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Reviewing Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin research reports | Click to Find blockchain Jobs
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(Following article is taken from mrb’s blog and republished with the permission of author Marc Bevand. Original posted here at 06 Feb 2018)
Marc reviewed the following two research reports published by analysts at Morgan Stanley on the subject of Bitcoin electricity usage:
The first report estimates current electricity consumption at 2500 MW, agreeing with my own estimate of 1620/2100/3136 MW (lower bound/best guess/upper bound) as of January 11, 2018:
However I spotted a few errors.
1. Math error (multiplying instead of dividing)
The analysts attempt to forecast future consumption, 12 months from now (ca. January 2019,) and claim it may be “more than 13 500/hour [sic] megawatts.”
Based on TSMC production orders for 15–20k 300mm wafer-starts of Bitcoin ASICs per month, they estimate “up to 5–7.5M new rigs” could be added. They claim to calculate electricity consumption based on 6.5M, but their numbers line up only with the upper bound 7.5M:
7.5M × 1300 (watts) × 1.4 (efficiency improvement) = 13 650 MW
The multiplication by 1.4 is meant to account for new rigs bringing a “40% efficiency improvement” and this is their error: they multiply instead of dividing.1 A given volume of wafers/chips more energy-efficient consume less, not more, per mm² of die area. When correcting this error we arrive at an estimate of 6950 MW, about half their published number (13 500 MW.)
2. PUE of mining farms as low as 1.03–1.33
The Morgan Stanley analysts assume “60% direct electricity usage (i.e. 40% of total electricity consumption is used for non-hashing operations like cooling, network equipment, etc.)” In data center lingo this is called a PUE of 100/60 = 1.67.
However no study supports such terrible PUE values for the mining industry.2 In reality, most mining farms aggressively optimize their PUE:
Gigawatt Mining builds air-cooled mining farms having a PUE of 1.03–1.05.3
Bitfury data centers are highly energy-efficient; for example their 40 MW Norway data center has a PUE of 1.05,4 and their CEO emphasized their Iceland data center does not have a high PUE.2
The well-known Bitmain Ordos mine reportedly has a PUE of either 1.11 or 1.33(depending on which journalist’s numbers are trusted.)
Google optimized their data center PUEs as low as 1.065 and electricity is not even one of their main costs. So it completely makes sense to find miners, for whom electricity isone of their main costs, to be in the same range.
3. Inconsistent PUE math
According to their future consumption estimate and PUE estimate, the resulting global consumption should be 13500 × 1.67 = 22 500 MW × 90% utilization = 20 250 MW. But they calculate “nearly 16 000 MW.”
20500 ≠ 16000. The math is inconsistent.
Correcting their math and parameters gives 6950 × 1.11 (or 1.33) × 90% = 6950 (or 8300) MW.
In summary, Morgan Stanley’s first report forecasts the consumption ca. January 2019 will be 13 500–16 000 MW (120–140 TWh/yr annualized) however fixing multiple errors actually forecasts 6950–8300 MW (60–75 TWh/yr annualized).
4. Hashrate method makes optimistic and pessimistic assumptions
The report claims “the hash-rate methodology uses a fairly optimistic set of efficiency assumptions.” This is not true. Well perhaps they refered to other people’s hashrate methodology. But mine, as explained in the introduction, makes optimistic and pessimistic assumptions (miners using either the least or the most efficient ASICs.)
5. Only a fraction of the Ordos farm mines bitcoins
The report continues by attempting to extrapolate the global electricity consumption from the Ordos mine:
They fail to account for the fact that only 7/8th of the farm mines bitcoins. The other 1/8th mines litecoins.
The media publishes slightly different power consumption numbers, implying either 29.2 or 35 MW for the Bitcoin rigs (depending on journalists.)
They build their calculations on a grossly rounded estimate of its hashrate (“4% of ~6M TH/s”), but it can be calculated more exactly as we know there are 21k Bitcoin rigs (~263k TH/s.)
When correcting these errors, the mine’s power consumption scaled to a global hashrate of 15.2M TH/s would imply a global power consumption of either 1690 or 2020 MW (14.8 or 17.7 TWh/yr) depending on journalists. This is significantly less than the analysts’ 2700 MW (23 TWh/yr.)
6. Antminer S9 dominates the market
The report states “the most efficient mining rigs used by Bitmain in its facilities [Antminer S9/T9] are not yet widely available” and imply that if they are not available that the average rig must be another less efficient model.
The analysts conflate market availabily with market share.
Bitmain claimed in mid-2017 they had a 70% market share. Everything points to the fact it is even higher today. The Antminer S9/T9 has been the only Bitcoin mining rig sold by Bitmain for the last 20 months. Batches of tens of thousands sell out in minutes at shop.bitmain.com. Bitmain is buying ~20k 16nm wafers a month and arguably makes up most of the ~10k a month that the Morgan Stanley analysts claim since 3Q17.
~10k wafers = ~270k S9 = ~3.6 EH/s manufactured per month.
That is more than the 1–3 EH/s added monthly to the global hashrate over 3Q17/4Q17 (it takes months to go from wafer production to mining.) Bitmain rigs make up virtually allthe hashrate being deployed to this day.
7. Electricity costs
As to Morgan Stanley’s second report, it merely quotes the first report’s flawed prediction of 120–140 TWh/yr ca. January 2019. But other than that it is generally of better quality than the first. My criticism concerns relatively minor points.
In it, the analysts calculate the cost of mining one bitcoin by assuming electriciy costs between 6¢ and 8¢ per kWh. Their source are EIA numbers grossly rounded for entire geographical regions.
Miners do not pay average prices. They choose the less expensive electrical utilities of these regions.
For example where the analysts quote 7.46¢ for Washington State (see their exhibit 5,) a mining farm located in this state, Giga Watt, pays in fact 2.8¢. It is my opinion that the industry average is probably around 5¢.
8. Bitmain’s direct sales model: ONE global price
Another assumption they make when calculating the cost of mining a bitcoin is to assume that outside China an Antminer S9 costs $7000. In reality only individual retail sales reach such high prices on third party sites such as eBay. Large-scale miners representative of the average mining farm, even outside China, all pay the same price: Bitmain’s direct sales price which was $2320 for the batches sold around the time the report was written.
9. Transaction fees not accounted for
Finally, they imply the cost of mining one bitcoin is a “breakeven point” but it is not exactly true. For example, at the time of the report, transaction fees collected by miners averaged more than 600 BTC daily and boosted their global daily revenue by 1.33× (1800 to 2400 BTC,) hence the true breakeven point was 1.33× lower.
Correcting these errors, with an electricity cost of $0.05/kWh, with the same sale price globally, and with the (unusually) high-fee period of December/January, the true breakeven point was $2300, significantly below the analysts’ number ($3000 to $7000.)
Footnotes | https://medium.com/coinmonks/reviewing-morgan-stanleys-bitcoin-research-reports-add2477b6a34 | ['Gaurav Agrawal'] | 2019-04-25 20:51:18.495000+00:00 | ['Cryptocurrency', 'Bitcoin', 'Investment', 'Morgan Stanley', 'Analysis'] |
Advice For Event Planning | Anticipating an occasion can be a truly upsetting issue. A great many people who are allocated the assignment of arranging generally will in general fail to remember little however significant things because of the pressure. This is the reason it is critical to efficiently design everything to make the occasion a triumph.
Never Plan Last Minute: Event arranging requires a great deal of work to make an occasion a genuine progress. Guaranteeing a setting can be hard now and again, so pick and book the one you like before it’s taken. Just on the off chance that you plan each part of the occasion will you have the option to pick a scene that will suit every one of your necessities. This is the reason you need to design route ahead of time, even prior to picking the scene. In the event that you are recruiting an occasion organization, at that point you should discover a setting that permits arrangements a couple of days ahead of time. This will bring down the work and stress of the occasion organization, and the charges will be extensively lower in the event that you give them sufficient opportunity to set up.
Marking the calendar: If you are arranging a half year ahead of time, at that point you should verify that the date you set isn’t around the same time as a public occasion. Verify whether the region the occasion will be held in has no program on a similar date. Picking the correct date is a critical for the achievement of the occasion.
Setting: Selection of an appropriate scene is another indispensable piece of having a fruitful occasion. Scenes can have various standards and timings, so you must be cautious while choosing your setting. Here are a couple of things that you should check prior to picking your scene:
1. The principal thing you had the opportunity to check is if the setting has any curfews. In the event that the setting is in a neighborhood, at that point the time limitation timings would be around 9.30pm. This will likely be too soon for your visitors, so it is constantly suggested that you discover what time you’re permitted to have the occasion till.
2. On the off chance that you are recruiting an occasion organization, inquire as to whether the scene permits individuals to drop of the rentals daily prior. Rental organizations charge an additional expense in the event that they are approached to convey inside two hours. Additionally verify whether the setting permits satisfactory arrangement time. A major occasion will take around 8 hours to arrangement.
These are only a couple pointers to help make your occasion arranging simpler and less distressing. Finding an accomplished Bay Area Event Planner that offers rentals just as scenes will likewise assist feline with bringing down exertion. | https://medium.com/@morriswhite321/advice-for-event-planning-d61c143bdead | [] | 2020-12-20 10:55:55.404000+00:00 | ['Events'] |
REIMAGINE 2020, pt. 1/4: | Global Meltdown sets the Stage for REIMAGINING our Future
This is the 1st blog in a 4 part series detailing the story of REIMAGINE 2020, the worlds most innovative blockchain and cryptocurrency conference in the world, powered by MouseBelt & Multi.io
No one expected the world to come to a standstill — it slowly but surely crept upon us at a global scale. Leading into the New Year, we thought 2020 was going to be bright and shiny. Blockchain technology and cryptocurrency had just survived the ICO bubble, a 2-year bear market — it seemed as though everything was now rising back to its feet, battling through the so-called “negative-hype.”
We (i.e. those of us in the blockchain industry, alongside other fellow crypto-enthusiasts) were all ready to continue on the conference circuit; traveling, networking, enjoying our time as we learn about the profound implications blockchain technology has on the future of our global society. As the New Year came in, we counted on these times to absorb new information and acquire new knowledge as to the state-of-the-art; we were excited to continue down the path to see what was around the most recent corners that blockchain technology had been turning.
But no: who would have thought a pandemic would strike? At an instant, everything from house warming parties to fan packed 100k+ stadiums was canceled. Airline travel was first delayed; then postponed; then…yep, you guessed it: abruptly canceled. Depending on one’s situation, the effects of immobility on one’s sense of well-being could be detrimental.
The MouseBelt team determined at this moment how we planned to make a positive impact given the circumstances. What could we possibly do to alleviate this stress; what could we do to make the best of the shelter in place orders; what could we do to make these times at home seem worth it? Quickly we realized that, as home-confinement would become the new “norm” (at least temporarily), we must go to the people; we must meet them in virtual reality! Physical distance does not mean social distance!
But our mission had a double upshot: not only were we set on bringing cryptocurrency and blockchain education to those who were now deprived of their in-person blockchain networking opportunities, but to bring blockchain and cryptocurrency education to those who previously were not participating in such events. It’s worth pointing out that before lock-down, not everyone got to enjoy those aforementioned blockchain perks of traveling, networking, and listening to some of the brightest minds in blockchain technology. Many, though they are interested in what’s happening in this space, are not looped in to those events. And seeing that Bitcoin, which is arguably the foundation of this space, was meant to be a peer-to-peer revolution, a medium of exchange for those unbanked (read: underrepresented), battling corrupt financial systems; because this space is founded on the peer-to-peer philosophy, in all its facets, it was imperative that we bring the conversations to everyone with an internet connection — the global peer-to-peer network, par excellence.
Let’s bring it back to the people, we said — to our students, researchers, individuals, and to all those who are truly trying to understand what this industry and this technology is all about. Let’s bring them the biggest, most innovative virtual blockchain event in the world to see how blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are helping us to REIMAGINE 2020!
We may be separated, but we’re not alone. Creativity’s door was knocking…
Please visit ri2020.io to get up to speed on REIMAGINE 2020 Virtual conference.
This is our 1st blog of a 4 part series. | https://medium.com/mousebelt/reimagine-2020-pt-1-4-2f37359aa429 | ['Tyler Olsson'] | 2020-08-28 12:21:01.208000+00:00 | ['Emerging Markets', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Blockchain', 'Conference', 'Digital Marketing'] |
Can we stop talking about Artificial Intelligence displacing jobs already? | Can we stop talking about Artificial Intelligence displacing jobs already?
AI will not steal our jobs. It will result in more meaningful work.
AI allows us to do more meaningful, creative, and human work. PC: The Verge
Okay, here are the hard facts: AI will bring dramatic changes to our society in the next few decades and take away many, if not the majority, of the jobs that exist today.
Terrifying, right? But wait a minute.
Let’s say AI does displace most of the jobs in the world. Then its impact on the structure of our society will be so fundamental that even the way we define the term “job” will be drastically changed.
In other words, after the “age of AI” dawns, rather than thinking about how we should find new jobs for people who were displaced by AI, we should be thinking in a much broader scope about our role as humans in this new world — a world in which most of us will not need to work as much (or as hard) as we are now working.
Therefore, let’s go beyond talking about AI displacing jobs, and instead have a conversation about how we as a society should define “jobs” in the first place in the age of AI.
Jobs will no longer be necessary for daily bread, but will instead be pursued for their own enjoyment
For most people right now, when we talk about jobs, we are really talking about something that we have to do for 8 hours (or more) a day to put food on the table for ourselves and our families.
In Why We Work, Psychologist Barry Schwartz explains that the source of good work and job satisfaction are not a paycheck. PC: WBUR
For the majority of us, jobs are not something that we do for its own enjoyment, but rather a duty that we must fulfill to justify our existence as a productive member of society. One report, for instance, finds that more than half of Americans are unhappy at work.
In the age of AI, this conception of “joyless jobs” will change dramatically, because most of the them will be replaced by AI in the very near future.
In 2013, a research study by Oxford found that around 47% of percent of existing jobs are at risk of being automated by AI in the 20 years.
While many see this number as a threat to a large segment of society, I see this as a liberation for many to pursue what they really want to do and to unleash their full potential.
One of the biggest industries this point applies to is finance. The aforementioned study projected that over 40% of work in finance will be replaced by AI in the next two decades.
As graduates from a top-ranked business school, many of my peers went into the finance industry after finishing college.
What greets them are grueling 80+ hour work weeks, soul-crushing tasks such as crunching numbers on Excel every day, and the overwhelming pressure to deliver (or risk getting weeded out in the competitive corporate ladder in finance).
While most of them did not really enjoy their job (in fact, one study showed that over 50% of junior analysts quit after the first three years), my finance friends saw these jobs as the necessary evil to get the jobs they really wanted, such as jobs in private equity and startups.
What AI will do to the finance industry is remove the need of these necessary evils to college graduates. By eliminating the option of these passionless but well-regarded finance jobs, AI will open the opportunity for them to pursue the work they are passionate about in the first place, whether that’s work in startups, private equity, or otherwise.
For example, with the onset of the internet age, jobs such as e-commerce owners are created that greatly simplified the selling process for most producers, making them focus on their core enjoy of their job — making products, instead of worrying about convincing distributors to distribute their products.
The interesting thing about these new, creative industries enabled by AI (like startups) is that no matter how many jobs AI can replace, there will always be new ones created to fill in the gap (such as , therefore not displacing anyone in the process. Thus at the end of the day, AI will only make jobs more enjoyable and less demanding.
AI will not only elevate the enjoyment of work, but also the wellbeing of the working class
Many are quick to ask, “What about working class jobs like manufacturing? People there really do not have alternatives like young college graduates, and their jobs are also at risk due to AI.”
Tesla Clean Factories. PC: Wikimedia.
The point I want to make here is that this population we are talking about is a significant portion of our society. Therefore, some kind of mechanism has to be in place in the age of AI to make sure these people are not left behind.
The ultimate solutions we use may vary. It might be a universal base income (UBI). Just this week, Hillary Clinton revealed in her campaign memoir What Happened that she had worked with staffers on a campaign proposal for a universal basic income for Americans, funded by carbon and financial transaction taxes.
Once considered politically improbable, universal basic income is receiving more and more traction on the left and the right as a serious policy solution to large-scale job automation. As Andrew Yang (founder of Venture for America) points out in his upcoming book The War on Normal People, UBI is “rapidly gaining popularity among forward-thinking politicians and economists. It represents a critical step toward a new kind of economy he calls “human capitalism.”
Or it might be European-style education and retraining programs to help those workers adopt AI-based work. European social democracies such as Germany have spearheaded government programs to retrain workers during times of high unemployment.
Or it might simply be (I personally am banking on this) the development of AIs with advanced interaction design that enable workers to take on higher-level jobs even without a high level of education (you don’t really need to know how a car works to drive).
But the bottom line is that these people will not be left behind by the AI revolution. They will only be elevated by AI in this new societal structure shaped by the AI revolution.
In fact, I will go so far as to argue that this group of people will contribute unprecedented levels of productivity to society that they were never able to under the old “job” system.
The tools with the best interaction design don’t require much formal education to use. PC: The Daily Dot
To support this argument, let’s look back at the history of human evolution.
As someone who comes from a psychology background, what amazes me about the human species is that, although our genome has not altered drastically for the past 5000 years, we managed to elevate our well-being to a level that is unimaginable even with millions of years of natural evolution.
What this means is two things.
First of all, the rapid advancement of humans stems not from an increase in our raw brain power, but rather our ability to make sophisticated tools that support our work, enable us to communicate rapidly, and build better tools through innovation.
Secondly, there is not that much variance among humans in terms of intelligence and ability to innovate. After all, the privileged are not privileged because they have better genes than the underprivileged.
This means that if we pair the least intelligent person in our society today with the most intelligent person from 2000 years ago, the less intelligent person is still significantly more productive than the smartest ancient person, despite their differences in intelligence because they have access to resources and tools that makes them so productive.
So if the variance in the ability to innovate is not very large among the general population, AI will free up the minds of working class people to be much more creative and innovative, rather than leaving them with nothing to do.
What this means is that working class people can focus more of their time and energy to education and training (which are made much more affordable by the internet), or simply doing work that they themselves consider worthwhile.
And when they work in projects and fields that are actually enjoyable to them, their level of contribution to society is going to increase, enabling a better society for us all. After all, operating a cash register usually does not inspire much fulfillment or motivation to innovate.
AI enables humans to be more fully human
One of the major concerns you may have at this moment is “What if AI takes all of our jobs away without giving us all the benefits that you have mentioned? Won’t this create a world of oppression by those who own the AIs?”
I strongly believe this will not be the case.
As I wrote quite extensively in the article I published last week (linked below), to make the perfect AI that can replace human jobs, the AI needs to interact with humans and learn from us.
What this means is that AIs will never be able to push us aside and do everything by itself without our input.
Instead, the determinant of a great Artificial Intelligence should (and hopefully will) be its ability to understand and ask questions about human needs, and provide humans with the right information at the right time to make the right decision.
Eventually, a division of labor will occur between humans and AI, in which humans will only be responsible for tasks that are human in nature — making decisions based on our moral standards and free will. AI, as our compliments and co-workers, will be responsible for collecting data and running analytical processes to empower us to make better decisions.
This will eventually make “inhuman” jobs, such as manufacturing and bagging groceries, unnecessary. This will bring out the true advantage of the human being — human creativity and innovation — to its full potential in our new economy. | https://medium.com/analytics-for-humans/can-we-stop-talking-about-artificial-intelligence-displacing-jobs-already-27c569603747 | ['Bill Su'] | 2018-06-08 19:55:16.013000+00:00 | ['Startup', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'AI', 'Critical Thinking', 'Technology'] |
First, ‘Bosch.’ Now ‘Justified.’ This Is How I’m Surviving. | Photo: FX
First, ‘Bosch.’ Now ‘Justified.’ This Is How I’m Surviving.
I’m spending the pandemic watching maniac cop shows with my future mother-in-law
I’m currently watching a show called Justified on Hulu. It’s an action-drama that ran for 6 seasons on the cable channel FX about a Kentucky-born, cowboy-hat wearing US Marshall with an itchy trigger-finger played by sexy, slow-talkin’ scarecrow Timothy Olyphant.
The show is country-fried pulp fiction full of shootouts, double-crosses, and snappy dialogue inspired by Elmore Leonard, the bestselling author who created Olyphant’s character, Raylan Givens.
My future mother-in-law loves Elmore Leonard. So we’re watching it, as we do. I’m happy I discovered Justified. I was losing hope. I honestly thought I had streamed all the TV worth streaming. Or at least, I had run out of hour-long dramas about sensitive maniac cops.
A brief recap of my life for first-time readers: I live in the woods half an hour north of New York City with my fiancée’s sister and mother. We evacuated from the city in May after spending the first two months of quarantine in Harlem and since the pandemic is getting worse we are probably going to stay here a little while longer.
The past year has been notable for many reasons, the main one being America’s inability to deal with a deadly virus. That’s pretty notable if you ask me. I know people who refuse to make short-term, inconvenient, changes to their lives in order to defeat one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The plague is not invincible but in the face of mass self-absorption, it is victorious, killing thousands of Americans every day. This year has also been heartbreaking, and terrifying, and oppressive.
The other reason this year has been notable is I have watched endless hours of TV with my future mother-in-law. If grains of sand were minutes of hour-long dramas I could fill an entire silo. Reality competition shows, historical dramas, half-hour comedies. We sit on the couch and watch our shows together as the other ladies bake pies and zoom friends and study.
We’ve gotten to know each other over the past eight months, certainly better than either of us ever thought we would. She was a born-and-raised Montana ranch girl who moved to NYC to become a Broadway dancer and singer and while that’s not exactly my origin story, I’d say it’s in the parking of the ballpark. I, too, moved from a state that loves cowboys to a rude city to find my fortune.
We also love to watch TV. That’s a solid foundation for any relationship, especially one between a man and the mother of the woman he’s engaged to marry.
Since the pandemic started I’ve been on a bit of a pop culture marathon, for medicinal reasons. I’ve rewatched select seasons from classics like The West Wing, The Sopranos, and Battlestar Galactic. I’ve sleepwalked through entire new seasons of Billions, Better Call Saul, and Pen15. There have been surprises like HBOMax’s Raised by Wolves and Netflix’s The Queens Gambit and flops like Amazon Prime’s Hunters. Lovecraft Country was uneven but compelling, and Ted Lasso an improbable triumph, especially for a broad, half-hour comedy.
One day I’m going to turn the TV off and visit friends and hug family and live life again. But not yet. | https://medium.com/humungus/sorry-i-accidentally-streamed-all-the-tv-d2e9ae7eaa42 | ['John Devore'] | 2020-12-14 01:26:07.067000+00:00 | ['Coronavirus', 'Family', 'TV Shows', 'Streaming', 'TV Series'] |
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Spotify deal is their latest step to becoming a billion-dollar brand. Here’s how they’ve been building a business empire in a post-royal life. | In September, Meghan and Harry founded their own production company and signed a multiyear deal with Netflix.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey in March 2020. Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage
The deal’s worth is unclear, but Disney and Apple executives told The New York Times that the couple was shopping for similar deals at their companies for $100 million.
The couple plans to produce documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted television shows, and children’s programming under their new production company, which has yet to be officially named.
“Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope,” the couple said in a statement to The New York Times, which initially reported the news. “As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us,” they said, adding that Netflix’s “unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.”
Netflix has shelled out big for deals with notable names before. The streaming service signed a $100 million deal with Shonda Rhimes and a $300 million deal with Ryan Murphy in 2017, according to the Observer. However, it’s worth noting that Meghan and Harry don’t have the producing experience that Rhimes and Murphy do (although Meghan was a successful television actress before her marriage), so the deal terms may not be quite comparable.
In December, Meghan invested an undisclosed amount in instant oat milk latte startup Clevr Blends. It’s Meghan’s first personal investment to be made public, Fortune reported.
Until Markle’s investment, Clevr Blends had been self-funded, according to Fortune, which first reported the news. There’s no word on how much the deal is worth, but it wasn’t part of a larger funding round.
The brand, led by cofounder Hannah Mendoza, describes itself as a “woman-led, mission-driven wellness company,” and sells powdered matcha, coffee, and turmeric “SuperLattes” with oat milk, probiotics, and mushrooms.
Meghan spoke of the importance of supporting female-founded companies in a statement announcing her investment.
“This investment is in support of a passionate female entrepreneur who prioritizes building community alongside her business,” she said in a statement to Fortune.
Clevr is based near Montecito, California, where Meghan and Harry moved earlier this year. It also donates 1% of its revenue to organizations fighting for food justice, according to Fortune, in line with Meghan’s many charity efforts.
The same month, Meghan and Harry signed a multiyear podcast deal with Spotify, to debut in 2021. The deal terms weren’t disclosed, but the podcast will be available for free.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
The deal with Archewell Audio, the pair’s new audio-first production company, will focus on podcasts that will “build community through shared experience, narratives, and values,” according to a Spotify press release on Tuesday.
Although the series won’t air until 2021, the Duke and Duchess teased a holiday special featuring “inspirational guests.”
“With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are,” they said in a joint statement in the press release.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but previous Spotify deals with high-profile names give a clue to its worth. The streaming service signed with Joe Rogan earlier this year in a deal worth a reported $100 million. To be sure, Rogan is a giant in the podcasting space and Meghan and Harry don’t have podcasting experience.
If 2020 is any indication, Meghan and Harry may continue to build their post-royal wealth — and a potential billion-dollar brand — with similar deals in the years to come.
Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider’s parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.
For more great stories, visit Business Insider’s homepage. | https://medium.com/business-insider/inside-meghan-markle-and-prince-harrys-post-royal-business-empire-1c169606abc2 | ['Business Insider'] | 2020-12-28 17:03:09.035000+00:00 | ['Meghan Markle', 'Spotify', 'Money', 'Netflix', 'Royals'] |
MATH Christmas Celebration Event | As the Christmas season is approaching, MATH will bring you a Christmas surprise with Binance Smart Chain and DEGO Finance to thank you for the great support this year.
Event Time:
15:00 December 16, 2020–15:00 December 19, 2020 (GMT +8)
How to participate?
Method 1: Download MathWallet https://mathwallet.org, create new Binance Smart Chain wallet and you can get BNB airdrop.
Method 2: Participate in the MATH Christmas Candy Wheel and win MATH, BNB and limited edition NFT airdrop.
Method 3: Retweet the event tweet to be selected on the white list for mystery prize.
Notes:
1. The white list will be selected on DEGO’s official website on 21st December 2020.
2. White-listed address allows 100% chance to win MATH NFT gifts which worth from 2 to 100 BUSD.
3. If there are multiple accounts for the same BSC address, device or IP, it will only be counted as one account.
4.BNB airdrops are limited to newly created BSC addresses from the event starting date.
5. Anyone who conducts dishonest action will be disqualified from the game.
6. MathWallet team reserves the right to interpret the event. | https://medium.com/@mathwallet/math-christmas-celebration-event-b1863ec3123b | ['Mathwallet Official'] | 2020-12-16 06:04:00.407000+00:00 | ['Gifts', 'Events', 'Airdrop', 'Christmas'] |
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Keeping the NYC Tech Industry Informed and Connected
1. Brooklyn’s Cityblock Health, an Alphabet (Google) urban healthcare spinoff, has raised $160 million in a Series C funding at a valuation of over $1 billion.Investors included General Catalyst Wellington Management, Kinnevik AB, Maverick Ventures, NYC’s Thrive Capital and Redpoint Ventures. The company currently provides services to 70,000 Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries across four cities who live in neighborhoods that have traditionally gone without sufficient health services. (www.cityblock.com) (TechCrunch)
2. Reddit is acquiring NYC’s Dubsmash, a TikTok competitor. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Dubsmash had raised $20 million from investors including Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Lowercase Capital, Index Ventures, Heartcore Capital, Eniac Ventures and Balderton Capital. (www.dubsmash.com) (Press Release)
3. NYC’s Pico, a technology services provider for quant trading, has raised $135 million in a Series C funding. Intel Capital led the round and was joined by EDBI and CreditEase Fintech Investment Fund. The company’s Piconet is a low-latency network providing connectivity to market data and trading venues. (www.pico.net) (GlobeNewswire)
4. NYC’s Databand, an AI-based observability platform for data pipelines, has raised $14.5 million in a Series A funding. Accel led the round and was joined by Blumberg Capital, NYC’s Lerer Hippeau, Ubiquity Ventures, Differential Ventures, F2 Venture Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners. The company’s platform is designed to ensure the reliable delivery of high-quality data for businesses. Databand is one of the many Israeli startups in NYC. (www.databand.ai) (TechCrunch)
5. NYC’s Fakespot, a real time monitor detecting fake products and reviews, has raised $4 million in a Series A funding. Bullpen Capital led the round and was joined by Graph Ventures, Ty Shay, 500 Startups and Faith Capital Holdings. Fakespot’s Chrome plugin detects fake sellers and counterfeits on Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify sites. (www.fakespot.com) (Cheddar)
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6. NYC’s Beyond Identity, a passwordless identity management platform, has raised $75 million in a Series B funding. Investors included NEA, Netscape founder Jim Clark and Koch Disruptive Technologies. The company seeks to replace passwords “with fundamentally secure” X.509-based certificates. (www.beyondidentity.com) (VentureBeat)
7. NYC’s Ro, a healthcare technology company, has acquired Workpath, a Richmond, Va.-based platform for healthcare companies. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Workpath’s platform, which coordinates on-demand, in-home care and diagnostic services, will remain a standalone platform but will also be integrated with Ro’s three digital healthcare clinics and pharmacy. (www.ro.co) (www.workpath.co) (Press Release)
8. Brooklyn’s Gotham Greens, an operator of tech-enabled greenhouses, has raised $42 million in a Series D funding. Manna Tree led the round and was joined by investors including The Silverman Group. The company also raised $45 million more in a debt round. Gotham Greens’ eight greenhouses, including facilities in Gowanus, Greenpoint and Jamaica, Queens, sell 35 million heads of lettuce annually to retailers such as Whole Foods. (www.gothamgreens.com) (Forbes)
9. Long Island’s Soil Connect, an online dirt marketplace for the construction industry, has raised $3.3 million in seed funding. TIA Ventures and Heartland Ventures led the round and were joined by CEMEX Ventures, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Situs Real Estate, Altmark Group, AB Investment Group, J.G. Pertucci Company and Bazella Contracting. The company aims to eliminate the high costs and inefficiencies associated with the transport and management of soil. (www.soilconnect.com) (BusinessWire)
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Copyright © 2020 TechNY, All rights reserved. | https://medium.com/@smallplanetapps/techny-daily-eaa3c2d4258 | ['Small Planet'] | 2020-12-16 20:50:05.093000+00:00 | ['Startup', 'Tech Jobs', 'Technology News', 'Technews', 'Venture Capital'] |
Anthemis Insurtech Forum: The Future of Life, Health and Retirement | In contrast with innovation in property and casualty insurance, lines of business like life, health and retirement are often said to be the ‘forgotten’ part of insurtech. With this in mind, we felt that it was time to shine a light on this huge part of the insurance industry, as well as some of the great work being done to generate efficiencies and improve customer experience.
Our expert session, hosted by me and Ruth Foxe Blader, featured Melissa Danielsen from Joshin, Rich LaVoice from Symetra, and Rhian Horgan from Kindur. We questioned:
How are life, health and retirement insurers preparing themselves for their futures?
Is product innovation the secret to reimagining life and health insurance?
What are insurers investing in today, to future-proof their businesses?
When you stop to think about it, life insurance is both a strange and complicated purchase to make. The options — level term? Variable universal life? The length — compared to a typical home insurance policy lasting 12 months, a typical life insurance policy can be 15, 20 or even 25 years in length. Finally, the benefit — you, as the buyer, never get the benefit you’re buying (that’s right, peace of mind is what you get).
Yet, against the backdrop of all of the above, the life and retirement industry seems to be experiencing change at a rate never seen before. Traditionally, these products have been sold face to face. Amid a pandemic, what does this mean for insurers? As Rich from Symetra shared, it partly means a need to adapt to digital processes, including Zoom. “You have to find new ways to interact — I see a proliferation of digitised tools to enable sellers to be more efficient and effective.”
But: is product innovation enough? As Rhian from Kindur commented, “product innovation is definitely the start, but at times there is so much focused on individual product innovation that we forget what the total customer experience is.” Addressing this, the company has launched Silvur, a new all-in-one retirement planning app that empowers boomers to reach their goals during times of market uncertainty. Now customers can track their retirement goals and increase their retiree paycheck, all in one place.
In health, we’ve observed that innovation goes well beyond the distribution of health insurance. It also extends to the provision of other services that can help to address an individual’s (or family’s) overall wellbeing. Take Joshin, for example. Families download Joshin and get matched with a network of local, experienced and screened caregivers. Families can pay for their Joshin membership through their self-directed Medicaid budget, with a private pay option also available. Date night (together with your sanity) is back on the cards.
To hear more about the impact of technology on the life, health and retirement industries, sign up and listen! If you have missed any of our recent insurance webinars, check out the replays here. | https://medium.com/anthemis-insights/anthemis-insurtech-forum-the-future-of-life-health-and-retirement-40f5b6ad0055 | ['Matthew Jones'] | 2020-06-19 12:42:22.709000+00:00 | ['Retirement Planning', 'Venture Capital', 'Life Insurance', 'Insurance', 'Insurtech'] |
Apple Snow, Red Frost | ( i. )
The time was 23:55 and Luna Llena had Claro Oscuro, her only son. She named him so because he was a half-black and half-white kitten, split down the middle of his face and spine and belly like a half-moon. Her bruja was on the couch, drinking tea for the clumps of lavender at the bottom; and Luna Llena was under the coffee table, giving birth on one of those heavy and plush baby blankets.
When the cuckoo clock sang twelve times at 00:00, Luna Llena had a molly that was all black, so she named her Media Noche. She was sure to sniff the kitten and lick her and thought to herself: could you be, maybe, cursed? but that superstition was all old wives' tales (even for Luna Llena who believed and spun her own old wives’ tales). She still thought it’d be interesting if she’d birthed the perfect cursed kitten: black as night, exactly as the cuckoo clock let out its twelfth chirp, named something such as Media Noche. Luna Llena pretended she got the names of her kittens from some otherworldly inspiration, that it wasn’t her own choice but that of an outsider’s whims. The moon herself, maybe, or the influence of her bruja’s ritual as she drank the lavender tea.
At 00:05, Luna Llena had Rosa Rosa, that is Rosa Rosa as in ‘pink rose’. She was odd in that she was a dilute calico where Luna Llena had nothing of calico. Luna Llena didn’t know any old wives' tales about dilute calicos, some birds said they were made with flower petals where normal calicos were made with the colours of the sky. Of Claro Oscuro she knew only there would be a meaningful duality about him, a clear split on his good intentions and bad intentions. He would be kind at sunrise and then cruel at dusk, and the next day it would change.
“Lunita,” said her bruja, kneeling to look at the kittens. “¿Cómo te sientes? ¿Cómo están?”(How are you? How are they?)
A fourth kitten hadn’t mewled when it felt the air. Normally a dead kitten wouldn’t be a concern for a bruja or a familiar but this kitten hadn’t even had one chance. They were named Nube Blanca because they were white as their mother. Their bruja would trim a few useful things she could use in spells and then the kitten would be buried somewhere outside the pumpkin patch so as not to invite any magic that might fancy the corpse of a familiar. The jack-o’-lanterns might get too many ideas (which was bad in all instances because they had pumpkin guts for brains) but especially when it came to trying to copy the reviving ritual Luna Llena and her bruja would do on the patch. Nube Blanca would not crawl their way out of the earth, anew. They hadn’t lost a life, they simply hadn’t had one.
For now, Nube Blanca (born at 00:10) would stay with Luna Llena and their living siblings on the blanket under the coffee table. Pretending they could suckle milk. Their bruja had to wait for Luna Llena to fall asleep to take Nube Blanca and then for her to wake up again to bury the kitten.
This may be Luna Llena’s first litter but for everything, there was already a process.
( ii. )
“Mira, mira,” said Media Noche to her siblings. “Mira, que raro.”
Strange.
Yesterday, the yard and garden had been the colour of Media Noche’s eyes: orange. The colour of her sister’s eyes: yellow. The colour of her brother’s eyes: green, but a green that was chilly. Now, the pumpkin patch was as white as Mother and half of Claro Oscuro’s face.
People had come to pick jack-o’-lanterns from the patch. Media Noche padded around the kitchen table while their bruja worked in emptying the insides of the pumpkin in a bowl (she and her siblings had been told not to eat it), it’d made the flame shining through the grin and the eyes die out. When people took the jack-o’-lantern away it was nothing more than a vegetable. “What hallowing the pumpkin do?” Media Noche asked Luna Llena. “They need that to live,” said Luna Llena, “like you need your heart and your stomach and brain.”
Media Noche didn’t know what hearts or stomachs or brains were, but she wanted to now. Rosa Rosa said they were inside living things but actual living things, not like the jack-o’-lanterns who had hearts and stomachs and brains made of orange mush. Media Noche didn’t question why when people came to pick them, the jack-o’-lanterns had to die to go with them, just took it as a fact where she might have asked about it normally. (“They would probably haunt their houses,” Rosa Rosa said. Media Noche forgot not everyone was a bruja who could protect herself from those things.)
Her brother and sister jumped to the windowsill with her and looked out too.
“It’s all white,” Rosa Rosa said, she liked colours a lot because of her name.
“Help me open the window,” Media Noche said.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Luna Llena sat on the pillow, she’d entered the bedroom noiselessly. Patchwork pillowcase clashing with a duvet of a different patchwork, the bed was still unmade. “Especially not out the window, it’s too tall of a fall for you from the roof.”
“Then we use the apple tree,” said Media Noche. “Like you do, Mama.”
“It was Media Noche’s idea,” said Claro Oscuro. It earned him an angry little mrr-ow from his sister.
Luna Llena’s whiskers twitched. “I’ll take you out myself so you can see the snow.”
“Snow?” said Rosa Rosa. “Is that what it is?”
“But we better go downstairs and use the door.”
Their bruja was at the kitchen, making eggs and cutting fruit. She hitched and hitched and hitched a sheep wool blanket over her shoulders to combat the cold, hair loose and with no pointy hat on. There were dishes and flowers inside glass vases in the sink. Plants overflowed from high places — cupboards and the top of the fridge. A porcelain bowl on the counter, by the rack holding metallic cups, was reserved for Luna Llena and a wide porcelain plate for the kittens — both were empty.
The kittens rubbed around their bruja’s ankles and she asked them in a cooing voice if they were hungry (“Bebés, ¿tienen hambre? Lunita, ¿tienes hambre?”). Luna Llena yowled, pawing at the back door. “Pero hace tanto frío, Lunita,” their bruja said, opening the door anyway. Luna Llena pushed the screen door open herself. Her kittens followed like ducklings. The jingle bell hanging from the threshold to scare away evil spirits made a sparkling sound when the door swung.
Blue Hour hour was just ending. Dead leaves were blown to the porch, and snow had fallen on the steps leading to the pumpkin patch. Media Noche stood on the lip of the porch to stare hard at the jack-o’-lanterns and maybe it was the sunlight but she couldn’t see any orange glow. “Mama,” she said to Luna Llena, “what’s happened to them?”. Luna Llena licked Media Noche’s head as if that would somehow ease the upcoming questions. Media Noche always had questions but was never satisfied with Luna Llena’s fantastical answers, with her folktales about things like 3:15am or hearing a bird screech in the middle of the night. Media Noche wanted the facts, she wanted more than anything to dissect subjects and objects for answers. Luna Llena said: “Jack-o’-lanterns sleep during the day… but also, pumpkins don’t like the cold. Those that weren’t picked and hollowed will rot.”
Media Noche kind of liked that: those that weren’t picked and killed will die anyway.
“Can we touch it?” Rosa Rosa asked, belly to the wooden planks of the floor to be closer to the snow on the steps.
“What is snow?” Media Noche asked.
“Who cares what it is?” Claro Oscuro said.
“I do,” Media Noche said.
Luna Llena said, “It’s frozen water so it’s gonna be cold.”
The trees whispered (if they were evergreens) and crackled (if they were bare branches) from the forest. The breeze that moved them reached the porch and tousled everyone’s fur and whiskers. It was already plenty cold so how much colder could the snow be? Rosa Rosa looked at her siblings to gauge if they would be taking a leap or a step onto the snow. It wasn’t deep but they didn’t know that. Media Noche blinked back at her sister, neither she nor Claro Oscuro moved, so Rosa Rosa rook the first step. She braced herself on the lip of the porch, then jumped. Luna Llena purred a laugh when her daughter mewled: cold! cold! cold! Which instead of giving Media Noche and Claro Oscuro pause, prompted them to jump after Rosa Rosa. They each exclaimed. Luna Llena didn’t get her paws wet. She watched from the porch as her kittens found their footing. Media Noche said they were swimming through the snow because Luna Llena had said it was water and Media Noche knew one swam in water. The only water she had ever been submerged in, belly-deep, was that of the bathtub: perfumed with vanilla, tinted in the rose gold light from the lampshade, with floating flowers while their bruja washed them to avoid fleas and to rub protection spells straight on their fur — since they couldn’t draw or tattoo them like she did.
A broken trill came from the apple tree and caught all of their attentions. Media Noche half-stepped on Claro Oscuro, having rolled around on a playfight and Rosa Rosa stopped on her running around them. Luna Llena walked the length of the porch. “What’s that, Mama?” Media Noche asked. Luna Llena, ears perked towards the branches, made a quick clicking sound. She’d spotted the bird, that couldn’t catch a single note, swaying in the wind with the apples that still held onto the branches. It and the apples were bright punctures of red colour against what was otherwise bleak.
“It’s a bird,” said Claro Oscuro.
“What sort of bird?” asked Media Noche.
“A red cardinal,” said Luna Llena. “You hear how bad it sings?”
“Who woulda thought some birds couldn’t sing,” said Rosa Rosa. “Think there’s cats who can’t meow?”
“When a bird can’t sing and disrupts the garden’s harmony,” said Luna Llena, “you better be quick to kill that bird.”
Media Noche asked, “Why?”
Luna Llena said, “Because it’s a cat’s job, and especially a familiar’s.”
Media Noche asked, “And why?”
“Stop asking so much.” Claro Oscuro bit his sister’s ear a little too hard and she forgot about the question to bite him back.
The answer would have been another old wives’ tale, anyway. Something that wouldn’t have satisfied Media Noche.
( iii. )
Media Noche slept under the bed in a basket with her mother and siblings. Their bruja had burned a cedar candle to cleanse before going to sleeping, and the smell of it was still in the air when Media Noche woke up. A branch of the apple tree hit the window. She crawled from the basket (wrestled free from Rosa Rosa’s hold) and jumped to the sill. The window was locked shut, didn’t budge no matter how much she pushed it. The night was without clouds and a grinning moon shone overhead, it made the snow glow. The jack-o’-lanterns glowed with their own light, though faintly, struggling in the cold.
A thump! made Media Noche jump, her tail bristled, but it was just an apple that fell from the apple tree and to the roof drain pipe. She tried to catch a better look but another sound made her jump again, a scratchy squawk coming from a bird. Her ears perked and she did the same clicking sound Luna Llena had. Media Noche stared at the apple tree, waiting to catch a glimpse of the culprit… and there it was.
Her paws shuffled around and before she could think on it twice, Media Noche jumped from the windowsill. Their bruja didn’t have a bedroom door, she had a bead curtain Media Noche walked through. She made for the stairs and started the still arduous task of going down, claws sinking on the carpet that covered the steps so as not to slip all the way to the ground floor.
The cuckoo clock chirped twice. Downstairs didn’t smell much of anything to Media Noche, though really it smelled like a little of everything: of the homemade detergent their bruja used to wash the throw blanket over the back of the sofa, of the flowers all around struggling with water soaking their stems with no roots or drying from the frame of the wide kitchen threshold, of the incense on the bookshelf, of the burnt paper from an afternoon spell. Also the rotting fruit (that would be changed for fresh in the morning) from an offering to a deity or something similar. It took up the centre of the altar underneath the stairs. Media Noche didn’t know much about deities and she would never know much of them, cats didn’t believe in gods.
Media Noche tried every window and crevice until she found a way out. The cold hit her like concrete. In what it took her to climb down the stairs it had begun to snow. The snowflakes looked as if they were suspended in the air, gentler than the thinnest of drizzles. The jack-o’-lanterns flickered in the patch and their voices came to Media Noche in staticky whispers — wondering which kitten was she, what she was doing out, laughing at her for being stupid, talking about death.
The scratchy squawk sounded again. Media Noche walked down the porch to the end closest to the apple tree. The ground around the roots was littered in bright red apples, covered in frost or half-rotted, the moon made them glow too. Media Noche knew of blood because she had seen their bruja use it during spells, she thought the apples looked like blood drops, marbelised blood. She jumped to the snow, which paralysed her for two to four seconds before the bird squawked again. She pawed the marbelised blood around; they were surprisingly easy to break, as Media Noche found by sinking her claws into their skin.
She climbed up the apple tree, reaching the empty birdhouse. Media Nochecaught her breath and kept climbing, until she reached the branches and a cluster of more apples gathering the falling snowflakes on their leaves. There was no wind but that was somehow eerier. The way the cold didn’t need to make a sound to be there, how it was just everywhere, freezing every hair of her fur and glittering her whiskers.
“Well, I never!” squawked that same bird. It hopped from one branch to another until Media Noche could see it better: white but a different white to the snow, with a long bill and uncomfortably intelligent from the way it shifted its weight. “Why you must be one of Luna Llena’s kittens!”
“You can’t be here if your trill sounds like that!” Media Noche said.
“My trill!” squawked the white crow. “This is what all crows sound like. Your mother must have taught you cats do not hunt crows.”
“Cats hunt birds who can’t sing!”
The crow laughed, ka-ka-ka! “Little thing like you I could take to my chicks to eat.”
The forest laughed too, a human laugh. Media Noche didn’t know if trees laughed with human voices or if they laughed at all, just because the apple tree had never laughed didn’t mean the trees in the forest didn’t. (It wasn’t the trees that laughed, of course, it wasn’t exactly clear who would be laughing at 2:02am and with the temperature in the negatives. Other brujas maybe, ones that belonged to a coven, maybe teenagers with a death wish.) The white crow hopped around some more on the branches, her laughter over the laughter of the forest, and knocking two more apples from the tree — which didn’t startle her but startled Media Noche.
“Birds don’t eat cats,” said the kitten.
“Crows eat dead cats,” said the white crow. “But cats don’t eat crows.”
“Who would eat a dead thing?” Media Noche asked. “Is that allowed?”
Ka, ka, ka! “You eat dead things, cosita, that meat your human gives you was a living thing. The offense is in eating a thing while it still writhes. I’m more of an opportunist, I eat what others hunt for me first.”
“Isn’t that the same as I do?”
“I eat carcasses,” said the white crow. “So, no.”
Media Noche still didn’t understand the difference.
The branches shook when the white crow hopped around again and Media Noche sunk her claws in the bark. A clump of snow fell from on top of an apple above her, it almost knocked Media Noche over in the cold shock. The white crow laughed again (ka! ka! ka!), watching her with one eye. The night filled with the sound of the wind, except it wasn’t the wind, the wind didn’t laugh. (Media Noche knew this: the wind howled). Three new crows perched on the apple, they were the colour of the sky instead of the colour of the moon.
They struck their own conversation with the white crow, using big words. From what Media Noche managed to understand, because their voices overlapped as they all tried to speak at the same time, they were going somewhere. Media Noche caught the word carcass again, a big carcass apparently because the black crow closest to the topmost branches used enormous and he mentioned something called an elk.
All four crows laughed together — ka! ka! ka! — towards something Media Noche didn’t catch. The black crows took flight once more and snow sprinkled from the branches. The white crow stalled enough to wish Media Noche a good night, she also chastised the kitten for being out in the cold (as if it had just occurred to her). “Go to sleep,” the white crow said, then she too took to the sky.
Media Noche held on so as not to be knocked off the swaying branches. When they stopped shaking so much, Media Noche climbed down and jumped over the newly fallen apples. Snow had gathered in banks during the two conversations, otherwise insignificant but Media Noche had to swim through them. It was easy to follow the crows in the bare sky. The whispers of the jack-o’-lanterns got louder as she entered the pumpkin patch, but not as loud as they had been before the frost began to rot them away. Their tops were crowned with more snow and the leaves they would usually have were all brown and dead. Their whispers of Who is this? It’s Media Noche and What is she looking for? To die in the cold distracted Media Noche because she just had to look around at their carved faces with flickering light within, and she lost sight of the crows.
The jack-o’-lanterns laughed in quiet voices. Media Noche spun, looking up at the sky, then she looked at the jack-o’-lanterns surrounding her. She would just wait for the crows, maybe there would still be elk for her to see and they could take her to it. Media Noche swam back to the apple tree and climbed, climbed until she saw the apple that had fallen in the roof drain pipe. How did the crows do it? Fly? Getting higher would be so much easier if cats could learn it. A breeze broke from the forest, trees whispering and crackling, and more clumps of snow fell from the clusters of apples that clung on. When the branch she was on crackled like the bare trees of the forest, Media Noche turned towards the roof to jump.
She missed.
( iv. )
Media Noche’s eyes didn’t work when she opened them, and neither did her lungs. She scratched around with her claws with no sense of up or down. Mewling in desperation but it only lasted a second, maybe two. Her head popped out of the earth and she saw the grey, grey, grey of the winter sky with the aftermath clouds of the snowfall. She saw the orange eyes of her mother. Luna Llena didn’t help her pull herself out the rest of the way, but she did watch intently. Once Media Noche pulled out her tail, Luna Llena stepped forward and licked off all the dirt.
“Mama?” Media Noche asked.
“Stand straight,” said Luna Llena. “Stand proud and when you see our bruja inside the house greet her with decorum. You’ve lost your first life, a rite of passage for all familiars.”
Media Noche didn’t question this. They’d been told of Nube Blanca and that Mother was on her sixth life and one day, by accident or not, they would lose lives too. What was decorum? “I don’t remember — ”
“The jack-o’-lanterns said you fell.” Luna Llena licked the side of Media Noche’s face. “But our bruja thinks the cold is what really killed you.”
“I died,” said Media Noche. “I don’t remember what it was like to be dead.”
“That’s not something you can remember. Walk with me.” | https://medium.com/@mpgolfin/apple-snow-red-frost-a9e284b511ee | ['M. Pía Golfín M.'] | 2021-01-17 07:05:21.807000+00:00 | ['Snow', 'Talking Animal', 'Magic'] |
A Guide To The Wine Region of Fribourg In Switzerland | Interlude
Welcome to this post about the region of Fribourg in Switzerland. A region that goes under the larger bone of Finger Lakes. In the last post we covered the region of Neuchatel. A place that also goes under the same banner. We are doing all these guides or posts to learn more about the vast world of wine that there is. In a pursuit to get more knowledge and grow our foundations.
We will, like the last one, cover the history of the region, the style of wine that is made here, climate and geography and of course some recommendations as to where you should buy. So without further ado, let’s get started!
History of the region
So for the history of the region it is important in my opinion to learn about the country as a whole. The country is one of the oldest ones in Europe. Maybe not to the same extent that Geogrien is as they have history dating back more than 5000 years. In Switzerland there has been evidence found that wine was made as early as 200 years BC in the region today known as Valais. It was a small bottle made in ceramic found in a celtic tomb and text on the ceramic suggested that it once upon a time contained wine. The people of the country had a history of offering wine to the dead, but it can be assumed that they themselves als had traditions of consuming it. This was around 150 years BC.
After a century or so, the Romans appeared and established more and more vineyards drastically and the whole industry flourished. They got the chance to export a huge amount as the Roman empire grew and grew more. The actual production wine in the country has to be one of the best kept secrets in the entire world. There is a very small amount of wine that ever sees sites outside of Switzerland. The Swiss just love their own wine too much. The entire country holds about 15,000 hectares of cultivated vineyards and there are about 1,500 different producers.
The country was like many others in Europe the victim of the Phylloxera disaster that happened during the 19th century. Botanists from England traveled to North America to do research on the native vines growing there. They brought some back with them not knowing that they carried diseases not experienced by the European native varieties. This resulted in many bones having to be cut down and the winemakers were faced with a very hard decision. Either they could continue with the native ones and riske the infection ones again or they could try and create hybrid ones that could withstand the disease. This was a major influence for the diversified grape varieties that now make up the country’s vineyards.
The style of wine
It can certainly be said that there is not a whole lot of information out there as to the style of wine. But with some digging I came upon the fact that the region is mostly a producer of rare red grapes, often local varieties that are grown and harvested by small family run wineries. This makes it very hard to get a hold of any bottles from the region. We have mentioned previously that Switzerland only exports less than 2% of the total number of wine produced.
A staggering low number compared to other countries. As I said, the region often makes red wine. They tend to make smaller batches and age some on oak. There is not much of a dominant grape but Pinot Noir sees some greater cultivation than others. I have not tried any wine from here. But with the research I have made I can describe them as elegant with a homemade feeling to them. That’s the consensus among the reviewers it seems.
Climate and geography
So what type of climate do they have here? It’s a rather colder climate than other regions. Being located in the western parts of Switzerland they are close to the mountains. The mountains bring cold winds and keep the temperature rather low. Some vineyards are located close to larger bodies of water which makes them have a more balanced temperature throughout the year. But especially during the ripening season. The grapes have the chance for a long growth and therefore develop more tannins and elegance.
Recommendations
I said in the beginning I would mention some places or ways you can go about buying from here. I have not tasted any wines from here, but it is very high on my current to-do list. The way I will go about is to contact wineries directly and suggest the possibility of importing from them. Might sound daunting, but it is not as difficult as it seems.
In Sweden it might be the hardest actually as we have quite strict alcohol laws. You could either import them yourself or via a company or store. In Sweden we do it by the government liquor stores. Here you make private imports and pay a tax on them for the cost. You can then go and pick them up at one of the stores of your choice. Quite convenient and something I will look into more very soon.
Last words
That’s a wrap for this post about the region of Fribourg in Switzerland. A small place that is very secretive almost as to what goes on here. I hope that you have enjoyed reading this and feel more confident or even inspired now. Stay tuned for the next post where we will cover a region called Bern.
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https://www.pinterest.se/samuelpetersson01 | https://medium.com/@samuel.petersson01/a-guide-to-the-wine-region-of-fribourg-in-switzerland-84e4e62a5ced | ['Samuel Petersson'] | 2021-12-27 14:02:55.378000+00:00 | ['Guide', 'Winemaking', 'Wine', 'Switzerland', 'White Wine'] |
Prince Harry And Frustrated Rival Brother Prince William To Attend Grandfather’s Burial Without Megan’s Presence. | Prince Harry And Frustrated Rival Brother Prince William To Attend Grandfather’s Burial Without Megan’s Presence. Riri Apr 13·2 min read
Prince Harry And William.
A few days ago news came out that Queen Elizabeth II husband dies that is Prince Philip. Philip died at the age age of 99. His death occurred in the Winston Palace and his death was announced by the queen herself.
Remember the death has occurred in the times where the Palace was not in place at at all. It has came at a time when Prince Harry and his wife Meghan moved out in what they later said was racism against Meghan and other things which happened to them.
They shared what befell them after they left the royal family. And after the death of their grandfather, many were asking if the two who are now residing in United States of America would came back for burial.
And in fact, they posted their condolences in a certain website and it read, “In loving memory of his royal highness.
The Duke of Edinburgh, 1921–2021. Thank you for your service, you will greatly be missed.”
Now news has came out that the burial of Prince Philip will be on April 17 which will be on Saturday.And that Prince Henry and Prince William be shoulder to shoulder on this burial.
And during the time of burial the two will stand behind the coffin of their grandfather and this will be the first time these two will be seen together again after the fall out.
The issue has brought tension after Henry and his wife opened up everything that was happening in the Palace. Already prince Harry has boarded a plane to the UK and Meghan won’t be attending the burial since she has been adviced by the doctor on health issues she has and the expectation of baby number two. | https://medium.com/@riririviera/prince-harry-and-frustrated-rival-brother-prince-william-to-attend-grandfathers-burial-without-26e2be56ef12 | [] | 2021-04-13 09:58:24.551000+00:00 | ['Prince', 'Philippines', 'Harry Potter', 'Prince Philip'] |
Automate React Native builds with GitHub Actions | Since 2019, GitHub supports CI/CD natively through its feature GitHub Actions. With its easy YAML configuration, huge community support and fair pricing, it has become a solution of choice for automating tests and deployments in Continuous Integration pipelines.
React Native does cooperate well with tools like Fastlane or Bitrise, which allows setting up near-zero-configuration CI/CD pipelines without too much hassle, but we can see that using GitHub for DevOps needs will help to reduce both decentralization and friction points, by focusing our whole mobile development workflow into one single platform.
Setting up our first CI job
First of all we need to create our .github/workflows/ folder which will serve as the point of entry for our CI jobs. For our first workflow file ci.yml we can keep it simple for now and create a job install-and-test that will install npm dependencies and run all tests against our React Native project every time we push to master.
name: Build Android and iOS on:
push:
branches:
- master jobs:
install-and-test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Install npm dependencies
run: |
npm install
- name: Run tests
run: |
npm test
And that’s it! Right in the Actions tab on our project repository, the job will be run at every push, making sure we get a screen score at every step of the process.
Automating the Android build
Android release builds are signed with a keychain, so in order to make a release build with our CI setup, we need to pass a password to our signing logic before we try to compile our Android build. This is done through Secrets, a feature that we can use to store our keychain password that we will call KEYSTORE_PASSWORD and pass it on to our job.
Here we append our second job, that needs the first job install-and-test to execute and pass before wasting time trying to build it.
build-android:
needs: install-and-test
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Install npm dependencies
run: |
npm install
- name: Build Android Release
run: |
cd android && ./gradlew assembleRelease -PMYAPP_UPLOAD_STORE_PASSWORD='${{ secrets.KEYSTORE_PASSWORD }}' -PMYAPP_UPLOAD_KEY_PASSWORD='${{ secrets.KEYSTORE_PASSWORD }}'
- name: Upload Artifact
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v1
with:
name: app-release.apk
path: android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/
The last part of that job will simply upload the generated apk file so it is retrieved through the GitHub interface!
Automating the iOS build
In order to make managing code signing and certificate easier, it is recommended to use a self-hosted runner that already manages our certificates and provisioning profiles. Other solutions might include using Fastlane or encrypting our signing files ourselves like in this article.
Creating an iOS build requires slightly different steps that Android too, as we need to install pod dependencies first.
The script below will output an ad-hoc build.
build-ios:
needs: install-and-test
runs-on: [self-hosted, macos]
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Install npm dependencies
run: |
npm install
- name: Install pod dependencies
run: |
cd ios && pod install
- name: Build app
run: |
xcodebuild -workspace myapp.xcworkspace -scheme myapp archive -archivePath myapp.xcarchive -allowProvisioningUpdates
xcodebuild -exportArchive -archivePath ./myapp.xcarchive -exportPath . -exportOptionsPlist myapp/Info.plist
mv myapp.ipa ../myapp.ipa
- name: Upload Artifact
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v1
with:
name: myapp.ipa
path: ios/build/
There we go, our React Native builds are automatically generated using GitHub’s own CI/CD workflow! | https://medium.com/@remi.gallego/automate-react-native-builds-with-github-actions-af54212d26dc | ['Rémi Gallego'] | 2020-02-23 18:28:52.621000+00:00 | ['JavaScript', 'Github Actions', 'DevOps', 'Ci', 'React Native'] |
Microphone-less Sonos Arc SL soundbar arrives exclusively at Costco | Sonos has quietly begun selling a new version of its Dolby Atmos-enabled Arc soundbar that comes without a built-in microphone, although you’ll have to venture out to Costco to snag one.
Mentioned in this article Sonos Arc Read TechHive's review$799.00MSRP $799.00See iton Sonos The Sonos Arc SL Shadow Edition is now available exclusively at “participating” Costco stores in the U.S. and Canada, and it will be available on Costco.com later this month, a Sonos rep told TechHive. The new Arc is selling for $749, versus $799 for the standard version (pictured above).
Word of the Arc SL first began spreading on the Sonos subreddit, where Reddit users posted images of the new soundbar sitting on store shelves. Sonos has yet to officially announce the Arc SL, and it’s not listed on the company’s website, but a Sonos rep confirmed its existence.
[ Further reading: The best soundbars ]Similar to the microphone-less Sonos One SLRemove non-product link, the Arc SL is identical to the standard Arc save for the lack of a built-in microphone for voice assistants. Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built into the original Arc, although you can use only one at a time. You can still use the Arc SL with a voice assistant if you pair the soundbar with a compatible smart speaker.
Besides the lack of a microphone and it’s “shadow-black” color, the Arc SL boasts the “same immersive sound experience” as the standard Arc, according to Sonos.
We praised the original Arc, which went on sale back in June, for its “exceptional” sound quality (an issue with buggy bass response was subsequently fixed via a software update). That said, we were disappointed that it only has a single HDMI input, which seems stingy for an $800 soundbar.
The new Arc SL might be a good choice for soundbar shoppers who want the sound quality of the standard Arc without voice assistants listening in, although at just $50 off the price of the original, the Arc SL isn’t a major bargain.
Updated shortly after publication to add that the Arc SL will be available on Costco.com later this month, as well as the fact that you can pair the soundbar with a smart speaker.
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/@kristy87043813/microphone-less-sonos-arc-sl-soundbar-arrives-exclusively-at-costco-2ad1088ccd94 | [] | 2020-12-11 09:19:41.146000+00:00 | ['Entertainment', 'Electronics', 'Chargers', 'Music'] |
StaFi Protocol Integrating rTokens on the UniLend Ecosystem | Decentralized Finance is making huge waves in gaining access to almost 75% of the cryptocurrency market. A lot of new projects has emerged on the existence of DeFi and quite few as shown it’s capabilities and efficiency to stand as a promising project.
In as much as there are DeFi projects that are promising, only few have good use cases. Stafi_Protocol has seen a lot of bottlenecks which the DeFi ecosystem is encountered and has proffered solutions in curbing them making them the first DeFi protocol to unlock the full potential of staked tokens.
Stafi_Protocol has provided a convenient, secure and fast rToken issuance which would provide liquidity for all staked assets. These measures would stand in eliminating the risk of price fluctuations when staking.
In the long run, users staked tokens via the stake contract in order to receive rToken in return which can be used to for trading. Since Stafi_Protocol is providing a convenient and secure means to make rToken available to everyone, It made partnership with UniLend Finance making it possible for users to access rTokens on UniLend and also open up new avenues of yield generation for all UniLend Users.
The DeFi community is not only known for it’s token prices, liquidation and volume but it’s well known for the value added to the community through its use case. Stafi_Protocol has much value to add to the UniLend Ecosystem, It would be integrating the alternative token — rTokens on the UniLend Ecosystem so as to allow users trade, borrow or lend their staked tokens on the UniLend Platform.
The integration of the rToken has been scheduled in Stafi_Protocol Q4 Roadmap — Bridge and rSubstrate which would involve a lot of expansion on the development of the rToken Standard, rFis, Substrate rToken, Listing, partnership, parachain auction and ERC20 Bridge.
Tokens would be staked and rTokens are minted in the StaFi network and can be converted into ERC20 through the rBridge built by Stafi_Protocol which can be utilised on any Ethereum-Based DeFi Application.
With UniLend Finance utilizing the StaFi’s rTokens:
All UniLend Users will have the benefits of receiving staking rewards while they make Trades, Supply Liquidity, Collaterize and Lend out rTokens
2. All UniLend Users will also have an advantage of getting access to new avenues of yield generation.
3. Everyone can bring their rToken into UniLend and use them as collateral to borrow assets and in turn receive an interest rate.
The benefit of StaFi’s rToken on the UniLend ecosystem is that users can take advantage of staking rewards while retaining the ability to access their token for trading and DeFi functionality.
Staking Process to earn rTokens
A user stakes Fis Tokens on the Stafi_Protocol and receives both the staked token and the alternative token — rToken. The rTokens received will be an equivalent value of the staked tokens . So imagine it this way, A UniLend user stakes 25000FIS token via StaFi, he/she would receive 250000rFIS token which can be used to interact with the DeFi Protocol.
For More Information about UniLend Finance:
Website: http://unilend.finance/
Telegram Group: https://t.me/UniLendFinance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UniLend_Finance
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/UniLend
Medium: https://medium.com/unilend
For More Information about StaFi Protocol:
Website: https://www.stafi.io/
Telegram Group: https://t.me/stafi_protocol
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Stafi_Protocol
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/jB77etn
Medium: https://medium.com/stafi | https://medium.com/@preciboku/stafi-protocol-integrating-rtokens-on-the-unilend-ecosystem-b2f1e69d4188 | [] | 2020-12-18 17:31:24.254000+00:00 | ['Stafi', 'Partnerships', 'Unilend'] |
Can’t build a car? This is how you can take advantage of the mobility craze. | Investors;
This is an easy sell for early-stage investing. Short timelines and fast growth are on the horizon. Plus points for the businesses that develop partnerships with OEMs early in the design phase and have team members that understand the car manufacturing product timeline. Electrical hardware manufacturers that offer not just parts but architecture solutions will also be a great bet.
Industry;
Over-the-air software updates have been put into fashion by none other than Tesla and will have great implications on how vehicles needs to be designed. Car makers will now have to “future-proof” cars in order to meet very likely competitive demands of ACES features. A balance is needed between ensuring cost savings by maintaining as many carry-over designs into future cars, ensuring competitive advantage in the market for a car that is 5 years old and not putting every single hardware feature under the sun into your vehicle all at once.
Manufacturers will need to move from a distributed/independent electrical hardware structure to a centralized architecture. This means moving from alot of electrical hardware with specific functions that are highly specialized to less hardware with a domain controller or virtual domain. This gives flexibility in future software updates and functions without having to redesign the hardware that supports it.
Students;
Integration, integration, integration.
Electrical engineering — Specifically network & communications will be very valuable in the near future. Whether it is within the vehicle, from vehicle to utilities, vehicle to infrastructure — the communication structure does not currently exist. (Also plugging in that my Dad is one of the smartest people I know and this was his bread and butter)
Car Servicing— No doubt, there will be a variety of issues in the future with these vehicles with so many different softwares operating in different cars with different hardware features. Wire harness and software troubleshooting will be a valuable skill to have.
Business Development — There’s opportunity here for smaller suppliers to create partnerships with car manufacturers to develop services, business models through software. Establish those connections early between government, OEMs and businesses. | https://medium.com/@rideordrive/cant-build-a-car-this-is-how-you-can-take-advantage-of-the-mobility-craze-fb2115ef7f67 | ['Michelle Lo'] | 2021-02-02 03:40:31.653000+00:00 | ['Mobility', 'Venture Capital', 'Tesla', 'IoT', 'Apple'] |
The Same Tired Talking Points | This is an issue that I have difficulty discussing because I have never and will never fully understand what is like to be black and deal with systemic oppression, so I cannot speak to the experience. George Floyd’s death once again sparked the debate of disproportionate police brutality and I’ve read numerous testimonies of “don’t commit crimes and you don’t have to worry” “if people would just comply…” “cops just want to go home safe” and the rest of those tired talking points. While I disagree with these points, I lack the experience to speak on it, and didn’t have empirical evidence to refute those claims. Instead of staying silent as my privilege allows, I decided to read the academic literature surrounding the subject to better form my understanding. By no means is this a systematic review nor is it my area of study so take this with a grain of salt, but I’d like to share what I found in these peer reviewed journals for anyone that wants to learn more about it.
First, I want to point out that I don’t believe the majority of police are overtly racist or even bad people; however, implicit bias affects the way we treat others and police officers are absolutely not immune to that. For those of you that are unaware of what implicit bias is, “it refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner” (Ohio State Kirwan Institute). These biases are activated without our conscious awareness, generally favor our ingroup, and are not accessible through introspection. If you don’t believe you are susceptible to implicit bias, I implore you to take a quick and free test created in collaboration by scientists from University of Washington, Harvard University, and University of Virginia at https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
Now let’s get to the research…
For the “don’t commit crimes and it won’t happen” argument.
It’s well documented that black individuals are disproportionately arrested and imprisoned compared their white counterparts (Schleiden et al. 2019). This isn’t likely due to increased criminal activity as another study in Nebraska showed African American motorists will be stopped, searched, arrested, detained, and prosecuted because of their race more frequently than their white counterparts (Kamaul, 2016). There was also a direct correlation between percentage of blacks in a community and the percentage of stops that eventually resulted in traffic searches. Another study set in Dallas showed 51% of all arrestees are black, despite accounting for just 24% of the population (Weisburt, 2019). The take away is that black citizens are racially profiled and disproportionately stopped and searched leading to the higher arrest rates and disparities in mass incarceration.
Even worse, these disparaging interactions with police start at a young age. Multiple studies have shown black youth were arrested at greater rates than white youth with first arrests beginning at a younger age (Lau et al. 2017). This teaches and ingrains a distrust in law enforcement at a young age, despite black youth receiving more lenient sentencing for first offenses (Lau et al. 2017). Another study showed that after controlling for contextual and behavioral factors black young adults were arrested seven times more often than their white counterparts (Schleiden, 2019). This sheds light on racial disparities that are not accounted for by contextual or behavioral factors, implying that bias can perpetuate this cyclic oppression.
For the “comply and there won’t be any problems” argument:
In addition to racial profiling leading to more frequent stops, searches, and arrests, black citizens are also more likely to have force used against them. One study showed white suspects were slightly more likely to display no resistance or non-physical forms of noncompliance, white suspects were also more likely to manifest physically aggressive behavior, while black suspects were more likely to resist defensively (Pauline et al. 2016). These results were statistically significant but small-to-modest in magnitude.
Pauline et al. show black suspects do not resist police more forcefully than whites do and furthermore white officers used higher levels of force against black suspects (controlling for resistance), while black offers were unaffected by the race of the suspect (2016).
White officers are more likely than black officers to use OC spray and hard hand tactics (punching/kicking), while black officers had a greater tendency to rely upon soft hands (grappling techniques) (Paoline et al. 2016). In this study white officers were also more likely to use higher levels of force against blacks, while black officers’ behavior was not contingent upon suspect race.
This goes to show that while white officers may not be overtly racist, implicit bias likely plays a role in the treatment of suspects calling for a greater representation of minority police officers
For the “Police officers just want to go home to their family” argument
Yes, being a police officer is a very difficult job and may seem scary, especially with rising tensions. However, if you’re afraid of your job find a different profession. To speak objectively, based on data Officer deaths have been declining for the past three decades. There has been legislation pushed for further police protection including giving officers protected rights similar to minority groups. In 2018 police officers were killed in the line of duty (both accidentally and feloniously) at a rate of 15.4 per 100,000. For perspective, loggers had a rate of 97.6 per 100,000 and even landscapers have a more dangerous job as they suffer 20.2 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers.
Maybe we should rethink the stringency of becoming a police officer as there is a long history of officers mishandling and escalating situations without adequate repercussions.
For those condemning the looting.
First off, if you vocally condemn these riots and have remained silent about George Floyd’s death, take some time to reflect on your true intentions. I’m not condoning looting and don’t think it helps the issue, however the black lives matter group was quickly told “all lives matter” Collin Kaepernick was called unpatriotic for kneeling, athletes and celebrities are told to stay out of politics (although I’m unsure of how police brutality has become politicized), and as a whole, any movement set out to raise awareness against police brutality has been promptly silenced. In that regard, it’s difficult to blame these individuals for feeling unheard and lashing out while year after year nothing changes. Before you point fingers and condemn individuals for protesting and rioting look at the research and see the root of these frustrations.
References
Duffin, E. (2019, September 30). U.S. law enforcement officers 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/191694/number-of-law-enforcement-officers-in-the-us/
McCarthy, N., & Richter, F. (2019, May 08). Infographic: U.S. On Duty Police Officer Deaths Increased In 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/chart/11727/us-police-deaths-spiked-last-year/
Braverman, B. (2019, December 28). The 10 most dangerous jobs in America. Retrieved May 29, 2020, from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/27/the-10-most-dangerous-jobs-in-america-according-to-bls-data.html
Kamalu, N. C. (2016). African Americans and racial profiling by U.S. law enforcement: An analysis of police traffic stops and searches of motorists in Nebraska, 2002–2007. African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies, 9, 187–206.
Paoline, E. A., Gau, J. M., & Terrill, W. (2016). Race and the Police use of Force Encounter in the United States. British Journal of Criminology. doi:10.1093/bjc/azw089
Weisburst, E. K. (2019). Police Use of Force as an Extension of Arrests: Examining Disparities across Civilian and Officer Race. AEA Papers and Proceedings, 109, 152–156. doi:10.1257/pandp.20191028
Lau, K. S., Rosenman, M. B., Wiehe, S. E., Tu, W., & Aalsma, M. C. (2017). Race/Ethnicity, and Behavioral Health Status: First Arrest and Outcomes in a Large Sample of Juvenile Offenders. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research. doi:10.1007/s11414–017–9578–3
Schleiden, C., Soloski, K. L., Milstead, K., & Rhynehart, A. (2019). Racial Disparities in Arrests: A Race Specific Model Explaining Arrest Rates Across Black and White Young Adults. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 37(1), 1–14. doi:10.1007/s10560–019–00618–7 | https://medium.com/@zeekcrypto/the-same-tired-talking-points-cdc9c2c9ac33 | [] | 2020-10-25 05:36:02.087000+00:00 | ['Racial Profiling', 'Social Justice', 'Police Brutality', 'Racial Justice', 'George Floyd'] |
Bird | I’m thinking about I know why the caged bird sings
And about Dunbar and Angelou and even Keys —
That image of wanting freedom —
And then I think,
Freedom is a type of love
And love is freedom.
Because my heart is a caged bird
In my chest,
encased in flesh,
Ribbed coop,
And when you come near
(At first, at least)
she battered at the bars
With desire for
What caged birds want,
But even now
Lying quietly
Almost asleep
Your arms holding me
I’m unlocked and open
So that my love
flies from me,
not soaring high above,
Us
She just flutters
peacefully
into your hand.
Tamed. | https://medium.com/@esilveirapoems/bird-b08f39de996a | ['Erin Silveira'] | 2020-12-23 13:04:31.361000+00:00 | ['Poetry', 'Poems On Medium', 'Poetry On Medium', 'Poem'] |
6 React Books worth reading: Learning React while quarantined | In the last article, I wrote about JavaScript books and went over the selection process when it comes to choosing potential books for the curriculum as a coding teacher. In this article, I ’ll be covering books about React, React Native, and the MERN stack (Mongo, Express, React, and Node).
Photo by Hans McMurdy
Why React?
If there is a single javascript front-end library or framework you should learn, teach or adopt, it may have to be React.
Once a small library for the web, React has grown into a large and very diverse ecosystem that effectively empowers developers to learn one core “library” and apply it’s core concepts to a suite of additional libraries and frameworks to build UI components for the web, mobile apps, and even VR.
Those reasons as well as the demand and popularity of React, make a compelling argument to learn the core library and a few others. For those unfamiliar with React lets clarify a few things:
React is a library, not a framework.
It was released in 2013.
Introduced JSX, an xml like super-set of JavaScript used to describe UI’s on the web
React started gaining popularity around 2015 as the JS community was learning to adopt the newest language standards known as ES6 /ES2015.
React-Native was also introduced in 2015 further adding to its popularity.
React VR was released in 2017 and renamed React 360.
React Ionic was released in 2019
There are several different libraries and frameworks developed and maintained by Facebook with key differences.
React — The core library that the three others below are built on top of. It is a declarative, component-based library for building UI that you learn once and can use everywhere.
— The core library that the three others below are built on top of. It is a declarative, component-based library for building UI that you learn once and can use everywhere. React DOM — A library that renders React components for the web .
— A library that renders React components for the . React-Native — A framework for building native apps on iOS & Andriod .
— A framework for building native apps on . React-360 — A framework for creating web-based 360 and VR content.
There are also a few other React related projects by Facebook that are definitely worth keeping an eye on. Finally, there are countless components, hooks, libraries, and frameworks made by the greater react community such as react router, remix, react ionic, and countless others that help you build websites faster.
So if you’re excited and ready to learn React, Here are a few book recommendations to help you.
Introductory Books
The first half of this article will be concerned with books that are reasonably safe for beginners and intermediate level developers. However, they do largely assume you have a working proficiency with JavaScript. My goal here was to narrow it down to 4 books that give readers such a solid understanding of React that they are confident enough to not only build the projects in advanced books but also try and improve upon them and explain the project they build well enough to pass an interview.
By Adam Boduch, 2018
Explanations ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Practice ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Assessments ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Advanced Topics ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you are completely new to react, I highly recommend this book.
It’s packets full of illustrations, plain explainations and even assessments to make sure you have a solid understand of React whether you use it for web or mobile.
Surprisingly, this is arguably one of the best introductory books on the React ecosystem.
The book probably has the most visual illustrations of any other book I’ve read on React. Additionally, it has assessments that come in really handy if you need to train a team or teach students. Moreover, it teaches React fundamentals really well for several different react libraries, the core react library, react-dom for web, react-bootstrap, react-router, redux and react-native for targeting mobile apps.
Although the projects are a bit weak and it uses older versions that don’t have hooks, the book makes up for it with the explanations, illustrations, assessments, and diversity of React libraries covered. Overall, it’s a great book for beginners who know a little JS, want to learn to React, and aren’t sure if they want to focus on the web or native mobile app development.
By Carl Rippon, 2018
Explanations ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Practice ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Assessments ⭐⭐⭐ Advanced Topics ⭐⭐⭐
If you are hoping to eventually join a major company as a React developer,
I would definitely recommend checking out this book as it provides a foundation for writting clean, maintainable code using TypeScript.
Why a TypeScript(TS) book? Well, to be honest, I’m not the biggest TS fan.
That being said, if there is one introductory book I’d recommend, it would be this book. I had originally written reviews for two other introductory books and had planned to include them in this article but after reading this book, I removed them because the explanations of core react concepts are just better.
Rippon’s Book provides a great introduction to TypeScript with the first 2 full chapters (~100p) being dedicated entirely to the subject. The rest of the book explains core react concepts within the context of TS in simple but effective code examples.
In particular, the book covers core React topics such as:
— lifecycle methods & hooks,
— routing,
— managing state with Redux,
— working with forms,
— API’s and GraphQL,
— and even a bit of testing.
All of this helps give the reader a lot to build on to write clean React code and serves as a great introductory book. What the book may lack in terms of practical projects is more than made up by the depth of knowledge while remaining concise and easy for beginners to digest.
My one minor complaint would be that testing is saved until the end of the book rather than introduced closer in the beginning. It’s a bit of personal difference but I would assume the whole point of building a React app with TS, is to provide a foundation for cleaner code and better coding habits. Most coding books do this, so I can’t blame the author, however, it has the unfortunate effect of reinforcing the idea of testing as an afterthought, rather than being truly test-driven development. Although this is seemingly minor, it has the effect of giving readers less practice with TDD and consequently making them less comfortable with it.
By Carlos Santana Roldán, 2019
Explanations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Practice ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Assessments ⭐ Advanced Topics ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book is honestly one of my favorite intermediate level books. The author is a senior engineer at Snap Inc & the book provides an indepth understanding of react under the hood.
The first two chapters do such a great job at breaking down react’s fundamentals that even my high school students found it easy to understand.
Although there are overlapping topics from the previous book, this book covers JSX and a few others in very simple terms.
Moreover, the book has a significant focus on Server-Side Rendering (SSR), performance-optimization, CSS in js, testing, and deploying a react app. Also, the examples are generally a bit more applied as opposed to concepts and theory.
By Daniel Bugl, 2019
Explanations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Practice ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Assessments ⭐⭐⭐ Advanced Topics ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was hooked within the first two chapters.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
Coding puns, aside, it really is an amazing book. Not only does it cover react hooks but it also covers the under-the-hood working of react hooks by breaking down what useState is actually doing.
React is a trendy subject and there is a high demand for not just an understanding of react but also for having an in-depth knowledge of JavaScript. More specifically there is a demand for functional, declarative programming paradigms and even the under-the-hood working of react. Thankfully, this book does exactly this and the assessment questions at the end of each chapter definitely help test your knowledge so you can feel a but more confident about what you just read.
Advanced Project-Based Books
After you have a firm understanding of the fundamentals of React, React Native, and react hooks, its worth considering learning the MERN stack (Mongo, Express, React, Node) and maybe even a little VR for the web. Here are a few books to help you build on what the previous books covered and hopefully modify them with your own knowledge and use cases.
MERN Quick Start Guide 📖536
By Eddy Wilson Iriarte Koroliova, 2018
Explanations ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Practice ⭐⭐⭐
Assessments ⭐ Advanced Topics ⭐⭐⭐
This is a great introduction to MERN stack.
Assuming you are talking about Mongo, Express, Redux, Node…
As far as quick-start books go, this book job does an amazing job covering Express, API’s, Mongo, and Redux. The chapters are overall very well organized, even for beginners.
Most of all though, the explanations of core concepts and code are worded in plain, simple, and concise ways that even my high school students found it easy enough to follow. The express chapter, in particular, does a fantastic job of breaking down the most common middleware and how to use them.
However, in my personal opinion, the book fails to deliver when it comes to the React chapter. In fact, I honestly recommend avoiding the last chapter entirely and read Bartłomiej Dybowski’s article(s) on Server-Side Rendering in React because it does a much better job of explaining how to integrate React into Express.
By Shama Hoque, 2018
Explanations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Practice ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Assessments ⭐ Advanced Topics ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Shama Hoque’s book definitely isn’t intended for complete beginners but I would recommend it for some fun MERN stack portfolio items. Also, the good news is the second edition is coming out soon.
The book has four main projects:
Social Media Platform Online Marketplace Media Streaming Application VR game
By the end of the book, you should have at least 4 projects that are worth showing off.
Why you should sign up as a medium member?
First and foremost it encourages technical writers like myself to write more content. Second, I use the passive income from writing to put into my newborn’s college fund. So every read and every penny goes to his future. That being said, if you can afford Netflix, you can probably afford a $5 medium account so please consider signing up for a paid account
Additional Articles You May Enjoy
If you are still a bit new to JavaScript, I highly recommend checking out my last article on some JavaScript Books.
Many have heard the term ES6 by now. But very few talk about how the abandoned ES4 spec not only became ES6 but also led to the creation of Node.js and radically redefining the JavaScript language as a whole.
Additional Resources:
Below are some additional sources react recommends on their page:
About the Author
Brett “Hans” McMurdy is a self-taught developer with 6+ years of experiance in front-end, back-end and several major areas in between.
He’s currently a stay home dad who’s looking for a full time job, check out his Linkedin if you are interested in hiring him.
In the meantime, he’s working on a few cool open source projects that should make you consider sponsoring him.
1. He’s writing an open source book on JavaScript that teaches the language with node.js instead of a browser. It’s also a remote development environment powered by GitPod so you don’t need a fancy computer, just open up the book and start learning with a preconfigured environment.
2. He’s creating some simple but powerful vscode extensions.
3. He’s wants to launch a free class on Twitch when he reach 50 followers. | https://medium.com/swlh/7-react-books-worth-reading-learning-react-while-quarantined-4486ceb3e862 | ['Hans Mcmurdy'] | 2020-09-11 20:07:49.685000+00:00 | ['React', 'Software Development', 'JavaScript', 'Programming'] |
Lying with Gun Data. Again. | I only got on Twitter recently, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job overall of not picking fights on it. Fighting on Twitter is really, really dumb. For one, you never really know whether the faceless name on the other end of the twit line is an actual person, considering how the platform is totally plagued with bots. By one count, there were 72,000 bots posting for Trump and Hillary during the first debate. Over 30% of pro-Trump tweets were bots during that debate, and 20% of the pro Hillary tweets were also bots. So I vet who I talk to. And when someone with a resume that includes CNET and the Wall Street Journal, both sources I find to be really-not-too-bad in the current climate, reached out to me about a graph from the first article in the Gun Series, I was excited to have an open, data driven discussion.
Well.
That was a mistake.
But it was pretty funny, at least from my perspective, and if you’ve read any of the material on HWFO you’ll probably get a kick out of it too. It will also give us an opportunity to unpack more of the sorts of garbage games the media plays with graphs.
The image in question was the first graph from here:
…which is an entire article about not lying with linear bivariate trendlines. Given it’s the second highest trafficked HWFO article, I made the mistake of presuming my interlocutor read it. He really probably should have.
Begin
I entered into this exchange with an author boasting a resume of tech writing, presuming we were going to have an honest discussion about data analysis. I answered his question about data sources honestly, and I thought perhaps he’d use the excel template to insert updated data. I mentioned to him in email that one of the sketchier data sets to work with in this space is the statewide ownership rates, since polls really don’t exist for those, and the researchers cook up their own by looking at marginal ratios between gun suicide and overall suicide to project the rates. These ownership rate estimates can vary quite a bit across the research space. I thought perhaps he might want to re-cook the graph with different ownership rate sources for comparison, or such. An exercise like that might have been interesting and fruitful.
Nope.
So, ignoring my answer on the data source, he seemed curiously to not understand the point of a regression analysis. The reason we do regression analysis is to try and develop a function which accurately predicts dependent variables based on independent variables. And then we measure how well the analysis fits the data. This is almost literally the whole point. Forcing a trendline to miss more of the data, just so it goes through the origin, makes the analysis less useful for forecasting.
I’ve already admitted more than once that if the Magic Gun Evaporation Fairy were to come down from space and dematerialize all the guns with her Phaser Wand, that gun homicide would go to zero. But that’s not at all useful in forecasting, owing to our palpable lack of a Magic Gun Evaporation Fairy.
Put more simply, having a trendline that’s accurate at the zero boundary is useless to us, because we will never be anywhere near that boundary.
I even dropped a discursive Easter Egg, namely that while a bivariate correlation between gun ownership and gun homicide does not exist, a weak multivariate one does, as highlighted in the article. He still didn’t read the article. I wonder in retrospect if he even knew there was an article.
So he chews on my spreadsheet, which I dutifully emailed him in the spirit of open discourse, for four hours, and then tweets out a reply.
“Statistically significant.”
That’s a bold claim. A scientific claim. A falsifiable one. And one I was a bit curious about it, having chewed on this data set six ways from Sunday before, so I opened his graphs, to see what he’d done.
credit: Max Taves, although I’m not exactly clear what a “Correlationship” is. Sounds a bit like Lee Corso yammering on about “trickeration.”
Well, good on him, he does appear to have updated some data points. That’s nice. And even with the new data, the trendline doesn’t tell us much, which again was the whole point of the original article.
But the way we determine statistical significance is with a coefficient of determination — the infamous “R²” value. Where is it?
“Also illogical” is curious rhetoric, since the lack of correlation makes perfect sense to me. Gun violence is mostly correlated to income inequality and prevalence of the prison industrial complex, and also significantly correlated to black population ratio, because of the socioeconomic trap they’re in. We discussed all that here. Further, a relatively low ownership rate can still provide for the criminal element (murderers) to be sufficiently populated with guns to commit all the murders they’d like, which is what I was trying to explain to him in the tweets regarding “saturation points” and is laid out in the Magic Fairy article linked above. But this is Twitter, where simply saying something makes it immediately true, and he’s on a roll, let’s see where he takes us.
credit: Max Taves
All he did was click the “set intercept to 0,0” button in Excel, to “prove” his logic. He drew the line at an angle. Does this better match the data than the trendline in the prior graph? Is, perhaps, there some way we can measure how well it fits the data? How “statistically significant” is this best fit line?
Well, first off, it is by definition less statistically significant than the one in the prior graph, because if it was more statistically significant, then Excel would have drawn the first line to look like the second. And I’ve already made the case that there’s basically no statistical significance with the first graph, with sub 0.05 R² values across the board for these sorts of data sets. International ones are similar.
So I go into the Excel file tonight after I got the kids in bed, and I click the button he clicked. Check this out. It’s hilarious.
You’ll note some different points between my graph and his, where he adjusted the ownership rate to a different data set, but the form and shape is basically the same. Poor Louisiana is still way up at the top. The coefficient of determination value of this data set, when you force it through the origin is so bad it’s negative.
Is that even possible?
Actually, yes. Negative coefficient of determinations only show up in regression models without constants (meaning they’re forced through the origin) and what they indicate is that the best fit line through the origin is worse than a horizontal line. Dang dude.
Unpacking the Rhetoric
But that’s not even the worst of it, because Mr. Teves’s choice to force the trendline through the origin is not only bad math, it’s also a deeply dirty rhetorical trick. I can show you why in two graphs.
These are random numbers substituted for gun statistics. I could build a hundred of these in about three minutes. Above is a screenshot of one of them, but they all look the same. The line goes through the origin and climbs to the right because all the data are in the first quadrant of the graph. There’s no such thing as a negative murder rate, and no such thing as a negative gun ownership rate, which means any set of randomly generated data must populate what mathematicians call the “First Quadrant” of the Cartesian plane, and any line that you draw through the origin and out into the First Quadrant must climb up and to the right, because “up and to the right” is literally where the First Quadrant is.
Here’s a more extreme example, to drive the point home.
I think we can agree this data is correlated. I know this because I derived it from a function, on purpose, to be perfectly correlated. But again, if we force our trendline to intercept the origin, it must go up and to the right by default.
Max’s Coup De Grace
Here’s Mr. Taves again.
Now there is no way I’m going to get into an hour-long Twit Battle explaining basic math to a tech blogger, because Twitter is a garbage communication medium and honestly doing so would probably have taken me more time than it did to write this entire article, including the graphs. And even if I did, all that effort would be lost to the aether and nobody would learn from it. Further, I don’t care to educate Mr. Taves at all — I don’t think his education matters.
But if you’re reading this, and you followed along, and you notice Vox or Mother Jones (or Fox News, they’re bad too) tossing around scatter plots and best fit lines with no accompanying discussion about how well they fit the data, especially if they’re piping their trendlines through the origin to make them look good, look out.
As I mentioned recently to Benjamin Boyce on the podcast, in this day and age it’s important to be critical of all media, no matter the source, especially if it’s feeding you something you agree with ideologically. The media outlet in question is probably doing it on purpose to farm the clicks and shares. The only way to consume media at all in 2018 is to develop a very finely tuned bullshitometer.
Here’s the podcast if you missed it. | https://medium.com/handwaving-freakoutery/lying-with-gun-data-again-7a23c4638ce2 | ['Bj Campbell'] | 2018-11-28 18:00:49.125000+00:00 | ['Guns', 'Statistics', 'Data Visualization', 'Media Criticism', 'Politics'] |
The Asian Version of a Green City | When people talk about Asian cities they talk about landfills, plastic lying all around, streets filled with people, and an incredible amount of air pollution. But this city in southeast Asia is different.
This city is clean. This city is green. This city is modern and incredibly beautiful. And I’m saying that as someone who doesn’t like cities. I’m saying that as someone who would anytime trade city life against a life in the wilderness surrounded by nothing but nature.
“While it may seem small, the ripple effects on small things is extraordinary.” — Matt Bevin
This city impressed me by its high standard of public transport. By its modern society and friendly people. This city made me come back for its lovely charm. In 2019 I visited Kuala Lumpur (short as KL) twice within 30 days while living in Thailand.
Kuala Lumpur. The capital of Malaysia. | https://medium.com/show-your-city/the-asian-version-of-a-green-city-a244b52c6252 | ['Anne Bonfert'] | 2020-12-18 11:50:30.629000+00:00 | ['Travel', 'Show Your City', 'Asia', 'Malaysia', 'Green Living'] |
Blog #10 Federal Contracting Market Share Trends and Patterns | TL;DR — Uncover competitive insights from information and analytics using Federal contracting #opendata. Analyze > 100GB’s of US Federal spending open data with a few lines of Python code.
Previous Blog Post in this series can be found at this link.
Python code and the jupyter notebook for this analysis is on Github here.
Introduction
Several of the most popular and influential HBR articles on business strategy explore the relationship between market share, market growth, and profitability. In this tenth blog in my series, I show you how you can use Federal spending open data (USAspending.gov) to help guide your analysis of the market and shape your business strategy.
For most companies competing in the Federal contracting market (“Federal market”), the ~$600B/year in annual spending seems like an almost infinite amount relative to their annual revenue and a market with unlimited growth potential. With the exception of weapons systems platforms, most of the aggregated Federal market is highly-fragmented, relative to most commercial markets. However, at the Agency level, market share is more concentrated and it is challenging to dislodge incumbents that have solid past performance records. Competition for that work at re-compete time (~ every 5 years) can be intense. Incumbents have huge advantages in the Federal market. Also, most services contracts are long term (typically, one year with four option years) and incumbent recompete win rates over 75% are not uncommon.
Capturing market share for your firm’s services is often a long game and it can be expensive to displace incumbents in terms of bid and proposal to capture the work and managing profitability after the win.
Many Federal contractors thrive on a steady proposal machine fueled by a healthy pipeline of qualified opportunities.
Is it possible to make better capture investment decisions using insights about analytical features in the market the reveal competitive intensity and Agency-level buyer preferences?
Are there ways to use Federal #OpenData and analytical techniques to guide your planning efforts to yield higher ROI with a more focused strategy?
Natural Limits to Market Share?
For some of the largest segments of the Federal contracting market, there seem to be boundaries on market share by product or service category that reflect market competition, customer preferences, contracting practices, and other factors. Exploring those forces at the Federal, Department, and Agency for the segment of products or services your firm concentrates on can help in shaping your investment plans for new opportunities and retention of incumbent work.
Spending by Federal designated product_or_service code for GFY2019 (~$590B total prime obligations):
PSC_Cat = product_or_service_code which is the dominant type of work within the prime contract.
Selecting a subset of these codes (A, B, D, M, Q, R, S) that are focused more on services than products, you can see the GFY10-GFY19 market share trends for the #1 company each year in that PSC_Cat.
Market share for #1 Company in each PSC_Cat: GFY2010–2019.
Growing market concentration at the top: The top market share firm in PSC_Cat Q Medical Services has jumped significantly (50% increase— from 20% to 30%) between GFY17 and GFY19 over the ~20% baseline earlier in the decade. PSC_Cat B Special Studies has doubled from ~5% to ~10%. PSC_Cat M Operation of Government-Owned Facility has increased from ~12% to %16. Those categories represent ~$54B/year and ~9% of total Federal obligations.
Stable or declining market concentration: The #1 contractor in PSC_Cat A Research and Development has dropped from ~18% market share to ~13% over the decade while PSC Cat D IT and Telecom remained relatively stable at ~6% (with a significant fluctuation between GFY13-GFY17 of 2x) at the start and end of the decade. PSC Cat R Support Services has seen a slight decline from ~4% to ~3.8%. For GFY 2019 PSC_Cat A + D + R => ~$177B which is ~31% of total prime contracting.
Clustering of Market Share for the #1 Contractor each GFY by $ Value and Share Fraction — select PSC_Cat
Note how the PSC_Cat market share values are clustered by type of work. It is possible to capture 20%-30% of the spending in Medical Services (PSC_Cat Q), a > $20B/year market, but the #1 contractors in other major spending categories are only able to capture about 5%-10% of the spending in their work segment.
Exploring PSC_Cat D (IT & Telecom), R (Support Svcs), and A (R&D)
Let’s dive into the large PSC_Cat D, R, and A categories and explore those further.
Top Contractor (“Top_1”) in a GFY and PSC_Cat | https://medium.com/@lulstrup/blog-10-federal-contracting-market-share-trends-and-patterns-eaaf4af9c4d6 | ['Leif Ulstrup'] | 2021-01-01 14:12:34.407000+00:00 | ['Analytics', 'Open Data', 'Python Pandas', 'Strategy', 'Federal'] |
Design is Design: The Parallels of UX and Fashion Design | “How many years of experience do you have as a UX designer?” he asked.
“I’ve been a designer for over ten years and—” he cut me off before I could finish.
“How many years of experience do you have as a designer in UX specifically?”
“I’ve been practicing User Centered Design and Design Thinking principles -essentially UX Design for over ten years, it just wasn’t called that.”
Now he’s perplexed.
“But it says on your resume you’ve only had one job working on mobile apps…” and so went the last 30 painstaking semi-frustrating calls I’ve had with recruiters in the past two months of my job search.
I’ve had to explain how design is design, and that even though I’ve only recently started identifying myself as a “UX Designer”, I am in fact a design veteran familiar with the design process digital or otherwise. Not only do I know it in theory but I’ve implemented these design principles under real world high pressure conditions in corporate America for years and years.
After minutes of explaining they still don’t understand or agree. So I wonder, do people not know what UX Design is? Is design not design no matter what product you apply it to? Is the definition of UX taught to me through my Flatiron/Designation bootcamp in fact not what I thought it was? So I decided to take a step back and re-examine the exact definition of UX.
According to Don Norman, inventor of the term “User Experience”:
“No product is an island. A product is more than the product. It is a cohesive, integrated set of experiences. Think through all of the stages of a product or service — from initial intentions through final reflections, from first usage to help, service, and maintenance. Make them all work together seamlessly.” — Don Norman, Nielson Norman Group
According to Kim Goodwin author of “Designing for the Digital Age”:
“Design is the craft of visualizing concrete solutions that serve human needs and goals within certain constraints. These solutions could be tangible products, such as buildings, software, consumer electronics, or advertisements, or they could be services that are intended to provide a specific sort of experience.”
By these definitions, design is indeed design and the approach or the thought process involved for solving these problems is the same. One can argue that UX is the design of digital interfaces themselves, making them “pretty”. I would disagree and say by that definition alone, UX is nothing more than a glorified graphic designer (no offense graphic designers out there). However, UX Design goes beyond just the visuals of websites, apps, games, software, VR, AR, MR and obviously voice etc., but it is the “experience” itself. As a clothing designer, that is exactly what I have been doing this entire time. Now, I am fully aware that there is a craft unique to UX as well as important distinguishing factors that differ the two disciplines. But the similarities outweigh the differences. In this article I’m emphasizing the former; the foundation of User Centered Design and application of Design Thinking remains the basis of both.
Here’s a crash course in the design process of clothing and UX comparing my previous career as a fashion designer to my current title of “UX Designer”. For the sake of time, I will go into this article with the assumption that we are all familiar with the UX Design process already and expand on the fashion side. I also preface this with a disclaimer that different companies have different procedures and may do things in a different order or skip parts all together. This is the general overview, a very over simplified version of the experience I’ve gathered from all the places I’ve worked at in my career as a mass market womenswear designer. Below is a visual for all the visual learners out there.
In UX Design we always start with research. For fashion we do the same. Because we design about a year in advance, in order to predict future trends we do research by looking at trend reports from trend forecasting companies that provide color, fabric, print and silhouette direction.
Like UX where we do a competitive analysis, in fashion we go competitive shopping to see what competitor brands are doing and selling. We also buy samples to get fabric inspiration or quite bluntly, to knock off the style, print, or pattern. We take pictures, we assemble reports and present back to our teams. Some designers travel abroad for this, some travel to different cities and some just do it locally depending on company policy and budget.
In UX we synthesize the data, in fashion we synthesize our trend and shopping reports. We pull together an inspirational mood board to set themes or stories we want to tell. We analyze previous sales reports to tell us what styles were best sellers so we know which, if any, to carry over and to put in a new print. We also look at what our best selling colors were and take all that into consideration when we put together our color palettes and fabrics for the season. In UX this moodboard could also be called a style tile, containing all the styling elements we would use for our interface.
As with all design, we will always have to work within constraints. In fashion, it’s usually related to budget: fabric costs, fabric minimums, factory production minimums, trim costs like buttons, buckles or other closures that you may use. How complicated is the garment? How much labor will go into making it? If I add embroidery somewhere, it will add to the cost and I will need to make sure the base fabric is cheap enough. All these constraints affect how we design. For example if I choose to use buttons that are more expensive, I may have to compromise on fabric yardage and add a seam somewhere all the while making sure the garment still makes sense. We have seasonal constraints. What time of year are we designing for? Fabrics will be limited to the season we’re in; if I’m designing spring/summer I most likely will not be using heavy wool. We also have styling constraints. Does it fit who we’re designing for? Our target customer -in UX -Persona. Does it fit into our trends, our themes and the story we’re telling with our color palette? Last but not least, we have time constraints. What is the in-store delivery date? What are fabric lead times and availability? How soon can they dye it or have it printed? Are our prints even ready to send to factories to start printing? Usually the answer is no and everything was supposed to have been done last week.
Given these constraints we still have to pull together weekly presentations to the buyers, or in UX the stakeholders, to update them on current status. In UX we would call these sprint meetings.
UX paper prototypes
Now for concepting and ideation. These ideas would first be quickly illustrated by hand or in UX, via paper prototypes and rapid prototyping. Then we would move to computer sketches, called wireframing in UX world. We do technical flat sketches using Adobe Illustrator (or for UX Sketch or Adobe XD) that show the entire collection; all the colorways a style comes in, what fabric, in which prints, what it sits next to on the floor, and/or how it’s merchandised. We have our low fidelity flat sketches which are black and white and then high fidelity if there is enough time to render the actual fabrics, colors and textures.
Finally it’s time to get the first sample or proto made. In UX, this would be the prototype. In UX, usability testing is done on a user. In fashion, the proto is also tested on a user through an actual fitting. Through asking the user questions: How does it feel? Where is it uncomfortable (pain point)? Do you like how it looks, is the fabric scratchy? We attain comments or user feedback and iterate to improve, much like in UX. We test or fit again until it is refined enough for production, or in UX terms, development.
We have to make sure that all the garment details are annotated, what the measurements are and how it’s constructed. This is diagrammed in what we call a tech pack which we pass on to the manufacturer for the garment to be made and mass produced. In UX world it would be the equivalent of annotations that would then be passed off to a developer.
So there we have it. The long, perhaps not long enough answer to the short question of “How many years of UX Design experience do you have?” to which I will answer “Ten, I have over ten years of UX Design experience.” | https://medium.com/swlh/design-is-design-the-parallels-of-ux-and-fashion-design-fefd2153b34c | ['Lisa Lin'] | 2020-04-16 01:27:37.457000+00:00 | ['UX Design', 'Design Process', 'Fashion Designer', 'Career Change'] |
When Desperation Meets Opportunity Chapter 6 — A #NaNoWriMo 2015 Story | Chapter 6 — Maggie
I kiss Brayden on the forehead and begin to read him “Green Eggs and Ham” to bring upon sleepiness. I’m not sure if he likes the book or not, but my mom doesn’t have a huge selection and I didn’t think ahead of time to bring any that I had. It doesn’t take long for Brayden to pass into his dreams. That’s always been something he’s been good at — falling asleep quickly! Just in case, I finish reading the book, quietly put it back on the bookshelf near his bed, and tiptoe out of the guest room. We haven’t had many sleepovers at my mom’s, but typically Brayden gets the guest room and I simply take the couch.
As I head into the living area just after 9pm, I notice my mom is still awake, reading a Food Network magazine. Not really my cup of tea. I’m more of a Cosmo person. The pure frivolousness of that publication helps me escape the reality of day to day life.
“How’d he go down?” she asks.
“Perfect, like usual. I have no idea how I got so lucky.”
“You certainly did. But, it must be genetics. Never had any issues putting you to bed.” She cracks a smile as that positive thought crosses her mind. I smile as I look out the picture window into the night. It doesn’t hold long, as I begin to think about what I need to do tonight. Why did Mr. Man pick this particular task for me? I’ll find out soon enough.
My mom sets down her magazine, and stands up. “I’m headed to bed Maggie. Whatever you are up to tonight, be safe. I’ll cover for you if Brayden wakes up and asks any questions. But you have to promise me something. Sometime soon, you have to tell me everything. I want to be there for you, but if you are going to just shut me out, then maybe we don’t have anything keeping us together.”
I stare at her, biting my lip, trying to determine the best response while subsequently attempting to quell my frustration with her. “First of all, we’ll always have Brayden. Regardless of how you feel about me, that is your grandson and you should be a part of his life. Secondly, I’m not shutting you out. I simply don’t know that much about what is going on yet. Mom — I promise you that if I can, I will tell you everything. You don’t think I know how hard it is going through life alone?”
Emotion overcomes me as tears flow down my face. The stress of everything occassionally overtakes me, and this is one of those times. I put my head into my arms and try to pull myself together. Unexpectedly, I feel the embrace of two arms wrapped around me. A hug, the first I’ve received in longer than I can remember. This moment could last forever and I wouldn’t hate it. Nothing compares to a hug from mom.
However, as soon as this spontaneous display of apparent affection appears, it is gone, and mom heads down the hallway to her bedroom.
Since I still have just under three hours until I need to be at the jail, I decided to take the risk of setting my phone alarm and getting some sleep. In the midst of the craziness of today, I somehow forgot that I am exhausted. Some sleep will do me good. Oversleeping would be bad, so I set three alarms just in case. You can never be too careful. Besides, I have no idea what I am dealing with or what would happen if I went back on our agreement. It probably isn’t too late to back out, after all, this is a test of whether or not I can be trusted. Then again, Mr. Man made it clear it would be very worth my while to do this. It has to be — I’m using pretty much everything I’ve got in savings to do this. To bail out someone who I’ve been assured is innocent.
— — -
My nerves prevented me from getting much sleep, but I must have dozed off at some point because my alarm startled me. I quickly shut it down, and rock myself back and forth to try and shake loss the grogginess. The jail is only about five minutes from here, so I’ve got some time. Even though I ate plenty for dinner, I decide to go make myself some toast and coffee to settle my queasy stomach.
Once I’m finished, I drop my dishes in the sink. Even though I’m literally going to the jail, I still manage to walk myself to the bathroom and apply some makeup and fuss with my hair. To an outside observer, this would seem pretty odd, I’m sure. But, in my defense, I feel a lady should always represent herself well, no matter where she is going.
The time has come. I put on my shoes, double check to make sure I have everything I need, and head out the door. Bail has not been something I’ve ever had to pay for before, but in doing some quick research, it looks like they won’t accept checks. Somewhere I’ll need to factor in some time to stop by an ATM and withdraw the $300 I need.
It is so quiet out. Not a single car on the streets. No wind to speak of. Stars shining brightly. Almost like the calm before the storm. I take my time driving, going as slow as I possibly can to delay the inevitable. Am I really doing this? Bailing out a stranger? Stranger things have happened, right?
Just a few blocks from the jail is a bank, so I pull in and drive up to the ATM. My brain freezes for a moment as I try and remember my PIN, but it comes to me and I get the money without issue. I probably shouldn’t have, but I can’t help looking at the receipt. Balance remaining: $200. That’s it. It hit me just how important doing these tasks has become. I’m barely afloat. More accurately, I’m drowning with nothing but a straw to get air. This money is important, and I sure hope the Man comes through for me.
After pulling back onto the main road, and driving a few hundred yards, I have finally reached my destination. The time is just about midnight, so driving at the speed of an 80 year old didn’t make me late. I park, and make the slow walk into the front office. This is a first for me — I’ve never once stepped foot in a police station or jail. My mom would probably be surprised to hear that. She must have assumed all sorts of things about me. Maybe one day she’ll get to hear how things really went down.
As I enter the station, the lights are almost blinding. My eyes, barely adjusted to the darkness, now scorched by the scintillating brightness of this place. Are they trying to fight the darkness of crime with their energy bill? Makes me wonder where more of our tax dollars go to…
A young man is at the front desk, of the jail. He is behind some glass with only a speaker to talk through. “Hello, what can I do for you tonight?”
I don’t know the person I am making bail for, so I sure hope he doesn’t ask any detailed questions. “I’m here to place bail for a man named Rodger.”
“Ahh Rodger. Thought nobody would come for him. He’s been here almost a week. His bail is only $300 — you’d think most family would cover that. Are you related to Rodger?”
I reply as quickly as possible — “Something like that.”
“Hmm. Alright then. I’ll need $300 cash. If he shows up for his court date next week, then you’ll get it back. We’ll send a check in the mail — it usually takes 4–6 weeks to arrive. My apologies — but I don’t get to write em. Just the way the system works.”
Well, if Mr. Man is true to his word, I shouldn’t have to wait that long for reimbursement. Regardless of the money, it still hasn’t made sense as to why this is the mission he sent me on to prove I’m willing to follow through with this tasks. Is it because it is something that most people wouldn’t do? Is it the simply act of spending a ton of money (for me, anyway) without any reasonable expectation of getting that back, for someone I don’t know? In any case, I’m here now. I open up my purse and dig for the money I withdrew from the ATM. $300 in just three bills. Seems like nothing. Could go up in flames easily, or simply blow away in the wind. Yet, to me, $300 is a month of food. My stomach lurches towards me throat as I hand the money to the officer. For an awkward few seconds, I hold on tightly, before loosening my grip and letting him have it.
“Now what?” I ask, visibly trembling. My focus was on paying the bail, but I hadn’t really thought about what happens after the fact. Does he leave with me? I can’t hardly just leave a man here if no one has even tried to see him in almost a week.
He answers, letting out a small yawn before forcibly swallowing it back down. “I imagine he’ll need a ride. Most people who post bail usually give them a ride, but you can take off, and we’ll help him get a cab where he needs to go.” Look at that — a way out. I could leave now, and ignore whatever else this night could’ve thrown at me. I could be back at my mom’s place, $300 lighter, but safe and within feet of my son. However, the stupid part of my in the back of my head is telling me that I have to stay. I have to see this through. It is part of the deal. Mr. Man didn’t say as much, but I can’t afford the chance that there isn’t something else I’m supposed to do to get what he is willing to pay me.
The officer has now disappeared into the bowels of the jail, so I find a metal chair to sit in. It certainly feels sturdy, so they must feel that chairs that won’t break easily are more important than comfortable ones in this particular waiting room. Maybe they should call it the empathy room instead.
After a few minutes, I hear the loud clanging of locks being undone, and the door to the right of the desk opens loudly. Out walks the officer, and beside him, nothing of what I expected. Here is a man who might break six feet on his tip toes. He is wearing a simple polo — nothing extravagant but certainly not shabby. His jeans are probably Old Navy, or something at the mall. They fit nicely. He looks a little dirty, but that is probably on account of the week in this concrete bunker. The girl in me can’t help but judge his facial features — he is a bit rounded, and probably has a few more pounds than he should, but he isn’t ugly, that is for sure.
The officer walks him over to me, and takes off Rodger’s hand-cuffs. “Alright. Here he is. His court date is next week Thursday. Rodger — make sure you are back here. This girl just paid your bail.” I’m nervous, but bring myself to look at Rodger during the exchange. He is looking back at me, but I can tell he is a bit nervous as his eyes dart back and forth around me, and to the ground. When the officer mentions I paid his bail, I notice a hint of surprise on Rodger’s face. What on earth was he in here for? Now I’m more curious than anything.
The officer turns his attention back to me. “If you need anything else, just let me know. If you stop by or call, just ask for Officer Dale.” We’ll find out soon Dale if I need to call you on that. He tips his cap, and walks back to his post. Now, it is just me, sitting, with Rodger, standing, just a few feet away. After waiting for at least a minute, I suppress a yawn of my own and decide that is my opportunity to speak.
“Hello Rodger. My name is Maggie. This is going to sound weird, but someone asked me to pay for your bail on his behalf. I don’t know him, and I’m sure I don’t know his real name. So, that is why I’m here, and not anybody else. I can drive you somewhere you need to go…” as I say those words, chills run down my spine. This guy was just in jail, and I want to take him in my car? Am I crazy? “…but I want to know more about you first. Why were you here?”
He walks over to a seat and sits down, with a chair between us. He looks at the floor and holds his hands together. He puts his head down on his hands, and for a moment I don’t think he is going to say anything. It almost looks like he is about to fall asleep. But, he picks his head up and, staring across the room, begins to speak.
His voice sounds tired, and a little higher than I’d have expected. “It wasn’t my fault. Just the wrong place at the wrong time. I was downtown last Saturday night with some friends, and we were enjoying some drinks at The Fat Cow. You know the place?” I nod. I’ve never been there. Brayden isn’t old enough to drink yet so I’ve decided to stay away from those types of places for the next 17 years. Yes, my life revolves around my son. So sue me.
“Well, it was closing time, and the owner was trying to get people out. My friend, Kevin, had way too much, like usual, and he was getting punchy. He yells at the owner ‘Hey Mikey, come on, we’re your best customers. Let us stay another hour!’ Mike, the owner, doesn’t really appreciate being told how to run his business, especially at closing time. After all, it is almost 2 in the morning. He just shakes his head and tries to stay cool. Then, Kevin jumps the bar and gets in Mike’s face, puts his arm around his shoulder, and pleads with him in the way only a severely drunk man can. Mike, pretty angry at this point, forcibly removes his arm and loudly tells Kevin he’ll call the cops if he doesn’t back down. Guess what happens next? Kevin starts to walk away, then rushes over to the draft spouts. He puts his head under the Miller, and flips the top and just starts drinking right from there. Mike rushes over, and pushes him away, then shuts off the spout. Kevin goes sprawling to the ground. Mike then calls the cops. Then, umm hey? Are you still there?” \
He notices that my eyes had shut, and I just about dozed off. It is an interesting story, but it has been a long day. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m interested, really. Just been up a long time. Continue, please.”
“Okay, uhh, where was I? Oh yeah, so Kevin is trying to stumbling to his feet, and he keeps slipping on the beer that he got all over the floor. Mike has since called the cops and they would be arriving any minute. We ask Mike if we can help Kevin to his feet and take him outside. He nods, clearly beyond done with us. We pull ourselves over the bar, lift Kevin up and pull him over. Kevin lays on the bar a while and makes it difficult for us to pull him to the other side. I didn’t think much of this at the time. Finally we get him outside, and the cops arrive. I’m wearing a jacket, because it was pretty cold last weekend. The police ask MIke what happened so he told them. He also said he thinks Kevin stole so bottles, so the police search him. He doesn’t have anything on him. Mike mentions outloud that maybe we helped him, as Mike was clearly upset we didn’t do more to stop this from happened. The cops search my other friend, and he turns up with nothing. Just then, I check my coat pockets, and sure enough, Kevin had slipped two bottles of Spotted Cow in there. I swore up and down I didn’t take it, but Mike wasn’t having any of it, and we were all too drunk to really plead our cases well. Because my other two friends didn’t have any clear evidence of wrongdoing, they let Joe go, wrote up Kevin, and then took me to the precinct. I thought for sure the others would be back for me, but clearly I underestimated our friendship. I know they don’t make much. but you’d think they could afford $300 to bail me out between the two of them.”
Poor guy. He seems genuinely wronged here. I find it hard to believe he’s get put in jail over this, but consider the situation and how drunk everyone was, it is possible words got twisted. In any case, I do feel more relaxed about helping this guy out. I offer my support.
“I’m so sorry to hear that. What are you going to do about the court date next week?”
He looks up, and then back at me for the first time in a while. “They’ll get me a public defender, and we’ll do our best to settle this to a misdemeanor, so eventually it’ll be off my record. The only really chance I have of true innocence is Kevin and Mike both coming in here to say what really happened. Thankfully, this will be off my record after two years. I’m barely making ends meet working as a bank teller. After missing the last week of work, and for the reasons, I’m sure I won’t have a job to come back to.”
I understand the feeling. I understand what it is like to have your life turned upside down by one rough night. Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t have stayed over at my boyfriend’s house. But, I never said yes. I wish I could have fought back more. I wish I would have screamed. But I loved him, and thought maybe if I just let him, he’d calm down. Well, all I can say these years later is at least I have Brayden.
What should I say to Rodger? “Well, Rodger, how can I help? Do you need a place to stay? Some food? Is there somewhere I can drop you?
“Well, I have an apartment on the north side of town, probably 10 minutes from here. I’m really glad you came here tonight, so you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to. I’d understand.”
I reassure him. “You’ve been through a lot. I have so many more questions. Wait, hold on a second…” I get up and walk over to Officer Dale. “Can I have a pen and a piece of paper?”
“Sure” he says, handing me a post it note and a black sharpie. I scribble down my cell phone number, and hand Dale his pen back. I walk back over to where Rodger is sitting. “If you ever need anything, please call me. I’m not looking for anything, but it sounds like you could use a friend, and we could all use more of those.” I hand him the post it, and he takes it, smiling at me. I then motion towards the door, and he gets up and walks with me.
We don’t talk the rest of the way to his apartment. He does say a few words, but they are mostly “turn here” and “turn there” and “stop, this is my place”.
As he opens the door to get out, I decide to ask one more question. “Rodger, as I mentioned earlier, some random person asked me to bail you out tonight. Do you have any idea who would have known you were in jail and would have wanted you out?”
He sits, half out the door, then exits the car and leans back in hanging on to the side of the car. “Maggie, I really don’t know. I haven’t seen my parents in years, and the best friends I had completely screwed me over. Whoever it is, it’d be great if they could hep me on Thursday. Good night.” And with that, he shuts the door.
Just then my cell phone buzzes, and I get goosebumps. I look at my phone, and of course, it is Mr. Man. Weirdly, I was hoping something was wrong with Brayden. After an unexpectedly pleasant exchange with Rodger, now I’m facing the reality that this crazy guy is somehow watching me. How? Where is he? I look at the message:
Well done Maggie. That wasn’t easy what you did, but you handled it like a pro. Enjoy my thanks when you get back to your house. I’ll be in touch soon about your first task.
It is already past 1am. I should go back to my mom’s and sleep, but I’m curious to see what Mr. Man’s idea of thanks is. Driving 15 minutes out of my way when I’m already dead tired is a dangerous proposition, but curiosity keeps me awake.
I arrive and park the car. Then, I run inside the apartment building. Where would he have left something, and how could he get it to me that quickly? How many people are involved in this? My tired brain is struggling to grasp these really important questions, so I focus on my number one mission — what did he give me. I check the mail box first — empty. It must be upstairs. I walk up, stumbling slight. Upon unlocking my door I hear the sound of wood scraping on paper. There it is, an envelope.
I reach over, and open it up. Anticipation is welling up inside of me, but I”m careful to open the envelope along the top flap. I can hardly believe my eyes as I pull out the items inside. There is more money here than I’ve ever seen in my life. I stumble over to a table and begin counting. One hundred, two hundred, three hundred. All hundred dollar bills. I keep counting.
When I finish, I can hardly believe it. Am I just tired, or did I really just make ten thousand dollars for a couple of hours of inconvenience? How will I explain this to to Brayden? It is probably best for now that I hide this somewhere, and deposit it into the bank when I need to.
As badly as I want to curl up in my bed, I really must get back to my mother’s house. For a moment tonight, Brayden wasn’t my single focus. I don’t like that feeling, but I suspect this isn’t the last time that Mr. Man will get in the way of my son and I. | https://medium.com/when-desperation-meets-opportunity-a-nanowrimo/when-desperation-meets-opportunity-chapter-6-a-nanowrimo-2015-story-7cd2e4229334 | ['Josh Gauthier'] | 2015-11-07 05:22:44.669000+00:00 | ['Traveling', 'Fiction', 'NaNoWriMo'] |
How to restart your plant faster from an unplanned shutdown | Anomaly Detection Technique
How to restart your plant faster from an unplanned shutdown
2 useful data science ways to find the root causes of unplanned shutdown cases in an oil and gas processing plant Suradech Kongkiatpaiboon Dec 21, 2020·7 min read
For any oil and gas plants, the owners do not normally want any shutdown cases to happen. Millions of dollars can be simply lost when the shutdown is prolonged. Unfortunately, this is usually unavoidable as there is a lot of processing equipment and instrument that could fail without notice. Operation and maintenance engineers are required to stay late at night to find the root cause of plant failure and to bring the plant back online as soon as possible.
Image from freepik.com
This process sometimes takes from a few days up to weeks before the real root causes can be identified and solved. Accelerating this process by just a few hours or days will definitely increase the revenue for the owners significantly.
To illustrate the feeling of how engineers solve the problem, let’s look at below synthetic data for just 20 sensors. In this graph, there are two sensors that are related strongly and statistically, and let’s say one of them is the real root cause of the shutdown events.
Synthetic data to simulate plant sensors
Sadly, by looking at the graph, it is difficult to find which of them are the right two related, right? As there are up to 1,000 — 3,000 sensors in a small oil and gas plant, this is one of the real pain points for operation and maintenance engineers (including myself) to identify such sensors and root causes. Remember that millions of dollars can be saved if we can find such relationships sooner.
Two statistically related sensors from the other 20 normal sensors
I’m going to share two techniques that we have tried and found an acceptable success rate to identify the relationship between these two related sensors among the others. Before that, let me explain why this is important for engineers and operators to look at.
First, for any shutdown event in a modern oil and gas plant, there will be a sophisticated control system in the control room that can show “First lock-out tag”. This “First lock-out tag” is the sensor tag that triggers the shutdown event (e.g. pressure alarm high-high at compressor discharge, level alarm low-low at a critical separator).
This first lock-out sensor is very important for operation and maintenance engineers to start looking at to see what are the potential root causes that trigger the plant shutdown. In most cases, the engineers and operators can solve the plant shutdown by just looking at this first lock-out tag. However, in many cases, it does not tell us much as the oil and gas processing is so complicated such that this first lock-out tag is the last action, while we want to know what happened before it triggers.
Once we know the first lock-out sensor and the time period before the shutdown event, we can use them to perform a clustering technique to identify which sensors behave in the same way as the first lock-out sensors. We feel that the hierarchical clustering technique and dendrogram creation is a useful visualization method that can communicate with non-data science users. An example of the result is shown in the below picture.
Clustering Dendrogram from hierarchical clustering technique
This technique is not only useful for finding the root cause of the unplanned shutdown case, but it can also be used to find any related sensors that behave differently from the normal condition. For example, let’s say if the sensor TI2335 shows an unknown increase in temperature of a suction scrubber and we want to find out what is the root cause of this abnormal increase. We can use this technique to find the related sensors to look at. Instead of looking at 1,000–3,000 sensors, the engineers can focus only on the sensors that locate close to the abnormal sensors or first lock-out sensors. Then, the troubleshooting time can be greatly reduced. Unfortunately, this technique does not suit well for all cases. Therefore, we have tried some other techniques.
Sir Clive Granger in 2008 (Image from wiki)
Granger’s causality test is a statistical hypothesis test for determining whether one set of time series data is useful in forecasting another. It is published by Sir Clive Granger in 1969 and he received a Nobel prize for his work in 2003.
When an economist collects statistical data and turns them into variables, one common problem arises. He cannot identify which variable is the independent variable and which one is the dependent variable. In other words, we do not know which factor causes the other factor.
A more tangible example is when economists try to find the relationship between Gross Domestic Production (GDP) and the stock index. When the country’s economy is good, GDP will also be good and the stock index will also be good. When the country’s economy is bad, GDP will be bad and the stock index will also lower. However, which one causes another one. Some people thought that GDP should be the independent variable as it reflects the real domestic production and consumption. On the other hand, some believe that the higher the stock index value, the more investors will invest in the country’s economy as it is one of confidentiality that the investors always look at. This problem leads to a totally different financial strategy for the country - whether to put the money to boost the ground-level economy or the stock market.
Granger’s causality test (wiki)
Sir Granger can come up with a statistical way to test this problem whether one variable has an impact on another variable or not, and the impact is one direction or two directions, so he got a Nobel prize for it. When there is such a problem, some may use this test to test other weird problems such as finding whether hens or eggs were born before in Thurman and Fisher’s paper (1988).
Though our problem is not as weird as the above one when I’ve tried using Granger’s causality test to our problem. That is, using this test to screen out some unrelated sensors and rank the related sensors by using the resulting p-value. The result is quite satisfactory for a group of process parameters.
Next, to generate a useful GUI to interact with no coding skills users, we’ve used the Gradio library and create a beautiful graphic for the prototyping phase.
In summary, from what I’ve tried so far, the hierarchical clustering functions well with the gas processing part, while Granger’s causality test works well for the liquid processing part. One of the reasons is that, in the liquid process, the nature of incompressible fluid usually takes time before the sensors can respond to process change. This is not true in the gas phase.
Lastly, this work cannot be completed without the support of my team members and some rewards from Chevron to drive me to work during the night time. I’ve really enjoyed applying data science techniques to solve real-world oil and gas problems. If you have similar work and would like to connect with me, feel free to reach me via linked. Till next post.
We got a Silver award!!!
References (Some are in Thai but it is very educative):
Thurman, Walter N. ; Mark E. Fisher. (1988) “Chickens, Eggs, and Causality, or Which Came First?” American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 70, №2. (May, 1988), pp. 237–238. | https://towardsdatascience.com/how-to-restart-your-plant-faster-4216f56526b5 | ['Suradech Kongkiatpaiboon'] | 2020-12-21 12:53:49.403000+00:00 | ['Data Science', 'Process Improvement', 'Anomaly Detection', 'Clustering', 'Oil And Gas'] |
Using E-Waste Management To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint | Environmentally conscious technology users understand the importance of lowering their carbon footprint. Today, the effects of excess carbon on the atmosphere are well-known, as the phenomenon of global warming is beginning to affect the planet.
Unfortunately, according to the UN, only 12.5 percent of e-waste is recycled globally. Buyers of tech products need to be encouraged to recycle their devices properly to protect the environment.
Using E-Waste Management To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Albert Boufarah, the CEO of SAMR Inc., explains how buyers of tech products can lower their carbon footprint through proper e-waste management.
Why Recycle E-Waste?
Recycling e-waste should be automatic. Rather than putting tech products in the trash, where they will be placed in landfills, valuable materials can be recovered from these devices. Recycling e-waste lessens the individual’s carbon footprint because reclaiming recycled materials takes fewer fossil fuels and other natural resources than mining or producing new materials.
Plastics, in particular, carry a serious carbon impact because they are largely made from petroleum byproducts.
Types of E-Waste That Can Be Recycled
Computers, tablets, smartphones, and other hardware can be recycled basically anything with a plug or battery. Most of these products are comprised of high-tech materials that can be reused in other applications. The materials that e-waste processors remove from old tech products are glass, plastics, aluminum, zinc, iron, gold, and copper.
While each machine carries only a small proportion of metal, this material is carefully preserved during the recycling process. Recycling metals has an environmental impact of its own, but this is outweighed by the benefits. The energy and environmental impact of mining metals are far more than the energy used to recycle them.
Breaking Down the Recycling Process
Metals are reclaimed using a complex process which claims as many valuable substances as possible from the construction of the electronic product. Many precious metals like gold and copper are included in tech products.
Here’s what a recycling process typically looking like:
Finding Proper Recycling Programs
It is necessary to find a reputable company to recycle your e-waste properly. Not every company which claims to recycle your e-waste is doing a good job. Make sure that you know where their recycled materials are going and find out what percentage of their waste is actually sent to recycling centers. If you pay close attention to the operations of your recycling company, you can ensure that your discarded tech products will one day see a new life.
Lowering Your Carbon Footprint
Reducing carbon emissions from the production and shipment of electronic products is a valuable part of lessening your personal environmental impact. A better reach of recycling programs is needed to make a significant impact on the world’s waste stream. Many people throw their tech products directly into the trash, and they need to be educated about the environmental dangers of doing this as well as the benefits of e-waste recycling.
Lowering your carbon footprint through e-waste recycling may seem like a small contribution to the health of the environment, but Albert Boufarah reminds readers that it is a vital step in making sure our planet is protected from the effects of excess carbon in the atmosphere. | https://medium.com/@albert.boufarah/using-e-waste-management-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-4ec3fe743501 | ['Albert Boufarah'] | 2020-08-05 13:46:06.653000+00:00 | ['New Jersey', 'Ewaste Recycling', 'Recycle', 'Carbon Emissions'] |
Simpler Financial Management with 5 Expense Groupings | Simpler Financial Management with 5 Expense Groupings honeyguide Follow Nov 13 · 1 min read
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
It is fairly common to see expenses listed in alphabetical order or in some hard to follow default order within financial statements. This means your Rent expense and Telephone expense may have Salary expense wedged in between. Play this out across the many expense categories that show up on your financial statements and finding any meaning in the numbers is difficult.
It’s just a bunch of words and numbers.
Expense groupings can help better organize your expenses to make the review more intuitive.
A great starting point is 5 expense groups into which all other [expense categories] are grouped.
Salary & Services [Payroll, Accounting Services, Contracted Labor]
[Payroll, Accounting Services, Contracted Labor] Office & Occupancy [Rent, Property Expense, Repairs, Internet]
[Rent, Property Expense, Repairs, Internet] Branding & Marketing [Advertising, Travel, Events]
[Advertising, Travel, Events] Business Administration [Supplies, Software, Bank Fees, Taxes, Interest]
[Supplies, Software, Bank Fees, Taxes, Interest] Discretionary [Meals, Entertainment, Miscellaneous]
Now when you select the appropriate expense category for each transaction, that category will roll up into the group, and the financial statement is broken down into smaller, more manageable, pieces. Financial analysis just became simpler.
If you need further guidance on how to create expense groupings feel free to schedule a complimentary advisory session.
honeyguide | ending paperwork for creatives | https://medium.com/the-innovation/5-expense-groupings-for-simpler-financial-management-76dbc995255e | [] | 2020-11-17 18:03:34.343000+00:00 | ['Accounting', 'Financial Planning', 'Small Business', 'Expense Management', 'Entrepreneurship'] |
Fellowship | I once attended Mass in a Parish in Nairobi. I was in transit so as is my norm I look for the most convenient church to attend Holy Mass. Before Mass started, the Priest asked us to greet one another. People responded through awkward greetings which pointed to a deeper problem.
Without a doubt, a common theme among fallen-away Catholics who are now happily nestled in bustling Protestant communities is that they felt unwelcome at their parish because there was a lack of fellowship. They enjoy the warmth of Bible study which they claim we lack. Indeed some of our Jumuia’s are perfunctory with few people taking the lead at every meeting. They don’t inspire one to look forward to the next meeting. So what is fellowship and why are we, as Catholics, so notoriously bad at it?
Fellowship, by its very definition, is merely a friendly association and the gathering of like-minded people. How is that so difficult? Yet the very concept brings disdain from some Catholics. In a group chat discussing this issue there was a common theme: We don’t need fellowship; we go to Mass for the Eucharist. One commenter even said, “The difference is that Protestants need people; we don’t need people, we have Jesus.”
Really? Catholics don’t need people? Yes, we do have Jesus in the Eucharist but it’s a fallacy to espouse a spirituality without community. We are the Church, and that in its very essence means we are a people. The concept of fellowship is essential to our journey as Christians; Jesus Christ himself taught us this.
The first generation disciples of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church emphasized fellowship (Acts 2:42): “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
In establishing the Church, Jesus made clear that we aren’t meant to navigate the Christian journey alone. That we need the love and support of like-minded people to help us to stay the course — in the good times and when the waters get rocky. Yes, I do attend Mass to receive Christ in the Eucharist, but that doesn’t mean my experience of Church should be limited to my moment of Communion.
Fellowship allows us to have a group of Catholics as our bedrock. We can count on them and they, in turn, can count on us. We can draw from them honesty, encouragement, support, and every now and then a well-deserved kick in the pants from a wonderful group with shared faith. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ and we are grateful for them. The Church, parishes, and many other organizations offer a number of good options for Catholics seeking friendship and fellowship.
Friendship, brotherhood, sisterhood, fellowship, bonding, accountability, prayer, spiritual growth, service, these are the words which come to mind when I think of how important it is for me to have other Catholics in my life.
The testimony of Christian living means that fellowship and love should be tangibly present from the first contact with everyone we meet. Catholicism is emphatically not a “me and Jesus” form of the Christian faith. The task is not to lead people into some vague state called “being a Christian,” but to invite them to become Catholics.
Pope Paul VI had written that, for Catholics, evangelization is not “an individual and isolated act; it is one that is deeply ecclesial” (Evangelization in the Modern World, 60) and that “the community of believers… is the Church, the visible sacrament of salvation”. For this reason, Christian fellowship is called the foundational means of entering in to the mystery of Christ, and the Church teached that the “initiation of catechumens… takes place within the community of the faithful”. Catholic evangelization is aimed at making someone a member of the Body of Christ and leading him or her to become active, practicing members of a church, so they can be pastored into deep, spiritual, ongoing, communal growth.
Christian fellowship is not solely a question of “How do I do it?” First, it is a question of “Who am I?” and “How do I live my life?” What a person is comes before anything a person does; to be an effective evangelist, a Catholic must himself or herself be transformed in Christ.
When Catholics (in general) work in the community, at say, a health center, a university, a nursing home…their goal is to serve the person. Where they are at. To address the dignity of the person in need. Our primary purpose is not to convert them, to talk to them about Christ or faith sharing. Ours is an apostolate of example, the apostolate of a good, holy life that can be magnified through fellowship. All cannot be preachers, all do not have the duty to admonish or exhort others, not all can attend to apostolic works, but there is no one who cannot contribute to the spiritual good of his neighbor by giving the example of a life which is integrally Christian: holding to the principles one has professed and faithfully fulfilling one’s duties. “Everyone can help his neighbor if he does his duty,” says St. John Chrysostom, and he adds: “There would be no pagans if Christians were real Christians, if they really kept the commandments. A good life sounds clearer and louder than a trumpet.” A good life speaks for itself; it has an authority and exercises an attraction greatly superior to that of words.
Catholic fellowship is therefore one of the great callings on our lives as Christians. It exists to say things that will keep each other believing and true to our calling of holiness.
The importance of fellowship can be summarized through 1 Samuel 23. David’s life is hanging in the balance. The Lord shows him that people from the town of Keilah are going to hand him over to Saul. So, David must flee. Later in the chapter, the Ziphites betray David and tell Saul where he is, and Saul comes after him. He escapes by the skin of his teeth. Imagine the pressure, the stress, the tension, the discouragement. Is it worth it to be God’s anointed? We will definitely ask this in our pursuit of holiness
Between those two events — the betrayal of Keilah and the treachery of the Ziphites — the Bible gives us a glimpse of how David persevered.
“And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.” (1 Samuel 23:16)
We must be each other’s Jonathan.
Do this for each other. “Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). | https://medium.com/@msemakweli/on-fellowship-cd0797609fc5 | ['Deo Omnis Gloria'] | 2020-12-14 11:41:41.477000+00:00 | ['Friendship', 'Faith and Life', 'Religion And Spirituality', 'Christianity', 'Catholic'] |
Let’s Add Products in Android for E-Commerce App | Dependencies
To build our application successfully, we need the following dependencies
Recycler View
Card View
Retrofit
Gson converter
Glide
Copy-paste the dependencies given in the below blocks in the app level gradle file and click sync now on the top right corner of the IDE to get all the dependencies.
Recycler View makes it easy to efficiently display large sets of data. We supply the data and define how each item looks, and the Recycler View library dynamically creates the elements when they’re needed. As the name implies, Recycler View recycles those individual elements.
implementation ‘androidx.recyclerview:recyclerview:1.1.0’
Card View is gonna act as the basic building block element for our Recycler View. The Card View contents will be decided by us and the same block of elements will be repeating in our Recycler View.
implementation 'androidx.cardview:cardview:1.0.0'
Retrofit is the REST API client that can send requests and receive response from our RESTful service. Gson converter is used to send and receive data as JSON (JavaScript Object Notation).
implementation 'com.squareup.retrofit2:retrofit:2.4.0' implementation 'com.squareup.retrofit2:converter-gson:2.4.0'
With Glide, you can load and display media from many different sources, such as remote servers or the local file system. This dependency is to display the image of a product with its URL.
implementation 'com.github.bumptech.glide:glide:4.11.0' annotationProcessor 'com.github.bumptech.glide:compiler:4.11.0'
Now we have added all the required dependencies for the product. | https://medium.com/webtutsplus/lets-add-products-in-android-for-e-commerce-app-b8468e055001 | ['Nil Madhab'] | 2021-01-03 15:02:27.202000+00:00 | ['Ecommerce Web Development', 'Android', 'Technology Hits', 'AndroidDev', 'Mobile App Development'] |
Dependency Injection Containers in Swift — Part 2 | Dependency Injection Containers in Swift — Part 2
In the previous article Dependency Injection Containers in Swift we explored what a Dependency Injection Container(DIC) is, and how to create a simple one. In this article, we will explore how to pass parameters to the DIC.
Currently, when resolving an object from the DIC, we don’t pass any parameters, we just use the default configuration. This may be good enough for some cases, but many times we want to configure the object being resolved. Let’s take a look at an example and what issue rises when using a DIC.
ServiceThree depends on ServiceOneProtocol and some parameters. This is perfectly fine, however if we try to register this class with our DIC we won’t be able to set the parameters from the caller. Let’s see why. | https://levelup.gitconnected.com/dependency-injection-containers-in-swift-part-2-5b24f1c4238a | ['Ronen Michael Harati'] | 2020-12-08 23:00:09.997000+00:00 | ['Dependency Injection', 'Decoupling', 'Clean Code', 'Swift', 'iOS'] |
Shifting Supply Chains: Foreign Direct Investment Likely to Expand in Southeast and South Asia in Response to Trade War | Shifting Supply Chains: Foreign Direct Investment Likely to Expand in Southeast and South Asia in Response to Trade War
By Heather Lynne Taylor-Strauss, Economic Affairs Officer
China and the US are in a trade war. Photo: Shutterstock
As the trade war between the United States and China has escalated, businesses operating in both countries are experiencing parallel pressure to rethink and adjust supply chains to remain competitive.
Currently, Chinese imports to the USA worth $250 billion are facing levies that will extend to 25% by early 2019, while $110 billion of American goods are already facing duties between 5 to 10% in China. The implications of these trade tensions for Asia and the Pacific are analyzed in detail in ESCAP’s forthcoming Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment report, which will be released this December. One likely consequence we analyze is that it will spill over beyond exports and imports, and spark investment diversions from China and the USA to Southeast and South Asia as businesses attempt to mitigate tariffs on both sides of the Pacific. Such shifts in foreign direct investment (FDI) can be leveraged in both subregions to further stimulate inclusive and sustainable growth.
Enterprises beyond America and China have already reported significant headwinds from the tariffs. Some auto firms, including BMW and Tesla, plan to transfer the costs of the tariffs to consumers by raising the prices of their vehicles imported from the USA and sold in China. Other firms are developing contingency plans to relocate or reshore some or all production, which would significantly alter the direction of FDI flows in the coming years.
Trade wars effect both import and export markets. Photo Kibae Parks
Production shifts may become an increasingly compelling business strategy to maintain competitive advantage as uncertainty grows amidst trade tensions. Anecdotal evidence collected by ESCAP confirms at least 31 manufacturing firms are seriously considering relocating or reshoring to trim exposure. Recent surveys of American and European businesses in China further illustrate the tariff war’s looming effects on future investments. Of 430 American firms surveyed, 61% reported that they would readjust their supply chains to source and/or assemble either outside of China or the USA, and 27% disclosed they were considering relocating outside of China or the USA. By comparison, of the 193 European firms surveyed, nearly 12% are considering moving production out of China and 5% are no longer sourcing inputs from the country. Large firms such as Harley Davidson and Kaymatics have already confirmed relocation to Southeast Asia. While Foxconn, an equipment manufacturer for Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and other brand name electronic companies, announced plans to reshore production to the USA.
While most firms are hesitant to act prematurely, they have nonetheless initiated a steady wave of official business-scouting missions to Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. Of the American firms surveyed, 18.5% are exploring moving production to ASEAN, while 6.3% are considering South Asia. Both subregions are attractive destinations because of their low production costs and ability to accommodate large-scale shifts of production. Within ASEAN, Malaysia and Viet Nam have a competitive advantage compared to other countries in the subregion as both are party to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Relocation and reshoring are, however, not easy and require time — time to get the right staff, the right permits, the right location, and the right logistic and distribution networks in place.
Moreover, China is not easily replaceable, boasting some of the best infrastructure, supply chain networks and engineering talent in Asia and the Pacific.
As firms recalculate their Chinese supply chains, they are evaluating potential costs and benefits. For China, reshoring and relocation moves could hasten the upgrading of Chinese companies into middle- and high-range products.
A time lag between the relocation and reshoring moves of firms and their appearance in official FDI figures is of course to be expected. Moreover, the full effects on FDI from the trade war also depend on whether the USA imposes any additional tariffs and if so how China responds. In addition to increased tariffs from either side, there is a real possibility that the USA could extend tariffs to Southeast and South Asia. Tariff expansion could subsequently deter supply chain adjustments and related investment redirections to these subregions.
Photo: Shutterstock
The dynamics of investment flows in Asia and the Pacific are changing, and the trade war provides new opportunities for countries in Southeast and South Asia to attract FDI, particularly in the manufacturing sector. Such investment flows could, in turn, also provide increased opportunities for small- and medium sized enterprises in these economies to integrate themselves into global value chains. However, in capitalizing on these opportunities, it is essential that host countries ensure that investments deliver sustainable benefits. Doing so critically depends on the ability of governments in the region to assess and evaluate the sustainability characteristics of FDI and to implement the appropriate investment policy and regulatory frameworks.
To this end, ESCAP is developing country-specific FDI sustainability indicators and has already developed a Handbook on FDI Policies to support member States in promoting and attracting sustainable FDI. It is hoped that policymakers in the region will utilize these resources to harness investment flows which generate the maximum sustainable development benefits for our region. | https://medium.com/@UNESCAP/shifting-supply-chains-foreign-direct-investment-likely-to-expand-in-southeast-and-south-asia-in-e8a72dfce9e4 | ['United Nations Escap'] | 2019-07-16 04:22:35.688000+00:00 | ['Trade', 'War', 'Asia Pacific', 'USA', 'China'] |
The Best Courses on Skillshare in 2019 + 2 FREE Months | If you’ve been meaning to build up your professional skillset or start that side hustle, listen up!
Over the next few weeks, I will be featuring 3 best-selling classes from Skillshare in a variety of subjects as outlined below.
Week 1: Illustration, Graphic Design / Branding, Photography, UI/UX Design
Illustration, Graphic Design / Branding, Photography, UI/UX Design Week 2: Creative Writing, Animation, Fine Art, Music, Lifestyle
Creative Writing, Animation, Fine Art, Music, Lifestyle Week 3: Film & Video, Marketing, Productivity, Freelance & Entrepreneurship, Web Development
Each week, I encourage you to take the time to do a few classes (at least one!) and learn something new each week. The classes are generally no longer than an hour.
There are over 22,000 courses to choose from, and you get FREE access to ALL of them for 2 months!
» Get 2 FREE Months of Unlimited Classes
There are no commitments and you can cancel at anytime. After the 2 months, premium plans start at $10/m.
Once you’re signed up, simply visit the course links below to start learning.
Week One
Week one is focused on illustration, graphic design, photography and UI/UX design. Take your pick of what to learn!
Illustration
» View top Illustration Courses
-
Graphic Design, Logos & Branding
» View top Graphic Design Courses
-
Photography
» View top Photography Courses
-
UI/UX Design
» View top UI/UX Design Courses
-
Week Two
This week we focus on Creative Writing, Animation, Fine Art, Music and Lifestyle.
Creative Writing
» View top Creative Writing Courses
Animation
» View top Animation Courses
Fine Art
» View top Fine Art Courses
Music
» View top Music Courses
Lifestyle
» View top Lifestyle Courses
—
Week Three
This week the focus is on Film & Video, Marketing, Productivity, Freelance & Entrepreneurship and Web Development.
Film & Video
» View top Film & Video Courses
Marketing
» View top Marketing Courses
Productivity
» View top Productivity Courses
Freelance & Entrepreneurship
» View top Freelance & Entrepreneurship Courses
Web Development
» View top Web Development Courses
Take the challenge, take at least one course a week and level up your skills! | https://medium.com/just-creative/the-best-courses-on-skillshare-in-2019-2-free-months-4396aef2e3c4 | ['Jacob Cass'] | 2019-06-17 23:42:07.928000+00:00 | ['Skillshare', 'Courses'] |
Are donors mad? Reassessing performance in anti-corruption | Donor agencies seem to be stuck in a failing model for tackling corruption. Why don’t they change? A new U4 Issue argues that the problem lies as much in how donors work as it is does in what they are trying to do. It suggests pathways to address this. Key ideas are the need to recognise the political dimensions of corruption; the need to coordinate better; and the importance of recognising and confronting the internal contradictions of donors’ own practices.
Donors use the same standard procedures to tackle corruption as for everything else, despite the burgeoning evidence on how ill-suited these usually are. Photo: iStock.com/francescoch Copyrighted
Written by
Phil Mason OBE — Former senior anti-corruption specialist in DFID from 2000 until March 2019. He is now an independent adviser.
As the old saying goes, ‘doing the same thing again and again expecting different results is a sure sign of madness’. Can, then, aid donors be said to be showing the traits of madness when it comes to tackling corruption? This certainly crossed my mind when assessing the history of donor practices for U4’s new Issue Reassessing donor performance in anti-corruption.
Unchanging donor response
There has been an awful lot of learning given to us by the evidence about the nature of corruption and how unsuccessful donors have been at combatting it. Yet it is striking how unchanging the donor response has been over the years. Apart from the occasional outlier,* we see the same basic methods being rolled out now as were chosen when donors started out on this journey more than two decades ago. So:
The way donors think about the issue hasn’t really changed. It’s a technical problem that can be solved by providing better knowledge and training on how to solve corruption.
The way donors programme their activities hasn’t changed either. They use the same standard procedures as for everything else they do, despite the burgeoning evidence on how ill-suited these usually are.
And collectively, donors neither organise themselves terribly effectively, nor respond well to episodes of corruption when they are confronted by them.
Conceptually, operationally, and organisationally, donor agencies seem stuck fast to a model of practice that just keeps on falling short. And yet they don’t change. In this U4 Issue, I pick up the challenge of why that is. More importantly, I suggest some new pathways that donors could take to give themselves better chances to be more effective.
New pathways to tackle corruption
I draw on the stock of academic findings and a career of practical experience of how donor agencies work. I use these to analyse four of the ways in which donors approach their anti-corruption work: how they think about the problem, how they programme for it, how they respond to it when they encounter it, and how they organise their human capital for the task.
Donors’ own internal dynamics lie at the heart of the challenge
I suggest 12 different (and not mutually exclusive) pathways to address present shortcomings. Among these are:
the need to embrace, and accommodate in programming methods, the political dimensions of corruption;
the need for donors together to grasp the perennial nettle of coordinating better to develop more collective weight on the issue; and, an angle that is rarely considered,
the need for donors as individual agencies to confront some of their own internal dynamics which, I believe, lie at the heart of the challenge.
Each new pathway throws up genuine obstacles that will need to be overcome. Change is unlikely to come easily for donors. However, realising the nature of the problem can, I hope, help to redirect attention to some of the often-unacknowledged factors at play.
Doing so could help address the cause of the paradox I noted at the beginning: how the weight of evidence and explanation for donor failings has accumulated with regular monotony. Yet this has had virtually no effect on donor practice.
Internal contradictions
One reason for this paradox could be that a dissonance exists between what might be right for ‘doing’ anti-corruption and what needs to be right for the donor agency as a whole. Tackling corruption is clearly just one of an agency’s tasks. It has others, too, like maintaining relationships with the aid recipient partner, for which a solid and sustained pipeline of funding is essential. Cutting off that flow — for example, as a consequence of corruption — not only jeopardises these relationships. It also causes significant internal disruption to a donor’s forward planning and, even, in extremis, potentially threatens an agency’s overall budgetary position. After all, not being able to disburse the budget given to it can, in bureaucratic terms, be an existential threat to an agency’s future funding.
Donors’ anti-corruption procedures may be ‘mad’, but also entirely rational given their broader working environment
This brings about an unsettling conclusion for donor agencies. It could be that the procedures they have come to adopt for tackling corruption are indeed ‘mad’. Still, they are — under a wider lens — entirely rational given the broader environment in which the agency needs to operate.
Charting new pathways will be as much about donor agencies recognising these systemic conflicts within themselves as it will be about developing a better understanding of the intricacies of corruption. As tough as the latter is, it may be the former that is the harder nut to crack. | https://medium.com/u4-anti-corruption-resource-centre/are-donors-mad-8b086bb3e1d4 | ['Anti-Corruption Resource Centre'] | 2021-02-01 13:46:37.499000+00:00 | ['Anti Corruption', 'Political Economy', 'Sdgs', 'Governance', 'Development Cooperation'] |
Parable of the Soils | It’s got a call like gravity
tugging deep inside us.
anchoring one to the ground and centered
It’s a tether to reality
the key to combating anxiety —
Like the taproot,
if left unchecked
what once was sweet
soured.
Sucking up all bad
killing man like flowers.
It matters where ones planted
A parable of soils explains,
our roots affect growth.
Like friends committing treason
and home infested with weeds
suffocate, killing us out from underneath.
Never soaring like a bird with clipped wings. | https://medium.com/at-a-crossings/parable-of-the-soils-e246062841ad | ['Devin Mitchell Durbin'] | 2017-07-02 21:17:20.117000+00:00 | ['Toxic Relationships', 'Positive Relationships', 'Poetry', 'Lifestyle', 'Tangled Thoughts'] |
Our Children Are Watching | Below is Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s statement on yesterday’s events in Olympia and in Washington D.C.
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in Chris Reykdal’s Medium publication, which was sunset in May 2021. Statements from Superintendent Reykdal will continue to appear in the main OSPI feed.
Superintendent Chris Reykdal
OLYMPIA — January 7, 2021 — Yesterday, we watched with disgust and sadness as both our nation and state capitol buildings were bombarded by groups of our own citizens attempting to undermine the will of the people in a democratic election.
This was an overt attack on our government and our democracy, and it was fueled by hate and by a complete disregard for some of the key pillars of our society.
We have a responsibility to recognize how protestors in previous situations were treated so differently by law enforcement than the rioters yesterday. The privilege — the privilege based on race — that was on display yesterday was astounding.
Although we have made strides, we remain a nation founded on racism, classism, and inequality, and those prejudices are still embedded within our society and our institutions today.
As a former history teacher and as a parent of two public school students, I know our young people are watching these events unfold and they are looking to us for contextualization. Educators and families are answering questions and providing reassurance to our students — even as they are making sense of the events themselves.
Part of our state’s mission for education is to prepare our students for effective, collaborative, and civil civic engagement. Yesterday’s events make abundantly clear that our schools must engage and empower students, from an early age, with opportunities to participate in civil conversations, examples of effective civic engagement, and tools to find peaceful solutions to community problems.
This moment must transcend politics. We must join together to restore faith in our democracy and continue to model the ethical and civil behavior that we want to see from our own children.
Our young people are watching.
For More Information
· E Pluribus Unum: Resources for Talking to Students About the Attack on the U.S. Capitol | https://medium.com/waospi/our-children-are-watching-eecd2033e860 | ['The Office Of Superintendent Of Public Instruction'] | 2021-05-11 14:36:26.091000+00:00 | ['Government', 'Civic Engagement', 'Education', 'K 12 Education', 'Civics'] |
There’s Nothing New About The New-Age | 1. There’s nothing new about: “Easy Orientalism”
New-Age beliefs, concepts, and practices are primarily borrowed (and by borrowed, I mean stolen) from varying sub-sects of Hindu, Buddhist, old Pagan, and Native-American schools of thought.
Note: As I personally come from a Hindu background and have no personal identity rooted in Indigenous or Paganist systems, I will only speak on behalf of Eastern religious traditions within this article.
Concepts like reincarnation, the ever-lasting soul (“atma”), chakras, yoga, mind-body-spirit connectivity, and karma are all central within our ancient Vedic texts. There isn't even one singular way of understanding them, as Hinduism itself has varying branches. Now these concepts may be easy to grasp on a cognitive, intellectualized level, but truly conquering these concepts beyond the surface-level was never meant to be a walk in the park. It requires incredulous self-discipline, study (under appropriate supervision), and selfless service. At the core, it meant cultivating one’s bhakti (devotional love) for the Divine. Historically, India’s greatest ascetics have supposedly meditated over numerous lifetimes. Lifetimes. And Buddhist monks were asked to adhere to a strict structure for everyday living.
In other words — to become enlightened, you had to work for it. There’s no fast-pass lane to gaining spiritual wisdom. It isn’t reading a few books by Deepak Chopra and discussing it over a weed session, going on a retreat, and experiencing a “Kundalini awakening” within a month. And also, where’s the talk of doing service? Social responsibility? Duty? Self-awareness? Bhakti?
But here’s the thing: That’s not going to sell. There’s nothing appealing nor glamorous about rigorous meditation under a tree for years, and having to forego all material riches. But hey! Meditating every now and then, in a hot-pilates studio with a $7 matcha latte sure sounds like it’s enough! In his critical read “Trickster and Tricked”, Erik Davis calls it “Easy Orientalism”: a knock-off copy on Eastern ideologies, that's made easier to swallow for Western audiences. It’s not too Asian to turn you off, but it’s exotically Asian enough. Convenient.
Easy Orientalism: a knock-off copy of Eastern ideologies, that’s made easier to swallow for Western audiences. It’s not too Asian to be a turn-off, but it’s Asian enough.
2. There’s nothing new about: Colonialism
Ever heard of colonialism? Well think of the New-Age market as colonialist plagiarism, where teachings that were once belittled are now sold back to us as a watered-down, Walmart version of the original concepts.
And aside from the obvious, why is that a problem you ask? Because when people think of concepts like karma, yoga, cosmic interconnectedness and everything else — they roll their eyes. Eastern thought sounds like a bunch of ungrounded fluff, because it's automatically associated with the Western’s poorly-packaged narrative for it. But these ideologies have been taken out of their textual context, to become more convenient for modern-day consumerism (and to sell Tibetan singing bowls for $100 apiece).
I also think of all the other kids from an Asian immigrant home, growing up out of their home country. Most (if not all) of us battled a turbulent relationship with our Eastern religions. As children, it was always hard to explain the bindi on our foreheads in sixth grade, or how we have an elephant-headed God named Ganesh. But now as an adult, it’s a newer issue: I cringe, guiltily, every time I attempt to read a Hindu text that speaks of the universe, or karma, or anything else that’s on a New-Age YouTube channel. Why? Because all I can think of are the hyper-commercialized, hardly-accurate explanations plastered everywhere in mainstream spiritualism. How key terms like “shakti” and “consciousness” have been incorrectly regurgitated over and over again like an overplayed song on the radio — and the tune is completely off.
You know, there’s a monstrous guilt in cringing before your own people’s texts. Quite the heartbreak.
3. There’s nothing new about: Snake-oil salesmen
Just because they’re selling a MasterClass on it, doesn’t mean they’re a master at it.
Products can’t be sold without their seller. The New-Age has really taken off with the help of social-media superstars and self-proclaimed “spiritual gurus” (influencers). Now don’t get me wrong, real gurus do exist. But the spiritual teachers that I’m thinking of don’t typically run an Instagram business page, with their bio reading “Entrepreneur 💪💯🔥”.
Course sold by spiritual teacher and guru, Bentinho Massaro.
The Sanskrit term “guru” implies a spiritual teacher who “dispels darkness” within the student. They bring us light through humble guidance, wisdom, and instigating the pursuit of knowledge.
To be honest, when it comes to speaking about these spiritual gurus on social media, I don’t even know where to begin. I really don’t. But in all fairness, perhaps their intentions really are pure: to genuinely share what’s worked for them, and to watch others bloom too. In fact, many of these influencers’ followers do profess that they’ve become happier, better, and kinder.
But it doesn’t change the fact that there are still underlying dangers in following one — the dangers of cult dynamics, spiritual narcissism and spiritual materialism:
There’s nothing new about cults
We see this time and time again. You’ve got a charismatic, god-like leader at the front of the room, with a large following of worshippers drawn to their “progressive” ideologies and promises. Today, New-Age idealists build digital cults through their online communities and platforms. These cults are trickier to pin down. On the surface, it seems light, empowering, and all in the name of personal development. But it sure gets questionable when these spiritual leaders curate a parasocial relationship with you: you obsessively spend your energy, time and money on them, but they barely know you exist. You’re just a fan.
It also gets real concerning when these all-knowing wise ones proclaim to have special insider knowledge and powers that you never will, and your only way of “evolving” is through them. They’re your only hope — you need them.
Let me share what very little I do know on real gurus: They’ll never disempower you like this.
An actual guru will remind you that they are just that — A guide. Ultimately, everything and everyone outside of ourselves (gurus, tarot cards, psychics, astrology, life coaches, etc) are just external nods. But your answers are always to be found internally, within you. Gurus may advise you, they may bless you, but they’ll gently remind you to always follow your own lead too.
There’s nothing new about spiritual narcissism
I’m going to tell you the one red-flag that you really need to look out for: Spiritual narcissism. In Douglas Todd’s “Spiritual Narcissism Works in Subtle Ways”, psychiatrist Gerald May defines it as “the unconscious use of spiritual practice, experience, and insight to increase rather than decrease self-importance”.
“The unconscious use of spiritual practice, experience, and insight to increase self-importance”.
The point of spiritual pursuit in Eastern religious traditions is to decrease the sense of self and ego — not inflate it. But when I watch the moves of these so-called spiritual masters, I see no humility. Spiritual narcissism can get the best of all of us, but these influencers insist on being “the master” figure. They want to feel seen and applauded for being oh-so spiritually inclined.
So if you’re feeling mighty proud of your “spiritual progress”, humble-bragging your special abilities on Insta, or feel like you’re slightly above your non-spiritual peers in ANY way — please, sit down.
There’s nothing new about spiritual materialism
(Also known as hypocrisy.)
Originally coined by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, spiritual materialism is when we use spiritual knowledge and insights for primarily materialistic pursuits. (For example, learning the law of attraction to get a pretty car). And although there’s nothing wrong with desiring a home, a car, or a particular career, it warns us from becoming too externally focused.
So when a spiritual leader lectures about detachment from all possessions, but makes it on the Forbes 2020 billionaires list… I raise an eyebrow. Seriously, you’re allowed to be skeptical. And again, there’s nothing wrong with wanting success, having goals, and making it big. But if you’re going to make a living off of preaching Eastern theological ideas like material detachment, humility, groundedness and minimalism in your Buddhist monk robes — I expect you to walk your talk. | https://medium.com/an-injustice/theres-nothing-new-about-the-new-age-45274e51a62f | ['Vishali N.'] | 2020-05-10 08:15:36.459000+00:00 | ['Spirituality', 'Wellness', 'Social Justice', 'Culture', 'Colonialism'] |
Accessibility in iOS 14 Widgets With SwiftUI | Display/Text Sizes and Widgets
Dynamic Type is a feature that helps the user to change system text size according to their preference. For many, it may be just a choice, but for some, it is a necessity.
Another great thing about SwiftUI is that this feature is supported out of the box. If you’re using the normal Font and not hardcoding the sizes, SwiftUI will automatically scale the text sizes according to the system preference. And this applies to widgets as well.
.font(.caption2)
The best way to support this feature is to test it. If you find your design getting out of the widget even in non-accessibility category sizes, you may need to rethink your designs in an accessibility-oriented way because widgets are supported on the iPod Touch (4" display) and SE(4.7" display) as well, and it should look good on all the devices.
Supporting accessibility text sizes
But I understand. Widgets are small, and you may find it difficult to support the accessibility category sizes. Or even xxxLarge/xxLarge sizes. In that case, you can try to handle these cases with a different design altogether.
Supporting large text sizes
Apart from scalable fonts, if you go to Settings > Display & Text Size, you’ll find several preferences for the users to set like Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast, Differentiate Without Color, etc.
To respect the user’s preferences, SwiftUI gives us powerful environment values that you can read from and add conditions in your widgets accordingly.
I’ll briefly list one and how to use it.
legibilityWeight This reflects the value of the Bold Text display setting. By default, the view adapts to it automatically. But if you have specified a font weight, you can add the condition to respect the value of legibilityWeight .
Supporting bold texts
The whole list can be found in the EnvironmentValues documentation, which lists the major ones that you can adapt in your widgets. Most of them can be configured in that way by providing a conditional view or modifier, like in the case of sizeCategory and legibilityWeight .
accessibilityDifferentiateWithoutColor Use a different design with shapes and symbols to convey meaning instead of just relying on color when this condition is true.
Use a different design with shapes and symbols to convey meaning instead of just relying on color when this condition is true. accessibilityReduceTransparency With this condition true, the background should not be transparent or blurred but opaque instead. A great example is the Batteries widget, which has a translucent background but becomes opaque when this boolean is set to true .
With this condition true, the background should not be transparent or blurred but opaque instead. A great example is the Batteries widget, which has a translucent background but becomes opaque when this boolean is set to . colorSchemeContrast You can adapt your UI to handle the ColorSchemeContrast increased case by increasing the contrast ratio by providing alternate high contrast images and colors.
There’s a great WWDC 2020 session on making your app visually accessible that I recommend you watch. One particular line that stood out for me by Drew Haas was the following: | https://medium.com/better-programming/accessibility-in-ios-14-widgets-with-swiftui-83656bdb68e2 | ['Rudrank Riyam'] | 2020-10-25 11:29:43.117000+00:00 | ['Programming', 'Swift', 'iOS', 'Accessibility', 'Swiftui'] |
June Neurotech News Summary | North America is now four months into the pandemic. But the world of neurotechnology keeps moving. These developments could have or will have an impact on people living with neurological conditions. Let’s take a look at what made headlines over the month of June 2020.
These headlines address technical advancements, changes in access and expanding applications of current technologies.
The brain sensing revolution continues. Medtronic receives FDA approval for its Percept deep brain stimulation system with BrainSense technology. It has the ability to both sense brain signals and stimulation for those living with Parkinson’s disease.
Epineuron Technologies received FDA Breakthrough device status for their regeneration device for permanent nerve damage.
Myant partners with Canadian expert for denistry PPE innovation during COVID-19.
Fourier Intelligence acquires a China-based rehabilitation service provider to expand distribution of their exoskeleton for people living with paralysis.
MyndTec is partnering with Maness Veteran Medical to better serve U.S. veterans living with spinal cord injury or who are stroke survivors.
Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. expanded access to their Softpulse device in Taiwan for the treatment of chronic pain.
Neuspera Medical completes the first implant of their minimally invasive, neuromodulation device in a two-stage pivotal clinical trial for the treatment of urinary urgency incontinence.
GTX medical gains FDA Breakthrough status for their TESS device for the recovery of function due to spinal cord injury.
Nearly 25% of U.S. adults have chronic knee pain. NeuroMetrix, Inc. announced their launch to help shrink that number by using the Quell device.
BioWave Corporation is hopping on the opportunity with Rocco Mediate to promote their peripheral nerve stimulation device for pain relief.
Neofect introduced their new app companion for a home-based rehabilitation device to restore arm & hand function for stroke survivors.
NeuroOne Medical Technologies is translating thin-film devices for the next generation of brain interfaces. They welcomed Camilo Andres Diaz-Botia to the team.
Akili announced FDA clearance of the EndeavorRx device for children living with ADHD. It is the first prescription treatment delivered through a video game.
Myomo, Inc. is now offering online screenings through telehealth for their upper extremity wearable robotics. Helpful for people living with stroke, brain injury, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury.
IHMC and Myolyn announced the breakthrough new exoskeleton, Quix, designed with the end-user in mind for people living with lower limb paralysis.
Mainstay Medical announced FDA approval of their ReActiv8 neurostimulation device for the treatment of chronic lower back pain.
ReWalk Robotics announced results from their multi-center trial for the soft exosuit used for rehabilitation after a stroke.
NeuroSigma’s Spanish team released the results of their randomized controlled trial of eTNS for drug resistant epilepsy.
Synchron received a grant of $1.5 million to expand their clinical trial of the Stentrode, a new generation brain interface designed to be used by people living with paralysis.
Dreem announced that their headband can be used as a home-based sleep analysis tool for people living with sleep disorders. A peer-reviewed study was just published.
Developing A.I. to screen people with the risk of eye disease, heart disease or stroke. Australia’s MRFF is investing $19 million in this technology.
June was Alzheimer’s Disease and PTSD awareness month.
Neurotech Network offers a feature of developments and the latest research in neurotech for Alzheimer’s disease or Dementia. There is also a link to our new resource page on this subject. Read the feature.
We also featured neurotechnology for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder during the June awareness month. Check out our latest quick read on the feature and new resources page.
Free upcoming, virtual events not to miss:
Neuroprosthetics 2020 Virtual Summer School will be July 20–23. It’s free to register and attend but space is limited. Learn about rehabilitation technology, A.I. applications, neural interfaces and more.
MDIC, the Medical Device Innovation Consortium, transformed their annual meeting into a series of virtual sessions from June 18-September 24. Learn about advances in regulatory & clinical science and advances in end-user (patient) engagement in medical device development. All video archives are available too.
To follow our briefs throughout the month, follow us at Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out our resource directory on our website to find neurotechnologies for specific conditions.
The content for this article was provided by Neurotech Network. Help us support these free resources with a donation. | https://medium.com/@neurotechnetwork/june-neurotech-news-summary-f7312366a97c | ['Jen French'] | 2020-07-01 14:58:54.162000+00:00 | ['Pain', 'Neuroscience', 'Alzheimers', 'Medical Devices', 'PTSD'] |
Generation at War | Generation at War
A Poem
Photo by Morning Brew on Unsplash
It is 2003
and the war has gone to Iraq
and on the phone Katherine worries
about her little brother
What if they run out of soldiers
and he has to go to war
We are not yet eleven, her brother,
just a bit younger
This is not something that I had thought about.
My mom assure me that this isn’t how it works,
that there are men and women willing to go
into the wide mouth of war
No one thinks about
a mouth staying open so long
that one day Katherine’s brother will be
old enough to decide
if he would like to
march into it himself
and there will be
nothing
she can do | https://grace-moore.medium.com/generation-at-war-bdb7f2a4e4e7 | ['Grace Moore'] | 2020-08-21 01:00:48.213000+00:00 | ['Poetry', 'War', 'Poetry On Medium', 'Ninjabyob', 'Poem'] |
Spiritual Journey | Sign up for Spiritual Secrets
By Spiritual Secrets
Sharing Spiritual stories - that unlocks the inner powers of the soul. Take a look | https://medium.com/spiritual-secrets/spiritual-journey-6d6024143199 | ['Kevin Doberstein'] | 2020-10-31 06:02:11.274000+00:00 | ['Poetry', 'Sacred', 'Spirituality', 'Spiritual Secrets', 'Awakening'] |
working from home — Is there a future for remote working?? | Due to the current events with the Coronavirus, companies worldwide have set up their employees working remotely from home and implemented many technical tools to facilitate communication and workload organization.
With working from home possibly being the standard for the next months, employees and employers need to adapt to the new circumstances and adapt to the new landscape.
While we need to keep in mind that the ideal work environment varies from individual to individual, some feel comfortable to work full time from home and others rather have it equally split between home and office.
Working from home has many advantages:
Custom personalised schedule: Employees can mix work with personal life, having the right balance can increase the motivation and engagement at work.
Efficiency and focus: Working from home limits the distractions (colleagues, kitchen, internal meetings) that exist in an office, in fewer working hours more can be achieved with a higher productivity.
Mental health booster: Working from home means feeling comfortable in your personal environment, being able to have short breaks and follow a sport/hobby can help to maintain a positive mental health.
Valuable and trusted: Working remotely gives a feeling of trust and integrity from management believing their employee can perform and be productive even when working at home which leads to a higher employee retention rate.
This situation is also beneficial for organization as they save about $11,000 per half-time telecommuter per year, according to Global Workplace Analytics.
The retention rate increases as Employees are less likely to quit their job while it allows them to work from home. Employees are 50% less likely to quit.
https://www.business.com/articles/remote-workers-more-engaged/
The total engagement of employees is growing: According to a two-year study by Stanford University, remote workers are, on average 9% more engaged in their jobs and 13.5% more productive than their office-based counterparts.
Less sick leaves: Employees who are feeling unwell are already at the comfort of their home and can remain active while working from home.
Working from home is likely to show an increase in popularity in the long run. Organizations need to do their best to help in the transition of their employees and make sure productivity, engagement and motivation is not lost.
When we get back to “normality” some employees might be really interested to remain 100% from home while others will really miss going daily to the office. This period has showed us the strength and sense of adaptation we all have inside of us but it only works when we stick together as a community. | https://medium.com/@Kukatree/working-from-home-is-there-a-future-for-remote-working-90ae6f3b67f5 | ['Kukatree Automated Employee Referral Platform'] | 2020-04-23 14:25:57.823000+00:00 | ['Work From Home', 'Employment', 'Remote Work', 'Community Engagement'] |
5 Tips for an Unforgettable One Night Stand | I’m a serial monogamist.
I had five serious boyfriends before I turned 20, cohabitated with four different romantic partners, been engaged twice, and got married once (and then divorced, but that’s a different story).
In fact, I would say that 98% of my adult years were spent in serious relationships.
But the tiny percentage of time I was single? Those few weeks or months in between ending love and finding it again?
Well, when I was single — boy, was I single.
I had perfected the art of flirting (or at least the art of swiping right). And I used that newfound sense of freedom to explore the world and all the beautiful penises that came with it. But to me, everything was just casual sex. After breaking up with a guy or getting my heart broken by one, the last thing I wanted was a new relationship.
So, having one night stands became my new hobby.
And while those phases of carefree fucking would only last short periods of time, they opened my eyes to a world of sex I had never seen before.
The truth is, one night stands can be great. Therapeutic. Even life-changing. And while I’m happily settled down in a long-term relationship (surprised?), I’ve learned a lot from my single days. And I want to share what I’ve learned with all of you.
1. Your partner doesn’t have to tick every box
Looking for love and looking for a one night stand are two different ballgames. Just because someone isn’t boyfriend or girlfriend material doesn’t mean they can’t be a great lover.
For example, my future husband should want kids. I want him to be nurturing when I’m sad, supportive when I’m lost, and communicative when things get rough. He also should be respectful, caring, and of course, funny.
But when I’m casually dating, those specific rules no longer apply. Of course, there will be some overlap (even the guys I fuck should be respectful and caring), but I’m not fussed about if they want kids, don’t want kids, or already have kids.
Letting your mind and body explore other types of people you wouldn’t normally chase after is a good thing. And who knows, you just might discover that your original checklist of characteristics isn’t as important as you thought.
2. Don’t be ashamed of what makes you horny
We all need to be liked. Okay, maybe not “liked,” but at least not outcasted and ridiculed.
And sometimes, that makes us wary of sharing our deepest, darkest secrets. Because we fear that it will be something so perverse and absurd that our partners will run out of the room screaming and tweeting about how disgusting we are.
You’d be surprised to know how many men have shared their unconventional kinks with me on a first date. There was the guy who couldn’t orgasm without me licking his nipples, the man who wanted to be choked, or the guy who liked to spit into my asshole.
*shrugs*
We hadn’t had sex before, so the only way for me to know what they liked was to tell me. And while every person should feel comfortable sharing those desires with everyone they sleep with, it’s just so much easier with a one night stand.
3. Understand that not everyone will want more
If you expect your one night stand to turn into a relationship, chances are, you’re going to be disappointed.
Sure, some one night stands can lead to serious relationships (heck, I’m in one right now), but that’s more uncommon than not. In most cases, a one night stand is just that. One night of sex. Nothing more, nothing less.
That’s why it’s important to set realistic expectations about what will come from your one night stand.
If you’re too wrapped up in making things more serious, you’ll miss out on all the wonderful things casual sex can bring. Like freedom, exploration, and really, really good orgasms.
4. Experiment, experiment, experiment
During my first few one night stands, I was extremely submissive. That wasn’t my kink — I was simply too worried about what the other person wanted over my own pleasure.
But as I got older? I used these one night stands as a chance to experiment with my different sexual personalities. If I wanted to be more dominant, I was. If I wanted to test out a new dirty phrase, I would say it. If I wanted to give a gaggy, slobbery blow job like you see in porn — honey, you better believe I gagged and slobbered with every ounce of my being.
While some people only feel comfortable experimenting with people they’ve been with for a long time, I believe there’s a lot of freedom in sleeping with someone you might not see again.
5. Accept your behaviors and beliefs
While I’m a big fan of having one night stands, I understand that not everyone feels the same way. My family, friends, and random people on the internet will all inevitably have strong opinions about my sexual behaviors and beliefs.
So, if you only remember one thing from this article — it’s this:
Don’t judge yourself for having a one night stand.
It’s nobody’s business what you do with your body except for yours. Give yourself permission to have sex with strangers (safely) and allow yourself to explore your sexuality.
Life is short — but our sex lives are even shorter. | https://medium.com/sex-and-satire/5-tips-for-an-unforgettable-one-night-stand-d75ed5afa5db | ['Ms. Part Time Wino'] | 2020-11-27 09:33:40.468000+00:00 | ['Sexuality', 'Dating Advice', 'Dating', 'Advice', 'Sex Advice'] |
That Night’s Encounter | That Night’s Encounter
Photo Credit: Rene Asmussen for Pexels.
The man’s spit-spray splatters across the ashy concrete. I don’t know what is scarier. Him? Or the beady eyed, red-orange fox that edges ever closer. The night conceals us like a lid on a coffin. The tinted streetlights find us, creating an eerie, luminous blanket. It’s like we are actors playing in a washed out, black and white film. But this is not fantasy. This is real.
My keys-embedded hand clenches tighter into a fist. I exhale deeply. My breath, immersed in the air’s bitter chill, is tainted by that funky, weed smell. The man lounges on the curb with his legs spread wide and head held high- like his mind. The hungry fox, wild and young, eyes up his pray. My eyes glance around, pleading for an exit.
Just. Walk. Straight. I’m nearly home, I think to myself.
I draw my cardigan tighter around my body, trying to conceal the flesh and fabric that lay beneath it. The very same fabric that I had admired online for its vibrant, patterned yellow has become too loud for comfort. It screams femininity with its floaty quality, contrasting greatly to my usual black attire. Around here, I am usually mistaken for a man, but tonight I cannot hide under that guise.
My flesh, smooth and springy with the energy of youth, recoils at the thought of being touched. ‘She asked for it’. We’ve all heard of this before. So if something happens tonight, will it be my fault?
“Hey baby! Looking good,” says the man.
My fast pace only increases as I pass him. The man attempts to grab my attention by whistling. I do not look back. He looks old enough to be my dad.
“Chuh. Stuck up b*tch!” the man jeers.
Each footstep’s echo is magnified.
*Click clack. Click clack.*
When I hear a *clip clip* in between my own steps, I am terrified.
Why did I wear these heels? I’m so stupid. Why did I not stop to consider safety over cuteness? Maybe I should have just left earlier. Why didn’t I do that?
Before hysteria engulfs me, the realisation hits.
I can hear what I presume is the fox nose-diving into the nearest bush. Walk faster. Faster! It is hit with something. I hear the rustle of its fur against the bush’s leaves and a high pitched, whining sound.
As I reach my apartment building, I look back to check that the man hasn’t followed me home. My lactic-filled legs throb with each step. It’s only when I bolt the lock on my front door that I stop to breathe.
“Huh. Huh.”
My hands tremble as the keys stutter into the keyholes. Sh*t.
“Isabella?” my Mother calls from the living room.
I steady my hand with the other before answering back. There’s no point in worrying her. | https://medium.com/sober-confessions/that-nights-encounter-4a063c068f17 | ['Lexus Ndiwe'] | 2021-02-01 18:48:36.560000+00:00 | ['Women', 'London', 'Fear', 'Night', 'Creative Non Fiction'] |
A Short Guide to Web Scraping with Python | Web scraping is a tool which is used to Scrap the important data from the Website, Take a simple example You want to Scrap the Amazon.com for analyzing the cheapest price of Laptops. You need to Surf every page of amazon to collect the data which consume a lot of time right, Why not do this job with the help of Web scraper.
In this is an article we gonna Scrap a website with the help of Python.
Install the Required Libraries:
1:BeautifulSoup
2:Request
Our Target is to Scrap the Names of President of America from wikipedia.com.
Import the Both libraries in the Python Script. To import the Library we gonna use import keyword, Take a Look on the Below Code!
Now its time for Real Coding, Here is the Link of Our Target Site Wikipedia, I'm gonna Create a Link Variable and store the site Url in it. After that, we gonna get the HTML data of the target website with help of the requests library. Take a look at the Code below.
We send a request to Wikipedia that we need HTML data, and by using request.get() we get HTML raw data as a response.
Beautiful Soup in Action:
We get Html Data from Wikipedia and we store this data in the ‘r’ variable. If you try to print the ‘r’, you get output in the Raw order, to fix it we gonna use BeautifulSoup library, Take a look at the Code below.
We use Beautifulsoup() function and in this parenthesis, I include ‘r’ which store our Html Raw data, and ‘html5lib’ this is keyword used to reformat the HTML raw format into HTML5 format, similarly, you can also use ‘lxml’ for converting the format of raw data into HTML format.
Lets Scraping Begin:
BeautifulSoup provide us so many tools to scrape the data from the internet, so our target is to find all the name of the President of American, So Goto to Wikipedia Link, Press F12 from your keyboard to access the inspection tool on Google Chrome.
Scarping the data require a basic understanding of the Html tags, So we analyze that the name of the President is written in Bold and big Font by using <big> tag, and if you search the big in the find field you will notice that only President names are written in this tag, Lets target this tag in our Script. Take a Look at the Code Below.
Now in the code, I create an empty LIST to store Scrap data in it, Next, I create iteration with Loop, the basic purpose of creating a loop so we find the tag and scrap the data from it one by one, and next, I used find_all function which is Beautifulsoup amazing tool, it is used to find a string or tag in the HTML data. Well in the find_all() I write ‘big’ so when our Script run the find_all function will find the matching string or tag in our HTML data, and in the Indentation of the loop we gonna add the Scrap name in to the LIST by using append(), But why I use get_text(), well this is the Beautifulsoup function which is used to find the Text in the Scrap data, When we scrap the <big> we get data in the form like this
<a href=”/wiki/George_Washington” title=”George Washington”>George Washington</a>
Check out the Google inspection to know about it.
Well, we don't need to get this whole link data we need only the name so in this case, I use the get_text() function.
Finally, We get the Scrap data you can Print it out on the console Screen by typing print(names).
Conclusion
This is a simple Guide to Scrap Data from the Website by using Python Programming and BeautifulSoup Library. Website Scraping Depends on your Logic how you choose the right tag and classes to scrap the data.
If you like this Article helpful Please help the Arthur by Clicking on the 👏 Clap emoji | https://medium.com/python-in-plain-english/web-scraping-with-python-quick-tutorial-a3a3932a5194 | ['Haider Imtiaz'] | 2020-11-02 07:40:13.859000+00:00 | ['Python', 'Web Scraping', 'Scraping', 'Data Mining', 'Web Development'] |
Firebase 101: Authentication | Photo by Robson Hatsukami Morgan on Unsplash
One of the things that I am most grateful for about being a software engineer in 2019, is the incredible breadth of SDKs, platforms, and tools that simplify the more complicated and often consistently repetitive tasks. Whether I am implementing a live commenting feature, adding charts to my UI, or deploying my finished product, there is a resource out there to save me from doing it from scratch. In this post, we are going to cover one of today’s most talked about, most used, and most important SDKs: Google’s Firebase.
What is Firebase?
For starters, Firebase is actually a collection of various products that all fall under the Firebase family. In Google’s own words, Firebase as a whole is described as the following:
Firebase gives you the tools to develop high-quality apps, grow your user base, and earn more money. We cover the essentials so you can monetize your business and focus on your users.
At the time of this article, Firebase is comprised of a total of 18 different products, in addition to 9 extensions. The products in this suite solve problems as simple as shortening URLs, and as complex as cloud messaging. The full list of products and extensions is below with links, for reference, and we will cover several of the most popular products in depth.
Products:
Extensions:
In my own development, I have mainly used Firebase’s authentication (Products #4), realtime database (Products #7), crashlytics (Products #8), and analytics (Products #13). Because this is where my own experience is, we are going to focus here on authentication, and will focus on each of the other three in future posts. I encourage you, though, to spend time exploring this suite and others. I learned recently that IBM’s cloud products even offers AI image recognition.
Getting Set Up with Firebase
When you first log in to Firebase, which you can do by simply being logged in to your Google account in your browser and clicking “Go to console” in the upper right hand corner here, you will come to a welcome screen.
The first thing you want to do is create a project using this screen’s prompt. It will ask you to input:
The project’s name
Whether or not you want to enable Google analytics for the project (I typically will enable)
Configure Google analytics if you have enabled it
Once your project is ready, click continue and you will be taken to your project dashboard. One thing to note, is that each project can and likely will have multiple apps. iOS, Android, and web are each loaded in individually under one project.
Connecting to Firebase
To connect to Firebase, you need to set up a firebase config file in your codebase. In this file, you will add your firebaseConfig variable, which can be downloaded from Project → Settings → General → Your apps, where you will select the app that you are working on, then click the download google-services.json button:
This file will have the information that you need for the firebaseConfig variable:
And then your firebase app is initialized by just importing firebase and using this one line of code:
firebase.initializeApp(firebaseConfig);
Firebase Authentication
Before we dive into this, I would like to first say that, for those of you who have not, I strongly encourage that you first learn to build and implement authentication from the ground up. Building your own authentication system teaches you about encryption, hashing, and authentication flow, which in my opinion is extremely valuable knowledge. While it’s invaluable to have tools that strip you of the need to recreate something like authentication each time (and, let’s be honest, Google is doing it more securely than we could on our own anyway), it is still important to understand what it is that you are implementing. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s begin. Back to your Firebase console.
Setting up Firebase Auth
From the menu on the left hand side, select the “Develop” dropdown, and then select “Authentication”.
This dashboard is where you can manage everything related to users and authentication for your app. Firebase offers an authentication solution that supports traditional email/password auth, phone auth, and social auth such as Google and Facebook login. Firebase also stores all necessary user and login information in a Firebase database, so you don’t need to concern yourself with that part.
The users tab is where you can access a list of the project’s users and user information. You can also manually add users here.
The sign-in method tab allows you to enable your preferred social sign-in options, such as sign in through Google, Facebook, Twitter, Github, etc. The full list of options is pictured below. This shows a project with email/password, Google login, and Facebook login enabled.
On this same tab, under “Authorized domain”, you can (and need to) list domains to be authorized for OAuth redirects.
The templates tab very conveniently allows creation of templates for things like email verification and password reset, which are automatically triggered on signup and forgot password, respectively.
Lastly, the usage tab just displays the app usage statistics for the current billing period.
Implementing Firebase Auth
Firebase is now setup to receive, authenticate, and manage your users, and now just needs to be implemented into your codebase. The sign up and login flows here are really no different than the would be elsewhere. You can route as you would otherwise, but then when you get to the login and sign up functions, usually called under something like onClickLogin and onClickSignUp, you are going to use the below, where “firebaseMethod” is whichever firebase method is appropriate for your route:
firebase.auth().firebaseMethod(email, password)
So if you want to create a user, you would add the below line of code to your register/sign up function, where the email and password is taken from the user’s input:
firebase.auth().createUserWithEmailAndPassword(email, password)
And that’s it. Firebase has made a process which is complicated and costly to do right amazingly simple to implement. The full list of Firebase auth methods can be found here, and if you are using an auth provider, you can find that documentation here.
Check back for more on other Firebase products. | https://medium.com/swlh/firebase-101-authentication-6aaa874aa7c4 | ['Bryn Bennett'] | 2019-12-14 10:38:42.072000+00:00 | ['Firebase', 'Software Engineering', 'Productivity', 'Google', 'Programming'] |
Ready Player One: Hate the Player, Hate the Game. | Ready Player One: Hate the Player, Hate the Game.
Stevey Speegs serves up a deep-fried pop culture candy bar, and not much else.
Considering its source material, it’s probably pretty impressive that Ready Player One only devolves outright into characters listing off beloved retro-culture ephemera two or three times throughout the movie’s generous runtime. In fact, for the most part, Spielberg’s latest remains outright charming, despite the readiness with which it falls apart as soon as you start to think back on it after leaving the theater. Still, its massive piles of CGI spectacle are more fun than they have any right to be, and if nothing else, Ready Player One serves up a pretty interesting (albeit definitely unintentional) conversation about pop culture as semiotics underneath its system-standard, good-guy-versus-bad-guy fare.
Set in a dystopic future where everybody on Earth spends all their time playing the coolest video game ever because real life sucks that much, Ready Player One follows the exploits of Wade Watts both in and out of the virtual reality world of the OASIS as he competes with other players and corporate entities alike to locate a hidden treasure that grants its finder complete control over the OASIS. Everybody in the world of Ready Player One has their own reason for wanting to win the competition, but none are as unforgivably shallow as Wade’s “I just want a better life!” Cinderella Story drive. Secondary and tertiary characters have motivations like, “Money!” and “Something shitty happened to my dad!” and “Hey, because why not?” but this is a function of barely spending enough time with them to actually learn what makes them tick. Wade, on the other hand, remains the focus of the majority of the movie’s runtime, but never winds up learning anything or ultimately changing as a result of his experience: the stuff he wants at the end is as dumb as the stuff he wants at the beginning (because it’s the same dumb stuff).
In a bizarre choice, the late James Halliday (Mark Raylance) winds up becoming Ready Player One‘s emotional core, with the majority of the thematic resonance delivered vis-à-vis the unspooling of his backstory and his relationship with OASIS co-creator Ogden Morrow (Simon Pegg). The gradual reveal of Halliday’s story and reasons behind creating the quest to give away the OASIS, Wonka-style, in the first place turn out to be the film’s beating heart while Wade’s story is relegated to “good guy kills bad guy, gets girl” territory.
Elsewhere in Ohio, villain Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) commands an entire corporations’ worth of resources to find the easter egg and gain control over the OASIS for himself. His reasons are similarly thinly-sketched, his connection to the rest of the story is membrane-thin, and his actions grow less and less easy to track as the script barrels towards its final act and necessitates that he behave in increasingly illogical ways. But hey, if you’ve already bought that every single character in this story and the world headquarters of the villain’s massive corporation are all located within the same small part of Ohio, why wouldn’t you buy Sorrento’s escalating succession of clearly-murderous and easily-traceable actions?
Turns out, it’s that exact barreling that ultimately winds up being Ready Player One‘s saving grace. Beyond a couple groan-worthy moments wherein characters play dialogue tennis with obnoxious pop culture credentials, the movie remains surprisingly engaging, and is so briskly-paced that none of its problems have the time to present themselves until you’ve actually walked out of the theater and start to consider them in retrospect.
Granted, in a film as lousy with set pieces as this one is, it’s perhaps telling that only one of them remains truly memorable (two, if you count one of them for being memorably bad), with an extended second-act trip into the stunningly-recreated world of — you guessed it — a classic ’80s horror film being the only true standout moment that Ready Player One has to offer. The rest is an exciting flurry of CGI and hair metal, Spielberg’s camera (no doubt with the help of a horde of previz artists and a bushelful of second ADs) slinging itself through giant battles and between the combatants of batshit crazy races as though Spider-Man had been hired on as camera operator.
For every moment that doesn’t work (a zero-gravity dance sequence is as much a nonsensical series of meaningless flips and twists as it sounds like it is, and stops the movie dead in its tracks), there’s one that does (like an alt-angle run through a massive set piece we’ve already seen), and Ready Player One definitely manages to thunder along on the steam of the ones that do. There’s not much to say about Tye Sheridan because he could have been replaced with literally any other actor of a similar or different age and I wouldn’t have noticed…and maybe the same goes for almost every other character in this hypercolor Saturday morning cartoon of a movie. But when the end result is this much fun to watch, maybe that doesn’t matter? | https://medium.com/idiots-delight/ready-player-one-hate-the-player-hate-the-game-d9310a1435a3 | ['Sean Boulger'] | 2018-10-28 17:45:34.521000+00:00 | ['Steven Spielberg', 'Movies', 'Movie Review', 'Ready Player One', 'Film Review'] |
Postponed VAT accounting from 1 January 2021 | The Brexit transitional period comes to an end of 31 December 2020 and various changes come into effect from 1 January 2021. One of these changes is the introduction of postponed VAT accounting. This will affect you if you are a VAT-registered business and you import goods into the UK, particularly if you do not use duty deferment.
Nature of postponed VAT accounting
Under postponed VAT accounting, you declare and recover VAT on the same VAT return. This is beneficial as it means that you do not have to pay the VAT upfront and recover it later. Normal VAT rules continue to govern what can be reclaimed.
You can use postponed VAT accounting from 1 January 2021 if your business is registered for VAT in the UK and you import goods into Great Britain from anywhere outside the UK or into Northern Ireland from outside the UK and the EU.
There are no changes to the VAT treatment of goods moved between Northern Ireland and the EU, or in the way in which the VAT is accounted for.
Accounting for import VAT on your VAT return
You can account for import VAT on your VAT return if:
you import goods for use in your business;
you include your EORI number, which starts with ‘GB’ on your customs declaration; and
you include your VAT number on your customer’s custom declaration if required.
If you use customs special procedures, you can account for the import VAT on your VAT return when you submit the declaration to release those goods into free circulation.
Completing your VAT return
The introduction of postponed VAT accounting means that there are some changes to the way in which you will complete your VAT return from 1 January 2021.
You will need to download a monthly statement which shows the total import VAT postponed for the previous month which you will need to include on your VAT return. There are also changes to what you need to enter in Boxes 1, 4 and 7.
In Box 1, include the VAT due in the period on imports accounted for through postponed accounting.
In Box 4, include VAT reclaimed in this period on imports accounted for through postponed accounting.
In Box 7, include the total of all imports of goods shown on your online monthly statement, excluding any VAT.
Consignments not exceeding £135
Where the value of the consignment is less than £135, VAT will be collected at the point of sale rather than at the point of importation.
For More information on Postponed VAT accounting from 1 January 2021, Book a Free Consultation
Source:- https://makesworth.co.uk/postponed-vat-accounting-from-1-january-2021/
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Linkedin | https://medium.com/@makesworth/postponed-vat-accounting-from-1-january-2021-c439b7480be5 | ['Makesworth Accountants'] | 2020-12-09 14:53:23.893000+00:00 | ['Brexit', 'Tax Tips'] |
How to Fall In (and Out) of Love | One: Finding
A wise internet quote once said, “The right person at the wrong time is still the wrong person.” But you’ll meet her at the right time. When everything is finally calm and still, when the ocean waves have finally given up trying to kiss the shore. She’ll come in at you like a tsunami, raging and beautiful, with the promise of total destruction.
I can’t tell you where you’ll find her. A crowded bar where you’ll spill your beer down her dress, a lecture hall, a gym where you’ll watch her, jaw reaching a scientifically-impossible latitude, doing squats in her spandex. I can tell you only that when you find her, every civilized instinct in your body will disappear entirely. You’ll suddenly feel five years old again, impulsive as hell, a total disregard for consequence. You’ll find her like a giant red “X” on a makeshift pirate map, you’ll find her like the home you grew up in. We’ll call this moment “Love At First Sight.” It’s not love yet, don’t be irrational, but while she’s holding the promise of total destruction, you’re holding, on your left, an empty fist where your self-control and logic once sat (they slid through your fingers like strands of her hair should), and on your right, the promise of love.
At this stage, it is of utmost important that you remain calm. Take deep breaths and small sips of water. Suppress any and all sudden urges to a) curl into the fetal position and weep, b) attempt a confident sashay towards her while reciting lines from Shakespeare that you likely have not accurately memorized, or c) run away. It is important to note that while A and B have a (microscopic) chance of being forgiven, C will catalyze a lifetime of regret, often coupled with substance abuse and/or a futile search for her in every crowded room you find yourself in. Here, I can tell you only to forget your own first name, offer a clumsy yet sincere, compliment, and do not walk away until you have her name, number, and face burned into your retinas.
Studies have shown many possible side effects of Finding, including but not limited to: insomnia, obsessive tendencies, infatuation, chain smoking, heightened sense of purpose and bliss, a surge in sexual appetite, an enhanced concern over your less-than-average good looks, a new-found resentment toward male-models, an unprecedented need for self-control, teeth grinding, sore smile muscles, a loss of priority (usually resulting in the neglect of every important thing in your life besides Her), singing in the shower, and sudden remorse over not being artistically talented enough to paint a picture of her face that could rival the Mona Lisa (although in my humble opinion, the Mona Lisa is a passionless piece of shit).
Two: Getting
You’ll exert more energy in this beginning of this phase than you have in all your living years combined. You’ll leave sticky notes on every surface of your home encouraging you to wait at least three days before calling. You will not wait three days before calling. You’ll call her that night. Dial her number four, six, eight times; hanging up before it ever had the chance to ring. You’ll pace around your room like a madman, smoke enough cigarettes to simultaneously cause lung cancer and force you to take out a second mortgage. Finally, you’ll let it ring. The sound of her voice over the phone will sound like chicken soup, or warm cookies, or the culmination of every want and need you’ve ever felt. It is very likely that you will once again forget your own first name.
I can’t tell you what to say to her. I can tell you only that you will love her harder than anyone has loved before, and that human beings can never be homes. She’s too volatile, too free. You’ve already forgotten that she’s a tsunami, haven’t you? She’s a wild stampede; you are the dust of desert sand. I tried to warn you.
Three: Loving
It is okay that you forgot your first name. You don’t need it anymore. Your first name is the way the lighting falls tangent on her cheeks in a two-star restaurant on your first date. Love her like a maniac. Love her like a schizophrenic wearing the same orange suit every day.
The first time you kiss her, either a) go 90°, she will go 10° or, b) fall on her like an avalanche, taste her lips like red velvet cake, hold her with such passion that your colours bleed into her like a fist fight, leave bruises in the shape of your fingerprints on her cheeks, chin, neck, shoulders, hair. Your first name is the scent of her hair.
The first time you make love, you will play these heaven-scented strands of her hair like an electric guitar. The first time you make love, you will finger-paint every square millimeter of her body like it is your vocation. Your first name is the dimples on her back. Your first name is the seraphic curve of her breast. Your first name the way her breath stains itself in the hot air, on your ugly sheets, on your skin, on your skin, on your skin. These are stains you will never wash clean.
The morning after your first night with her, you will wake to her wearing your t-shirt. You will not care about morning breath. You will not worry about seeing each other’s bodies in the exposing light of day. No, you will instead slow dance into your kitchen, messy hair, stained bodies. You will cook a breakfast (that should be lunch) of scrambled eggs, fried potatoes; butter drenched toast, and bacon. This will be the greatest meal of your life. This will be the meal that destroys the chance of satisfaction at every Christmas, Thanksgiving, and birthday dinner to come. This is the meal that every man on death row has recreated for his last supper. How else can I put it? This is the meal — or the cake — that inspired Richard Harris to write McArthur Park, a mystery only to those who’ve yet to love so hard that they forget their first names. And this is how you lose her.
Four: Losing
A wiser internet quote once said, “the wrong person at the wrong time will leave you in a catastrophic heap on the ground.” They will hire search and rescue teams to gather your remains. They will piece you back together like a jigsaw puzzle. I tried to warn you. She came in like a tsunami, holding only the promise of total destruction. She left quietly, softly, in waves resonating further and further away.
Every night after your first, you will lose her a little more. It starts in paces so small that only hindsight could see them. They say that your nose never stops growing; from the moment you are conceived to the moment that even the blood in your veins loses the strength to move. This, exactly this, is how you lose her. Small steps, nothing the naked eye can see. But one day, you’re seventy-five and your nose has suddenly quadrupled in size.
She’ll leave you on a cold night, and you’ll never feel more alone. She’ll leave you after a fistfight, after your words have left each other looking like fallen soldiers of war. She’ll leave you empty. Empty fridge, empty bed, empty stomach. Empty. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
You’ll call your parents who’ll bring you a hug, a kiss, and a “please don’t move back in with us.” You’ll tell your friends who will offer you condolences like gift baskets after a funeral. You will plan your funeral. You will write mental suicide notes in the shower, “Dear Samantha, fuck you.” “Dear Diane, I hope your next fuck gives you syphilis.” “Dear She Whose Name I Shall Not Say,”
You will sift through one-night stands trying to find her. Bring home girls with the same colour hair she had, or the same first name. You will become religious, handing out prayers like pamphlets no one will ever read. You will pray for her death, for her life to be miserable, for her to come back to you like a dog that’s run away to die at the wrong time. You’ll watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind so many times that the disc refuses to play anymore. You will listen to “Fuck It (I Don’t Want You Back)” on repeat.
You will practice destruction. You will rinse your mouth with acetone. Shave your head, grow a beard, scrub the underside of your fingernails until they bleed out every last one of her skin cells. You will take up the art of arson. Make a career of setting fire to your life with her. Your bed sheets, your pillows, your bed. Every place you fucked her. Every place you told her you loved her. You will set fire to the ashes. You will start smoking the cigarettes you quit for her. Your lung cancer will come back, so will your second mortgage. You will pay psychics, magicians, self-help authors to either bring her back or take her away.
You will exhaust. You will collapse. You will have used up all the fire. You will teach yourself how to stand, how to spell, how to fall asleep. You will find all the pieces. You will find them like blood diamonds. You will find them buried in sand, lost in forests, drowned in seas. You will find them slowly, patiently. You will find a new bed. You will find a new meal. You will find, suddenly, all at once, on a Sunday afternoon, that in tiny, microscopic bits, you’ve left her. You’ve forgotten the sound of her voice, the colour of her hair, the number of freckles she held like prisoners on her skin. You will get a new job — in a bank or in retail or a school. You will date girls, some nothing like her, some with traces of her you fail to notice. You will enroll in adult education, find hobbies, find passions, start collections, read magazines, learn to speak Mandarin.
You will remember your first name. | https://humanparts.medium.com/how-to-fall-in-and-out-of-love-ee8b33dd2a83 | ['Daniela Mardero'] | 2019-02-07 01:49:24.727000+00:00 | ['Heart'] |
The Best Ways to Wear Your Favorite Flats | For ladies out there, fashion and sore feet have an old relationship. That pair of shoes at the shop window look fantastic, but you know you’re going to have blisters after 30 minutes. And that’s where flats come in. Admit it; all women love flats. They are comfortable and effortless. But many poor ladies struggle to pair them correctly. We’ve all been there! But it is not that difficult, you know.
Today, we’re going to help you pair your favorite flats and look stylish!
1. Match Your Flats with an Ankle-length Gown
The best example of this match-up is Poppy Delevingne at the 2015 British Fashion awards. She walked the carpet wearing a light-pink ankle-length gown with pointed-toe slip-on flats. She looked stunning and effortless. That’s how you ditch stilettos for flats, in style! Try this idea for your next formal dinner.
2. Grab Your Skinny Jeans
If there are a perfect flat and outfit match, it’s with the skinny jeans. Wear skinny jeans with loafers or smoking slippers, ballet flats, and a floral top. These jeans elongate your legs while bringing out the silhouette perfectly, making sure you look sexy.
3. Slim Trousers for that Bang-on Office-look
The idea is the same as skinny jeans. It maintains the professional look for the office while keeping the slim profile of your gorgeous legs. You can pair contrasting colors between your trousers and your flats to create that stylish office-look. You can find the best shoes Singapore at Lucca Vudor.
4. Pair a Light-hued, Knee-length Dress with Flashy Flats
Another way to wear them formally is to get a pair of flashy flats and pair it with a light-hued dress. A shiny pair of flats is the perfect replacement for heels, and they are equally impressive, flattering, and stylish. A contrasting ensemble brings out the best in the dress, flats, and the person.
5. Flat Mules are the Latest Obsession
It’s staggering how flat mules have taken the world by storm. They incorporate the best of all the other shoes with perfection — a pointy-shape-like high heels Singapore, slipper-like comfort, and the slip-on style like flip-flops. You can pull-off a monochrome look for the next party.
6. Boyfriend Jeans
You can pull-off flats with boyfriend jeans only if your jeans aren’t excessively baggy. Another thing that you have to keep in mind is avoiding ballet flats since they often cut-off your foot unexpectedly. Instead, go for pointed-toe flats with tan or nude colors for the perfect match.
7. Straight Crop Jeans
Straight crop jeans are the latest trend in casual wear. And you can pull it off with a pair of flats like a smooth criminal. Add a breezy, casual shirt, and you have nailed the spring-look. A straight crop jean not only gives you a relaxed vibe but also lifts your overall style quotient.
Conclusion
Flats are the perfect pair of footwear for your summer and spring outfit. They are versatile, giving a relaxed, professional, or formal look whenever you want. Your flats are not that difficult to pair with your outfits; all you have to do is be confident. | https://medium.com/@luccavudor/the-best-ways-to-wear-your-favorite-flats-25d3523a93ca | ['Lucca Vudor'] | 2020-12-17 16:00:14.964000+00:00 | ['Shopping', 'Ladies', 'Flats Online', 'Ladies Flats Online', 'Lucca Vudor'] |
Blockchain Report — 6/27/2018 | Summary: Rapper Akon Is Creating His Own Cryptocurrency In Senegal; ING Survey Shows Interest In Cryptocurrency Expected To Double; Robinhood Is Launching A Cryptocurrency Wallet
Rapper Akon Is Creating His Own Cryptocurrency In Senegal
According to CNN, rapper Akon is building a futuristic cryptocurrency city in Senegal, which will do commerce exclusively in a digital coin he is creating called AKoin. The city will be built on a 2,000-acre land gifted to him by the President of Senegal, Macky Sall. AKoin is expected to launch early July.
At a conference, Akon said:
“I think that blockchain and crypto could be the saviour for Africa in many ways because it brings the power back to the people… Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology offer a more secure currency that enables people in Africa to advance themselves independent of the government.”
ING Survey Shows Interest In Cryptocurrency Expected To Double
According to Bitcoinist, a survey from ING bank showed that interest in cryptocurrency is expected to potentially “more than double”. The survey shows:
Sixty-six per cent of people in Europe say they have heard of cryptocurrency. Fewer than one in 10 (9%) own it. An additional 16 per cent say they expect to own it in future, which suggests uptake could more than double. Considering a third of those in Europe (34%) have not yet heard of cryptocurrency the growth potential could be even higher.
Jessica Exton, a behavioral scientist at ING, concluded that cryptocurrency interest is likely to grow in time but that this increased interest will be cause for some concern for traditional financial institutions. As a result, an economist at ING concluded that regulators will take a more active approach with cryptocurrency as more people consider cryptocurrencies as investments.
Robinhood Is Launching A Cryptocurrency Wallet
According to CCN, Robinhood is working on creating its own cryptocurrency wallet which would allow its customers to move assets from other wallets into the platform without having to sell them first.
In order to fulfill the goal of creating a cryptocurrency wallet, Robinhood has posted a job advertisement for a “Crypto Engineer”. The job advertisement states that the employee will: | https://medium.com/blockchain-report/blockchain-report-6-27-2018-56f13e9d9c3 | ['Christopher Durr'] | 2018-06-27 10:34:51.662000+00:00 | ['Investing', 'News', 'Cryptocurency', 'Blockchain', 'Bitcoin'] |
Post 4: A Story | During one of my last conversations with my boyfriend about god, I realized that I could not approach the subject without feeling some sort of resentment. I felt like I was just building up walls. Or like there was a veil over my head. This happened because we had met with a man who as close to a saint as they come. The man is Charles Mully, and he is a businessman from Kenya who gave up all of his wealth to save and provide for 10,000 African children who were abandoned on the streets of Kenya. He physically has gone out to save many of these children, and sacrificied the comforts of his own natural family (7 children) to improve the lives of these kids. Most of those children are orphans, were abused, and were starving on the streets. Today, many of them have been able to go to universities and become successful adults. This story may sound too good to be true, but several government organizations have indeed vetted him to see if he is the real deal and not some cult leader — and they found out that he is clean. My boyfriend directed a documentary about Mully which is how I know so much about him and his life story. Mully feels that he was called upon by god to give up his millions and dedicate his life to serving others. He told me this when I met him. My boyfriend decided to shock me by leaving me alone to talk with Mully about god. “What the fuck am I supposed to talk about with this man? I’m considering the possibility of god, but I’ve never felt anything divine! What am I supposed to say?” These were all questions I found myself wondering as I sat next to Mully and spoke with him awkwardly for about 20 minutes. I couldn’t relate to him or his story and what he was trying to say about god. I got frustrated and emotional at this, and wondered why I was tossed in that weird situation.
Afterward, my boyfriend and I had a very long talk on the way home. He could see the inner turmoil I was going through and was confused about why. Our discussion was long and focused on my boyfriend’s beliefs and experiences and mine. I told him I felt something of a spiritual world before, but definitely nothing close to god. He said that that was probably because I never truly reached out. Then I told him a brief story from when I was a kid. The only time I remember trying to reach out to god and pray was when I was about 6 or 7 years old and I was trying so hard to do a cartwheel. I mentioned this in my previous post, but it still sticks with me. I said, “please God, help me do a cartwheel.” It worked. Maybe I was meant to keep that memory even until now, or maybe it was just myself giving me the confidence to do so.
I still don’t know why I reacted so harshly to Mully. | https://medium.com/writing-the-ship/post-4-a-story-7b64486d6d60 | ['Katarina M'] | 2016-12-05 00:15:58.660000+00:00 | ['Christianity', 'Religion'] |
Cryptokitties and Steem Monsters | If you know anything about blockchain and crypto, then chances are good that you’ve heard of CryptoKitties. But now, SteemIt has announced Steem Monsters. What are these digital creatures and what does it mean for card games and collectibles in the blockchain space?
Well, funny you should ask….
CryptoKitties is basically an online game that allows the player to collect and breed some pretty cute cats. Each cat is completely unique, and because CryptoKitties uses the Ethereum blockchain, can never be replicated or destroyed. CryptoKitties are not a cryptocurrency, but can only be bought and sold using cryptocurrency.
Still confused?
Think of CryptoKitties as an updated, blockchain-based Neopets. You remember Neopets? That adorable online game that caused us to tie up the phone lines for hours in the late 90’s. Yeah, well, imagine that but with ETH transactions and without all the 10 year olds.
Players use ETH to buy Kitties and breed them, figuring out the of the workings of “cattributes” and Kitty genes, creating new Kitties, and selling them for (hopefully more) ETH. The highest selling cat garnered over $100,000!
But maybe you want more interaction with other players. Maybe instead of just breeding in your digital game, you want to be able to FIGHT.
Steem Monsters are similar to Kitties, but with a few major differences. The monsters are an online card game (think PokéMon cards but digital) that allows player to battle other users with the hope of winning prizes that can be used on the SteemIt platform. Blockchain technology allows the ownership of each card to be checked and verified against the ledger, so you’ll never have to worry about your older brother stealing your cards again.
Again, players have to buy their first cards, the starter pack, using cryptocurrency. But instead of being based on the Ethereum blockchain and using Ether like CryptoKitties, Steem Monsters runs on the Steem blockchain. (Basically, in December of last year, CryptoKitties clogged the blockchain with its numerous and frequent transactions.
The Steem blockchain doesn’t have this scaling issue. If CryptoKitties wants to be sure they don’t cause congestion again, they should consider using a sidechain and plasma system, but that’s a whole other story…) Now that the EOS blockchain is actually a thing, there is talk of Steem merging onto it. It’s still hype at this point, but watch this space.
Collectibles and card games are nothing new but CryptoKitties and Steem Monsters are two examples of how they’re evolving as technologies change. I’m sure all of use have had a weird collection or two and a binder of collectible cards (I know my brother still has Magic: The Gathering cards somewhere…) but do you remember how upset you would get when you found a smashed snowglobe, torn stamp, or lost your special edition, holographic, super Legendary card?
Let the memory of that fully sink in.
Blockchain is now offering a way to get around that heartache. It creates a decentralized space for users to buy, sell, and play any time of the night or day. These transactions are stored on the blockchain so there aren’t any disputes.
And proof-of-stake? Well, let’s just say it’s not just for tokens!
As blockchain grows so do its possibilities — possibilities for growth in essential industries. But also, possibilities for FUN! And digital collectible and card games are nothing if not fun. :) | https://medium.com/teamglasses/cryptokitties-and-steem-monsters-c7acd4beb3d9 | ['Claire Royle'] | 2018-07-31 22:37:50.820000+00:00 | ['Steemmonsters', 'Blockchain', 'Teamglasses', 'Cryptokitties'] |
Stackin Up Entertainment’s Spotify promo led to a 2-Yr deal | Summary: Musician Bri Butterfly’s single, “Hidden Hobby,” gets a new boost. Stackin Up Entertainment amplifies the promo through IG and social media, leading to a 2-year deal with the artist.
20 August 2020, Virginia, USA: Stackin Up Entertainment is a leading music record label having a superb track record in the entertainment world. Their association with Bri Butterfly has been spectacular, based on a lot of research and experimentation, leading to success for the singer. It has also led them to sign a 2-year deal with the musician.
“We are elated to announce that our work with Bri Butterfly on the Spotify promotion has been a one-of-a-kind experience. We were able to target her fans and their preferences about their choice of music. We also used the IG’s Swipe Up feature to promote this growth,” states Gregory Brown Jr, owner of Stackin Up Entertainment.
To make it more meaningful, we went through the bio and developed content for marketing the single, Hidden Hobby. This led to getting organic followers, and the figures were very encouraging. The response for the single was a great success of the firm.
The firm has been thinking innovatively, and this has contributed to the response they got globally from Bri Butterfly’s fans. Also, this has been influential in them fetching a 2-year deal with her for her future work. The firm offers distribution for major and independent artists around the world. They have the market understanding, and this has contributed to their success in these days.
About the Company: Stackin Up Entertainment, Set up in 2018 and the Virginia based music label, has offered distribution with GT Digital/ EMPIRE Distribution. They have worked with artists such as Bri Butterfly, Paperboi M80, Lucky Luciano, Uneek Int, King Hanz, and more. For more information, please visit — www.stackinupent.com
Media Contact
Name: Gregory 64 Brown
Phone: 804.572.1537
Email: [email protected] | https://medium.com/@publisher08137/stackin-up-entertainments-spotify-promo-led-to-a-2-yr-deal-3741ab9267e4 | ['Pro Publisher'] | 2020-08-20 17:49:59.511000+00:00 | ['Spotify', 'Musicians', 'Spotify Promotion', 'Entertainment', 'Deal'] |
I Denounce White Supremacy | I Denounce White Supremacy
How hard is that to say?
Image by Walter Rhein
An analysis of the presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump revealed that the one accusation Trump didn’t deny was being called a racist. Chris Wallace gave Trump every opportunity to denounce white supremacy. He pushed the question several times, repeating it with greater urgency.
Trump’s response, “Stand back and stand by.”
This is a president who refuses to publicly denounce a philosophy of fundamental evil. He dances and dodges around the issue like a cockroach. From Trump’s horrific tweet of a man screaming “white power” to this disgrace of a debate, it has become irrefutable that Trump has absolutely no inclination to bring peace, unity, or lawfulness to this country.
It’s up to us
With every new transgression of our criminal president, more of the fundamental illness of our country is revealed. Trump has highlighted every shortcoming of our society that we have allowed to go unchecked for far too long.
It’s been said the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Most of us, out of decorum or a contorted sense of courtesy, try to absorb certain affronts to our own personal morality for the sake of maintaining a kind of uneasy civic peace. We’re fearful that greater damage might be done by calling out transgressions of a particular category.
For example, at the family Thanksgiving dinner when our elderly grandparents make unfortunate statements that are representative of the flaws of their era, we are generally inclined not to berate them. We let them make their dumb comments, try to forget, and move on as quickly as possible.
But as well-meaning as this inclination might be, the time for that kind of reaction has passed. We have to speak out against white supremacy in all its forms. We can’t allow ignorant people to indulge in their actions of tacit enabling. When people refuse to denounce white supremacy, they must be dealt with appropriately.
White supremacy is a cancer
The fundamental evil of white supremacists cannot be overstated. They are criminals, they are rapists, and none of them are good people. Inherent to their philosophy is to look upon a person different than themselves and conclude they are observing something sub-human.
This belief allows them to engage in horrific crimes and transgressions that no decent person could even contemplate.
The most revealing thing about white supremacists is that deep down they know they should be shameful of their actions. They talk to each other in code, flashing hand signals, obscure phrases and winks. They are so detached from human interaction that they can’t even engage in clear communication. They’re so desperate to be a part of a community that they create fantasies that random strangers agree with their evil and repugnant way of thinking.
Trump wants violence at the polls
During the debate, Trump urged his supporters to go out and watch polls and look for illegal activity. This is deplorable, and it’s criminally irresponsible. When you incite white supremacists to your side, and you encourage them to interfere with the peaceful process of an election, it is likely to lead to death and violence.
Trump is interfering with our election in plain sight. This should be another impeachable offense. He’s being reckless, he’s spreading lies and propaganda about non-existent fraud, and he’s doing so because he knows he’s losing and he doesn’t want the votes to be counted.
We’ve been far too tolerant
The United States is a country of good people that have been slumbering too long. Malicious entities always do whatever they can to leverage an inclination to decency to their advantage. They see kindness as vulnerability and they’re content to launch unprovoked attacks secure in a misconception that they will never suffer any retribution.
But the fundamental failing of individuals who adopt a philosophy of evil is that they are incapable of considering the long term consequences of their behavior. They try to defeat their opponent with an ambush, and fail to understand that for the second battle the injured party will be ready for them.
We will endure
Evil collapses under its own weight. The element of surprise and the lack of any effort to build or create gives them a short term advantage. In the long term, they disappear and are blown away like ash.
The instinctive, conditioned social behavior of the citizens of our nation contains too much laxity for abhorrent philosophies like white supremacy. It’s installed under a delusion of decorum because everybody knows that the white supremacists will throw a temper tantrum when pushed. So, like with all bullies, the rest of us are forced to make unfair accommodations for their repugnant, entitled behavior.
No more
Every day of Trump’s presidency has brought another revelation of the unfair extremes decent people are forced to adopt in order to maintain an uneasy peace with fundamentally unreasonable people. What has become abundantly clear is that their side makes no effort to meet in the middle for the sake of mutual good.
We are restricting ourselves based on the delusion of a false premise. This is a non-functional strategy that must be abandoned.
There are certain transgressions that, no matter how minimal, cannot be tolerated to pass unchecked. During the debate, Trump made multiple appeals to his deranged followers, both subtle and overt, which carry the potential due to the scope of his platform to become magnified to tragic consequence.
I denounce white supremacy
I denounce this philosophy like I denounce any other evil. White supremacy has no redeeming value. At its core, it is a foul and debilitating cancer. When it festers, it has the potential to cripple every aspect of our community and permanently disable the strength and solvency of our nation.
Our citizens need to denounce white supremacy. All of them, united. Our preachers need to denounce it in every sermon, our teachers and parents need to denounce it so that it cannot take root during vulnerable infancy, our politicians need to denounce it so that white supremacists are controlled and permanently cowed.
Above all, our president must denounce white supremacy. Failure to do so is a fundamental abdication, not only of the obligations and responsibilities of the office, but of the basic qualities that must be present at the core of any decent and honorable human being. | https://medium.com/an-injustice/i-denounce-white-supremacy-31dcf2bd4945 | ['Walter Rhein'] | 2020-09-30 13:52:31.750000+00:00 | ['Election 2020', 'Trump', 'Activism', 'Black Lives Mater', 'Race'] |
ARIMA for dummies | Model building in python
We will be using python 3.8 to build ARIMA model and predict Nvidia’s closing stock prices.
Nvidia stocks closing price from 2010–01–01 to 2020–10–10.
nvda_df
First thing we must do, check if data is stationary. From the line graph we’ve seen earlier of Nvidia’s closing stock prices it is quite clear that it is not stationary however to make sure it is always a good practice to test it.
We will test it using Augmented Dickey Fuller Test. To test if data is stationary, we use hypothesis testing where our null hypothesis would be “time series data is non-stationary”. We will reject null hypothesis when p-value is less than 0.05(p-value) which makes us take alternative hypothesis “time series data is stationary”.
Notice that our null hypothesis is rejected because p-value ≥ 0.05. So now we know our data is not stationary however it doesn’t end here because we can make it stationary by using technique called “differencing”.
Just by using 1st order differencing we can see that our data became stationary.
1st, 2nd order differencing applied plot
Below is auto-correlation plot of 1st order differencing. You can see that even with one lag it lead to negative auto-correlation right away which indicates over-differencing. When auto-correlation decrease too fast it may indicate over-difference and if auto-correlation decrease too slow(stays positive for more than 10 lags) it indicates under-differencing.
autocorrelation plot
Also when time series is slightly under differenced, differencing once more lead to slight over differencing and vice versa. In such case instead of differencing add AR terms when slightly under-differenced and add MA terms when slightly over-differenced. | https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/arima-for-dummies-ba761d59a051 | ['Haneul Kim'] | 2021-04-20 16:42:26.613000+00:00 | ['Arima', 'Time Series Forecasting', 'Python'] |
Harmoni Kerja | in In Bitcoin We Trust | https://medium.com/@slewer02/harmoni-kerja-2788760bd632 | ['M Firin'] | 2020-12-27 14:58:53.582000+00:00 | ['Gresik', 'Mesin', 'Indonesia', 'Kapital', 'Work'] |
Unbundling School | School is a massive product. Our human race has built it in the last two thousand years, yet it started to take off only in the last two hundred years or so.
People at times find this surprising, but school is a product. We can understand what subproducts schools provide us when our mental model perceives school as a product.
Content
The main subproduct of any school is the content it’s giving away to its consumers (students). Several domain experts on payroll — provide content by spending hundreds of hours each calendar year.
As most of us know, the content provided is not the best of its kind (to say the least). It hasn’t changed in the last hundred years, and keeps repeating year after year.
I remember my Spanish teacher teaching us about past verbs in the 7th grade. Then again in the 8th grade. The reason was that we had a summer in between, and students “probably forgot the material”. Stories such as this one exist all over the place.
It’s not all bad. All around the world, the school has been the primary content provider. We don’t question it as one. We know most of us won’t need that biology class, but we still like our loved ones to learn the things we did (and learn something).
The thing is — content has been democratized in the last decade. We have far more premium content on MOOCs (massive open online courses) such as Udemy, Coursera, Udacity, edX, and many more. And the market is growing, for example: Udemy has grown 4X in students over 2020.
These exciting changes from the decade that just passed made some of us think that now we have democratized content, we are finally “Done with schools. Huzzah!”. But that is not the case.
Networking
And that brings us to the next products schools are providing.
Networking and P2P (peer to peer) interactions play a huge role in any student’s life. Ivy League Universities rely on that. They have the best human capital and outstanding alumni communities that take care of you.
We are far better together than apart. Seeing someone else going through the same hardships as you give you a lot of strength. It also provides us with baselines of what we can accomplish and achieve. It can also be demoralizing but as a whole, being close to peers who are similar to us and are accessible makes us more robust and better.
Networking has not been thoroughly democratized. Linkedin and other platforms are just scratching the surface IMO, and there is a lot more to do.
Engaged platforms and micro-communities will give us far superior connections that will get us faster to our destinations.
Accountability and Discipline
One of the most important things that school is giving us is the fact that we all have to go there. No questions asked.
Yes, some people skip school, but they are an outlier.
Think about it this way: if you skip school, your caregiver will probably scream at you or set you up straight (when they’ll find out). However, should you stop watching a Udemy course and start playing World of Warcraft instead (or whatever young people are playing today), they may not have the same reaction.
We don’t question the system, and we go to school. Showing up is a significant factor in Education.
Think about a system that you don’t question, for instance: going to the gym. How will that look? It’s going to be an enormous waste of energy questioning whether should I or shouldn’t I go today. Some may even think that convincing yourself for the gym is more challenging than the actual training itself.
Homework, tests, planned activities, and many others are the cornerstone of each school throughout the world.
I haven’t found a real alternative product that provides this type of discipline. Yes, there are Bootcamps, certifications, and tests, but none is close to the kind of discipline instilled into us by our governments and our education system.
On the contrary the recent trend wave has new products that are all too inclusive and want you to be a part of them. They can’t have anyone drop because they’re not a good fit or playing by their rules. Think about a product that has taken on a couple of users and then telling them no. The CAC (customer acquisition cost) for active users on its platform will suffer significantly, and so will that startup or company. On the other hand, schools and universities don’t have that problem at all.
Mentoring and Coaching
Mentoring and coaching is probably not the best product that schools provide. Although domain experts serve as mentors and coaches too.
A mentor is that teacher you remember fondly. S/he “went above and beyond” and helped you achieve X or Y. Much to everyone’s intrigue, it’s not mainstream to see teachers serving as mentors, and it seems like teachers need to get out of their way to provide mentorship.
However, mentorship and coaching exist as essential features of Education. More often than not our mentors are our fellow peers; learning something very well — becoming domain experts in the process. Among them lucky enough to possess great people skills, can help us “see the bigger picture” and tell us what to focus on.
Mentorship products exist out there as marketplaces today, providing a variety of different people that can be “potential you”. Unfortunately, I can’t think of one that won the market so far.
Signaling
The holy grail of a school is the halo effect that the school is providing. Nothing beats having HBS on your resume or any other Ivy League University. We immediately associate such people with success, ergo we open doors for them. Because if they got in where only 1%-5% of the applicants got in, they probably have something that others don’t.
Signaling and Branding are mostly an outcome of having all the right ingredients. Meaning, if you play your cards right, you will end up having a tremendous signaling effect, which scales over time.
Lambda School is probably the most known Bootcamp, which gives content, mentoring, and networking to its students, and eventually won signaling.
However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t build products using the incumbent’s brand name. For example, Trilogy Education creates a signaling effect by working together with universities and preparing students for the job market. They are leveraging the university brand and providing their unique content.
Parting Thoughts
There are many great things schools give us that we take for granted. ‘Content is king’ remains the prevailing mindset — construing school as a content provider when it’s much more.
If we are serious about unbundling school and chipping away some of its central core products, we need to step away from that mindset and build alternative products to the one it’s providing.
The next decade is going to unbundle softer products from schools: Networking products using super-engaged micro-communities; Discipline and accountability products by creating a third party to assess skills, and provide a “skill score” like a credit score; Signaling effect by pairing up with incumbents and providing them with superior content and mentors. And many more.
We have a long way to go to get to a world where the school is just another product in the suite of tools that caregivers can send youngsters to, but we’re inching closer as a human race. Outcome-Driven Education is just around the corner, and mindsets are changing. More products are coming in, and they will unlock and unblock far more potential than ever. | https://medium.com/commitmuse/unbundling-school-c65e99d55607 | ['Gilad Kahala'] | 2020-12-27 21:48:12.810000+00:00 | ['Schools', 'Higher Education', 'Careers', 'Education', 'Bootcamp'] |
How To Get MORE Done In A Day! | We all have 24 hours, Yet some people can get everything done so quickly, While other people get only one or two tasks done. How can we improve our productivity so we can get more done in a day?
STOP MULTITASKING
Not only do you stress yourself out more, But you cannot possibly get more done by multitasking. By working on one project at a time, You can increase your overall productivity.
Eliminate Some of your to-do list
We tend to have ridiculous to-do lists. They start to get super long and out of hand. Can we realistically do all of that crap in one day? Probably not. So why do we try and trick ourselves into thinking that we can? By having long to do lists, we are only causing ourselves unnecessary stress. By knocking out whats not important, We can focus on only important tasks. Which will help us relieve stress?
Say No
We can’t say “yes” To everything, Most of us already have plenty on our plate. Say no sometimes; It’s healthy. If people aren’t understanding, Then maybe you should evaluate on whether they are necessary for your life. You shouldn’t have to feel bad about saying no sometimes.
Getting through the Grueling Projects.
Some items on your to-do May be extremely fun, While others may be extremely tedious. You know you need to get them done, But sometimes it can be hard to stay motivated.
Set a Timer
Give yourself only a certain amount of time to work on the project, And do not exceed that limit. This will force you to work faster Plus if it’s a task you don’t like, You’ll be done soon. So you cant complain. This will also let you get a lot of different things done. Just don’t let yourself be too strong of a perfectionist on it!
Shorter time frames are best!
Be Optimistic
Remind yourself why you are doing it. What benefits will it give you, and encourage yourself to keep going? If you are negative, It will drag out even more.
Use A Time Table
To analyze where your current time is going. You’ll be surprised how much time you spend just messing with your phone. There are free timetables you can print off google.
💙💜🧡💚💙💜🧡💚💙💜🧡💚💙💜🧡💚💙💜
Follow Me On Other social Media as well!
https://linktr.ee/kaylinart
Want To Support My Art? Check Out My Amazon Store!
https://www.amazon.com/shop/kaylinart
💙💜🧡💚💙💜🧡💚💙💜🧡💚💙💜🧡💚💙💜 | https://medium.com/@kaylinart/how-to-get-more-done-in-a-day-3c8396008592 | [] | 2020-12-23 03:42:43.961000+00:00 | ['Self Improvement', 'Time Management', 'Motivation', 'Motivational Speaker'] |
[Watch Below Deepfake for Reference] | “It takes hours for a machine learning project to ingest data, chew, then spit out a convincing deep fake. However, It may only take a couple of seconds for your digital identity to be compromised.”
You may have noticed these projects springing up across the web these days. Unlike your personal cyber hygiene, those who manufacture these uncanny, sometimes eerie videos, are well-groomed for the cyber era. These hilarious memes are a stark reminder of what is possible in the world we live in and what total strangers can do to your identity without your consent. (shout out @BRIANMONARCH + @IAMJOEGAUDET)
The deep fake video I’ve tagged above even has uncanny parallelism to how we interact with password protection at your “trusted” bank. Our de facto first line of defense to verify our identity “security” often sound like the following silly dialogues featured in the deep fake:
“What’s your favorite dinosaur?”
-”Velociraptor!”
“What’s your favorite non-pornographic magazine to masturbate to?”
-”Good Housekeeping!”
“If you were a chick who’s the one guy you would sleep with?”
-”John Stamous!”
What street did you grow up on?
-…
What was the name of your first pet?
-…
See what I mean?
Not only is this a silly line of defense, but wouldn’t you agree that it is irritating to even be prompted with these questions? Especially, when it has been years since you originally set them up, and then you get locked out because you simply forgot which childhood best friend was your favorite?
Let’s get back on track, I’m not here to lecture you about banking security measures. We are here to discuss how the personal data you’ve sprinkled all across the web this past decade can be scrapped up and wielded without your consent, by a meme making teenager. All they need is enough photos or, videos (you’ve been featured in) to train their AI.
If you watched the video, you may have witnessed how it took less than one month for this latest viral deepfake video(s) to amass over 2.4 million views. Now, could you imagine your face on those people? Instead of: The Terminator Ferrell+Rambo C. Reilly? What if a bad actor was using this technology to extort you, defame you, humiliate you, all beyond repair and there wasn’t any way to stop it? Until now…
Introducing ValidIDe
(Pronounced like va·lid·i·ty /vuh·li·duh·tee/).
We are a blockchain company that is going to fix all this dystopian noise that we’ve been collectively barreling towards without deviation. Check us out at our LinkedIn below. Even if you don’t have a penny to spare, then simply try to mention this article to that one techy friend of yours over lunch. We already have tons of support from admirable names in the South Carolina community and hopefully soon, pioneers in your neighborhood as well. Our mission is: to restore control over one’s digital presence in this new world of ours.
At first glance, it appears we are attempting to be a jack of all trades, and in some sense, we intend to be. We have many applications to launch and strategic advisors in place to go the distance in restoring our self-sovereign identity. Perhaps even better than we’ve ever had it before…
Signed,
The ValidIDe Project | https://medium.com/@the.validide.project/watch-below-deepfake-for-reference-fbac5a4a1194 | [] | 2020-12-05 14:44:45.986000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Blockchain', 'Blockchain Startup', 'Comedy', 'Deepfakes'] |
FEMA’s National Risk Index has some weird results | FEMA’s National Risk Index has some weird results
Natural hazard analysis is tough. Doing it for an entire country is even tougher. So why does FEMA stand by some of the NRI’s inaccuracies? Kevin Zerbe Dec 9, 2020·6 min read
It’s great to consider social vulnerability when assessing natural hazard risks. This is a capability many of us have spent years trying to incorporate meaningfully into our hazard risk analyses. Stronger vulnerability assessments will tend to look at social vulnerability as a qualitative supplement to the quantitative natural hazard risk analysis detailing things like physical exposure and likelihoods of future hazard occurrences. Too often, though, social vulnerability is overlooked or treated as an afterthought because it’s extremely difficult to quantify it and fit it into traditional risk assessment forumlas. For this, I applaud FEMA for giving it a real go. But I’m surprised to see FEMA standing by some of the results from the NRI.
For example, Cowlitz County (a non-coastal county in Washington), according to the NRI, is the most at-risk county to coastal flooding in the whole country. The Bronx, according to the NRI, is the most at-risk place in the country for tornadoes.
This seem weird to anybody else?
They say it’s because Cowlitz is a socially vulnerable county and sea level rise is going to make flooding on the Columbia River worse in the future. All true, but what about socially vulnerable places already dealing with sea level rise on top of increasingly strong hurricanes and other storms? Surely they have more risk, right now today, than Cowlitz County does.
And tornadoes in NYC? Again, they cite the Bronx’s high social vulnerability as the reason — even though they admit tornadoes are rare there. But what about places where tornadoes are not rare that also have high social vulnerability? Surely they have more risk than the Bronx does in spite of the Bronx’s social vulnerability score.
In all honesty, I’m not surprised the NRI wound up with some eyebrow-raising results. A large nationwide model like this one is bound to have some inaccuracies when applied to smaller, more granular scales. There’s just no way a large-scale model like this one will fit perfectly to every Census tract in the country. Anyone who does any kind of physical or statistical modeling grapples with this and works to minimize error as much as possible, but acknowledges errors are going to happen. The hope is your results will mostly work, but there’s always a caveat that they may not apply perfectly all the time. Or that results may be different with different variables or parameterization.
What I am surprised by is FEMA’s lack of acknowledging that the NRI is bound to have some issues here and there and should be validated against other means of assessing risk at local and regional scales. There should be a disclaimer saying these results may or may not apply to every jurisdiction, so users should be sure to validate them before taking them at face value. Instead, according to this article anyway, they seem to truly believe Cowlitz is more at risk to coastal flooding than anywhere else in the entire country. More than Norfolk, New Orleans, or Miami — all legitimately coastal places with large populations of socially vulnerable residents as well as various military, commerce, and other real estate exposed to sea level rise and other coastal hazards right now.
A bit of a disclaimer for NRI users
FEMA doesn’t view these results as minor inaccuracies of a large-scale model, and that’s a little worrisome. I hope any users of the NRI know better.
But just in case, here’s the disclaimer I wish FEMA would’ve included alongside the NRI’s release:
Firstly, it’s an index. Indices are great, but they almost never tell the whole story. By their very nature, indices are generalized and compare statistics over large geographic areas. That’s definitely the case with the NRI, which is comparing risk in your jurisdiction relative to the highest and lowest risk scores in the entire country. This might be a helpful way to look at risk if you’re FEMA and your jurisdiction is the entire country, but for most of us we are concerned with a much smaller geographic area. The risk scores in the NRI, as a result, may or may not make sense for everyone. Even FEMA says the following on their website:
“The NRI alone does not generate the risk assessment portion of the plan, but it supports its development with high quality, comprehensive data…”
And also:
“The NRI leverages available source data for 18 natural hazards, social vulnerability, and community resilience to develop a baseline relative risk measurement for each United States county and Census tract.” (emphasis added)
The keyword there is baseline. The NRI is a good starting point for your risk assessment, but starting points are not usually where you end up. All baselines in statistics have variation on either side, with scores above and below the baseline. If you want to use the NRI, you will need to test the results for your jurisdiction against what you know about natural hazard risk from your local perspective. In other words, you need to test whether the baseline score applies to you. Chances are that a national index like this one won’t capture all the nuance of risk at jurisdiction levels.
Secondly, the NRI score itself uses monetized estimated annual losses to buildings, populations, and agricultural assets in its calculations. What this means is that risk is defined by the estimated yearly damage (in dollars) to your buildings, people, and agriculture. This may mean that scores are skewed toward where there are a lot of buildings and people (i.e. big cities, like NYC for example) and/or lots of agricultural assets (i.e. the Midwest). If this sounds like your community, then excellent! The NRI’s scores may be closer to reality for you than others. Either way, you need to test their baseline score with your local knowledge. Also, reliable probabilistic estimates of yearly damage from natural hazards are not available in every county or Census tract in the US, so there may be some assumptions that FEMA is making that might not make sense for your jurisdiction.
And remember that the likelihood of damage to real estate and people is only one way to go about assessing risk. You are required to determine the risks to your community assets if you want FEMA to approve your hazard mitigation plan, but you get to decide what your community assets are. They can (and should) include buildings, people, and agricultural assets, but don’t forget about environmental assets, cultural and historical assets, or assets in other jurisdictions you may rely on (e.g., economic assets like ports or transportation systems). These are more difficult to monetize and more difficult to determine an annual estimate of probable damage. That doesn’t mean they should be left out of your risk assessment!
Finally, risk is one component of the plan. Vulnerability is something different. The NRI does not capture vulnerability at jurisdiction scales. Vulnerability is defined by the characteristics of your community assets that make them more or less susceptible to damage from natural hazards. Since you are the one defining your community assets, and you are the one determining their susceptibility to harm, there is no way for that information to be captured by the NRI.
So, feel free to incorporate the NRI in your planning efforts. It’s a good place to start. But in almost every case, it will need to be refined by you and zoomed in from FEMA’s country-wide 100,000 foot view to a scale that makes more sense for you. If you see some weird results for your town or county, take a closer look before assuming FEMA’s right and your gut is wrong. | https://medium.com/@kevinzerbe/femas-national-risk-index-has-some-weird-results-76bdd77b113f | ['Kevin Zerbe'] | 2020-12-09 20:52:22.406000+00:00 | ['Fema', 'Risk', 'Climate Change', 'Natural Hazards', 'Vulnerability'] |
Be the Change You Wish to See in the World | Be the Change You Wish to See in the World
I, Chandler Myer, promise to be the change I wish to see in the world.
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
While it may be unclear whether Mohandas Gandhi or Arleen Lorrance can be credited with this sentiment (see Quote Investigator’s article here), it remains a powerful admonition to those of us who are truly disturbed by the divisions in our society.
Full transparency requires I reveal a few facts about myself before moving forward:
1. I am a married gay man, mid-50s, Generation X;
2. I am a leftist, democratic socialist, progressive;
3. I am an atheist who finds all religions ridiculous, if not offensive;
4. I voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary and Joe Biden in the election;
5. I despise Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell.
The past four years have been extremely difficult for many, and possibly most, of us. I have listened as family and friends express support for Donald Trump’s wild and baseless theories, narcissistic policies, and democracy-destroying actions. Through it all, I continued to remind myself that these are people I have known for many years; some for my entire life. They are comprised of much more than support for Trump. They, like me, are complex beings who espouse sometimes contradictory thoughts resulting in actions that can be detrimental to both society and themselves.
The way our world changes is one-on-one and one-by-one.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with someone who expressed fear over electing Biden. She told me she had read it would be Kamala Harris who would actually run the government. Harris, to her understanding, is a socialist who would turn the United States into a communist country. Her voice had such urgency as she recited someone’s propaganda. I knew the only response was to educate her on the actual meanings of the words “socialist” and “communist.” The tone of our conversation cooled as we talked and I felt better to have, for at least a moment, introduced another side to her thinking.
I spoke with another person around the same time about the “disaster” that is the Affordable Care Act. He, like Trump, could not point to a single aspect of the law that would deem it a “disaster.” That fact did not deter him from holding this point of view. I took the time to remind him of the problems that existed before this law: refusal of coverage because of pre-existing conditions, unchecked cost increases, difficulty finding insurance when unemployed, and lack of coverage to those who are poor. Again, I don’t know if this changed his mind, but it introduced another view.
It is difficult for me to hear manipulative people work to conflate the terms “socialism” and “communism.” They certainly share some of the same tenets, but they are not equivalents. When public leaders misinform the population in this way, it creates a false narrative of the United States. The person who has been told to fear socialism lives on monthly Social Security checks, seeks medical treatment through Medicare, takes her leaves to the public compost, and drives on roads built and maintained by the government. The Affordable Care Act hater has a long list of pre-existing health conditions that were accepted under his Medicare insurance, and unemployed family members who are insured because of provisions in this law.
I am frustrated that people close to me have been indoctrinated into this way of thinking. Much of it can be traced back to the racist views some held of President Obama and now, Vice President-Elect Harris. To deny this notion would be to put my head in the sand and ignore the language used to describe these amazing leaders. | https://medium.com/prismnpen/be-the-change-you-wish-to-see-in-the-world-d456a8a0c972 | ['Chandler Myer'] | 2020-11-11 03:09:46.520000+00:00 | ['LGBTQ', 'Healing', 'Creative Non Fiction', 'Progressive', 'Atheism'] |
Traditional Banking Sucks | The Lack of Organized Decision-Making
Slow decision-making is a huge challenge for traditional banks. Since these corporations rely on a hierarchical structure in most cases and involve many stakeholders, it might take weeks or even months for a single decision to be made.
For instance, if you want to take credit in a bank, you’ll be forced to fill out a massive pile of documents and wait until some manager in headquarters will review your case and make a decision. With decentralized systems, everything goes faster as it does not rely on a single person or group in making decisions.
Government Bailouts
A bailout can be defined as an injection of money typically from the government to a company facing the threat of bankruptcy or collapse.
(2009 anyone?) Bailouts might come in different forms depending on the situation, but, in most cases, they place a set of requirements on the financial body in terms of restructuring, change management, dividend payment, etc.
While the government considers bailout a saving practice, they rarely resolve the root problem and result in increased debt. Moreover, the financial body might be unable to fulfill its commitment, which will only lead to bankruptcy in the long run.
Let’s talk numbers: the total direct cost of crisis-related bailouts was calculated at $498 billion, which can be compared to 3.5% of the gross domestic product.
Corruption
This is the most obvious yet less looked at. Corruption is the phenomenon responsible for destroying economies and livelihoods. It helps keep poor countries poor and promotes inequity at all levels.
Unfortunately, corruption is the case in the banking sector. The degree might vary from the region and economy, but it is still there, penetrating the industries.
Increased bribery rate affects both internal and external processes, leading to restricted access to loans and bringing negative implications to the economy. | https://medium.com/dot-dots/traditional-banking-sucks-2fb57828231b | ['John G. Izaguirre'] | 2021-12-30 10:38:55.693000+00:00 | ['Web3', 'Economics', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Money', 'Banking'] |
Attitude of Gratitude & Flexibility: Robert Tobin | Emmy-nominated Emily O’Brien and Jason London in “Get Married or Die.”
As an award-winning screenwriter, development executive, producer, author, and instructor, Robert Tobin has seen numerous sides of the film industry. He started by reading scripts for production companies and before long, he wrote films such as Dam999 and Get Married or Die (starring legendary character actor Monte Markham Dazed and Confused actor Jason London, Emmy nominee Emily O’Brien, and Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Sally Kirkland). After growing into a variety of roles, Robert’s ready to share some critical wisdom with the HC&F community.
“Writers are doing more on projects than they used to,” Robert said, calm and reflective. “They’re asked to have pitch decks, attached talent, budgets. So, going into the pandemic, I took this growing realization that I needed to do more than just write if I wanted to be successful. I have to become an integral part in the filmmaking process before I hand off the script.”
That only improved his writing process.
“When you have to consider your budget, you discover how much work goes into shooting just one scene. You ask if an actor can really pull this scene off or if special effects are really necessary. My last script was set in a travel agency in a mall, but the filmmakers had such a small budget that they could only use the basement of a church. They asked me to rewrite it into a location that could fit, so I completely took out the travel agency and changed the setting to a photography studio.”
The film came out well, but that wasn’t the most important takeaway.
“For any actor, writer, or filmmaker, an attitude of gratitude opens up so many different doors. These people were still risking $300,000 of their own money, so I had to be helpful and gracious. We talk about all the technical aspects of a film career, but we have to emphasize the relational aspect. Relationships will take you far in your career because those people will want to keep working with you. Look at a tricky situation as an opportunity, not an imposition.”
According to Robert, the biggest obstacle for any actor and filmmaker is attitude.
From left to right: Michael Feinstein, Sally Kirkland, Monte Markham and his wife, and Robert Tobin.
“Being open to success is critically important. Actors and filmmakers create limitations in their minds by lacking confidence or by being arrogant. Really successful filmmakers and actors have a purity that isn’t clouded by manipulations and doubts. They see possibilities when others see roadblocks.”
What’s one way to keep a positive attitude? Do as many jobs as you can find.
“If you really understand what it’s like to change a lens and get the right lighting or to tote the wires and cables, that makes you a better actor or writer or director. You know what you’re asking others to do for you because you’ve done it yourself. Drink it all in and experience the whole process.”
Heading forward, Robert is focusing on his feature rom-com screenplay Love on the Adriatic, optioned by Sun Blizzard Productions (SBP) of Toronto and Los Angeles. The film depicts a widowed American painter looking to restart her life on the Adriatic coast but facing guilt over her husband taking his own life in the process. SBP is seeking partners to fund and produce this edgy but feel-good romantic comedy set on the Italian Adriatic coast. SBP has created a full package for the project, including budget, trailer, pitch deck, and executive summary.
As he prepares promotional materials, Robert looks forward to mentoring young filmmakers and actors.
“That didn’t exist when I was young. Now, filmmakers can have success much quicker. When people have mentors, it cuts that process in half.”
HC&F can’t wait to see more of the insight and skill that Robert will bring to the table. Check out the links below to connect with Robert and learn more about his works. If you want more information on “Love on the Adriatic” or any of their other exciting film projects, contact Nadia or Rob at [email protected] or [email protected].
Love on the Adriatic | * OFFICIAL*LOOK BOOK FINAL — YouTube
Love on the Adriatic: Official Trailer | SUN BLIZZARD PRODUCTIONS — YouTube
Rob Tobin (@RobTobin) / Twitter
Robert Tobin | LinkedIn | https://medium.com/@hcandf/attitude-of-gratitude-flexibility-robert-tobin-e3ec3f2b5216 | ['Hollywood Casting'] | 2021-04-06 17:36:20.828000+00:00 | ['Oscars', 'Screenwriting', 'Acting', 'Filmmaking', 'Mentoring'] |
Kubernetes, Local to Production with Django: 4 - Celery with Redis and Flower | So far we have covered how to deploy a Django application in a local Kubernetes cluster, we have then integrated it with a PostgreSQL database and run migrations on the database using the Job Controller.
The following updates were made in November 2020 — updated to kubernetes 1.19.2 updated to python 3.8 , updated to Django 3.1.2 , updated to postgres 13 , updated to celery 4.4.7 .
Objectives
In this part of the tutorial, we will look at how to deploy a celery application with Redis as a message broker and introduce the concept of monitoring by adding the Flower module, thus the following points are to be covered:
Deploy Redis into our Kubernetes cluster, and add a Service to expose Redis to the django application.
Update the Django application to use Redis as a message broker and as a cache.
Create celery tasks in the Django application and have a deployment to process tasks from the message queue using the celery worker command and a separate deployment for running periodic tasks using the celery beat command.
command and a separate deployment for running periodic tasks using the command. Add the celery flower package as a deployment and expose it as a service to allow access from a web browser.
Requirements
Some basic knowledge of Kubernetes is assumed, if not, refer to the previous tutorial post for an introduction to minikube.
Minikube needs to be up and running which can be done by:
$ minikube start
The minikube docker daemon needs to be used instead of the host docker daemon which can be done by:
$ eval $(minikube docker-env)
To view the resources that exist on the local cluster, the minikube dashboard will be utilized using the command:
$ minikube dashboard
This opens a new tab on the browser and displays the objects that are in the cluster.
The code for this part of the series can be found on Github in the part_4-redis-celery branch. From the github repo, the Kubernetes manifest files can be found in:
$ kubernetes_django/deploy/..
The rest of the tutorial will assume the above is the current working directory when applying the Kubernetes manifests.
TL;DR
To get the tutorial code up and running, execute the following sequence of commands:
# Setup project
$ git clone [email protected]:gitumarkk/kubernetes_django.git
$ cd kubernetes_django/deploy/kubernetes/
$ git checkout part_4-redis-celery # Configure minikube
$ minikube start
$ eval $(minikube docker-env)
$ minikube dashboard # Open dashboard in new browser # Apply Manifests
$ kubectl apply -f postgres/ # See dashboard in browser
$ kubectl apply -f redis/
$ kubectl apply -f django/
$ kubectl apply -f celery/
$ kubectl apply -f flower/ # Show services in browser
$ minikube service django-service # Wait if not ready
$ minikube service flower-service # Delete cluster when done
$ minikube delete
1. Background
In a typical web application, we have the critical request/response cycle which needs to have a short latency e.g. user authentication. We also have the longer running background tasks that can have a more tolerable latency, hence does not immediately impact the user experience e.g image/document processing. As such, background tasks are typically run as asynchronous processes outside the request/response thread.
Celery is a popular python task queue with a focus on real time processing. It has good Django integration making it easy to set up. It utilizes the producer consumer design pattern where:
A producer creates the task.
The task is placed in a messaging queue.
Consumers subscribed to the messaging queue can receive the messages and process the tasks in a different queue.
In the case of celery, it’s both a producer and a consumer i.e. it acts as a producer when an asynchronous task is called in the request/response thread thus adding a message to the queue, as well as listening to the message queue and processing the message in a different thread. This means we can use the exact same codebase for both the producer and consumer.
For celery to work effectively, a broker is required for message transport. There are several brokers that can be utilized, which include RabbitMQ, Redis, Kafka etc. For this tutorial we will use Redis as a message broker, even though not as complete as RabbitMQ, Redis is quite good as a cache datastore as well and thus we can cover 2 use cases in one.
Finally, we will add basic monitoring for celery by adding the Flower package, which is a web based tool for monitoring and administering Celery clusters.
2. Deploying Redis
In a high availability setup, Redis is run using the Master Slave architecture which has fault tolerance and allows for faster data accessibility in high traffic systems. In this setup the Redis application is replicated across a number of hosts that have copies of the same data so that if one host goes down, the data is still available. The master is the host that writes data and coordinates sorts and reads on the other host called slaves.
For our use case though, we will be running a trivial application where celery will be deployed on a single host thus one master and no slaves.
Redis Deployment
The Deployment Controller manifest to manage the Redis application on the cluster is:
Where:
The spec: selector: matchLabels field specifies which pods this deployment applies to i.e. the pods containing the labels in matchLabels .
field specifies which pods this deployment applies to i.e. the pods containing the labels in . The spec: replicas field shows only 1 pod is to be deployed.
field shows only 1 pod is to be deployed. The spec: template: labels field contains key value pairs that are used to identify the pod.
field contains key value pairs that are used to identify the pod. The spec: template: spec: containers field indicates the name of the Redis container as well as the image to use i.e. image: redis which is pulled from the docker registry. We introduce the concept of resources: requests where we can limit the cpu and memory foot print to prevent the pod from overusing the host resources. The containerPort field shows that we are exposes port 6379 from the container to the pod (but cannot be accessed outside the pod without creating a service).
The deployment is created in our cluster by running:
$ kubectl apply -f redis/deployment.yaml
The result can be verified by viewing the minikube dashboard.
Redis Service
To allow Redis to be accessed outside the pod, we need to create a Kubernetes service. The Service manifest file is as follows:
Where:
The spec: ports field shows the 6379 targetPort in the pod should be mapped to the 6379 port in the cluster.
field shows the 6379 in the pod should be mapped to the 6379 in the cluster. The spec: selector field indicates the pods which this service should be applied to based on the specified key value pair.
The service is created in our cluster by running:
$ kubectl apply -f redis/service.yaml
The result can be verified by viewing the minikube dashboard.
3. Updating the Code base
In order to add celery functionality, a few updates are needed to be made to the Django application.
requirements.txt
The following requirements file is required to make sure our application works as expected.
celery==4.4.7
Django==3.1.2
django-health-check==3.14.3
django-redis==4.12.1
flower==0.9.5
gunicorn==20.0.4
kombu==4.6.10
psycopg2-binary==2.9.6
redis==3.5.3
Settings.py
We need to add Celery configuration as well as caching configuration. Both should have access to the Redis service that was created which exposes the Redis deployment.
# REDIS
REDIS_URL = "redis://{host}:{port}/1".format(
host=os.getenv('REDIS_HOST', 'localhost'),
port=os.getenv('REDIS_PORT', '6379')
) # CELERY
CELERY_BROKER_URL = REDIS_URL
CELERY_RESULT_BACKEND = REDIS_URL
CELERY_ACCEPT_CONTENT = ['application/json']
CELERY_RESULT_SERIALIZER = 'json'
CELERY_TASK_SERIALIZER = 'json' # CACHE
CACHES = {
"default": {
"BACKEND": "django_redis.cache.RedisCache",
"LOCATION": REDIS_URL,
"OPTIONS": {
"CLIENT_CLASS": "django_redis.client.DefaultClient"
},
"KEY_PREFIX": "example"
}
}
The CELERY_BROKER_URL is composed of the REDIS_HOST and REDIS_PORT that are passed in as environmental variables and combined to form the REDIS_URL variable. The REDIS_URL is then used as the CELERY_BROKER_URL and is where the messages will be stored and read from the queue. Caching uses the django_redis module where the REDIS_URL is used as the cache store.
Celery.py
The <mysite>/<mysite>/celery.py file then needs to be created as is the recommended way that defines the Celery instance. The file should have the following configuration:
http://docs.celeryproject.org/en/latest/django/first-steps-with-django.html from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
import os
from celery import Celery os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', '<mysite>.settings') app = Celery('<mysite>')
app.config_from_object('django.conf:settings', namespace='CELERY')
app.autodiscover_tasks() app.conf.beat_schedule = {
'display_time-20-seconds': {
'task': 'demoapp.tasks.display_time',
'schedule': 20.0
},
} @app.task(bind=True)
def debug_task(self):
print('Request: {0!r}'.format(self.request))
__init__.py
In order to ensure that the app get’s loaded when django starts, the celery.py file needs to be imported in <mysite>/<mysite>/__init__.py file:
from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals # This will make sure the app is always imported when
# Django starts so that shared_task will use this app.
from .celery import app as celery_app __all__ = ['celery_app']
<mysite>/demoapp/tasks.py
The demoapp/task.py file contains a simple function to display the time and then returns. This is used by celery beat as defined in the <mysite>/<mysite>/celery.py file.
from datetime import datetime
from celery import shared_task @shared_task
def display_time():
print("The time is %s :" % str(datetime.now()))
return True def display_time():print("The time is %s :" % str(datetime.now()))return True
Building the docker image
Now that the codebase has been updated, the docker image needs to be rebuilt and the tag needs to be updated. Before this happens, make sure the minikube docker daemon is active by running:
$ eval $(minikube docker-env)
The command to build the Django docker image with the updated codebase is:
$ docker build -t <IMAGE_NAME>:<TAG>
The <TAG> parameter should be different from the previous build to allow the deployment to be updated in the cluster.
4. Deploying Django with Celery
Once the changes have been made to the codebase and the docker image has been built, we need to update the Django image in the cluster; as well as create new deployments for the celery worker and the celery beat cron job. Finally the Flower monitoring service will be added to the cluster. However, as we will soon see, the Deployment Controller manifests file for all 4 will be similar where the only difference is the containerPort definition and the command used to run the images. For the sake of this tutorial, the duplication of code will be allowed but in later tutorials, we will look at how to use Helm to parametrize the templates.
The reason separate deployments are needed as opposed to one deployment containing multiple containers in a pod, is that we need to be able to scale our applications independently. Consider the following scenarios:
There is a high front end traffic and low asynchronous tasks, this means our django web application replica count will increase to handle the load while everything else remains constant.
Other times the asynchronous task load might spike when processing numerous tasks while the web requests remain constant, in this scenario we need to increase the celery worker replicas while keeping everything else constant.
The flower monitoring tool and the cron job usually have a much lower load so the replica count will remain low.
django/deployment.yaml
The Django image in the cluster needs to be updated with the new image as well as passing the now required REDIS_HOST which is the name of the Redis service that was created. Thus, the Django Controller manifest needs to be updated to the following:
The only update we made to the Deployment manifest file is updating the image and passing in the REDIS_HOST . The deployment is created in our cluster by running:
$ kubectl apply -f django/deployment.yaml
The result can be verified by viewing the minikube dashboard.
celery/worker-deployment.yaml
The celery worker manifest file is similar to the django deployment manifest file as can be seen below:
The only difference is that we now have a start command to start the celery worker as well as we don’t need to expose a container port as it’s unnecessary. The deployment is created in our cluster by running:
The result can be verified by viewing the minikube dashboard.
celery/beat-deployment.yaml
To have a celery cron job running, we need to start celery with the celery beat command as can be seen by the deployment below.
The deployment is created in our cluster by running:
$ kubectl apply -f django/celery-beat-deployment.yaml
The result can be verified by viewing the minikube dashboard.
flower/deployment.yaml
The flower deployment needs to be created to enable Flower monitoring on the Celery Kubernetes cluster, the Deployment manifest is:
Similar to the Celery deployments, it has different command to run the container. In addition port 5555 is exposed to allow the pod to be accessed from outside. Some environmental variables which are not necessary are removed, however the REDIS_HOST is still required. To prevent an overuse of resources, limits are then set. The deployment is created in the cluster by running:
$ kubectl apply -f flower/worker-deployment.yaml
The result can be verified by viewing the minikube dashboard.
flower/service.yaml
The flower deployment exposes the container on port 5555, however this cannot be accessed from outside the pod. To allow for internet access, a service needs to be created by using the following manifest file:
The service is created in the cluster by running:
$ kubectl apply -f flower/service.yaml
The result can be verified by viewing the minikube dashboard.
5. Results
To confirm the celery worker and cron jobs are running, the pod names need to be retrieved by running:
$ kubectl get pods NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE
celery-beat-fbd55d667-8qczf 1/1 Running 0 5m
celery-worker-7b9849b5d6-ndfjd 1/1 Running 0 5m
django-799d45fb77-7cn48 1/1 Running 0 22m
flower-f7b5479f5-84dhc 1/1 Running 0 19m
postgres-68fdbc869b-rmljm 1/1 Running 3 4d
redis-847499c948-jfvb6 1/1 Running 0 8m
To view the results of the cron job i.e. celery beat:
$ kubectl logs celery-beat-fbd55d667-8qczf [2018-01-22 16:51:41,132: INFO/MainProcess] beat: Starting... [2018-01-22 17:21:17,481: INFO/MainProcess] Scheduler: Sending due task display_time-20-seconds (demoapp.tasks.display_time) [2018-01-22 17:21:17,492: DEBUG/MainProcess] demoapp.tasks.display_time sent. id->4f9ea7fa-066d-4cc8-b84a-0231e4357de5 [2018-01-22 17:21:17,493: DEBUG/MainProcess] beat: Waking up in 19.97 seconds.
This shows the periodic tasks are running every 20 seconds, and pushes the tasks to the Redis queue.
To view the results of the worker:
$ kubectl logs celery-worker-7b9849b5d6-ndfjd [2018-01-22 16:51:41,250: INFO/MainProcess] Connected to redis://redis-service:6379/1 [2018-01-22 17:21:37,477: INFO/MainProcess] Received task: demoapp.tasks.display_time[4f9ea7fa-066d-4cc8-b84a-0231e4357de5] [2018-01-22 17:21:37,478: WARNING/ForkPoolWorker-1] The time is 2018-01-22 17:21:37.478215 : [2018-01-22 17:21:37,478: INFO/ForkPoolWorker-1] Task demoapp.tasks.display_time[4f9ea7fa-066d-4cc8-b84a-0231e4357de5] succeeded in 0.0007850109977880493s: True
The cron job tasks are then received where the relevant function is run, in this case it’s the display_time command.
To confirm that all the health checks are okay:
$ minikube service django-service
This should open a new browser tab where the following output displayed by the django-health-check library.
To make sure the celery flower dashboard is running:
$ minikube service flower-service
This should open a new browser tab where the following output is displayed:
6. Conclusion
A lot of ground has been covered in this tutorial i.e. creating a Redis deployment, running asynchronous task deployments in Kubernetes as well as implement monitoring.
The next tutorial will focus on deploying the cluster to AWS using Kops.
If you have any questions or anything needs clarification, you can book a time with me on https://mbele.io/mark
7. Credits
8. Tutorial Links
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 | https://medium.com/@markgituma/kubernetes-local-to-production-with-django-4-celery-with-redis-and-flower-df48ab9896b7 | ['Mark Gituma'] | 2021-05-25 15:08:43.444000+00:00 | ['Celery', 'Django', 'Redis', 'Flower', 'Kubernetes'] |
Tips to Perform Year-End Audit to Gain Future Insights | As much as it seemed impossible for businesses to survive, we have successfully made it to the end of this year. No doubt, it has been a “different” year for most of the search marketers.
Intriguing challenges cropped up, with many businesses having a narrowed budget or even modified strategies to succeed during the darkest days of the year.
In fact, some lucky businesses saw digital growth in particular vertical markets throughout the year, which actually granted them the ability to test out new concepts. So if anything, this year has actually compelled the search marketers to think differently.
This presents an excellent opportunity to analyze your digital campaigns and, in evasion of smugness, scrutinize your year to determine the success that might help you in the next year.
In this blog, we will go through the five areas that will help you obtain future insight.
TRAFFIC
Turn to Analytics to see a year-over-year view of your website traffic.
What transpired in the previous year, comparatively speaking, that you should get a load of?
Did your typical site traffic seasonality shift because of the pandemic that you might need to take into consideration (as we may have to spend a few more months in this atmosphere)?
Have you observed certain channels, whether or not in search, that has witnessed a negative or positive transient in user engagement and behavior with website touchpoints?
On the whole, have particular landing or exit pages made extreme changes in the past year that might suggest a reexamination or improvement?
TECHNICAL
A technical site audit at the end of the year is at all times a best practice.
Usually, a lot is added to your site during a year, and very little is struck out.
Log in to your Google Analytics account, and from there, perform a year-over-year review comparison of page load speed.
You might notice some clear offenders that you need to reassess, especially for large file size image additions, invalid file references, and so on that should be updated.
Analyze the development deployment calendar. How many tags have been manually added to your website? Are these tags still being used? Can you clear things up a little and deploy using a tag manager?
KEYWORDS
From both an organic and paid search point of view, check out the keyword volume trends over a period of time.
The keywords that you have targeted throughout the year do they still present an expected search volume, or are they decreasing? Or perhaps the keyword family is expanding and should be prioritized in your next year’s content marketing strategy?
Are there monthly discrepancies in your keywords that could signal extra paid search focus during the upcoming months next year?
Conduct a year-over-year analysis of the CPC (Cost Per Click) and CPCon (Cost Per Conversion) of your paid keywords.
You might have your conversion blinders on observing constant keyword success, but waning return on investment (ROI) as your competitor is building for a specific keyword.
You might want to spend more granularly around this keyword to find a similar searcher but at a relatively lower price.
Or, in the best-case scenario, you might discover terms with increasing CPCon (cost per conversion).
CONTENT
Find out which type of content resonated the most with your target audience?
Keep in mind; it is not always about the content that drove leads or even first-visit sales to your business.
Much of your content writing boosts brand awareness and satisfies informational seeking needs in probably pushing user engagement and conversion sooner or later.
Which pieces of content used in this year’s content marketing strategy displayed the highest pages per visit as well as session duration on your site? Sometimes, marketers can be diverted because of CTR (click-through rate), which is regarded as a high success. At the probable expense of a high bounce rate, you should hunt those resources that helped facilitate someone to delve into your brand.
What type of content improved the KPIs (key performance indicators) on your website? As we said before, do not expect your content to drive immediate sales. Instead, examine your indicators of mild user engagement.
What types of content has resulted in a user subscribing to your blog, signing up for your newsletter, or downloading a PDF? These website touchpoints display that certain content builds enough trust among the visitors to be open to future content.
Perform an in-depth assessment of the analytical insights offered by social media platforms like Facebook Insights and LinkedIn Analytics.
While a lot of businesses might turn to advertising in these market verticals and appear puzzled when the site visits are not converting into sales, you need to consider the platform’s role. Therefore the best thing to do here is taking a look at your last year’s organic posts and try to find out:
What type of content got the highest user engagement?
What type of content on your website saw the most number of shares, comments, and other reactions?
This will help in making an audience of followers.
Even though these aren’t direct sales ways, in reality, you are setting up an outlet for the audience to enter your website, wander a little bit, perhaps sign up to your newsletter or download a free PDF, and ultimately convert someday sooner or later.
The most important thing here is that you need to discover the types of content from the last year that have resonated with your target audience well in the past and will result in more user journeys in the future.
LINKS
In simple words, find out the type of inbound links that you have lost and the type of inbound links that you have earned.
This year has been the most challenging one for marketers who have depended on acquiring links through the usual methods. These modes involve taking part in conference events and panels and participation and sponsorship in live events.
While a lot of this faded away during the starting of this year only, it somewhat improved during the year with virtual communication.
There are several link profile review providers available in the market today. If you don’t already have access to one of them, get it right away.
Analyze your competitive gap. It never harms to get a few tips from other people within your industry as they can give insights into what is working currently as well as what is most likely to work in the near term from an inbound link point of view.
Carry out an analysis of the links that you have earned during the year. Are there any month(s) that stuck out? What were the types of these links? Generally, professionals perform this practice from a lost link technical standpoint to determine the issues with your website or the referring location that might be interrupting the link.
Try to find out the positive here.
As of now, all of us have become aware of the fact that it is quite a challenge to acquire “easy” links amidst this prevailing pandemic atmosphere we are living in. So the best thing we can do here is looking for the areas where we succeeded and what content helped bring that success.
WRAP UP
Undoubtedly, as search marketers, most of us have had to step out of our comfort zones and strain our minds over the course of this year. We should not take this effort for granted as it has definitely made us savvier.
As we prepare ourselves to step into the new year, performing an in-depth analysis of this year will definitely make our next journey a bit easier as our new strategy will be based on our findings of what has already worked for us in the past.
While this pandemic might last for several more months, there is no need for businesses to suffer. The smart thing to do is be prepared for the future based on past experiences.
Hariom Balhara is an inventive person who has been doing intensive research in particular topics and writing blogs and articles for Tireless IT Services. Tireless IT Services is a Digital Marketing, SEO, SMO, PPC, and Web Development company that comes with massive experiences. We specialize in digital marketing, Web Designing and development, graphic design, and a lot more.
SOURCE : Tips to Perform Year-End Audit to Gain Future Insights | https://medium.com/@johnjack1211/tips-to-perform-year-end-audit-to-gain-future-insights-331b28ad9388 | ['John Jack'] | 2020-12-23 15:14:58.121000+00:00 | ['Tirelessitservices', 'Audit', 'Business', 'Website', 'SEO'] |
Episode 11 and 12 | Episode 11: Back to the doghouse (C-Walk)
On Snoop’s couch is Princess CZ filing her nails.
Snoop and phenom do a C-WALK (Crips Gang Dance) to impress her and point their guns at CZ and ask him to explain his presence.
Meanwhile SCooBi, still a little shocked by the sacrifice he escaped, wonders how he got into this mess.
At the same time, he touches his neck and realizes that he has a hole coming from a canine of Draculon. The interruption of the sacrifice by Snoop and Phenom surely prevented the worst.
Suddenly, Scoobi feels a shot in his neck (pictured with a small flash of lightning that goes through his head.
His eyes briefly turn red. Snoop and Phenom, thanks to their survival instinct, felt this brief anomaly and turn to SCooBi very quickly! The threat was intense and out of proportion.
Princess CZ speaks up, with a shy and scared tone, and tells the dogs group that a local legend says that the red moon can provide demonic powers if a ritual is properly performed.
CZ doesn’t really know much about it. He thinks it’s just an old legend.
Snoop, Phenom and CZ (in the background) start looking at SCooBi with eyes wide open.
Episode 12: Prophecy
Back to the last episode with CZ, phenom and ScooBi
Scoobi’s side effects fade but he keeps his red eyes
Our three dogs, mainly Snoop and Phenom point their guns at CZ again and ask him about his presence.
CZ, with an Olympian calm, answers that he had a premonition and that he ventured into enemy territory to warn our companions. Indeed, the new enemy of which CZ speaks is much more powerful and will make the rivalry between dog and cat seem like a trifle. An alliance will have to be created in order to fight the forces of evil.
Suddenly, Bored Elon bursts into the main room and says that he has been kidnapped and that his “assailants” are not even looking after their hostage, which is very unprofessional.
Snoop and Phenom tell Bored that they have simply forgotten him because he is insignificant and Phenom tries to slap him as he has done before, but this time, the blow does not reach Bored because of his last invention.
Indeed, during the captivity in the trunk of the car, Bored designed a small anti-slap device.
Snoop points his gun at Bored and asks him if his machine can stop bullets, Bored answers that it doesn’t but that it could be done in less than 5 minutes. Snoop orders Bored to sit down or he will be shot in the head.
Bored sits down like a human and Snoop tells him that we don’t sit like that here. Illustrate Bored sitting down like a dog.
Snoop gives Bored 5 minutes to upgrade his invention like he said it.
CZ speaks again, indicating that time is running out and that this kind of animosity will be history, all the while pulling out his crystal ball.
The crystal ball starts to “display” images, as follows:
The red moon, two canines, bulls and bears at war and finally an army of shadows (red eyes and canines like in the dungeons of the castle)
CZ concluded with: the prophecy was true! The new dark age is coming.
The SCooBi Doge Devs
Twitter : https://twitter.com/ScoobiDoge
Telegram : https://t.me/scoobidoge
Github : https://github.com/Scoobi-doge/Scoobi-doge.github.io
Website : https://scoobi.space | https://medium.com/@scoobidoge/episode-11-and-12-8c7284ab75d4 | [] | 2021-08-10 17:13:13.281000+00:00 | ['Ethereum', 'Comics', 'Nft', 'Bitcoin', 'Cryptocurrency'] |
Around the Web — 20190201. And now for somethings to read (or… | And now for somethings to read (or watch) over the weekend, if you have some spare time that is.
Good Day, Sir! Show — Salesforce Podcast — / John De Santiago — Jan 30 — In this episode, we discuss queueables and integrations, startup hustle culture, Apple’s financials, HackerRank 2019 Developer Survey, Microsoft’s financials, and compile woes.
Salesforce.com — Watch these bite-sized videos, and learn how Lightning Web Components help you build high-performance, Aura-compatible code using modern web standards.
Medium — Maximiliano Firtman — Jan 31, 10:42 AM — Chrome 72 for Android shipped the long-awaited Trusted Web Activity feature, which means we can now distribute PWAs in the Google Play Store! I played with the feature for a while, digging into the APIs and here you have a summary of what’s going…
rachelandrew.co.uk — Jan 30, 5:32 AM — A low traffic email list, keep up to date with where I am and what I’ve published. Everyone is angry about CSS again. I’m not even going to try to summarize the arguments. However it always seems to boil down to the fact that CSS is simultaneously…
2ality — In recent years, JavaScript has grown considerably in size. This blog post explores what’s still missing. I’m only listing the missing features that I find most important. Many others are useful, but there is also a risk of adding too much. My…
Till Next Week
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View all posts by Brett Nelson
Published February 1, 2019February 2, 2019 | https://medium.com/@brettmnelson/around-the-web-20190201-c67218812127 | ['Brett Nelson'] | 2019-02-01 00:00:00 | ['Web Development', 'Salesforce'] |
Take the Time you Need | When did you last have a no-holds-barred conversation with a fellow human?
How about the last unhurried hug you shared with a relative, a lover, a friend, or maybe even a stranger?
Do you sit down for dinner every night or do you mindlessly shovel junk food into your mouth because feeding is yet another task to be dealt with?
Even if you eat alone, preparing a healthful meal needn’t take long and setting the table for one can be an act of self-love if you put some thought into it.
Why not be the person you wish you could spend some quality time with and then do exactly that?
When I’m home in the US, I arrange my dinner into small bowls on a pretty tray and select suitable reading companionship because there’s no one to converse with.
To say that I eat alone wouldn’t be quite accurate though.
Trudeau, my tuxedo cat, always plops onto the chair next to mine and oversees human feeding proceedings. He does so selflessly, too, because there’s no plant on my plate that ever appeals to his exclusively carnivorous tastes.
Stateside, mine is a very isolated life in a house on top of a steep hill in an area underserved by public transportation. I work remotely, I do not have a driver’s license, and because major depressive disorder felled me almost as soon as I immigrated, I do not have a social network to speak of either.
But here in Europe, life plays out so differently it is the complete antithesis of how I survived from 2013 onwards on the other side of the Atlantic. | https://asingularstory.medium.com/take-the-time-you-need-7f0ac2dcf2b4 | ['A Singular Story'] | 2020-07-14 13:40:43.964000+00:00 | ['Culture', 'Mindfulness', 'Self', 'Lifestyle', 'Relationships'] |
Reframing KPIs to Save Impact Investing | Insights from Yoxi Executive Director, Kaz Brecher
In our Secret Sauce series, we attempt to open access to the essence of our observations even as we are still connecting dots across complex, interconnected systems. Our insights are gleaned from our examinations of the work being done by Yoxi explorers in the field. We seek to understand which of their solutions rely on specific contexts and which are more portable or adaptable to other geographies and industries. Overall, we aim to share our learnings and inspire further experimentation with potentially transformative ideas and interventions.
Measuring What Really Matters
At Yoxi, we fund questions in service of creating more meaningful impact in the world. And our evolving investment theses themselves have been consistently subjected to deep questioning, as we aim to more intentionally channel resources towards what is proving effective given our mission. Now, after years of analyzing our portfolio and explorers, along with a few exits to influence our reflections, we have decided to take a closer look at how we understand and measure impact, so that we might better calibrate and connect with other investors who could learn from and inform our experiments.
By stepping back to consider how our assumptions and belief systems shape our imagination and risk tolerance, we hope to uncover what it could mean if we reframed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to be more powerful levers when humility and curiosity become the North Star. Let’s begin with a current framing on measurement in the “social impact” realm, wildly variable as it may be. According to the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), “impact investments are investments made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. Impact investments can be made in both emerging and developed markets, and target a range of returns from below market to market rate, depending on investors’ strategic goals.”
You can find a new study on this trend almost weekly, underscoring the importance of social responsibility, as with insights from this BNP Paribas report: “Today’s successful entrepreneurs are not easily satisfied with monetary returns, viewing economic contributions and profit as necessary to a business rather than what defines their success. Instead, they seek to examine the significance of their business activities in terms of impact on the environment and society…Among Millennipreneurs (entrepreneurs aged 35 and under), the percentage of those who consider social impact a metric of business success is even higher — 46%. This is much higher than the 39% average across all Elite Entrepreneurs surveyed for our report.”
While the term is now becoming commonplace, it’s worth a brief look at the precursors to impact investing, since language itself and varied contexts shape our everyday understanding of KPIs. There’s effective altruism, a philosophy and social movement using evidence and reason to determine the most effective ways to do good, which still has its proponents. But it is really just a layer on top of traditional approaches for how to give money away in the hopes of creating public good without succumbing to the pressures of market-driven solutions. While charity typically delivers on the proverbial gift of giving a hungry person a fish, philanthropy focuses on root cause by funding ways to teach people how to fish for themselves.
Bold groups like Unorthodox Philanthropy are trying to improve upon traditional forms of giving by borrowing concepts from scaling theory, like funding “social impact ideas that have the potential to achieve outsized impact with a finite amount of philanthropic capital.” These few and far between efforts aim to address the conundrum that too many areas in need receive endless amounts of cash but see no meaningful improvement — like Vancouver’s downtown Eastside, which churns through almost $1 million dollars a day and still is the poorest postcode in Canada.
Another approach can be found in venture philanthropy, a term that was coined by John D. Rockefeller III in 1969, as “an adventurous approach to funding unpopular social causes.” In other words, it takes concepts and techniques from venture capital finance and business management and applies them to achieving philanthropic goals, but it peaked in popularity in the mid- to late-1990s. This may be due to the fact that the same challenges we’re seeing in venture capital got ported over to this form of investing — a lack of diversity and investment in women and minorities, a hard-driving timetable for exiting, and a sense that there should be a significant financial multiplier without really considering how “return” needs to differ in the context of social change. With philanthropy, the return is typically social, and the investor is seen as a patron. But how can we reconcile the investor in a venture context if we put a priority on positive impact? Even more pointedly, we find ourselves asking regularly at Yoxi why we assume without question that any investment must lead to return?
So, What Is Investing Actually About?
Our founder, Sharon Chang, has been iterating her way forward with how to make investments that meaningfully lead to real impact. Across its incarnations, Yoxi has supported Social Innovation Rockstars in the spirit of a talent investment effort and experimented with “creative philanthropy,” eschewing the standard metrics for even what giving might expect from how its resources are directed. One facet of Yoxi’s investigation has been around developing new language to introduce a bigger philosophical framing of what could be possible if we treated investments differently. And the choice to swap “creative” for “venture” in front of philanthropy was a provocation intended to see if we could put the focus on a different aspect of what guides what we measure. It was an attempt to re-orient philanthropy instead of replacing it, in the context of an artform with myriad expressions — not just one: return.
Ultimately, the question for any and every investor should be “why are you investing in the first place?” as every investment has impact, if we’re honest. And we need to dig into what that impact means to different people. To invest means to commit, to devote one’s time, energy or effort into something, often with the hope of a worthwhile result. But too frequently we ignore the personal relationship one actually has to the concept or desired outcome. We talk about social contracts at an individual level but rarely at a collective level. And in the investing arena, more often that not, investors are asking “what will people think?” rather than “what do I think?” in evaluating both the purpose of the investment externally and the experience over time for the investor.
As Sharon began to examine what it might mean to invest in a heart-led fashion, she realized that Yoxi would need to fundamentally challenge the notion of quantifiable return. In a musing about what she called her Love Investment Philosophy, she wrote, “[i]nvesting in impact is a risky business, but not so much in terms of fear of failure or financial loss. The biggest misstep is in assuming that we can quantify impact to match our investment, which limits our vision, impairs our judgment, and sends us running backwards to what we perceive as rational and safe. And that’s never where impact lives.”
In this spirit, Yoxi has continually focused on seed stage investments which emphasize what one might call emotional return over social or financial return. We see our investments in extraordinary leaders as humble yet heroic, arriving at a critical moment in time, and right-sized for what’s needed to deepen and extend meaningful inquiry. We very specifically liken our spirit to the Mars Rover, as our investments are designed to probe. And, while the investment in the Rover could be framed as a financial waste, as that very expensive apparatus will never come back to its creators, the data it returns is invaluable if put to use in informing the next investments.
“When we focus on the sustainability and scalability of ideas — but free ourselves from having to prescribe an exit point — we make space for big change. This approach requires a tremendous amount of time, patience, and courage.” Sharon Chang
What If and Why Not?
In applying the kind of imagination typically reserved for new products and services to reframing the concept of measurement, we find unlikely inspiration hiding in plain sight — take the industry-leader in Scotch Whisky, Macallan. Founded in 1824, this company has thrived by keeping a close eye not just on their popularity and growth but also on the very source materials on which their product depends. Since the water from the Spey River and the casks in which they age the “new make” spirits are the foundation of the quality of their whisky, they have become unlikely environmentalists who plan for success across decades not quarters. They literally consider their business one that spans from acorn to glass and “work closely with fully integrated ‘tree to finished seasoned cask’ companies — to identify and protect the oak trees in the forests of northern Spain, fell the trees, saw and air dry the oak staves before shipping them to meet the cooperage process.
Macallan have become stewards of the natural world, which requires an almost century-long investment strategy, on top of the years needed to age their spirit. The KPIs they use have to do with the quality of their bottled whisky as much as sustaining their dominance through the preservation of natural resources. Their mastery of the intergenerational transfer of knowledge is the sort of unintended consequence we wish to see more often. And, instead of measuring a deviation from an expected output as less than, like a variation in color or flavor, these become extremely expensive rare cask offerings. So, even here, they are able to push the bounds of how we typically quantify the value of a product, measured in relation to uniformity — something we are seeing in the rapid monetization of difference in the imperfect produce movement.
During Yoxi’s Social Innovation Rockstar era, Sharon offered a perspective on the unusual as valuable, which echoes the ethos in the previous examples: “Social innovators may not be business experts (although many are) — they’re a unique blend of artists, scientists, humanitarians and activists. Investing in them means celebrating their brilliance as well as accepting their flaws.” Reframing what we value opens new opportunities.
What if we put our focus on measuring how trust grows with our explorers rather than solely how the market value of their companies increases? What might we glean from a diversified but interrelated portfolio — especially if we take the long view in our assessment? Our evolving ideas around decentralized growth models, which we detailed in a piece on what we call Scaling Small, emerged directly from discussions with several of our portfolio founders and how they’re experiencing success in different but related ways.
For example, Chid Liberty, the founder of Uniform and the first explorer in whom we invested, shared his thoughts on where technology might make a difference in solving local logistics issues in Liberia within the clothing supply chain. Then, Usha Venkatachalam, another explorer in whom we have made repeated investments as she’s successfully made in-roads with agroecology and farmers’ quality of life in India, flagged the potential for blockchain in ensuring higher prices for organic cotton. Lightbulb: we suddenly have more confidence they’re highlighting signal in the noise of always-on global trend analysis because we have been in the trenches with them over the long haul.
And why not zoom out and place value on the macro-impact of shaping multiple fields with new perspectives, gleaned across and shared between a collection of companies? Rather than just tallying wins when our particular horse wins, could we consider it even a greater triumph if we are able to play a meaningful part in evolving the way the race is run? This has been top of mind for us, as we have four exceptional companies in our portfolio all working on what we named Regenerative Consumerism, looking at ways in which disrupting the very production of resources and goods could do more than just sustain the industry itself but also ensure the health and well-being of the ecosystem on which it relies.
Our close look at Matt Scanlan and his company Naadam in the context of Mongolia and its 1000-year old cashmere herding history, along with the two aforementioned portfolio explorers, helped sharpen our lens and attention on identifying patterns of partnership, cultivation of skills and economic participation, and production of affordable high-quality luxury products portable across regions and contexts. This then led to our investment in Sana Jardin in an effort to increase our learning around new models of interdependence. As the world’s first socially-conscious, luxury fragrance house, their founder, Amy Christiansen, created the company primarily as a vehicle for social change, driving impact through the economic empowerment of women through what they have called The Beyond Sustainability™ Movement. Starting with female flower harvesters in Morocco, who hand pick floral ingredients for Sana Jardin’s perfumes, this is yet another example of the Regenerative Consumerism trend we’ve been able to identify, by holding our measurement of impact at a more systemic rather than single company level. | https://medium.com/@yoxi/reframing-kpis-to-save-impact-investing-591cb7f8a82e | [] | 2019-09-10 20:08:31.344000+00:00 | ['Kpi', 'Social Impact', 'Impact Investing', 'Philanthropy', 'Innovation'] |
Vital World Online Newsletter | Hello!
September is here. We hope you have had a great start to the month.
This week we present you with highlights from August. We were joined by three new writers. A very big welcome to:
James Moynihan
Matthew Hyatt
Aborode Prime Olusegun | https://medium.com/vital-world-online/hello-6929a2813baa | ['Rejoice Denhere'] | 2020-09-03 17:17:08.676000+00:00 | ['Entrepreneurship', 'Newsletter', 'Self Improvement', 'Business', 'Fiction'] |
Terraform Code Quality | Terraform code quality: checking for compliance
So far, we talked about the initial steps, with a very static analysis and we got a bit further with TFLint by asking the API for real IDs, checks for reality, etc…
So if you’re familiar with Terraform after this analysis step, you have the planning phase. The planning phase basically just creates all your code, a diff, and checks against the cloud provider’s API for what you are supposed to create. If you want to create a new S3 bucket , and you don’t have it, then it is going to make a plan to create it. Your next steps will be to review the plan and then to apply it to create that resource.
At this stage, you might want to enforce some compliance with a tool creatively named Terraform compliance.
Quickly making a digression here, if you’re not familiar with the cucumber BDD (behavior-driven development) structure: it implies features name, a scenario and conditions :
Given “blah blah blah” you are expected to have “this result
This is executed in the background by some code, and will then provide you with some results. The BDD system is very useful to code, but in this case, it is used for compliance using natural language.
In our case, if we take the previous example, we could have written something like that and it would have been perfectly supported by Terraform compliance against the plan.
Given I have AWS S3 Bucket defined
Then it must contain server_side_encryption_configuration
Let’s be more specific :
resource "aws_s3_bucket" "example_from_reddit" {
bucket = "my-secret-bucket"
acl = "private"
In this case, we created this bucket but we didn’t create a tag. We might have a process where it is very important that all our resources have tags. So we can write something very easy like this scenario :
Feature: All Resources Scenario: Ensure all resources have tags
Given I have resource that supports tags defined
Then it must contain tags
And its value must not be null
Why is that?
You can create a tag with a variable, and it might work all the way through the previous steps but not just this one, because the variable went wrong. Maybe it was supposed to be a number and it ended up being null?
During the planning phase, there is some computation, and this computation can go wrong. This is why compliance checks are very important now that things are computed and not just statically analyzed.
Integrating those checks and their feedback in your CI/CD system (in a pull request) will give you a much better view of what your code is really doing compliance-wise.
Terraform compliance is a provider agnostic tool, including your own custom providers. There are a lot of ready to use examples and you really can get started in minutes just by using the examples they serve directly on the documentation. It is obviously security-oriented by all the usual suspects, like KMS etc….
This tool also has cool features like allowing you to enforce naming conventions. Probably you want to enforce naming for various items like your country, your continent, resources… and here prefixes can be self-documented and forbidden resources as well.
In the case you need to be PCI DSS compliant, you might just be forbidden to use a list of resources at AWS that are not PCI compliant. This can be done at the compliance level way before asking the IAM user on AWS for your rights to use resources.
You can find Terraform compliance at terraform.compliance.com | https://medium.com/faun/terraform-code-quality-66e6468f50f3 | [] | 2020-06-23 15:53:19.233000+00:00 | ['Terraform', 'Azure', 'DevOps', 'Infrastructure As Code', 'AWS'] |
美國指數型ETF規模、交易量排名&報酬率(2018年) | ETF Database: The Original & Comprehensive Guide to ETFs
The leading source for the latest developments on ETFs and more | https://medium.com/rabbitfin/%E7%BE%8E%E5%9C%8B%E7%86%B1%E9%96%80%E7%9A%84%E5%89%8D%E5%8D%81%E5%A4%A7%E6%8C%87%E6%95%B8%E5%9E%8Betf%E6%8E%92%E5%90%8D-d8b524c0354d | [] | 2018-07-16 06:36:43.747000+00:00 | ['Medium', 'Spy', 'Etfdb', 'Etf', 'Vanguard'] |
Synereo Kicks Off the WildSpark World Cup Challenge | Winners will take home 500 AMPs!
Football (soccer for our American users) fever is about to take over the world, and the Synereo team is no exception.
Just for fun, our Founder and CEO, Dor Konforty, and a panel of Synereo judges will choose the best FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 memes posted on WildSpark.
The World Cup runs from June 14 — July 15, and at the end of every week, two winners will be selected and will receive 500 AMPs each!
To participate in the contest, simply follow these three easy steps: Share a World Cup Russia 2018-related meme/picture/GIF from Imgur (i.e. a great play, a funny/emotional moment, bloopers, etc.) Amplify it under the Sports category of WildSpark. Share the WildSpark link on Twitter with the hashtag #WildSparkWorldCup and tag @Synereo
How to upload and tweet
There is no limit to participants or posts, so feel free to post your favorite World Cup moments via Imgur. Just don’t forget to Tweet your WildSpark link tagging @Synereo along with hashtag #WildSparkWorldCup.
Visit us for more details and contest rules.
Good luck in the contest and may the best posts win!
…
DON’T MISS OUT ON SYNEREO’S LATEST UPDATES!
Join us on Discord
Join us on Telegram | https://medium.com/synereo/synereo-kicks-off-the-wildspark-world-cup-challenge-9a495f8ade60 | [] | 2018-06-17 08:15:54.892000+00:00 | ['Attention Economy', 'World Cup', 'Contests', 'Soccer', 'Cryptocurrency'] |
How to make a No-Oven giant Oreo cake! | Procedure for making Oreo cake without oven is as follows.
Ingredients: 40 Oreo confectionery, milk (2 cups of paper), baking powder
Separate Oreo cookies and cream.
Put the cookie in a zipper bag, push it with a pusher, crush it finely or grind it finely with a mixer.
Mix the cookies with 2 tablespoons of baking powder and 2 cups of milk, and then add half the cream separated from the cookies and mix them.
Spread melted butter on bottom of pot.
Pour the dough into the pot.
Cover and cook on very low for 40 to 45 minutes.
Turn off the heat, let it cool for 10 minutes, then take it out.
Put it on the plate.
I’m going to make whipped cream this time.
Add 3 cups of whipped cream and stir with a hand blender.
Put a cold ice pack or ice under the bowl and
stir it to make the whipped cream well.
Whipped cream doesn’t come off. It’s well made.
Apply a thick layer of whipped cream.
I made the same bread again to make a cake.
Sprinkle Oreo powder on top.
I’ll make Oreo letters with sugar powder.
Oreo cake complete!
Neat recipe
Oreo Cake
Ingredients: 40 Oreo confectionery, milk (2 cups of paper), baking powder
1. Separate Oreo cookies and cream.
2. Put the cookie in a zipper bag, push it with a pusher, crush it finely or grind it finely with a mixer.
3. Mix the cookies with 2 tablespoons of baking powder and 2 cups of milk, and then add half the cream separated from the cookies and mix them.
4. Put it on low heat (very weak), cover it with a lid, and cook it gently. (It takes about 40 to 45 minutes)
5. Cool for 5–10 minutes and take out.
6. Make 2 finished breads and apply the cream in the middle.
7. Sprinkle oreo powder on the top.
Oreo cake complete!
Making whipped cream
Ingredients: Whipping cream (3 cups of paper)
1. Put 3 cups of Whipping cream in a bowl, stir with a hand mixer, and make it so that it won’t drop with bubbles.
(Since the whipped cream is sweet, no sugar is added, but you can add a little sugar depending on your preference)
2. Place an ice pack or ice under the bowl and stir to cool it down, making it easier to make whipped cream.
Whipped cream complete!
Video recipe: https://youtu.be/OPokqW42V-4 | https://medium.com/@luffyrla10/how-to-make-no-oven-giant-oreo-cake-f48a19cbe1c5 | [] | 2020-12-27 07:03:57.837000+00:00 | ['Baking', 'Cake', 'Recipe', 'Cooking', 'Cookies'] |
If I Knew Then What I Know Now | By T. Perry Bowers
I used to think life was a magical dream. When I was young I believed there was a guy (behind a desk, smoking a cigar) who would make life all better for me. All I had to do was find him. I had a morsel of talent and I thought magic cigar guy would take care of everything. He would wave his magic cigar and his marketing machine would make my band a household name overnight. The record advances would never end. I was always just one meeting away from being a superstar on MTV.
I didn’t think I needed great demos. Instead I believed someone would see our genius before it was even realized. They’d say, “wow, that kid has potential” even though the music I was producing was mediocre at best. I thought if I could just get a record deal it would be enough for me. At least it would validate what I was doing to my friends and family. They’d think I’d made it if I had a real contract with a record label. Maybe I would get to meet some bigwigs and have a shot at making a “real” record. I could go on tour and warm up for a big band. (We would get to meet them!) At least I would have some excitement in my life — even if it was the worst financial decision I could ever have made.
I understood how record deals were done back in those days but I still would have signed one. In the nineties deals were done like this (and still are to large degree): The band gets an advance, maybe one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand dollars. Sounds like a lot of money but you have to make a record with that money. Maybe each member could pocket a little bit for themselves, but the majority goes in producing your first record (the only record that matters). You might sign a five record deal, but if your first record doesn’t sell well, or maybe doesn’t even get realized, your band is dropped from the label.
Then you have to pay back that advance, plus whatever other money the record label spent on your band (anything from caviar dip to hotel rooms to tour bus rentals). You pay it back with about seventeen points (of profit). Points are percentage points. So what this means is you have to recoup all the money that was laid out, with only 17 percent of profit going to the recoup. In other words, the record company is banking eighty three percent of the money that is coming in and this doesn’t count towards your expenses. If you’re lucky enough to pay back the advance (very few bands actually did this) you still only get seventeen percent of the profit as long as that record was selling.
Here’s an example: If your band got a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar advance and the record company spent another two hundred and fifty thousand on your marketing campaign you owe the record company five hundred grand. Let’s say your record sold a hundred thousand copies at ten dollars each. That’s a million dollars gross revenue and five hundred thousand dollars profit. Of that five hundred thousand dollars, only eighty five thousand dollars would go towards paying your debt (17% of 500K). They put four hundred and fifteen thousand dollars in their pocket (83%). And you are still in debt how much? Four hundred and fifteen thousand dollars. Wow.
If you have a good lawyer, you might be able to cut a better deal with a record company, but this is how they like to structure things, very heavily weighted on their side. I understand why they make deals like this. Betting on a bunch of inexperienced musicians in their twenties is a very risky business. Many bands break up before they even release their first record. I’ve had bands complete a record in my studio only to break up before their release party. Add in drugs and the inherent emotional instability of artists and you have a recipe for disaster. A typical first record deal is a loan with terms as bad as if you had three bankruptcies, fraud and a prison term for extortion on your credit report.
My advice: get some leverage before you sign any contract with a record company. What do I mean by leverage? Sales. If you’re already selling records, t-shirts and tickets, you have a business. If you have a business, someone will want a piece of it and they will be willing to pay for it. If they have to build your business from the ground up however they will charge you handsomely to do this. Statistically the likelihood of your band ever seeing a dime of the profit from a business the record company had to build is next to nothing.
So build your business first. Don’t wait for magic cigar guy to do it for you. If you wait, you’ll be waiting forever. Or if you’re lucky enough to get a record company to invest and build your business for you, you’ll be waiting years to see any of your money even in the extremely unlikely event that you sell millions of records.
www.taylor-sound.com | https://tperryb.medium.com/if-i-knew-then-what-i-know-now-d0663cbf0638 | ['T. Perry Bowers'] | 2018-03-16 22:02:13.805000+00:00 | ['Recording', 'Drums', 'Music', 'Bass', 'Guitar'] |
White People Can’t See Themselves, But I Can | A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a very honest and maybe upsetting (to some) piece about my continued struggle to see humanity in white people. This is at the backdrop of a racist President trying to shift the U.S. from a shaky democracy, into an ethno-fascist state. And as that plays out, police are continuing in their campaign to shoot unarmed Black and Brown people with no accountability. These are dark times, and the moments to have hope, and be hopeful of where this country can go in its racial journey are few and far in between.
The responses from the piece have been pretty interesting, to say the least. In the weeks since It was published, the comment section has become occupied by a coalition of opinionated whites. I have read comments that call me racist, attempt to explain why I am wrong, express disappointment in my assessment, or just tell me to leave the country. Most of the comments are so off base, I wondered if they even read past the first paragraph. Alas, their response was understood.
What person, or in this case, a group of people would respond glowingly to someone questioning their capacity to be “human?” Especially from a person who did not look like them, have their experiences, or know their story? I understand the outrage, but I don’t care, because they’re wrong.
Whiteness has many powers, chiefly, it is an entity that continues to evolve, it has to if it hopes to continue its stronghold on the world. It exists to pillage, dominate and expand, this must happen no matter the obstacle, whether that be a person, project, or object, whiteness must reign supreme, and because whiteness moves in such a way, those of us who are impacted by it the most are constantly forced to learn how to adapt/live with or through it. But one of its deepest flaws, or strengths, depending on who you’re talking to is that it has no self-awareness. Anyone willing or able to participate or look the other way on countless horrors needs the ability to separate themselves from that savageness.
I have spent the better part of my life consciously and unconsciously navigating through life while considering and making adjustments to survive in a world dominated by white people, ideas, and leadership. I would argue that all Black and non-Black people of color have done the same, whether they know it or not. The fact of the matter is, we live in a world where the comfort and feelings of white people or lack thereof could be the difference between living another day, having a place to rest your head, or having the ground beneath you completely shifted.
White people’s fear of Black bodies has influenced the way that I move in predominantly white spaces. It has forced myself and others to attempt to create structures where white people and the concepts of whiteness have no rule. But even within that, those safe havens are only as secure as the level of interest white people have in it. There is no corner in America where whiteness does not have the power to disrupt.
If you build a neighborhood they will bomb it, if they think it has value, they will gentrify it. If you mind your business, they may be threatened by your lack of interest and feel a need to confront you, if you have no interest in them at all, this can be seen as an affront. I have seen far too many times the ways in which whiteness goes from being a theory to an actual problem in my life, millions of other Black and brown people have as well. So we have been forced to study it, become experts, know everything there is to understand, whether what is understood makes any sense at all, or even keeps me safe because if we don’t, we will die.
It is with that forced knowledge and understanding of whiteness that I have continued to lose hope. I know the good, the bad, the indifferent, and the problematic. I know what whiteness looks like when it feels threatened, when it is intrigued, and when it’s indifferent. I have learned how to entertain whiteness, appease it, and keep it at bay when necessary. But I have also learned how to function when there is no way to escape the grips of white supremacy. That’s the superpower that all Black people develop. So when I talk about the failures of whiteness, and the sinking feeling that there may be no hope for them. I’m not being facetious. I’m speaking from 34 years of experience, and the collective knowledge and experience of all the Black and Brown people in my life.
We know you and have been forced to deal with whiteness for as long as whiteness as an idea has existed. We have had front row seats to all of the traits, societal norms, and habits that white people get to ignore because it doesn’t impact them. So when I speak, it’s not from a place of assumption, it’s from a deep well of knowledge, pain, and experience. I see you. | https://medium.com/letsnotbetrash/white-people-cant-see-themselves-but-i-can-44637f490786 | ['Stanley Fritz'] | 2020-10-19 11:07:07.782000+00:00 | ['Race', 'White Privilege', 'Trump', 'Raceinamerica', 'BlackLivesMatter'] |
Huge iceberg on collision course with penguin island | The drift of Iceberg A-68a from May 1, 2018 to August 26, 2018
A massive iceberg A-68a has been slowly approaching South Atlantic island. The iceberg has the potential of causing major harm to wildlife if it becomes stationed near the island.
According to scientists, the iceberg is about the size of Delaware. It broke from the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica in July 2017. Since then it has travelled thousands of kilometres and currently lies about 120 kilometres from South Georgia island.
With a surface area of 5,800 square kilometres, it is one of the largest documented icebergs. While the largest being B-15 measuring about 11,000 square kilometres. The breaking of A-68a has reduced the size of Larsen C shelf by twelve percent.
A-68a is almost similar in size and shape to Jamaica, around as long as Puerto Rico. In fact it is so big that pilots from United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force were not able to image it in one single photograph.
As per scientists, usually these icebergs break apart in the open ocean due to all the wave action and turbulence. But this is not the case with A-68a and within days it could collide with the island.
Although, the island’s environment is inhospitable with no permanent human settlement (except for few scientific research bases), but the island is teeming with wildlife, including penguins and seals.
If the iceberg somehow gets stationed at the island, it is expected to remain there for up to ten years before the ice melts or breaks away.
This could shut off some of the island’s two million penguins from reaching the waters to get food for their young ones. The melting freshwater could also harm the Phytoplankton (microscopic marine algae) and other sea creatures that are vital for food chain.
While the effects of climate change directly/indirectly disrupting the Larsen C is currently debated, but Antarctica remains one the fastest warming places on planet Earth. Past three decades, temperatures at South Pole has risen at three times the rate of the global average.
The timing of berg’s collision is a matter of much concern because it is matching with the birth of penguin chicks, as these penguin chicks are about to hatch near the December end.
Scientists estimate that death of this year’s chick could reduce the island’s penguin population by ten percent as the chicks won’t be around to reach their breeding age.
On the other hand, seals may perform better against this collision, as they nurse their young ones on milk they produce, and they can also go longer than penguins without making trips to feed.
However, the exact extent of damage due to collision remains uncertain. As of now iceberg is being closely watched as it moves towards South Georgia.
The massive iceberg that broke off from Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf on 12 July 2017 is on a collision course with South Georgia island.
(Image credit: European Space Agency)
With inputs from:
Marco Hernandez and Cassandra Garrison from graphics.reuters.com
The Antarctic Iceberg Tracking Database, Brigham Young University — NASA.
National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).
Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN).
British Antarctic Survey (BAS).
GLIMS Glacier Database, Colorado University.
Suomi-VIIRS satellite imagery, NASA.
United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD).
https://theabsolutecosmos.blogspot.com. | https://medium.com/@absolutecosmos/huge-iceberg-on-collision-course-with-penguin-island-15ed39b70d1 | ['Absolute Cosmos'] | 2020-12-13 08:04:38.833000+00:00 | ['Antarctica', 'Earth', 'South Pole', 'Earth Science', 'Climate Chnage'] |
Is Buddhism a religion? | No, Buddhism is not a religion. Stay with me as I unpack this.
Let’s start with Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh who says “Buddhism is not a religion, it’s a practice, similarly to yoga, which you can do irrespective of religious beliefs”.
This statement is a controversial, both to some Buddhist and to others, so let’s define religion and take a closer look at how Buddhism relates to the definition of religion.
Merriam-Webster defines religion as: “The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.” and the Cambridge Dictionary defines religion as: “The belief in and worship of a god or gods, or any such system of belief and worship”.
Based on this it’s fair to conclude that the definition of religion includes a supernatural element with the power to influence humans. We find this in the Abrahamic religions like Christianity and Islam, and polytheistic belief systems such as Hinduism.
The first key question then is whether Buddhists believe in “supernatural elements with the power to influence humans”.
The answer is not straight-forward because there are many different branches of Buddhism but weighing it all in… the answer is No.
Bhikkhu Bodhi, an active monk in the Theravada tradition and prolific author on Buddhism, writes in his foreword to Acharya Buddharakkhita’s translation of the Dhammapada, the most widely known text from the Pali canon (suttas):
“To his followers, the Buddha is neither a god, a divine incarnation, or a prophet bearing a message of divine revelation, but a human being who by his own striving and intelligence has reached the highest spiritual attainment of which man is capable — perfect wisdom, full enlightenment, complete purification of mind.”
Buddhists do not believe in supernatural elements with the power to influence humans and thus can’t be defined as a religion.
“Well, what about Pure Land and Tibetan Buddhism?” you may ask.
Yes, true. Pure Land is indeed theistic and there are religious-like features in Tibetan Buddhism.
What about Pure Land buddhism?
Let’s start with Pure Land, which to my knowledge, is the only Buddhist branch that links enlightenment directly to the devotion to a supreme being.
Followers of Pure Land are also called amidists and their sect amidism after their deity Amitābha Buddha. I’ll use Pure Land and amidism interchangeably.
Amidism is sometimes questioned as to whether it is “real” Buddhism, more on this further down when we discuss the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha.
Siddhartha Gautama Buddha is the Buddha of our current era born around 500 BCE and when I refer to Buddha in this text I mean Siddharta, as opposed to Amitābha Buddha, the deity of Pure Land, and other buddhas.
The core premise of amidism is that we can attain rebirth in the Pure Land by reciting the name of Amitābha Buddha and visualising the Pure Land.
Pure Land was founded in the first century CE as an antidote to what is called the Dharma Decline, or the Latter Day of the Dharma.
The Latter Day of the Dharma is said to begin 2000 years after the death of Buddha (around 1500 CE) and last for 10,000 years or more and is described as an age of corruption when people are born without the seed of Buddhahood.
Amidists believe that during the Dharma Decline we must strive to be reborn in on a higher plane, a pure land, to keep the teachings of Buddha alive.
Rebirth in the Pure Land is not the final destination though, it’s a station on the path to Nirvana: the ultimate release from suffering (dukkha) and the end of the cycles of rebirth.
Furthermore, amidism doesn’t make a difference between rich or poor, royalty or farmer but makes rebirth in the Pure Land accessible to all that recite the name Amitābha Buddha. Hence Pure Land spread fast and is today one of the main religions in East Asia.
So yes, this branch of Buddhism falls under the definition of religion.
Tibetan Buddhism has religion-like features.
If the Pure Land definition as a religion is straight forward, the discussion on Tibetan Buddhism is anything but.
To discuss Tibetan Buddhism we must first recognise that it’s influenced by the local spiritual pre-Buddhist tradition of Bon.
Like many other indigenous religions Bon worship many gods, both household gods to dispel evil spirits and protect the house, and universal gods that governs communal life. The most prominent communal god is the White Old Man and his companions. Chinese philosopher Confucius is also worshipped as a deity of magic, divination and astrology.
Bon was assimilated into what we today know as Tibetan Buddhism, especially in the Nyingma school.
Tibetan Buddhists do pray to deities, however, they are not deities that can exert influence on the humans like in the Abrahamic religions. They have God-like qualities by being enlightened perfect humans with very long lives. By praying to Tibetan deities we can catch a glimpse of and easier access those God-like qualities inside ourselves.
So, is Tibetan Buddhism a religion? Well, it depends but I think I’m fair if I say that practising Tibetan Buddhists do consider it a religion.
What about Zen and the arhats then?
Good question. In Zen Buddhism we recognise sixteen arhats, in Chinese Chan Buddhism expanded to eighteen, often translated as angels. The translation to angels is based on a Christian view seeking an understanding from a Biblical frame of reference and I would argue that a more correct translation would be archetypes.
The arhats, or luohans, are depicted as the original followers of Buddha and treated as examples of behaviours. As an example, the fifth arhat is Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of the Shaolin Monastery and the creator of the root form of what long after his death was codified into what we call Shaolin KungFu.
What did Buddha say?
First we took a brief 10,000 feet view of Buddhism and compared it to two definitions of religion. We then continued to acknowledge that two branches of Buddhism, Pure Land and Tibetan Buddhism, and can in the case of Pure Land it can be classified as a religion, and in the case of Tibetan Buddhism the answer is “Well, sort of, yes”. Finally we clarified the meaning of arhat as examples of behaviours to aspire towards.
If we now look at Buddha’s teachings we need to start return to the Pali canon as it’s considered the truest words of Buddha.
A central discourse in the Pali canon is the Kālāma sutta, often referred to by Theravada and Mahayana practitioners as Buddha’s “charter of free inquiry”.
Theravada monk Soma Thera says about the Kālāma sutta:
“The instruction of the Kalamas (Kalama Sutta) is justly famous for its encouragement of free inquiry; the spirit of the sutta signifies a teaching that is exempt from fanaticism, bigotry, dogmatism, and intolerance.”
The Kālāma sutta starts by telling the story of Buddha coming to the village of Kesaputta in north-eastern India where the ruling tribe of Kalama greet him.
The Kalama tribe tells Buddha there are many wandering holy men and ascetics passing through the village and all them have different teachings, all calling the Kalamas to follow them.
The Kalamas’ question to Buddha was simple: Whose teachings should we follow?
Buddha answers that doubt is good and proceeds to name ten specific sources of knowledge which should not be viewed as truthful without further investigation.
He names oral history, news, scriptures, reasoning, dogmatism, common sense, own opinion, experts and authorities and your teacher. None of which that should be considered truthful on its own.
Instead, the Buddha says, only when one personally knows that a certain teaching is skilful, blameless, praiseworthy, conducive to happiness, and is praised by the wise, should one accept it as true and practice it.
Here I can’t help to think of current times plagued by fake news, polarisation, crowds for hire, social media, and general dumbification. If only people would read and live by the 2500 year old Kālāma sutta.
Two important notes here:
1, Some secular Buddhists seeking to fully marry Buddhism with modern science claim the Kālāma sutta is a justification for pure logical reasoning (ākāra-parivitakka) to determine the viability of a teaching.
2, Some Buddhists claim the essence of the Kālāma sutta is to rely on personal experience (diṭṭhi-nijjhān-akkh-antiyā) alone to validate the truthfulness of a teaching. This has led to what Bhikkhu Bodhi describes as “Buddha has been made out to be a pragmatic empiricist who dismisses all doctrine and faith, and whose Dhamma is simply a freethinker’s kit to truth which invites each one to accept and reject whatever he likes.”
These two points are actually the opposite of what Buddha teaches.
He says don’t rely on any of the ten sources of knowledge alone and test your conclusion against The Three Poisons (triviṣa).
Ask yourself: Does it lead me on a path free from ignorance, greed and hate?
Buddha then proceeds to state The Four Solaces commented upon by Soma Thera as follows:
“The four solaces taught in the sutta point out the extent to which the Buddha permits suspense of judgment in matters beyond normal cognition. The solaces show that the reason for a virtuous life does not necessarily depend on belief in rebirth or retribution, but on mental well-being acquired through the overcoming of greed, hate, and delusion.”
In other words, Buddha states there’s no need to believe in the esoteric aspects of Buddhism to walk the path of Buddhism.
In Summary
What do you think, is Buddhism a religion?
And what is Buddhism if not a religion?
I’d go with Thich Nhat Hanh and say it’s a practice, a practice to awaken to how we deceive ourselves and learn how to self-correct. And talking about Buddhism in the context of its evolution I call it a wisdom tradition.
Maybe more importantly: Does it matter?
Irrespective of whether you’re on a Buddhist path, an Abrahamic path, agnostic or devote yourself to the Flying Spaghetti Monster I think the test against The Three Poisons is good rule to live by in the big and small questions in life: Does it lead me on a path free from ignorance, greed and hate?
— — — — — —
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I also host weekly virtual meditations in the Rinzai Zen tradition, on Mondays 20:00–21:00 CET and you’re welcome to join us. More info here. | https://medium.com/@fredriklyhagen/is-buddhism-a-religion-eeafa59c95f0 | ['Fredrik Lyhagen'] | 2021-01-26 05:16:10.812000+00:00 | ['Religion And Spirituality', 'Religion', 'Zen', 'Buddhism', 'Spirituality'] |
A Free JavaScript Beginner Book! | Here’s something useful for any young person in your life. (Or something useful for yourself, if you’ve ever said “Explain it to me like I’m 10.”)
I’ve just released A Tiny Introduction to JavaScript, a free PDF ebook that teaches kids how to code.
Here’s what makes this book unique:
It’s 100% free. (Or pay-what-you-can, if you’re in a particularly generous mood.)
(Or pay-what-you-can, if you’re in a particularly generous mood.) It teaches real JavaScript code. There’s no walking zombies through a maze or edu-tainment here.
There’s no walking zombies through a maze or edu-tainment here. Each chapter is built out of tiny examples. And all the examples are in online CodePen projects. That means you don’t need to install anything. Just point your browser to the project with the problem (or the solution, if you’d prefer.)
And all the examples are in online CodePen projects. That means you don’t need to install anything. Just point your browser to the project with the problem (or the solution, if you’d prefer.) It’s kinda fun. There are some… interesting characters.
Is it suitable for adults? Yes, if you really don’t know much about programming but you’re curious to get started. That’s because A Tiny Introduction to JavaScript introduces basic programming concepts (like “What’s a variable?”) at the same time as it introduces the language.
If you want to learn more about the project and why I started it, check out the Gumroad page. There’s also a (sadly not free) print edition.
Happy coding!
Matthew | https://medium.com/young-coder/a-free-javascript-beginner-book-4f11404679a0 | ['Matthew Macdonald'] | 2020-12-04 00:38:30.501000+00:00 | ['Programming', 'JavaScript', 'STEM', 'Coding For Kids', 'Learning To Code'] |
DutchCryptoChat Telegram AMA with Robbie and Tommo | Q1: Welcome gentlemen, thank you for doing this AMA with us! For those who do not know Morpheus Labs, what are you guys doing, and what do you want to achieve?
A: Morpheus Labs is a BPaaS (Blockchain Platform-as-a-Service) — Blockchain Agnostic. We are focused on bridging the gap between Blockchain and adoption (Corporates, Developers, SMEs, Students). Simply said, we make sure that every user can easily start to develop on our platform thanks to our infrastructure, we also take care of the turn-key solutions and help them where it is needed. The platform is live since 25th of January 2019, and we already have several Blockchain partners and Universities using the platform. We currently have NEM, NULS, Hyperledger, Quarkchain, Vechain, Tomochain, Wanchain, Kardiachain and EOS (Cypherglass) on our platform, and more to come (think top 20's). On the education front, we are working with Hanwha Dreampluswhich is powered by a South Korean conglomerate, Tsinghua University, National Taiwan Normal University and a couple more. At the moment we are working hard to expand this network to Europe and the US.
Q2: Another question to start; How did you guys got professionally involved with Morpheus Labs?
Robbie: Good question. I came across Morpheus Labs during the pre-sale and I never left the chat afterwards :) One thing lead to another, and here we are.
Tommo: For myself, I joined Morpheus Labs after I have been working for CPChain. Actually it was quite a coincidence as it was via someone I know. I noticed there was a demand for the European connections, which to me was a nice opportunity as I love the project as well.
Q3: Am I correct by saying that Morpheus Labs is focused on companies that want to use Blockchain but don’t know how to?
A: Yes and no. For a company of let say 20 employees, it is very expensive to develop a Blockchain. First, you need to figure out which blockchain you want to use, you develop a DApp that fits with your requirements to solve a certain problem in your organisation, and start implementing it. Morpheus Labs has a Marketplace (App library) where pre-developed DApps are available for purchase, and you can also still tweak them if needed. So we are not only focused on companies, but also on students and developers.
Q4: @TommoNL; Before MITx, you the Dutch representative for CPChain. Why did you leave and joined MITx?
A: I still am a representative for CPChain, but I get more opportunities at Morpheus Labs which gives me the flexibility to better manage my time. But I am definitely not gone from CPChain.
Q5: What can you offer to developers? I noticed there are workspaces and teams on the platform?
A: Due to the different blockchains we are providing on the platform, a developer can create DApps with these. This can for instance be a DApp that is combined with several features from different blockchains. These created DApps can then be sold/ published onto our Marketplace (AppLibrary). Workspaces are for different roles, think about a Project Manager that wants to monitor his team/ development by using the dashboard.
Q6: I understood that there will be a sort of Appstore where companies can look for a solution. Could you elaborate on this?
A: Correct, as mentioned in previous answer. Our Marketplace — a DApp store — let’s say. We are currently providing 25 pre-developed DApps, ready to implement or adjust to your needs. The more DApps in “DApps store”, the better for everyone.
Q7: Let’s talk a bit more about Hanwha, as it is not a small company at all. Can you elaborate more on this partnership?
A: Sure! Hanwha has the Dreamplus Blockchain Academy (Dreamplus). Dreamplus is important as their aim is to educate people and provide an opportunity/ platform to become professional Blockchain developers; We help them with the curriculum and providing our platform for these developers to start creating their own DApps. You can find us on their website as well -> https://dreamplus.io/academy/blockchain
Q8: Is there a difference in price if you are using NULS instead of VeChain for instance?
A: The price difference will lie in the complexity of the created DApp. To create DApps, the user will need to have $MITx to operate the platform. The user can also decide to lock their tokens for a certain amount of time. The more and the longer they lock their tokens, the more discount they will receive for operating the platform.
Q9: How strong is your connections within Singapore? I have been noticing how they operate in Asia and I noticed a big gap in communication between East and West. Simply said, how do know everything is being handled correctly?
A: Good question. This communication gap between East and West is a fact. In our case however this is held to a minimum as we are daily in contact with each other, so we have a lot of engagement between employees despite being in different time zones. Morpheus Labs has employees from Singapore, but also Dubai, Vietnam, China, Korea, The Netherlands and Belgium. The partners we are currently working with (think VeChain and Hanwha), and the partners we will be working with very soon is/ be a proof of our legitimacy.
Q10: Do the DApps get tested before they get deployed on the platform? What are the costs for an external party to sell the DApp in your AppLibrary?
A: The DApps will be tested before deployment by Bruce, who is our CTO. The cost for the external party will depend on the actual market situation.
Q11: At the moment you are providing 7 different program languages. Is it possible to go a step further so a person with no development experience can still create something on the platform?
A: Good question. There are currently several languages provided that are aimed on a ‘WordPress’ environment which facilitates the user to create DApps on the platform. The platform provides users with “how to” sections to help the user where needed.
Q12: How does Morpheus Labs counts to solve real world issues?
A: This will depend on the user (Developers, Students, SMEs, Corporates, Government) and his needs. Every Blockchain has it’s unique characteristics, but also it’s limitations. The platform provides you the opportunity to combine these characteristics from the different Blockchains and create something that fits the needs of your organisation.
Q13: @TommoNL, How close is your collaboration with the current partnerships?
A: We have a few new partners including EOS (Cypherglass) where I personally am creating education plans with the intention to create a self-sustaining curriculum who can pay for themselves by having companies with a problem sponsoring them, whereby they get a turn-key solution while students learn to develop with our help. This makes it easier for companies to attract internships. We look at a few parameters for integration; including short and long-term cooperation. Every ‘partner’ who only does integration, will have less to do with us. Partners who want to do integration and, for example, joint marketing at university level, get priority.
Q14: When do people need to pay to use the platform?
A: There are different tiers to subscribe to the platform, depending on your needs. You can try out the platform for free for a while, after that period of time you will have to decide which tier you want to subscribe for.
The Subscription Tiers
Q15: @Cryptorob87, is MITx open for more ambassadors?
A: Absolutely, we always welcome like-minded people. Obviously they will need to get very familiar with the project before they can join.
Q16: How will the tokens be bought to operate the platform, via open market? Or is there an automated system in place?
A: You can find a part of the answer in question above. All tokens will be bought from open market; However, there is a treasury in place. You can find more info on this in our Tokenomics article -> https://medium.com/@morpheuslabs_io/mitx-token-economics-38b17d870ab9
Q17: Are you guys currently the only ones providing a Blockchain Platform-as-a-Service? I noticed there are a lot of Enterprise solutions. How do you guys deal with this competition?
A: At the moment we are the only BPaaS. There are however a lot of BaaS and SaaS solutions coming out as we speak. We don’t see competition as someone to fight against. We can also see competition as a possible future partner, why not? Let me elaborate with an image:
Our Competitors’ Analysis
Q18: “Technology stack recipes that we use in order to automate the blockchain development”, what does a stack recipe mean?
A: Simply said they are ready to use recipes for DApps. Think about the frame of a house, you can take something for lets say financial business which is still pretty blanc, and build from there.
Q19: Isn’t it difficult to buy MITx first before you can operate the platform? Or is there an easier way for companies to get a hold of MITx tokens?
A: Let me elaborate with a quote from our Tokenomics -> “In order for customers to use the platform, they’ll pay in USD via traditional payments or opt to pay in $MITx tokens — in both scenarios, the fee will be bought from the open market, whether customers own $MITx or not.”
Q20: How does your marketing look like? What can we expect?
A: We currently have 1 marketeer, but more will join us. As ambassadors we also help with marketing and brand awareness. We had some interesting conversations about this when we were in Monaco, the team understands the importance of this topic.
Q21: Is it correct by saying that with students/education, you want to create developers communities for the different projects? Do partners like VeChain play a role in this as well?
A: Correct! We would like to sustain the Triple-Helix model where Governments, Universities and Companies can collaborate together in promoting and growing Blockchain education. Without education, there is no adoption. VeChain also plays a role in this, as our other partners do as well. Think about a Hackathon; Instead of building on a Ethereum-based hackathon, you can have a Hackathon with for instance 20 different provided Blockchains.
Q22: Can you provide us with some more info concerning community nodes? What can we expect?
A: Unfortunately we can not share more info around this topic. However, you can go through the Tokenomics article to see what it is about and what is coming.
Q23: There were some comments on why there is not much progression on Github, could you elaborate on this?
A: We understand the concern — many members of our community believe that GitHub updates directly link to the development progress of our project. However, the nature of our Blockchain solution is different from public Blockchain projects — we are a “for profit” company that is generating revenues from clients and intends to bolster out token ecosystem with increased business activity. As such, we have decided that our codes will not be made publicly available, as this would affect our competitive advantage.
Q24: Are there any plans on rewarding the $MITx token holders? Is there a possibility to create a passive income with $MITx?
A: This has to do with our community nodes where more info will come out soon. You can also have a look at our Tokenomics where this is a bit more explained.
Q25: Are you guys actively looking to get listed on new exchanges?
A: Absolutely! Very busy with this. I’m sure everyone knows the term “NDA”, so unfortunately we can not talk much about this. We do however expect a good exchange in a short term. IDEX/ HitBTC are fine for what they are but it suppresses our growth in a certain way. No volume/liquidity = no exposure = no growth. We do have a tight schedule for this.
Q26: Projects like Wanchain, Quant Network. Could these be interesting to you guys?
A: Definitely! Wanchain actually is one our partners at the moment. Quant Network is a very great project, however there are other projects that for us (at this moment) are more interesting and where we are already in initial discussions with, or in the final phase.
Q27: How does a user know how many tokens they need to buy in order to use the platform?
A: As discussed before, the user has the choice between several tiers to subscribe for. The Tokenomics article can help answering this question with some more info on how to lock tokens, sell tokens or buy them.
Q28: A bold question; Why would the token price rise?
A: As an employee it is dangerous to tell people that the token will rise. However, there are several factors why we think Morpheus Labs has a big potential:
We are needed. Soon, everyone will want to be a blockchain developer. https://cointelegraph.com/news/blockchain-hits-top-10-future-skills-in-linkedin-asia-pacific-report We have several flavours (blockchains) already on our platform for users to taste from. They will only grow. +10 integrations of blockchains in the next 3 months is nit impossible. In fact, they are in our pipeline. We can work with big enterprises (Hanwha for exemple) who work with smaller enterprises and provide them our solutions. We are no competition for potential partners, we are a middleware -> win-win. Our team is growing fast, and the product is very easy to explain. The team is very open for feedback. Might seem ridiculous for some, but very very important. Handpicked project by SGInnovate A one-stop shop
Q29: I can imagine Morpheus Labs has had an ICO? Is there any info on how these funds will be managed?
A: Correct, during the ICO period from February 2018 till April 2018, we have raised $9.6M. Hereby you can also find an article where more is explained: https://medium.com/@morpheuslabs_io/latest-an-update-on-the-movement-of-the-tokens-for-better-governance-157340213b57
Q30: Has the total tokenburn already happened?
A: Not yet, it will take 42 months in total before the whole token burn has taken place. More info on this can be found here: https://medium.com/@morpheuslabs_io/morpheus-labs-to-burn-up-to-45-of-total-supply-over-the-next-48-months-with-first-50-million-639a58f7e23b
Q31: The whitepaper mentioned that there will be a possibility for Devs and CEO’s to have a mobile application to track progress. Is this App already live?
A: We recently discussed this topic with Bruce, the CTO. Our platform will receive some updates very soon (there already is a test version). It could be possible that there will be a barebone version live soon.
Q32: Is there a view on who is using the platform right now?
A: We have several clients using the platform as we speak. Clients like VeriTag, Sure International, Hanwha Dreamplus, SmartMinds, Developers, and soon others we can not discuss yet.
Q33: What kind of DApps do you have right now on the platform? And what can we expect?
A: At the moment, the DApps that have been published are more for education/ training purpose for platform users to quickly learn dapp developer for different Blockchains, such as Ethereum, VeChain and NEO. And we are integrating more DApps horizontally and vertically — more DApps for more popular Blockchains and more DApps used as reference apps or ready-to-use / ready-to-customize solutions for various platform users, be individual developers or enterprises.
Q34: I’ve noticed an image about the technical architecture with a security function in layer 3, 4 and 7. Could you elaborate more on these functions?
A: Happy to see that you are looking into the technical details of the platform architecture. In general, the security design in the architecture diagram is to tell that the platform has been designed and implemented to provide various security measures at different layers, i.e. from network, system and application layers, in order to provide a secured blockchain platform as a service environment
Q35: What do you guys like the most about working for Morpheus Labs?
A: Robbie: I think it’s really fun as the project is very versatile and has so many use cases. You provide choices to the user/ potential users where they can combine the best from all Blockchains and create something themselves. This with 60–70% less in cost and time -> no brainer in my opinion.
Tommo: Easy — I have done so much in 3 months that I have never expected. I receive flexibility from the team, and I am listened to, also when it comes to look for synergies between partners and potential partners. I have a saying, which is great!
Q36: Is there a possibility to apply to become a Product Council? What does it takes to become one?
A: Absolutely! The Product Council will be a closed group of community members comprising of developers and non-developers, tasked with assisting and engaging with the Morpheus Labs development team as new updates are released. They will be tasked with assisting in the debugging process, providing feedback and suggestions on new features. Top developers may also be part of the DApp listing approval process on the AppLibrary, depending on their skillset. Members of the Product Council will be required to hold an amount of tokens for as long as they are part of the group. We will be releasing a more detailed blog post soon with the exact requirements and application form.
Q37: How do you guys get new partnerships? How does this work?
A: A lot goes via referrals and leads or otherwise as the crypto space is actually pretty small. It’s like Business Development in a traditional business. You look for potential partners and try to reach out to them. Then, it is a question of a good pitch to get them interested to discuss further. Which mostly is the case and they are mind blown when they get to know our project.
Q38: Has the possibility discussed to provide Morpheus Labs platform to Universities? From what I’ve read, you guys are providing the perfect tools for learning how to develop on Blockchain.
A: Definitely! We do this for example with Tsinghua University, Hanwha Dreamplus Blockchain Academy and National Taiwan Normal University. We are also in discussion with European and American Universities to do the same. In fact, some of our partners have several Universities as partner already, and if everything goes well we can end up having discussions with around 20 Universities.
Q39: Let’s say I want to use Blockchain technology within my Enterprise, how would it would work to integrate your system into mine?
A: You don’t integrate our system, we have a web-browser based platform. So you create a DApp (or you let someone create a DApp, or you buy one) — after that you put this onchain and it’s done.
Q40: When can we expect some news from Morpheus Labs?
A: Within this and 7 days.
Q41: Can you already spill some beans on this?
A: Well, let’s say top 20.
Another thing, our integration pipeline is full till the end of August. This gives you an idea on how much interest there is from external parties.
Q42: Maybe this question have been asked already, but how are we when it comes to the Roadmap? Are there any delays?
A: No delays, we are actually a little bit ahead of schedule. The team is working very hard to make it all work. | https://medium.com/morpheus-labs/dutchcryptochat-telegram-ama-with-robbie-and-tommo-61fea7f905aa | ['Morpheus Labs Team'] | 2019-07-19 03:37:22.222000+00:00 | ['Community', 'Ethereum', 'Blockchain', 'Bpaas', 'Dapps'] |
How Watching Wonder Woman 1984 Changed My World | How Watching Wonder Woman 1984 Changed My World
Credit: Warner Bros.
To be fair, this change was less influenced by the film itself, and more by me considering how to review the film. After watching, I peeked on Twitter to see what other people were saying.
If you look at Twitter today, most of the #WW84 reviews are either super positive or generally negative. There’s not a whole lot in-between, and I honestly think that the film falls in that grey, middle space.
It’s not the most amazing film ever (even though I was really looking forward to it and wanted it to be). It has some really great scenes and some pretty emotional moments, and also some completely ridiculous plot holes and muddles its thematic messaging when you look closely at it.
I bring up WW84 not because this is a full review of that (I might get to that later), but because it gets me to that word change that I think we as a society need to make way more often.
That change is this: I think we should often replace the word “but” with the word “and.”
By making the change from “but” to “and,” especially in the context of giving an evaluation or review, it suddenly makes a lot more space for nuance and continued conversation.
I’m a big fan of nuanced reviews — when making purchasing decisions, I categorically don’t look at the five-star or the one-star reviews. I find often the reviews that are actually helpful in me making a decision are the four-, three-, and two-star reviews. This is because if it’s not a purely positive or a purely negative review, these reviews tend to be more nuanced in the information they provide and are usually more factual and less emotional.
Context often really matters, and nuance allows for that context to cut through the fog of assumptions, and can clarify when you’re looking at two seemingly opposing truths.
And this is what I want. Nuanced information that gives me a better look at if this product, film, or whatever is right for me specifically. There is a huge spectrum of needs, wants, likes, dislikes, and contexts in terms of the human experience. What’s important to me when watching a film may or may not be different from a 15-year old Russian girl, and that may or may not be different from what a retired Pakistani squash player cares about. What’s important to me might not be the same as another Japanese-American, 37-year old guy living in California, even if our general demographics are exactly the same.
Nuance is so necessary because it creates space beyond an either-or mindset. It allows for multiple truths to exist simultaneously.
For example, you might think that it’s an absolute truth that you never want to put a photo on a resume. And that’s true, assuming you’re applying for a job in the United States or Canada. If you were applying for a job in Korea, you’d be quickly ignored if you did NOT attach a photo.
Context often really matters, and nuance allows for that context to cut through the fog of assumptions, and can clarify when you’re looking at two seemingly opposing truths. The skill to be able to do this readily is one that can make a big difference in how we communicate and the effectiveness of our ability to reach other people.
Using the word “and” more often helps foster this ability to hold even seemingly contradictory thoughts at the same time, which will allow for us to have a clearer picture of what’s actually going on in the world. Going back to my quick thoughts on WW84:
It has some really great scenes and some pretty emotional moments, and also some completely ridiculous plot holes and muddles its thematic messaging when you look closely at it. It has some really great scenes and some pretty emotional moments, but also some completely ridiculous plot holes and muddles its thematic messaging when you look closely at it.
The first review makes me think that the film has good and bad parts to it. It feels more neutral to me, like someone is trying to give me the pros and cons of the film, allowing me to make up my own mind.
The second review makes me think that the film, although it has some good parts, has been ruined by the bad parts and should be passed over when looking at what next to stream.
By shifting to using the word “and,” we make more space in the listener’s mind to make their own judgement of whether or not they should watch the film. It’s a subtle shift, but one that I think takes a lot of emotional weight out of the reviews and can be a more powerful way to convey nuanced information.
This nuanced way of conveying information is also powerful when giving feedback to people.
“I like this design, and I don’t think this fully conveys the messaging of the brand.”
“I like this design, but I don’t think this fully conveys the messaging of the brand.”
The speaker is giving the same feedback — that the design is cool, but is not quite up to snuff. In the first case the speaker is allowing for both clauses to co-exist. The design can be liked, but also can be the wrong choice for the brand to go in.
In the second version, the negative feedback overrides the positive, leaving no room for the listener to receive the positive feedback without getting defensive.
We’re often told by the media that people are monsters or saints; pariahs to cast stones at or heroes to be venerated.
The nuance that we can build from making this shift might not play well to the hyper-polarization of our modern world and I think that’s a price that we should be willing to pay. After all, staying within our own safety bubbles of groups of people who think exactly like us doesn’t do anything to show us the real way the world works. It only reinforces our previously held beliefs by giving us simple answers of who is good and who is bad.
We’re often told by the media that people are monsters or saints; pariahs to cast stones at or heroes to be venerated. However the truth is that people are imperfect, flawed human beings, and we need to be able to sit with the uncomfortable feeling of not boxing people or things into neat little boxes in our mind.
This larger picture provides the additional nuance that allows for us to really consider all sides of an argument, from multiple perspectives and experiences, beyond our own
Depending on your politics, you might think that in America white men are either the root of all evil or are unfairly being persecuted for their skin color.
What if both ideas have elements of truth to it? Racism and systemic white supremacy are difficult, complex issues to address, let alone solve.
We need to sit with the fact that historically white men held a majority of power, usually amassed through generational wealth accumulated through creating laws that disenfranchised women and people of color AND understand that there are a lot of white men who have very little power as their means of economic growth have been crushed due to globalism and moving factory work overseas.
We need to understand that globalism is the product of rampart capitalism that was built off the accumulated wealth of slavery, AND we also need to understand that white men still make up a bulk of the voting population of the United States and we need to enroll them in a new system that works for everyone.
AND we need to also understand that even though it feels scary to be “cancelled,” the fact is that most white men who have been cancelled have had very little long-term repercussions regarding their career while for minorities to speak up there are the very real repercussions of losing their careers and their lives.
AND that just because someone is a white male, they are not necessarily individually responsible for a system of white supremacy.
AND that many white people will not own up to the fact that white supremacy is part of the dominant culture of our country, from religion to education to housing.
AND that people of color and women can also play a part in reinforcing the systemic white supremacy.
AND that it should not be the responsibility of those who have been oppressed for hundreds of years to have to once again play nice with white people.
AND white people need to feel like they’re being listened to if we ever want to change their minds, so they need to be treated with respect.
AND white people need to step up and be more intentional to break down a system that benefits them.
AND everyone is on a different stage of their learning journey about what “systemic white supremacy” even means, and that we need to be understanding that people learn, synthesize, and accept knowledge at different speeds.
AND know that these slower speeds, if not accelerated, will continue to cost people like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd their lives.
AND on and on and on.
“And” creates space for the conversation to continue building on itself. It doesn’t cut off or interrupt any of the previous clauses or arguments, and allows for the space to consider the entirety of the issue as opposed to just embracing a single soundbite argument.
This larger picture provides the additional nuance that allows for us to really consider all sides of an argument, from multiple perspectives and experiences, beyond our own. And this is crucial if we want to tackle really, really, really difficult problems like systemic racism. And when we have more perspectives and experiences, we can make better decisions. And when we make better decisions, we can innovate new solutions that can work for everyone. | https://medium.com/@rickkitagawa/how-watching-wonder-woman-1984-changed-my-world-9e4ce2e564c9 | ['Rick Kitagawa'] | 2020-12-27 06:28:08.832000+00:00 | ['Change', 'Conversations', 'Context', 'Stereotypes', 'Sociology'] |
Americans at wits’ end on coronavirus, want decisive action | Americans at wits’ end on coronavirus, want decisive action
With the virus now more widespread than ever, Americans are looking for more aggressive, centralized leadership to contain the crisis.
What you need to know:
Americans’ frustration with the federal government’s response to the coronavirus to date is plainly evident. Just 25% of Americans say that the U.S. is handling the outbreak better than other countries.
The nation wants to see more decisive, centralized action around the pandemic, with a majority across partisan lines saying that they support a single, national plan to more effectively approach testing.
Beyond a national plan for testing, partisan differences appear around questions of central government involvement. However, majorities across the board are supportive of more coordinated industrial policy to deal with the pandemic.
Deep dive:
After months of social distancing and economic disruption, with all the sacrifice and suffering they entailed, the U.S. has not successfully reversed the coronavirus’ trajectory. Instead of containment, the virus is spreading more freely now than it was in early March and April.
As Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, told CNN in early August, the nation has entered a “new phase” of the coronavirus pandemic. “What we are seeing today is different from March and April — [the virus] is extraordinarily widespread,” she said, urging all Americans to wear masks and take other precautionary measures.
Johns Hopkins University statistics put the virus’ toll at more than 5 million reported cases and 162,000 deaths nationwide. Even these sobering numbers are likely an undercount. Worse, the virus is now embedded in many communities, making it harder to isolate and eradicate. Younger people are more likely to get the virus these days than they were at the outset of the crisis, picking it up — or spreading it — at bars, parties or other social settings.
Americans are frustrated with the current state of affairs, with just 25% saying that the U.S. is handling the outbreak better than other countries, according to NPR/Ipsos polling. Meanwhile, trust in the federal government is at its lowest ebb yet, falling to 29% in the most recent wave of the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
At this stage, the country wants to see decisive, centralized action around the coronavirus. Evidently, the current strategy — a patchwork of differing measures and restrictions rolled out on a state-by-state basis, accompanied by a national testing plan that has seen its fair share of bumps along the road — hasn’t won the general public over.
A clear majority of Americans want to see COVID-19 testing cost-free and expanded at the federal level. To date, a comprehensive national approach to coronavirus testing has been beleaguered by faulty tests, long delays in delivering results due to overwhelmed labs, and at times some resistance from the White House.
The focus on testing is even more pronounced now than it was in the early stages of the crisis. In late March, 67% of Americans agreed that the federal government should expand its coronavirus testing efforts, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. At that point, in a time when the virus was not as well understood as it is today, Democrats and Republicans were more closely aligned on this issue, with 71% of Democrats and 67% of Republicans agreeing that testing ought to be expanded.
Beyond expanded testing, Americans want to see the federal government put its weight behind manufacturing protective equipment, testing supplies and making a coronavirus vaccine, once available, accessible to all Americans. The data suggest that even some Trump-supporting Republicans may be moving closer to Democrats on a nationalized approach to tackling the coronavirus.
As Kevin Reno, a Texan Republican who plans to vote for Trump in the fall, recently told NPR, “I think a national approach would be better. I think it would be effective, and it may be at the point here before too long that we have to do that.” When it comes to the fundamentals, like testing and vaccines, there is solid national consensus across typically fractured political lines.
In other areas, partisan opinion is more scattered. Early on in the crisis, masks became a political symbol, with national figures like President Trump questioning their utility and suggesting the people who did wear them were doing so because they didn’t like him. Though mask use is now trending up across parties, Democrats and Republicans still do not see eye to eye on state mask mandates (90% and 64% support, respectively).
Similarly, the two parties are divided around a nationwide plan around schools and businesses reopening, another mandatory two-week lockdown to contain the virus, and an interstate travel ban. On every count, Democrats are more open to more restrictive measures to contain the virus; Republicans less so.
Taken together, our data indicate that Americans want to see a more centralized approach to the crisis from government, despite a growing skepticism in federal and state leadership. Republicans and Democrats, however, are not in far from perfect alignment on this issue, signaling that the fundamental divide around the merits of small or big government is still very much a force in our COVID-19 world.
Beyond the question of more centralized leadership, individuals are already stepping up their own efforts to combat the virus. This can be seen in increased, albeit not always consistent, mask use across party lines. With majority support for expanded testing and the aforementioned mask use, there is broader support for these fundamental precautionary measures now than there was at the outset of the crisis.
But without a collective strategy, any effort to contain the virus will by definition be piecemeal. As we have seen so far, the U.S.’ more scattershot approach to the virus has not been effective in containing it relative to other wealthy countries. The question becomes, as Congress, states and the White House consider new approaches to containing the virus, can they arrive at a collective solution in time? | https://medium.com/ipsos-public-affairs/americans-at-wits-end-on-coronavirus-want-decisive-action-c9b2499685ad | ['Catherine Morris'] | 2020-08-10 14:10:51.715000+00:00 | ['Coronavirus', 'Politics', 'Leadership'] |
The ‘listen-test-reflect-adapt-ness’ of sparking community action | #connectingforgood is a movement to tackle isolation in Coventry being animated by the charity grapevine. This learning out loud note shares a snapshot of early #connectingforgood insights informed by the patterns surfaced by the grapevine team. By collecting and analysing a multitude of stories, images, numbers, observations and reflections we have been able to be intentional in our design and practice as the movement to tackle isolation grows. Mel will be diving into specific aspects of this learning out loud note over the next few months to tell you more about the lived experience of movement building — so look out for her stories.
Beautiful Walk & Talk Map by Melissa
Isolation touches all of us. It can make our lives poorer, harder, sometimes even impossible. As part of our work to tackle isolation in Coventry we knew we needed to first have a much deeper understanding of the many visible and invisible ways it touches our communities. For our social movement this meant going beyond the growing mountain of isolation related academic research, and charitable foundation reports, or government policies. This is because social movements are essentially about people and relationships. To move beyond a de-contextualised understanding of isolation the Grapevine #connectingforgood team have spent recent months engaged in a phase of deep listening.
The fruits of this listening to new and old friends in Coventry centre is a very human insight into the complex experience and pervasiveness of isolation. Understanding the specificness of the experiences of isolation in Coventry was essential given we know how place and space directly interact with our social and cultural lives.
Taking insightful action requires us as a team to pay attention to the wide ranging interactions, actions, conversations, behaviours, emotions and reflections in this work. We have done that in a very intentional way through our shared team learning. That collective learning process is part of the ongoing and everyday way we observe, collect, relate and analyse multiple data sources for patterns. Those patterns in turn help us adapt the design of our work and practice. This way of learning is relational and contextual, demanding that we look up and out to the macro, within and around us to the micro and intimate, and then be alive to the links in between.
This way of learning involves all the team and invites movement makers to take part in any way they feel works for them. This approach to learning is ongoing, everyday and helps nurture a culture of curiosity and experimentation — urging us to be empathetic, “to try on other perspectives”. Learning in this way — openly, relationaly, dynamically, contextually — can require a shift in mindset for those of us schooled in more rigid forms of evaluation.
The shift to learning and being curious in this way can be hard won, even unnerving at times: “Where are my tick boxes, KPIs, fixed list of questions and pro forma???” However, the shift is difficult to ignore once it has been embraced, and harder still to ‘un-see’ the treasure and insights it offers up. Like Fellow Travelers Collaborate CIC we know that working with complex challenges requires us to re-orientate our learning away from imposed fixed metrics and rigid linear logic models — ill-suited to this dynamic and relational way of working. Instead, we turn our minds and hearts towards an everyday learning culture that seeks to share openly, and pay attention to the relationships between a diversity of qualitative and quantitative data that helps us continually improve together. We hope this way of learning helps us and others see our place within the system, and so help in the emergence of fruitful collaborations for a healthier system.
[It’s messy, but we are OK with that]
In the heartfelt sharing of stories, the bewildering messiness of our societal systems, and the often unintended ways they trigger isolation have been made more visible and understandable. The listening has surfaced many, linked and dynamic drivers of isolation in the city, as well as the overwhelming number of connected outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. With a challenge like isolation that is so complex and systemic in nature, we don’t tend to have ready made and tested solutions — there is no one spoonful of medicine to make everything OK. Responding to complexity demands more than a single stand alone action — it requires multiple, connected and varied actions at a range of intervention points. But there IS hope.
This listening phase also gave voice to the stories of Coventry citizens and animated an energy and plethora of gifts that they are bringing to the movement.
In many ways the creative, dynamic and emergent quality of social movements makes them an appropriate response to the messiness and uncertainty of a complex challenge like isolation. While there is unpredictability in movement methods, there are also patterns. We have observed patterns in the tactics we have tested and then critically reflected upon as a team. These patterns then inform our work. As part of this “listen-test-reflect-adapt” approach to sparking community action we wanted to share some of our learning out loud. Below we outline four key patterns we have observed so far, and the implications they pose for the design of future actions.
[1. A gifts approach]
Pattern observed: A ‘gifts approach’ underpins all of this work. This means we actively recognise, value and nurture people’s gifts — from storytelling, to photography, to cake making, to greeting with a smile, to organising a group trip to a Lido, to making banners and chalking the pavement with messages — the treasure chest of gifts is seemingly endless once it is opened up!! We celebrate how generously people share those gifts in the movement in all of our interactions. A gifts approach affirms capabilities and potential while resisting ‘over caring’. It seeks to identify and disrupt barriers to participation and connection. This approach tends to run counter to a traditional service model focus upon categorization, labels and perceptions of need, which can unintentionally amplify a sense of isolation.
Design implications: Pay attention to and celebrate ALL the resources, gifts and talents revealed through and brought to the movement. Support people to discover and nurture their gifts. Design out qualities from happenings that unintentionally create barriers to the revealing of gifts and so undermine this approach. Explore together, and model the behaviours that accompany a rich diversity of roles in the movement — greeting, organising, connecting, making, drawing, writing, documenting, sharing the message, performing, collecting and sharing insights — again the list goes on! This design focus liberates gifts, nurtures a sense of collective purpose, and so allows us to walk beside each other as equals. People’s roles will be diverse, change over time, depending on where they are at in their journey. Let them know that is OK.
[2. Empathetic design of moments and spaces for connection]
Pattern observed: The intentional empathetic design of moments and spaces for connection has dominated this listening phase. This design prioritises use of thoughtful creative and personalised invitations, and a range of mediums of communication, locations animated and different times for happenings. It also means designing conditions to encourage empathetic behaviours through informal convivial spaces and experiences that help enable feelings of welcome, comfort and curiosity. These feelings in turn enable connection and sharing upon a deeper level. This intentional design creates the space for kinder responses to strangers that open us up to learning about different perspectives, and networks of mutual support & generosity. Through these spaces and moments of connection the scale of loneliness in the city has been made more visible — the happenings acted like a divining stick for stories of isolation. This also made clear the need for more supportive informal safe spaces to share that experience of isolation, as well as the opportunity for increased collaboration between existing convivial spaces through the movement.
Design implications: Pay attention to what makes an authentic invitation to a diverse constellation of actors. Move at the speed of trust in nurturing a greater depth of relationships. Not everyone will travel a journey from curiosity to contribution to & then commitment to the movement. Allow for a range of movement entry points, exit points and re-entry if desired. Seek out or help forge spaces and experiences where norms of connection, openness and mutual support are practiced. This pattern also led to us questioning how to support the rewiring of relationships between the different actors (e.g. between service professionals and local citizens).
[3. Be creative and human in our calls to action]
Pattern observed: The nature of the call to action and participation has been highly visible, open, multiple, creative, inspiring and playful. This is especially powerful given isolation can often be invisible — particularly for those with learning disabilities. Part of the role of the movement is to shift cultural norms and public debate around the experience of isolation for everyone in the city. The invitations have been both personal and direct in 1:1 meetings, as well as open to all passers by in public spaces depending on the nature and purpose of the gatherings. Exercising our connections and animating networks both intimate and larger scale in a very human and authentic manner is a key mechanism in all aspects of movement growth.
Design implications: Use playful, convivial and creative tactics to challenge cultural barriers to engagement with the issue of isolation. For example, we made use of open public spaces for collective happenings, and in doing so challenged the more commonly observed atomised and transactional use of civic space. From walking the city as a collective, via interactive performances in closed shop doorways, to chalking messages, mass hula hooping and hopscotch on the pavements, through to silent megaphone ‘street debates’ — the design of these happenings gave permission to suspend the usual individualised social norms and invited collective and connecting experiences.
This use of space was amplified via explicit messaging on physical placards, banners, chalking and social media. In this way the collective experience of isolation was difficult to ignore and an organising presence for change made highly visible. These collective moments invite entry to the movement and disrupt the usual unevenness of power (e.g. between service user and provider, or across perceived difference in social status). As we adapted based upon this pattern we reflected upon how through our design and our conversations we are connecting these visible and playful tactics to the more serious narrative of the movement for change. This pattern has design implications for what it means to be a movement and not a project in terms of our invitation and framing. This in turn has an impact upon people’s expectations, experiences and behaviours.
[4. Movement methods are adaptive, developmental and respond to opportunity across the system]
Pattern observed: Movement methods being used are adaptive, developmental, and responsive to opportunities to leverage change at a range of system intervention points. This involves the team paying attention to emerging situations — for individuals, for local communities, even city wide — and adapting the design of actions accordingly. This involves trying to be alive to rapidly changing contexts, embracing a more holistic reading of the system, and noting areas of heat and possible collaborations. Crucially it also involves knowing our place within the system as a movement that is being catalysed by a trusted local charity. Most of all this involves exercising our creative and systems thinking mindsets. We have found our more ethnographic and developmental form of learning — that prioritises an improve not prove approach — has been valuable in helping build these mindsets.
Design implications: Be alive to and design for the rhythms of movement making including: alistening phase, a reflecting/ learning phase, a mobilising phase, and moving to a (self) organising phase. These may happen at a range of paces, and even in parallel on occasions. Be experimental in testing new approaches, evolving those experiments, and have confidence in leaving cold spots of inactivity. Be open to learning from things that don’t work. Pay attention to changing permeable and hard edge boundaries at both an individual and movement scale. This has led to more explicit articulation of what is and what is not possible by the team. The presence of permeable boundaries around movements (unlike the often hard edges of projects or services) allows for drawing in ideas, resources and people from the wider ecosystem if they are aligned to the values and approach of the movement.
We hope these learning notes will be part of ongoing open conversations about tackling isolation. If you are a Fellow Traveler and recognise these patterns in your own work or experiences then we would love for you to drop us a line — we believe in learning and testing together for a better and more connected world.
P.S. We love learning from Fellow Travelers tackling isolation in other spaces and have drawn insight from these open and inspiring resources. You might too …
The Jo Cox Loneliness Commission:https://www.jocoxloneliness.org/loneliness/
The Loneliness Lab Playbook (2019):https://lonelinesslab.org/
BBC Loneliness Experiment (2018) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2yzhfv4DvqVp5nZyxBD8G23/who-feels-lonely-the-results-of-the-world-s-largest-loneliness-study
Camerados:https://www.camerados.org/
Shareable: Social Isolation Debate Series (2019): https://www.shareable.net/blog/issue-brief-social-isolation
Nick Maisey at Befriend: https://nickmaisey.wordpress.com/2018/04/02/fellowship-insights/ | https://medium.com/@johanneorchardwebb/the-listen-test-reflect-adapt-ness-of-sparking-community-action-725eedd78874 | ['Jo Orchard-Webb'] | 2019-05-07 13:13:04.656000+00:00 | ['Learning', 'Coventry', 'Social Movements', 'Isolation'] |
Growing green to clean the air | Growing green to clean the air
By Tiernach McDermott — horticulturist at Candide
Take a deep breath… and again… Now contemplate this: air pollution kills around 50,000 people in the UK every year. Urban levels of nitrogen dioxide are so high that the government has been referred to the European Court of Justice.
When you hear the words ‘air pollution’, you probably think of spluttering car exhausts, huge smokey bonfires, or giant factory chimneys belching out seemingly endless grey clouds of misery and dirt.
It’s actually a problem in your home too.
Paint, candles, cleaning products, air fresheners, and even furniture are all sources of household contaminants. And they can have some pretty devastating impacts, from causing cancer and cardiovascular disease to stunted childhood development.
Outdoors or not — there is no question that air pollution is a huge problem.
What can we do about it?
How do you fight something so small you can’t even see it? Especially on such a vast scale? It’s not an easy problem to solve, but there are things we can all do to help.
You’ve already heard the advice to walk or cycle instead of drive, and switching to renewable energy is a no brainer (check out our single, zero markup tariff here), but how about growing some plants?
Whether it’s a large-scale public park or an orchid on the windowsill, plants are one of the easiest and most effective ways to combat air pollution.
In fact, plants in the UK are estimated to remove 1.4 million tonnes of air pollution (and save the NHS £1 billion) every year.
This isn’t new news. We’ve known about the power of the plant for centuries. Pollution-fighting boston ferns were popular in smog-filled Victorian homes, for example.
Make the air breathable again.
Modern Londoners will sadly be used to regular pollution warnings. These are triggered by high levels of fine particulate matter called PM 2.5, which can cause asthma attacks, bronchitis and even heart attacks.
Many other of Britain’s cities regularly exceed pollution and safe air levels. You can check your area by using this postcode checker.
Could plants again be the answer? One study found that trees and other greenery could reduce PM levels by up to 60% in some cases.
The potential impact on urban health and well-being could be huge.
We all have a part to play.
While there’s a strong case for having lots of plants around, we don’t all have green fingers. You might not have much space or time, and you might have killed every plant you’ve ever owned except that cactus in the window.
Fortunately, there are plants to suit pretty much everyone, both for the home and the office.
No room? Hang some air plants in the window or grow some veg on an outdoor windowsill.
No time? Get a snake plant or cast iron plant. They thrive on neglect and you can ignore them for weeks.
No bright windows? Ivy will love it.
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are — we can all grow an extra plant or two. The air you breathe will be cleaner, and everyone around you will benefit too.
And if enough of us get on board, who knows? We might even save some lives.
Candide is a social gardening app where you can ask questions, gain knowledge and find inspiration.
What is Candide?
The name is derived from the novel ‘Candide’ written by Voltaire, in which the protagonist finds peace through caring for his garden.
The app’s users are strong believers in the power of horticulture, and abide by the philosophy that ‘gardening is the root of happiness’.
As an organisation who relies so heavily on an app ourselves, we always love to hear about others like us.
Candide is a fantastic way to encourage plant adoption in your home. There are plenty of blogs on the site which discuss various topics in the world of gardening.
It’s great to have an app which not only helps people along with their beloved hobby, but also does so much good for the environment too.
By Tiernach McDermott. | https://medium.com/pureplanet/growing-green-to-clean-the-air-bb13f269a9c4 | ['Pure Planet Blog'] | 2019-06-20 08:50:00.127000+00:00 | ['Carbon Emissions', 'Pollution', 'Renewable Energy', 'Environment', 'Apps'] |
Build A Trust Infrastructure Between Your Data Team and Your Audience | You have to want to earn it
There are many ways to build trust with your audience, but the most important is that you want to earn it. It sounds minor, but the moment you decide that you want to earn your audience’s trust, you shift away from a reactive mindset and towards a collaborative one. Reactive relationships revolve around a request and a reaction to that request. Trust is also important in these relationships (and we all have them) but the requestor is likely coming to you because they know they will get what they want — it’s a transaction.
Collaboration is a bit more complex because it means that both parties work together to solve whatever issue is in focus. While collaboration may seem more difficult, the benefit from collaborating with your audience is usually greater than the individual contributors. Ideas are built in an inherently iterative manner, as everyone involved has to contribute ideas. There’s a dynamic flow of communication in collaboration and the moment anyone’s trust erodes, the collaboration usually ends.
Trust becomes the currency of your collaboration, so how do you earn it?
1. Empathy is curiosity
In order to collaborate, you need to know enough about what your audience needs so that you can tailor your approach to help them do it. It all starts with empathy, meaning, do you actually care about what they want and why they need it? Empathy is universal, it’s non-hierarchical, it’s free — and best of all — empathy creates more empathy.
One of the best ways to breed empathy is simply by talking to people. By becoming curious about what your audience is doing and why they need data for it, you begin to position yourself as a person that cares about your work and how you can be a good collaborator with them. You’ll be surprised at how infrequently your audience has been asked basic questions about what they do and who they are. Everyone likes to talk about themselves, so when you ask a question it signals their importance in your relationship. Just by showing curiosity, your audience will start to wonder why you care so much, and this usually forms the basis for more conversations. Before you know it — empathy creates more empathy.
A case study from Elijah Meeks: “From a practical perspective, empathy has to be demonstrated in your work as well as your meetings. In most cases, when I’m asked to create an analytical product at Netflix, it already exists in some other form (a Tableau dashboard, an rShiny app or a notebook). The first thing I do is re-create the data visualization in the form they expect (a bar chart, a cumulative density function, a table) and only then do I introduce other visual forms as context or prototypes for new approaches. With data visualization, audiences have strong associations with certain data taking certain forms — not just the charts but often the whole “dashboard”. Demonstrating empathy in these situations is accomplished by rendering the form they expect and then gently transitioning that form into something more effective. Hence the emphasis on semantic similarity in exploratory design.”
2. Talking to people helps everyone learn their roles
When you care enough to ask your audience how you can engage with them, you will likely learn how you can work together to get it done. This effectively activates your role in the relationship; and in doing so, helps to demystify your work and allows you the additional insight you’ve been looking for to create more impact for your audience.
Remember that data visualization is itself a form of communication. When building data visualizations we have to avoid the tendency to look at requirements as just a set of checkboxes to tick off. This isn’t going to be accomplished by waiting for your audience to suggest a different technique — they probably don’t know other data visualization techniques, or worse, they’ve been burned by a beautiful-but-useless chart before. Instead, by talking to them about their needs, you learn what your audience might want to see if they were more aware of advanced techniques.
Talking to people doesn’t just mean gathering their requirements and understanding their goals — you continue to collaborate with your audience through a dialogue built with charts. Your goal ultimately is to communicate the salient details of the data, but on the way, the charts you develop to help your audience understand the possibilities, as well as the visualizations they’ve already relied on, becomes a conversation of its own.
This kind of relationship changes the traditional, reactive relationship. “Show me the numbers” is therefore not a transaction anymore but becomes a story told in concert with your audience. The data comes to life through your conversation and the collaboration is strengthened. Trust has been earned.
3. Create a shared understanding
But talking to people isn’t the whole story. In order to earn trust, you also have to ensure that everyone understands (and agrees) on the definitions of the data, what the terminology being used means, and where they can easily learn more if they do not. This is a 2-way street, as the terminology that your audience uses may likely differ from your own, so mutually understood terms become key to having a meaningful conversation.
While this seems absolutely commonplace, I’d argue that most teams do not share a common understanding of the terminology or even of the data itself, what the data is called or what it represents. Just take a quick poll of your colleagues and you’ll see.
A byproduct of crafting explicit definitions is that it exposes inconsistencies. Exposing the definition of the underlying assumptions often reveals when your audience thought they were using a shared definition but were not. Large-scale Business Intelligence applications (or even file sharing platforms) can actively be leveraged to foster alignment to create these understood definitions and metrics. Since multiple colleagues/teams are all using the same platform, it allows for these common terms to radiate through an organization and call out discrepancies. Central, integrated systems serve a single source of truth that seeks to consolidate institutional domain knowledge and spread consensus.
What’s more, taking the steps to find, discuss, and agree upon those definitions requires the empathy to care about the importance of a shared language and the time and focus it takes to explore this… builds more trust!
4. Data sources and quality
Even when you’re talking and agree on the terms, the actual data source and quality of the data is important to expose. If your audience doesn’t have confidence in that data source, it will undermine the validity of whatever it is you’re trying to show them, thus reducing their confidence in you and eroding the trust you’ve been working so hard to build.
If the data quality is bad, just point that out and expose the uncertainty. Exposing the source and expressing your confidence in the data will cause you to explain why it’s robust or crappy and will be just one more journey you’ll take with your audience. Everyone will walk away understanding the system and their roles a bit more. Definitions will be reinforced, empathy expanded and trust cemented.
How to cope with uncertainty is a different question, as many of the data visualization books just don’t give enough clear guidance. Maybe this is because our industry hasn’t established the go-to methods for visualizing these facets of the data. So you’ll need to discuss this uncertainty and how to visualize it with your audience. When visual methods don’t work, fall back to using callouts, titles and other text to explain in short, easily digested sentences (preferably with links to detailed definitions). | https://medium.com/nightingale/build-a-trust-infrastructure-b81209bdf588 | ['Jason Forrest'] | 2019-05-29 12:28:57.929000+00:00 | ['Collaboration', 'Data Science', 'UX Design', 'Data Visualization', 'UX'] |
The Curse of Dimensionality… minus the curse of jargon | In a nutshell, it’s all about loneliness
The curse of dimensionality! What on earth is that? Besides being a prime example of shock-and-awe names in machine learning jargon (which often sound far fancier than they are), it’s a reference to the effect that adding more features has on your dataset. In a nutshell, the curse of dimensionality is all about loneliness.
In a nutshell, the curse of dimensionality is all about loneliness.
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Before I explain myself, let’s get some basic jargon out of the way. What’s a feature? It’s the machine learning word for what other disciplines might call a predictor / (independent) variable / attribute / signal. Information about each datapoint, in other words. …
Before we dissect the nature of analytical excellence, let’s start with a quick summary of three common misconceptions about analytics from Part 1:
Analytics is statistics. (No.) Analytics is data journalism / marketing / storytelling. (No.) Analytics is decision-making. (No!)
Misconception #1: Analytics versus statistics
While the tools and equations they use are similar, analysts and statisticians are trained to do very different jobs:
Analytics helps you form hypotheses, improving the quality of your questions.
Statistics helps you test hypotheses, improving the quality of your answers.
If you’d like to learn more about these professions, check out my article
Now’s a good time to rethink our assumptions about fact and fiction
In my previous article, I explained why you shouldn’t look to statistical inference for truth. Given the prevalence of statistical techniques in scientific research, what does this mean for science?
Image from an xkcd t-shirt, which you can find here.
(For those who insist that you need credentials to have an opinion about science, this jerk of an author holds graduate degrees in neuroscience and mathematical statistics. Glad we got that out of the way.)
Scientific theory
A hypothesis is a description or explanation, but it needn’t be true. If it amuses me, I can hypothesize that no human is taller than five feet. … | https://medium.com/@ssoiubnghtu/the-curse-of-dimensionality-minus-the-curse-of-jargon-6812cf09f23c | [] | 2020-12-12 17:33:38.629000+00:00 | ['Math', 'Life', 'Technology', 'Love', 'Science'] |
Kubernetes and Big Data: A Gentle Introduction | Kubernetes and Big Data: A Gentle Introduction KLau Follow Feb 4 · 11 min read
This blog is written and maintained by students in the Professional Master’s Program in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University as part of their course credit. To learn more about this unique program, please visit {sfu.ca/computing/pmp}.
Photo by Tom Fisk from Pexels
Kubernetes, what is that?
Kubernetes has been an exciting topic within the community of DevOps and Data Science for the last couple of years. It has continuously grown as one of the go-to platforms for developing cloud-native applications. Built by Google as an open-source platform, Kubernetes handles the work of scheduling containers onto a compute cluster and manages the workloads to ensure they run as intended.
However, there is a catch: what does all that mean? Sure, it is possible to conduct additional research on Kubernetes, but many articles on the Internet are high-level overview crammed with jargon and complex terminology, assuming that most readers already have an understanding of the technical foundations.
In this post, we attempt to provide an easy-to-understand explanation of the Kubernetes architecture and its application in Big Data while clarifying the cumbersome terminology. However, we assume our readers already have certain exposure to the world of application development and programming. We hope that, by the end of the article, you have developed a deeper understanding of the topic and feel prepared to conduct more in-depth research on.
What are microservices?
A fictional Buy-a-Book online store with three microservices: Login, Buy and Return. Each microservice is decoupled from the rest of the app and is responsible for one specific task. The services interact with each other through APIs. (source)
To gain an understanding of how Kubernetes works and why we even need it, we need to look at microservices. There isn’t an agreed-upon definition for microservices, but simply put, microservices are smaller and detached components of a bigger app that perform a specific task. These components communicate with each other through REST APIs. This kind of architecture makes apps extensible and maintainable. It also makes developer teams more productive because each team can focus on their own component without interfering with other parts of the app.
Since each component operates more or less independently from other parts of the app, it becomes necessary to have an infrastructure in place that can manage and integrate all these components. This infrastructure will need to guarantee that all components work properly when deployed in production.
Containers vs. Virtual Machines (VMs)
Left: A containerized application. Each app/service runs on a separate container on Docker, currently the most popular and widely-adopted container technology. Right: Each app/service is running on a separate virtual machine placed on top of a physical machine. (source)
Each microservice has its dependencies and requires its own environment or virtual machines (VMs) to host them. You can think of VMs as one “giant” process in your computer that has its storage volumes, processes and networking capabilities separate from your computer. In other words, a VM is a software-plus-hardware abstraction layer on top of the physical hardware emulating a fully-fledged operating system.
As you can imagine, a VM is a resource-consuming process, eating up the machine’s CPU, memory and storage. If your component is small (which is common), you are left with large underutilized resources in your VM. This makes most microservices-based apps that are hosted on VMs time-consuming to maintain and costly to extend.
A Docker Host can handle multiple containers, with each container defining a detached microservice. For example, one container holds all the files, the other defines the MySql database, the PHP backend is defined in another container and so forth. Extending the app (e.g. adding a Python-based machine learning model) is simply a matter of creating another container inside the Docker Host without affecting the other components. (source)
A container, much like a real-life container, holds things inside. A container packages the code, system libraries and settings required to run a microservice, making it easier for developers to know that their application will run, no matter where it is deployed. Most production-ready applications are made up of multiple containers, each running a separate part of the app while sharing the operating system (OS) kernel. Unlike a VM, a container can run reliably in production with only the minimum required resources. Therefore, compared to VMs, containers are considered lightweight, standalone and portable.
Diving into Kubernetes
We hope you are still on board the ride! Having gone through what are containers and microservices, understanding Kubernetes should be easier. In a production environment, you have to manage the lifecycle of containerized applications, ensuring that there is no downtime and that system resources are efficiently utilized. Kubernetes provides a framework to automatically manage all these operations in a distributed system resiliently. In a nutshell, it is an operating system for the cluster. A cluster consists of multiple virtual or real machines connected together in a network. Formally though, here’s how Kubernetes is defined in the official website:
“Kubernetes is a portable, extensible, open-source platform for managing containerized workloads and services, that facilitates both declarative configuration and automation. It has a large, rapidly growing ecosystem. Kubernetes services, support, and tools are widely available.”
Kubernetes is a scalable system. It achieves scalability by leveraging modular architecture. This means that each service of your app is separated by defined APIs and load balancers. A load balancer is a mechanism where a system ensures that each component (be it a server or a service) is utilizing the maximum available capacity to carry out its operations. Scaling up the app is merely a matter of changing the number of replicated containers in a configuration file, or you could simply enable autoscaling. This is particularly convenient because the complexity of scaling up the system is delegated to Kubernetes. Autoscaling is done through real-time metrics such as memory consumption, CPU load, etc. On the user side, Kubernetes will automatically distribute traffic evenly across the replicated containers in the cluster and, therefore, keep deployment stable.
Kubernetes allows more optimal hardware utilization. Production-ready applications usually rely on a large number of components that must be deployed, configured and managed across several servers. As described above, Kubernetes greatly simplifies the task of determining the server (or servers) where a certain component must be deployed based on resource-availability criteria (processor, memory, etc.).
Another awesome feature of Kubernetes is how it can self-heal, meaning it can recover from failure automatically, such as respawning a crashed container. For example, if a container fails for some reason, Kubernetes will automatically compare the number of running containers with the number defined in the configuration file and restart new ones as needed, ensuring minimum downtime.
Now that we have that out of the way, it’s time to look at the main elements that make up Kubernetes. We will first explain the lower-level Kubernetes Worker Node then the top-level Kubernetes Master. The Worker Node is the minions that run the containers and the Master is the headquarter that oversees the system.
Kubernetes Worker Nodes Components
Kubernetes Worker Nodes, also known as Kubernetes Minions, contain all the necessary components to communicate with the Kubernetes Master (mainly the kube-apiserver) and to run containerized applications.
Docker Container Runtime
Kubernetes needs a container runtime in order to orchestrate. Docker is a common choice, but other alternatives such as CRI-O and Frakti are also available. Docker is a platform to build, ship and run containerized applications. Docker runs on each worker node and is responsible for running containers, downloading container images and managing containers environments.
Pod
A pod contains one or more tightly coupled containers (e.g. one container for the backend server and others for helper services such as uploading files, generating analytics reports, collecting data, etc). These containers share the same network IP address, port spaces, or even volume (storage). This shared volume has the same lifecycle as the pod, which means the volume will be gone if the pod is removed. However, Kubernetes users can set up persistent volumes to decouple them from the pod. Then, the mounted volumes will still exist after the pod is removed.
kube-proxy
The kube-proxy is responsible for routing the incoming or outgoing network traffic on each node. The kube-proxy is also a load balancer that distributes incoming network traffic across containers.
kubelet
The kubelet gets a set of pod configurations from kube-apiserver and ensures that the defined containers are healthy and running.
Kubernetes Master Components
The Kubernetes Master manages the Kubernetes cluster and coordinates the worker nodes. This is the main entry point for most administrative tasks.
etcd
The etcd is an essential component of the Kubernetes cluster. It is a key-value store for sharing and replicating all configurations, states and other cluster data.
kube-apiserver
Almost all the communications between the Kubernetes components, as well as the user commands controlling the cluster are done using REST API calls. The kube-apiserver is responsible for handling all of these API calls.
kube-scheduler
The kube-scheduler is the default scheduler in Kubernetes that finds the optimal worker nodes for the newly created pod to run on. You could also create your own custom scheduling component if needed.
kubectl
The kubectl is a client-side command-line tool for communicating and controlling the Kubernetes clusters through the kube-apiserver.
kube-controller-manager
The kube-controller-manager is a daemon (background process) that embeds a set of Kubernetes core feature controllers, such as endpoints, namespace, replication, service accounts and others.
cloud-controller-manager
The cloud-controller-manager runs controllers that interact with the underlying cloud service providers. This enables cloud providers to integrate Kubernetes into their developing cloud infrastructure. Cloud providers such as Google Cloud, AWS and Azure already offer their version of Kubernetes services.
Kubernetes for Big Data
Photo by Manuel Geissinger from Pexels
One of the main challenges in developing big data solutions is to define the right architecture to deploy big data software in production systems. Big data systems, by definition, are large-scale applications that handle online and batch data that is growing exponentially. For that reason, a reliable, scalable, secure and easy to administer platform is needed to bridge the gap between the massive volumes of data to be processed, software applications and low-level infrastructure (on‐premise or cloud-based).
Kubernetes is one of the best options available to deploy applications in large-scale infrastructures. Using Kubernetes, it is possible to handle all the online and batch workloads required to feed, for example, analytics and machine learning applications.
In the world of big data, Apache Hadoop has been the reigning framework for deploying scalable and distributed applications. However, the rise of cloud computing and cloud-native applications has diminished Hadoop’s popularity (although most cloud vendors like AWS and Cloudera still provide Hadoop services). Hadoop basically provides three main functionalities: a resource manager (YARN), a data storage layer (HDFS) and a compute paradigm (MapReduce). All three of these components are being replaced by more modern technologies such as Kubernetes for resource management, Amazon S3 for storage and Spark/Flink/Dask for distributed computation. In addition, most cloud vendors offer their own proprietary computing solutions.
Google Trends comparison of Apache Hadoop and Kubernetes.
We first need to clarify that there isn’t a “one versus other” relationship between Hadoop or most other big data stacks and Kubernetes. In fact, one can deploy Hadoop on Kubernetes. However, Hadoop was built and matured in a landscape far different from current times. It was built during an era when network latency was a major issue. Enterprises were forced to have in-house data centers to avoid having to move large amounts of data around for data science and analytics purposes. That being said, large enterprises that want to have their own data centers will continue to use Hadoop, but adoption will probably remain low because of better alternatives.
Today, the landscape is dominated by cloud storage providers and cloud-native solutions for doing massive compute operations off-premise. In addition, many companies choose to have their own private clouds on-premise. For these reasons, Hadoop, HDFS and other similar products have lost major traction to newer, more flexible and ultimately more cutting-edge technologies such as Kubernetes.
Big data applications are good candidates for utilizing the Kubernetes architecture because of the scalability and extensibility of Kubernetes clusters. There have been some recent major movements to utilize Kubernetes for big data. For example, Apache Spark, the “poster child” of compute-heavy operations on large amounts of data, is working on adding the native Kubernetes scheduler to run Spark jobs. Google recently announced that they are replacing YARN with Kubernetes to schedule their Spark jobs. The e-commerce giant eBay has deployed thousands of Kubernetes clusters for managing their Hadoop AI/ML pipelines.
So why is Kubernetes a good candidate for big data applications? Take, for example, two Apache Spark jobs A and B doing some data aggregation on a machine, and say a shared dependency is updated from version X to Y, but job A requires version X while job B requires version Y. In such a scenario, Job A would fail to run.
Each Spark job is run on its own isolated pods distributed over nodes. (source)
In a Kubernetes cluster, each node would be running isolated Spark jobs on their respective driver and executor pods. This setup would avoid dependencies from interfering with each other while still maintaining parallelization.
Kubernetes still has some major pain points when it comes to deploying big data stacks. For example, because containers were designed for short-lived, stateless applications, the lack of persistent storage that can be shared between different jobs is a major issue for big data applications running on Kubernetes. Other major issues are scheduling (Spark’s above-mentioned implementation is still in its experimental stages), security and networking.
Consider the situation where node A is running a job that needs to read data stored in HDFS on a data node that is sitting on node B in the cluster. This would greatly increase network latency because data, unlike in YARN, is now being sent over the network of this isolated system for compute purposes. While there are attempts to fix these data locality problems, Kubernetes still has a long way to really become a viable and realistic option for deploying big data applications.
Nonetheless, the open-source community is relentlessly working on addressing these issues to make Kubernetes a practical option for deploying big data applications. Every year, Kubernetes gets closer to becoming the de facto platform for distributed, big data applications because of its inherent advantages like resilience, scalability and resource utilization.
So long my friend.
In this article, we have only scratched the surface of what Kubernetes is, its capabilities and its applications in big data. As a continually developing platform, Kubernetes will continue to grow and evolve into a technology that is applied in numerous tech domains, especially in big data and machine learning. If you find yourself wanting to learn more about Kubernetes, here are some suggestions on topics to explore under the “External links” section. We hope you enjoyed our article about Kubernetes and that it was a fun read.
External links:
Official Kubernetes documentation
https://kubernetes.io/docs/home/
Official Docker documentation
https://docs.docker.com/
Cloud Computing — Containers vs Vms, by IBM
https://www.ibm.com/blogs/cloud-computing/2018/10/31/containers-vs-vms-difference/
Kubernetes in Big Data Applications, by Goodworklabs
https://www.goodworklabs.com/kubernetes-in-big-data-applications/
Should you use Kubernetes and Docker in your next project? Daniele Polencic at Junior Developers Singapore 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8dW8DrcSmo
Kubernetes in Action, 1st Edition, by Marko Luksa
https://www.amazon.com/Kubernetes-Action-Marko-Luksa/dp/1617293725/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=kubernetes+in+action&qid=1580788013&sr=8-1
Kubernetes: Up and Running, 2nd Edition, Brendan Burns, Joe Beda, Kelsey Hightower
https://www.amazon.com/Kubernetes-Running-Dive-Future-Infrastructure/dp/1492046531/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=kubernetes+up+and+running&qid=1580788067&sr=8-1 | https://medium.com/sfu-cspmp/kubernetes-and-big-data-a-gentle-introduction-6f32b5570770 | [] | 2020-02-24 18:43:18.078000+00:00 | ['Blog Post', 'Kubernetes', 'Big Data', 'Docker', 'Machine Learning'] |
Gender Dysphoria and Zoom Have Too Much in Common | I’m a sophomore in college. I’ve lived, breathed, worked, slept, and cried Zoom since March — for the past ten months if you’re counting (but who wants to do that at this point?). I’m also trans. Hi. I’m Oak. They/he. Pleased to meet you. (Curtsies in queer.)
I’ve experienced a fair amount of gender dysphoria and gender anxiety. I’m one year removed from the closet as of last month, and I recently noticed a parallel in my quarantined, newly-home-from-college life.
Zoom and gender dysphoria leave me feeling equally shitty.
That may be the most 2020 sentence ever written, but bear with me. Now, I’m not sure if Zoom and gender dysphoria are the same thing (highly unlikely) or if they simply exacerbate the same problems (far more likely), but they are throwing the same self-conceited rocks at my mental health window.
I’ve got four brief points lined up to prove that Zoom and gender dysphoria are cut from the same pair of the devil’s cargo shorts.
Before diving in, Zoom refers to the video conferencing platform that has been shoved down most of our throats since the pandemic started. Most of what I say here can easily apply to other virtual meeting sites (Meet Now, Cisco WebEx, Google Hangouts, etc.). Gender dysphoria refers to the negative feelings that come from one’s assigned sex not lining up with their gender. Gender anxiety refers to any feelings of anxiousness that come from not being cis.
1. Preparing for Meetings
I pride myself on my fashion sense. It is the most easily accessible way for me to express my gender — and to make sure that I’m “passing” if I need to be. My aesthetic output is minimalist meets earth tones with a finishing coat of nerd. Think of the coolest queer English professor from your university. That’s what I strive for, afro included.
Am I sitting “appropriately” for the gendering I want to receive?
Without fail, I will always log into my private Zoom room a few minutes early to double-check my look before joining a meeting or class. Is my afro parted in a “masc enough” way? Are my name and pronouns updated? Is my binder showing? Am I sitting “appropriately” for the gendering I want to receive? Is my background clear (or full) of queer identifiers? Is my outfit going to out me in an unsafe virtual space? Is my voice ready to act deeper than it is?
Photo by Yogendra Singh on Unsplash
The amount of energy I spend scrutinizing and critiquing myself before logging onto a Zoom call is concerning, and it usually leads me to feel a bit dysphoric. Thankfully, there are fewer “red flags” now that I’m two months post top surgery and six months on T, but the gender dysphoria has subsided, not necessarily gone away for good.
2. Attending Meetings
Once I’ve joined the meeting, I’m greeted with the realization that I have to spend the next hour or so staring at myself and twenty other squares. I don’t know about you, but, when I’m out in the real world, I generally don’t hold up a mirror to check myself out mid-conversation. That Zoom feature weirds me out, but I’m not self-assured enough to turn off my self-view, so I’m stuck with it for now. Better the devil you know…
The person I saw was great, but she wasn’t me.
Being forced to stare at myself and to know that others are looking back at me (in a way that I was blissfully unaware of when the outside world existed) is intimidating. Looking at myself in the mirror wasn’t something I enjoyed for a long time. The person I saw was great, but she wasn’t me. Having that virtual mirror there for an hour straight is less daunting than it used to be, but it isn’t my favorite Zoom feature by any means.
3. Using the Chat
The Zoom chat stresses me out. Back when my in-person classes were allowed to take place, people could pass notes or text each other. I’ve known very few people who could successfully hide these acts. Nine times out of ten, the teacher would either intercept the note or confiscate the phone.
Zoom doesn’t work this way. Meeting-goers are free to message back and forth without any fear of punishment, especially now that hosts are blocked from viewing private chats.
I wouldn’t put it past some of the people in my classes to make tranny/attack helicopter/he-she jokes behind my back.
This may be based in my own insecurities, not necessarily in the potential for phobias, -ists, and -isms, but I’m concerned that people may be talking badly about me or others in the private chat. I know that I frequently exist in spaces where I’m the only person with my pronouns listed on the screen, the only Brown person, or the only out trans person, and I don’t always feel welcome. I wouldn’t put it past some of the people in my classes to make tranny/attack helicopter/he-she jokes behind my back. There is gender anxiety to be found here.
4. Overall Dysfunctionality
My gender dysphoria attacks out of the blue. It may come from the way I’m sitting, the way my pants hit my hips, the way I’m walking, my speaking cadence, my physical build, or it can come from an external source. Going out into the world as a trans or gender non-conforming person sends out an invitation for harassment, violence, and/or uncomfortable questions that none of us bought the stamps for. Living our lives can be unpredictable and will usually involve frequent moments of awkwardness and discomfort that none of us want.
Going out into the world as a trans or gender non-conforming person sends out an invitation for harassment, violence, and/or uncomfortable questions that none of us purchased the stamps for.
Photo by Barkhayot Juraev on Unsplash
Zoom works the same way. The lagging, the volume issues, the utter inability of the green square to do its job, the long time spent in waiting rooms, and people being booted from meetings. It all comes out of nowhere, and none of us (sane ones) asked to be in the middle of a pandemic relying on Zoom for everything from work to classes to basic human interaction.
Thankfully, we aren’t stuck with full-blown gender dysphoria the way we’re stuck with Zoom and its counterparts for the time being. This quarantine can be an opportunity to explore what sparks our gender euphoria. Whether that means ordering a few outfits, creating Pinterest boards full of inspiring LGBTQ+ figures, buying a pair of breast forms or a binder, joining virtual queer support groups, or something else, we have options to tackle one of these beasts.
And, if your virtual queer support group meets on Zoom, that is the essence of irony, and you deserve to have a good, hearty laugh about it.
Oak
December 2020 | https://medium.com/gender-from-the-trenches/gender-dysphoria-and-zoom-have-too-much-in-common-bc902bc9488 | [] | 2020-12-11 21:26:11.268000+00:00 | ['Identity', 'Queer', 'LGBTQ', 'Transgender', 'Digital Life'] |
How to Survive Your Office Christmas Party | spacehuntr | Mike Skinner once said, “If you start thinking you’re a state, you definitely are a state”. What he means is, you don’t realise you’re too drunk until it’s too late. As wise as this rhyme is, it doesn’t really help does it? But maybe this handy guide to handling your office Christmas party will.
As you know, hearing stories about drunk people is fun. Being told detailed tales about your drunken behaviour rarely is, though. The thing is, we all have good intentions not to make a complete arse of things.
Like at the start of every week: we buy fresh vegetables, we pencil in yoga sessions, we’re going to finish that book we started three months ago. By Sunday, the vegetables are rotten, the yoga mat has yet to be rolled out, and your book is gathering dust. It’s okay — you’re not alone.
What we’re trying to say is, despite your best efforts, things can and do go wrong. And sometimes that’s not a bad thing. But when you’re with your colleagues at an office Christmas party, it can be.
How Much Embarrassment Can You Handle?
If you’re someone who embarrasses easily or is generally quite sensible, this article might not be for you. You know your limits, and you’re not a risk at an office Christmas party.
If you’re a shameless soul that we couldn’t paint red cheeks on, you might as well close your laptop right now. We’re not sure if we can do much for you. It must be strange to have no self-reflection function, but good for you.
If you fall somewhere between our sensible and shameless friends, then you’re who we want to lecture. This article is for you wild cards out there. For those who like to experiment with their limits.
So strap in.
Know Your Characters
Understanding who you’re out with is a big factor here. Certain questions are essential: Who is going to facilitate your shenanigans? Who’s going to tell on you to the big boss? Who will you need to look after?
Here is a list of recurring characters in your average office Christmas party. After reading this, you should be able to recognise and handle them when the festive season comes!
The Golden Oldie
This could be an elderly colleague. Or it could be someone in their late 20’s. Simply put, a Golden Oldie is the mature one among the younger office crowd.
But boy, they can keep up! Singing and dancing with the young’uns, they let their inner young thang burst into the night.
We like these youthful spirits. So please don’t laugh at them and let them play with you. It will be you one day.
The Drama Queen
Self-explanatory, really. Some folk are just full of drama. It can be endearing, but rarely (we’re trying to be positive, it’s nearly Christmas).
In the heat of a big night and a drink, there’s a good chance their Drama Queen behaviour will go into overdrive.
With any luck, the Drama Queen will distract from your idiotic behaviour. In the worst case, they’ll bring you into their web of drunken theatre. If that happens, you might be in trouble.
Jekyll & Hyde
That sweet and harmless little worker bee might just come alive at the office Christmas party. The lovely IT worker who wouldn’t say boo to the wind could be on the table singing Elton John and showing off his dance moves. It happens. Bless them.
Casanova
Every office has someone who thinks they are James Bond or Jessica Rabbit with a couple of drinks in them. Be aware: as charming as they are, do you really want to be featured front and centre in this story? Might be worth avoiding eye contact and the mistletoe with this one…
The Sober One
You might be being the best version of yourself — sharing jokes, singing, showing off your dance moves, opening your heart. But there’s always someone who is a lot soberer than you. And they’ll be judging from the sidelines with a soft drink in hand.
The quietest person on the night is often the loudest the next morning. They have photographic memories and will collect evidence of your good time on their bloody phone. Don’t give them the satisfaction people!
The Hierarchy of Power
Offices have people at the top, and people who are not … It’s a damn shame, but that’s the way of it. Workplaces have power relations between all employees. And these relations might affect how you drink at an office party (when we say ‘might’ read ‘SHOULD’).
It’s best not to get more drunk than someone higher up the chain. But if you see your boss struggling to say their own name, get to the bar — you can go all out.
Matters of the Heart
Look, we’ve all seen Love Actually. It’s great, we know. But your life isn’t a movie. Your actions have consequences in the real world.
All we can say is, know going in who you definitely shouldn’t be chatting up or going home with. The earlier you make that distinction, the more chance you have of reasoning with your drunk self later on.
And for God sake, don’t make any grand romantic gestures on a whim. You can’t take them back. If it’s written in the stars, then all we can say is, good luck!
How Much Can You Actually Drink?
We’re all built differently. We’re all affected differently. So, to thine own self be true! As a rule of thumb, though, there are general guidelines we can all try and stick to at the office party.
A word to the wise: if there’s someone that needs taking care of, try to stop. Is there a designated driver or a teetotal colleague about? If so, you’re in luck as they can look after the casualty. Read on…
One is polite. Some stick to it, nurse it, use it as a prop. No judging. But for most of us, it’s a gateway drink to the rest of the night. There’s nothing to worry about here, though. Moving on…
Two is a pleasure. The second goes down smoothly. Too smoothly. You’re not going to face any trouble at this point, but big decisions are coming.
Three is an ultimatum. After your third, you’re starting to feel the rumour of a glow. You’re put into a proverbial headlock and told to make a decision: speed up, or slow down and start thinking about heading home.
Four is no going back. If you’ve got to your fourth, you’ve decided to enjoy the Christmas spirit. Your voice has just raised a couple of octaves. The excitement of the night is starting to take hold. You’re still working under the presumption that everyone is sober.
Five smells like team spirit. Arms are around shoulders. Everyone’s laughing. Non-smokers are inexplicably smoking. We’re all pretending we’re still sober. This is a lovely time!
Six reveals casualties. This is when we discover who’s going to make the headlines. It’s subtle. Animated colleagues screaming in your ear are the ones to watch for.
So here we are, the danger zone. But how do you stop?
The truth is, we don’t know. And you should have known better. But you clicked on this link thinking we’d have some sort of magic answer.
All we’ll say is, think about how much embarrassment you can afford to endure at your place of work. And check your colleagues. How drunk they are is a motivating factor. Lastly, trust your instincts — the fight or flight mechanism might be your last line of defence.
Good luck, and remember it’s meant to be fun!
The Morning After
Let’s not mess around here. If you drink too much, you’re going to be hungover. Yes, you can take steps to avoid and steps to contain. But there’s always a price, and only death can pay for life.
We don’t want to teach you how to suck eggs. But let’s cover the basics. Being well hydrated, well-fed, and well-rested will always help you go into a night of drinking with your colleagues. Easier said than done during party season, of course, but all we ask is you do your best!
Now, everyone has their own methods for dealing with hangovers. The insufferable will tell you that it’s just a state of mind. Those people are no friends of ours.
The opposite will stew in bed suffering from the smell, the aching head, the breath, the clothes on the floor — it’s a sorry, sorry sight. And a familiar routine. If you want to indulge this behaviour and feel sorry for yourself, you’re not alone.
If you’re straight back in the office, flood your frail body with water and eat something sugary (if your gut can tolerate it). Paracetamol and vitamin tablets are your friends too remember!
But as our insufferable friends will tell you, it’s a mind game. So if you think your body needs junk food, then indulge it. If watching Miss Congeniality 2 is a comforting experience for you, then go ahead. We’re not judging.
Wrapping up
Despite our ranting and lecturing, we like to have fun. And we hope you get out and celebrate as a team some time soon. ’Tis the season for boosting office morale after all!
You can get yours off to a strong start by choosing the right place. Check out our guide to Christmas party venues in London to get some inspiration for your next big night out. | https://medium.com/spacehuntr/how-to-survive-your-office-christmas-party-spacehuntr-38c536654d8c | [] | 2021-01-18 09:46:03.693000+00:00 | ['Corporate Team Building', 'Team Building', 'Office Party', 'Christmas', 'Corporate Culture'] |
Continuous Delivery of AWS Config Rule in multi-account using Cloudformation or Terraform | Continuous Delivery of AWS Config Rule in multi-account using Cloudformation or Terraform Ripon Banik Follow Sep 1 · 4 min read
Ensure continuous compliance via pipeline
AWS Rule Development Kit (RDK) supports Compliance as Code workflow to to allow you build and local test config rule from your workstation, deploy it to dev environment and promote it to production.
In this article, I will walk through to deploy it to AWS multi-account configuration where the Evaluation Logic using Lambda is deployed into a central account e.g. Security Account and config rules are deployed in the workload accounts.
Pre-requisites
The AWS Accounts will require AWS Config Bucket, Recorder and Delivery Channel to be configured. rdk is installed in the development workstation and in the Jenkins Pipeline. AWS Credentials are configured in the environment. S3 Bucket is created into the development and security account to deploy the lambda code.
Solution Overview
The following diagram shows the development workflow of AWS Config Rule using RDK.
Here is how it works:
The developer build config rule and unit test in his workstation using rdk.
Developer deploy the rule to the development account and test it.
Developer creates the cloudformation/terraform manifest file.
When the code is pushed to git, Jenkins pipeline kicks in and deploy to the security and workload accounts.
When the config rule works in development environment, it is promoted to deploy the function only to Security Account and config rule in Workload Account.
Develop and Build
Let’s go through an example walkthrough to create a config rule, test and deploy it.
Install the RDK and RDKlib locally
pip3 install rdk
pip3 install rdklib
rdklib is needed only if you would like to use existing lambda layer to build the rules.
Create a Rule and Deploy to development account
Let’s create a rule that checks AWS Security Group compliance.
rdk create SG_CHECK --runtime python3.8 --resource-types AWS::EC2::SecurityGroup
It creates the following files — SG_CHECK.py contains the lambda code, SG_CHECK_test.py contains the unit tests and parameter used by rdk deploy.
Add your custom evaluation logic under “Add your custom logic here” in the SG_CHECK.py
Let’s run a local test and verify that it gives OK.
rdk test-local SG_CHECK
Let’s deploy the resources into the development account.
rdk deploy SG_CHECK --custom-code-bucket my-lambda-bucket
When the deployment is complete, let’s verify from AWS Cloudformation Console that cloudformation stack is completed.
Also verify from AWS Config Console that rule is created.
To cleanup the deployment use the following command -
rdk undeploy SG_CHECK
Deployment
You can either deploy the lambda and config rule via Cloudformation or Terraform. Please follow the steps according to your need.
Create Cloudformation resources for deployment
To make the rule is ready to be deployed via Jenkins pipeline into the Security and Workload account, we need to follow two steps -
Deploy to security account — run the following command to deploy the lambda function into security account.
rdk deploy SG_CHECK --functions-only --custom-code-bucket my-lambda-bucket
Create cloudformation template for workload account — run the follow command to create cloudformation template containing config rule.
rdk create-rule-template SG_CHECK --rules-only -o config-rule-template.json
It will create a json template but will not create the cross account lambda role. Let’s convert it to yaml and add lambda role as well.
You can deploy the above using stackset if you want to deploy it into multiple workload accounts.
Also before pushing the code to git, make sure to change SG_CHECK.py file to asssume role as true. Lambda by default use the IAM role created above called config-role.
ASSUME_ROLE_MODE = True
Create Terraform resources for deployment
rdk also allow you to export the resources as terraform manifest as well. You can use the command below to export it as terraform manifest.
rdk export SG_CHECK -f terraform -v 0.12
You can test this to deploy it to development environment using the command below. But to deploy it into security and workload account, you need to split them.
terraform init terraform plan -var-file=sg_check.tfvars.json --var source_bucket=my-lambda-bucket
You may also need to change the provider in the sg_check_rule.tf file if you are not using default profile.
provider "aws" { profile = "default" }
Conclusion
In summary, rdk provides seamless developer experience while building the config rule in development environment and deploy it to stages. This article will help you to get started with your continuous compliance journey by building config rule at scale.
References | https://medium.com/geekculture/continuous-delivery-of-aws-config-rule-in-multi-account-using-cloudformation-or-terraform-f0fd336ac078 | ['Ripon Banik'] | 2021-09-04 06:52:11.606000+00:00 | ['Cloudformation', 'Rdk', 'Continuous Delivery', 'Terraform', 'Aws Config'] |
Let the flowers bloom in your soul ! | Although 1 in 3 of our lives pass through sleep, our movements during the day are related to our sleep quality. Usually, 6–9 hours of sleep is enough for the average adult. When we get our sleep, we are less nervous, we are more likely to focus, and it is possible that we remember better, especially the information we have learned.
Did you know that the alarm is set not only to wake up, but also to sleep ?
But nowadays, there are common sleeping problems such as too much sleep or too little sleep. There are many factors that reduce our sleep quality, from mental problems to physical disorders. For example, some people who have mental health problems cannot fall asleep immediately. They are worried about whether they will be able to grow what they are going to do tomorrow. In addition, some people are conditioning themselves by saying that “I am pretty sure that I cannot sleep tonight.” The mind is like a computer. It takes everything serious that comes out of the mouth. Even if it is a joke. So we have to pay attention to the sentences we establish. | https://medium.com/@aysebora/let-the-flowers-bloom-in-your-soul-73e75f53773c | [] | 2021-01-18 21:41:45.825000+00:00 | ['Love Yourself', 'Sleep', 'Mental Health', 'Insomina', 'Mental Health Awareness'] |
Describing what you see | We deal with a variety of instances where we have to describe a scene or come up with a text sequence corresponding to an image. And no I am not speaking just about captioning your Instagram posts or helping your 3rd grader with his/her English assignments.
Let us talk sets
Essentially we are trying to define a function that maps an image to a sequence of texts. This function need not be one-one or onto. Although that depends on the context.
Usually, this is achieved using reinforcement learning. Obviously the ingredients for this recipe are more or less the same.
Any reinforcement training regime uses the same core philosophy. You have a set of inputs that you transform into a sequence of numbers. You perform operations on them to obtain another sequence that is mapped into your required output.
Diving into potential implementations
Most of these approaches use encoder-decoder architecture. The encoder is usually an image-based algorithm that creates ‘Image embedding’ and the decoder is a text generation algorithm. A hidden layer is sort of a bridge that maps both the layers.
Selecting an algorithm for ‘Image to Text’ boils down to one’s choice of algorithm for the encoder and the decoder layer.
‘Show and Tell’, ‘Show,Attend and Tell’
The most common approach to map an image to a single text sequence (Which will be more clear when we discuss Unet )is the Show and Tell algorithm. The encoder uses Alexnet (A popular CNN architecture to create Image Embeddings). The output is fed into a decoder which is primarily a text generation algorithm such as LSTM.
Modifications have been done to this approach by using other algorithms such as Resnet and by using transformers in the decoder instead of traditional LSTMS.
Links:
Show and Tell: A Neural Image Caption Generator
Attention Is All You Need
Show, Attend and Tell: Neural Image Caption Generation with Visual Attention
Dank Learning: Generating Memes Using Deep Neural Networks
Do it for the ‘gram: Instagram-style Caption Generator
Connected Papers | Find and explore academic papers
Another approach I came across recently are Image Transformers.
Using Image Transformers
Transformers have been game changing in the case of Natural Language Processing to the point that it has been applied to other domains. One such domain being Image Processing. Image Transformers use the attention model to identify important domains in an image.
I am aware of other implementations that uses Unet for Image Captioning. However, I am yet to read those papers and will edit it here as I go. I would love for you guys to provide feedback on this. | https://medium.com/@picklehari/describing-what-you-see-6b4e4e130b22 | ['Hariraj K'] | 2020-11-15 07:28:54.410000+00:00 | ['Image Classification', 'Neural Networks', 'Image Recognition'] |
The Conversation is the Memorial | The Hall of Names, bearing names and pictures of Jewish Holocaust victims, at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem
The politics of memorization are never straightforward. All the more so when it comes to one of the most horrific events of the 20th century. Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial is one of the country’s sacred sites. It’s also ground zero for a burning controversy over how the state uses the event to reconcile its behaviour. The nomination of a far-right political figure to lead Yad Vashem has rekindled this debate. It’s not the first time the memorial and its purpose has been weaponised.
Yad Vashem sits on an idyllic hillside just outside Jerusalem. The primary exhibition meanders through dimly lit and confined spaces filled with artefacts describing the Nazi genocide of six million Jews. The experience is claustrophobic and unsettling. Finally, at the end, the walls of the museums spread open, leaving visitors on an expansive deck overlooking the rolling hills of Jerusalem.
The design is not an accident. The visitor is transported to the ghettos of Europe filled with death and destruction only to end in the warm embrace of the Jerusalem hills. From captivity to freedom. What’s missing at the end of this uplifting journey are mention of the Palestinians villages that once dotted those same hills but have since been depopulated to make way for the Israeli state.
The design gets at the controversy over Yad Vashem: does the museum serve as a memorial to the past or a justification for Israel’s creation at the expense of the Palestinians? The recent nomination of far-right figure Effi Eitam to lead the museum indicates where the Israeli government falls on this issue.
Autocratic Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte visits Israel’s Holocaust Memorial, Yad Vashem. September 2, 2018
In the early 2000s, Eitam was one of the leading voices advocating for the mass expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank. As a commander of the elite Givati infantry brigade, four of Eitam’s soldiers were convicted of beating a Palestinian to death on his orders. Eitam also has pushed to have Palestinian citizens of Israel barred from politics. He has a long history of being one of Israel’s most unsavoury public figures.
Jewish groups and Israeli intellectuals have denounced the nomination of Eitam, saying it will undermine Yad Vashem’s critical educational message. Israel Bartal, a professor of Jewish history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told The New York Times that “an institute headed by a person with such extreme opinions and controversial human values will never be taken seriously within the global academic community.”
Eitam’s appointment is seen to be politicizing the critical education and academic work of Yad Vashem. True, but it also misses the more important point. Israel has politicized Yad Vashem from day one, and it began with the decision to build it in Jerusalem overlooking the remnants of Palestinian villages. And it goes even deeper than that.
The first stop for foreign leaders visiting Israel is invariably Yad Vashem. Autocratic leaders such as Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who has been accused of participating in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, all have been honoured guests. From Heinz-Christian Strache, the head of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party, to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, the luminaries of the global far-right have all made appearances at the memorial. Bolsonaro even made a joke at the memorial about Nazis being leftists. This isn’t a new development either. In 1976, South African Prime Minister BJ Vorster read a psalm in Afrikaans next to the memorial flame in Yad Vashem’s crypt.
Heinz-Christian Strache, head of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party, visiting Yad Vashem. April 12, 2016
Israel’s openness to welcome such figures into an ostensibly sacred space designed to educate the world about the horrors of racism and genocide raises several questions about the real purpose of the monument. How can it be that a memorial to the victims of far-right fascism has become such a popular spot for today’s far-right? The answer lies in how Israel’s leadership understands the nature of racism and the far right.
For Israel’s own far-right, anti-Semitism and racism don’t matter as long as there is support for Israel and, by extension, its policies of occupation and domination. Rising levels of anti-Semitism have alarmed Jewish communities from the US to Hungary over the last four years. Still, the Israeli government has remained mostly silent, instead preferring to focus on leftist anti-Zionism and the Palestinian-led boycott movement. From this perspective, the appointment of Eitam to lead Yad Vashem makes perfect sense since the memorial is a critical vehicle to solidifying support for Israel.
By focusing solely on the personality of Eitam, however, the outcry of his appointment misses the more profound point. Yad Vashem has become a tool to advance Israel’s right-wing agenda. In so doing, the memorial abuses the memory of the Holocaust and insults survivors. The politics of memorialization are complicated because historical events can be used to achieve nefarious goals. When Germany was building its Holocaust memorial in Berlin, there was a years-long debate in newspapers and public spaces. On the side of the construction site, someone spray-painted “The conversation is the memorial.”
So what does the conversation about Yad Vashem reveal about Israel? | https://medium.com/@josephdana/the-conversation-is-the-memorial-2f33b66ed553 | ['Joseph Dana'] | 2020-12-14 06:20:04.275000+00:00 | ['Germany', 'Politics', 'World', 'Israel', 'Europe'] |
My Biggest Fear | …as I consider reading my mother’s journals.
Photo by Gantas Vaičiulėnas from Pexels
My mother died in 2012. A box filled with her journals has been in my closet ever since, unopened, the journals unread. She was living with my brother when she passed away, as her obituary records, peacefully, at home.
I was there when it happened. I’d been there for weeks, first to find out what exactly was going on with her health and her mental state and then to be there when she crossed over. Before travelling to North Carolina, where she lived, from Florida, where I lived, I’d been communicating with my brother and sister-in-law about their concerns that she was becoming depressed. Her doctor agreed and they had her on Zoloft when I arrived for what was my last visit.
My mother was not depressed. She was separating herself from life. I know the two things sound like the same thing. Depression for my Mom, however, was not a usual state of being. She had been through a lot, certainly more than most people, and she always coped.
I don’t think we should ignore that things had changed for her in recent months.
She had a minor stroke. She couldn’t sleep and her doctor had put her on Ambien. One night after starting the Ambien she fell after awakening while it was still dark and had a hard time rousing my brother. When my brother found her she had wedged herself between her bed and her nightstand and had been there for hours. When he found her she was naked and it was then we found out that she couldn’t tolerate wearing clothes anymore so at night she stripped and regretted having to dress in the morning. She went from having an interest in how she looked, doing her hair, always having on lipstick to wearing the lightest cotton house dress and going barefooted.
She claimed that clothing hurt her body. She was itchy. She was uncomfortable if anything was restricting which included underwear.
Because of her confusion after the stroke and the negative affects of the Ambien my brother and his wife decided she shouldn’t drive anymore.
Mom told my sister-in-law more than once that she wished she was dead. She was facing a move to an assisted living situation because we (my brother, sister-in-law and myself) decided that she would benefit from a living situation that gave her a greater chance of being social. My sister-in-law was trying to launch a new business and my Mom was becoming more and more dependent on her just for social interaction.
There had been many trips back and forth to North Carolina since she had moved there to live with my sibling. My brother’s son was in treatment for a life-ending cancer and my Mom had also been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and was in treatment for awhile. Along with several regular visits a year, I was now taking up the slack when asked. We have two other siblings but their life situations and distance from North Carolina meant that most of the time I was the one asked to assist.
I had always been close to my Mom so I didn’t mind.
I knew about her journals. Sometime after my father died young at 51 years old, she told me she had been given the advice to write down her thoughts when she found herself missing the ability to talk directly to him. I don’t recall if this advice was something she found in a book or if a friend of hers had given it. She had friends who had also been unexpectedly widowed.
My parents were close and had an enviable relationship. They were certainly best friends. My father had my Mom on a pedestal and my mother thought the world of him. All throughout my childhood I caught them making out. I can’t tell you how many times I walked in on them having sex. It seemed to happen almost any time of day — a bit strange when I consider my own sex life over my adult years after my daughter was born. Why were they making love in their bedroom, door unlocked, in the late afternoon when they knew I was home? Who does that? This scenario happened more than once. I think they just couldn’t help themselves.
I am one of four kids. I have three older brothers, the oldest is ten years older than me and the other two are twins who are only fourteen months younger than my oldest brother. The 9 year gap between us had been filled with our middle brother, Mike, who died when he was 13 and I was nine. At nine, all of my brothers were out of the family home, at college and working. We had just previously moved from the town where my brother’s had gone to high school when Mike died so it was a lot of change all at once. My oldest brother got married at 19 to his pregnant first girlfriend. My twin brothers, failing college, joined the Air Force to avoid the Vietnam era draft.
I went from being part of a large family unit to being an only child. Having the family structure changing so drastically was only a part of it. My mother’s grief over the loss of my brother was extreme. Of course it was. It took her years to find her way back into life and I learned to deal with life, at a very tender age, on my own.
Fast forward through my puberty, difficult for anyone but made harder by my mother’s grief, through my early teen years (we moved again, away from the South where we had always lived to New England) and then more change when we moved once more back to the south, New Orleans. I graduated from high school and a year after that my father died.
My Mom was a very respectable lady. She was a typical 1950's Mom. I was born in 1956 and all of my siblings but Mike were born in the 1940’s. She stayed at home, kept house, entertained, vacationed, cooked and wore an apron over the dress she donned everyday. She was my Brownie leader. She didn’t have her own hobbies. Her life was her family. When she was 52 my father died in a freak accident. I was states away at college. She was all alone.
Journaling must have been a way for her to keep her sanity. I shudder to think back to her days of being completely alone in the four bedroom house where she had been happily looking forward to my father’s early retirement. He retired only a year prior to his death- they were still getting used to the house with no kids left in it.
They were developing hobbies together. My Dad had always had his own interests. He was an interesting guy. He loved photography, he did woodworking, he did the yard work, he liked to read and listen to music. My parents had always enjoyed doing certain things together. Bird watching, gardening, learning about wine, golfing.
My Mom always maintained her own social circle but it was with other married women. After the men’s work day and on the weekends the women only social events became couples events. Without my Dad she was on the outs.
She did the work to grow her life. She included volunteerism, she added women of different ages to her social life and she moved to a new community where she started off as a single woman after my father’s death. She got a job.
At the end of the day, however, no matter what she had built for herself, she still had to cope with her hours alone. She missed having my Dad to review her experiences with.
These were the origins of her journal. This is what she herself explained to me.
About a year before she died my Mom, who always gave me a book for Christmas, gifted me Diane Keaton’s memoir, Then Again, based on Keaton’s discovery of her mother’s journals. Keaton’s mother warns the reader, that her entries would take “courage” to read. I think that’s why my Mom told me that she was writing down her daily thoughts and I think also the reason she gave me Keaton’s book.
She and I were close but she wasn’t always kind to me. By her own words I wasn’t who she expected. I can best explain our differences by giving a list of my own characteristics. I’m not a follower, I’m philosophical, friendly but not terrifically social, introverted but not shy. I’m artistic, curious, a deep thinker and a truth seeker. My Mom was none of these things. I consider my list to be points of strength and while I know I never held a lot of common ground with my Mom I think she did have a lot of strengths.
We got along fine but I knew never to take conversation into great depths. My mother was a devout Catholic and I’m an atheist who started questioning Mom’s attachment to the church when I was about eight years old.
There was an amount of role reversal in our relationship. She probably wouldn’t have agreed but at some point I became more of a parent to her at the same time she embraced me as more of a friend than a child.
When I say she wasn’t kind it was because of our differences. Instead of telling me she didn’t agree with me she would take jabs. When I was a child she took liberties with my emotions. I think to a certain extent she believed she was toughening me. She herself wasn’t tough but she expected me to be. I’ve written about our complicated relationship.
It is because of this complication that I have not opened the box filled with her journals.
It’s now been seven years since she died. I have to admit, I am curious. There was a reason why, even if she wasn’t cognizant of it herself, she gave me the Diane Keaton memoir.
She supported my writing. I was widowed when I was in my mid-forties and she shined a light on my path through those hard times. She had been through it herself. While journal writing wasn’t my cup of tea in that situation (I had kept a journal previous to losing my first husband but I lacked the focus after his death to continue with it.) I started writing a novel as a way to escape my grief. She was the only person I shared it with. I shared only bits of the entire work but I felt safe sharing my words with her.
My mother loved books and she was entranced with the idea of me being a novelist. She once told me she had dreamed of me being published. I’ve never pursued it.
I think she hoped that her journals would, like Diane Keaton, be a leaping off point for a book for me. Maybe she hoped I would write a book about her.
I don’t know. I know I won’t know until I open the box. I don’t because I fear what could be from her, brutal honesty. Brutal honesty that might hurt. Brutal honesty that isn’t exactly honest. She was often unfair, expected more from me than others. She often dismissed my point of view as “ridiculous”. I am not a frivolous person. When she said I was being ridiculous it was meant to hurt. Or it was over nothing and I still felt hurt.
Since she’s been gone I’ve worked through a lot of the wounds she left me with. Do I want to open up more? Can I still be hurt more or will it be different now. Might I, after all these years, finally be immune?
Immunity from further damage is what I’m hoping for. I’m 63 years old. I feel like I should be able to take whatever it is I might find but I’m still afraid.
Afraid but curious.
The problem with diving off a cliff is that you really don’t know what you might encounter and once you’ve taken the dive, what happens to you will be part of your history. It’s a lot to think about. | https://medium.com/women-writing-memoir/my-biggest-fear-69bd1eac22ab | ['Judy Mclain'] | 2019-06-28 20:53:35.439000+00:00 | ['Grief', 'Secrets', 'Mothers And Daughters', 'Relationships', 'Memoir'] |
22 Examples of Great Copywriting in Action | Copywriting Swipe File
Copywriting that addresses your customer’s concerns head-on
RX bar: I love the RXbar package because it is copywriting at its simplest. It is addressing a challenge consumers face today: distrust in processed foods that have a paragraph list of ingredients. The call-out to “NO B.S.” and the simple act of listing out the ingredients immediately communicates transparency.
GymIt: What is the biggest reason why someone doesn’t follow through with a purchase of your product or service? GymIt takes this answer and uses it directly in their marketing to address a top concern head-on before it becomes an excuse.
Medium: While Medium no longer has this on their “Our Story” page, I really loved the call out to what they aren’t while sharing what they are. It immediately dispels any fears or hesitations about the platform that you might have been thinking about when considering signing up.
Innocent: Before we can even protest or question the realness of this juice, Innocent is already letting you know that these smoothies are healthy and delicious with a fun play on words.
Copywriting that makes you feel special
Born Fitness: This email opt-in immediately makes you feel like you have the opportunity to join an exclusive health community. Who wouldn’t want special tips that they don’t share with anyone but their email list? We all want to feel special and in-the-know and this kind of copy leans right into that.
AppSumo: With this home page copy you feel like you’ve been added to the exclusive invite list and you don’t want to miss out by passing up this opportunity.
Copywriting that gives you FOMO
Basecamp: No one wants to feel left out and this kind of fear, when used correctly, can be a huge motivator for trying something new or purchasing a product. Their well-timed, “Join the 4,088 businesses that signed up last week” does just that. Well if everyone else is using it, I guess I should too?
Spotify: Nothing quite gives you FOMO as much as a deadline to make a decision on a discount. You wouldn’t think that stress sells, but sometimes the right amount of pressure can mean the difference between a purchase and “well, maybe later.”
Campaign Monitor: This email makes you feel like you missed out, but then uses that FOMO to include you in the fun with content you can click through and dive into.
Copywriting that is fun and conversational
The Hustle: Sometimes all it takes for successful copywriting is a certain ease of writing that sounds like a friend is talking to you. The Hustle added in some humor, wit, and fun with their opt-in that makes the decision to let them into your inbox an easy one because they are a friend and not a sale.
Metro Trains (Dumb Ways to Die): One of my favorite advertisements of all time is the “Dumb Ways to Die” public service announcement made by Metro Trains to promote railway safety. What could have easily been another boring video telling you to stay away from train tracks was creatively made into a song that still manages to get stuck in my head today.
Articulate: The “About Us” page is a great opportunity to showcase your company’s personality and can benefit from some thoughtful copywriting. What I love about Articulate’s “About Us” page is that they stray away from the boring norm and in the process, they come across as fun, authentic, and trustworthy.
Netflix: Sometimes the best copywriting involves little writing prowess and just timely execution. This Netflix Twitter thread makes people smile, it’s fun to retweet and share, and also simultaneously communicates what shows they have on their platform.
Copywriting that knows their audience
Snowbird Ski Resort: I love this creative use of a critique. By leaning into what they aren’t, they simultaneously tell you what they are and who they are for. It makes those advanced or die-hard skiers excited about coming to this mountain and experiencing the difficult slopes.
Cards Against Humanity: If you know of this not-for-kids card game then you know that the use of “your dumb questions” and their sassy answers instead of the usual “Q&A” is the perfect wording for the target audience of this game.
Copywriting that tells you exactly what you are going to get
Sometimes it’s all about answering the question of who, what, when, and where.
BarkBox: This is such a simple yet effective “how we work” section of BarkBox’s home page. It communicates what value you will receive (“spoil your pup”, “month-long dog party”, “Valued at over $40”) while also giving the necessary details (“your first box ships immediately”, “monthly dog toy”, “free shipping”, etc.).
Skillshare: Instead of saying “take classes and learn new things,” Skillshare’s home page begins with this idea of curiosity and wonder. From there, once you scroll down you are invited to take a look into the platform and see exactly what a membership might offer. It’s copywriting that knows its offer and how to share it effectively.
Mailchimp: Simplicity is usually best when it comes to copywriting and Mailchimp is successful at the simple explanation. “Mailchimp helps small businesses do big things, with the right tools and guidance”. BAM!
Copywriting that shares your anguish or frustration
This is where customer research comes into play and where you can put your business on the same side as your customer. Hey, you know that annoying thing? We hate it too.
Harry’s: Instead of saying, “our razors are affordable” they are sharing a story about their business that you can relate to as a potential customer.
Asana: Instead of describing what Asana is (a project management tool) they describe the end result (less busywork) while touching on a pain point many people feel at work. They even have an easy-to-understand video that accompanies their copy that provides even more detail and understanding of how it can make your life easier.
Copywriting that tells a story
Aubrey Marcus: So many product descriptions feel like a long list of “blah, blah, blah” and don’t spend any time inviting you in or compelling you to purchase. When a person is reading your product description they are quite literally making the decision at that moment if they want to purchase. That’s what I love about this Aubrey Marcus shoe description because it tells a story while simultaneously selling you on what kind of person wears these shoes.
Everlane: Sometimes the art of telling a story doesn’t just exist in a cute advertisement, but across your entire brand. Everlane has built its brand around ethical factories and transparency in their products. Throughout their entire website, they share the story of their factories, how they make their products, where the supplies come from, etc. All of this creates a story for their brand that you believe and buy into. | https://medium.com/better-marketing/22-examples-of-great-copywriting-in-action-4c896dafa612 | ['Megan Elizabeth Clark'] | 2020-12-28 14:32:52.070000+00:00 | ['Writing', 'Copywriting Tips', 'Content Marketing', 'Marketing', 'Copywriting'] |
I’ll fall in love with your beautiful health story | I’ll fall in love with your beautiful health story
I can’t help it, I fall in love every time.
As I get started up with Pictal Health, I’ve been working with patients 1-on-1 to help gather, distill, and visualize their health stories. This process involves talking together, prioritizing what’s important, and creating some kind of visual to help patients communicate with their care team — usually a visual timeline, and sometimes other types of visuals. My goal right now is to learn from these interactions and iterate toward a viable business model.
As I sit at my computer deeply focused on creating a timeline for someone, it inevitably happens: I sit back, look at the colors and shapes that are emerging, and get that warm, falling feeling.
Partly because my friends at Make New helped me pick a set of complimentary colors that work well together on these timelines, but the love is really about what the shape and texture of the visual tells me about each person’s story. Below are some de-identified examples, with all words replaced with lines.
I often see overlapping periods where many symptoms are co-occurring; this usually represents a hard time in the person’s life. Or as one of my clients put it, their ‘dark period.’ (Which is interesting, because the overlapping colors create darkness.) It also reminds me of a mountain range.
What looks like a hazy setting sun in the below graph represents a scary hospitalization.
Large yellow circles, which I’ve been using to indicate life events and stress levels, might mean death, divorce, or stressful jobs. They also look like warm suns.
Thin spiky needles can show severe flare-ups that happen intermittently.
The contrast between visual representation and content is striking: beauty vs. fear, elegance vs. chaos and stress, hope and relief alongside tragedy. I think this is why I love it. Each little shape and slope is brimming with emotion. | https://medium.com/pictal-health/ill-fall-in-love-with-your-beautiful-health-story-4893b3ca69b2 | ['Katie Mccurdy'] | 2018-08-03 12:05:15.132000+00:00 | ['Design', 'Health', 'Storytelling', 'Healthcare', 'Data Visualization'] |
How to Become a Centred, Joyful Person | A friend asked how she could apply a calm, meditative state of mind in her otherwise busy agitated life
How could she become a centered, joyful person when she is in the full force of daily living?
I don’t have all the answers, however, I could offer her some ideas of what works for me.
My first suggestion was to spend time with God
Easy enough, however, the old argument starts, “The problem is just that — I don’t have time! How can you ask me to add something to my to-do-list? I don’t have enough time.”
I feel that time is not the real problem.
It is the perceived problem. It is created in the mind and this is where the problem originates. The mind is where that infernal tape keeps repeating, “You don’t have time. You’ll never get that done. Look how much you have to do. You don’t have time. You’ll never get that done. Look how much you have to do. You don’t have time…” And it repeats continually.
Spending time with God settles this voice and eventually it’ll be a mere whisper and finally it’ll be gone. The important thing is to seek God every day. Not on a superficial level or a theoretical level but to connect with Him on a spiritual level. It’s to get in the routine of being with Him.
I’ve developed some habits that help me to do this:
Create a quiet space
This is a place where I can go to be refreshed with no television and no telephone. I brew some hot tea, light a scented candle and play relaxing music. Then I sit quietly. My body is conditioned to relax in response to these stimuli.
Read
What we feed our minds affects our body and our spirit. The Bible is an obvious choice but there are also excellent Christian books and magazines including Bible-in-a-year books, devotionals, and many on-line resources.
Walk
This gets me out to enjoy the beauty of the world around me, not just the four walls of my home. On this walk, I tune into my five senses recognizing all that I see, smell, taste, feel and hear.
Then I pray.
I open with praise to God and thank Him for the good in my life. Then I continue on my walk in prayer for others. This takes away the self-centeredness that can become like a destructive tonic. Thinking of others and praying for them is an effective way to stay healthy and focused. The walk need not be more than ten minutes to feel physically challenged and emotionally released.
Write
In my writing, I purposely identify five new things every day for which I’m grateful. This has an amazing impact on my attitude and really helps put things into perspective. It helps to take a step back and see the big picture and not get so entangled in the nitty-gritty details of the day.
Other Ideas
Other people meditate.
Still others listen and dance to music.
Use whatever suits your personality as long as it’s the same each day and your body, mind, and spirit connect and you are able to communicate with God.
This may be difficult for some — shift workers, moms with little ones — but just being able to take five minutes should be enough.
Every minute spent with God will help you to be more calm, centered and joyful.
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NIV).
(excerpt taken from Women of Strength — Habits) | https://medium.com/publishous/how-to-become-a-centred-joyful-person-13266404bec4 | ['Kimberley Payne'] | 2019-08-11 16:01:03.032000+00:00 | ['Lessons Learned', 'Christianity', 'Joy', 'Spiritual Growth', 'Habits'] |
Clustering Budapest neighborhoods using location services data | Getting to know a city is not always straightforward, especially when we talk about country capitals with dozens of neighborhoods. Many times it can be useful to group similar neighborhoods, so one can have a better understanding what to expect when visiting certain parts of the city. In case of Budapest, there are more than 160 neighborhoods. It is a huge overhead to process and group them manually. On the other hand, it seems obvious to use location services data for the analysis, where people are already indicating what are the points of interests to them.
With this article, I would like to demonstrate what machine learning can tell us about Budapest.
I was using Jupyter Notbook/Python while processing/analysing the data.As a start, I extracted Budapest neighborhood names from a WikiPedia article. Additionally, I collected GPS data from the Nominatim database. Venues data was coming from the FourSquare location service API.
I put the Budapest neigbhorhoods on a Folium map:
Budapest neighborhoods on a Folium map
Using FourSquare data, I collected the venues for each neighborhood:
Venues dataframe
Afterwards, I created a pandas dataframe that contains the top 10 venues for each neighborhood:
Master dataframe — Budapest neighborhoods with the top 10 venue categories
I used this table as an input for k-means clustering. For the resulting clusters, I created a Folium map together with a WordCloud for the top venue categories.
All clusters on one map:
Cluster 0 — Hot spots:
Cluster 1 — Quiet spots:
Cluster 2 — Commuters’ outposts:
That’s it, thank you for reading this blogpost!
In case you are interested in the Jupyter/Python code in more detail, you can find it on GitHub, together with the interactive maps: | https://medium.com/@szakos.peter/clustering-budapest-neighborhoods-using-location-services-data-a2f8dedc74e | ['Szakos Péter'] | 2020-06-23 11:30:34.200000+00:00 | ['Location Services', 'Jupyter Notebook', 'Clustering', 'Python', 'Machine Learning'] |
Photo Edit Fundamentals for PC & Mac | So you’ve decided that you want to get more out of your photos. Perhaps you’re graduating from our guide on Photo Edit Fundamentals for Mobile, tried editing a little on your own time and got frustrated, or you’re just about to take your first shot at photo editing on desktop.
Either way, this guide will teach you everything you need to know to take your photo editing skills to the next level. Though you’re more than welcome to supplement your knowledge with further resources, like this Skillshare course, with a special 2-month free trial. But enough chit-chat. Let’s start editing!
Step 1: Get some photo editing software 💻
Picasa and Instagram are both commonly used for basic edits. But you want your photos to look really amazing don’t you? That’s why we recommend you reach for something a bit more serious, designed for serious photo editing.
Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard for professional photo editing, but you don’t need to pay for an Adobe subscription to do professional photo editing. GIMP is a free and open-source photo editing program that has many of the same tools as Photoshop, and can be downloaded for free.
Step 2: Save your images to your computer 💾
After you get some photo editing software, you need some photos to edit. If you have a digital camera, you can transfer photos to your computer via an SD card, or a USB. If you are using your mobile phone as your camera, you can save your photos to a cloud service such as iCloud, Google Photos, or DropBox, which can be accessed from a computer.
Remember, for the best outcome, always work with quality, high-resolution images!
Step 3: Crop your images ✂️
Cropping a photo adds more focus on the subject in the photo by removing some of the excess background in the image.
The crop tool resembles two right angles forming a square. It’s typically located in the toolbar to the left. Then click and drag a square around the subject of the image. Drag the corners to adjust the light part of the image. Click the center of the screen, or the checkmark icon to finalize your crop.
Step 4: Change the contrast 🔆
This is a standard setting for any photo editor. It makes whites brighter and darks darker, making an image look more dramatic and clearer. Though do be careful. If you make your picture too bright or too dark, you risk losing much of the fine detail in the final image.
To adjust the contrast in Photoshop, click the icon that resembles a sun that is half white and half black above the Layers panel to the right. This adds a brightness and contrast adjustment layer to the photo. Click the layer in the layers panel and use the brightness and contrast slider bars above the Layers panel to adjust the brightness and contrast.
To adjust the contrast in GIMP, click Brightness and Contrast in the colours menu at the top. Then use the slider bars to adjust the brightness and contrast. Then click Ok.
Step 5: Change the saturation 🌈
Saturation is how bold the colours in a photo are, and a saturation adjuster is another common feature in photo editing programs. Sometimes, the picture can be improved by lower the saturation (moving towards black and white), and sometimes it can be improved by increasing saturation. Experiment to see how it affects your image.
To adjust the saturation in Photoshop, click the icon that resembles three gradient bars (Hue & Saturation) or the icon with a triangle (Vibrancy) above the Layers panel. This adds a new adjustment layer to the image. Click the new adjustment layer and use the saturation slider bar above the Layers panel to adjust the saturation. You can also adjust the lightness, hue, or vibrancy slider bars.
To adjust the saturation in GIMP, select Saturation from the colours menu at the top. Use the Saturation slider bar to adjust the saturation of the image. Then click Ok.
Step 6: Adjust the colours 🌺
You can adjust the colour balance to make subtle colour changes to the highlights, midtones, and shadows of an image. You can also use the Hue slider bar of the Hue and Saturation adjustment to make major colour changes to your image.
To adjust the colour balance in Photoshop, click the icon that resembles a scale above the Layers panel to the right. This adds a colour balance adjustment layer. Click the radial button next to “Shadows”, “Midtones”, or “Highlights”, to select what you want to adjust. Then use the slider bars below Cyan/Red, Magenta/Green, or Yellow/Blue to adjust the colour of the image.
To adjust the colour balance in GIMP, select colour Balance under the colours menu at the top. Click the radial button next to “Shadows”, “Midtones”, or “Highlights”, to select what you want to adjust. Then use the slider bars next to Cyan/Red, Magenta/Green, or Yellow/Blue to adjust the colour of the image. Then click Ok.
Step 7: Adjust the levels ↕️
The Levels tool allows you to change the overall image tone and contrast. You can click the icon that resembles a graph in Photoshop to add a Levels adjustment layer, or select Levels in the colours menu on GIMP. The levels adjustment has two bars for colour input and output.
Drag the black slider in the Input bar to the right increase the dark levels in the image. Drag the black slider in the Output bar to the right to limit the dark levels in the image.
Drag the grey slider in the Input bar left to lighten the midtones. Drag it to the right to darken the midtones.
Drag the white slider in the Input bar to the left to increase the light levels. Drag the white slider in the Output bar to the left to limit the light levels in the image.
Step 8: Use blurring and sharpening 🪒 filters carefully
You can find the Blur and Sharpen/Enhance filters in the Filters menu at the top of both GIMP and Photoshop. Be careful how much blur or sharpen you apply to an image. Instead of applying the filter to an entire image, you can use the marquee, ellipse, lasso, or quick select tool to select a part of the image and then apply the filter to the selected part of the image.
When making adjustments to an image in Photoshop or GIMP, it’s a good idea to right-click the image layer in the Layers panel and select Duplicate. This creates a duplicate layer of the image that you can use for editing, leaving you an unedited copy of the original image in case your edits don’t turn out the way you want.
Step 9: Use the brush and eraser tools 🖌️🧽
The brush tool allows you to draw and colour on an image or add texture. The eraser tool allows you to remove unwanted marks in an image. The Brush tool has an icon that resembles a paintbrush in both Photoshop and GIMP
Below the toolbar, there are two overlapping rectangles. The one on top is the primary colour, the one on the bottom is the secondary colour. To pick a primary colour, click the rectangle on top. Click a colour in the rainbow colour strip, and then use then click a shade in the large square on the left. You can also click the icon that resembles an eyedropper in the toolbar and click a colour in your image to select that colour.
In Photoshop, the brush menu appears above the toolbar to the left. Click the icon that resembles a solid or faded circle to display the brush menu. In GIMP the Brush menu appears below the toolbar to the left. Click a brush type, circle or pattern to select a brush type. Use the slider bars to adjust the brush size and hardness of the brush.
You can use different brush types with the eraser tool, as well as the Healing tool, and Clone stamp tool.
Use the Opacity slider bar to adjust how solid or see-through the colour is.
Step 10: Use the Clone Stamp and Healing tools 🩹
The Clone Stamp and Healing tools are a good way to remove small blemishes and imperfections within an image. The Healing tool has an icon that resembles a bandaid in both Photoshop and GIMP. The Clone Stamp tool has an icon that resembles a stamp in both Photoshop and GIMP.
To use the Healing tool, click the healing tool and then select a brush and brush size using a menu above or below the toolbar. Click the spot you want to heal. The Healing tool will blend over it using colours and patterns that surround the spot.
To use the Clone Stamp tool, click the Clone Stamp tool and pick a brush and brush size from the menu bar above or below the toolbar. In Photoshop, hold “Alt” (“Command” on Mac) or “Ctrl” (“Control” on Mac) in GIMP and click a spot of the image to sample from the image. Click another part of the image to stamp your sample in another location.
Step 11: Copy and paste parts of an image 🔄
There are several tools in both Photoshop and GIMP that allow you to copy and paste, or cut and paste, parts of an image.
In order, these tools are:
Marquee and Ellipse tool: The marquee and ellipse tools are the icons that resemble a rectangle or oval drawn with a dotted line in the tool. These tools allow you to select a part of the image by clicking and dragging to draw a rectangle or oval-shaped selection in the image.
Lasso Tool: The Lasso Tool is the icon that resembles a Lasso in the toolbar to the left. This tool allows you to draw your own shape to select a part of an image. You can use this tool to copy a specific shape in your image.
The Magic Wand Tool: The Magic Wand tool has an image that resembles a magic wand in the toolbar to the left. This tool automatically selects parts of an image by colour or shape.
Add or Subtract from a selection: After you make a selection using one of the above tools, you can add or subtract from the selection. The add and subtract modes are listed above the toolbar in Photoshop, and below the toolbar in GIMP. Click the icon that resembles two squares joined together and then use one of the above tools to add to your selection. Click the icon that resembles a square with a square cut out of it, and then use one of the above tools to remove parts of your selection.
Copy and Paste your selection: After you make a selection in your image, click Copy in the Edit menu at the top of the screen. Click Paste in the Edit menu to paste your selection as a new layer. Use the Move tool in the toolbar to move the selection. You can copy a selection from one image and paste it to another.
And with that, you’re ready to dive right into your editing software of choice! Take what you’ve learned here, throw in a couple of your photos, and see just how big of a difference your new know-how makes! Or, if you prefer to take your training a step further, take a look at that Skillshare course we mentioned, or check out our Medium account for more helpful guides on practical skills from the digital sphere! | https://medium.com/@komoio/photo-edit-fundamentals-for-pc-mac-926b2f1acefc | [] | 2020-12-03 20:47:55.636000+00:00 | ['Editing', 'Photography', 'Editor', 'Photo Editing', 'Education'] |
Why We Serve: Amy Quispe | Why We Serve: Amy Quispe
In this series you’ll hear stories from USDSers and learn why they decided to join, why they stay, and how their work is making an impact for all Americans. U.S. Digital Service Follow Feb 23 · 3 min read
Amy Quispe (she/ella), Engineer @ USDS HQ. Previously at Facebook. From Corona, Queens.
What’s your background?
I usually describe my career as “very Silicon Valley” — I’ve been at both large and small tech companies in San Francisco and New York City. I started programming as a kid, thanks to my middle school math teacher. I was lucky enough to go to Stuyvesant High School, which had an extensive computer science curriculum, and then attended college at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science. Despite being a lifelong nerd, I was not a stereotypical programmer, especially as a Latina from Queens — but being different has always been a strength of mine.
What inspired you to join USDS?
I remember hearing the story of Healthcare.gov back in the day. And when I was working at Google — this must have been 2014 or 2015 — Mikey Dickerson came to speak, and I remember being deeply inspired about this kind of work. There’s a lot of discourse in the tech world about impact at startups vs. large companies, but the kind of work USDS was doing? No competition. I almost joined twice in the last few years, but the stars never quite aligned. Then, the pandemic hit, and I knew it was time.
Now more than ever, it was imperative that government services work, and I had both the drive and the skills to help.
How has your experience been starting fully remote?
I started in May 2020, and it was a really rough start. USDS throws you in the deep end, and when you’re trying to connect to VPN and haven’t met anyone in person, the deep end gets just a bit deeper. That being said, it’s been about nine months and we’ve all had to adjust to working remotely, and many more people have on-boarded remotely after me. Learning how to be effective in this environment has also given me the opportunity to help shape the culture.
What are you working on right now and how does it help people?
One of the best things about working here is having clarity about how you’re helping people is a pre-requisite for any project. Before I joined, I was helping friends and family deal with navigating unemployment. Then I joined USDS and suddenly I was helping fix the very same systems that people I knew were relying on. Currently I’m working on a project related to vaccines, and I’m similarly excited to be fixing the problems in my immediate world. Technology allows you to scale. When I use technology to fix a problem in my life, I can simultaneously solve the same problem for the entire country. | https://medium.com/the-u-s-digital-service/why-we-serve-amy-quispe-9c7b3a0c309c | ['U.S. Digital Service'] | 2021-02-23 18:44:30.780000+00:00 | ['Interview', 'Government', 'Engineering', 'Civictech'] |
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