrait of June Skelton, Ugo Mochi’s first wife.
Just three years later, love would change his life. In 1912 Ugo married a young American woman named June Skelton. She had traveled abroad to study voice under the renowned opera singer, Frieda Hemple. Pre-war Berlin had a vibrant arts community, and it was an exciting place to be.
Self-portrait of the artist, Ugo Mochi.
Ugo and his bride intended to remain there to pursue their careers. Ugo would spend much of his time watching, studying, and recording all he saw on the bustling streets of Berlin. He produced a series of postcards of his street scenes and earned commissions for family portraits. Ugo’s portrait works were in great demand, and all of them in his original style of the paper outline.
While in Berlin, his fascination with animals often drew him to the Berlin Zoo. He would spend long hours observing and sketching. Ugo carefully studied the unique form and movement of each animal. He devoted countless hours to mastering the anatomy and form of each majestic creature.
In the summer of 1914, World War I brought widespread death and destruction to millions. Only a few years later the Spanish Flu of 1918 would kill over 50 million more. As with all of Europe, this was a time of great hardship and uncertainty for Ugo and his wife.
As an Italian citizen residing in Berlin, Ugo was a civil prisoner. For four years Ugo and June had a curfew imposed on them from 7pm to 7am. Throughout the war, he was obliged to report daily to the authorities on the other side of Berlin.
By the second half of the war food shortages, rationing and extreme social unrest made that daily exercise more arduous and more dangerous. When it was finally over, the violence and privation of war were followed by the chaos of occupation and influenza. It was only because Ugo had carefully preserved all important documents that they were allowed to leave Germany.
Ugo was eager to return to Italy and Milan would be their destination. After the devastation of six years of war and disease, people were longing for peace and some semblance of normal life. They needed to put it all behind them. Ugo was welcomed back to his home country and his artwork was admired and very much in demand. He was once again hopeful.
While in Berlin, Ugo had produced a sizable body of work. Even during the war years, he never stopped working for clients and himself. It wasn’t long before he had an exhibit outside of Milan, followed by the publication of his first book of animals.
A small sample of the commissioned artwork for Campari.
He began an extensive commission of more than 200 images for Campari in the early to mid-1920s. Today, 45 of these original works are still on display at the museum, Galleria Campari in Milan. Like his pre-war Berlin works, they reflect the culture as well as the mood of that time and place.
One of a series of silk work panels from the Life of Marsilio Ficino, (Lorenzo the Magnificent’ on a Falcon Hunt.)
June’s singing career was going well, and the couple often performed together. Ugo was talented, he had a fine voice and enjoyed singing. While June was scheduling singing engagements, Ugo was hard at work on several commissions. Notably one for a Florentine villa: 23 multi-colored silk panels depicting the life of a famous Renaissance Humanist, Marsilio Ficino. Consider that these complex illustrations filled with action and emotion were each cut from single sheets of black paper. The richly colored silk was then placed like stained glass behind the outline. The only place this collection (Marsilio Ficino Silks) can be viewed is digitally on the Ugo Mochi official website, ugomochi.com.
Prince Albert, Duke of York & Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, (King George VI & Queen Elizabeth.)
His portrait work was an important part of his portfolio, and he was a tireless chronicler of the artists, writers, and musicians of his acquaintance. The couple spent the summers of 1922–1924, in London for concerts and singing engagements. Between engagements, Ugo was busy making posters for the Underground Railroad, working on portraits of famous British personalities, and creating small circular silk work scenes to adorn the Royal Suite at Claridge’s.
During one such summer, in 1923, Ugo had also arranged for an exhibit of his artwork. The exhibition was to be held in the home of a wealthy antiquarian, a Mr. Piazanni. The guest list was made up of wealthy and influential people including royalty. It was at this exhibition that one of his pieces was purchased for Windsor Castle.
Ugo’s showing had been a great success and for him, this was a life-changing event. In an excerpt from his journal, he states:
“By pure chance, while my wife was on tour in London and other parts of
England, I met a friend, the Milan correspondent of the ‘Corriere della Sera,’
Guilio Confalonieri. Upon his request and that of a London antiquary,
I organized an exhibit of a large number of my works, except sculpture. The great coverage given this exhibit by the whole London press succeeded in arousing great interest and set in motion other linotypes in Europe and in America. When I returned home, I was interviewed by an agent of Pathe News of New York.”
The news traveled to America, the story of Ugo Mochi and his incredible artwork was played on Pathe News in theaters and a large article appeared in The Herald Tribune in New York.
It was such a great success that it was then and there that he decided to devote the rest of his life to his art, which he called “The Art of Outline.” He continued to live and work in Pallanza, outside of Milan through March 1928, when he traveled to America to join June in New York.
The “Peacock Window” at the St. Regis Hotel 1928.
The year 1928 marks Ugo’s first work in America, large silk work panels for the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. The “Peacock Window” was installed in the newly renovated dining room in November. At the time, the work was valued at $100,000. Ugo’s career was promising; he received many commissions for similar works.
It appeared as though their struggle was behind them, but once more Ugo was to suffer a great loss. Just days after the St. Regis unveiling, his beloved wife June died suddenly. Again, he found himself alone, in a foreign country, and with limited knowledge of the language.
Both instinct and experience had taught him that when you’re down if you don’t get up quickly you may not get up at all. I know my father felt his losses and disappointments deeply. In his life, there were enough periods of great happiness and artistic satisfaction to propel him forward. He had tremendous faith, tenacity, and an inability to remain idle.
He was in New York with commissions in hand, he believed his career would continue to progress. In time, Ugo would remarry and happily start a family.
Few were prepared for what occurred in the months ahead. The Great Depression of 1929 lasted throughout the 1930s. The next 10 years would again find Ugo adapting to survive. His commissions had fallen through, as much of the construction was halted. Nearly half of the country’s banks had failed. There were millions out of work and in despair.
Seeking work again, Ugo made the rounds with his portfolio. Canvassing publishers for illustration work, and random companies that might need letterhead or ads for print. He even visited retail stores that might want creative window displays. He was one of many artists who turned to commercial work in the 30s. Ugo did find work, including series of illustrations for national magazines, and advertisements for Texaco and Cunard Lines.
An example of one of Mochi’s paper sculptures used for displays.
Ugo took any work that came his way. His years of training, his versatility, and his distinctive style brought work his way. Talent and creativity brought his images to life. The subject matter may have changed but the technique remained the same.
World War II presented another period of great change, more death and destruction around the world. With the war effort, shortages of material and rationing made it difficult for department stores to create window displays. Always creative and resourceful Ugo constructed three-dimensional paper sculptures to make captivating window displays in department stores all around the country, including in New York City.
Between commissions, Ugo worked on his “pet projects” like his animal collection, his musician portraits and his transportation collection.
The portraits of First Ladies: Martha Washington, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, and Helen Herron Taft.
In 1943, Ugo received a commission for “The First Ladies of the White House” to be included in an encyclopedia. There are 32 works depicting America’s First Ladies in their inaugural gowns from Martha Washington to Eleanor Roosevelt. The extensive research and work took three years to complete. This was to be one of his proudest accomplishments. Today the original pieces are at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.
His last large installation was 14 two-foot by eight-foot backlit panels created for the American Museum of Natural History depicting animals from different parts of the world and different periods in time.
When considering the volume and variety of his work also consider the time he spent thoroughly researching his subjects to ensure both anatomical and historical accuracy. Numerous drawings preceded any use of his lithographer’s knife. Today the ability for contemporary artists to easily access and manipulate digital imagery, it’s a wonder to observe what the human imagination and the human hand can produce.
The Greater Kudu, from “Hoofed Mammals of the World” (Ugo Mochi and T. Donald Carter.)
The artist would spend the last 25 years of his life devoted to portraying the animal kingdom in all its splendor and diversity. Carving out their forms with his knife, he enabled the viewer to feel the strength and power of the elephants and lions while capturing the graceful agility of the antelope and the grandeur of the great stag. These are his most sculptural works, portraying animals running toward you or running into the forests. Books on hoofed mammals, African wildlife, zebras, giraffes, and horses. He worked in close collaboration with the esteemed author Dorcas MacClintock. Ugo Mochi published ten beautifully illustrated books (two of his books were published posthumously.)
Over an archway, in his studio, there was a motto that Dad had hung on the wall: “The Most Important Moment in Your Life Is Right Now.”
It was more than just a saying to him; it was his ethos — the principle he lived his life by. We and generations to come are the beneficiaries of that zeal. It inspired him to create countless works of art, over the course of a long and very well-spent life.
One afternoon in late summer, while hard at work in his studio, Ugo suffered a fatal attack. He was 88 years old.
Ugo Mochi left behind a vast body of work, he was incredibly prolific. He chose a medium that allowed him to continue to work without regard to where his travels took him, or how lean his circumstance became. He needed only paper, pencil, knife, and a sharpening stone to produce the most extraordinary artworks. When you think of how much art was lost or destroyed during times of war and great turmoil, we can be grateful that he was able to carry so much of his work with him.
He chose a medium that was close to forgotten, that of the art of outline. In his many lectures, Mochi traced it back to the early outline cave drawings, and to the Greek vases; citing many other outlines and cut works through history. The silhouette was a part of that long and varied history, particularly in the 1700s and early-1800s.
Why is Ugo Mochi’s work important and worthy of wider exposure and appreciation? Let me quote what a writer expressed in an article written after viewing his exhibit.
“To make a shadow portrait is one thing and comparatively simple, but to take a sheet of black paper and work it into a piece portraying life, motion, light, shadow and perspective is something else — art in its higher expression…”
Ugo Mochi changed the way we look at outline art. Expanding all of its possibilities. This flat seemingly simple medium is transformed in the hand of a trained sculptor. It is lifted to a fine art.
An article printed many years ago in the Washington Post about the artist put it this way:
“The world needs to know about the very pure artists who produce from a vital born urge, from the necessity of self-expression, and whose creation if offered in secret to some unknown and passionate ideal. We are those who loose from ignoring their art — not they.”
During one of Mochi’s exhibitions, the museum’s director turned to me, while looking at an ornate coach, and observing the passengers with such life-like gestures and said, “One could almost hear what they were saying”.
There's no better time than this to reintroduce Ugo Mochi’s magnificent artwork and have it seen through fresh eyes. Since his death, there have been more than a dozen exhibitions of his work. The last one-man exhibition was in 2003, close to 20 years ago. In 2018, a group of his selected works was included in “The Art of Campari” an exhibit at the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in London.
The creativity of man’s endeavors is always of interest to people. Ugo Mochi’s works are in permanent collections of the: Metropolitan Museum of Art,
American Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Berlin Museum of Natural History, Windsor Castle, London Transportation Museum, Clark Institute, Galleria Campari, and the National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame.
Quotes from the artist:
“I was able to communicate with the simplest of tools.”
“This (met) with such success that slowly it became my expression through which my personality was undeniably recognized.”
‘What has given this work a special character is my pure sense of form being myself a sculptor not a painter.”
Capturing life in motion, catching a moment in time, the form, the gesture, that was my father’s special gift. It is for the viewer to enjoy and ponder more than the line alone presents.
Words can never take the place of the real thing. Our family has shared a diverse selection of his work online. Currently, the website, ugomochi.com, is the only place for the public to view the life and collective works of this extraordinary artist.
Feast yourself on the artwork and enjoy. | https://medium.com/the-art-of-outline/discovering-the-artist-ugo-mochi-f8caa20cc3ae | ['Jeanne Mochi'] | 2021-06-28 02:30:34.375000+00:00 | ['Ugo Mochi', 'Art History', 'Italian Artists', 'Art', '20th Century Art'] |
Comedy of Errors #3: Walking Away From Maternity Benefits When the Wife Is Pregnant | Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
Comedy of Errors #3: Walking Away From Maternity Benefits When the Wife Is Pregnant
It’s hard to go to work when you feel you are failing at your job.
Most people lose their employee health benefits as the result of a layoff. I walked away from mine and at the worst time — my wife was six months pregnant.
I didn’t like my work
Young, inexperienced, and impatient, I didn’t enjoy the life insurance sales job that provided the health benefits, because I felt I wasn’t any good at it. My regional manager accompanied me on sales presentations then critiqued them afterward. I did everything wrong on every presentation. At least, that’s what I heard.
It’s tough to continue to show up at the office when you think you are a failure. Each day on the job confirmed my belief as I fell farther behind on my sales quota. My employer expected me to work nights and weekends. That didn’t help my attitude, either.
I thought termination was imminent
I was sure the company would fire me as it became apparent that I couldn’t cut it. It was just a matter of time. So I applied for a position as an advertising salesperson for a small, weekly newspaper. My goal was to become a writer one day. What better job than to work for a newspaper, even if my work involved the business side of the paper rather than the editorial side? I figured the editorial staff would get to know me, and it would lead, somehow, to an opportunity to write for them. That was my pipe dream.
The owner of the paper offered me the advertising sales job, and I accepted it. That same day, I resigned my insurance sales position. My boss seemed puzzled by my desire to leave the life insurance business and expressed regret at my decision. This surprised me; he should have been relieved to get rid of such a poor performer. I turned in my office key and sales materials and that was that.
New job, no health benefits
The new job didn’t offer any benefits other than a weekly gas allowance and regular hours of work, 8 to 5. My base pay equaled my salary as a life insurance salesperson. I also earned commissions, which allowed me to increase my take home pay.
To be honest, I don’t remember if I gave any consideration to the effect my decision to change jobs would have on my health insurance coverage. I never inquired about it. If I considered it at all, I assumed we would still be covered since my wife had become pregnant during my time of employment. Only after I left the insurance company did I discover that maternity coverage would not extend beyond my termination date.
The high price of impatience
So there I was with a new job, no health insurance, no savings, a house I’d be closing on in two weeks, and a six-months pregnant wife. But I got what I wanted. The new job fit me better. I liked the work schedule and preferred calling on businesses rather than individuals. I had high hopes for success, but it came at a heavy price.
The doctor and hospital bills totaled $1,500. This happened in 1975 when I made $600 per month. Only the doctor got paid, and only because he demanded payment in advance. The hospital allowed me to pay them in installments of $25 per month, of which I paid none. After a year, they referred the debt to a local law firm for collection.
Lessons learned
What did I learn from this experience?
Never quit a job with maternity benefits when my wife is pregnant. I should have stuck it out for the remaining three months of her term. The insurance would have covered most of the expense. Make sure I understand my benefits and the effect termination will have on them before I quit a job, not after. Communicate with my employer about my job performance when I am in doubt about it. I misread my manager’s opinion of my progress and my potential. Supervisors give constructive criticism to employees who show a capacity for improvement and eventual success. Employers don’t waste time grooming failures. I misunderstood the criticism I received from my regional manager. The responsibility to provide for my family comes before job satisfaction. If working at a job I don’t like is necessary to support my family, that is what I need to do until I can change jobs without putting the household finances in jeopardy.
Couldn’t I have avoided this mistake by asking for advice from someone I trusted? Possibly, but why seek counsel when I thought I knew it all? I had to find out the hard way that I didn’t. I learned the lessons of my mistakes and matured in the process, but it was an expensive education, both financially and emotionally. | https://medium.com/an-idea/comedy-of-errors-3-walking-away-from-maternity-benefits-when-the-wife-is-pregnant-a9f079c98d85 | ['K.C. Knouse'] | 2020-11-07 15:23:48.990000+00:00 | ['Employment', 'Money', 'Maternity', 'Personal Finance', 'Benefits'] |
Software Engineering Fundamentals | You submit your first pull request. The head developer takes a look at your code and starts sweating and going into melt-down mode. He’s 20 seconds into reviewing your work and has seen some basic rookie errors. Not a great look!
Don’t panic, all is not lost. Here are a few things you can do to impress the senior developers on your team:
No Comments
Comments can sometimes be misleading, they don’t always do a great job of explaining behavior. A better option would be to improve naming so that your code explains itself. If your code has the correct naming, comments are no longer needed.
David Heinemeier Hansson, the creator of Ruby on Rails, had this to say about the importance of naming:
“One of the real delights of programming is picking great variable, method, and class names. But an even greater treat is when you can name pairs, or even whole narratives, that fit right.”
No Inline Styles
You should not be using any inline styling. Here are a few reasons why it’s such a rookie move to add inline styling:
Maintainability — It makes your code hard to maintain. You will not remember why you wrote your CSS inline 2 months from now. Even if you’re working solo and think you know the project well. Modular Design — It’s good practice to separate your markup and presentation. It makes the design easier to maintain. It also allows various developers to work on the same design without too much overlap. Shareable Code — It’s easier to share the styling rules on a project. It’s harder to track down code when it’s used in another area. And worse, you may not remember that it’s used elsewhere. Easier to Understand — This is especially true if you’re not looking at code you wrote. A new developer will find it easier to understand if it is not inlined all over the place. Specificity Issues — Tracking down specificity issues becomes so much harder. You’ll have to check a few different places to see why your changes are not getting implemented.
Proper Indentation
Indentation helps to convey a better structure of a program to the readers. Indentation is especially important when using Haml in Ruby. There are no closing tags, div wrapping is all based on indentation.
Proper code indentation will give you a lot of ‘brownie points’ with senior developers. It will also make your code easier to read, understand, and maintain.
Proper use of semantic HTML tags
Semantic markup HTML tags tell browsers something about the contents of the element. In semantic markup, tags are not only a way to get content shown on a site in a human-readable format. The tags themselves become a way to tell the browser something about the meaning of the content.
Properly Sized Commit Messages
Git has recommended that you keep your commit messages to 72 characters. This will ensure there is room to indent text and keep everything under 80 characters.
Thoughtful Commit Messages
Effective commit messages help “future you” understand why certain changes were made. They also simplify the debugging process. You don’t have to review hundreds of commits to discover where a problem is.
Close Unused Programs
It removes distractions and reduced cognitive load. It’s setting the stage for you to do your best work. It’s also better for the performance of your computer.
Limit Your Time
Limit the time you spend on a problem. Rather than dumping endless hours into it, set an amount of time you’ll continue trying. If you have still not found a solution, take a step back. | https://medium.com/polar-notion/software-engineering-fundamentals-a72648123c6 | ['Kevin Meldau'] | 2019-08-20 17:01:03.187000+00:00 | ['Programming', 'Front End Development', 'Software Development', 'Full Stack Developer', 'Web Development'] |
What is the difference between the image format PNG-8 and PNG-24, and what are the advantages and disadvantages? | PNG, JPEG, and GIF are the three most commonly used image formats in daily contact. Almost all pictures on Internet pages are in these three formats. Dynamic images use GIF, and static images use PNG and JPEG.
Previous article “What are the differences between PNG, GIF, and JPEG image formats, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
Introduced the difference between PNG image format and JPGE and GIF, their advantages and disadvantages, and the types of images suitable for storage. Now let’s talk about the PNG format in detail.
When using software such as Photoshop to save the PNG format, you may find that PNG is also divided into PNG-8 and PNG-24. What is the difference between these two formats?
Overall, PNG-8 and PNG-24 have the following three differences.
1. The number of indexes and stored color values are different
The 8 and 24 numbers behind PNG mean the maximum color values that can be indexed and stored in this format.
PNG-8 means to store up to 256 colors, which is 2⁸ = 256, 2 to the 8th power.
PNG-24 means to store up to 16 million colors, that is, 2²⁴ = 16 777216 colors, which is 2 to the 8th power.
2. Different transparency
PNG-8, like the GIF format, only supports a 1-bit Boolean transparency channel. The edges of the transparent and opaque areas of the picture are relatively rigid and do not support translucent effects.
PNG-24 supports the alpha translucent transition effect, that is, it can perfectly present the gradient transition from opaque to completely transparent.
3. The compression rate is different
So when storing PNG images, how should I choose PNG-8 or PNG-24?
A picture with a single color is suitable for storage in the PNG-8 format. Under the premise of lossless compression, the file can be losslessly compressed to the minimum without any impact on the definition.
The actual test found that the same picture, PNG-8 format has a greater compression rate than GIF. In addition, the number of colors can be set as small as possible without affecting the effect of the picture, so that the file will be smaller.
Compared to PNG-8, PNG-24 stores larger files. When storing photographic photos, with the same visual effects, PNG-24 files are much larger than JPEG. Therefore, PNG-24 is not suitable for storing photos and other pictures with more colors and rich details. It is mostly used to store pictures that need to preserve transparency and single color. For example, LOGO, picture watermark, and other files should be stored in PNG-24. | https://medium.com/@samymarboy/what-is-the-difference-between-the-image-format-png-8-and-png-24-and-what-are-the-advantages-and-67c9a0dcdd65 | [] | 2020-12-26 14:22:37.206000+00:00 | ['Jpeg', 'Photoshop', 'Image', 'Png'] |
Parent Hack №1 — get someone to do it for you | So you’re a first-time parent. In preparation for this joyous, yet all encompassing journey you were just about to embark on, you bid farewell to getting a good night’s sleep, you were ready to battle it out with the feeding struggles, and you prepared yourself mentally for the persistent fear of having no idea what you are doing.
You were also given fair warning about how expensive it is to have a kid. But how are you supposed to know how much everything REALLY costs if you haven’t done it before? Add it to the list of questions categorised under “is this normal?”.
You probably spend hours, days, maybe even weeks on end furiously Googling how much a baby costs, what do you need to buy, what’s the cheapest way to buy it, when do you need to buy it, etc. etc. Or maybe, you are too focused on preparing for how to actually be a parent (to address the above mentioned fear) that it didn’t even occur to you to budget for a baby (which is, let’s be honest, is probably the most likely scenario, for most people).
If you’ve been lucky, maybe your friends have already had a baby, and shared an Excel spreadsheet with you detailing exactly what you need. But what if you don’t have Microsoft Excel?? What even is Excel? So many barriers, so little time.
Well, have no fear — StorkCard has your back.
StorkCard has distilled all of this information into one easy to use, fully customisable baby budget into the app. All you have to do is enter the baby’s due date / date of birth, how much you’ve already put aside for the baby and the app will do the rest for you.
Your baby budget uses artificial intelligence to tell you what you need to buy, when you need to buy it and how much it should cost on average on a personalised basis, just for you!
It has three different views, so that you can choose the view that you are most comfortable with, be it in a chart by months, by categories or by key milestones.
It also shows you how much you could potentially save with StorkCard’s discounts (another blog upcoming for this — watch this space!).
StorkCard provides the basis for a budget, and you can mark individual items as purchased, or edit the name, quantity, and price, or even delete the whole thing if it doesn’t float your boat.
Once your child becomes a little older, and it’s time to face that childcare cliff, you have the option to add it to your budget and it’s super smart as you can even choose the type of childcare you want and how much of it you need.
And this is just the first version of the budget. The masterminds behind StorkCard are working hard on releasing even more useful features of the budget including (but not restricted to): | https://medium.com/storkcard/parent-hack-1-get-someone-to-do-it-for-you-2547ebc42eca | ['Sally Stork'] | 2020-08-19 16:49:31.327000+00:00 | ['Lifehacks', 'Parenting', 'Baby', 'Budget', 'Fintech'] |
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