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Surfing the Sun | Surfing the Sun
A day in the life of two surfers in the year 2525
Image public domain, courtesy of comicbookplus.com, modified from original.
“Dude, is that a MaxiX suit?” Joaquin asked.
“Yup.”
“I totally like the way the reds and oranges float on the fabric, blending with the yellow. You look like the sun!” Joaquin raised his palm for a high-five.
“That’s the idea,” Mark said.
“Not me. I want to stand out. For the long range scope pics and all.” Joaquin tugged on his sleeve. “That’s why I chose turquoise. Same as my board. I want to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I’ll be a babe magnet.”
“You wish.”
“I do!”
The pilot’s voice interrupted them. “Joaquin Davidos, Mark Xu — you’re up. Confirm status.”
Mark crooked his arm ninety degrees and noted the readout on the arm display: life support, heat shield, EM protection, anti-gravity regulator, radiation guard — all in the green. Power supply, oxygen, and coolant at 100 percent.
He gave a thumbs up.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6,…
At five, Mark pushed the initiate button. A shimmering silvery light encased him. Mark glanced at Joaquin, who had activated his shield, too. The five millimeters of space between his skin and the force field pressurized.
4, 3, 2, 1…
Mark tucked his surfboard with the great wave of Kanagawa painted on top securely under his arm just before he was sucked into the vacuum of space. Mark shot to the solar flare on the left, while Joaquin whipped to the one on the right.
When he reached the flare’s crest, Mark released his board and somersaulted, his feet landing dead center on the deck. He rode the brilliant plasma toward the sun’s surface, gravity accelerating him. A furious fire roiled Mark’s board, threatening to topple him, but that was part of the fun. Mark’s arm monitor reported a milestone, .1 lightspeed.
“Wow wow!”
High-energy electrons sparked blue and green as they bounced off his shield.
He bent at the knees, his leg muscles twitching in a thousand directions for balance. The yellow glow of nuclear fusion filled his horizon. In the distance, black sunspots drifted like whales sunning in the ocean. Mark extended his arms and let loose a string of nonstop yelps of excitement. He flexed his fingertips, his hands making shadow puppets that danced across the planets.
Mark hit the bottom of the flare at .16 lightspeed. He twisted his legs and spun the surfboard one hundred eighty degrees, jumped and rejoined the board, momentum propelling his return trip to the flare’s peak.
He flew off the flare into space. The ship’s gravitational beam pulled him back on board.
The pilot’s voice boomed through the passenger compartment, sounding a note of irritation. “Your surf buddy caught a rogue flare.”
“He what?”
“Yeah. He’s orbiting Mercury, so we gotta make a detour before heading back to Earth.” He snorted. “Joaquin’s fine, which is good because if he got lost or killed, my premiums would skyrocket.”
“I’m glad he’s okay.”
“I’m gonna have to charge you for extra fuel, though.” | https://medium.com/sci-fi-shorts/surfing-the-sun-343cec3e8354 | ['Bill Adler'] | 2020-12-14 14:02:32.087000+00:00 | ['Surfing', 'SciFi', 'Fiction', 'Science Fiction', 'Short Story'] |
No Rules Rules (Erin Meyer & Reed Hastings) | No Rules Rules (Erin Meyer & Reed Hastings)
For the longest time, I never really understood the whole conversation around company “culture”. An excellent definition of culture that comes in handy is “culture is just behavior” and “culture should inform how employees should behave” as Tim Brady puts it in this YC lesson. No Rules Rules goes on to explain how company culture can build or break companies.
My top 3 learnings from the book:
Lead with context or lead with control? For scenarios where the objective of a task is error elimination, leading with control is the preferred way. On the other hand, when an organization is striving for creative breakthroughs (in product development, sales or whatever it be), leading with control can become the company’s death warrant — it can cripple ideas. In such circumstances, it is important to not tell your people what to do but to tell them why they are doing instead, giving them the context to dream big and think differently. Every person is responsible for telling what they think to their colleagues especially if that feedback is in the larger interest of the organization. However, at times we hold back for the fear of coming across as “jerks” or we may actually go over board and become “jerks”. There is a careful line that needs to be treaded and that’s where the 4-A Feedback guidelines becomes a cheat sheet for giving and receiving feedback. Every feedback that is given should be given with the “Aim to assist” and be “Actionable”. Every person who receives feedback should be “Appreciative” of receiving the feedback without getting defensive, and realize they it’s entirely up to them to “Accept or discard” the feedback. A bonus fifth “A” is “Adapt” — different cultures treat feedback differently and hence one needs to be cognizant of the background of the individuals at the receiving end of the feedback. After all, the purpose of giving feedback is to not show you can — it has a purpose. Company is a professional sports team — not a family. A company is oftentimes referred to as family — the problem with this mindset is it can lead to “freeloaders”. Thinking of a company as a competitive sports team on the other hand, can push people to perform while reminding them that a few bad outings can result in them being benched. There is an element of pressure that comes with it — but when channeled properly, that pressure translates to performance.
WARNING: We need to realize that just because some of techniques worked at Netflix does not mean it will work at our organizations. I would be careful enough to think through how to contextualize what Reed and Erin share in this book before applying them.
Now, to answer the question on should we install a dozen traffic lights at l’Etoile?
How Parisians successfully maneuver the “l’Etoile” — the massive traffic circle around the L’Arc de Triomphe can be an enigma to the outsiders prompting suggestions like installing a dozen traffic signals. But as Erin points out, such signals will remove flexibility it accords its citizens helping them get from Point A to B in the shortest time in a crowded city like Paris. The city has decided to rule with context and it seems to work!
Read this book if you are looking to learn how a methodically built culture of “Freedom and Responsibility” shaped the success of an organization. | https://medium.com/@vishalgan/no-rules-rules-erin-meyer-reed-hastings-8b18d7f2ab30 | ['Vishal Ganesan'] | 2020-12-26 02:41:15.902000+00:00 | ['Culture', 'Book Recommendations', 'Books'] |
Announcing Hasura 2.0.0-beta.2 | With beta.1 available for about two weeks, and an immense amount of helpful feedback from our community, we are pleased to continue our march towards 2.0 final with the release of 2.0.0-beta.2.
What is a ‘beta’?
Let us explain what a ‘beta’ is to Hasura.
At its simplest, when a release achieves beta it means:
The code is feature frozen and no more features will be added (unless absolutely necessary)
All breaking changes are incorporated, documented in prior release notes (or addressed), and there will not be more surprises to come
The code is in a state to undergo final performance & security review
This does not, by any means, mean that the value of our community is limited to alpha stages. In fact, now is the perfect time to test the beta releases and give us your feedback as we move towards the 2.0 stable release.
A Summary of Releases
As mentioned in recent release posts, we have historically announced our releases via Discord and updates to the GitHub release page. As adoption continues to increase, we believe this is insufficient for the future.
To that end, we will begin to blog for each release so that you can track releases via blog, twitter (@HasuraHQ), Discord, and the Github Release page. In these posts, we will highlight a few specific elements of each release, but the exhaustive list of features and improvements is always in the changelog.
Overview
While we continue squashing final bugs in datasources (i.e. BigQuery) and the server, much of this release has been focused on console functionality. This includes:
Adding foreign key CRUD functionality to the MS SQL Server tables
Allowing the tracking of custom SQL functions having composite type (rowtype) input arguments
Allowing input object presets in remote schema permissions
These are, of course, just the highlights. All other fixes are included in the changelog.
Conclusion
Please use the docker target `hasura/graphql-engine:v2.0.0-beta.2`, try it out, let us know what works and what needs improvement. You can find us on Twitter (@HasuraHQ) and in Github. For ad-hoc conversation, feel free to join us on the Hasura Community Discord.
And, if you want to get started now with the latest stable release, check out the deployment simplicity of Hasura Cloud.
If you want to begin your upgrade journey with 2.0, and want to learn a bit more about how Hasura is being used in the enterprise, do feel free to contact us to set up a call with our solutions team.
Previous Posts
For previous release announcements in the 2.x series, please review: | https://medium.com/@hasurahq/announcing-hasura-2-0-0-beta-2-648bf319c70f | [] | 2021-06-17 13:18:40.237000+00:00 | ['Hasura', 'Graphql Engine', 'Releases', 'Bigquery', 'GraphQL'] |
!!2021/𝐿𝐼𝒱𝐸⪼•”USA vs Russia(Livestream), TV channel>>>>2021 | Live Now:: https://tinyurl.com/y783azuc
Watch Live Direct: https://tinyurl.com/y783azuc
As we inch closer to Christmas and the start of the 2021 World Junior Championship (WJC), anticipation and excitement are beginning to mount. Hockey has not been on our televisions for almost three months and fans are starting to become anxious. The NHL finally has a target date of Jan 13, but before that happens, we have some junior hockey to watch.
The 2021 tournament is the 45th edition of the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship and it will take place in Alberta within the confines of the Edmonton “bubble” that was established in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. The festivities will begin on Dec 25 instead of the usual Dec 26 tradition we have grown so accustomed to and conclude with the gold-medal game on Jan 5, 2021.
How to watch World Junior Ice Hockey Championships 2020 live stream online
All of Canada’s games will be played at Edmonton’s Rogers Place. TSN owns exclusive broadcast rights for the World Junior Championship in Canada and will show every game live during the tournament across its various television channels. Canadian viewers can find a live stream for games online at TSN.ca or through the TSN app and TSN Direct.
From Thursday, December 25, 2020, to January 5th, 2021, the world’s top Ice Hockey youngsters will battle it out for the right to be called the best in the world. It’s the 14th time in the history of the championship where Canada acts as a host.
Live on Sky Sports & On-Demand on PremiumTV Get Instant Access start streaming instantly
2021 WJC Hockey Pools | World Juniors Pools
Like in years past, the lineup for the 2020–21 World Junior Championship consists of two groups of five teams. So, here’s how the groups are formed and the 2021 WJC Hockey full schedule of the tournament:
The 2021 WJC was scheduled to be played in the cities of Edmonton and Red Deer before the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the hockey world a few months ago. Now it will all happen within the same “bubble” that boasted a grand total of zero cases during the playoffs that were played in August and September. The same rules that were successful in the NHL will be replicated in the 2021 WJC.
Best ways for cord-cutter fans IIHF World Juniors 2021 Live Stream Online
The United States are clear favorites to win the tournament. They’re expected to once again be crowned IIHF World Junior Champions. For some, the World Juniors competition is even more exciting than the Winter Olympics 2021. Which team are you rooting for? Share your expectations and predictions below.
Full 2021 World Junior Championship schedule
(All times Eastern)
FRIDAY, DEC. 25
Switzerland vs. Slovakia 2 p.m. TSN3/5, NHLN
Germany vs. Finland 6 p.m. TSN3/5, NHLN
Russia vs. USA 9:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN
SATURDAY, DEC. 26
Sweden vs. Czech Republic 2 p.m. TSN1/4/5, NHLN
Germany vs. Canada 6 p.m. TSN1/4/5, NHLN
USA vs. Austria 9:30 p.m. TSN1/4/5, NHLN
SUNDAY, DEC. 27
Finland vs. Switzerland 2 p.m. TSN1/4/5, NHLN
Slovakia vs. Canada 6 p.m. TSN1/4/5, NHLN
Czech Republic vs. Russia 9:30 p.m. TSN1/4/5, NHLN
MONDAY, DEC. 28
Austria vs. Sweden 6 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Slovakia vs. Germany 9:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN
TUESDAY, DEC. 29
USA vs. Czech Republic 2 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Canada vs. Switzerland 6 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Austria vs. Russia 9:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30
Finland vs. Slovakia 2 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Switzerland vs. Germany 6 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Russia vs. Sweden 9:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN
THURSDAY, DEC. 31
Czech Republic vs. Austria 2 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Canada vs. Finland 6 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Sweden vs. USA 9:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN
SATURDAY, JAN. 2
Quarterfinal 12 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Quarterfinal 3:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Quarterfinal 7 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Quarterfinal 10:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN
MONDAY, JAN. 4
Semifinal 6 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Semifinal 9:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN
TUESDAY, JAN. 5
Bronze-medal game 5:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN
Gold-medal game 9:30 p.m. TSN, NHLN
To watch the World Juniors 2021 Game of the event in Canada, you’ll need access to either ESPN or Fox Sports 1. You can access either of these two networks with free trials to the following:
Sling TV
AT&T TV Now
Hulu with Live TV
Video
YouTube TV | https://medium.com/@amikubakara/2021-usa-vs-russia-livestream-tv-channel-2021-20a0bdbfb0bf | ['Russia Vs Usa Live'] | 2020-12-25 21:24:48.106000+00:00 | ['Hd', 'Hockey', 'USA', 'Russia', 'Live'] |
What are the symptoms of baby blues? | Pink N Blu - More than just parenting - Apps on Google Play
Pink N Blu Parenting App Pink N Blu, is the Ultimate parenting companion, an all-inclusive platform for parents. We are… | https://medium.com/@bobdumbre467/what-are-the-symptoms-of-baby-blues-675de5a311fa | ['Bob Dumbre'] | 2020-12-24 05:48:25.243000+00:00 | ['Pinknblu', 'Parenting', 'Baby', 'Health', 'Parenting Advice'] |
America is in deep pain because we have a deficit of empathy, but empathy can be learned. Hall and Leary write, “The coronavirus pandemic, racial injustice, economic insecurity, political… | Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash
America is in deep pain because we have a deficit of empathy, but empathy can be learned.
Hall and Leary write, “The coronavirus pandemic, racial injustice, economic insecurity, political polarization, misinformation, and general daily uncertainty dominate our lives.”
Empathy is what makes us human.
Research suggests that empathic people are more charitable and concerned about the welfare of others. They also are happier in their relationships and have a greater sense of well-being. Empathy is also associated with leadership and effective communication.
Empathy is an essential ingredient for forgiveness.
Take these five steps to increase your empathy: | https://medium.com/@lorenaolsonmd/america-is-in-deep-pain-because-we-have-a-deficit-of-empathy-but-empathy-is-a-skill-that-can-be-af8e957fd3cc | ['Loren A Olson Md'] | 2020-12-27 15:15:42.295000+00:00 | ['Betrayal', 'Relationships', 'Forgiveness', 'Life Lessons', 'Life'] |
English brunch with our clients: a meal for better performing product campaigns! | This article has been moved to the official blog of PPC Bee. You will get to the article by clicking on this link. | https://medium.com/ppc-bee/english-brunch-with-clients-or-a-meal-for-higher-performance-of-product-campaigns-2f2998e2c19c | ['Ppc Bee'] | 2019-06-14 10:00:25.760000+00:00 | ['Brunch', 'Event', 'Meetup', 'Clients', 'SaaS'] |
10 SIGNS YOUR HOUSE IS BEING TARGETED BY BURGLARS | Without a doubt, you have heard either on the news, on TV programs, or on films about robbers packaging a house. This term depicts the manner in which that criminals will watch a home, look for examples, and decide the best time to enter the home when the mortgage holder is a way or diverted.
Be that as it may, have you at any point asked yourself, how do criminals case a house? Having the response to that question is key in recognizing the signs that a criminal might search for a chance to get within your home. When you realize what to search for, you will have the option to find a way to deter a thief from considering getting into your home.
In this article, we will talk about the means that you can take to recognize a robber packaging your home and what steps you can take to take care of business.
Home Burglary actualities
Learning is control. The more data you have about robbers and home thefts, the better set you up will be to secure your property and your friends and family from the accursed demonstrations of deceitful people hoping to do you hurt.
10 Signs Your House Is Being Targeted by Burglars
The most ideal route for you to secure your house is to comprehend what criminals do when packaging a house. In this article we will talk about 10 signs that your house is being focused by robbers, just as the means you can take to ensure yourself.
1. You See a New Car on Your Street casing a house
On the off chance that you see a vehicle that is left on your road for an all-inclusive timeframe and you realize that it doesn’t have a place with your neighbors nor does it have a place with anybody visiting your neighbors, you reserve each privilege to be suspicious. In the event that the vehicle looks suspicious, for example, having dim tinted windows, don’t be reluctant to caution law implementation. Stationary vehicles with dull windows are one of the devices that criminals use when packaging a house and attempting to decide your everyday practice.
2. Outsiders Walking in the Street
We are in no methods revealing to you that you ought to be distrustful each time you see another person strolling on your road. In any case, after some time the vast majority know about people who live in their neighborhood. In the event that you see somebody who is attempting to give the feeling that they are strolling or running, however you can tell that they are spending an excessively huge measure of time taking a gander at your home, this should set off a warning, particularly if the individual isn’t wearing activity garments. Call law implementation. In this circumstance it is smarter to be sheltered than sorry. stunts that robbers use
3. Irregular Strangers Knocking on the Door
Perhaps the most seasoned stunt that criminals use to get into your house is to thump on the entryway saying that there is a crisis or that they basically need a glass of water. All things considered is smarter to have a video doorbell, remote video doorbell or peephole camera. Out of benevolence, you let them come into your home, yet once they’re inside, they have all the entrance they need. They can open an entryway or open a window and after that utilization it as a passage moment that you are away.
4. Uncertified Workmen
Here’s a situation. You have work done on your home by a confided in organization. The work is finished and the laborers leave. A day or two later an excluded, spontaneous worker returns saying that there was some part of the activity that should have been revamped or fixed.
This is suspicious. It may be the case that a hoodlum was coming back to your home masked as a worker believing that you weren’t home. In the first place, contact the organization that took the necessary steps for you to check whether they conveyed another fix individual. If not, contact law requirement right away.
5. Spontaneous Fundraisers or Religious Workers Unsolicited guests
Spontaneous guests may in certainty be people searching for a chance to access your home. Hoodlums search for each chance to get inside your home. It could be somebody thumps on your entryway Saturday morning to offer you Girl Scout treats, or a phony IRS specialist, or phony tree trimmers. Keep in mind, you are under no commitment to open your entryway to anybody.
Utilize your surveillance camera system to see who is outside. Snap a picture of the person. Converse with them through a radio. Make whatever strides you have to shield your home from an expert robber.
6. Somebody Takes Pictures of Your Home and Walks Away
Cell phones make it simple for individuals to take photos of your home and afterward leave whenever. Cell phones and versatile innovation are adjusting how robbers work. They are presently ready to peddle an area with only a couple of snaps. Sadly, this novel and slippery method for endeavoring to break into homes is winding up progressively prominent. You can consider buying Best PoE Security Camera System.
On the off chance that you see somebody acting like a jogger, jack of all trades, or paperboy and taking photos outside of your home or outside of your neighbor’s home, you should be cautious. This is particularly the situation on the off chance that you see the individual strolling to and fro starting with one side of the home then onto the next while taking a few photos. Advise law requirement, inform the property holders affiliation, and archive what you see. Get out your own cell phone and snap a picture. Track irregular practices in your neighborhood.
7. Thieves will stick flyers7. Stickers or Flyers
Having a lot of flyers stuck in your entryway is irritating. It can likewise be possibly perilous. Criminals will stick flyers or advertisements in homes around the road that they feel are not monitored. The flyers fill in as a warning to their associates this is a home that can be effectively broken into.
Obviously, not all flyers are a sign for robbers to come into your home. Be that as it may, to keep your home from being set apart with a bull’s-eye by would be gatecrashers, it is savvy to evacuate flyers in an auspicious way. On the off chance that you will be away for an all-encompassing timeframe, have a neighbor or a decent companion dropped by your home intermittently to check for papers and flyers and expel them.
8. Abnormal Markings on Your Home
Law requirement authorities were asked, how do thieves case a house? One amazing disclosure was that numerous robbers utilize inconspicuous markings and string signs that they place on a house, on lampposts around the house, or on the walkway.
Proficient robbers will go through an area searching for potential targets. They will at that point use things that resemble arbitrary signs or things that could be not entirely obvious to caution their kindred thieves that this house is one where individuals are away or that this house is an obvious objective.
In the event that you see unexplained markings close by your home, expel them right away.
9. Trust Your Gutstorm or the downpour as a spread
People have an uncanny capacity to tell when something isn’t right. You may take a gander at abnormal people in your neighborhood and simply feel that something is off. It may be that you see people who are restless or who are horsing around before your home.
These people may reach others in the area, and it simply doesn’t appear as though they ought to be there. It is particularly upsetting when you see these people on blustery evenings or stormy evenings since they might utilize the tempest or the downpour as a spread for their accursed exercises.
Obviously, there is no motivation to be jumpy and believe that each new individual in the area is a potential criminal. Be that as it may, there are signs that may show that your home is being watched or cased. Try not to enable the dread of being off-base to keep you from finding a way to ensure your home and property.
10. Signs Someone Is Probing Your Home
It isn’t exceptional for robbers to test a potential objective before striking. They will likely check whether anybody is home and to limit their odds of getting captured. A portion of the means that thieves take to test your home incorporate calling at various hours and afterward hanging up.
They may address your kids, inquiring as to yourself and your home. Or then again they may really attempt to go into your home. So you may see a wrecked lock or broken entryway. These are signs that something isn’t right. Converse with law authorization authorities about any suspicious action. | https://medium.com/@andrewlporter001/10-signs-your-house-is-being-targeted-by-burglars-e2de90f4493d | ['Andrew Porter'] | 2021-07-22 07:59:38.061000+00:00 | ['Security Services', 'Cctv Security Cameras', 'Cctv Camera', 'Security Camera', 'Security Systems'] |
Get It Together with GitHub | Before I could proceed any further I needed to set up an account. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was, what it was doing, what it was showing me, or even what it was showing me that I was doing. All I knew was that it was called GitHub, so I just rolled with it. After weeks of boot camp preparation, it was Day 1 at Flatiron School and we were learning about this Git/GitHub thing. Our instructor was teaching us about contributions and showed us this quaint little grid that had multiple shades of green.
Calendar of Commit Contributions
Imagine my surprise when I realized that I had been personally adding to this. Every time I finished a readme or a lab, I was generating a commit? Neat-o! (thinking, what kind of picture can I create with diligent commit contributions, haha)
It is now Phase 3 of boot camp, the workload has piled up and it’s been a heck of a roller-coaster. It’s only going to get more intense and right now the only thing I can do to prove to myself that I really care about this is develop the habit of making commits to my GitHub and showing that commitment and consistency. It’s really about organization. Files have been misplaced and thought forgotten. It’s time to get it together!
Me talking to myself
Semantics
What is a “Git”?
Git, is a type of distributed Version Control System. It is what can track the changes you make in any given file. It is considered distributed because it allows you to easily work on your local computer or laptop while collaborating with other developers and contributors for a project. And the best part is, those contributors do not even have to be on the same network to pass changes back and forth. Wouldn’t that just be tedious and annoying after a while? Git can save any change you make in a local file, and give you the ability to go push that file to a remote location and still go back to an earlier version of it, in case a new change that had already been saved was a mistake. But here’s the catch, your changes must have been committed for you to be able to revert to an earlier file version. See where I’m going with this? Let’s continue.
Ok, then what is GitHub?
GitHub is the cloud service that hosts all those files that are being changed and pushed to folder locations called Repositories. In a GitHub repo, you can track any and all committed changes made to a file to build a well developed history. | https://medium.com/@inakamno/get-it-together-with-github-17dd776276da | ['Ijeoma N. Akamnonu'] | 2020-12-08 17:56:39.773000+00:00 | ['Organization', 'Github', 'Git'] |
Earn Crypto by playing these Games on Android! | Earn Crypto by playing these Games on Android!
Blockchain gaming is a new trend that is taking over conventional games as we know it. A game on a blockchain network enables players to own assets or items in the game, mine tokens, mint assets, trade in the game, or external markets.
Since the assets in the game are tokenized they have a value based on demand, availability, and scarcity. Players can trade their in-game assets for real money or other cryptocurrencies.
Most crypto games are available to play on the web and require support software or an external wallet. While some are just like any other.
Let’s have a look at the top crypto games that are available on android deceives.
CropBytes is a Hybrid Crypto game with the Tron(TRX) wallet integrated.
It’s available on Android, iOS & Web.
CropBytes is a farming simulation game where one can be a farmer, trader, or investor. Taking up all three roles simultaneously can generate the highest returns.
It features mining and burning of crypto assets, an open market, trading, and more. The value of assets in the game depends on the market, player activity, and supply.I have been playing CropBytes for about a year and earn 12 TRX daily. In addition, my game portfolio is worth 4500 TRX.
CropBytes is highly rated in the crypto community and has 10,000 players and is growing daily. They have announced the release of their 3D version, which will be released soon.
Upcoming 3D version
0xUniverse is a space game where you build spacecraft to find new worlds and trade with other discoverers.
Extract resources, carry out ship research, and discover new places.
The gameplay is basically like a card game with enhanced graphics. Players can build (invent)their spaceship by purchasing parts or unlocking them by playing. They can also buy or discover planets. Players are charged each time they launch their rocket, It is possible that they will find a new planet or lose their ship
There are other aspects of the game which is based on the strategy
The game is not free to play and requires an initial investment to get started. This is a drawback since the other games on this list are free to play. The game requires an additional app Arkane wallet to play.
Players have a chance of earning Etherum (ETH), by selling their spaceships, items & planets to other players
image by www.cozycrypto.com
Merge cats feature the soul token which can be earned by playing the game.
It is an idle game, where points are scored even when the app is shut. A casual game, like candy crush where you merge cats to build up the level of each cat and place them on some sort of track. Higher the cat level, the more points you get for each lap.
Playing the game for a week I earned about $0.006 which sadly is very less compared to other blockchain games.
Players can earn Ethereum(ETH) and Popcoin by playing this game.
The gameplay is simple, it is similar to merge cats and candy crush, there are multiple token symbols(Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero, Ripple) in the form of balloons.
Players need to pop these balloons by combining them to earn points. Unique and larger combinations score higher points.
Their next update will add the following coins Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Stellar, Cardano, Tron, Dash, VeChain, OmiseGo, Binance Coin, Qtum, Datum, NEM, IDEX, IOTA.
You will find the apk for the above games on the Google Play Store.
Initially blockchain & crypto games focused on earning.
Whereas now we see more crypto games are shifting focus on gameplay with an added incentive of earning.
The games mentioned above enable players to earn some crypto while playing, most of them lack solid gameplay a story line & fun-to-play factor.
Although some games like CropBytes are great and give good returns over time.
The future of blockchain gaming looks bright with many mainstream game developers moving towards this format. | https://medium.com/@kevinseq/crypto-games-on-android-a3d2703ccdf3 | ['Kevin Sequeira'] | 2020-04-24 12:03:10.655000+00:00 | ['Earn Money Online', 'Android', 'Bitcoin', 'Cryptogames', 'Blockchain Game'] |
Authors at Home: 5 Questions with Aimee Liu, Glorious Boy | This week’s spotlight Q&A is with Aimee Liu, author of the new WWII historical novel, Glorious Boy, which Red Hen Press published May 12, 2020. Pico Iyer called the book “The most memorable and original novel I’ve read in ages.”
What are you currently reading, watching, listening to?
I recently finished the outstanding novel by Chigozie Obioma, The Fishermen. I’ve never read a book that weaves lore and superstition so seamlessly into plot, motivating the characters to irrational behavior that also makes perfect sense. It’s a heartbreaking and beautiful work.
I’ve just started Accidentals by Susan Gaines, the first book I’ve ever read with an ornithologist as narrator. It’s a family saga set in Uruguay, but its real focus is the linkage between politics and the environment. It’s beautifully written and intriguingly complex.
Aimee Liu in her garden
I’m also eager to plunge into the pile of new books on my bedside table, which include Jennifer Steil’s Exile Music, Kept Animals by Kate Milliken, and Coffee by Dinah Lenney.
As for watching, my husband and I recently inhaled the series Call My Agent! on Netflix. It’s a French series about a wonderfully idiosyncratic talent agency in Paris, each episode featuring a major talent, such as Isabelle Huppert or Juliette Binoche. The casting of this show is pitch perfect and the balance of soul and silliness sublime. I call it the Great COVID Escape Hatch.
Now, as we eagerly await the next season of Call My Agent! we’ve fallen back into Billions, which is as mesmerizing as rats chasing each other in a circular maze.
2. How are you spending your days in quarantine, other than writing? Cooking, exercising, reading/writing?
Because I have a new novel out, I’ve almost been too busy to notice any difference in quarantine. Most of my time has been consumed by the changes to my launch schedule, taking the book tour online, learning new social media platforms, etc. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be getting much writing done right now anyway.
I am grateful to be able to get out and walk. My release mechanism is photography. Ever since I started posting pictures on Instagram last fall, I’ve made a game of “collecting” images every day on my walks around Venice. Then at night, after dinner, I unwind by going through the pictures, selecting and tinkering with the best of them. I choose one to post almost every day and lately I’ve started titling them with a single word that reflects how I’m feeling about the pandemic. Enclosed. Absence. Beware. Transformation. I try to make the photographs look as much as possible like paintings, and I tag them #PhoPaintings or #PhotoPaintings. The best part of this is that I’ve discovered a community of writer/Instagrammers whose work I admire both on the page and onscreen. Sven Birkerts, Dinah Lenney, Sandra Tsing Loh, Janet Sternburg, and Elizabeth Rosner are all part of this magical “club” of visual and verbal alchemists.
3. What’s been the biggest challenge — and most surprising reward — for you while sheltering at home?
My answer would be very different if I didn’t have a new novel right now, but it took me 17 years to bring this book to the world, and it’s challenging, to say the least, to try to launch it without leaving my office. We were planning an extensive book tour with store readings, author lunches, book festivals, and book group visits when COVID-19 struck. Some of these have shifted online, and the good news is that geography is no obstacle to attending a virtual event. However, most of the platforms used for these events don’t allow me to see the audience, so it’s no substitute for meeting readers, signing their books as we chat, and having a human exchange. I especially miss the opportunity to catch up with old friends at readings, going out for a meal afterward, and hugging. I really miss hugging — especially hugging my sons, who live nearby but are scrupulous about social distancing.
The most surprising reward is the time spent with my husband. Even though we normally both work at home, the daily flow of errands and outings has now stopped, which means we’re together all day every day for every meal and every news flash. This has created a different rhythm to our life as we meet in the middle of our house or yard, read the paper together, walk the neighborhood together. There’s been more companionship between us as our rhythm has slowed over the past two months. This has gentled our relationship in a wonderful way. I know that all this togetherness has had the opposite effect for too many other couples, so I feel profoundly grateful that this is our experience.
4. Would you please describe Glorious Boy in one sentence?
Glorious Boy is a tale of war and devotion, longing and loss, and the power of love to prevail
when a mysteriously mute little boy goes missing on a remote Asian island amid the chaos of World War II.
5. Why do you think Glorious Boy will particularly resonate with readers during this pandemic?
Like the characters in Glorious Boy, all of us are separated from members of our families right now. We may not have lost contact with a beloved four-year-old, but we can’t visit grandparents in nursing homes, sons and daughters in distant cities. Many are stranded on the other side of the globe, officially prohibited from crossing borders or too afraid to risk traveling to rejoin loved ones. And all of us are struggling to function despite the constant specter of disaster that COVID, like war, represents. In such a situation it’s easy to become a catastrophist, believing that this is the worst of all possible times, that we’re doomed by current circumstances. So I think it’s important to read fiction that reminds us of our inherent power to prevail, especially the power that love and determination confer on us to connect and work together to overcome even obstacles that seem insurmountable in the moment.
Red Hen Press
***
Visit her website at www.aimeeliu.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AimeeLiuBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aimee_liu
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aimeeeliu/ | https://medium.com/the-reading-lists/authors-at-home-5-questions-with-aimee-liu-glorious-boy-a9def20bb21 | ['Stephanie Elliot'] | 2020-06-25 22:16:24+00:00 | ['Historical Fiction', 'Aimee Liu', 'Glorious Boy', 'The Reading Lists', 'Wwii Fiction'] |
3 Conscious Journaling Techniques to Maximize Your Personal Growth | 3 Conscious Journaling Techniques to Maximize Your Personal Growth
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” — William Wordsworth
I came across this quote when I was preparing for standardized exams a decade ago. I was stressed and unsure of where I wanted to be. Peer pressure was taking over. I didn’t know where to vent my feelings and how to notice cheerful things. A friend of mine told me to write. He emailed —
“Start off with writing anything. I said, write ANYTHING. Yes, you can actually start off with writing “ANYTHING”. Don’t worry about the topics to write on, leave that for now. Just write. Finally, after gathering enough courage, you touch the tip of the pen on the page, scratch some zig-zag lines and stop. Then you start off with writing whatever is coming to your mind. You write continuously. You do not end a sentence with a period but use commas [,] and continue writing. After writing about 3–4 lines comes your first period [.] (full stop). You realize that you were lost, and you were focusing on whatever you were writing. Congratulations, you’ve finally started off.”
And there I was. I started writing for myself. I was journaling. I could focus my attention on things that needed my focus. And I was happier, healthier, more reflective, organized and productive. I was filling papers with the breathings of my heart. Here are some journaling styles that help me become a better version of myself:
1. Bullet journaling to get more organized
What is it and how do I use it?
A form of journaling in which you can list to-dos, plans, add reflections, etc. It is flexible but planned. It comprises of sections such as month, week or day in which you can use simple annotations like bullets, dashes, crosses, and circles to code and signify different tasks.
You can personalize this journal by making these sections and annotations per your style. It is used everyday once/ twice/ongoing during the day, depending upon the content you are organizing.
For starters:
Make an index.
Ensure you have weekly/daily sections listed in the journal.
For daily checklists, you can use simple boxes to list all your tasks, a tick when you complete them, a circle to postpone it for tomorrow and a cross if you do not want to do the task anymore. You can also use emojis if that makes you smile. For ‘signifiers’ you can use !!! for high priority, !! for medium and ! low priority.
You can have a reminders section for things/dates/events you do not want to forget.
Add wish-lists — books you want to read, movies you want to watch, recipes you want to try.
Add quotes/ reflections/ lessons.
Review your work periodically.
Note: Repeat the same for weekly and monthly logs.
These checklists do not need to be work checklists. You can make two sections, professional and personal, to organise yourself better.
Why does it help?
It helps you keep a track of your work and life. Gives you peace of mind. Keeps you organized and, hence, less overwhelmed. | https://medium.com/inspired-writer/three-types-of-conscious-journaling-techniques-6190cf866aa5 | ['Purvee Chauhan'] | 2020-12-27 00:59:41.788000+00:00 | ['Personal Development', 'Productivity', 'Wellness', 'Journal', 'Mental Health'] |
I Will Always Treasure Her Smile | I Will Always Treasure Her Smile
To a dangerously ill
young Chinese woman.
I said “Li Bai”
— and you smiled.
You said “Mozart”
— and smiled again.
Through your smile
I saw your Soul.
That’s my best memory of Bangkok.
Thank you.
I will treasure your smile for my life.
This, translated, I gave to her.
And, through her pain,
she smiled and smiled.
“Hsieh-hsieh.” | https://medium.com/literally-literary/i-will-always-treasure-her-smile-f32e3a6e5975 | ['John Diamond'] | 2020-10-27 05:32:32.780000+00:00 | ['Poetry', 'Smile', 'Loss', 'Literally Literary', 'Illness'] |
An Important Venn Diagram | Sign up for Taking Stock of COVID: New comics from The Nib
By The Nib
New comics from Matt Lubchansky, Keith Knight, and Niccolo Pizarro. Plus How Seniors Are Living With COVID-19. Take a look | https://medium.com/the-nib/an-important-venn-diagram-e86d3eac1152 | ['Scott Bateman'] | 2015-07-19 17:15:18.965000+00:00 | ['2016 Election', 'Eat More Comics'] |
Is living in our modern society risky for us? | It is the morning.
We turn on the news. Boom! We are trapped into a common global narrative. “The world Is a dangerous place”. The visuals are rapid and intentional. Spoonfuls of doom and gloom are down our throats.
Isn´t the media lovely? What is in the other channels?
Bang! Now we are bombarded with information about viruses that could wipe us off the face of the earth. The threat of a third world war. The extinction of thousands of species of plants. Animals and people, trapped in their domains, desperately trying to escape the escalating violence and wars that surrounds them.
That is today, tomorrow and the next day. Rinse and repeat.
What does all this noise mean?
For Ulrich Beck (1944–2015) a brilliant contemporary sociologist, risk is the anticipation of a catastrophe and the possibility of something negative that might be happening.
In other times in history, before the development of our industrial and medical technology, humans did not socially create risks. Dangers were related to the physical world.
Some threats and risks before our times were the following:
· Disease
· Lack of enough food
· Intense physical work to achieve things without present scientific knowledge and technology
In our time, things have changed dramatically, spawning new forms of risk.
Which are the current risks for us?
· Devastation of our environment and natural resources
· Toxic food and pollution
· Threat of war and terrorism
· End of the solidarity and triumph of individualism
As we can see, both in the past and present time, humanity faced risks. Ulrich Beck defined our society as The Society of Risk. How did he come to the idea that we lived in a society of risk? He came to his conclusions on the late 80`s when the tragedy of Chernobyl had just happened.
Through his analysis he realized the risks we face nowadays are unique. What makes our society different -according to Beck- is that we create risks as an unwanted consequence of the way we live, and the structure of our social world, and he called this the Second Modernity.
We have put ourselves into risks that we created and continue to generate. If we think about it, we produce ecologic damage, put toxic substances into our food and initiate wars.
This appears to be self-destructive, but it’s crucial to remember we are not creating these consequences individually and the risks are needed for our society and economy to operate.
Military industry, health and pharmaceutical corporations, insurance companies, and lately green ecologic industries are built around risk and one human emotion: FEAR.
Concern about things that might or might not happen in the future but that govern our world as if they were facts.
As governments and the news portrait a world endangered by those risks, we fail to see other hazards and are unable to recognize what is generating them.
For example, disease, disability, ageing, unemployment, or being unable to pay a mortgage, but also global warming, are portraited as issues of personal responsibility (individual risks), rather than social problems to be addressed through collective organization.
Although many believe otherwise, truth is, lack of sufficient social welfare and pensions, poverty and loneliness, are social problems that we cannot address individually.
Proactivity, saving money, getting a good insurance, consuming organic food, working hard, writing a blog, or just having good luck won´t significantly protect you from future perils.
What really changes your prospective and gives you advantage in every possible aspect of your life are social determinants related to bigger social aspects.
Your nationality, the color of your skin, your sex/gender orientation, your level of education and the economical position of your family of origin are determinants for your future wellbeing. This has been studied and demonstrated by research, such as the one conducted by Kenneth Ferraro or Dale Dannefer, who demonstrated the importance of cumulative inequality in the life course.
We can´t face risks independently when they are created socially
Risks we fight today are created socially inside a powerful social structure, integrated by people that have the power to influence the destiny of humanity.
That is why bringing your own cloth bags into the supermarket, buying organic, becoming a vegan or working extra hours will not significantly improve your chances to live in a cleaner world, have a healthier life or enjoy a better quality of life.
Jumping into those trends both reflect and reinforce the same structure.
To say it clearly and in terms of Ulrich Beck:
In our modern society individualism and erosion of solidarities are the norm.
We feel responsible in our individuality for our small decisions. We come to the point where we question every food product we consume and divide our garbage into six different containers.
Yet we lack to see what is in front of us. The truth is in the subtext. It is in the dangers being created by a bigger structure incarnated by powerful corporations and governments who skillfully sustain a social fabric that produces the toxicity and risks that surrounds each of us.
References
Dannefer, D. (2013). Age ad Sociological Explanation: Expanding Horizons in the Study of Aging and the Life Course. Critical- Retrospective Essays, 793–800.
Ferraro, K. (2009). Aging and Cumulative Inequality: How Does Inequality Get Under the Skin. The Gerontologist, 49(3), 333–343.
Beck, U. (1992). The Risk Society: towards a new modernity, London: Sage Publishing. | https://medium.com/@dailywritings/is-living-in-our-modern-society-risky-for-us-daecf17beb1a | ['Dr. Neb'] | 2020-02-10 20:39:53.665000+00:00 | ['War', 'Risk', 'Social Welfare', 'Danger', 'Sociology'] |
THE BEST LESSONS I LEARNED FROM RICH DAD, POOR DAD | COURAGE
One of #thebestlessonsIlearnedfromichadpoordad, and that has proved the most valuable in my life since reading the book many years ago, was to have courage.
In fact, I wrote the word COURAGE on my dressing table mirror in order that every morning I would be reminded to go out with courage.
It takes enormous courage to begin anything new and to overcome the insecurities you may be feeling due to some of the things’ life throws at you.
These are some of the things’ that one needs the courage to deal with -
Loss, of a loved one, or beloved pet
Death, we all have to deal with loss, but it is not easy.
Change, in one’s circumstances, residence and financial
Fear, of the now and the unknown
Hurt
Betrayal
Illness, physical or mental
Constant pain
Financial turmoil
Self Doubt
Many of the things’ one needs to have the courage to endure and overcome are not brought on by anything you may have done but that others have caused.
This makes the need for courage so much stronger.
When you have acknowledged the need for courage and been able to take it upon yourself to change how you feel, life is so much better.
Once again you can allow yourself to grow as a person. The person you were always meant to be.
The freedom that courage gives you is unimaginable.
Whatever you want in life, the lack of courage is not holding you back.
Just go for it.
Achieve your dreams. With courage, you can do it.
Isn’t that the most wonderful thing to learn?
MINDSET
The ability you have to change your own mindset is so powerful.
There is no more time to play the blame game. What has happened to you in the past is history. Leave it behind you and move on with your life.
My Dad, when he was beginning with Dementia, realized it and he used to say, “My memory is a thing of the past.”
We had to remind him that that is exactly what memories are, things’ of past happenings.
The choice we can make is what memories we choose to remember and dwell on.
If they are the negatives in your past, they will forever hold you back from your full potential, but now that you are the one holding the power to change all that.
Recall the positive memories. These are the ones that will stir up happy emotions, will give you the freedom to move forward with the courage that you have.
It might be that you grew up in a home with little money and always had a poor mindset.
You don’t have to hold onto that belief.
Change your mindset to one of opportunity. There are so many wonderful opportunities for learning and growth.
We can grow as people of power and grace.
Trash the bad memories, leave them in the bin where they belong.
Open your heart to the exciting possibilities before you.
FINANCIAL FREEDOM
Have you found your true calling?
What did you dream of being?
Are you financially free?
So many questions to ask yourself.
What emotions these questions bring up. I now that when I read them I feel emotional.
Do you?
Robert Kiyosaki had a wonderful way of describing emotion. He says that emotion equals ENERGY IN MOTION.
Perhaps that was what was lacking if and when we didn’t succeed to achieve our dreams, we did not put the energy in motion.
To be successful in anything we attempt, we need to work at it.
Dreams are good but success is better, and to achieve the success we need to get moving, roll up our sleeves, and work.
Once you have the position you want in life,
a) Are happy in what you do,
b) Learning what you want to learn,
c) Becoming successful
THEN, DON’T FORGET THE IMPORTANCE OF -
Learning as much as we can about the things’ that matter.
It is no use achieving wealth and not having financial intelligence.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT FINDING YOUR TRUE PASSION?
DO YOU HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE YOU WILL NEED TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS?
WHAT ABOUT FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE? | https://medium.com/@jillalexadup/the-best-lessons-i-learned-from-rich-dad-poor-dad-f1754e693cd1 | ['Jill Alexa Du Preez'] | 2019-10-17 07:22:21.467000+00:00 | ['Learning And Development', 'Wisdom', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Financial Intelligence', 'Life Lessons'] |
Rescuing Your REST API Data With Azure Logic Apps | Rescuing Your REST API Data With Azure Logic Apps
Its Codeless, Its Serverless and It Scales Automatically
Did you ever realize how REST APIs cant really be relied on to retain all your data?
Inherent in API calls lies the risk of the underlying application or logic failing to persist your data, happily discarding it with a “Bad Payload” or even an “OK” reply.
Unless you already have a reliable mechanism for retaining the data in those failed calls you may never see it again. Are you losing those important customer orders?
A common approach is to introduce a service bus to retain the messages, but that also means they become largely inaccessible unless you use special tools to retreive them.
Service Buses also dont retain your data for very long, usually discarding them after only two weeks. Is anyone minding them or do they just go poof?
In this article I will show you a real-world example of how to use Logic Apps and Azure Data Lake to retain all those messages permanently.
All the messages will be stored as text files with a json extension which means they can be handled with ease in the same way as plain files.
Lets go about securing our data.
Azure Data Lake can be thought of as a great big filesystem which will save your data in 3 locations simultaneously. For most intents and purposes it eliminates any risk of data loss out of the box. Besides that its rather cheap. Lets use that.
Creating the Data Lake to Hold the Messages
First we need to create our data lake. Here is a Microsoft video showcasing just that. Go ahead and follow it to set up your data lake.
Create a New Container and Name It “Apimessages”
In your data lake you need a folder to be the root folder for all messages.
Under this folder all the APIs you choose to connect will create their own subfolders to store their messages. Like so: apimessages/orders/createorder
Creating the Logic App
Add a HTTP step to your Logic App and give it a placeholder Schema like below. The HTTP POST URL you will use later to put in the API Policy to tell the API manager where to send the messages.
Add an “Initialize Variable” step to hold the filename we wish to use for the saved message.
Make sure to type the formula: concat(base64(triggerBody()),'.json')
in the expression field when you enter the Value for the filename variable.
We are using the body of the message as filename encoded in the Base64 format.
This will ensure the message is named after its body content, and will make it unique. (Same message stored only once, or overwritten with the same name)
Add a step to check how long the file is and shorten the filename to 600 characters if needed. (max length is 1024 characters, but long filenames may cause problems when deleting)
In the expression field enter this formula: length(base64(triggerBody()))
If the filename is longer than 600 characters we will shorten it, otherwise we will let it be. In the left (True) field lets add a “Set variable” action to shorten the filename.
Set the expression in the Value field to: concat(substring(base64(triggerBody()),0,600),’.json’)
This shortens the filename to 600 characters and adds the .json suffix.
The first 3 steps of the Logic App are now finished and your App should look like this:
Now its time to add actions to save the message:
Add a “Create Blob” activity to your App. Enter the same values as below.
The blobpath variable is a header sent by the API-policy we are adding to the API in Azure API management.
Adding the folder path can be a bit tricky. Add the following formula in the
expression field that pops up when you click the folder path textbox: /apimessages/triggerOutputs()[‘headers’][‘blobpath’]
Our Logic App is now complete and it should look like this:
Connecting Your API to the Message Store Logic App
In order to capture the messages coming in we will use API Manager Policies. This policy will send the messages to our Logic App every time a message is received on the API.
Be sure to put it between the inbound tags as shown here
<inbound>
<base />
<send-one-way-request mode=”new”>
<set-url>@(“https://the address found in your logic app http call window</set-url>
<set-method>POST</set-method>
<set-header name=”blobpath” exists-action=”override”><value>orderservice/neworder</value>
</set-header>
<set-body>@(context.Request.Body.As<string>(preserveContent: true))</set-body>
</send-one-way-request>
<set-variable name=”bodystored” value=”@(context.Request.Body.As<string>(preserveContent: true))” /></inbound>
Message Secure
Sit back and watch your data being safely stored. The API policy will create subfolders for each api and save the messages inside.
Stay tuned for part 2: “Keeping Track of Those Failed API Messages”
We will see how to easily keep track of failed versus successful messages so that all failed messages are put in one folder for review and reprocessing. | https://anders-ronnlid.medium.com/rescuing-your-rest-api-data-with-azure-logic-apps-2fa9eb4aabb3 | ['Anders Ronnlid'] | 2020-10-18 22:03:37.531000+00:00 | ['Azure Logic Apps', 'Rest Api', 'Azure'] |
HyperQuant & Kucoin partnership news | KuCoin, one of the largest international cryptocurrency exchanges and HyperQuant, a fintech software platform based on the revolutionary Fast Order Delivery protocol, signed the agreement for technological cooperation.
KuCoin engineers and fintech developers from HyperQuant are going to work together to implement the international best practices to modernize Kucoin’s API protocol and make it the most advanced technological trading platform in the market.
Furthermore, HyperQuant quant traders and KuCoin experts are planning to create professional crypto indexes together. An index methodology includes detailed description of indexes structure, rules for regular index readjustment and API support for working with them. The indexes allow cryptocurrency investors to perform wide diversification of their portfolio and better manage their risks.
The implementing of HyperQuant’s proprietary solutions and technologies and by exchange’s engineers is going to significantly increase the platforms liquidity, make the trading process even more convenient and attract many new users among retail and institutional cryptocurrency investors.
Finally, HyperQuant will start to gather and analyze KuCoin’s market data for further use within the platform to develop automated trading strategies and train machine learning algorithms.
The cooperation with HyperQuant is taking a step further than our competitors, as we concentrate on building a bright ecosystem with HyperQuant and move toward a blockchain-agnostic stage, - noted Micheal, CEO of KuCoin. We foresee that our cooperation will make the KuCoin one of the most advanced and convenient exchanges on the market. Our collaboration will further advance the development of algorithmic trading platform on the crypto exchange, — noted Pavel Pavchenko, CEO of HyperQuant project.
KuCoin is one of the major international multi-cryptocurrency exchanges. Its defining features are an exceptionally wide range of cryptocurrencies plus a rewarding user-loyalty scheme based on its own native KCS tokens. KuCoin aims to provide users digital asset transactions and exchange services which are very safe and convenient.
KuCoin offers trading pairs such as BTC/BCH, BTC/DASH, BTC/NEO, BTC/ETH, BTC/RDN, BTC/LTC, BTC/CVC, BTC/KCS, BTC/RPX, etc. It also provides users with a mobile app available for iOS and Android.
HyperQuant is a fintech software platform dedicated for automated crypto asset management, market making and dApps creation that is based on the cutting-edge AI, risk management, blockchain technologies and fast order delivery protocol. Platform is developing by professional quant traders who know capital management industry inside-out and offers three main points:
Hyper Fast. The Fast Order Delivery protocol for the platform works hundreds of times faster than similar solutions. With the addition of server collocations based on vast number of crypto exchanges the speed is boosted even more.
The Fast Order Delivery protocol for the platform works hundreds of times faster than similar solutions. With the addition of server collocations based on vast number of crypto exchanges the speed is boosted even more. Hyper Smart. All the components of the platform are managed by an AI which constantly evolves through machine learning on accumulated Big Market Data. HyperQuant also unites the exchanges into the Electronic Communication Network (ECN), with the AI based automatic interexchange trade deals distribution.
All the components of the platform are managed by an AI which constantly evolves through machine learning on accumulated Big Market Data. HyperQuant also unites the exchanges into the Electronic Communication Network (ECN), with the AI based automatic interexchange trade deals distribution. Hyper Secure. The automated risk management system minimizes the risks. Trade hashes are written into the blockchain for the transparency and security.
Contacts: | https://medium.com/hyperquant/hyperquant-kucoin-partnership-news-9ffe0005ae6c | [] | 2018-07-04 11:30:58.655000+00:00 | ['Bitcoin', 'Partnerships'] |
Depression² | Depression²
How to fight a one-two punch right now
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
On a good day, I struggle with depression. Maybe a little less; perhaps it’s more annoying those days and less utterly disruptive. But it’s there, all the same. Now, add in a global pandemic and orders restricting my ability to go out and socialize with my lifeline friends and places, and we’ve got quite a problem on our hands. I’m not doing well some days, if I’m going to be completely honest.
I’m not alone in this. Citizens of the world — even healthy, neurotypical people — are reporting an increase in depression and anxiety symptoms. But what’s to be done? Not everyone has access to a psychiatrist or therapist in these difficult times — and those resources alone are not a panacea that will magically solve an international mental health crisis.
There are small things we can all do in tough, unprecedented times that act as pieces of the puzzle needed to feel a little better, a little more stable, a little more yourself.
Build a routine and stick to it
Set an alarm and get up at the same time every day (or at least every work day; I won’t begrudge anyone sleeping in on their days off). Get up, get dressed, eat breakfast. Try to find some semblance of the normal life you had before and imitate it. Work the same hours you always did (whether you still have a job or you’re re-tiling the guest bathroom in your spare time). Eat meals at around the same time every day. Make time for exercise. Set aside time to engage in the hobbies that you love. Schedule time to text or call or video chat with friends and family. Make a daily routine and schedule and stick to it.
Mind your sleep habits
Maintain a consistent bed time. Try to get up at around the same time each day. Get those 7–9 hours of sleep if you can. Avoid the dangerous mire of taking long naps during the day — they can exacerbate existing sleep pattern problems. Sleep in a quiet, cool, dark room. Try not to use your phone in bed (that blue light can keep your brain awake late into the night and affect your sleep quality). Turn on Do Not Disturb and settle in for a good night’s rest.
Exercise regularly
This is a great way to get a quick mood boost. Take walks while maintaining safe distance or try bodyweight exercises at home like squats or yoga practice. There are plenty of free workout videos on Youtube or — if you have the money — consider fitness apps to help you plan a workout. Some gyms are even offering home workout routine videos for folks who are stuck at home.
Reach out to people
This is the time to strengthen your connections; you need them right now. Lacking face-to-face contact with our loved ones can do deep damage to people — especially extroverts. No, a FaceTime call isn’t the same as happy hour with your friends, but it’ll have to do for now. Better to have a good enough solution than no solution at all.
Get help if you need it
There’s no shame in therapy or medication and there’s nothing wrong with needing financial help (can a family member loan you some money for the short term?). Call your doctor. Look into telemedicine or a therapy app. Lean on your friends and family, but be sure to ask first if they have the energy to listen to you talk about what worries you — they may be going through things on their own end that they haven’t divulged to you and it’s not fair to lay your problems onto someone who can’t currently deal with their own first.
The new normal
Things right now are more than a little strange. And who knows when we’ll get back to our old lives — if we ever can revert to a pre-COVID world, that is. And honestly? We probably can’t. This crisis has laid bare the failings of the American healthcare system and to want to go back to “normal” means a return to a failed concept that regularly kills people from neglect.
For now, take it one day at a time. Prioritize what you need to do and be kind to yourself if you’re struggling to take care of you and your family right now. Most of the population alive today has never been through anything quite like this. We’re all a little uncertain how to adjust to such rapidly changing times.
And that’s okay. We’re not really sure what the right way to handle this collective trauma is. You simply have to do the best you can with what you have for now while holding out hope for a better (eventual) tomorrow. | https://medium.com/invisible-illness/depression%C2%B2-2c153415aa65 | ['Deidre Delpino Dykes'] | 2020-04-20 16:50:50.815000+00:00 | ['Wellness', 'Mental Illness', 'Covid 19', 'Self Care', 'Depression'] |
Gratitude | Photo by Lee Luis on Unsplash
The sun shines like gold through the clouds,
The warmth melts the fog on the trees,
The mist parts and you are there;
I am grateful.
© 2020 Robert Faron
Thanks to Sherry Kappel for the thankful prompt “Gratitude”
https://medium.com/chalkboard/in-eternal-gratitude-36a5c6f8fc62
And thanks to Kathy Jacobs, Harper Thorpe), and the entire Chalkboard team. | https://medium.com/chalkboard/gratitude-77f99017b26e | ['Robert Faron'] | 2020-12-01 17:10:58.381000+00:00 | ['Poetry', 'One Line', 'Chalkboard', 'Family', 'Love'] |
A quiet presence | Not a day goes by
without a thought of you.
Twenty plus years have come and gone,
populated with births, deaths, milestones.
Some strides have lengthened and quickened,
others slowed. Our time together
ended much too soon.
You —
a strong, silent presence
in my life.
Protecting me,
teaching me,
always there for me.
Me —
a constant shadow
as you worked; watching
from the periphery.
The daughter you had dreamed of
and wanted
for so long.
A treasured childhood,
unconditional love and acceptance
moulding me
into the woman I am today;
instilling belief I could do
whatever I set my mind to.
Adulthood brought growth,
knowledge, and experience.
The relationship changed
blooming and flourishing,
solidifying a loving relationship
with mutual respect.
I miss you every day
since you’ve been gone,
so much of my life you‘ve not shared ,
except in my whispers.
Grandchildren who know you
only by pictures
and stories told,
an attenuated version of who you’d have been
to them.
In these days of milestones,
when I think of how you’d have taught them,
as you taught me,
life skills that get lost in the shuffle
of everyday
but always made me feel secure
upon the ever-shifting shoals of this world.
I think of the crinkle around your eyes
when you smiled,
I think of your hugs,
and I miss you anew. | https://psiloveyou.xyz/a-quiet-presence-db93214febf2 | ['Christine Kelly'] | 2020-09-24 02:16:13.971000+00:00 | ['Dads', 'Family', 'Poetry', 'Poetry Sunday', 'Fathers Day'] |
Mamasong’s Diaries: My Dad the Mummy’s Boy | Mamasong’s Diaries: My Dad the Mummy’s Boy
And just like that, more than six months have passed since my dad passed on, but virtually everything me reminds me of him.
Dates remind me of him,
Tasbeeh beads,
Prayer mats,
The Mushaf,
The scent of musk….
You name them.
I really miss him, that goes without saying I know. I particularly miss our evening gists, my dad, Yaya narrating all the funny stories and I, laughing heartily, chewing away my boiled corn.
Yaya was a Mummy’s boy, and whenever he spoke about his mother, he did it with so much passion and enthusiasm that would lighten up the whole place.
He said to me “There was a day I returned from work a bit late and met a relative waiting for me, astounded, I asked the relative why they were there till that late. “Didn’t Dada A’ee(my dad’s Mum) tell you? I was here since yesterday.” responded the relative. “Alright..you go rest, we’d sort everything out in the morning in sha Allah.” I went straight to Dada Aee’s room, as usual, there were bowls of chilled local drinks, all kinds of food and roasted corn all waiting to give me a warm welcome. That instant, i forgot all my sorrows and reclined on Dada Aee’s 3-seater sofa, my legs crossed nonchalantly, resting on the seater’s back support. I was completely chilled.”
““Dada,” I said to Dada A’ee, “so and so came since yesterday with a dilemma but you didn’t mention, why?” She looked at me hard “Look at you, Baba, would you have been this chilled even in your own room?” then she said “Whoever has an issue should wait until they talk to you, you shouldn’t be burdened in my space.”
“And then it dawned on me, Dade A’ee never demanded anything, not even for herself. She was a very reasonable person, I was always so chilled around her. She was compassionate, yet very practical, her wisdom held the family together. She made sure everyone was satisfied ……..without loosing their sense of discipline off course” he giggled.
Silence…..Then he took a deep breath and looked at me seriously “I see a lot of her in you Dada,……I am glad I named you after her.”
Oh how much I miss those wisdom filled evenings, isn’t it ironic how easily we take these experiences for granted? If only I could get just one more evening, just one more.
May Allah keep my dad in the best of company, in the highest station in heaven. May He make it easy for us, to put his imparted wisdom to good use. Aameen. | https://medium.com/@amina.abubkr2012/mamasongs-diaries-my-dad-the-mummy-s-boy-2911bb1417fc | ['Amina Abubkr'] | 2021-07-22 01:04:39.317000+00:00 | ['Dads', 'Wisdom', 'Life', 'Parenting', 'Experience'] |
Business loan kese le | Digital Shiksha is zirakpur ‘s leading professional institute in the profession of digital marketing. Only digital shiksha gives 100% practical knowledge. | https://medium.com/@digitalshiksha/business-loan-kese-le-fddc64158068 | ['Digital Shiksha'] | 2020-12-26 14:05:26.408000+00:00 | ['Startup', 'Business Strategy', 'Bank Loan For Startups'] |
Zenobia — Empress of the Desert. The empress who defied the Roman Empire | Zenobia — Empress of the Desert
The empress who defied the Roman Empire
‘Queen Zenobia Addressing Her Soldier’ (Giovanni Battista Tiepolo / Public domain)
The Roman Empire was undoubtedly one of the greatest empires in history, dominating territory from Syria to Portugal, and from the Rhine river to the edges of the Sahara Desert. However, by the third century, the Roman Empire was increasingly on the brink of collapse. The borders had become so large as to be almost unmanageable and rebel generals plagued the empire, each proclaiming themselves emperor.
Seeing the weakness of the ageing empire, Zenobia, the queen who became an empress, defied the stereotypes of the time and challenged Roman authority, leading to one of the most epic clashes of the era and setting the tone for further east and west divisions to come.
The third-century crisis
The third-century crisis is one of the most complex periods in Roman history, but in essence, it can be characterised by a huge economic crisis due to the rampant debasement of the currency, near-constant civil wars between rival claimants to the imperial throne, a succession crisis, and even the fracturing of the empire.
Increasingly, the centre of Roman life was shifting away from the eternal city and moving toward the east. Rome was no longer the centre of the empire, nor was it the richest province or even the safest thanks to continued invasions into Italy by Germanic tribes, some of which even reached the city itself.
Palmyra
Odaenathus (by Carole Raddato/public domain)
One of the new centres of this empire in chaos was Palmyra, an important city on the Silk Road. It was ruled over by a Romanised Arab and king named Odaenathus, along with his queen, Zenobia. He also occupied the position of governor of Syria and would be instrumental in driving back the invasions of the Sassanid Persians, who routinely probed into Roman territory and disrupted trade.
Odaenathus would prove his worth after the defeat of Emperor Valerian in 260AD, driving the Persians back across the Euphrates river. While many suspect that the Sassanid Persians refusing a trade deal with him was the true reason for his intervention, Odaenathus kept up the illusion of loyalty to Rome and was rewarded with the governorship of the entire eastern province of the empire, which was rapidly becoming distinct from the Roman heartlands in Italy. He would put down a rebellion against Gallienus, Valerian’s son and co-emperor, further cementing his favour with Rome, while effectively governing a separate state.
While Odaenathus and Zenobia had a son, Vaballathus, he was not Odaenathus’ heir, which has led many to believe that when Odaenathus and his son and heir from his first marriage were assassinated while hunting in 266AD, Zenobia was behind it. There’s little proof either way, but given her later actions, it makes sense that she could have been responsible.
Zenobia
Harriet Hosmer’s bust of Zenobia (1857) (By Mountshang/Public Domain)
Little is known about Zenobia’s early years. She was likely born in 240AD, and claimed descent from Queen Dido of Carthage, Cleopatra, and the Severin Dynasty in Rome, making her related to multiple previous emperors. While certainly possible, the truth remains unknown thanks in large part to significant bias present in the Roman sources of the period.
Many sources, for example, seek to make her seem more masculine. She was supposedly a skilled horse rider, able to drink any man under the table, and had a deep voice. She was also supposed to have despised sex, allowing her husband into her bed only to procreate. These descriptions, from a Roman perspective, allowed Zenobia to transcend her sex, making her a worthy opponent of Rome. As a deeply misogynistic society, there was no honour for a Roman soldier, let alone an emperor, in fighting a woman, and so Zenobia needed to be rendered as something other.
Whether or not we accept these descriptions, what is known is that she was fiercely intelligent, speaking Greek, Egyptian, Aramaic, and some Latin. She was also, like Cleopatra before her, highly astute and cunning.
Following Odaenathus’ death, she reigned as regent for her son and she continued to take advantage of Rome’s weakness and the chaos caused by its ever-changing emperors. At first, she built on her husband’s practices, but eventually, she far surpassed him. She arranged a trade deal with the Sassanid Persians but was careful to continue to pay lip service to Rome and the emperor who’d emerged at the top of the power struggle — Aurelian.
The Palmyrene empire at its apex (By Sémhurderivative/CC BY-SA 4.0)
In 269AD, however, she made a dangerous gamble. Using a small rebellion as a pretence, she invaded and occupied Egypt. After a small amount of back and forth fighting, she managed to take control of the entire empire’s grain supply, all under the pretence of loyalty to Rome. Some even suggest she sponsored this rebellion herself, allowing her to invade without arousing the suspicion of Rome. After this, many saw the rising power of Palmyra, and she was able to bring the Levant and much of Asia Minor under her control through negotiation, not violence, and by 271AD, she ruled over a vast eastern empire.
Aurelian
A fractured Roman Empire in 271AD when Aurelian came to power (historicair/CC BY-SA 3.0)
Emperor Aurelian was not the same as those who had come before him, however, and was not content to let this rising power in the east go unchecked. Unlike Zenobia, Aurelian claimed no great lineage, he had been born a commoner in either Serbia or the Balkans, and had risen from common infantryman to general, and then emperor through his skill in battle and political ruthlessness.
While some sources claim he offered Zenobia terms and she arrogantly rebuffed him, these are likely false, and little more than an effort by later historians to paint Aurelian as merciful and just. In reality, he simply amassed a huge army and marched into Palmyrene territory without warning. Abandoning all pretence of loyalty, Zenobia proclaimed herself Augusta and her son, Vaballathus, Augustus. These imperial titles marked them as emperor and empress respectively and elevated the Palmyrene territories to a fully-fledged splinter empire at war with Rome.
The Palmyrene Empire
Zenobia’s general Zabdas had been a capable leader in Egypt, but against the military might of the Roman army led by Aurelian, he proved less effective. Aurelian laid waste to city after city, until he came to Tyana. He chose to spare the city because it was the home of one of his favourite philosophers — Apollonius. Soon few cities resisted him, surrendering before he even arrived at their gates, knowing what fate awaited them otherwise.
In 272AD, Zabdas was defeated by Aurelian at the Battle of Immae outside the city of Antioch. Aurelian commanded his cavalry to feign a retreat, and once the heavier Palmyrene cavalry was tired, overstretched and away from their lines, the Romans wheeled back around, destroying the cavalry, before crashing into the infantry and effectively routing the entire Palmyrene army.
A similar fate would befall the Palmyrenes at the Battle of Emesa, where the cavalry was lured away, and the infantry ranks were annihilated by the Romans.
Aurelian’s route across the Palmyrene Empire (by Demis project/Public Domain)
Zenobia and Zabdas fled to Palmyra, rallying more troops and preparing for a siege. They likely hoped to wait out the Romans and a request for aid and reinforcements had been sent to the Sassanid Persians. Several times the Romans tried to breach the walls, but each time they were rebuffed. As the days dragged on, however, it became clear that the Sassanids weren’t coming and the situation was rapidly deteriorating.
What happens next depends largely on the source you consult. Zenobia is thought to have fled the city with her son on a camel, seeking to cross the Euphrates and petition the Sassanids for help in destroying the Romans in person. She would not be successful, however, and was caught by the Romans crossing the river. Weary of the siege, Palmyra would sue for peace and soon after capitulated. Aurelian left them in peace, but the same may not have been true of Zenobia.
The mystery of Zenobia
‘Zenobia’s Last Look upon Palmyra’ by Herbert Gustave Schmalz (1888)/Public Domain
The fate of Vaballathus is largely unknown beyond this point, but many conflicting reports tell of what happened to Zenobia. Many say she died, either from poison or from starving herself on the way to Rome. Others claim she was executed. Popular depictions say she was paraded through the streets during Aurelian’s triumph in golden chains, along with another imperial rebel Tetricus II of the recently defeated Gallic Empire in the west.
This is very unlikely, however. Rome, as a society, saw little honour in defeating a woman in battle. In fact, it often reflected badly on the man who’d defeated them. They were not seen as worthy challengers and people would often question whether or not such men even deserved recognition for defeating them.
This accounts for the later descriptions of Zenobia that depict her with more masculine qualities like being a skilled horse rider, a disdain for sex (women were the only submissive partner in sex for the Romans) and a low, commanding voice. It was to make Aurelian’s defeat of her appear more glorious.
In all likelihood, Zenobia was not included in the triumphant procession, nor was she killed. Ironically, she probably lived a lot longer than Aurelian, who would be assassinated by his captains just three years later in 275AD. She most likely married a wealthy Roman and lived out her days in a Roman villa not far from the eternal city.
Palmyra would rise in rebellion again in 273AD and this time Aurelian was not so merciful, looting and pillaging the city before razing it to the ground. Zenobia, however, played no part in this.
How we view her fate depends largely on perspective. She certainly escaped the worst of Rome’s wrath, but this empress of the desert had been reduced to little more than an average Roman and she no doubt chaffed under Roman expectations of womanhood.
While we may never know the truth of exactly what happened to her, her story has become an inspiration for many in the Arab world. She appears on the Syrian £500 banknote and has inspired countless paintings and works of literature. With her ferocious spirit of independence and her courage to challenge a seemingly endless empire, it’s easy to see why she became an icon of the Middle East, and later the world. | https://medium.com/history-of-yesterday/zenobia-empress-of-the-desert-c99931aae35c | ['Danny Kane'] | 2020-09-12 11:01:02.194000+00:00 | ['Middle East', 'Society', 'History', 'Culture', 'Rome'] |
8. The Dolt of Volt | I don’t know what to tell you, this one straight up refuses to be embedded from Github. You just gotta go straight to the source.
https://gist.github.com/greghgradwell/16b4a6bf2f436c3f33ed4bd4bfb0c3a3 | https://medium.com/@copperpunk/8-the-dolt-of-volt-50d1b7768843 | ['Greg Gradwell'] | 2020-12-07 16:44:31.536000+00:00 | ['Elixir', 'Autopilot', 'Harry Potter', 'Power', 'Sensors'] |
💣 Face Detection using Python and OpenCV for Beginners | OpenCV & Python
In this post I’m going to share about the easiest and most basic face detection. And also I‘m going to use Haar Cascade classifier that which is one of the most famous classifiers.
💻 Let’s begin, if you don’t have OpenCV library, you can install it with that.
pip install opencv-python
Then open your IDE which is doesn’t matter. (I used Visual Studio Code)
1) Import OpenCV library:
2) Load Haar Cascade classifier:
You can download xml files from here.
3) Create your detect function:
Defining the function and determinig the parameter
2. Converted photograph BGR to Gray so what is that?
Reduced the number of channels so the computer can process faster.
3. MultiScale Detection for face, the first parameter is input image, the second is the scale factor specifies how much the image size is reduced with each scale, and the third is minimum neighbours specifies how many neighbors each candidate rectangle should have to retain it.
4. Corner points of scaled face
5. to draw a rectangle in the faces ->(255,0,0) is blue and 2 is thickness
6. Region of interest for gray photo
7. Region of interest for colorful photo
8. Same with third line
9. Corner points of scaled eyes
10. to draw a rectangle in the eyes
11. Output of this function
4) Read, detect and show photograph
Read image Enter into detect function Save new picture to your folder
Result:
All codes for picture:
How to run face detector in webcam?
How to run face detector in video?
In brief, I have explained How we can develope face detection using python and opencv. If you have question or something on your mind you can communicate with me on Linkedin. GitHub for this project.
Keep having fun, developing and living 🙂 | https://medium.com/@baytop.alicenk/face-detection-using-python-and-opencv-for-beginners-8b45d47b37f9 | ['Ali Cenk Baytop'] | 2020-11-19 17:42:52.282000+00:00 | ['Python', 'Opencv', 'Face Recognition'] |
Jonathan VanAntwerpen | Missing the Marathon | When I first moved to New York City almost two decades ago, I would not have expected the annual New York City Marathon to become one of my favorite things about living in the city. But it is, in retrospect, among the most moving civic rituals I have ever witnessed.
The very first New York City Marathon was run the year that I was born. This coming fall — as New York Road Runners confirmed earlier in the week — the marathon’s 50th running will take place (last year’s race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
“The marathon is a charismatic event,” as New York City Marathon founder Fred Lebow once put it. “It has everything. It has drama. It has competition. It has camaraderie. It has heroism.”
I first started to really tune into the music of the marathon not long after moving to Brooklyn. As the runners came down Bedford Avenue, just around the corner from my little apartment, they were nearing the marathon’s midpoint — front-of-the-pack professionals flying by first, followed by more runners, and more, and more, and more. The day got longer, the struggles more evident. Some of these folks were not going to finish. We clapped and whistled and yelled our encouragement even louder then, picking out first names scribbled on the fronts of running jerseys, and calling out to runner after runner as they came trotting by, our throats scratchy and sore.
“C’mon, keep going. Don’t get tired. They’re not tired. Keep going.”
The little video clip above, with the voice of my beloved partner and the exhortations of a sweet band man in the background, is from 2010. But the marathon that will probably always hold most vividly in my memory is one I missed, the year prior. November 1, 2009. Día de los Muertos. All Saints Day.
I’d gone the day before to visit one of my oldest and dearest friends. She was pregnant, and had been having light contractions. Come on over, she said. We’ll hang out. A few hours after I arrived, the contractions got stronger and more frequent. I stayed for dinner, and then decided to stay the night, sleeping fitfully on the couch as my friend began the increasingly painful early stages of labor. In the middle of the night, she and her husband decided it was time to leave for the hospital. Less than a couple hours later, they were back, having been turned away. She’s not far enough along, the intake nurses told them. Go home and try to get some rest.
Not long after first light, it was time to try the hospital again. This time, I drove, dropping the two of them at the hospital door. The baby was coming earlier than expected, and the doula — another old friend, now out-of-state — was just flying in. I headed out to the airport to pick her up, getting her to the hospital too, and then returning to search out street parking near my friend’s apartment building, just off the corner of Prospect Park.
It was mid-morning on a beautiful fall Sunday, and I could think of nothing better than the park. Deciding sometime after noon that I would walk home to Williamsburg, I passed through empty streets full of discarded paper cups — the marathon runners were already out ahead of me now— and stopped for food and drink in Fort Greene.
The woman sitting next to me, her voice hoarse from cheering on runners, asked if I was a poet. Maybe I looked the part, shabby and bedraggled, still wearing my wrinkled clothes from the previous day. I explained that the book I was reading wasn’t poetry, exactly, but something else. Urged upon me by a confidant— “we have worlds to change,” she’d written, “and no time for half-measures and half-loves” — it was a text about the language of love and the discourse of lovers.
I told the stranger next to me that I’d missed the marathoners this year, because a good friend was right then giving birth to her first child. She asked if the child was mine. I said that if it had been I would be there now, in the hospital, holding the mother’s hand, not letting go. As I left the restaurant to make my way back home, she reached over and kissed me on the cheek. | https://medium.com/@vanantwerpen/jonathan-vanantwerpen-missing-the-marathon-e471140c5534 | ['Jonathan Vanantwerpen'] | 2021-05-23 11:39:20.131000+00:00 | ['Marathon', 'Keep Going', 'Love', 'Birth', 'New York City'] |
Lessons On Fear | Fear is something that can be defined as so many different things, for so many different types of people. It’s often an equivalent to be frightened, being scared, or some type of surprise. For many in related research, fear is a branch of anxiety, and in many ways, represents it, or connects to its development.
Every single human being has had some experience with fear. Either through dangerous, abrupt settings or situations, or in a long term type of fear, like growing old, or dying, even when many years away.
Reasons that may fuel somebody’s fear is something that is different in each person. There are many types of general reasons or scenarios that may put fear into most anybody. But there are also many other causes of fear that change from one person to the next. What may scare me, may not scare you. But just why are we being scared? What in generating the fears that we all have?
The element of surprise can garner all the uncertainties that for sure can be scary. In a world where nothing’s carved in stone, and events in life never a guarantee, of course fear is going to find its place.So much in life is unpredictable, no matter how much we plan, how much we educate ourselves, and how much we prepare.
Things like death, a total guarantee for every living being, yet the final dates never known until it arrives. Mostly anybody has the potential for fear, when there’s things in their lives, that they maintain no control over. What we can’t control, can always spread intimidation.
I’ve come up with a philosophy on fear, which put things into perspective quite easily as to how much complication can be created out of fear.
Fear can make us feel alone. While loneliness can itself cause fear. We hide fear inside us. But it’s strength that fear can gain, when kept buried deep within us.
When it comes to having the idea of writing a piece about fear, it seemed to have such open ended options when it came to its reasons. I came up with the idea that in order to put together a piece like this, the best way to start was to look at myself. And ask myself these questions. I figured I could try to look at myself, and try to answer the questions, as if I’m asking myself.
What does fear mean to me specifically? What are the things in life that I fear?
Well, first and foremost, a lot of the above mentioned can relate to my own theory on personal fears. That would be, the fear of the unknown. The fear of mystery, and the fear of things that I have no control over. Not even the valid things either.
I have lived in fear of assumptions and projections of the unknown. Things that I think I will have no control over, yet they never even come to pass.
I think I used to have other fears, ones of which I have since worked through. But I have no shame of those. Nor should anyone else. That fear is one of things like failure. Fear of how I’ll look to the outside world. Thankfully, I am able to say that those specifics are fears that I once had. I’ve left those behind after going through heavy duty soul searching.
I have fears of lose. I think it’s natural for everybody to have that type of fear. I have learned that it wouldn’t be realistic to say to myself, that I must totally evaporate that fear. It’s just not possible. Instead of working to cure something completely, a better route to take for something like this is through acceptance.
Fears can remain present, but still be considered “healthy” fears. It’s often about specific factor. Like how much something consumes our life, in negative ways. Things that we put too much negative emotion and passion into.
Learning to work through our personal fears is a process that closely resembles a process where we are continuously learning about ourselves.
A process that can offer us many valuable lessons. Even breaking free alone, is enough to re-mold our courage and confidence, in ways in which we can be ready, the next time fear attempts to take over.
Michael Patanella
is a Trenton, New Jersey Author, Publisher, Columnist, Editor, Advocate, and recovering addict, covering topics of mental health, addiction, sobriety, mindfulness, self-help, faith, spirituality, Smart Recovery, social advocacy, and countless other nonfiction topics. His articles, publications, memoirs, and stories are geared towards being a voice for the voiceless. Hoping to reach others out there still struggling. | https://medium.com/indian-thoughts/lessons-on-fear-71a74e2a07f9 | ['Michael Patanella'] | 2019-11-24 18:28:45.415000+00:00 | ['Self Improvement', 'Mental Health', 'Fear', 'Life Lessons', 'Self'] |
A Memorable Train Journey in India | Having volunteered in a remote part of India for the last month, I was looking forward to getting back to civilisation. The train from Manvi, a town in the southern state of Karnataka, to Bangalore, the bustling state capital was due to take 10 hours. The all-night sleeper train we were taking meant I was hoping for a peaceful nights rest before arriving back in the city.
Taking a train in India is an experience in itself. As we entered the station in Manvi, there was a hive of activity. Everywhere you looked, someone was doing something. In one area people were having their shoes shined; others were sipping on tea as they read newspapers, more still were snacking on Indian sweets. The less fortunate were walking around, begging for money.
I had spent the last month helping to build a school with 20 others. A combination of lots of manual labour and eating very little had left us all looking a little decrepit. While the buzz of activity in the station was a sight to behold, I was just keen to get on the train.
On the platform, a sea of people was waiting expectantly for the train. With each minute that ticked by the crowd’s impatience grew. Tetchy feet tapped, eyes kept darting to the left, and those at the back tried squeezing to the front. All in the hope of getting on the train first, and landing the best seats.
And then the faint sound of an oncoming train reverberated through the tracks.
As the train blew past us, the moment of opportunity drew closer. Like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey, people started jostling for the best spots. And once it squeaked to a halt, the crowd sprung into life. Men and women pushed, pulled, and very nearly came to blows, shoving their fists and elbows into each other’s sides and faces.
Fortunately, our group didn’t have to partake in the melee as we had pre-ordered sleeper booths on the train. That’s not to say there weren’t still a few bumps as we clambered on. I couldn’t understand it, everyone on our carriage had a ticket, and yet an infectious desire to get on the train as quickly as possible had overwhelmed the crowd.
In the chaos, it was easy to get lost in the moment, and I found myself pushing and pulling whichever way in an attempt to get to the carriage as quickly as possible. | https://medium.com/illumination/a-memorable-train-journey-in-india-f39022a471a6 | ['Paul Abela'] | 2020-12-15 17:37:27.817000+00:00 | ['Life Lessons', 'Problem Solving', 'Travel', 'Decision Making', 'Adventure'] |
Dodgers acquire Matt Kemp in five-player deal with Braves | (Harry How/Getty Images)
by Rowan Kavner
The Dodgers acquired one of their former two-time All-Stars in a five-player deal with the Braves for Matt Kemp.
In exchange, the Dodgers are sending first baseman Adrián González, pitchers Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy, infielder Charlie Culberson and cash considerations to Atlanta.
In nine seasons for the Dodgers from 2006–14 to start his career, Kemp hit 182 home runs, which is fourth in Dodger history. In addition to making two All-Star teams, Kemp also won two Gold Glove Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards. During his 2011 All-Star season, Kemp also finished second in National League MVP voting.
(Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
Kemp spent the 2015 season and part of the 2016 season in San Diego before going to Atlanta, where he slashed .280/.336/.519 with 12 home runs in 241 plate appearances in 2016 and .276/.318/.463 in with 19 home runs in 467 plate appearances last season. In 1,541 career games, the 33-year-old outfielder has 259 home runs, 920 RBI and 183 stolen bases while slashing .285/.338/.488.
González was acquired by the Dodgers from the Red Sox in August 2012 and has helped guide the team to five consecutive National League West Division titles, winning a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award in 2014 and making the NL All-Star team in 2015. Last year, González collected his 2,000th career hit but was limited to 71 games with a back injury that forced him to the disabled list for the first time in his career. In 14 Major League seasons, the five-time All-Star has hit .288/.359/.488 with 2,010 hits and 311 home runs.
Kazmir, 33, was entering the final year of a three-year deal with the Dodgers. He went 10–6 with a 4.56 ERA in 2016 and didn’t pitch in 2017. In 298 career games (287 starts), the three-time All-Star has gone 108–96 with a 4.01 ERA while pitching for the Rays, Angels, Indians, Athletics, Astros and Dodgers.
McCarthy, 34, signed a four-year deal with the Dodgers in December 2014 and in his three seasons with Los Angeles, went 11–7 with a 4.51 ERA in 29 starts. The right-hander missed most of 2015 and 2016 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2015. He played a key role in the Dodger rotation in 2017, starting 16 games and making 19 appearances while compiling a 3.98 ERA and 105 ERA+. In his 13-year career, the California native is 63–72 with a 4.15 ERA in 240 games (182 starts).
Culberson, 28, appeared in 49 regular season games the last two seasons with the Dodgers and made Postseason rosters following each campaign. He went 8-for-16 in 10 Postseason games in 2017, including a home run in Game 2 of the World Series. His walk-off homer against the Rockies in the final regular season home game of 2016 clinched the division for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers 40-man roster now stands at 37 players. | https://dodgers.mlblogs.com/dodgers-acquire-matt-kemp-in-five-player-deal-with-braves-b6311365b8db | ['Rowan Kavner'] | 2017-12-16 19:44:36.195000+00:00 | ['MLB', 'Sports', 'Trades', 'Dodgers', 'Transactions'] |
The Globalist Weekly: 16th February 2019 | A concise weekly digest of the top readings, content, ideas and discussions from our global bureaux and correspondents at ComplexGlobal. This week we explore the Nigerian election, crystal meth, Venezuelan protest, Saudi guardianship, humanitarian convoys & global corruption.
Crystal Meth Is North Korea’s Trendiest Lunar Gift
Like many across East Asia, North Koreans have been exchanging presents this month to celebrate the Lunar New Year. But rather than tea, sweets or clothing, some in this impoverished, isolated country are giving the gift of crystal meth. The gifting and use of methamphetamine, a powerful stimulant that has been blamed in health and addiction crises around the world.
Largest ever humanitarian convoy brings life-saving aid
The United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) are carrying out their largest ever humanitarian convoy to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to more than 40,000 displaced people at the remote Rukban ‘makeshift’ settlement in south-eastern Syria, on the border with Jordan. The operation is expected to last approximately one week.
Protesters flood Venezuela’s streets to call for change
Venezuelan opposition supporters returned to the streets on Tuesday, calling on embattled president Nicolas Maduro to let humanitarian aid into the economically crippled country.The demonstrations come nearly three weeks after a stand-off began between Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Transparency International releases Corruption Index
Transparency International, the leading civil society organisation fighting corruption worldwide releases its 24th annual Corruption Perceptions Index. The Index is the leading global indicator of public-sector corruption, offering an annual snapshot of the relative degree of corruption. The index for 2018 ranks 180 countries and territories drawing on 13 expert assessments and surveys of businesspeople.
ABC Four Corners: Escape from Saudi
Sophie McNeil’s investigation tells the stories of the Hundreds of women that have tried to escape Saudi Arabia in recent years, fleeing the strict male guardianship laws that control every aspect of their lives. Four Corners follows the stories of some of the women who attempt the desperate dash for freedom.
Nigeria election 2019: Appeal for calm after shock delay
Nigeria’s president and leading opposition candidate have appealed for calm after the shock move to delay elections for a week.President Muhammadu Buhari said he was “deeply disappointed” but urged people to refrain from “civil disorder”.Main rival Atiku Abubakar called for patience but accused the administration of “anti-democratic acts”. | https://medium.com/insightglobal/the-weekly-top-6-16th-february-2019-92f1b3126727 | [] | 2019-05-21 04:48:47.459000+00:00 | ['Globalist', 'Saudi Arabia', 'Venezuela', 'North Korea', 'Corruption'] |
Introducing Coinpocket | A modern application for giving back
There’s an adage that says that if you want to win the race you should start off by going as fast as you can, then gradually increase your speed. This is pretty much how development work at Horizon State has been going. We’ve ramped up the effort level over the past few months, and then even more so in recent weeks. Aside from the expected work on the Horizon State platform in preparation for an initial release in October, the development team has redoubled their efforts for an early release of our new charity application, Coinpocket.
Releasing this application first is important to us for a number of reasons, most significant is that it provides the sort of accountability we want to expose ourselves to in how we run the company.
What is Coinpocket?
Coinpocket is our way of publicly and transparently committing a portion of the revenue that passes through Horizon State to charitable organisations. As Horizon State receives payments, whether that’s in the form of HST (our utility token) or fiat (which is then converted into HST) — a percentage is committed to our charity wallet.
Roughly every six weeks, we will select a group of charities to be the recipients of those funds — but with a Horizon State twist. We’re not just going to divvy the funds up equally; we will run a blockchain based public vote, using Coinpocket to determine what percentage of the funds goes to each of the charities.
Coinpocket allows the public to review each of the charities (and what particular project they will be using the money towards) and then allows them to vote for their preferred charity. Once votes are cast they are committed to the blockchain. Once the election period closes, the votes are tallied and the crypto-assets from the charity wallet dispersed proportionally to the charities as decided by the voters.
As this lacks the significance of a government election, and to minimise barriers to participation, Coinpocket will use our lightest version of user authentication which limits votes to one per email address per vote cycle. At a later stage, when funding increases or other circumstances require, we might swap over to one of our more rigorous authentication protocols, but given the current effort-return ratio for now we’re taking a ‘charitable’ approach to voter authentication.
Can I be part of this great initiative?
Yes, we’ve created Coinpocket to ensure that every voice counts.
You can try it for yourself here: https://coinpocket.hs.app/
Why are we doing it?
When we first created Horizon State we decided that we would provide charitable organisations a mechanism for receiving donations from the new Crypto-economy in a way that was meaningful and useable. As time progressed, and through various interactions with the UN, we have found ourselves increasingly aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). SDG-16 in particular represents the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development. Achieving this goal requires greater equality amongst members of society, and donating a portion of our income to those who will actively use it for good, is a step in the right direction.
We’re keenly aware that there’s more to life than just banging out computer code. Helping others to protect or improve the world we live in, whether that be by extending healthcare where it is desperately needed, providing education where none exists, or making a difference to our environment is more than just the right thing to do — it’s our duty as human beings to do so when and where we can.
What charities are currently in the running?
The charities selected for the first round are:
a. Red Cross Australia
b. Street Smart Australia
c. Care for Africa Australia
Head over to Coinpocket and have a look at what they’re doing to make the world a better place. While you’re there why not indulge in a little voting? After all, we want to ensure that every voice counts.
Aside from allowing others to drop their ERC20 tokens into the charity wallet to be allocated as the voting public sees fit, we’ll also be allowing people to donate directly to their preferred charity’s Coinpocket wallet in the future. This way if you had a bad experience in the Arctic and really, really, hate Polar Bears and don’t want any of your own hard-earned tokens getting into their icy little paws, you’ll be able to donate directly to another charity. This will only be for donations above and beyond the normal wallet, and you’ll still be able to influence where the wallet goes in the public vote.
How is the donation divided?
We have created Coinpocket in a way that ensures everyone wins. Every vote counts, and the proportion of total amount of votes will go to charity you have voted on. All charities will receive a percentage of the total amount of HST available per campaign.
Pay to play, or just play?
So, will it cost you anything to be a part of this process? No, not at all. While we select the charities from among those we’re working with or from a list of applicants, in the end it’s up to our supporters to decide how the funding is distributed. The process is simple too. Jump onto Coinpocket, review the candidates, make your selection, complete authentication and we’ll record your vote. It’s as easy as that.
What happens at payout?
The Coinpocket wallet accepts HST, Ethereum, and all ERC20 tokens, so there will be a mix of currencies in the wallet. Providing a conversion to a single currency will make life easier for receiving charities. As part of the Coinpocket on-boarding process, charities stipulate the format in which they wish to receive their funds, whether that be a fiat preferred currency or a token.
Once all the votes are in and the proportional distribution of funds has been established, Horizon State will exchange each charity’s allotment of tokens into their preferred currency or token. This will then be distributed to the charity’s own wallet or bank account.
Since HST is our platform’s utility token, and several charities have expressed interest in using the Horizon State platform for interacting with their communities, some of the charities have already requested for their donations to be allocated as HST for use on our platform in the future.
Can I climb on-board and drop some crypto-assets in the charity wallet?
Indeed you can, starting next round. This first Coinpocket donation will be a full production-test of the code, so for this round we’re just working with the locked pile of tokens that were in the wallet on contract start date. In the future we’ll be upgrading the contract to handle growing balances as we receive contributions from individuals or companies who want to throw their hat in the ring with us.
Since our charity wallet accepts HST, Ethereum, and all other ERC20 tokens, there will be a mix of currencies in the wallet when distribution happens. At that point we’ll perform an exchange of the tokens in the wallet, at the current market rate, into whatever format or currency the charity stipulated when they signed up with us.
Since HST is a utility token we expect that some charities will want to keep their donation in that format for use on our platform. As mentioned above we’ll gladly allow you to donate HST, Ethereum, or any ERC20 token which will then be distributed in the charities preferred format.
You can donate by sending your HST, Ethereum or any other ERC20 token to this address:
0x0E5A4068491a95515dfA7F0467b761F64AB4c212
You can view our charity wallet here:
https://etherscan.io/address/0x0E5A4068491a95515dfA7F0467b761F64AB4c212#tokentxns
What about my charity?
If you have a registered and legally recognised charity, and you’d like to be in the running to receive a donation get in touch.
[email protected] | https://medium.com/horizonstate/introducing-coinpocket-357fcd5f9bef | ['Horizon State Team'] | 2018-09-21 08:01:43.383000+00:00 | ['Blockchain', 'Decision Making', 'Charity', 'Organisation', 'Voting'] |
Dad Blinked | Dad Blinked
Call to action — busy signal!
Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash
Early today
Wife said “No foreplay.”
Her objection?
Kids homework may
Block parents pathway
to affection.
Kids led astray.
My sly sleep-time play.
Misdirection.
Approached doorway
Saw through négligé.
Sheer perfection!
I stepped her way
Was about to say
Nice selection.
When son’s waylay
Stopped-cold hot headway
Disconnection.
“Dad, my essay
If not filed Friday
School rejection.
To wife’s dismay
Kids needs still outweigh
Love connection.
Sighing “OK.”
I quick put away
My excitement.
©2019 HHThorpe. All rights reserved. | https://medium.com/no-crime-in-rhymin/dad-blinked-bb955588b1ce | ['Harper Thorpe'] | 2019-08-22 14:31:02.358000+00:00 | ['Satire', 'Milk Carton Haiku', 'Humor', 'Poetry', 'Music'] |
KISS | Photo by anne-marie robert on Unsplash
The first boy I ever kissed was a jerk. I knew he was a jerk, but I still kissed him. I liked it, he knew I liked it, wanted it even, and he knew I never expected it — that, I think, was the problem. And, still, I was smiling when I walked out of the cab of his truck, my red hair blazing in his headlights as I walked back to my car.
I am not pretty. I am less than plain. Ugly is not a harsh word — it’s just not the right one. All the freckles on my face stare out like many eyes, brighter and more interesting than my real ones that look in two different directions.
My only distinguishing feature is my bright red hair. A flaming head coming down the hallway in high school attached to my short, squash-like body. Some girls are flowers; I am a vegetable.
We met at church. The youth group met on Wednesday nights. Devin was Catholic, but he came the Baptist church because that’s where all his friends went. He came to see them, not Jesus. Not like he was sitting next to anyone or anything, but he could totally sit next to everyone if he wanted to. He is omnipresent, after all.
Devin never raised his hands when we worshipped. Not even during “Jesus is my Significant Other” like all the other kids did (I mean, yeah, It weirded out some of the guys a bit, but it’s the son of God, after all). It’s not like he didn’t know the words either. We sang, “I love you Jesus,” a million times in the chorus.
Plus, most of the lyrics were projected onto the screen at the front anyway in white text and moving pictures: an oceanfront with crashing waves, a hummingbird siphoning nectar from a flower, and a yawning lion for “Look! God Made Me!” and three crosses on a hill with shifting shadows as the sun moved across it and we sang, “I want to be a Piece of Sunshine on the Cross”.
Devin did raise his hands once. It wasn’t during a song, but after. We had just finished our last song and Pastor Childman, the youth minister, had brought out his t-shirt cannon and was about to shoot one of his “Jesus is cool, no really” t-shirts out into the crowd.
I still had my eyes closed from the last song, praying, but I heard people screaming in excitement, and a rough knuckle sweep across my raised hand as he got to his feet. It was, to put it mildly, one of the best moments of my life.
Devin was a not very attractive boy, and I was a not very attractive girl. His nose announced his presence before any words could, but he ran track and that was something. He had a lean body and a face relatively free of pimples.
“It’s the sweat from running,” he would say in one of our small conversations before worship started, “It cleans out my pores.”
Running seemed cured all ills: Running and water and electrolyte — all good things, I think. Whenever he said electrolytes I always imagined him drinking a jar full of fireflies and watching them go down his throat, faint lights twinkling through his esophagus in the dusk of his evening run. I never ran with him, but I met him on my walks (the one physical thing I did do). He ran past me and I waved. We lived on the same road, and it was a simple gesture, but he became more of a fixture at our house later when my brother joined him. They became good friends when he joined the track team. They ran together on most days — two skinny beanpoles running down the side of the road.
When he came through the door to meet him we always hugged. I told them to be careful and wear reflective clothing since it was usually close to dark. After all, I would say, I only have one brother.
They usually ignored my advice. One time I found a roll of glitter pony stickers at Mom’s store and stuck a few of them to the back of their calves before they left. When they peeled them off later it ripped at their leg hairs.
“Never again, Farrah,” my brother said.
“Yes, please don’t,” Devin added as they both put them in my hand to throw away, and went upstairs to take turns at the shower.
I paid special attention to the transaction. I threw Nathan’s away, but kept Devin’s closed in my palm till I got to my room. The hairs caught in the used stickiness formed constellations. My mind formed shapes: a hand mirror, a dog, a heart.
Mom’s store is just a collection of unwanted things. Every Saturday we would go to the warehouse and loaded our rented truck bed with surplus items from more impressive brand name stores — ones you may have actually heard of — not Farran’s. It’s a name Mom and Dad came up with fitting the only objects or affection they could both agree on in a single word. A bastardization of our names, much like our births.
I remember being in our parent’s wedding. I was six years old and the flower girl. Nathan was four and the ring bearer. He them asked if he could wear a bear costume, and insisted on being called the ring bear-grrr. Dad gave a little and let him wear a bear hoodie with his tux and a little black paint on his nose. In the video Nathan won’t stop playing with the half-round ears sprouting from the top of his head.
Some Saturdays were better than others: new tires or motor oil for the car set, or sheets with high thread counts, or an ungodly amount of PEZ dispensers in the shape of wicked clowns. Inventory was awkward since we couldn’t count on the same type of product from month to month. Numbers always changed, and so did the objects those numbers were attached to.
I worked the front two or three times a week, and Nathan took inventory in the back most days a few hours after school barring practice or a track meet. Ever since Dad died in the car accident when Nathan was nine it’s been a more solitary effort. His memory still lives in the old radio they listened to on those afternoons. It used to be country, but Nathan’s taste turned to harder beats in the last six years: driving bass, moody vocals, and electric guitar.
Devin would come help too if there wasn’t a track meet or orthodontist appointment. The second became more frequent when he got braces to help straighten his teeth set like a forest growing on top of each other in his mouth. I liked to watch his bedazzled molars glint in the fluorescent lighting as he smiled and said hello before he went through the heavy doors to the stockroom.
On Wednesday nights I would come and get them so we could get to youth group on time. The door to the stockroom always seemed to be locked. When I put my ear to the door I heard the music from the old radio mixed with sucking sounds from the shop vac.
“Nathan, Devin, time to go,” I yelled through the locked door after jiggling the handle uselessly. The noise stopped and Nathan responded.
“We’ll be right out, Sis. Can you grab a Bible from the book aisle I can bring? I left mine at home.”
“In his other pants,” Nathan said laughing, the sound of metal jangling through the door, the rectangular frame and tongue of a belt clicking together. I had found Devin’s belt lying on the floor in the stockroom before, and once in Nathan’s bedroom. Both times they said it was used to leverage a heavy object: a box in the stockroom, the dresser in his room — moved strangely across the entrance like they were blocking entrance to a man with an ax or flesh eating zombies.
They always came out sweaty, disheveled, clothes out of place, being pulled by the corners of heavy boxes as they moved them onto the floor to count the objects inside. I imagined them building forts out of some of the lighter boxes, playing like children, but still get their work done, I hoped.
“We’ll be right out,” Devin repeated
“Well, hurry up or we’ll be late. You’re lucky my Bible’s already in my backpack so we don’t have to go back home.”
Pastor Childman’s sermon that night was about sex. It was a consistent bell that rang every few months in a room full of hormone-crazed teenagers. As an almost eighteen year old I felt I was walking out of that. It was always the teenagers being talked to, never the twenty something I would be soon enough. Hopefully, barring a rush of application rejections, spent at college.
“Now kids,” Pastor Childman said,“ sex is a good thing. I mean, it feels really good, but it has some limitations. It works best in a certain way. Two men are not equipped for that kind of intimacy. Neither are two women, but it’s the man and the woman in the shelter of their marriage vows who are able to experience it most fully.”
Then, as an object lesson, he took his shirt off and put peanut butter in his armpit, and then put a peanut butter sandwich close by asking each person who came up on stage which they preferred. Most pointed at the sandwich and giggled at the shirtless Pastor Childman with his arm raised in the air, his peanut butter deodorant in full view. When it was Devin’s turn he licked the armpit and raised his own arms up in victory afterwards while Pastor Childman blushed.
It was then that I felt it again. He sat back down. Devin’s hand reached for my own. He held my hand loosely with two fingers as he went to scratch an itch on his leg.
“Sorry Farrah,” He said to throw of any onlookers, but I knew. He loved me.
After youth group everyone was talking. Devin was on the other side of the room with Nathan and some of our other friends. Holly found me and grabbed my arm. She wanted to talk. She said it was private. We walked outside the building beside the dumpsters where no one went voluntarily unless they were hauling trash.
“Farrah, Nathan told me something,” she said wringing her hands like a dirty washcloth, twirling her promise band from Love is for Later on her ring finger, “He said that he and Devin were seeing each other, like dating, not just friends.”
“No way, Holly. That’s silly. Why would he do that?” I said feeling my stomach sink deep inside to places I didn’t even know existed: dusty basements, old memories.
Dad wasn’t exactly a great role model. There was that time we came back from the grocery store with Mom, and found him in bed with another woman — our strange older cousin watching, his hand rubbing his crotch through his jeans. Mom took us out of the room as quickly as she could, her hands covering our eyes.
Still we saw something sexual, homosexual even. Maybe it burned brighter in his mind than the moving pictures on the television screen, the volume turned up high after the strange woman left wearing a sheet where her shirt used to be and Mom lectured Dad behind the closed door.
I prefer to remember the times when I was a little girl playing dress-up. I would walk into the room in a fluffy pink dress with sequins, a tiara. Dad would look at me and smile like I was the most beautiful girl in the world. Now, there was Devin, relatively unknown, but loved for what he was, what I thought he could be.
“Because something inside him really wants to, I guess, and I’m sure it’s more physical by now — or already was,” she said rolling her fingers now against the side of her dress as if counting the number of times my brother and Devin engaged in fornication, her body loosening some with her honesty.
“How long has it been?” I asked wrinkling my nose at the scent of garbage.
“He told me a few weeks ago, but I know it’s been longer than that. I didn’t want to tell you because it didn’t seem like mine to tell, but I can’t stand to see them together like that.”
The next day I called Devin, and told him to meet me. I couldn’t talk to my brother about this, it was too hard, but I could talk to Devin. I had to. Still, when I looked into his face as I told him I was leaving, the bright eyes looking at me from his desk as he did homework, I knew it was true. I knew there was something else behind them I couldn’t see. That only God could see from his throne looking down.
I saw his truck pull into the Market Basket parking lot, it had just gotten dark, and I was putting bags of groceries into the back of my car. Devin got out of his truck, his lights still on, and helped. He found the heaviest bags with a glance and lifted them without effort or strain into the back of my car. I closed the trunk.
“So, what do you want to talk about?” He asked.
“Not here,” I said with a strained smile, “Let’s get in your truck.” I tried my best to hide my gratitude for what he just done for me, knowing what I knew, what I would reveal. The gospel says, “Ask and ye shall receive,” and so I would, knowing the answer I wanted was not the one I would get.
“Holly told me,” I said.
“I didn’t really think it was something to talk about, especially with the church set.”
“So, it’s true?”
“Yes.”
“Are you holding hands, kissing, having sex?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” he said answering each question in quick rhythm.
“Where? How? When?”
“It just happens when we’re together. We don’t plan it, but we’re safe — don’t worry.”
“Safe! Safe?” I said aloud like an umpire making a call after the dust clears. The dust was already in the air, clogging my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. It all sounded suspiciously like a plan to me.
“Are you okay?” Devin asked responding to my wheezing, ignoring my tears.
“I mean — how are you doing this? Don’t you know? — Pastor Childman says — ”
“I know what he says, Farrah, but it’s not what we do. It’s not what anyone does. People have sex, love affairs, and secret relationships with the dumpy girl’s brother. Pastor Childman is a child. Grown men don’t slather their armpit with peanut butter.”
“But you’ll lick it.”
“I never claimed maturity — physical, spiritual, or otherwise. I’m only fifteen.”
“It’s so strange,” I said grabbing his hand, letting it hang limply in my own, “You can’t do this. Not with Nathan,” then I began caressing it like a puppy, trying to cajole it to take heartworm medicine from my outstretched palm.
“Oh Farrah, but I have, many times, often, with gusto. Would you rather I do it with you? I’ve done it before. It’s a different experience, but not an unpleasant one.”
That’s when he did it. No, not that, the kiss. He ran his fingers through my hair, part of me wishing the fiery strands would heat like oven coils and burn him, and another part of me wishing his lips would meet my own.
He ignored my squash body, freckles, and face. His lips kissed mine. His tongue slipped through my teeth. Mine followed his back into my mouth. It felt — good, great, wonderful. All those things until I realized those same lips kissed my brother’s, in the same way, in the same place, and more.
Still, when I pulled my lips away I smiled. I couldn’t help but return his. The way his eyes scrunched when he smiled first. The light in his eyes I’d never seen before but only imagined directed at me, like a spotlight. The unattractive boy and the unattractive girl together, a possibility tainted by yearnings shared in my own family.
The hand mirror, dog, and heart were just my own imagination, but I hoped to have one of them: beauty, comfort, or love — two of which were lost to me in that moment. Maybe ugly is the right word, but maybe it’s more than that. Maybe I’m just unloved.
I got out of the cab of his truck in a panicked frenzy, all my squishy parts jiggled when I landed on the ground, my face as red as the tomatoes I just bought from the store. I drove home away from Devin and his truck, and the kiss. I could hear the car groaning. It’s frame shaking beneath my feet.
A picture of my brother, Nathan, in my mind blurring with my tears until there is nothing left until he isn’t even my brother. Devin not loved but lurved — a fake form of love that swerves.
Swerves, let’s say when you are upset, and crying, and driving a car, into a ditch by the road where you’d sometimes seen them both run. And then the engine is smoking, and the air is hot, but you get out of the car and are okay, and there’s a stray dog passing by on the road. He comes up to you, like no boy ever did, or at least no boy who had ever fondled your brother first, and leans close to your sweaty, dirty face and licks you with his warm pink tongue. You grab the matted fur on his neck, pulling him closer, and decide, in an instant, that his name, the dog’s name — is Love. | https://medium.com/new-body/kiss-3c1a63f7f924 | ['Presley Thomas'] | 2019-06-17 18:58:42.114000+00:00 | ['Coming Of Age', 'Fiction', 'Queer'] |
Qa1. My Quantum Open Source Foundation Project | Hello world, I’m Rodney Osodo. An undergrad student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya. I’ve been interested in quantum computing for a while now and am so excited to share my learnings from my most recent experience with quantum computing.
This is my quantum open source foundation project on building a quantum variational classifier using a heart attack dataset. The purpose of this project was to help me gain insight into the actual construction of a quantum model, applied to real data. By sharing these insights, I hope to help many of you understand and learn much of the dynamics accompanied with quantum machine learning, which I grasped whilst doing this project. This will be a series of blogs in the order of:
Classical pre-processing of data, this one Explaining the workings of a variational quantum model Explain my finds and look at the best models
Ultimately, we will:
Learn how a variational circuit works
Explore the different types of optimizers in Qiskit
Get a firmer understanding of quantum machine learning (hopefully! 😁)
My project plan is to:
Explore a specific dataset and pre-process it. For this project, we decided to use the heart attack data as our baseline. This is because, in medical aspects, heart attack is the leading disease that causes death. In computation aspect, the data was rather small and could easily be fitted on NISQ computers. We also used the iris dataset and wine datasets for validation. Create a quantum neural network (AKA variational classifier) by combining a featuremap, variational circuit and measurement component (don’t worry, I will explain what these components mean in detail). Explore different types of optimizers, featuremaps, depths of featuremaps and depths of the variational circuit. Explain my observations based on the best 10 model configurations. Try to understand why these models performed the best and see if they are able to generalize well on new data.
Exploratory Data Analysis
Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) refers to the critical process of performing initial investigations on a dataset so as to discover patterns, spot anomalies, test hypotheses and check assumptions. It it usually good practice in data science to explore the data first before getting your hands dirty and starting to build models.
My EDA process was short as the series topic alluded earlier, I would like to focus on quantum machine learning rather than dwell on data science!
Data explorations
To start off, we imported necessary libraries: pandas, numpy, matplotlib, seaborn and pandas profiling, and loaded our dataset
data = pd.read_csv(DATA_PATH)
The original dataset can be found here.
We then checked the shape of the dataset and found that we have 14 columns — that is 13 features and one target variable. We have 294 rows implying we have 294 datapoints which we will use to train and test our model. When we check our columns we see the actual names in the heading. The explanations of the each column is as follows:
print(data.columns) Index(['age', 'sex', 'cp', 'trestbps', 'chol', 'fbs', 'restecg', 'thalach', 'exang', 'oldpeak', 'slope', 'ca', 'thal', 'num '], dtype='object')
Attribute Information
Age (age in years)
Sex (1 = male; 0 = female)
CP (chest pain type)
TRESTBPS (resting blood pressure (in mm Hg on admission to the hospital))
CHOL (serum cholestoral in mg/dl)
FPS (fasting blood sugar > 120 mg/dl) (1 = true; 0 = false)
RESTECH (resting electrocardiographic results)
THALACH (maximum heart rate achieved)
EXANG (exercise induced angina (1 = yes; 0 = no))
OLDPEAK (ST depression induced by exercise relative to rest)
SLOPE (the slope of the peak exercise ST segment)
CA (number of major vessels (0–3) colored by flourosopy)
THAL (3 = normal; 6 = fixed defect; 7 = reversable defect)
num ==> TARGET (1 or 0)
When we look at the head of the data, we see some missing values labeled ? . We will try and fix this later. We proceed and check the info of the data and see most columns are under dtype object instead of float64 . We will also need to fix this later on. This is because a dtype object can't be understood by our model. As our model only understands numerical values e.g float and integers.
When we check the unique values of each column,
def check_unique(df):
""""
Checks the unique value in each column
:param df: The dataframe
"""
for col in df.columns:
unique = df[col].unique()
print("Column: {} has {} unique values
".format(col, unique))
we see that sex, cp , fbs, exang, oldpeak, slope, ca, thal and num are categorical variables, while the others are continuous variables. This will help inform us when deciding how to fill values with null spaces.
When we look at the target distribution, we can see that they are almost balanced, since one of the classes isn’t more than 2/3 of the dataset.
When we look at the age distribution we see that most of the people are male:
We can definitely see that as you age, you are more prone to a heart attack until the age of 57, where your chances interestingly start reducing. At the age of 54 is the peak age where most people are susceptible to a heart attack.
This pairplot shows us the distribution of every class.
Data cleaning
We first change the column name and the target variable as it has spaces
data = data.rename(columns={'num ':'num'})
2. When we check the values, we see that the null values were recorded as ? in the dataset. One way of handling this is to change the ? in the data to be np.Nan .
def fix_missing_values(df):
""""
Changes ? in the data to be np.Nan
:param df: The dataframe
:return df: Fixed dataframe
""" cols = df.columns
for col in cols:
for i in range(len(df[col])):
if df[col][i] == '?':
df[col][i] = np.NaN
return df
3. We change the data type of the object to float64
def change_dtype(df):
""""
Changes the data type from object to float64
:param df: The dataframe
:return df: Fixed dataframe
"""
cols = df.columns
for col in cols:
if df[col].dtype == 'O':
df[col] = df[col].astype("float64")
return df
4. Fixing mixing values: Handling missing data in machine learning is important as it may lead to drawing inaccurate inference from the data.
We will delete the columns with more than half of its members empty. This is because if we try and fill them, most of the entries will have more fabricated values than real values.
ca
thal
slope
Columns that have continuous values and the null values that are not less than half, we’ll try and fix this by either replacing with the mean, mode or median. For our case I used mean values for:
trestbps
chol
thalach
These, we will fix with the mode value since they are either 0 or 1 :
fbs
exang
restecg
def fix_missing_values(df):
""""
Fixes the missing values by either deleting or replacing
:param df: The dataframe
:return df: Fixed dataframe
"""
def delete_missing_values(df):
"""
Deletes the column with Null values which are less than half of its values
"""
df = df[['age', 'sex', 'cp', 'trestbps', 'chol', 'fbs', 'restecg', 'thalach','exang', 'oldpeak', 'num']]
return df
def fill_with_mean(df):
"""
Fills the NaN values with the mean value of the column
"""
cols = ['trestbps', 'chol', 'thalach']
for col in cols:
df[col].fillna(value=df[col].mean(), inplace=True)
return df
def fill_with_mode(df):
"""
Fills the NaN values with the mode value of the column
"""
cols =['fbs', 'restecg', 'exang']
for col in cols:
df[col].fillna(value=df[col].mode()[0], inplace=True)
return df
df = delete_missing_values(df)
df = fill_with_mean(df)
df = fill_with_mode(df)
return df
5. We remove duplicate rows:
data.drop_duplicates(inplace=True)
Profiling
One way of doing better and faster exploratory data analysis in a very short time, is to use pandas profiling. It basically returns an interactive report in HTML format which is quick to analyse the data.
We first check the correlation of the columns to the target variable:
data.drop('num', axis=1).corrwith(data['num']).plot(kind='bar', grid=True, figsize=(12, 8), title="Correlation with target")
We see that exang has the highest prositive correlation, followed by oldpeak and then cp. Thalach has the highest negative correlation.
Based on the correlation of the features with the target variable, we chose the first 4 positively highly correlated features. We finish off by checking the pandas profiling:
pp.ProfileReport(df=data, dark_mode=True, explorative=True)
From the overview, we are able to see we have to warnings which we will ignore because:
df_index has unique values. This is because it is the index column, so it has all unique values. oldpeak has 188 (64.2%) zeros. The data is not normalized, hence most values are 0.
Next steps
We shuffle the data to introduce some randomness: we maintain the same random state for all operations. We remove less relevant features and remain with the top 4 features, 3 postively correlated with the target variable and 1 negatively correlated with the target variable. We normalize the data using sklearn.preprocessing.MinMaxScaler between ranges -2pi and 2pi. This is to ensure we utilize the Hilbert space appropriately as we will be encoding the data into quantum states via rotation angles. We finally split the data into train and test sets, keeping the test size to 0.3 which is rather standard in classical machine learning.
def normalize_data(dataPath="../../Data/Processed/data.csv"):
data = pd.read_csv(dataPath)
data = shuffle(data, random_state=42)
X, Y = data[['sex', 'cp', 'exang', 'oldpeak']].values, data['num'].values
# normalize the data
scaler = MinMaxScaler(feature_range=(-2 * np.pi, 2 * np.pi))
X = scaler.fit_transform(X)
X_train, X_test, Y_train, Y_test = train_test_split(X, Y, test_size=0.3, random_state=42)
return X_train, X_test, Y_train, Y_test
Lets move to the next blog: “Explaining Variational Quantum Classifiers” | https://medium.com/@rodneyosodo/qa1-my-quantum-open-source-foundation-project-402d4f1df1a5 | ['Rodney David'] | 2021-01-22 18:30:21.591000+00:00 | ['Quantum Computing', 'Quantum Machine Learning', 'Qml', 'Machine Learning', 'Qiskit'] |
Almost Didn’t | Almost Didn’t
A poem
Photo by Alex Blăjan on Unsplash
This madness
I welcome with sculpted arms
It causes my heart to dance
In ways I can’t keep up with.
Panic marries defiance
And bore butterflies
That snuck and settled within me.
Now every day,
I time travel to places
That don’t yet exist.
And mold you with the pieces
Of you you let me hold.
You tell me stories
With alien words I cannot google
I wear my awe for you like a head wrap.
You build,
with your words, your hands too
Tall structures of kinship
We now live in.
You don’t let me decorate it.
Perhaps you fear the flowers will die fast
And the fragrance of death will last long
How can I convince you to take my hand?
These flowers bloom in my garden
If they do die (and they will)
You always will meet fresh ones.
Peonies and lilies,
Roses and sunflowers
Let me bring them in,
They will whither outside
And the fragrance you fear
Will hijack the air inside.
We can decorate together
And take short breaks
To press flowers into books
Create an album of petals
And laugh when we recollect
The days we almost didn’t. | https://medium.com/scribe/almost-didnt-c58cfd3d7e8a | ['Uchechi Obasi'] | 2020-08-17 14:43:10.207000+00:00 | ['Love', 'Happiness', 'Poem', 'Dating', 'Poetry'] |
No Flash Photography! | When he decided to flout the rules on his first Safari, Jonah got a real close up
Photo by Hu Chen on Unsplash
Pop! The camera’s flashbulb startled everyone.
“Put it away,” said the ranger, “the lions don’t like it.” There’s always the one who flouts the rules, he thought.
Pop, another flash, but from outside the vehicle, quite muffled, followed by a satisfied “Roar.”
“I told him the lions don’t like it.” | https://medium.com/@anthonyhalliwell/no-flash-photography-7d9d9757b570 | ['Anthony Halliwell'] | 2020-12-17 10:31:53.329000+00:00 | ['Short Story', 'Short Fiction', 'Flash Fiction', 'Short Read', 'Humour'] |
Man establishes his Supremacy over machine in Man Vs Machine debate. | Man establishes his supremacy over machine in Man Vs Machine debate.
and the good news is Communication, Creativity and Empathy are human forte as highlighted in the article Top skills for 2019 | https://medium.com/datacrat/man-establishes-his-supremacy-over-machine-in-man-vs-machine-debate-25b1b5b958ab | [] | 2019-02-12 15:51:33.460000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Technology', 'Data', 'Data Science'] |
How to Manage Holiday Spending in Retirement | Retirees may be facing a different-looking holiday this year, with changes that include canceled trips or smaller gatherings. These shifts can also have a money-related impact. For retirees on a fixed income, it may be helpful to set up a financial strategy that aligns with the holiday activities in 2020.
Here’s how to manage holiday spending and avoid financial missteps:
Rethink your budget.
Set amounts for gifts.
Evaluate holiday meals.
Shift travel funds.
Look for ways to save.
Monitor credit card charges.
Take advantage of extra sales.
Rethink Your Budget
If you had a budget in place for the holidays, it may be a good idea to look at it again. Some of the items might need to be changed or removed from your budget based on adjustments in plans and activities. “If you don’t have a budget, now is a great time to create one,” says Lauren Wybar, a senior financial advisor at The Vanguard Group in Philadelphia. “A good starting point is to develop an itemized list of all of your expenses.” You could set up financial buckets for the holidays, such as special events, charities, decorations and gifts for family and friends. “Determine if these expenses are necessary or discretionary, and if you are comfortable with them given your savings and retirement income,” Wybar says.
Set Amounts for Gifts
Your gift list might be longer or shorter than it was last year. For instance, if you won’t be seeing some family members over the holidays, you may decide to give them an extra gift. At the same time, if finances are tight, you might not plan to purchase as many gifts as you have in the past. “Setting spending limits on each gift is a great way to maintain your budget,” says Chuck Czajka, founder of Macro Money Concepts in Stuart, Florida. If you plan to ship gifts rather than give them in person, you’ll want to include the cost of shipping in your overall gift budget.
Evaluate Holiday Meals
If you usually have children and grandchildren over for special dinners during the holidays, you might decide to cancel the meals this year. “If you are cooking for one, two or four — versus your usual 10 — think very carefully about what you really will eat,” says Tanya Peterson, vice president of brand with Freedom Financial Network in San Mateo, California. “There is no need to buy and cook the dinner you may be used to, unless you are intent on having leftovers to freeze.” If you want to make a turkey or a large ham, you can roast it before any special meals and divide the cooked meat into smaller packages that you place in the freezer. “Then take out what you need for several meals during the holiday season,” Peterson says.
Shift Travel Funds
If you purchase plane tickets to fly in December, but decide to stay home and not use the tickets, check with the airline to see about reimbursement. You may receive credit to use toward a flight in the future. If you were planning to drive to see grandchildren, consider the budget you had set for the trip. This might include money to spend on gas, food and hotel stays. You could decide to save the funds and put them toward an upcoming trip.
You might also consider using the travel money in a different way. “Retirees who aren’t traveling for the holidays may find themselves with some extra cash in their budgets that they can dedicate to a non-traditional gift, like a college savings account for their grandchildren,” says Jeremy Gove, a financial planner for Stonebridge Insurance and Wealth Management in Kearney, Nebraska.
Look for Ways to Save
If you usually host a large New Year’s Eve gathering at your house, you might decide to not hold one this year due to the pandemic. The change could mean you have extra funds that aren’t spent on food and decorations for the party. “Cancelled holiday plans mean an opportunity to save money that is typically spent this time of year,” says Nicole Scanlon, managing director of family wealth at Olson Wealth Group in Minneapolis, Minnesota. You may decide to keep the funds in an account and use them toward home improvements or a gathering in the upcoming year.
When spending extra time at home, there may be free activities that you can do with those in your household. You might pull out a puzzle, play a board game or look through photo albums. “Those looking to get outdoors can do so in a way that costs nothing by going on walks, cross country skiing or sitting around a bonfire,” Scanlon says.
Monitor Credit Card Charges
When shifting plans, it can be more difficult to pay attention to how funds are spent. For this reason, focusing on using a debit card or cash might make it easier to track funds. “Try not to use credit cards unless you can pay the balance by the next billing cycle,” Czajka says. “The last thing you want to do is spend 2021 paying off 2020’s holiday season.”
Take Advantage of Extra Sales
Many retailers are shifting away from a single Black Friday sale to avoid drawing large crowds. Instead some shops are offering online deals or in-store discounts that are valid for the whole month of November and even into December. “Gift givers have extra time to plan their shopping lists and look for the best sales to fit their budget,” Gove says. This could help stretch dollars further or enable you to purchase a gift with a high value for a lower price. | https://medium.com/@timekawillis/how-to-manage-holiday-spending-in-retirement-4f729727e979 | ['Timeka Willis'] | 2020-12-08 04:51:17.288000+00:00 | ['Save Money Tips', 'Save Money', 'How To Manage', 'Holiday Spending', 'Retirement'] |
The Nigeria Leadership Puzzle! | Nigeria Flag. (Source: Internet)
We are a people that our individual and collective sensibility and sensitivity have been raped incessantly over the years and have become accustomed to contradictions. For instance, how do you explain situations where someone renown to be poor or average among his/her people becomes stupendously wealthy just because he was elected or appointed into a government position? Other instances abound and are everywhere! Yet the arms of the law have been twisted always to favor the person with the big pocket. The people are not deaf and dump!
This is what made each individual adapt his/her tactics to thrive or survive at their various level of society’s strata. This is what will make railway workers selfish; this is what will make traders swindle customers; this is what will make a gateman demand bribery before you can gain entrance; this is what will make a Governor misappropriate State funds, a Minister to inflate contracts. Everyone has a level, so each person plays at his/her level.
Getting out of these quagmires requires solving one major puzzle. The puzzle of Leadership!
“Everything rises and falls on Leadership” — John Maxwell
“A fish rots from the head down” — Proverb
The military parade is fun to watch. The precision and unison of every moment, even when all seems scattered, are spectacular to behold. At the head of the parade is a commander, who gives the order. As he shouts out the orders, his sub-commanders re-echo the orders to their divisions; as he moves at his own commands, the same for the sub-commanders and the entire parade.
This is what Nigeria critically needs as a nation at this point. A Leader with a vision on a mission, who will move with military discipline and precision and ‘command’ the sub-leaders to do the same. This should not be construed as supporting a military rule. Far from it! The case here is, Nigeria needs disciplined leaders, who will not be so enmeshed in politics to neglect the people that give them the mandate. Leaders who move with clear precision because they are vision-driven. Leaders that ‘command’ the citizenry to move in unison of purpose and direction. Leaders whose sole interest are not their personal ambitions or aspirations. Leaders that will awaken the national consciousness of patriotism. Leaders who will retune our moral strings and make us find our rhythm again.
When we have such leaders, then we will realize that corruption and other ills ravaging our nation will gradually and systematically drift to oblivion, no totally anyways but substantially.
The solutions to the leadership puzzle are in the hand of, ” We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”. Our collective choices will continue to glaringly indicate the direction we choose to travel. | https://medium.com/@babsoyeniyi/the-nigeria-leadership-puzzle-97b993eac3cc | ['Babs Oyeniyi'] | 2020-12-23 18:24:57.187000+00:00 | ['Leadership', 'Nigeria', 'Corruption', 'Economy', 'Covid 19'] |
Litecoin Foundation to Host the First Ever Litecoin Summit! | If you haven’t heard yet, the Litecoin Foundation is hosting its first ever blockchain conference on 9/14–9/15 at the South San Francisco Conference Center!
Litecoin has played an important role in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. As the little brother to Bitcoin, it was the first to implement Segregated Witness(SegWit). Consequently, a random redditor posted a $1 MM Litecoin bounty challenging anyone to steal from a SegWit transaction. This was done to combat the “anyone can spend” concerns people in the Bitcoin community had in regards to implementing SegWit.
You can read more about the role Litecoin played below:
Two hours after SegWit was implemented on LTC on May 10, 2017, Christian Decker performed the first ever Lightning Network transaction on main net to demonstrate how SegWit could be utilized:
Since then, the Lightning Network has become the path to scaling not just for Bitcoin or Litecoin, but other cryptocurrencies such as Vertcoin and Decred. In this way, Litecoin has pioneered implementing technology that has positively impacted the cryptocurrency ecosystem as a whole.
You will continue to see this theme through the amazing set of speakers we have lined up for the Litecoin Summit.
Summit Speakers
The Litecoin Summit boasts a diverse lineup from all over the world including Elizabeth Stark from Lightning Labs, Eric Winer from Gemini, and of course Charlie Lee.
Some of the topics you can expect to be covered are:
Scaling solutions via the Lightning Network (Elizabeth Stark)
Sidechains, smart contracts, and RootStock (Diego Gurierrez Zaldivar)
The importance of a non-custodial wallet (Bill and Daryl from Abra)
Cryptocurrency from a VC perspective (Adam Draper)
Practical tips for taxing cryptocurrencies (Alexey Kassabov)
Day 1
Here’s what you can expect for Day 1. The Grand Ballroom will be set theater stole facing a stage where we will have all speakers giving their presentations.
There will be a nice mix of individual speakers and panels throughout the day. There will also be a VIP mixer for conference attendees to network with not only Litecoin Foundation members, but speakers as well. But you must purchase a VIP ticket. To get access.
Day 2
Day 2 will be a bit more interactive and dynamic. The Grand Ballroom will feature up to 40 booths where you can meet our awesome sponsors for the conference as well as #paywithlitecoin! This is of course to build on the theme of Litecoin being the “Digital Currency for Payments.”
This Litecoin expo will continue throughout the day. However, we will also be setting up various speakers as well! However, I advise you try to get seating early it will be limited.
Tickets
As you can see above, we are selling three types of tickets: A VIP Day 1 and 2 pass, a regular Day 1 and 2 pass, and just a Day 2 pass.
The VIP pass will include food and drinks throughout the day as well as access to the VIP mixer at the end of Day 1. This is something that won’t be included in the regular Day 1 and 2 pass. But don’t worry if you just buy a regular Day 1 and 2 pass! We are inviting the very best local foodtrucks in the area for your convenience.
The Day 2 pass includes access to not only the Litecoin expo but the speakers as well. We know that cryptocurrency conference can be quite expensive. That’s why we decided to offer Day 2 for only $89 ($59 for the super early bird special)! We hope by providing a more affordable ticket, people will still be able to attend a dynamic and engaging conference featuring prominent speakers such as Derek Capo from TokenPay and a panel discussion with Bill and Darryl from Abra.
I strongly suggest that you get your tickets soon before prices go up again on Sept. 1! Hope to see you there! | https://medium.com/hackernoon/litecoin-foundation-to-host-the-first-ever-litecoin-summit-553d3214cd41 | [] | 2018-08-23 17:50:57.988000+00:00 | ['Litecoin Summit', 'Litecoin', 'Bitcoin', 'Litecoin Foundation', 'Conference'] |
April Fool, but this isn’t funny | Today is April Fool’s day, so why is there precious little to laugh about?
To launch our new Medium publication, we could have done a silly story. We could have spent time concocting a semi-believable, gadget-based gag that you probably would have spotted was a fake, and probably wouldn’t have shared.
We’re not doing that today.
We’re not doing that because it’s hard to laugh when some teachers in the US are working not two, but six jobs, just to make ends meet. It’s not funny when schools are hoodwinked into spending precious budget buying ‘snake oil’ IT and STEAM equipment that’s has no interoperability, little educational value and locks them into one poorly designed ecosystem for good.
It’s hard to giggle when schools in the UK are facing a recruitment and retention crisis and staff are being hounded out of the profession by stress and under funding. Big belly laughs are certainly in short supply when some kids in deprived schools are pocketing food from the canteen, simply because they might not eat later, and where teachers are washing school uniforms while the kids do PE.
It’s no joke when rich parents game a broken system with dollars to ensure their kids get into college as the expense of actual people with talent. And it’s difficult to smile when the pressure of testing in India forces one student an hour to commit suicide.
Makes difficult reading doesn’t it?
Well, we live in difficult times. For some, there’s the temptation to recoil and simply accept the status quo, after all, there’s a comfort in that. But it’s cold comfort, not change. But for many others, there is genuine anger at these injustices; not the anger of hopeless rage, but the anger that hopes for change.
Not the anger of hopeless rage, but the anger that hopes for change.
At pi-top, we have a saying, we make the future. But that isn’t we the company, it’s we the movement. That movement starts with you, with your students, in your classroom, your club house or your community centre.
The problems we’re facing locally and globally are difficult, but not impossible, to solve. In many cases we actually have much of the technology and capacity to begin to address them. What we lack as a society, is the will, the funding, the drive and the leadership to do so.
So let’s try and fix things together. It’s time to get angry, get active, get engaged. We’re not joking… | https://medium.com/pi-top/april-fool-but-this-isnt-funny-463d9dd62915 | ['Andrew Webb'] | 2019-04-01 09:46:22.522000+00:00 | ['April Fools', 'Education'] |
Clearance Rates Analysis | For this Power BI report, I used data from the Murder Accountability Project (MAP). This report uses information about homicides in the United States. The data set from this organization highlights unsolved murders. This data set showcases how data analytics can be a force of good. For example, Thomas Hargrove states:
“We’ve found that city by city the rate of murder tends to rise when the rate at which homicides are cleared through arrests decline.” (9:17)
Hargrove also mentions an inverse relationship between solving murders and fewer deaths. In this report, I will attempt to explore any features that explain this relationship. Then I will recommend any solutions that could help increase the clearance rate.
I connected two data sources in the Power BI Desktop from murderdata.org: SHR76_17.csv and UCR65_18.csv. By using the Query Editor, I renamed the SHR76_17 table to “Clearance Rates”. In this table, I also changed the “year” column to an integer. I changed the label “MRD” column to “reported” and changed it to an integer whole number. I changed the label “CLR” column to “Cleared” as in cases solved by arrests and changed that data type to integer. I used another table “UCR65_18” that I renamed “Search Cases”. I also changed the “year” column to an integer. In the column “Solved” the data type changed to integers 1 for “yes” and 0 for “no”. This allowed the column “Solved” to have cleared cases summed up as a field.
I created a “many to many” relationship using the columns “Agency” and “State” present in both tables. In the data pane, I used the DAX expression [& “, “ &] to attach two columns together. In tying those tables together, I created a calculated column named “AgencyState”. The table “Clearance Rates” does not have a calculated clearance rate. To find this you must sum the “Cleared” cases and divide it by the sum of “Reported” cases. Because of this missing rate in the table I created a calculated measure to show the clearance rate.
Clearance Rate by State
Bottom Ten Clearance Rate by State
Clearance Rate by Metropolitan Statistical Area
I used various visualization techniques to analyze the clearance rate from different regions. I used a line chart, a filled map, a column chart, and a bar chart. The line chart “Reported and Clearance Rate by Year”, illustrates reported murders versus clearance rates. As mentioned before the more reported cases the lower the clearance rate. The higher the clearance rate the lower the reported murders. The filled map “Clearance Rate by State”, pinpoints dark areas of low clearance rate. The column chart “Bottom Ten Clearance Rate by State” marks the states with the lowest clearance rate. Finally, the bar chart “Clearance Rate by Metropolitan Statistical Area”, indicates the city areas with low clearance. Two slicers let you select the year and the state you want to focus on.
“Reported and Clearance Rate by Year”
The bottom 5 states have a clearance rate of less than 60%. These states are New York, Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. By using the State selector, you can view “Reported and Clearance Rate by Year” based on that state. You can then find the Metropolitan areas that are doing the worst in solving murders. This dashboard shows the United States is not doing enough to solve murders. The United States has been solving fewer murders than reported since the late ’70s. More murderers are roaming free looking for the next opportunity to strike.
Clearance Rate Dashboard
It is often said that you are only as strong as your weakest link. This dashboard shows these weak points. A recommendation I would make is to focus on states with low clearance rates. Identifying pain points shows which states and cities need the most help. The worst states in this report are Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. Within those states, the metropolitan areas have much worse clearance rates. Increasing funding and training will improve their clearance rates. As their clearance rates improve there will be fewer reported cases of murder. | https://medium.com/@sancaa94/clearance-rates-analysis-96ee3d488dfe | ['Angel Sanchez'] | 2020-12-15 20:46:04.929000+00:00 | ['Exploratory Data Analysis', 'Murder Accountability', 'Dashboard', 'Clearance Rates', 'Power Bi'] |
by Dr. Mike Ally | How to Become an SEO Expert (8 Steps)
by Dr. Mike Ally
Looking to become an SEO expert but have no clue where to begin?
With demand for SEO professionals higher than ever and average hourly rates sitting between $75-$150, there’s a clear financial incentive to get good at SEO.
But with no colleges offering degrees in SEO, it’s up to you to carve your own path in the industry.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to break into the field and kickstart your journey to becoming an SEO expert in 8 simple steps.
Get more post like this on Business scan24
What do we really mean by “SEO expert”?
Expert is a relative term. You might see me as an SEO expert, but someone with more experience like Rand Fishkin almost certainly wouldn’t.
No matter how much you learn about SEO, there’ll always be someone that knows more.
For that reason, your goal shouldn’t be to become an SEO expert per se. It should be to learn enough to get results consistently.
8 steps to become an SEO expert
Follow this simple process to go from an SEO newbie to SEO pro.
Learn how search engines work
Understand the three key ranking factors
Master the four main buckets of SEO
Start a website
Niche down
Create systems and delegate
Never stop learning
Be patient
1. Learn
how search engines work
Get more post like this on Business scan24
Google’s index contains trillions of web pages, which is built primarily from crawling the web.
When you type a query into Google, it pulls all matching pages.
Because there are often millions of relevant results, Google’s algorithm then ranks them based on hundreds of factors. Nobody knows what all of these factors are or how they’re weighted, but we do know some.
SIDENOTE.
SEO only influences the so-called organic results. It doesn’t affect paid ads.
Learn more about those factors in this post.
FURTHER READING
2. Understand the three key ranking factors
Lots of people get bogged down optimizing for ranking factors that aren’t all that important. So before you start obsessing over pagespeed or title tags, make sure you’re on top of the three big ones.
Relevance
This is how well your page matches the query.
If someone types “how to make lavender oil” into Google, then Google won’t return pages about cars because that’s irrelevant.
But relevance goes deeper than that. Your page also needs to match the type of content people want to see.
For example, a person searching “how to make lavender oil” wants a tutorial. They’re not looking to buy ready-made lavender oil. That’s why all of the results on the first page are blog posts, not product pages.
Catering to the “why” behind a query is known as optimizing for search intent.
Authority
This largely boils down to backlinks.
Google sees links as votes of confidence. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher you’re likely to rank.
The best backlinks have two key attributes: authority and relevance.
Authority relates to the power of the linking website and web page. At Ahrefs, we have two metrics for measuring this: Domain Rating and URL Rating. The most powerful links are those from high-UR pages.
Relevance relates to the topic of the linking website and web page. For example, if a post about making lavender oil has two backlinks, one from a tech blog and one from a health website, the one from the health site is probably more relevant. However, page-level relevance also matters. If the linking page on the tech website is about a relevant topic like the best smart diffusers, and the one on the health website is about an unrelated topic like bodybuilding, then the link from the tech website may be more relevant.
Utility
Google aims to show the best result in pole position. That means it isn’t enough just to match search intent. Your content needs to be the most deserving of the top spot.
But what constitutes quality and utility depends on the search query itself. So the best course of action is to review the current top-ranking pages and see what’s good about them, and where they fall short.
For example, this calculator works well on desktop but lacks utility for mobile visitors because it’s almost unusable on mobile:
3. Master the four main buckets of SEO
Think of SEO as a puzzle with multiple pieces. Understanding how they fit together is essential knowledge for any industry professional.
The four pieces are:
Keyword research; On-page SEO; Link building; Technical SEO
Let’s go over what each of these entails.
Keyword research
Keyword research involves finding relevant words and phrases that people are typing into search engines like Google.
In general, you should target keywords that:
Have “traffic potential” (i.e., are likely to send organic traffic your way should you rank for them); Have “business value” (i.e., are likely to attract potential customers); Aren’t too competitive
To find keywords that fit the bill, enter a few ideas into Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer, and take a look at one of the keyword ideas reports.
For each keyword, you’ll see a few important metrics:
Search volume: the average number of people that search for the keyword each month;
Keyword Difficulty (KD): the estimated difficulty of ranking on the first page of Google scored on a scale from 0–100;
Clicks: the number of clicks on search results from that keyword each month.
The best keywords are those with high traffic potential (i.e., high search volume and clicks), high business value, and low ranking difficulty.
FURTHER READING
How To Do Keyword Research for SEO
Keyword Difficulty: How to Determine Your Chances of Ranking in Google
Why You Can’t Blindly Trust Keyword Search Volume for Traffic Estimations
10 Free Keyword Research Tools
On-page SEO
On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing web pages to help improve rankings and attract more organic traffic from search engines.
Examples include:
Optimizing for search intent;
Using keyword modifiers in your title tags;
Writing enticing meta titles and descriptions;
Using descriptive alt tags for images;
Internally linking to pages that you want to rank.
For more on on-page SEO strategies, check out this video:
FURTHER READING
On-Page SEO: An Actionable Guide
How to Craft the Perfect SEO Title Tag (4 Steps)
Internal Links for SEO: An Actionable Guide
Image SEO: 12 Actionable Tips
Link building
Link building is the process of acquiring new backlinks from third-party websites. They help improve rankings and boost organic traffic, but can also send referral traffic your way.
Check out some tried and tested link building tactics in these videos:
Technical SEO
Technical SEO involves optimizing your website so that search engines can crawl and index your content efficiently, and visitors have a positive user experience.
Examples include:
Learn how to perform a basic technical SEO site audit in this video:
4. Start a website
No matter how many books you read about golf, you’re never going to win a tournament without picking up a set of clubs and practicing.
The same rings true for SEO. You need to know the theory, but there’s no substitute for getting your hands dirty and actually ranking a site.
To start your own project, all you need to do is:
Choose a topic you’re passionate about;
Buy a domain and hosting;
Put up a basic website;
Start creating content
From there, it’s a case of putting your SEO knowledge into practice by optimizing your content, building some links, and making sure that your site is technically sound from an SEO perspective.
Nothing will teach you more about SEO than doing this.
That said, this obviously takes some time, and nothing takes more time than writing content. So, if you have the budget to do so, there’s no shame in outsourcing content. Just make sure to give your writer clear instructions so that what they produce is optimized for ranking.
FEELING TEMPTED TO TAKE ON CLIENTS?
Imagine that you’re a business owner looking to hire an SEO. Would you want to hire someone that hasn’t ranked a website in their life? Definitely not. For that reason, while you may be tempted to take on some freelance projects in the beginning, it’s unfair to put someone’s livelihood at risk just so you can practice and hone your craft.
If you want to speed up the learning process, get an entry-level position at a respected agency instead.
5. Niche down
Jack of all trades, master of none.
That’s what you’ll be at the beginning of your SEO journey since you have to learn a bit about everything to have a solid foundation in the field.
However, you need to move past that over time.
Here are two ways to do that:
A. Master one specific skill within SEO
Because SEO is such a broad field, you won’t have time to become an expert at both link building and technical SEO. There’s so little overlap between the two that improving one skill doesn’t really improve the other.
Instead, you should become what’s known as a T‑shaped SEO expert.
Being a T‑shaped SEO expert means you have broad skills across all things SEO, but excel in one particular area.
Marie Haynes is a fantastic example of a t‑shaped marketer. She specializes in Google penalty recovery and algorithm consultation. She doesn’t build links. She doesn’t do on-page SEO. She audits websites with traffic drops to find out what happened and helps business owners to rectify the situation.
Seeker Digital, an agency specializing in outreach, is another good example.
B. Master SEO for one industry
Doing SEO for realtors requires a completely different approach to ecommerce SEO.
For the realtor, priorities might include setting up a Google My Business profile and getting listed on popular industry directories. For an online store, optimizing product and category pages is likely to be more important.
Becoming the go-to SEO expert for one type of business is a great way to refine your skills and client offering. It can also be extremely lucrative.
Case in point: This company does SEO for personal injury law firms and turns over in excess of $275,000/month — and that’s with just 15 employees:
So while you could build a profitable business providing SEO services for all kinds of companies, it’s easier to hone your craft when you focus on one niche.
Just make sure that your chosen niche is both somewhat lucrative and interesting to you. For example, if you’re interested in real estate, you could provide SEO services for real estate companies. That’s a niche where money flows fairly freely, and companies are always looking for a leg up.
6. Create systems and delegate
The more you learn about SEO, the more you’ll realize that there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything yourself.
But even if there were, doing so would still be inefficient.
Being a “t‑shaped SEO expert” means that there are people who are better equipped to handle most SEO tasks than you. Delegating those tasks to the right people frees up your time to spend on the things you’re best at and most enjoy.
For example, if your expertise lies in keyword research and writing content that ranks, that’s how you should spend your time. You can bring on someone to handle tasks like link building and technical SEO.
Past saving time, your clients will get better service since they have highly-specialized people working on every aspect of their SEO.
However, more people means more moving parts, which can lead to things falling between the cracks.
Creating systems is the best way to keep everyone on the same page. This means creating SEO checklists (or SOPs) that you use on every project to keep things on track.
Here’s a system for generating a consistent stream of high-quality backlinks to get you started:
[1] Get more post like this on Business scan24
7. Never stop learning
SEO moves fast. In 2018 alone, Google reported making over 3,200 algorithm updates.
Although many of these updates were relatively minor for users, it gives you a good idea of how fast “best practices” in SEO can change. That said, trying to keep on top of every tiny change Google makes is likely to be an effort in futility, so it’s better to stay focused on the fundamentals.
In other words, rather than chasing the algorithm changes, chase what the algorithm is trying to do: provide the best and most relevant content to users. That way, you won’t have to worry as much about updates and penalties.
Does that mean you shouldn’t network and follow experts to expand your opportunities and stay on top of valuable new strategies? Of course not. So here are some ways to do that:
Go to SEO meetups in your area;
Attend SEO conferences;
Connect with SEO professionals on LinkedIn;
Follow SEO experts on Twitter;
Join Slack communities;
Join Facebook groups;
Read SEO blogs;
Watch videos;
Listen to podcasts
Choose the ones that most appeal to you, but don’t go overboard. Follow the Pareto principle and spend 80% of your time doing and 20% of your time learning.
8. Be patient
K Anders Ericsson famously theorized that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a new skill. Can it take less? Possibly. But the point is this: becoming an SEO expert is not an overnight process.
So, don’t feel bad if your content doesn’t reach the first page in the first couple of weeks.
That’s unlikely to happen, according to our research.
However, if you create good content, optimize your pages, follow keyword research best practices, and build enough high-quality links, your pages will eventually start to rank.
So keep grinding, retain your patience, and don’t give up.
Got questions? Hit me up in the comments
Footnotes
[1] Business Scan24 | https://medium.com/@oware/by-dr-mike-ally-db2fb536ab7e | ['Oware A. Augustine'] | 2020-12-20 17:55:56.375000+00:00 | ['Googlealgorithmupdates', 'Website Traffic', 'Google Ranking Factors', 'Online Business', 'Seo Training'] |
秋コレ出展情報 — The information of our booth in Akicolle | ＊＊＊日本語はページ下部です。ページ半ほどからお読みください。
We join to Akicolle as exhibit booth at 22nd Sept as announced. We’d like to publish booth information in this article. That mean is it include to act as NPO also there is open to public NEEETCOIN project, it will be step up as result. And we think this is a better PR opportunity.
Akicolle 12th event detail;
Date: 22nd Sept 2019, 11:00am~4:00pm (JST)
Venue: Akihabara UDX 2F Akiba-Square (GoogleMap)
With better effect for a society. Because the showing crypto to the general public is a positive better for many projects, not just NEETCOIN.
Although, should in here focus is the story of the NEETCOIN booth.
We will sell goods as include PR.
It’s Acrylic key chain and stand. Also plus some for example Mouse-pad.
Acrylic key chain …800 JPY
Acrylic stand …600 JPY
Mouse pad Black/Yellow… 1000 JPY each
Button badge (Can badge) … 200 JPY
In addition, we are not forget that collect signature for NPO act on booth. We hope many people will know and become active.
Sincerely,
—
— 日本語
発表のとおり、9月22日の秋コレに展示ブースとして参加します。この記事でブース情報を公開したいと思います。
それはNPOとして活動することも含まれますが、NEEETCOIN Projectは公となり、結果としてステップアップすることになります。つまり、これはより良いPRの機会だと思っています。
第12回秋コレ
日時：2019年9月22日 11:00~16:00
会場：秋葉原UDX 2F アキバ・スクエア(GoogleMap)
社会により良い効果をもたらすのではないかと考えています。つまり暗号通貨を一般の方々に見せることは、NEETCOINだけでなく、多くのプロジェクトにとって好ましいことでしょう。
しかしながら、ここで注目すべきはNEETCOINブースの話題です。ブースでは、PRを含む商品を販売します。
アクリルスタンドとキーホルダー、さらにマウスパッドなどを加えます。
アクリルキーホルダー …800 円
アクリルスタンド…600 円
マウスパッド黒色/黄色… 各1000 円
缶バッヂ… 200円
さらに私たちのブースでNPO活動の為の署名も行います。私たちは、多くの人が知り、より活動することを願っています。
— 秋コレ情報 Akicolle info
Webpage : https://akicolle.com/event/akicolle/12/ | https://medium.com/neetcoin/information-of-our-booth-in-akicolle-df7f346f99dc | [] | 2019-09-18 03:43:32.319000+00:00 | ['秋コレ', 'Event', 'English', 'Neetcoin', 'Japanese'] |
How to create interactive web application for beginners | Deploying Node.js Apps on Heroku
This article describes how to take an existing Node.js app and deploy it to Heroku. The best practices in this article… | https://medium.com/@maildoaho/how-to-create-interactive-web-application-for-beginners-37ae78780548 | [] | 2021-01-04 18:06:49.931000+00:00 | ['Nodejs', 'Bootstrap', 'Google Auth', 'Heroku', 'Cloudinary'] |
Consumer Driven Contract Tests | Describing the practice in simple terms
Photo by Tiago Fioreze on Unsplash
Say we provide a service. Getting a user by its id would return the following infos
curl https://someserver.com/api/users/1 {
"id": 1,
"name": "Jane Doe",
"age": 23,
"address": "Somestreet 123 in City"
"premium": true
}
The id, the name, the age, the address and a field whether the user is a premium user. In reality the service might provide a lot more fields.
The consumer of the service could be an app on iOS or Android. A web app. Or any other backend service.
The provider provides, controls and owns the service. A consumer of the service has an interest in getting some data or using some functionality. Plus the interest for the service not to break.
Let’s think about an iOS app which would display each users age in a list. Maybe for customer relationship management.
There are two common ways to break the service and thus to impair the functionality of the app.
First if the provider decides users is not really a great descriptor and should be reader . As a result the url would change to api/reader/1 . A client who does not know of that change could have an application in production which now fails to retrieve the user.
Second by the provider to state the field age should not be provided. And instead to provide a birthdate field with a timestamp. After all the clients could calculate the age by themselves. Our iOS client consuming the age field would break because the service does not provide the age anymore.
In both cases some data will not be displayed. In the worst case the app might crash in production. Until a fix is provided by either side.
The expectations between provider and consumer went out of sync.
Contracts
To resolve the issues above a consumer can provide a contract to the provider. The contract states:
We are consuming the "name" and "age" field of your /users service. We expect "name" to be a String and "age" to be an Integer.
The provider accepts the contract. As a result the provider knows a client is using the "name" and the "age" field.
Another service could provide a contract too:
We are consuming the "premium" field of your /users service. We expect "premium" to be a Boolean.
If every consumer provides a contract the provider will know which fields can be removed because no one is consuming them. The provider will also know who to talk to when changes to parts which are consumed are planned.
The contracts are written in code. No signatures or lawyers required.
Consumer Driven
Ideally the service would not simply be created and hoped to be consumed somehow. This approach usually leads to a lot of rework and waste. Both because the consumers are not happy with it or are not interested in some of the data or want it in a different format.
The service could be Consumer Driven using Contracts
The consumer states
We will be consuming the "name" and "age" field of your /users service. We expect "name" to be a String and "age" to be an Integer.
The result will be the following service.
curl https://someserver.com/api/users/1 {
"name": "Jane Doe",
"age": 23
}
Anything more than that could be considered waste. Until more contracts are provided or existing contracts are extended.
A side benefit is people talking to each other. The producer might state
We cannot really provide that, because X. How about the alternative Y?
Some might argue the above is enough of a reason to adopt Consumer Driven Contract Tests.
Tests
Because no lawyers or signatures are involved the contracts are not as legally binding as some might like. What we can do is test if the contracts are upheld.
If the provider would break a contract an automated test should be failing as a result. Telling the provider to fix it before the break reaches production and thus the consumer.
Although it would often be too late it is helpful if a test fails on the consumer side too if the provider disregards the failing test on his side and pushes the changes.
There we have it. The contracts are consumer driven and covered by tests. Consumer Driven Contract Tests (CDCT). Keeping expectations between provider and consumer in sync.
As with everything there are some issues that need to be understood.
The service could still be unavailable or crash
CDCT makes sure the requests and responses of the service have the correct structure. If the credentials to the database have changed or the database is unavailable the consumer will probably not find the user . Even if we have CDCT. Exception handling is still required. CDCT is not an alternative to integration tests.
Tooling setup and knowledge required
On both the consumer and producer side its necessary to set up some tooling and define a way to work with each other using CDCT. An effort not every team might be willing to spend time on.
Discussions about the design of the service
Some might not like the fact that the consumers can drive the service specification. Hopefully the team has a healthy way to resolve arguments around these issues.
Some contracts might be duplicated or overlap with each other
If two consumers use some of the same fields it is helpful if both provide their separate contracts. We don’t want to save time by stating:
The stuff consumer F wants is already covered in contracts of consumer B and E
Just to have the service consumer F requires to be broken because consumer B stated the contract is not required anymore. We should be explicit on who uses what.
Contract Management
Depending on the amount of consumers. Plus the amount of version each consumer has out in the wild. Remember not everyone updates the iOS apps all the time. There are a lot of contracts to keep track of. The consumers need to tell the producers which contracts are not required anymore.
We still need service documentation
It is still helpful to provide service documentation. To learn some intricacies or to simply get an overview of what is available. We can’t know what the service has to offer by looking at a single contract. While looking through all contracts might be tedious.
All of the above is solvable, but should be understood before going forward with CDCT.
Common tools are Pact or Spring Cloud Contract.
To sum it up the benefits outweigh the potential issues by far. Using CDCT makes sense to have the producer and consumer play nice with each other. Even if the project is small or we have only a single consumer at first. | https://medium.com/@axelhodler/consumer-driven-contract-tests-b483aad9cbdf | ['Axel Hodler'] | 2020-07-19 16:48:49.255000+00:00 | ['Testing', 'Quality Assurance', 'Consumer Driven Contract', 'Api Development', 'Conversational UI'] |
How Do I Build My Personal Brand: Live Streaming Edition | Nowadays, almost everyone wants to become internet famous, especially through live streaming.
However, they quickly find out that it’s not easy for a newly minted channel to reach superstardom. Even streamers who manage to stick it out for years, spending money and resources to improve, often end up never making it. So, what do successful channels do differently? It’s simple.
They have a personal brand. Through a combination of personality, actions, messages, and stream design, the most successful streamers and content creators all have unique characteristics that are easily recognizable by viewers.
The word brand itself is a pretty big concept, so we’ve broken down some of the essential tips for developing your own personal brand for your live stream.
Why Build Your Personal Brand?
You’ve likely heard this a lot, how developing a personal brand can help your stream grow. The reasons are pretty simple.
For one, live streaming is all about personality and interaction. Viewers are always looking for unique people to follow and fun new ways to engage with them. While a brand doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel on tried-and-true methods, it does mean you can become more memorable. Whether it’s Ninja’s signature headband or Dr. Disrespect’s gamer rage, it’s small elements and details that make streamers identifiable, more easily distinguished from their peers.
A personal brand also gives you the potential to expand to other platforms. When people know your stream’s unique design, they can easily recognize it on many different platforms and follow you there. This is a cyclical effect that can eventually bring people from other platforms to your stream.
Finally — and contrary to popular belief — building a brand for your content doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. There are many methods you can use that range from dirt cheap to outright free. All it takes is a bit of experimentation with a healthy dose of ingenuity and creativity.
Let’s start with the most important foundation of every personal brand.
Know Yourself & Your Audience
As a live streamer, you are a unique individual. You have your own thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and mannerisms. Knowing all these aspects that make up who you are is where the soul of your personal brand lies. In conjunction, knowing what your audience sees in you, what they like, and what they find important are the final pieces to your brand’s puzzle.
Plan What You Say & Do
For the above reasons, it’s crucial to have a plan of what you say and do while you’re live streaming. This aspect plays into your consistency as a streaming personality. When your viewers know what to expect from you, they can more comfortably know how to interact with you.
Gamers often fall into the trap of bringing in some rage when they’re usually calm and friendly. Introducing random changes to their demeanor can be off-putting to viewers. It sends their beliefs about the streamer into disarray.
Giving yourself a plan of the topics you’re going to be covering, and the activities you’ll be doing will help you stay on track. Think of it like a map that enables you to move from one stage of your show to the next. You don’t have to script every little word you’re going to say. But having at least a set of bullet points and topics will go a long way in helping you stay in character.
Have a Message to Deliver
Everybody likes hearing a strong opinion or belief. It’s what attracts like-minded people to each other. Even the most significant historical figures needed a powerful message to get people to rally to their cause. Similarly, your personal brand must have a message at its core.
It can be just about anything, as long as it’s ethical and shared by other people. As a message, it doesn’t even have to be something serious or world-changing. You may be a big lover of dogs, for example. Believing that dogs are great pets and animals is a belief in itself, ergo a message.
This message has to permeate across your live streaming and content. Obviously, you must not spam your viewers with your beliefs and keep things light. But they do need to be reminded of your message at a reasonable rate.
Stay Consistent and On-Message
As we mentioned earlier in this article, having a consistent message and personality is critical when building a personal brand. Whatever you say and do and the way you say it and do it has to be as consistent as possible. It’s what viewers will recognize when consuming your content on any platform. It’s also going to be the thing they tell their friends and family about.
Take Dr. Disrespect as an example. When people share his content, they don’t share the moments he talks about his family or charity activity. That’s because none of that is part of his stream. What he wants is his viewers to share his rants and rage moments. He wants clips of himself being snippy and disrespectful to circulate across social media so that potential viewers who like that kind of thing can see them and join his stream. It’s this consistency that carries a brand forward and keeps people coming back.
Develop a High-Quality Live Stream
Once you’ve got a foundational message for your live streams, you’ll want to look at the quality and design of your show. Again, all of these aspects can be developed for free or with a bit of a minor investment.
Design an Identifiable Channel
How do you recognize a bottle of Coca-Cola from other cola drinks? It’s from the logo and colors the Coca-Cola Company uses on every single one of their products. This same principle can be applied to live streaming channels.
Most streamers tend to get over-excited about getting a logo made. However, the most important part is deciding on your channel colors. These have to represent you and the message that you want to deliver. Going back to our example, Dr. Disrespect’s channel design is filled with reds and blacks. It’s a vibrant and in-your-face design that fits the loud personality he wants to project. In the same way, you’ll want to consider two or three colors that match your personality.
Once you have colors, the rest is gravy. You don’t need to pay anyone to make a logo and banners. Either find free customizable assets you can tailor to your colors or make your own. Remember, this is all about creating a recognizable brand. You can consider upgrading your designs once you start getting some return for your efforts.
Bring Value to Your Audience
Viewers join live streams for one reason and one reason only: they want to be entertained. As a word, entertainment is actually quite broad. It can mean anything, from engaging human emotions to educating. The best way to describe it, however, is the delivery of value. When viewers feel they’ve gained something from your stream, that’s a big win for you.
You can add value in a variety of ways. One way is to add some technology that allows your viewer to gain insight into how you play your game and what makes you so skillful. Eye tracking software is a great way to showcase one of the most important aspects of competitive gaming, which is concentration. This technology allows you to overlay a bubble that shows your viewers where your eyes are looking on the screen at every given time. It can be highly engaging and educational for your stream viewers to see how often you check the map or where you look when you’re in an FPS firefight. Best of all, you don’t even need to spend lots of money to get this piece of tech on your own stream.
Eyeware Beam is an iOS app that takes the effort out of setting up eye tracking software on your stream. By taking advantage of the iPhone’s TrueDepth technology, you’ll get eye and head tracking without the need for extra devices. It’s by far the most affordable way to add eye tracking to your setup. You can download the beta for the iPhone/iPad & Windows PC combo today here.
Elevate Your Production Value
It takes a lot to stand out, and you’ve got to work hard to make a killer show on Twitch to attract new viewers. Entertaining your viewers is a topic that will generally boil down to what kind of streamer you want to be. But the last thing you want is to worry about your gear and tools.
Whether you’re a beginner streamer just starting out or a seasoned pro, having the right equipment will help you elevate your production value. From mics and cameras to software that tracks your eyes, we outline in this article all of the top tools streamers need in 2021.
Design the Viewer Experience
As an extension to adding value to your streams, having the viewer experience in mind when planning your show is vital in building your personal brand.
What do you do when a viewer shows up? What can and can’t they do throughout your stream? Do they get to express themselves? These questions are but the tip of the viewer experience iceberg. From interactive elements to engaging with your chat, you have to consider your audience’s perspective and what you want them to feel when they tune into your stream.
Be Creative & Challenge Yourself
We come now to some of the more fun aspects of building a personal brand. Here, it’s all about testing waters and trying out new stuff to see what sticks.
Fix Up Your Background
You’ve likely seen this in a variety of live streams. Content creators have their rooms fixed up with RGB lights, collectibles, posters, and other decorations that make their background more interesting. You, too, can use some simple items and elements to jazz up your background and make it more memorable for your viewers.
Game cases and a few posters are more than enough to add some intrigue to your world. Even if you wanted to go the extra mile, LED strips can be bought cheaply and give you enough length to get creative with your decorating. Bonus points if you can make it all fit your channel colors and design.
Change Your On-Stream Appearance
Many streamers these days are obsessed with changing their hair color, and it’s easy to see why. Most people wouldn’t dye their hair purple and green, so it’s cool and edgy when a streamer does it.
You don’t need to go to such great lengths if you don’t want to tamper with your body’s natural aspects. Finding simple ways to alter your appearance, though, can go a long way towards shaping your personal brand. You can try some low-effort cosplay, putting on wacky hats, adding some crazy makeup, or even simply changing your t-shirt often. The sky’s the limit here.
Experiment with Live Streaming Activities & Interactions
Viewers love funny and silly moments, especially if they can be a part of the process. Whether through polls, interactive features, or other means, if you can have your viewers dictate things you do on stream, it will add so much to your personal brand.
An example could be having your viewers redeem channel points to make you do challenges or forcing you to change something in your game settings. You could even have them punish you for repeatedly dying during a Dark Souls playthrough.
Whatever you choose to do, make sure you’re taking note of what your viewers respond to most positively and try to capitalize on it. This is how you create powerful memories with them that will make your content shareable and, consequently, grow your personal brand. | https://medium.com/@eyewarebeam/how-do-i-build-my-personal-brand-live-streaming-edition-d986861f2bac | ['Eyeware Beam'] | 2021-07-22 14:38:28.344000+00:00 | ['Personal Brand', 'Eye Tracking', 'Streaming', 'Live Streaming'] |
Being The People’s Champ For Your Sponsors Is The Most Important Thing Right Now | Being The People’s Champ For Your Sponsors Is The Most Important Thing Right Now Nick Lawson Follow Apr 2 · 5 min read
In the infamous words of acclaimed Chicago Poet Chance the Rapper:
“The people’s champ must be everything the people can’t be.”
These words have always rung out to me whenever hearing them when the song would come onto my playlist. What does it mean? How do you become the people’s champ?
In sponsorship, it is our moment to become the people’s champ for our business communities. It is our moment to drive value and sales in some of the darkest times for businesses and communities in our lifetime.
Our job has always been to bring value…but that value is so much more important now.
Our motto, mission, and vision for anything we do for the next year need to circle around being the people’s champ for our partners.
What does being the People’s Champ mean?
To me it means when you have the platform, doing something to help when it is unclear on the return.
That may be a bad explanation…but in my head if I had to put it into a succinct strategy…that’s what I would say.
What this means for us in sponsorship is we have to be willing to blindly help both our partners AND the others hurting in our community.
Of course…the partners come first. They have been there for us maybe when the team hasn’t done well. Some may have renewed with us when we didn’t quite hit our mark with them.
I wrote about this in our 90-day plan post…but if you haven’t heard this yet CALL ALL YOUR SPONSORS AND CHECK IN ON HOW THEY ARE DOING RIGHT NOW.
Some may be weathering the storm…some 2 days from closing for good.
Being the people’s champ is doing whatever is in your power NOW in order to make sure that doesn’t happen. And I mean whatever without thinking about how they pay you back.
An example, many of our restaurant partners are hurting…and like really hurting. It is one thing to ask your fans to dine at your partner’s establishment.
But again, we are at a point where we need to think deeper than that for each partner. We need to build in plans for each partner that we
Instead of just posting an image whom you should purchase from and who does takeout…we can do better to drive sales & value.
With your social media content, post the menu of a partner restaurant each night with a special deal of the night sponsored by your team where you can make up the difference for each fan that buys.
Right now gift cards are a key cashflow way that restaurants can stay open. They can be a huge lifeline for your restaurants.
Your team can run a contest, tournament, whatever creative way your social team has made to connect where the entry fee of $10 buys a gift card to your partner restaurant as well. This will SAVE some of your partner’s businesses.
If you did a new contest each week (or day) you could literally create a stimulus package for your restaurant.
If you want to be the people’s champ…this is what you need to do. You need to blindly help your partners who are in the most vulnerable in this crisis.
Show empathy & go the extra mile to help. Don’t do a cost-benefit analysis. Now is the time to act.
What about any non-partners?
Here’s is where it gets tricky, but I may have a different tune here than others.
I think you should look to be the people’s champ first, of course, for your current sponsors. But really, to truly be the people’s champ in your community…you should look at all companies in your community that are struggling.
I would offer assets to all restaurant, gaming, small business, travel, and others in your community. Don’t charge them. Don’t sales pitch. Literally let them know that you are here to help any way possible.
Again the people’s champ is one that puts others above their short term & long term gains. Your focus is on the survival of the community. If you truly take the people’s champ path…then you have no problem offering this to all businesses.
I don’t want to downplay here that you should give more time to your current partners. absolutely don’t throw them to the side. Give them the love and support first, then when you have openings open the assets for the others.
Being the people’s champ will pay off
I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up that in the long run being the people’s champ will pay off.
This does not mean you do it because it will pay off if you have that in mind it will backfire on you. You should be the people’s champ because it is the right thing to do.
But if you show solutions, at no charge, at some of the most desperate times in most of our lifetimes for your partners and help them weather the storm you will build an unbreakable loyalty with your partners.
You will be the lifeline when all looked lost.
You also will be the organization that came through with solutions and results for your entire community in a time where there weren’t many. I’m talking about saving jobs, businesses, and the local economy.
These acts of going all-in for your partners will change the course of history for your community. Of course, being tied to that means you are building value
Doing the right thing is always the right thing because many times it will pay off in the long run. This doesn’t mean we do it to expect something back later…it just happens that it will bring value later.
I’m not telling you to go bankrupt as a team. Obviously there are limits to this and your team needs to make money. What I am saying is there are many low to no-cost ways you can do more to help your partners who need it the most right now.
Our job in sponsorship right now is to be the people’s champ
When our partners buy into a sports sponsorship, they are buying into a support group, a community, and an organization they can lean on when times get tough.
Well, it’s time to show up for them in the best way we can.
You may disagree with me here…and that is fine. Again you have to look over your team and make sure you all make it out on the other side. I empathize with the fact that your team may not have the cash luxury of doing this.
But this is a great time to get creative. A great time to see how we can bring value that moves the needle without spending a lot.
The people’s champ is everything the people can’t be…you have a following, signed jerseys, players and a rabid fanbase that wants to help.
Be the people’s champ in what may be one of the darkest times in our lives for business. | https://medium.com/sqwadblog/being-the-peoples-champ-for-your-sponsors-is-the-most-important-thing-right-now-4c177a43a92b | ['Nick Lawson'] | 2020-04-02 03:04:41.944000+00:00 | ['Sponsorship Activation', 'Sponsorship', 'Sponsorship For Events', 'Sports Business', 'Sportsbiz'] |
Choosing the Best Business Management Software for Mac | Choosing a business management software for mac is a lot like shopping for clothes — one-size does not fit all.
But that’s why we’re here to help you find the best fit for you. Keep reading to find out what business management software is and how to choose a business management software. Then we’ll show you our list of top management software options.
Let’s begin!
actiTIME is a cloud-based software that deals with project time management. This software lets you track and communicate your employees’ progress and the hours you work. A great asset to have when managing overtime and bookkeeping. You can also manage your deadlines and billing reports all within the program.
actiTIME offers complete integration with QuickBook and includes other AI capabilities like data comparison and cost analysis.
This software is perfect for building teamwork and handling all types of projects. It’s also unique in terms of its free subscription package.
Originally a scheduling platform, Vcita has become an all in one business management and client engagement app. Created with the intent of helping grow small businesses, this software is perfect for start-ups or businesses looking to build their base.
It’s also great for small businesses because of its user-friendly system. You can manage CRM, schedules, online payments, and campaigns all from the app.
If you’re processing a lot of data, and need lots of visualizations, then Qlik Sense is the software for you.
Its cloud-based system allows you to share visualizations with other people anytime and anywhere. This platform’s big focus is data. Qlik Sense supports data exploration, documentation, visualization, and many types of spreadsheets. It uses BI services to help source data and boasts a simplified user space.
Service M8 is a specialized field management app that’s built for smaller businesses.
This software is aimed at supporting the trade and technology industries. You’ll love this platform’s powerful cloud technology and intuitiveness when it comes to streamlining work. Key features include invoice management, customer management, safety reports, and much more.
simPRO was created by trade contractors for trade contractors. What makes this software unique is its multi-stage project quoting tool. This allows you to keep track of pricing and budgeting throughout the entire project. Other great features include inventory management, direct communication with technicians, and mobile capabilities.
This affordable job management platform will have your workflow productivity reaching new heights. Great for people new to business management software as it offers in-depth training for all its subscribers.
Multiview is a top-notch financial software that can support businesses of all sizes. Its goal is to create seamless communication between all the complexities of business operations. This cloud software hosts financial modules that handle financial reporting as well as budgeting and forecasting.
It also offers more finance specific functions like purchase orders and fixed asset accounting. What’s useful about this platform is its open API framework, allowing it to integrate with your companies existing software.
The perfect ERP software for mid-size companies, aACE offers the simplicity and cost of smaller platform packages but with the strength to support complex operations.
One of it’s biggest features is its CRM software. With CRM you can manage relations with not only the customers but with vendors and partners. You can even track quotes and hold a complete view of your company’s relationships. It also offers accounting, scheduling, inventory, and production management.
Kpi operates through a series of applications rather than one big software. This makes supporting all the departments of a company easier. Kpi offers management platforms for accounting and finance, human resources, sales and marketing, payroll and benefits, and project management.
This also gives the platform extreme scalability and the ability to integrate with existing software. Ideal for companies of any size.
WinWeb is like the buffet of software for businesses. This management platform allows you to pick and choose which modules you want, and then only pay for those modules. This makes it an excellent choice for smaller businesses.
With features like invoice tracking, stock control, and financials visuals, this is a great platform for the retail and hospitality industries. It even has private messaging and the ability to personalize customer profiles.
Talygen is an advanced project management dashboard that’s able to work with small and large businesses. This project management tool strives to process and make project information useable faster. Features include time tracking, CRM, expense tracking, invoicing, ticketing, and other business processes.
You can take this platform anywhere as it allows you to work from a computer as well as a mobile phone.
The Best Software for Mac
One of the latest software features of business management is the ability to build workflow and increase communication. Two essential ingredients you need to grow your business, and that’s why we suggest the platforms above. Whether you’re looking at software for Mac, or any operating system, these platforms can help you.
We hope you found this article helpful. Here at actiTIME, we strive to educate and be as helpful as possible. So if you have any questions, take a look at our blog or contact us for more information about business management software! | https://medium.com/@actitime/choosing-the-best-business-management-software-for-mac-df4ffad74e32 | [] | 2020-12-21 05:03:15.746000+00:00 | ['Mac', 'Business Development', 'Business Management', 'Business Software', 'Business Strategy'] |
Damn ratio: real, fantastic, marketing? | Damn ratio: real, fantastic, marketing?
© vitanovski — stock.adobe.com
When personages populate your mind and scream out for life, you spark them into existence. Seated in front of a white page on paper or screen, you write the first few words, then indulge in creating.
Powerful as the fictitious beings in your head may be to steer the plot, act, make choices, YOU play the master of the game. Writing feels empowering.
Thus authors immerse themselves in a parallel life.
Writers’ dilemmatic existence
Meanwhile, real life unfolds without mercy. Authors want to stay healthy, most have families, or concurrent full-time jobs. Crushed at the interface of two worlds depicts a writer’s foremost dilemma.
Once you have decided to write, chances for a fair division are gone — writing comes first. Or does it?
What about after-writing? Written stories need taking to market in nice, enticing, provocative packages. Pen down or last click signal a brave new venture: editing, proofreading, cover design.
Hiring professionals, though a good choice if affordable, still requires you present, alert, and agile. This hyperactive presence will interfere with the division above, which is getting to “fair”, no matter how unfair your author’s persona regards it.
Self-published authors’ trilemma
Self-publishing, a portal for fresh authors to address the world, is an amazing opportunity. Take it! But YOU do the work. See how the balance between creation and action suffers a new shift?
Publishing wedges itself into the creator’s dilemma, making it a trilemma. With three on the swing, self-published authors are double-crushed: write, live, or publish?
Go public and share the fabulous world you lived in while writing. People love experiencing other dimensions, probing imaginary planets.
Amazon is great, for instance. Everything you need is there, even tools for book covers, e-book convertor, price and distribution options, etc. Create an account, follow instructions, and press “publish”.
But who will probe PLANET YOU?
Umpteen-lemmas
This new wedge, publishing, is many-folded. Clicking on “publish” does not open readers’ doors. The next phase is knock-knock.
Yet, knock wise, do category and key-word research first. First… and countless times after, as you want to make changes. Pros like Dave Chesson have designed useful tools that can help.
Your book is a dwarf planet lost in web space, among millions — of bigger, more visible planets, or bright stars. Give searchers telescopes to detect an Unlit Fantastic Object on the book sky.
Encounters with first readers are magical, dwarf turns nova and starts beaming.
Keep your nova book shining
Inspired to write a new novel, you set off on creation journey again.
But shall the nova be left to shimmer shy and lonely? No, take to the marketing road to keep it shining.
Promote, promote, promote!
Set up an author’s site, sign in with authors’ platforms and post three-four times a week. Be active on social media, like and follow people — the right ones — every day. Advertise on Amazon, Facebook, anywhere you can. Dedicate time to posting daily on Instagram, liking and following — first and back. Organize book launches and signing sessions, do networking.
Oh, this reminds me, in case you have a job, remember to go to work.
From nova to star
Well, how should you prioritize these actions? Are some more important than others?
To have constant readers, a writer crams promotional technicalities and activities into her/his real life. Time dedicated to the parallel world of creating fiction diminishes, but what can a self-published author do but come to grips with this frustrating condition.
Despite initial or long-term frustration, rewards are huge. From unknown to nova, each published book will turn star someday.
So keep your books beaming to the world. | https://medium.com/feel-write/damn-ratio-real-fantastic-marketing-4bed7c33158a | ['Viviana Ioan'] | 2020-02-02 10:55:19.531000+00:00 | ['Self Publishing', 'Promotion', 'Keyword Research', 'Dilemma', 'Writers Life'] |
Without Federal Aid, Poverty Will Rise | A strong post-vaccine recovery that creates opportunities for economically vulnerable people is within sight, but elected officials should take this deal to ensure Americans can keep paying their bills as the world pushes across the pandemic’s finish line.
by Brendan McDermott, Fiscal Policy Analyst
Dr. James X. Sullivan, a professor at the University of Notre Dame, was shocked when he and his colleagues discovered that poverty did not rise when the pandemic began, despite much of the economy freezing to a halt. He told the New York Times that “when we initially saw our results, we thought, ‘How could this be true?’… But when you look at the size of the government response, it makes sense.”
Normally, rising unemployment would increase the number of people living beneath the federal poverty line, which is $21,720 for a family of three. Unemployment certainly surged last spring as the pandemic shutdowns began, from just 3.5 percent in February to 14.7 percent in April. However, Sullivan and his partners at Notre Dame and the University of Chicago say the poverty rate actually fell from 11.0 percent before the pandemic to 9.3 percent in June, thanks to a massive infusion of federal aid.
About $560 billion of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that Congress passed in March went towards stimulus checks for most Americans and for states to expand Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. The law expanded the size of all benefits by $600/week, created a new program that offered benefits for self-employed workers who do not typically qualify, and extended the duration of benefits from 26 weeks in most states to 39 weeks. The University of Chicago and Notre Dame researchers found those stimulus checks and unemployment benefits can explain the entire decline in poverty between March and June.
But the researchers also find the poverty rate began rising in July, reaching 11.7 percent in November, and is still rising. This is below the 15 percent high it reached during the Great Recession, in part because the economy was strong before the pandemic. But the figure may not capture the entire picture: the researchers’ poverty measurement understates the impact of sudden changes to a person’s income, so the rise in poverty might be more severe than their numbers show.
Meanwhile, researchers at Columbia University, whose method of measuring poverty responds more to short-term changes, found that poverty is only rising because federal aid is waning. Without stimulus checks and the unemployment expansions, poverty would have peaked at 20 percent in April, when unemployment was highest, and would have fallen by 2 percentage points by September. But that improvement was more than offset by a 4.3 percentage point decline in the impact of federal aid.
The CARES Act is not making as big of an impact as it used to because Congress let some of the law’s anti-poverty provisions expire. People only received stimulus checks once, and the CARES Act’s enhanced pandemic unemployment benefit of $600/week expired in July. Republicans refused to extend it over concerns, which have proven to be premature, that recipients would not go back to work if their UI benefits were larger than their potential wage.
The last of the CARES Act’s major anti-poverty interventions, the expansions of unemployment insurance eligibility and duration, will expire on the day after Christmas. Nine million Americans will lose their benefits, with 3 million more soon to follow, and the Columbia researchers estimate 4.8 million people will fall into poverty. Even if Congress extends the programs, it will take states so long to update their archaic information technology that many will not pay the benefits on time. The Center for Disease Control’s protections for tenants facing eviction — limited though they were– will also expire at the end of this month, when Moody’s Analytics estimates nearly 12 million Americans will owe an average of $5,850 in back rent and utilities.
Fortunately, congressional leaders are now finalizing a new aid deal built around a framework crafted by a bipartisan group of moderate members of Congress. As it stands, that bill would keep those vital unemployment expansions from expiring for 10 more weeks, boost the size of benefits by $300/week for 10 weeks as well, send most Americans a $600 stimulus check, and maintain the eviction ban along with $25 billion for rental assistance.
The bill Congress will vote on will likely do less to reduce poverty than the initial bipartisan framework would have. Republicans insist the bill must be smaller than $1 trillion, so negotiators are considering cutting the duration of the unemployment insurance provisions by 6 weeks to pay for the addition of stimulus checks. That trade would effectively take benefits from unemployed people who need the money to support themselves and give them to people who are just as well off as they were before the pandemic. Negotiators may also drop $160 billion in aid to state and local governments because Republicans fear it would be a “blue state bailout,” even though that aid would also go to red states and would prevent cuts to social services that low-income people rely on.
While those revisions would seriously undermine the bill’s protections for at-risk Americans, the deal would still offer a vital lifeline for people in or near poverty. A strong post-vaccine recovery that creates opportunities for economically vulnerable people is within sight, but elected officials should take this deal to ensure Americans can keep paying their bills as the world pushes across the pandemic’s finish line. | https://medium.com/@progressivepolicyinstitute/without-federal-aid-poverty-will-rise-1dd29ee0e6e3 | ['Progressive Policy Institute'] | 2020-12-18 01:23:51.023000+00:00 | ['Poverty', 'Economy', 'Stimulus', 'Democrats', 'Covid 19'] |
Warner Bros. will debut all its 2021 movies on HBO Max as well as in theaters | We’ve already seen one movie after another skip movie theaters for streaming this year thanks to the COVID-19 epidemic, but nothing comes close to what Warner Bros. just announced: Every one of its 2021 films will stream online the same day they hit theaters.
Even with Warner Bros.’s assurances that its day-and-date streaming plans will only last through the end of 2021, it’s still jaw-dropping news, and one can’t help but wonder if the move will forever change the way we go to the movies,
There is some fine print to consider, including the fact that Warner Bros.’s latest movies will stream on HBO Max for only a month following their release dates; after that, the films will continue to play in theaters before eventually heading for iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, and the like. It’s unclear when they’ll return to HBO Max after that.
[ Further reading: Amazon Prime Video vs Hulu vs Netflix ]Warner Bros. parent company WarnerMedia also announced that all the studio’s 2021 movies would debut on HBO Max in 4K and HDR. Until now, HBO Max hasn’t supported 4K or HDR streaming, but Wonder Woman 1984, which is slated to hit HBO Max on Christmas Day, will be the streaming service’s first 4K HDR title.
In all, HBO Max will offer 17 Warner Bros movies on the same day they arrive in theaters, including The Little Things, Judas and the Black Messiah, Tom & Jerry, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, Those Who Wish Me Dead, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, In The Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Reminiscence, Malignant, Dune, The Many Saints of Newark, King Richard, Cry Macho and Matrix 4.
Shocking though it is, Warner Bros. decision to send its 2021 movie slate directly to HBO Max also feels inevitable. With COVID cases surging around the world, it’s pretty clear that nothing, including going to the movies, will be returning to normal—or even close to normal—before next fall, or even later.
“No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do,” said Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, in a press release. “We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021.”
Warner Bros. maintains that its “hybrid distribution model” will only last a year, ending (hopefully) around the same time that the pandemic is finally over.
That said, could the traditional movie release window be gone for good? Nothing beats seeing a Hollywood blockbuster on the big screen, but now that so many of us have big 4K screens—and in many cases, high-end audio systems—in our living rooms, complete with HDR, Dolby Vision, and in some cases Dolby Atmos, the convenience of streaming the latest Marvel, Star Wars, or Matrix epic at home will be hard to pass up.
Of course, once we are finally done with COVID, the “theater or streaming?” dilemma will be a good one to have.
Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details. | https://medium.com/@anthony17655948/warner-bros-will-debut-all-its-2021-movies-on-hbo-max-as-well-as-in-theaters-54f45ac0f63e | [] | 2020-12-24 05:01:11.341000+00:00 | ['Deals', 'Mobile Accessories', 'Services', 'Connected Home'] |
Sending Funeral Flowers To Japan — Send Some Flowers For Memorial Services Online | Sending Funeral Flowers To Japan — Send Some Flowers For Memorial Services Online
Memorial services are sorrowful events, and they symbolize the consideration the survivors have for the existence past. A great deal of arranging is required to compose a burial service for our friends and family. One of the numerous undertakings includes orchestrating burial service flowers for the wake or commemoration service. Because of the sensitive idea of the event, most extreme consideration should be taken to pick the suitable flowers and send funeral flowers to Japan.
Memorial service flowers will in general mirror the character of the expired. Once in a while they are emblematic of the relationship that existed between the survivor who is masterminding the memorial service and the perished. Through the flowers they pick, survivors can likewise demonstrate their affection and regard for the dead individual.
What flowers should be picked?
• Rose
• Lily
• Gerbera Daisy
• Aster
• Delphinium
• Gladiolus
• Chrysanthemum
While roses and carnations are viewed as exemplary and conventional, a progressively contemporary burial service blossom plan consolidates at least two sorts of flowers to make a remarkable and wonderful style.
What is the correct shading to pick?
• Flowers can greatly affect the states of mind of individuals. The minor nearness of flowers can lift the spirits of a melancholy individual. The shade of memorial service flowers changes with individual inclinations. It ranges from darker shades like purple to more splendid ones like yellow. As a general rule, we see burial service flowers in delicate, pastel, and quieted shades, as opposed to in uproarious and glaring tones.
• The shade of memorial service flowers likewise relies upon the setting of the burial service. In a memorial service home with caught lobbies, an enormous white wreath may look very stunning. In any case, this may not be the situation in the event that it is put in a white church or a memorial service home. Including a run of shading may give some reprieve from the effectively miserable environment.
What is the proper design to pick?
• Funeral flower design can be both formal and casual. Formal decorative designs incorporate wreaths and crosses. While bloom secured crosses are fitting for Christian memorial service services, wreaths can be utilized in practically a wide range of burial services.
• Informal bloom courses of action for burial service services can incorporate bushels, cut flowers, pruned plants, posies, platform game plans, bouquets, grower, tombstone flowers, coffin top decorative layouts, showers, and even a bunch of botanical sticks tied with a strip.
Numerous multiple times, splashes are put over the coffin. Crosses, bouquets, and wreaths are commonly utilized as presentations. These are organized around the room or corridor in which the burial service happens. Flowers can make the climate mitigating and help the state of mind of the grievers.
Hand crafted burial service flower designs have additionally turned out to be progressively well known as of late. There are flower vendors who represent considerable authority in making courses of action that mirror the character of the perished. Memorial service flowers are maybe the most exquisite and basic approach to offer our regards to the left soul. Apart from sending flowers for any occasion you can also send birthday gifts to Japan through online delivery services. | https://medium.com/@florajapan/sending-funeral-flowers-to-japan-send-some-flowers-for-memorial-services-online-80dcf7e5b1ca | ['Flora Japan'] | 2019-11-14 12:12:43.842000+00:00 | ['Flowers', 'Florist'] |
Switcheo Lists Bridge Protocol (TOLL) — Open for Trading | Great news everyone! Our evolution from IAM to TOLL brought immediate upgrades and listing on our partner; Switcheo Network Exchange! The new Bridge Protocol token (TOLL) is now listed on Switcheo Exchange and you will be able to trade TOLL with NEO, GAS and SWTH directly.
For more information on Bridge Protocol, visit the following links:
Web: https://www.bridgeprotocol.io/
Telegram: https://t.me/BRIDGEprotocol
Twitter: @BridgeProtocol
Facebook: BRIDGEprotocol/
Reddit: /r/iambridgeprotocol/
Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/yrj6p5K
Switcheo Network:
Switcheo is a Decentralized Exchange (DEX) built on the NEO platform which allows for the trustless and seamless exchange of NEP-5 tokens. Switcheo ultimately aims to be the first multi-chain DEX facilitating the transfer of cross-chain tokens. The team has already begin working on QTUM, making cross-swapping of QRC-20 tokens possible after the initial contract release. Accompanied with strong focus on user experience and intuitive interface design, Switcheo Network will bring users a trading experience like no other.
For more information on Switcheo, visit the following links:
Medium: https://switcheo.network
Twitter : @switcheonetwork
Reddit: /r/switcheo
Telegram: https://t.me/switcheo
News & Updates: https://t.me/switcheoANN | https://medium.com/bridgeprotocol/switcheo-lists-bridge-protocol-toll-open-for-trading-8877001baf49 | ['Stephen Hyduchak'] | 2018-06-15 04:15:28.766000+00:00 | ['Ethereum', 'Blockchain', 'Bitcoin', 'Cryptocurrency'] |
Scope of Indian Trade with Import Export data online | Indian import and export data, and even customs data gives a new prospect for doing trade commerce in India and abroad. For any business associated with import-export trade, one should first go through the Indian export-import data, import shipment data, Customs data, etc which will enhance one’s trade potential. Hence it’s a good chance to explore, research and maintain a healthy relationship with both domestic and international allies.
Indian import and export dealers trade with different types of products imported & exported from several seaports and river ports of India. Import Export data pertain to the consolidation of all the data on import-export services & products like source and destination location of import and export trade, Shipment and contact details of the importers and exporters, product details, quality & quantity of the goods, shipping invoice, HS code of the products, customs and levy charges etc. Hence, online Import and export data plays a vital role in import-export trade.
The main purpose of Indian Import-export data online is to give a specific reference for genuine discussion between buyers and import traders with Indian export traders and sellers. Furthermore, the import and export data helps determine the development as well as the decrement of not only Indian but also Global Import-export trade for specific products. By studying these data, the stakeholders have the choice of whether to invest or not in a specific trade of import and export. The Indian export import data shows the info related to the current market motion and the rising and falling rates of various trade goods.
Commercial traders have easy access about supply and demand of any specific international goods in the Indian market by a thorough investigation of Indian import-export trade data and also help fix the low-cost pricing for such goods for maintaining their own profit. One can also get a broad insight into the valuable assets and liabilities of their trade by studying these data. Therefore by researching world import and export data, one can determine the way to expand and diversify their business internationally.
The import-export data of India provides a new range of broad and specific info pertaining to the international trading process and hence devising the business genuine and sustainable. Since ages, India is among the largest importers of electronics, computers, cosmetics, toys, plastics, etc, and also these products are exported to India from different countries. As these Products are imported and exported daily in high volume, it is important to maintain and keep a track of the import and export data online.
To conclude,
By maintaining the Import export data, the Indian business community is now confident of getting into innovative business trade and strategies that help them fend off any losses by planning several trade statistical data. Import export trade online portals help connect prospective customers and suppliers globally. At Corpiness one gets precise Global Import Export data so that one can track the right trade alliance, study and do competitor research, find potential markets, and other strategic info that provides a competing edge in the global business. | https://medium.com/@corpiness1/scope-of-indian-trade-with-import-export-data-online-d07fed1e8b12 | ['Alex Fernandez'] | 2019-06-06 05:58:54.667000+00:00 | ['Trade', 'Import Export Trade', 'Online Import Export Data'] |
What Makes the Blockchain Special | What Makes the Blockchain Special
Blockchain technology could become the new standard for storing and exchanging data in the online and real world. Bitcoin is only the crowning of the digital revolution.
Special Properties of Blockchain
Immutable
Once entered, no one can alter its records.
Distributed
Anyone can participate adding and verifying its records.
Decentralized
No single party controls its input or output.
Verifiable
Anyone can verify directly its complete history.
But, how can the blockchain be used in the real world?
Especially Special Use Cases
Energy Industry
In the energy industry, the Blockchain-based company Essentia is developing a test project that will help energy suppliers track the distribution of their resources in real-time while maintaining data confidentiality.
Another example of blockchain proving its worth in the energy industry is Chile’s National Energy Commission, they have started using blockchain technology for certifying data of the country’s energy usage as it seeks to update its electrical infrastructure.
Real Estate of Block-tech
In real estate, the Blockchain is now being used to record ownership and complete property deals, the first of which was conducted in Kiev by startup company Propy.
Land registry titles are now being stored on the blockchain in Georgia in a project developed by the National Agency of Public Registry.
Enterprise
Ethereum’s blockchain can be utilized as a cloud-based storage, courtesy of Microsoft Azure.
Google is building a Blockchain which will be integrated into its cloud-based services enabling businesses to store data on it and to request an individual white label version developed by Alphabet Inc.
IBM and Walmart have partnered in China to create a blockchain project the will monitor food safety.
IBM is using the Hyperedger Fabric blockchain in China to monitor carbon offset trading.
Environment
The protection of endangered species is being facilitated via a blockchain project the records the activities of the world’s rarest creatures.
Blockchain technology has been used to provide a transparent record of caught fish, ensures they are legally captured.
Expression
Blockchain technology has the potential to prevent censorship and increase transparency as Civil is proving.
By storing certificates of authenticity on the blockchain, it’s possible to dramatically reduce art forgeries, as several blockchain project is proving.
Arbit is a blockchain-based project led by former Guns N Roses drummer Matt Sorum seeking a fairer way to reward musicians for their creative efforts. | https://medium.com/swlh/how-blockchain-technology-is-changing-the-world-a6f373bcbb5c | ['David Mcneal'] | 2020-12-06 12:40:07+00:00 | ['Distributed Ledgers', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Blockchain Startup', 'Blockchain', 'Future Technology'] |
7 Reasons To Quit Garbage Writing | 7 Reasons To Quit Garbage Writing
Stop Writing and Start Reflecting
Image by Gerardo Gómez from Pixabay
Garbage writing is an overbeaten advice for dealing with writer’s block. Write a chunk of crap then give it brutal pruning, says the advisor.
Pen any thought that dances across your mind. Keep punching the keyboard till your fingers ache. Quality, they say, is born of quantity. Just write till your writer’s block disappears.
Unlike speaking, where you can hover around sounding grandiose and saying absolutely nothing, quality writing requires deep reflection and concrete messages. The message is as important as the medium.
If you can’t reflect, write, and rewrite your piece, then your writing blows the whole point. Don’t write for writing's sake.
More than any other means of communication, writing commands the public perception, dictate the truth, and alter lives decision. Thus unsolicited writing can be harmful to writers and even more deadly when made public.
If that’s not enough to scare you off the famished road, here are seven solid reasons you probably should reconsider garbage writing your way off writer's block.
It Is Not Deep Work
Garbage writing is not deep work.
Deep work is meaningful work. Deep work is intentional, duly, and dutifully engaged.
Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It provides a sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship.
In Deep Work, author and professor Cal Newport emphasize that deep work is the superpower in our increasingly competitive twenty-first-century economy.
Writing whatever flashes through your mind is the archetype of shallow works. Roaming through thoughts to write whatever it is that pops out lacks all intense and intensity. It is the sought of work without focus.
It is not satisfying, neither can it be fulfilling. It lacks all advantages and accounts for no meaningful progress.
Deep work allows your art to contribute to the greater good. Shallow works add up to nothing in particular.
Writing for writing’s sake does not necessarily add to the body of literature you are crafting out of your writing career. Fact is: it will largely serve nobody including you.
It Might Crash Your Self-esteem
When all you write all day are random thoughts, your motivation suffers and it goes on to hurt your self-worth. You lose confidence in your work.
Art ceases to amuse you. The artist in you falls sick.
You will dread in a lonely world. You might feel detest and amount to nothing. In a short while, you might begin to consider yourself a failure.
It is not uncommon that writers commit suicide. In fact, insanity, addiction, and suicide permeate all forms of art.
Be careful of overstretching yourself to write and thus writing profanity. The backlash can be ruinous more than your discomfort of lacking what to write about.
It Stops Working
After two weeks of writing garbage, what happens?
It stops working. You halt and become clueless about what next to trash out.
Repetitive use of language will bore you out. You will get sick of it.
Then, you are back to the problem you sought to escape from.
You Might Become Addicted
You can also get stuck writing trash after a stretch of time.
New habits become solidified starting from the first 18 days. If you can as well push through enough and keep up with your garbage writing for that long, you might become addicted to it.
At a point, I got addicted to this that I refer to myself as a narrative poet. I couldn’t necessarily communicate well-thought messages anymore that I began to hide under the broad umbrella of poetry.
If fall victim, it might become difficult to rescue yourself out of the vicious cycle.
You Have Nothing To Publish
Writing without a purposeful end amounts to junk. No publication takes junks from writers. No audience will slow that either.
Quite frankly, your introspective self will fight you not to embarrass yourself if you attempt posting it on your feed. Trust me, the lizard brain wins every round of such a fight.
Over time, you are blessed with drafts. Possibly tens of them that are worth nothing. Bad for the eyeballs and hurtful to your ego.
It Doesn’t Serve Your Audience
KO!
You won this time. You push through your trash.
Pinned right on top of every other post, tweeted, and shared on Facebook.
A few hundreds of views rush at it. Good comments or bad ones, engagement is engagement. But then, the guilt is real.
You know writing trash doesn’t add an inch of value to your audience. Nobody can possibly learn from it.
An uncollected stream of thoughts with fanciful words drives no points home.
It Is Not Profitable
The dream of every writer is to get published, control a large audience, and make some money.
All of that is a mirage if your contents failed to tear grounds and break through the crowd.
If your writings don’t worth publishing, it just cannot build an audience either. For the money, forget it altogether.
A Word of Wisdom
Deep work is intense, requires focus, and cognitively demanding. Meaningful writing is deep work.
Don’t bask empty words against blank pages. When stuck, do something worth writing about, then write about it.
You have four ways to attack your writer’s block — why, what, how, and when.
Get a new purpose to your writing — be firm on your why. The clarity of why makes magic happens.
What to write about is what is worth reading about. Conclude on an idea to explore and share your light on. This article is about garbage writing.
Should you list out the key lessons or take us on a chronology of how the world evolves. How is the process to your why and the means to deliver your what.
In his latest book, When — The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, bestselling author Daniel H. Pink provides fresh insights from biological and behavioral science on the hidden patterns of everyday life.
His research offered that through the day there is always a peak, a trough, and a rebound. Pay careful attention to your peak and rebound time to leverage the power of when to engage your writing.
Finally, for consistent meaningfully writing it is best to gather enough experience and as well endeavor to experience enough. Pick up a new book, take on new challenges, figure new ways of doing things, advise a younger you, or share your observation about the world. | https://medium.com/nano-writers/7-reasons-to-quit-garbage-writing-36e8c8eb4912 | ['Timmy Brain'] | 2020-11-21 06:47:38.565000+00:00 | ['Writing Life', 'Thinking', 'Writing', 'Quitting', 'Reasons Why'] |
Book Review: Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee | Eggshell Skull is as much a memoir about the resilience and bravery of a young woman’s confrontation of her own sexual assault as it is about the grim reality of the Australian criminal justice system, which repeatedly lets down victims of sexual abuse. Bri’s award-winning memoir has earned praise for being “scorching, brutal, brave and utterly compelling”, her writing is fierce, eloquent but simultaneously haunting and heartbreaking. Her experiences highlight both the triumph and futility of standing up to a system that deems sexual abuse an almost invisible crime. This is essential reading for everyone to learn about the “map of human misery” that is the criminal justice system and how one woman found the strength to speak out and fight back.
Bri’s journey begins with her first legal job as a Judge’s associate on the Queensland District Court circuit, this experience is a harrowing and timely exposé into a never-ending and cyclical procession of sexual offence cases in which the complainants, frequently women, rarely saw justice. For Bri, her own experience with sexual abuse as a child became “one tiny drop in a putrid ocean”, where the roadmap to “justice” was merely a constellation of crimes. The futility and systematic failure of our criminal legal system to adequately persecute sexual abuse cases are encapsulated in Bri’s realization that the perpetrators didn’t “exist in unfortunate isolation, they weren’t special, just results of our system and our society.”
Interesting, it is the combination of her courtroom experience, the perpetuation of disenfranchisement for complainants of sexual assault, and a strong support network that ultimately drove Bri to report her own case and initiate the torturous, brutal yet crucial road to justice. Bri is not a perfect heroine and this is not a fairytale with a perfect ending — she suffers from an eating disorder, extreme bouts of anxiety and her determination to bring her abuser to justice is interrupted frequently by her own uncertainty and guilt. However, her voice is remarkable as it is punctuated by honesty and resilience despite the many setbacks — highlighting the reasons why so many women in Australia withdraw their complaints or never speak out about their experiences, to begin with.
Bri’s ability to write so clearly and with such brutal honesty is what draws the reader’s attention, I was shaken to the core by the number of times she had to recount her sexual assault to the Police. She writes, “the single worst moment of my life, the darkest point in my past that I’d nearly died reckoning with, was officially insignificant enough to slip through the cracks”, illuminating the painful subjectivity associated with reporting sexual abuse cases. The best-case scenario is a police officer who actually cares about the case, the worst-case scenario is for the complainant to be publicly vilified and condemned as a liar. The psychological complexity of the case is highlighted by the fact that although her abuser (Samuel) admitted to the assault; however the bully was also the victim (he had been abused himself), muddying the waters for whether we should feel sympathetic or disgusted towards ‘Samuel’.
The emotional turmoil Bri undergoes in the memoir is simultaneously excruciating and gripping. Her lack of faith in the criminal justice system is justified, as she comments rightfully that “every act of sexual abuse is either deliberately or negligently cruel, each involves a terrified victim whose life experiences an abuser completely devalues”. However, the Crown’s prosecution of the criminal offense of sexual assault is an entire exercise in disempowerment. The limitations of the justice system are laid bare for us as Bri’s life compartmentalized into four-week arcs of hope, disappointment, and denial. Her anger, sadness, and frustration are embodied in a singular, crushing revelation: “the whole ugly mess was a month shy of its second birthday… Samuel still hadn’t even had to enter a plea.”
This book opened the lid on an ugly can of worms — the Australian criminal justice system is daunting, inefficient, and ill-equipped to process sexual assault cases effectively, with few resulting in prosecutions or convictions. It is refreshing to see Bri’s acceptance of her privilege — as a white, educated and articulate complainant, the police pressed charges as she fit the profile of a reliable witness. Even then, the ‘re-victimization’ process required important people to disbelieve and discredit Bri, she writes: “I knew I was honest and did my best; if he gets acquitted it won't be me who failed, it will be the system failing me.” This reflects the bleak reality of sexual assault cases in our criminal justice system, only 15 percent of women (fewer than one in five) reported their sexual assault to police and this is before taking into consideration the numerous hurdles of awaiting court mentions, committal hearings and trial dates — the stress and humiliation resulting in many victims withdrawing their case completely.
Ultimately, what makes Bri’s memoir so compelling is her unbelievable determination and conviction to seek justice despite the huge personal and psychological costs. She takes the legal principle of “eggshell skull” (to take the victim as one finds them) and flips it on its head — what if it’s about taking the complainant as they come: extremely well educated, with a supportive network and an angry feminist who was not willing to back down. Bri took the risk and rode out the waves, resulting in Samuel’s conviction of 9 months imprisonment although the sentence was wholly suspended (no jail time). Bri reinvigorated the conversation to send a strong message to the justice system to put more resources into prosecuting sexual abuse offences so that perpetrators won’t have the expectation that they can get away with it.
This book is powerful and heartbreaking but an essential read, Bri’s experience is remarkable and shines a light on the fractured criminal legal system whilst remaining poignant and optimistic, in her own words; “when winning the battle has only opened your eyes to the breadth of the war… you cry and cry, when you’re done crying, you get angry and you get to work.” | https://medium.com/@lisa-wan/book-review-eggshell-skull-by-bri-lee-324e62e3ee0f | ['Lisa Wan'] | 2020-06-14 00:48:50.894000+00:00 | ['Memoir', 'Sexual Assault', 'Criminal Justice Reform', 'Feminism', 'Book Review'] |
Introducing Google Fonts for Flutter v 1.0.0! | By Anthony Robledo and MH Johnson
Google Fonts for Flutter was first announced at Flutter Interact in December 2019. With help from the community (thank you!), we have added many new features and improved stability. After a successful time in beta, it is now ready for prime time use on Android, iOS, Web, and MacOS, as Google Fonts 1.0.0.
Features added since beta:
Get a list of all supported fonts with GoogleFonts.asMap()
Use a font with a dynamic name: GoogleFonts.getFont(‘Lato’)
Ensure secure downloads with checksum verification
Experience improved performance, especially on web
Pre-bundle fonts using pubspec assets
Optionally disable fetching fonts at runtime (useful when debugging or pre-bundling)
Google Fonts allows developers to easily experiment with and use any of the fonts from fonts.google.com in their app. When the app is ready to publish, the developer then decides whether the user receives the font by downloading it from the API, or it’s pre-bundled with the app package.
We have minimized the work needed to pre-bundle a font, and also kept it compatible with dynamic font loading so you don’t have to change your code if you decide to pre-bundle.
Check out the Getting Started Guide to learn how to include fonts in your app via TextStyle s or TextTheme s. And once you are ready to publish, learn how to optionally pre-bundle fonts and add the font licenses to your app’s LicenseRegistry .
We hope you find this package useful for all of your Google Fonts needs. As always, please never hesitate to leave feedback, file an issue, or open a pull request! | https://medium.com/flutter/introducing-google-fonts-for-flutter-v-1-0-0-c0e993617118 | ['Anthony Robledo'] | 2020-09-08 15:45:16.602000+00:00 | ['Flutter', 'Typography', 'Pub', 'Google Fonts', 'Material Design'] |
How to Deal With That Deadline Dread | If attention is the new currency, where are you spending yours? Are you giving away your creative energy to your social media, to your needy work colleague, or to fearful dithering? There is so much going on out there, and most of it has just become noise, making us feel overwhelmed by it all. The overwhelm, coupled with the fear of missing out, can make us procrastinate like a crazy person. Before we know it, a day, a week, heaven forbid, a year, has disappeared and we are no further forward with our dreams, or our lives. I suspect that attention hijacking has become the great remora of our times.
Being someone who is just as easily pulled into attention sucking black holes as the next person, I’ve had to learn to be super disciplined with my time and get all Judge Dredd on my own ass. (see what I did there. :) Here’s some ideas that you may find useful. Let me know if they work for you or if you have other ways to protect your precious hours.
Learn to say No.
You gotta say No, folks. Not just to people but also to distractions. This is a big one if you are a procrastinator. Your body and your mind will do all that they can to trick you into not doing the hard stuff, or the boring or sometimes just any stuff that is going to move you forward.
Suddenly you’re thirsty, must go and get a drink. On the way, you’re caught into a conversation with Jo at the water fountain. Then she asks if you know how to clear the cookies out of her browser and you try to explain it but it’s easier to show her, you end up doing it for her. Thirty minutes later you’re back at your desk and trying to pick up where you left off. Ahhh!
Whatever the scenario — in the office, freelancing from home, in your makers studio, networking at events — to get closer to your goals learn to say no to things that are not aligned with you.
Chunk your time and focus.
I chunk all my time into small, focussed segments. Into 33 minutes of no distraction, bum on chair, out-flowing, work periods. I don’t use any fancy apps anymore; I have an old iphone that has a countdown timer on it, that’s it. This works perfectly for me but you may prefer to use an app. You could even go old school analogue and use an actual alarm clock or hourglass timer. As long as it’s simple and doesn’t lead you into a funnel of distraction each time you use it.
Then, my earphones go on with sounds that put my brain into the best state to create or to focus, depending on the work I’m doing. I’m currently using binaural beats that put my brain state into theta for creative flow. Also, jazz or classical music is good for focussing and shutting out distractions. Try out different ones and see what works for you.
Set smaller, not so scary, deadlines.
So, now that you’re chunking your work-time into small focused segments, you can do the same with your deadline. For example, if you have to complete an essay or presentation in three weeks, create a 1-week and 2-week deadline with a reward if you get it done and a consequence if you don’t.
Whenever any new project or idea comes my way, and it seems huge and daunting, I break it down into smaller projects. Then I trick my brain by telling myself, ‘well, you know, we’ll just do this bit and see what happens.’ Next thing I know it’s done, and I can start the next small bit. Simple, but awesome self-trickery.
Turn off all distractions.
This is obvious, and yet, we all still do it. I’ve recently turned off all my social media notifications, badges and updates, then only check in on it a few times a week. If you need to check more that’s fine but at least you aren’t being lured by the red beacons of diversion.
I use a social media app manager to manage my daily posts, by setting up my posts for the week in advance which then get posted at the times I’ve set. I keep an eye on direct messages through email notifications so I can respond within a few hours of receiving them.
I check my email after I’ve done my morning work for anything important, then I set an hour aside late in the day to reply to important stuff. Then I clear my inbox by replying to not so important emails, reading updates and deleting not needed emails twice a week. I started doing this about five years ago and it totally changed how productive my week was.
Keep your workspace as your WORK space.
Set up your workspace so that it is comfortable for you and when you are there, your body and mind know it’s time to get stuff done. Once I walk into my office I’m in my creative zone, when I walk out, it’s (mostly) switched off again. It’s one of the ways that I use to control and channel the stream of creative energy flow.
My workspace is set up to give me maximum impetus, with no excuse for distraction. Everything I need is within arm’s reach, with all the right ergonomic arrangements. There is plenty of natural light with my desk under a window looking out onto a luscious green garden. It is warm and inviting with all my favourite things around me. This works for me; you need to find the best way that you work. When you’ve figured it out, train yourself that this is where the work happens.
Set Your intention.
Before you start, be clear on what you want to achieve. Say it out loud if you need to, so the goal genii can hear you. Setting an intention is akin to making a wish, only luckily, we don’t have to look for a magic lamp before we can start. By stating it out loud or writing it down we are engaging more of our senses to get focussed.
Becoming more Self-Aware helps tremendously.
Most procrastination is caused by fear, fear causes stress. It helps to become more self-aware. If you are procrastinating or self-distracting in some way, try asking yourself ‘What am I scared or anxious about, right now?’ Bringing our fears out into our awareness is the first step to conquering them. Perhaps you’ve heard of Susan J. Jeffers book, Feel the Fear and do it anyway? It’s worth a read if you need more help with fear.
Acknowledge your fear by seeing it, being ok with it and then dealing with it. Addressing or letting go of what you are fearing is just about the only way I know of to really moving through procrastination and back into the creative flow.
Lift the lid on your procrastination stress and see if you have any of the following fears. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it might get you started.
Indecision
-fear of picking the wrong thing or idea to work on. The only answer is to pick something and move forward with it. Working on something will help your mind to relax and then you will probably discover what is the right thing for you to work on.
Being Ridiculed
-or being judged or criticised. What if I mess this up? What if they hate it? Yes, this is always a possibility and what’s the worst that can happen if they do? Are you proud of your work, or at least happy with it? Then you’ve done your best. Time to put your adult pants on.
Lack
-of any kind. Fear that you won’t have a good idea, or the right ideas or enough ideas, or enough anything….which you then convince yourself to believe could end in dismal failure. The more stressed we become the more difficult it is for us to be in ideation or creative flow.
Feeling Unworthy
-I’m not clever enough or good enough or… (replace with any other lack-lustre, self-sabotaging statement) to do this project/thing/job. Stop comparing yourself with either a) other people; or b) some fantasy about who you think you should be.
Resistance –
-This is that horrid, sticky, heavy feeling that is stopping you from completing your activity. As Data said to the Borg Queen, “resistance is futile” (hello Star Trek geeks). I find that resistance is like a thick smog that is usually covering up some other emotion. Surrendering into it by focusing on the feeling of resistance and bringing it into your awareness usually helps you to move through it. You will probably then be confronted by another fear or emotion and we’ve already talked about how to move through our fears.
Boredom
-which is also a type of resistance. But also, perhaps you are uninspired by what you are doing. In that case, you need to think about the reason you are doing it. Perhaps the thing you are doing is boring and uninspiring but completing it will move you into the thing that IS inspiring or gets you closer to your goal. Finding the why essence in everything you do will make the doing a lot easier.
Be Ruthless!
It’s your life, your time, be ruthless with it. If you do have commitments that you can’t say no to, then you have to be firm with your time, and extra clear on your priorities. Focus your attention on the things that are going to move you forward in life and let everything else fall away. Don’t be busy for the sake of being busy. Remember your time is finite and more precious than gold, give it the sacred attention that it deserves and use it to create a life worth living.
Is the Deadline Realistic?
Of course, there is always the possibility that the project is too big to complete by the deadline. Pushing yourself to breaking point is not going to help you or your quality of work. This is when a virtual assistant can be your secret weapon for getting things done, giving you an extra set of capable hands to get you over the finishing line.
Now, stop reading this, and go, get on with crushing that deadline, task or project so you can move closer to your goals. I’m cheering you on! :)
Mela Davey
www.oxygenva.com | https://medium.com/@meladavey/https-medium-com-meladavey-how-to-deal-with-that-deadline-dread-91243ed07594 | ['Mela Davey'] | 2019-08-07 10:22:43.718000+00:00 | ['Entrepreneurship', 'Productivity', 'Creativity', 'Procrastination', 'Business'] |
Flame & Spirit. Paul could feel the currents of anger… | Photo by Sumit Saharkar on Unsplash
Paul could feel the currents of anger and energy swirling inside and around the abandoned house, fueled by and responding to the spirit. He and River stood just outside the sphere of influence, at the end of the concrete path leading to the shadowed porch.
River regarded the darkened structure, an unreadable expression on their face. “You think we’ll need backup?”
Paul tilted his head, evaluating. “Nah, let’s do this.” As he led the way down the path and onto the porch, he clutched his Star of David in one hand and pulled a clear crystal from his jeans pocket. He paused to get a feel for the ghost, which was not pleased with their intrusion. “It’s pissed,” he whispered.
River shrugged, unimpressed. “Well, no reason to keep it waiting.” They reached out for the door handle and turned it. With a stereotypical ominous creak, the heavy wooden door swung inward to reveal the foyer and a long, mostly empty living room. “Looks like most of the possessions were auctioned,” River commented as they took a step inside. “Good, less shit for it to throw at us.”
River was sent flying across the room as if they had been fired from a cannon.
They struck the far wall with a thud! and grunted as the impact knocked the wind out of them. They didn’t get back up after hitting the floor. A nearly-solid shadow loomed by the fireplace, seeing its opportunity in River’s unconscious form. Paul raised his hand and fired a bolt of brilliant purple energy at the mass, but it contorted its form and dodged with ease. The magic harmlessly struck the chimney bricks and dispersed as the spirit lurched toward River.
“Shit!” Paul swore, and he sprinted through the doorway toward his fallen partner as the spirit’s manifestation did the same. It was faster. If that thing got hold of River’s body, it would be able to incinerate him with a flick of the wrist, and there would be nothing he could do to stop it. The two of them had been hasty, hadn’t put up the right protection against possession, and this thing was far stronger than the report had stated.
He fired another two bolts of magic that struck true, but the spirit didn’t slow down. He might still be able to push the thing out of River before it could figure out their fire powers, but that was a slim chance at best. He began to panic in the few seconds he was desperately trying to race for his friend’s fallen form, knowing he was too slow.
Paul was too slow, but River wasn’t.
At the last second, they snapped their head up, smirking at the crazed spirit, and a bonfire of azure flames rose up around them. The fire spread almost instantly, catching the half-manifested poltergeist in its wake. The ghost screamed, and Paul was nearly knocked to his knees with the psychic force of the wail. He steadied himself and lifted the large crystal in one hand, chanting in Hebrew as the ghost continued to shriek. River maintained the intensity of the flames, somehow keeping the house from catching as they did.
Fortunately, Paul was good at this part. In his own personal mixed style of mundane and magical exorcism, he beseeched the soul to let go of the material realm and shed the evils that held it here, channeling his will through the crystal.
In less than a minute of stable chanting, the spirit was dispersed from the Earth and sent back to the Land of the Dead where it belonged. It didn’t explode into a shower of ectoplasm, nor did it turn into a dusting of sparkles. All that signaled the passing of the dead was a faint, relieved sigh, carried away on the breeze flowing in through the open doorway.
Paul wondered why River was standing over him.
He blinked, confused. “How did you get up there?” he asked dully. His head was killing him. He could feel the cool, hardwood floor of the house beneath him and realized he must have passed out. His head was resting on what was probably River’s leather jacket, since they weren’t wearing it. “How long was I down?”
River helped him up and grabbed their jacket from the floor. “Five minutes,” they answered. “We definitely needed backup.”
Paul scoffed, grinning like an ornery child. “But did we die though?”
River crossed their arms, looking stony-faced, but after a second or two, they did laugh a little. “Let’s go get some pizza, asshole,” they said firmly, but they were still smiling.
“Aw yiss!” Paul cheered. “I’m starving!”
River led the way out of the house, pulling their keys from their jacket pocket. “Mellow Mushroom?” they suggested.
“Fuck yeah, Mellow Mushroom!”
“Man, you get so loopy when you over-channel.” | https://medium.com/flash-fiction-by-ariel-cross/flame-spirit-flash-fiction-1-fe1f479d44da | ['Ariel Cross'] | 2020-08-23 16:03:57.020000+00:00 | ['Jewish', 'Nonbinary', 'Urban Fantasy', 'Ghosts', 'Flash Fiction'] |
My Fellow Armenians and Friends, Our Country Needs You. | In a year where global headlines have focused on Covid-19, media outlets have neglected the war that erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan on September 27th in conflict over the land known as Nagorno-Karabakh.
Although the region falls within the boundaries of Azerbaijan, it is occupied by ethnic Armenians whose lives have been overturned by the fighting.
The two countries have been at odds over this territory since the Soviet Union broke apart in the early 1990s, but the most recent break of violence began when Azerbaijan military attempted to retake land in the region.
Fighting lasted until November 9th when Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan announced that an agreement has been reached. As part of the deal, a Russian peacekeeping force has been deployed to the area.
Despite the war being over, thousands of Armenian families have been permanently displaced with hundreds of civilians murdered, and over 5000 casualties reported by the military with thousands more injured.
It fills me with deep sorrow to think that someone I may have walked by when visiting the country may no longer with us.
To make matters worse, hospitals and medical staff were already stretched thin due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that so many soldiers and citizens are wounded, this has truly become a humanitarian crisis that not I nor SONO can ignore.
That’s why we here at SONO have partnered with The Armenian Wounded Heroes Fund (AWHF), which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that devotes 100% of its donations to helping wounded Armenian soldiers. The great thing about the AWHF is that the AWHF founders cover all administrative costs, so that 100% of every dollar donated has an IMPACT, and reaches its intended recipient through a rigorous monitoring mechanism.
In addition to providing a full range of medical assistance that spans funding, facilities and supplies for wounded soldiers, they provide combat medic training for soldiers and supply them with military-grade first-aid kits, thereby reducing the net rate of mortality on the field.
Soldiers such as Major Sargis Stepanyan, a triple-amputee and two-time world champion of the Paralympics Arm-Wrestling Competition, are a shining example of the success of AWHF. If you would like to learn more about AWHF and see how they have helped many other heroes, please visit armenianwoundedheroes.com.
To support the AWHF’s noble efforts to care for soldiers and their families, SONO is donating $150,000. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic requiring so many financial and medical resources from world governments, corporate and individual donations are needed more than ever for non-pandemic emergencies.
My partner Chris Froian and I are partnering with our customers to join the aid effort. We’ve assembled 5000 “care packages” designed for travel that include:
- 5 packs of SONO disinfecting wipes
- 5 SONO hand sanitizing wipes
- 5 SONO foaming hand sanitizers
Every dollar will go to the AWHF.
For those of you unfamiliar with what we do, I’ll share some background. Since 2012, we here at SONO have been domestically manufacturing disinfecting and sanitizing products for the healthcare industry that are registered with both the EPA and FDA respectively. All of the ingredients we have chosen to incorporate into our products have been proven to kill SARS-CoV-2 so, in this case, you can protect yourself with confidence whilst also protecting and supporting those who need it most in Armenia.
We do our best to ensure that our operations are aligned with our core mission, vision, and values, which includes providing the best products for those who need it most and lending support to communities in need around the world along the way.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read thus far.
This matter is very close to my heart and anything you can do to support our mission is greatly appreciated both by SONO and the AWHF. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as possible!
Earnestly,
Arman Semerjian | https://medium.com/@arman-21630/my-fellow-armenians-and-friends-our-country-needs-you-26a1474476a1 | ['Arman Semerjian'] | 2020-12-15 19:55:02.113000+00:00 | ['Armenia', 'War', 'Covid 19', 'Charity', 'Artsakh'] |
How to build a classified app like OLX-Features and Cost? | OLX is the largest classified site used by millions of people to buy and sell new or old products. Using apps like OLX, they can easily list the products they use to increase their chances of selling their products or services at a great price.
Here, I am going to discuss that how to build a buying and selling classified app like OLX and how you can make huge money with a classified app, but keep in mind that there are many challenges when building such a website. So, choose the best Mobile app development company to get the result as expected.
If you are thinking of designing your online marketing app this is the right time, this article will help you.
Cost factors vary to develop an application such as OLX, Quikr:
There are many factors that affect the Development cost of a classified mobile application and here we present them specifically. Based on these factors we can estimate the Cost of developing an application like OLX, Quikr
Image Source: Fugenx
Features of an app like OLX
User panel
Login / Register- Users (Buyers / Sellers) can register themselves to apply.
Profile Verification — For profile verification, users will get the profile verification link in the registered mail id. After verifying the account, customers can often come into the account to buy and sell items.
Add personal details- Users can add their personal details where mail id and phone number are required.
Add products for sale- As a seller customers can put their products up for sale by selecting the product category.
Product Details — In which the seller is able to sell the product by providing the required information such as product images, brand name, date of manufacture, advertising title, prices and more.
Browse products by category — Customers can browse products by category such as property, computer hardware, mobile and more.
Recommendations — Newly added items can be shown on the app’s homepage so that users can access products directly from there.
Chat- In this section, an individual as a buyer can chat with the seller.
Favorite List — Favorite List is a collection of products that customers want saved to their account. A customer can then access the desired products they have saved in their favorite list for purchase.
My Account- In this section, the user can manage their account, order & billing. The user can change the settings such as privacy setting, notification settings, account deactivation or logout. The user can also go to help and support if the user needs any help for the application.
Product Information- Product information is very important to get detailed information about the product. User can check product information like product images, product price, product description etc.
Coupon Code — User can apply coupon code to avail benefits from the admin side.
Browse Seller Profile- As a buyer users can browse the seller profile and check if the seller is verified. Buyers can also check the badge provided by the admin and the rating & review of the seller profile.
Product Rating / Review — A user can check the product rating / review and also provide a review and rating for it.
Customer Support — Users can get support for services from the administrator.
Admin Panel
Login — Admin can login to manage various things like activities, products, users and more.
Dashboard — The dashboard should be user-friendly and easy to use so that the admin can easily track the various activities running in the app.
Customer Profile Verification — Administrators can verify the profile of sellers and buyers. This is very important for a safe purchase.
Manage Customers- Managers can manage sellers and buyers because managers can add and reject sellers and buyers request.
Manage rewards- This is the best feature to engage more customers. Admin can manage rewards to increase usage.
Cloud Storage Integration — Admin can easily manage large amounts of data on cloud storage.
CRM Integration- In order to perform various activities, you need to implement this feature to increase efficiency and reduce time & money.
Payment Gateway Integration — Admin can manage payment made by the seller.
Reporting and Analytics- Analytical reports of ads posted in the app can be viewed in the dashboard admin.
Push Notifications — Admin can send notifications to users about new products added, sold products, offer and more.
Other advanced features
Multilingual- This is the best feature if you are targeting customers worldwide. This feature helps your customers access apps in their design language.
Geo-Location Integration — This feature allows your users to check the location of vendors who have posted ads.
Social Network Integration — You can integrate this feature to help your customers share products with friends and family using social networks.
Payment in the app — Payment can be made to the administrator by using this feature as a vendor.
Certified Sellers: Sellers will get the certificate by providing the correct document to the admin asked by the admin.
OLX — App development application cost:
Well, your requirements define the Cost of classified mobile application development such as OLX. If you want to implement all the sophisticated and simple features and functionality in your app, the development cost can range from around $ 20,000 to $ 25,000. If you outsource your app development work to an Asian country like India, you can save more time and money on development as the Top app development companies in India offer a quality solution at a pocket-friendly price.
To know the exact cost details to develop an application like OLX or Quikr.
Click On!
Look at the best Mobile app development company, They help the company reach great heights with innovation. | https://medium.com/@vidyasagarc-us/how-to-build-a-classified-app-like-olx-features-and-cost-64a81e0f9f49 | ['Vidyasagarc Us'] | 2020-12-22 06:36:52.328000+00:00 | ['Mobile App Development', 'Classified App', 'Olx App Cost', 'App Development', 'App Like Olx'] |
Wisdom of The Silence (I) | While in bed with my favourite parrhesiast (that is, with the person exercising the parrhesia *), he was telling me that, in Ancient Greece, in philosophy schools, at first the students did not have the privilege of logos, of the word, but these should first study two or three years with a philosopher and only later could he make use of speech. Restriction perhaps to prevent them from saying something without thinking, during that time they learned to structure their thinking better and express their ideas more clearly, since the Greeks understood that speaking by speaking carries some risks by itself. But then, he continued talking about other issues. But surreptitiously, he changed the subject, or rather, silenced himself by kissing me …
Nevertheless, the subject remained in my mind many days later, and I kept thinking in silence what education would be like, say the university, if we had this practice. There is something in silence that draws the attention of all peoples, especially the Orientals. Who does not understand a long look will not understand a long explanation, say the Arabs, and it is said that Indian philosophy is the philosophy of silence; the manobratha, it is said, produces various associations, thoughts, when the "noise", the "interference", the manifestation of the ego has been annulled; The imperative need to speak.
Although some monastic, European religious confessions resumed this practice during the Middle Ages, we know that in the West silence has been used not as a tool of thought, but as a weapon to silence others: "Who silences, grants," it is said, thus, in a stroke the invisibility of marginalized peoples is erased, (barbarian peoples, lower castes, women, etc.), that is, those who were forced to shut up at the time.
No, who is silent does not always grant. | https://medium.com/@emiliareyes/wisdom-of-the-silence-i-19438f06f06 | ['Emilia Reyes'] | 2019-07-19 23:08:30.990000+00:00 | ['History', 'Silence', 'Greece', 'Philosophy', 'Thinking'] |
A Friend or Foe | We stand by those we trust,
All the while they transgress against us.
Friend or foe to behold?
For only they will surely know.
Trust someone in this day and age
Is nothing more than a noble cliché.
Slanderous words of dishonesty,
Destroying your character with their brutality.
The world believes them as they lie,
Who can one trust in this earthly enterprise?
Longing for the days of old
When men were men, as good as gold.
I long for days where a handshake meant
Your word a bond, and honor felt.
Agreements made without paper convention;
Handshakes were the business transaction.
Honor flowed throughout the lands,
Everyone gave a helping hand.
A favor wasn’t done for return,
As a friend indeed was someone earned.
Days of past will not return
As immoral acts are loved and learned.
Handshakes, a thing of the past,
Your word, a thing that no longer lasts.
© 2020, K. Saitta, Walk In Verse | https://medium.com/blueinsight/a-friend-or-foe-6100fe197458 | [] | 2020-11-05 08:21:28.421000+00:00 | ['Blue Insights', 'Poetry', 'Poet', 'Betrayal', 'Relationships'] |
Can Everyone See My Screen? — How We Choose to Remember 2020 | Darragh Grace — director of quality engineering
What a year 2020 was. In the context of HMH we had a major redesign of our Ed Platform, we saw massive increase in usage due to schools closing in the US and the move to distance learning. We switched to remote working and all the challenges that brings. I am incredibly proud of how we, as an organisation, met these challenges head on and delivered our most successful back to school to date.
Our teams found new ways of collaborating and introduced tons of engineering efficiencies to not only speed up our development process’s but to ensure the software we delivered was highly relevant and of amazing quality. We reacted quickly to the Covid situation by introducing new features to our platform such as Virtual conferencing to ensure we continue to drive great outcomes for students and teachers across the US, particularly in remote learning scenarios. We were able to scale our platform to meet the huge increase in demand this year thanks to the many hours put in by teams testing and deeply understanding our systems.
As a quality engineer I was particularly proud of how our teams embraced the idea of building quality in to everything we do, testing early, testing often, and fully embedding quality into our deliver pipelines. Looking back, it was a tough year in a lot of ways, but hugely rewarding to know that our hard work played such an important part in helping teachers do what they do best, giving students the best quality of education possible. | https://hmh.engineering/can-everyone-see-my-screen-how-we-choose-to-remember-2020-5ba57ffc292 | ['Attila Vágó'] | 2020-12-16 10:04:34.660000+00:00 | ['Engineering', '2020', 'Accessibility', 'Quality Assurance', 'Software Development'] |
Becoming Good Enough | Some of us do live these dramatically overwhelmed lives in our head, especially when we compare ourselves to others and declare ourselves as less-than. Social media apps flooded with elated selfies of Beckinsale-lookalikes does not make things easier.
It is easy to go all Ted-talk and declare that we must develop a gigantic self-esteem that makes us choose to be a proton every moment of our existence over an inferior, underconfident version of ourself. Practically implementing this positive optimism, especially when it does not come naturally, seems more challenging than scaling K2 wearing flip-flops.
But..
There is good news for people who are finally sick of being habitual self-deprecators in their minds.
Here is the thing. The window of gloom, despair and overwhelm of being the weird one or less-than never lasts forever. I believe it lasts for not more than a few hours at a stretch in the worst case scenario. Think of that feeling of low self-esteem, inferiority complex and fomo as a runny nose. When you have it, everything is grey and miserable. Even the bright sunshine and butterflies remind you of phlegm and allergies.
Then, one day, you wake up and the runny nose is gone. Just like magic, you start seeing the beauty around you. You start enjoying food again. You can talk and walk once again without the overwhelm and the spiral thoughts of ‘What’s wrong with me?’. This feeling of joy may last for a day or a week. It feels amazing and is worth the wait. You operate at your best efficiency out of gratefulness for a dry, normal nose.
Cling on to that feeling. This gratitude is the elixir that has the power to bring out the best in you. Get work done in that short window of optimism and energy. Use that spike quickly before it escapes again.
If you are feeling horrible right now, try this exercise. Come on! Humor me.
Close your eyes. Gently withdraw yourself from the judgemental thoughts. Visualize yourself stepping out of your body. You are standing outside, observing your clone self as if you are looking at your reflection in a beautiful, antique mirror. Spend a few seconds breathing deeply and looking at your clone self. Pay close attention your face, expression, hair, the clothes you are wearing, the arms, hands and feet. Imagine yourself vividly saying out loud in an assuring and strong tone, “It’s ok! I will help you get through this. I have got you!” Repeat two more times and notice how you feel.
Take three deep breaths and open your eyes.
Make a list of things you want to do in your phone notes app or a paper and keep it aside for later. If you are up for it, write all your thoughts and feelings out of your system as a purge.
Now, patiently wait for that inexplicable and elusive window of feeling ‘normal’ and grateful. Pounce on it as soon as it appears. Take advantage of this temporary glitch in the settings of your brain. Spend time loving, knowing, and caring for yourself whenever you are able to. It does not matter if self-doubt and self-pity are default settings owing to years of thought patterns and habits. Enjoy the glitch. Take a breather. Nothing is broken and there is nothing to be fixed.
Work and plan around your feelings and moods by instead of dwelling on what is broken inside of you. Irrespective of how harshly you judge yourself, deep down you know you can handle your brain’s shenanigans. | https://medium.com/@manishamt/becoming-good-enough-112b921b9cef | [] | 2020-01-15 15:06:28.073000+00:00 | ['Help', 'Confidence', 'Self Improvement', 'Meditation', 'Mental Health'] |
The smell of the earth after the rain | the howling of the wind
dissipates, it hides behind the
bedrock and drifts away
the sodden earth releases
that dewy petrichor
and damp soil sits quietly
soaking in a sweet scent
it’s the only evidence that
you’ve visited here before. | https://medium.com/@waddlehops/the-smell-of-the-earth-after-the-rain-8fb38f59f966 | ['Chloe Hill'] | 2020-11-07 07:47:57.618000+00:00 | ['Poetry', 'Weather', 'Poems On Medium', 'Poem', 'Poetry On Medium'] |
Allahabad high court up hjs new vacancy 2020 | Allahabad high court up hjs new vacancy 2020 Dsaienterprises ·Dec 19, 2020
Allahabad High Court Prayagraj Are Invited Online Application Form for Various Post s. some eligibility is for this all notifications are given below. if you are interested then apply on their official website. if you are eligible for this post and all requirements are clear then fill the form. all-important dates are given below.
apply before these dates. | https://medium.com/@dsaienterprises2018/allahabad-high-court-up-hjs-new-vacancy-2020-cf2d662efbe1 | [] | 2020-12-19 17:21:18.537000+00:00 | ['Job Hunting', 'Government', 'Job Search', 'Jobs'] |
Stock futures face backlash of Trump’s threat to hike tariffs on China. | On Sunday we saw stock futures take a sharp downward turn, a prime indicator for a lower open on Wall Street. This has all come to pass after President Donald Trump announced an increase on tariffs on Chinese goods being imported. This has also escalated the ongoing trade tensions between arguably the world’s two largest economies, and has undermined expectations for an agreement between the two nations. On Twitter the United States President said that progress in bilateral talks was insufficient, and it will lead him to hike duties on Chinese goods as soon as Friday. The tariffs that are to be put into effect were originally reserved pending the outcome of trade talks.
With pre-market trading opening on Sunday evening, Dow Jones futures saw a heavy decline of over 400 points, before paring some of those losses, in the S&P500 future index we also saw a major move into the red zone.
Donald trump a self-proclaimed tariff man, believes that the trade imbalance between the two nations can be reduced significantly with the use of import duties. The president said in a statement that growth in recent times has been effected majorly by the imposition of Chinese tariffs.
With these early warning signs for the markets, we can expect to see the S&P, the NASDAQ, and the DOW facing a rough start to trading when the opening bell sounds, this despite last week’s fantastic employment data. If Sunday’s preliminary decline carries on into Mondays trading, it could potentially threaten a rally that has been carrying the index’s new record highs.
Trumps tightening of trade taxes, could potentially be an extremely positive sentiment for those investors who hold a majority of equities, as with a pullback in the markets, it would mean less risks.
This week both nations are scheduled to meet, in what was set to be the final round of talks before reaching an agreement on tariffs. Over the majority of 2018 the US imposed 25% tariffs on over $50 Billion USD worth of Chinese technological imports, and 10% tariffs on other goods. If the US president does follow through with his word, then the current 10% tax that has been on hold so far will jump up to 25%, this may cause an equal retaliation from china. Trumps recent plan to impose more tariffs, have thrown thoughts that the two nations were close to a deal into the air, leaving investors and analysts wondering what this week’s talks will bring.
Rachel Green — Walter International
Wealth Management hong kong, Wealth Management europe, Wealth Management middle east, Wealth Management south America, stock brokerages, financial advisor | https://medium.com/@lppusuluri1/stock-futures-face-backlash-of-trumps-threat-to-hike-tariffs-on-china-2e3c698396c3 | ['Lp Pusuluri'] | 2019-05-06 10:30:58.277000+00:00 | ['Trade'] |
There Are No Lowercase Letters in STEM | There Are No Lowercase Letters in STEM
Preserving An International Educational Movement
Image: Getty# 925114826 / Young Woman Writing Equations
Written by: Andrew B. Raupp / @stemceo
Ask anyone what STEM education is all about, and they will dutifully rattle off the meaning of the acronym: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Dig a little deeper, and you’re likely to hear responses like these:
“Oh, my kid’s school has a great STEM program. There’s a new robotics club with cool gizmos to play with.”
“Schools should invest more in STEM because coding is an essential twenty-first century skill.”
“Having a good STEM program makes it easier to get into college, study computers, and get a high-paying tech job.”
While these ideas aren’t necessarily incorrect, they’re very telling about how we have been trained to see STEM over the past decade or so. Notice that each one of these responses focuses on coding and gadgets as shorthand for four entirely different fields of study.
Technology has taken over our thinking about STEM, leaving the other disciplines — the sciences, engineering, and mathematics — out of our imaginations, and therefore out of the conversation.
And that poses a potentially huge problem.
Silicon Valley’s Long Shadow
Image: Getty# 529307578 / Aerial Photography Of Silicon Valley
Big tech companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google have undoubtedly changed the world, and technology now mediates nearly everything we do. And while it’s true that the country’s technology giants have pledged $300 million for STEM education, it’s also important to take a hard look at the motivations behind Big Tech’s reach into education, and exactly what we’re all getting in return.
For example, that $300 million collection plate is dedicated specifically to strengthening computer science programs across the country. Computer science in general and coding in particular are definitely worthy STEM subjects to pursue, but they’re not the only ones. Yet when Silicon Valley wants to support STEM, they nearly always mean technology.
This could be a simple case of “When you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” That is, tech companies deal in technology, so they naturally assume that everything can be solved with the right bit of code. We’re living that reality right now: From sending a message to practicing meditation, some tech company really does have an app for just about any problem you may have, real or imagined.
But the outsized focus on the T in STEM isn’t just an accident. It’s for profit.
Image: Getty# 1252400610 / Man Analyzing Financial Trends On Tablet
Technology companies of all shapes and sizes need labor, and hiring a sharp programmer is expensive: In 2018, the median salary for a computer programmer was $84,280. We often hear about how well tech careers pay as incentive to get more students interested in STEM, but simple supply-and-demand rules explain why they earn so much. If there were thousands more qualified programmers available to hire, tech corporations and startups alike wouldn’t have to pay so much to attract talent. Developing a pool of tech workers will save these companies huge sums of money that can be shuttled away from workers and into the pockets of shareholders.
Of course, selling hardware, software, and educational management systems that go along with specific STEM curriculum is profitable, too. But it’s absolutely critical to ask who benefits, and in what way, from an outsized emphasis on coding and robotics in schools.
The Future: Brought to You by the Letters S, E & M
Just as we must focus on diversity, inclusion, and educational equity in STEM, it’s also the duty of STEM leaders to bring attention to the interdisciplinary forms of science, engineering and math that simply do not have the same powerful advocacy organizations behind them — but are still very important to our future.
Math stands out as perhaps the STEM subject with the fewest high-profile cheerleaders lobbying school districts and organizing fundraisers on its behalf, yet it’s a critical foundation for nearly all types of scientific inquiry and careers. Any student who wishes to major in one of the sciences — and even the so-called “soft” sciences like sociology, psychology, and economics — will also have to demonstrate a thorough understanding of statistics and higher mathematics. And of course, numeracy is a life skill that allows people to do everything from managing their money to doubling recipes.
Image: Getty# 590478581 / Female Physicist Conducting An Experiment
Physicist Michael Marder also points out that the type of thinking required in one kind of science is not the same as what’s required in another discipline. For example, physicists tend to rely on mathematical models to solve problems and conduct experiments, while biologists design more traditional, hypothesis-based experiments. If we aren’t careful to expose students to all of the rich possibilities of science and engineering, they’ll miss out on new ways to think and approach the problems of the world.
The Battle for the Soul of STEM
Therefore, finding solutions to humanity’s challenges and developing exciting innovations are definitely not the sole provenance of Silicon Valley. As we head into a new decade, great advancements will be made in other STEM-heavy industries following current trends towards a new multipolar, geopolitical order. It will be a departure from what we have witnessed for much of the post–World War II era that many in the West have grown accustomed to since the fall of the Soviet Union.
So while there’s certainly value in learning to code, it’s important to make it clear to the moneyed interests who are trying to co-opt the STEM movement for personal gain — STEM education is not for sale. As long as there’s a passionate, decentralized group of educators and innovators looking for ways to enrich the lives of the common man, woman and child in the spirit of peace and human progress, STEM will continue to flourish in all its marvel. It will not be controlled solely by governments or corporations with deep pockets nor by lobbyists with ulterior motives.
It’s time to disrupt the disruptors and make it clear that there are four capital letters in STEM, and that it belongs to everyone.
Image: Getty# 150337674 / Teacher Discussing Astronomy With Her Students
This article was originally featured in The STEM.org Informer™: A Newsweek Publication on August 7th, 2020 and updated for Medium on September 20th, 2020. | https://medium.com/swlh/there-are-no-lowercase-letters-in-stem-8a93e1ccbfda | ['Andrew B. Raupp'] | 2020-09-23 07:12:58.451000+00:00 | ['Education', 'Teaching', 'STEM', 'Parenting', 'Edtech'] |
[BTC #4] I Own The Night by Chris Johnson | In this episode of ‘Beat The Control’, I’m going to analyse Chris Johnson’s ‘I Own The Night’ video sales letter (WSL).
First, let’s start with the headline. Pay attention to whether you feel the urge to keep scrolling…
Using the ‘New, Easy, Safe & Big’ Formula by Kyle Milligan, let’s look examine the opener: New: This method allows you to profit from trading at night, instead of hustling alongside 99.9% of investors. Easy: Not elaborated here. Safe: Seems fairly reliable — given that it has bagged a series of wins so far. Big: You can lock in gains from $750, to $1700, to $5,700 overnight.
Next, let’s review the lead. Does it spark even more curiosity?
Chris introduces himself and quickly differentiates himself from the masses
He proceeds to create a common enemy — Wall Street elites.
Plays on the emotion of ‘being in control’ while getting rewarded for it.
Describes the easy steps he takes to live the dream life.
Reinforce theme that he is in control and the easy steps required
Differentiate his lifestyle from the other investors
Demonstrate how easy and automated his system is
Next, we review the body copy. Does it address the key objections in your head?
Explaining why his mechanism is UNIQUE — by showing he is an insider, has tried everything but haven’t been able to crack the code until now.
He starts stacking belief systems e.g. You MUST Follow The Command Grid.
Explains how his system produces results without getting too technical.
He creates another rule around his methodology.
Followed by evidence that his method works
Finally, let’s review the offer. Is it a no-brainer deal that you can’t find anywhere else?
Using future pacing, he describes what it’s like to be a member of his program.
He introduces the price. But first he qualifies where the readers are ‘serious enough’ to take action. Then he justifies the value with the market price and the possible returns.
He adds the scarcity element by highlighting why there are only limited spots available.
He introduces a guarantee so there’s minimal risk on the buyer’s end.
Final push before the call to action.
Having covered the copy in detail, let’s look the messaging strategy:
First, we look at the overarching message using the 16 Word Sales Letter framework by Evaldo Albuquerque.
Trading in the evening [opportunity] is the key to explosive investment gains [desire] that can only be attained through “The Command Grid” [new mechanism].
Next, we examine the market sophistication level.
This promotion covers the expanded version of a unique mechanism. Thus making it a level 4.
Given the financial newsletter niche is highly sophisticated, this should be sufficient.
Lastly, we breakdown the BIG idea. | https://medium.com/@itsbinteo/btc-4-i-own-the-night-by-chris-johnson-5a2a37964f7e | ['Bin Teo'] | 2020-03-18 22:41:01.376000+00:00 | ['Copywriting Tips', 'Copywriting'] |
8 Reasons Why You Should Definitely NOT Ride Your Bike To Work | 1. Mother Nature Is Not Your Friend
It’s a lovely Spring day, weather is 70 perfect degrees, the sun is shining just right, and butterflies are landing on your nose at every stop light. How lovely!
KERBLAMO!!! LIGHTNING!! April Showers in May (thanks climate change)! Wind, pollen, rain! You show up to work soaking wet, bike drenched and full of grit?
Summer comes and the heat & humidity really set in, 90+ degrees and it feels like 200% humidity, how is that even possible? I live up north, not in Florida anymore! The wind is hot. How is that a thing? Am I breathing water? Why don’t we have gills?
Fall is just psychopathic Spring weather in reverse and then before you know it Winter comes! Layers upon layers of clothes, 40lbs of layers, as the temps drop, fingers freeze, toes fall off, and bike paths become the resting place for mounds of snow.
Sure! You could be a fair-weather rider, I guess, but then you miss out on riding 75% of the year. What’s the point of that?
Solution: Accept the weather. Embrace it. If you fight it, you will lose. Instead, welcome the challenge mother nature presents and ride! Sing “I AM THE WARRIORRRRR!!!!” As the wind and rain try to slow you down.
Also, weather apps and websites. Read the hourlies for the day, plan for both rides, not just the weather at the moment. As a native Floridian, you become a bit of a weather expert. The quasi-tropical state could change weather on a dime, so you learned real quick how to be ready.
No matter where you live, don’t just be prepared for the day’s weather, be excited about it! Get creative with it. Snowboading goggles for snowy rides, plastic bags for the stuff in your backpack. Hell, grocery bags for your feet!
RAWR!
2. It’s Expensive
I’ve gotten into enough internet fights with cycling obsessive types to know this won’t sit well, but they are in denial. Sure, you can get a beater for $100 maybe, and it seems to ride fine, sure... But maintenance does cost money. Need a pump, at least a handpump. Tires every now and then, a new chain, brake pads, lubes (don’t use WD-40 please), tubes! — so many goddamn tubes — new derailleur, new wheel, new cogs, bike lock (a GOOD one, not some cheap crap I can cut with left-handed elementary school scissors), maybe some hydration, a decent backpack, and not to mention anything else that comes up that needs replacing (plus labor). Don’t forget lights for winter & night riding!
Oh, you don’t want a piece-o-crap beater? Well, now we are spending $500 or more, maybe well over $1000 easy, but guess what… still need all or most of that stuff I listed.
Ah, the innocent days.
Don’t forget possibly wanting bike specific gear like smarter fabric clothes, helmet, maybe special shoes (and special pedals for those shoes).
And of course of any part or the whole bike gets stolen or vandalized. Ugh!
Sure, this stuff isn’t necessarily necessary, you can ride a shitty little single-speed beater in your work clothes and not worry about any weird sounds & quirks the bike might experience. This is totally a thing (though, you will burn through those clothes quicker, just sayin’, and not to mention tires, tubes, wheels, and chains), but I promise if you get “into it”, really into cycling, it very easily and quickly adds up. It can and often does become a bit of an obsession if you aren’t careful. Suddenly you need different bikes for different weathers, events, terrain. You find you just have to have matching handlebar grips. Oh and man, if you could just get that one saddle, you could lighten your bike by oh-so-many grams!
And many of you will still have your car or other transport needs for other reasons or bad weather days or childrens or whatever, so those expenses don’t go away either!
Be wary of anyone who tells you this isn’t true. If someone tells you they spend no money or time on maintenance, remember you don’t know anything about their riding habits and style, you don’t know their distance, or even the condition that bike is in now. Or they could be full of shit and prone to hyperbole…. I’m not saying you definitely will rack up thousands of dollars in bills, but it is possible depending on your needs & circumstances.
Like momma always said, “Shit adds up quick!”
Solution: If you ain’t rich, have a bike budget. At least plan for basic maintenance and an emergency repair or two. If you need to, downgrade your non-bike options. Don’t worry about wanting that fancy new car (my last 2 cars cost $1500 combined, one I sold for $400 on ebay), change up your mass transit plan, and if you can’t, plan on spending more time giving your bike some love to make things like parts & components last longer. None of these are ideal (except being rich), but I don’t want anyone to think biking to work is a one-time expense.
3. Mechanical Issues
Ever double flat in the middle of nowhere and realize you forgot your pump? I have. Ever ride along when suddenly there’s a wretched grinding noise coming from all those gears in the back? Definitely. Ever having a great day when suddenly creeeeak, creeeeeak, CREEEEEAK starts emanating from somewhere on your bike, but lard knows where? The worse! Ever had brakes or gears freeze up from the weather? Where’s my ice pick? Ever had a pedal just, boop, fall off? Yep. That was a weird one, was riding an old Target mountain bike at the time.
Everything breaks down eventually. Or as scientists are prone to saying, “Entropy is a bitch!” So what are you going to do? Sit on the side of the road pouting while waiting for an Uber that will hopefully be totally cool with your greasy dirty bike going in their trunk? Take the subway ride of shame with your bike during rush hour and make about a million new enemies? Throw the bike in a ditch and start walking 80s Incredible Hulk style?
Cue the sad piano music
Naw. You got to fix it. Or at the very least, get it fixed just enough to be able to get your bike to work since the bike shop’s probably not open yet on that morning ride. Then you got to get it fixed for realsies or figure out some time to fix it yourself, either at work — welp, I guess I got lunch plans after all — getting it to a bike shop, or if you made it home, a project for after dinner. Oh man, the worse having to fix it yourself while sitting outside your office as everyone leaves for the day. Yeah, not the best Bike To Work advocate moment.
In summary, mechanicals suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
Plain and simple, no two ways about it. They interrupt your ride, take time to deal with, can get you dirty, irritated, and frustrated, and have one hell of a knack for happening in either a) the worse weather or b) on the most perfect of riding days.
The other day, one of my Bromptons’ back rim busted open on my way home from work. I heard a horrible thump thump thump. Pulled over to see the rim cracking open and my brake pad bumping into it. I was in the void of no mass transit area in Brooklyn south of Williamsburg with a few miles left to get home.
What did I do? I opened up my back brake all the way and gently and carefully kept riding… made it home! Next day, put the wheel on a citibike and rode to work, then made my way to the bike shop at lunch. Whattayagonnado?
Sometimes it’s something as simple as a flat. You need to be prepared to fix it, spend the time, get dirty, on the side of the road, regardless of the weather. It sucks, but it is life, or rather, #bikelife
Solution: Be prepared! First, have what you need. Ride with a spare tube or two, tire levers, a small hand pump, and a bike tool. And maybe a paper towel in a sandwich bag to wipe down. Also, know how to do basic things like fix a flat, adjust a brake pad, put a chain back on the gears, or light derailleur adjustments.
Take care of your bike. Wipe it down, keep it adjusted, properly lubed, and give it a bath every now and then (especially after some particularly nasty weather).
Scrubba-dub-dub!
Finally, I like to ride with a little buffer time on my way to work, not a lot, just 10–15 min for any just in case scenarios. I’ve rarely if ever been late to work because of a mechanical issue.
4. You May Have To Carry Stuff (And It Can Get Heavy)
Bike commuters have to carry their shit, you know that, right? For some it’s a lot of stuff, like a full change of clothes, shoes, and a bunch of personal hygiene stuff. Personally, I keep my work shoes at work (and deodorant & some hair stuff), as well as some back up things like socks or undies.
I’m lucky in that we can wear jeans at work, so I also have 2 pairs of jeans in my larger desk drawer. This lets me ride with just a shirt, fresh undies, my lunch (yay leftovers), and other backpack things (like the bike repair stuff from #3). Unfortunately, not everyone has personal space at work to do this which means your backpack (or your bike if you do panniers) can get heavy quick.
This is just for their lunch
Did you get an Amazon package at work because you don’t have anyone or good security at home to receive package? Got to carry it home. For me, this has meant a clothes order for my daughter, cans of special cat food for my sick cat, a heavy work computer, new shoes (so bulky) shower curtains (so heavy), a fixed Brompton wheel (that was awkward attaching it to my backpack), and once a bidet attachment for our toilet at home (Japan got it so right).
I also ship personal stuff from work. I’ve carried on my back art work we sold, presents for family around the country, and that broken bike wheel that needed fixing (bike shop is near work).
Point is, #bikelife can also mean #ImYourMule, I’m used to it, but some days it can literally be a pain in the back.
Solution: It’s a tough one if you don’t have alternatives to receive packages by your home. Maybe try to take advantage of Amazon lockers if they are by your home. But honestly, if this is part of your life, then it is just kind of part of the life of a full-time bike commuter, you have to kind of haul shit. A good backpack or panniers in multiple sizes are great. I have 3 different size backpacks and on the Brompton I can do a front bag too.
Oh! Almost forgot, those boxes things come in are almost always way oversized (especially Amazon)… get the product out and smart pack it in your bag! Or if it’s something like 40lbs of canned cat food, take a little home each day! Mushaboom ain’t eating all that in one sitting. Spread out the hauls across the week. It’s not awesome, but it’s not that bad. Here’s my system:
5. You Sweat. You Stink.
Yep.
You are going to have to get used to it. You are going to sweat. You are going to arrive stinky. You are a human (I assume) and our bodies just do this. “Going easy” in the morning or having an electric-assist bike help, sure, but on a warm day when that sun is just going to town, you will sweat and you will stink.
If you are super lucky, you have access to showers and maybe even a locker, but most of us do not.
For the rest of us, welcome to the glamorous life of changing in the bathroom at work. Being buck naked at work is weird. Taking a backpack of clothes and changing in a stall can be super annoying, especially if the stall next to you is in the middle of a bootie evacuation from that iffy work lunch at the cheap sushi place down the street.
Look, it ain’t pretty. There’s really not much more to say, this is life, so the solutions?
Solution: First off, wear smarter fabrics and pack your work clothes. Ride in wicking and cooling fabrics, not cotton. They even make suits that help these days made with coolmax and other smart fibers. Wear the right clothes for riding if you can!
Next, if possible get to work early. Have a fan under your desk or somewhere and have a cool down period BEFORE changing clothes (if you change too quickly, you’ll just sweat in your clean clothes. Relax. Have some coffee and food, cool down, catch some internet, then grab your shit and head to the bathroom.
Lots of people say, “use wipes!”, but nah, they aren’t very eco-friendly or cheap, so what I do is, I wash my hands, face, and rinse off my neck and arms. I grab a paper towel, dry off and then wet the paper a little more. I then go into the stall, strip down, wipe my pits and crotch, and deodorize (anti-antiperspirant if you can, though some people can’t). Throw on my work clothes and BLAMO! I’m good to go. I don’t stink (I’ve asked) and any residual sweating calms down soon enough.
It ain’t ideal, I know, and some days you’ll feel a icky, but honestly, it’s not that bad.
6. I Rode To Work & Something Came Up
I biked to work, but now my daughter needs me at school to pick her up or maybe it’s a surprise date night near work with my sugarsmacks! What are you going to do? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
Do you trust your city to leave the bike locked up outside? Can you get the bike home later? Do you have a ride to wherever? I call it being “beholden to your bike” and to be a good partner or parent, it’s good to have options.
For me, I don’t have a car and I don’t trust NYC, so I went to folding bikes. First the Brompton and now a Tern.
So I can leave my bike in the office and do date night or hop on the subway and go to my daughter’s school. But if you don’t have mass transit and a back-up car, it can get messy. So what do you do?
Solution: Think of contingency plans, have options before you need options. Taxis, friends, never date, sell your children, something, just have a plan. Some people just have to live by the bike and die by the bike and if that means no date night or showing up to date night a sweaty mess and then still having to deal with the bike after dinner, then that’s part of it. Or it means always planning ahead, which can take some of the spontaneity out of things and doesn’t solve the emergency situations. There’s always taxis/ubers/etc, but remember, legal or not, not all of them can or will deal with a bike. So have a plan before you need a plan.
7. Humans… They Are Everywhere!
People often wonder why I love riding in bad weather. One reason: Lack of humans. They all tend to go indoors leaving the roads & bridges all to myself! Mmmm….. all mine!
Okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme, but what I’m getting at is, oddly, humans can really make commuting by bike really unpleasant.
Ugh! Get out of my way, I’m trying to ride here!
First the obvious, our mortal enemies, the drivers. They can be dangerous. They can be mean & arrogant. They often feel like we are violating their space. I wrote a whole thing on surviving these humans. So let’s move on.
Pedestrians. In dense cities with lots of foot traffic like NYC, pedestrians pretty much (but not always) have the right of way and somehow are completely oblivious to bikes, bike paths, people on bikes, bike bells, bike horns, people yelling at them from a bike that’s about to collide into them, etc. And yes, I have collided with one, someone with headphones on, cutting through traffic when I had the right of way. Fortunately, everyone was okay. But pedestrians are everywhere! It’s like the city is infested with them!
Then there’s other bikes. We all share the same 3 feet of road. I ride bikes, you ride bikes, surely we must be friends? HA! Just because you share one common interest, doesn’t mean you’ll get along. Hell, even cyclists hate other cyclists simply based on the type of bike they ride! You got fixies vs. roadies. Everyone hating on Citibikers. Everyone thinking fatbike riders are the rednecks of cycling. And that classic rivalry between salmoning delivery guys and sundress wearing folks riding bikes decorated with flowers. It’s war out there people!
You see, some riders are fast, some are slow. Some weeble-wobble around. Some go the wrong way. Some just get in your way and some just won’t get out of your way. Some are reckless (I had two crashes last year, both with other bike riders being stupid). Everything I just mentioned comes in all bikes & riding levels, Freds on road bikes to peepaw on a Citibike to someone trying way too hard to brake on a fixie.
Sometimes by the time you get home or at work you feel more stressed than before you started riding! You feel like you just went to battle just to get home when all you wanted to do was enjoy the weather and ride your bike!
Ugh.
Solution: Chill out and enjoy your ride. Put anyone who annoys you behind you or just let them ride away, but let it go and just ride your ride. Some days you’ll ride and come across people that make you smile & love life, other days, you’ll hate every damn person within 10 feet of you, but that’s okay. Ride your ride, be confident, don’t be a dick, and enjoy!
We wait while medics help move someone who crashed on the bridge.
8. Crashes: The Bigger You Are…
Saved the worse for last. Crashes. Most likely, they will happen. Hopefully it will be something as simple as falling over at a red light, mostly just embarassing. But sometimes it will be worse and you’ll get hurt. Sometimes it will be someone else’s fault, or you’ll have a mechanical issue that causes something, and sometimes you’ll just fuck up and go boom. The more aggressive you ride and the worse the infrastructure for cycling, the more likely you are to crash.
I ride hard in NYC, so I’ve had a crash or two. Whether it was wiping out when I slipped on a wet manhole and black ice. Or that time mentioned earlier when a bike with no brakes came flying down the Williamsburg into Manhattan and veered into my bike lane. Or that one time I just got a little over-confident in the dark and hit a speedbump with too loose a grip on the handlebars. Down I went.
Some hurt, some I just had to shake off. I’ve been bruised, bled a bit here and there, or just been embarrassed by something stupid I did. It’s not a good time and getting back on the bike can be scary and nerve wracking for a few rides after that, but all and all, I’m fine.
Unfortunately, this is a part of cycling. It’s part of life really, you can get hurt doing anything, but with bikes it can be a little extra intimidating since we ride along side cars and are hoisted up a few feet in the air with some metal between our legs going 10, 15, 20, 30+mph, so it’s also a bit unique.
Solution: First things first… Follow the 5 Laws Of Bicycling Survival.
They have been immensely helpful over the years.
Next, the more aggressive you ride or the crappier your city is about bikes, the more likely it’s a good idea to wear a helmet. I don’t wear one when I Citibike or when I’m casually farting around the neighborhood, but when I commute I ride hard so I wear a helmet. I’ve smacked my helmeted head on the pavement, I’m glad the plastic took the hit and not me.
Third, if you crash and get hurt, number one, take care of yourself and then as soon as it’s healthy to, get back on that bike. The sooner you start riding, the sooner you can shake that mental anxiety from the crash out of you. You’ll be a little shaky at first, but soon you’ll be back to your normal self. Ride with confidence, not cockiness, be aggressively defensive, and mind the right of way.
Have I scared you away yet?
No? Awesome!
That was not the point of this article anyway. I don’t want you to read this, put your bike in cold storage, and swear off bike commuting forever. I just want you to bike commute smarter and be prepared. Learn from all the dumb things I’ve done and all the random frustrations I’ve had over the years.
Yes, commuting by bike is not always fun. Sometimes it actually really sucks. But hopefully after reading this, when it does suck, it won’t suck quite as bad as it could and the rest of the days will be filled with mile after awesome mile.
Be smart, be safe, have fun, and let’s ride!
Ren Willis
P.S. Did I miss any pain points? Let us know in the comments along with your solutions! | https://medium.com/@rentsuru/8-reasons-you-should-definitely-not-ride-your-bike-to-work-120ca800e18e | ['Ren Willis'] | 2021-07-10 00:40:06.107000+00:00 | ['Bike', 'Bicycle', 'Bikers', 'Commuting', 'Cycling'] |
Case study: Making music streaming more social | Like most college students, much of my life is accompanied by a soundtrack: whether that’s hanging out with friends, traveling, or even walking to class. With music playing 24/7, it’s easy to get tired of certain songs and playlists. That’s when the quest to find new music begins: while Spotify’s algorithm generates personalized playlists, I rarely add these songs to my playlist. Texting my friends, although requiring the most effort, always yields the best results — new music that I actually like.
Talking about music is more than simply a way to find new jams — it’s a continuous conversation point that makes me feel intimately connected with my friends even when we aren’t together, because of how personal songs can be. For Gen Z, who grew up using music streaming services, music is heartbeat of our lives — certain songs remind us of glimmering memories, and most importantly, the people who make those memories shine so bright.
STEP 1: Diagnosing the Problem
Music is a method of connection, and while apps like Spotify allow you to follow friends on the app, passively sorting through their playlists is our only way to interact with their account. When listening to music, people want to be able to connect with their close friends, so that they can find new music through them and interact with them digitally in a very personal manner. People currently can’t do that well because
They can’t see when their friends are listening to music on the app. It requires a lot of effort to access their friends’ accounts on the mobile app (they either have to look them up by name or press 5 buttons to navigate to their profile). They cannot communicate with their friends through the app (they have to leave the app which requires much more effort and can seem unnatural).
STEP 2: Researching the Problem
To pinpoint the exact issue users face when it comes to interacting with friends on Spotify, I interviewed several Spotify users — namely, Abigail Boatmun, Nicole Silberberg, Vanessa Rivera, and Neha Blair. I chose each user for their different use of and level of experience with the app to bring diverse perspectives to my research. After interviewing my users, I discovered the following:
Users love finding new music is through friends, but find it difficult to do so because it is an effortful and unnatural process. Users usually have to switch apps to text their friends, sometimes use Shazam, and then type in song names one by one. Users want music sharing to be more casual. Many users are self-conscious about sharing their favorite songs because music can be very personal. Currently, sharing music only feels natural to users when it comes up in person, which is usually not when users are looking for new music. We love talking music with our friends — most users indicated that they talk to someone about music at least once, daily.
Market Research
Currently, the primary way in which people suggest songs to their friends is by sharing the songs one by one, through text messages (either through buttons on Spotify or through the Spotify widget on iMessage). | https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/spotted-making-music-streaming-more-social-9323b9f21b81 | ['Lia Chandra'] | 2021-01-23 04:02:49.439000+00:00 | ['UX Design', 'Spotify', 'Case Study', 'Product Design', 'Digital Product Design'] |
My transformation from a Student to a Researcher! | Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash
I love the quote “ Make your life a masterpiece; imagine no limitations on what you can be, have or do”
During my school days, I was the school topper and all my beloved faculty cared for me a lot and that was my biggest motivation. When I was in high school, I got 3rd place at the school level with a very high score and secured district level marks in my native language exam, i.e., “Tamil”.
This delightful success in my career brought much more happiness to me and my family. Usually, it's quite natural for a person to feel happy and proud after seeing our photo in the newspaper. I cherished those moments and that happened in 2011.
After that, I was supposed to continue my higher school education in the same school and all my teachers had kept more belief in me that I would achieve state rank and bring fame to my institution. But all went upside down and that was the turning point in my career. I didn't score that much as expected by my teachers and I worried about it for months.
During my school days, I used to talk with my friends that after completing college have to settle myself in a renowned IT firm and have to look after my parents, likewise, I had more dreams. But as my results didn't meet the expected cut-off, I was supposed to join an Arts & Science College located near to my home.
At first, I don't even like to go to college as my short term goal is to study in an Engineering College. After some days, everything started to change and I adapted myself to the environment and I studied hard and I was the college topper of my department. I actively participate in all the events and activities and I started to build my career. Proudly I could say that I got placed in the top 5 IT firms.
Coming to my college life, though I got placed, my thirst for getting a degree from a renowned institution didn't fade away. I prepared myself with more courage and after clearing all my entrance exams I got into my next degree.
Yes! My dream came true and I got admitted to Kumaraguru College of Technology for pursuing my MCA degree, I would say that this is such a renowned Institution and I explored myself in a different way here. This is the platform which ignites Research idea in my mind and I diverted my path to the field of Research.
Now I’m here as a research scholar and intended to do my Doctoral degree, Ph.D. in Big Data Analytics and I have more interest to deal with data to figure out interesting trends and patterns. This stage made me do multiple tasks and it brings out a lot more hidden talents I have. Juz a few months ago, I came to know about medium and I started to write articles here..!
As of now, I’m happy and I’m the only girl who is doing Doctoral Research among all my batch mates from my school till my professional degree. I could say that this success was the medicine for all the wounds I faced till now. And I won’t stop myself from learning, I loved to keep myself as busy as possible.!
I should definitely tell this that my parents are the backbone who supported me, motivated me, encouraged me in all my hard times. They never let me feel about the struggles I experienced in my life. Such a loving mom and dad I have and my love for them will never vanish.
!!.Thank you all for patiently listening to my life story.!!
Before ending, I would like to share a few things with you people.,
Photo by You X Ventures on Unsplash
1.First thing, whatever may be the hurdle that restricts your growth, just you throw it away or you move away from it..!
2. Have a plan, keep a strategy, focus on your work till it gets done.
3. Plan a timeline for every work you undergo, Maintain a To-Do-List, and have a look at it every day which will boost your energy.
4. Always have in your mind, people will come to you only if you are in the position to say I made it.
5. Never keep negative thinkers by your side, they will gradually ruin your time and growth.
Finally, the most important thing which we can’t get back is “!TIME!”, once gone, it’s gone. So wisely utilize the present to lead a delightful life in the future.
I strongly believe the Quote :
“Action speaks more than words” — So don't speak until you make others to speak about your success…! | https://medium.com/dazzling-miracle/my-transformation-from-a-student-to-a-researcher-53c33d0ba865 | ['Haripriya Narasimman'] | 2020-12-22 04:19:08.482000+00:00 | ['Researcher', 'Student', 'Medium', 'Masterpiece', 'Transformation'] |
348 — Ferrari’s Unappreciated Masterpiece or a Red-Headed Stepchild? | For years the 348 has been thought of as a bit of a black sheep in the vintage Ferrari family, but does it deserve that reputation?
While it seems a bit unfair to call any Ferrari truly unloved, it’s well known and well reflected in market values that the 348 is a bit of a black sheep in the Ferrari family. Naysayers point to the relatively low 300 horsepower and five second zero to sixty time as well as the infamous engine out services. However, I’ve yet to meet someone who has actually driven a 348 and had bad things to say about them. Back when I was 18, the first Ferrari I ever drove was a neighbor’s 348ts, and since then I’ve made no secret of the fact that I genuinely and thoroughly enjoyed that experience. But over the years I did start to wonder if I didn’t have rose tinted glasses on at the time because it was my first time driving a Ferrari. To find out, and as a 25th birthday present to myself, I got myself a 1994 348 Spider for the day this past weekend.
Every journey begins with walking up to the car and getting inside, so we’ll talk briefly about styling and interior accoutrements before we get into the driving experience. The 348 isn’t the prettiest car Ferrari has ever produced, but there’s nothing bad about the design either. I personally prefer the look of the targa models (like the one I drove years ago) and coupes to the spider, just because the C & D pillars are quite nice, but the spider does look good with the roof down. Perhaps it was because the example I drove yesterday was yellow, or perhaps it was because it had a louder exhaust, but I was fully aware of how many people were looking at me, even when I went through Malibu where I saw around 10 other Ferraris within an hour, so points to the 348 for catching eyes like a supercar should. On the inside, one thankfully doesn’t find any sticky buttons as Ferrari hadn’t switched to those plastics yet but one does find an interior that does feel quite dated. There are power windows and power locks, and there is a tucked away radio that can be switched out for a more modern unit without looking glaringly out of place (as had been done in both cars I drove), but that’s about it. The leather seems to hold up well to age and the elements, but one does hear plenty of rattles going over bumps. The seats are also quite tight if you’re “big boned” like I am, and the pedals are quite close together, which takes some practice and getting used to for those with wide feet like mine.
The first part of my journey in the 348 was a few miles of LA freeways from the location I picked the car up at out to Santa Monica and Malibu. Before I could get on the freeway though, I had to wrestle the car out of the parking spot it was in, praying I had the strength to turn the steering wheel since the car has no power steering and praying I’d be able to get some feel of the extremely heavy clutch. When I did manage to get it out onto the freeway, the ride was rough and there was nothing to be done about the buffeting noises from the wind.
Those things don’t matter though. Neither do the quibbles about the cramped seat or pedal configuration. What does matter is the noise that came out of the back when I dropped it down a gear and put my foot into it as I went through the McClure Tunnel and emerged out onto Highway 1 in Santa Monica and the incredible scream it made as I ran it up through second and third through the Malibu Canyon Road tunnel. What does matter is the feeling of slotting the dog-legged gated shifter into gear and the satisfying click when you check you’re in neutral (come on — we all do the neutral wiggle just admit it). What does matter is the connection I felt to the road as I carved my way up Malibu Canyon Road, then later through my favorite switchbacks back near my home.
Might have let the cat out of the bag a bit soon there, but I digress. After I had made it off the freeway and onto the Pacific Coast Highway, I thought I was in heaven. At low speeds the 348 made just enough noise to remind me what I was driving, but not so much that I couldn’t enjoy some of my favorite driving songs. Add in a beautiful, clear day and the views of the ocean from PCH going through Malibu, and you truly feel like you’re living in a movie — that life couldn’t get much better. Then I made it to Malibu Canyon Road and realized that was all just the warm-up act — the real show was still to come. Given that I didn’t have the road to myself and that I was just custodian of the 348 for the day I didn’t take the car near its limits, but even being cautious, the 348 felt amazing through the canyon, like it was finally doing what it was built to do. The steering feel was extremely direct and communicative and at higher RPM the transmission felt buttery smooth.
After the drive through Malibu I still had quite a bit of time left with the 348 so I brought it home and took it out on some of my favorite local roads to cruise down, then up through my favorite switchbacks for testing out handling feel. In both places the 348 excelled as it had in Malibu, perhaps even more so without the excess traffic. The only negative I noticed through the entire afternoon was how often I found myself having to worry about the low nose on the car, though I suspect I was being extra paranoid since it wasn’t mine.
In case it wasn’t clear already, I absolutely fell in love with the 348 all over again during my time with it. Yes, it’s flawed as a car. Yes, the engine out service is an absolute nightmare (though I am told by several owners that aside from that maintenance isn’t too bad if the car is actually driven and given Italian tune-ups). No, it’s not as pretty as the Ferraris of the 1960s or as iconic as the Testarossa. No, it’s not as fast as a 360 you could get for the same money. But I can honestly say as a pure driving experience it is a serious contender for the top spot, up against when I had a Huracán Performante out on a track. Yes, it is that good. The term “go-kart” gets thrown around a lot when describing smaller, agile, cars but frankly I can’t say I’ve ever felt that term applies more than I do with the 348. In recent years I think others have slowly begun to agree with me as prices are slowly creeping up, though they’re still much cheaper than any other manual Ferrari. I genuinely think the only thing holding prices down is fear of the engine out service at this point, as 355s have also held lower and they suffer from the same service, and it does cost an arm and a leg. Even so, I’d be more than happy to drop a kidney as a down payment if anyone out there has a 348 for sale. | https://medium.com/@codyhalereviews/348-ferraris-unappreciated-masterpiece-or-a-red-headed-stepchild-1a8da2cedb2a | ['Cody Hale'] | 2021-04-01 16:47:32.226000+00:00 | ['Review', 'Ferrari', 'Cars'] |
Don’t believe everything they tell you | What were you told on the news today? From what you watched, what did you accept as the truth? Why do you believe it is true? How do you know it’s the truth?
One thing I find extremely frustrating about our society is that we don’t tend to question things. People who question things are branded mad-men, delusional, paranoid, sinners? We can’t question information presented to us about science breakthroughs, propaganda, the government, secret societies, research, people in power, religion, because it’s simply not done. Our society is content with being told what is the truth, what to do, and how to act. Essentially we are expected to be blind followers.
How can you blindly believe? Blind faith in anything seems illogical, I’m talking anything. Why? Because you’re refining your mind to one way of thinking. I’m not referring to religions or anything specific here, I’m talking about anything, reality as we know it.
Here’s an example, lets say you believe that there is only one way to cure a disease with a specific medication, because some information you read in a published article (peer reviewed, and verified) told you that you must take this medication? So you take that information as fact and you toss a holistic approach. What if the medication doesn’t work? What if everyone else doesn’t have ALL the answers? Why are we content on relying on what ‘modern medicine’ suggests.
To be content with information you are given is naive. Breakthroughs are made when concepts are questioned, down to their core. I don’t just mean, ‘how reliable is this research?’, I’m saying why do we believe everything we are told without question? What if alot of what we learn and are told, is just a selected, tailored fragment of the entire story? Or even completely fabricated? Perhaps it’s a means to control us.
We can entertain certain consipracy theories with nothing to support them, however some concepts out there do infact have evidentiary support, yet we are so brainwashed as a society we will still choose to ignore this! Still don’t buy what I’m saying? Wake up.
For example when it comes to the concept of capitalism, our economical society is being controlled by private companies, now we do not know the intentions of these companies or any ulterior motives. So why do we choose to dismiss the idea that our society is being controlled in a way to favour certain people in power or societies in power in ways we do not even know. Maybe even beyond a purely economical perspective, even if they also benefit financially. | https://medium.com/@som_thoughts/dont-believe-everything-they-tell-you-13f46845d119 | [] | 2020-03-19 11:33:54.105000+00:00 | ['Illuminati', 'Conspiracy Theories', 'Capitalism', 'Propaganda', 'Pandemic'] |
Lovely Little Lonely by The Maine Track by Track | Release Date: April 7, 2018
Overall Rate: 4.5/5
After eleven years as a band, the Arizona quintet called The Maine know how to balance themselves out. Vocalist John O’Callaghan, guitarists Jared Monaco and Kennedy Brock, bassist Garrett Nickelsen, and drummer Pat Kirch have it down to a science. Lovely Little Lonely is their most unified effort to date; a cohesive piece of music that must not be listened to on shuffle. Each track on the record fades into the next and it demands to be heard in the order the band established for it. Between some songs, you’ll get a break to catch your breath until the next track is up on deck.
The album opens with guitars; clean, polished, and simple. John’s voice enters next with the words “Here’s to now, and to nothing else”, a reassuring message for anyone who’s worried about anything at first listen. “Bad Behavior” hits hard. The drums are fast, the guitars melodic. The song is reminiscent of a wild night out, of one night stands that lead to complex regrets and smeared lipstick on the collar of your new white T-shirt. “Stay soft, but don’t be gentle,’’ John says. You’ll take the advice he doles out on this record to heart. At least I did.
“Lovely” is the interlude between two of the more fast paced songs on the record. It has no lyrics. It’s complex white noise and ambient, but it’s so vital to the experience of listening to the record. You’re then launched headfirst into fan-favorite “Black Butterflies and Deja Vu”. Images flood your brain when this song plays, and its purpose is clear. This is a love song, but it’s fine with admitting this as a fact. It won’t be bashful. It’s a love song and a damn good one. “Taxi” opens with acoustic guitars and dark lyrics. “Is the sadness everlasting?” The song is clearly about depression, but it hides it with imagery and reassurances. The melody is upbeat, with rhythmic drums keeping your heartbeat in time. John says you won’t be alone, once again serving as the therapist in your corner.
“Do You Remember? (The Other Half of 23)” serves as the modern “We All Roll Along” (a song placed on the band’s first full length, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop) on the band’s sixth studio album. Nostalgic of their youth and of when they were “golden”, the song is once again equally melancholic and upbeat. The drums fade out into “Little”. This song features drums, a melody, and a voice.. “I genuinely hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for. Even if you have to find it alone.”
The fade out motif rolls along with “The Sound of Reverie”, which opens with more acoustic guitars. “Let’s fall back in love with the world and who we are,’’ John sings on this one. The instruments compliment each other perfectly here. The choruses are louder, but the verses are soft. A walking bassline mixed with Kirch’s recognizable drums; “Lost in Nostalgia” is simple. A rhythmic bass part, a few lyrics, and constant drums. This other sort of interlude, but a less obvious one. The message is clear. “Focus on the present, but not yet the future. Forget the past. Live in the now.”
“I Only Wanna Talk to You” is another love song. It’s simple and heartfelt, a perfect mixture of hope and despair. It’s melodic and methodical, everything a good song by The Maine is. The band is consistent, delivering song after song that compliment each other. “Lonely” is the final interlude. The “lovely little loneliness would hold me down under the sound of being found”. The sentiment is elemental. The darkness isn’t forever. Light will come to you eventually, when the timing is right.
“How Do You Feel?” is the closing track. It’s analytical. It will have you soul searching and trying to put the pieces of your life back together in the middle of the pit. But it’s dance worthy. It has a faster tempo then a song that you’d expect with it’s lyrics.
Find yourself and lose yourself to this record. Fall in love with it and maybe even out of love for it. Drive to it. Run away with someone to it. Fall in love with yourself. This album will change you. This record is methodical and crafted with care. Treat it as so. | https://medium.com/@jordanthebassist666/lovely-little-lonely-by-the-maine-track-by-track-2a2fc95b1fc7 | [] | 2020-12-18 20:12:02.662000+00:00 | ['Track By Track', '8123', 'Album Review', 'The Maine', 'Music Breakdown'] |
Natalie Golberg on Taming Monkey Mind | Natalie Golberg on Taming Monkey Mind
Learning to quiet the inner critic by giving it its say
Photo by Jamie Haughton on Unsplash
I am taking a writing course from Natalie Goldberg. As the course has heated up, she began to notice that a lot of our questions were about our doubts and fears about our writing. She gave this some thought and when we were together again, she said she realized what was happening was we were writing more and the “monkey mind” was getting busier and busier.
The part of our mind that keeps us uptight and rigid with fear and doubt is what Natalie calls “the monkey mind.” I think of this part of our brains as the most ancient part — the part that evolved to keep us safe from man-eating jaguars and giant condors that could just pick us up and carry us off. This part of our brain has not kept up with the changes in the landscape of our lives.
Our minds grasp onto worries and fears, keeping us small and limiting our ability to create and put ourselves out into the world. Our minds need to be open and relaxed to create. When monkey mind is in residence, we can feel paralyzed, unable to create anything.
Natalie says that as you keep working, writing more and more, monkey mind gets louder. It gets louder because it’s scared. It’s afraid you are going to take off, expose yourself, do what you want to do, be out in the world, be who you are. “Monkey mind’s job is to keep you safe and small.”
We assimilate a lot of voices that tell us how to stay small —voices from parents, teachers, bosses, friends, partners and society at large. “So we try to keep ourselves safe, but it’s not fun,” Natalie says.
When monkey mind seems to get louder and louder it’s a sign you are working, going deeper. You’re onto something and as it gets louder, that’s your signal to keep going.
Everybody has that voice in their head — whether you call it monkey mind, the censor, the inner critic — what have you, it’s there and we recognize it when it starts in on us.
Natalie says if it gets too painful, just give monkey mind its five minutes. Pick up your pen, say “OK monkey mind, say whatever you want. Go.” And then write for five minutes whatever your mind is telling you in its attempt to keep you small. “Let it rip,” she says. “If you’re like me, it doesn’t have that much to say.” She went on to say her monkey mind says “You’ll never amount to anything, anyway.” This is pretty funny since she is one of the most accomplished authors and writing instructors alive today. She says “Monkey mind doesn’t even stay current!”
I have taken Natalie’s advice a few times and let my monkey mind just regurgitate all its nasty bile on the page. Here are a few of the things my monkey mind says to me as I’m trying to write. Or in this case, it woke me at 4 AM and started in on me.
“You’re pathetic. No one wants to read your stories anyway. And what’s with baring your soul? Are you sure that’s smart? It makes you look pathetic, that’s what. Your writing is ok but nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe you should just give this writing thing up. You’re spending an awful lot of time on it. You should be doing other things. If you write a book only about 100 people will read it so you might as well sort your photos instead.” And on and on.
Another time when I did this exercise, monkey mind was all wound up about having to do a book tour if I write a book. “You are an introvert! You will hate it! How exhausting! And what if no one shows up for your readings? How humiliating! I think it’s a bad idea to write a book.”
This makes me laugh because while a lot of this is true, I would say my monkey mind is putting the cart before the horse. I have to write the book first, then we will cross all those bridges.
And so it goes. Monkey mind wants us to stay safe and small. And monkey mind has such a mean voice. Like Natalie said, cowing down to it and keeping ourselves safe and small is not fun. Let your monkey mind have its say and then say “Thank you for your input. I am going to write now.” And then write, write, write. Don’t let monkey mind win. Stand up to it and say I hear you, but I am going to write.
You don’t have to write something amazing. Just write. Natalie says “I’m free to write the worst junk in the world.” Don’t let monkey mind sit over your shoulder and tell you what you are writing stinks. Just keep writing.
That voice inside us, in the form of our monkey mind, can paralyze us. If we get used to it being there and learn its tricks, however, we can overcome its nastiness and just get on with it. Monkey mind will never leave, even though it will quiet down a little as we develop some muscle and learn to ignore it.
With practice, we can learn to see it for what it is — the part of us that wants us to stay safe and small. But we get to decide if we want to stay safe and small. And if we don’t, we are just going to have to get used to that voice. It can’t stop you if you don’t let it.
Natalie says “ If you are not afraid of the voices inside you, you will not fear the critics outside you.”
Then, when you put your work out there in the world, you will have developed a tough skin and you will be better able to withstand the critics outside you. I know for me, no one could be nastier than my own inner voice that tells me I suck.
When Natalie is teaching writing practice, she gives you a topic and then says “10 minutes. Go.” Don’t let monkey mind stop you. The world needs your voice, no matter what that inner critic says. GO. | https://medium.com/wise-woman-within/natalie-golberg-on-taming-monkey-mind-ac5f3ebdea4f | ['Beth Bruno'] | 2019-06-25 01:25:36.229000+00:00 | ['Writers On Writing', 'Writing', 'Writer', 'Writers Block', 'Writing Tips'] |
IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN | With that being said, let me offer you some advice. I do not speak from the standpoint of an expert. I speak from a product of self execution. I usually begin things the day or two after I think of them. I usually do not wait until an arbitrary date. I think that when you have a good idea that you need to begin. If you wait and plan then you run the risk of paralysis by analysis. I have suffered there too. I woke up one morning and decided to quit drinking, if I had waited till the afternoon to make that decision I would have failed. I had to make that decision on the spot and decide right then and there that it was what I was going to do. Becuase of that decision I ended up losing 100# over the next five years. The moral of that short story is that one good behavior can start slow and turn itself in to two good behaviors.
So when you are thinking about your 2021 goals and figuring out all the things you need to do to get ready, try to think of only one small thing.
For an example: I would like to lose some of the weight that I put back on this year. I do not fault the coronavirus or the stresses of the year. I blame me, I am the one at fault for my shortcomings. However I want to lose about 30lbs. I won’t think of that 30lbs ever again. I know that tomorrow I have to exercise, as long as I exercise than I did what I needed to do to become a little better. The next day I will exercise again, and as I make these small steps I will become more aware of the other things that improve weight loss. Diet. Diet is a huge portion of the weight loss living and we all know that we need to eat better. Well if I exercise for a week straight, in my subconcious I know better than to stuff my face full of unhealthy foods. I just worked hard for a week straight so why would I throw all that hard work out the window. | https://medium.com/@industriousguy/it-is-that-time-of-year-again-1dae302a9dc1 | ['Tyler Zimmerman'] | 2020-12-21 03:59:46.814000+00:00 | ['Resolutions', 'New Year', 'Weight Loss', 'Goals'] |
Your Season! | The Creator and Universe gives everyone their own sessions in their lifetime and that’s a definite thing. Even Universe also give session (highlights) for things in the world too such as for technologies, plants and other things. For example, right now “Corona Virus” is on the highlight and so does those herbs and plants that believe can prevent the virus from entering our body.
“ There are that define moment, highlights in everyone, every living and non-living things in this lifetime. “ — Mz.Gie
Every living and non-living things have their highest seasons in their life according how influential their existence and purposes are in his universe. Some of us are so blessed to stay in the spotlights for longer period; given so many times or perhaps passed it through the generations. And there are also people who only get one-time-spotlight but lasted for several years. But whichever part we’re, everyone and every living and non-living have our most defining moments, given to and for us by the Creator and Universe, and those moments are not just happened once, but several or often times.
However, my dear ones, we shall not just praising and be thankful only for those moments when we’re in the spotlight although for sure, those “precise moments” are more precious and worth-sharing than any other moments. We shall not forgotten that those defining moment of ours are reached because The Creator & Universe permits it to shower our life. We must remember that every single moments that we had gone thorough are priceless and we shall be thankful for those rather than forgetting it as if it never existed.
We must open our eyes to see thee good in others or situations, open our mind to take opportunities and to make strategies and open our heart for us to be able to live with all the magics that life able to offer for us.
We won’t know precisely when will be our season and how long it would last but that beautiful seasons are definite and destined to happen to all of us — we’ll be rising, shining and glowing at our golden moments. However, while we’re waiting for our golden moments, we also need to prepare ourself mentally and consciously. And while we’re preparing ourself for that shiny golden moments, we need to also be aware and fully understand about our future contributions for the Universe.
What can your fame, generosity, authority and any others ability can do to help Universe? What are our achievements and goals when we are in “that moment”? Are you going to fight for injustice? Are you going to be an environmentalist, fundraiser, open an orphanage, build school, and such on? What kind of change-maker you would become and which area of life would you like to contribute? And After that, what are your plans in order to maintain your golden moments and keeping yourself shining most of time while doing life purposes?
Golden moments are rare opportunities and we shall not lost ourself nor rejecting ourself when those moments are in our side. For certain moments, you’ll be overwhelmed with the spotlights and moments, but do not dwell into it too much and become bigheaded. Remember back to those oaths you said or wishes you conveyed on what your purposes are.
Dear you, remember that today and Yesterday may not be “your seasons”, but worry not because GOD said in “ Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” And when you ask wholeheartedly with pure intentions and no expectations and 100% with faith, then the Creator and Universe will eventually agrees and aligned you and your life purposes and make every single day as your “ golden seasons”. ☺️❤️🙏🏻 | https://medium.com/@mzgie/your-season-64068195646a | ['Ms. Grace'] | 2020-03-11 15:22:02.180000+00:00 | ['Living With Purpose', 'Consciousness', 'Love', 'Universe', 'Writers Life'] |
KELVPN: where to find log files (Linux, Win, macOS) | All of the beta-testers should read this instruction.
In case or any application failures or bugs beta tester should send his log files to the beta-tester Telegram group.
A bug report message should contain a screenshot, your log files and a text description of your problem. Example of a beta-tester bug report:
Windows 10 Enterprise
File name: KelvinVPNGui.log
File name: KelvinVPNService.log
File path: C:/Users/username/KelvinVPN
You can access the folder with Windows File Explorer (press win+E).
Linux (Debian Buster)
File name: KelvinVPNGui.log
File name: KelvinVPNService.log
File path: /opt/kelvinvpn/log
You can access the folder with standard application — Files: click Activities in the left corner of the screen, and click Files:
Click Home, and go to opt folder => kelvinvpn => log:
Also, you can access this catalog with Terminal:
MacOS Catalina 10.15.3
File name: KelvinVPNGui.log
File name: KelvinVPNService.log
File path: /tmp (hidden folder)
It is assumed that you have root rights. How to access the folder:
Open new Finder window (cmd + N) Click Go in the menu Click Go to Folder OR you can press shift + cmd + g
5. Type /tmp and press Enter
There you have it — folder with KELVPN logs inside:
Also, you can access the folder with Terminal:
cd/opt/kelvinvpn/log | https://medium.com/cellframe/kelvpn-where-to-find-log-files-linux-win-macos-c40f146b0fc4 | ['Cellframe Platform'] | 2020-03-18 08:54:40.811000+00:00 | ['Crypto', 'Beta Testing', 'Blockchain', 'Beta', 'VPN'] |
以 MySQL 為例的資料庫優化 | “I’m quite illiterate, but I read a lot. “ — J.D.Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Follow | https://medium.com/erens-tech-book/%E8%B3%87%E6%96%99%E5%BA%AB%E5%84%AA%E5%8C%96-1d7e1b307bd1 | ['Yueh-Lun Huang', 'Eren'] | 2019-10-16 14:38:46.884000+00:00 | ['Database', 'MySQL'] |
Game of Thrones episode review — 7.1 — Dragonstone | Original air date: July 16, 2017
Director: Jeremy Podeswa
Writers: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Rating: 7/10
After a lengthy “Previously on” segment that definitely imagines that Sandor is a lot more importan than the show proper has shown, we cut to Walder Frey hosting another feast, and we can assume pretty quickly that it’s Arya using his face. She poisons them with wine.
It’s a fun, if somewhat silly pre-credits scene.
Arya then stumbles upon Ed Sheeran in a scene that I understand is hated by fans because of Ed Sheeran.
I actually liked the scene quite a bit. It’s the first time since probably the first season that we get to see Arya more or less being her carefree self, and it emphasizes the change that we’ve seen her go through. We can still imagine her as a relatively innocent and young girl.
Bran and Meera end up at Castle Black, and are let in when Bran reveals that he can read people’s minds.
Up at Winterfell, Jon shows mercy towards the families that fought for the Boltons, which angers Sansa. Sansa insists that he has to be a lot smarter than Robb or Ned were. And while this is happening, Petyr Baelish continues to hit on her, which is just creepy.
Littlefinger used to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the show. Every scene he was in was so cleverly written, and seemed like it had so many layers. Now he’s just a creep, and I’m expecting him to die fairly soon now, as it seems his role in the show is over.
With few allies, Queen Cersei welcomes Euron to the capital.
Euron is downright hostile towards Jaime, though Cersei recognizes that he’s not trustworthy. Euron promises to return with a gift.
Sandor and the Brotherhood without Banners arrive at a house that the Hound had previously robbed. Sandor expresses his skepticism towards religion yet again, but they have him look into a fire, and he reportedly sees the army of the dead move through a castle near the Wall.
Finally, Daenerys and her men make landfall at Westeros, Dragonstone, the castle of the Targaryens, which apparently has been left empty for decades.
Dragonstone is also where dragon glass used to be mined, according to an old book that Sam steals from the restricted section of the Citadel’s library, so he hopes to tell Jon.
A lot is going on here. The writing definitely isn’t as sharp as it is in the early seasons, but for a season premiere — which tend to be very slow in this series — it’s pretty interesting. | https://medium.com/as-vast-as-space-and-as-timeless-as-infinity/game-of-thrones-episode-review-7-1-dragonstone-fb05cfc2f348 | ['Patrick J Mullen'] | 2020-05-20 12:21:01.067000+00:00 | ['Drama', '2010s', 'TV', 'Fantasy', 'Game of Thrones'] |
Is the Future of Cyber Security in the Hands of Artificial Intelligence (AI)? — 1 | Is the Future of Cyber Security in the Hands of Artificial Intelligence (AI)? — 1
It is a fact that machine-learning has taken great steps in recent years, from autonomous tools to virtual assistants, from chatbots to face/object recognition. What about cybersecurity? Ensar Seker Jun 10, 2020·6 min read
Chinese philosophy yin and yang represent how the seemingly opposite poles can complement each other and achieve harmony.
In cybersecurity, this ancient philosophy perfectly represents the relationship between supervised and unsupervised machine learning. For example, monitored machine learning processes can be used for detection, while unsupervised machine learning uses clustering. In the case of cybersecurity and data security research and development, monitored machine learning is often implemented in the form of machine learning algorithms.
It is not easy to describe Artificial Intelligence (AI). It has no clear definition. Most of the existing definitions try to express AI as a computer process that mimics human intelligence and behavior and acts intelligently. But this situation brings more questions such as what is intelligence? Do people always act smart and logical? Is the desired achievement for AI, human intelligence? Or can a computer perform better than a human? The definition of approaches that base AI on rational behavior refers to a computer doing things that are difficult to do. In this article, however, a pragmatic approach is adopted to simplify the issue and AI is defined as a scientific area responsible for producing computer-based solutions to the complex problems that human beings have difficulty in finding solutions.
AI Technology Landscape
The use of AI in cybersecurity is relatively new. While some cybersecurity experts argue that the answer to cybersecurity is machine learning to detect sophisticated breaches and that cybersecurity will only continue to succeed if the IT environment is secured by the help of AI-based solutions. Others argue that while machine learning is very good at finding similarities, it is not good enough at detecting anomalies and is therefore not suited to cybersecurity.
Beyond these discussions, it is a fact that machine-learning has taken great steps in recent years, from autonomous tools to virtual assistants, from chatbots to face/object recognition. As we move towards a future where cybersecurity is much more integrated into our daily life, it is important to be aware of different approaches based on machine and deep learning in order to better defend the network and data security against increasingly complex and advanced attacks.
As you already may know, there are four types of machine learning algorithms to train a machine neural network: Supervised Learning, Unsupervised Learning, Semi-supervised Learning (also known as active learning), Reinforcement Learning. Supervised learning is about learning from a training data set, while unsupervised machines learn from the data itself that is limited in its ability to detect threats, as it only looks for details it has seen and flagged before, while unsupervised learning constantly scans the network and finds anomalies. Unsupervised learning, however, does not require labeled training data and is better suited to detecting suspicious activity, including detecting attacks that have never been observed before.
Supervised learning is about learning from a training dataset. Supervised machines learn from the data itself, which is limited only by its ability to detect threats when searching for details that it has previously seen and marked. For unattended learning, tagged training data is not required and is more suitable for detecting suspicious activity, including detecting attacks that have never been observed before. Unsupervised learning constantly scans the network and finds anomalies.
Machine Learning Algorithms
Machine learning is already used to reduce the load that attack detection and prevention tools can handle as part of cybersecurity systems. AI algorithms similar to real human decision mechanisms try to model a decision mechanism.
There have been a number of attempts to override unattended machine learning security solutions, resulting in a host of untested solutions to a variety of security problems. Many of these early attempts had difficulty generating enough data to effectively detect complex breaches such as identity fraud and advanced cyberattacks.
By contrast, unsupervised machine learning is about finding and describing the hidden structures in the data. This problem is related to the problem of defining distance functions, since most, if not all, cluster algorithms are based on numerical and non-categorical data, and therefore we hear as much about cluster algorithms as we do about classification.
In the context of cybersecurity, AI tries to defend the system by weighing behavior patterns that indicate a threat to the systems. From this point of view, machine learning is the process of learning patterns that lead to malicious behavior.
AI solutions are generally analyst-oriented and unsupervised machine learning-focused in information security. Using unsupervised machine learning to detect rare or abnormal patterns can increase the detection of new attacks. However, it can also trigger more false positives and warnings. This requires a significant amount of analysis effort to investigate the accuracy of these false positives. Such false alarms can cause alarm fatigue and insecurity and, over time, lead to its return to analytical-focused solutions and the resulting weaknesses. Three major challenges facing the information security industry, each of which can be addressed by machine learning solutions, have been identified as follows [2]:
Missing or Lack of Tagged Data: Many organizations lack the ability to use tagged examples and supervised learning models of previous attacks.
Continuously Evolving Attacks: Even though controlled learning models are possible, attackers can change their behavior and override them.
Limited Time and Budget for Research or Investigation: Applying to analysts to investigate attacks is costly and time-consuming.
As the industry is still experimenting with the technology as a proof-of-concept, however, the idea of trust is ideal where the security solution is machine learning. It can help to improve the fight against cybercrime, and while AI can boost human efforts by automating the pattern-recognition process. Machine learning systems report useful data based on categories, while analysts talk openly about how machine learning can be a black box solution for security, where CISOs are not quite sure what is under the hood.
Today, AI is not ready to replace humans, but by automating the pattern-recognition process, it can enhance human efforts. There is a truth here that cannot be denied because machine learning has very different uses in cyber defense.
Considering all usage areas, it is possible to evaluate the use of AI in cyberspace in two categories; the use of artificial intelligence for cyber defense and the use of artificial intelligence for the cyber offense.
In part II, we will talk about the use of artificial intelligence for cyber defense…
Sources
[1] K.R. Chowdhary, “Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence,” Springer India, 2020.
[2] K. Veeramachaneni, I. Arnaldo, A. Cuesta-Infante, V. Korrapati, C. Bassias, K. Li, “AI2: Training a Big Data Machine to Defend”, IEEE International Conference on Big Data Security in New York City, 2016. | https://towardsdatascience.com/is-the-future-of-cyber-security-in-the-hands-of-artificial-intelligence-ai-1-2b4bd8384329 | ['Ensar Seker'] | 2020-09-15 06:09:05.614000+00:00 | ['Cybersecurity', 'Towards Data Science', 'Supervised Learning', 'Machine Learning', 'Unsupervised Learning'] |
🔥 Development update: new Ubcoin release to be made next week! | 💎 After introducing ability to buy and sell digital items and presenting ETH as an alternative means of payment, Ubcoin is preparing next major app feature. We are removing Telegram from processes of buying and selling in the app.
Buyer will be able to choose whether he wants delivery of item or personal meeting with seller.
Seller can define delivery price to the buyer address.
❤️ No Telegram bot in the process — seamless user experience and higher satisfaction.
New release is planned for the beginning of the next week (February 11–17).
🔥 Download Android App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ubcoin
💥 Download Ubcoin Market iOS app: https://itunes.apple.com/ru/app/ubcoin-market-cryptocurrency/id1410295111?mt=8 | https://medium.com/ubcoin-blog/development-update-new-ubcoin-release-to-be-made-next-week-c1da96dda1f0 | ['Ubcoin. Cryptocurrency Reimagined'] | 2019-02-06 17:14:41.273000+00:00 | ['Ubcoin Product', 'Android'] |
Local Climate Action: Preserving City Greenery in Colombo | Anna Singankutti, Guest Columnist*
Ancient trees are being cut down in cities like Kandy and Colombo. Just last month in Colombo, a decades old Banyan fig tree, was cut down in front of the Asiri surgical hospital. The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) issued a permit for the Urban Development Authority (UDA) to cut down the tree. The UDA’s project consists of making a 4-lane road towards Nawala Road in order to decrease traffic on the Kirimandala Mawatha. The tree, according to the UDA, was taking up too much space and did not meet the street lining requirement for the project . To balance the felling of the tree, the CMC will be planting 15 sapling trees. The story of the Banyan tree being cut down by the UDA is another instance where development projects are being prioritized over preserving nature.
Deep rooted trees. Picture courtesy of Patricia Mamelka.
Benefits of greening: Many trees together in one area form a forest; unfortunately, due to urbanization, the cities we occupy now, only have the remnants of forests that used to sprawl across the area. When we look closely though, greenery always tries to make its way back through the cracks and crevices. Colombo, Galle and Kandy still have pockets of greenery.
There are city parks and plants that sprawl the sides of buildings and bridges, as well as the trees that have been allowed to stay in their native home that now straddle busy roadsides.
However, the overcrowded, fast developing city scape is not a nice home for greenery. Trees and plants continue to be destroyed to make space for our human habitations. We forget the ecological services that trees and deep-rooted plants offer: they prevent soil erosion, regulate the water table, store carbon and act as a wildlife habitat. Without city greenery, we have increased the effects of floods and droughts, loss of ground water quality, a poorer air quality and less biodiversity .
Urban heat island effect: One of the grave effects of losing city greenery is increased temperatures in the city. There is a specific term for this phenomenon called the “urban heat island effect” (UHI). Pulse.lk covers this topic excellently, explaining that the UHI is defined as the difference between city temperature with the temperature of surrounding rural areas due to human activity.
We all can feel the stark difference between walking on a paved road in the city on a hot day and feeling the unbearable heat radiating upwards at our face and not just down from the sun. Whilst, in rural areas, a hot day is a bit more bearable due to the higher tree coverage which provides well needed shade. The difference between the city and suburb temperature is found to be up to 5.5 degrees celsius! The drainage systems in cities trap water under asphalt roads, it sits in sewers and cannot evaporate easily. Whereas in rural areas, water drains easily through the topsoil and is transpirated by vegetation. The higher evapotranspiration processes of the suburbs allow the cooling effect.
The UHI effects are exacerbated even more by using air conditioning and driving cars. For instance, people stay inside and turn on their ventilators or take a taxi instead of walking when it’s too warm, but this generates more heat in the environment.
W hy should we care about the Urban Heat Island Effect?
It increases the effects of climate change: energy consumption goes up during hot days resulting in increased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The Federation of Environmental Organizations (FOE) says that the “correct placement of trees around buildings can reduce the need for air conditioning by 30% thus reducing the consumption of electricity”.
It has impacts on human health: as UHI’s temperatures are higher during the daytime, there is less night time cooling and more air pollution. This is the perfect recipe for increased heat-related deaths and illnesses! People with respiratory difficulties and those prone to heat cramps, exhaustion and heat strokes are more at risk. This often includes the elderly and very young children and those with existing medical conditions.
It is destroying existing urban greenery: extreme temperatures damage some tree species. The higher ambient temperatures and the low soil moisture result in the scorching of foliage and the bark of trees. Saplings are very vulnerable and even established trees can die due to this phenomenon. This is unfortunately already happening along congested roads in all the major urban areas.
City greening: The combination of ancient trees being chopped down in urban areas as well as the threat of UHI effects means that locals have to take action to make their cities green or at least preserve the green that is left. As smaller towns develop into larger towns and then into cities, the UHI effects will only increase. It is vital that we all have a mission: increasing the overall vegetation within city boundaries .
This can be as simple as starting your own initiative to buy tree saplings and planting them along roads and sidewalks, car parks etc. It is essential though to collaborate with someone who has knowledge on local tree species and to choose saplings with a higher heat resistance. You can get involved with other environmental and activist groups and find ways to cooperate with your city districts and learn about funding for projects and volunteering. Sign petitions to save crucial Banyan and Bodhi trees. There is a program launched by the Federation of Environmental Organizations Sri Lanka (FOE) for greening the city of Colombo, to create a healthy and viable environment for everyone to live in.
Lastly, city planning in Sri Lanka should seek to incorporate more green spaces, such as parks, canopy covered roads and forest pockets. Don’t forget that as an individual you can always make the decision to use more energy efficient appliances inside your home. When planting saplings, it is also important to remember it takes up to 20 years for it to grow to a size where it helps to mitigate climate change, therefore, the maintenance of trees and community awareness is also vital. Hence, let’s make this massive goal a reality, by smaller, yet practical steps such as involving our friends and neighbours in the discussion and taking them along in this eco-friendly journey.
Sources:
http://www.themorning.lk/greening-the-city-of-colombo/?fbclid=IwAR3rApxqxnX_b_pndisMeCePNnLbWCMZQRK_3uJQ9Up6750O8UontTzeMX4
https://www.facebook.com/feosrilanka/photos/a.607788709244105/3631304146892531/
TESKEY, R., WERTIN, T., BAUWERAERTS, I., AMEYE, M., MCGUIRE, M.A. and STEPPE, K. (2015), Tree response to extreme heat. Plant Cell Environ, 38: 1699–1712. https://doi-org.proxy.library.uu.nl/10.1111/pce.12417
Heaviside, C., Macintyre, H. & Vardoulakis, S. The Urban Heat Island: Implications for Health in a Changing Environment. Curr Envir Health Rpt 4, 296–305 (2017). https://doi-org.proxy.library.uu.nl/10.1007/s40572-017-0150-3
Wang, Y., Li, Y., Sabatino, S. Di, Martilli, A., & Chan, P. W. (2018). Effects of anthropogenic heat due to air-conditioning systems on an extreme high temperature event in Hong Kong. Environmental Research Letters, 13(3), 34015. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aaa848 | https://medium.com/@justmynature-lk/local-climate-action-preserving-city-greenery-in-colombo-1bd2a995cbe5 | ['Just My Nature'] | 2020-12-17 05:20:16.996000+00:00 | ['City Planning', 'Colombo', 'Sri Lanka', 'Urban Planning', 'Climate Change'] |
Spit Or Swallow | She asked if she should stay with her narcissistic boyfriend. I asked if she spits or swallows?
This was actually a timely conversation given the times. We live in a time where it seems people have lost the ability to think for themselves. And that’s scary. When someone is feeding you bullshit, do you spit it out, or do you swallow it? So many people drink the Kool-Aide without asking questions. Up your IQ. Ask the questions. Do your research.
We’ve got media, social media, religions, politics and the list goes on and on, telling us what to believe. Here’s a novel thought, believe in yourself.
Do you believe in God? Great! Now ask yourself why? Don’t believe in COVID? Awesome! Did you do your research? Have you been a part of the same political party your entire life? Maybe it’s time to start asking some questions.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But what they’re not entitled to, is pushing their bullshit onto you. Yes, I am all for having a conversation. But we somehow seem to have lost the ability to hold space for a sacred ceremony. Sacred ceremony? The act of honoring the expression of thoughts and ideas without a hidden agenda of trying to convert, belittle or betray. There is no honor in that. And that is because you swallowed.
As for the woman with the narcissistic boyfriend, she left. She could no longer swallow the lies that were damaging her self esteem. Better to walk away clean, she said, then to lose myself in the lies.
You want to be free? Think for yourself. Test your own belief system. Because in a world that is brow beating you with information, you better learn to spit before you drown. | https://medium.com/@vancelarson/spit-or-swallow-1271027fb350 | ['Vance Larson'] | 2020-12-16 01:31:40.584000+00:00 | ['God', 'Politics', 'Truth', 'Communication', 'Covid 19'] |
House Price Prediction Machine Learning Model. | Thousands of houses are sold every day. There are some questions every buyer asks himself like: What is the actual price that this house deserves? Am I paying a fair price? In this project, a machine learning model is proposed to predict a house price based on data related to the house (its size, the year it was built in, etc.). During the development and evaluation of the model, I have demonstrated the code used for each step followed by its output.
Note:-Here I’m using Jupyter Notebook. You can even use Google Colab or any other ID. I tried to add comments in all the cells so that you can understand them easily. If you still have any doubt you can reach me through the links given at the end of this blog.
I have divided the blog into Simple steps. In order to make you all more clear.
Import the necessary libraries and loading data.
Data is rightly skewed hence Transforming it
VISUALIZING NULL VALUES
FEATURE ENGINEERING
filling missing values
LOADING LIBRARIES
Modeling:
1. Gradient Boosting: Gradient boosting is a machine learning technique for regression and classification problems, which produces a prediction model in the form of an ensemble of weak prediction models, typically decision trees. It builds the model in a stage-wise fashion like other boosting methods do, and it generalizes them by allowing optimization of an arbitrary differentiable loss function.
2. XGBoost: XGBoost is an optimized distributed gradient boosting library designed to be highly efficient, flexible and portable. It implements machine learning algorithms under the Gradient Boosting framework.
3. LASSO: Lasso regression is a type of linear regression that uses shrinkage. Shrinkage is where data values are shrunk towards a central point, like the mean. The lasso procedure encourages simple, sparse models. This particular type of regression is well suited for models showing high levels of multicollinearity or when you want to automate certain parts of model selection, like variable selection/parameter elimination.
4. RIDGE: Ridge Regularization is a technique that helps overcoming over-fitting problem in machine learning models. It is called Regularization as it helps keeping the parameters regular or normal.
The score of the model is 0.12503
Conclusion/ Results
As a result, we can say, XGBOOST is the best fit to this dataset, gives 0.107 accuracy. Gradient, lasso, ridge Models are working very well on this Dataset. Ensembled all the models together for better results.
Future Scope
In future, the models can be upgraded with some better techniques in terms of getting higher and better accuracy. | https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/house-price-prediction-machine-learning-model-41cb1cf98914 | ['Syed Nauman'] | 2020-12-17 15:09:01.001000+00:00 | ['Kaggle', 'Machine Learning', 'House Price Prediction', 'Board Infinity', 'Médium'] |
Heterogeneous Database Replication to TiDB | Heterogeneous Database Replication to TiDB
Author: Tianshuang Qin (Principal Solutions Architect at PingCAP)
This article is based on a talk given by Tianshuang Qin at TiDB DevCon 2020.
When we convert from a standalone system to a distributed one, one of the challenges is migrating the database. We’re faced with questions such as:
Should I migrate full or incremental data?
Should I perform an online or offline migration?
Should I use a ready-made data replication tool or develop a new one?
When it comes to data migration, users are often faced with many options. At PingCAP, we’ve probably tried most of them. Over the years, we’ve migrated many heterogeneous databases between different database platforms and application scenarios. Today, I’ll save you some time by sharing with you the approaches that worked best.
A typical database migration process
1. Application adaptation development
Almost all early TiDB users have gone through this step. In version 3.0 or earlier, TiDB supports optimistic concurrency control and Repeatable Read (RR) isolation level, and its transaction size is limited to about 100 MB. Given these features and capacity, users need to put a lot of effort into adapting their applications. In contrast, TiDB 4.0 supports pessimistic concurrency control, Read Committed (RC) isolation, and large transactions with a maximum size of 10 GB. Users can adapt their applications to TiDB at a much lower cost.
2. Application verification testing
There are two ways to perform application verification testing. You can combine the two methods to effectively verify your application.
Application verification
The first method is to test your application with production data. To do this, you must first use database replication technology to replicate the data from the production database to TiDB. Then, you use a testing application to perform a stress test. To stress TiDB and ensure that it will be stable in your production environment, apply a workload 10 to 20 times higher than your real production traffic. One of the advantages of replicating data from the production database to TiDB is that you avoid wide variations between test data and production data, which may cause many problems. For example, an SQL query, which has been tuned in the testing environment to achieve its highest performance, may become a slow SQL query in the production environment if the data is not replicated to TiDB for testing.
The second way to verify your application is to test it with production traffic. In this case, you must adopt a service bus similar to the enterprise service bus (ESB) for banks or message queuing technology. For example, you can use the Kafka message queuing mechanism to implement the multi-path replication of production traffic. Whether an application can successfully run in the production environment depends on the main path of the existing production database. There is also a bypass for the application. We can load an application that has been adapted to TiDB on the bypass and connect the application to TiDB for application verification.
3. Migration testing
Migration testing mainly involves verifying operations completed during the maintenance window. For example, you must follow the migration activity specified in the migration manual in advance to verify that the manual is correct and to determine whether the migration maintenance window is long enough to perform the migration. You also need to perform rollback testing, because if your deployment to production fails, you may need to roll back to the previous database.
4. Data migration and production database switch
Your applications may run 24/7 or you may only have a short maintenance window to switch over databases, so you must migrate your data before the maintenance window ends. To do that, you must use heterogeneous database replication technology. During the maintenance window, you can stop all running applications, replicate incremental data to the secondary database, perform a comparison to ensure that the secondary database is synchronized with the primary database, and then verify applications. Once the application verification testing is completed, database switchover starts. If the switchover is successful, TiDB will run as a primary database in the production environment.
Application scenarios of database replication
Migrating data
We’ve talked about this application scenario in the previous section.
Creating a disaster recovery database
If you use Oracle as the primary database, you can use TiDB as its disaster recovery database. If you’ve just deployed a TiDB database in the production environment without sufficient verification, you can use an Oracle database as the disaster recovery database for TiDB. That way, if the TiDB database suddenly crashes, you can promptly migrate the data back to the original production database.
Creating a read-only or archive database
First, let’s look at the application scenario of building a read-only database. This is applicable to some bank clients. A bank’s core services run in a closed system, and it may be impossible to migrate them to an open platform or a distributed database in a short time. However, some read-only applications, such as querying account details, bills, or monthly statements on the app client, can be completed without accessing the core production database, which only processes real transactions. Therefore, we can use database replication technology to replicate such read-only application data from the production database to the TiDB database and perform the read-only operations only in the TiDB database.
Another scenario is building an archive database. If you use a traditional standalone database for production and its capacity is limited, but your application data is growing quickly, the data cannot be migrated to a distributed database in a short time. A solution is to save data in the production database for a specific period (for example, 30 or 40 days), delete expired data from the production database, and store the deleted data in TiDB. That is, the deletion operation is performed only in the production database, and TiDB is used as an archive database.
Aggregating data from multiple sources
You can use TiDB as a data hub. You might run multiple applications in Online Transactional Processing (OLTP) databases and want to use the database replication technology to aggregate data from multiple sources to one TiDB database. Then, you can perform in-depth analysis on or read-only queries in the TiDB database. The main challenge for multi-source aggregation lies in the cross-database query after data is successfully aggregated to the TiDB database. The data may come from heterogeneous databases. It is impossible to create database links among them as database links can only be created among Oracle databases. To solve this problem, you can use heterogeneous database replication and use the TiDB database in a role similar to a widely deployed operational data store (ODS) for aggregating data.
Replicating heterogeneous databases
This section discusses some commonly used heterogeneous database replication methods.
Data transfer via interface files
This method is widely used when transferring data between OLTP and Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) systems. As the data transfer involves two different systems, it’s difficult to connect two database networks. Databases belong to backend systems. For security reasons, it is not suitable to directly connect them.
A comma-separated values (CSV) file is a typical interface file. The interface file here refers to the file generated by an application, based on the predefined format and rules for adding delimiters and line breaks. After receiving a generated interface file, the receiving end parses the interface file based on the agreed format, converts the file into an INSERT statement, and inserts it into the target database.
The advantage of this method is that it applies to any database. As long as the upstream and downstream databases support standard SQL interfaces, you can transfer data through an interface file.
However, this approach has several disadvantages:
It requires additional development in your application code. For example, if the application was originally developed in Java, you need to add more programming logic. If you add logic to the upstream database code that generates an interface file, you also need to add logic to the downstream database code that imports the interface file. Moreover, to improve performance, you may need to control the concurrency of the file import.
Interface files are only useful for full refresh and append write operations. It is difficult to obtain data changes generated by UPDATE and DELETE operations through an interface file.
and operations through an interface file. Data may not be timely. As 5G technology gradually rolls out, terminal devices require lower latency. For example, banks are gradually changing from the traditional T+1 analytics to T+0 or even near real-time analytics. When you transfer data using an interface file, it’s hard to ensure that the data is timely. This is because the interface file triggers file loading at a specific time with low frequency and efficiency.
When data is exported, the upstream database must be scanned extensively to access the data through the SQL interface. This may affect performance. Therefore, as a common practice, the upstream application will open an SQL interface in the secondary database for exporting a read-only file to the downstream database.
Developing an ETL job and scheduling the job for data transfer
You can develop an extract, transform, load (ETL) job and schedule the job on a regular basis to transfer data. This method is commonly applied to data transfer and processing between OLTP and OLAP systems.
If you need to run ETL jobs for a long time, you may take a long time to obtain the incremental data and write it to the target database. This requires the ability to schedule ETL jobs, which involves additional development.
Using an ETL job has the following advantages:
Just like an interface file, an ETL job uses SQL interfaces and is applicable to any database. As long as the upstream and downstream databases support SQL standards, you can use ETL jobs.
Additionally, you can process data during the ETL job. If the upstream and downstream databases have different table schemas, or if you need to add logic to the table schema, ETL jobs are the best choice.
The disadvantages of an ETL job are similar to those of using an interface file:
An ETL job requires additional development. You need to create a set of independent SQL jobs and build up a scheduling system.
The data changes incurred by UPDATE and DELETE operations are difficult to obtain via ETL jobs. Compared to using an interface file, the timeliness of ETL may be slightly better, but it depends on the scheduling frequency. However, the scheduling frequency is actually related to the processing time required by the job after each scheduling. For example, when data is imported each time, if a job requires 5 minutes for processing, the delay may be as long as 5 to 10 minutes.
and operations are difficult to obtain via ETL jobs. Compared to using an interface file, the timeliness of ETL may be slightly better, but it depends on the scheduling frequency. However, the scheduling frequency is actually related to the processing time required by the job after each scheduling. For example, when data is imported each time, if a job requires 5 minutes for processing, the delay may be as long as 5 to 10 minutes. To access the data through the SQL interface, extensive scanning of the upstream database is required. This may affect performance.
Using a CDC tool
We recommend that you use change data capture (CDC) tools to replicate heterogeneous databases. There are many CDC tools, such as Oracle GoldenGate (OGG), IBM InfoSphere CDC, and TiDB Data Migration (DM).
The following table summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of using CDC tools. As you can see, there are far more advantages.
AdvantagesDisadvantagesYour application requires no additional development.
CDC tools can obtain all DML changes, like DELETE and UPDATE .
Because the workload is distributed through the day, these tools have higher performance.
CDC tools bring low latency and near real-time replication.
Upstream data is obtained by reading redo logs, which does not impact the SQL performance.
CDC tools are mostly commercial products, and you need to purchase them.
Most CDC tools only allow a specific database as an upstream database. If you have multiple types of upstream databases, you need to use multiple CDC tools.
Best practices for heterogeneous database replication in TiDB
I’d like to offer some best practice tips for heterogeneous database replication in TiDB:
Tips based on replication tasks:
If you want to replicate incremental changes incurred by operations such as UPDATE and DELETE , a CDC tool is your best choice.
and , a CDC tool is your best choice. If you want full data replication, you can use lightweight ETL tools dedicated to data migration such as Kettle or DataX. You do not need to purchase CDC tools or build other architectures to complete the replication. Instead, you only need to ensure that the ETL tool can access the upstream and downstream databases simultaneously and perform ETL jobs to do the full data replication.
Tips based on scenarios:
If you are creating a disaster recovery database, creating a read-only or archive database, or aggregating data from multiple sources, we recommend that you use a CDC tool for data replication. If you use ETL jobs in these scenarios to obtain all DML changes, the development costs will be very high.
If your upstream database is a MySQL-like database or a MySQL-based database (such as Amazon RDS on the public cloud, including Aurora and some sharding products developed based on MySQL), you can use the TiDB DM tool for data transfer. For more information about DM, see TiDB Data Migration Overview.
If you have any questions on any of the topics we covered today, you can join our community on Slack, and send us your feedback. | https://medium.com/swlh/heterogeneous-database-replication-to-tidb-c10478d11b29 | [] | 2020-08-10 13:59:00+00:00 | ['Distributed Systems', 'Database Replication', 'Best Practices'] |
Web scraping | Web scraping, web harvesting, or web data extraction is data scraping used for extracting data from websites. Web scraping software may access the World Wide Web
What is web scraping?
Data data everywhere, but very difficult to use. Tons of data is available on web but how much of it is in usable form?
Why do we need to scrape the data?
We need to convert the unstructured data into structured form which cannot be done by copy-pasting data from web. If we wish to take data from 100 pages it is time taking and repetitive task. Data needs to be pulled from web and stored in your computer for further analysis. We need constellation from the galaxy.
This data can be used for the various studies:
Competitor data analysis Price Intelligence Social Website Market Research/Analysis Source of alternative/supporting data Search Jobs- you can sort the jobs by experience and salary, filter the job location and much more. Benefit of having this data is that you don’t have to visit multiple pages.
You can browse through multiple web sites and store the data in single excel sheet. This data can be used for the research and development.
Can we copy data from web-just like that?
No, You need to crawl and create the silk-just like a silk worm. But you will be stopped. Web site owners can setup few limitations on crawling of the site. Based on the these limitations, web robot who goes to scrape the data from web site will be stopped.
These restrictions are created for SEO-Search Engine optimization, if you are the website owner you need to setup robots.txt file which contains directives from search engine for crawling specific parts of your website, and to prevent duplicate content. robots.txt file plays a big role in SEO
Steps to Crawl:
Below are the simple steps along with the code to get the data from the website.
Step 1)Use the best in class python library- Beautiful Soup
Step 2)robotexclusionrulesparser is the library which is useful for parsing the robots.txt file available at the website. This will help you in passing through all the restrictions and finally you can use the information which is required.
Step 3)Below is the code to import various libraries and access the page you would like to open.
Step 4)You can now choose to keep website link in the variable. By doing this step you can get data from multiple pages in one go. This link can be passed to the variable ‘page’ in this code
Web scraping is a task that has to be performed responsibly so that it does not have a detrimental effect on the sites being scraped.
‘BE GOOD AND FOLLOW A WEBSITE’S CRAWLING POLICIES’
Best practices to follow for scraping without getting blocked
Initiate the requests through Proxies and rotate them as needed Follow all the instructions of Robots.txt Keep adequate sleep time for a fast running server Check if website is changing the layouts Rotate user agent and corresponding HTTP Request Headers between requests.
Now, you will get the desired data in the excel sheet and this data can be used for the analysis.
To know more about best practices visit:https://www.scrapehero.com/how-to-prevent-getting-blacklisted-while-scraping/
LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/kalrajyoti | https://medium.com/@jyotikalra-data-scientist/job-search-using-web-scraping-9faddcc100b8 | ['Jyoti Kalra'] | 2021-01-22 09:36:48.371000+00:00 | ['Artificial Intelligence', 'Job Search', 'Web Scraping', 'Machine Learning', 'Data Science'] |
Institutional Innovation Report | Aspen Digital | Aspen Digital recently released a new report, Redefining the Workscape Bringing Value and Values to Machine-Human Collaboration. The report summarizes a two-day Roundtable discussion in which Starling founder & CEO Stephen Scott participated last summer. It features discussions on the future of work, with a focus on business structures and leadership strategies that can help organizations leverage the opportunities presented by new technologies.
As Stephen emphasized during the Aspen Roundtable discussion, “networks of trust” within an organization work to cultivate a sense of belonging and community, to foster camaraderie and collaboration, and to engage people in a shared sense of purpose and a common corporate culture. Such trust networks are an over-looked and critical company asset.
Rather than the current reliance upon complex technology-based risk management systems that operate at multiple “layers of defense” across broad geographies and distributed teams, Starling emphasizes that behavioral science, organizational network analytics and machine learning combine to allow managers to map and measure the “social capital” at work in their firms, and to harness that to serve improved performance and risk management goals.
To learn more about these and other ideas explored by the distinguished Aspen Digital Roundtable participants, download the full report here. | https://medium.com/@SJScottintl/institutional-innovation-report-aspen-digital-f0da0304855d | ['Stephen Scott'] | 2020-06-23 18:58:20.925000+00:00 | ['Financial', 'Risk Management', 'Regtech'] |
The COVID-19 problem in CA is getting really bad | The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has gotten so bad in California it’s becoming clear anticipation is outdoing parts of reality. As we reported in Bazaar Daily News , areas like Los Angeles and San Diego are among the hardest hit in the Golden State. Because of such, Governor Newsom has taken scary new precautions in anticipation of the very dark winter that lies ahead for his state.
Those precautions as we’ve learned range from ordering hundreds of refridgerator trucks to building dozens of field hospitals amid concerns that hospitals likely will collapse. The Associated Press reports that some hospitals in the San Diego and San Francisco aareas are even bringing in beds to nearby buildings whilst hiring doctors from outside areas in an effort to prepare themselves. | https://medium.com/bazaar-daily-news/the-covid-19-problem-in-ca-is-getting-really-bad-c76eb4d742c6 | ['Sultan Haleem Khane', 'Shk'] | 2020-12-16 11:00:42.125000+00:00 | ['Coronavirus', 'Covid 19', 'California', 'Los Angele'] |
Oracle Big Data Cloud, Event Hub and Analytics Cloud Data Lake Edition pt.1 : Creating the Real-Time Data Pipeline | Some time ago I posted a blog on what analytics and big data development looked like on Google Cloud Platform using Google BigQuery as my data store and Looker as the BI tool, with data sourced from social media, wearable and IoT data sources routed through a Fluentd server running on Google Compute Engine.
Read more at the MJR Analytics blog. | https://medium.com/mark-rittman/oracle-big-data-cloud-event-hub-cloud-and-analytics-cloud-data-lake-edition-pt-1-84961cd4274f | ['Mark Rittman'] | 2018-10-16 19:52:51.795000+00:00 | ['Oracle Cloud', 'Obiee', 'Analytics', 'Big Data', 'Apache Kafka'] |
Health Mart Pharmacy | Medical Health For Human | Rana jawad | Health mart Pharmacy is a chain of retail health care pharmacies. The business construct is that the combination of ancient retail pharmacies with pharmacy as a service (PaaS) ideas and services. It may be delineated as a PaaS pharmacy, and also the pharmacy may be a third-party pharmacy. The operation of this kind of pharmacy is sometimes not absolutely in-house. (Health Mart Pharmacy) Health mercantile establishment provides the e-pharmacy with the product it dispenses from different suppliers and pharmacies. The stores are typically self-service with conveyor belts and stations for medication, general consultations, and immunogen requests. The sites are also situated at looking malls, in regional and rural settings, or at institutional and community health centers. it’s a contemporary business model that became common from its introduction in Europe within the Sixties and within the Eighties, it absolutely was introduced within us and North American nation, wherever its success was engineered on the initial success of the many freelance neighborhood pharmacies that sold the product that they were conjointly dispensers. In some countries, it absolutely was conjointly the primary pharmacy(Health Mart Pharmacy) to supply these services during a health care setting. Today, Health mercantile establishment has over 380 locations and tally unfold across geographical areas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America. it’s a pacesetter within the business of e-pharmacy, that refers to the delivery of pharmacy products via the net to patients.
The majority of the Health mart pharmacy house owners are foreigners with a majority of them being Americans. However, as is that the case with several business ventures around the world, the bulk of the house owners are locals, and also the few foreigners are the only government managers of the organization. within the geographic area, Indonesia, Mexico, and Poland, Health mercantile establishment stores are operated by a neighborhood company and its government management team, whereas within us and North American nation, the store’s are operated by giant Canadian personal equity corporations within which giant non-profits ar a minority shareowner. All Health mercantile establishment pharmacists are authorized by the govt. Pharmacists will opt to work for Health mercantile establishment, its staff, or one amongst the external suppliers they choose to produce the pharmacy product. Health mercantile establishment encompasses a robust target developing human resources. In Mexico, the Health mercantile establishment has the biggest network of pill pusher|health care provider|caregiver} educators in geographical area and also the largest system of pharmacy continued professional education (CPE) centers within the Americas. Health mercantile establishment is developing, training, and using new generations of pharmacists and this includes academic seminars, international fellowships, scholarships, and also the creation of a replacement program that introduces new technologies to pharmacists during a multidisciplinary setting. ( Health Mart Pharmacy).
How many stores does Health mart have?
Health mart has around 380 stores in Central and South America and continent, moreover as eleven pharmacies in Poland and one in China. The store is unfolding across sixteen countries within the regions of Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and also the geographic area. it’s a really giant and growing pharmacy chain with fast enlargement plans. the present goal is to possess five hundred stores across its world locations by 2025. Health mercantile establishment is additionally increasing into United Mexican States, Poland, and also us of America, wherever it’s conjointly the leader in e-pharmacy. By 2020, the Health mercantile establishment has plans to possess thirty-five to forty stores in Poland.
When and how did Health mart acquire the e-pharmacy business?
In December 2009, Health mart completed its purchase of the Communications Security Establishment Pharmacy and also the e-Pharmacy business from its parent company (Venezuela Bankers assets, or in Spanish: Fidelia). Health mercantile establishment purchased all of the assets of Communications Security Establishment Pharmacy and every one of the shares of Communications Security Establishment e-Pharmacy. In 2012, Health Mart’s equity capital was enlarged and it became the only shareowner of the Communications Security Establishment e-Pharmacy. All Communications Security Establishment Pharmacy pharmacists became Health mercantile establishment pharmacists, and Health mercantile establishment became the exclusive supplier of the e-Pharmacy services in South America, Latin America’s largest market, with over 3 million registered patients and five hundred,000 pharmacies. Communications Security Establishment e-Pharmacy provides online pharmacy ordering and drug delivery services to registered patients via the net.
Health mercantile establishment pharmacies are situated across a geographical area and also the Caribbean. within the region of geographical area, it’s thirty-two stores in twelve countries. In the geographical area, United Mexican States is its biggest market and it’s thirteen stores in the United Mexican States. In the geographical areas, health care is facing some major challenges. additionally, there’s an increase within the variety of individuals United Nations agencies are scuffling with their health which of their relations. One in every six individuals in the geographical areas, or about 1.6 billion individuals, ar in danger of developing a chronic or severe sickness. This interprets into about ninety % of the adult population.
For this reason, the health care market in geographical areas is moving apace. Health mercantile establishment is responding by fast its growth strategy and continued to implement innovative programs that may strengthen its position within the region.
Why did Health mart purchase the cse Pharmacy from its parent company?
In 2004, Health Mart’s founders, United Nations agency ar entrepreneurs United Nations agency bring new concepts to the pharmaceutical business and promote a business model that protects patients and assures the top quality of life of society, invested with a complete of $43 million in establishing cse Pharmacy.
Its business model consists of providing pharmacy services to the purchasers of Communications Security Establishment Pharmacy, who, in turn, are arable to use Communications Security Establishment Pharmacy to amass prescribed drugs and different products for his or her health care wants. Communications Security Establishment Pharmacy conjointly provides health care solutions through its insurance services. As a result of the investments created, Communications Security Establishment Pharmacy has achieved ascent. In 2005, it became one of the fastest-growing firms in South American country. It established a relationship with the country’s largest business nondepository financial institution, the Seguro Social (Social Insurance). within the following years, Communications Security Establishment Pharmacy continues its growth within the aid market, gap new branches within the most vital business centers of South American country, as well as the national capital, Maracaibo, and Valencia. additionally, it secured strategic partnerships with many firms within the pharmaceutical business.
In 2009, the Health mercantile establishment cluster took the choice to get Communications Security Establishment Pharmacy and also the possession interest in Communications Security Establishment e-Pharmacy.
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Health mart COVID vaccine
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Could I use my prevea360 health plan meaning my medical card insurance at Walmart pharmacy?
To be effective, prevea360’s health plans ought to be listed in so beaked by a health nondepository financial institution. you’ll be able to visit the GetPrevea.org website to search out out if you’re listed. The Wal-Mart pharmacy edges are provided by Wal-Mart Pharmacy. Please note that you just should be needed to pay a co-pay for prescriptions and different health care services, albeit you’re listed in prevea360’s health setup. Prevea360’s health setup doesn’t cowl prescriptions through taking part during a health insurer’s network.
I have an issue with a question claim submitted to Health mart with Prevea360 and received a letter stating I’ll be billed. What can I do?
In some cases, a health nondepository financial institution might have paid the claim and have announced a letter on its website. this can be done as a courtesy to tell shoppers United Nations agency may have to envision with the health nondepository financial institution to search out out if it’s paid the claim. shoppers United Nations agency need to envision with their health nondepository financial institution will head to HealthFile.com to try to to therefore.
What drug, what insurance, am I able to get from Health mart pharmacy?
Health mart offers medicine insurance products (for Prevea360 members only) that offer:
● medicine coverage
● Specialty drug coverage
● Medicare half D coverage
● Medicare PPO
● Medicare health maintenance organization
●Thrifty member health maintenance organization Plans
● medicine discounts
● Specialty medication discounts
● Annual eudaimonia discounts
Health Mart Pharmacy may be a Medicare Advantage health maintenance organization, a Medicare PPO, and a Medicare Advantage question. If you’re listed in any of those plans you may have access to the Wal-Mart pharmacy edges, which may be obtained with a Wal-Mart pharmacy card. | https://medium.com/@ranajawad/health-mart-pharmacy-medical-health-for-human-rana-jawad-8c52c1997630 | [] | 2021-12-26 17:53:54.774000+00:00 | ['Health Foods', 'Medical Health', 'Medicine', 'Healthcare', 'Health Pharmacy'] |
How to use assertions in C | Assertions
An assertion specifies that a program satisfies certain conditions at particular points in its execution. There are three types of assertion:
Preconditions
Specify conditions at the start of a function.
Postconditions
Specify conditions at the end of a function.
Invariants
Specify conditions over a defined region of a program.
An assertion violation indicates a bug in the program. Thus, assertions are an effective means of improving the reliability of programs-in other words, they are a systematic debugging tool. In this document, I mainly consider preconditions, and invariants not at all. (This will need to be fixed — hjr.)
Assertions in C
In C, assertions are implemented with the standard assert macro. The argument to assert must be true when the macro is executed, otherwise the program aborts and prints an error message. For example, the assertion
assert( size <= LIMIT );
will abort the program and print an error message like this:
Assertion violation: file tripe.c, line 34: size <= LIMIT
if size is greater than LIMIT.
Preconditions
Preconditions specify the input conditions to a function. Here is an example of a function with preconditions:
int
magic( int size, char *format )
{
int maximum; assert( size <= LIMIT );
assert( format != NULL );
...
These pre-conditions have two consequences:
magic is only required to perform its task if the pre- conditions are satisfied. Thus, as the writer of magic, you are not required to make magic do anything sensible if size or format are not as stated in the assertions. The caller is certain of the conditions under which magic will perform its task correctly. Thus, if your code is calling magic, you must ensure that the size or format arguments to the call are as specified by the assertions.
Consider the following analogy. Suppose you (the function) are employed as an apple-packer. One of the conditions of your contract is that the temperature in the warehouse will be no greater than 30C. If the temperature exceeds 30C, you are not obliged to do anything: you can keep packing apples if you want to, or you can choose to go to the beach. Your employer (the caller), however, knows that you are not required to pack apples if the temperature exceeds 30C, so he or she makes sure that the air-conditioning in the warehouse is operating correctly.
Postconditions
Postconditions specify the output conditions of a function. They are used much less frequently than preconditions, partly because implementing them in C can be a little awkward. Here is an example of a postcondition in magic:
...
assert( result <= LIMIT );
return result;
}
The postcondition also has two consequences:
magic guarantees that the stated condition will hold when it completes execution. As the writer of magic, you must make certain that your code never produces a value of result that is greater than LIMIT. The caller is certain of the task that magic will perform (provided its preconditions are satisfied). If your program is calling magic, then you know that the result returned by magic can be no greater than LIMIT.
Compare this with the apple-picker analogy. Another part of your contract states that you will not bruise the apples. It is therefore your responsibility to ensure that you do not (and if you do, you have failed.) Your employer is thus relieved of the need to check that the apples are not bruised before shipping them.
Recommended practice
Writing preconditions
The simplest and most effective use of assertions is as preconditions-that is, to specify and check input conditions to functions. Two very common uses are to assert that:
Pointers are not NULL. Indexes and size values are non-negative and less than a known limit.
Each assertion must be listed in the Asserts section of the function description comment in the corresponding header file. For example, the comment describing magic will include:
* Asserts:
* 'size' is no greater then LIMIT.
* 'format' is not NULL.
* The function result is no greater than LIMIT.
*/
If there are no assertions, write ``Nothing’’:
* Asserts:
* Nothing
*/
Satisfying preconditions
When your code calls a function with preconditions, you must ensure that the function’s preconditions are satisfied. This does not mean that you have to include code to check the argument to very function that you call! For example, in the following code, resize does not need to check that the argument to measure is NULL, since its own assertion ensures this:
void
resize( int *value )
{
assert( value != NULL );
...
measure( value, 0 );
...
In other words, you need to decide for yourself when and where values must explicitly be checked to avoid violating preconditions.
Assertion violations
If a precondition is violated during program testing and debugging, then there is a bug in the code that called the function containing the precondition. The bug must be found and fixed.
If a postcondition is violated during program testing and debugging, then there is a bug in the function containing the precondition. The bug must be found and fixed.
Assertions and error-checking
It is important to distinguish between program errors and run- time errors:
A program error is a bug, and should never occur. A run-time error can validly occur at any time during program execution.
Assertions are not a mechanism for handling run-time errors. For example, an assertion violation caused by the user inadvertently entering a negative number when a positive number is expected is poor program design. Cases like this must be handled by appropriate error-checking and recovery code (such as requesting another input), not by assertions.
Realistically, of course, programs of any reasonable size do have bugs, which appear at run-time. Exactly what conditions are to be checked by assertions and what by run-time error- checking code is a design issue. Assertions are very effective in reusable libraries, for example, since i) the library is small enough for it to be possible to guarantee bug-free operation, and ii) the library routines cannot perform error- handling because they do not know in what environment they will be used. At higher levels of a program, where operation is more complex, run-time error-checking must be designed into the code.
Turning assertions off
By default, ANSI C compilers generate code to check assertions at run-time. Assertion-checking can be turned off by defining the NDEBUG flag to your compiler, either by inserting
#define NDEBUG
in a header file such as stdhdr.h, or by calling your compiler with the -dNDEBUG option:
cc -dNDEBUG ...
This should be done only you are confident that your program is operating correctly, and only if program run-time is a pressing concern.
About this document:
Please refer to the source: https://ptolemy.berkeley.edu/ | https://medium.com/@aziyatalik4/how-to-use-assertions-in-c-98f6b76e86b0 | ['Azi Muth'] | 2021-05-03 01:21:35.985000+00:00 | ['C', 'Bugs', 'Debugging'] |
Ingemar Härdelin — New Abstract Paintings | The official website of the Exposition Art Blog www.milenaolesinska.blogspot.com | https://medium.com/@milenaolesinska77/ingemar-h%C3%A4rdelin-new-abstract-paintings-7296a2dfbd4d | ['Exposition Art Blog'] | 2020-12-23 14:43:36.207000+00:00 | ['Fine Art', 'Abstract', 'Abstract Expressionism', 'Art', 'Painting'] |
The Two Things You Need to Build an Email List | A couple of days ago, I wrote about why writers need email lists.
I hope I convinced you.
If I have, your next question might be — fine, I’m in, but how exactly do I do this?
The most basic way to keep an email list is to literally write down people’s email addresses. Keep a notebook.
When you want to write an email, type in all those email addresses and press send.
The problem with that method is that it’s not very efficient. For one thing — you’d have to type in all those emails. For another, most email providers (like Gmail or Yahoo) have limits to how many emails you can send and receive in a day.
So — let’s assume that beyond your mom and your best friend, you’re going to want a more efficient way to manage your email list. You’ll need an email server and a way to let people sign up to your list.
I’m going to walk you through this like you’re five years old, because I wish someone had when I was first starting.
I’m also going to share with you the services I use and the system that works for me. There are others. I hope that you’ll at least take enough from this post that you’ll be able to be more confident if you decide to Google around and find other ways to get the same thing done.
I’m not a very techie person. I take the analog option whenever possible. If I can do this, so can you, I promise.
You need an email server.
An email server is a provider that manages your email list. At it’s most basic, an email server holds your email list and allows you to send emails to it. You can think of it like an electronic secretary.
When you put your email in a form so that your favorite restaurant or store can send you a coupon — you’re adding your info to their email server.
A good server lets you do things like sort your list based on which form they used to join — so that you can know, for instance, that this group of subscribers wanted more information on a specific part of your business.
I’ve used ConvertKit as my email server for three years and I love them. It costs $29 a month up to your first 1000 subscribers. They have something called a Creator Pass that lets you pay $199 for a year or up to 100 subscribers, or $299 for a year or up to 1000 subscribers and gives you access to some courses to teach you about building and using an email list.
Before ConvertKit I used Mail Chimp — which is free up to your first 2000 subscribers. Lots of people use Mail Chimp when they’re starting, because it’s free. It’s a decent option, although it’s no where near as easy or fun to use as ConvertKit.
If you can afford to start out on a good service, I highly recommend it. For me, it was the best money I’ve ever spent on my writing business.
I’ve never used any other servers, so I can’t speak to them, but there are a lot out there.
You’ll need a way for readers to subscribe.
Your server should allow you to make a form that you can add to your website or direct people to. ConvertKit does and it’s very easy. Mail Chimp does too, but it’s less simple. I always had to look up Youtube videos every time I wanted to do it. (But the videos are there — so if you need free, that’s an option.)
If you’re writing on Medium, you’ll want a way to put your form in your posts. The absolute easiest way I know to do that is with Upscribe, which is a service that lets you build a Medium-friendly form (also super easy) that connects to your email server. It costs $9 per month.
Upscribe connects with your email server — so when someone uses their form to join your list, they’re automatically added to your server. They give you a URL that you paste into your Medium post, hit return, and the form populates.
When I paste this URL into this post and hit return: https://upscri.be/848309/ I get the form below.
And if you put your email address into it, my email server will automatically add you to my list and send you the promised secret weapon.
You can also hyperlink text, so that when a reader clicks it, they are sent to your form. For instance, if you click here, you’ll be taken to the same form as above. (You can hyperlink text with your email servers forms as well.)
Bonus: You need some subscribers.
My next post in this series will have some more specific ideas for how to start to build your list.
For now, if you’re writing on Medium or somewhere else, start adding an invitation to join your email list to the bottom of posts. If you look at the bottom of this post, at my bio, you’ll see a hyperlinked invitation to take a look at my secret weapon. If you click it, you’ll get the same form as I posted above.
I get 20 to 30 email subscribers per day via that line in my Medium bio.
There are more effective ways, which we’ll talk about soon, but a simple “Let’s stay in touch” will start your list growing.
Your homework. | https://medium.com/the-write-brain/the-two-things-you-need-to-build-an-email-list-301f7a4bd4cc | ['Shaunta Grimes'] | 2019-04-05 06:04:03.969000+00:00 | ['Marketing', 'Business', 'Startup', 'Email', 'Writing'] |
Read These and Suicide’s Note: An Annual | by Mary Karr
The Hairpin will be collaborating every two weeks with the good people at Poetry Magazine to bring you new work by wonderful writers. We’re excited about this development, and hope you are too.
Read These
The King saith, and his arm swept the landscape’s foliage into bloom
where he hath inscribed the secret mysteries of his love
before at last taking himself away. His head away. His
recording hand. So his worshipful subjects must imagine
themselves in his loving fulfillment, who were no more
than instruments of his creation. Pawns.
Apparati. Away, he took himself and left us
studying the smudged sky. Soft pencil lead.
Once he was not a king, only a pale boy staring down
from the high dive. The contest was seriousness
he decided, who shaped himself for genus genius
and nothing less. Among genii, whoever dies first wins.
Or so he thought. He wanted the web browsers to ping
his name in literary mention everywhere on the world wide web.
He wanted relief from his head, which acted as spider
and inner web weaver. The boy was a live thing tumbled in its thread
and tapped and fed off, siphoned from. His head kecked back
and howling from inside the bone castle from whence he came
to hate the court he held.
He was crowned with loneliness
and suffered for friendship, for fealty
of the noblest sort. The invisible crown
rounded his temples tighter than any turban,
more binding than a wedding band,
and he sat in his round tower
on the rounding earth.
Read these,
saith the King, and put down his pen, hearing
himself inwardly holding forth on the dullest
aspects of the human heart
with the sharpest possible wit. Unreadable
as Pound on usury or Aquinas on sex.
I know the noose made an oval portrait frame for his face.
And duct tape around the base of the Ziploc
bag was an air-tight chamber
for the regal head — most serious relic,
breathlessly lecturing in the hall of silence.
Suicide’s Note: An Annual
I hope you’ve been taken up by Jesus
though so many decades have passed, so far apart we’d grown
between love transmogrifying into hate and those sad letters
and phone calls and your face vanishing into a noose that
I couldn’t
today name the gods
you at the end worshipped, if any, praise being
impossible for the devoutly miserable. And screw my church who’d
roast in Hell poor suffering
bastards like you, unable to bear the masks
of their own faces. With words you sought to shape
a world alternate to the one that dared
inscribe itself so ruthlessly across your eyes, for you
could not, could never
fully refute the actual or justify the sad heft of your body, earn
your rightful space or pay for the parcels of oxygen you
inherited. More than once you asked
that I breathe into your lungs like the soprano in the opera
I loved so my ghost might inhabit you and you ingest my belief
in your otherwise-only-probable soul. I wonder does your
death feel like failure to everybody who ever
loved you as if our collective cpr stopped
too soon, the defib paddles lost charge, the corpse
punished us by never sitting up. And forgive my conviction
that every suicide’s an asshole. There is a good reason I am not
God, for I would cruelly smite the self-smitten.
I just wanted to say ha-ha, despite
your best efforts you are every second
alive in a hard-gnawing way for all who breathed you deeply in,
each set of lungs, those rosy implanted wings, pink balloons.
We sigh you out into air and watch you rise like rain.
— Poetry, September 2012
Poet and memoirist Mary Karr was born in 1955 and raised in Texas. The author of several critically acclaimed books of poetry, including Abacus (1987; reprinted 2007), The Devil’s Tour (1993), Viper Rum (2001), and Sinners Welcome (2006) she is also the author of a trilogy of memoirs: The Liar’s Club (1995), Cherry (2001), and Lit (2009). | https://medium.com/the-hairpin/read-these-and-suicides-note-an-annual-99f74de00e50 | ['The Hairpin'] | 2016-06-02 00:14:45.193000+00:00 | ['Featured Poet', 'Mary Karr', 'Poetry'] |
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