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Compare Elixir With Ruby and JavaScript’s Syntax | Compare Elixir With Ruby and JavaScript’s Syntax
Curious about Elixir? See how it compares to Ruby and JavaScript
I have been writing Elixir full-time for about a year, but I came to it from Ruby. As you probably know, Elixir was created by a former Ruby developer, José Valim, and his idea was to keep the beautiful syntax of Ruby in Elixir.
In the company I currently work for, we created an Elixir School to help other colleagues start developing in Elixir. They’re mainly Ruby developers, but also some front-end developers want to study it.
For one of the lessons, I created slides with a syntax comparison of Elixir, Ruby, and JavaScript. In this article, I would like to share that with you. | https://medium.com/better-programming/compare-elixir-with-ruby-and-javascript-syntax-61cf599f262d | ['Maksym Verbovyi'] | 2020-09-02 16:06:49.340000+00:00 | ['Programming', 'JavaScript', 'Ruby', 'Software Development', 'Elixir'] |
How to play Taiwan’s IGS arcade game, the game’s jackpot signal | Showdown night arcade game machine is a new generation of Halloween ghost hunting machine upgrade machine. The number of players in each machine is set to 1–4 people, and the maximum is 1000 guns. It is an upgraded version of the devil world. There are 350 times the thousand-year pumpkin monster, 500 times the raging dragon, 500 times the skeleton tyrant, 500 times the golden city, red ghosts and white ghosts, 500 times the Shura trolls, Chinese zombies and other big monsters, 3000 times the exorcism flames, magic bombs, etc. Super powerful magic weapon, it is a popular game console now!
The key and difficulty of playing a decisive Halloween battle is how to control the difficulty of the machine, how to operate when the machine is difficult, and how to operate the machine when it is spitting.
Machine difficulty determination:
The machine difficulty is determined by the monster’s score after playing some unique monsters in the game. Representative monsters include four BOOS, Millennium Pumpkin Monster, Raging Flying Dragon, Bigfoot Umbrella Monster, etc. The difficulty of the machine is judged by the points of these monsters. | https://medium.com/@daylongtech168/how-to-play-taiwans-igs-arcade-game-the-game-s-jackpot-signal-a75de0692885 | [] | 2021-11-27 06:45:55.386000+00:00 | ['Gaming', 'Slot Game', 'Arcade Games', 'Casino', 'Coins'] |
The Landscape of GovTech Work | The change in administration is a time when some leave government, and many are drawn in by new possibilities. Many technologists or digital product people may wonder how they can jump in and help make government services better. This post identifies some ways to pitch in.
A sampling of Government Technology Organizations
Government is huge, representing about a third of the economy in the US. Similarly, the government technology ecosystem is vast. There are many ways to lend tech talent to public purpose. This high-level landscape is certain to leave out much due to its brevity.
There is no single path. Many individuals, Pluribus employees included, have moved around between commercial, in-house government, and government consulting roles.
United States Digital Service (USDS)
USDS has gotten much recent attention, including an easter egg shout-out on the new whitehouse.gov and buildbackbetter.gov websites. Pluribus VP Robbie Holmes recently shared his experience as a USDS alum. There are two types of engagements within USDS: becoming an HQ employee under Office of Management and Budget (OMB), or being hired directly into an agency team. In both cases, you are a USDS member enabling cross-agency collaboration. All teams work as hands-on participants to create or improve digital products, practices, etc.
OMB is basically the administrative arm of the White House and oversees, well, the management and budget of executive branch departments. The HQ USDS team often leads discovery sprints and can be detailed to specific agencies. HQ team members are OMB employees, often referred to as working under the Executive Office of the President and for the White House.
Agency-level teams are permanently aligned to cabinet-level agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, or Department of Health and Human Services. Staff are employees of the respective agency, working primarily within the mission and needs of their respective agency.
18F
18F is a government-to-government digital consultancy that lives within the General Services Administration (GSA). They partner with agencies to procure or build digital services which don’t have that sort of capability (or don’t have enough of it). 18F also started to support some government-to-government products such as cloud.gov and login.gov. Vishal Iyer, our Director of Product Design, joined Pluribus Digital after serving at 18F.
GSA is the arm of the government that buys things. For example, they own and operate most government real estate and office buildings on behalf of other agencies. Much of the government also buys various goods and IT services via GSA catalogs or supply “schedules” (where GSA has negotiated favorable bulk prices). 18F is a logical extension of that concept to provide a shared digital capability for agencies.
18F’s approach is to closely partner with teams of civil servants at partner agencies. They pair a small cross functional team of designers, developers and product managers to help build their capacity to build software using modern software design and development practices.
Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF)
The PIF program is a sort of precursor that fed some early USDS and 18F staff, and is still going strong. Each fellow (or a small team of fellows) is embedded within government agencies as “entrepreneurs in residence” for 12 months, with an opportunity to renew for a total of two years. It’s meant to inject new thinking and help get some priority problems solved. The rotational nature may be attractive to some, but is not an ongoing ‘career’ type position. A number of PIFs have transitioned into agency, USDS, or 18F roles.
Federal Agency IT
While the above are all specialized programs to bring in specialized talent, most government tech has been overseen and built in the traditional agency IT or CIO organizations. This tends to be the place for long-term career positions within government. Digital maturity varies agency by agency. For example, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was something of a template for modern government tech. Some other agencies have more work to do. In most but not all cases, agency IT work is more oversight of work done by contractors than hands-on tech work.
Note: PIF, 18F, and USDS all hire for defined terms which are essentially limited to 2-4 years. Career federal IT positions are the primary way to work directly for the government on a long-term basis.
Traditional IT Contractors
Most hands-on work is done via contractors. If you want to write code or otherwise directly build products, you are more likely to do so outside of direct government employment. Many big-name firms, and many more names only known in the government space, have provided this capability for years. It can be a solid option for mission-oriented work, and occasionally innovative and modern work.
Digital Services & Civic Tech Companies
PIF, USDS, and 18F have responded to a need for fresh thinking and top talent in the government space. Echoing that, a number of companies have emerged as the commercial response to the same issues. This includes members of the Digital Services Coalition (which Pluribus Digital co-founded). This breed of company allows people to do hands-on work with a strong focus on emphasizing public purpose missions and modern practice.
State & Local Government
The Federal government isn’t the only path to public service. State or local governments have similar options for in-house or consulting work. Some states have parallel digital service programs such as the Colorado Digital Service or the California Office of Digital Innovation.
Volunteer Opportunities
The civic tech movement has seen a number of citizen technologists step up and build things at the grassroots level. Code for America is probably the biggest voice in this space. The US Digital Response is a newer pro-bono organization. There has been in explosion in the last several years of open source government projects. Contributing policies vary, but many will accept pull requests. | https://medium.com/pluribusdigital/the-landscape-of-govtech-work-e5d0db7c6f5 | ['Pluribus Digital'] | 2021-01-31 15:45:49.348000+00:00 | ['Careers', 'Government', 'Govtech', 'Civictech'] |
How to Get Anyone to Email You Back: Simple Tactic Works 99% of the Time — Guaranteed! | Just about ALL of my marketing is done online, and more than half of my SELLING is done via email, with the rest accomplished via phone or in-person. My ads and content pull in the leads who more often than not email rather than call. I usually respond right away, but then, sometimes it takes forever to hear back from them. They’re always in a hurry to get the info I provide, but they’re obviously NOT in a hurry to be sold.
Obviously, email selling is much less efficient than selling via phone or face to face, where an entire deal can be wrapped up in mere minutes. Instead, sometimes it takes days, months, or even a year of follow-ups and/or goings back-and-forth to close a deal this way, but that’s the nature of the beast in this online business that we do. So to counter this, I’ve developed a few tactics over the past 20 years that help speed things along. Here, I’m going to share one of them for the first time ever:
When I’m emailing a prospect (or client) and they’re just not getting back to me, I often use a variation of this last-resort approach to break the ice that’s forming/formed from the non-contact. Here is a transcript of an actual email I sent recently. You’ll get the idea. Use it responsibly and you’re email responses will soar to new heights — guaranteed.
Subject:
Bob — are you OK????
This subject line has brought more customers back from the dead than, I don’t know, a guy who brings people back from the dead for a living.
Body:
Hi Bob -
I’m just following up again on our conversation the other day. I emailed you a few times, but STILL haven’t heard back . You know, I know this guy who had once had a client who didn’t respond for days and turns out he had been beaten and robbed, then bound and gagged in his basement where he eventually died from choking on his own vomit while trying to scream for help through the bloody rag in his mouth. It was horrible.
Luckily he called the SHERIFF to check on him… Hopefully, YOU are OK though — at least let me know THAT MUCH so I don’t have to call anyone!
Sincerely,
Phil Autelitano
(Ice broken.)
Send a variation of THAT and watch how fast they get back to you. If I’ve sent that email 1,000 times, I got 999 responses from it — and I can tell you I’ve probably sent it 10,000 times, at least. THAT is how powerful it is!
But remember, with this new power I’ve given you comes great responsibility. Please use it wisely and only as a last resort.
— P.
Phil Autelitano is Founder/CEO of Mediarazzi. We develop TV channels and content for Roku and Connected TV! www.mediarazzi.com
@PhilAutelitano | https://medium.com/business-marketing/how-to-get-anyone-to-email-you-back-simple-tactic-works-99-of-the-time-guaranteed-53a75e80b62f | ['Phil Autelitano'] | 2016-09-08 12:47:03.326000+00:00 | ['Email Marketing', 'Advertising', 'Marketing', 'Business', 'Internet Marketing'] |
Team Building in the Time of Corona | Here we are now, entertain us, I feel stupid and contagious Here we are now,…
Here we are now indeed, at the start of what feels like the winter of our disconnect. Restrictions and the shadow of COVID-19 still hang over many of us, meaning virtual is our reality for the foreseeable future. So in this remote new world, how do we maintain our personal connections and build team spirit?
This is a problem we have been grappling with in Operations & Reliability (O&R). In our bid to find the holy grail of virtual togetherness we have begged, borrowed and downright stolen ideas, and along the way we’ve had some wins and we’ve had some misses. We know lots of other teams are facing the same challenge, so we wanted to share our lessons learned to inspire those with quiz fatigue and hangout weariness towards their own virtual team nirvana.
Starter for Ten
At the beginning of lockdown in the UK, I was asked to help organise some O&R socials to help keep the group connected while working from home. The teeny tiny complication to this request was that I had only joined the group two days before lockdown (having just returned from nine months adoption leave) so we therefore did the only thing we could in the circumstances - we organised a quiz!
For the first quiz, we went with a lockdown theme with an idea we borrowed from another team, and asked colleagues to send in photos of their work from home setups. We then borrowed the idea (and login) from yet another team of using Kahoot! to run the quiz.
Creating our first quiz using Kahoot!
I had no idea what to expect with that first social. In fact, immediately afterwards, I thought it had bombed. But a quick survey of the group revealed a majority had liked the quiz and since then we’ve run another four, all using submissions from the team. Themes have included Did You Know? (interesting facts about team members or their hometowns), Guess That Movie (recreating movie scenes using household items), Two Truths/One Lie and Guess The Vacation Location.
It takes work to organise, and a lot of prompting, but we’ve found getting the team to submit the questions has increased engagement and it’s also been a great way of finding out things about each other we wouldn’t in a usual team meeting setting. For example we’ve uncovered child movie stars, hand models, friends of Boy George and a junior quiz champion, amongst many other things!
To add a bit of additional competitiveness and glory to our quizzes, we also created a championship trophy. It physically lives at my house, but each round we have a new virtual winner and, just like Wimbledon, the quiz champs have their name ‘engraved’ on the trophy before the acceptance speeches are over. Does it get any better than that?
The wonder that is our quiz trophy
We’re supposed to start having fun in 15 minutes!
In the pre-covid world, we could be able to socialise with colleagues over coffee, lunch, a pint or while hanging around waiting for the previous meeting to finish (remember that?!). This is something we definitely lose in our virtual world, so as a team we've been thinking about how we can recreate those “water cooler” moments.
At the start of lockdown we, like many other teams, tried to schedule team social time. We started with daily coffee breaks, then gradually moved to twice weekly catch ups. Initially these were pretty well attended and led to some classic moments that only a virtual catch up can afford - for example, watching Luke Blaney spend over thirty minutes attempting to remove a knife that had become lodged in the back of his cutlery drawer. (Riveting viewing, 5 stars).
The relief when Luke finally got his drawer open was virtually palpable
But over time attendance waned because, despite what Monica Geller believed, organised fun is not always the way forward. So we have evolved. We’ve agreed going forward to get together for ad hoc reasons (birthdays, etc) but we are also making time in our already scheduled meetings for general chit chat. Meeting organisers can help foster this by setting the tone of their meetings and allowing people time to talk socially before getting stuck into the agenda.
We have also adapted some of our existing meetings to have a more informal tone. We now hold a weekly O&R Show & Tell, which is not a powerpoint heavy, run down of work completed, but rather a chance for anyone in the group to show a thing they are working on no matter how hacky or visually uninteresting, share a problem they are trying to solve, give an update on something, or simply show off their new Terry Pratchett posters to a captive audience (thank you again Euan Finlay).
You don’t always need to create a separate space for your team to chat, you just need to try to create a space somewhere.
Motivation of an Occasion
When I was checking in with my team about how they felt about our social catchups, one of my colleagues said, “I like the idea of catch ups but I just don't usually feel in a place to do them somehow... I can't really explain it. The added motivation of an occasion might work!”. So we looked at what other things we could do as a team that could bring us together with a common purpose.
The first thing we thought of was training. As lockdown progressed, we became increasingly aware that how we communicated in person didn’t always translate to remote working. So I contacted the FT's Learning and Development (L&D) team to discuss possible group training options. The L&D team helped identify our needs and they then put me in touch with two external providers who helped us put together a programme of training for O&R that could be delivered virtually. As a result, we have training sessions booked that cover the technical aspects of virtual communication and facilitation (delivered by InRehearsal), as well as workshops to look at how our teams can creatively problem solve virtually and how we can become more effective now our homes are also our offices (delivered by BrainWorkshops).
InRehearsal created follow-up articles with embedded videos to support their training sessions
Rhys Evans also brought a great suggestion to the team (borrowed from another group) of having a regular ‘discussion club’. The aim of the discussion club was to get together to discuss a topic - it could be work related or not - to try to replicate the sharing and challenging of ideas that seemed to occur more naturally when we were in the same physical location. At the first session the group discussed the concept of “How Reliable is Reliable?”, eliciting some interesting views on the very nature of Reliability Engineering.
For our next discussion we are going to build on some recent roundtables organised by the FT and hold a group level “Let’s Talk About Race” session. We are trying to challenge ourselves, in the hope we can not only make O&R a better place to work, but also increase the levels of trust and confidence we have in one another.
Again, these don’t have to be even more meetings in already overloaded calendars. Look at potentially repurposing existing meetings or using training sessions to address specific team challenges, for example using the creative problem solving workshop to investigate an actual technical challenge.
A little less conversation…
Building a well connected virtual team doesn’t just mean getting people to talk more on hangouts. We probably need to manage our own expectations about what team building will look like going forward.
Firstly, we need to acknowledge that we can’t engage all the people, all of the time. Not everyone loves a quiz (shocking revelation, I know!). This is why variety is key. We need to not be afraid to try things, and to be okay with saying “well that didn’t really work”, because - to dredge up an old team building cliche - maybe it’s more about the journey than the destination.
It’s also about understanding and noticing when people need a break. Most of us can’t be virtually inclined 100% of the time, so we need to accept our colleagues may also need some distance and make that space available.
We should embrace some of the opportunities that remote working has given us. The rise in the use of Slack and other chat tools means those more comfortable with the written word can be engaged and actively participate in team building events, where before this might not have been offered or even possible. We also now have the ability to readily record workshops and training sessions which we couldn’t easily do before.
Utilising the chat function during our Virtual Communication workshop with InRehearsal
In O&R, we have by no means got it completely right yet, so we know it’s important to keep checking in with each other and to remain curious about new ideas and opportunities. We are all working on this together, because sustaining our team relationships shouldn’t be something we wait for someone else to organise for us, especially if we see a need.
So is it worth the effort?
We all know that encouraging open communication and fostering strong relationships is important in building effective and efficient teams - but let’s be honest, it’s not always easy. Add to the mix the shift towards remote working, a global pandemic and a year that has been very emotionally charged for many of us, and understandably sometimes there isn’t the time or energy left to think about how we maintain our connections. The easier option is to hope that what’s already built will be strong enough to last. And maybe it will...but what if it isn’t?
So I’ll let you into the secret of what motivates me to want to do something about team building in the time of covid. Purely selfishly I want to work in a happy team. No longer are my colleagues people I only see in the office for eight hours and then get to leave behind. Now on a daily basis I invite them into my home, so it feels of vital importance at the end of the day, when we close our laptops and our desks turn back into our kitchen tables, that the lingering smell of team spirit is a good one! | https://medium.com/ft-product-technology/team-building-in-the-time-of-corona-fdddcf253701 | ['Erin Ferguson'] | 2020-10-19 11:28:06.239000+00:00 | ['Training And Development', 'Teambuildingactivities'] |
Data science elitists and how to avoid them | Data science elitists and how to avoid them
Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash
Internet is a scary place. Especially for people who are trying something new or changing careers. There is as much wrong information as right and as much discouragement as encouragement on there. This is specifically true for data science. What it takes to become a data scientist is a somewhat controversial topic and many people have very strong opinions on it.
Specifically, there is a group of people who seem to give off only negative messages about becoming a data scientist. I call them the data science elitists. They tend to believe that to become a data scientist you need a PhD, you need to be a maths expert and you need to know every tech tool ever made related to data, on top of your flawless computer science knowledge. Needless to say, I don’t agree with them. In this article, I want to tell you why not to take data science elitists seriously and how you can have your shield up against negativity on your way to becoming a data scientist.
First of all, you shouldn’t take people seriously when they give you a long list of technological skills. A data scientist is not a developer. Yes, there are tech tools you need to learn but many of them are not required, just good to have.
Moreover, every company has its own tech stack, that is, the set of tools they use. Chances are, every company you apply to will be using a different tech stack and you can’t learn all of them. Especially when you’re just starting out, knowing how to use speciality tools is not a priority. I talked about exactly this with Samantha Zeitlin (a hiring senior data scientist), on the 4th episode of the podcast. She mentioned, in her experience too, you learn the tools on the job.
You shouldn’t take people seriously when they tell you, you cannot, or it’s too late. For some reason, some people tend to give off the vibe that you either have these skills now or you’re toast. This is my face when I read comments like that:
Everyone has to be a beginner at some point. No need making someone feel bad for not having this or that skill yet. If you want to become a data scientist, you can, period. That’s what I think. It might take you more or less time depending on your background. The time it takes might also depend on your financial requirements, and if you can work on it full time or not but that’s all. This is not to say being a data scientist is for everyone. You should understand the requirements and implications of the job before diving deep into learning it of course. But I’ll talk about that in a second.
You should take people’s advice with a grain of salt. Unless someone is a professor of “making others a data scientist”, I doubt they are being objective about their job. If someone got a PhD in math and then became a data scientist, it is not surprising to hear them say you need a PhD or you need advanced math skills. People are trying to be helpful but it’s hard for them to be objective. So instead of taking one person’s advice to heart, try to read what other people have to say about the same topic. Maybe the So you want to be a data scientist podcast can help you there. *wink wink*
Of course, I cannot tell you every way you should keep an eye out for the data science elitists. You’re going to have to spot misinformation (or unhelpful information) for yourself. What I can do is to show you how you can learn to only take what’s useful to you.
These are the things I go over in my free mini-course Data Science Kick-starter. You can sign-up for it using the form on my website. Back to our topic.
First and foremost, you need to be at a point where you’re confident of the type of data career you want to pursue. If all you have is a vague explanation of what you think you want to do, you will be easily manipulated by what you read or hear. When someone says, you need to be a good developer to become a data scientist, it might be hard for you to understand what that exactly means. Learning about the data pipeline, what type of development is required for it and which type of data professional deals with what parts of it will be helpful for you there.
You need to have a good understanding of the discipline. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language procession, deep learning, cognitive solutions, computer vision, robotics, any many more are things you probably see all around the internet, mentioned closely with data science. But how are they related to each other? How much of this do you need to know to be able to call yourself a data scientist? It might seem hard to grasp at first but if you have a good overall picture of the discipline data science operates in, you’re going to be less susceptible to distractions and feel more sure of your path.
Lastly, you need an understanding of the core requirements and fundamental skills for data science. You can always build on top of the basic skills and specialize in a certain area but not without a strong foundation. Though, even after you focus on the fundamental skills, it is helpful to know in which order to tackle them and learn them. I call it the skills matrix. Knowing the required skills, in which order to learn them and being clear on how they contribute to your learning is something that will put you ahead of your competition.
In the Data Science Kick-starter mini-course, I help you choose and be confident about a data profession, explain the discipline of AI and how data science and other buzzwords fit in the picture, explain the data science pipeline and talk about the must-have skills needed to become a data scientist. It is a free-of-charge course and you can sign up for it using the form in my website.
After all is said and done, it’s in your hands to keep it efficient and smart while learning data science. Equip yourself with the correct perspective and nothing can stand in your way. | https://towardsdatascience.com/data-science-elitists-and-how-to-avoid-them-b8888178e8c0 | ['Mısra Turp'] | 2020-05-05 12:25:30.256000+00:00 | ['Data Science', 'Data Scientist', 'Learning Data Science'] |
Business Networking Tips and Tricks To Excell and Grow In 2021 | Attending networking events have been part of the business scene for as long as anyone can remember and continue to do so soon.
Especially in this rapidly evolving era of social media marketing, face-to-face business networking is still an effective way to build relationships with potential customers and boost your sales. But the era of networking activities is increasingly fading, and the advent of specialized networking networks is also on the rise.
Here are some useful networking tips and tricks for you to help make your next business networking event a success and a few useful professional networking tips using the most efficient and efficient networking platforms.
These are some practical tips for you if you still attend networking events to get a headstart and better connections that’ll transform you and your business.
Top Tips for Attending Networking Events and Making connections
When you reach a networking event, avoid gravitation to people you meet. It would help if you first thanked the host and quickly found someone new and introduced yourself to them. This will undoubtedly help keep you in the right frame of mind as to why you came here.
Stop selling and listen to me! When you first meet someone, use it as an opportunity to get to know them. Please do not attempt to sell anything to them. Instead, start developing a friendship.
Keep your business cards with you so that they are easy to reach and in good shape. The same is with your smartphone — if the other party has a compatible smartphone, you can instantly exchange contact details through apps such as AirDrop for iOS.
When you give a person your card, personalize it by hand with a note or additional contact information. This will make the recipient believe like they are getting something special.
When you receive a business card from someone else, please take a moment to write a note short on it, such as where you met. When you are still talking to a person, it will help express your sense of personal connection.
They use the other person’s first name two or three times during a networking function discussion. People still want to hear their name, which will help you remember it when the conversation is over.
Instead of telling a new contact all about yourself, the best business networking tip is to spend your time asking them questions. It is incredible how much you are going to learn.
When you first meet someone, use the back of their business card to note what you have learned from the conversation and the date and location you met them. Alternatively, input the details on your mobile device; the Mobile Customer Relationship Management (CRM) app is suitable for this reason. Recording the details will give you something to talk to them about the next time you see it.
Link to the person you are talking to by tilting your head while you listen to them. It is an effective body language strategy that communicates that you pay attention to what they say.
When anyone speaks to you, make sure to look directly at them. Giving a person full attention to your eyes will allow them to share more.
Know, when you give someone eye contact, it is not a “stare-down” contest. Give the person three to five seconds of eye contact and then look away momentarily before returning the eyes to them again.
The best place for networking is the high-traffic area, such as the main entrance, the bar, or near the food.
Never approach someone if they are going to the toilet or have a phone in their hand. Wait until they get back to the networking area or get their phone out.
After the person has shared something with you, ask them another question about what they have just said. This shows that you pay attention and care about what they are telling you.
Initiate a discussion with someone who stands by themselves. They will be delighted to have someone to talk to them and, as a result, they will give up important information several times.
If you meet someone new, you have 48 hours to follow up with them before they forget to meet you.
It’s Not Just a Meet and Greet — Real networking is more than that!
A networking event is considered the time to meet as many people as possible and see how many business cards you could collect. Does it help you find potential relationships and reliable connections even in this era of online networking?
That’s a profound question. Yeah, it is such one!
Attending networking events and collecting business cards are not the way to network anymore. People are getting nothing out of it, and it grew irrelevant, especially during these times of widespread pandemic and the following lockdown.
Nowadays, all individuals who try their way out to success. are using their time and skill on professional networking platforms. But what does online networking offer to make people so inclined towards it? Online networking is a boon nowadays. It helps us network with keeping social distancing, build our network, get and give referrals, stay updated without any hassle, get partners, get funds for business, real and successful mentors, and many more!
Go forth and Kick-start networking!
Like anything, practice makes perfect all absolute. The more you network, the better you get the most from it, and ultimately, it will start to give you more and help you grow more and worry less. Start networking using a powerful networking platform and find out your real potential and what you can do to help yourself build and fight for your success during these times of devastation.
“The connection of yours will make you dream bigger and earn better!” | https://medium.com/radiinetwork/business-networking-tips-and-tricks-to-excell-and-grow-in-2021-6555e0949cc3 | ['Vishnu Narayan'] | 2020-12-18 08:54:53.408000+00:00 | ['Tips And Tricks', 'Online Networking', 'Business Development', 'Business Networking', 'Networking'] |
Automated deployments on Skynet | If you are a web developer, you might have asked yourself those questions already. There is a number of services that would help you out with that, for example github pages, netlify, or vercel but with Skynet and thanks to the recent release of the registry API, you can achieve the same goal and at the same time keep your web app decentralized and accessible from any Skynet portal.
This article, in the form of a step by step tutorial, will show you how to:
automatically build and deploy your web application to a unique URL on every pull request change
automatically build and deploy your web application on any change to the production branch and update your application public URL
After reading this post, you will be able to accomplish these things with just a single configuration file and some Handshake (HNS) domain setup.
You will find a live usage example in the final section of this article.
Automation workflow setup
This article assumes you already have a web application that has its source code hosted on Github. In this example, we will be using a demo web app created with Create React App. You can do the same or use your existing web app.
We’ll use Github actions to set up our automation. Just to give you some background, Github actions is a way to compose a continuous integration workflow that executes on free Github runners.
Basic action workflow — test and build
As a first step, we will set up a most basic workflow that will run every time a pull request is opened or updated.
Please create a file in your code source “.github/workflows/deploy.yml” and add the following:
name: Deploy to Skynet on:
pull_request: jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps:
— uses: actions/checkout@v2
— name: Use Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v1
with:
node-version: 14.x - name: Install dependencies
run: npm install - name: Run unit tests
run: npm test - name: Build
run: npm run build
This workflow contains 4 steps:
it will set up Node 14 environment it will install project dependencies with npm install it will run unit tests with npm test (optional, only if you have tests — if not you can delete this step) it will build a project with npm run build (depending on your configuration you might want to configure this accordingly)
Right now this is all that this action will do.
Testing time!
Create a new branch (please do not commit directly to your production branch, we want to open a pull request), commit and push code changes, and open a pull request on Github.
git checkout -b pull-request-workflow
git add .github/workflows/deploy.yml
git commit -m “initial version of the workflow”
git push — set-upstream origin pull-request-workflow
Once you open a pull request you will see that the “Deploy to Skynet” workflow has been started (you might need to refresh the page if it doesn’t show up immediately after creating the pull request). After some time, the orange indicator should change into a green checkmark — this is how we know the workflow has finished successfully.
New pull request with an unfinished workflow
Configuring Deploy to Skynet action
Now it’s time to add a Deploy to Skynet Github action that will use the artifacts that were built with npm build in the last step of our workflow and deploy to Skynet.
Please edit “.github/workflows/deploy.yml” and append a new step to our setup:
— name: Deploy to Skynet
uses: kwypchlo/deploy-to-skynet-action@main
with:
upload-dir: build
github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
The upload-dir argument points to the directory that npm build populates with the production application build. Depending on your web application framework, you will need to configure the argument accordingly. This example uses Create React App and by default, the production build directory is build .
The github-token argument is populated with a secret GITHUB_TOKEN that Github creates automatically. It is needed for the action to access the Github API so it can create a comment on the pull request with the deployment details on success.
Now, your full “.github/workflows/deploy.yml” will look like this:
name: Deploy to Skynet on:
pull_request: jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps:
— uses: actions/checkout@v2
— name: Use Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v1
with:
node-version: 14.x - name: Install dependencies
run: npm install - name: Run unit tests
run: npm test - name: Build
run: npm run build
— name: Deploy to Skynet
uses: kwypchlo/deploy-to-skynet-action@main
with:
upload-dir: build
github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
Testing time!
Commit those changes and push the branch.
git add .github/workflows/deploy.yml
git commit -m “configure deploy to skynet action”
git push
This will trigger a new workflow job. After it is finished, you should receive a comment on your pull request that looks like this:
pull request with deployment comment
🎉 Congratulations! You have successfully deployed your application to Skynet. It has been built from the specific commit and you can verify that it works by visiting the URL from the comment.
In case something went wrong
If you have not received a comment on your pull request or the link is not working, there are a couple of possible reasons:
your workflow failed for some reason before reaching the Deploy to Skynet action — please consult the job logs, maybe your unit tests failed or have not been set up correctly (you can delete that step from the workflow if you don’t have any tests)
your `upload-dir` might be misconfigured — please make sure that the directory name you put in there is the directory that gets populated after running npm build , you can check that by running this locally
, you can check that by running this locally you created a pull request from a fork of the repo to a forked repo — due to Github actions limitations, Github action run on pull requests from forks have read-only access to the Github API and are not allowed to create comments (you should have information about it in job logs if this is the case)
siasky.net might be acting up, please visit the website and try to upload any file using the web interface — if you experience problems with that, then please report them to us on discord
In any case, you should start by checking the job logs for additional info.
Where are we now in the process?
By now you should have a workflow set up that will run on each new and updated pull request.
What it means is that every time you make some changes and open a pull request, you will be able to verify them straight from the link from a pull request comment. Every time it runs, it will create a new link to the deployment so you will also have access to the previous iterations.
This is very handy for specific purposes, for example, if you want to let the code reviewer verify your changes “live”. You might want to share the link with your project manager to make sure that the changes in the code reflect the requirements.
Deploying production-ready builds on branch update
Up until now, we were building and deploying only within pull requests. You can however configure Github action workflow to also run every time you push anything to the “main” branch (that includes merging pull requests). This way, every time you make a production-ready change in your repository, the workflow will deploy a new version of the app based on the “main” branch.
The only thing we need to change in “.github/workflows/deploy.yml” is the “on” directive that should be extended with:
on:
pull_request:
push:
branches: [main]
Your full “.github/workflows/deploy.yml” file should look like this now:
name: Deploy to Skynet on:
pull_request:
push:
branches: [main] jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps:
— uses: actions/checkout@v2
— name: Use Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v1
with:
node-version: 14.x - name: Install dependencies
run: npm install - name: Run unit tests
run: npm test - name: Build
run: npm run build
— name: Deploy to Skynet
uses: kwypchlo/deploy-to-skynet-action@main
with:
upload-dir: build
github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
Testing time!
Commit those changes and push the branch.
git add .github/workflows/deploy.yml
git commit -m “run workflow on every push to main branch”
git push
We are not expecting anything new in particular right now yet because we are still on a custom branch, within a pull request. We are now ready though to merge the pull request. You can do so from the pull request interface on Github.
Merging a pull request should trigger a new workflow job. Unfortunately, since there is no pull request context anymore, our Github workflow will not be able to create a comment on the pull request with the deployment details after the job is finished. You will need to go to the “actions” tab manually to see your workflow running.
Github action tab with running workflow
Once the workflow is finished, click the workflow name and drill down the logs to manually grab the deployment URL.
workflow log view with the main branch deployed
Since that deployment has been created from a “main” branch, we can assume that this is in fact a production, stable release and you can share that link with anyone as such.
Now, every time you push something to the “main” branch, it will build and deploy a new release with a new link. This is far from perfect if you want to update your application often. There is a way to remedy that though, please follow along with the next section.
Using handshake domain for production release
In the Skynet 🤝 Handshake article, we described how to purchase and use a handshake domain to serve Skynet hosted content.
The main idea is, once you own a handshake domain like “my-example-webapp”, every time you deploy a new release, you can manually copy the new deployed release Skylink and update the handshake domain record with the new Skylink. This way, you could share a handshake domain Skynet link like https://my-example-webapp.hns.siasky.net and it would always point your users to the Skylink you have in the record.
This is great if you want to manually choose when you update your production website. If you however want to automate this process further, there is a way to do so!
Learning about Skynet registry
Before we dive into the code, please take a minute to read about the Skynet registry from the section below.
A couple of days ago, Sia released a new decentralized database called SkyDB built on top of a Skynet new registry API.
Skynet registry API allows users to store small pieces of information (like Skylinks) on hosts, secured with a private/public key pair. Only a person owning the private key can modify the corresponding registry entry but everyone who has the public key can access it and it is safe to share the public key since it comes with read-only access. Skynet registry API also requires a “datakey” which is something of an id of the entry — you can read more about the “datakey” in Skynet registry docs.
An example link that reads from the registry could be:
You can clearly distinguish the “publickey” and “datakey” parts in that URL:
publickey:
ed25519%3A6eb6cb0f87776e40a8c2973da0bee060f9169c946be7f5ef9b94773e9bd2a0fc
datakey:
79c05b4b67764ad99a7976a7d2fb1cfce4f196ea217ef0356af042cb5492bd5d
Now, that we learned about “publickey” and “datakey”, we can form a skyns:// URI that we will need later. Just like a Skylink could be represented as sia://<skylink> , a registry entry can be represented as skyns://<publickey>/<datakey> . So the above example would look like:
skyns://ed25519%3A6eb6cb0f87776e40a8c2973da0bee060f9169c946be7f5ef9b94773e9bd2a0fc/79c05b4b67764ad99a7976a7d2fb1cfce4f196ea217ef0356af042cb5492bd5d
This notation of a registry entry will come in handy in just a moment.
Automating production release deployments with Handshake domains
Now that you’ve learned some basics about Skynet registry, we can proceed with the final step of our setup.
We can configure Deploy to Skynet action to update a registry entry with a new Skylink after each successful “main” branch deployment.
First, make sure that you are on a “main” branch and it’s up to date.
git checkout main
git pull
For the last time, we will edit “.github/workflows/deploy.yml” and configure a secret seed in Deploy to Skynet action:
— name: Deploy to Skynet
uses: kwypchlo/deploy-to-skynet-action@main
with:
upload-dir: build
github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
registry-seed: ${{ github.event_name == ‘push’ && github.ref == ‘refs/heads/main’ && secrets.REGISTRY_SEED || ‘’ }}
Just to explain the expression used for “registry-seed” — it first makes sure that the event that triggered the job is “push” and the branch that it’s running against is “main”, only then it should assign the value of REGISTRY_SEED secret as “registry-seed”.
Your full “.github/workflows/deploy.yml” file should look like this now:
name: Deploy to Skynet on:
pull_request:
push:
branches: [main] jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps:
— uses: actions/checkout@v2
— name: Use Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v1
with:
node-version: 14.x - name: Install dependencies
run: npm install - name: Run unit tests
run: npm test - name: Build
run: npm run build
— name: Deploy to Skynet
uses: kwypchlo/deploy-to-skynet-action@main
with:
upload-dir: build
github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
registry-seed: ${{ github.event_name == ‘push’ && github.ref == ‘refs/heads/main’ && secrets.REGISTRY_SEED || ‘’ }}
You will now need to go to your Github project settings and add a new secret called REGISTRY_SEED in the Secrets section. It has to be very secure and globally unique. You can use for example this website and pick one of the safe keys like “256-bit WEP Keys”.
creating a Github secret
Testing time!
Please commit and push your changes to the “main” branch.
git add .github/workflows/deploy.yml
git commit -m “assign registry-seed to update registry entry”
git push
A new workflow job will be triggered, please check the logs of Deploy to Skynet action once it succeeds. You should see a registry link in addition to the logs we were used to. This means that the registry entry has been created or updated and you can use this registry link to retrieve it.
workflow log with registry entry URL
This is my specific registry link that we can use to retrieve the registry entry. You can open it up to get an idea of what it contains.
https://siasky.net/skynet/registry?publickey=ed25519%3A8dba0c99a33e349bd8d85536171ef6f1f68a7f6c57ce7db9acfa9e2126463091&datakey=0f2381dca89efcc3d4d1d1b7efd663a0515be538e2a7c3bff01469961fc916be
{
“data”: “76414e735f42376f54734c4e6f544d6f62324f6f59466476746c33505a6841664d4d6f7862495771525132784e51”,
“revision”: 0,
“signature”: “0d0759cd0ec97b43b055e5d5052440b52e7236f2d84dccb573ff69e7da4f357b5e302794e6117c56034562ca3b383eba06a1beb2a714bc7aa8733a3de69ece0a”
}
The “data” key contains a hex-encoded Skylink that was just deployed. You can paste the “data” key-value into an online hex decoder to verify that.
What we can do now is form a skyns:// URI just like the one mentioned in the section above by extracting public key and datakey and putting them together as skyns://<publickey>/<datakey> .
Final URI should look like this:
skyns://ed25519%3A8dba0c99a33e349bd8d85536171ef6f1f68a7f6c57ce7db9acfa9e2126463091/0f2381dca89efcc3d4d1d1b7efd663a0515be538e2a7c3bff01469961fc916be
Now for the final part, you can go to your handshake domain configuration and replace what has been a static Skylink in the text entry, with our new skyns://<publickey>/<datakey> URI. After you submit your changes and the Handshake domain is synced (this can take a while), you will be able to access the recent “main” branch deployment from your handshake Skynet URL that looks like https://my-example-webapp.hns.siasky.net.
Once you verify that the domain has been synced, go ahead and change background color in your app and commit those changes to the “main” branch, push them and wait until the workflow succeeds. You should see the changes on https://my-example-webapp.hns.siasky.net immediately after! Now you can share that link with anyone and every time you push new changes, Deploy to Skynet action will take care of updating the registry for you and you will be able to enjoy almost instant updates to your app!
See it in action
You can check a live implementation of the above workflow in the Note to Self app’s Github repository. The repository is configured to:
deploy to note-to-self.hns.siasky.net on every change to “main” branch
deploy pull request previews (check an example pull request)
Complete Github workflow is available in build.yml. | https://blog.sia.tech/automated-deployments-on-skynet-28d2f32f6ca1 | ['Karol Wypchło'] | 2020-11-09 21:32:28.506000+00:00 | ['Continuous Integration', 'App Development', 'Web Development', 'Blockchain', 'Front End Development'] |
Why You Should Install Solar Panels on Your Home | Photo by Vivint Solar on Unsplash
I always had a fascination with solar power because of the awesome potential that the Sun has to provide us with unbelievable amounts of electricity. The Sun bathes the Earth in almost 3 times as much energy as the entire Earth uses in a year. In 2019, the entire globe utilized approximately 583.90 Exajoules (EJ: 1 x 10¹² MegaJoule); however, the Sun provides us with 1,575.0–49,837 Exajoules of energy. So at a minimum it is providing us with 3 times as much energy, and at a maximum potential it is providing 85 times as much energy! One study done by a masters student, found that about 25,000 square miles (about the size of West Virginia) of solar panels could power the entire world. Now we obviously wouldn’t just kick everyone out of West Virginia and replace the state with solar panels, but it just goes to show how if we were to spread that amount up across the entire globe, there would be no need for any other type of energy resource. Just think about if we were able to just put one on top of lakes where no real estate is, or in the middle of the desert.
Photo taken by Author
You might be saying to yourself right now that, “oh that is well and good, but that doesn’t take into account for the reflection off of clouds, ice, etc.” Well, to that, my friend, I say that in this analysis done by the UNDP, they took into account all of those factors when considering the potential energy that the Sun provides, and the numbers provided above are after these factors are taken into account. It is just incredible the amount of energy we are sitting upon just waiting to be harvested, and yet we are busy trying to harness power from nonrenewable sources like coal and oil…
However, before now it somewhat made sense as to why we were not using this amazing resource. It was expensive! In 1975, the price for a photovoltaic cell to produce a single watt of energy was $105.70. Whew! While now the cost is less than 20 cents per watt (1). This is a dramatic decline. Today, the cost to produce 1 Megawatt hour of electricity with solar power is only $50 compared to coal which costs $102 per MegaWatt Hour. This now just seems like a no-brainer. Solar panel technology has improved by leaps and bounds over the past couple of decades. Solar panels were once too expensive to consider as a viable option for renewable energy, prices have fallen drastically to make the installation of solar panels a perfect option for your home.
Not only has the price of solar panels declined significantly over the past 45 years, but the efficiency of each Photovoltaic cell has increased dramatically. Now if we take it back even further, the first solar panel was developed in 1883 by New York inventor Charles Fritts by coating selenium with a thin layer of gold (imagine if we still used gold today…there would be absolutely no way I’d be writing a post about solar panels…), it was less than 1% efficient at capturing the rays of the Sun. However, today on average most commercial solar panel systems, which use Silicon wafer technology based on polycrystalline or monocrystalline silicon, have an efficiency of around 18%–22%. Although, keep your eyes on the future folks…The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems announced in 2013 the development of a multi-junction photovoltaic cell with 44.7% efficiency. More recently in 2018, Solar-Tectic announced a patent for Tandem perovskite solar cells which theoretically can achieve 45% efficiency; however, the goal is more likely to be around 30%.
Photo by MICHAEL WILSON on Unsplash
Thus, solar panels have not only upped their game in efficiency, but also drastically reduced their cost and at the end of the day, it is putting money in your pocket.
Money in Your Pocket
How exactly is the money going to be flowing into your pocket? Well, I am glad you asked. Right now the time has never been better to buy solar panels. The government is giving away huge tax incentives for those willing to invest in solar panels. In addition, if you are out during the day, your solar panels are hard at work making that energy; however, since that energy is not being used by your house, the extra energy goes back into the electric grid. You have now become a power plant, fancy right? That means that your energy company will then be writing you a check for adding power to their grid instead of the other way around!
Not only will you be receiving the monthly benefits of a reduced or negative energy bill each month, but you also will be adding value to your home. It has been sited that you will be adding at least 3% to your home’s value when you install the solar panels.
There is also incredible return on your investment (ROI). It can generate 10–30% of your investment per year, many owners pay off their solar panel system in 7–8 years and then are able to reap the benefits of the system for the remainder of the 25+ year lifespan of the solar cells.
Have you heard of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SERCs)? they are a way for you to sell your kWhs for a certificate that you can then sell to potential buyers. 1000 kWhs will equal a single SERC that you can sell for up to $300 in some states!
Must I go on?
I don’t know if you have been keeping track, I know I haven’t. Especially with all the moving the I have been doing throughout my life so far, I haven’t really noticed this, but utility prices have steadily increased from 8.58 cents per kWh in 2001 to over 13.01 cents per kWh in 2019. That increase may not seem like a lot, but multiply that number by the amount of kWh you are spending and it will surely make you change your mind. In general, I use about 750 kWhs for my home each month, so just on a monthly basis I would be paying $33/month which is $397/year; however, since you will be generating all of your own electricity, you aren’t impacted at all! I don’t know about you, but there are plenty of things that I would rather spend that $400 on.
Chart from US Energy Information Administration. Average retail price is indexed in comparison to the average retail price in 2001. As you can see an increase extremely consistently over the 18 years.
This also coincides with U.S. Energy independence from other nations. Instead of depending on other places for fossil fuel resources like oil and natural gas, we would be able to generate all of our own resources here on America soil. Not only would there be our own resources, we also would be creating jobs for people to be solar technicians, installers, salesman, etc. here in the US rather than middlemen over in the Middle East. There would also be a positive job growth and outlook since there isn’t fear of the Sun going out anytime soon like the fear of running out of coal or oil. Solar is here to stay, and will always stay in the same place as well. Many times coal or oil mines will go from one site to the next until they extract all that is profitable for them to extract, creating a bunch of migratory workers; however, with solar those same workers will stay in an area, creating growth for the economy of the town by bringing in consistent wages into the local market, buying houses, getting married, having kids, etc.
Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
Reduce Fossil Fuel Consumption
Now, not only are you getting the benefit of no longer having to pay your energy bill any more, and getting paid by the electric company. You will also be gaining the benefit of no longer being a consumer of fossil fuels and contributing to the climate crisis. You will be a member of the solution, instead of part of the problem. The climate crisis is the one thing that will change the outlook of our lives for the rest of our lives. If we can solve this problem, we will in turn be solving a variety of other issues (Animal conservation, public health, social injustice, climate refugees, etc.) at the same time.
Now you may say that you are just one person, one house in millions of houses in the United States. It is not going to make a difference; however, consider the fact that we as human beings are very social creatures. We are influenced by those people around us, if we see that another person in our neighborhood has solar panels, we are more likely to purchase solar panels as well.
Solar panels are the future of energy…are you ready to make the commitment to start having an energy system that works for you? | https://medium.com/@billy-fetzner/why-you-should-install-solar-panels-on-your-home-7358f64e8e4c | ['Billy Fetzner'] | 2020-12-27 10:46:03.520000+00:00 | ['Home Improvement', 'Renewable Energy', 'Sustainability', 'Solar Energy', 'Solar Power'] |
The Redesign of Everyday Things | I also added an additional feel feature as feedback to the user to feel the temperature that the user may want to set it to. The thermostat was a non-programmable one that is, it didn’t automatically sense the temperature and set it, but instead, the user had to do it themselves.
Feedback: My first iteration did not succeed in meeting the user needs effectively as the design wasn’t intuitive enough and did not provide enough feedforward. The controls also lacked visual coupling and were sparsely placed. Also, the fact that it was a non-programmable thermostat didn’t connect well with the users during the critique session and they felt that programmable thermostats would be more helpful.
The insights I learned from this iteration were,
“You are not the user of your system.” “Test and iterate more before zeroeing down on one design.”
Second Iteration
To begin with my second iteration, I improved the feedforward and coupling of the device by making the controls link visually with the information they displayed on the screen. I also chose to make it a programmable thermostat and make it a hands-free experience for the users.
I conducted A/B Testing to understand as to what alignment did people prefer for their control and what they thought had better visual coupling and feedforward. I conducted think-alouds with users to understand what problems they had in completing a certain task and also got general feedback about the design and how it was similar or different from their thermostat. | https://medium.com/pb-portfolio/the-redesign-of-everyday-things-f80254206d96 | ['Payal Bhujwala'] | 2020-02-21 14:08:20.054000+00:00 | ['User Centered Design', 'UX Design', 'Interaction Design', 'Product Design'] |
Anatomy of Bitcoin Transactions | In this post, we will deconstruct a Bitcoin transaction. A typical Bitcoin transaction is made up of inputs, outputs and a few other things, just like any other transfer. In Bitcoin, these senders and receivers are identified using addresses that can be viewed as bank account numbers. The difference between the bank account numbers and Bitcoin addresses is that the account numbers are integers, but Bitcoin addresses are hexadecimal numbers that cannot be linked to a person’s identity.
Let’s say Alice wants to send some Bitcoins to Bob; she would ask for Bob’s address. The addresses of Alice and Bob are as follows:
· Alice’s address- 18kwhcbb3J1rMkCcsbaVv1jJX5BdvqcCf5 (Base58 encoded)
· Alice’s address- 0055186DA52ACA9E8F0AC4B476AC447CD7704B13EB472047C4 (decoded)
· Bob’s address- 1BZmjFAHBmfexsY3dposiyD2vFGb3BZ4jm (Base58 encoded)
· Bob’s address — 0073E3E7ECED8184211684C98F367E7B6AF82F091868D3E9FC decoded)
(Note: Base58 encoding is a binary to text scheme which used to represent a large integer in the alphanumeric text)
As discussed earlier, a Bitcoin transaction contains inputs and outputs. In addition, it has version and lock time. Thus, a transaction looks like this:
· Version number
The version number is the current version of Bitcoin and the value stored in this field is 01000000, which is a hex representation of value 1. This value can change if there is a change in protocol in which the transactions are modified. If a miner node has a version 1 client, then he can only verify transaction of type version 1. The size of this field is 4 bytes.
(Note: The version number is stored using the little-endian format. Thus, the least significant number is stored at the least or first memory address. So, if we convert 01000000 number into a 32-bit integer, the value is equal to 1. If you want to learn about little endian click here)
· Lock time
Lock time is the date when this transaction becomes valid. It is generally set to 0, which means it is valid ASAP. If you set it to 0, the value stored in the field is 00000000. This field is also of 4 bytes.
· Inputs
In Bitcoin Blockchain, a transaction contains the input field, which[VK1] contains a reference to the past transactions. Here, there are only 2 ways of earning Bitcoin:
o Mining
If you are mining and add a Block to the Blockchain, you get a reward. This reward is called a Block reward. Block rewards are generated from thin air. There is a special type of transaction that called a Coinbase transaction, which the miner puts in the block while mining, where the miner assigns the block reward to themself.
o Sent by another user
The second way of getting Bitcoins is if someone sends some to you. So, when you want to spend some Bitcoin, you need to prove that you hold the Bitcoins that you are spending. This is done by referencing old transactions in which you got the Bitcoins and have them saved with you. For this example, let’s say, Dave sent 1.2 BTC to Alice. This transaction is unspent, so Alice will use it as an input to this transaction in which she is sending Bob 1 BTC. This input field contains 5 things:
a. Transaction hash of the previous transaction
b. Index for specifying which output of that transaction is been used
c. The length of the signature script
d. The signature script
e. Transaction sequence
a. Transaction hash of the previous transaction. The transaction is used as an identifier of the previous transaction. This field length is 32 bytes. This transaction is also called UTXO and is double hashed using SHA-256; the resultant is called transaction hash. Let’s say the previous transaction hash is 8190374a5a1feb54…..
b. Index for specifying which output of that transaction is been used. The previous transaction that has been used as an input in this transaction may contain multiple outputs. So, this field specifies the index number of the output, which is to be used as input.
c. The length of the following script. The script is the signature script used to verify the sender. This field is used to specify the length of it.
d. This is the signature script. It is generally 106 bytes long. Whenever a user sends a transaction, it contains a signature script which is run by the miner for verification. (Note: In our example, we have put the output of the script which is the opcode version of the script. The script is as follows:
<sig><pubKey> OP_DUP OP_HASH160 <pubKeyHash> OP_EQUALVERIFY OP_CHECKSIG)
e. This field is irrelevant unless transaction lock time>0. Its value is generally FFFFFFFF.
Number of inputs
This field is used to tell how many inputs are used in the input field. A transaction can contain more than one UTXO. Because the transaction may not be enough, for example, if you want to send 6 BTC to someone and you 4 UTXO of 1.5 each. Here, the number of inputs will be 4 and you will have 4 transaction hashes and 4 indexes accordingly. In this example, we have only one 1 input. Thus, the transaction would look like as follows:
Multiple outputs
Just like inputs, there can be multiple outputs as well. Thus, if you are sending someone Bitcoins and the input value is greater than what are you sending, the change will be returned to your address. An output transaction will be created, which allows you to send the change to your address. Thus, in this case, you will have 2 outputs. Apart from the example given, you can have multiple receivers in a transaction as well. If you wish to send some Bitcoins to multiple people, you can do it in one transaction. The value of this field for this example will be 01.
Output
The output contains the receiver’s address and the amount of Bitcoins being transferred. It contains 3 fields.
o The amount to be transferred
o The length of the script
o The address script (Note: The pay-to-public-key-hash type of transaction, where the payment is done to the public key hash).
a. The output of Alice’s transaction will contain Bob’s address and the amount of Bitcoins being transferred, for example, 1 BTC. But, the unit used to transfer BTC is in Satoshi, were 1 Bitcoin = 100000000 Satoshi. So, when Alice is sending Bob 1 BTC, she is sending 100000000Satoshi. But, this value is stored in hexadecimal number in the field and the output will contain a hexadecimal form of 100000000 Satoshi, which is00E1F50500000000. The amount field is 16 bytes in length.
b. The length of the following script is generally of 25 bytes and its hexadecimal representation is 19.
c. This is the locking script. To spend the BTC sent by Alice, Bob should have the respective public key. When Bob tries to spend this UTXO, it will be verified if Bob holds the public key, which when hashed will give the same value as the UTXO script’s public key. This field is generally 25 bytes long. (Note: The picture contains the output of the script. This script is as follows: OP_DUP HASH160 <public key> OP_EQUALVERIFY OP_CHECKSIG)
This is what a Bitcoin transaction looks like. Now, go through this article again and make sure you have internalized the concepts. | https://medium.com/blockchain-editorial/anatomy-of-bitcoin-transactions-e5ad47f01e31 | ['Verified On Chain'] | 2018-09-25 05:23:14.987000+00:00 | ['Transactions', 'Pay To Public Key Hash', 'Blockchain', 'P2pkh', 'Bitcoin'] |
Interview With Pete Hartigan, Managing Partner, Marketplace Funds | “Having been on both sides — an approach of “no surprises” helps create a productive work environment. Like any good relationships — the key is communication (proactively), & getting into business with people with the same values”
Portfolio ventures that are going great need almost no support, and the ones that are in the bottom aren’t worth helping. Apart from the two extremes, how do you know how much effort, time, persistent to put in the ones that are somewhere in the middle?
I started my business career in 1993, and spent about half as a venture capitalist (Boston & San Francisco) & half an as entrepreneur (unicorn, middle & zero), engaged with teams, investors & boards (member, observer, committee member, etc) at many stages & cultural styles over the years.
What I have learned is that building a company is hard work. CEOs / Executive Teams / Boards / Investors need support at every stage to be honest — whether the company is doing well, having a challenge getting to market or somewhere in the middle.
The key is “fit”. CEOs / Entrepreneurs get very frustrated with Investor / Board Members who create work that is a distraction. Investors get frustrated with CEOs / Teams when they don’t understand that their mandate is to make money for their LPs & if formally on the board they have a dual fiduciary (duty of care as a board fiduciary for all shareholders & to make money for their investors.)
Having been on both sides — an approach of “no surprises” helps create a productive work environment. Like any good relationships — the key is communication (proactively), & getting into business with people with the same values, so that whether things work out or not, everyone feels they did the best they could along the journey together in service.
Personally — I try to allocate my time where I can be of most assistance. That has evolved over the years, as I gained different types of experience. I try to customize for each CEO. That said, there are many styles to be a productive investor & it depends upon the CEO & board.
How do you balance your time between (1) sourcing quality prospect ventures (2) doing due diligence for prospective investments and (3) helping current entrepreneurs? Which of these are you comfortable outsourcing to principals/analysts and which do you absolutely have to do yourself?
In my first job back in 1993, we emulated TA’s proactive deal flow approach — initially created by Jackie Morby back in 1978. For me, she is historic for the venture industry. Many of us tried to emulate her proactive approach. From that lens, I am very open to building a team which generates deal flow if appropriate for your firm.
As far as helping with portfolio management, I think the key is that she/he has high EQ and is optimized to adding material value for a CEO & minimizing being disruptive.
This does not mean there are not constructive conflicts, if helpful for all involved; however, discussions are always best when both sides understand each other & there are “no surprises”, at least as much as possible on all sides. In general however, my view is to optimize “fit” for a team members roles to what they are naturally good at & how she/he wants to evolve her/his career.
Many GPs are good investors but don’t master one of the core skills — adding value as a board member. What do you think are some tricks to a productive relationship with founders? What should the culture be for the board and CEO for a quality relationship?
If an investor is truly not good at adding value as a board member, she/he should learn to become a fiduciary — possibly by being a board observer, formal training, or mentorship. I strongly do “not” believe in “tricks” with founders. In fact, I feel quite the opposite, especially have been on that side as well. I believe relationships between founders & investors are strongest with understanding & a feeling of care, even (especially) when the discussions are the tough ones.
The culture for a CEO & Board for a quality relationship? I think there are a few primitives for all relationships — understanding, respectful conversations, open communication and availability. I guess it’s the golden rule of “treat others like you would like to be treated”. That said, in addition to the baseline primitives, my initial instinct is to nudge both investors & CEOs to be adaptable, good listeners, & find common ground.
Nowadays, mental health is more present than ever, with things like burnout, stress, depression, among others. What do you think of external intervenients like executive coaches, both for a founder and for a VC partner? Do they usually add value?
I serve on the board of a company focused on mental / behavior health. Technology enables “access” for help at near zero marginal cost, so from that standpoint I suppose it is ever more present. I think its a personal decision if someone wants to utilize an executive coach (or a therapist if clinical assistance is more appropriate).
What I really believe is that both physical and mental health is important for all involved. If you are not fit, it would probably be best to remove yourself (in a manner without surprises), or adjust your role so that you feel comfortably physically / mentally.
How do you solve important conflicts with CEOs, such as lack of alignment on exits, strategy, or just the CEO being in denial about things like performance? Does the resolution begin with a private conversation or with involving other board members in a decision?
My personal view is the CEO is the CEO. If a board no longer trusts the CEO, then the board should professionally start a process (ideally with the CEO’s support) in a transition. If the board trusts the CEO, then what I try to do is optimize to each CEO in a manner custom to her / him. Sometimes that means staying out of her/his way, other times it means being proactive.
Who is the right “messenger” depends on the CEO / Team / Board Members & what the topic is. If you have for example a Comp Committee, the Chair of the Comp Committee can be the voice for the committee most of the time, some with Audit / Risk Committee, Nominations/Governance, etc.
If the committee Chair is doing a good job — super. Each CEO is different.Each company culture is different. Each board member & board culture is different. Once you establish a fiduciary baseline together, then how to get things done tends to be custom to those involved, leveraging helpful primitives like open communication, respect, understanding, etc.
Each company culture is different. Each board member & board culture is different. Once you establish a fiduciary baseline together, then how to get things done tends to be custom to those involved, leveraging helpful primitives like open communication, respect, understanding, etc.
When raising money from LPs, what is the thing you emphasize the most when “selling” the fund? Past returns? Team expertise (domain and/or entrepreneurial expertise)? Unique angle?
The relationship with LPs is a relationship, so “fit” is key. LPs usually appreciate that you say what you are going to do & then do it (ie “no surprises” as the goal). They seem to appreciate regular and professional communication, so if things are going well or not, they are informed.
Clearly everyone is happiest when everyone makes money at the level of risk-reward they were anticipating. However, in the moments where things don’t work out as well, an LP usually appreciates professional communication through the cycle of the relationship.
LPs, GPs, Entrepreneurs — at the end of they day usually can sense “integrity” (level of integrity) — if each person tries to do the right thing, especially under moments of material stress, then business trust forms naturally over all of our careers, at whatever level each of us earn.
Key Lessons from Pete | https://medium.com/@vascopatricio/interview-with-pete-hartigan-managing-partner-marketplace-funds-544ea7ad4fba | ['Vasco Patrício'] | 2020-02-07 12:40:09.729000+00:00 | ['Venture Capital', 'Alternative Investments', 'Startups'] |
Why 2020 Has Been A Traumatic Year For Scientists | For as long as human civilization has existed, those societies that have embraced science have had a distinct advantage over those who’ve rejected it in favor of an ideological worldview. Our distant ancestors underwent an evolutionary split, where some great apes millions of years ago developed stronger jaws, while others developed weaker jaws, enabling their skulls to house larger and more intelligent brains. Although both types were able to survive for a time — both accessing tough-to-crack nuts in different ways, one with stronger jaws and the other through the use of tools — the large-brained apes were able to meet evolutionary challenges that the strong-jawed apes could not. Being more adaptable, our large-brained ancestors survived, thrived, and reproduced, eventually giving rise to our species.
Technological advances, themselves made possible because of scientific advances, have been the hallmarks of successful civilizations. Civilizations that first mastered ironworking had a tremendous advantage over societies still stuck in the bronze age; societies with superior agricultural practices can feed larger populations; technological advances continue to drive military and industrial productivity forwards. And yet, as a global pandemic took the world by storm in 2020, many leaders, nations, and citizens worldwide rejected science in favor of ideologically driven reasoning, leading to an entirely preventable and yet ongoing catastrophe. Here’s why this year has been especially hard on scientists of all varieties.
Chinese students and their supporters hold a memorial for Dr. Li Wenliang, who was the whistleblower of the Coronavirus, Covid-19, that originated in Wuhan, China and caused the doctor’s death in that city. Despite Li’s heroism, the pandemic has claimed the lives of more than a million worldwide, and is currently surging around the globe. (MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
At the very beginning of this year, we started hearing information about a new type of virus — a novel coronavirus — that had begun infecting people in Wuhan province, China. After a December 30, 2019 infection struck a number of patients who began exhibiting symptoms that appeared to be SARS-like, Dr. Li Wenliang of China publicly started sharing information about this new disease. Like many new contagions, this one was airborne and easily spread from person-to-person. On January 10, Li himself became infected after treating a patient with the novel coronavirus, his own infection was confirmed on January 30. Li died on February 7, 2020.
Although it now appears the Chinese government attempted to cover up this virus in the earliest stages, Li was instrumental in sounding the alarm. This was a time of great uncertainty, as we did not know:
how this virus was spread,
how lethal it was,
how significantly it impacted different age groups,
what sorts of short-term and long-term dangers it posed,
how long post-infection immunity lasted,
and what the risks were to people with different risk factors.
And yet, heading into this pandemic, humanity was better prepared to respond from a scientific perspective than ever before.
Maintaining a sufficient physical distance of 2 meters or more is a highly recommended intervention in reducing our exposure to one another’s viral loads, but it is far less effective when it isn’t combined with mask wearing. This image, from the early days of the pandemic, help illustrate how much we’ve learned about the virus over the course of the year. (MARIJAN MURAT/PICTURE ALLIANCE VIA GETTY IMAGES)
Expert professionals, from virologists to epidemiologists to disease ecologists to public health specialists, began mobilizing. Travel bans were recommended; quarantines and lockdowns were recommended; plans were put in place to issue masks to every citizen and to enforce new guidelines to stop the spread of this disease. In a worst-case scenario, no mitigation efforts would be taken; the skyrocketing death rates we were seeing in the largest cities that were slowest to respond to the pandemic would become ubiquitous.
As expected, the virus rapidly tore across much of the world. Cases were reported in many countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Initial infection rates spiked, as many countries failed to respond quickly. When the responses did come, they were profound: almost everyone was given a shelter-in-place order, ordered not to leave their house except for essentials. In-person businesses closed temporarily; restaurants went to pick-up only; many recommended wearing masks; we began sanitizing our hands and surfaces; social distancing became ubiquitous.
All over the world, governments paid their citizens and permanent residents to stay home and stay safe. Everywhere, that is, except the United States. People were faced with an unconscionable choice: either go to work unsafely to earn your living, or stay home without adequate resources to do so.
Anti-face mask protesters and coronavirus skeptics attend Anti-Covid Freedom March in Krakow, Poland on October 10, 2020. Many participants did not cover their mouths and noses, and they did not maintain social distance. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
At a time where the people of this world needed the best scientific measures possible to keep us safe — in the United States and beyond — the best recommendations that science had to offer were not heeded. All of the measures we could take were treated as individual choices rather than mandates: a recipe for disaster. Our initial spike of coronavirus cases waned only slowly, never dropping precipitously as they did in numerous countries all over the world. Right when it was most important to slow the spread of the virus by heeding these measures, people began gathering in large numbers, spreading the virus in record numbers.
In the United States, we haven’t had “waves” of infection, where the infection rate rises, then falls, then rises anew, but rather an initial rise followed only by a slow decline that the surges again, driven by people’s behavior. Spurred on by a politically-driven ideology that claimed, at various times, that:
the virus itself was a hoax,
the symptoms and infection rate were no worse than the common flu,
that getting infected was a one-time deal and reinfections were not possible,
that children were neither harmed by this virus nor were they capable of spreading it,
and that the entire response was a ploy by one political party to take away our basic freedoms,
approximately half of the country has rejected the very measures that were designed to keep them safe.
An unmasked individual doing something as simple as exhaling (top) can send droplet particles large distances, with a high potential for spreading the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Wearing a mask (bottom) significantly reduces the distance that droplets travel, offering some measure of protection to others as well as, to a lesser extent, the wearer. (MATTHEW E. STAYMATES / NIST)
This was the time where we needed science the most. A deadly, invisible, novel disease had come to our backyards, and we were only figuring out what the best response would be. We learned very early on that masks were important, as respiratory droplets and aerosols were the primary means by which the virus spread. Early studies revealed that more distance when you did contact others was good: infection rates declined dramatically with each extra meter (3.3 feet) of space between people. Washing your hands and not gathering with others from outside of your own immediate household was the best protective measure of all.
But that wasn’t what a large fraction of us did. We either convinced ourselves or allowed us to be convinced, without sufficient evidence, that the invisible enemy that is this novel virus wasn’t as bad as the scientific consensus was stating. The same denialist tactics and disinformation campaigns that have been a part of our culture for decades — surrounding issues like tobacco use, environmental pollutants, greenhouse gas emissions, vaccinations, and other vital public health measures — successfully pitted our best scientific results against our ideologies.
Although the CO2 emissions produced by the United States this past year is still 13% below the 2005 maximum produced in this country, the world’s total emissions have jumped by 23% since that same time. The past few years have seen a continued increase in global greenhouse gas emissions, as energy use has taken off in recent years, largely due to computing uses. Many still doubt the realities of climate change. (US ENERGY INFORMATION ASSOCIATION / EIA.GOV)
This is the real nightmare of scientists everywhere: that we will be put in a position where our job isn’t to find the best, most scientifically sound solution to the puzzles and problems facing us, but rather to convince each and every person, individually, that following the recommendations of science is the correct course of action for them.
It’s shown us, in no uncertain terms, what practically every scientist has as their worst nightmare: that in a very real way, we are all in the same boat as climate scientists. Despite all the effort we put in to learn how our little area of specialty concerning the world and Universe works, all the time we spent correcting our preconceptions, all the years studying and problem solving and experimenting and comparing theories with data, none of that mattered.
If it conflicted with someone’s gut, someone’s personal beliefs, or someone’s political ideology, nothing you did, said, or knew mattered. You cannot reason someone out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) wear protective masks while talking after a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. Although this meeting took place on July 31, we still do not have a national plan in place to contain the virus or vaccine the entire population. (Erin Scott-Pool/Getty Images)
There is a real information epidemic in our country and in our world, with people using whatever facts they can find that support their worldview, rather than forming a worldview informed by facts and well-reasoned conclusions. Instead of deferring to experts — where “experts” means following the conclusions of the overwhelming majority of professional experts actively working in their field — we listen only to the experts who already agree with us. As the legendary philosopher Frank Zappa once put it,
“One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people’s minds.”
Adhering to anti-science beliefs should be a non-starter in all instances, but we continue to not only accept and normalize it, but to give those who reject basic scientific facts a prominent platform in our society. As a result, this year has seen serious discussions of the flat Earth, people claiming we didn’t land on the Moon, that black holes don’t exist, and that vaccines, fluoride, and genetically modified organisms are fundamentally unhealthy, unsafe, and unnatural. Meanwhile, our scientific infrastructure is literally collapsing, with the Arecibo telescope — inadequately dealt with for more than 3 years (since Hurricane Maria hit in 2017) — suffering a catastrophic failure.
This aerial view shows the damage at the Arecibo Observatory after a second main cable, holding the receiver, broke in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, on December 1, 2020. The radio telescope in Puerto Rico collapsed when its 900-ton receiver platform fell 450 feet (140 meters) and smashed onto the radio dish below. (RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images)
As the year winds down, the rejection of vaccines is the ultimate slap-in-the-face to scientists and medical professionals who have tried their best to persevere through these trying times. Many of us have continued to work on increasing human knowledge and saving lives during this time of tragedy, culminating in the development of a new type of vaccine: one based on mRNA. Instead of injecting someone with a live or dead or weakened virus, they inject them with mRNA, a type of nucleic acid that’s an essential part of life processes.
The mRNA is a little piece of code that tells your cells, “produce this protein,” and it does. The body then produces an immune response — antibodies (B-cells) and a cell-mediated response (T-cells) — preventing infection in nearly 95% of cases and resulting, at least so far, in zero serious/critical/fatal infections. Just as we should all be embracing this incredible boon to public health and learning all we can about this new vaccine, vaccine-rejection by the public appears to be at an all-time high.
Dr. Andrew Terranella (EIS, 2010) processes blood samples during a December, 2010, epi-aid investigation of whooping cough in central Ohio. Despite widespread vaccination, pertussis has persisted in vaccinated populations, as immunity wanes and the bacterium that causes it, Bordetella pertussis, mutates over time. A low vaccination rate has negative health implications for us all. (NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (NIOSH))
This rejection of science is happening even during a time where the United States is experiencing our deadliest days. Over 17 million Americans have been infected, over 6 million actively have a COVID-19 infection right now, and more than 310,000 people have died. Many have acquired long-term conditions:
deficits in pulmonary function,
smell, taste, and other neurological deficits,
joint inflammation,
liver damage,
increased risks of cardiovascular events like strokes and heart attacks,
as well as likely long-term damage that is still being uncovered. Meanwhile, an increasing number of people who contracted the coronavirus and had recovered are now being reinfected.
There is no intellectual way to reach those who refuse scientific information. In all other cases, the only successful intervention has been to make and enforce laws. Indoor smoking bans and mandatory seat belt laws were once controversial issues, and someday we will view adherence to public health policy in the same way. As it stands right now, however, we are actively seeing that millions of people would literally rather die than have to admit to themselves that they were wrong, the scientists were right, and they are the ones who must change their minds and their behavior.
Protesters dressed in black clothes gather in front of Real Palace in Madrid, staging a mock funeral. The international movement ‘Red Alert’ organized a performance depicting the funeral of the entertainment and live events industry, one of the hardest hit employment sectors by the coronavirus pandemic. In many countries, insufficient government aid has exacerbated the spread of the virus. (Rafael Bastante/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
There is no hiding from the fact that we live in a world where people believe they are free to pick-and-choose which scientific facts and conclusions they can accept for themselves. Your expertise — what you know and how you know it — is inconsequential if it conflicts with someone’s personal, religious, or political beliefs. And if you think that your field is safe because you work in the sciences, you haven’t been paying attention.
The death toll and the long-term damage being done by this pandemic and our unscientific response to it is going to be felt for a long time. The knowledge and understanding that many of us have spent our lifetimes gaining and working to further will be treated as absolutely valueless and completely expendable by a large fraction of our society. Until we can create a scientifically literate society, one where the populace is aware of what science is and appreciates the benefits that we gain as a society from listening to it, we will be subject to whatever whims the ideologies-of-the-day favor.
Whether we’re ready for it or not, 2020 is coming to an end and 2021 is almost upon us. There’s so much each and every one of us doesn’t know. Perhaps it’s time to foster a newfound respect for those of us who have cultivated a bona fide expertise that we ourselves lack. The future of our society depends on it. | https://medium.com/starts-with-a-bang/why-2020-has-been-a-traumatic-year-for-scientists-f80bb552c37d | ['Ethan Siegel'] | 2020-12-23 15:02:18.472000+00:00 | ['Trauma', 'Coronavirus', 'Science', 'Covid', 'Society'] |
Mongolians are more in debt now than ever | Mongolians are more in debt now than ever
But they are also richer
The economy is picking up steam in Mongolia. This is good news for the country’s businesses, who can hope the economic growth will translate to more money in peoples pockets. However, in a country that has experienced dramatic up and down swings of the economy, hope may not be in large supply.
As I always tell my students, if you have a question, dig into it and test your hypothesis. My hypothesis is that debt levels may be reaching a critical amount that the economy can no longer bear. This will result in a lack of free cash for regular citizens and a weakening of non-mining economic growth. But hey, don’t take my word for it. Let’s look at the data.
A huge amount of construction has taken place in recent years along with an increase in average salaries. Financing all of this building are commercial loans and also a government backed mortgage program offering the lowest rates in the country. This has led to an explosion of outstanding loans to finance the building of apartments and businesses.
Below I’ve charted outstanding loans and deposits from 2001–2016 (the most recent year available from the national statistical office). After the mining boom in the early 2010’s loans skyrocketed. | https://medium.com/mongolian-data-stories/mongolians-are-more-in-debt-now-than-ever-7f797e448f77 | ['Robert Ritz'] | 2018-05-08 08:26:01.447000+00:00 | ['Data Analysis', 'Debt', 'Mongolia', 'Tableau', 'Data Visualization'] |
The Rise and Fall of Rudy Giuliani | The Rise and Fall of Rudy Giuliani
The mayor that America loved.
Photo by Thomas Svensson from Pexels
In the days after September 11, 2001, the Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, became a household name. Dubbed the Mayor of America for his heroism during 9/11, Giuliani rose from a dwindling second term to the pinnacle of his career.
Before the horrific terrorist attack on American soil, I had never heard of Mr. Giuliani. Afterward, this man was all over the news media, magazines, and T.V.
However, eventually, he faded from the limelight. Giuliani returned to private practice until his bid for the Republican 2008 Presidential nomination. He conceded though and endorsed John McCain.
Over the course of the past four years, the world has witnessed Rudi, aka, Trump’s lawyer, in the limelight again. It seems he has become erratic in his speech and behavior. Giuliani grabs the spotlight whenever he can, and spews misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Curious at his decline, I became intrigued and set about to discover the rise and fall of Rudy Giuliani.
Early Years
Rudy Giuliani grew up in a middle-class family in Brooklyn, New York. Being a Catholic, at one point, he considered the priesthood but decided on law school. His family’s emphasis on strength and character deeply impacted his life.
Those values influenced Giuliani’s stance on honesty and lawfulness when he was a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York. His tough policies lowered the crime rate and led to the prosecution of New York City crime bosses.
After Giuliani won the 1993 race for mayor, he set about to reform the police department’s policy practices using the broken windows theory targeting minor crimes. This theory suggests that minor crimes such as loitering, public drinking, and jaywalking help to create an atmosphere of lawlessness.
By removing sex clubs and panhandlers, Giuliani promoted a family-friendly environment in Times Square. Businesses, theaters, and the arts returned to attract and strengthen community pride.
9/11 Memory
I remember the morning of September 11, 2001, while I was watching the breaking news of the Twin Towers right after the terror attack occurred. I sat in horror as the second plane plowed into the South Tower at 9:03.
Then, the North Tower seemed to shimmer against the clear sky. Before I finished my thought, That building is going to fall…. The tower collapsed.
I think the nation took a collective gasp for air.
I was home sick from work, or else I would not have watched the day America changed. The image is burned in my heart forever.
America’s Mayor
Mayor Rudy Giuliani was two blocks away from the Twin Towers trying to reach the Vice-President when everything went black. The resulting debris from the blast severely damaged or destroyed more than a dozen other adjacent and nearby structures.
Giuliani emerged onto Church Street covered in white ash. He walked north for two miles, comforting people along the way such as a police officer and reporters. Giuliani arrived on the scene only to watch a man leap to his death.
He stopped at a fire station and called a T.V. station, beseeching the city to remain calm. This was the day Giuliani made history. A few hours later, Governor Pataki held a press conference, and Giuliani stepped up to the podium.
In a soft voice, he spoke words affirming the tragedy and the victims. Looking out to the viewers and the families of the victims, he let America know his heart was with them.
Giuliani remained steadfast throughout the ordeal. He made hard decisions, organized command centers, and brought the people of America together. Support poured in for firefighters, police officers, first responders, and family members of victims.
In addition, Mayor Giuliani attended the funerals of victims, sought the advice of experts, and remained transparent about the problems he faced as mayor. He continued to emphasize that Americans must help one another in that collective hour of grief.
Within a short time, Giuliani shot to meteoric fame. Time Magazine named him Person of the Year. Queen Elizabeth II named Giuliani Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his “outstanding help and support to the bereaved British families in New York.”
The Decline of Rudy
Almost 20 years later, however, we see a different man. A long-time ally of Trump, Giuliani threw his support behind the Presidential Nominee at the 2016 Republican National Convention. After the election, Giuliani became Trump’s side-kick, filling a series of roles
From advising on the Muslim ban to becoming an international fixer of global crises, Giuliani was ready to serve. Happy to oblige his boss’s bidding, he trotted all over the world investigating and compiling dossiers of unfounded claims about Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
It is still unclear the message Giuliani wanted to convey regarding Hunter’s involvement in Ukraine. I for one am confounded by his theories.
Not operating in any official capacity for the U.S. government, Giuliani inserted himself in foreign relations on behalf of Trump. Then he made a mess of things.
Settling into his role as Trump’s lawyer, he garnered the spotlight again. Giuliani’s involvement in Ukraine prompted a whistleblower complaint to be filed that resulted in Trump’s impeachment.
Giuliani’s shenanigans have caused social media, and even his diminishing circle of friends, to question his authenticity and loyalty to the American people. We could trust him two decades ago, but now? Not so much.
In his most recent appearance at a news conference on November 2020, Giuliani attempted to spew more political rhetoric, hoping to overturn the election results. I sadly watched and wondered how he has come to this while the hair dye dripped down the sides of his face.
The Mayor everybody loved and respected, has fallen.
Will he ever realize the error of his ways? I hope so. In these crazy and desperate times, we need another strong calming voice to listen to our troubles and give us hope. Someone to laugh with us, love with us, and grieve with us.
Rudy, please come back to us. | https://medium.com/illumination-curated/the-rise-and-fall-of-rudy-giuliani-eeff6beaffdb | ['Debbie Walker'] | 2020-12-15 19:08:32.359000+00:00 | ['Politics', 'Society', 'Life', 'Culture', 'America'] |
Building the First Digital Farming Community for Farmers in Thailand | The intrapreneurial journey in building a new business through innovation
Prelude
Being born in Bangladesh in the ’80s, I saw a different narrative of the country growing up as a child than the most new-generation urban kids born later in the ’90s. Most of the year, I was living in the lush green military bases with almost untamed natural habitats surrounding them, and our annual long holidays were spent at my maternal grandparent’s countryside home at the heart of a beautiful northern village called Rampura. One thing remained very common between both places. I would look out of my windows and see farmers cultivating their lands around the year, and would see the whole crop cycle unfolding before my eyes. When we would visit our grandparents’ place for the holidays, my days and weeks were spent with the farmers and their families in the neighborhood. I would join their harvesting festivals, their daily conversations over several cups of tea along with bhapa pitha, a local steamed rice cake made with solid chunks of molasses. I would hear the stories of great harvest and witness first hand their tears of loss from their past farming seasons. During those weeks spent over cold winter, I would join with their families for a hearty meal sitting around a clay stove that would keep us all warm as we would chatter about their hopes and dreams for a better life. This was part of almost every year of my childhood for 14–15 years.
Why I moved to dtac and took on the job to head innovation
17 years later, as I was done delivering on the promise of digitizing the largest telco in Bangladesh (Grameenphone) — building the digital channels and distribution while setting up an amazing team that would carry on my legacy — I was ready to move out of my comfort zone and explore opportunities beyond Bangladesh. The opportunity to work for dtac showed up, but there was no clear direction as to what my focus to drive as the Innovation Head would be. The task was rather to get on board and tell the management where should dtac invest next to find new business opportunities beyond the traditional telco.
Driving innovation and new businesses from a corporate (the journey of being an intrapreneur)
When I joined dtac in March 2019, I took a look around the company to see if there was anything from the existing business that I could pivot into a new business, and luckily, I found one — CSR project called ‘Smart Agri’ that dtac was already dedicating for over a decade in Thailand. The solution was simple agriculture-related information sharing with the farmers, first starting out as SMSs and later moving into a static mobile app in partnership with RBK Foundation. While the impact was still limited due to the CSR nature and focused only on dtac users at that time, the narrative to help the Thai agriculture industry at large instantly struck a chord from my childhood. All the memories from my childhood years with and around farmers started pouring in, and I knew I was clear in my vision of what we needed to do next. I showed the then management my vision to transform the Thai farmers with a digital platform that will move away from the existing CSR initiatives into a sustainable commercial model that’s most needed. We also proposed to do it in partnership with another big global corporate with no prior relationship with dtac/Telenor. It took us almost 6 months to convince everyone, and I put my own career on the line to take a bet on digital farming as a new innovation business opportunity for dtac that’s worth exploring. I was given a 6 months window to prove a POC and get a go-ahead to actually turning it into a commercial project in dtac. The clock was ticking and it was time to walk the talk!
The journey of Kaset GO
Driving innovation and building a new business in a corporate is always one of the toughest things to do. Most people within telcos often don’t come from non-telco backgrounds, and even if they do, it’s really difficult to make sense of businesses that don’t exist. However, I was really lucky to have the dtac management team to sponsor this ambition and empower me, K. Praphan, and my dtac team (including the amazing Yara team led by Andy Leong, my co-founder in this project along with Karen Chua in establishing the strategic partnership, and the rest of the talented team members from Yara) to build this dream. Not to mention the equal endorsement and strategic guidance from the Yara management. Without their sponsorship and support, this collaboration wouldn’t have come this far.
Almost the full team behind Kaset GO, and of course my eyes were closed as I was dreaming!
Kaset GO, the first digital farming community platform in Thailand, and most likely in the SEA, is the result of a unique partnership between dtac and Yara. For the first time in history, these two companies joined hands to bring their unique capabilities in delivering something novel for the market.
The journey of the Kaset GO digital platform partnership formally started back in June 2019. At that time, we didn’t even have a name, just two self-organizing teams from two different companies trying to make sense of the different cultures and ways of work while researching the farmers across Thailand for a potential solution.
Given our agile team structure from the start, we were able to move fast and set up a functional cadence for the teams to execute our first prototype. The team followed various design thinking principles to take in as many inputs as possible while we were in the field listening to the farmers, developing our HMW (How Might We) questions, drawing up countless sketches, making a paper-prototype to run very early-stage user testing, and then coming back to the drawing board to repeat the same process again. After several rounds of customer immersion, validation, and internal war-room debates, we finally agreed to test our hypothesis of building a farmer-driven community that would be the most ideal platform approach based on the inputs received directly from the farmers. With USD 100K as seed money jointly put in by dtac and Yara to build the prototype, we went back to the field and hired a 3rd party agency to run neutral research on the acceptance and validation for this digital farming platform. We only had 10 weeks to deliver a working solution and roll out our POC (Proof of Concept) alpha version of the web-app.
In November 2019, we launched our POC app called ‘Kaset Tong Roo’ among a controlled group of 149 farmers from Rayong and Chanthaburi (two provinces in Thailand). With a physical event organized to introduce the app (without branding it or revealing the brands behind it to stay unbiased), we were sitting behind the dashboard of Google Analytics, waiting eagerly to see what happens next. The result? In less than 2 months’ time, 149 farmers shared and endorsed the app within their circles reaching more than 6,000+ farmers (40x growth) organically. From only two pilot provinces, our app was being used in more than 17 provinces all over Thailand. Farmers validated the community approach and loved the expert 1 to 1 chat feature for more personal deep dive on a particular query.
By this time, we knew we were onto something, and we needed the management go-ahead to build the commercial MVP app with a faster time to market. In February 2020, we passed our management decision check-point and secured the budget to build the main product platform. And 2 weeks later, the world came to an absolute standstill with the lockdown from Covid-19. We were already hurting a lot for not being able to work under one roof as a team (Yara Digital is based out of Singapore, with few resources from Thailand), and with the Covid-19 in the scene, there was no certainty for the team to get together during the pivotal months of developing the MVP product. Luckily enough, we were already collaborating with the best online collaboration tools due to the nature of the partnership and it wasn’t difficult for us to adjust to the new normal. | https://medium.com/@salmanhossain/building-the-first-digital-farming-community-for-farmers-in-thailand-c054549cadde | ['Mirza Salman Hossain Beg'] | 2020-12-21 11:20:41.543000+00:00 | ['Agritech', 'Product Development', 'Entreprenuership', 'Innovation', 'Startup'] |
Semicolon e detalhes do dia a dia | in In Fitness And In Health | https://medium.com/publicitariossc/semicolon-e-detalhes-do-dia-a-dia-8be9e252b5ab | ['Thiago Acioli'] | 2017-05-09 16:12:22.412000+00:00 | ['Sem Categoria', 'Curiosidades', 'Facebook', 'Fotografia', 'Design'] |
A year in ZETA — My journey as a software developer | It all started in December 2019, when ZETA (Directi) hired me during my campus placements at IIT-BHU Varanasi. I was elated. It was a moment of pride as all my hard work had paid off. Joining the Directi group of companies was a dream company for most students. And then I planned a trip to Goa, to celebrate (LOL).
Fast forward to June 2020, the pandemic was in full swing and lockdowns were the talk of the town around the world. My friends and I were skeptical about our onboarding journeys at our various organizations. They say 13 is an unlucky number. July 13, 2020, was my first day at Zeta. This was my first full-time job and I was not sold on the whole virtual onboarding.
Beta @ Zeta — Onboarding Program for new joiners
A few days before my joining, I received a meeting invite to Beta@Zeta. I accepted it and prayed for the best. July 13, 2020. I woke up, put on my formal shirt, and joined the event. I was greeted by this extremely relatable and super enthusiastic person who immediately put me at ease and gave me hope. I wanted to make a great first impression and needed this to go smoothly.
My onboarding was quick and smooth, something that is difficult to do virtually. The name of the program told me about Zeta’s love for greek characters.
A week later, my onboarding was complete, I received my MacBook Pro (and goodies of course), and the necessary basic setup was done.
Now, I was ready to go change the world with code (with a few pitstops on the way).
Team Apollo (Mobile Infra Team)
The next pitstop was a month-long, in-depth technical training. I was joining the Mobile Infra Team (Apollo, more greek references) along with 3 other new joiners Abhishek Vanjani, Rahul Choudhary, and Mohit Singh. We were the clueless Ninja Turtles. Sahil Prakash was my Master Splinter. Sahil’s energy and productivity was (the good kind of) contagious. We were introduced to the Apollo Team, which is lead by Apurva Jaiswal.
The vision of the Apollo team was made clear to us. Create a platform similar to AWS, but for mobile apps. We wanted to make the process of developing a mobile app quick and seamless. We wanted anyone to be able to create an app by changing a few settings on the Apollo platform.
Us Turtles were raring to go.
Apurva Jaiswal gave us confidence and clarity on the vision and a solid roadmap to achieve the same.
Training Project
Just like the Ninja Turtles need to train, practice, and spar before fighting crime in the (fictional) real world, we had our training, a project all new joiners had to complete. We were asked to create a full-fledged app with all the basic flows integrated. Since I was added to the ios team, I was tasked with developing an iOS app. The intention was to give us clarity on the basics of mobile development, the processes the team follows, and write clean and green code. This was my introduction to the world of iOS development.
I had experience working on web development, machine learning, data science, and big data projects. Mobile development was new to me, but I did it. You always remember the first iOS app you develop, and I certainly will remember mine — the Fit Tribe — an app on health and fitness. A special thanks to my mentor Sahil Prakash for his patience with me and my silly queries.
My Home Workstation
The Hustle Began
The technical training and training project provided gave my iOS development journey a running start. Often I sat in awe of the talent in the Apollo Team, but the environment within the team was extraordinary and conducive to learning and innovation. Before I knew it, I was contributing to the various projects the team was working on.
The Tech Journey
A lot has happened over the last year. We have been playing around with the idea of using a modular approach to app development. We wanted each part of an app to be an independent module/SDK. We believe this promotes the reusability of the code, improves manageability, allows for easier debugging, etc.
All Zeta’s apps are built using the Apollo stack. Maintenance of existing apps and improving functionality was just as important as developing new features. The Apollo team uses a rotation policy for this. Each developer works on these tasks for a week before going back to new development. I feel this is a great way to do this. It allows new joiners to work on multiple aspects of the app, all the while learning and improving ourselves.
Server Driven Views
My favorite project the Apollo Team worked on was Server Driven Views.
Views are like Lego blocks. Put a bunch of views together, in a sensible manner, and you have an app. The legacy way of creating views natively in Android and iOS is not very efficient for multiple reasons. For starters, we have to code different UI for both platforms and ensure they are in sync with each other.
To solve these problems, we introduced Server Driven views. It allows us to create views easily and effortlessly. Server Driven Views are powered using Zetlets and Apollo Mario.
Zetlets views are coded using JSON and can be easily interpreted by different platforms, iOS, Android, and web.
Apollo Mario, on the other hand, is used to solve problems such as generating user-specific views, adding dynamic data to the different views, etc. Apollo Mario involves simple configurations that contain details such as the domain events they are listening to, API calls needed to power the UI data, handling user details, etc.
Other Big Projects
One of the prominent tech stacks in Apollo is the Apollo React Native container. It includes all SDKs, modules, and has all basic flows integrated. It is a very diverse and robust framework that can be used to build a new app in just a few hours. Most of our apps are built on the Apollo React Native container.
It provides features such as tour, SSO, secure store, blocker flow, and landing screens flow. Over the last year, we have worked on building and enhancing features on this container.
I have been lucky to work on this and multiple other big projects over the last year, all of which have been the result of a team effort and numerous war rooms.
And the Journey Continues
Life at Zeta is very fast-paced, very thrilling, and very exciting. But it is not all about work at Zeta. We have virtual HITs every Friday.
It has been a year of working from home. We have all gone through some ups and downs. I am grateful to the Apollo team (and all members) for their support.
Did I mention we won an award?
This is an adventure, I’d love to be a part of.
Thank you.
Chetan Singh, Zeta | https://medium.com/@zetablogs/a-year-in-zeta-my-journey-as-a-software-developer-1a462bd535d | ["'Celebration Of Engineering'"] | 2021-08-11 12:20:23.613000+00:00 | ['Zeta', 'Storytelling', 'Year In Review', 'Fintech'] |
Zoom for Teachers: A UX Design Case Study | Target Users
We determined that it was wise to tackle this through age groups of students. Since our problem statement mentioned school teachers, we considered only schools as our focus. All other teaching centres and tuitions were out of the context for us now.
Why did we rule out age group below 13?
Lack of self-motivation and more adult supervision is required
Why did we rule out age group above 17?
Firstly, we had to focus on students from schools. Second, college students are more focused on their work as they have their careers to think about going forward. Even teachers aren’t that concerned in colleges.
So, 13–17 was our focus. They are tech-savvy and mischievous. Therefore, teachers have a tough time controlling them. This is also the age where discipline is a real concern for teachers. The teachers teaching the student of this age group were our primary users now.
User Interview
Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash
We contacted teachers they knew and some via their friends. We also did one interview with a student to understand their perspective. Since we were on a time crunch, we had no time to do a screening and determine who will be our users for the interview. We had to take a shot and honestly, it worked out great. We had some great insights because they all faced issues with zoom. Some of them even moved out of Zoom to other platforms just like our research suggested.
Insights:
Unable to figure out who is asking doubt. They have to always ask who is speaking Never uses breakout-rooms. They were disappointed with the feature and how difficult it was to find it. There is no active discussion most of the teaching is one way Most of the teachers can’t afford graphic or writing tablets to track their thoughts which makes it boring because there are no new insights or scope of new doubts because it’s all in the limited presentations In group discussions, if they are in a breakout-rooms, you can’t look at the students all at once which makes it hard to jump from one to another and then talk to all of them. Cannot share content, media and links easily on Zoom. Faces a lot of problem in maintaining the record for attendance as has to submit the number of present students every day. There is no submission feature for assignments and documents Relies on the family to understand the platform Use Kahoot and Quizlet to attempt interactive quizzes but need 2 devices to stay online and attempt the quiz as well. Doubts have to be mailed to teachers after the class as chat is disabled due to student’s nuisance
Empathy Mapping
We did Empathy mapping to know the user and their perspective. We consolidated our desk research and all the learnings from the interviews into this. This exercise helped us in removing our own perspective and get into the shoes of the user and know their pain points, how they feel, think, what they say, and do while using the product. We made one for both the student and the teacher.
Empathy Map for Teacher
Empathy Map for Student
User Journey
We chose to do User Journey to understand the touchpoints of our users with the app. To be in the users' shoes and understanding each step helped us understand our user’s insights and their gaps and motivations concerning the app.
We only made one map for the teachers because this was we needed to understand. Making one for the student was pointless as that wouldn’t solve anything. | https://medium.com/@srinivas-iyengar8/zoom-for-teachers-a-ux-design-case-study-9436f54e74b8 | ['Srinivas Iyengar'] | 2020-12-02 08:00:36.276000+00:00 | ['UX Design', 'Zoom', 'Hackathons', 'Case Study', 'UI Design'] |
Citizens of the globe | Recently I was sitting in the UK visa application center and it dawned on me how archaic it is that in 2021 we still need to apply for the right to live somewhere. Full disclaimer — I am extremely lucky that I have a New Zealand passport which provides me with a lot of privilege. This conversation is to introduce a concept I want to become a reality in my lifetime.
We live in (an almost) globalized world. You can order food from a local Lebanese joint via an app developed in Denmark, delivered by a driver from Canada who is riding a bike which was designed in the Netherlands. We are richer in terms of experience, culture and innovation due to globalization. Quality of life has arguably improved over the last 40 years due to the ability to share ideas and technology globally.
Unfortunately we still live in a world which is governed and restricted by lines and boarders created in a previous lifetime. Often these lines were drawn on a map with a ruler by rulers who had never even visited the country, let alone the continent.
These boarders, whether artificial or natural, are arbitrary divides but divides which become barriers and roadblocks to achieving a truly globalized world. Restricting the movement of people inadvertently slows, if not stops the sharing of ideas, culture and therefore innovation. A divided world is not one I want to be a part of. Imagine a world where we were not defined or labelled by the place where we were born. Instead we are defined by the conversations, contribution and legacy we create. Our birth place has some impact on our identity, it is an initial anchor. However, it should not become a ball and chain which we drag around for the rest of our lives, preventing us from finding our tribe and our purpose.
Depending on which side of the line you were born still determines far too much. I remember sitting in Marrakesh talking with a man from Algeria. He was a successful entrepreneur who had created a number of innovative companies. He yearned for nothing more than to travel the world and experience different cultures, share ideas and learn about the world we all call home. Due to his passport he was confined to only being able to experience a very small part of the globe. I vividly remember the sadness and disappointment he felt being caged to a corner of the world. We cannot experience the world in its entirety if we are limited to places dictated by the passport we hold. Can we honestly say we share one planet if we do not all have the right to live or visit certain parts of this planet?
Many of my closest companions, conversations and memories are ones which involve people and places which are not New Zealand. Do not get me wrong I am beyond blessed to have been born in one of the most beautiful places, but the real magic happens when I am out of my comfort zone being challenged by ideologies and thinking which is different from my own. Seeing things from different perspectives and realizing there are multiple ways to solve a problem is diversity in its purest form.
How can we truly share ideas and experiences and live in a world which is genuinely diverse if not everyone is able to move freely? The concept of everyone being a citizen of the globe, who has a universal passport should not be a foreign idea, it is only an extension of the EU concept. Everyone should have the right to wander the world which we all share. Imagine being able to roam freely, find your tribe whilst sharing ideas and culture norms along the way? I am convinced this nomadic freedom would instantly result in less conflict, hate and bureaucracy and allow more time to focus on fostering friendships, sharing ideas and ultimately innovation.
Earth will not reach its full potential until everyone is a global citizen with a global passport.
40 years ago John Lennon wrote Imagine, singing “imagine there’s no countries”. Maybe it is finally time to make Lennon’s dream a reality, it really isn’t that hard to do. | https://medium.com/@chloeleech/citizens-of-the-globe-cea3d683cf46 | ['Chloe Leech'] | 2021-07-30 10:07:59.837000+00:00 | ['Diversity', 'Better World', 'Globalization'] |
The End of an Era | The End of an Era
How the use of fossil fuels really ended: with a song
Photo by Evgeni Tcherkasski on Unsplash
I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. You have to believe that I didn’t do it. I just sat there and watched every factory, every plane, every car, all the reserves of fossil fuels, and everything dependent on them going up in flames. And for a tiny moment, less than a minute I swear, I sat there and did nothing. That has made all the difference. | https://medium.com/tempest-in-under-1000/the-end-of-an-era-ad7b7ff7d11f | [] | 2020-05-21 13:07:13.508000+00:00 | ['Short Fiction', 'Fiction', 'Renewable Energy', 'Fossil Fuels', 'Microfiction'] |
Announcement: We Got POP go from strength to strength as Senior BBC Business Partner joins | Christine Mulryne joins POP to drive the future of production after a decade at the BBC, and total funding hits £4M/$4.95M for the venture backed technology startup.
We Got POP are strengthening their position as the leading platform technology for Film & TV Production after further fortification of their team with a senior BBC Business Partner joining this week. Christine Mulryne, has spent 10 years at the BBC in a variety of strategic roles across the full production process, recently as Business Partner to BBC Studios Scripted Production.
Christine Mulryne on joining POP.
Christine has worked for BBC Studios in the Scripted team for six years, working on productions including Good Omens, Doctor Who, Luther, Silent Witness, Three Girls, Casualty and EastEnders. She worked in various business management roles, working with the Heads of Production on operations, compliance, and specialising in accessing UK high-end tax credit. Before that, she worked in corporate governance at the BBC Trust.
A well respected industry finance and governance expert, Christine understands the challenges facing Production Companies and has joined POP to be part of their mission to use technology to help the sector thrive. Christine comments;
“Having wrestled firsthand with the challenges of governance and compliance in the new production environment, I’m thrilled to be joining the market leaders in providing technology to solve the exact, and often competing challenges facing Production Companies and their teams today.”
POP are the only venture backed technology provider in the sector, and they have now received an overall investment of £4M/$4.95M which will be used to accelerate growth. Octopus Ventures are globally-renowned for only investing in category creating companies on the frontline of transforming industries and their continued backing is a huge sign of confidence in POP’s vision, product and team.
Kate McLaughlin, CEO & Co-Founder of POP says;
“The time for transformation in production is now. With the macro changes we’re seeing across the global landscape and “the future of work”, the Film & TV industry as a major freelance economy, is now in the spotlight. Technology can open and connect the industry and by providing access to data has the power to transform it. We’re delighted to have the continued backing of Octopus Ventures and an industry stalwart like Christine join us to fuel our rapid growth.”
As the UK Film & TV industry boom continues, the complexities of increasing regulation and the digital transformation are driving a rapid professionalisation across production. POP are leading the way, as the only software designed and built for the needs of Production Companies with digital tools for their production teams. POP are investing in building the best technology and team to support their growing client-base of 15 Production Companies with a combined slate of 50+ shows and 10,000 users. | https://medium.com/@wegotpop/exciting-announcement-we-got-pop-go-from-strength-to-strength-as-senior-bbc-business-partner-joins-b6293bb1c50e | ['We Got Pop'] | 2019-07-22 13:03:59.524000+00:00 | ['Film', 'Venture Capital', 'TV', 'BBC'] |
Band Protocol November 2020 Community Update | Dear Band Community,
November clocked a development heavy month for Band Protocol as we work towards both stability of phase 1 for all of DeFi protocols and the launch of BandChain Phase 2 to enable built-in support for permissioned and paywall APIs from premium data providers. We also spent significant effort in improving the composability between multiple oracle scripts — empowering developers to query most of the data available on the open internet.
To make this possible, we have cemented partnerships with institutional data providers who are working with us along the development path to commercialize their endpoints and data for any decentralized application to readily integrate through Band Protocol oracles.
In this month’s community update, we share our multi-faceted developments on BandChain, CosmoScan, developer client tools and six major partnership developments in the lead up to the end of year.
Tech Updates
In November, BandChain reached a milestone of 100,000 unique requests for oracle data! Our engineers have been working diligently on continuously improving BandChain, CosmoScan, developer client tools as well as new dataset which will be released very soon.
Yoda v1.2.7 Release & BandChain Update
Band Protocol released yoda v1.2.7 for all BandChain validators, a major upgrade which includes significant improvements to gas estimation and bootup logic on yoda to report on requests.
Yoda v1.2.7-rc1 was released for our validators to test on our GuanYu testnet 2 weeks prior. During that time, there were no out-of-gas transactions and every validator has successfully updated without having to be deactivated.
Notably, we also support Google Cloud function as an alternative data source executor, increasing robustness and diversification in the Band Protocol ecosystem. The setup guide can be found here.
We have improved how to use and verify data from BandChain. Users can now cryptographically verify that a block height corresponds to a block time on BandChain in addition to the block hash previously possible. This is made possible through the new version of Band’s bridge contract, which can now save the block time in addition to the block hash of the given height. In addition, the bridges can now also verify a request count that occurs on-chain using cryptographic proof.
Notable Developer Client Tool Update
Pyband and bandchain.js, the first versions, have successfully been implemented. We are finalizing testing and documentation before publishing and showcasing to the community. These tools will allow developers to easily and seamlessly integrate band oracle into their smart contract within minutes.
Notable CosmoScan Update
CosmoScan has been upgraded to include a highly requested reinvestment feature. Allowing BAND stakers to automatically restake rewards in one click without the need to withdraw and restake.
There have also been minor improvements to the user experience on CosmoScan.
Partnership Developments
Below we showcase the integrations and new partnerships in November, these include integrations into decentralized applications across various leading blockchain platforms including Binance Smart Chain, Monero, Ethereum and our first institutional partner to support BandChain Phase 2 with high-quality and premium price data.
Brave New Coin Partnership
Brave New Coin, the leading data and research company backed by Techemy Group, has strategically partnered with Band Protocol to bring institutional-grade price data for up to 1500+ digital assets onto the $BAND decentralized oracle network.
BNC’s Global Weighted Average Spot Price (GWA), which has been integrated into Band Protocol for all blockchain platforms, works by providing a secure and fair price for any tracked digital asset from real-time trading across a global network of top crypto exchanges. This will empower developers on any L1 or L2 platform to access and readily integrate premium and credentialed price feeds.
Partnering up with enterprise data providers such as BNC is the major step forward towards the launch of BandChain Phase 2 — where premium and credential data providers will be able to automatically collect revenue on-chain on a per-call or subscription basis. We are bringing scalable, decentralized and non-custodial products for trading, investment and analysis for smart contract developers to utilize.
Stay tuned as we begin showcasing more enterprise and reputable data providers partnering with Band Protocol to commercialize their APIs and provide high-quality data for blockchain developers to integrate with!
Haven Protocol Partnership
Haven Protocol, a leading privacy-focused #DeFi protocol based on Monero, has successfully integrated $BAND price feeds for XHV-backed decentralized stablecoin which will go live on Haven’s mainnet after the hard fork implementing the v0.16 upgrade. This will expand into feeds for private synthetic assets xGOLD, xSILV, xEUR, and xCNY.
Band Protocol, as the primary price aggregator for the entire Haven network, has been integrated to provide decentralized and secure price feeds for various assets that update on a 30 second basis from multiple trusted and reputable data providers nominated by Haven Protocol.
We look forward to supporting Haven Protocol in the long-term with critical oracle infrastructure as we expand into multiple verticals within the blockchain industry which now includes privacy-based platforms and decentralized applications.
LunaDEX Partnership
LunaDEX, a decentralized exchange built on Serum and leading web-scale blockchain platform Solana, has integrated $BAND oracles for over 125+ crypto assets and 14 foreign exchange rates for spot trading and the wallet interface.
Application users rely on interfaces to provide the necessary data for creating informed decisions. This integration with Band Protocol will empower users to use verified market rates aggregated from up to 12 unique reputable and trusted data sources, safeguarding against price manipulation and potential slippage.
Swingby Partnership
Swingby, the development team behind a leading cross-chain protocol enabling the capital flow of Bitcoin between multiple blockchains, integrates Band Protocol price and $BAND Proof-of-Custody oracles to secure the upcoming Mainnet launch of Skybridge.
Band Protocol introduces Proof-of-Custody oracles to Swingby’s Skybridge Network to enhance transparency and risk prevention for over-staking. This will provide consistent on-chain audits of the value in bonded assets on the cross-chain asset protocol.
Skybridge will also integrate secure price oracles provided by Band Protocol as a safety mechanism to control price differential between bridged assets such as $BTC, $WBTC, $tBTC, $renBTC. This will detect any significant price delta inconsistency between two bridged assets for Skybridge to analyze and rectify the situation.
The integration into Skybridge is the first of many with Swingby Labs, the teams will work together to support more innovative and exciting features for DeFi users. Some ideas include market data feeds that contribute to price discovery on the upcoming Swingby Sky Pools, and a cross-chain liquidity aggregator.
Linear Finance Partnership
Linear Finance, a cross-chain compatible derivative asset protocol to cost-effectively and create, manage, and trade synthetic assets — has partnered with $BAND to integrate decentralized price feeds on the Linear Exchange trading platform.
Additionally, Band Protocol will be securing the collateral and minting protocol of Linear’s Builder DApp which enables users to mint the LUSD stablecoin — the gateway to Linear Exchange, which will be also be secured by decentralized oracles covering many synthetic assets.
Leveraging the scalability and instant finality of the #BandChain decentralized oracle network, Linear Finance has collaborated with Band Protocol to build optimized and low-latency oracles that are highly accurate and minimize the surface area of attack for frontrunners.
Both teams are looking forward to sharing the integration details and custom oracles built in Linear Finance’s upcoming Mainnet launch which will make the protocol safer for both traders and stakers alike.
ICON Network Partnership Update
ICON Network, one of the largest decentralized blockchain networks, is expanding its collaboration and partnership with Band Protocol to operate validator nodes on each other’s networks.
This agreement will continue to align long-term incentives for both teams as we continue to expand integration with the enterprises, government and DApps building on ICON.
Recently, one of Korea’s largest Fintech firms Danal partnered with ICON.
Community Outreach
Hack the Horizon Hackathon With Harmony
Band Protocol has collaborated with Harmony to sponsor their large-scale Hack the Horizon hackathon focused on collaborative, creative, and inclusive cross-chain projects that build applications utilizing the Horizon Bridge. There is also a $3,000 prize for the Best Application of BandChain on Harmony, co-sponsored by both teams!
Our CTO and Co-Founder, Sorawit Suriyakarn, presented a workshop for developers to query data from our Standard Dataset which supports price feeds for crypto assets, commodities and foreign exchange. He also runs through step-by-step, how to build a simple decentralized application integrating Band Protocol oracle technology on Harmony.
Binance US AMA
Band Protocol CEO & Co-founder @SSrinawakoon sat down with Binance US CEO Catherine Coley to answer community questions and talk about #oracle, #crypto, and anything decentralized finance #DeFi!
Watch the AMA 👉
Looking into December
December will be a monumental month with more enterprise-grade data provider partners showcased to support our development of BandChain Phase 2 in addition to more partnerships on both leading layer-1/layer-2 blockchain platforms and their top underlying decentralized applications.
Our validator count has reached 71 active nodes with over 116,000+ requests on BandChain already — stay tuned for December as we continue to dedicate relentless effort to drive the adoption and usage of the BandChain decentralized oracle network. | https://medium.com/bandprotocol/band-protocol-november-2020-community-update-56b9bcf02566 | ['Kevin Lu'] | 2020-12-02 11:00:32.581000+00:00 | ['Decentralization', 'Defi', 'Blockchain Development', 'Community', 'Release v1.2.7 GuanYu Mainnet Release · bandprotocol/bandchainThis is the upgrade version for band-guanyu-mainnet mainnet network. Improve gas estimation of report transactions (Fix…github.com'] |
I Have No Power | I Have No Power
And I’m powerless to change that.
Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash
The pain I feel these days is existential. It’s not about the crunching in my knees or the flatiron pressed against my chest as I breathe, it’s harsher than that. It’s the pain behind knowing the world around me is a dangerous place and, as hard as I might try, I can do nothing to make it better.
This is new for me. I am the resident Pollyanna, the believer in great things coming from ordinary people, the pusher of positivity when everyone else sees darkness ahead.
People come to me looking for answers, and if I don’t have the answers I think I can at least comfort them with my positivity. As if all it takes are a few sunny words accompanied by a knowing smile. As if those few moments of respite will solve anything.
What bullshit.
I was a picky eater and when my mom told me about starving kids in China who would give anything for even a bite of what I was refusing, I would cry just thinking about them, their poor, wasted bodies — skin and bones. But I still wouldn’t eat it. And when lunch was over I skipped away, on to something else.
Later, when I had my own kids, I did the same thing, only it was poor starving kids in Africa. It was a lousy way to teach about awareness — as if filling their bellies was all it would take to remove the awful images of wholesale, planned starvation and death.
I came into this world thinking I could save it with sympathy and empathy. I can’t remember a time I wasn’t feeling sorry about something I had no control over. But feeling sorry can’t take the place of actually doing something. It’s why we’re so sick of “thoughts and prayers”. It’s too easy. It’s a brush-off. It’s “Oh, poor you! Here — let me hand you a posy. Feel better now? I know I do.”
I wanted to do more. I threatened to do more. I promised to do more. I did what I did and it wasn’t nearly enough.
I’ve been a liberal activist for more than 60 years, calling, marching, protesting, singing, writing — all without once feeling violated or threatened. Throughout my long years of what I called ‘activism’ I was never in any danger. I’m not saying this out of guilt. I’m saying it because now I’m aware. I chose activism over complacency, but if I had been active enough I would have, at some point, felt the sting of fear. I never did.
No matter how incensed or enraged I become when I find out about terrible actions against POC, or LGBTQ, or any other group of people disenfranchised because of who they are, I can’t begin to understand how it must feel to be in the middle of those danger zones. How it is to have to live with it throughout my entire life. I’m not there. I’ve never been there. I never will be there.
I’ve been a writer for more than 30 years, much of it dwelling on rights issues, but I’ve been safe there, too. For the last 10 years I’ve focused on writing to change minds, but that hasn’t happened. All the while I’m writing to make a difference, I’m marveling at the writers who get it. Those writers who spoke to us so vividly, so masterfully they made us gasp with the majesty of it. Surely this would do it. This, this amazing piece of writing would change the world, or at least our country, or at least… But it didn’t. It doesn’t. They couldn’t do it, either.
I’m writing this now because yesterday I saw Bakari Sellers break down and cry on CNN. This man who sought to change us, to make us aware, to use his often brilliant words to bring us to attention and DO SOMETHING, broke down out of a feeling of frustration and pure, agonizing helplessness.
The catalyst was yet another murder of an innocent Black man, in broad daylight, with cameras rolling. The killer was a member of the Minneapolis Police Department. He put a knee to George Floyd’s neck and kept it there for seven minutes, as George pleaded for his life, called for his mother, said he was in pain, said “I CAN’T BREATHE”.
Other police officers stood there for those seven minutes and did nothing. They could have saved George Floyd, who wasn’t resisting, was crying out, was barely breathing after a few minutes of that pressure on his neck, but they didn’t.
Once again, the police officer wasn’t put in handcuffs immediately, wasn’t taken into custody for murdering a black man. We were assured that he would be fired. The authorities would look into it. They would ‘look into’ an incident that was witnessed by dozens of people, was filmed and sent out to the airwaves, was clearly, without a doubt, without provocation, a deliberate killing of an innocent man.
And Bakari Sellers, a Black man, wants to know how he’s going to explain this to his son. How does he keep his boy from being afraid when this same horrible scene happens over and over and over?
“There’s just so much pain,” Sellers said, sobbing, “I get so tired.”
Add Bakari Sellers to the long, long list of activists who work so hard, who try so hard, and who, when another tragedy happens, end up having to acknowledge how little they can actually do.
Then there are the rest of us. We have no power. The reality of our powerlessness is hard to take. All we can do is howl. | https://medium.com/indelible-ink/i-have-no-power-927db5dcdc3d | ['Ramona Grigg'] | 2020-05-30 16:05:21.578000+00:00 | ['Trump', 'Equal Rights', 'George Floyd', 'Racism', 'Activism'] |
Docker Automation using Ansible | In the above picture you can see host_key_checking = False is used we might have connected to the remote system before using ansible via ssh and in that case, one key is saved in the .ssh folder to avoid the checking of that key we have used this parameter.
Once this is done install sshpass from yum install sshpass.
After this use Ansible all -m ping command to check connectivity with the remote system if all works well result will as shown below.
Firstly to configure yum in the operating system we are using the below playbook.
tasks:
— ansible.posix.mount:
path: “/dvd”
src: “/dev/cdrom”
fstype: “iso9660”
state: mounted
— yum_repository:
name: “dvd1”
baseurl: “/dvd/AppStream”
description: “new”
gpgcheck: no
— yum_repository:
name: “dvd2”
baseurl: “/dvd/BaseOS”
description: “new base os”
gpgcheck: no
— yum_repository:
name: “Docker”
baseurl: “
description: “Docker repo”
gpgcheck: no - hosts: alltasks:— ansible.posix.mount:path: “/dvd”src: “/dev/cdrom”fstype: “iso9660”state: mounted— yum_repository:name: “dvd1”baseurl: “/dvd/AppStream”description: “new”gpgcheck: no— yum_repository:name: “dvd2”baseurl: “/dvd/BaseOS”description: “new base os”gpgcheck: no— yum_repository:name: “Docker”baseurl: “ https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/7/x86_64/stable/ description: “Docker repo”gpgcheck: no
Once the yum is configured next step is to download docker and launch our container.
You can find Playbook code in GitHub attach at the end :)
To download docker we have used command module to download python3 we use yum and to download python library we have used pip module to enabling docker services we use service module and to make directory we use file module and to copy file we have template module and launching container we have used docker_container module.
You might be thinking in ansible we don't have any requirement for target node so why we have downloaded python3 here ???
This is because Ansible is using python at the backend and some modules of ansible required some specific library at the target node to run in our case we require requests,docker-py.
Guys, here we come to the end of this blog I hope you all like it and found it informative. If have any query feel free to reach me :)
Github link:-https://github.com/guptaadi123/Ansible.git | https://medium.com/@gupta-aditya333/docker-automation-using-ansible-244216d65a6b | ['Gupta Aditya'] | 2020-12-22 08:02:37.568000+00:00 | ['DevOps', 'Ansible', 'Docker', 'Automation', 'Automation Tools'] |
Is your idea worth it? | Is your idea worth it?
So, you have an idea for a new product offering. And presumably, you think it’s a good one. Here is a surefire way to prove that you’re right (or find out that you’re horribly wrong).
The “ideation” phase of a project — which happens before anything is designed, tested, or developed, and often before the project is funded — is full of crazy-making abstractions and “what if” questions. In this phase, a new product idea is vulnerable to the rightly-placed skepticism of corporate stakeholders or potential investors who want to know:
Is this a big enough customer problem?
Will customers pay to solve it?
And if so, how much will they pay?
Sometimes designers get uncomfortable talking about money. Discussions about designing for monetization often lead to talk of dark patterns or other forms of user trickery. But determining willingness to purchase is none of those things.
Instead, a willingness-to-purchase test, sometimes referred to as a “dry wallet” test, aims to determine if there is a market for your idea, without using any manipulation or coercive tactics. You are simply posing a straightforward, no-nonsense question to your potential customer: “Do you want to buy this product?” And when it comes to testing new ideas, there really is no better currency than, well, currency.
What is a dry wallet test
According to Learning Loop, A dry wallet test is a simulated “purchase now” experience in the form of a simple e-commerce checkout or a pricing page leading to a “We are not ready yet” page, “out of stock” message, a letter of intent, or a similar elegant way of letting the user finish without actually billing them.
In our case, the simulated “purchase now” experience and consequent let-down message were facilitated face-to-face, over Zoom, with the help of our Sales team. Later on we’ll talk about how to determine whether you should facilitate your fake sale in-person (meaning, over Zoom in the Covid era) or via an online, e-commerce channel.
When to run a dry wallet test
If you’re working on a new product or service, it is best to run a dry wallet test after you’ve done some initial customer interviews and user testing. Customer interviews will tell you if there’s a problem to be solved, a dry wallet test will tell you how big the problem is. The size of the problem will help inform the size of your available market.
Another reason to do user testing before your dry wallet test is that you will have some snazzy, validated mock-ups to include on your landing page when it comes time to market your not-yet-real product.
Who you will need to run it
Running a monetization test is a lot like marketing a real product, only with quite a bit more smoke and mirrors. In order to run a test like this, you will need people with the following skill sets:
Someone with a vision for the product
Someone to design and deliver an end-to-end purchase experience
Someone to analyze the results of the test
Someone to either develop or facilitate the transaction
This could look like any number of roles within your organization. Look for those folks around you who are good at wearing multiple hats. If you don’t have a Marketing or Finance person at your disposal, don’t be discouraged. You can always do some quick competitor research to ballpark appropriate pricing and messaging. As the product team, it is still your responsibility to determine if you even have a product or not.
This is what our small but mighty team looked like:
1 Product Manager
1 Product Designer (me!)
1 Researcher
3 Sales Consultants
In-person sales vs e-commerce
The composition of our team reflects our need to test enterprise software, where customers expect a Sales call or live product demo before making a purchase decision. In our case, the “live product demo” involved some images from Figma in a Google Slide deck. This sort of high-touch transaction won’t work for every customer type, especially if the product being sold is a low-cost commodity.
However, the in-person dry wallet test works great when:
You are selling enterprise software (or an otherwise expensive product) You need to test something fast, and you want to avoid the complexities of billing systems Or, you want an artificially high barrier to entry to prove that this is a significant customer pain point (i.e. “10 customer out of 100 bought our productivity app over the phone… in 2020!”)
How to design the experience
If you are planning on conducting an in-person dry wallet test, you will still need to market the product online. Our funnel looked something like this:
It is best to create a single landing page with one main value proposition. It can be tempting to want to A/B test different messages at this point, but remember that there will always be time to refine the messaging once you’ve proven that your idea is viable. For now, focus on brevity and clarity — laser focus on the problem you’re solving.
How to measure success
Measuring success can be tricky in any endeavor, but it is especially tricky with a new product. Our team went through the struggle of how we would define success. We ended up landing on a two-fold definition.
We will be successful if:
We validate that our product idea interests customers We validate that our customers would pay at least N amount for the product
To measure this, we decided to use landing page conversion rate as a proxy for interest (i.e., the number of form submissions / the total unique viewers of the landing page), and we would use purchase rate as a measure of willingness to purchase (i.e., the number of customers who agreed to have their credit card charged / the total number of customers who received a product demo).
As for numerical targets, half of the team wanted to stick to modest numbers that aligned with industry standards, while the other half of the team wanted to set the bar high, aiming to beat those averages by more than 10x. Sticking to historical data might be the safest way to define success in terms of aligning with probable outcomes, but I learned that it’s not the best way to define the success of a new product. We wanted something truly differentiated rather than incremental.
We compromised on a conversion rate goal of 5x the average and kept the purchase rate goal modest. We ended up beating both goals by nearly double.
How to let ’em down easy
One moment of the test that caused my people-pleasing insides to churn was the moment after a closed sale, when our Sales Consultants had to inform our newly acquired customer that the product they had just decided to buy was not available for purchase.
Much like a breakup, it is best to deliver the bad news in person — particularly if you are conducting an in-person test. After they had agreed to have their credit card on file charged, we wanted to let them know quickly and definitively that their card would not in fact be charged because the product was not available for purchase yet.
Now, I won’t promise that your customers won’t get mad. Some will. But I was surprised to find that the overwhelming majority of customers were OK with being told that the product was not available for purchase at this time, as long as we could keep them updated as we progressed in development. We also left our die-hard fans with a parting gift — an interim, prototype solution in the form of a Google Sheet. Whenever you can, always aim to give your customers something of value in exchange for their time.
A dry wallet test is a scrappy way to validate your assumptions up front before getting too far down the road. Plus, with the right team, they’re a lot of fun.
***
Here is a list of tools that helped us design our end-to-end experience: | https://uxplanet.org/is-your-idea-worth-it-d7a56790ae3a | ['Brittany Sumarsono'] | 2020-12-08 08:57:03.166000+00:00 | ['User Research', 'Product Design', 'User Testing', 'Product', 'Innovation'] |
Image Augmentation using Keras | Data preparation is required when working with neural network and deep learning models. Increasingly data augmentation is also required on more complex object recognition tasks.
Data augmentation means to increase the amount of data. In, other words, having a larger dataset means a more robust model. But acquiring more data cannot always be as easy and there may be a problem of storing them and feeding it to model.
To mitigate this problem, we can manually increase the data by doing some changes or we can make use of one of Keras image preprocessing class that can do this in just a few lines of codes.
In this post you we’ll see how to use data preparation and data augmentation with your image datasets when developing and evaluating deep learning models in Python with Keras.
After reading this post, you will get to know:
About the image augmentation API provide by Keras and how to use it with your models.How to perform feature standardization. How to perform ZCA whitening of your images. How to augment data with random rotations, shifts and flips. How to save augmented image data to disk.
Keras Image Augmentation API: ImageDataGenerator
It generates batches of augmented data from the original batch. It takes the images, applies some random transformation on it, and produces a new batch for training.
Note: One thing to note here that ImageDataGenerator does not return the original images instead it just returns batches of augmented data which is a result of some transformation done on original data.
Loading Dataset
We will use MNIST handwritten digit recognition for data augmentation. Executing below code will load MNIST dataset from keras.datasets
Split data into Train & Test
Standardizing Features
The pixel standardization is supported at two levels: either per-image (called sample-wise) or per-dataset (called feature-wise). Specifically, the mean and/or mean and standard deviation statistics required to standardize pixel values can be calculated from the pixel values in each image only (sample-wise) or across the entire training dataset (feature-wise).
You can perform feature standardization by setting the featurewise_center and featurewise_std_normalization arguments on the ImageDataGenerator class.
Standardizing images across dataset, mean=0, stdev=1
Output Image: Standardised features
Running this example, you can see that the effect is different, seemingly darkening and lightening different digits.
ZCA Whitening
A whitening transform of an image is a linear algebra operation that reduces the redundancy in the matrix of pixel images. Typically, image whitening is performed using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique. More recently, an alternative called ZCA shows better results and results in transformed images that keeps all of the original dimensions and unlike PCA, resulting transformed images still look like their originals.
ZCA Whitening
Output Image: ZCA
Running this example, you can see that the effect is different, seemingly darkening and lightening different digits.
Random Rotations
You can train your model to better handle rotations of images by artificially and randomly rotating images from your dataset during training. The example below creates random rotations of the MNIST digits up to 90 degrees by setting the rotation_range argument.
Rotation at 90 degrees
Output Image: Random Rotations
You can see that images have been rotated left and right up to a limit of 90 degrees. This is not helpful on this problem because the MNIST digits have a normalized orientation, but this transform might be of help when learning from photographs where the objects may have different orientations.
Random Shifts
Objects in your images may not be centered in the frame. They may be off-center in a variety of different ways. You can train your deep learning network to expect and currently handle off-center objects by artificially creating shifted versions of your training data. Keras supports separate horizontal and vertical random shifting of training data by the width_shift_range and height_shift_range arguments.
Shift whidth and height
Output Image: Random Shifts
Again, this is not required for MNIST as the handwritten digits are already centered, but you can see how this might be useful on more complex problem domains.
Random Flips
Another augmentation to your image data that can improve performance on large and complex problems is to create random flips of images in your training data. Keras supports random flipping along both the vertical and horizontal axes using the vertical_flip and horizontal_flip arguments.
Horizontal and Vertical Flips
Output Image: Random Flips
Flipping digits is not useful as they will always have the correct left and right orientation, but this may be useful for problems with photographs of objects in a scene that can have a varied orientation.
You can find code here: Github Link
Thanks for Reading!
Cheers! | https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/image-augmentation-using-keras-99072b490c72 | ['Prachi Gopalani'] | 2020-11-12 14:24:25.636000+00:00 | ['TensorFlow', 'Keras', 'Github', 'Python', 'Deep Learning'] |
What is Blazor? | Blazor
Blazor uses C# and .NET but don’t panic, Blazor doesn’t require the browsers to have add-ons and plugins to run it. It uses WebAssembly. So, let’s get this straight. Blazor is a new web framework based on familiar web technologies like HTML and CSS but then allows you to use C# and Razor syntax instead of JavaScript. Blazor (Browser + Razor) enables developers to build interactive and reusable web UI for client-side applications written in .NET. With both client and server code written in C#, it allows you to share code and libraries, providing a platform to enable the development of vibrant, contemporary single-page application (SPA) platforms while using .NET end-to-end.
That sounds great. But how is it compared to other web frameworks and libraries?
While Blazor is still giving its first steps, it has proved that it is willing to keep improving and hearing the community. Some reasons why you should use Blazor include:
Its .NET-based nature, which brings the object-oriented power characteristic of C# language
Its server-side rendering (the prerendering) feature, which can highly scale the app’s performance
Its fast build time along with live reloading capabilities
The ability to work asynchronously in no time and small efforts
Conclusion
When compared to Blazor, other web framework and libraries stand out in some important ways. For example, if you’re a frontend developer, and have never been in touch with backend languages or .NET, going to Blazor can be tricky, since you’d have to learn C#, .NET, and Razor.
But I still think Blazor will have a bright and promising future ahead. I will get started to learn and understand more about it soon. | https://medium.com/zeitz/what-is-blazor-2aa931eb2c2d | ['Vinh Pham'] | 2020-12-04 06:38:05.287000+00:00 | ['Web Framework', 'C Sharp Programming', 'Blazor', 'Dotnet'] |
7 Tips for How to Stop Rocking Your Baby to Sleep | Wondering how to stop rocking your baby to sleep? Don’t despair: read on to find seven tips for how to say bye-bye to sleepless nights and help your baby fall asleep independently.
Here’s a story that has happened to many mothers:
After bringing your baby home, you quickly realized that she would immediately fall asleep after a few minutes of rocking in your arms. Proud, you felt like you’re genuinely bonding with your little one.
People would often tell you: “Don’t get in the habit of rocking your baby to sleep — she’ll get used to it,” but you just nodded and thought how preposterous their claims were.
Well, six months and many sleep-deprived nights later, you now know they were right!
For many babies, rocking-or any other rhythmic movement-acts as a natural sleep aid as it reminds them of being inside their mother’s body.
However, there’s a big downside. Your baby will develop a sleep association.
In other words, if you’re rocking her to sleep, then she will think she needs you to fall back to sleep when she wakes up from sleeping. This will translate into frequent wake-ups, sleep deprivation for the entire family, and a great deal of crying.
Luckily, there’s a way how to stop rocking your baby to sleep.
Here’s how:
First, create and follow a consistent bedtime routine
A consistent bedtime routine will do half of the work for you. When everything’s the same every night, your baby will feel comforted as she’ll know what to expect.
It doesn’t have to be anything overly complicated. Start the routine one hour before bedtime by dimming the lights. Give her a bath, change her diapers, and read a bedtime story.
Each activity will get your child more relaxed and ready to fall asleep.
Try some patting settling techniques
Teaching your little one that it’s possible to fall asleep in her crib and not while being rocked will involve some crying.
You can try to calm her down during the toughest first couple of days by trying rhythmic, gentle patting. Rhythmic patting is a commonly used hands-on technique for helping babies fall asleep.
Here’s one way to do it:
Place your little one on her crib, lying on her side, facing away from you. Place your hand on her shoulder. Cup your other hand and gently pat her on the bottom or thigh. Make the patting as rhythmic as possible. Try saying “shhh” on each pat or sing a quiet, soothing song to find a rhythm.
Slowly reduce the amount of rocking you do
Before you start reducing the amount of rocking, dedicate one night to measure how long you rock your baby to sleep.
For example, let’s say that you’re rocking her to sleep for a total of 10 minutes.
On the first night, try rocking her for eight minutes.
On the second night, rock her for six minutes, four minutes on the third night, and so on, until the moment you notice she’s getting drowsy. Once she gets drowsy, put her in her crib and apply the patting technique I’ve discussed above.
Over time, start putting her down while she’s fully awake
Over time, you should start putting her into bed fully awake and not drowsy. Rock her until she feels calm and get her into bed. Use your patting to get her into that drowsy state while she’s lying in the crib.
Cautiously, reduce the amount of patting
At some point, you’ll have to stop patting your baby to sleep gradually, so she doesn’t become entirely dependent on it.
Just like with the rocking, each night, limit your “pat time” by a minute or two. Stop when she’s calm but still awake.
Stop patting but leave your hand on her bottom or thigh for a minute for reassurance. After a minute, leave her room quietly without waking her up.
If she cries-and she may-don’t rush to comfort her. Give her a chance to self-soothe first. If the crying persists, go back into the room and do the patting technique once again.
Introduce some additional positive sleep associations
Not all sleep associations are bad. Whether a sleep association is good or bad depends on who’s carrying out the action that helps your baby fall asleep.
Negative sleep associations involve somebody doing something for the baby, such as nursing, rocking, or patting until she falls asleep. On the other hand, positive associations develop when babies use something on their own to help them fall asleep.
For example, some positive associations include:
Use of a lovey.
Sucking on their thumb or fingers.
Banging their feet against the crib mattress.
Lifting up their legs into the fetal position.
In addition, there are also external sleep associations, which are things that help create a sleep-conducive environment. These include:
What you want to do is replace the negative sleep association your little one has developed with a positive one. For example, put your baby into a crib, give her a lovey, and play white noise as she falls asleep.
Stay consistent
Consistency is key! You want your baby to get used to the new schedule. If one night you rock her until she’s drowsy and the other until she’s completely asleep, you’ll only make her confused. Consequently, the weaning process will be extended and you’ll be left sleep-deprived for longer.
Stick to it, and soon, you’ll have a baby who loves to cuddle but doesn’t rely on it to fall asleep at bedtime and sleep through the night.
If you need a faster way of teaching your baby how to fall asleep independently, ask for professional help from a certified sleep trainer. When you have a sleep trainer working alongside you, you’ll get a personalized plan that fits your child’s temperament and personality. A sleep trainer can ensure you’re on the right track and offer unlimited support throughout the process. In no time, you’ll manage to turn those bedtime battles into regular and restful sleep patterns. | https://medium.com/@neha-74611/7-tips-for-how-to-stop-rocking-your-baby-to-sleep-fe91ad89e7a0 | ['The Sleepy Cub Blog'] | 2020-12-18 10:16:24.962000+00:00 | ['Newborn', 'Baby', 'Baby Sleep', 'Baby Care', 'Parenthood'] |
Best Process? | So what is my best process when I need to write something for class, or have a deadline, and I have absolutely no idea, motivation, or focus? Nothing folks. Okay, I lied, I may have a mental breakdown, maybe jump around my room, or sometimes sit in the scolding hot water when I shower, and hope something magically comes to me. You may think I am joking, and trust me I wish I was because that is pathetic. Unfortunately I am not…yes I know it is sad, but it’s the truth.
There are times where you brain is just like, Uhm no, and you deal with it. Then, there are times where your brain is like, I am ready baby! I mean to each their own. I feel my process is best for me because it works. It may not seem like the most efficient, but it works. I also just go through my week in hopes something will happen and I can write about it. It reminds me of those family members who don’t have lives so they basically watch yours as if it were a tv show, and gossip about your decision's to the whole family. That’s what I do, well sort of. All I know is that my process for writing is kind of fuzzy, and uncertain. Yet, I still make it work, so all in all I feel that is all that matters. I cannot argue it is the best because it’s not, so do not try to take my head off about other processes that are better okay? I think that it is best for me. Thank you have a wonderfully chaotic day like me, or night. Either way see ya. | https://medium.com/@madech1029/best-process-4aac84c43abd | [] | 2020-02-07 08:27:51.009000+00:00 | ['Writing', 'Practice', 'Whatever Goes', 'Process', 'Best'] |
China Will Use Facial Recognition Technology to Remove Beautiful People From Factories | If you’re at a travel hub or a large event in China, chances are you’re being watched. With facial recognition technology, police have the ability to scan large crowds to find if there are any political dissidents, known troublemakers or even wanted criminals. While most of the attention surrounding facial recognition has been focused on law enforcement, Chinese labor authorities announced this week a strange new use for this controversial technology.
“With this program, China is set to become a world leader in beauty allocation,” said Mr. Gao Fu Shuai, Chairman of Labor Stuff, speaking to foreign press in Beijing. “Too many attractive people are wasting their talents doing the work of ugly people. Beautiful people should be seen, and now, thanks to facial recognition technology, we have the tools to plan our economy accordingly.”
According to a press package released by the Ministry of Labor Stuff, the first trials will check the photo database for state issued identification cards. Citizens deemed sufficiently attractive will be relocated and trained for positions where their innate talents are better suited — jobs such as weather reporters, salespeople and karaoke hosts.
The exact dimensions and characteristics for what the Ministry has deemed an “Ideal Communist” are classified, but leaked reports indicate that — in addition to classic metrics like symmetry and proportions — scientists have isolated the features most prevalent in those with submissive personalities, which is the most attractive personality trait for a Chinese citizen, according to the Ministry of Labor Stuff.
“This new program is not going to simply be a recruitment tool to find fashion models,” said Mr. Gao Fu Shuai. “This program will facilitate a culture where ugly people are kept together, away from attractive people. Workers naturally resent colleagues who are more beautiful, so by lowering the average attractiveness in our factories, mines and construction sites, we aim to increase the overall happiness of our society.”
This latest attempt at social engineering comes as human rights groups continue to attack China for its treatment of workers, claiming that many are subjected to slave-like conditions in its enormous factories.
“This is a big step toward eugenics,” said Lindsay Hornrim, spokesperson for Humans Are People, Too. “China already has problems with income disparity and class divide, and this will only exacerbate those issues. This is just another move to make life easier for the ruling elites. To manage their power, they must quantify and objectify the working class. In a world where factory workers can see the Instagram profiles of the idle rich, these kinds of societal control mechanisms become even more important.”
When The Lazy News contacted China’s Ministry of Labor Stuff for a comment on these concerns, their spokesperson replied with, “Sounds like something an ugly person would say.” | https://medium.com/the-lazy-news/china-will-use-facial-recognition-technology-to-remove-beautiful-people-from-factories-d28c5ee750ff | ['Matthew Pike'] | 2018-07-06 04:14:38.977000+00:00 | ['China', 'Surveillance', 'Technology', 'Facial Recognition', 'Satire'] |
Business Travel’s Role in U.S. Economic Recovery | By Peter Vlitas
The May 2021 jobs report revealed that the United States added 559,000 jobs last month. In normal times, the addition of over a half-million jobs in just a single month would be met with economy-wide enthusiasm. But in our COVID-stricken reality, the U.S. still remains 7 million jobs below pre-pandemic employment levels, and the May report demonstrates that the country is failing to meet expectations.
For those in the travel industry, the April and May jobs reports were hardly surprising. How can we expect the U.S. economy to grow exponentially while the travel sector — especially business travel — continues to endure historic lows?
According to the Global Business Travel Association, there were more than 400 million business trips in the U.S. alone in 2019. Once COVID-19 spread across the globe in April 2020, 92 percent of the organization’s members reported their customers canceling or suspending all or most domestic travel, a figure that jumped to 98 percent for international travel. Still today, business travel remains down 60 to 90 percent in various markets, and the industry’s job losses have been staggering. The travel management industry has been particularly hard hit, with employment remaining down as much as 65%. This is largely due to federal travel restrictions, including blanket quarantine requirements and countywide travel restrictions, that either prohibit — or diminish the purpose of — traveling for business (and leisure).
Unfortunately, the importance of business travel to the U.S. economy is often overlooked since its ripple effects throughout the economy are not always obvious. The impacts of business travel take two forms. The first is the business activity spurred directly by travel. This includes corporate spending across an array of sectors, such as air transport, hotels, taxis, car rentals, train transport, restaurants, bars, and event planning.
Business travelers are vital for these sectors, not only in traffic but in profitability, i.e., they typically spend more. Business travel is a critical pillar of the airline industry because business travelers are more likely to purchase higher fares, hold airline credit cards, and buy airport lounge memberships. Remarkably, the top 10% to 15% of airline customers typically account for about 40% of revenue. Bank of America estimates business trips contributed $334 billion to the entire travel industry’s $1.1 trillion in revenue last year. Likewise, the success of major hotel chains hinges on business travel, which accounts for almost 70 percent of revenues for Marriott International and Hilton.
The second form of economic impacts are indirect. These include the benefits of business travel on company performance and the broader economy through improved productivity. Productivity improvements may take various forms including new sales, customer retention, networking, employee satisfaction, and collaboration.
The importance of business and social networks in generating international trade is also recognized in economics literature, since face-to-face meetings are more effective for helping people build and maintain networks. Additionally, new research from Harvard’s Growth Lab finds that business travel can bolster the growth of new and existing industries in countries through the diffusion of specialized knowledge.
In total, domestic and international business travelers in the U.S. directly spent $334.2 billion in 2019, supporting 2.5 million jobs, according to the U.S. Travel Association. But when accounting for the indirect effects, U.S. Travel estimates the economic output and jobs supported by business travel were roughly double those figures before the pandemic.
For these reasons, it is imperative that Congress and President Biden’s administration recognize that the recovery of the broader U.S. economy is inextricably intertwined with that of business travel. Steps must immediately be taken to ensure a safe, effective revitalization of domestic and international travel, and this process can only begin when several key policy outcomes are achieved.
In particular, the Biden Administration must follow our European allies’ lead by abandoning the status quo — comprised of blanket quarantine requirements and countrywide travel bans — in favor of a science-backed, risk-based approach flexible enough to respond to the ever-changing nature of this crisis.
This latter approach would consist of lifting 212(f) travel bans on the U.K. and Europe, while maintaining a digitally-supported international testing mandate coupled with existing masking requirements and biosafety measures. The Administration should also facilitate a swift, effective rollout of private sector-driven digital health credentials for vaccine and testing verification, so that the air travel system does not have to rely on easily-exploitable paper certificates, the review of which are often labor intensive and inefficient for the system to administer.
What is also desperately needed from the federal government is transparency and a discernible path out of this crisis. Congress and the Biden Administration must work quickly with the travel industry to establish clear, risk-based benchmarks that would enable a safe, managed return to normalcy in the air travel system. For example, at what point will a particular country’s share of vaccinated people be high enough — and the rate of COVID-19 transmission be low enough — to warrant excluding their departures into the U.S. from CDC’s quarantine guidance? And finally, based on vaccine efficacy against COVID-19 variants, the U.S. should consider exempting fully-vaccinated travelers from international testing requirements.
The policy changes outlined would lift business travel and the $2.6 trillion travel industry at-large out of an unprecedented depression. By allowing companies to capitalize on the benefits of business travel once again, the nation can hasten our economic recovery and get this crisis behind us.
Peter Vlitas is the SVP of Airline Relations at Internova Travel group and is writing on behalf of the Travel Management Coalition (TMC). TMC represents thousands of U.S.-based travel agents and services millions of corporate and leisure travelers. | https://medium.com/@travelmanagementcoalition/business-travels-role-in-u-s-economic-recovery-a768927ebd87 | ['Travel Management Coalition'] | 2021-06-22 20:50:22.772000+00:00 | ['Travel', 'Travel Policy', 'Economy', 'International Travel', 'Traveling'] |
Safari = Pilgrimage (in South Africa’s Kruger National Park) | Taking photos
Wildlife photography (especially birds) is much harder than landscape photography. Often the subjects are small, they don’t stay still for long, and when you get near enough for a wonderful shot, they disappear. Amazingly frustrating!
And I brought just a cheap pocket camera with me to South Africa. But under ideal conditions (close and static objects and a lot of sun) even this camera could capture quite decent photos. Of course, sometimes I had really reached the limitations of my gear so the pictures became pretty blurry.
If you have a more expensive intermediate camera, I think that a 300mm objective (400mm for birds) is the best all-round lens for the park. You should use camera support, for instance a bean bag, with this telephoto lens so that your grip stays steady.
Grey heron wading in a waterhole of Kruger National Park
Spotting with binoculars
No matter how good camera you own, the most important gadget in Kruger is still a pair of decent binoculars: 10x42 are ideal (8x32 for birds).
Without binoculars, you can forget about spotting small birds that aren’t 10 meters in front of you. Forget about appreciating details on other wildlife — the gash on the lion’s hind leg, or the intricate way the elephant’s trunk picks out the best leaves, for example.
I’ve noticed that many park visitors solely use cameras. They want to take photos above everything else.
Sure, it’s great to capture moments to look back on. But I would argue that it’s more valuable to be in the moment and simply savor what you are witnessing. Besides, unless you are a professional photographer, chances are your photos will never do justice to what you actually see.
Small birds such as weavers are hard to spot without binoculars
Stargazing
One of the joys in Kruger is to study the night sky without the interference of city lights. It’s a humbling experience to consider our insignificance against the immensity of the universe.
Our home galaxy, the Milky Way alone contains about 100 billion stars. Scientists estimate that it would take 100,000 light-years to travel from one end of it to the other.
Meeting fireflies
The night doesn’t only bring bright stars but also fireflies. Before my visit, the summer months had delivered ample rains to the savanna and they had transformed the dry bush into a lush wonderland. Consequently, in the summer evenings, the unusual number of fireflies had transformed the darkness into dazzling displays of light.
After one dinner, these beetles — trying to attract mates — lit up my path back to the bed. Lying in a hide, the only sounds were natural ones and the only lights were from the scattering of stars and the fireflies in the riverbed. I was in a special piece of Kruger, for my eyes only. | https://medium.com/andys-anyland-tours-blog/safari-pilgrimage-in-south-africas-kruger-national-park-8147865162c1 | ['András Tóthmihály'] | 2020-12-14 21:28:02.983000+00:00 | ['Nature', 'World', 'Travel', 'South Africa', 'Outdoors'] |
Multi-Bank Savings Accounts | Later last year we launched white labeled Savings accounts, which enables developers to issue interest bearing accounts for their users in seconds.
Starting next week, all the savings accounts will also get $16M in FDIC coverage per user. We call this feature Multi-Bank.
As the name suggests, Multi-Bank spreads customer deposits across multiple banks to increase FDIC coverage. Essentially, we try not to keep more than $250,000 per user with each bank.
We also make sure that deposit accounts held only in banks categorized as “well-capitalized” by the FDIC. | https://medium.com/synapsefi/multi-bank-savings-accounts-e52ea98f1ff2 | ['Sankaet Pathak'] | 2018-08-28 05:44:34.024000+00:00 | ['Finance', 'API', 'Banking'] |
4 Golden Rules of Problem Solving | We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them — Albert Einstein
Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash
The ability to solve problems and successfully navigate challenges is one of the few qualities that differentiate star performers from average ones, it also differentiates happy and fulfilled people from others who are anxious and miserable.
Problem-solving is important to success and happiness because it enables us to exert control over our environments, learn unique insights and improve personal performance and quality of our relationships.
Mastering the art of solving problems is not only restricted to work or business settings; it also has its place in everyday life scenarios. We all regularly encounter minor and major challenges in our personal and professional lives that require our attention, these problems could present with the following questions:
I don’t think my car is supposed to make that thumping noise, what do I do now? I recently got laid off, how can I find a new job in a pandemic? My business is now growing, how can I keep up with my bills? My proposal deadline got moved up to this afternoon, how can I finish everything on time? My academic performance has been sub-par this semester, how can I pass this course? Did I notice some strange swellings in my groin, am I sick? Geez! I made an ass of myself last night, did I damage my reputation? I am in a toxic relationship; how do I get out?
The bad news is that as long as we are alive, there will always be problems we have to deal with, this is inevitable. The good news is that we can do something about it, we can change our perspective and approach to our problems. Norman Vincent Peale famously said that “every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don’t have any problems, you don’t get any seeds”.
Our mindset is very important when it comes to successfully solving problems. If we approach problems with the wrong mindset, then we will most likely have a bad outcome. A problem well approached is a problem half-solved.
The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem — Theodore Isaac Rubin
As an entrepreneur and consulting professional, I have had to regularly face many minor and major problems that demand my attention. These problems ranged from day to day business operations like finding business clients and resolving conflicts with irate customers to mundane challenges like learning how to edit videos or dealing with the stress and anxiety of living in a pandemic.
I generally have found success by using 4 rules to work my way through problems regardless of how small or big they are. These 4 rules are as follows:
Personality Trait: Understanding my natural preference for absorbing and analyzing available information. Stoicism: Focusing on what I can immediately control. Emotional Intelligence: Awareness of my emotional state, skill-levels and motivation to deal with the problem. Vulnerability: Humility to know when I need to ask for help.
Photo by Olav Ahrens Røtne on Unsplash
Problems are not stops, they are guidelines — Robert H. Shuller
Personality Trait
Personality typing is a psychological system of categorizing people according to their tendencies to think and act in particular ways. Personality typing attempts to find the broadest, most important ways in which people are different, and make sense of these differences by sorting people into meaningful groups. The most popular and well-known system of personality typing is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator or MBTI.
The MBTI system describes a person’s personality through 4 opposing personality functions, preferences in the use of these functions act as useful reference points to explain how and why you are the way you are. You can take a free 5 mins test here.
This model tests your natural preference for the following dimension:
Extroversion(E) or Introversion (I): How do you gain energy? Extroverts gain energy from people and their environments, introverts gain energy from alone-time and need regular periods of quiet reflection. Sensing (S) or Intuition (N): How do you collect information? Sensors gather facts from their immediate environment and rely on things they can see, feel, hear and touch. Intuitives look more at the overall context and think about subtle patterns, meanings and connections in their environment. Thinking (T) and Feeling (F): How do you make decisions? Thinkers look for logically correct solutions, whereas feelers make decisions based on their emotions, values and how their action impacts others. Judging (J) and Perceiving (P): How do you organize your thoughts? Judgers prefer structure and like things to be clearly regulated, whereas perceivers like things to be open and flexible and are reluctant to commit themselves.
While all of these domains are sliding scales with varying degrees of preference to each of them, having an understanding of your personality type and your natural preference will help you better understand how you subconsciously interpret, process and act on available information.
For example, if you observe your car making a thumping noise, and you have a preference for Sensing (S) as a way of collecting information, your natural preference will be to rely on what you can smell, see or touch to try and diagnose the problem.
An intuitive might prefer a holistic approach to diagnose the problem which might involve taking a step back to look at the bigger picture. They might try to connect different information they have gathered over the years about their vehicle from previous problems to diagnose the problem.
There is no wrong way to approach problem-solving, the issue arises when you don’t understand your preferred way of taking in and analyzing information and the potential blind spots these preferences can create as you make decisions.
Understanding the inner mechanics of your subconscious will help you to be better calibrated to adjust your approach as needed while working through problems.
Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced — James Baldwin
Stoicism
Often, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed when faced with a problem, particularly big ones. Worrying about them is often useless and unproductive, however, focusing your attention on what is under your control can help you to assume responsibility and take your first step to solve the problem.
Focusing on what you can control will help you to stay levelheaded and centred regardless of external events. There are few things you usually can have full control over, they include your thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, actions and reactions. This is stoicism.
A stoic is someone who transforms fear into prudence, pain into transformation, mistakes into initiation, and desire into undertaking — Nassim Taleb
Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy founded in Athens around 300BC by a man called Zeno of Citium. Zeno was a former merchant who lost everything he had in a shipwreck before becoming a student of philosophy. You don’t have to be bankrupt to adopt this philosophy, you can choose to focus your attention on what is in your control when you deal with life problems.
How can you apply stoicism?
Choose to take responsibility whenever you can. Rather than just blaming the world or other people for your situation, you can choose to accept that at the end of the day, you are ultimately responsible for your own success and happiness, no one else! Draw a line between what you do and do not have control over. You can get easily sucked into the exhausting cycle of helplessness, powerlessness and bitterness if you don’t draw a line and acknowledge what you have control over. It is helpful to brainstorm and write down everything you have control over around the problem you are solving. For example, when I suddenly lost 2 key employees in my business, I still had control over how many job advertisements I could post to attract new candidates, I also had the option to hire temporary sub-contractors if I couldn’t find ideal replacements. Start acting on what you can control. The famous Chinese proverb says “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”, start acting on the items on your list to begin solving the problem. You can control your attitude towards the problem, your willingness to put in the work, hustle and do your very best.
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
Sometimes problems don’t require a solution to solve them; Instead, they require maturity to outgrow them — Steve Maraboli
Emotional Intelligence
Renowned psychologist and researcher Daniel Goleman defines emotional intelligence as the ability to identify and manage one’s emotions as well as the emotions of others.
Skills in emotional intelligence are critical to successfully solve problems; they help you to remain highly conscious of your emotional states whether positive — joy, love, gratitude or negative — frustration, sadness or resentment and helps you to build key relationships and collaborations that are usually needed to find solutions and help.
How can you apply emotional intelligence?
Emotional awareness: Awareness helps you recognize and label your emotions and feelings while they are happening. This awareness will help you to consistently align your response and actions with your long-term goals. Emotional management: Emotional management is helpful to control your feelings and how you express them. When we are frustrated, it is only natural to sometimes want to lash out or act impulsively. Emotional management helps you to stay calm and levelheaded during these tense and trying moments. This can often be the difference in escalating or de-escalating a tough situation. Empathy: Empathy helps you to notice and correctly interpret the needs and value you can add to others. Sometimes, solutions are found when you take an active interest in the concerns of others around you and when you are not just primarily motivated by your own self-interest. Self-motivation: Self-motivation helps you to continue to keep your actions aligned with your goals regardless of distractions or feelings as though nothing has changed. Self-motivation helps you to delay gratification and keep putting in the work even if you can’t see immediately see the light at the end of the tunnel.
A positive attitude may not solve your problems, but it will annoy people to make it worth the effort — Anonymous
Vulnerability
In your quest to find solutions, you have to show humility, drop your ego and be willing to be uncomfortable. Adopting this approach when solving problems helps you easily change course, ask for help or reach out to others in your network. This is vulnerability.
While you are working on strategies based on your list of what you can control, start making another list of people in your network who could help with your problem. Make a list of 10-15 people in your network you can ask for help or recommendations to someone in their network who could help.
Oftentimes, solutions to problems are found when you take a chance, put yourself out there and risk rejection. Rejection is OK because, in the end, it’s all a numbers game, if you talk to enough people, there is a higher chance of finding someone who can help you with your problem.
In Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, she shares her research on how the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love and lead. She explains that “when we shut ourselves off from vulnerability, we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives”.
When we step back and examine our lives, we will find that nothing is as uncomfortable or hurtful as standing on the outside looking in and wondering what it would be like if we only had the courage to put ourselves out there and take a chance. | https://medium.com/swlh/4-golden-rules-of-problem-solving-5458b124a2a0 | ['David Owasi'] | 2020-10-27 14:51:53.452000+00:00 | ['Self Improvement', 'Work', 'Problem Solving', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Productivity'] |
Open sourcing the IWillVote widget | Open sourcing the IWillVote widget
Making the polling location lookup tool accessible to all
IWillVote voting location widget in action in the 2020 Democratic primary
The DNC is continuing to expand our voter education efforts by making the IWillVote.com voting location widget available to any entity that wants to use it!
You can use a few lines of code to embed the IWillVote voting location widget on your website and customize it for your brand. You can change the font, colors, and more to make the widget your own.
Available in English and Spanish, the widget allows a voter to enter their address directly on your website, then view up-to-date and accurate voting location options (including drop off locations, if available in that voter’s state) on IWillVote.com.
Get the widget here: https://democrats.org/iwv-widget/
Default IWillVote widget
During the primary season, presidential campaigns and state parties used the widget to make it easier for voters to find their voting locations. We’re excited to share the widget with any organization or person who wants it. The more voters that have accurate information about where, when, and how they can vote, the stronger our democracy will be.
— — — — —
Copyright 2020 DNC Services Corporation / Democratic National Committee
The IWillVote widget and code referenced on this page is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the “License”); you may not use this widget except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an “AS IS” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License. | https://medium.com/democratictech/open-sourcing-the-iwillvote-widget-1013d8203056 | ['Emily Dillon'] | 2020-10-08 21:34:14.665000+00:00 | ['Voting', 'Data Engineering', 'Democracy', 'Polling Places', 'Election 2020'] |
Roku Ultra (2020) review: Incremental improvements | The 2020 Roku Ultra is a surprisingly tough streaming box to review.
While Roku’s hardware and software haven’t changed much from last year’s model, the wider world of streaming TV has changed a lot. Between new services like Apple TV+, Peacock, HBO Max, and the forthcoming Paramount+, there are more streaming options to juggle than ever. In response, we’ve seen devices such as the Chromecast with Google TV and the TiVo Stream 4K emerge to make sense of those options, funneling content from multiple apps into a single, unified menu.
Roku, meanwhile, has held steadfast to its less ambitious approach: Make free content easy to find, but make users dig through individual apps for everything else.
This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best media streamers, where you’ll find reviews of competing products, plus a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when shopping for this type of product. Mentioned in this article Chromecast with Google TV Read TechHive's review$49.99MSRP $49.99See iton Google If you still agree with that approach, the $100 Roku Ultra has a lot to like. It supports Dolby Vision and HLG high dynamic range video, Bluetooth audio, and Dolby Atmos audio decode. It’s also a smidge faster than other Roku players, and it still has the comfiest remote you’ll find with any streaming player today.
But if you’re rooting for a new paradigm in streaming, where digging through a dozen different apps is no longer necessary, the new Roku Ultra will inevitably disappoint. (Roku is also shipping a new mini soundbar. You can read our Roku Streambar review here.)
Slicker box, better specsThe 2020 Roku Ultra is easy to tell apart from previous versions. The plastic enclosure has a matte finish throughout instead of being glossy around the edges, and the sides of the box curve inward at the top instead of outward. I think it’s more attractive.
Jared Newman / IDG 2019’s Roku Ultra on the left, 2020’s Ultra on the right.
The port arrangement has changed as well. There’s no more MicroSD card slot for expandable app storage, though the Ultra does have more built-in storage. (Roku won’t say exactly how much.) Meanwhile, the USB slot for local media playback has moved from the side of the box to the back, where it’s joined by the ethernet port and HDMI output.
Jared Newman / IDG MicroSD for expanded app storage is gone, but USB for local media playback remains.
This is also the first Roku player with Bluetooth, so you can pair a phone, tablet, or computer and play music through the TV. It’s a fine addition, though it doesn’t support pairing wireless headphones to play audio from the Roku. (For that, you can use Roku’s mobile app, which offers private listening through headphones or earbuds connected to the phone.)
As before, the Roku Ultra supports 4K HDR video, which allows for both higher resolution and more color detail in highlights and shadows, but the new arrival of Dolby Vision means those color optimizations can happen on a scene-by-scene basis. Of course, you’ll need a TV with Dolby Vision HDR support to take advantage, along with supported content in apps like Netflix or Amazon Prime. Dolby Atmos decode support means that some content can produce object-based audio effects if you have an Atmos-enabled speaker system.
Mentioned in this article Roku Streambar Read TechHive's reviewSee it I should mention one strange video playback issue, though: Deep in Roku’s settings there’s an option to automatically match the TV’s refresh rate to whatever content is playing. It’s disabled by default, but enabling it prevented me from playing video from Apple TV+ due to HDCP errors. Roku says I encountered a known bug that it’s working to squash. If you buy a Roku Ultra, checking for a firmware update should be your first order of business after connecting it to your network.
The remote, meanwhile, is unchanged from last year’s Ultra, which is fine. It’s a bit heftier than most streaming remotes, making it easier to hold, and the varying shapes and sizes of its buttons help you navigate without looking at them. A headphone jack on the left side allows for private listening—a set of earbuds is included—and buttons for volume and mute are on the right along with a power button up top. The remote has an infrared emitter, so you can program those buttons to work directly with your TV.
Jared Newman / IDG Roku’s oversized remote feels great and has a pair of programmable buttons.
You still can’t reprogram the Roku remote’s built-in app-launch buttons, but the two numeric buttons above them can be mapped to any voice command, so you can use them to open your favorite apps or turn on closed captioning. And as with previous Ultras, there’s a button on the box itself that plays a sound on the remote to help you find it—a nice touch that most other streamers still haven’t replicated.
Slight speed bumpsBeyond the more tangible hardware improvements in the 2020 Roku Ultra, Roku claims that the new box launches popular apps faster and has better wireless reception than previous versions. In practice, those improvements are noticeable, but not dramatic.
Compared to last year’s Ultra, the new model launched Amazon Prime about 1.5 seconds faster and The Roku Channel about a second faster, but launch times for Disney+ and YouTube were comparable on both. The Ultra does have a more pronounced advantage over the $50 Roku Streaming Stick+, launching Prime roughly 4.5 seconds faster, and loading The Roku Channel, YouTube, and Disney+ about 1.5 seconds faster, but none of those differences are enough to justify upgrading for speed alone.
Connectivity speed is where things get more interesting. Roku didn’t upgrade the internal Wi-Fi components—the Ultra still supports Wi-Fi 5 with dual-band MIMO—but the company says it has optimized its antennas to improve reception range.
To evaluate, I ran numerous speed tests—both from Roku’s settings menu and from Netflix’s help section—in two tricky spots: One set of tests in my basement entertainment center, and the another at the opposite corner of the house from my router. Here are the results:
2020 Ultra (5 GHz): 58 Mbps in basement console, 36 Mbps in far corner 2019 Ultra (5 GHz): 59 Mbps in basement console, 18 Mbps in far corner 2020 Ultra (2.4 GHz): 73 Mbps in basement console, 29 Mbps in far corner 2019 Ultra (2.4 GHz): 56 Mbps in basement console, 20 Mbps in far corner Roku’s claims of improved range appear to check out, though I did also observe similar or better connectivity speeds in other high-end streaming boxes, including Amazon’s Fire TV Cube and the Apple TV 4K. That’s at least partly because Roku intentionally caps data speeds at 100 Mbps on its devices, supposedly to focus on range instead of speed. (I’ll have more to say about this in my cord-cutting column later this week.)
Software: Free is the focus Jared Newman / IDG The Roku home screen, same as it ever was.
Software is just as important as hardware, though, and Roku’s software is largely the same as it was a year ago. The main section of the home screen presents a grid of apps for services like Netflix and Hulu, while other sections let you browse for free movies and shows, search for free content, install new apps, or purchase a la carte videos from Fandango.
As always, Roku does a better job than any other streaming platform at surfacing free movies and shows. The “Featured Free” section of the home screen pulls in content—mostly ad-supported—from across different apps, and if you search for genres such as comedy or action, Roku will highlight a section of free options in its results.
Jared Newman / IDG Ad revenue is central to Roku’s business model, so you needn’t look far for free, ad-supported content.
The Roku Channel app, meanwhile, provides plenty of its own movies, shows, and linear channels to watch at no charge. Although Roku has also brought that app to Samsung TVs and Fire TV devices, it’s more deeply integrated with search and voice control on its own streamers.
Jared Newman / IDG Roku’s genre searches always bring free content to the forefront.
It’s just too bad Roku doesn’t put that same kind of effort into surfacing videos from premium sources such as Netflix, Disney+, or CBS All Access. Sure, you can use voice search on Roku’s remote to find specific movies or shows from those services, and you can browse across apps using some broad genre searches. But if you want to see what’s happening across all your streaming services or pick up where you left off on a specific show, you’ll have to jump into individual apps. Devices like the Apple TV 4K and the new Chromecast have shown that universal streaming guides and watchlists are possible, but Roku, for whatever reason, hasn’t tried to build one itself.
Jared Newman / IDG You can search for specific shows or genres, but there’s no unified menu for browsing across apps.
That’s not the only way Roku lags behind other platforms. Your ability to launch music by voice remains limited to just Pandora, TuneIn, or iHeartRadio, and you can’t use voice to launch live channels in apps like YouTube TV or Sling TV. Apple TV, Fire TV, and Chromecast with Google TV excel on all those fronts. And because Roku isn’t connected to any smart home platforms, you can’t use it to check on security cameras, control the lights, or adjust the thermostat.
There’s also the lingering issue of HBO Max, which remains unavailable on Roku due to disagreements with AT&T’s WarnerMedia over carriage terms. You can still access HBO on Roku in other ways—through the standalone HBO, as a Roku Channel subscription, or as an add-on to certain live streaming services—but you won’t get the full Max catalog. And for cable subscribers, you can no longer sign into HBO on Roku at all. While every streaming platform has some app gaps, Roku’s HBO issues are a blemish on its once-stellar reputation for app support.
Update, November 12, 2020: Roku has issued an update that adds Apple AirPlay support to select Roku streamers, including this one. This enables an HBO Max workaround—provided you also have an iPhone or an iPad, as TechHive’s Cord Cutter Confidential columnist Jared Newman explains in this story. Visit this page at Roku.com for details on how to use AirPlay (and Apple HomeKit) on compatible Roku devices.
That issue aside, Roku’s straightforward approach has its merits. There’s never any doubt about how to access your apps, and the system as a whole feels speedy and stable. For those reasons, the Roku Ultra remains a safe, easy recommendation for a higher-end streamer.
As for whether it’s the best, that all depends on your philosophy toward streaming.
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/@sandy48833633/roku-ultra-2020-review-incremental-improvements-b9ef9d7bc98a | [] | 2020-12-05 02:43:17.821000+00:00 | ['Entertainment', 'Home Tech', 'Home Theater', 'Chargers'] |
Love: The Truth of Our Existence | What is love? Everyone has an idea of what love is. We often either identify it as romantic love or love for our friends or families, but this can cause us to depend on romantic or familial love to feel satisfied. When our need for love is unfulfilled within these limitations, we feel neglected and deprived.
Love is in everything. It is in what we eat, what we do, what we say, and how we act and react. Every single thing we do every day has love infused into it. Love is not an ideal; it is the truth of our existence. Love is who we are. It exists within us.
Love is not dependent on external factors. External factors are affected by love. When we act with love, we heal. When we act with love, we create love. If we view the world with love and act with love, love is what we receive in return. Love is always reciprocal; you just have to be aware of its return.
Love is an innate response, even when we hate. We are all seeking love because we are born with love. When a child is born, they seek affection from their caregivers. The child’s need to be loved is an act of love. If their love is rejected, the child will feel hurt and neglected. Rejected love can cause a human being to develop defense mechanisms over time to protect their feelings of love. A child learns by conditioning that love is wrong, and this can extend, and often does, into adulthood. The only way to heal someone who feels unloved is by giving love.
Children understand universal love. A four-year-old girl in my preschool class told me that she loved me the other day. She said it with uninhibited purity of heart. She understands that love is a sign of affection and respect and can be given to everyone and everything in her life, including teachers, animals, and even the flowers in a field.
Love creates love. Everything we infuse love into becomes love. The way we respond to others is an important act of love. Are we responding to others with care and compassion, respect, and attentiveness? How do others react to us when we act with love? Do we love ourselves and our bodies by preparing nutritious meals with love? What about our daily activities? Are they planned with love in mind?
Each step we take towards love brings us more love. It also sends our love out into the world in the form of energy. Imagine if we all sent our love out into the world with pure intention. Do you think you could feel its immediate effect on our society and how you perceive the world?
I’m giving you love right now. You are a beautiful, perfect human being. Every imperfection that you believe exists in you is simply a place in your heart that needs love. Just as you give love to others, you must give love to yourself. Act with love, and you shall receive it. | https://medium.com/@thefifth/love-the-truth-of-our-existence-c79d70e8236a | ['S. Angell'] | 2020-12-19 01:28:33.904000+00:00 | ['Spiritual Growth', 'Healing', 'Health', 'Love', 'Society'] |
How the 2008 crash made GenZ one of the most frugal generations in history | GenZ is one of the most fiscally frugal, pragmatic and entrepreneurial generations to hit this country in a while.
Graph of the DOW during the 2008 crash. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Key events shape generations. For Millennials, they were raised in the steady 1990’s by the Baby Boomer’s, who wanted a comfy life for their children. In 2000 and 2008 however, Millennials found their comfort shook through financial crises.
For GenZ, they grew up in the age of internet, smartphones, same-sex marriage, the first black president, and they witnessed their parents or older siblings struggle, either from student debt or the 2008 crash.
Watching adults struggle during the second worst recession in U.S. history has made GenZ one of the most fiscally conservative generations in the U.S.
Watching adults struggle during the second worst recession in U.S. history has made GenZ one of the most fiscally conservative generations in the U.S. since their grandparents. This contrasts the Millennial generation, known for being the “me” generation and having loads of student debt.
Millennials have on average $33,000 in student debt. GenZ averages $11,000, despite rising college costs. One reason is that GenZ students are more likely than Millennials to attend a less prestigious college to save money, even if they got accepted to a big name college.
“I definitely think growing up in a time of hardship, global conflict, and economic troubles has affected my future,” said highschooler Semi Park, who has opted to pursue law, rather than her dream of fashion, for financial security. GenZ concurs with Semi; 70% of GenZ college students prioritize financial security over passion when picking their career.
70% of GenZ college students prioritize financial security over passion when picking their career.
However, It’s not just that Millennials were uneducated about the dangers of student debt. Millennials still owe on average $42,000 in debt, most of which is not from student debt. It’s from credit card debt.
The average millennial spends just as much money on discretionary spending, like eating out or shopping, as they do on paying down debt, causing a tricky lifestyle of endless debt. Clearly, there is a different attitude towards money when comparing Millennials with GenZ.
In a study where GenZ students were asked what they would do with a $500 bonus, 84% stated they would save the money. 85% of GenZ students also plan to work during college.
Fiscal frugality and work ethic can also be seen in past generations that lived through recessions. The Silent Generation, which lived through the Great Depression, developed key traits of thriftiness, drive, and money management. Not coincidentally, the Silent Generation then drove much of the post-World War II boom.
AN ENTREPRENEURIAL FUTURE
Today, similarities can be seen with GenZ. Not only are they fiscally conservative, but they’re also highly entrepreneurial — almost a contradiction to their risk averse mentality regarding money. Entrepreneurs among younger generations value creativity, ethics, social impact, and hustling, thus creating a competitive business landscape of innovation and progress. As the oldest of GenZ begins to graduate college and enter the workforce, we may finally see the long-run impact of the 2008 financial crisis. | https://christinagayton.medium.com/how-the-2008-crash-made-genz-one-of-the-most-frugal-generations-in-history-5fc026d17d61 | ['Christina Gayton'] | 2019-01-02 16:19:45.157000+00:00 | ['Economics', 'Economy', 'Personal Finance', 'Money', 'History'] |
Announcing Onessus, Using EOS To Solve ECommerce Fraud & Bring Customizable Smart Contracts To The Layman. | Announcing Onessus, Using EOS To Solve ECommerce Fraud & Bring Customizable Smart Contracts To The Layman. Onessus. Feb 1, 2019·3 min read
We are proud to announce Onessus Blockchain Systems LLC, as well as our flagship dapp, the economic engine and our cryptocurrency VOID. This is a company we have been working on for almost 2 years creating 5+ unique dapp concepts, which will be built on top of our engine. Every dapp we build will be on eos, and all will use the Onessus Void Token. We have many exciting announcements for the future, and hope to build great things with the help of the eos community! Without further adeu.. The Onessus’ Economic Engine.
What are we solving?
We are the first blockchain company to make our primary focus to solve the issue of eCommerce fraud at its core. This is currently a $200B problem and growing annually with no solutions. While this is our main focus, we also want to revolutionize the accessibility of smart contracts and create a practical model for the layman to create smart contracts for their business, dapp, or transacting needs. We see the future of smart contract technology as something anybody can fully leverage, and not just developers. Check out the blog post we made below, on eCommerce fraud to get more context on the issue and how we are solving it!
ECommerce Fraud & The Economic Engine
What is an economic engine?
We coined this project the economic engine as we are essentially building a platform that contains virtually every element that makes up an economy all within a single system. Effectively an all in one transactionally secure distributed economy made possible with eos, with what we argue to be the most potential use cases of any dapp in the world.
Users will be able to browse the economic engine using scatter, or preferred wallet, through the https://void.market web app. We plan to create a mobile and PC app in the future as well.
For more information on the project, check out the content below!
Explainer Video
Consumer Demo
Business Demo
Whitepaper
Website
What are we doing differently?
1. As stated earlier we are the first blockchain company to make our primary focus solving the epidemic of eCommerce fraud.
2. We are the inventors and first company to introduce the idea of an economic engine.
3. Providing the ability for the average joe to leverage customizable smart contract capabilities. Anybody will be able to easily create their own DAOs, or any type of smart transaction and collectively set their own rules with 0 blockchain knowledge.
4. Our engine will feature the first P2P escrow platform, or “uber” for escrow services. This platform is a core element for the engine’s transactional consensus model, and will open up an abundant number of opportunities to businesses and individuals.
Who is making this project a reality?
We’ve been taking our time to bring together the perfect group of individuals to make this project a reality. Our team has worked on projects such as BitShares, Eva, DeltaDex, eDNA, and more! If you’re interested in learning more about the Onessus team visit our website @ https://void.market
How do we get VOID?
Easy, on March 14, 2019, we will be airdropping 15% of the total supply of VOID to EOS holders. Specifically those holding 100+ EOS based on a snapshot from Oct. 10. Everybody will receive an equal portion regardless of the amount of EOS you hold as long as you meet the minimum airdrop requirement.
For those that do not meet the requirements for our airdrop, have no fear. We will be releasing VOID on an exchange directly after the airdrop.
As a gift to the first believers in our project we have deployed a staking dapp that will hold 40% of the total supply of VOID. For a limited time, VOID holders will be able to stake their tokens for a 2x or 3x return. This dapp will also go live directly after the airdrop. More info here.
Staking VOID
For more information on VOID, check out our blog below and get a glimpse into our mindset when creating this token.
Token Creation Philosophy
Questions, Suggestions, Or Feedback!
Find us here!
r/Onessus
Telegram | https://medium.com/@onessus/announcing-onessus-using-eos-to-solve-ecommerce-fraud-bring-customizable-smart-contracts-to-the-3ee481425ee9 | [] | 2019-03-11 21:08:17.789000+00:00 | ['Cryptocurrency', 'Onessus', 'Eos', 'Smart Contracts', 'Blockchain'] |
Hi Mom, You OK? | To a Mom that needs to be reminded that she is worthy if she JUST shows up because — HUMAN!
You’re a full-time mom in a world of bankers, scientists, doctors, lawyers and teachers. After requesting a break from work, you had nothing to look forward to for few weeks, except the need be fully informed and prepared for parenting. Did you ignore your identity and purpose you once aspired to have, while enjoying the start of the extraordinary experience called “family”?
This could be why.
Becoming a mom has changed you completely. Do you get to pee in private? Do you get to make a sudden dinner plan? Do you get to spend your full Sunday lazing in your bed? These top your list of life’s most unappreciated luxuries today. You never felt more judged than you do as a mom, most of which was probably a figment of your sleepless imagination. Now you could not care less, if you do not have poop smeared on my face, you’re good to go!
This could be why.
Nobody gets to talk about your breastfeeding journey. Let’s not even get there, please. Probably the ONLY thing that is right is your determination to nourish your baby with the best. After the first few months, you are done and devastated because of terrible bouts of mastitis and sleeplessness. “Why is my baby crying so uncontrollably? How many more growth spurts do I survive? where do I still gather so much energy and tolerance from?” You’re still doing it all.
(Bonus tip from my experience: Swaddle your baby, its completely safe and good. if they start giving you unsolicited advice, swaddle them too!)
This could be why.
There is this part of COVID-19 life that is rarely talked about. A part where you have to “Sshhhh” the baby (as if the otherwise mad routine were not enough) for zoom calls and other remote meetings. The part where the entire day is almost mom-made because the dad is accommodating his work from home. The part where the house is invariably both home and office.
This could be why.
Honestly, there cannot be a more difficult time for bubbling emotions than these past few months as the world comes anxious pause due to the coronavirus spread. Now that you have zero assistance from your helper (handling toddlers tantrums and entertaining the babies full day are saved for a separate article!) who has stopped coming home indefinitely, you’re constantly wiping or cutting or cleaning something for someone. When you think you can make your way out of the kitchen for some energy, in a blink, the sink will be full again. And when you finally fall on the couch for an unconscious nap, it is only mostly cheered by your toddler banging away with pans and cans. It seems to be a never-ending struggle to keep your head above the water and survival mode is your default mode.
This could be why.
During all these times, your relationships are being challenged. You sometimes tend to hate your most loving husband (Don’t freak out, it’s temporary and its OK!) You resent his freedom to return to normal life and check his social media in silence while you’re home with the little humans all day. (If looks could kill, my husband would be dead a thousand times over!) But you are making it through, and you still love him.
This could be why.
You honestly have not thought about yourself and your dreams in a long time above the well-being of your children. It is sadly often you who had ambitious and fairy dreams to now stay lost with an unpredictable, chaotic, and noisy toddler at home. With all the distractions of parenting, you do not know why; you have no idea. Sometimes you want to get away from the noise to hear your heart. This realization only hits you hard and makes you very emotional.
This could be why.
Yes, AGREED! But wait! Can we also try to extrapolate and see what happens when you, as a parent, are depressed?
Kids at this age are often forced to become mini adults, taking over duties as a caring sibling or making a meal themselves, if you, as a parent am too depressed to function at all. Their looks may seem very mature and able on the outside, but they can be very vulnerable underneath. Your children will be less motivated socially and academically. You are more critical, and as a result, kids often have more negative images of themselves. Your children are also more likely to have behavioral problems in school because you, as a parent, avoid dealing with discipline at home because of your depression.
So, I say — Everything else can wait. You’re important. Your mental peace is important. You’re enough. Celebrate yourself! Cake for everyone!
So, tomorrow, when you open your eyes,
You would want to start a day in a way you can embrace the chaos even if you do not feel like it. And maybe if you say it, eventually, you will start to believe it. you will continue doing all the things that alleviate the darkness, with the hope that the laughter bellowing through the house can be real and the depression will someday fade completely. For now, you want to hug your kids and cuddle. No matter what you feel, or what the day might bring, they are your sunshine, and they have chosen you to beam their light upon. A light that you may be undeserving of, but one you will work to earn.
And with that belief, someday, you will be their light. And together, you will shine 😊 | https://medium.com/@umabhargavi/hi-mom-you-ok-25f3cc073082 | ['Bhargavi Sathyaprakash'] | 2020-07-04 10:07:08.892000+00:00 | ['Depression', 'Parenthood', 'Momlife', 'Daily Life', 'Motherhood'] |
1st To Die By James Patterson | Book Talk: 1st to die By James Patterson
Today we have an oldie but goodie. This masterpiece debuted in March 2001. Written by the great James Patterson. It’s the first book of The Women’s Murder Club. A series with 20 books in the series. The latest book to come from this series is the 20th Victim which debuted in March 2020. This book introduces 4 women with unique skills taking on murder cases. This is 1st To Die, and it’s time to have a book talk.
This book was by far the best book I ever read. Incredible kept me on my toes every time. Chapters was so short that it didn’t feel like I was reading 400 pages. It kept you wanting to change the page even when you put it off to the side. Not to give any spoilers, but one of the death’s tore me apart. Aside from that, I felt for Lindsay. She was battling Neglis ( a serious sickness) it was eating at her insides. While trying to figure out these random but similar deaths. I felt like Lindsay was an actual person and I wanted her to win the whole way. Every twist and turn that this mystery held, I still was rooting for the women’s murder club. Mr. Patterson made you feel like the major character was on her last leg and was giving everything she had to these cases. But not to tell too much. This book was epic. The end had me shook but also had me let out a big “I knew it” when the killer was finally revealed. James Patterson needs his roses now. A great author that I’m seeing has plenty of great masterpieces that I plan on viewing.
This may be the first of the series, but I plan to read on. I have already borrowed 2nd Chance (The second book of the series) from the library. I plan on being done with that sooner than I was with 1st to die. I’m so terrible with my reading habits. I have been getting better, but this book could have been done. I kept pushing this book to the side like I had something better to do. I finally sat down and finished this book after holding it for 2 months.
Something I can take away from this book as a young author. Is the research for this book. I learned so much while reading along. Like the health side was a big part that had me doing searches throughout. Neglis is a new disease, I learned. Even the description of someone having an attack was different to read instead of seeing in a movie or something along those lines. Even the sudden weather incident, just the research and descriptive writing, showed me my flaws that I need to work on. I repeat the best book by far that I read. To be a writer, learn through other author’s books. Mr. Patterson’s book here was a brilliant study and I know second chance will have me hooked as well. Make sure you check this out as well. And follow his social down below.
1 stTo Die: Amazon.com: 1st to Die (Women’s Murder Club) eBook: Patterson, James: Kindle Store
James Patterson Website: James Patterson
Instagram: James Patterson (@jamespattersonbooks) * Instagram photos and videos
Youtube: James Patterson — YouTube
Twitter: Profile / Twitter
Facebook: (16) James Patterson | Facebook | https://medium.com/@founderofhitm/1st-to-die-by-james-patterson-7992b8d95d76 | ['K. Exum'] | 2020-12-18 13:41:10.082000+00:00 | ['James Patterson', 'Book Review', 'Book Recommendations', 'Book Talks'] |
‘Aging out’ of the foster care system during a pandemic | Few resources during the coronavirus pandemic devastate former foster care youth
Photo by Unsplash
It was September and the world was on lockdown when Emiley Edwards, then 21, transitioned out of Georgia’s foster care system. Like 20 percent of all foster care youth, Edwards was immediately homeless. She was also five months pregnant.
Edwards was one of the 700 adults between the ages of 18 and 21 in the state’s extended foster care program this year. Young people who participate have higher rates of employment and education and lower rates of incarceration. They are also more likely to experience homelessness.
“It was scary,” Edwards said. “Shelters wouldn’t take anyone hardly because of the virus and just the thought of bringing a child into this world and not having a place to stay was very, very scary.”
Social services connected her with a mentor family who allowed her to stay for a short time. They struggled financially after losing their jobs because of the pandemic and could no longer support her.
Once again homeless, Edwards couch surfed. She began renting a property in November in Cedartown, Georgia.
“I just had to take it a day at a time,” she said.
Edwards became accustomed to the instability of moving frequently. At age 3, she and her twin sister, Mercee, were declared wards of the state. Like one in three children in foster care, they entered the system because of parental drug abuse.
The next 15 years of Edward’s life were challenging. She had 33 different foster care placements.
“There’s two in particular that were pretty rough,” she said.
The lack of social support makes it challenging for youth who age out of the foster care system to succeed. Officials say that the coronavirus pandemic just added more barriers.
“These youth are further isolated because of COVID and all the distancing rules,” said Dr. John DeGarmo, an expert in foster care and director of the Foster Care Institute, which provides resources for foster parents. “There’s no one there to provide them with help or support.”
DeGarmo said the rising rate of mental health issues comes from a lack of structure and in-person social interactions for aged out youth. Former foster children are almost twice as likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as U.S. war vets, and as much as four times more likely to have experienced symptoms of mental illness in the past year.
Edwards faced more frustration trying to get help during the pandemic.
“It felt like no one ever got back to me because they were so backed up or short-staffed because of COVID,” she said.
Edwards wasn’t the only former foster care youth who struggled. Early research suggests alarming rates of food, financial and housing insecurity as a direct result of the pandemic for aged out youth. University of Pennsylvania found that 7% reported homelessness, 55% faced food insecurity and 21% experienced a financial crisis, citing the pandemic as the leading cause.
The coronavirus also affected Edwards’ education and work. She plans to be one of the 3% of foster care alumni who graduate from a four-year college. She’s studying nursing at Shorter University in Rome, Georgia, but because many of her remaining courses are laboratories, she will have to wait until in-person classes resume to continue her schooling.
In the meantime, Edwards is saving money and working as a phlebotomist and hospice caretaker. She has been exposed to COVID numerous times but has not fallen ill. She would fear for her unborn daughter’s safety if she were to develop symptoms of the virus.
Her sister is serving time in a state prison and she has no relationship with her biological mother.
“My child is why I keep going,” said Edwards, now eight months pregnant. “I refuse to let her suffer. She deserves every bit of happiness and deserves to be safe.” | https://medium.com/@annagratzer/aging-out-of-the-foster-care-system-during-a-pandemic-fce6a41f44b3 | ['Anna Gratzer'] | 2020-12-11 18:46:31.974000+00:00 | ['Social Services', 'Foster Care', 'Homeless', 'Social Justice', 'Coronavirus'] |
How is Money Created in the Modern Economy? | Explaining how money is created is the most interesting and the most complex part for a reason, what is explained in most college textbooks and what is transmitted in the media day by day is also wrong. You read well, what is taught in the university and what they tell you on the news and the newspaper is incorrect.
The two misconceptions that kill us
There are two preconceptions about creating money that are wrong:
That banks act as simple intermediaries, between savers and those who demand credit The Central Banks are the ones that determine the amount of money in circulation
The vast majority of money in circulation, more than 95%, is made up of bank deposits. In the first case, we are taught and we think that the money that is lent comes from savings in the form of deposits from companies and families. This simplistic idea ignores that in the modern economy commercial banks are the ones that create the money, the ones that create the majority of that 100% of the money in circulation.
The moment they grant a loan, they are creating a deposit, money. Since this money is not transferred, it is a debt in private hands. It is just the opposite sequence to what academic textbooks describe. Yes, the ones from the university. In the second case, we are convinced that the amount of credit that flows in the market is determined by the Central Bank through the amounts of money that it issues to commercial banks.
Nothing is further from reality, since the money issued by the Central Banks is what the commercial banks demand, the only thing that the Central Bank decides is the interest rate and depending on this the commercial banks decide how much to put on the market in depending on market interest rates, the final demand for loans and the profit they can get.
In textbooks we are told that there is a “money multiplier” and that based on this, the monetary policies of the Central Bank are established, which is the one that controls money in circulation.
Again, a descriptive sequence opposite to the real one, since the amount placed in the market is what commercial banks demand based on what I have described; interest rate, final demand and benefit / risk.
Ultimately, the reserves issued by the Central Bank are established based on the deposits that commercial banks want to create based on their profit expectations. Remember that the counterpart of the Central Bank reserves loaned to a commercial bank are bank deposits. | https://medium.com/auricoin/how-is-money-created-in-the-modern-economy-595bdb6007dd | [] | 2020-11-19 15:50:44.258000+00:00 | ['Industry', 'Bussiness', 'Money', 'Banks', 'Economy'] |
Hounded | Theo leaned back in his creaky chair, tapping a pen against the surface of his desk, peering over stacks of papers and textbooks at what had to be his least-favorite student. “Okay, Louis, you say you have a good excuse, so let’s hear it.”
“Well,” the young man standing before him began, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “You see, a dog ate my homework.”
The pen stopped tapping. “Excuse me?”
“A dog ate it.”
Theo sighed. It was already almost eight o’clock, he hadn’t had a bite to eat in hours, and he still had something like fifty papers to grade. The classroom was silent and empty around them, the other students long since gone, leaving chairs askew and desktops cluttered in the wake of their exodus. Teaching high school social studies courses had seemed like such a good direction for his career, but thanks to Louis Freemont, Theo was reconsidering that decision. “Louis, I know you consider Greek Mythology to be a throwaway class…”
“No, wait, let me tell you everything that happened.” Louis pushed his thick glasses back up on the bridge of his nose, ran a hand through his lank, tangled hair. “See, I was on my way back to school, had my assignment redone, on paper, just like you asked.” His expression said what he thought of that. “It was already getting dark and as I passed this alley off First Street, I heard this growl. Now, this wasn’t your normal growl; this was like a bulldozer with a clogged intake.”
Theo pursed his lips. “I assume this is going somewhere.”
“Oh, it is,” Louis said, adjusting his glasses again. “You see, way down in that alley, I saw these red eyes. Now, I was thinking dog already, but the problem is these eyes were like ten feet off the ground. And there were three pairs of ‘em.”
For just a second, Theo felt a chill, a sensation of something remembered that he really wanted to forget. Then he shook the disturbing idea away. Louis’s problem was an overactive imagination, fed by way too many MMO games and a distinct lack of self-discipline. It was time to wrap this meeting up. “Louis — ” he began, but the teenager cut him off.
“I’m just getting to the important stuff,” Louis said. “So, out of the alley came this dog, a huge dog. Its fur was black, all filthy. And there was this smell, like a whole carton of eggs went bad and got stepped on. Strangest thing, though, is it had three heads.”
Again, Theo felt that chill, and had to fight the urge to shudder. He covered his reaction by leaning forward, shuffling some of the papers on his desk. He didn’t meet Louis’s gaze. “Three heads, you say?” He only just kept his voice under control.
“Yeah, three heads.”
“Look anything like this?” Theo pulled out the class textbook, flipped it open to an illustration of an immense, three-headed dog. The beast was depicted surrounded by flames and standing over a scattering of cowering human figures.
“Uh-huh. Just like that.”
Theo sighed. It was just a coincidence. Louis must have actually looked at the class textbook — amazing in and of itself — and come up with the wildest story he could conceive. “That’s Cerberus, the hound that guards the underworld.”
“Really? Geez, that’s one scary dog,” Louis said, the implication going right over his head. “Anyway, it came at me, all snarling and growling, and all I could think was that I was dead meat.”
“So what did you do?” Theo asked, eyes wide in a facetious look of rapt attention.
“Well, I threw my bag at it and started running. I mean, what else could I do? I tell you, that thing snapped up the bag, all three heads just started chewing on it. Guess it worked, ’cause I got away.”
Theo dropped the pen on his desk, leaned further toward his wayward student. “Louis, let me make this as clear as possible. That assignment was make-up work. It was not optional. Now, I want you to redo it, and turn it in first thing tomorrow.” He pinned the young man with his gaze. “Or else.”
Louis heaved an immense sigh, rolled his eyes. “Sure thing, teacher. I’ll just drop everything else in my life.”
“See that you do.” Theo shook his head, willing relief to wash over him. A wild tale, nothing more. He had half a mind to fail Louis, but that would just mean having to put up with him in summer school. Still, if the kid thought he was getting better than a passing grade —
“Uh, Mr. Smith?”
Theo looked up, to see Louis standing in the open doorway, a strange expression on his face.
“You smell that?”
Theo leaned back in his chair, drawing in a calming breath, prepared to convey in succinct fashion his desire for Louis to stop bothering him. Then the stench reached him, a reek of hot sulfur and ash, one that he recognized all too well.
Then, from out in the hall, he heard a low, deep rumbling, like a dog’s growl, only much too loud. It seemed to vibrate through the floor and walls, and set his heart to racing.
“Louis?” he whispered, since it suddenly seemed like a good time to whisper. “Are you sure you got away from that dog?”
Louis response was move away from the door, backing his way into the classroom.
There came the loud clicking of claws on the tile floor of the hall, as whatever was out there came closer. A snuffling noise sounded, and Theo could imagine a monstrous hound’s head, lifted to scent the air.
Louis suddenly stumbled backwards, tripping over a chair and sending it flying. He went down to all fours and started crawling, blubbering in terror. A massive shape took his place in the doorway, a dog so large that it made the doorway seem like a mousehole. Three repulsive heads, with muzzles skinned back from dripping fangs and eyes that blazed with a fiery glow, panned across the room.
When the massive hound’s burning gaze fell on Theo, the heads froze in place, pointing straight at him. For a long moment, Theo could do nothing more than stare at the terrifying apparition in front of him. Then the heads lifted, and a fierce, baying howl erupted from three throats at once.
The sound was deafening, and seemed to shake the walls. Theo winced at the noise; it was louder even than he remembered it being.
“Mr. Smith!” Louis shrieked from where he cowered under a desk, as far from the nightmarish apparition as he could get. “What’s it doing that for?”
Theo waited until the monstrous dog paused for breath. “It’s doing what any good hound does,” he said, his voice sad and resigned. “It’s calling for its master.”
The beast lowered its three heads again, then lumbered the rest of the way into the room, still growling, its eyes never looking away from Theo. Immediately, a blast of smoke and swirling ash erupted in the doorway, spreading out and quickly dissipating.
In its wake stood a figure, a tall man, very thin, wearing a severely cut black suit. His head was bald as a melon, his skin pale, waxy and translucent, stretched tight across the bones of his skull. His eyes, large and heavy-lidded, were jet black, as if lacking irises or whites, or is if they were empty holes opening into utter darkness.
When those eyes caught sight of Theo, a slow grin stretched his thin, bloodless lips. “Ah, there you are. After all this time, I’ve finally found you.” He stepped into the room, walked right up to the desk, his gait loose limbed and shambling. A subtle odor clung to the man, a faint whiff of decay, as if his favored cologne was the essence of death.
“I gotta say, I didn’t expect you to ever catch up to me.” Theo glanced at the monstrous dog, which had slouched onto its hindquarters, its bulk pushing several desks out of place, but was still glaring at him. “I took some pains to make sure your mutt couldn’t track me.”
“And you did a good job, too,” the stranger said. “But, as always, it was your mortal attachments that tripped you up.” He jerked a thumb in the direction of Louis’s cowering form.
“Ah,” Theo grunted. “So that’s what Fluffy was doing menacing my student. You used the kid to pick up my trail.”
“Worked, didn’t it? And here we are.” The man looked Theo up and down, a critical squint on his face. “How have you been, Prometheus?”
“Just fine, Hades,” Theo replied. “Clean living grants you a long life.”
“Yes, a very long life,” Hades agreed. His gaze fell on the cluttered desk, paused at the sight of the textbook, still open to the page depicting Cerberus. He picked up the volume, leafed through it. “Still up to your old antics, eh? Stealing fire and giving it away, so to speak?”
“Just a little harmless knowledge,” Theo muttered, frowning. “Besides, I didn’t steal fire; I gave it back.”
“Semantics.” Hades waved a hand, as if clearing away a pall of smoke. “It amounts to the same thing. Zeus made up his mind, you disobeyed, and we know where that got you.” He smirked. “It was also where you were supposed to stay.”
Theo shrugged. “Having my liver devoured every night by Zeus’s pet bird got old real fast. Anyway, it was his own son who sprang me. Have Thunderbolts take it up with Hercules next time he visits the Underworld.”
“His Lordship doesn’t come around much anymore. He trusts me to keep things in hand.” Now Hades shrugged. “Of course, I don’t use the old place much myself. Times have changed; mortals don’t need us anymore, and we’ve decided we like it that way. Still, have to keep the loose ends tied up.” He sighed. “Which is why I’m here.”
Theo tensed. “So, it’s time to drag me back to my eternal torment? I won’t go without a fight, and I’m still titan enough to make it tough for you.”
“Spare me, please.” Hades looked around the dingy little classroom, with its vomit-green walls, scuffed and pealing linoleum floor, and battered school desks. His eyes came to rest on the quivering form of Louis, still huddled in one corner and doing his best not to move. “Nice place you’ve made for yourself here, ‘Theo’. Charming. So, you teach adolescent mortals about the way things used to be?” He let out a cackling laugh. “By the gods, that must get old, too.”
“It’s an honest living. You should try it some time.”
Hades shook his head, still grinning. “You know, I could care less if Zeus wanted me to chain you to that cliff and let you be gorged upon until the end of time. See, I’ve been following your… exploits… for a while now, and I’m impressed. Truly impressed.” He faced Theo squarely, crossed his arms over his thin chest. “With all those little tidbits you stole from the gods, all that knowledge you ‘gifted’ to mortals, you did more to spread destruction and suffering than any of us ever could. Give humans fire, and they try to burn their world down around them. I may be the master of the Underworld, the prince of eternal torments, but you managed to help make the mortal world into a hell on earth. Bravo.” He clapped his hands together in mocking applause.
Theo felt a hot flush creep up his neck. “It was done with the best intentions, Hades. I never meant harm.”
“Good intentions,” Hades said, spreading his hands wide. “They pave the road to my doorstep.”
“Touché.” Theo sighed. “Look, I know what I’ve done. I guess you could say it’s why I do what I do. At least here, I can’t cause much more damage, now can I?”
“Exactly,” Hades agreed, his smile widening to reveal large teeth the color of old bones. “Which is why I’m going to leave you right here.”
“What?” When he first heard the baying of Cerberus, and the Lord of the Underworld walked through his door, Theo expected a battle of epic proportions, followed by an inevitable defeat and an inglorious return to his suffering. But it seemed that the gods had one last surprise in store for him. “Why would you do that?”
“Because,” Hades said slowly, as if speaking to a child. “If I tried for a thousand years, I couldn’t come up with a worse fate for you than spending eternity trying to guide and shape the follies of mortals. That you did it to yourself just makes it all the more satisfying.” He stepped back from the desk, took one more look at the pathetic, cowering form of Louis, and barked out another laugh. “Enjoy your eternal damnation, Prometheus. And keep in touch.”
With a belch of black smoke and the stench of brimstone, Hades was gone once more, taking his hound with him.
Theo glowered at the empty space where the God of Death had stood. He understood the irony of his reformed sentence, and didn’t appreciate it. Maybe teaching high school for all eternity would turn out to be better than having his entrails feasted on; time would tell.
Theo sighed, glanced at Louis, who stared back at him from the shelter of his desk, eyes and mouth gaping wide. “He’s gone, Louis. You can get up, go home.” He sat down, slumping heavily into his chair. There were still papers to grade, lesson assignments to prepare. The week was just beginning, and there was no end of work to be done.
“Mr. Smith?” Theo glanced up, to see Louis, clothes disheveled and glasses crooked on his face, standing in the doorway again. The kid had the look of someone just awakened from what they hoped was a bad dream. “About that paper I’m supposed to rewrite…”
Theo just stared at his student for a minute, that let out a snort of laughter. “Tell you what, Louis. Since you told the truth, and a dog did eat your homework, I’ll let you off this time. But remember that I do know the Lord of the Underworld, so the next assignment I give you better be done on time.” He fixed him with a glower. “Or else.” | https://medium.com/reedsy/hounded-a85140c63945 | ['Ian Gonzales'] | 2018-08-02 15:54:35.939000+00:00 | ['Short Story', 'Fiction', 'Mythology', 'Writing Prompts', 'Creative Writing'] |
How I Use Data To Build Better Products | If an organization isn’t using data to develop and grow its products, then its days are probably numbered.
But while everyone talks about data, rarely does anyone explain what to do with all of it. So companies wind up skipping a data-driven approach because there isn’t any time. Or they use data incorrectly and get a false sense of potential success. Or they go totally data-driven and leave the human element out.
Let’s fix that, because every new product, every new feature, every growth experiment, should be using data to make decisions.
Data Science Is Not Rocket Science
The science of data is made out to be far more intimidating than it really is. It’s also overhyped as a kind of nerd quest that will make selling tons of product as simple as punching a magic algorithm into a computer.
The truth is it’s easier than ever to collect, analyze, and react to data — from sales data to performance data to marketing data.
Get Started: It doesn’t matter where you get your data or how you track it
I’ve been building products with data since 1999 — before Google Analytics, before Hubspot, before anyone had an API. I’ve gotten it pretty much down to a science at this point, and I can get a decent data analysis out of a rock and some string like MacGyver.
Right now, as you’re reading this, I’m using data to build two completely different product lines. One uses a lot of data, the other uses just a little. I’m going to use each of these as examples in the hopes that you can find your happy data place somewhere in the middle.
In the first scenario, let’s call it the “Lite” scenario, all I’ve got is a collection of unrelated web pages that show me basic usage stats. But one of those stats is revenue, and when I have revenue, I have the one single truth. I can trace everything else back to dollars.
I’ve got no APIs, so what I have to do is check in regularly to get daily, weekly, and monthly stats, plus any reference points I want to track for any experiments I want to run. All of this goes into one massive spreadsheet with a dozen tabs.
It’s not automated. At all. But once I have the structure down, all it takes a few minutes to maintain it. Plus it’s fun. I geek on this shit.
In the second scenario, the “Heavy” scenario, I’ve got a software platform that cost millions of dollars to build and is constantly being developed, upgraded, and maintained by a team of excellent software engineers. Everything is in the cloud, it’s totally flexible, APIs everywhere, and it even has a replicated read-only database that I can hit with SQL in real time and not screw everything up.
In the Heavy scenario, all I need to do is fire up something like TablePlus or SQL Server Management Console and run stored SQL statements to generate reports.
Data Day!
In both scenarios, I have a weekly Data Day. That’s when I spend an hour or two aggregating all my data and running analysis on every bit of it — which I’ll describe over the rest of the post.
In the Lite scenario, I’m logging into various websites and copying the most recent numbers into the spreadsheet. I don’t get revenue until the end of the month, so I’m doing a lot of extrapolating as to what that dollar figure will be so I can grade performance continually in “real time.” Then I have a monthly Revenue Data Day when I get the revenue numbers.
In the Heavy scenario, I’m getting revenue in real time, so I get to spend much more time on analysis.
Once I’ve collected all my data, my analysis serves to:
Catch errors — I’m looking for spikes in the data that suggest glitches in the software, the process, or some external market factor I don’t know about yet.
— I’m looking for spikes in the data that suggest glitches in the software, the process, or some external market factor I don’t know about yet. Catch opportunities — I’m looking for patterns that suggest my customers are doing something new and different.
— I’m looking for patterns that suggest my customers are doing something new and different. Keep score — I’m comparing incoming data to my previously defined expectations for new products, new features, and any growth experiments that are currently underway.
— I’m comparing incoming data to my previously defined expectations for new products, new features, and any growth experiments that are currently underway. Make plans— I’m rewriting goals, dreaming up new ideas for the product, and considering new experiments.
Here’s what I’m doing during Data Day analysis:
Sales Data: Getting more revenue
The first set of data I look at is sales. I total the entire revenue number first to get a sense if this was a good week or a bad week or an inconclusive week. This will color the rest of my analysis, dictating if I’m looking for problems or opportunities or both. If any number is way off, I’ll skip down to the end and do Forensics, then come back.
The next thing I want to understand is where those sales came from, so I trace the revenue back as far as I can by using the data to answer these questions:
How many customers were in a position to buy, but ultimately decided not to?
How many customers were in a position to buy, but didn’t get to the offering?
How many customers came into the “store,” but never got into a position to buy?
How many customers were made aware of the store, but never entered?
Then I take all of the breakdown and use it to confirm or adjust my goals for the month, the quarter, and the year.
I get the results of all this analysis to discuss with the executive team. If we need initiatives to adjust our focus, we use this analysis as our guide.
Performance Data: Increasing revenue and margin at the same time
The next step is to compare productivity against revenue to get performance. I need to confirm where we’re strong, where we’re weak, and that we’re burning efficiently as we grow.
These are like long-term growth experiments, except I’m looking at things we’re already doing and customers we already have. I’m looking for patterns in their usage that give me hints as to which features and which customers we should be focusing on.
This analysis sets up a lot of the Growth Experiments I’ll be going over next.
For example: At Spiffy, my performance data analysis led me to discover that a good number of our customers were declining a suggested and needed upgrade during their service, but then they’d add the same upgrade the next time they booked their service. We were missing some of those upgrades, right? The ones who forgot about it. So that led to an experiment to prompt those customers to add the upgrade when they book their next service so they won’t forget.
Growth Experiments: Expanding market share by building a better product
The experiment I mentioned just now is one of the most basic I can run. The likelihood is very high that the experiment will succeed, but we’ll test it first anyway because you never know what you’ll find out.
On the other end of the spectrum, I’m also in the middle of testing a new product offering with a large corporate partner that has much broader implications and is a lot trickier. More reward, more risk, same analysis.
I can use the same set of sales and usage data for most of the growth experiments I want to run.
To run these experiments, I narrow down a customer segment, in this case by location. The size of the sample should be small enough to not be painful if we mess up, but large enough to matter. In fact, I’ve already had to add locations because the sample size wasn’t statistically significant. Then I run the experiment.
I usually check in on growth experiments daily or even a couple times a day in the beginning, to flesh out facts like my sample size is too small. Then I try to get to success or failure as quickly as possible.
Marketing Data: Creating new customers using the same value proposition
While all the previous data analysis is about increasing the size of our market, marketing data analysis is about increasing the size of our megaphone to the market.
For the Heavy scenario, we’ve got Hubspot and MailChimp and Google Analytics and all the social media accounts and everything is integrated and automated. In the Lite scenario, I’m just grabbing metrics from the ad server and from Google Analytics and throwing them in one of the spreadsheets. Google’s reports leave a lot to be desired, so I do it myself.
Marketing data analysis is actually just another review of the sales and performance data, but this time I go all the way back to first interaction, or where the customer first became aware of the product offering. I’m looking at impressions, email opens, click-throughs, and conversions, all compared to ad spend. I’m adding the cost of acquiring the customer to the cost of serving the customer.
The main difference with this analysis is that if marketing data is telling me to change something, that usually means changing either the marketing channel or the messaging or both. It’s only in rare cases that marketing data analysis leads to a product change, usually when my customers are confirming a hunch I already had from doing all the prior analysis.
With marketing data, I’m also running experiments, but these are growth hacking experiments, not growth experiments. They’re A/B testing offers, discounts, and messaging. They’re varying the channels, the audience, and the spend. But it all eventually ties back to sales and revenue.
Forensics: Chasing down problems and issues
Forensics is the special projects part of Data Day. When I start to see patterns I like or I don’t like, especially when I don’t like, I pull the corresponding data and comb through it to figure out what to do.
This usually means drilling down to and eventually combing through individual records— maybe single transactions, or customers, or product specs, or even code.
For example: In the Heavy scenario, we noticed anecdotally that chargebacks were becoming an issue. We didn’t have any idea where the spike came from, so I spent a couple hours at the end of a data day pulling transaction data that correlated to chargeback data and drilling down into the individual transactions themselves.
Turns out it was a combination of a single product, a single feature, and a couple customers exploiting a loophole. Rather than spend thousands of dollars on sophisticated software to sniff out bad actors with machine learning, we just closed the loophole. Problem solved.
Thanks, Data Day!
When I think about saving thousands of dollars with a few hours of data analysis, it almost overshadows all the additional revenue these product changes generate without the days and weeks of guesswork trying to figure out how to grow.
Data-driven product development doesn’t have to be scary and it doesn’t have to be all-in. There are a lot of ways that using data to build and grow our product is going to add to the bottom and top line, all without having to hire a data science team. | https://jproco.medium.com/how-i-use-data-to-build-better-products-f5a7bf39198 | ['Joe Procopio'] | 2019-07-08 10:42:39.728000+00:00 | ['Startup', 'Business', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Productivity', 'Product Management'] |
GANDO PRIMARY SCHOOL. Gando primary school was the first… | Where does modern architecture stand now, nearly 90 years after the International Exhibition of 1932? Still being based on similar principles, the architectural vision has been transformed, shifting away from visual concepts and prioritizing its purpose. Following the practices of the founders of the Modern Style, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, and J.J.P. Oud, a new generation of architects created not only exceptionally modern-looking entities but buildings that are problem-solving and even innovative solutions. German-trained architect Francis Kere, using his study, constructed a primary school in Gando, the city he was born in. The school building became an icon to the new vision of modern architecture that in comparison to the mid-20th-century architecture represents a design that is not just a structure but a part of a better lifestyle and a new custom.
Gando primary school was the first professional architecture designed by Francis Kere and the building has not only changed the architectural approach locally but became a world-wide image of modern and sustainable practice. The school is a three-classroom building with
Figure 1: Gando Primary School. Photo by Simeon Duchoud
an outdoor lounge area in between rooms fully covered with an elevated roof. The building was constructed to expand the number of educational institutions in the city of Gando also solving typical of that region's problems such as poor lighting and ventilation. Kere also wanted to bring concepts of a modern movement into the traditional esthetic of his hometown in Burkina Faso. The school at the end did reflect a modern vision of a form, a form determined by its function. In every element Kere was mindful of the community he is building for, mindful of a climate and environment, cost, and resources. The materials and labor are both sourced locally. Familiarized with the traditional craftsman skills, Kere developed a technique that would be clear-cut to the community. As for the materials, he decided to use mostly clay and bricks. Clay is a great thermal insulant and perfect solution in hot climates. Also to preserve the cool temperature inside, Kere applied a technique of dry-stacking bricks on the ceiling creating a natural way of air circulation. Cool air flows through the windows and, when getting warm, it escapes through the holes between bricks on the ceiling, thus keeping hot air out of the space. However, that isn’t only an issue in the climate of Gando. Heavy rains are a very frequent phenomenon there thus Kere decided to use a traditional metal roof to cover the structure. To prevent it from overheating under the sun, the roof has been elevated and set on the metal structure, not only protecting the building from the rain but also creating an additional air corridor for better ventilation. The rooms have multiple windows bringing the light in but not allowing direct sunlight to heat the space by using horizontal blinds. Kere, following traditional craftsmanship, built the school with a modern approach in mind. All the elements of the building have been chosen for a reason and work with each other to serve a purpose as a whole, to become a comfortable place that would not only educate but also inspire the children of Ganda.
The modern movement has been evolving from the time of the International Exhibition in New York until the moment of designing of the Gando Primary School. Michael Speaks noted in his article Intelligence After Theory: “If philosophy was the intellectual dominant of early 20th century vanguards and theory the intellectual dominant of late 20th century vanguards, then intelligence has become the intellectual dominant of early 21st-century post-vanguards.” The design intelligence of architect Francis Kere is not only problem-solving but, moreover, innovative. The primary school is modern not only by its principles but also by some of its visual characteristics. The lack of decorative elements exposes the structure showcasing traditional clay and bricks. Observing the building the materials and the constructing technique can be easily noted thus being not only visually outstanding but also educational. Even though this building was constructed out of very conventional materials, its flexibility and modern look were also achieved by the use of the metal system that holds the roof giving it a feeling of a free-flowing canopy over a rigid structure. Kere purposely applied only traditionally used and natural materials of the region of Gando, however, even though the materials are not modern, they were implemented in a very innovative way achieving both a concept of sustainability and a modern look of the building.
Bauhaus School faculty housing by Walter Gropius very unlike Gando Primary School represents a more conventional Modern Style and was designed in a completely different location, however still having a similar purpose, concept, and principle of a form and its function. Both Gropius and Kere designing their buildings thought of a problem in architecture at a particular time and place, creating a modern image of construction that is reasonable and sustainable. Both buildings have an educational purpose that shaped their functionality. Kere and Gropius have developed new techniques with the idea of populating a modern style that is accessible and affordable.
In the case of Bauhaus, Gropius was working in the poor post-war architectural environment that demanded a change and not only in Germany but in a global arena. Kere experienced an early education in a poor village of Burkina Faso, and when pursuing a bachelor
Figure 2: Bauhaus Masters Houses
degree in Europe he recognized an urgency for change in the development process of his hometown. He had decided to not only bring a modern vision through a single building but also educate and revolutionize the architectural methods. Both buildings are not just a single modern style structure but also a representation of the blueprints that by following guidelines can be repopulated in a myriad of forms. They demonstrate an innovative technique and an idea of each architect creating a new way of building that would be affordable and, at the same time, innovative.
Namata Serumaga-Musisi in his article “Bauhaus Already Lives Here and Why the World Still Doesn’t Know It” quoted MASS design group presentation at the UN: “As Africa’s cities experience explosive growth, it is these human-centered African designers who will build new cities in a socially and ecologically sustainable way,” also referring to Francis Kere as one of the examples of designers who bring ideas of Bauhaus into African development. While the entire world went through so many changes, now, when Africa is growing so rapidly, the innovative vision of such architects as Francis Kere establishes a solid foundation for sustainable designs with the simplicity of a modern look. | https://medium.com/a-rchi-tech-ture/where-does-modern-architecture-stand-now-nearly-90-years-after-the-international-exhibition-of-eadfbf1d69ea | ['Daria Dubois'] | 2020-12-12 23:06:00.439000+00:00 | ['African Architecture', 'Architecture', 'Sustainable', 'Modern Architecture', 'Construction'] |
Putting together Wordpress, Unitd and https | Recently, I’ve got a simple task of setting up an empty site to be filled. Wordpres… well, just a wordpress.
Easy as a cake, yes?
(skipping installing nginx, php, requires extensions, certbot. On your favorite system in takes 3–5 simple commands and some time to work it out)
Why unitd? Well, why not? I just like it more than php-fpm. Let’s assume we have to use it.
Official instructions looks simple, but it stops one step before finish. https.
I’ve installed, configured, made basic setup, added ssl certificate and garbled my site to the point I could not get anything usable from admin panel. I’ve got Mixed Content Error.
I won’t explain it in details, there are more articles on the subject than one can read in his life; the only thing that is of any use is that’s intolerable.
Ok, let’s do from scratch! (note to any sane IT personnel: writing from scratch should be your last resort, not the first) Woops. Nothing happened.
After some time, I’ve made a simple info.php (<?php phpinfo(); ?>) and tried it (don’t forget to remove after finishing the work! May reveal sensitive information) — to find out that request came from 127.0.0.1, by http. Well, at least I know whom to blame (myself, I should remember that unitd has currently no provision to set remote_ip to real remote_ip).
There is an is_ssl() function over there in ./wp-includes/load.php, hammering it down to return true gave me access to admin page; not good after all.
But (a) it’s ugly (b) it will be overwritten during the next upgrade (c) I’d better fix REMOTE_ADDRESS as well.
But now, understanding what to fix, I’ve easily found out
in nginx.conf
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
in wp-config.php
/* === https and remote_address === */
if ( isset( $_SERVER['HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO'] ) ) {
if ( 'https' == $_SERVER['HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO'] ) {
$_SERVER['HTTPS'] = 'on';
}
}
if ( isset( $_SERVER['HTTP_X_REAL_IP'] ) ) {
$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] = $_SERVER['HTTP_X_REAL_IP'];
}
/* === https and remote_address === */
Easy as a cake, yes?
Kinda.
When cleaning up, I’ve found out that is_ssl still hardcoded to return true. Removing hardcode… breaks everything. Setting `$_SERVER[‘HTTPS’] = ‘on’;` in wp-config.php… works, but that’s a hardcode. Putting the code into info.php… works.
As my last resort, I’ve tried to read wordpress source. Up to loading of wp-config, it was straightforward. So there were no hidden `unset()`s, just no way for them.
So it HAD to be in my configs.
Looking at my nginx.conf, I’ve found that index.php is not handled by *.php rule! It has it’s own!
Well. The only thing I had to do a minute later was cleaning up all of my debugging effort.
Be careful. Read, think and do. Not do, google, do, google, do, read, think and do after all. | https://medium.com/@tarkhil/putting-together-wordpress-unitd-and-https-f5f4b0eed37a | ['Alex Povolotsky'] | 2020-12-19 22:16:32.195000+00:00 | ['PHP', 'Nginx', 'Unitd', 'WordPress'] |
12 Days of Christmas with Agro Kings | Nana’s Chilli Sauces
Tis Christmas — Our season of love and giving! Even though this year has been a tough one, Agro Kings will like to put a wide smile on your faces with amazing treats this holiday. We present to you 12 Days of Christmas Online Promo which runs from 18th — 29th December, 2020. Every day comes with a special package. We’ve also introduced new and exciting products you will need. Get them while it lasts! Visit www.agrokings.io/shop to shop now.
12 Days of Christmas Outline
18th — Day 1
Buy one, get one free! Wompɛ wei, na wopɛ dɛn?! #BuyOneGetOneFree #APartridgeInAPearTree
Offers include:
Buy one 5kg long grain and get one chilli pepper powder (small) free
Buy one bundle and get one sweet potato fries (small)
Buy one 5x5 long grain/short grain rice and get 1 shito free
19th — Day 2
1 lucky customer wins double tickets to an upcoming event. #2TurtleDoves
20th — Day 3
Have you met the Trinity? Order your #TrinityBundle (Rice, chicken and shito) today! First 3 customers get an unbeatable 3% discount on the bundle. #ThreeInOne #3FrenchHens
Day 3 — Trinity Bundle
21st — Day 4
Can you hear the #4CallingBirds? Introducing the Too Much Sauce bundle (all 4 sauces). First 4 orders come with one free 1kg long grain rice. #4MoreForNanasRice #4More4You #4MoreToGetMore
22nd — Day 5
5% discount for orders with 5 or more items in cart #5GoldRings
23rd — Day 6
6th order of the day gets a whooping 60% off! #SixIsHere #6GeeseA-Laying. Also 3 random customers get a sweet potato product for free.
24th — Day 7
The 7th day is a day of rest. Enjoy free delivery on all orders! #DayOfRest #AgrokingsSabbath #7SwamsA-Swamming
12 Days of Christmas Outline
25th — Day 8
8 is a new number of new beginnings because Jesus is born! Born of the chosen handmaiden of God! #8MaidsA-Milking. Get an 8% percent discount on all orders with discount code: BRONYA
26th — Day 9
A boxing bout has 12 rounds. Get a 12% discount to knock out hunger this Christmas! Use BOXINGDAY code at checkout. #BoxingDay #9LadiesDancing
27th — Day 10
#10LordsA-Leaping Time for you to leap for joy! #HappyEating 10% discount on purchases above GH¢100
28th — Day 11
#11PipersPiping It’s not too late! You can still enjoy amazing offers at your #11thHour. Use 11THHOUR at checkout for surprise discounts. (will be changing the discounts every 3 hours)
29th — Day 12
#12 DrummersDrumming Get ready for surprise offers and discounts at 12pm! #LastHour
Agro Kings is a Ghanaian owned and operated company, rapidly growing to becoming the preferred rice farm, processor and exporter of rice and other agricultural products in the West African sub-region. Purchase Nana’s Rice at any of our distributor points at Dzworwulu, Adenta, Madina, East Legon, Tema and Trasacco. For this and more, visit www.agrokings.io/shop
Written by Naa Adei Kotey | https://medium.com/@agrokings/12-days-of-christmas-with-agro-kings-8165983ed598 | ['Agro Kings'] | 2020-12-22 12:11:31.161000+00:00 | ['Food', 'Christmasgiveaway', 'Africa', 'Agriculture', 'Ghana'] |
Disney+ pulls a Netflix, hikes its subscription price | Mega media conglomerate Disney just unloaded a truckload of new Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar movies and TV shows that are headed for Disney+, including vehicles for everyone from Loki and the Winter Soldier to Lando and Obi Wan Kenobi. Also coming to Disney+: a price hike.
Following in the footsteps of Netflix, which raised the prices of its standard and premium subscription plans a little more than a month ago, Disney says that it will boost the monthly price for its wildly successful Disney+ subscription service starting next year.
Beginning on March 26, the monthly price for a Disney+ subscription will be $7.99, up $1 from its current $6.99 monthly rate. At the same time, the annual rate for Disney+ will rise from $69.99 to $79.99, while a bundle that includes Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu with ads will increase from $12.99 a month to $13.99/month.
[ Further reading: Amazon Prime Video vs Hulu vs Netflix ]Alongside the news of the Disney+ price hike comes word that the service has nabbed a whopping 86.8 million subscribers since launching a mere year ago, an eye-popping figure by any standard. No wonder Disney feels comfortable about upping Disney+’s subscription price.
Disney announced the price hike at its annual investors presentation on Thursday, but not before promoting a parade of new movies and TV shows, many of which will (surprise!) debut on Disney+.
Among the notables are Ahsoka, a live-action show based on the popular Star Wars: The Clone Wars character; Rangers of the New Republic, a Mandalorian spin-off; Obi-Wan Kenobi, an eagerly awaited Star Wars show starring none other than Ewan McGregor; Lando, about the further adventures of Han’s old buddy; The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, a six-episode series centered around the two Marvel heroes; Loki, another Marvel spinoff starring the God of Mischief himself; and Hawkeye, starring Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld. I’m not even mentioning all the shows coming from Walt Disney Studios and Pixar.
Besides the news of all the TV shows coming to Disney+, it’s also notable what isn’t heading straight to the streaming service. Black Widow, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, and Eternals, three of Disney’s upcoming cinematic tentpoles, are still slated to debut exclusively in theaters next year.
That means Disney isn’t following the lead of Warner Bros., which rocked Hollywood with its bombshell announcement last week that it would open all its 2021 movies in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
That said, Raya and the Last Dragon from Walt Disney Animation Studios will debut both in theaters and on Disney+, with the movie set to be another $30 “Premier Access” title (same as Mulan) when it arrives this coming spring.
Also heading straight to Disney+ will be Pinocchio, starring Tom Hanks and directed by Robert Zemeckis, and Peter Pan and Wendy, starring Jude Law. Both of those movies are still in production.
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/@carolyn56260499/disney-pulls-a-netflix-hikes-its-subscription-price-8c1479bb9998 | [] | 2020-12-21 04:57:54.546000+00:00 | ['Consumer', 'Deals', 'Internet'] |
Killer sales teams know how to collaborate | Collaboration has been tough this year. Working remotely can make you feel separated from your colleagues and your visibility of what’s going on in your team can feel restricted. With teams that deal directly with customers, such as sales teams, this can cause customer interactions to feel a little out of whack.
Collaboration is critical to sales
According to Salesforce’s State of Sales report, 77% of sales teams rate collaboration across departments as critical or very important to the sales process. Customers increasingly expect salespeople to be informed about their previous interactions with a business, even if this was with a different department. Having complete visibility of a customer’s journey within the company is crucial when you’re trying to understand their needs and how you can help them.
When colleagues across departments work together, there is more opportunity to discover new opportunities. Sales and customer service teams securely sharing information with each other can help them to work more effectively. Documenting customer interactions within a CRM such as Salesforce gives everyone with access to a customer account visibility over how well an account is performing, and understand the status of the relationship with the customer.
Accurately record customer interactions
Documenting customer interactions is no mean feat. But there are tools that can help. What if you had a solution that captured every single customer call, even on mobile devices, or over an IP connection? What if those calls were fully transcribed for an accurate record of exactly what was said?
Where traditional call recording solutions rely on expensive on-premise storage, and only capture a small fraction of calls made across a business. Unified Call Recording captures voice conversations directly from the service provider network, and from communication solutions such as Microsoft Teams. Companies who are looking for complete visibility across their business need agile communication solutions that fit with remote working practices.
Prioritising data security
Collaboration should not compromise data security. It is crucial that customer information is not shared with more parties than necessary, and businesses should look for a solution that allows for secure sharing of data. Audio files should not be downloaded, as this could allow the data to be shared with more than the intended parties. Sharing should be via expiring links, where possible — meaning that only the intended user can access a recording for a restricted time period and a limit on the number of playbacks.
Organisations should also implement teams with specific access permissions. Depending on the requirements of the team, recordings may only be accessed by supervisors with administrator controls, or may be securely shared with other team members for greater visibility over customer interactions.
Case study: APAC-Central
APAC-Central, Inc. supplies materials, paving and construction services across Northwest Arkansas, the Arkansas River Valley, Oklahoma and Southwestern Missouri. We spoke to their IT systems analyst Dustin Bowden about how Dubber has facilitated collaboration across the business.
Dubber: What was the challenge that brought you to choosing Dubber?
Dustin Bowden: We wanted a call recording solution that was compatible with our new phone system to ensure our customers are billed correctly.
D: How did Dubber help you solve this problem?
DB: The Dubber solution gives us the ability to error check ourselves after taking an order. If a dispatcher gets a call and then can’t remember a detail when inputting the order, they can just check the recording rather than calling the customer back. The team like that they have the ability to share recordings as well as being able to set up teams. This means they can reference each other’s recordings when talking to a customer who has previously spoken to a different representative.
D: What was the process of going live with Dubber like?
DB: I have received great customer service. Paul has been very helpful with everything we needed to get up and going. The Dubber system is easy to use and our users like it better than what we used on our old phone system. It fits seamlessly with our phone systems: it just works, and works well.
A version of this post was published over on the Dubber blog. | https://medium.com/telecommunication-trends-with-dubber/killer-sales-teams-know-how-to-collaborate-9d605ab062c5 | ['Siân Hunter'] | 2020-12-16 16:28:15.099000+00:00 | ['Collaboration', 'Business Intelligence', 'Teamwork', 'Sales', 'Remote Working'] |
Say it to My Face | Using the hashtag #sayittomyface Graze will reinforce its efforts to join honest authentic people in a safe, genuine space. In the words of Graze, “let’s give the respect we seek.”
By highlighting and visually exposing the nasty, negative, and downright detrimental messages men and women receive when users are able to hide behind a keyboard we open a conversation about honest communication.
We simply ask you to Say it to My Face.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CJUbVZkFNy1/
Graze launches #sayittomyface to expose the negativity spread through the written word on dating apps. If face to face with someone would the same words be chosen? Would they be so bold? Are the words written really what you want to say or are you falsely confident due to the distance and impersonal experience of messaging?
Redefining the way we treat each other feels like an important last effort as we move into 2021. Share your story with #sayittomyface and let’s make the world a little brighter as we end this year. | https://medium.com/@thegrazeapp/say-it-to-my-face-f9b425eeccb5 | [] | 2020-12-27 23:58:34.885000+00:00 | ['Dating', 'Bullying', 'Online Dating', '2021'] |
Application of Data- Structure | DATA-STRUCTURE
A data structure is a particular way of organizing data in a computer so that it
can be used effectively.
>>Data structures are the means of storing data in a very effective manner.
Each structure has different ways in which data is inserted, deleted, or queried.
>>Data structures can be linear or non-linear, based on the way their data is
accessed. Linear are those in which data is stored in a sequential manner, and
can be accessed in a sequence too. Non-linear are those which hold the data
together without focusing on its sequence. The data cannot be arranged or
accessed in a sequence
>>For example, we can store a list of items having the same data-type using
the array data structure.
>>There are a lot examples of data structure where we can store data in different
forms, It consist wide variety of storing , Traversing , Merging etc
Data structure are represented and used in different form such as :
1) Array , 2)Stack , 3)Queue , 4)Linked-List ,
5)Heap , 6)Graph , 7)Tree , 8)Hash-Table
1) Array :An array is a data structure for storing more than one data item that
has a similar data type. The items of an array are allocated at adjacent
memory locations. These memory locations are called elements of that array.
An array is a container of elements.
Elements have a specific value and data type, like “ABC”, TRUE or FALSE,
etc.
Each element also has its own index, which is used to access the element
2) Stack : Stack is a linear data structure which follows a particular order in
which the operations are performed. The order may be LIFO(Last In First Out)
or FILO(First In Last Out).
A stack can be implemented by means of Array, Structure, Pointer, and Linked
List. Stack can either be a fixed size one or it may have a sense of dynamic
re-sizing. Here, we are going to implement stack using arrays, which makes it
a fixed size stack implementation.
Stack operations may involve initializing the stack, using it and then
DE-initializing it. Apart from these basic stuffs, a stack is used for the following
two primary operations −
push() − Pushing (storing) an element on the stack.
pop() − Removing (accessing) an element from the stack.
Some functions of stack are :
peek() − get the top data element of the stack, without removing it.
isFull() − checks if stack is full.
isEmpty() − checks if stack is empty.
3) Queue : A Queue is a linear structure which follows a particular order in
which the operations are performed. The order is First In First Out (FIFO). A
good example of a queue is any queue of consumers for a resource where the
consumer that came first is served first. The difference between stacks and
queues is in removing. In a stack we remove the item the most recently added;
in a queue, we remove the item the least recently added.
Queue operations may involve initializing or defining the queue, utilizing it, and
then completely erasing it from the memory.
enqueue() − add (store) an item to the queue.
dequeue() − remove (access) an item from the queue.
Some Functions of queue are:
peek() − Gets the element at the front of the queue without removing it.
isfull() − Checks if the queue is full.
isempty() − Checks if the queue is empty.
In queue, we always dequeue (or access) data, pointed by front pointer and while
enqueing (or storing) data in the queue we take help of rear pointer.
4)Linked-List: A linked list is a sequence of data structures, which are
connected together via links.A linked list is different from an array in the order
of the elements within the list that is not determined by contiguous memory
allocation. Instead, the elements of the linked list can be sporadically placed in
memory due to its design, which is that each element of the list (also referred
to as a ‘node’) consists of two parts:
1. The data
2. A pointer
Following are the important terms to understand the concept of Linked List.
Link − Each link of a linked list can store a data called an element.
Next − Each link of a linked list contains a link to the next link called Next.
LinkedList − A Linked List contains the connection link to the first link called
First.
Types of Linked List:
Following are the various types of linked list.
Simple Linked List − Item navigation is forward only.
Doubly Linked List − Items can be navigated forward and backward.
Circular Linked List − Last item contains link of the first element as next and
the first element has a link to the last element as previous.
Basic Operations
Following are the basic operations supported by a list.
Insertion − Adds an element at the beginning of the list.
Deletion − Deletes an element at the beginning of the list.
Display − Displays the complete list.
Search − Searches an element using the given key.
Delete − Deletes an element using the given key.
5). Heap: A Heap is a special Tree-based data structure in which the tree is a
complete binary tree. Generally, Heaps can be of two types:
1. Max-Heap: In a Max-Heap the key present at the root node must be
greatest among the keys present at all of it’s children. The same property
must be recursively true for all sub-trees in that Binary Tree.
2. Min-Heap: In a Min-Heap the key present at the root node must be
minimum among the keys present at all of it’s children. The same
property must be recursively true for all sub-trees in that Binary Tree.
6). Tree:A tree is a hierarchical structure where data is organized
hierarchically and are connected together. This structure is different from a
linked list whereas, in a linked list, items are linked in a linear order.
A tree contains “nodes” (a node has a value associated with it) and each node
is connected by a line called an “edge”. These lines represent
the relationship between the nodes.
The top-level node is known as the “root” and a node with no children is a “leaf”.
If a node is connected to other nodes, then the preceding node is referred to as
the “parent”, and nodes following it are “child” nodes.
There are various incarnations of the basic tree structure, each with their own
unique characteristics and performance considerations:
Binary Tree
Binary Search Tree
Red-Black Tree
B-tree
Weight-balanced Tree
Heap
Abstract Syntax Tree
7). Graph : A Graph is a non-linear data structure consisting of nodes and
edges. The nodes are sometimes also referred to as vertices and the edges are
lines or arcs that connect any two nodes in the graph.
More formally a Graph can be defined as A Graph consist of a finite set of
vertices and set of edges which connect a pair of nodes.
8) Hash-Table: Hash Table is a data structure which stores data in an
associative manner. In a hash table, data is stored in an array format, where
each data value has its own unique index value. Access of data becomes very
fast if we know the index of the desired data.Thus, it becomes a data structure
in which insertion and search operations are very fast irrespective of the size
of the data. Hash Table uses an array as a storage medium and uses hash
technique to generate an index where an element is to be inserted or is to be
located from.
Basic Operations:
Following are the basic primary operations of a hash table.
Search − Searches an element in a hash table.
Insert − inserts an element in a hash table.
delete − Deletes an element from a hash table. | https://medium.com/@techspykid/application-of-data-structure-57ba6f2e9d9e | [] | 2020-12-23 05:14:11.409000+00:00 | ['Arrays', 'Data Structures', 'Application', 'Data', 'Algorithms'] |
How to resize and compress Multiple Images at Once | How to resize and compress Multiple Images at Once Maaskari Apr 13·4 min read
Nearly all of us these days have hundreds — if not thousands — of digital photos stored on our phones, tablets and computers. Sometimes we have to delete some of these photos to make room for our other new files.
Maybe you have a website and write posts that contain multiple images. But, if you’re not careful, images can account for over half (or more) of your web page’s total size. The main reason this is happening is because these images aren’t properly sized and optimized. This means your page loading speed is affected.
Studies show that up to 40% of visitors click the back button if a site takes longer than three seconds to load. Unnecessarily large images also take up space on your hosting account.
For both of these cases I mentioned above, resizing and compressing that many photos one at a time could take you all day… or several days, even!
In this article, I am going to show you how to batch resize and compress using a free online photo editing tool. Let’s get to it!
How to Resize Multiple Images at Once Using pixellair.com
online image resizer
Pixellair is an online image optimization tool that allows you to quickly resize a large amount of pictures. It is so simple and fast.
1. Open your web browser.
2. Go to Pixellair.
3. Click or just drag and drop your images on the drop zone.
4. If you have chosen to click on the drop zone, you have to go to the location on your computer where the images are stored and select all the images.
5. After your images have all uploaded (the time this takes, depends on the number of pics you are uploading as well as your Internet speed), you will need to choose the size you wish to reduce them. At “RESIZE OPTIONS” located at the top right of the page, you can select one of the following resize options:
free online image resizer
By percentage: here you can scale your images to a certain percentage of the original size (25% smaller, 50% smaller, 75% smaller, 25% bigger, 50% bigger, 75% bigger).
By pixels: here you can make the width or height of your images a certain amount of pixels.
Note: No matter which size you choose, if you check the “Maintain aspect ratio” option, the aspect ratio of your images will be correct. For example, if you choose a width of 800, then a photo with a size of 1280 x 720 will still get the correct aspect ratio of 800 x 450.
The aspect ratio of a picture describes the proportional relationship between the picture’s width and its height.
But if you wish your images to be exactly as you specified, you can uncheck this option.
6. As soon as you have made your choices, click on that ”Resize IMAGES” button at the bottom of the options menu.
Pixellair will now resize your images.
The last step will be a window that pops up, telling you that all the images have been successfully resized. You are now able to download them to your computer in a zipped file, re-edit what you just did or create a whole new batch. This zip file contains your images and you will have to unzip the zip file to extract your images. Pixellair is a free online image resizer tool.
How to Compress Multiple Images at Once Using Pixellair
Pixellair is also a free online image compressor tool. Pixellair allows you to quickly compress a large amount of pictures. Click or just drag and drop your images on the drop zone.
1- After your images have all been uploaded, you can specify the “image quality factor” or just leave it as auto. Note that, image quality factor should be between 1 to 90. Greater number means better quality.
2- Then you need to press the “Compress IMAGES” button located at the top right of the page to finish the compression process.
free online image compressor tool
As soon as you press the compress button, your optimized images are ready to download. You can download all of your images in a zip file. | https://medium.com/@maaskari57/how-to-resize-and-compress-multiple-images-at-once-1c3720e39586 | [] | 2021-04-13 09:00:48.329000+00:00 | ['Toolkit', 'Image Compression', 'Image Processing', 'Resize Images', 'Free'] |
How to Add your Email and Phone No to your Account on Bixex. | Sign in to your Bixex account
If you are using a phone, click manage my page. However, if you are using a system, navigate to your profile picture displayed at the right side of the page where we have icons like notification, cart, and message. Click on it, when you do, you would be provided with options like view profile and add business page.
Step 2
Click on view profile
On your profile page, navigate to the location option. Ensure that there is a pen icon in front of each detail on your profile. This is to enable you to edit your profile. If there is none, reload the page.
Step 3
Click on the pen icon in front of the location option
Step 4
Next, scroll down to point of contact
Start filling in your contact information. You are to provide a working phone number and your professional email address.
Step 5
When you are done, click save
You have successfully added your email address and phone number to your Bixex profile | https://medium.com/@victorialaz/how-to-add-your-email-and-phone-no-to-your-account-on-bixex-3457a09c143 | ['Victoria Lazarus'] | 2020-12-14 15:46:25.405000+00:00 | ['Bixex', 'Connection', 'Email', 'Account', 'Contact'] |
‘ImHex’ Tops GitHub Trending Repos With 1600 Stars in 24 Hours! | ImHex’s creator says his trending hex editor is aimed at “Reverse Engineers, Programmers and people that value their eyesight when working at 3 AM.” The project currently ranks among the most popular on GitHub, earning 1600 appreciative stars in 24 hours and a total of 3.7k since it went online last week.
Hexadecimal (Hex) editors are software applications for editing single-byte data, primarily used by programmers or system administrators. While regular text editors represent the logical content of a file, hex editors instead represent a file’s physical content, enabling the viewing and editing of a file’s binary data in hexadecimal form with a user-friendly interface. Hex editors are useful when dealing with binary data — for example when editing files to tweak the low-level settings of a game program.
Commonly used hexadecimal editors include Bless Hex Editor, GNOME Hex Editor, and Oktata. As with most editors, desirable features include powerful functions, high customizability, and a simple and attractive user interface (UI). Very few currently open-sourced hex editors cover all these aspects, with most especially lacking in UI aesthetics.
ImHex is built on the Dear ImGui graphical user interface library and features a pleasing and elegant, dark-themed UI that “doesn’t burn out your retinas when used in late-night sessions.“
ImHex can be used on both Windows and Linux, but will require a C++20 compatible compiler (e.g. GCC 10.2.0). The dependencies needed for compiling ImHex are listed below; all can be easily installed via Pacman package manager. The author also provides all-in-one dependency installation scripts for Arch Linux, Fedora and/or MSYS2 in the repo’s dist folder.
GLFW3 ( (sudo) pacman -S glfw )libmagic, libgnurx, libtre, libintl, libiconv ( (sudo) pacman -S file )libcrypto ( (sudo) pacman -S openssl )capstone ( (sudo) pacman -S capstone )libLLVMDemangle ( (sudo) pacman -S llvm llvm-libs )nlohmann json ( (sudo) pacman -S nlohmann-json )Python3 ( (sudo) pacman -S python3 )All in one for Arch Linux: sudo pacman -S glfw file openssl capstone llvm llvm-libs nlohmann-json python3All in one for Fedora: sudo dnf install cmake gcc-c++ capstone-devel glfw-devel glm-devel json-devel llvm-devel mesa-libGL-devel openssl-devel python-develAll in one for MinGW: pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-gcc mingw-w64-x86_64-cmake mingw-w64-x86_64-make mingw-w64-x86_64-capstone mingw-w64-x86_64-glfw mingw-w64-x86_64-glm mingw-w64-x86_64-file mingw-w64-x86_64-llvm mingw-w64-x86_64-nlohmann-json mingw-w64-x86_64-openssl mingw-w64-x86_64-polly mingw-w64-x86_64-pytho
After installing these libraries, simply run the following commands to build ImHex:
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j
Interested readers can find additional information on the project Github. The ImHex author, “WerWolv”(Nik), is a 21-year-old Swiss student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering. | https://medium.com/syncedreview/imhex-tops-github-trending-repos-with-1600-stars-in-24-hours-9d67e81c668b | [] | 2020-12-08 16:41:33.066000+00:00 | ['Github', 'Computer Science', 'Programming', 'Projects'] |
Stop Judging People’s Creative Achievements | Before you judge someone about their creative/athletics achievements, think for a moment how difficult is to do each of these things and what skills or knowledge they had to have to do what they did, to be where they are.
“Judging a person does not define who they are. It defines who you are.” -Wayne Dyer
The internet has built a whole race of life/sports/art judges who make their careers based on criticizing actresses, musicians, athletes, photographers, etc., without even having a small amount of consideration towards their efforts.
But is not only them but all of us also do, when we spread fiercely our dislike for something in a conversation or on social media.
I am here to present to you a different approach to this kind of situations.
The Empathy Exercise Model
Whenever you see or listen to something or someone you dislike (particularly in a creative or sports situation)and you are about to curse that person for doing whatever they did, or the way did it, remember the following example:
Situation: A top tier footballer has a bad performance.
You think: I am allowed to condemn them since they are playing in a top tier team and don’t deserve to be there if they are this bad.
Who you are: Are you a top tier footballer? probably not, because of MANY reasons.
Could I do it better? Probably not, because of MANY reasons.
What empathy will allow you to see: To be there, they had to at least sacrifice a few of the following things:
Time with friends and/or formal education to be able to go to practice(minimum since puberty)
Going to the pub as you and your friends do
Living away from their houses if they had to move to the club’s academy.
And the list goes on.
Other examples
If you don’t like football -or you still call it soccer- this concept is transferable to any sport or creative activity, let’s say music.
They had to at least work on their voice for several hours, or sit down to write lyrics for days, or learn keys and notes to build something that you -who are completely illiterate about music theory- would consider a bad song.
The same logic applies to actors, overcoming stage fright, learning how to convey feelings, memorizing crazy amount of lines.
Even those who are clearly hired for their bodies had to spend lots of time training and sacrifice god knows how many beers and fries to be there (makes me sad for them just thinking about those fries).
Note: I exclude politics because they actually work for you, and have to prove their worth.
The curious thing about this exercise is that even those hateful content creators that live off reacting ironically to an artist’s work had to spend some effort too.
Believe me, I tried YouTube and I can tell you it is hard to write, produce, edit and promote your channel day in and day out, week after week for years to build some following, so even they deserve to be cut some slack with empathy.
Channeling feelings
I am not saying you can’t dislike things, it is part of the human nature to do so, I am a suggesting a different way to channel those negative feelings into a positive mindset by doing the following:
Think of all that person had to go through to be where they are, reverse-engineer their effort, to lessen your emotions of hatred or inadequacy that you feel towards them.
Instead, use those feelings to understand why do you dislike that situation so much and what part of it affects you to that point of hatred.
For example, I highly dislike when lyrics are extremely rude just for the sake of it. Instead of throwing hatred on the artists, I turn the bad vibes into a self-awareness exercise, focusing on why I don´t like that kind of lyrics and what happened in my education to make me feel that way.
Sometimes it even triggers in me the curiosity to learn more about that person, or even better, sparks in me the idea of learning new skills from what I dislike.
Recently I started learning music theory(amongst other reasons) due to the realization that there needed to be some musical logic explanation to how J-Balvin could release hit after hit.
Would you be able to do it?
“Most people who are criticizing and judging haven’t even tried what you failed at.” -David Goggins
How can I criticize a movie if I haven’t written a screenplay in my life? How can I judge that rapper if I have never had the quality of thinking fast enough to rhyme those many words?
Don’t criticize people’s way of doing things if you can’t even do them yourself.
But even if you could do each and every one of these things, wouldn't it be better if we could live assuming good intentions and thinking positively?
I can’t think of anyone who does poor quality products on purpose.
To finish, as a general approach in life I recommend you to try to avoid sharing what you don’t like and instead, broadcast and recommend what you do enjoy and why.
Key Takeaways
Next time you experience something or someone you don’t like, ask yourself:
What are the things they had to sacrifice to be there?
Why does it make me feel that way?
What can I learn about and for myself out of this situation?
Be empathetic, it will change the way you see life. | https://medium.com/@intitupac/stop-judging-peoples-creative-achievements-382b3b8c8c96 | ['Inti Tupac'] | 2020-12-16 19:15:54.301000+00:00 | ['Empathy', 'Arts And Entertainment', 'Life Lessons', 'Self-awareness', 'Self Improvement'] |
Data for Good: Toward a Sustainable Ecosystem, Beyond Philanthropy | Data for Good: Toward a Sustainable Ecosystem, Beyond Philanthropy
This post is part of a series highlighting sessions from the 2020 UN Data Forum. Watch every session or read our summary.
Summary: Leaders from major corporations discuss how large companies in industries such as finance and telecommunication can leverage the data they have for global development. In particular, these entities have access to timely information that can be leveraged for policy decisions. However, concerns about privacy and monetization must be considered.
Speakers
Key Takeaways
Richard Benjamins, Telefonica
We are at a point where, due to COVID, privately held data is being shared at unprecedented rates. But, thus far it has largely been ad-hoc and we don’t yet know if that is sustainable in the long term.
Stefaan Verhulst, The GovLab
Make the business case and finance such changes. We must make it systematic and sustainable, but also responsible.
How do we organize ourselves from a supply side and match our work with the demand side?
“Data for Good” initiatives often get started because there is access to data, not because there is a pressing question that people are trying to answer.
It is often difficult to find the contact person at corporations who has access to the data that could be useful to answering important development questions. How do corporations organize themselves to participate?
JoAnn C. Stonier, Mastercard
The discussion outlines how private corporations with access to important data balance data security and privacy with the potential for good. Stonier states that working with more than one partner is difficult.
Mastercard doesn’t talk about “Data for Good” anymore, but instead talks about the social impact aspects of the business.
Pedro Antonio de Alarcon, Telefonica
There are multiple ways to manage the data provision options: to businesses (contract), mandatory (government), partnerships, pricing models, etc. | https://medium.com/sdg-counting/data-for-good-toward-a-sustainable-ecosystem-beyond-philanthropy-44943fe8b395 | [] | 2020-12-02 20:51:53.334000+00:00 | ['World Data Forum', 'Sdgs', 'Philanthropy', 'Data'] |
Alchie, and a shame of national proportions | Alchie, and a shame of national proportions
How many workers are there, who have barely scraped by to finish elementary or high school, and are flung into labour-only contracting and other fishy arrangements between agencies and moneyed businesses for the sake of profit?
PHOTO: Eldon Vince Isidro (@eldon96_)
The morning of March 2, 2020, no doubt, will forever trigger memories of uncertainty and fear in people. It was on the morning of March 2 that Alchie Paray decided to hold hostages at V-Mall in San Juan. The standoff with the police lasted nine hours. He was offered a million pesos. He refused the money, and instead asked for a ‘press conference’ with the media who were already there, for obvious reasons.
Alchie, according to reports, exhibited awareness of police procedures during hostage taking incidents. He used his Facebook account to communicate with the mayor of San Juan, and the PNP. He readily showed that he had explosives with him. He was in control, no doubt. Those who were forcibly held inside were of course afraid of the man. Anyone would feel fear in the presence of someone seemingly out of control, with explosives and firearms, to boot. Alchie demanded food and water for his hostages, a foretelling perhaps, that he wanted to keep them alive. He was aware that gunners surrounded him, and it would only take one bullet from a sniper to end his life.
At the end of the standoff, words of hatred and abandonment poured from Alchie. That he was forcibly ‘reassigned.’ That he had been the victim of corruption and bullying within the very premises of the mall that he served. That a tenant in the mall threatened to have him removed, and according to him, that was easily accomplished for the meager bribe of five thousand pesos. He wanted fellow security guards to hear his message. He delivered a message to businesses everywhere: that management should treat their employees better, and that they should be treated humanely. Alchie was not pleading or begging. He was demanding that this be done. After about 20 minutes, Alchie was tackled by police and was arrested for a string of crimes, from illegal possession of explosives to grave threat. He is now in the custody of the San Juan City police, awaiting this ‘fate,’ whatever that might be at this moment.
Surely, he is a hostage taker. He shouldn’t have had access to firearms and explosives. Had negotiations moved a few degrees south, we don’t know what he could have done. Human life shifts from currency to liability at a moment’s notice when a hostage taker no longer believes that things are swinging in his favor. The phenomenon of “suicide by cops” is a common occurrence, having been documented in many countries. Alchie also made it clear that he was ready to die by the hands of the police. Perhaps he wanted to go out the grandest way possible — with the entire country watching him, and with the Philippine National Police turning him to ground meat. But a bloodless standoff, he preferred, in the final analysis. Perhaps at the back of his mind, a small ember of hope ignited as he addressed the media directly. It was his life, profession, and dignity as a human being that was at stake. It wasn’t about the money as he had quit work months before. It was the raw injustice of it all that made him turn to crime, having lost his bearings and having been pushed far beyond his limit.
His mental and emotional limits are not of our personal concern, but his intention is, and the fragments of his decisions as the power of the state itself bore down on a single, armed man.
(Attempting) to define terrorism
The United Nations General Assembly 49/60 sought to criminalize armed activities that were deemed to be ‘terroristic’ in nature: “[A]cts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them. (Para. 3).”[1]
Resolution 1566 (2004), widened the definition a bit more, which allowed states to take “domestic legislative action:” … criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act, which constitute offences within the scope of and as defined in the international conventions and protocols relating to terrorism, are under no circumstances justifiable by considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other similar nature, and calls upon all States to prevent such acts and, if not prevented, to ensure that such acts are punished by penalties consistent with their grave nature. (Para. 3).[2]
There are numerous other resolutions from conventions and local legislations that create exceptions, for instance, the Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism (1998/1999) states that: “All cases of struggle by whatever means, including armed struggle, against foreign occupation and aggression for liberation and self-determination, in accordance with the principles of international law, shall not be regarded as an offence. This provision shall not apply to any act prejudicing the territorial integrity of any Arab State.”
As with anything involving international law, much of what we know about terrorism as a concept is drafted and molded by the state itself. The Senate Bill 1083 or Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 in the Philippines is a prime example of a conspicuous widening of legislation of what can be considered ‘terrorism’ in the context of five decades of armed struggle in the Philippines, and endless land and labour disputes that are inextricably connected with the exploitation of tillers and workers all over the country. The NUPL has slammed the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 because it “criminalizes acts which have, traditionally, been considered legitimate exercises of free speech, freedom of expression, the right of peaceful assembly, and freedom of association.”[3]
In short, it is the state that decides who is a terrorist, and who is not. The categories are vague and fluid, and at times, nonsensical in the sense that specific regions can change their categories depending on their circumstances, or the whims of its clutch of politicians.
An analysis of the definition (sans state narratives) should put paramilitary, military, and police forces at the forefront of who can be considered terrorists — for these groups invoke nothing but fear in large groups of people. Military operations routinely cause terror in so-called guerilla zones. Villagers flee at the slightest presence of the military because of their long history of civilian abuse and violence. The imprisonment of Jovito Palparan is a prime example of how the butchers of the military can victimize utterly defenseless women in the guise of securing the state. Karen and She are just two of countless other victims who were never legitimately brought to trial. Those who are brought to trial and imprisoned for years are imprisoned with trumped-up and invented charges: illegal possession of explosives, illegal possession of firearms, murder — again, the list goes on and on. Many of them are young activists whose choices of weapons are their intelligence and their burning passion to help uplift their fellow Filipinos.
The police are no better, with 30k+ deaths attributed to the drug war, and billions of pesos worth of drugs still being smuggled in, still — what were the deaths for, anyway? To fill quotas? Urban poor communities now feel largely unsafe (even more than before), because at any time, anyone can be a drug addict, or a drug pusher.
Is this not terror of the most nightmarish kind? This is state-sanctioned terror in its most brutal form. And the people’s taxes are used to carry out this years-long war against the poor.
Surely, there is a difference between the parliamentary struggle of the streets and the violent means that Alchie used to speak his mind. However, one should not forget that the elephant in the room is not the hostage taking incident, which Alchie will surely be punished for (obviously, the police already have him), but the factors that contributed to the reality that a worker felt that there was no other recourse but to hold hostages just so he can be heard. His mental fitness to have access to firearms notwithstanding, his deed, which surely captured the national imagination to some extent, is symptomatic of deeper and more sinister problems that continue to victimize people who are a lot like Alchie.
How many Alchies are there in the Philippines?
How many workers are there, who have barely scraped by to finish elementary or high school, and are flung into labour-only contracting and other fishy arrangements between agencies and moneyed businesses for the sake of profit? That we have grown to view these capitalistic measures as “sane, legal, and right,” while the concerns of our workers are “excessive and imbalanced?”
Pres. Duterte barely batted an eyelash when he said that he will not end ENDO because it will bring ‘imbalance’ to the Philippines. This is no more than kowtowing to the private sector, which would love nothing more than to eliminate regularization in the country completely. No employee regularization means the private sector can hire and fire at will, while fattening their coffers unethically. All the while, businesses will be greasing their way into abundance while their employees rot in poverty.
Our greatest shame
For a country that holds God and the bayan at the top of its idealistic notions, we are a godless bunch of heathens. That we find no contradiction in praising OFWs as modern day heroes and sneering at protests to end contractualization and giving land to the tillers is telling of our deeply-rooted delusions of how society should be.
That we salivate over the successes of Singapore and Taiwan, or any other country for that matter, but we continue to allow the private sector to abuse our workers daily boggles the mind to no end. It appears that our ‘love for God and bayan’ is largely limited to elementary and high school. Adulthood perhaps, calls for apathy and a complete abandonment of the natural desire and need for economic independence and liberation?
We continue to believe that by ‘working hard’ and by ‘being disciplined,’ we can ‘fix’ the economic malaise of the country. We still believe people who say that trickle-down economics will eventually make every Filipino a member of the middle class. The utter corruption of Filipino values in the midst of so much decay and poverty has pitted Filipinos against Filipinos. Slaves in chains hitting fellow slaves in defense of the masters.
Our failure to see the connection between the crumbling of the larger economic system and increased privatization plus reduced government regulation is indicative of our inability to comprehend what we needed to comprehend decades ago. Or perhaps until now, we hear, but we do not wish to listen, nor comprehend these facts. We continue to desperately search for answers in the midst of the rubble of our failed institutions and outdated laws.
And judging by some reactions to the Greenhills standoff, perhaps all we see is the path toward individual convenience, which is hampered largely by institutional corruption and economic failure. Too bad for those who live, breathe, and dream only of buying a nice car and a house.
We continue to walk this path today, with little knowledge of what is going on, as we carry the cross of our greatest shame.
[1] Counter-Terrorism Module 4 Key Issues: Defining Terrorism. (2020). Retrieved 3 March 2020, from https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/terrorism/module-4/key-issues/defining-terrorism.html
[2] Ibid.
[3] Olea, R. (2020). Why the anti-terror bill is sanctioned state terrorism — Bulatlat. Retrieved 3 March 2020, from https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/03/02/why-the-anti-terror-bill-is-sanctioned-state-terrorism/ | https://marius-carlos-jr.medium.com/alchie-and-a-shame-of-national-proportions-b1bd560149c7 | ['Marius Carlos'] | 2020-11-15 22:42:38.539000+00:00 | ['Philippines'] |
“Soul” is the Movie You Didn’t Know You Needed | If you have a Disney Plus subscription, do yourself a huge favor and watch Soul. This new Pixar movie puts an original spin on Disney’s familiar follow-your-dreams theme by giving it a metaphysical twist and some real-world grounding.
In Soul, jazz musician cum middle school band teacher, Joe (Jamie Foxx), books the gig of his dreams when he suddenly dies on the walk home. He is then transported to “the great beyond” — a literal stairway to heaven (hi, Led Zeppelin fans). But Joe immediately defies his fate, racing down the stairwell and flinging himself off the bottom of it until he finds himself in “the great before,” which, we learn, is where souls develop their own personalities.
One of the first things that struck me is how well Pixar imagines existence beyond physical life. In 2017, Pixar animators impressed film critics across the world with their depiction of the afterlife in Coco by honoring traditional Mexican folk art while also bringing The Land of the Dead to life in an engaging, accessible way.
Soul does something similar, but unlike Coco’s Land of the Dead, Soul’s great beyond and great before are minimalistic. Each aspect of this universe is distilled to the most basic foundations of its essence. Even the keepers of these lands, who are all named Terry and Jerry, are simple line drawings, and the new souls’ characteristics are simplified into tiny drawings that they wear on their chests. In this way, Soul is also similar to Inside Out (2015), another Pixar movie that tackles complex ideas about behavior and personality in a simple way that speaks to both adults and children.
On that note, Soul skillfully depicts anxiety, obsession, and psychological absorption when 22 (Tina Fey) takes Joe to “the zone.” There, we learn that people who are “in the zone” or who are “lost souls” can be found here. Lost souls are essentially people who are so wrapped up in something that is disconnecting them from life, and the first lost soul we meet is a hedge fund manager who a team of astral-projecting mystics (led by a hippie named Moonwind, voiced by Graham Norton) saves from his monotonous, soul-draining immersion in his work.
The zone, referred to as a “space between the physical and the spiritual,” is the most interesting part about the movie. By addressing the spiritual quality of being absorbed in one’s work, it highlights the magic of humanity, but it also warns us of how obsession can transform our souls into something ugly, terrifying, and out of control. Moonwind even makes a joke about how Tetris once disconnected him from reality to the point that he ended up a lost soul — a nod to our tendency to get lost in our phones.
In these ways, Soul is a film with the run-of-the-mill warning to appreciate life, live in the moment, etc. But this film is more effective than others at delivering this message because this moral is grounded in and nuanced by reality: Joe’s mother, Libba (Phylicia Rashad), is openly skeptical and even discouraging about Joe’s dreams of becoming a professional musician, but she is by no means an antagonist. Instead, we understand from the very beginning that she has Joe’s best interests at heart, citing her desire for Joe to have a stable job that pays the bills and that comes with a pension and health benefits. This immediately rings true to adults — particularly those who have found their dreams sidelined by the need to pay bills. We not only recognize but empathize with Libba’s concerns, and this quality allows her counterpoint to strengthen the moral of the film. If fiscal responsibilities were never brought up, the film’s chase-your-dreams message would fall on deaf adult ears.
Another quality that distinguishes this film from others is that it strikes a balance between the follow-your-dreams and enjoy-the-little-things morals. When Joe finally gets his dream job, he comments that he doesn’t feel any different than he did beforehand. Then, he goes home and thinks of all the little things — like time with his parents, tasting good food, and watching the sun rise — that have made his life worthwhile. The lesson here is not that dreams pale in comparison to daily life (I’m looking at you, It’s a Wonderful Life) or that dreams should be pursued above all else. Instead, Pixar uses Soul to tell us that while dreams are important and certainly worthy of pursuit, they are but an iota of what life is about.
Now, we get the point of this movie long before the climax. As soon as Joe told 22 that all the things she loved about life were “just regular old living,” I understood. Usually this understanding is supposed to come with a film’s climax or resolution, but I didn’t mind that the moral of story came early here. The first reason is obviously that this is a story, and a story needs a climax, but the more important reason is that the climax teaches us one more thing about our souls.
When 22 becomes a lost soul, Joe discovers that the obsession disconnecting her from life is not one single thing, but is rather the negative feedback she has been getting all this time. All the mentors who told her she was destined for failure echo through her soul along with the words of Joe himself, who invalidated her discovery of her spark for life. Yes, we need this climax because this is a cartoon and it requires a straightforward conversation about the moral so that children can understand, but the writers also demonstrated here how damaging negative feedback and self-talk can be to the soul, and how doubt about one’s worthiness can transform anyone — even someone as headstrong as 22 — into a lost soul.
And I don’t know about you all, but that’s something I needed to hear.
So go watch this movie. It’s genuinely funny, with jokes ranging from dark humor (in the great before, 22 says, “You can’t crush a soul here. That’s what life on earth is for.”) to jokes about how bad the Knicks are. It’s also beautifully animated, with artistic nods to minimalist line art, the color aesthetics of jazz (lots of blues and purples in the great beyond), and the poetic clutter of New York City.
And, again, the overall message is a valuable one that I think everyone needs to be reminded of — particularly during this pandemic, when it often feels like we’re cut off from so much of what we love about life. Soul taps us on the shoulder and wipes the sleep from our eyes so we can see that what we really love about life isn’t just traveling, working, or partying. It’s life itself. | https://medium.com/@gabrielleulubay/soul-is-the-movie-you-didnt-know-you-needed-5c040e0a377f | ['Gabrielle Ulubay'] | 2020-12-26 19:50:10.505000+00:00 | ['Movies', 'Disney', 'Soul', 'Pixar', 'Movie Review'] |
The Value of Doing Something You Absolutely, Positively Suck At. | Shinjuku Gyoen, December 2018
I have recently undertaken a journey doing something I suck at.
I don’t mean something challenging or rewarding that takes time to learn. I am not talking about learning by failing or finding edges by pushing limits.
I am doing something that no matter how much I work at or how hard I try, I end up doing worse than I thought was possible.
And it is a recurring problem.
My folly? Learning Japanese.
To make matters worse, I am doing it surrounded by super smart, young, and energetic undergraduates. Their brains are still forming. Their minds are sharp and plastic and they learn fast. Many of them already speak languages close to Japanese (Chinese and Korean) and all of them are very, very good students.
By contrast, my 52 year old brain is mostly just angry with me. There are days I can actually feel my brain trying to re-wire itself and I can feel it fighting back.
And it is winning.
I want to learn Japanese very, very much. But I am just flat out not that good at it.
Part of the reason it is confusing is that I absolutely love language. I have a Ph.D. in Communication and specialized in Rhetorical Theory and Criticism in graduate school. I love speaking in public and I love writing. I love words. (I am less enamored of grammar, but I’ll save that for another post.)
I also have been teaching that University for more than 30 years. I like classes and classrooms. I feel at home there. So it is doubly troubling to feel so out of sync when I show up each day to learn Japanese.
School, learning, language, words. It is what I do. Professionally.
So being reduced, on a regular basis, to an inarticulate, stumbling speaker with the vocabulary of 4 year old, the penchant for mispronunciation has been something of a body blow.
But it has also been extremely edifying and rewarding in some other ways.
Having this experience has been a master course in humility. To be bad at something gives you a different perspective. It has made me reflect on everything from my own perfectionism to what it feels like to wallow in the discomfort of being one of the students who dreads being called on when they are feeling lost.
Doing something I am bad at has taught me how to reassess what counts as my own metric for success. What does it look like to voluntarily engage in something you suck at?
For me, it has made me embrace some other motivations. Fun, pleasure, joy. These are all things that are really hard to embrace when you flat out suck. But I am come to learn that getting discouraged comes from the using the wrong metric. It is a framing problem. If I can’t change how much I suck, maybe I can change how I feel about the things I am doing.
So I had to ask myself, if I am not good that this, and possibly may never be good at this, why am I doing it?
(For many people the reason is “because I have to.” That isn’t the case for me and that is an entirely different situation)
The answer for me is to return to the pleasure of learning, for its own sake, not for a goal, for a grade, or for any other reason than in order to explore something new.
The goal I have set for myself is simple. Every day, I want to know more Japanese than I did the day before. That is an easy, achievable, and measurable metric that doesn’t rely on mastery or traditional notions of success and doesn’t require me to compare myself to anyone other than myself.
Most important, it makes me happy.
It helps me to understand my students who may be struggling with concepts or ideas that they can’t wrap their heads around. I understand, what it means to learn to create a metric to make something you suck at interesting to you. How to find a way to feel good about learning, even in the face of intense discomfort.
Today I had an oral exam. I stumbled through it, even though the rehearsals in my mind (and in the shower) all went perfectly. But I got to spend 10 minutes speaking Japanese and I was better at it today than I was yesterday.
I like speaking Japanese, even when I stumble and make mistakes, and I am sure I was better today than I was yesterday or last week or last year. That lets me focus on the joy, the fun, and the pleasure of doing it, without worrying too much about how well I did compared to anyone else.
So whatever it is you are pursuing, you will end up knowing more today than you did yesterday, but you will also gain some empathy for those who may be struggling with the things that you are good at.
While it feels uncomfortable to be bad at something, it also feels incredibly powerful to re-imagine that space as something positive, fun, and joyful. Having the experience yourself, also makes it easier to accept, allow, and even encourage others to do the same when they end up in your group or on your team.
One of the things I always tell my students is “Don’t just do what you love, learn to love what you do.”
So now it is time to take my own advice.
I used to say “I love Japanese, but I am bad at it.”
Now I say, with a smile, “I love Japanese and I am bad at it.”
I encourage everyone to fall in love with something they suck at. The rewards can be amazing, both for yourself and for everyone you will work with down the line. | https://medium.com/@douglasthomasusc/the-value-of-doing-something-you-absolutely-positively-suck-at-670ea48d4a69 | ['Douglas Thomas'] | 2019-02-06 00:32:12.872000+00:00 | ['Failure', 'Japanese', 'Language', 'Learning'] |
Emotional Wisdom in the Workplace | Taking Emotional Intelligence a Step Further to Find the True Source of High Sustainable Morale and Personal Power in the Workplace.
Self-realization in the workplace is a promising, new category of outcome in the realm of human potential and organizational development. It’s new enough and different enough that it hasn’t yet gotten much attention. However, I think its day is almost here.
Throughout modern history, goals that are focused strictly on self improvement have not been pursued or supported much in the workplace, and I think that’s, in part, due to the assumption that goals that are “only related” to personal growth are not to be “worked on” on company time . . . as if they were not “of the company” or “for the company.”
Good for People, Good for Business
But when the emotional climate in any social organization is optimal, people feel a lot more like family to each other . . . like a healthy and loving group of people connected for mutual benefit, so that each individual can really appreciate being able to belong to, to be part of. In such healthy emotional environments there is a great deal of caring and support and interest going on between the members of the group — this is a sign of its health. This kind of climate is good for people, and it’s good for business or the functioning of any organization, big or small. The idea is that this may be the “missing link” that will allow us to truly optimize performance AND personal satisfaction. It’s just not easy to offer this in “user friendly” forms, especially for a business organization that has been operating based on a different set of premises, which in one way or another in the typical business organization represent some form of quid pro quo between workers and management.
High Morale, Commitment and Productivity
This dimension of self realization is linked to the health of the social system, and both the person and his or her social context can be assessed and measured as forms of morale. High morale is characterized by lots of love and support exchanged within the system and a context surrounding the social system that encourages it. In the more optimal loving contexts individuals would want to belong and at the same time they would know they are “wanted” by the group. There’s this mutually sought out “stickiness” producing profound bonds and profound “investments” on both sides — the individuals’ emotional investment in the “team” and an investment from the team in the individual. We are all looking to be committed to someone or something, so given the opportunity to do that in the work setting can do so much for people’s morale.
In such an environment most people want to be a part of the organization, you’re happy to play a role, you want to contribute, and you feel very contributed to, and there’s a sense of being significant and validated. There is a healthy and abundant give and take and much support in the interpersonal exchanges. There is benevolence occurring in relation to each other as individuals and toward the larger entity as well.
A New Dimension
Work and career related (and workplace supported) goals have always been more about achievement, performance, and material notions of success. But this “new” dimension of growth and personal development could (it will) prove to be very beneficial to morale building and employee satisfaction — but is there any doubt that this could also conceivably supercharge performance and productivity? In other words, it is “For the company” and it could be “of the company” and this would make the larger entity as healthy and productive as possible.
In essence these higher level positive changes within the individual can be facilitated at work, and largely as the unintended side effect of these personally relevant changes, there would be corresponding benefits to the morale of all the individuals in the “system” or organization. The team as a whole can clearly benefit from certain “side effects” of individual self realization — like wanting to emotionally invest, to “give” and “give back” because of that investment.
What’s Coming: Radical Change, Paradigm Shift
To support the “next wave” transformation of organizations I offer my own definition of love. This “definitional framework” more fully permits the safe, appropriate and “user friendly” introduction of the word love and the idea of love into the ongoing conversation we’re having about the health and well-being of people in the work world in general. This conception of love allows the “healthy family” climate to be a valid and cutting edge “goal” of any organization. This optimal climate can be fostered and maintained in any organization theoretically. It provides clarity about the true and “fixable” problems that cause the “dysfunctional family” emotional environment, supporting accurate assessment of the “pain points” and what is keeping the system “stuck.” This definition of love offers a measurable “breakdown” of the most relevant components of the “stickiness” factors, that heretofore have been unclear of undiscoverable.
Love — It’s a Win-Win!
The process of creating such an optimal climate has certain elements that occur in the realm of human intention — that occur prior to external behavior. At all times people have certain relational motives that guide their interactions with others. Love is what moves them to interact for the purpose of producing outcomes that are of mutual benefit (“win — win”) or to create a sense of belonging (we’re in this together), regardless of the type of organization or the specific “purpose” of the business entity or organization. This intentioning is an autonomous expression of self, and it can be optimized via an “act” of will, perhaps supported by some “expert-veteran” guidance. We can all become “better” at love . . . a lot better actually. And we can do this at any time throughout our lives. When there is love people feel “good” about bringing their “A game” to share with the group/organization, and to “more fully” express who they are and how they feel about the team and its mission/purpose.
Self realization necessarily involves our coming to understand the nature of love, and the role it plays in our happiness, our self fulfillment, our morale, and the sense of what is profound in our lives. Of course the whole “Me too” phenomenon is making it seem simultaneously more inappropriate and more risky to try to “fool with love” as a concept in the work world. But in my mind this current issue just means the time couldn’t be “riper” for this clarifying definition of love to enter into our culture wide conversation . . . the understanding and insight it provides is quite helpful. If we’re able to understand and address “love” in the “right” way, everyone wins.
Love — How It is Defined Makes All the Difference
Love, as a word, has so much conceptual baggage that’s attached to it — it’s all over the place, from sex and love to romance and love; from the love for things to the love for family; and from the love for God and country, to the love of your car or your garden, etc., so it’s no wonder there’s “word shyness” when it comes to the word and our use of it with each other.
My definition circumvents the “need” for us to feel any of that “word shyness” about use of the word love itself. And the understanding of the true “force” involved is very clarifying and validating. When the word love is used in unclarified ways it tends to produce boundary anxiety . . . what does it mean if you say you love me? Do we have to be affectionate, do you want something from me, are you trying to give something to me, does it mean I owe you something? and so on. Love and fear and boundaries are all pieces of a meaningful pie that is loaded with “unclarified” boundary implications, leading to lots of anxiety and interpersonal “mischief.”
The love I speak of is not the love of that romantic or sexual form — it is the transcendent force of love that has the real “magical” properties that we have always intuitively known love has. It is the force that bonds, that supports, that cares about and/or cares for, that lifts us up, that makes us secure and soothed, that makes us “want” to belong or to be a part of, etc.
Stripped of the excess and distracting conceptual baggage, love has a fitting place in all things humans do, especially what they do “together,” and when there is love expressed “well” in any context, it serves as a force for optimizing the health and well being of self and others in so many different ways.
This definition makes it safe, and potentially of enormous benefit, to talk about love at work. To change our minds, our preconceptions about what it means to love and what it means to be on a team that has a safe and clear idea of what love is. The definition makes it possible for us to view love as a kind of “missing link” that can transform how we “work on improving work” — more substantive improvements in the experience we have in the workplace are made possible.
A Sense of Purpose and Intention
The process of identifying love differently, and “appropriately,” alone can catapult people and organizations to levels of functioning that have been otherwise limited due to conventional conceptualization about human motivation, employee and employer relations, and the ideal emotional environment in the workplace that have existed from the time of the Industrial Revolution. The new view may enable us to make the workplace just as fulfilling for the average person as any other part of life . . . and maybe even more so.
If love is part of what you intend, or if love is part of what you want to intend, then you should be able to intend it at work too. And you should feel that your work world has as much or more capacity to foster the sense of purpose and connection — fundamental love based interests — as anywhere else in your life, with the exception of immediate family.
Maybe even more importantly what you will realize is that it’s the underlying and “under-recognized” intentionality that makes you “lean” in the direction of your goals before they become your goals. I want something and I have no idea (really) why I want it so bad. Knowing why you want something helps you get it, or not, and know why you did, or didn’t. It also helps you know yourself so much more deeply and “accurately.”
If love is not “in the mix” of your purpose, your mission in life — whether you’re an individual or an organized collection of individuals — then there is woundedness and fear and loathing to “blame.”
If love is in the mix in relation to any of your bigger goals, you’re in luck. Because love is the one reliable source of the profound in our lives.
The Anticipated Outcomes
This methodology can help, in a big way. It reliably leads people to a broad and deep re-calibration of their own values and priorities. Such transformational change is accomplished via enhanced self awareness that can “magically” alter all of one’s self limiting, self defeating, and self destructive patterns of thinking and behaving.
You will learn some of the secrets for stopping the sabotaging of your own success | https://medium.com/@truthmap/emotional-wisdom-in-the-workplace-36d912bfd13c | [] | 2020-01-13 17:47:54.343000+00:00 | ['Workplace', 'Emotional Intelligence', 'Management', 'Workplace Culture', 'Emotional Health'] |
A Peaceful Morning Routine | How to tame the chaos of the family morning routine and catch a breath before we all start to jump on top of each other.
A glimmer of sunlight catches your eyes as you stretch your rested body and rise out of bed. You fluff the pillows, make the bed, wash your face, brush your teeth, moisturize your hands and face, put on a little blush and eyeliner, and you’re ready to face the day. You walk downstairs to your kitchen and your husband hands you a steamy cup of coffee and greets you with, “Good morning dear!” You walk over to sit down at the dining table and your placemat is set with a napkin, utensils, and a beautiful plate of scrambled eggs on toast. You lift the aromatic toast to have a bite as you hear approaching footsteps as your children, one by one, ask, “Salt?” “Pepper?” and each peck you lightly on your cheek, whispering, “We love you!”
Ok! You can wake up now because that ain’t reality! You might have been fed that obnoxious ideal from Hollywood or your repressed subconscious, but that stuff ain’t real! And that certainly ain’t how I wake up each morning.
It would go from asking nicely, “Honey, it’s time to wake up!”
“It’s getting late, please get up!”
“Did you guys not hear the alarm? It has been going off for the last 15 minutes!”
“Get up NOW! You’re lucky you just have to roll out of bed to go to school!”
“It’s 8:45 am already! You have 15 minutes to get to class. Get up now!”
To angry, “Are you kidding me?!??! What the $#%* are you still doing in bed? It’s 8:50!”
To desperation, “I’m so sorry you guys stayed up so late last night. Please get up. It’s 8:55 am and you have less than 5 minutes to get ready. Just brush your teeth and I will bring breakfast and teas up for you.”
No matter what I tried, the mornings have been ugly since we started Distant Learning in August. We could start the week with a good start; by Thursday, things would fall apart. Fridays are ugly, ugly mornings. Then Monday also gets infected with this ugly ugly morning disease. Did you noticed that I started this paragraph with “No matter what I tried.” I came to realized that it was all me. It was all my fault! Yes! I recognized that to build a stable house; I need a good and strong foundation (yes, I can finally apply my fancy architecture degree to something useful). To have a strong foundation, I would need all the hands around me to build it. And if we wanted “our” house to be strong and stable, we would need to have everyone living under the house to roll up their sleeves and help build it. It wasn’t just a house for me. It’s a house for us.
I stepped back and approached it differently. I asked myself if I were to be at work and if this was a problem at work, how would I solve it? If something like this happened in the classroom (when I was a substitute teacher), how would I approach it? I had to remove the word “family” from the problem and just looked at it as just a “problem” without the burden and baggage of “family” in it. It is a scheduling problem, after all, so how to best solve it?
Peaceful Morning Routine
POWERSHIFTS:
It is a scheduling problem. Who are the stakeholders: All four of, us because it affects our moods when the morning goes awry. Who needs to stick to this: All four of us. Who does this need to work for: All of us, but mostly my kids. This was a powerful realization because finally, I realized that even though it affects all four of us in the morning, this needs to work best for my kids. It must be a schedule that works for them. It must be their schedule and not a schedule I designed for them. They need to create the schedule for themselves. Who needs to own this: my kids with two supportive parents.
Yellow cards for tasks and pink cards for time. (1) Put the tasks in chronological order. (2) How much time for each task? (3) Work backward from 9:00 am back to figure out the time for the first task.
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS:
Morning Tasks/Steps: list out every step of the morning routine on a small card. What’s the Sequence: put these tasks in order of how they envision their morning would be from waking up… getting out of bed…right up until sitting down in front of their computer for their first class. Examples of tasks: Get out of bed, fold the blankets, change their clothes, pick the clothing off the floor, use the toilet, wash their hands, brush their teeth, wash their face, brush their hair, drink water, empty the dishwasher, prep and eat breakfast, clean up breakfast, get to class on time.
We went from 20 seconds to brush teeth to 1 minute.
3. How much time will it take to complete each task: for each morning step, ask how much time it will take to complete that task. Example: Brush teeth: how long will that take? My eldest son said 20 seconds and we all decided to give it 1 minute to have some cushion time. Change clothes: my kids decided that it would take them 3 minutes to change clothes but if they layout the clothes the night before, they would shave off 1 minute.
Shaving off 1 minute for changing clothes by picking and laying out clothes the night before.
4. Working Backward: So working backward from the first class — which starts at 9:00 am — minus minutes from each of their tasks to arrive at what time they would have to wake up and get out of bed. After we finished going through each task, assigning time for each, they were shocked that this all added up to a total of 54 minutes! Actually, it was surprising for all of us that it took almost an hour to run through our morning routine.
The boys picked this spot on their wall to put up the Peaceful Morning Routine. It’s the space in front of them between their two desks. This way it’s very visible and helps them to move along the schedule in the morning.
The first Monday that we applied this “Peaceful Morning Routine,” it went so smoothly that we all high-fived the kids before they ran up to class. It was so smooth and so peaceful. We all did our part to help out, and the kids knew exactly what they needed to do — and it was helpful to see the time they needed to complete their tasks. We used to post a checklist for morning routines, but I found that the most powerful shift was to attach a time to each of the routines and have the kids decide on the time it would take them to complete that task. Having the time next to the task helped the kids move along the schedule without us having to nag them to get onto the next task! If you are creating a schedule or a routine, a time factor must be attached to the schedule or a routine to make it work smoothly. So make sure you “take time” to “schedule time” for each task!
As we’re wrapping up our second week of applying this “Peaceful Morning Routine,” I find that the schedule would slip when we stayed up late, and it was harder to wake up in the morning. We needed to make sure that everyone was up. If I wanted my kids to be on this new schedule, I would still need to be there to help them move along — to be on schedule. On average, I read that it usually takes 2 months or more before a new behavior becomes a habit. The magic number is 66 days. We will also need to figure out what the Peaceful Morning Weekend schedule would look like, because there wasn’t a need to get to class on time, so what would be the motivation during the weekend for our kids to move along with a Peaceful Morning Routine.
So, as we’re wrapping up the end of our second week, our boys also wrapped up the first semester of Distant Learning. They will have 3 weeks’ breaks before starting Distant Learning again. I wonder what it will be like during the next 3 weeks, and how best to approach it, especially with the Christmas and New Year holidays. We will probably fall off schedule and will have some ugly, ugly mornings again. I just hope what we came up with will help a little, and I look forward to when the kids are back in “school” when we get to deploy our Peaceful Morning Routine for 66 days straight and look forward to it becoming an ingrained habit for all four of us.
I’m once again at my favorite spot at the dining table smelling a steaming cup of coffee, footsteps running away and up the staircase, my kids yelling back, “thanks for the Peace Offerings!” I smile knowing that they deserve the little reward, a delicious square piece of mint fudge cookie. | https://medium.com/@bebe-jacobs/a-peaceful-morning-routine-49cead7d24c2 | ['Bebe Khuê Jacobs'] | 2020-12-22 19:51:15.073000+00:00 | ['Parenting', 'Lifehacks', 'Self Improvement', 'Family', 'Time Management'] |
Info Overdose | Content Shock: I think this one is really self explanitory.
Echo Chambers: we are surrounded by the same thinking, perspectives and even world views.
Constant Distraction: I use my phone more than I use my toothbrush which is a bad example but I know would there be an App which would donate 1 dollar for every pick up of my phone I would be a millionär by now! And you would be too!
Exchange FOMO (fear of missing out) for JOMO (joy of missing out). Harder to do easily said, when nowadys most of the brightest minds are all working together to ensure you are hooked on advertisement online. Check out this video to dive a little deeper into this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6e1riShmak.
Solutions:
Digital Detox Days, simply a period of time where you turn your phone off and live in the present moment. One thing you can also do is deleting the Apps everytime you dont use them, but make sure to save your passworts before hand.
Another solution would be a Timer for Phone use so you are a little more mindful about where all your time went.
Sources: https://medium.com/accelerated-intelligence/while-everyone-is-distracted-by-social-media-successful-people-double-down-on-a-totally-underrated-5a86701e9a27 https://www.bradkearns.com/2019/03/29/breakthrough/ | https://medium.com/@haffiz-abdullahi/info-overdose-c4d8eb03248d | ['Like Haffiz'] | 2021-01-07 20:25:55.436000+00:00 | ['Minimalism', 'Self Improvement', 'Short Read', 'Self Care', 'Personal Development'] |
RightMesh Weekly Update: April 6, 2018 | Preparation for up-coming cross-team work was underway this week, as a few of our Maple Ridge team members scoped the objectives of their upcoming trip to work side-by-side for a couple of weeks with their colleagues in Bangladesh. Many team members were travelling, continuing to support the blockchain community, spreading awareness of RightMesh, learning tips and gaining valuable tools to continue improving our communication with our community. Stay tuned for some positive changes!
Read on to stay up-to-date with all our latest news, milestones and achievements.
TL;DR
Dr. Jason Ernst, RightMesh project CTO, co-authors a report with the ACM advocating changes to the peer review process to mitigate potential negative side effects of computing.
advocating changes to the peer review process to mitigate potential negative side effects of computing. Disparate meshes successfully tested in different locations in Vancouver, Canada, connected together through the superpeer.
in different locations in Vancouver, Canada, connected together through the superpeer. Superpeer setup was reproduced in Bangladesh and phones connected to the superpeer.
and phones connected to the superpeer. KYC/AML registration is open in anticipation of Whitelist reopening when the new Crowd Contribution date is set.
Press
Tech Update
Spring Cleaning: The tech team has started on the first of a several upcoming sprints focused on addressing technical debt and making the code more testable.
The tech team has started on the first of a several upcoming sprints focused on addressing technical debt and making the code more testable. Superpeer Connects Disparate Meshes in Vancouver, Canada: Successfully tested disparate meshes in different locations in Vancouver, Canada, connected together through the superpeer. As a result, we also found a few critical bugs in end-to-end data transmission that need to be addressed. Next goal: communication between disparate mesh networks in multiple countries!
Successfully tested disparate meshes in different locations in Vancouver, Canada, connected together through the superpeer. As a result, we also found a few critical bugs in end-to-end data transmission that need to be addressed. Next goal: communication between disparate mesh networks in multiple countries! Superpeer Setup Reproduced in Bangladesh: The Bangladesh team was able to reproduce the superpeer setup and connect phones to the superpeer.
The Bangladesh team was able to reproduce the superpeer setup and connect phones to the superpeer. Bangladesh Trip Prep: Next week, a few team members from Vancouver will be traveling to Bangladesh to focus on in-market research and testing. This week was full of prep work.
UX Update
Last Call for Disaster Response Service Feedback: The UX team is continuing research in support of our emergency response app, Flare. If you are in the the field of disaster response, we would like your feedback! Please contact [email protected].
The UX team is continuing research in support of our emergency response app, Flare. If you are in the the field of disaster response, we would like your feedback! Please contact [email protected]. Peer-to-Peer Mobile Messaging App: In case you missed the launch of our MeshIM earlier this year, find more details about our flagship app here.
TGE Progress
KYC and AML Registration Open: In anticipation of a new Crowd Contribution date, we will be re-opening the Whitelist shortly. Register for KYC/AML now.
In anticipation of a new Crowd Contribution date, we will be re-opening the Whitelist shortly. Register for KYC/AML now. Contributions Only Through Bitcoin Suisse: A reminder that RightMesh will NEVER solicit funds or ask for personal documentation via Telegram, email, Twitter, our website, direct message or any form of social media. All contributions will be managed through the Bitcoin Suisse platform. Anyone who contacts you with a special offer, asks for you to send them crypto directly or asks for personal documentation is trying to scam you.
Community & Events | https://medium.com/rightmesh/rightmesh-weekly-update-april-6-2018-808067ee49e5 | ['Dana Harvey'] | 2018-04-20 18:19:30.499000+00:00 | ['Rightmesh', 'Tge', 'Mesh Networking', 'Mesh', 'Bitcoin'] |
Digital Marketing News: Twitter Video Ads, Livestreaming Rise, RIP Eric Ward | Author: Lee Odden / Source: Online Marketing Blog — TopRank®
The Rise of Livestreaming: Why People Watch, and How Brands Can Benefit [Infographic]. Facebook users comment 10 times more on live videos than on regular videos. Find out what people are watching, what their preferences and behaviors are in this infographic from Koeppel Direct. MarketingProfs
The four habits of successful data-driven marketers. Econsultancy invited marketing experts to discuss what they do, the problems they face, and how they overcome obstacles which revealed 4 keys to data-driven marketing success from data management, to testing hypothesis and proper attribution models. Econsultancy
Twitter introduces a new video-centric ad format. The Video Website Card starts out as an auto-playing video with a customizable headline, which then opens up to a larger video and website preview, and ultimately directs viewers to the advertiser’s chosen website when they tap on it. Will this format take off? TechCrunch
Facebook Live cuts out the middle man, adds its own screen-sharing feature. Now this seems like a great feature for educational content. Facebook has added an option to share your screen directly on Facebook Live, eliminating the need for other software for many users. TheNextWeb
Click here to read more | https://medium.com/oneqube/digital-marketing-news-twitter-video-ads-livestreaming-rise-rip-eric-ward-8e1f5361a55e | [] | 2018-03-01 17:09:48.847000+00:00 | ['Streaming Media', 'Digital Marketing', 'Marketing', 'Twitter'] |
Travel To Shiraz City — (My Experience) | Shiraz City
Shiraz City is the capital of Fars Province, and it’s location is in the Southwest of Iran. It is known as the city of culture and art, heritage and archaeology, music, exquisite mosques, poets, poetry, literature, wine, splendid gardens and flowers. In fact, it becomes synonymous with education, nightingales, poetry and wine. It is a center for Iranian culture and has a number of famous poets. There are two famous poets’ or mystic’s tombs of Iran Hafez and Saadi in this city. Iranians love both. Most of the Shiraz populations are Muslims. Shiraz City has many Football teams. Shiraz has three life styles such as nomadic life, peasant life and fertile plains around the Karbal, Estakhr, and Dashte Marghab and urbanism (in Shiraz and Kazerun). If you book your hotel in Shiraz near Eram garden you can enjoy a lot from the locality. Consider booking your hotel in advance. There are also many city tours that you can order and we will organize them based on what you need. Let’s get to know Shiraz city together in more details in this article of Chiyakotravel.
Climate of Shiraz city
Shiraz City has a hot semi-arid climate. Its humidity and temperature is very nice most of the time in a year. However, summers are hot, especially in July (The warmest month is July), and winters are cold with average low temperature below freezing in December and January (the coldest month is January).
The months with the lowest chance of significant precipitation in Shiraz city are September, July, and then August. The lowest chance of rain or snow occurs around late April. We can find snow in Shiraz near the early mid-January.
Best time to visit Shiraz city
The temperature is the main factor in determining when to visit the city. Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, and days are often pleasantly mild in this part of Iran. Ideal weather in Shiraz city is during March to May and September to November. However, during these months, prices for hotels and flights will be most expensive.
Transportation in Shiraz City
you can move in the city by airport, railways and bus transportation system.
Airport: After Imam Khomeini International Airport of Tehran. Shiraz Airport is the second-most-reliable and modern airport in Iran, and it is the largest airport in the Southern region of Iran.
Railway system: The city has train station and railway network to Isfahan, Tehran and Mashhad.
Metro:The city has metro system for some part of the city
Bus: Shiraz city has bus lines and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
Taxi: Shiraz has telephone taxi agency, and there are taxis with women drivers that specifically give services to women passengers.
Handicrafts and souvenirs of Shiraz
The handicrafts of Shiraz City includes:
Carpet weaving: carpet waving is Yazd principal handicraft, bur Fars carpet is also one of the treasury arts of Shiraz city.
Daraie: It is a kind of soft silk fabric with gorgeous-colored diamond shapes on it. They produce Daraie in yellow, red, green and purple colors.
Pottery: Pottery is one of the oldest human inventions and it is the ceramic material, which makes up pottery wares.
Gabbeh: Gabbeh is a traditional variety of Persian carpets; it is much thicker, and coarser than other Persian carpets. Women usually ctraft the gabbeh in Shiraz.
Giveh: It is a kind of comfortable shoe that is common in rural and mountainous areas.
Inlay such as inlaid mosaic work of triangular design, Pile carpet weaving and weaving of kilim, with the name of Gelim and Jajim are one of the most attractive handicrafts of Shiraz villages. Among the tribes wooden products and metal works are so popular.
In addition to these handicrafts, this city is famous for rose water, Lemon juice and Distillates etc. as said below:
Maskati: It is a delicious dessert, pasty and one of the most famous Persian sweets regarding as Shiraz souvenirs. The main ingredient is starch. It is differing in colors and flavors such as rose, saffron, etc.
Lemon and lime: These are as one of the major souvenirs of Shiraz city. The harvest of these products start in September until May and it is used fresh or in the water. In addition to great taste, they have many health benefits.
Distillates: One of the best souvenirs of Shiraz gardens are Distillates. Each of them has their own taste and health benefits. People in Shiraz prefer them to industrial drinks. The most popular of them are wild rose, two fires and sweat musk willow.
Shiraz citrus aurantium: Orange trees and citrus aurantium perfume are famous in this city especially in May. They create a special atmosphere. Different products of Shiraz citrus aurantium include citrus Aurantium perfume, citrus aurantium tea, citrus aurantium Jams and citrus aurantium syrup. These have many health benefits such as curing nervous headache attacks and anti-anxiety and relaxing.
Masghati Halva: a great dessert and snack. Ingredients are Rice Flour, Starch, water & Rose water (mostly rose water), sugar, oil and saffron.
Shirini-e Nokhodchi (Chickpea flour cookie) and Shirini-e Golpar: They are delicious cookies or sweats made of chickpea flour, cardamom, rose water, and pistachio.
Famous food, drinks and desserts of Shiraz city
Famous and local food of Shiraz City includes Kebab with rice like elsewhere in Iran.
Shiraz Faludeh: Every one around Iran knows this Faludeh. It is popular around Iran, but originated in Shiraz and it’s brilliant. People in Iran drink it with lemon and different juices and distillate for every individual. In fact, Faludeh is a cold dessert, which contains thin rice starch which takes the form of noodles, mixe in semi-frozen rosewater syrup, and It is flavored with “Sharbat” (sugar water), which can be of different flavors. It is very tasty when mixed with Bahar-e-Naranj liquor.
Shirazi Salad It is a delicious and famous salad available throughout Iran, made with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and a simple lemon juice and olive oil.
Kalam polo: It is a traditional food found only in Shiraz City. It is a dish made of Rice, meatballs, chopped cabbage and some other vegetables and spices.
Ash shirazi: It is a kind of soup made of vegetables and meat. It is served all over the city early in the morning. People eat this Ash for breakfast. Besides all famous drinks and desserts in this city, other souvenirs include meskhetian, Lemon and lime juice, Distillates, Faludeh, Aurantium, Masghati Halva, Shirini-e Nokhodchi (Chickpea floor cookie) and Shirini-e Golpar as mentioned above. Shiraz is one of the must see destinations in Iran. If you intend to have the best time in Shiraz city Please Contact us for more information and reservations.
**Special thanks to the Chiyakotravel.com that accompanied me on my trip to Shiraz. | https://medium.com/@draktraveler/travel-to-shiraz-city-my-experience-at-shiraz-city-e2e4813ccdaa | ['Dark Traveler'] | 2020-12-15 14:00:51.911000+00:00 | ['Shiraz Red Wine', 'Iran', 'Travel To Iran', 'Shiraz', 'Shiraz Coonawarra'] |
VACCINE PASSPORT FOR GLOBAL TRAVEL | VACCINE PASSPORT FOR GLOBAL TRAVEL
Some Asian governments, European Union, and the airline industry are scrambling to develop so-called Covid-19 vaccine passports to help re-activate international travel. Very soon this could be implemented worldwide as seems.
If you are planning to travel during another summer holiday be advice to rush towards Covid -19 vaccination. A mobile app is being developed for smartphone / i-phone holders which will prove that you’re vaccinated, it could help them avoid time-consuming quarantine requirements at their destinations or the middle of the routes. Vaccinated passports would add another digital layer to signified you are vaccinated, However, there’s more momentum to use them for international travel, especially as countries like Iceland, France and, Israel open their borders to vaccinated visitors and others like Saudi Arabia start allowing vaccinated citizens to travel abroad. The EU’s verdict last week to open its borders to fully vaccinated travelers enhances even more urgency.
However; this is not so easy to apply globally, due to the lack of international equal digital technology. But as the Coronavirus is introducing waves of its new strain one by one, then in such a situation this technology is highly needed to prevents its harm. This will be implemented immediately, as many Airlines like Emirates Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Japan Airlines, and IATA have signed up. Yes, even this time if you’re vaccinated, it gives you ease to travel worldwide with the least restriction.
Till the time Negative RT –PCR is the necessary documentation. But, QR codes in the RT-PCR report must be visible for those flying abroad from India.
The one who is traveling abroad from India must be carried a Negative RT-PCR report with a QR code along with a valid visa and passport.
This decision to link QR codes with the test report comes after complaints of travelers from India providing fake negative RT-PCR reports to fly abroad. Some states within the country which had made negative reports mandatory had also been concerned about this practice.
Two travel agent has been arrested last month by Hinjewadi Police, who were providing fake RT PCR report to the traveler in Rs 600 each. The police had then said that there were more people involved in the racket and the gang had prepared more than 500 such fake reports. In Pune, two testing lab technicians had also been arrested for duplicating RT-PR reports, also two-person were arrested in Bengaluru who were issuing fake RT –PCR reports for rupees 700 each.
Covid-19 documents sold by fraudsters have been a problem during the pandemic but developers say digital versions have protections that make them hard to fake. While planning to travel be aware of fraud travel agents. Always get your itinerary build by trusted agents, we at Aroosh Travels promise for your safe trip with competitive rates.
In case if you require more information related to your coming trip feel free to write us back or give us a call at +918969204449, we shall be happy to assist. | https://medium.com/@arooshtravels/vaccine-passport-for-global-travel-9ea3a5974f41 | ['Aroosh Travels'] | 2021-06-17 10:07:13.229000+00:00 | ['Travel', 'Tourism', 'Vaccination', 'Traveling'] |
Responsibility of Employers for Acts of Employees | Employers are legally entitled to enjoy all the benefits his workers bring for him. On the contrary he also needs to take the responsibility of when he causes any harm. So employers often need to take the responsibility of their employees’ conduct in some cases. That is, employers may need to compensate for the actions of their employee without being physically involved with any accidents themselves.
The employer is the owner of a business. It’s his job to hire and train employees for his organisation. So naturally, employers can be held responsible for all job-related accidents caused by the employee. It’s to be noted that employees causing an accident while on the job and the accidents caused within the scope of the employment are different. Will get further on this in the following sections.
Respondeat Superior
‘Respondeat Superior’ is a legal doctrine which is a regular practice in the workplace. The rule says that the employee must be acting within the course and scope of the employment for an employer to be held responsible.
This is because the employer is liable for the activities of the employee to carry out the employers business. This includes the employer’s responsibility to the owner within the scope of this business. But if the employee runs personal errands with the company property then the employer is not liable for any such accidents.
Vicarious liability
Vicarious liability is a legal situation where one party is responsible due to the mistake of a third party. The third party itself carries his own share of the actions. For example in a construction site if a crain mistakenly does any damage to any neighbouring building the crane operator along with his employer are both held responsible.
Criminal charges
It’s often unlikely to convict the employer on the basis of crime committed by these employees. But if the employee hires a convicted guy without a background check that exposes others to harm this can happen.
This inspires employers to conduct through background checks of the employees while hiring. Otherwise he can get charged for exposing his customer to potentially dangerous people.
So employers should always be aware of whom they are hiring. For instance this can make the employer responsible for providing access to potential victims.
Lastly, small business owners should be well aware of all the share of liability they are entitled to carry out. Otherwise, a single lawsuit is enough to shut down the business. On the other hand a business can run really well if you are aware of these obligations and take necessary steps.
The UK employment law protects employees and employers in the workplace. The law ensures fair pay for the employees, a discrimination free workplace and protects children from labour. So small business owners should be well aware of his legal duties to protect the best interest of his business. The rules are the same for self employed small businesses owners.
Responsibility of the employer
It’s his responsibility to constantly monitor employee activity to avoid any wrong from happening. As employers are tied by law to be liable for their employees’ actions it’s better the employer has his own guidelines for the employees to avoid any wrong from happening.
Firstly, the employers have the legal duty of protecting employees, their health, safety and welfare. So the employer must make all sorts of arrangements to keep the employees safe from hazards.
Secondly, to keep the employees away from any type of drug or alcohol abuse within the work premises should also be in the guideline. The employers should also fix up certain restrictions to avoid drug and alcohol use at work. These types of obligations should be maintained thoroughly.
Lastly employers are required to provide appropriate training to the workforce and maintain all equipment accordingly. Within the business premises all potential harm causing instruments are needed to be kept in order
Cases where employers cant be held liable
Negligence
the employer cannot be charged due to pure negligence of the employee. In this case they are personally liable for their actions. It’s the employees responsibility to act in a way so they do not cause any harm to themselves or any client.
2. Victims fault
If the victim is himself to blame for any occurance the employer cannot be held responsible. In such cases the employer or the owner of the business cannot be liable.
3. The fault of a third person
If any harm is caused by the mistreatment of any third party the employer cannot be held responsible for this.
If an employee does any fault normally the owner of the business tries to settle the matter informally. Same goes for the fault of the employer. The matter can be solved formally in a court of by informal compensation for the damage done. Incase of any claim of a client, it is settled in court by a judge. The cases are settled in the Civil court or the County court. Compensation is measured based on damage, injury and medical bills and work hours lost. | https://medium.com/@srahmanshafi/responsibility-of-employers-for-acts-of-employees-2a0a6fc33da | ['Shafiur Rahman'] | 2020-12-23 05:59:24.716000+00:00 | ['Empowerment', 'Employee Engagement', 'Responsibility', 'Act', 'Jobs'] |
My journey to an IELTS 8777 | I see a lot of people nowadays struggling for these magical numbers, particularly for Canadian immigration. A major roadblock in achieving these is the writing section, so far so, I have seen a lot of people getting perfect scores in their IELTS with a 6.5 in writing every time. This engenders doubt in their minds with respect to the authenticity of this exam. Some believe it to be a money-making process in which a 6.5 in writing is given just to force people in re-appearing for IELTS multiple times.
I myself have been a victim of this mentality for some time and want to share my experience of how I overcame this barrier. I appeared for IELTS 5 times, and following are my respective scores:
IELTS attempt 1 — (British Council Academic-test center: Islamabad, Pakistan)
Listening: 8.5
Reading: 8.5
Writing: 7
Speaking: 7
Overall: 8
Note: This attempt was for IELTS Academic and not eligible for immigration purposes.
IELTS attempt 2 — (IDP General-test center: Faisalabad, Pakistan)
Listening: 8.5
Reading: 8.5
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 7
Overall: 8
IELTS attempt 3 — (British Council General-test center: Lahore, Pakistan)
Listening: 9
Reading: 8
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 7.5
Overall: 8
IELTS attempt 4 — (IDP General-test center: Islamabad, Pakistan)
Listening: 9
Reading: 8.5
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 7.5
Overall: 8
IELTS attempt 5 — (IDP General-test center: Lahore, Pakistan)
Listening: 9
Reading: 9
Writing: 7
Speaking: 7.5
Overall: 8 | https://medium.com/@umertahir114/my-journey-to-an-ielts-8777-8475c371b873 | ['Muhammad Umer'] | 2019-11-21 07:42:50.877000+00:00 | ['Ielts', 'Language Learning', 'Quora', 'English'] |
Stateful Kubernetes Applications Made Easier: PSO and FlashBlade | For stateful applications on Kubernetes, Pure Service Orchestrator automates and productionizes those services with FlashBlade as shared storage. This repository presents three illustrative example applications: a simplistic shared scratch space as well as file-sharing services NextCloud and OwnCloud.
I assume the reader has only a basic understanding of Kubernetes and is interested in how to use FlashBlade with Kubernetes.
For a more general introduction and guide to PSO for both FlashArray and FlashBlade, see this explanation of Kubernetes Storage, Kubernetes documentation, and Containers-as-a-service architecture.
Introduction
The Pure Service Orchestrator (PSO) automates the process of creating filesystems on FlashBlade and attaching them to the running applications in Kubernetes.
But first, why run applications in Kubernetes? There is a generic set of problems that almost all applications need to solve: recovering from hardware failures, scaling up or down resources, orchestrating connectivity between inter-linked services, securing and isolating environments, and provisioning resources for running applications. Kubernetes helps solve these problems, simplifying the operation of production services.
Why Use PSO and FlashBlade
In Kubernetes, applications run inside a set of pods, which are ephemeral and not tied to physical compute or storage resources. If the pod needs persistent storage for any reason (and there are many!), then PersistentVolumes are needed. But manual storage administration is complicated: creating volumes, attaching them to running pods regardless of protocol, and finally deleting volumes. In a fully automated system, none of these steps should involve a human!
PSO automates the process of provisioning storage and hides the details of storage creation and attachment to each pod. The result is self-service storage that matches cloud-native workflows and applications.
FlashBlade provides shared filesystems for Read-Write-Many (RWX) volumes. These are critical for scale-out applications that spawn multiple pods; each additional pod is able to automatically share access to a common data store. FlashBlade can also support Read-Write-Once (RWO) volumes.
While I focus here on FlashBlade filesystems as volumes, PSO also serves FlashArray and block devices. The details of storage administration are different for block (FlashArray) and file (FlashBlade) volumes, and PSO hides all of these differences from the end-user. For example, a developer creating an application that uses a ReadWriteOnce volume can choose between latency sensitive or bandwidth sensitive performance simply by changing the text between “pure-file” and “pure-block.” All of the annoying differences between iSCSI, Fibre Channel, and NFS mounts are hidden automatically by PSO.
How to Use PSO with FlashBlade
Compared to traditional storage workflows, PSO automates most of the requests and interactions between users and administrators for file system creation and mounting. The result is a self-service storage infrastructure; no direct interaction is necessary between administrators and users.
Administrators install and occasionally upgrade the PSO software and users (developers) interact only via standard Kubernetes PersistentVolume mechanisms.
For the Kubernetes Administrator
PSO is a software layer for Kubernetes that utilizes the public REST API provided by FlashBlade to automate storage-related tasks and is installed via helm.
The one-time PSO configuration requires a FlashBlade management IP, data VIP, and the corresponding API token. These API tokens prove that PSO has permission to create and delete volumes or filesystems so safeguard them appropriately.
To get the API token, use the following command from the FlashBlade CLI:
pureuser@flashblade-ch1-fm2> pureadmin list --api-token --expose
Name API Token Created Expires
pureuser T-c4925090-c9bf-4033-8537-d24ee5669135 2017-09-12 13:26:31 PDT -
Then, add the following to the PSO values.yaml (example) file to add a FlashBlade under management:
FlashBlades:
- MgmtEndPoint: "10.62.64.20"
NFSEndPoint: "10.62.64.200",
APIToken: "T-ab0ed3e0-5438-4485-9503-863e6a9c1434"
The PSO works by fulfilling any PVC claims with a StorageClass with corresponding name, “pure-file,” by creating a matching filesystem.
Update the default storageClass to use the “pure-file” class if you want FlashBlade to be the default for PVCs that do not specify StorageClass.
> kubectl patch storageclass pure-file -p '{"metadata": {"annotations":{"storageclass.kubernetes.io/is-default-class":"true"}}}'
After this change, view the configured StorageClasses and their associated provisioner with the following command:
> kubectl get storageclass
NAME PROVISIONER AGE
pure-block pure-provisioner 24d
pure-file (default) pure-provisioner 24d
Finally, to view the PersistentVolumes in the system which were automatically created by PSO:
> kubectl get persistentvolume
...
The PersistentVolumes reported here should match the filesystems created on the FlashBlade, as seen with the following CLI command in the FlashBlade:
> purefs list --filter "name = 'k8s-*'"
Name Size Used Hard Limit Created Protocols
k8s-pvc-98bb10ca-c037-11e8-9ada-525402501103 1T 0.00 False 2018-09-24 13:22:46 PDT nfs
k8s-pvc-98c51436-c037-11e8-9ada-525402501103 800G 52.50K False 2018-09-24 13:22:46 PDT nfs
k8s-pvc-98d6147c-c037-11e8-9ada-525402501103 20T 450.00K False 2018-09-24 13:22:48 PDT nfs
k8s-pvc-9fcfdf49-beb3-11e8-9ada-525402501103 5T 0.00 False 2018-09-22 15:05:33 PDT nfs
Adding a StorageQuota (example) allows the administrator to limit the number of claims or the total amount of storage requested. These limits cause graceful failures in the case of buggy jobs that consume too much storage.
For the Kubernetes User
The following examples create a PersistentVolumeClaim that will be satisfied by the PSO by using a storageClassName of “pure-file”. The storageClass signals to Kubernetes how to satisfy the claim request. Switching to use a FlashArray block device instead can be done by using “pure-block” as StorageClass.
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
apiVersion: v1
metadata:
name: file-claim
spec:
storageClassName: pure-file # This line is all that is required to use PSO
accessModes:
- ReadWriteMany
resources:
requests:
storage: 15Ti
A PersistentVolumeClaim is a request for a PersistentVolume of certain type and size. If there is a plugin for the specified storageClass, then it will create a matching PersistentVolume. To attach this storage to a container at a specific path, refer back to the claim as follows:
volumes:
- name: myvol
persistentVolumeClaim:
claimName: file-claim
containers:
...container config...
volumeMounts:
- name: file-claim
mountPath: /mountpoint
What did you NOT need to do?
Create a filesystem via a UI of any kind (GUI or CLI)
Log in to the node and issue the commands to mount the filesystem
Think about what happens if the physical node fails and you need to move the app
Track who uses which filesystem so you know when to cleanup
And what you do get is that the volume automatically follows your container if Kubernetes restarts or moves the container to a different physical host.
Example 1: Shared Scratch Space
The first example to illustrate PSO is a simple Deployment and PersistentVolumeClaim to create a shared scratch workspace. In other words, the application is a standard Linux shell and command line tools.
A shared scratch workspace is useful when a small team needs to work together, for example for forensics investigation of log files. The goal is to automatically create a shared scratch space to download necessary data to work with and produce derivative datasets. PSO automates the creation, connection, and cleanup of the workspace on FlashBlade.
scratch-space.yaml.
The yaml file creates two pods that both mount a shared “/scratch” directory for collaborative work. This illustrates the core steps necessary to use a persistentVolumeClaim to attach a volume to pods in a Deployment.
To use this shared scratch space, each user connects to a pod and spawns a shell by running ‘exec’ on one of the pod instances:
> kubectl exec -it scratchspace-7877bc68f9-s8nxw /bin/bash
Once this shell has been started, the user can collaborate using the ‘/scratch’ directory and all results will be visible to users in other pods.
What if a third user wants to also collaborate? Adding additional workspaces that share the same filesystem is as simple as:
> kubectl scale deployment scratchspace --replicas 3
Each additional replica pod is automatically connected to the filesystem, i.e., the mounting and unmounting of the filesystem is automatically handled by PSO.
There are many directions to make this example even more useful: 1) add a unique name to the resources based on a ticket number, 2) automate cleanup of resources when finished, and 3) use a prebuilt container image with already installed tools.
Example 2: NextCloud
NextCloud
NextCloud and OwnCloud are both open-source file sharing applications providing an alternative to cloud services like DropBox. These applications provide similar file sharing services across multiple client platforms while keeping the data in-house instead of an offsite 3rd party cloud; either performance, cost, or data governance may drive this desire for an in-house service instead of external. Both applications rely upon persistent storage for the user’s data and metadata.
The NextCloud configuration borrows heavily from existing documentation for NextCloud. This configuration is kept simple in order to highlight the usage of persistent storage.
The config file combines three major elements:
Service ‘nextcloud’ that exposes the application externally
Deployment ‘nextcloud’ that starts the application server and mounts a filesystem
PersistentVolumeClaim that PSO will use to create a matching filesystem on the FlashBlade
Create the nextcloud service as follows:
> kubectl apply -f nextcloud-pure.yaml
To make this application accessible externally, I used a NodePort service, which is not recommended in production. To access the NextCloud application, find the port assigned by Kubernetes:
> kubectl get svc nextcloud | grep NodePort
Connect to the NextCloud server by using that port number and the ip address of any Kubernetes node. Production environments should configure load balancers instead.
Using InitContainers for Setup
The NextCloud example utilizes an initContainer to solve a common problem: configuring the volume to meet the conditions expected by the application. An initContainer is a container that is run to completion before the application container is started and must complete successfully for the application to begin. InitContainers encode the steps necessary to satisfy pre-conditions or dependencies that the user does not want to or cannot build into the main application container. As an example, an initContainer can download a dataset to the persistent volume for the primary application to use.
The NextCloud server expects the “data/” directory to be owned by the www-data user and to have permissions of 770, otherwise the application fails. To accomplish this, an initContainer performs two simple commands to achieve this precondition:
initContainers:
- name: install
image: busybox
command:
- sh
- '-c'
- 'chmod 770 /var/www/html/data && chown www-data /var/www/html/data'
volumeMounts:
- name: nc-files
mountPath: /var/www/html/data
Many applications, especially legacy applications not originally built for containers, expect preconditions on the volumes and initContainers are the easiest way to achieve this. Beyond the simple example here with busybox, different container images can be used to place data or install necessary software on the volume.
Example 3: OwnCloud
OwnCloud
The OwnCloud deployment involves multiple applications working together: mariadb and redis alongside the owncloud server. These applications use a mix of block devices and filesystems. For example, MariaDB is an RDBMS service that requires a block device backed volume whereas OwnCloud stores user data on a filesystem-backed volume. Derived from docker documentation for OwnCloud.
With PSO, multiple applications and volume types can be mixed and modified easily. For example, switching the Redis application between “pure-file” and “pure-block” is as simple as changing the value in the yaml config before deploying.
Running multiple different applications on FlashBlade works well because the system is 1) built to support high concurrency and many simultaneous applications, 2) scales-out seamlessly and non-disruptively, and 3) is architected natively to leverage the mixed IO performance of NAND flash.
Deploy this set of applications and volumes together with the following command:
> kubectl apply -f owncloud-pure.yaml
Note that there is a helm chart for OwnCloud here but it is currently not working due to a failed connection between OwnCloud and mariadb. With the default storageClass set to “pure-file,” this helm chart would automatically use FlashBlade as the backing store.
Quick Tips for Usability
Below are some quick-tips that I found useful in running the OwnCloud application.
Run OwnCloud reporting commands internally:
kubectl exec oc-owncloud-0 occ user:report
Log in to the server and look around at the contents of the filesystem.
kubectl exec -it oc-owncloud-0 /bin/bash
Summary
A good software engineer always looks to automate tedious and error-prone tasks in order to increase the team’s productivity. Running Kubernetes and the Pure Service Orchestrator automates almost all storage related tasks: filesystem creation, mounting, and deletion. The result is simple and agile infrastructure that just works.
Legal stuff — Please note: I am an employee of Pure Storage. My statements and opinions on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent those of Pure Storage. | https://joshua-robinson.medium.com/stateful-kubernetes-applications-made-easier-pso-and-flashblade-aa3e2ebb0248 | ['Joshua Robinson'] | 2019-03-26 18:44:01.561000+00:00 | ['Kubernetes', 'Pure Storage'] |
Better Iteration in Python— 6 Ways to Filter Iterables | 5. Conditional Abortion
Suppose that you start with an iterable, and for particular business needs, you need to iterate it and the iteration doesn’t stop until some condition is met. In this case, you should consider using a function called takewhile, which is also a higher-order function that is available in the itertools module. Let’s see its usage with some example code before I explain it to you.
Use of takewhile Function
In the above code, we have a stream of HTTP responses with the code and data saved. We want to log all valid responses until we encounter an error. To do that, we use the takewhile function with a predicate or evaluation function lambda x: x[0] == 200 , which means that the iteration will continue to run until the first element in the iterator can’t satisfy this evaluation criterion. In our case, the first three elements are eligible, while the fourth one isn’t. Thus, the iteration will abort at the fourth position.
One thing that can be confusing to beginners is how it’s different from the filter function. The filter function will go over the entire iterable and keep all the elements that pass the evaluation criterion. By contrast, the takewhile function has the conditional abortion feature, and it will stop the iteration completely once the next item evaluates True for the predicate. | https://medium.com/swlh/better-iteration-in-python-6-ways-to-filter-iterables-dde6c8969f89 | ['Yong Cui'] | 2020-06-26 15:01:01.449000+00:00 | ['Python', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Technology', 'Data Science', 'Programming'] |
RES Liquidity Provider Incentive: 434% APR | We are pleased to announce a Resfinex token RES liquidity provider incentive program on Uniswap. This program aims to raise awareness, volume and on-chain usage. The program will end until Dec 31th, 2020, at 00 UTC.
The eligible pools for rewards as below:
Buy RES if you have not got any, trade on the link below,
How it works
You must first provide liquidity to the eligible pools above on Uniswap V2 and lock for 21 days after that. We will take snapshot the liquidity provider’s address daily.
The specific distribution rules will be as follows:
The reward is paid in RES at the end of your lock-up period.
It should be locked up for a 21 days to earn the additional 25% of total amount of RES you provided in the pools.
to earn the additional 25% of total amount of RES you provided in the pools. Rewards will start being distributed to your address after ending your 21 days lock up.
About RES
Resfinex Token RES is the heart of the Resfinex ecosystem. We have carefully designed incentive schemes to increase network effects and demand for RES, and to decrease its circulating supply. | https://medium.com/@resfinex/res-liquidity-provider-incentive-434-apr-657c88b6e4a | [] | 2020-12-05 07:58:03.019000+00:00 | ['Ethereum', 'Defi', 'Res', 'Farming', 'Income'] |
Flow so Long Thru Long Beach | Flow so Long Thru Long Beach
There are many places in the world with the name Long Beach. But Long Beach California is the one and only LBC.
LBC doesn’t stand for Long Beach Crips, Nor Long Beach and Compton. Long Beach shares a border with Compton, but don’t get it twisted or you might get shanked. LBC is Long Beach California
Long Beach is a massive city.
Image courtesy Judgmental Maps
I must say, this map is on point. I lived on the the border of Suit City and Bring Bear Mace and Stun Guns. And that is an excellent description of the neighborhood. | https://medium.com/show-your-city/flow-so-long-thru-long-beach-18be94ee187 | ['Hogan Torah'] | 2020-12-10 13:49:46.400000+00:00 | ['Show My City', 'Photography', 'Long Beach', 'Los Angeles', 'Humor'] |
Headphones v/s Earphones : Choose! | Re-ignite your love of music!
Confused to pick the right choice of headphone? Or wait! Maybe it’s a snug pair of earphones you’re looking for? Whatever your choice, It is vital that you think over for a minute as to what you’re looking for in your choice of product & why it’s important to you. Try & envision how your perfect music accessory would fit into your daily routine. Once that’s done, simply scroll down to explore our list below
1. Over ear headphones: JBL E65BT
Head in the clouds!
The one most commonly associated with headphones, the over-ear headphones are right for you if you binge watch web series and love streaming movies on your smartphone or tablets. They are big enough to fit your entire ear with its big plush ear-pads and provide excellent noise-cancellation. It is also ideal when you are traveling in quite a noisy environment like trains and buses.
2. On ear headphones: boAt Rockerz 410
Music made comfortable!
A variation on the over-ear headphones. The on-ear Headphones provide a comfy feel, great sound playback and are ergonomically designed. It has smaller ear cups and is portable enough for you to carry around anywhere. So if your schedule involves constantly being on the go, then on-ear headphones are the perfect choice for you.
3. Bass Earphones : Sony MDR-XB510AS
Life of the party
In-ear headphones are miniature models of headphones designed to be carried anywhere with relative ease. They provide a snug and comfortable fit inside the ear and offer an immersive sound experience. That’s not all! They also provide excellent noise cancellation features that allow you to tune out the noise and simply focus on the music. It is manufactured to suit the sporties and outdoor activity enthusiasts.
4. Bluetooth earphones: boAt Rockerz 255r
Hands free fun.
Bluetooth headphones are fast becoming popular due to being wireless & allowing one to escape the hassle of cords & tangled wires. They also provide superior bluetooth features that integrate with your smartphone. Not to mention they also feature some style quotient as trendy teenagers prefer to wear it just like an accessory. They are quite comfortable to carry anywhere and everywhere. A minor drawback of these earphones are that they tend to drain the battery of the smartphone or tablets they’re integrated with. But, thanks to the increased battery capacity of the new devices out there, it no longer is a major disadvantage.
5. Wireless earbuds: boAt airdopes 203
Wireless music. Re-imagined.
As the name suggests these truly are the innovative earbuds that are the trending accessory the modern youth desires. Designed perfectly with great aesthetics, these earbuds are designed to be highly portable due to their ultra lightweight features. Are you a sportsman, gym freak or simply the outdoorsy type? You are? Great! These buds are manufactured just for you! All these truly wireless earbuds are bundled with protective cases to keep it secure.
Still on the fence about which to choose? Don’t worry! Just head over to our #Homeguru series on YouTube
Original post @Vijay Sales — Online Electronics Shopping Store in India | https://medium.com/@vijaysalesoffcial/headphones-v-s-earphones-choose-88c30d2ed87 | ['Vijay Sales'] | 2020-07-31 07:18:38.511000+00:00 | ['Headphones', 'Earphones', 'Buy Online Gadgets', 'Mobile Accessories Online', 'Mobile Accessories'] |
Getting to Know Me | 2019 MTV Awards Musical Performance by Missy Elliott
An Audio Poem
My kid sister probes me
for information. She needs to
know more about me.
Our upbringing was an odd one.
I'm more of a mother-figure to her
than a big sister; with 19 years
separating us, she "ma'ams" me
rather than "Ooh, girl" or
"Child, pleases" me and it just seems weird.
She urges me to open up, to share,
but I'm not really the type to complain
more than I need to or
give more of me than I should.
I've learned who to shed skin
with and who not to and this isn't
to say that my sister isn't to
be trusted, no, that's not it.
I'm just . . . careful now.
I want to vent sometimes to her,
I want her to hear me when I'm
in distress, yet there's this overwhelming
feeling to protect her too
even if it's from me.
She assures me she's old
enough to digest what I
dole out but I’m hesitant.
I've lived a far different life
and my demons tend to follow
me along my sacred paths and
my sister is still growing,
still learning. I don't want her
to know the me that drives
people away. I'm still working
on that me.
I need her around.
I'd hate for her to be one more
person I find myself chasing
after; another heart to grip.
People want you to strip
bare, stand naked before them,
but many of them aren't ready
for the curves and folds and
two-toned skin. They just want
to see more of you even if
more of you isn't beautiful.
It's one more thing they can
hang over your head, dangle like
a dagger, cut you to the quick.
I'm trying. I swear, I am.
I ask her to be patient with me,
to understand — I have a way
and my way is comforting.
I can't be rushed.
She understands.
Thank God in heaven.
She understands. | https://medium.com/a-cornered-gurl/getting-to-know-me-2bbf9f1c1178 | ['Tre L. Loadholt'] | 2020-11-23 11:47:15.188000+00:00 | ['Sisters', 'A Cornered Gurl', 'Life', 'Family', 'Poetry'] |
Actionable metrics vs Vanity Metrics ? | Some Examples of Vanity metric
Overall Visits — If visits increase , it doesn’t conclusively prove that product performance has increased.
Overall Users —There is growth in overall users but the transacting users are declining, in that case it turns out to be a Vanity metric.
Total time spent on app — If it increases , it can be due to login issues or other technical glitch so PM need to further deep dive.
Infact any metric can be classified to vanity metric. Honestly ,they are hollow metrics that look nice on the surface but hold little substance.
For instance , 1,00,000 total registered users on your product might seem impressive & commendable, but that count loses its value if we realise that only 1000 are monthly active users (MAU). Infact , further deep dive into those 1000 MAU will reveal actionable insights.
In conclusion these are classified as Vanity metrics because they can follow a upward trend however things aren’t going quite well in reality for the product. As a result , relying on these metrics won’t necessarily help the team to identify the root cause or take corrective actions.
Some Examples of Actionable metric
Conversion Rate
Repeat ratio
Average Revenue Per User
Active Subscriptions
Actionable metrics are grouped by week ( Weekly subscription renewal rate ) or month & usually presented as per user metric ( Cashback per user ). By analysing the performance of such metrics , PMs are better placed and are more confident about their hypothesis & action plans.
Thanks for reading! If you’ve got ideas to contribute to this conversation please comment. If you like what you read and want to see more, clap me some love! Follow here, or connect with me on LinkedIn | https://medium.com/@rohitverma141/actionable-metrics-vs-vanity-metrics-4a95717b0bbe | ['Rohit Verma'] | 2021-04-26 11:14:26.741000+00:00 | ['Metrics', 'Product Analytics', 'Product Management', 'Product Manager'] |
Annalise Springster’s a High School Dropout — Chapter 2 | Annalise Springster’s a High School Dropout — Chapter 2
I can’t remember a day Greensboro had clouds that dark
photo is from the author
Cassie’s POV
Two weeks later
Annalise Springster is painting my wall.
Meanwhile, I read aloud the schedule of events for this school year from my school-provided laptop and down spoonfuls of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
It’s movie night. My mom is downstairs creating what my little brothers, Sammy and Cole, call “the ultimate snack plate.” They are probably downstairs too, watching with salivating mouths.
“Ok so, first midway meetings are going to be on….” — I scan the screen — “January 28th, about a week after Decisions Week and then they let us know our class ranking on….”
“February 9th.”
“Right.”
“That’s going to be a big day for you when you’ve found out you’ve beaten me out for valedictorian,” Annie smirks.
“Oh, don’t give me that.”
I am so going to beat her out.
“You’re stiff competition, Annie.”
“Mhm.”
For a few moments, I close my laptop and just watch her work her magic. With arms smeared in paint, she adds the blotches of green to a vast expanse of land dotted with trees. The land rises and falls in small and large curves to give it a perception of depth. Above the hilly terrain, the sky is a delicate well-calculated blend of bright cadet blue and white to create the kind of spirit-lifting scenery one usually only sees in internet stock photos. She was painting The Hills. I turn further to the right and examine the obscure outlines on the rest of the wall that she had painted the week before underneath sweeping streaks and blotches of grey.
Odd…Oh, wait.
There’s downtown and there’s the school. That squiggle is Witchiter Ave and the one intersecting it is Eastview Street. Those little squares way back in the corner are the homes of the largest housing development and the conglomeration of rectangles and half-circles situated slightly east of them is the mayor’s house. It was Greensboro.
“Greensboro?” I look back at her.
“Indeed, it is,” she says, sticking her tongue between her teeth concentrating.
My eyes drift back to the dark clouds hovering over the abstract shapes, and I can’t help but notice the contrasting blue and grey. “You chose grey clouds for the town and blue for the Hills.”
I can’t remember a day Greensboro had clouds that dark.
“Mhm.” She shrugs, never stopping the sway of her brush or bothering to look at me. “I don’t know, something about The Hills always seems brighter to me.”
Artists.
I watch her add swatches of brown and green, creating finer lines, thicker lines, points, and arcs. Suddenly, in a swift motion, Annie moves from the grass to further detail the clouds.
Those are really big clouds. Now they’re touching the grass — covering the grass.
In broad strokes, Annie takes the largest paintbrush and paints over her near-perfect version of The Hills.
“It’s all wrong!” she exclaims jolting me out of my stupor. “Just all wrong.” Her extensive streaks become short and hurried. She ensures every last bit of The Hills is covered in white before turning to me for the first time in hours. “Something about it wasn’t right.”
It was near perfect.
“You couldn’t have just fixed it?”
“I mean, I guess. But starting over just seemed easier.”
She seems confused, a little spacier than usual.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” she laughs.
“Like what?”
“Like thatttt.” She exaggeratedly circles an olive green finger around my face, chuckling. “That weird expression of concern and horror you do like you’ve just seen someone kick a puppy.”
Uh oh, I’m caught.
“Hmm, no idea what you’re talking about,” I say sarcastically.
She rolls her eyes. “I’m fine, Cass. Just needed a blank canvas. Clear canvas, clear mind.”
Maybe I shouldn’t pry further.
“Want to stay the night?”
“Yeah, sure.” She reaches for her towel and wipes her hands. “Thanks, that’d probably be best, the mayor’s over tonight and he and dad are prob — “
The earsplitting sound of glass shattering drowns out her voice. I get up from my bed eyes widened, and Annie goes for the door handle. Footsteps pound rapidly up the stairs and across the landing. My bedroom door swings open hitting Annie in the arm with a soft thud. Sammy stands in the doorway his face a pale dusty, coffee color, his eyes sunken and streaming tears. Snot runs down his nose as he says, “Mommy’s shaking again.”
I grab him by his shoulders a bit more roughly than intended. “Where is she?”
More tears. “The kitchen, Cassie I — .”
Without thinking, I grab one of my pillows, shove him lightly to the side, and bound through the doorway headed for the stairs. I hear him trailing behind me.
“Sammy, go to your room!” I yell while taking on the stairs. The footsteps stop, and I hear Annie doing her stiff version of coaxing trying to convince him to go to his room. A door closes somewhere behind me.
Where is Karla?!
I reach the first floor and head down the corridor leading to the front door. Blood rushes to my ears with every second that passes. Each second counts.
I reach the kitchen and see Cole on the opposite side of the counter looking towards the floor. I whip around the counter and feel my throat constrict.
My mother is seizing violently on the ground. Glass outlines her small frame.
“Did she hit her head?” I say slipping the pillow underneath her skull.
“No, we caught her and laid her down,” he spat out. “We just wanted some juice and — “
“Cole, it’s fine, just go upstairs to your room.” I grab a dish towel and drape it over the glass beside her. I lower to my knees and rub her arm gently.
Good, no head trauma.
“And — and,” he chokes through his tears.
Moving her bright yellow armband closer to her wrist, I examine her bare skin.
And no wounds.
“A — and — a.”
“UPSTAIRS NOW!” I roar fighting back my own tears. Another rush of footsteps comes from behind.
“Come on Cole.”
“Hey, Annie,” I say picking glass from my mother’s hair. “Can you call my dad please?” My voice is shaky.
“Yeah of course.”
My mom has a condition. The doctors aren’t exactly sure what it is yet. She suffers from violent seizures, and she has been for as long as I can remember. Epilepsy? No. A brain tumor? No. A brain injury? No. Any triggers? No. No one knows. Every few months she goes to Moroburg Hospital, the closest city hospital to Greensboro, so they can run tests. They say none of the tests she has taken prove or disprove anything. They’ve prescribed a million medications that she is always faithful to, but they haven’t improved her condition. Most say it’s probably some new condition.
Add hers to the millions that have cropped up in the past century.
The optimist in me believes the physicians are genuinely trying their best, but the pessimist in me thinks that their best is simply not enough.
The only memory mom usually has of her seizures are physical, superficial scars that disappear within a few months. My family has developed a habit of lying to her about them whenever she has them. We’d say things like
“Oh, it was nothing major.”
“The worst parts are just the cuts and bruises.”
and the absolutely sinful
“Really no — I think they’re getting better.”
They aren’t getting worse, but they definitely aren’t getting better either. In truth, they aren’t awful. We are just scared, scared that one day, her condition will get worse or will turn into something else. Telling her those phrases are the easy way out, a way to hide how afraid we were that she won’t be able to recover. She didn’t need to take on our stress.
They are unpredictable even for her. When they come, “It’s just a sharp pain in my mind, a screeching echoing sound, kinda like nails on a chalkboard. My brain starts to rattle a bit and then I wake up.” Sometimes the seizures never come, and we find her passed out or screaming with her hands over her ears.
Lying is bad, we know, but I don’t think any of us could bear to recount her seizures —
Be reminded that everything isn’t ok.
— even, some of the worst ones — -
Especially, some of the worst ones.
— like the time she hit her head on the corner of the coffee table and had to be rushed to the hospital. Any normal family in panic for the safety of their loved one would tell the paramedics as much as they could about the who, what, when, where, and why of the situation. They would tell the doctor every measly detail they thought would be useful.
I thought she looked a little sweaty today.
He didn’t tell me ‘good morning’ the way he usually does.
My father and I told them nothing. We didn’t speak the whole ride there. When we arrived we just sat in the waiting room and well, waited. At some point in the evening, the doctor came out to see us clearly a bit agitated. He peered at us over the thin spectacles that hung on the crook of his nose, “Would you like to tell me what happened?”
My stone-faced father looked him in the eye and said, “She just fell” without faltering.
The doctor’s gaze turned to me questioningly and he gave me the “Are you in trouble?” eyes.
I swallowed back the mucus that had been developing in my throat since I had first gotten into the ambulance.
“She — erm — has a condition. Gets these seizures from time to time. She fell and hit her head.” My voice was hoarse. The doctor’s gaze softened.
“Well, she’s stable and there’s no permanent damage.” He gave a swift look from me to my father. “I-I have something that may be of interest to you.” He strode to the reception desk and started shuffling through a stack of papers. Eventually, he came back with a thin pamphlet and handed it to my dad. On the cover was a shiny stubby bronze robot who was holding the palms of its metal hands in front of it. Sitting on the smooth surfaces was an array of armbands, of different shapes and colors. The title of the pamphlet read Karla-8500 — At Home Nurse.
“She’s a kind of at-home carer for people with cardiovascular and neurological health conditions. A list of all the things she can do are cataloged on the back — “ My dad begins to flip it over. “The bands there — “ The doctor places a well-manicured finger over an orange band, stopping him. “They can detect any abnormal blood pressure levels, brain signals, drops in temperature, etc. Carla can detect when she’s about to have a seizure and help her if one of you isn’t around or she can’t get somewhere safe to lie down.” A pause. “You folks are from Greensboro, right? I’m sure you all could get a discount on it.” He put his hands on his hips obviously thinking he had made an amazing sales pitch.
“Thank you,” my father says still stone-faced. I echo his reply.
“Yes, well — I’ll send a nurse out when we’ve finished up with Mrs. Fontenot.” He gave us one last look over then returned the way from which he came, his lab coat flapping behind him.
Once the doctor was around the corner, my father and I stopped trying to conceal our emotions. We both shed our tears in silence, not bothering to comfort one another.
The tears weren’t for mom’s current physical injury. We cried because we weren’t strong enough to tell her how things actually were. We cried because we didn’t want her to feel like something was wrong even though she knew her condition. We cried because whenever she has her convulsions, the only things we can do are turn her on her side, reassure her, watch and wait…
Which is just what I am doing right now.
Mom lays on her side with her eyes turned upward and her mouth open. Her body is shaking in sharp convulsions and her breath hitching in her throat. Absentmindedly, I stroke her forehead near her hairline while carefully sweeping the broken glass away from her with my other hand. Thankfully, the tears never come. My eyes are dry, but I can feel dried residue around my lower lash line crack slightly when I blink. The muscles in my face have become tight with concern.
Just when my mom’s body relaxes, Annie comes around the corner. At first glance, a stranger would think she is unmoved by the blank expression her face possesses, but I can see the worry in her eyes. We stay there in silence for a few minutes before I decide to speak.
“Could you help me get her to the couch?” I start to grab my mom by her waist. Without reply, Annie takes her by the legs, and we both lift and move, careful to avoid the jagged shards scattered on the kitchen floor. We make it to the living room and lay her on her back across the couch. I place one of the couch pillows underneath her head and brush the stray hairs from her face. Annalise situates herself in one of the armchairs across the room. Mom comes to herself slowly and I try my best to look casual.
“Hey, sweetie,” she says sluggishly after coming to herself. Her soft brown eyes start to focus on mine. “What’s been going on?”
“You had a seizure, Momma,” I say gently squeezing her hand.
She furrows her brows slightly before scanning the room. “Hey, Annalise.” She smiles. “How’s the painting for Cassie’s room going?”
“It’s going great, Mrs. Fontenot. I’ve got most of the sketches laid out. Should be done in a few weeks.”
“That’s great, hun.” She looks back at me. “How was it?”
“Same as usual.” I do my best to keep my voice steady.
But the usual isn’t what she thinks it is.
We’re scared, Momma.
Guilt piles in my stomach.
I open my mouth as if to say more, then I shut it again.
Mom takes my face in her hands and brings my forehead to her lips: her way of saying thank you. She starts to move around a bit more and reaches for the TV remote.
“So what movie are we watching first?” She beams and says, “Go ahead and get your brothers, Cassie. Oh — The snack plate is on the counter. You staying, Annalise?”
Annie nods sporting a toothy grin.
“Great.” She tosses her the remote. “You pick the movie then.”
Seeing my mother smile subdues my bubbling stomach. Her cocoa skin wrinkles about her eyes and the corners of her mouth. Her eyes twinkle with a youthfulness one would not expect from a woman of almost 54. Her gapped front teeth accentuate the childish likeness of her face.
My beautiful, beautiful mother.
I can’t help but smile too.
The usual isn’t what she thinks it is | https://medium.com/annalise-springsters-a-highschool-dropout-a-novel/annalise-springsters-a-high-school-dropout-chapter-2-ead8b4f170c2 | ['Aysia C.'] | 2020-12-25 15:21:23.804000+00:00 | ['Novel', 'Fiction', 'Books'] |
6 Tips for Developers to Handle Imposter Syndrome | 6 Tips for Developers to Handle Imposter Syndrome
The things that worked well for me
“Every one of my successes is no big deal and due to luck.”
“I feel like a fake because I still don’t know [xxx].”
“Every failure is due to my lack of expertise and I should give up.”
“I’m lacking experience in that topic, I better keep my mouth shut.”
Hi! You are not alone… I went through that also and a lot of developers suffer from the imposter syndrome too! I will be honest with you. It took me more than a year to endorse the job title of developer.
During my first year of employment as a developer, I’d never felt more of a fraud than ever before. Even though I had my share of knowledge, of course, every developer around me felt like they were way more talented than me.
Which is a problem when you constantly try to compare yourself to others. Everyone seems better than you. By respecting my coworkers, my feeling was that I was not deserving of that title yet.
How many days did I go home feeling like a fraud? A lot.
Was it justified, at least once? Nope.
Remembering this today really seems absurd. What was I thinking? Just because I don’t have the same expertise as they do, does it make me a fraud?
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
Today, I feel way better about my knowledge. I’m fine with my current expertise, my learning curve, and don’t punish myself when I don’t know something.
Here are some tips that helped me to overcome the imposter syndrome and I hope you find them interesting and helpful! | https://medium.com/better-programming/6-tips-for-developers-to-handle-imposter-syndrome-7473ea7924f6 | ['Thomas Guibert'] | 2020-01-28 19:42:52.129000+00:00 | ['Programming', 'Technology', 'Imposter Syndrome', 'Startup', 'Software Engineering'] |
I’m Making Way More On Medium Now — Here’s Why | I’m Making Way More On Medium Now — Here’s Why
I did a deep analysis..
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
So I held off on writing a post about the new Medium Changes last week because quite honestly, I had zero idea what would happen.
Now that I have data, I can speak on what I think.
My initial opinion?
Holy crap, it’s great.
Seriously Medium, your track record was already pretty amazing, but now I must say you’ve outdone yourself again.
I’ve basically doubled my writing income — just like Shaunta Grimes mentioned in this post.
Anyway, yeah, my writing income doubled and I went straight to the stats page to try and figure out why. Here’s a deep analysis of what I’m seeing. | https://medium.com/finding-tom/im-making-way-more-on-medium-now-here-s-why-5f6df7cddde2 | ['Tom Kuegler'] | 2019-11-04 11:38:44.194000+00:00 | ['Social Media', 'Medium', 'Creativity', 'Money', 'Writing'] |
El Día de la Cuádruple U | in Change Your Mind Change Your Life | https://medium.com/@sofiapoggi/el-d%C3%ADa-de-la-cu%C3%A1druple-u-bf07d85cebad | ['Sofía Félix Poggi'] | 2020-10-27 21:59:23.259000+00:00 | ['Short Story', 'Mundial De Escritura', 'Ciencia Ficción', 'Español', 'Science Fiction'] |
Mix & Match: Different content for Different Platforms | A few years ago, say 2011 or thereabouts, I joined Facebook. Like most people, Facebook was the first social media I joined. Back then, I simply posted any photo that catches my fancy in my gallery. I liked a couple of other people on my feed and then I logged out. There wasn’t much interaction and engagement like we have today. Businesses more than ever are becoming more intentional with their attitudes towards social media. People now post with lengthier captions, respond to comments and so much more. And we see this progression across all the other social media platforms as well.
I ventured out into more social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc., and true to what a colleague said, “I am almost everywhere now! lol”(it’s about time ‘lol’ got added to the dictionary please).
In my entire voyage, escapades, and research on these platforms, here are a few things I found:
- They are all unique
- There are secrets to navigating each platform and only those who understand them can maximize them
- Your granny is on Facebook
- There is a thing called ‘Algorithm’ (will explain further down this post)
- Videos are the new trendy
- Instagram consumes truckloads of data and
- If you get a hang of Twitter, you’re a genius!
The same way we dress depending on the occasion or places we’re going to, it’s the same way we must approach posting on social media. Posts should be tailor-made to fit the kind of social media platform we’re posting to and also, the type of audience there.
Facebook
What’s on your mind, grandma?
When my mum finally joined Facebook, she was a sight for sore eyes. She’s normally a jolly and always busy fellow so whenever we catch her quiet and pressing her phone, we know immediately that she’s trying to decipher something on Facebook. And the next minute I’ll get a notification comment where my mom prays for me on a post I made 2 days ago on Facebook.
If your parents haven’t discovered you on Facebook, trust me, I’m jealous. Everyone is on Facebook. Research reveals that over 22% of the world’s population uses Facebook. And with over 1.59 billion daily active users, be sure that this platform provides an ample wealth of audience for your business. Although certain sects like teenagers are decreasing daily on Facebook with most migrating to Instagram and Tiktok, there are still many users joining the wagon daily.
Now for what works:
Facebook is called a monopoly for a couple of reasons. Apart from being one of the brands that sell themselves, it is one platform that boasts of being capable of hosting manifold kinds of content. Ranging from text-based content types to photos, videos, links, etc. With the video part just recently beginning to make waves, businesses can expound on the benefits of using video on their Facebook pages. Even though Facebooks’ algorithm tends to favor personal accounts more, leaving most business accounts to rely on sponsored posts to gain better traffic.
Also, posts with links embedded are less shown to the public by Facebook. though there is such a thing as optimized link sharing. Posting links on feed, therefore, when done correctly have proven viable.
What works on Facebook is also largely dependent on your business goals. While some businesses are looking into just building brand awareness and establishing relationships, some are keen on driving sales and making purchases. If yours is the former, you want to post more engaging content e.g. photos of your products or person(s) behind them, fun or educative or hilarious videos, etc. And if yours is to boost sales or traffic to your website, share your product, website, and/product reviews through links and you may want to consider boosting reach through sponsorships and ads.
Instagram
Cheers to luxury, colors, and fun
Yes, Instagram can be summed basically into these 3 words; luxury, colors, and fun. We won’t negate the fact that it is professional as well. Instagram has become the fastest rising social media platform with over 1 billion monthly users as of June 2018. It is also the most popularly used social network among teens. It owes its rapid growth to its highly visual nature as the popularly content types are photos, videos, and animations. With even text-based type of content having to be converted to carousels and/or infographics.
Businesses aiming to thrive on Instagram should take note of these facts and if possible invest in producing image-rich kinds of content. They should also be consistent and have an established frequency of posting. As the pattern of feed arrangement on Instagram makes it easy for a visitor visiting your profile to be able to tell how much of a presence you provide on the platform.
LinkedIn
The professional leech
Because really, almost everyone on LinkedIn is there for professional purposes. So you want to create contents that revolve around professionalism. You also should put some effort into making your profile especially your ’about’ slot stand out. Whether you want to go for succinct and concise, or witty and humorous, or strictly professional, it’s entirely up to you. But bear in mind that your audience would appreciate it if they knew what you represent and this should be as clear as possible from the first glance at your profile.
Twitter
Tweeting birds
I have always thought it would have been better if it were called Tweeter and not Twitter. But well, what do I know! Everyone here seems to talk a lot and yet has no patience for boring, lengthy stuff. On Twitter, contents with the capability of going viral through retweets and engagements are contents that possess either of the following characteristics:
- Trending (with the right hashtags)
- Controversial
- Witty
- Fun
- Educative
- Troublesome
- Served in midget sizes
When your Twitter post passes any of the above criteria, It makes your post comfortable for your audience and hence increases engagements.
Pinterest
Visual bank
It is a visually appealing site. One thing I love and dislike about Pinterest is how it behaves like an onion, with so many layers. As one pin leads to another and another until you get swamped. But Pinterest has its benefits in that it can link directly to your website. Pins are designated to boards that others can follow so that whenever you make a post on that board, your followers are notified. These pins and boards help visitors narrow their search and it also double functions as a bank for sourcing photos.
Youtube
If videos were a social network
Youtube is easily the most popular site for videos. With over 2 billion logged-in monthly users, it is no surprise it has become the focal point for businesses and brands looking to increase their reach. And 88% of marketers say videos give a higher ROI. Youtube allows you to optimize your videos for search engines and is a great platform for running advertisements and campaigns for your business. Creating content on Youtube can sometimes be tasking since the videos uploaded have to be of high quality. Here are quick tips to know to maximize Youtube:
- Narrow the keywords used for your videos in a single topic
- Make your titles keyword-rich
- Use tags
- Create valuable content (it should either entertain or educate)
- Optimize your thumbnail image
- Frequently reformat and update existing quality content
- Have a niche and be consistent
Other social networks that exist include Whatsapp, Tiktok, Vimeo, Snapchat, Behance, etc. The truth is, to get the most out of your content across all social media platforms, you must understand what works and doesn’t work for each of these platforms. | https://medium.com/disrupt-dna/mix-match-different-content-for-different-platforms-a312694f7a81 | ['Grace Okoliko'] | 2020-12-17 15:04:37.942000+00:00 | ['Content Marketing', 'Content Strategy', 'Social Media', 'Social Media Management'] |
Dear Universe | Dear Universe
I demand a refund for having a terrible year
Photo by NASA on Unsplash
Dear Universe
Please can you review my year as I’m sure it was mishandled by your staff. They have failed to maintain the level of good fortune and positive vibes that I’m accustomed to.
I have found myself constantly surrounded by idiots. Why on Earth would you think this is a great initiative? They can barely answer my questions, consistently look at me dumb-founded and I’ve caught at least two of them fornicating in the stockroom.
As you know, this year hasn’t been easy. I’ve cajoled Gary in accounts to finally wear deodorant but have still to address the halitosis situation. Our Miami office is knee deep in crime and I fear for the safety of our staff as the city continues to sink. This was not advertised in your 84 page glossy brochure.
You recommended I live in Australia and I quote:
“It is actually undoubted that people in Australia enjoy high-quality life. A low population level, with low pollution and plenty of fresh air available along with some great natural landscapes and beautiful scenery.”
What a joke that is! For the last month I’ve suffered asthma attacks and struggled for breath as bush fires raged near my home. The fresh air is chocked full of smoke and I feel the natural landscape is constantly threatening my life.
You didn’t even mention that 9 of the world’s deadliest snakes live here.
Quite simply, I demand a refund!
When I signed up for a ‘good time’ at the start of 2019 in what you described as ‘Deal of the Century!’ and ‘Not to be Missed!’ I expected a whole lot more.
The service is beyond a joke.
Did you really expect me to say nothing about the long response time? I was left on hold late June when I rang in to complain about my lack of net-worth. It was almost 9 hours before you sent a sign to me by cutting off my electricity. It wasn’t quite the response I was expecting Universe.
Your unprofessional approach in emergencies simply cannot continue. Every interaction has been met with silence. I even tried the emergency ‘Reach-out to G-d’ hotline. I followed the instructions carefully. I said five hail-mary’s and delivered a sermon to my next door neighbor who was greedily fornicating. I even got on my knees for additional prayer servicing. Yet I still received the cold-shoulder.
It makes me believe, that despite being in this industry for billions of years, that you lack experience in dealing with people. How could you let life get so out of control? You told me to sacrifice everything.
“You do you,” you said, “and everything in the Universe will fall into place,” you said. When? What’s the timeline for this? What’s your ETA? How long do I need to wait?
I would try emailing Head-office but conveniently there’s no address. Do you think it’s a joke calling the CEO the ‘Big Guy in the Sky’? How can I possibly get in touch? I spoke to Belinda and she clearly believes he doesn’t exist. Even worse, Accounts have suggested it’s a front for Him downstairs. I have no idea what they’re talking about and all this conjecture is making me nervous.
Can I add that your attention to detail is non-existent (like your Head-office). When I ask for a Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato, I expect to receive EXACTLY that. Not get back a Flat White and a half-arsed apology about the state of employment and how you can’t trust the youth’s to do a proper job. I PAID YOU IN ADVANCE!
These situations are usually considered universally unacceptable Universe.
I’ve endured all the poor results, negative reviews, pay-cuts, decommissions, unemployment, bad pay-outs, divorce, every single Miami Dolphin loss and an ever receding hairline, assuming you would take action.
This is so damaging to your brand Universe. How do you expect to run a successful business on smoke and mirrors?
You promised me the world but all I got was a dumpster fire.
I will not recommend ANYBODY to live life as part of your Universal program. It’s beyond a joke.
My bad experience with your outfit this year has left me no option but to complain. I’ve already written half a dozen bad reviews on Amazon. I’ve even posted to Trip Advisor and made sure ALL the local media knows how poorly you treat your customers.
Please can you ensure standards are raised for 2020.
I expect a full refund by the end of the week.
Yours Angrily
Reuben Salsa | https://medium.com/the-bad-influence/dear-universe-d5297dec0a47 | ['Reuben Salsa'] | 2019-12-03 17:24:35.166000+00:00 | ['Humor', 'Ideas', 'Satire', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Life'] |
Refinable in Review: 2021 Recap! 🎊 | Hurray! We’ve made it to the end of 2021 together. It’s been a year with ups and downs ranging from new pandemic variants to the rise of the NFT market, but we adapted well together. For all newcomers and existing supporters, we’ve put together an end-of-year recap to summarize the year we’ve had so far.
Cross-Chain Support
We initially launched our platform on Binance Smart Chain before looking to expand into more chains as we grew. In Q3 of 2021, we supported our second chain, Polygon which brings some of the most widespread adoption with its connectivity to the Ethereum network. We eventually added Ethereum to our list of multi-chain support in October, with our sights set on Solana in the early stages of 2022.
Digital Art Fair Asia 2021
This event was one of the most significant milestones in our journey as an NFT marketplace. As the official NFT partner of the event, we had over 1200 pieces of artwork minted, 250k users over the duration of the event, and $500k worth of artwork sold exclusively on our platform. It was a huge success for all those involved, and we were grateful for the opportunity to showcase the technology to a sold-out audience!
Celebrate With Us!
In the closing months of 2021, we geared our efforts towards giving back to the community for engaging and supporting us. We had #RefinaBOO, a 7-day Halloween special, that involved multiple partners including Tiny Hero, Revomon, Whale Platoon, and more! It was full of giveaways and artistic competitions that we hope you enjoyed!
Following that, we launched two separate campaigns in November and December, #Nofee-vember and a $FINE buyback initiative respectively. With #Nofee-vember, we eliminated all transaction-related fees for users saving you around $30k. With the buyback, we will repurchase 100% of transaction fees generated in $FINE for the month of December to promote healthy circulation of tokens.
Marketplace Updates 🆙
Announcements were a big part of our growth with partnerships and our #ANNOUNCEMENTS4WEEKS campaign. Partnerships with projects like Numbers Protocol or SupraOracles have furthered our capabilities and vision in the NFT space. Our four weeks and four announcements campaign was also highly anticipated by our community as we announced items such as the Developer SDK, updated roadmap, and most importantly, the customized marketplace which comes in January!
Marketplace upgrades were ramped up in the latter stages of the year with a number of releases being made. Most notably, we had a brand new landing page that gave the marketplace a sleek look, with a new tagline “Trade the Metaverse”. Besides that, a lot of functionality was added such as metadata filters, collection-dedicated pages, notifications, and much more!
Thank You FINE Fam!
That’s it for the highlights of the year! We hope you are as happy with the achievements as we are, and let’s continue to set the bar higher in the New Year. Have a great New Years Eve everybody 🥂 👋!
About Refinable
Refinable is a decentralized multi-chain NFT platform and marketplace designed for creating, trading, exploring, and leveraging NFTs. The project’s aim is to become the go-to platform that empowers individuals and communities to adopt and benefit from the experience of using NFTs through their low transaction fees and high efficiencies when it comes to creating and trading on the blockchain.
Contact Us
Website: https://refinable.com
Telegram: https://t.me/refinablenft
Telegram ANN: https://t.me/RefinableAnn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/refinableapp
Instagram: https://instagram.com/refinableapp
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Refinable
Discord: https://discord.gg/2Ps43kUxy7 | https://medium.com/@refinable/refinable-in-review-2021-recap-1cfa9953ce7b | [] | 2021-12-30 18:30:09.680000+00:00 | ['Nft', 'Nft Marketplace', 'Nft Collectibles', 'Blockchain', 'Crypto'] |
9 Reasons Why Young Women Should Avoid Significantly Older Men At All Costs | If you’re a heterosexual woman in your late teens or early twenties, you have no business being with a man significantly older than you. I’m talking about 10 years and more. Though, if you’re under 20, that number should be reduced by at least half.
This issue is not just about the age gap — it’s specifically about older men seeking out much younger women and vice versa. With the help of modern technology, this is happening every day on social media, dating apps, discussion websites, and so on.
There’s a reason why the relationships between older men and much younger women are considerably more common than ones between older women and younger men, and the older men in question are often resourceful and the younger women are attractive but not the other way round.
It’s because this type of relationship is intrinsically linked to the deep-running sexist and patriarchal cultures, characterised by many superficial and harmful values such as those placed on youth, beauty, and excessive wealth. While women might benefit from such relationships, they’re not designed to serve women — especially in the long run.
Now, I could write an article addressing these older men who themselves are aware of the inappropriate age gap and their predatory position but abuse their power and target women half their age anyway, and those who — for that same reason — often feel the need to use manipulative PUA techniques and controlling tactics to simply get a date and maintain the relationship. However, I don’t have the time nor respect to make space for them here.
So, echoing my previous essay about the importance of setting boundaries to protect oneself from bad treatment, this article encourages young women to recognise the issues with dating significantly older men and draw their boundaries to avoid getting into damaging situations that might leave them with permanent consequences.
Dear young women, you’re powerful and have plenty of options to choose from. Here are 9 reasons why you, as a young woman, should avoid significantly older men at all costs. | https://medium.com/tinglymind/9-reasons-why-young-women-should-avoid-significantly-older-men-at-all-costs-d9c6715be7d4 | ['Ellen Nguyen'] | 2020-10-01 08:22:56.683000+00:00 | ['Women', 'Feminism', 'Relationships', 'Dating', 'Love'] |
Do you spark joy? Six steps to connection | Most people we meet are passing through. They’re the person we chat to on the bus or the work colleague we sat next to for two years but never really clicked with. It’s the person we meet every week on a night out but never find out anything personal about.
And I’m not just talking last names or where they live, I’m talking about intimacy. There are some people whose conversation and connection to you runs deeper, whether you know all about their lives or not.
Some people just spark joy.
And some don’t. There’s nothing wrong with them, and there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s just that the line which marks acquaintance and intimacy never gets crossed.
They’ll never see more than one pane of your Johari’s Window and you probably won’t theirs either.
It’s the same when you’re trawling through dating apps looking for new people to get to know better.
Infinite possibilities exist within those tiny finger motions which choose left or right swipes.
What I’ve learnt through my eighteen months of being polyamorous is very few people end up really sparking joy for me. And even less of those will be people I also spark joy for.
Connection is a beautiful thing I no longer take for granted.
There’s nothing wrong with the other 90% of people I chat to. There’s nothing wrong with me.
But true connection and intimacy is a gift from the universe. It doesn’t happen every day, or even every month.
You might meet someone every week and chat every day. You could have mind blowing sex or really enjoy their company. They mean something to you and you to them. And yet that intimacy isn’t enough to carry through into a true lasting connection.
So what’s the magic formula?
How do some friendships and relationships turn into long lasting mutually enjoyable connections (whether the ‘sex’ and ‘partner’ level ends) and some fizzle away?
I’m going to borrow a little from Tuckman’s group dynamics theory here.
He believed there were four stages of group development — forming, storming, norming, and performing. Many people believe for a group to fully integrate and perform need they need to go through a storming stage.
Think about it.
How many of your most fruitful team experiences involved an element of conflict or power balancing before they found their optimum level?
There’s a similar formula in play when you connect to individuals
A connection that hasn’t made its way through the stages may not be as successful as one which has. Or you might not reach the level of deep connection and intimacy you seek with a particular person without first moving through the phases.
Attraction
Buddying
Challenge
Acceptance
Bonding
Connection
Attraction
The first spark of interest comes from many different areas. It can be physical, emotional, intellectual. It can even be practical as in “Hey, we’re both alone, live close to one another, and are looking for the exact same form of intimacy. Let’s see if we can make it work.”
Whatever that initial eyebrow raise is, it encourages you to look more closely at the other person.
Buddying
This is the rapport building stage. It’s the time when you exclaim “hey I also love cake” and swap song recommendations and life stories.
It’s a make-or-break point because often, however hard you try, you can’t find what you need to sustain interest in the other person. Maybe it’s because you’re offering cheese and the other person is into chocolate. You have chocolate but you thought they were really after cheese.
There can be an imbalance. One side can be fully engaged and the other not able to light the candle wick.
Sometimes the good intentions break off to dust and then the attraction stage sparks again and both parties begin to try to re-buddy. This can be through lack of other options or it can be because suddenly the chocolate became clear hiding behind the cheese.
Either way, you can bounce between Attraction and Attempting to Buddy for a good while. It may not be worth your while.
Don’t try and be something to someone simply because you saw what you were looking for within them.
For people with attachment difficulties sometimes the Buddying stage can feel too much like Bonding before it’s time and they may withdraw on and off.
Challenge
This is based on Tuckman’s Storming but doesn’t have to involve personal conflict dynamics. Often it is a disagreement or a reviewing of new information. However, this isn’t the only form this challenge stage can take.
When starting a connection both people have expectations. Some of these are based on an ideal rather than necessarily conversations had in real life. I am the world’s worst for filling in the gaps and creating a back story for a new person. When the reality doesn’t create the character I created from my own head I can have an inner challenge and need to redraw the parameters.
The challenge can also be something you went through together or a difficult time or problem one helped the other with. (Later down the line, this can be reversed. Relationships work better with equal emotional saviours)
Very often the challenge is the point in which you realise, as a pair, your needs aren’t perfectly matching.
It can also be a power struggle, with both parties looking to assert dominance.
The mismatch might be so significant it can’t be worked through, but it if can you reach…
Acceptance
Having acknowledged the differences within the original expectations you had and the reality, you reach this stage.
Maybe things weren’t as originally anticipated, but what’s left is still enough to build an intimate connection on.
Sometimes this means moving from potential relationship to friendship, often this means finding a level of time commitment which works or accepting the time commitment on offer. (This works both ways, either as accepting what the person is able to give or acknowledging and meeting the expectations of a greater need than you originally prepared for.)
Understanding and accepting the truth of that person is part of truly being able to form intimacy with them.
Bonding
Once you’ve reached a level of understanding you can begin to deepen the buddying and bond emotionally.
When you buddied, you connected in a more superficial way, you were excited by them and built a great rapport. But once you reach bonding stage, you’re able to get to know that person in a deeper more sustainable way. Sharing personal information feels comfortable and safe.
Some people mistakenly try to reach this bonding stage too soon which creates confusion and conflict. Those who are particularly good at fast tracking to the bonding stage (such as narcissists) create artificial challenge by dipping in and out of communication to create unrest and emotional attachment from the other person.
Connection
This is where you meet that deep satisfying level of intimacy with the other person. Your friendship/ partnership feels secure and gives emotional satisfaction to both parties.
Real connection, however that occurs, is something to truly cherish.
But it’s ok if most of the people you talk to or interact with never make it that far. Love and intimacy are infinite, but time sadly isn’t.
Hold onto your emotionally intimate relationships with both hands and allow those which don’t last the distance to float into the wind. | https://medium.com/@timetravellingivy/do-you-spark-joy-six-steps-to-connection-56d46683db8d | ['Timetravelling Ivy'] | 2020-12-22 10:56:04.263000+00:00 | ['Polyamory', 'Intimacy', 'Relationships', 'Relationships Love Dating', 'Connection'] |
Value Chain Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, and Business Process Mapping — What is the difference? | As a management consultant who specializes in Technology Transformation strategy and Business Architecture, clients often ask me about the difference in the above terms, as we use these in our presentations and work products. I have noticed that sometimes these terms are used interchangeably and are often misplaced, and that may be quite confusing. Through this write-up, I seek to add clarity to these terms and attempt to provide a guideline on when to use what.
Let’s acknowledge that there is a significant amount of conceptual overlap in the framing of Value Chains, Value Streams and Business Processes, and hence there is a proclivity for practitioners to use these terms interchangeably. However, there are some important distinctions too, which I attempt to highlight below. And to dig out these differences, I would rely on the etymological origins of these frameworks. (Etymology: The origin of a word and the historical development of its meaning).
VALUE CHAIN:
Michael Porter, in his 1985 book, “Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance”, first introduced the concept of Value Chain framework. Porter posited that an organization creates value for its customer through a set of strategically relevant activities, those of which when seen from left to right (below) looks like a chain where value-addition to the organization and its stakeholders increases from left to right. According to Porter, a firm derives its competitive advantage from strategic choices it makes in one or more of its value chain activities.
From Porter’s framework, we can make three important observations
1. Value Chain Analysis is a decision support tool for an organization level (or aggregate level) strategy making. It is not meant for granular business process analysis. For example, if a practitioner is attempting to analyze the Know Your Customer (KYC) processes of a bank, then Value Chain is not the right tool for consideration.
2. Value chain is a special category of a left-to-right process model, usually described through a set of chevrons, where each chevron represents a rolled-up set of activities that an organization does. Value (to the organization) cumulates from left to right as it passes through the chain, and each chevron is dependent on its preceding one to its left but is relatively independent of the succeeding one to its right.
3. Value Chain is a linear model, always from left to right, so it is not the appropriate decision support tool to use to describe a process flow where there can be forks and loops. Further, given that, all the rolled-up activities that the chevrons represent in a Value Chain model are operational at the same time to create cumulative value for an organization; this framework should preferably not be used to describe phased activities.
VALUE STREAMS:
While the origin of Value Streams cannot be traced to a particular book or author, the concept came from Lean Manufacturing and has been popularized by Scaled Agile practitioners. The famed engineer, C.E. Knoeppel, in his 1918 book, Installing Efficiency Methods, described manufacturing activities in a workflow that can be assumed to be Value Streams, but he did not use the term. The Toyota way of manufacturing, that focusses on efficiency, lean, waste reduction and continuous improvement, also references Value Streams without using the terminology.
A Value Stream is a visual process tool that describes a set of activities within the organization that adds value. It is a chronological flow of goods or services or information that adds value cumulative. While conceptually it sounds similar to a Value Chain, there are important differences as well, as below.
1. A Value Chain is an organizational decision support tool, while a Value Stream can refer to a smaller set of activities within the organization that adds value. To tie it to the picture above, there could be one or more value streams within the “Inbound Logistics” chevron in the above diagram. So, Value Streams are the right tool to analyze more granular activities within an organization than Value Chains.
2. Value Streams are left to right models, so like Value Chains; they should not be used to describe business or systems processes that have forks and loops. However, unlike Value Chains, there is no usually no rigidity on how Value Streams should be depicted, chevrons are not necessary.
3. Often Time and Quality parameters are overlaid on Value Streams, esp. for Process Improvement or Process Automation analysis, but they are not done so on Value Chains (see below).
4. Since Time dimension can easily be overlaid onto a Value Stream, it is a good tool to describe phases of work, unlike Value Chains.
Illustrative Software Development Value Stream (courtesy Plutora.com)
BUSINESS PROCESS:
With Value Chains and Value Streams out of the way, it is easy to describe Business Process. It can be defined as a set of linked activities or tasks, which when accomplished leads to an organizational goal or result. Note that a Business process is unchained from the burden of creating value or describing the unit of analysis (rolled-up versus granular). It means a business process is a series of sequenced tasks, and it doesn’t matter whether that process creates any value of significance to the organization or not. Process mapping is also the most flexible visual tool to describe any process.
While it is not known who coined the term Business Process, references to such process descriptions can be traced back as early as 1776 to Adam Smith’s seminal work, “The Wealth of Nations”.
1. There are many ways business processes can be depicted, flow-charts being the most common. Further, there are special categories of modeling approaches, such as :
— BPMN (Business Process Modeling Notation) which is a popular approach to model business processes in an organization;
— UML (Unified Modeling Language) that’s very useful in software development;
— Fish-bone (Ishikawa) diagrams, useful to analyze cause-and-effect in a process;
and many many more.
2. Business processes need not be left-to-right models, although it’s easier to draw them that way. There can be loops and forks in this model, as is usually common in organizations or systems
3. Activities in a business process can be short-termed or longer. A typical process flow is independent of time and quality parameters, unless you chose to overlay those on the flow to give it additional meaning
4. Process flows are great to describe phases or projects when time-dimension is added to it. | https://medium.com/@sniloy/value-chain-analysis-value-stream-mapping-and-business-process-mapping-what-is-the-difference-431589d27ea8 | ['Niloy Sengupta'] | 2020-04-07 19:00:24.934000+00:00 | ['Value Creation', 'Framework', 'Strategy', 'Management Consulting', 'Business'] |
A Sheltered Life | Dear Lord,
I pray for shelter from the storm,
but not from the sight of its power and beauty.
Give me a safe home,
that I may help others gain the same.
Let me find comfort,
yet not be comfortable with others’ pain.
Deliver me from evil,
but not from the duty to oppose it.
Shield me from my enemies,
as you teach me to make of them friends.
Shelter me beneath Your wings,
but only to teach me to fly.
Amen
____________
Copyright ©2019, Paul H. Harder II
This poem is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. | https://medium.com/@paulharder2/a-sheltered-life-8846379c8c5 | ['Paul H. Harder Ii'] | 2021-02-07 16:05:24.237000+00:00 | ['Christian', 'Prayer', 'Poetry', 'Faith'] |
Amazon Is at War With Its Workers | Stories about working conditions in Amazon’s warehouses — and efforts by Amazon’s warehouse workers to change those conditions — stretch back nearly a decade. But like other systemic crises, Amazon workers’ fight for dignity and safer jobs has been greatly amplified by the coronavirus pandemic. With a rising count of warehouse workers confirmed infected with the coronavirus—at least 153 cases across 65 warehouses worldwide—and nine walkouts and shutdowns around the world, the urgency of this fight has become far more evident.
The activism of Amazon workers in recent weeks feels different than previous organizing efforts. Workers seem to be more coordinated and widespread. Previously reticent white-collar tech workers are starting to speak out more publicly about the treatment of Amazon workers.
And these actions are producing results: After efforts by part-time workers in Detroit and Sacramento to ensure paid time off accelerated because of the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon granted PTO to warehouse workers nationwide. When Amazonians United NYC, a logistics workers’ group, launched a petition for basic protections and resources, the company agreed within days to provide paid sick leave to all workers who test positive or are quarantined. The company also pledged $25 million for a hardship fund to support workers.
Following recent walkouts at several Amazon warehouses, the company announced that it will be handing out masks and taking workers’ temperature when they arrive at a warehouse. That’s a far cry from meeting all the demands that Amazon workers sought, but it’s a sign the company is aware that it needs to respond to the unfolding public health and public relations crisis.
Does this mark a fundamental shift in the dynamics between Amazon’s workers and company management?
To get a proper sense of the scale of Amazon worker actions right now, it’s important to take a global perspective. Amazon runs almost 1,100 warehouses around the world, with about 600 of those outside the United States. Some of these workers are more organized and active than others, but nearly all of them have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“There is a culture of fear. It has always been like that at Amazon.”
Since March 15, Amazon fulfillment centers in Italy, Spain, and France have seen strikes, walkouts, and protests demanding greater safety precautions for workers. Some of these actions are generating results: In Italy, an 11-day strike at a warehouse in Castel San Giovanni sparked by the discovery of a coronavirus case and poor prevention measures at the facility led to the adoption of such measures as maintaining two-meter separations between workstations and longer break times to accommodate rigorous hand-washing. In Spain, safety complaints led the Ministry of Labor to install an independent safety commission at the San Fernando de Henares facility in Madrid.
Eugenio Villasante, senior communications manager of UNI Global Union (formerly Union Network International), an international labor federation, says his organization is hearing from a lot of Amazon workers. “From Poland to Czech Republic to Slovakia, the U.K., the U.S., we hear very similar stories. People are [so close that they’re] rubbing each other’s shoulders in the locker room. They are putting [people on] microbuses to take them to warehouses where they don’t feel they are protected.”
Although there haven’t been explicit, formal gestures toward widespread U.S.-Europe work stoppages, it has happened in the past, most recently in July 2019 on Prime Day. There are some informal indicators of international warehouse worker solidarity. As of April 3, around one-fifth of the 5,000-plus signatures on the Amazonians United NYC’s petition for worker protections are actually from warehouse workers in Poland.
There’s also evidence to suggest a greater sense of solidarity among Amazon workers across subsidiaries and ranks. Another one-fifth of those signatures of the Amazonians United’s petition came from white-collar workers like software engineers, film producers, and executives. Signatories included Amazon Air staff, customer service representatives, and even one third-party seller.
Apparently, it’s not just Amazon’s warehouse workers worried about their health and safety on the job. Whole Foods employees recently staged sick-outs, and organizers are maintaining a public inventory of coronavirus cases among workers (currently 149 cases at 100 stores). In the Philippines, subcontractor employees at an Amazon Ring call center were made to choose between sleeping in their office in “subhuman” working conditions and forgoing pay. They instead wrote a scathing letter to their employer and worked with BIEN, a local organizing network for call center workers, to demand the option to work from home.
While the majority of workers at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters are now working from home, hourly contractors like receptionists, janitors, and security staff have had to show up to the empty HQ, putting themselves and their families at risk of exposure. An anonymous online petition demanding the HQ close so contractors can stay home has gathered more than 200 signatures. While not as attention-grabbing as a walkout, such petitions speak to the fact that Amazon workers are articulating their demands and organizing themselves with the resources they have. A quick search of Change.org and Coworker.org show workers articulating demands — everything from an appeals process for termination to shutting down and cleaning facilities with Covid-19 cases.
The many anonymous signatories of these petitions are also a reminder of the risk workers take when speaking out. Amazon workers seeking to organize also have to face the prospect of losing their jobs in the midst of a major economic depression. Although Amazon denied that the firing of Staten Island warehouse worker and walkout organizer Christian Smalls was an act of retaliation, a leaked memo in which senior leadership planned to smear Smalls somewhat undermined their claims. In mid-April, Amazon fired an additional two white-collar employees who had been critical of working conditions within the company’s warehouses.
“There is a culture of fear. It has always been like that at Amazon,” says Sarah Fields, a returns center associate at an Amazon warehouse in northern Kentucky. “Especially with unemployment as high as it is, people aren’t trying to risk their jobs, their health insurance.”
After learning about a potential coronavirus case at her warehouse, Fields tried contacting state agencies about the company’s failure to inform workers about the potential case. Then she began encouraging co-workers to do the same. Frustrated by state inaction, she contacted Smalls, who suggested she walk out. It was an action Fields didn’t know how to do on her own, let alone convince her colleagues to do.
Smalls tells OneZero that he’s been receiving messages from Amazon workers across the country and around the world who are eager to organize. The derogatory memo apparently drew outrage from some white-collar employees within Amazon, and Staten Island workers held a second walkout a week after Smalls’ termination. This week, Gizmodo reported on Tech Speaks Out, a campaign organized by workers at tech companies, including Google, Amazon, and Facebook, to voice their support for Amazon’s warehouse workers.
Amazon workers are realizing their own power at a moment when Amazon’s influence on the economy has never been larger.
Smalls says he’s been involved in the development of a still-nascent national strike fund to financially support Amazon workers who may lose their jobs over protesting — which, alongside efforts like a recently established Amazon Whistleblower Support Fund, could soften the blow of potential retaliation.
Amazon workers are realizing their own power at a moment when Amazon’s influence on the economy has never been larger. Last year, Amazon made up 37% of all retail sales in the United States — 4% of all retail spending in the United States. To keep up with a spike in customer demand during the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, the company hired 100,000 employees in the last month alone and wants to hire 75,000 more. Most of the videoconferencing, chat services, and binge-watching that’s maintaining some semblance of a status quo right now depend on Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud platform and the most profitable arm of the company. If workers at Amazon really did engage in a cross-company shut down, it would cripple much of the commerce that still exists and bring most of the internet to a grinding halt.
With every new action, questions about the role Amazon plays in our economy and the conditions of its workers are coming to the fore. When asked about the recent actions by workers, Dania Rajendra, director of anti-Amazon coalition Athena, said, “Amazon’s failure to consider the needs of the people who make the corporation function is not new. There already was a worker health crisis at Amazon before the pandemic.” The coronavirus may be the most high-stakes manifestation of why Amazon’s labor policies need to change, but it’s far from the first.
Turning those high stakes into a moment for worker unity — across borders, across class lines, with public support — is a challenge, but not an impossible one. And it’s not entirely unprecedented. As Villasante of UNI Global Union points out, “This is how the labor movement was built: on the backs of workers who made very difficult decisions on factory floors, in supermarkets.” He believes we are approaching a tipping point where “workers [are] more afraid of a virus than their boss.”
For its part, Amazon is trying to reclaim the narrative, pointing to small improvements in working conditions and to the company’s plans to build coronavirus testing facilities. For now, workers seem to be saying those efforts are too little, too late.
Fields is impassioned about improving the conditions in her facility. In reiterating the call for paid sick leave, she got to the heart of the workers’ struggle: “Bezos’ money is our money. Give us our money now. That is our money. It’s all ours.” | https://onezero.medium.com/amazon-is-at-war-with-its-workers-661673e9dbc4 | ['Ingrid Burrington', 'Mary Jirmanus Saba'] | 2020-04-14 13:36:18.007000+00:00 | ['Amazon', 'Labor', 'Protest', 'Workers Rights', 'Coronavirus'] |
Full Circle, from Order-Filling to Filling POs | Material handling in today’s warehouse includes a variety of package types and new SKU’s added daily.
Have you or anyone you’ve ever known worked at a distribution center or a supply chain facility? One that almost guarantees overtime due to high demand and labor shortages? Or how about one known for high turnover rates and daily risks of injury? And you always hear the phrases…
“There has to be an easier way to do this.”
“Robots should be doing this.”
or the opposing: “One day, robots are going to take all of our jobs.”
Those were all expressions I heard working night shifts at a distribution center. Back then, I had recently back home after a poor attempt of freshman year in college. I worked 13 hours a day at $17/hr. Not bad for an 18-year-old back in 2011. Yet low and behold, the same stubborn 18-year-old became immobilized in bed with a thrown-out back. It was at that moment when I decided I’d rather throw myself back in school.
In hindsight, I never exactly planned on having a career to solve the labor issues above. Arbitrarily, I desired to be a part of the world’s change for the better. Fast forward several grueling years of engineering studies — here I sit in a warehouse, commissioning our software on a robot for the application for the I once lost mobility for.
Winning the Golden Robot Award for my contribution in the lab.
What exactly does our software do?
Plus One Robotics’ software allows robots to handle the same labor-intensive jobs that I and many others would face in the warehouse, such as singulation, sortation, depalletizing, packing and more. Using AI and 3D vision technology, these sight-enabled robots can do anything from picking-and-placing items from totes to unloading a full pallet of mixed items that fall on your next grocery list. Not only can these robots relieve labor-shortages in the new world of e-commerce, but we also believe in keeping humans in-the-loop rather ever replacing them.
So how does human intervention work?
3D and AI-powered software instructs the robot how to sort, pick and place items in boxes and totes on a conveyor.
Humans are phenomenal in the way we process things. Automation simply trickles down to loops, signals, and code. Humans have forethought, instinct and the ability to make order out of seemingly uncomplicated scenarios:
Imagine if you were an order-filler in a warehouse, packing containers of construction nails into shipment boxes. One package was not manufactured correctly and breaks open, spilling nails on the inside of your box. As a human, you could easily remedy this. Even getting a robot to pack synonymous packages of nails is easy until a mishap like this occurs. How do you program a robot to handle this scenario?
Another scenario is if you’re at one end of the warehouse and there’s a packing lane issue across the entire distribution center. Imagine the amount time it would take for you to walk across and fix the situation just to continue production. Due to the booming world of e-commerce, there are many instances where only humans are capable of processing these exceptions in the warehouse.
Plus One Robotics software called PickOne can pick a variety of items, including ones never before seen.
Lastly think of all the items you could order online or buy in-store. There are endless types of objects from an apple to an Apple TV. So much in fact that current AI and 3D vision technology will always be a few production items behind. Sure, robots can handle picking up the same parcels or boxes endlessly, such as the synonymous boxes of nails mentioned above. That’s the easy part! The same task becomes difficult when you begin to introduce new and diversely shaped items, new packaging tactics, or dealing with many of the logistical issues that arise. There’s no doubt AI and 3D will get you 98% of the way there, but how do you keep up with the times? Changes are constant, costly, and time-consuming. Pilots, projects and installations can take months!
To get to 100% now, humans need to come in. When an order-picking robot gets stuck, our software allows humans to see on screen exactly what a robot is having trouble with and can tell the robot how to proceed with a simple click. For example:
Imagine a robot utilizing a suction cup to pick electronic items out of totes at a nearby warehouse. The robot comes across totes containing hard drives, cameras, remotes, and all the like. The next tote that crosses its path contains a bundled extension cord. Your robot goes for the cord itself, but unfortunately cannot get suction due to the lack of surface area. After a couple tries, your robot sits there and decides it needs help. It sends a request through the cloud onto your web browser. You hear a notification as you’re cooking in the kitchen. You run over to your laptop and see the bundled extension cord. You notice the flat cardboard label strapped across the middle and click accordingly. The robot picks at that exact spot. Success! Then the robot continues about its day fulfilling production rates until the next spontaneous issue appears.
Our software makes it that easy. This is the special 2% that keeps our clients up-to-date with production rates immediately rather than 5–6 months later for another soon-to-be obsolete, custom retrofit install. The best part about this remote supervision system is the ability for a Crew Chief, a modern day robot-wrangler, to supervise a team of robots from anywhere around the world. Talk about scalability!
Gamers make great Crew Chiefs as their skills are ideal for commanding robots where to pick and place objects.
The world of online shopping and logistics is growing more now than ever since the pandemic — budgets are tight, labor is scarce, and demand is at an all-time high. We give the ability for those same hard-working people to supervise and let those robots perform the hard work, either in person or remotely. Not only can they just supervise one robot, but they can manage 10 or more. All it takes is a standard web browser and your skills from an arcade claw-machine. The only difference: picking up items with our technology is a lot easier than winning a prize at your local arcade.
If you’re interested in finding our more about the Crew Chief role and how automation can help maintain throughput in labor shortages, get in touch!
— [email protected] | https://medium.com/plus-one-robotics/full-circle-from-order-filling-to-filling-pos-dd4354dcf7bf | ['Marlon Geronimo'] | 2020-12-15 20:48:26.927000+00:00 | ['Supervised Autonomy', 'Order Fulfillment', 'Robotics', 'Supply Chain', 'Robotsworkpeoplerule'] |
Buffy and male “talent” | I’ve written here before about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so you know that I’m, if not a fan, at least a watcher (no, not like that…).
I’m not sure when I first became aware of Joss Whedon’s mistreatment of Charisma Carpenter during her time on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off, Angel, but a whole swathe of people on the internet became (re-)aware of it too over the past few weeks, and I thought I’d write something with my consultant/career coach hat on.
Does a TV show have a corporate culture?
Absolutely!
We might think of corporate/workplace/organisational cultures as things that happen when there’s an employer and a bunch of employees, like an office or a shop. But the term(s) aren’t so formal as all that. I’ve worked on reforming organisational cultures before, where there are no employment relationships between a number of the key groups, or even formal client-service provider ones. That makes them a little harder to grapple with, but thinking about organisational culture is no less useful because of that challenge.
Films and TV shows, just like any other major project or production, are organisations. They’re just organisations that treat people in an atomised way. Think of atomisation as the segregation of workers who might otherwise have much in common into different classes and groups with different rights, security and respect, whether it’s tenured, tenure-track and adjunct professors, or writers, production staff and ‘talent’.
What a number of actors from Buffy (and other Whedon projects) have described is a toxic culture. One that treats people with disrespect, reduces their autonomy, and relishes unequal power balances. And I’m not talking just about those who have complained vocally that Whedon’s behaviour was inappropriate; other cast member interviews describe inappropriate behaviour, even if they don’t label it as such. They describe the show’s creator (and often director) giving feedback that veers into unprofessional and inappropriate criticism, maliciously creating difficult tasks or working environments, and purposefully generating a sense of job insecurity.
They’re all behaviours that, if they happened in your office, you’d feel sad, angry and/or anxious about.
What many people are struggling with is the dissonance between Buffy’s espoused values—the ‘feminism’ of its narrative and characters—and the values that clearly prevailed on set, which ran very much in the opposite direction. That sort of dissonance is the definition of an organisational culture that needs to change.
So let’s explore it for a moment through three questions that sceptical/distraught fans might have.
Why didn’t they just quit?
This encapsulates the fundamental power imbalance that enables so much of the poor behaviour described. Let’s remember, actors are insecurely employed. They can be fired pretty much wily nilly (in fact, actors describe Whedon telling them there was no home for them on the show, but then continuing to keep them on, or telling them they wouldn’t be killed off and then immediately doing so).
Charisma Carpenter has described the challenge of being her family’s main breadwinner while trying to navigate this toxic workplace, but the underlying point is: people need jobs. Even people you see on TV. If there’s no clear supporting structure in place to tackle a crappy culture, if you think no one will take your side, it’s very difficult to challenge.
The #TimesUp movement in the film and TV industry has illustrated how pervasive some of the issues were, but as “open secrets” they simply become problems to be navigated and shrugged at, not to be tackled up-front. Simply quitting, even if you can with zero career repercussions (unlikely for almost everyone who’s employed, in any industry) may take you out of the situation, but doesn’t address the underlying problem. It leaves colleagues in that same situation, and that can also be very challenging to manage psychologically. In fact, the conversation about Whedon and Buffy has begun again because Carpenter felt she had to speak out in support of another actor, Ray Fisher.
We can also flip this question on its head. If someone is a poor performer, or not committed, they can be fired or replaced. Why would an organisation keep someone on board who’s “not good enough”? The (hopefully obvious!) fact is, bullying and harassment has nothing to do with performance or ability. It says nothing about the person abused, and everything about the abusers and those who enable them.
But, TV is just different , isn’t it? It’s not like other workplaces.
A corollary of the “why not quit” line of thinking is that this workplace environment is just unique. It’s special, by virtue of the money involved and products it produces, or the “creative genius” that it demands.
Sure, TV is one of the creative industries. There needs to be some creativity and talent to make an effective product. But that’s true of any organisation; there needs to be some skill, some ability involved. And no one’s skill or ability is actually as crucial as you think. After all, graveyards are full of indispensable people!
What’s being described about creative workplaces being “different” because “talent” is just a circular way of justifying/stating the underlying power imbalance. It’s like saying the CEO is more valuable to the company than the PA he sexually assaults because he’s paid more. That’s a description of the power imbalance; it’s not a justification of it, or of it being abused.
What lots of people have commented on, regarding this case and more generally the #TimesUp movement, is that toxic organisational culture crushes talent while claiming to uphold and protect it. The question is, whose creative talent is being valued and protected, and whose is being crushed? This line of thinking suggests that Whedon’s is of the paramount importance. But how many other creative talents are crushed in the process of nurturing one?
It can’t have been that bad because it doesn’t show in the work!
And the issue of nurturing creative talents brings us to the final line of thinking that underpins some of the commentary: the ends justify the means.
I have two answers here. First, no. They don’t. And second, you really don’t see this toxicity in the final product?
Let’s take “no” first. There is no justification for this sort of poor behaviour. How you do a project is important. It’s never just about the end result. This should be particularly true in industries like TV where the “organisation” is loose and project-based. Every project is building a project-specific community and the industry community at the same time. The fact is, like most industries, TV and film is consequences-avoidant when it comes to people with power. But that says nothing about whether the culture those people create is or is not okay.
Some of the public statements from Buffy cast members make it clear that they’re proud of the work but want to be distanced from the experience of making it, and from Whedon specifically.
But, even if you take the “ends justifies the means” arguments on its supposed merits, it doesn’t work. Buffy is in theory a feminist show illustrating the power and abilities of young women. And it could be. But it’s infused with an atmosphere, characterisation and plots that show a callous disregard towards people, especially young women. This is a show in which:
The basic premise is to heap as many pressures and responsibilities onto young women as possible, offer them negligible respect and recognition, and require them to keep enduring the same because of their identity, because that’s “their place in society”.
Young women’s “purity” is an enduring obsession, and sex is men’s greatest priority in the world. Buffy has sex once and unleashes a demon who tries to end the world? Sex is the only “true contentment” for Angel? Yeah, nice.
Older men, especially the “love interests”, are enduringly creepy. From Angel’s “240-year-old love at first sight of a mid-teen girl”, “staring at you from a blacked out car” creepy, and Wesley’s “let’s definitely get it on with this teenage high-school student” creepy, through to Spike’s “building a sex robot of you because I can’t have you” creepy. Oh, yeah, and attempted rapes abound, badly . (James Marsters, who played Spike, has actually talked about how traumatic he found filming an attempted rape scene on Buffy.)
creepy. From Angel’s “240-year-old love at first sight of a mid-teen girl”, “staring at you from a blacked out car” creepy, and Wesley’s “let’s definitely get it on with this teenage high-school student” creepy, through to Spike’s “building a sex robot of you because I can’t have you” creepy. Oh, yeah, and attempted rapes abound, . (James Marsters, who played Spike, has actually talked about how traumatic he found filming an attempted rape scene on Buffy.) Parental abuses are pretty much shrugged off. Remember when Buffy’s mother throws her out (in which “coming out” as the slayer is played like coming out as gay)? Willow and Buffy almost got burned at the stake by their mother? Or the flip remarks about Xander’s unhappy, alcohol-fuelled home-life that just come and go?
If you were given a quick précis of the show and then told about some of the cultural issues on-set, you would absolutely say, “That tracks.” The fact is, a toxic workplace culture always exhibits itself somehow.
What can we do?
Well, Buffy’s over. But we can talk about how toxic cultures destroy talent and generate poorer outcomes, and then keep talking about it.
In this case, denying audiences great stories and performances. Think how much better Buffy might have been if the culture on-set were better. If it had had a culture where concerns about characterisation and arcs and interpersonal experiences were aired and worked through and the whole thing thereby improved. | https://medium.com/@graciado/buffy-and-male-talent-6aee370a8d4 | [] | 2021-02-26 14:55:16.841000+00:00 | ['Joss Whedon', 'Corporate Culture', 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer', 'Bullying'] |
Modelos CNN en la clasificación de imágenes clásicas y modernas | Jonathan Quiza | LinkedIn
View Jonathan Quiza’s profile on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional community. Jonathan has 10 jobs listed on… | https://medium.com/datos-y-ciencia/modelos-cnn-en-la-clasificaci%C3%B3n-de-im%C3%A1genes-cl%C3%A1sicas-y-modernas-d072a6718689 | ['Jonathan Quiza'] | 2018-07-17 04:46:38.941000+00:00 | ['Deep Learning', 'Español'] |
Christmas Night is Coming | Christmas Night is Coming
Christmas Night is coming In some days. Christmas Night, You heard it right. And you have to unite. Every time you close your eyes. There is paradise.
Author’s video of few facts about Christmas
Life goes on and so heavy, You have to surrender in front of the universe. To heal all the sufferings, And to reunite here all. Among the chaos created by narcissistic ruling people. Winters are falling. Dark days with brighter nights
Illusion another illusion.
The sound of those carols
My Christmas night,
I thought I was just out of reach
Finding myself
between the spaces
of mind and body
And I have heard we can feel something
where mind and body meet
Emotions they are ~
Christmas Night, I remember, how we used to sing carols. Standing in the corner and singing and participating in school days. There could be no better reason.
I also remember going to churches and lighting a candle and having a piece of brownie at last. And there could be no better night. We will sing carols again.
Flow that love,
Flow that energy
And we are not here to work for someone like bots,
Close your eyes and see
Wait everything is an adventure
And everything is the mystery,
Feel this together
Now, I am able to locate my soul friends in 2021. Pigeons, Sparrows, and other animals. Feeding them helps me in grounding, These are my fans
And I won’t give up on them.
When emotions flow, We Replace the moon with the sun. Balance your left and right part of the brain.
Woohoo, Wohhoooo Wohoooo Wohhhooooo.
It could be another paradise,
Woohoo, Wohhoooo Wohoooo Wohhhooooo!!
Christmas Night, all will be meeting and greeting. Million people with the same voice will get lost with the now. There will be no noise only voice. And I want to be lost with this moment forever.
There could be no better day. Look out the day. Wake up with birds. I love sparrows. And I will flow with the universe. Solving another mystery. Take me to church again, It’s been a long time I went there.
Go on, Go on, Go on for more than one reason…….
Let’s feel this together. And I won’t stop. We will vibrate together. With synchronicities to make our space a better place. All I think every festival is telling us to get lost in the present. I waited for so long to walk with the present. I am shouting.
Lighting your room and decorating trees.
we don’t need words, we love instruments
For a million people we express emotions,
We will be celebrating each day
With happiness and joy.
Playing with now,
We are people from another planet.
There is no noise
Only one voice
Stop spreading lower vibrating emotions on this earth.
On this earth
Close your eyes and see there is paradise
And we are people from another planet.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
I asked from Santa,
Where we are heading now can you tell me
With this approach can we save the earth?
Santa’s message is out:
Humanity is in severe crisis. Something more is going on this planet and you know universe portals are opened for you to awaken to the reality of different dimensions.
People have free will to choose If they want to bring low vibrating frequencies on this planet earth.
or
Vibrate on another dimension with higher vibrating frequencies. We cannot force anyone. This has been happening so long but it will not continue for so long. Have faith.
We are energy and we should not allow anyone to deplete our energy portals.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Hey 👋 I am Rishab from Cosmos. I have started publishing on substack also I will try to share all the research-based and healthy content that is not misleading.
Do check out: https://rishabbatra.substack.com/p/sound-healing-do-wonder-for-chronic
Medium Partner programs are not available at our place, I just created an account here. You can now buy me a coffee!
References:
https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/what-is-christmas-understanding-the-history-and-origin.html) | https://medium.com/weeds-wildflowers/christmas-night-is-coming-e82c0b8d045b | ['Rishab Batra'] | 2021-12-16 15:36:04.107000+00:00 | ['Christmas', 'Holidays', 'Festivals', 'Facts', 'Joy'] |
A Mental Health Facility in Utah County Doesn’t Allow Transgender Folks to Use the Corresponding Bathroom | I have no idea who I am. So I have done experiment perhaps three times of going into empty women’s bathrooms when wearing traditionally women’s clothing publicly. I went into the empty women’s bathroom at the Wasatch Mental Health Recovery Outreach Center in Utah County while wearing traditionally women’s clothing.
That wasn’t OK, I was later told by phone.
In that same call in the middle of this month, I was also told (in case there was any doubt) that usage of the women’s bathroom by those with male bodies, regardless of gender identification, is not permitted at the facility. (This social worker also thought that I was transgender.)
The Wasatch Mental Health Outreach Recovery Center in Provo, Utah, where folks who identify as transgender cannot use the corresponding bathroom. (Wasatch Mental Health)
“LCSW” is behind the names of nearly all the ROC staff, according to Wasatch Mental Health.
“LCSW” means licensed clinical social worker.
Meaning, these staff got extensive training in social work.
Social work is a field where social progressivism is the norm.
Social progressivism includes an acceptance of those perceived as transgender, including bathroom usage. Especially bathroom usage, given the debate recently in the United States public form.
But in Utah County, do even LCSWs feel differently?
Utah County, comprised nearly entirely of Latter-day Saints (ex-Mormons), was relatively recently measured to be the most conservative county in the United States.
The gender views of ROC social workers is aside from the fact that on back-to-back days at the center, the room designed for those who are suicidal was unavailable.
What may be especially sick about this is that nobody who is staying at the ROC or using the facility in some way wants to do so. They would love nothing more than to never need to use it, for their lives to be great and to be healthy.
Then, folks are being told that they cannot the bathroom they perceive to align with their identity, or use the mental health room where they are supposed to use.
— -
Even if you no longer affiliate with the Latter-day Saint (ex-Mormon) church but enjoy sociality with family and friends as before, you can still find social settings organized by the Utah Valley PostMormons. There, you can find your people. And of course, if you don’t enjoy those relationships like before, the many UVPM events that happen each week can be even life-saving.
Led by wonderful people, UVPM is also for folks who just are struggling with it or are “never Mormons” seeking a break from the predominant culture. Find their events on Facebook and Meetup.
— -
For more articles like this, please support The Seer Stone at the Hero’s Journey Content Patreon page. | https://medium.com/the-seer-stone/a-mental-health-facility-in-utah-county-doesnt-allow-people-who-identify-as-transgender-to-use-2a8db8b115c9 | ['Rhett Wilkinson'] | 2019-06-05 00:38:01.043000+00:00 | ['Utah', 'Gender', 'Culture', 'Transgender', 'LGBTQ'] |
31Events is not just for invites, it can used for reminders too | The calendar is awesome marketing tool that is completely overlooked by most marketing professionals. We use email, we use landing pages, we use drip campaigns — but no calendar invitations or reminders.I got an email today from Amazon AWS about their re:Invent 2017 conference. Once I saw it, I thought … “why don’t more companies send calendar invitations and reminders?”.
Announcements like this are good — but how about product launches or maybe even special or flash sales. Anything timebased could be have a calendar invitation attached. So, as an example, I created this landing page, put your email in the box, and it will send you a real calendar invitation/reminder.
check out the landing page here
Just think what you could do with that type of marketing tactic. | https://medium.com/calendar-marketing/31events-is-not-just-for-invites-it-can-used-for-reminders-too-90fea2169c46 | ['Arnie Mckinnis'] | 2017-06-15 02:17:16.929000+00:00 | ['Events', 'Digital Marketing', 'Marketing', 'Landing Pages'] |
How can AI help your business? | Image by Carlos Rodrigues
Artificial intelligence is part of our daily lives. Without realizing it, we are in constant iteration with different forms of artificial intelligence, which, in general, make our lives more comfortable. We can interact with them in different ways: on the internet, equipment in our house, on our phone, in the car, etc.
Google search is a sophisticated AI system that ranks web pages. It not only processes each page’s content but also learns from the iterations that users have with these pages.
Cars today are full of AI systems to maximize our security. Functionalities such as smart braking systems, parking sensors, and rain detectors are all part of various car manufacturers’ average range.
Chatbots can be found on any website with customer services, always willing to answer any question. In some cases, it is hard to tell that we’re not talking to a real person.
Amazon uses AI to offer services tailored to our needs. By synthesizing millions of previous customer experiences, it can smartly provide us with the right product.
Through a complicated AI algorithm, Facebook can suggest whom we should add as a friend. It can be surprising how it manages to find an old friend we haven’t had contact with in many years.
Netflix uses AI not merely for movie recommendations, and auto-generation, and personalization of thumbnails, but also content quality control.
Microsoft, Apple, Google, and many other players use facial recognition technology to identify users and improve security.
AI is no longer a theme of science fiction films; it is part of our life; it is part of our business. Leaving this topic aside is losing the wave, letting yourself be overtaken by competitors, causing you to lose your business.
A survey by McKinsey reveals that artificial intelligence techniques can develop about 45% of individuals’ activities in companies.
“By 2025, an estimated 95% of customer interactions will be supported by AI technology.” Forbes Magazine
Everything is centered around having the information, being able to process that information, and making better decisions. AI provides the ability to handle a large amount of data and get the right answers. In many cases, the information is in front of us; we simply don’t know how to organize, contextualize, and act on it.
Learning from the experience
To make predictions or decisions, without being explicitly programmed for each particular case, AI systems mainly use one of the following machine learning algorithms: supervised, unsupervised, or reinforcement.
Supervised learning algorithms use historical data and their respective results to map the input data (i.e., all relevant information known a priori) with the results obtained. This historical data is known as training data. It is used to improve the model, which will allow for increasingly better predictions.
use historical data and their respective results to map the input data (i.e., all relevant information known a priori) with the results obtained. This historical data is known as training data. It is used to improve the model, which will allow for increasingly better predictions. Unsupervised learning algorithms analyze the data looking for patterns; before the analysis, there are no results. The idea is to identify clusters of data that should be treated in the same way. By analyzing each of these clusters, we can find previously unexpected results.
analyze the data looking for patterns; before the analysis, there are no results. The idea is to identify clusters of data that should be treated in the same way. By analyzing each of these clusters, we can find previously unexpected results. Finally, the reinforcement learning algorithms. This type of algorithm is more advanced than previous algorithms. It uses only the current data and, based on this, returns a set of answers. Each answer is a possible path and changes the existing data in a specific way. The new data then feeds into the model, starting the whole process again and getting a new set of answers.
The Data is King
Getting the best possible results from a predictive model requires you to know how to best leverage the available data. The first step is to collect data related to the noticed situation that must be predicted.
According to a report by Cognilytica, data preparation and engineering tasks represent over 80% of the time consumed in most AI and Machine Learning projects. Selecting the correct information directly influences the optimization of the Machine Learning model to use and the quality of the prediction results.
“The value is not in software, the value is in data, and this is really important for every single company, that they understand what data they’ve got.” John Straw Senior Advisor, Mckinsey and Co.
The key is to have the information needed to feed the model. Historical data on sales, upgrades, downgrades, returns, cancellations, loyalty, etc. is applicable to feed any machine learning model that one intends to adopt. All of this information can be used to generate leads and up-selling and cross-selling opportunities. With the help of artificial intelligence techniques, tasks that would take days will be carried out in seconds, leaving more time for salespeople to interact with the market. This, in turn, improves the quality of the offer and strengthens the relationship with the customer.
If you have reached this point, you understand the relevance of AI to optimize the sales sector’s performance, which leads us to the point: how can AI help increase sales?
It’s easier to sell what the customer wants to buy.
This statement may seem obvious; however, the critical question is how to know what the customer wants to buy. Making a mistake in the offer presented to the potential customer can irreversibly damage the sales process. It is essential to make the correct qualification of the lead. Supervised models using Logistic Regression can help in this theme. Based on the sales history, models can be trained and be used to qualify new offers correctly. For existing customers, data from previous acquisitions is relevant to allow for up-selling and cross-selling activities.
Keep recurring customers
Supervised models can also help to decrease churn. Based on customer behavior, dissatisfied customers can be identified, and countermeasures that increase their satisfaction can be proposed, maximizing revenue.
Fighting fraud
AI can help to identify and prevent possible fraud actions. The fraud can be perpetuated by malicious sales representatives or customers who have somehow identified the company’s vulnerabilities. There may be some fraudulent actions well known to the company where the correct measures have already been taken to prevent them. Still, there is always the possibility of new forms of fraud for which the company is not prepared. In this sense, the unsupervised models are useful. Identifying a new cluster or outsiders can trigger a more in-depth analysis, discovering a possible fraud action that could significantly impact the company’s finances.
Always in touch
Maintaining high-quality customer support is the key to maintaining customer satisfaction and return on sales. Customer iteration data can be used to analyze sentiment in customers’ current requests, prioritize them, and automatically redirect them to the correct department, saving time, and improving the service quality.
What relevant data you have?
It’s essential to collect and select the best information relevant to the problem before creating and training Machine Learning models. In the end, this brings us to the ultimate question: what kind of information do you have access to train such models? Please leave a comment on how machine learning can improve your business. | https://cgrodrigues.medium.com/how-can-ai-help-your-business-bf0a64b81b20 | ['Carlos Rodrigues'] | 2020-12-02 09:40:40.313000+00:00 | ['Business Innovation', 'Machine Learning', 'Artificial Intelligence'] |
Cake-Smearing a Bride Should Be an Immediate Cause for Divorce | This face of makeup wasn’t painted on by a third-grader, goddammit.
While your groom and his gaggle of miscreants rolled out of bed 30 minutes before making their way down the aisle, you and your bridal party were up at the buttcrack of dawn to start hair and makeup.
The hours upon hours of sitting and talking and eating teeny sandwiches and waiting and waiting and waiting were gruesome. Several times throughout the day, you weren’t sure you’d all make it out alive.
Once things get moving, the day passes by in a flash. The next thing you know you’re listening to speeches from everyone and their grandmother (not even your own grandma, just a random Nonna off the street), silently pleading to Sweet Baby Satan to make the torture end so that you can finally let your hair down and get sloppy drunk.
But before you can do that, there are still more important tasks to be done that will be preserved in photographs forever.
You and your new groom both cut a chunk of cake and are smiling for the cameras. You stare into the eyes of your now-husband and tell him telepathically that if he even thinks of smearing that cake on your face, you will end him.
His glazed eyes from several drinks and lazy smile have mischief written all over them.
But before you can give him a verbal warning, the cake is being clumsily smeared all around your mouth and nose like cheap clown makeup.
The crowd mostly laughs and cheers — but you can sense your bridesmaid running for cover knowing that Bridezilla is about to make her glorious entrance and bring the entire building down.
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
This expensive face took hours to paint on. Now, as you remove cake laced with ultimate BETRAYAL from around your mouth, you can see the foundation coming off with it.
The makeup artist left hours ago, so she isn’t here to touch up your expensive visage.
The pimple that gloriously emerged in the worst place on the worst day possible has now been freed from its cosmetic prison and is threatening to wreak havoc on all of your wedding guests.
As your groom laughs joyfully, you imagine taking your stiletto off and stabbing him deep in the chest with it, just so that he can have an accompanying wound to match the one you now have in your own back. | https://psiloveyou.xyz/cake-smearing-a-bride-should-be-an-immediate-cause-for-divorce-29d3359246c6 | ['Gillian Sisley'] | 2021-04-30 18:07:55.985000+00:00 | ['Weddings', 'Marriage', 'Humor', 'Satire', 'Love'] |
The Anatomy of a Tick Bite. From birth to blood-sucking and beyond… | Step 9
When people seek medical care for symptoms that could indicate Lyme disease, doctors typically check their body for a rash and ask if they have had any recent exposure to ticks — especially if they live in an area where Lyme disease is endemic and their symptoms began in late spring or summer. The doctor may also order a blood test to check for Lyme or other tick-borne illnesses. But because the antibodies that indicate the presence of Lyme can take several weeks to appear, a doctor may make a diagnosis and prescribe the treatment without a positive Lyme test.
Step 10
The typical treatment for Lyme disease is a course of antibiotics that can last up to three weeks. Most people begin to feel better shortly after treatment, but a small minority still experience symptoms for months afterward. This condition, known as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, or PTLDS, affects an estimated 1.5 million people per year.
This story is part of “Tickpocalypse,” a multi-part special report. | https://elemental.medium.com/when-that-tick-bites-de2e1ee416de | ['Anna Almendrala'] | 2019-06-24 18:40:12.286000+00:00 | ['Anatomy', 'Tickpocalpyse', 'Lyme Disease', 'Body', 'Ticks'] |
Mixin Network has delivered $245,000 mining awards to 15 full nodes | Mixin Network has verified real asset on the main net. The developer can find transaction by open RPC port
The first asset on the main net is CNB . You can find its transactions on Mixin Network explorer.
The main net automatically released 1726 XIN token, equal to $245,000, as mining awards to all 15 full nodes. The next award will be released after 24 hours.
The community operates Mixin Network main net, so developers have the confidence to build the application on Mixin Network.
Full Mixin network resource index
There are many tutorials help developer to build the application quickly: | https://medium.com/mixinnetwork/mixin-network-has-deliver-245-000-mining-awards-to-15-full-nodes-280f723da62b | ['Lin Li'] | 2019-03-14 09:09:28.503000+00:00 | ['Mainnet', 'Bitcoin', 'Mixinnetwork', 'Open Source'] |
Differences in variance. Data people love averages. They love… | Differences in variance
An unappreciated source of insight in our data
Data people love averages. They love means, they love medians. Which countries are the happiest on average? What is the average life expectancy of someone with a rare disease? What is the median income in a country? What is the average price of an engagement ring?
Means and medians are great because they tell us what is generally going on with our data. If your data is normally distributed (and often if it’s not) then an average will tell you most of what you need to know. As a result, most of our statistical tests, like t-test, ANOVA etc are built to look at averages like the mean, and how they might differ between groups. But there’s another variable, staring us in the face, that doesn’t get nearly as much love: the variance. And it has much to teach us!
2 ways that groups can differ
Here are 2 groups of people, given some fictitious test. I’ve plotted their distributions:
I just generated some random, fake data in R and plotted it using the ggplot package (Image by author)
We see that the groups differ in their mean. This kind of difference would be clearly picked up by a t-test or regression. But there’s another way the groups could differ:
Image by author
Here, group 1 has a wider distribution than group 2. It has greater variance. A t-test or regression would not capture this; they’d only tell you the groups don’t differ on average. But as you can see, that doesn’t mean the groups aren’t different! I’ll show you how you can test for this below.
You might think you haven’t encountered this concept before. But you’ve probably heard of the GINI coefficient, right? It measures wealth inequality in a society. The concept is the roughly same: some societies might have the same average wealth, but in one society that wealth may be distributed unevenly. A society where everyone earned the exact same wage would have a variance of 0 after all!
Implications in real data: the case of sex and IQ
One of the few areas where variance differences have been investigated is in the area of IQ. Studies have generally found that while IQ differences between men and women are either small or non-existent, men show consistently higher variance in IQ compared to women. I illustrate this below with data I simulated using the real variances of a study of over 80,000 Scottish teens (what a dataset!). I also give the R code so you can do it yourself:
set.seed(140293) male = rnorm(5000,100,14.9)
female = rnorm(5000,100,14.1)
We set a specific seed so that you get the same random numbers as me, and as a result the same randomly generated data. I then create 2 sets of IQ data, 5000 males and 5000 females, both normally distributed with a mean of 100. The standard deviation of the male data is 14.9 and the female is 14.1. Remember that the standard deviation is the square root of the variance.
Next, we pull the data together into a tibble and reformat it so it’s easy to work with, which is easy using the tidyverse R packages:
install.packages('tidyverse')
library(tidyverse) IQ_data = tibble(male, female) %>%
pivot_longer(cols = c(male, female),
names_to = 'sex',
values_to = 'IQ') %>%
mutate(sex = factor(sex))
Then we make a frequency polygon to compare the distributions for males and females:
IQ_data %>% ggplot( aes(x = IQ, colour = sex) )+
geom_freqpoly(size = 1)
Image by author
The peak of the female distribution is higher than the males, indicating that there are more females scoring close to 100. The male distribution is ever so slightly higher at the tails, indicting that there are more males scoring extremely high and extremely low on IQ. But the differences seem small.
t.test(IQ ~ sex, IQ_data)
Running a t-test, there are no sex differences in mean IQ (p = 0.38). However, the groups might differ at the tails. Let’s investigate.
Tail ratios
We can calculate a tail ratio by taking the ratio of males to females above or below a certain threshold. We take all individuals with an IQ of 130 or higher (generally considered to be very smart) and count the number of males and females. We do the same for those with an IQ of 70 or lower (generally considered unintelligent).
IQ_data %>% filter(IQ >= 130) %>% group_by(sex) %>% count IQ_data %>% filter(IQ <= 70) %>% group_by(sex) %>% count
Running the code you’ll see there are 95 extremely smart males in our dataset and 66 extreme smart females (59% male). This gives a male: female ratio of 1.44 very smart males for every very smart female.
Likewise, there are 104 very unintelligent males in our data and 84 females (55% male), or a male to female ratio of 1.24. So even though males and females don’t differ on average, there are more males among the smartest, and least smart groups.
Going further: Levene’s test
Ratios are all well and good, but we might want to know if the difference is statistically significant. There are a few tests for this, but the most common is a Levene’s test for equality of variances, which I get from the car R package:
install.packages('car')
library(car)
leveneTest( IQ ~ sex, IQ_data)
We get an F value of 5.54 and a significant p value of 0.02, confirming our result that males have higher variance in IQ than women.
Implications
What other questions could we answer by comparing variance?
If a drug increases the average health of a patient, but also increases the variance of health among those that take it, that may signal the drug is helping some but not others.
Perhaps you have 2 products sold in a number of stores. The products may sell the same number of units per store on average, but one product might have higher variance in units sold, indicating that some stores sell many whereas others sell few. This could have implications for understanding your customers and where to sell your product.
Policies that do not affect the average happiness of people in a country may still be good for society if they reduce the variance of happiness, which we might call “happiness inequality”.
Often a particularly low variance can be a sign of a good product. Rory Sutherland likes to argue that the best sat-nav is one that minimises variance in journey times, not necessarily the one that can find the shortest average journey times. When going to the airport to catch a flight, you don’t want a route that could take between 30 minutes to 2 hours, even if it is the quickest route on average.
When investigating representation of women and minorities. E.g. the mean % of women in top managerial roles might be 50% across companies, which some would interpret as achieved gender equality. However, if there is a very large variance in this percentage between companies, it may indicate that many companies have far more than 50% female managers and other companies could have far fewer.
Conclusion
We’ve seen here that groups can differ in their variance as well as means, and that this can lead to new insights in our data. In my experience this really is a neglected area, so cool results might be relatively easy to find. It also doesn’t require any more data than you already have, which is nice. If you find any interesting variance differences, be sure to tag me on Twitter, so I can see them. I’m excited to see what you find! | https://towardsdatascience.com/differences-in-variance-an-unappreciated-source-of-insight-in-our-data-f9cb0de520c0 | ['Thomas Richardson'] | 2020-10-09 19:31:17.746000+00:00 | ['Variance', 'Data Visualization', 'Data Science'] |
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