Split (3)

train · 100k rows

title stringlengths 1 200 ⌀	text stringlengths 10 100k	url stringlengths 32 829	authors stringlengths 2 392	timestamp stringlengths 19 32	tags stringlengths 6 263
Aerial Movements	Aerial Movements Poetry Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay Dark pillows on top, bizarre decorations the sermons of acrobatics spinning in the air a hortatory lightness in performance unearthly objects hanging on the strings to keep the opposites entertained why don’t you meet us on the floor we’re sharing our love and all these things caught up in the dark find their way, never wish to be discarded	https://medium.com/the-bazaar-of-the-bizarre/aerial-movements-1e60cafeddd3	['Joanna Vang']	2020-11-15 21:37:29.462000+00:00	['Bazaar Of The Bizarre', 'Poetry', 'Spinning', 'Performer']
Here is a fascinating equation	Here is a fascinating equation Photo by Antoine Dautry on Unsplash Happiness. It’s an elusive quality. We know when we are happy with life, but when it’s absent, we rarely know why. Some people instinctively know what makes them happy, but the rest of us have to work at it. How is mathematics connected with happiness? Take a look at this equation: H = R/E, where H = happiness, R = reality and E = expectations. When your expectations are high, but the reality is low, you get a very small value for happiness, in fact, it’s less than 1. When your expectations are low and the reality is high, happiness is much higher. Simple mathematics. But does it really work like that? Yes. Absolutely. I think what really makes us unhappy is high expectations. Why do we have high expectations? Lots of reasons. You expect your partner to be wonderful and everything you dreamed they would be. In your mind, you often have a list of expectations. The trouble is, it rarely works that way. If the reality is not what you imagined, you are unhappy with your relationship. What if you had much lower expectations, that your partner exceeded, and reality was higher? The result this time would be happiness. So we can control happiness with our expectations. Look at a simpler example: holidays. We look forward to them all year, we save and spend a big chunk of our earnings on them, and we visualise what they will be like. Our expectations are often very high. But when we are finally in this imagined, magical place, reality doesn’t match up. Happiness is low. I have found things are never as good as we imagine, or never as bad as we fear. They are often somewhere in-between. What should we do instead? If we always had medium to low expectations with everything, the reality will often match or equal what we think will happen. The result is happiness. We are pleasantly surprised, especially if we expected the worst. Don’t build special events to be these amazing experiences in your mind. Be realistic about what will happen, or even pessimistic. The result is still happiness. We enjoy the event and leave with good memories. Remember the equation. It’s always true.	https://medium.com/@terryandrewdunn/the-mathematics-of-happiness-963a9ce24bac	['Terry Andrew Dunn']	2020-12-22 20:25:37.462000+00:00	['Expectations', 'Happiness', 'Reality']
I’m An Eating Disorder Survivor & I’m So Glad Veganuary Is Over	By Eve Simmons Photo By Maddi Bazzocco I’m so glad #Veganuary is over. Mine is a controversial point of view, but I’ll tell anyone who listens: For some of us, the pressure to go vegan and record it all on social media for a month is neither helpful nor healthful. In fact, for me and the other 1.25 million Britons living with or recovering from eating disorders, it could be very problematic indeed. “It’s not Veganuary’s fault that you have a mental health issue!” you may shout at me. And you’d be correct. Equally, the tide of plant-based #influencers repeating the word ‘grains’ over and over and over didn’t make me anorexic. But when you’re desperately trying to fight a demon in your brain that clutches at every reason NOT to eat something, they certainly don’t help. It is of course wonderful that the nation’s excessive meat consumption, rallied against by many for so long, has finally come to mainstream attention. Veganism, for an ever growing number of people, is the right choice; taking a little extra time to consider food choices and meal preparation leaves their relationship with food untouched. Yet for more of us than most people notice, even a mere flirtation with veganism could be problematic. Hundreds of vulnerable women (and some men) visit my website, Notplantbased.com — a health myth-busting community — for support and advice about what to eat. The readers I speak to are all exceptionally anxious, crippled by thoughts and neuroses about food and their bodies. And over the past year, it has been the rise of the #instavegan on social media that has elicited the most turmoil. Clearly, ‘health influencers’ are going to be extolling their take on veganism for the foreseeable. So for those of us who are a bit weird about food, how can we protect ourselves from spiralling into something dark and — at worst — dangerous? Here are a few things that have helped me stay on the side of eating everything… Unfollow, unfollow, unfollow…or delete? Jump aboard the #digitaldetox train and cull the social media platform that makes you feel the most shit about yourself. You may feel like a naked child at first but remember, you survived for a significant number of years without it and you’ll be here long after people move onto whatever the next platform is. If deleting is too drastic a step, try beginning a dialogue with yourself about how each post makes you feel. Pretty shit? UNFOLLOW. No one ever had a conversation at work about the latest picture of celery juice to be uploaded (except to slag it off), so you won’t be missing out on anything. Renee McGregor, a dietitian who specialises in eating disorders, agrees that a particular type of Instagram account can be toxic: “Individuals susceptible to developing an eating disorder are always looking for validation to maintain their behaviours because it makes them feel safe and in control, even if physically they are causing more harm than good. They will be drawn to following those that cater for their disordered needs, creating confirmation bias and making it harder for them to challenge their ED thoughts.” Stay away from ‘clean eating’ cafés You know exactly the ones I’m talking about: most commonly found in the trendy area of town. A lunch date at a #wellness centre will trigger anxiety about what you ‘should’ be eating, and probably leave your tummy grumbling on the Tube home. You might get a bit gassy too. Go to Pizza Express and be done with it, ffs. Renee says beware of joints that aggressively push burgers without the bun: “I am inundated with clients who go out to eat at places that support their irrational fear of carbohydrates. It’s ridiculous; we need carbohydrates for energy and it doesn’t help people with eating disorders to cut one of the main food groups from their diet. Overall, focusing on building relationships — which so often happens during social eating — is so important, rather than worrying about the composition of your meal.” Remember, what works for someone else might not be for you While I am thrilled for the Instagrammer who miraculously ‘cured’ her chronic thrush with her dairy-free diet, your chronic thrush may need a different type of treatment. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to health and dietary problems. We all have unique genetic properties that are rapidly changing at any given moment. For someone else, with a different story and DNA, going vegan may be great. But for you — especially if you’re overcoming a troubled relationship with food — an unrestricted diet, full of meat, vegetables, milk and even sugar is undoubtedly your best medicine. For now, at least. Renee says: “One of the key aspects of recovering both physically and mentally from an eating disorder is getting to the point where your body is regulated both hormonally and biochemically, only then can you really move forwards. Sex hormones oestrogen and testosterone have a big part to play in cognition and mood so when their levels are low, it can really affect your ability to be rational. If you are still restricting food groups from your diet, then you are still trying to maintain an element of control and not really getting to the root of why you are using food as a means of coping. Exposing yourself to your so-called ‘fear foods’ and being able to sit through the discomfort of the anxiety is a huge part and parcel of your recovery journey; appreciating that your worst case predictions do not actually come true.” Employ STOPP This is a cognitive behavioural therapy strategy I picked up during my eating disorder treatment. STOPP provides a helpful buffer zone between the anxiety-provoking event and your resulting reaction. Do the following: 1. STOP physically. Like literally stop whatever you’re doing and stand still on the spot. This signals to your brain the need for a ‘pause’. 2. Take a breath and concentrate on the sensation as the air goes in and out of your lungs. 3. Observe. Name the emotions you’re feeling (out loud if possible) and acknowledge what the thoughts in your head are saying. Are they accurate depictions of the events? Are your thoughts helpful? 4. Pull back and try to see the situation from an outside observer — objectively, is it really that bad? 5. Proceed armed with all this information. By this point, you’ll be level-headed, calm and safe in the knowledge that everything is exactly the same as it was five minutes ago. Most recently, STOPP proved helpful to me when a friend explained all the reasons why my morning latte was destroying the environment. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Sarah Vohra says: “Anxiety symptoms can respond to a CBT treatment modality, such as STOPP, but this would very much depend on the individual and the difficulties they present with. There is also evidence that CBT can be helpful for binge eating disorder and bulimia.” Tell your friends…and colleagues People say stupid stuff. They don’t mean it, and most would be horrified to think that their silly anecdote made you sick with anxiety. As someone who has spoken publicly about my eating disorder, I’ve been forced to make peace with the fact that everyone from the CEO to the office cleaner is probably aware of my mental health condition. While that used to terrify me, these days it’s nothing short of a blessing. My colleagues and companions are now so wonderfully dedicated to protecting my health that they wouldn’t dare engage in a conversation about the evils of sugar. If anything, my ‘eat what you love’ message has challenged some of their pseudoscientific beliefs — and they’re happier for it. You don’t have to tell them everything; share as much or as little information as you feel comfortable with. It’s a small burst of anxiety that will grant you years of relaxation at al desko mealtimes. Renee advises: “Focus on choosing the perspective that has your best interest at heart as well as holding onto the fact that you really are the only one who knows what is going on for you. While the rest of the office may be on the latest detox, for someone recovering from an ED, this is not relevant to you.” Remember, life is short…and yours is complicated If you think about it, your food choices constitutes a small percentage of the substance of your overall life. It is a minor; a meh; a so-not-a-thing. But the reality for some of us is that if we let food decisions encompass more than a momentary thought, they have the potential to take up more time and space. It is a tragic waste of energy when you consider all the other, more important, thoughts that could occupy your brain: a peaceable solution for the Middle East; strategies to close the gender pay gap. The ultimate goal for every disordered eater is NOT to think about food. It is only once you have reached this point that forms of dietary restriction serve to be something other than dangerous. And when that moment comes, it’ll be worth the wait, trust me. Renee suggests reminding yourself of the bigger picture: “Ask yourself, how do you want to be remembered? As someone who was defined by what she did or didn’t eat or as someone who was kind?” Fundamentally I guess you have to choose whether you want simply to exist or actually want to live life? You can choose to use information to validate your thoughts or you can find evidence to challenge your thoughts. I know it might not seem like it, but you are in control. Not Plant Based has written a book. Eat It Anyway: Fight the Food Fads, Beat Anxiety and Eat in Peace by Laura Dennison & Eve Simmons is out now, published by Mitchell Beazley	https://medium.com/refinery29/im-an-eating-disorder-survivor-i-m-so-glad-veganuary-is-over-76a8ddbc8670	[]	2020-02-05 10:34:46.273000+00:00	['Health', 'Mental Health', 'Vegan', 'Food', 'Eating Disorders']
The Summer of Covid	Every cloud has a silver lining. For me, it was grabbing as much outside time, adventure and fun as one can during a pandemic. Please enjoy my collage timeline of ‘Getting Outside for Your Mental Health’.	https://medium.com/mind-your-madness/the-summer-of-covid-3e9c282da525	['Jennifer Hammersmark']	2020-11-18 08:18:54.551000+00:00	['Horseback Riding', 'Mental Health', 'Outdoors', 'Camping', 'Hiking']
NFT Marketplace Development: Must-Have Features of an NFT Marketplace	NFTs are the future of the Art Industry, the continued growth of the phenomenon of minting and selling digital content as NFTs. This shows that they cannot be ignored. The rise of NFTs has been staggering and it leads to more new marketplaces to trade NFTs. It has become a great business opportunity to invest in. But there are a lot of marketplaces out there launching every single day. So how do stay unique among them? There are a lot of factors to be unique among your competitors. But here is such one factor — Features. 9 Essential Features of an NFT Marketplace Website Features are the one that makes users stay long or bounce early. To avoid this, Features need to be user-friendly and efficient. Here are the Features to be added while developing NFT Marketplace. eCommerce Storefront Create & listing Products Smart & Advanced Filters Advanced Search Functionality Buying Functionality Bidding Functionality Multiple Wallet Support Payment Gateway Integration Ratings & Reviews Want to build your own NFT Marketplace with more outstanding features? Maticz is the well-developed NFT Marketplace Development Company that provides you with various NFT Development Services ranging from NFT Marketplace Design Development, Deployment to Technical support. Leverage our wide NFT development services and represent large numbers of investors and users.	https://medium.com/@carinarogersof/nft-marketplace-development-must-have-features-ffe098159ae6	['Carina Rogers']	2021-12-31 05:27:01.515000+00:00	['Nftartist', 'Nft Marketplace', 'Nft', 'Metaverse']
How I Got Out Of My Head And Into The World	The truth will set you free I found this the hardest. I didn’t lie, instead, I actively avoided any situation where I might have to come clean about losing my dad. I didn’t want anyone to pity me, so I alienated myself from everyone. It took me far too long to realise that most importantly, being honest with others about your situation will help you to come to terms with it. The first time I told someone how I felt, it cascaded from my lips as a jumbled string of letters. It didn’t sound right. They had existed as disconnected and painful words tumbling around in my mind like dirty laundry for so long. I repeated it until it became a simple sentence and my mind began to feel clearer as a result. Take a deep breath It took me a few attempts using apps like Headspace. At first, I used it to help me sleep when my insomnia was bad. The first few times I tried, I got so frustrated with the narrator telling me to focus on my breath when I couldn’t do it, that I’d end up in a fit of tears and give up. I was desperate to sleep. I came back to it again and again. I gave up every time. Then one day, something clicked. I made it through a 5-minute session and ended up feeling enveloped in a warm, fuzzy feeling. I was relaxed and for the first time in months, my mind was quiet. The best things are wild and free I used to stay inside for fear that I might cry if someone asked how I was, I can’t bear to be emotional in front of people, let alone in public. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you should hide indoors when you’re feeling low. Take yourself for a walk, find a beautiful park, forest or trail. Get in between the trees and walk through fields. The fresh air and the open space will make you feel at ease and the movement will help clear the fuzzy cloud in your head. You’ll go home feeling brighter than you did before. Progress not perfection When I first started going to the gym, I had no idea what in the world I was trying to achieve. I used whatever machines I felt like using and picked up any weight. I would work-out until I could barely walk and left feeling high on life. I had dabbled in strength training, Muay-Thai and dance but never actually stuck to one particular thing to see any improvement. When I was depressed I had no concept of time. I could sink hours focusing on negative thoughts of the past or the future but was never firmly in the present. When I trained for a specific deadlifting goal or some other target, I was immersed in the present moment while trying to hit every rep and set. Strength training brought me firmly back to the present moment, no matter where my head was at the time. I had a sense of focus. I use the concepts of strength training which centre around progress not perfection and I apply them to my daily life. I now accept that things take time and that’s okay. A small achievement every day. That’s all it takes.	https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/how-i-went-from-negative-to-positive-in-a-year-5e59320fecb5	['Tiffany Kee']	2020-11-21 10:44:21.140000+00:00	['Mental Health', 'Happiness', 'Grief', 'Health', 'Self']
My sketch of the world.	My sketch of the world. We normally do not see maps with the Pacific Ocean as the center where Asia and the Americas are on either side, but this is my world. We may have different skin colors, speak different languages, and come from different parts of the world living on this planet. But one thing is the same; we are all human beings. Why must we see each other differently? We live in America, a country famous for being a melting pot since its birth. Asians, Europeans, Africans, and other nationalities have come to look for better opportunities and have a better life. The promise of America: a land to seek refuge and everyone has equal access to the “American Dream.” We coexist and learn to share our cultures. We live in the same communities, go to the same schools, and hang out in the same coffee shops. Why are we always an outsider? Today, there are about twenty-three million Asian Americans and we are the fastest growing ethnic group in the US. If we remain invisible, perhaps it is time to re-educate to bring about awareness and incorporate the facts about Asian Americans within American history. - A Bay Area native looking for a belonging	https://medium.com/multi-hyphen-nation/my-sketch-of-the-world-4c46a8113d85	['Dee Black Sheep']	2021-06-01 16:32:42.462000+00:00	['Stopasianhate', 'Anecdotes', 'Aapi', 'Asian American', 'American History']
Reflection on Amal Totkay	Growth Mindset is a belief that talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others). If you want to achieve something big, You must have a growth mindset because you only can achieve something if you`re willing to learn something new. To develop a Growth mindset amal give us 5 totkay which I want to share with you, These are: 1- Self Talk 2- Get Out of your Comfort Zone 3- Create new Habits 4- Ask people help 5- Fake it Till you make it Personally, I find them very useful in life because they help to learn and Grow fast. Here are some inputs from myself that I learned from them. 1- Self talk is about Giving time to yourself to know what you think about yourself. 2- Obviously nothing big can be achieved in our comfort zone, we have to struggle and work hard to achieve our goals. 3- Habits are very important in order to drive life. So, if you alter your habits according to your goal, it will help you to achieve your goal in less time. 4- This is related to principal aik or aik Gyarah. No one knows about everything so it’s better to ask for help where you get stuck.5- I take it in the sense that if you want to do something never tell anybody about your weakness. Present that as your strength even if it’s not actually until you actually learn that. All of these are very important and useful but Tip 1,2 and 5 are my favourite tips. I think this is because I`m implementing these tips in my life. In order to develop a Growth mindset we just need to develop a habit of learning and accepting new ideas because if we are open to learning new things and accepting new ideas, only then we accept and implement other tips that are discussed above. Thank you	https://medium.com/@aqib.mumtaz197/reflection-on-amal-totkay-1ffd67660e3e	['Aqib Mumtaz']	2021-08-23 05:40:17.852000+00:00	['Tips', 'Amal Totkay', 'Reflections', 'Growth Mindset']
A Quick and Easy Guide to Managing Conda Environments	A Quick and Easy Guide to Managing Conda Environments A simple guide to managing Conda environments Photo by Grant Ritchie on Unsplash In this article, you will learn Need for Conda environments Difference between Conda environments and Virtual environments Commands to manage Conda environments Preserving Conda environments from existing Conda environments You are working on multiple projects like data analysis and visualization where you need matplotlib and seaborn libraries, multi-class classification using TensorFlow 1.14, and Keras and another project where you want to use BERT model using TensorFlow 2.0 for the Sentiment Analysis. Consider another situation where you have completed the development of your project and want to deploy the deep learning model on a different computer. You want to ensure that everything works smoothly. How can you handle these scenarios with ease? Option 1: Install required libraries on different computers to isolate the environment and manage dependencies or Option 2: Create separate environments isolating the library conflicts and managing dependencies on the same computer. Also, easily extract all the dependent libraries in a file to be restored on another system. Option 2 can be achieved by creating Conda environments or Virtual environments in Python. What is the Conda environment? Conda environment is a dedicated directory where we can install specific libraries and their dependencies. Conda environments are language agnostic. You can manage Python as well as R libraries and packages. You can manage Python as well as R libraries and packages. Conda allows us to create, export, list, remove and update environments with different versions of libraries or packages installed in them by isolating them in different environments. Thus Conda is an Environment as well as a Package manager. Conda uses a satisfiability (SAT) solver for dependency relationships within an environment . SAT solver verifies if all of the required dependent libraries are installed in the environment, this check takes extra time but prevents the creation of broken environments. . SAT solver verifies if all of the required dependent libraries are installed in the environment, this check takes extra time but prevents the creation of broken environments. Conda libraries are stored as binary files. Conda uses different channels, including remote channels, for downloading packages. Channels are locations where packages are stored. Can we not achieve the same with Virtual environments? A Virtual environment is also used to manage python packages for different projects; however, there are few differences between Conda environments and Virtual environments. Virtual environments are specifically for Python and hence are not language agnostic . . Virtual environments depend on the base system install of Python, whereas Conda environments are independent of the base install. whereas Conda environments are independent of the base install. Conda packages are binary, whereas libraries in Virtual environments are packaged as wheels or source distributions. How do we create and manage Conda environments? Listing all Conda environments conda env list Listing all Conda environments The active environment is shown with a * Creating a new Conda environment conda create — name env_data_viz python=3.7 Creates a new environment with the name “env_data_viz” with the base as python 3.7 creating a new Conda environment with Python 3.7 as the base Activating Conda environment conda activate env_data_viz Once the Conda environment is activated, the prompt changes to the newly set Conda environment Activation performs two primary functions: Adds entries to PATH for the environment and Runs any activation scripts that the environment may contain Install packages in Conda environment conda install -n env_data_viz matplotlib seaborn Installing matplotlib and seaborn to the env_data_viz Conda environment List all packages in the Conda environment conda list Lists all packages and version of libraries in the current Conda environment To list the history of each change to the current environment, you can use the revision option conda list — revision Revision history of installed packages You can also revert to a previous version. conda install — revision 0 You are reverting to revision 0 that does not contain matplotlib and seaborn after you click on “y” to confirm the deletion of the packages. Viewing the revision again, you will see the base revision without matplotlib and seaborn. Deactivating the current Conda environment conda deactivate Deactivates the current Conda environment and returns to the base Created a new Conda environment for multi-class classification env_multi_class_tf15 with the base as python 3.7 and then installed TensorFlow 1.14 and deactivated the condo environment conda create — name env_multi_class_tf15 python=3.7 conda install tensorflow==1.14 keras conda deactivate Updating env_multi_class_tf15 with TensorFlow 1.15 from base conda install -n env_multi_class_tf15 tensorflow==1.15 Adding Channels Conda channels are the locations where packages are stored. When we install a package, then the Conda command searches the default set of channels to download packages. When some packages are not available in default packages, we can add the channels to Condo environments and download the packages. Here we install PyTorch from channel “conda-forge” which is not the default channel. conda install — channel conda-forge pytorch conda list Listing all the packages in the Conda environment, you can now see that some of the packages were installed from channel “conda-forge” packages installed from default channel and conda-forge channel Whenever we install a package in the Conda environment, it searches all the channels listed at locations in the .condarc file. You can add the channel “conda-forge” to the .condarc file using the following command conda config — add channels conda-forge Restoring or Moving Conda environments We can restore or move Conda environments using multiple methods. Clone Spec list using condo list Environment.yml using the export option Clone Makes an exact copy of the specified Conda environments conda create — name test_clone — clone env_multi_class_tf15 test_clone is the new cloned environment from the source Conda environment env_multi_class_tf15 Spec List Reproduces Conda environment on the same operating system The Spec list can be created with or without the explicit option, as shown below. conda list >spec_list.txt #or conda list — explicit >spec_list_exp.txt An explicit spec file shows the platform where the environment was created. This platform is the one where this spec file is known to work. To recreate the Conda environment from the explicit spec file. conda create — name test_spec — file spec_list_exp.txt Export Conda environments using environment.yml file When we want to share our project environment with other team members, we can use an export option with the .yml file to extract all the information required to create the Conda environment. The environment.yml file is not operating system specific and formatted using YAML. environment.yml lists all the package names, and it is left to Conda to build the environment based on the package name. The export command also includes packages installed using pip. Creating a yaml file from an existing Conda environment conda env export --file environment.yml The output will be environment.yml file. Sample yml file Recreating the Conda environment from environment.yml file. If the environment already exists, then you will get an error. CondaValueError: prefix already exists conda env create -f environment.yml Removing a Conda environment You can remove the Conda environment using the below command. conda env remove — name test_clone — all Listing the Conda environments, and you can see the test clone environment no longer exists. test_clone COnda environment is removed Conclusion: You can create, export, list, activate, deactivate, remove, install packages, and update environments with different versions of Python and/or packages installed in them. You can export all the dependent libraries to a file that can be used to recreate the Conda environments. References: https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/4.6.0/_downloads/52a95608c49671267e40c689e0bc00ca/conda-cheatsheet.pdf https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/tasks/manage-environments.html https://www.anaconda.com/blog/moving-conda-environments	https://towardsdatascience.com/a-quick-and-easy-guide-to-managing-conda-environments-87bfe7bab065	['Renu Khandelwal']	2020-12-31 14:26:32.793000+00:00	['Python', 'Anaconda', 'Machine Learning', 'Conda', 'Deep Learning']
3 Tips for Powerful Ecom Product Descriptions that Convert!	Your goal as an ecommerce store owner is to persuade your visitors to purchase your product. One of the key ways to do this is to focus on your product descriptions on each product page. Following are the three optimizations I’ve found to be the most useful when working on product descriptions. Tip 1: Answer as Many Questions as You Can Answer any questions that you think your customers might have — and do that right on the product page. No matter what you’re selling, there are a couple of common questions that customers always have: Shipping time: How long does it take you to ship my product, and how long after that will I receive it? How long does it take you to ship my product, and how long after that will I receive it? Returns policy: What do I need to do to return a product? (For example, you’d include information about whether your policy is to give customers free shipping for returns). Of course, customers have more questions than that. The more technical or complex the product is, the more your description will grow. Even simple product descriptions can run long. How can you address all that information? Use tabs. They allow you to provide information that customers need in a way that doesn’t overwhelm them. Some store apps provide tab options for you. If you have any options here, vertical tabs are the best. Use several main tabs to separate product information into subsets, such as product description, product specifications, and so on. Product descriptions tab Manageable subsections: When users click on a tab, you want the content they see be manageable as well. Using bullets to describe each of the features and benefits helps by breaking content into small chunks, making it much easier to read. When users click on a tab, you want the content they see be manageable as well. Using bullets to describe each of the features and benefits helps by breaking content into small chunks, making it much easier to read. Simple products: If you have simple products, you can reduce text by including images in this part of the description that can tell some of the product story (for example, showing a product next to something recognizable to indicate product size). If you have simple products, you can reduce text by including images in this part of the description that can tell some of the product story (for example, showing a product next to something recognizable to indicate product size). Complex products: If you have more complicated products, you are probably going to want to add other things to this part of the description such as videos, infographics, and/or charts. Accessories tab If your product includes accessories, put these on a new tab. You can simplify descriptions of each accessory by using icons and/or very simple images showing how each accessory functions. Technical specifications tab Most customers don’t want to read a ton of technical specs, so be sure to give this content its own tab also. Arrange it thoughtfully for those customers who do want to get into the details. FAQs tab Keep everyone on the product page: Ideally, you’ve done such a great job of answering customer questions that you don’t need to have a separate FAQs page. Even if you do have one, it’s better if customers don’t leave your product page to look for answers on a FAQs page. Instead, you can add a FAQs tab to your product page. Ideally, you’ve done such a great job of answering customer questions that you don’t need to have a separate FAQs page. Even if you do have one, it’s better if customers don’t leave your product page to look for answers on a FAQs page. Instead, you can add a FAQs tab to your product page. Use progressive disclosure: Within a FAQs tab, use “progressive disclosure” of text: When visitors click on the FAQs tab, they should see a list of bulleted questions only. Customers can select a question aligned with their own, then click to open just the answer to that question. Tabs make it easier for your customers to quickly find only the information they want on your product page. Tabs, bullet points, and progressive disclosure ensure that there’s never too much information on the product page at one time. Tip 2: Make It Very Readable You don’t want to use a “wall-of-text layout.” That’s where a customer is confronted with a dense, difficult-to-read, word-filled page that makes them glaze over or even leave your store. Instead make it as readable as possible in these ways: Use a standard font size. We recommend using a 16-point font as the smallest size for your text. Also be consistent about font size; don’t use lots of font sizes on your product pages; visual consistency is important for user experience. We recommend using a 16-point font as the smallest size for your text. Also be consistent about font size; don’t use lots of font sizes on your product pages; visual consistency is important for user experience. Use a simple font that’s easy to read. When you select unusual or ornate fonts, you’re often making it harder for customers to understand what they’re reading. When you select unusual or ornate fonts, you’re often making it harder for customers to understand what they’re reading. Have two to three sentences per paragraph — at most. If you have more than three sentences in a paragraph, customers start to zone out and may not read your product page at all. If you have more than three sentences in a paragraph, customers start to zone out and may not read your product page at all. Individualize descriptions. Even if there are lots of similarities between products, it’s good to offer a unique product description for every product. It’s more engaging and can also improve your SEO. Note: Avoid using the descriptions given by the manufacturer! Even if there are lots of similarities between products, it’s good to offer a unique product description for every product. It’s more engaging and can also improve your SEO. Avoid using the descriptions given by the manufacturer! Correct typographical errors. No one likes to see typos. Errors come off as unprofessional and can turn customers away. Ask someone to proofread your product pages. Tip 3. Use Humor If it’s appropriate, use humor in your product description copy when you can. It doesn’t have to be slapstick, Three Stooges-style humor! Use your customer avatar to figure out how to talk to your customers in their “language.” People like to laugh and buy things from companies they like. It feels more personal when you use humor, and it lightens the tone. It’s more memorable if you make someone smile. (Think about the Super Bowl commercials people remember — they’re often the funny ones.) It helps create emotional connections with your customers. Note: Of course, if you’re selling products that are sad or dramatic, humor isn’t appropriate. Wrap-Up Make clear, concise, and easy-to-read product descriptions. Manage the way that information is presented by using tabs, bullets, and short paragraphs. And make your presentation consistent. And individualize your content — sometimes making it funny, if appropriate. These optimizations can make a very positive difference in your customers’ experience of your ecom store.	https://medium.com/@buildgrowscale/3-tips-to-create-powerful-ecom-product-descriptions-dbfea084e075	['Tanner Larsson']	2021-07-09 20:25:11.265000+00:00	['Ecommerce Copywriting', 'Ecommerce Optimization', 'Product Descriptions', 'Copywriting Tips', 'Copy That Converts']
If 2020 Was An Art Exhibition…	2020: A Surrealist Retrospective Like many modernist tropes we were positioned to have our course knocked sideways, and to have our thoughts, and prejudices disrupted in 2020. Akin to visiting a modern art museum in a 15th century château, expectations of normality were swapped for uncomfortable juxtapositions and confusion. The Classics Like any year, it began with a full belly and a hangover. Notions of dieting and nippy walks to chase the post-Christmas blues away. Ironically, we had made the conscious choice to travel less in 2020, so that I could concentrate on my new business. What we got was not really what we had in mind though. The View out over Edinburgh from Calton Hill — Photo © Hannah Henderson The entrance to the exhibition that was 2020 was rather captivating, I must say. I shook off my January blues with a trip to my former home, Edinburgh. It was the grand entrance to a museum I am deeply familiar with. Running my hands back over it with love and reverence, it was everything I expected it to be. Cold, damp, but full of wonderful stories and nostalgia. February was all about the Renaissance, as we dived headfirst into exploring the re-birthed city of Bilbao. If there was ever a city to illustrate a modern day renaissance, it’s the Basque city of Bilbao / Bilbo. Pulled up by its bootstraps, and the Frank Gehry masterpiece that is the Guggenheim Bilbao, the city is a cultural hotbed. The Guggenheim Bilbao, with Louise Bourgeois’ ‘Maman’ sculpture — February 2020 — Photo © Hannah Henderson From Gentle Disruption to Teeth-Gnashing If February 2020 was an artwork, it would be the warm caress of a Mark Rothko colour field abstract. While perhaps a little challenging to the classicists, the soft warming colours used by Rothko are perfect to represent the warmth of Bilbao. Not to mention the accessible modernism of the city itself. Rothko disrupted, but oh so gently. By March, we were starting to feel the discomfort of the impending challenge to our aesthetic sensibilities. As if turning the next corner could bring with it a grotesque piece of modern art, so far up its own arse that it leaves you cold and searching for anything relatable. La Tour Eiffel — March 2020 — Photo © Hannah Henderson Before the hollow disappointment brought on by Tracey Emin’s 1998 ‘My Bed’ could ruin our year, we visited my spiritual home, Paris. Where, as is customary, my senses were assaulted joyously with Corinthian columns and linear Haussman lines, and then soothed by ancient (and wonky) medieval routes now awash with hipster bars and happy hours. But we knew Tracey’s fucking bed was around the corner, and there was no way to avoid it.	https://medium.com/@hhusefulhuman/if-2020-was-an-art-exhibition-fff315b807d	['Hannah Henderson']	2020-12-22 14:21:37.328000+00:00	['2020', 'Art', 'Lockdown', 'Reflections', 'Year In Review']
Math and statistics open classes recommended for Data Science	Before creating everything, God is only doing purely theoretical mathematics. Later he thought that doing some applied mathematics should be an interesting change. - Mathematician John Edensor Littlewood Mathematics and statistics are the foundation of data science and machine learning. As far as I know, most successful data scientists come from these fields — computer science, applied mathematics and statistics, economics. If you want to master data science, you have to have a good understanding of basic algebra and statistics. However, for those without a mathematical background, the starting path may be difficult. First, you have to figure out what must be learned and what is not necessary — which may include many topics such as linear algebra, calculus, probability, statistics, discrete mathematics, regression, optimization, and so on. How much do you need to go deep into these topics? Self-study is difficult to grasp all of this by yourself. If you are facing such a problem, don’t panic, now I have done this hard work for you. This list recommends the most popular open courses in data science mathematics from Coursera, edX, Udemy, and Udacity. This list has been carefully orchestrated so that you can self-learn the mathematical concepts required for data science. Start learning now! What kind of course is right for you? To help you navigate through these courses, I have divided the courses into primary, intermediate, and advanced categories for different learners. Before you study in depth, please choose your level of mathematics. I added the homework that I had to do before I took each course for reference. After completing the preparatory courses, you can better understand the follow-up courses. There are very few such courses.Therefore, you must be sure to understand the subject of these courses or have taken these courses. Then read and find the course that suits you! Content directory: Primary mathematics level / statistics Data science math skills Introduction to statistics Introduction to inferential statistics Getting started with probability and data Ubiquitous Mathematics: Finite Math Applications Probability: Basic Concepts & Discrete Random Variables Mathematical Biostatistics Training Camp 1 Linear Algebra Application Part 1 Introduction to Mathematical Thinking Intermediate mathematics level / statistics Bayesian statistics: from concept to data analysis Game theory 1 Game Theory 2: Advanced Applications Advanced Linear Model of Data Science 1: Least Squares Advanced Linear Model of Data Science 2: Statistical Linear Model Introduction to linear models and matrix algebra Mathematics in motion Advanced mathematics level / statistics Discrete optimization Genomic data science statistics Biostatistics for big data applications Primary level mathematics and statistics 1. Data Science Maths Skills Address: https://www.coursera.org/learn/datasciencemathskills Course period: 4 weeks Class: Duke University (Coursera) If you are a beginner and have a limited amount of math, then this course is for you. In the course, you will learn about many algebra concepts, such as set theory, inequalities, functions, coordinate geometry, logarithms, and probabilities. This course will take you through all the basic math skills required for mathematics and lay a solid foundation. The course starts on January 9, 2017 and the instructor is from Duke University. Pre-Knowledge: Basic Math Knowledge 2. Introduction to Statistics (Intro to Descriptive Statistics) Address: https://www.udacity.com/course/intro-to-descriptive-statistics--ud827 Course period: 8 weeks Class: Udacity (Coursera) For beginners who want to learn statistics, this course at Udacity is a great guide to getting started. The content is interesting, practical, and has many examples. Descriptive statistics will first familiarize you with the various statistics and definitions. Then teach statistical concepts such as central tendency, variability, standard normal distribution, and sampling distribution. This course does not require you to master some statistical knowledge in advance, and is now open for registration. Prerequisite knowledge: none 3. Intro to Inferential Statistics Address: https://www.udacity.com/course/intro-to-inferential-statistics--ud201 Course period: 8 weeks Class: Udacity (Coursera) After learning to describe the statistics, it is time to learn the inference statistics. This course continues the practical way of teaching. In the course, you will learn statistical concepts such as estimation, hypothesis testing, t-test, chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, and correlation and regression. Each topic is followed by a problem set and a small test. After the course, you can also test the learning on the real data set.The course is open for registration. Prerequisite knowledge: Full understanding of Descriptive Statistics (the second recommendation above) Alternative course: “Statistics: Unlocking the World of Data”, a six-week course at the University of Pittsburgh (edX). Address: https://www.edx.org/course/statistics-unlocking-world-data-edinburghx-statsx#! 4. Introduction to Probability and Data Address: https://www.coursera.org/learn/probability-intro Course period: 5 weeks Class: Duke University (Coursera) This lesson will take you through R and RStudio contact data visualization and numerical statistics. First, take you through the basic concepts of probability and data mining and begin to have a basic understanding of the course.Then, explain the different concepts under different topics. Finally, you will use a real data set to test your learning through a data analysis project. The instructor is a professor of statistics from Duke University, and you need to have a special knowledge of R statistics. If you want to learn R in order to study mathematics, then this course should not be missed. The course is open for registration. Prerequisite knowledge: basic statistics and R knowledge. 5. Mathematical Everywhere: Applications of Finite Math Address: https://www.udemy.com/math-is-everywhere-applications-of-finite-math/ Course duration: 1 week Class: Davidson (Udemy) As the name suggests, teach ubiquitous mathematics, from angry birds to Google. Teaching mathematical concepts in your application in an interesting way. In the course, you will learn how to use the equation of lines to create computer fonts, how graph theory plays an important role in angry birds, how linear systems model the performance of a sports team, and how Google uses it. Probability and simulation to maintain a leading edge in search engines. The instructor is a mathematics professor at Davis, open for registration. Prerequisite knowledge: To understand linear algebra and programming. 6. Probability Theory: Basic Concepts and Discrete Random Variables (Probability: Basic Concepts & Discrete Random Variables) Address: https://www.edx.org/course/probability-basic-concepts-discrete-purduex-416-1x Course period: 6 weeks Class: Purdue University This course is designed for professionals who are interested in data science and information science. It covers the basic elements of mathematical probability theory. In this course, you will learn the basic concepts of probability theory, random variables, distribution, Bayesian theorem probability mass function and CDF, joint distribution law and expectation. Once you are familiar with these basics, you can study more in-depth concepts such as Bogey and Binomial distribution, geometric distribution, negative binomial distribution, Poisson distribution, hypergeometric distribution, and discrete uniform distribution. After studying this course, you will have an in-depth understanding of the probabilistic application of everyday life. This course is open for registration. Prerequisite knowledge: basic statistical knowledge. 7. Math Biostatistics Boot Camp 1 Address: https://www.coursera.org/learn/biostatistics Course period: 4 weeks Class: Johns Hopkins University In fact, the “biological” in “biometrics” is misleading. This course is all about the probabilistic and statistical technical basis for data analysis. The course includes probability, expectation, conditional probability, distribution, confidence interval, bootstrapping, binomial proportions, and logarithmic distribution (logs). The background of linear algebra and programming is helpful for this course, but it is not a prerequisite for mandatory use. The course begins on January 16, 2017 and is taught by Professor of Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University. The course is reasonable and will provide a complete analysis of mathematical statistics. Prerequisite knowledge: basic linear algebra, calculus, and practical programming (not mandatory). 8. Application of Linear Algebra (Part 1) (Applications of Linear Algebra Part 1) Address: https://www.edx.org/course/applications-linear-algebra-part-1-davidsonx-d003x-1 Course period: 5 weeks Lecture: Davidson College (edX) This is an interesting lesson about the application of linear algebra in data science. This course will first introduce the basics of linear algebra. You will then be introduced to linear algebra applications such as online code for handwritten digit recognition and team ranking. This course is open for registration. Prerequisite knowledge: basic linear algebra knowledge 9. Introduction to Mathematical Thinking Address: https://www.coursera.org/learn/mathematical-thinking# Course period: 8 weeks Teaching: Stanford University (Coursera) This course from Stanford University will teach you analytical thinking skills. You can learn interesting out-of-the-box thinking ways to help you stay ahead of the competition. In this class, you will learn a simple introduction to language, quantifier analysis, number theory, and real analysis. Mastering this course requires familiarity with algebra, number system, and primary set theory. The course will begin on January 9, 2017 and the instructor will be from Stanford University. Registration is currently open. Pre-knowledge: basic algebra, number system, and elementary set theory. Medium mathematics and statistics At this time, you should already know all the basic concepts that a data scientist needs to know. It’s time to take your math knowledge to the next level. 1. Bayesian Statistics: From Concept to Data Analysis (Bayesian Statistics: From Concept to Data Analysis) Address: https://www.coursera.org/learn/bayesian-statistics Course period: 4 weeks Lecture: University of California (Coursera) Bayesian statistician is an important topic in data science. For some reason, it did not receive enough attention. In this course, the first section covers basic probabilistic topics such as conditional probability, probability distribution, and Bayes’ theorem. Then, you will learn the statistical inference of the Frequentist and Bayesian methods, the method of selecting the optimal distribution, the model of the discrete data, and the Bayesian analysis of the continuous data. This course requires prior knowledge of statistical concepts and the course begins on January 16, 2017. Prerequisite knowledge: basic and advanced statistics 2. Game Theory 1 Address: https://www.coursera.org/learn/game-theory-1 Course period: 8 weeks Classes: Stanford University and the University of British Columbia (Coursera) Game theory is a very important part of data science. In this lesson, you will learn the basics of game theory and its applications.If you plan to master intensive study this year, this course is perfect for you. The course will give you a basic understanding of the following things: characterization of games and strategies, extended forms (computer scientists call the game tree), Bayesian games (for modeling things like auctions), repetition and random games.Each concept is complemented by examples and applications. The instructors are from Stanford University and the University of British Columbia and are open for registration. Pre-Knowledge: Basic Probability and Mathematical Thinking 3. Game Theory II: Advanced Application (Game Theory II: Advanced Applications) Address: https://www.coursera.org/learn/game-theory-2 Course period: 5 weeks Classes: Stanford University and the University of British Columbia (Coursera) After the game theory foundation in the previous course, the course is an explanation of the advanced application of game theory. In this course, you will learn how to design interactions between agents to achieve good social outcomes. The three main topics covered by the course are: social choice theory, mechanism design and bidding. The course began on January 30, 2017 and was taught by professors from Stanford University and the University of British Columbia. The course is open for registration. Prerequisite knowledge: the basis of game theory 4. Introduction to Linear Models and Matrix Algebra Address: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-linear-models-matrix-harvardx-ph525-2x-0 Course period: 4 weeks Class: Harvard University (edX) Matrix algebra has been used in various tools for experimental design and high-dimensional data analysis. For ease of understanding, this course is divided into 7 parts in a step-by-step manner. You will learn about the symbols of matrix algebra and its operations, matrix algebra applications in data analysis, linear models and QR decomposition. The programming language used in this course is the R language. You are free to choose the part of the course content that caters to your point of interest and learn the content. This course is taught by Harvard University’s Professor of Biostatistics and is currently only open to students enrolled in the course. Prerequisite knowledge: linear algebra basics and R language knowledge 5. High-order linear model of data science 1: Advanced Linear Models for Data Science 1: Least Squares Address: https://www.coursera.org/learn/linear-models Course period: 6 weeks Lecture: Johns Hopkins University (Source: Coursera) This course is the first part of a two-part series of high-order linear statistical learning models. Those who already know about the regression model and want to seek further study on it must learn this course. In this course, you will learn one and two parameters of regression analysis, linear regression analysis, general least squares, least squares examples, foundations, and residuals. Before you start the next step, I need to clarify that you need to have a linear algebra basis, a multivariate calculus foundation, an understanding of statistics and regression models, familiarity with argument-based mathematics, and operational knowledge of the R language. This course will begin on January 23, 2017. Prerequisite knowledge: linear algebra, calculus, statistics, and R language knowledge 6. High-order linear model of data science 2: Statistical Linear Models (Advanced Linear Models for Data Science 2: Statistical Linear Models) Address: https://www.coursera.org/learn/linear-models-2 Course period: 6 weeks Lecture: Johns Hopkins University This is the second part of the high-order linear statistical learning model course. Those who already know about the regression model and want to seek further study on it must learn this course. In this course, you will learn the basics of statistical modeling foundations, distribution results, and residual options for multivariate normal distribution. Before you start the next step, I need to clarify that you need to have a linear algebra basis, a multivariate calculus foundation, an understanding of statistics and regression models, familiarity with argument-based mathematics, and operational knowledge of the R language. This course will begin on January 23, 2017. Prerequisite knowledge: linear algebra, calculus, statistics, and R language knowledge 7. Math in sports Address: https://www.edx.org/course/math-sports-notredamex-mat150x Course period: 8 weeks Class: Notre Dame University (source edX) I am a very curious person about how mathematics is used to trigger more insight into sports and everyday life. I found this course, which shows how to use mathematics to analyze data and predict the trends and future performance of athletes and their teams in your favorite sports. In this course, you will learn how inductive reasoning is used for mathematical analysis; how probability theory is used for data evaluation and assessment of risk and any event outcome. All major team sports, athletics, and even extreme sports such as rock climbing are included in the course. This course is taught by a professor at the University of Notre Dame and is currently only open to students enrolled in the course. Prerequisite knowledge: statistics and linear algebra Advanced mathematics and statistics Great, so far, you will be able to learn completely. You should have mastered some math and statistical skills, and you will have confidence in the next step of learning. Come on! 1. Discrete Optimization (Discrete Optimization) Address: https://www.coursera.org/learn/discrete-optimization Course period: 8 weeks Class: University of Melbourne (source Coursera) All industries and companies use optimization. Airlines use optimization to ensure a fixed turnaround time; e-commerce companies such as Amazon use optimization to achieve on-time delivery of goods. The application of optimization at the macro level includes the deployment of power for thousands of people, the development of new drugs, and so on. This course gives you an opportunity to fully understand discrete optimization, and discrete optimization has been used in our daily lives. This course will first take you through the basics of discrete optimization and its different techniques. You will learn about constraints, linear and mixed integer programming. The final part of this course includes the most advanced high-level topics. The prerequisite for learning this course is that you need to have good programming skills, an understanding of the underlying algorithms, and knowledge of linear algebra. This course will begin on January 16, 2017 and will be taught by a professor at the University of Melbourne. Prerequisite knowledge: programming, algorithms, and linear algebra 2. Statistics for Genomic Data Science Address: https://www.coursera.org/learn/statistical-genomics Course period: 4 weeks Lecture: Johns Hopkins University If you are eager to be the next generation of data sequencing scientists, then you must study this course. In this course, you will learn exploratory analysis; linear modeling; hypothesis testing and multiple hypothesis tracking testing; different types of data processing such as transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq), genome-wide association studies (GWAS), staining Mass immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) and DNA methylation (DNA Methylation) studies. This course is part of a special topic for genomic data scientists at Johns Hopkins University. The course will begin on January 16, 2017. Prerequisite knowledge: high-order statistics and algorithms 3. Biostatistics for Big Data Applications Address: https://www.edx.org/course/biostatistics-big-data-applications-utmbx-stat101x Course period: 8 weeks Class: University of Texas Medical School (source edX) This course is an introduction to data analysis using biomedical big data. In this course, you will learn the basic components of biometric methods. People unfamiliar with statistics can encounter different types of challenges when dealing with biomedical big data. Learn how basic statistics are used in biomedical data types. You will learn the basics of R language programming in the course; how to create and interpret graphical summaries of data; and parametric and nonparametric inference statistics methods. You will gain experience in dealing with biomedical issues in the R language. This course is open to students enrolled in the course. Prerequisite knowledge: high-level statistics and R language knowledge to sum up I hope you find this article useful. So far, you have figured out the self-study field of study. If you have a mathematical background, you can take an advanced course. If not, start from the beginning and move forward step by step.	https://medium.com/ml-research-lab/math-and-statistics-open-classes-recommended-for-data-science-5c9f42737311	['Ashish Patel']	2018-08-11 19:16:42.810000+00:00	['Machine Learning', 'Deep Learning', 'Ml Research Lab', 'Data Science', 'Statistics']
DC Circuit Breaker Market Opportunities and Challenges	Increasing investments in the electrical networks, increasing demand for reliable and secure power supply worldwide, and growing adoption of renewable energy sources across the globe are likely to drive the DC circuit breaker market. Aging Power Infrastructure, rising electrification projects and adoption of the HVDC technology, can lead to opportunities in the DC circuit breaker market. The DC circuit breaker market is expected to grow from an estimated USD 2.3 billion in 2019 to USD 3.2 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 6.54%. The medium segment led the DC circuit breaker market in 2019 and is projected to have the largest market share during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed mainly to the growing demand to attain reliable and sustainable power supply mostly in rural areas of the Asia Pacific and the Middle East & Africa region. Increasing investments in aging electrical infrastructure in transmission and distribution networks and the rising need to protect electrical circuit equipment further drives the medium voltage DC circuit breaker market. Download PDF Brochure — https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=9752370 The vacuum segment led the DC circuit breaker market in 2019. High insulating strength, suitability for repeated operations, & low maintenance cost are expected to drive the vacuum DC circuit breaker market. Also, rising investments in electrification projects, in which vacuum technologies are highly deployed encourages players to invest in the DC circuit breaker. They are mainly used in medium voltage ranging from 11 kV to 33 kV. They have a long mechanical service life. They are fast in operation; hence are ideal for fault clearing. Further, they are also safe as they do not explode, have a noiseless operation, are eco-friendly, and have a very minimal maintenance cost. They mainly find application in switchgears, transformers, power conditioning systems, switching devices, and transformers. In this report, the DC circuit breaker market has been analyzed with respect to 5 regions, namely, Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and the Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific led the global DC circuit breaker market in 2018. The high growth rate in the Asia Pacific region can be attributed to increased investments in the electric grid development and growing reliance on renewable sources of power generation. China and India are the largest markets for DC circuit breaker market in the region. Increasing grid investments and plans for electrification in remote areas in countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines is likely to drive the growth of the DC circuit breaker market in the region during the forecast period. Rise in investments in smart grid technologies is another factor which is driving the DC circuit breaker market in Asia Pacific. Ask for FREE Sample Pages of the Report — https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=9752370 To enable an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes the profiles of some of the top players in the DC circuit breaker market. The key players are ABB (Switzerland), Siemens (Germany), Eaton (Ireland), Toshiba (Japan), Larsen & Toubro (India), Mitsubishi (Japan), Powell (US), Rockwell Automation (US), Fuji Electric (Japan), CG Power (India), ENTEC Electric & Electronic (South Korea), BRUSH Group (UK). Contracts & agreements was one of the key strategies adopted by the players to strengthen their global presence and offerings.	https://medium.com/@pprathmesh367/dc-circuit-breaker-market-opportunities-and-challenges-f877e180b682	['Prathmesh Patil']	2020-12-17 10:12:51.621000+00:00	['Circuit Breaker', 'Power Generation', 'Voltage', 'Renewable Energy', 'Power Supply']
spy electronic gadgets online shopping	Hey friends welcome to our gadgets blog. Today I’m going to share some information based on spy electronic gadgets which includes taping phone calls, different types of spy camera and many more. Do you know ! ! There are tons of spying gadgetswhich can destroy your privacy and can create trouble in your personal life. Today I’m going to share some of those spy electronic gadgets which may help you to save your privacy and can be helpful. I personally recommend you not to misutilise those gadgets, but if you really need those gadges for a genuine purpose you can purchase them from Amazon. Gadgets I really found useful about all these products, do comment which product you liked the most. Hope you like spy electronic gadgets. Do subscribe and follow my blog for more Amazing Facts & Products. For full article visit our websit below	https://medium.com/@aamazingproducts/spy-electronic-gadgets-online-shopping-bc92cf10f7d8	['Amazing Facts']	2020-12-17 13:43:17.549000+00:00	['Gadgets', 'Spy', 'Reseller', 'Spying', 'Amazon']
Crisis of Confidence: The crash of Air Algérie flight 6289	Rescuers swarm the crash site of Air Algérie flight 6289 in search of survivors. (CNN) On the 6th of March 2003, an Air Algérie Boeing 737 lifted off from the runway in the remote Saharan city of Tamanrasset, bound for Ghardaïa and Algiers. But within seconds of becoming airborne, the plane’s left engine failed, plunging the pilots into an emergency situation for which they were not prepared. Witnesses watched in horror as the plane climbed to 400 feet, stalled, and plunged into the desert, where it erupted in flames. As rescuers rushed to the scene, they found that an explosion had totally consumed the plane, along with everyone inside it. But it just so happened that one man wasn’t in the plane — a 28-year-old soldier, seated in the very last row, had been thrown from the aircraft on impact and emerged as the only survivor out of 103 passengers and crew. The clues explaining why they died lay strewn across the Sahara Desert, and it would be up to investigators to figure out what went wrong with the engine — and with the crew. But some aspects of the investigation were woefully incomplete, and an in-depth analysis suggests there may be more to the story of why 102 people died on Air Algérie flight 6289. 7T-VEZ, the Boeing 737–200 involved in the accident. (Ken Fielding) Air Algérie is the state-owned flag carrier of the North African nation of Algeria. Algeria is known as a relatively stable country today, but in 2003, it had only just emerged from 11 years of civil war that resulted in numerous high-profile terrorist attacks and aircraft hijackings. Air Algérie’s fleet was outdated and in questionable condition; it would be another decade before it acquired the capital to upgrade to modern airliners. The workhorse of its domestic fleet was the Boeing 737–200, the earliest generation of the ubiquitous model, which was powered by two cigar-shaped Pratt & Whitney JT-8D engines. View over Tamanrasset, 2016. (Habib Kaki) It was one of these 737–200s that was scheduled to carry out a domestic flight from the city of Tamanrasset to the capital, Algiers, with a stopover in Ghardaïa on the 6th of March, 2003. Located near the geographical center of the Sahara Desert some 1,600 kilometers south of Algiers, Tamanrasset is among the most remote cities on earth. The city was originally a military outpost built to protect Trans-Sahara caravan routes, and only began to see permanent settlement under French rule in 1915. Despite its inhospitable location, the population of the city has grown to 76,000 today, making it the largest inhabited place in the Central Sahara, and it remains a key transportation hub — no longer serving traditional caravans, it instead serves as a major stop on the Trans-Sahara Highway, one of the only roads across the desert that is paved most of the way. Route of Air Algérie flight 6289. (Google) Just outside town alongside the Trans-Sahara highway is Tamanrasset’s Aguenar Airport, where Air Algérie flight 6289 prepared to depart for Ghardaïa and Algiers on the 6th of March. The plane was nearly full, with 97 passengers and six crew on board, including dozens of Algerians and a smaller number of Europeans. The captain’s name has not been released, but it is known that he had been flying since 1979 and had over 10,000 flying hours, of which about 1,000 were on the Boeing 737. Although the practice was banned under international rules, he had also been flying as a first officer on the Boeing 767 at the same time, despite the two planes not sharing a common type rating. His first officer that day was Fatima Yousfi, who was notable for becoming the first woman ever to fly for an Algerian airline when she got her license in the late 1990s. By 2003 she had accumulated about 5,200 hours, including around 1,300 on the 737, which she had been flying for around six months longer than the captain had. Undated photo of Fatima Yousfi. I was unable to find any pictures of the captain, or even his name. (Save Me organization, via Facebook) As flight 6289 waited at the gate, First Officer Yousfi found herself alone on the flight deck, as the captain was running late. She ran through the pre-departure calculations herself, and was about ready to start the pre-flight briefing when the captain arrived in the cockpit with a flight attendant in tow. As he and Yousfi started up the engines, the captain kept talking to the flight attendant, in violation of the sterile cockpit rule, which prohibits non-essential conversation between engine start and 10,000 feet. The pre-flight briefing, which would have gone over emergency procedures (such as what to do if an engine fails after takeoff) fizzled out before getting to any of the most important items. At around 3:08 p.m., the crew finished up their calculations and taxied to the runway. The plane was almost at its maximum takeoff weight, the airfield elevation was over 1,300 meters, and the temperature was rather high — all factors that meant they would need to extract maximum performance to get the airplane off the ground. But both pilots had taken off from Tamanrasset many times before, and they were quite familiar with the unfavorable conditions often encountered in the Sahara. At 3:12 p.m., the tower cleared flight 6289 to take off on runway 02, and the crew acknowledged. The captain delegated responsibility for the takeoff to First Officer Yousfi, who would be the pilot flying for the leg to Ghardaïa. “Come on, let’s go. Let’s take off,” said the captain. Yousfi pushed the throttles to takeoff power and the plane rumbled off down the runway. “You have 90, 100 [knots],” the captain said, calling out their airspeed. Seconds later, he called out, “V1, rotate.” They were now past the point at which the takeoff could be aborted. In response to the command to rotate, First Officer Yousfi pulled back on the controls, and the 737 lifted off the runway. “Gear up,” she ordered. But before the captain could reach for the landing gear lever, a series of loud bangs rang out from the left engine. Inside the engine, fatigue cracks in a blade of the stage 1 nozzle guide vane in the high pressure turbine had reached the breaking point. A large section of the guide vane broke away, causing a chain reaction failure of both the high pressure and low pressure turbines. As ground-up bits of the turbines spewed out onto the runway behind them, the engine began to lose power, and the plane started yawing to the left due to the sudden thrust imbalance. “Bismi allah, bismi allah, bismi allah!” First Officer Yousfi quickly exclaimed. “What’s this? What’s happening?” Location and function of nozzle guide vanes on ajet engine (not a JT-8D). (Model Aircraft blog) At this point she needed to immediately initiate the engine failure on takeoff procedure, which all pilots should have memorized: reduce the pitch angle to maintain V2 (rotation speed), raise the landing gear, increase thrust on the remaining engine, and use the rudder to counter the yaw. But before she could do any of these things — before either pilot had even identified the left engine as the source of the problem — the captain said, “Let go, let go!” Having realized that an emergency was occurring, it seemed that he wanted to take control of the airplane. “I’ve let go, I’ve let go,” said Yousfi. “Let go!” the captain repeated. “Gear up, or….?” Yousfi began to ask. But the captain didn’t reply. He seemed to be focused on trying to fly a normal climb profile, keeping the pitch attitude firmly at 18 degrees. With a failed engine, however, he needed to keep the pitch angle below 12 degrees in order to avoid losing speed. As the plane’s one remaining engine struggled to push the plane up at such a steep angle, their speed began to fall rapidly. At the same time, the right engine mysteriously began to lose power as well — not because there was anything wrong with it, but because someone in the cockpit was moving the throttle lever. Data from a simulation of the flight run by Boeing shows the plane’s altitude, airspeed, engine thrust, and roll angle during its brief flight. (Boeing) As flight 6289 soared toward its brief zenith, First Officer Yousfi keyed her mic and said to the tower, “We have a small problem, 6230 [sic]!” The captain still seemed to think she was trying to fly the plane. “Let go, remove your hand!” he said. “I’ve let go, I’ve let go!” Yousfi insisted again. “Remove your hand!” the captain repeated. “I’ve let go!” said Yousfi. Suddenly, the speed of the airplane dropped low enough to trigger the stick shaker, warning the pilots of an impending stall. Seconds later, unable to continue climbing so steeply with only one engine at a low thrust setting, the plane stalled at a height of 400 feet and began to fall from the sky. “DON’T SINK!” the ground proximity warning system called out. “Please!” shouted First Officer Yousfi. “Remove your hand!” the captain insisted. “DON’T SINK,” said the GPWS. Suddenly, at a height of 335 feet above the ground, both black boxes mysteriously lost power and stopped recording. What the pilots said in the final moments of the flight will never be known. But by this point, there was nothing they could do anyway: just seconds later, with its nose pitched high and its right wing hanging low, flight 6289 slammed into the desert just past the end of the runway and burst into flames. The plane slid across the Trans-Sahara Highway and came to rest a few hundred meters further on, totally consumed in flames. My sketch of the final seconds of flight 6289. (Own work) Upon witnessing the accident, controllers activated the emergency alarm and firefighters rushed to the scene, arriving some three and a half minutes after the crash. They found that although the main fuselage was largely intact — only the cockpit, tail, and wings had broken away — the intense fire triggered by the plane’s full fuel load had already rendered survival impossible. Those passengers who might have survived the relatively low-speed impact most likely perished within seconds as the raging inferno consumed the plane. It was then that they found one man clinging to life — not inside the plane, but in the sand, well back from the place where the wreckage came to rest. The man was a 28-year-old Algerian soldier who was returning to his barracks after spending his leave in Tamanrasset; he had found himself seated in the very last row and was thrown from the plane when the tail section broke away on impact. Firefighters found him lying unconscious with weak signs of life, and ambulances rushed him to hospital in critical condition. Despite his dire state, however, within hours his condition stabilized and he began to recover. His luck cannot be overstated: he was the only survivor out of 103 passengers and crew, a death toll which made this Algeria’s worst ever air disaster at the time. Rescuers swarm the crash site of Air Algérie flight 6289 in search of survivors. (CNN) Responsibility for investigating the accident fell to a special Commission of Inquiry established by the Algerian Ministry of Transport and led by the sitting Transport Minister, as Algeria did not have a dedicated aircraft accident investigation agency. The Commission of Inquiry soon found that the plane’s left engine had failed due to fatigue cracks in one of the blades of the stage 1 nozzle guide vane, which directs the flow of air from the combustion chamber into the high pressure turbine. The fatigue cracks had been caused by thermal damage associated with age: the engine had accumulated over 20,000 flight cycles and hadn’t been overhauled since 1999. The failure of the blade resulted in severe damage to “downstream” components that rendered the engine unable to produce any appreciable amount of power. Investigators also found similar cracks on the nozzle guide vanes in the right engine, although these had not yet progressed to failure. But the investigation didn’t appear to dig any deeper than this: despite these findings raising serious questions about Air Algérie’s engine maintenance and inspection practices, the final report included nothing about these topics at all. Another photo of rescuers at the crash site. (Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives) However, an engine failure alone shouldn’t cause an accident. Like all airliners, the Boeing 737–200 is certified to climb on only one engine, even at max takeoff weight, so there wasn’t really any reason that this should have led to a loss of control. On the other hand, it was true that responding to this failure would have required very prompt action on the part of the pilots. This was a worst-case-scenario engine failure: right after liftoff while near the max takeoff weight with the gear extended on a high-altitude runway in hot weather (note that takeoff performance is inversely correlated with both altitude and temperature). Although the plane could climb, the performance margins were slim. Nevertheless, a well-trained crew that was on top of its game could have easily handled the failure, climbed to a safe altitude, turned around, and put the plane on the ground without any great difficulty. The problem was that this crew was not at all well-prepared. The first officer’s abortive attempt at a pre-flight briefing was cut short, apparently because the captain preferred to spend his time chatting with the flight attendants. Perhaps the most important part of this briefing is the discussion of what to do in the event of an engine failure after decision speed (or V1). Normally, pilots would discuss the correct speed and angle of climb, the proper aircraft configuration, who will fly the airplane, and other aspects of safely handling an engine failure on takeoff. The purpose of this exercise is to prime the pilots so that they can react almost instinctively if such a failure occurs. The fact that this crew never finished the pre-flight briefing shows that they did not place much weight on the possibility that they could encounter an engine failure on takeoff — even though this is probably the most common out of all the serious failures that a pilot might encounter in his or her career. This lack of appreciation for the importance of the briefing most likely originated from the broader culture at Air Algérie, but once again, the Commission of Inquiry seemed to have nothing to say about this. The wreckage came to rest at the end of a long trail of blackened sand and scattered debris. (BEA) After the plane took off, the engine failed right as the first officer called for “gear up.” This was an extremely critical juncture that the crew — especially the captain — botched badly. Instead of scanning the instruments to figure out what had gone wrong, which was his duty as pilot not flying, the captain’s first instinct was to demand that First Officer Yousfi relinquish control of the airplane. This was quite possibly the worst decision he could have made, short of flying the plane straight into the ground. In such a critical situation, the last thing a crew should do is execute a control handover. Yousfi was hand-flying the plane at that moment, and she was the one with the instinctive “feel” for what it was doing; her role was clearly defined, and so was the captain’s. He should have looked at his instruments and announced “failure, left engine,” which would prompt First Officer Yousfi to follow the engine failure procedures that she had presumably committed to memory. Instead, he created a fog of confusion from which neither pilot ever recovered, losing precious seconds trying to build up an awareness of the airplane’s energy state that Yousfi probably was well on her way to acquiring already. After taking control of the plane, the captain did almost nothing to handle its dire energy state. He didn’t attempt to achieve the proper single-engine climb speed or pitch attitude and he didn’t respond to Yousfi’s suggestion that they retract the landing gear (an action which would have decreased drag and increased the plane’s performance). In fact, the captain and the first officer never discussed the warnings and instrument indications they were receiving and never tried to determine the nature of the problem. Instead, the captain spent the rest of the brief flight trying to get Yousfi to give up control, even though she insisted she had already done so. By the time the plane began to stall, it was already too late; the only way to recover was to sacrifice altitude for speed by pitching down, and they were only at 400 feet, too low to avoid striking the ground during a stall recovery maneuver. The captain went to his grave holding the pitch attitude at a firm 18 degrees nose up while yelling at Yousfi to “let go” of the controls. The Commission of Inquiry did not expend much time trying to explain this ridiculous behavior, but there is enough evidence to do a little bit more speculation ourselves. First of all, why did the captain want to take over control in the first place? The commission wrote that he might have observed the first officer struggling to control the plane, or he might have felt it was his duty as captain to take over during an emergency. To this I would add a third contributing factor: he might not have trusted the first officer to handle the failure. His very first priority as soon as something went wrong was not to determine the source of the problem, but to make sure that First Officer Yousfi was not the one flying the plane. This reaction only makes sense if he believed Yousfi was incapable of handling the situation, and that she, not the failure, was the most immediate source of danger. There was no evidence to suggest that this belief was accurate: Yousfi actually had more hours on the 737 than he did, and she had done her best to stick to procedures up to that point; it was the captain who broke protocol and interrupted the pre-flight briefing. Instead, it seems likely that the captain was distrusting of first officers on principle — especially if that first officer was a woman, given that Algeria is a highly patriarchal society. Over the seconds which followed the initial control handover, the captain continued to ask Yousfi to let go of the controls, while she repeatedly stated that she had already done so. This confusion is difficult to understand, but there are some plausible explanations. If we assume that the captain took over control because he distrusted the first officer’s ability, it’s possible that when he immediately experienced difficulty controlling the plane, he thought it was because Yousfi was still trying to make control inputs. Evidently he did not actually look at what she was doing (this seems more likely than the alternative, which is that Yousfi was lying about having let go), perhaps because he was struggling to maintain the normal climb profile. From this angle, it can be seen that the cockpit was largely intact, and the cabin and tail came to rest nearby, but were consumed by fire. (Algerie 360) A key element of this scenario is the possibility that the pilots never figured out that an engine had failed. At no point on the cockpit voice recording does either pilot ever mention the engines. No one calls for engine-out emergency procedures or follows the engine-failure-on-takeoff memory items. No one tries to shut down the failed engine. In fact, there is no evidence whatsoever that either pilot knew an engine had failed. Such a situation could have arisen due to the botched control handover, which left both crewmembers unsure who was supposed to be monitoring the instruments — the captain might have thought this would be the first officer’s duty as pilot-not-flying, while the first officer might have thought the captain already knew what to do because he volunteered to take control so quickly. If no one ever looked at the engine gauges, the source of the problem might well have remained unclear right up until the end. Another possibility is that they knew an engine had failed, but one of the pilots reduced power to the wrong engine by accident. The reduction in thrust on the right engine after the failure of the left engine makes no sense given the circumstances, but the Commission of Inquiry didn’t try to explain this bizarre occurrence. There have been a number of cases where a pilot rolled back or entirely shut off the wrong engine during an engine failure after failing to take sufficient time to examine the instruments. This could well have happened here, as the captain quickly took over without first assessing the situation, potentially causing him to make an incorrect snap judgment about which engine had failed. This would potentially explain the failure of both flight recorders before the plane hit the ground — on the 737, if both engines stop generating electrical power and the auxiliary power unit is not brought online, the black boxes will lose power and stop recording. However, proving this theory would be difficult; the plane had a very outdated flight data recorder that only tracked six parameters, so details like control column forces and throttle positions were not recorded. Had this information been available, it might have been easier to determine whether the pilots misidentified which engine was malfunctioning or whether they were both trying to control the plane simultaneously. Another view of the cockpit. Although the cockpit is deceptively intact, this doesn’t mean that impact forces didn’t kill both pilots instantly. (Algerie Presse Service) Regardless of the details of how they lost control, one thing is clear: neither pilot was prepared for the engine failure. And responsibility for that lack of preparation must fall on Air Algérie, which should have instilled crews with a healthy respect for the various ways in which things can go wrong. Indeed, for pilots around the world, the crash of flight 6289 should serve as a reminder that the worst case scenario really can happen, and every pilot must be ready at all times. The pre-flight briefing requires repeating the engine-failure-on-takeoff procedures before every single flight precisely because you only have a few seconds to react should you find yourself in the situation faced by the crew of flight 6289. In its final report, the Commission of Inquiry issued four recommendations: that Air Algérie provide better training on when and how to perform handovers of control; that all Algerian flight crews be subject to a one-time assessment of their compliance with procedures; that Air Algérie put in place a safety analysis program that can make use of anonymous reports and flight recorder data to identify unsafe trends; and perhaps most critically, that the Ministry of Transport create an independent agency to investigate plane crashes. A memorial to the 102 victims now stands at the site of the crash, on the shoulder of the Trans-Sahara highway. (Mechri Omar) While these recommendations were on point, it is unfortunately true that the Commission of Inquiry could have done a lot more to understand the causes of the accident. Asking why the pilots failed to follow the procedures is critical to preventing other pilots from making the same mistakes, but this investigation failed to do that. I have offered some informed speculation about potential thought processes that could explain their actions, but this cannot replace the more scientific analysis performed by trained investigators that should have been carried out by the commission. Many other areas also could have been explored. Was Air Algérie inspecting its engines properly? Why was the captain flying two different aircraft types at once? Answering these questions would have done much to improve aviation safety in Algeria. In the absence of reforms, it’s unclear that safety in Algeria is improving. In 2014, a Swiftair MD-83 operating on behalf of Air Algérie crashed in Mali with the loss of all 116 passengers and crew. And in 2018, in what is probably Africa’s worst air disaster, 257 soldiers and crewmembers died when an Algerian military transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the town of Boufarik. Despite these accidents, it does not appear that Algeria has heeded the commission’s recommendation to set up an independent accident investigation agency, a step that has led to significantly better investigation outcomes in dozens of countries all over the world. It is clear that if a repeat of the crash of Air Algérie flight 6289 is to be avoided, more work will need to be done. ________________________________________________________________ Join the discussion of this article on Reddit! Visit r/admiralcloudberg to read over 170 similar articles. You can also support me on Patreon.	https://medium.com/@admiralcloudberg/crisis-of-confidence-the-crash-of-air-alg%C3%A9rie-flight-6289-8b98e15170c2	[]	2021-02-01 22:07:02.374000+00:00	['Aviation', 'Human Behavior', 'Algeria']
What is a Baby bottle warmer?	A baby bottle warmer is a convenient way to ensure your baby’s milk is heated to the right temperature. The traditional methods (heating with microwave or stovetop) may destroy some of the nutrients in the baby’s milk and cause hot spots or uneven heating which could scald your baby’s mouth. A baby bottle warmer is faster and preserves nutrients. It uniformly heats a chilled bottle, or refrigerated baby food so it’s safe to use right away. Mommies nowadays consider baby bottle warmer as the best discovery for their babies as it offers convenience even when they are traveling with their babies. Why should you buy a good baby bottle warmer? The breast-milk is warm which leads some babies to develop a preference for a warmer temperature of food. A good baby bottle warmer is easier on an infant’s stomach, kills germ, and helps a toddler who has a lot of gas problems to eat because the warm milk allows the air bubbles to come up a lot easier. How to choose the best baby bottle warmer There are some types to consider when buying a baby bottle warmer: Breast milk warmer and bottle warmer: This infant food warmer uses a low temperature that’s safe for all kinds of bottles and bags. It has a feature that automatically turns the warmer off when the bottle is heated enough for the baby’s consumption. Fast food bottle warmer: Giving a baby hot food could make them puke. This bottle warmer has sensors to auto-adjust the heating pattern for infant milk. Electric Bottle Warmer: This baby bottle warmer is designed with safety in mind. It comes with auto power-off after 10 minutes and a one-button start function. It has an adjustable inner basket for smaller bottles and baby food jars, and easy-to-use features. What Features Should You Consider When Buying a Baby Bottle Warmer? Easy to Clean: A bottle warmer for babies that’s with fewer removable compartments is easier to clean. Toddler warmer with too many components can allow fluid or particles to secretly leak into the bottle which can hamper the baby’s overall health. Quick heating: A bottle warmer must heat up the baby’s feeding bottle safely and quickly in lesser time. Check if it heats without leaving hot spots or losing nutrients to ensure you don’t expose the little kid to cramps in their sensitive tummy. Automatic Shut-off Feature: An automatic shut-off baby warmer is a must for a busy mom who can forget that she has left the warmer on, and ends up with a bottle that is too hot for the baby. Milk when exposed to high temperatures may lose many of its beneficial and protective qualities. This is why a warmer with a timer and stop signals is definitely the best option to ensure that the vitamins and nutrients are retained. Quality with a guarantee: A baby bottle warmer material must be BPA-free silicone, PP. Check the certifications to ascertain whether the bottle warmer is approved for use. It’s also better if the bottle has a good handle design to ensure the safety of your child from the germ. Ask for guarantee years for safe and fault-free operation of the device. How much does a top-rated baby bottle warmer cost? A cheap baby bottle warmer has a starting price of $15. These are easy-to-clean bottle warmers. Affordable baby bottle warmer for quick heating breast milk and formula can be found at the price range of $20 — $36. Timer and stop signals are features in the high-end baby warmers category and can cost between $35 to $140. Verdict: The overall health of your baby is your utmost concern. This is why you need to consider important factors like easy-to-clean, performance, and portability when you’re on a shopping spree for your kid. Warm food is safe and healthy for infants. The process of heating kills germ, and helps the baby eat without puking. On the other hand, cold milk does tend to lead to tummy cramps and tends to wake the baby up more than anything. So as a caring mom, you’re to care about the baby with no cards untouched. Use a certified product and keep things near the baby clean.	https://medium.com/@simonkelechidigital/what-is-a-baby-bottle-warmer-3cd4bc8aefbc	['Simon K. Paul']	2021-03-08 12:12:55.490000+00:00	['Baby', 'Mother Care Products', 'Kids', 'Health', 'Mothers']
How to Be More Stable, Flexible and in Control of Your Life	Agency refers to the feeling of control over actions and their consequences. It’s the feeling that we’re in the driver’s seat. (Dr. James W. Moore, University of London) Successful people make decisions, even in difficult times, because they have what’s called a high sense of agency. You, too, can cultivate this valuable and life-changing skill. I get that it’s hard to make any decision in 2020. Like most people, you feel out of control because you don’t know what the future holds. We’re all now staring 2021 in the face and asking, what will 2021 be like? But is that the right question to be asking? Shouldn’t we instead be asking how can I make 2021 a great year for me? As I wrote in How to Use Strategic Ignorance to Increase Focus and Win in Life, 2020 was one of my most productive years ever because I: Decided what was essential to me; Focused on what I could control; and, Ignored self-defeating distractions. You also can achieve this level of success in 2021. How? Employ what psychologists call a high sense of agency. Let me tell you how it works. Focus on the good, throw out the trash A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash. (Proverbs 15:14, NLT) Gosh, isn’t that proverb true… there’s an endless abundance of trash to fill our tummies. We’re continuously bombarded by people and organizations fighting for our attention, seeking to advance their agendas and their version of the truth. These forces want you to believe that you need them and that without their precious help, you can’t succeed. Do you know what they’re doing? They’re stealing your sense of agency. They’re robbing you of your sense of control. They’re taking your confidence to make decisions about your future. Don’t let this happen! Albert Bandura, a Professor at Standard University and a social cognitive theory pioneer, said there is a socially embedded interplay between personal agency and environmental influences. Dr. Bandura then goes on to say, “Humans…are producers of their life circumstances, not just products of them.” There it is, plain as day. You can produce your life’s circumstances, or you can let life’s circumstances produce you. But how do you manage the dynamic tension between your environment and what you can control? Control is an illusion Studies have shown that the healthiest people have agency because they’ve developed confidence and competence, states Mary C. Lamia, Ph.D., in Your Sense of Agency, are You in Control of Your Life? Successful people with a high sense of agency focus on what they know. They understand that they cannot control external events, and they cannot control other people. Think about it; you usually feel defeated when you try to control something you have no business controlling. Perhaps you’ve tried to influence people or events, with no success. As a result, you end up feeling discouraged and depressed. The truth is, you can’t control situations outside of yourself, so don’t do it! Your efforts will simply result in misery. Instead, says Dr. Lamia, you increase your sense of autonomy and control by: Setting reasonable goals, Increasing interactions with friends, Building a community to help you, Improving your health, and Accomplishing new challenges. Just picture for a moment the compounding effect on your life if you sat down for five minutes every morning and committed to accomplishing something from Dr. Lamia’s list above. I’m not talking a laundry list of to-dos, that’s also self-defeating, just one or two actions in each of the above areas. You want to cultivate agency in your life. Research shows that agency will make you more: Psychologically flexible and stable, and Competent and confident in uncertain or difficult situations. Your life is your choice. Make decisions to influence your future. It’s up to you. Be wise and successful Identify a reasonable goal you want to achieve this week and do the following:	https://medium.com/illumination/how-to-be-more-stable-flexible-and-in-control-of-your-life-e87719d029df	['Greg Longoria']	2020-11-19 14:18:20.866000+00:00	['Personal Growth', 'Focus', 'Self Improvement', 'Self', 'Productivity']
Free Photography Course	This free Film and photography Course offers free photography lessons and tutorials starting from the fundamentals of film, optics, cameras, and light-weight to online page layout and photography. Our courses square measure packed filled with photography tips and recommendation, designed for the novice and skilled alike. This can be the proper place for those desirous to recognize additional concerning film and photography. First, visit our Introduction to Photography category, and follow your manner through the remainder of our introductory photography categories. They cowl the fundamentals of photography — film, optics, and flash — good for those that haven’t studied the art and science of photography before. Although the fundamentals could appear too basic you want to have this solid foundation. It won’t take that long! You don’t have to learn all of this info, however it’s essential that you just square measure alert to these necessary fundamentals of photography. Our different photography tutorials cowl cameras, computers, digital instrumentality, and different photography topics. There’s lots of nice photography info on these pages, thus try and check all of them out. Visit US as your Film and photography Reference. Our web site might not look slick, however these pages contain thirty years of photography techniques and knowledge which will assist you become a top-notch, victory artist. To urge started, visit the course links below.	https://medium.com/@CageKristine/free-photography-course-ad383b6583cb	['Kristine Cage']	2019-06-17 11:10:20.938000+00:00	['Photography', 'Course']
Is Olymp Trade a Scam or Not: A Real Review	There has been continued speculation as to whether or not Olymp Trade is a scam. As a Fixed Time Trading platform that is registered outside of the best known regulatory branches, it is an easy question to have. This article will answer your burning questions around whether or not Olymp Trade is a scam. What is Olymp Trade? Olymp Trade is a trading platform that allows traders to set Fixed Time Trading for currency pairs, commodities, stocks, indices, and cryptocurrencies. This means the platform allows traders to open a position predicting the price will go up or down. This is also known as Fixed Time Trading because a trader is typically only able to choose up or down. On Olymp Trades platform traders can also push, meaning they believe the price will remain the same. Trade durations can be set in one-minute increments up to twenty-four-hours. Traders are able to see the percentage profit they will make for each trade before they place it. This allows them to pick the pairs that they best understand and will be most profitable. Upon choosing that the price will go up, down, or remain the same for a currency pair, index, or stock the money is taken from the trader’s account to cover the trade. Once a successful trade is completed the money is immediately credited to a traders account. Unlike some other trading platforms Olymp Trade does not take a percentage of trades, deposits, or withdrawals. How is Olymp Trade not a Scam? There is risk inherent within all trades; those executed on Olymp Trade’s platform are no exception. Olymp Trade is a member of International Financial Commission. This membership effectively insures traders on the platform, providing them protection from fraudulent activities on the part of the broker. To become a member, the Commission investigated Olymp Trade’s practices to determine it was not a scam. The International Financial Commission acts as a third party intermediary between the trader and Olymp Trade if a trader feels they have been cheated or scammed by the platform. If Olymp Trade scammed its traders each trader would be eligible to receive up to 20,000 Euro from the International Financial Commission. Beyond Olymp Trade’s membership as mentioned before they do not have a typical pay structure. Unlike some platforms, Olymp Trade does not take a percentage of traders’ earnings, whether at the moment of the trade or upon withdrawal, charge transaction fees, or scam traders with hidden fees. With the exception of a small fee for keeping a position open overnight. Many people use this as their justification in their belief that Olymp Trade is a scam. Though there are few fees, Olymp Trade has a better way to turn a profit. To better illustrate why Olymp Trade does not need to charge fees while not being a scam: two traders are placing opposing Fixed Time Trading on the platform; Charlie believes the price will go up and Rajesh believes the price will go down; they both open a $100 position for five minutes with the potential of earning 80%. At the end of the five-minutes, Rajesh is correct and $180 is added to his account. The $100 dollars Charlie lost is used to cover the $80 Rajesh earned, and the remaining $20 is collected by Olymp Trade. This is how Olymp Trade is able to charge few fees while not being a scam. The money that is collected from opposing positions is used to create a reserve to handle any trades that do not have an opposite. Trading is risky; therefore most traders are not going to be correct with every option they choose. When a trader is not correct their deposit covers the earnings of someone whose strategy won out. There are maximum wager limits to ensure that all gains can be covered. Olymp Trade is not a scam because it holds a reserve of money to pay out to winning bids if there is no opposing trade. This reserve grows with every wrong choice and since there are not 100% Fixed Time Trading: meaning you bid $100 and are correct you would receive $200, the reserve will hold. What Else Should I Know? Traders can receive status with qualifying deposits, granting them access to live advisors who respond in 15 seconds or less on average, higher earning potential, and risk-free trades. Experts also receive access to exclusive webinars and trading strategies. Payouts are quickly made directly to the bank account or e-wallet traders use to deposit money. Withdrawing funds is simple and are generally completed within 3 business days. There is a minimum withdrawal limit, but no maximum. With a scam, traders would not receive their money or be charged exorbitant fees drastically reducing their payout. The user interface was made to be intuitive, easy to use, and understand. Olymp Trade provides educational materials on trend indicators and different strategies. A chat box helps deliver information about the many different topics. There are a continuously increasing number of videos and webinars on a range of topics. New ones come out often to keep traders up to date with the latest trends and platform changes. To complement their educational material Olymp trade provides a free demo trading platform. New traders are able to set up accounts without making a deposit to the platform. Traders have a safe space to try and learn new strategies in a live market setting without risking their own money. There is also an Analytics section. Technical analysis gives traders an opportunity to take an in-depth look at individual assets and pairs traded on the platform. The Economic calendar shows relevant events for the coming week. There is also a convenient section on Volatility as affected by trading times and what that means for the trader. Trading signals assist traders in making educated decisions based on compiled data. In conclusion, Olymp Trade is not a scam. Trading is a complex world. Olymp Trade is a fantastic trading platform to learn on, perfect for anyone looking to experiment with Fixed Time Trading, even if only to practice strategies. Though as a platform Olymp Trade does not adhere to usual fee structures and money-making practices, it is not a scam but an innovator in the realm of Fixed Time Trading.	https://medium.com/@emn2018/is-olymp-trade-a-scam-or-not-a-real-review-7bffd59476b0	['Emmanuel Nwankwo']	2020-09-14 06:29:59.940000+00:00	['Forex Brokers', 'Forex Traders', 'Forex', 'Trading']
South Jersey Mall History: Echelon Mall	this story was last updated in August 2021 The original Echelon Mall sign (photo by Peter Planamente) Fast Facts Opened in 1970 \| Renamed Voorhees Town Center in 2008 Located in Voorhees, New Jersey (Camden County) Developer: The Rouse Company Owner: Mason Asset Management, Namdar Realty Group Number of Floors: 2 Website Anchors Lit Brothers 1970–1977 Strawbridge & Clothier 1970–2006 JCPenney 1976–2003, demolished 2007 Gimbel’s (former Lit Brothers) 1977–1986 Stern’s (former Gimbel’s) 1986–1992 Boscov’s (former Stern’s) 1992-present Sears 1998–2001, demolished 2007 Macy’s (former Strawbridge & Clothier) 2006-2017, now vacant Echelon Mall was one of the most popular malls in the Philadelphia area and was the second largest in South Jersey, behind Cherry Hill, with over one million square feet of leasable space. Things drastically took a turn for the worse as the new millennium approached. Before the mall was built, the property was a large farmland in the 1930s and flying enthusiasts Rogers and Jeannette Smith bought the land in 1939 to turn into an airfield. It was named “Echelon Airfield” in 1944 and featured 20 planes, 3 grass runways, a gift shop, cafe and a hangar for 6 planes. The field was mainly used for recreational flying and lessons. After Rogers died in a flying accident in 1950, Jeannette leased the airfield to a friend until she sold the property in the 1960s. The Rouse Company expressed interest in buying the airfield and turning it into a new mall. The 1970s Those plans went forward and The Rouse Company began construction for the new Echelon Mall in 1969. It took over a year to build and was opened to the public in late September of 1970. The mall featured two department stores, Lit Brothers and Strawbridge & Clothier, and two floors of retail stores. A few years after the grand opening, in 1976, phase two began on the mall which added more retail space past the Strawbridge’s in center court. A third department store, JCPenney, anchored the end of the newly built wing. In 1977, Lit Brothers department store went out of business. Soon after, Stern’s filled the space and remained in the mall for a few years before Gimbel’s took over. Boscov’s has occupied the space since the last 1980s. The department store has remained largely untouched with neon signs, a mirrored ceiling and a staircase in between the escalators. The 1980s Around 1985, a food court was added to the mall which featured over 10 eateries, large booths, trees and light bulb arches. Chick-fil-A, Bain’s Deli, McDonald’s, Arby’s, Dairy Queen and Popeyes were only a select few that occupied space throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The 1990s In the early 1990s, Exhilarama was added outside of the food court. It featured indoor amusements and entertainment, which was very popular among teens and families. A General Cinema also occupied a nearby space. The mall remained busy into the 1990s and was a hangout for families, teenagers and workers who had jobs at the office buildings surrounding the mall property. Towards the end of the 1990s, the shopping experience began to change and the Echelon Mall began its long decline into the abyss. In 1996, the popular Exhilarama shut its doors after owner Edison Brothers Stores filed for bankruptcy in late 1995 and shut a majority of their stores. The General Cinema closed down not long after. The Rouse Company began revitalizing their mall properties and decided to construct a new Sears, which opened in 1998 next door to JCPenney. The mall continued a slow decline into the new millennium as the internet began ramping up, teens found new places to hangout and shopping habits changed. The 2000s Three years after their opening, Sears closed and the newly constructed building sat empty. Just two years after Sears closed, JCPenney decided to close. This left the phase two portion of the mall with no department stores and the remaining retailers, such as Suncoast Motion Picture Company, Lenscrafters, The Shoe Department, The Disney Store, and popular superhero and WWE store “Hall of Heroes” to close or move into a different section of the mall. Me, in the demolished portion of the Echelon Mall (January 2006) By 2003, The Rouse Company sold the mall to PREIT and the new owners began brainstorming on redeveloping the mall. One idea was to build a new Walmart on the property and demolish part of the mall space. Township residents hated this idea and shot it down quickly. This left PREIT to come up with another idea while Echelon Mall was continuing to decline with a rising vacancy rate. In 2006, a new plan was put in place to demolish half of the mall, from just past Strawbridge’s at center court to JCPenney, and build an outdoor boulevard with restaurants, shops and apartments. Redevelopment and demolition began in early 2007. The Exhilarama and General Cinema building was demolished for more parking, the new Sears building was demolished as well as JCPenney. The remaining portion of the mall would be remodeled with new floors and lighting. Boscov’s and Strawbridge’s remained as the two department stores, with Strawbridge’s converted to Macy’s during this time. Construction was completed in late 2008 and Echelon Mall was renamed “Voorhees Town Center.” PREIT ran out of money and the remaining redevelopment plans did not go through. Medical offices and the Voorhees municipal offices moved to the upper level of the mall and a few restaurants occupied the outdoor boulevard. The remaining portion of the mall continued to decline with more stores and eateries closing. The 2010s Abandoned Macy’s / Former Strawbridge’s (photo by Peter Planamente) In 2015, PREIT sold the mall to Namdar Realty Group for $13.4 million. Macy’s remained in the mall until 2017 when the company closed under performing stores. This left Boscov’s as the only department store in the mall. Even through the decline, Boscov’s continues to be a popular destination for residents in the area. By 2018, news began circulating that Voorhees Township was deciding to condemn the mall and take ownership from Namdar for neglecting the property. The township made plans to redevelop the mall by razing part of it, turning the former Macy’s building into more apartments and town homes, turning the food court into a beer court and adding entertainment like laser tag, sports bars and outdoor movies. Brandywine Financial Corporation struck an agreement of sale with Namdar in a closed-door negotiation to redevelop. The 2020s In April of 2020, Brandywine Acquisition & Development has backed out of their plans for the mall, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mall is largely considered dead. The three floor Macy’s building is dark and abandoned, the upper level of the mall is deserted with only township offices, a realtor and a foundation center remaining. Brooklyn Pizza was the last remaining eatery inside of the food court until it closed in early August 2021. Over the previous years, Saladworks, Enerjuicer, Yanagi, Subway, and Chick-fil-A have closed or moved outside of the mall. View of the food court from the second floor (photo by Peter Planamente) LensCrafters, which has been operating at the mall since the 1980s, left the mall to open a new location at The Promenade at Sagemore in Marlton. The glory days of Echelon will forever live in our memories. Voorhees residents hope that it will someday be back to its former self. — — — Thank you for reading this story! For other mall stories, please visit my Medium page Want me to cover something? Contact me at peterplanamente@gmail.com	https://medium.com/@plana-journ/south-jersey-mall-history-echelon-mall-3b41ec237d6e	['Peter Planamente']	2021-08-29 13:19:55.587000+00:00	['Malls', 'New Jersey', 'Voorhees Town Center', 'Echelon Mall', 'Voorhees Township']
How to Choose the URL That Best Markets Your Business Online	How to Choose the URL That Best Markets Your Business Online Selecting the URL is a critical marketing element to your success — here’s what to plan for your website. Robinson’s in Chicago made a strategic decision to select a URL based on its ribs offering. But businesses must be leery of selecting a URL that does not reflect its other offerings. URL. Three letters that are very important to businesses online. They are meant to give users a way of connecting to a business through a Website page, social media profile, Web app, or a digital medium. Often businesses like to include a keyword into the URL. The purpose of the keyword is to draw a site to a higher position on a given search query and become more discoverable to people who are conducting the search. Because the people doing the search are potential customers, businesses consider this strategy a terrific way to attract customers at a low initial cost. However, words have to be chosen carefully and weighed against how a business operates. Keywords for businesses often are the common products and services they are offering. In a search those words are usually searched every day — tires, pies, home repair, restaurants — the list can go on. Many businesses change over time. This means that the URL has to change to reflect the new offerings as part of an SEO strategy. Despite the seemingly high priority to insert keywords in a website, a too-specific keyword can create a branding issue for a business. The business can be too well-known for one product, when it may want to focus on other offerings that have a higher margin. For example, let's say that our restaurant that has focused on barbeque rib and chicken decides to offer another set of meals, ones that have a better profit margin for the restaurant. A URL like www.RIBS1.com may remind customers more of the ribs than the other meals. In general, being too specific in the URL can overlook an opportunity to shift a business’ brand towards an image that entices customers to call for other offerings or even to call more frequently. This does not mean you can’t change a URL. Of course, you can change it. But changing URLs can trigger a reevaluation of a website structure to incorporate keywords. That creates a lot of work to match the services the business offers more services that appear more frequently in search queries. With that in mind, let’s look at what steps you should keep in mind when selecting a URL for your business, be it a small owner-operator, a non-profit organization, or a burgeoning enterprise.	https://medium.com/better-marketing/how-to-choose-the-best-url-that-best-markets-your-business-online-2acd084c129c	['Pierre Debois']	2020-10-19 23:40:55.163000+00:00	['Marketing', 'SEO', 'Business', 'Website Design', 'Strategy']
I Found Peace Painting Walls	I Found Peace Painting Walls Photo by David Pisnoy on Unsplash A relaxing read for your tea break to ground your overactive mind. Among the many whites to choose from, I picked one called Dairy Belle. How did the paint company come up with such a beautiful name? It reminds me of a beautiful green field, with a lonely cattle called Belle, gracefully chewing grass. Dairy Belle is a creamy white paint with a hint of yellow and brown. I knew it because shops now can mix the paint in front of you. Whatever you choose on the catalogue, the system will know exactly how many drops of other colours to be added to the white paint, give it a shake and you have it. The beauty of technology. First coat I open my freshly mixed Dairy Belle and give it a further mix with a wooden spatula. A trace of yellow paint lingering on the side of the pot swirls into the creamy white, and my pot is ready to go. I pour some onto the tray and run a sponge roller through it. The roller absorbs the paint quickly and gracefully, longing to start the art project with me. It’s a piece of wood prank I need to paint and the wood has a reddish teak colour. I observe the grain on the wood, horizontal lines running from west to east, inviting my roller to begin its first stroke. Dairy Belle is non-spattable, the lady at the shop told me. But I am still careful, don’t want the paint to smear my top. The paint glided on the wood beautifully. The thin paint still showing a hint of the wood colour underneath. I run the roller along the grain with joy, it’s a lot of fun. Quickly but thinly, Dairy Belle is all over my wood prank. I announce the first coat is complete. Waiting Waiting is always difficult for me. As I sit on the floor staring at the beautiful wood wall cover with a semi-transparent layer of white paint, many thoughts flood in my head. When I was painting, just a minute ago, my concentration seemed to have built a fence, rejecting any pointless thoughts. I was completely in the present moment. And now, waiting, the fence is removed. I still stare at the wall, the dampness of the paint slowly fades. I observe my breathing, perform a brief meditation. Didn’t the painting activity give me peace? Wasn’t it keeping in the present moment? Hasn’t it removed unnecessary thoughts? Painting is calming, it’s truly as meditation as me sitting down eyes closed. I smile at this thought, grateful for Dairy Belle. Very soon, spring will come again and I will see green leaves growing. Maybe I will see Belle somewhere in the countryside. Patience is important when painting. Before one coat is fully dry, gliding more paint on will not add anything but lift the first coat up. But now, it’s time. The wall becomes matte, I can paint again. Second coat It’s beautiful, the creamy qualities of Dairy Belle is fully shown upon applying the second coat. It fills in all the micro-gaps the first coat hasn’t managed to cover. The thick paint attaches to the wood securely. From now on, they won’t leave each other. This wood prank is now renewed. Every roll I apply with care, I observe how different force changes the distribution of the paint. I observe how some area doesn’t seem to hold the paint. I have no idea why, but it’s fascinating. Beginner’s mind. It’s not my first time painting, but every time, the paint shows new qualities and behaviour that’s unpredictable. This is the layer that will show to the world going forward, it’s important to get it right. But also fine if I need to add another coat, there’s nothing really irreversible in life. The smile on my face is natural, the process of painting is quiet. It’s the most peaceful activity when it comes to renovating a home. It’s a silent force in an orchestra, accompanying sawing, drilling and hammering, in the attempt to redecorate a space. My space is nourished by Dairy Belle. My mind is peaceful and calm. My patience is tested and strengthened.	https://medium.com/change-your-mind/i-found-peace-painting-walls-f6d0770e3949	['Midori The Sea']	2020-12-27 11:01:18.058000+00:00	['Meditation', 'Home', 'Relaxation', 'Self', 'Mindfulness']
Shubham Banerjee: VC-Backed Entrepreneur, Optimist	Santa Clara, California At 12, Shudham Banerjee invented the Braigo, a braille printer that he built out of Legos for a science fair. That led to the formation of his company, Braigo Labs, which he founded with his parents. Medium: What are you up to these days, in school and with your company? Shudham Banerjee: Currently I’m a senior in high school at Santa Clara High. I’m on the football team, playing quarterback, and studying and making sure my grades are good so I can get into a good college. With the company, right now we are still in development for the final product. We are talking to different designers and have a lot of different things planned. You were reportedly one of the youngest people ever to receive venture capital funding. Are you still actively out there looking for money? Or are you just doing development? I can’t disclose too much, but there are a lot of talks with different companies. What has been the hardest thing you’ve done so far in your life? I think one of the hardest things was making my first invention — Braigo 1.0 — especially the start of the project. I had motivation, but I had no assurance that this was actually going to happen. Let’s be clear: You were 12 years old then, right? Right, yeah. What was your motivation? After researching and inquiring about vision-impaired people around the world, my motivation was just the people themselves. I asked myself: If not me, then who? It was just something I really wanted to do. Most 12-year-olds are, you know, running around on their bikes and hanging out with their friends. But you were inventing stuff to help vision-impaired people. I was still a normal 12-year-old. I was hanging out with my friends. I was riding my bike. But this was just something that I really needed to get done, because once I start something, I have to finish it. That’s my mindset. On that note, what do adults get wrong about your generation? People think that just because we’re teenagers, we don’t understand what’s going on. A lot of the people in my school know what’s going on — with gun violence in schools, Black Lives Matter. We’re all involved — super involved. And we’re about to make the political decisions in our country. But at the same time, I get where they come from, because there are a lot of other people in our generation who don’t understand what’s going on and don’t even care to have any involvement in any of the political discussions. Would you say you are fundamentally an optimist or a pessimist? Definitely an optimist. I will never look at the downside. Say, in football, if we’re losing by 30 points, I still don’t care. I still think the score is 0–0 and we’re going to score. Why do you think you’re like that? I think my parents have instilled that in me ever since I was young. They never told me to give up. They never told me just throw it away and start over. They always told me to persevere through everything and just keep my head up. What do you think the future holds for the country? I love America. I moved here from Belgium, but ever since, I’ve just been in love with the country. And definitely, we need to be united as a people, but once all that clears up, and once people really understand, I think we’ll be okay. How old were you when you and your family came here? Was it hard? I was about five. The transition was very quick and easy. I met friends really fast. I loved it here. The people are so nice. My teachers in kindergarten were very sweet to me. Who in your life inspires you? I think my dad inspires me the most. Seeing him come from a different country and then work his way up here in America and what he’s done — it inspires me a lot. He’s someone I really want to be like when I grow up.	https://medium.com/s/the-edge-of-adulthood/shubham-banerjee-vc-backed-entrepreneur-optimist-7fb22963cfa7	['Kris Frieswick']	2018-09-27 15:09:15.299000+00:00	['Entrepreneurship', 'Future', 'Generation', 'Teens', 'Youth']
The evolution of Feminism	Evolution of Feminism The term feminism is used to describe a political, cultural or economic movement aimed at establishing equal rights and legal protection for women. It also includes the political and sociological theories which are concerned with the issues of gender difference, movements that promote gender equality for women and campaigns for the rights and interests of women. Feminism has changed perspectives in several areas with our society, ranging from culture to law. Feminists activist around the world have fought and campaigned for the legal rights of women ( contract rights, property rights, voting rights), abortion rights, reproductive rights, from the protection of women and girls from domestic violence like sexual harassment, rape; workplace rights including maternity leave and equal pay; misogyny and various other gender-specific discrimination against women. Although the terms “Feminism” and “Feminist” did not gain importance until the late ninety’s, they were already being used amongst the common people much earlier. The first instance of feminism can be drawn from 24 centuries back, when Plato argued for the political and social equality of women, advocating that they should also be the members of the highest class and should also be allowed to rule and fight for themselves. Another example dates back from the late 7th or 8th century when a female Tamil saint name Andal, who was well known for her writing, married Vishnu. This divine act of hers was regarded as a feminist act by some, as it allowed her to avoid the regular duties of a wife and gain self-government. During much of its history, most of these movements had leaders who were mostly middle-class white women from Western Europe and North America. However, after Sojourner’s Truth’s 1851 speech to American feminists, women of other races also joined in. This trend accelerated in the 1960s with the Civil Rights movement in the United States and the downfall of the European colonialism in Africa, the Caribbean and other parts of Latin America and South-east Asia. According to Maggie Humm and Rebecca Walker, the history of feminism can be divided into three waves. The first wave refers to the movements during the late ’90s and the early 20th century, the second one lasting from 1960 to the late 1980s and finally, the third wave extends from 1990 to the present. Feminists activity during the early 19th and the early 20th century sought to win women’s suffrage, female education rights, better working conditions and to put an end to gender double standards. Before fighting for their rights, feminist leaders also campaigned for the national abolition of slavery and temperance in the United States. However, this activism was not only limited to the United States. In the mid-nineteenth century in Persia, Tahirih, who was a poet and a religious reformer, proclaimed the equality of women at her execution. Activists were protesting for women’s rights in Germany, campaigning for suffrage rights in Japan, protests were also going on in other parts of the world like South Australia, New Zealand, but the majority of them focused on women’s suffrage. Finally, the first wave of feminism in the United States ended with the Nineteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which granted white women the right to vote. Second-wave feminism marks a period of feminist activity from the early 1960s through the late 1980s that saw cultural and political issues closely linked. Where the first wave focused on suffrage, second-wave feminists focused on other cultural equality issues such as ending discrimination. It was during this time when women in Chicago, got disappointed by the New Left and published “Voice of Women’s Liberation Movement” in 1968 which further led to the formation of Chicago Women’s Liberation Union in 1969. Bra burning, although fictional, also got associated with this movement. The rise of the liberation movement led to increased female enrollment in higher education, the establishment of academic women’s studies course and departments and feminist ideologies in fields such as politics, sociology, history and literature. This educational shift in interests questioned the status quo, its standards and its authorities. The last wave began in the late 1980s in response to what young women perceived as failures of the initiatives and movements of the second wave. It also challenged the definition of the second wave of feminism which overemphasized the role of upper-middle-class white women. This phase mainly focused on the structural interpretation of gender and sexuality. It resulted in debates between feminists and those who believed that there was no difference between the sexes and the gender roles are a result of the social development which we go through. So do we have a fourth wave also? I’d say YES !! This is not something which has been officially said, but the recent development in the feminist movement can be termed as the fourth wave of feminism. It is a wave connected through technology which combines politics, psychology and spirituality perfectly. Now feminism talks about post-abortion events, plus-size fashion, transgender rights, male feminism, sex work acceptance and many more. Petitions across social media have become so common nowadays which are concerned about different aspects related to the male as well as female society. “To shave, or Not to shave” also shows how the new generation of women is embracing body hair. All these are acts of feminism. Feminism isn’t something which has grown overnight; it is a gradual process. From the point where people were fighting for women suffrage to now, where people are raising voices against pity issues and filing petitions for them, feminism has evolved a lot. I wouldn’t say that this is something terrible, and we need to keep a check on it, but there’s a saying: “Too much of everything is bad for health.” Feminism is growing day by day, and some people started to portray it in the wrong way. These are the things on which we need to keep an eye on, or else this would lead us to something which can, later on, prove harmful for our society.	https://medium.com/the-underdog-writing-project/the-evolution-of-feminism-7e68de256166	['Archit Singh']	2020-06-03 05:58:14.779000+00:00	['Feminist', 'Essay Writing', 'Equality', 'Feminism', 'Revolution']
The Weekly Top 3 (12.21.2020)	Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of December 21, 2020, our last podcast of the year. The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on FacebookLive and via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. I join Michael each week on Tuesday’s show, from 6:20–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about the three issues. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) our take on the ADN’s outlook for the coming legislative session (1:50), 2) why former Governor Murkowski’s proposal that the state bid on ANWR leases is a bad idea for the state (16:45), and 3) as we approach the end of the year, our view of the biggest issue facing Alaskans in 2021 (25:21). The segment is at the YouTube clip above. For those that prefer the audio version, it is available both on our Spotify and Soundcloud pages. For this and other complete podcasts of The Michael Dukes Show, go to the Show’s Soundcloud page here.	https://medium.com/alaskans-for-sustainable-budgets/the-weekly-top-3-12-21-2020-1fe24723fdfb	['Brad Keithley']	2020-12-24 23:34:53.854000+00:00	['Taxes', 'Fiscal Policy', 'Alaska', 'Podcast', 'Oil']
Adelaide Haunted Places	Adelaide Haunted Places Ghosts, disembodied voices and the feeling of being watched or touched! Adelaide Arcade 1916. Image — commons.wikimedia.org Crossley Otto Horizontal Engine. Image — Wikimedia Commons. Francis Cluney lay dead, his body caught between the electrical generator engine and its flywheel, a horrible sight of legs protruding from the machine, so mangled his injuries were later described as terrible. In 1885 Adelaide Arcade, an early covered shopping mall in Adelaide, was one of the first buildings to have electricity, with its own generating plant in a room off the side of the arcade. It housed an Otto Crossley horizontal gas engine fitted with two, approximately one tonne, flywheels and about 3 metres away were two dynamos, with the engine and dynamos connected by belts. Cluney was the security guard for the Arcade. On the Winter evening of the 21st June 1887 the lights were lit at 5.15pm, then at about 8.00 pm an electrical engineer for the Arcade Company left Cluney in charge of the machine room, with instructions to shut it down if anything went wrong, while he went to install new lights at the Adelaide Jubilee Exhibition, 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign. Shortly after the engineer left, the lights went out and upon investigation the catastrophic accident was discovered. Many people since have claimed to hear and feel his spirit within the arcade, especially when the lights go out. Opening of Waterfall Gully Kiosk, 1912. Image — Wikimedia Commons. Waterfall Gully is a scenic area of bushland close to Adelaide and is popular with walkers and for refreshments at the kiosk and tearooms. It was a hot, December summers day in 1929 when a fire started in the bushland near the kiosk at Waterfall Gully. Police constables attended, with a carload arriving to help fight the fire, including Constable Thomas Tregowth. He and a colleague were beating out a grass fire above the kiosk when flames came up the steep slope behind them. Tregowth lost his footing on the steep slope and fell down a sheer drop. He died from fall injuries and severe burns. There have been many reports of seeing a young man in an old-style blue uniform in the area. Some have said his uniform seems to glow in the dark. National Art Gallery of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide. Image — Wikimedia Commons. Woman in a rocking chair. Image — Wikimedia Commons. The National Art Gallery of South Australia, moved into its present building on North Terrace, Adelaide in 1900. Various tales have been told about the reasons for the hauntings in the building including that people in the past were hung in the area, that the site was previously used as a cemetery and possibly because of the old art works displayed in the building. There have been reports of a woman in a rocking chair, seen after hours and when security personnel get closer, she slowly disappears. Another intriguing story is of two security people opening a doorway and seeing a desert scene, but only for a few seconds and the scene dissolved into the present carpark that is there. Carclew House, North Adelaide. Image — Wikimedia Commons. Carlew House in North Adelaide is located adjacent to the city CBD and is now an arts centre for teenagers and young adults. It was bought by Langdon Bonython in 1908 and used as a residence by him and his wife. Reports say that Langdon threw his wife out of the top window but she didn’t die, so he threw her out again! Some visitors to the art centre say they have seen an apparition of a young woman, mostly on the top floor. Old Adelaide Gaol, ‘A’ Wing. Image — Adelaide Gaol Ghost Tour — Adelaide Haunted Horizons Old Adelaide Gaol is located alongside of Adelaide and quite near to the River Torrens. Prisoners used to grow vegetables on the alluvial river flats between the goal and the river. Many prisoners died in the goal from disease, 45 were executed, most were buried between the two security walls surrounding the main gaol buildings. With so much death in miserable surroundings it is not surprising that many people have reported seeing apparitions of prisoners, hearing voices and feelings of being watched and touched. There have been reports of objects moving on their own. There are night time tours of the gaol available, just don’t get left behind and locked in. West Terrace Cemetery, actors or ghosts? Image — West Terrace Cemetery By Night \| Tour SA West Terrace Cemetery was Adelaide’s main cemetery from 1837 and is the burial site of a host of dubious individuals, larrikins and mysterious figures with its fair share of murderers. There have been many reports of sightings of apparitions and feelings of a presence being alongside. It is a historic site but still open for business, so to speak, if you would like to be buried there. Night time tours are available, these take in the history of the site and the other-worldly nature that sometimes can be felt at night. Actors are used to portray some of the more famous people, at least I think they are all actors. Wandjina are Australian Aboriginal Ancestral Spirits. Wandjina rock art on the Barnett River, Mount Elizabeth Station, Kimberley region, Western Australia. Photograph — Graeme Churchard. Australian Aboriginal Ancestors are still very much a part of our Country and they play a powerful role in the Connection of Aboriginal People to Country. I was speaking to an Aboriginal man only the other day, he had just given the Welcome to Country address at a book launch I was attending. He told me that the welcome was also to help non-Aboriginal people appreciate and feel the connection to the country that Aboriginal people feel. He said at times when you are sitting by the camp fire at night, an airy feeling comes over you and you know someone is sitting next to you, but if you look you can’t see them. My experience with the Aboriginal Ancestors was on Mount Barker Summit, a large hill near Adelaide and home to the Peramangk People. I was carrying out some work for the Mount Barker Municipal Council, pruning native vegetation along the Rotary Track which runs around the top of the summit. The walking track was originally established by the Rotary Service Club, hence the name, and it also winds itself around the summit in a rotary shape. I’d parked my ute on a fire track at the bottom of the summit, walked up to the track and proceeded to work pruning the over-grown vegetation on the edges of the track. I kept working late in the day to finish and save coming back the next day which resulted in me finishing on the other side of the summit as it was getting dark. I walked back along the dark track as night closed in, soon sensing others behind me, but no one was there to be seen. Eventually I reached the other side of the mount and proceeded downhill through the bush and what seemed like Ancestral Elders behind each pink gum! I was pretty spooked! When I finally reached my ute I got in, locked all the doors and took off quick. I still had to go through one gate and when relocking the gate, I’m sure I could hear or sense laughter. Since then, I have learnt that Aboriginal Ancestral Elders do have a reputation for a mischievous sense of humour! I’ve also learnt that the summit was a meeting pace and a place for trade, everyone was welcome there. It is a Significant Site to Aboriginal People but not a Sacred Site, it was ok for me to be there, the Ancestors were just having fun, but maybe they were also making sure I didn’t step on a snake in the dark. I’ve been back on that summit many times since but always long before it gets dark! I hope you have enjoyed this article about the more ghostly side of Adelaide, it isn’t that scary here if you want to come and visit, maybe just don’t go out at night! References: Lefevre, C. (2016). Quiet City: Walking in West Terrace Cemetery. Adelaide, South Australia: Wakefield Press. Book.	https://medium.com/show-your-city/adelaide-haunted-places-16024fa2c7bf	['Peter Miles']	2020-12-31 08:14:08.251000+00:00	['Show Your City', 'Adelaide', 'Aboriginal', 'Ghosts', 'South Australia']
Zeiss Sonnar T* 90mm f2.8 — A Long-Term Review	The Contax G mount has a flange distance of 29mm. As this is shorter than the flange distance of common SLR mounts like the EF and F mount, lenses for the Contax G mount cannot be adapted to Canon and Nikon DSLRs. However, they can be adapted to most modern mirrorless camera mounts with a relatively thin adapter. There are several adapters available for Contax G lenses, and they can be categorised into three types: 1. Thin-ring type: generally the cheapest and smallest. I have a no-brand one that is not smooth and often gets stuck thanks to poor tolerances. Trying to focus is a miserable experience. Even those under brand names seem to have the same design (the Kipon one might fare better). I would not recommend one of these unless you can get your hands on one in a store and ensure that it operates smoothly. 2. Thick-ring type: these use a much thicker ring that encircles the base of the lens. The increased size of the ring helps a lot with handling but contributes size and weight. These tend to be smoother and more well made. As far as I know, only the Fotodiox Pro, Metabones and Ulata fall into this category. I use the Ulata myself. The Ulata Contax G to Fujifilm X adapter 3. Autofocus: Techart Contax G adapter. Only available for E-mount, unlike the others. A motor drives the screw in the lens to enable autofocus, but manual focus is also possible with a small dial on the side. Image from Techart For most, the second, thick-ring type is the most desirable kind of adapter. However, there is one more option, that is quite a bit more involved: a lens rehousing. Some folks have managed to rehouse the lens inside the body of another vintage lens, and make use of that lens’s helicoid to achieve manual focus in a fashion similiar to most other manual lenses. You can find more at this thread on Fred Miranda.	https://medium.com/@aloysiuschowhc/zeiss-sonnar-t-90-f2-8-a-long-term-review-2495623820ae	['Aloysius Chow']	2020-05-06 04:47:34.434000+00:00	['Lenses', 'Review', 'Photography', 'Gear']
5 Fundamental Secrets To Making Money Online That No Web Developer Will Share With You!	5 Fundamental Secrets To Making Money Online That No Web Developer Will Share With You! Mikhail Howitz May 27, 2019·6 min read One of the most pivotal decisions human beings are faced with today is if you should keep growing a career in your 9–5 job or do you become an entrepreneur? Learning how to make money online can be tricky and this is the reason I felt a strong urge to put out some resourceful information on how you can start your own online business and make money online, while still keeping your day job. Imagine living your journey for five years, then abruptly discovering everything you worked toward was nothing near what you expected. A large number of people coming out of college or in corporate careers go through this experience. The career path you chose to study for 4 years, so you could finally get a job that eventually you wake up one day and realize that this is just not for you… It sucks, but it honestly is a reality for most young and old individuals in the corporate world. Entrepreneurship is not an easy journey, the time and money you invest only begin to manifest later on, but like all businesses the faster you get started the faster you get paid. All I want to say to you is that you can fall into the trap of being a procrastinator or you can get to work. When starting a business all sorts of excuses will come your way, “I don’t have the money to start a business, where will I find the time”, whatever excuses you are about to think of, I’ve already heard it and that is why I have made it simple for you to find a business idea and then grow your business into a brand and begin to make money online. All you have to do is follow these 5 simple steps: If you are reading this article now, it tells me you have access to a smartphone or a desktop device, either way, all you need is access to the internet. If you have a smartphone, go to the app store or play store and download an app called Pinterest or if you are on a desktop device go to www.Pinterest.com to access the website. Pinterest is a social network platform that gives you access to all types of creative ideas in really cool images, where you can share your images and gain inspiration from what already exists on the platform. Once you have logged onto Pinterest, search for images or ideas you think will do well and begin to save these images of current and relevant products to your account. Once you have identified a few products you now have a basic idea of what you can sell to your market. I would advise you to do some research to see what your competitors are selling and then write down a few ideas on how you can make your product more unique. Another tip when researching what product is best to sell online, you can go to www.Amazon.com and click on the top 100 best selling products, then go through those products and identify a few that you have knowledge on, choose one of these products and then head back to Pinterest to grab your cool images. Now that you have your idea, head over to the app store or play store and download an app called Alibaba or go to www.Alibaba.com to look for a supplier of the product you have just identified on Amazon and Pinterest. Alibaba has a world of suppliers and this is where you will find suppliers that will manufacture your products at jaw-dropping inexpensive prices and best of all they will even ship these products to you and your customers. Start speaking to your suppliers and get a feel on the various qualities and prices of the products you are looking to sell. Once you are happy with the pricing, you will need to order a sample and have it delivered to your home, this will enable you to see what the estimated time of arrival looks like and now you can approve the quality of the product before promoting it and sending it to your customers. When you receive your item and you are happy with it, you will be in business. Setting up a simple website won’t take you a long time to do. There are many options, but I want to show you a simple way to set up a domain name and build a website for your products to live on and for your business to look professional online. You might be saying to yourself I don’t have a logo for my product… This next step will allow you to get a business set up online very quickly. Shopify is an e-commerce site that provides you a platform online for you to sell your products and services if you have a service based company. For now, we are just going to focus on setting up a product based online business. Get yourself a FREE trial at www.shopify.com which you can operate on either a smartphone or a desktop device. Shopify will help you design a logo for your business and add in all your products onto your new e-commerce website platform. You can pick from a range of cool templates that suits your business well and set up your payment gateways to be linked to your business bank account. Once your Shopify website is set up, now its time to share your business with the world. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn all have different purposes and it is vital for you to understand your target market and where your consumers live. Your next step will be to register the businesses social media pages, one small tip will be to keep your domain name and social media names the same. For example, if your business name is “happy socks”, make sure your social media accounts and your domain name reads “happy socks” it just makes it so much easier for your customers to find you. Once you have your social media accounts registered, here are a few apps that will make posting for your business more fun. Typorama, UNUM, Airbrush, and Swish are a few great apps to manage and create a really awesome looking social media account for your brand. Ideally you want to be posting around twice a day for your brands presence to be growing and focus on using a really great choice of hashtags on each post to reach a larger target audience, if you are looking for some amazing Instagram hacks to grow your account, you should check out our “Building a brand online” article on our website www.hypersocialco.com for more information that will help you to grow your business. Remember the more you post the more followers you will gain, the more followers you gain the more leads you will convert. Always make sure in all your social media bio’s you have your website link displayed, driving all your followers to view your business website. This final step is often overlooked by businesses, but if mastered and executed correctly, it will change the growth of your business tremendously. When a customer buys a product online or at a store, it is the experience that allows them to come back and make the second purchase. Focusing on your packaging and how your product is received by your customer is definitely something worth spending your time on. If you are looking to create a great purchasing experience, you must focus on your packaging. If you are looking to achieve a professional product design experience for your business, you can visit www.99designs.com where you can create a packaging experience for your customers with a designer for an affordable once off fee. Allowing all your customers to have an amazing first-time experience when receiving their products from your online business, you can be confident your customers will share their experiences with their friends and loved ones in a way that will send them to your website for their very own first-hand experience. If you are wanting to take your business to new levels and build a profitable online business full time or part time, we would love to connect with you and get to know you. You can connect or reach us at info@hypersocialco.com or visit www.hypersocialco.com and one of our expert consultants will get in touch with you. If you enjoyed this article, please like it and share it with a few friends.	https://medium.com/@mikhail.howitz/unsatisfied-in-your-9-5-job-use-these-5-steps-to-launch-an-online-business-f72d9d09416e	['Mikhail Howitz']	2019-06-03 13:19:26.309000+00:00	['Online Business', 'Ecommerce', 'Side Hustle', 'Build Your Online Store', 'Launch Your Startup']
Hopes and Dreams	Mid pandemic — I finally manned up and earned my drivers license at seventeen. This took many near death experiences, screaming, and a failed test. However, two weeks later my parents surprised me with my dream car. No. Not a Jeep. A Volkswagen Beetle. I can’t describe the love I have for my car. I will probably love this car more than I’ll love my future child. To give you a clear description, she’s gray, and I have added pink to the interior. I’ve also added some battle scars, but everyone has damage right? After getting “her” in June, I’ve hit a fire hydrant, a mailbox, a fence, a parked car, and many curbs. Like I said, battle scars. Now you may ask “why is she telling me about her car?” Well, this connects to my new dream. When I drive, I think, and because of the pandemic, there’s nothing to do, but drive. I started to drive so much, my sisters and I couldn’t listen to music anymore because we were sick of our playlist. Eventually we decided to match each song we heard with a random scenario. For example: a sad song for a death. Eventually, this escalated to doing this game every single day,for weeks. Soon, we had so many random ideas, we got sick of making new ones. My brilliant mind went “what if we make a tv show with an idea we already had?” We did. Like seriously, we did. We have completed episodes, scripts, playlists, cast aspirations, and even decorated our room for character inspiration. Every single day we drive for four hours, cramped in my beetle, and work on “the show.” Now, our life revolves around our hypothetical show. This may sound sad but it is better than crying and eating. Anyways, we wrote the show around typical teenagers struggling with growing up, dating, sexuality, drug use, and broken homes. Yes, it sounds basic, but I promise you it’s pretty good. I don’t want to write out a summary, because duh, what if I get famous. But what I will say is, we have written in representation for the lgbtq community, poc community, different religions, and mental health. The show is very humor based, showing how teenagers very often cope with jokes in serious situations. The relationships vary, and we try to leave out labels when it comes to sexuality. Our character descriptions are very diverse, and we try to write our characters as uniquely as possible. Don’t get me wrong, some are stereotypical, but we’ve attempted to add a twist to each one. The main characters are written after my sisters and I, trying to make them as real as possible. We have also incorporated eating disorders, suicide, addiction, and ptsd. We decided eating disorders are typically portrayed by feelings unhappy with your body, we wanted to show the side of control and represent that. Addiction has lately had some really good tv shows, we wanted to add our own insight on it. Personally, I’ve dealt with mental health issues and met young teens dealing with substance abuse. The stories being used are all loosely based on individuals I’ve encountered. Feelings and habits, not the person themselves. Everything else slowly gets unraveled, again, personal examples are used. My sisters and I often find ourselves screaming at eachother saying our ideas are too cheesy. At least this way, if it’s similar to real life, it can’t be too cheesy right?	https://medium.com/@isliwka21/the-hopes-and-dreams-of-a-teenage-girl-range-on-a-tremendous-scale-9cc139617fb6	[]	2020-12-25 04:10:37.196000+00:00	['Teenagers', 'Writing', 'Storytelling', 'Tik Tok', 'Life']
Summery	our knees, bitten by honeypot ants, we will stain with the brilliant green splashing the table, covered with oilskin and recently washed up plates. I will cover your eyes with my palms, and the sun will curl up at our feet. The tea will be nice. Yesterday’s tea, And you will call me your little one. it’s not at all worth being worried about, and those ants — there’s no pain after all. if only you and I could get out and forever be gone, oh if only.	https://medium.com/weeds-wildflowers/summery-355f6d8569d5	['Anastasia Summersault']	2020-10-04 00:23:01.725000+00:00	['Poetry', 'Self', 'Summer', 'Love', 'Nostalgia']
Talking with Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Privacy by Design inventor	Talking with Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Privacy by Design inventor Discussing developer responsibility, Bill C-11, positive consent, and the importance of Privacy by Design Patricia Thaine Sep 6·20 min read Key Points: Privacy by Design is such an revolutionary concept because it requires proactive action towards protecting user privacy, rather than action after a company gets slapped on the wrist by a lawsuit. Positive consent for every purpose of data collection is crucial in Privacy by Design, with the second principle being Privacy by Default. Privacy by Design is required to reach GDPR compliance and it is win-win: it builds trust with users like nothing else and it can increase the quality of the data collected. Creating a data map for your organization is the first step towards understanding what you need to get consent for and how to best protect their privacy. There is an overwhelming demand for privacy coming from consumers. Transcript: Bio Patricia: I’m really really excited to have Ann Cavoukian with us today, who is the three-term Privacy Commissioner of Ontario previously and the investor of Privacy by Design. She also received so many awards, including in leadership for privacy. She was named one of the top 25 women of influence in Canada. Named among the top 10 women in data security and privacy, and also named as one of the Power 50 by Canadian Business, and also the top 100 leaders in identity, and recently she was also awarded the Meritorious Service medal by the Governor General of Canada. So it is such an honour and pleasure to have our advisor and friend here today. Ann, thank you for joining us. Ann: My pleasure. It’s always a pleasure working with you, Patricia. So it’s truly my pleasure. Patricia: Really excited to dive right in and ask you as many questions as we have time for. There will be a Q&A at the end, so please put in your questions in the chat. What is Privacy by Design and how can organizations embed it into their workflows? Patricia: The first question for you, Ann, is: could you tell us what is Privacy by Design and how can organizations embed it into their workflows? Ann: Privacy by Design is all about being proactive. It’s a model of prevention, much like a medical model of prevention. You want to prevent the privacy harms from arising. See, when I was first appointed as Privacy Commissioner, this was a new concept, because lawyers — and of course, I’m not a lawyer, I’m a psychologist — but lawyers traditionally apply the law once there has been a problem and there’s a data breach or a privacy infraction, you apply the law and get a wonderful remedy. That’s invaluable. But I wanted more than that. I wanted to prevent the privacy harms from arising. So I wanted a model that could be embedded into one’s operations, into the design, and bake it into the code. So I developed Privacy by Design literally at my kitchen table over three nights and then I took it to work and tried to convince the lawyers, which I did, as to how it could complement regulatory compliance, which is after-the-fact. And so I always encourage companies — startups especially, because it’s so easy just starting up — to get this going. You want to ensure that privacy-protective measures are present throughout your entire operation from the get go. Right from the beginning, when you first start data collection. The primary purpose of the data collection. Do you have positive consent? And then do you restrict your use of the data to that purpose? Later on, if you need additional consent, you can go back if you need additional consent for secondary use. But again, you need positive consent. This goes such a long way to building trust. That’s what I’ve been told by companies who have been certified for Privacy by Design. It builds trust like no other. And right now, there’s such a trust deficit. This builds enormous trusted business relationships. I wanted a model that could be embedded into one’s operations, into the design, and bake it into the code. So I developed Privacy by Design literally at my kitchen table over three nights and then I took it to work and tried to convince the lawyers. Patricia: Absolutely love that. And I think we’ve observed that a lot in the new businesses that are popping up and really putting privacy at the forefront. What do people often get wrong when integrating privacy into their workflows? Patricia: A really important question is: what have you found that people get wrong when they’re integrating privacy into their workflows? Ann: You know, they think about it certainly at the beginning, usually. So they start from a good place, but one thing they don’t seem to grasp is that you don’t just get consent for the initial, primary purpose of the data collection and then use the information in a dozen different ways that flow throughout your organization. This is the problem. You need to get consent for every particular use of the data that differentiates itself from the primary purpose of the data collection. So I would say to companies “do you have a data map?” and they always look at me and say “huh?” and I would say “that’s the most valuable thing you can do right from the beginning, because then that maps all of the data throughout your organization and will alert you if you need to obtain additional consent for subsequent purposes that the data are used for that are different from the initial primary purpose of the data collection.” That’s absolutely critical. So if you have a data map, it’s an easy way to map the flow of the personal information throughout your organization and determine if additional consent is required, and then you can obtain it. Patricia: That’s very valuable advice. How does an organization not become chaotic without a data map like that? Ann: Good question. There’s a lot of confusion around the word anonymization. What are some dangers of misusing privacy enhancing technologies? Patricia: We’ve noticed that there’s a lot of confusion around the world around anonymization, right? And we’ve seen it being misused in so many different contexts, in so many different newspaper articles. Can you tell us what some dangers are of misusing privacy enhancing technologies? Ann: The goal is anonymization of data, so that you can use the data for a variety of other purposes and obtain value from it without jeopardizing the privacy of the individuals to whom the data relates. But I always say: look, don’t strive for perfection. Just do your best to move forward and try to achieve anonymization. And the reason I say that is when we talk about de-identifying data, you can’t just strip a name or a number, you have to use strong de-identification protocols combined with a risk of re-identification framework that can minimize the risk or re-identification to less that .05%, which is less that the odds of being hit by lightning if you go outside when it’s raining out. You know, damn good odds. But trying to get perfection, I would avoid that. Try to minimize the likelihood of re-identification, and then you effectively have de-identified data which you can treat as anonymized data. And you can use that data for a variety of other purposes in terms of data utility, which can have enormous value to a company without risking the privacy of the individuals involved, because you’ve gone through great lengths to strongly de-identify, anonymize, the data. That makes it a win-win. Privacy by Design is all about win-win. Let’s get rid of the zero-sum mindset of either-or, win-lose, privacy vs. security, or privacy vs. data utility. That’s nonsense. You need both. And it’s never privacy that wins over the other interests, nor should it be, but I sure as heck am not going to have it lose out all the time. So if you make a strong effort to strongly de-identify the data, reaching the goal of anonymization, then you free yourself and you free the data for enormous data utility that can arise afterward. [I]f you make a strong effort to strongly de-identify the data, reaching the goal of anonymization, then you free yourself and you free the data for enormous data utility that can arise afterward. What are some practical applications for de-identification? Patricia: That leads perfectly into what we want to ask you next, which is: what are some practical applications for this de-identified data, because there is that extra misconception that, when you have anonymous data, it’s no longer useful for anything. Ann: That’s nonsense. Let me talk about smart cities. And you may know that I was retained by Sidewalk Labs when they had the contract to develop the smart city here in Toronto, which is where I live. So I wanted a smart city of privacy, not a smart city of surveillance, and at the time, when they retained me, that’s what they wanted too. They said they wanted me to embed Privacy by Design into the smart city that they envisioned. And after I studied it considerably, I said what we have to do is we have to de-identify data at source, meaning right at the time it’s collected. Because, if you do that, then you strip the personal identifiers right at the time the data are collected. And the reason you need to do that in a smart city is because the tech is everywhere. You can’t just decide here or there. No, it’s everywhere. You risk privacy everywhere. So, you make a policy: I’m going to strip all the data personal identifiers right at the time when it’s collected. De-identify data at source. Then you have massive value from the data you’ve collected for a variety of smart city applications, involving transit, involving the flur of people on highways, and there’s so much you can do with the data. And Sidewalk labs agreed to that from the outset, but then they reneged later on. And when they reneged, I resigned the following morning. Now the good news is, lots of other people have approached me. So I’m not working with a wonderful group called Innovate Cities, and what they’re doing is trying to develop a framework for how you build smart cities in a way that protects privacy. And the way they got me to work with them is they said: we are insisting on Privacy by Design right from the outset. Always de-identify data at source — we heard you loud and clear, that’s what we want. And I said: “Are you sure? Because look, I always look under the hood. You can’t just say that to me. Walk the talk.” And they have assured me that again and again. So I’m delighted. And then another group, I just got contacted from San Francisco and a company, which I can’t name at the moment, in Michigan, and they want to develop a small Smart City application in the Detroit area to lift it up. So they approached me and they want Privacy by Design embedded. Anyways, Smart Cities is one example, because you’re going to have so much collection of data which is very important. You must strip it of privacy risks first. Patricia: That’s a great example, and I’m glad that we’ll have very obvious examples, more and more coming, of de-identified data being super useful to our day-to-day lives. What responsibility do developers have when it comes to privacy? And how does that compare to the rest of an organization? Patricia: One huge question, because developers are just getting familiarized with Privacy by Design, privacy enhancing technologies is still not a well explained field in universities, and we’re just starting to get that little bit of ramp up in the education developers need in order to be able to integrate this into their own projects. So what do you think, for now, are the responsibilities of developers when it comes to privacy and how does that compare with the responsibilities of the rest of the organization? Ann: It all flows together. If you don’t address privacy issues as a developer, you will fail. And I don’t mean to be extreme here, but if you have personally identifiable data that you are using throughout whatever it is you’re doing in your organization and you don’t address privacy concerns, you will invariably have a data breach or a privacy infraction. And these days, the concern for privacy is enormous. I’ve been in this business well over 20 years. I’ve never seen it — in all kinds of privacy opinion polls, research polls, privacy has just been ranked at the 90th percentile consistently. 90% of those interviewed are concerned about their privacy. 92% are concerned about loss of control over their information. And privacy is all about control: personal control over the use and disclosure of your information. And I point companies who are considering adopting Privacy by Design to what happens if you don’t do it. You will have a data breach or privacy infraction. And these days they are no longer lawsuits, they are class action lawsuits that can cost companies in the millions of dollars. I’m not exaggerating. Target, about 4–5 years ago had a massive data breach in the United States. The CEO of Target resigned. Target had just opened up several stores in Canada for the first time, a few years ago. And we were very excited to have them here. But once there was this massive data breach, as I said, the CEO resigned in the United States, the President of Target Canada was fired, in months all of the Target stores in Canada were closed — gone. People lost confidence. There was just no more business there. So it can cost you enormously if you don’t address privacy. Don’t just do it because it’s the right thing to do. I always tell companies and governments, “just because you have custody and control over someone’s personal information doesn’t mean it belongs to you. It belongs to the data subject. So give them the ability to gain access to their data and be transparent, give them the right of access. When you do that, you may think you’re just doing it for them. No, you’re doing it for yourself. Because you will build trust. And as I’ve said, there’s such a trust deficit right now. It will build trusted business relationships with your customers, which is what all companies need.” It is in the company’s best interest, the developer’s best interest, to embed privacy-protective measures into the design of their operations. [J]ust because you have custody and control over someone’s personal information doesn’t mean it belongs to you. It belongs to the data subject. So give them the ability to gain access to their data and be transparent, give them the right of access. When you do that, you may think you’re just doing it for them. No, you’re doing it for yourself. Because you will build trust. Patricia: Love that. Why is it scary to many organizations to tug on the thread of privacy? Patricia: Given that developers should have that mandate, the organizations should have that mandate, and it’s very clear that trust is at the center of maintaining good customer relationships and how much privacy can help with that, there’s still — we’ve observed — a hesitancy towards integrating privacy. We’re wondering what you’ve observed in terms of why it’s so scary for many organizations to start thinking about integrating Privacy by Design. Ann: If people haven’t been exposed to Privacy by Design, which is like 99% of the population, they don’t know that it involves positive-sum not zero-sum, meaning privacy and data utility no matter the business they’re in. The way privacy tends to be portrayed is either-or zero-sum. You’ve got to protect people’s privacy and that’s going to impact your business negatively and that’s too bad. That’s nonsense! But that’s the zero-sum mindset that’s out there. I meet with so many companies and I go into the board room and I see all of these people sitting around the table kind of not very happy to see me and they’ve got to do it and they don’t want me there. And I say, “Give me 20 minutes. Give me 20 minutes to present Privacy by Design to you. And if you’re still reluctant to do it, I’ll leave. I’m happy to leave. But I want to show you how it can build a competitive advantage for your company over the other guys who don’t do it.” and they look at me and go, “Oh, you mean there’s some kind of positive associated with privacy?” I say, “Yes! It’s all about the positive! That’s what I want to present to you! And that’s what I want to show you, that instead of being afraid of the privacy issue, you will want to embrace it, because it will bring you many positive returns and it will increase so many factors.” One of the seven foundational principles of Privacy by Design is to give access to customers of their own personal information. Companies who have done this have come back to me and said, “I love this, because come back to us and tell us ‘that’s not correct — this was the fact two years ago, but that’s changed, here’s what’s going on now,” so they say, “They correct the information we have. It increases the quality of our data.” They love this. That’s just one of the examples of the benefits. One of the seven foundational principles of Privacy by Design is to give access to customers of their own personal information. Companies who have done this have come back to me and said, “I love this, because come back to us and tell us ‘that’s not correct — this was the fact two years ago, but that’s changed, here’s what’s going on now,” so they say, “They correct the information we have. It increases the quality of our data.” Patricia: Beautiful example. Who should be responsible for enacting and measuring privacy within an organization? Patricia: We touched upon this a little bit: developers should have a mandate. But who else in an organization do you think should be responsible for enacting and also measuring privacy? Ann: You have to have something the equivalent of a Chief Privacy Officer. If you’re a smaller organization you may not want to go that level, but you need an individual who’s charged with the responsibility of protecting privacy throughout your organization. Which includes looking under the hood, measuring privacy and how effectively it’s being monitored and extended to your customers. This is so important. When I talk to boards, I always tell them to make this individual report directly to the CEO, because if you report through a manager who reports to someone else, managers are afraid of ticking off the CEO and saying, “oh, we’re not doing very well on privacy.” So get them to report directly to the CEO who will understand that protecting privacy and offering the strongest privacy to your customers will give you positive returns again and again, you will gain a competitive advantage. It’s a total positive. But you need to give the Chief Privacy Officer the ability to enact this in some meaningful way so that if he or she sees that it’s not being operated in this department that he feels comfortable reporting on that and saying, “look, we need to upgrade this, it’s just not working here.” They need to be able to speak truthfully and measurement often involves some negative features. You have to prepare yourself for that and understand that ultimately, you will gain by doing so. Patricia: Perfect. What should we expect from upcoming privacy legislation around the world? Patricia: So all of that said, legislations are moving more and more towards including Privacy by Design. Notably, the CPPA in Canada doesn’t seem to be including it. WOuld love to get your perspective on that and would love to get your perspective on how privacy regulations are moving across the world. Ann: Don’t get me on about Bill C-11 — the upgrade to our Federal private sector regulation — it just makes me gag. First of all, the GDPR, the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union, came into effect in 2018. Everybody had been waiting for this forever and, to my delight, they included Privacy by Design and Privacy as the Default, which is the second foundational principle of Privacy by Design, which is a game changer. I was delighted. And laws all around the world have been upgrading to meet the requirements of the GDPR so that they could achieve essential equivalence and continue to engage in trade and commerce with the EU without fear of reprisal. Before the GDPR, our Federal private sector legislation was essentially equivalent with what they had before, but no longer! So, in 2017, just before it came into effect, our wonderful Federal Privacy Commissioner, Daniel Therrien, said to the government, “look, we’ve got to upgrade our law! We’re no longer essentially equivalent with the GDPR. We need to upgrade it. PIPEDA is dated from the early 2000’s, and we need to add Privacy by Design into the upgrade because that’s what they’ve done in the EU and, after all, it was created by a Canadian Ann Cavoukian. We’ve got to add that here.” In response to that, in 2018, the Federal Government put out a paper called Towards Privacy by Design. It was all about how they intended to upgrade PIPEDA and include Privacy by Design: yay! Wouldn’t you think “yay”? No! So here comes Bill C-11 — the upgrade to PIPEDA — is there any reference to Privacy by Design in it? No! Not whatsoever. It is just appalling to me. And there’s a whole bunch of other problems with it, which I can go into afterwards, but let me just stop here and say what we should expect from privacy legislation is what they’re doing around the rest of the world, which is embedding Privacy by Design into their upgrades, because they recognize that we’ve got to get proactive. We can’t just have things kick in after-the-fact. We have to get in front of this and have privacy protective measures embedded into our operations, baked into the code, into all of our design. Patricia: Completely agree. So curious to pick your brain later to see why that may have happened. We are at question period. We have 5 minutes for questions if people want to drop their questions on the right side. Ann: Patricia, if I can just remind everyone who is listening: privacy forms the foundation of freedom. You cannot have free and open societies without a solid foundation of privacy. Just because surveillance is mounting means nothing. It’s like a chess game: point — counter point. And there’s a huge movement towards decentralization now. There’s a Decentralized Identify Foundation that was created last year. It’s growing dramatically. All of the major companies are included in it: Microsoft, IBM, etc. We are making gains. We never give up. Q & A: Why wasn’t Privacy by Design included in Bill C-11? Ann: Gee. Let’s ask the Federal Government. I have not one clue. I’m not kidding. And there’s a number of other problems with it. The good thing was, I kept saying to the government, “You’ve got to give the Federal Commissioner order-making power.” I had order-making power when I was Privacy Commissioner of Ontario for 3 terms. It makes a big difference. It’s a stick, which I rarely used, but the other side knows you have it, so they engage in informal resolution with you and you get wonderful outcomes. Federal Commissioners never had it. So I said, “You’ve got to give it to them.” So what do they do? They gave them order-making power in Bill C-11: yay. But then what do they do? They create this tribunal that people can go to to appeal the order. If they don’t like the order, they go to a tribunal instead of going to court, which is what happens with all of the other commissioners in the provinces. This tribunal only has to have 1 privacy person on it. The other people can consist of I don’t know who, lawyers, whatever. And the commissioner’s decisions can be easily undone by going to this stupid tribunal that doesn’t exist anywhere else. Not in Canada, not elsewhere. So where they got this model from, I have no idea. And there are so many other problems as well. Do you expect upcoming regulation to mandate Privacy by Design beyond what GDPR and CCPA prescribe (penalizing issues after-the-fact: reactive vs. proactive)? Ann: What I’ve seen is that ever since the GDPR included Privacy by Design and Privacy as the Default, new laws that are being created like in Brazil and other jurisdictions are including Privacy by Design.I’m delighted with that. Let me just explain Privacy as the Default for a moment. There are seven foundational principles of Privacy by Design. The second one is Privacy as the default setting. And it is so important. It’s a true game changer, because what it does is say to people, “You don’t have to ask for privacy. You don’t have to search through all of the Terms of Service and raid through all of the legalese in the Privacy Policy to find the opt-out clause that says ‘Do not use my personal information for any purpose other than the intended, primary purpose of the data collection’.” It takes way too long to do that. We know that people aren’t doing that. Life is too short. But people want privacy like never before. As I mentioned, 90% of them, easily, are very concerned about their privacy. Privacy as the Default flips that on its head and it says to people, “You don’t have to ask for privacy. We give it to you automatically. It’s the default setting. It exists throughout our operations. We can only collect your personal information for the primary purpose of the data collection, for which we need your positive consent. Beyond that, we can’t use your information for anything else. And if a later use arises — a secondary use that we would like to use your information for — we need to come back to you and seek your positive consent.” This is such a game changer. It builds trust like no other. People love it. Companies love it. It’s a win-win. One of the most useful aspects of data is the associations between different types of data. How do we preserve these associations when we anonymize the data? Ann: You can anonymize the data and still keep the characteristics of the data linked to it. So you’re not gonna know that this data relates to Ann Cavoukians. But you can ask for information relating to the individual: what kind of work I do? Are they a professional? Do they own a home? Whatever the interest is. You can still have questions linked to the individual, but not ones that reveal the identity of the individual. And this has been perfected. Professor Khaled El Emam, who is at the University of Ottawa and a brilliant individual in terms of the de-identification of data. He does this beautifully and now he’s also expanding the area of synthetic data, which is growing enormously, where you can have synthetic data that is comparable to the personally identifiable data, but minus any identifiers of any kind. And it’s synthetic, so it can be used for dozens of purposes and linkages that you might be interested in. So you don’t lose out on it at all, you just love the personal identifiers. How do you think the perspective of privacy is different between Canada, thh U.S., and Europe? I know that, in Europe, it’s a human rights issue and in the U.S. it’s more of a consumer issue. Where does Canada stand? Ann: Probably in between. Perhaps a little closer to Europe. But, increasingly, in the United States, you’re getting more and more privacy-related laws that are amazing and that come to approximate Canada and the EU in terms of the variety of areas which they’re addressing. For example, facial recognition is terrible from a privacy perspective. There are so many false positives associated with facial recognition. Of course, it takes place without your consent, without your knowledge. Nothing. In the U.K., where it abounds: 81% error rate. A study from Detroit a few months ago: 96% error rate. I mean, why are we doing this? A number of states in the United States have put an outright ban on facial recognition, which is brilliant and wonderful. We haven’t done that in Canada yet. So there are areas where, in the United States, they are advancing perhaps ahead of us. And they are trying to come a little closer to adopting a more European model, so stay tuned. Patricia: Thank you so much, Ann! Rohit says, “Thank you for the great discussion!” That ends our webinar. Always a pleasure. I know you’re super busy, so very grateful to you for making time for us. Ann: Oh, Patricia, it’s always my pleasure working with you and with all of your team and getting this message out there. Thank you very much. Patricia: Thank you so much	https://medium.com/@patriciathaine/talking-with-dr-ann-cavoukian-privacy-by-design-inventor-6943c01001af	['Patricia Thaine']	2021-09-06 16:02:07.587000+00:00	['Privacy', 'Privacy By Design', 'Anonymization', 'Data Protection', 'Gdpr']
Nobody owns the customer	“But won’t we lose ownership of the customer if we do this?” I have lost track of the number of times I’ve heard that comment. Usually from a bank executive who has something like customer or retail in their job title. If I am feeling particularly snarky I’ll respond “Ownership of people was outlawed by the 13th Amendment in the US, except as punishment for a crime. So unless you are punishing your customers, NOBODY owns the customer” Back when I was a consultant at McKinsey I used to just accept that world-view at face value. Banks built branch networks to entice customers to walk in and buy a product, usually a checking account. This was an expensive proposition, and banks’ cost of customer acquisition was frequently $1000+ . But once that customer bought a product, the bank “owned” them. The bank would leverage this “ownership” to cross-sell those customers more products over time. Eventually that initial cost of customer acquisition would be offset by the revenue streams from multiple products, and over the lifetime of the customer, they would make the bank a profit. Even back in 2008, there were cracks in this story. Folks were starting their product search by Googling for a product instead of walking into the nearest branch. Fewer and fewer customers were walking into bank branches. And despite their customer “ownership”, most banks struggled to cross-sell products. The average bank customer purchased a measly 2 products from their bank, and the vast majority of retail customers were un-profitable for banks. But increasing that 2 to 2.2 dramatically increased the banks profitability, so banks hired teams of consultants to help them figure out how to make it happen. And those customers built decks analyzing optimal waiting time in the branch (it’s about 10 minutes — just enough time for a helpful salesperson to pull you out of the queue), and comparing your strategy to best-in-class benchmarks like Wells Fargo. And then in 2009, my good buddy Josh Reich sent me an email with this in it. Why not simply build a bank that provides the infrastructure to perform the 4 basic functions listed above? But instead of earning money by hiding information from the consumer — adopt an open information policy. The role of the bank simply becomes a gatekeeper for your money. Products are no longer offered directly by the bank. Instead the bank provides you with the ability to perform the basic financial transactions PLUS have complete and open access to your data. This data is then shared, in a privacy compliant fashion, with 3rd party financial products that are available to the consumer in a marketplace. If I want to get a home loan, I go to the bank operated market for home loans, and the bank uses all the data it has available about me to help me best evaluate competing loan offerings. By not implementing the loans, the bank is no longer conflicted, and takes the role of financial assistant rather than duplicitor. To put the same idea another way, think of eBay. eBay provides an electronic marketplace for goods and it provides a basic infrastructure for buying and selling goods. I want a ‘bank’ that provides the infrastrcture for basic retail financial transactions and using the information it knows about my transaction history, it assists me when I need to choose from competing financial products that are offerred in the bank operated marketplace. That email led to the founding of Simple. It kicked off my career as an entrepreneur, but it also kicked off the neobank revolution. And neobanks by and large pioneered a new digital first approach to customer acquisition and service. There are neobanks on every continent now, and dozens of them in the US. And you know what neobanks rarely talk about? Customer “ownership”. Making the economics of a neobank work aren’t easy. You still have to acquire customers cheaply at scale, and offer them a suite of products that make them happy and are profitable. But most of them understand that customers are individuals who have needs. If you can build a business to serve those profitably, and market it well, then you have a chance. But in the digital world your competitors are only a click away, it’s very hard to hide behind obscure legalese, and making money by feeing your customers to death is a losing proposition. Nobody owns customers. They were always free, and now they can exercise that freedom.	https://medium.com/@shamir-k/nobody-owns-the-customer-1c442d399b81	['Shamir Karkal']	2021-04-16 16:00:16.573000+00:00	['Payments', 'Slavery', 'Customer', 'Neobanks', 'Banking']
Zoom Boom: Power-Up Your Website with Zoom API	Originally published at onix-systems.com. Many people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic have probably used Zoom, a cloud-based video conferencing service that enables users to ‘meet’ virtually. Schools are using it widely to teach lessons online. The high demand for video conferencing with colleagues or students has made Zoom nearly the most usable app in the world with over 300 million meetings daily in April 2020. It has become an essential tool for small and large teams to keep in touch and support workflows when in-person meetings are not possible. According to Forbes, over half of the 500 largest U.S. companies used one of Zoom’s paid plans, and several of them have signed large contracts. Zoom is not only a mobile app. For example, it’s also possible to embed Zoom on a website and use it seamlessly as part of the website experience. Zoom as a Cloud Video Conferencing Solution Zoom allows users to attend virtual meetings that can be video- or audio-based accompanied by a built-in live chat. Users can record conferences to re-watch later. The service combines the perks of cloud computing and video conferencing. As a result, a less hardware-demanding solution is born. When all the capabilities of such services are stored in the cloud, users don’t need in-house servers that can be difficult to maintain and expensive. Zoom still requires a computer or smartphone, headphones, and microphone, but a cloud-based solution provides much more streamlined conferencing that can be quickly used in emergency cases with little complication. The COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent quarantine measures showed that the service can be a life (or job) saver. Notable Perks of Using Zoom Zoom’s wonderful usability derives from the fact that the service was created with non-tech users in mind. It has a simple interface, quick registration, and sign-in, and doesn’t require much user information to start. Other perks of the service include, but are not limited to: 1. Management made simple. When you keep all your tasks in the cloud, it is easier to keep up with them. Frequent reports are also useful for business since you can confirm how successful your video conferencing is. 2. Hardware & software compatibility. Cloud-based services are built in a way that doesn’t require a specific device or software to connect users. Zoom allows users to join a meeting through a mobile app or even a WordPress page where you can embed your Zoom meeting. Zoom works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. 3. Affordability. Besides savings on servers, ‘all-in-one’ solutions like Zoom require no additional purchases, reduce the possibility of network damages, and minimize expensive repairs. 4. Convenient meetings. A user that creates a meeting has a few options to choose from, starting from the possibility to create an instant meeting or schedule it to a specific time and day. Upon creating a scheduled meeting, a host will receive a Meeting ID to share with the other attendees. The host also has the option of muting attendees and recording the meeting. Even if muted, attendees can virtually ‘raise their hands’ when they want to speak to others or ask a question. 5. Safety. Zoom uses such encryptions as AES 256-bits and Secure Socket Layer (SSL). 6. The free version is enough for small businesses. Zoom’s free version grants access to an unlimited number of sessions for up to 100 attendees, although the meetings can’t be recorded and each group session is limited to 40 minutes. Additionally, Zoom offers: 1. Microsoft Outlook plugin. This plugin provides a Zoom user with an option to schedule and start instant Zoom meetings in Microsoft Outlook. 2. Chrome extension. It can schedule or start an instant meeting. It connects to Google Calendar through which all the attendees receive an invitation and enables users to join a meeting by clicking just one button. 3. Zoom Wordpress Plugin. The management of attendees, webinars, meetings, and reports from the Wordpress dashboard is supported in this plugin. Joining a meeting doesn’t require using the Zoom app now: it is possible to join right through a browser. The limitations of this plugin include the lack of support for webinars, and that it only has features of the web version of Zoom. Paid Plans for Enhancing Video Conferencing Zoom’s paid plans remove the restrictions present in the free version of the service. 1. Zoom Pro. The cheapest plan costs $15 per month. In addition to all the benefits of the free version, group sessions can be 24-hours long, and a host can manage attendees and has limited admin console access. A host can record a session and save it in the cloud (up to 1GB). Pro also has reports and statistics on the number of sessions, when they were taken, how long they lasted, and how many attendees joined the meetings. Developers get access to Zoom API. 2. Zoom Business. All the benefits of Zoom Pro are enriched with your company branding for all Zoom meetings, apps, and invitations for up to 300 attendees. The Business plan also offers a personalized URL, admin dashboard access, and dedicated customer support. 3. Zoom Enterprise. All the benefits of a Business plan are combined with unlimited cloud storage. This plan is most beneficial for large enterprises where there are over 100 attendees at any meeting. For this plan, Zoom provides a dedicated support manager and executive business review (ROI, roadmap, and analytics). Zoom also offers a variety of subscriptions. Zoom Room brings the Zoom App to a larger scale by integrating with A/V hardware in a conference room of any size and supports a connection to an interactive whiteboard. Zoom Phone is another paid cloud-hosted phone-as-a-service that allows companies to offload the phone systems and server room space. Another service worth mentioning is Zoom Webinars. It allows for creating a meeting with up to 100 attendees and up to 10,000 view-only attendees, which makes it a great choice for media events or education. Two Clever Zoom API Tips to Enrich Zoom Experiences Another major reason for Zoom’s popularity is its flexibility. Zoom is succeeding by meeting almost everyone’s needs. You can use a desktop or mobile application and here is a plugin for Outlook and extensions for browsers. Now, we will look at what we can do using Webhooks and Web SDK. Webhooks Webhooks are useful if you want to keep your systems synchronized with everything that happens in Zoom. It can notify you whenever somebody enters or leaves meetings or any other events that are happening. For example, if it is a virtual lesson, this notification system will enable teachers to see who is in and who is out, so there is no need for a roll call. Or, if you have a huge meeting, it will be easy to count the attendees. It works like this; When a specific event takes place in Zoom, it will try to send a notification to the endpoint you chose. To turn on notifications for attendees joining the meeting or leaving it, you need to set up an app as Webhook Only. Then, enter the name of your app: Fill in the information on your app: Add a new event subscription. You need to add attendee names and an endpoint to which Zoom will send data on your service. Choose the events that will trigger notifications: Now, notifications are enabled. How to Embed Zoom on a Website with Web SDK Zoom meetings through web pages are even more convenient than meeting via Zoom app since attendees need not download or install anything. They will surely appreciate the ability to find and join your meeting right on your website, using any device that has access to a browser (e.g., Chromebook). It is possible to embed Zoom webinar on your website, so let’s see how it is done. If you own a Wordpress website, you need not know HTML or CSS to embed Zoom on it. First, you will need to install the Zoom Wordpress plugin. If you are familiar with Java, Javascript, HTML, and CSS, you can do it with other HTML environments. You will need your Zoom API to proceed. You can find it at Marketplace; the Zoom Pro pricing plan should be purchased. Then proceed to ‘Develop,’ ‘Create An App,’ and ‘JWT.’ Now you will receive API Key and API Secret for setting up the SDK. Now you can also add Event Subscriptions: Now, the Wordpress plugin for Zoom will connect to your Zoom API, and you will see the list of recent meetings. In the case of a non-Wordpress site, you will also need to connect Zoom to your site using SDK. That’s it! Now you can embed Zoom video to a web server. The Takeaway During the pandemic, Zoom has helped many businesses and individuals all over the world stay safe WHILE staying connected. The use of the service has quickly become ubiquitous, indispensable, and quite natural. Zoom is simple to use even for those who don’t consider themselves technical. Still, it is worth exploring other features beyond the basics. The opportunities range from changing one’s virtual background to using the Zoom Wordpress plugin. Onix has two decades of experience in helping startups and enterprises hone their web presence to perfection. Why not consider enriching your web presence with the opportunities offered by Zoom? Thanks to Andrii Dabich, Onix’s full-stack developer, for assistance with this article! Don’t forget to give us your 👏 !	https://medium.com/@onix-systems/zoom-boom-power-up-your-website-with-zoom-api-272392e2385a	[]	2020-07-07 07:38:16.428000+00:00	['Website', 'Zoom Api', 'Zoom']
Clean	Image from Raphaël Quinet She began to enjoy strange flavors, beginning with snuck slices of raw potato tongued from the edge of a paring knife. It was March, a week after snowmelt, empty plastic bags scuttling along neighborhood streets, all in the same direction, like pilgrims headed for Mecca. The chalk mouthfeel of a potato piece lifted from a cutting board echoed the fuzzy, waterlogged gaps in her consciousness, moments she found herself sitting on the couch reading a decorating magazine, not knowing where the day had drained. As a girl, she had liked to slide single spears of grass from the lawn, slow enough to leave the fragrant root intact. She would bite the root with precision, falling backward through the taste of raw milk and sunshine. After the potatoes came cravings for distilled vinegar, dahlia petals, and then the soap. What appealed to her most was a new, just-opened bar. Cardboard flaps opened at the bottom of the box, inside the soap bar packaged like candy in a plastic pocket that crinkled at the pressure of her fingertips. The torn, clear barrier, then the smooth, rectangular cake weighting the palm of her hand. Under the sink she kept stacks of soap packaged individually in green cardboard boxes. These she purchased in loads of twenty with a fifty percent off coupon, shopping cart heavy as she trollied it toward the checkout. One Sunday morning, opening a new soap for her shower, she took a bite. Simple. Her teeth scraped the rounded edge once, twice, and a chunk of soap crumbled onto her tongue. The sharp taste boomeranged at the base of her skull. She was awake. She stood naked in front of the bathroom mirror, watching herself chew soap, and her husband opened the door without knocking. He saw it in her hands, the wrapper peeled halfway down like an ice cream bar. There were white flakes gathering at the corners of her lips. “What are you doing?” he asked. Her mouth was full.	https://medium.com/revolver-reader/clean-b09390ab9dcc	['Kasey Payette']	2015-11-20 16:47:44.172000+00:00	['Literature', 'Short Story', 'Fiction']
About Leaders Who Care: Why Cooperation Matters	The drama surrounding the Sea-Watch-3 captivated the world public for weeks. Carola Rackete rescued 53 people off the coast of Libya, following a two-week standoff with the Italian government. The authorities at the time had closed its ports and refused to authorize her docking in Lampedusa, a small island off the southern coast of Sicily. Despite a port closure, she headed for the harbour, mindful of the emergency on board. On land, Carola was imprisoned– and placed under house arrest. Later, Italian judges would say: she had acted “in the fulfilment of a duty.” In the latest episode of the Next Visions podcast, hosts Christian Knörle, head of Company Building at Forward31 by Porsche Digital, and Tim Leberecht, co-founder and co-CEO of The Business Romantic Society, welcome two experts on leadership with responsibility. Gianpiero Petriglieri is Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau, France. A physician and psychiatrist, his research and teaching focus is on leadership development. Carola Rackete is an activist and ship captain, she became the international face of sea rescue for refugees in the Mediterranean as “La Capitania.” Collaboration is crucial for the future Carola’s role as a symbolic figure does not have much to do with her real person, she says. But she stands for a larger story. A story about responsibility, about care — and about distributed leadership. “Overall, people are really looking for stories of humanity and kindness,” says Carola. “We have a lot of discussions about people, who are only driven by economic interests, everyone just looking for themselves,” she says. It is always about competition. From her point of view, however, something else is crucial for success: “Society only works, and humans have only evolved, because of mutual aid, because we’re actually very good at cooperating.” Around the world, Carola’s perseverance and house arrest in Italy have elicited sympathy and fueled political debates. “Those are the kind of stories which remind the wider society that not everyone is only looking for their own benefit,” she says today. “We have a natural tendency as humans, to look for charismatic leaders who show us the right way so that we just need to follow.” -Carola Rackete Shaping society together Carola herself doesn’t believe in heroic leadership, even though in media reporting she was often framed as the hero of the story. But she understands why society is so eager to look up to people: “It really makes our life easier when somebody else tells us what to do.” In Gianpiero’s view, one reason why many people we’re so drawn to Carola’s story is the kindness in her action. Under thread, many leaders become unkind or isolated as Gianpiero knows: “Your story was a reminder that this doesn’t have to be the case”. Additionally, the event addressed many problems at once: ”You’ve made the case for a systemic approach: the intersection between economic policy, environmental damage and social exclusion.” For the future, Carola hopes for a social change in which individuals can and do take on more responsibility. “I always hope there will be a system of distributed leadership in the future, more than there is now.” She understands that people have always followed other people, that strong leadership of individuals has been a big issue. “But I think what we would need is people generally to have a more active role in forming the society that they’re part of.” “The possibility of making a difference in the world is what allows us to take a risk.” — Gianpiero Petriglieri To learn more about Gianpiero and Carola’s ideas on leadership and our future society, tune in to the full episode. You can listen and subscribe to the Next Visions podcast on all the usual platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, and Google Podcast. Recently published episodes:	https://medium.com/next-level-german-engineering/about-leaders-who-care-why-cooperation-matters-53c7a4efe87d	['Next Visions']	2020-12-23 12:36:47.889000+00:00	['Sea Rescue', 'Society', 'Leadership', 'Personal Development', 'Podcast']
Catching poachers with machine learning	Catching poachers with machine learning Building an ML system to detect poachers in nature preserves Full disclosure: I am a maintainer of an open source ML platform, Cortex, designed to build projects like the ones discussed below. On any given day, it is estimated that nearly 100 African elephants are killed by poachers. In total, 1,000s of animals are poached everyday worldwide. A large amount of this poaching occurs within nature preserves, the last (theoretically) safe place for many endangered species. For the rangers tasked with protecting these animals, stopping poachers is a fight in which they are constantly outnumbered. The over $7 billion dollar illegal industry attracts a seemingly never-ending stream of poachers. One nonprofit, Wildlife Protection Solutions (WPS), has recently begun fighting poachers with machine learning—and it’s working. Using a network of motion detectors, cameras, and a trained model, WPS is identifying more poachers at a faster pace than ever before, and introducing a new advantage in the fight against poaching. How do you monitor 1,000,000 hectares of wildlife? One of the hardest parts of preventing poaching is also one of the simplest: Nature preserves are really big. Monitoring a 1,000,000 hectare area, including dense forests, cliffs, and other natural obstacles, at all hours is a difficult task for small crews of rangers—even with remote monitoring. WPS and related groups have deployed motion sensor cameras throughout nature preserves for years now. The cameras work by capturing images of large, moving objects and sending them in realtime to human monitors, who analyze them for poaching activity. If the humans on the other end see poaching activity, they send an alert to a network of responders. But while this remote monitoring is an improvement, it still presents some challenges. Analyzing the footage from many cameras all at once—and doing it fast enough to catch poachers in the act—requires a larger staff of reviewers than the average nature preserve has. Even with efforts to automatically filter for images of poachers, WPS estimates that the system only detected 40% of recorded poachers. Detecting poachers with machine learning To increase their detection rate, WPS introduced machine learning into their monitoring system. The monitoring system, before introducing machine learning, could be diagramed like this: The field cameras captured images, delivered them to a monitoring center, and if the humans running the center saw evidence of poaching activity, they’d push notifications to the relevant people. Their goal in introducing machine learning was to insert a trained model, as an API, into the threat assessment stage. All incoming images would automatically be filtered for poaching activity, with only the positives being passed onto reviewers. Working with HighLighter, an ML development platform, WPS was able to train an object detection model that recognized specific animals, as well as humans, vehicles, and other potential signs of poaching: After deploying the model, they were able to plug it into their existing setup without rearchitecting their entire monitoring system. In the first week of testing, they caught two poachers. The team estimates that the system is twice as effective as before, boasting has an 80% detection rate, and is constantly improving with more data. Since the initial test’s success, WPS has rolled the model out across nature preserves on three continents, serving over 1 million predictions in its first month alone. How can a nonprofit afford machine learning? One of the many exciting aspects of this story is that this application of machine learning isn’t just feasible—it’s accessible. Small teams and solo engineers have been deploying vanilla pretrained models for a while, but designing, training, and deploying a model for a task like this has historically been the domain of larger tech companies. But for WPS, off the shelf solutions like OpenCV didn’t work. They needed to train and deploy their own model. Years ago, the fact that they were a small nonprofit would have precluded them from doing this, but not now. Model development platforms and open source models have improved to the point to where now, even small teams can train models. Engineers have spent years working on open source infrastructure platforms like Cortex, so that any engineer can take a model and turn it into a poacher detector, or a video game, or a cancer screener. People have been talking about democratizing machine learning for a long time, but this project serves as evidence that now, it is finally happening.	https://towardsdatascience.com/catching-poachers-with-machine-learning-118eec41d5b9	['Caleb Kaiser']	2020-06-12 19:47:56.717000+00:00	['Technology', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Machine Learning', 'Data Science', 'Programming']
Find Success In Your Business, Just Like Malcolm Gladwell	Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash Malcolm Gladwell has built a career out of sifting through dry research, unearthing overlooked ideas and presenting them in appealing or novel ways for readers or customers. He is best-known for writing regarded nonfiction books like Blink, Outliers and The Tipping Point, and Gladwell’s approach to his craft can help you succeed in business. Test Your Business Ideas Gladwell spends hundreds of hours talking with and emailing other writers about ideas he wants to use in his books. While speaking, for example, Gladwell gauges his audience’s reaction to figure out what was interesting or boring. He also uses arguments from his audience to hone the quality of his works. This practice of publicly testing ideas helps Gladwell learn how to articulate himself clearly and concisely. It also helps him decide what to expand on or cut from his books. He said, “The act of explaining an idea to somebody else is a really good way to figure out how to tell the story.” You can test business ideas by emailing peers and asking for feedback and by showing early versions of your work to customers rather than waiting until you’ve finished your product or service. Iterative feedback will help you strengthen the best parts of your products or services and cut what’s not working. Let Your Customers Own It Gladwell was surprised by which ideas caught on from his book Outliers, notably the claim that mastery of a skill requires 10,000 hours — or ten years — of deliberate practice. Later, he found himself in a curious position whereby the book’s ideas and arguments were often misconstrued by others. Gladwell said, “Once you’ve written something, it no longer belongs to you. It belongs to your readers. When your readers buy your book, they really buy your ideas, and your ideas become theirs.” When someone buys your product or service, you might wonder why customers like one aspect of your product or service and dislike another. You can get in front of this issue by recruiting beta, or first, customers. A beta customer provides feedback privately about your product or service before it’s released. A reviewer, however, writes their thoughts on Amazon, Trustpilot or elsewhere after you release a product. You can address the first type of feedback immediately and the second type over the long-term. It’s up to you to decide which responses to address and which to pass on. Finish It, Ship It, Promote It Your work doesn’t end after you release a product or service or ship a big project. In Gladwell’s debut nonfiction book, The Tipping Point, he explains how little things led to remarkable results. However, The Tipping Point wasn’t a huge success upon publication. Gladwell said, “The book didn’t do well at first…I got it in my head that if I kept touring and I kept giving talks about it, it might revive. I basically did endless promotions for two years.” The Tipping Point eventually entered the New York Times best seller list as a paperback, and according to Gladwell, “that’s when it was a successful book.” Promote your work in the right places, with your boss, colleagues, customers or peers. Like Gladwell, spend time meeting would-be customers. Avoid averting your gaze just because a deadline has elapsed. Discover Your Tipping Point Gladwell is a successful business writer in part because he understands what his audience struggles with and wants. He takes ideas from different industries and tells stories about them in a unique way that appeals to his audience. Even if you’ve no ambition to become a business writer, use elements of Gladwell’s approach to test your products and ideas and help them succeed. Ready to supercharge your productivity? I’ve created a cheat sheet that will help you FOCUS immediately. Follow this and you’ll accomplish more than you can imagine. Get the cheat sheet here!	https://bryanjcollins.medium.com/find-success-in-your-business-just-like-malcolm-gladwell-8f853313c66b	['Bryan Collins']	2019-05-07 08:16:00.812000+00:00	['Work', 'Innovation', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Motivation', 'Books']
Why The Assassination Of Iran’s Top Nuclear Scientist Was More An Attack On Joe Biden Than Iran.	Background In 2015, Iran agreed a long-term deal on its nuclear programme with a group of world powers known as the P5+1 (US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany). Under the agreement, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of economic sanctions. The accord covered uranium enrichment, the handling of plutonium and the prevention of the secret development of nuclear weapons, all in return for the lifting of economic sanctions that had cost the country more than $160bn (£118bn) in oil revenue from 2012 to 2016 alone (1). The deal would also allow Iran to regain access to the more than $100bn in assets frozen overseas and would be able to resume selling oil on international markets and using the global financial system for trade (1). However, in May 2018, US President Donald Trump abandoned the landmark deal and in November that year, he reinstated sanctions. With Trump set to leave office on 20th January 2021, to be succeeded by President-elect Joe Biden, the consensus is that a new deal could be back on the table. Biden’s close ties to the Obama administration — the administration that really drove home the Iran deal — combined with Biden’s more internationalist attitude, suggest that he will push for a nuclear deal similar to that which was agreed in 2015. Whether or not Iran will now accept such a deal is the big question.	https://medium.com/discourse/why-the-assassination-of-irans-top-nuclear-scientist-was-more-an-attack-on-joe-biden-than-iran-48ab8b1dde2d	['Arthur Quayle']	2020-12-12 18:27:33.960000+00:00	['Iran', 'United States', 'Foreign Policy', 'Politics', 'World']
44 Days: A COVID-19 Experiencez. Jesús G. Rodríguez	Jesús “Chuy” Calderón. He was my grandfather, mi Papa Chuy, and I am his namesake. On December 21, 2020, at 3:45 AM on the winter solstice, marked by the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, he passed away in his home surrounded by his wife and children. Papa Chuy had 4 brothers and 4 sisters, and he is survived by 5 of them. My mother is the eldest of his nine children and I am the 6th-born of his 32 grandchildren. Papa Chuy also had 31 great-grandchildren including my son, Cosme, who is the namesake of Papa Chuy’s great uncle. My grandfather came from a line of ancestors who lived very long lives, his mother lived to be 95 and his father lived to be 97 years old. His paternal grandparents lived to be 97 and 99, respectively, so his untimely passing, indeed, came to us as a surprise. He and I had many conversations about our family tree over the last several years and he confided in me and others, many times, that he intended to live to be 100 years old. I am writing this to honor him and to celebrate his efforts toward 100 but also to desahogarme. In English, desahogar is expressed as “venting” however, ahogar means to drown, so desahogar means to undrown, which is a much better expression for my current feelings and objective in writing this. I have a lot of great memories of my grandfather that keep returning to me. He was generally a quiet man, but I remember having many long conversations with him that were mostly shaped by my questions then listening to him respond. Particularly, as we ventured to Miguel Auza, Zacatecas, Mexico together when I was a teenager. The trip is approximately 1,300 miles each way and we would drive straight, sometimes just the two of us, multiple times a year. He told me about his life growing up, his pride in being born in Sombrerete, sharing that in common with Thomas Alva Edison, allegedly, and his journey to the United States. During some of our breaks from a conversation, he listened to hip-hop while I drove and I listened to rancheras while he drove, funnily enough, he preferred the passenger experience, and he would stay awake the entire time. There were two main routes we would take on our way down to Miguel Auza; one was through El Paso/Juarez and the other was through Presidio/Ojinaga. The latter was the route we usually took, and he would time our departure from Colorado to ensure that we would arrive in either Roswell or Carlsbad, New Mexico in time for dinner at the Golden Corral which was an 8- or 9-hour drive for us. He loved Golden Corral. I think he appreciated two things about the buffet chain which were, 1. he could virtually eat whatever he was craving and, 2. he did not need to communicate what that was to anyone. Papa Chuy lived in the United States for most of his life, but he held tight to his Mexican culture and I don’t recall a single time ever hearing him utter a word in English. While growing up, I remember Papa Chuy somehow timing all of his doctor’s appointments to coincide with our spring, summer, and winter breaks. He would call our home, let us know to be ready, and a few minutes later he would honk his horn as he was right outside. I remember being his translator and confidently trying to communicate his needs to his doctor and then trying to do the same from his doctor to him. In hindsight, there were a ton of words in English and Spanish that I was unfamiliar with at the time and I had to improvise using the understanding I did have and my developing linguistic repertoire to make sense of it all, twice. He was flattered when the medical staff thought he was my father because it made him feel younger. Recently, I joined family FaceTime calls while Papa Chuy was hospitalized and it reminded me of all those times I accompanied him on those doctor’s appointments when I was a child, this time my vocabulary was more expansive in both English and Spanish. But this time, there was less communication from him. Our last exchange was something along these lines, which was similar to the way we greeted each other for most of my life: Me: Quiúbo, Pa’ Chuy?! Papa Chuy: Quiúbo Me: Si me escucha?! Papa Chuy: Aye Quiúbo is a derivative of “que hubo,” which means, “what happened” but is better expressed as an informal greeting meaning, “hello” or “what’s up?” or “what’s happening?” The last time I exchanged “quiúbos” with my grandfather in person was a few weeks before the pandemic. On March 16, 2020, in Colorado, the governor announced the closure of restaurants, the largest school district in the state announced an extended spring break, and we began our pandemic quarantine. Cosme was born on April 12, 2020, which was right in the middle of the first pandemic wave. Papa Chuy met Cosme vía FaceTime many times when he was well but due to the pandemic, even though we only lived 27 minutes away from each other, they never met in person. My grandfather tested positive for COVID-19 and as a result of complications caused by the virus, he experienced a series of significant strokes. He spent 25 days in the hospital where his lungs began to recover miraculously, followed by a transfer to a rehabilitation clinic for 15 days, then he was taken home. He spent 4 days at home but was unable to recover from the strokes and continued to lose the function of many of his organs. I felt anger because of the lack of response from the wealthiest country in the world. A country my grandfather loved so much and had made his home. He had come to the United States to work, save money, and return to his family in Mexico. But instead, he became a naturalized citizen and planted deep roots here for future generations of Coloradoans. Throughout the pandemic, my grandfather never left his house. But his family, which is comprised of working-class brown people who do not have the option to work from home, and cared for him and my grandmother, would enter and exit my grandparents’ home between going to and from work themselves, albeit taking necessary precautions. But someone still got sick. And my grandparents got sick. And my grandfather passed away. The pain of losing my grandfather is great. I am closer in age to my mother’s youngest sibling than she is, and I grew up in their house. My grandfather babysat me until I went off to kindergarten. And I am so grateful for all of the memories and experiences I was able to create with him for almost 4 decades. The pain is compounded by the vicarious emotions my mother, aunts, and uncles have expressed. And again, I am angry because I wholeheartedly believe that a better response from the wealthiest country in the world could have avoided this, not just for our family but for the families of the 323,000 others who have died in the United States to date. I was fortunate to have met 3 of my 8 great-grandparents and I was so hopeful that Cosme would have the opportunity to get to know mi Papa Chuy, too. I am comforted that my grandfather is no longer suffering from any pain, but I will miss him until I can say, “quiúbo,” again.	https://medium.com/@drjrod/44-days-a-covid-19-battle-b0e2f18e4df2	['Dr. Jesús G. Rodríguez']	2021-02-06 20:02:25.947000+00:00	['Death And Dying', 'Memories', 'United States', 'Family', 'Covid-19']
Parler, Newsmax, and OANN App Downloads Tumble After November Spike	Parler, Newsmax, and OANN App Downloads Tumble After November Spike But many of the apps report consistent gains in engagement Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images Following the November election, millions of Trump supporters claimed to have jumped ship for “free speech” platforms after Facebook removed several large conservative groups. These alternative apps—Parler, MeWe, Rumble, and those of far-right media outlets Newsmax and One America News Network (OANN)—reported massive spikes in user growth throughout November. Now that momentum has stalled, with, for example, almost nine times fewer daily Newsmax app downloads in December than in November. Data from analytics company Apptopia suggests that the surge was temporary, and each platform has witnessed a precipitous drop in app downloads since the middle of November. The trend speaks to the challenges of fringe communities to establish their own ecosystems online as they are increasingly pushed out of more moderated mainstream platforms. It also puts into question the viability of platforms like Parler, which proudly bills itself as the “premier free speech social network.” According to a recent OneZero story, some of Parler’s new users seem disenchanted with the platform. Much of the migration toward these platforms was seemingly sparked by Facebook removing a 300,000-person “Stop the Steal” group on November 5. Within a week, both Parler, a Twitter clone, and MeWe, which resembles Facebook, had rocketed to the top of app stores. Parler claimed its user base doubled to more than 10 million members in that time, and the app saw nearly 1 million downloads between November 3 and November 8, Fast Company reported. According to a recent CNN Business report, which also drew data from Apptopia, Parler was downloaded 16,000 times on October 25. After soaring to 340,000 downloads by mid-November, by the second week of December Parler downloads had fallen to barely more than double pre-election figures, or 39,800 downloads. MeWe witnessed an almost identical trajectory, jumping from 12,000 downloads pre-election to 207,000 by mid-November and back down to 30,000 downloads come mid-December. While downloads crested, Apptopia’s numbers suggest that people have increasingly engaged with both apps over the past two months. Each experienced a growth in global daily active users, which measures the number of unique visitors to an app and is a metric used to infer a platform’s longevity. By mid-November, Parler had doubled its daily active users from October to nearly 2,000,000. MeWe achieved the same, doubling its own figures to 968,000 daily active users. On Tuesday, those numbers had risen even higher to roughly 2,500,000 and 1,580,000, respectively. (Facebook, by comparison, reported 196 million daily active users in the United States and Canada alone this year.) The drop-off in downloads of video-hosting platform Rumble has been less severe. In late October, the app counted just over 14,000 daily downloads, which jumped to about 68,000 in mid-November before falling back down to 49,000 on Tuesday. While Rumble doesn’t create original content like Newsmax and OANN, its “hands-off” moderation approach has made it appealing to conservative influencers like Dan Bongino, who owns an equity stake in the company. Downloads of the apps for news platforms Newsmax and OANN have seen a more severe drop-off. In late October, daily downloads for both apps stood at around 4,000. Those numbers rose to roughly 230,000 and 72,000, respectively, in mid-October, and settled at about 32,000 and 16,000 on Tuesday. Like Parler and MeWe, all three video platforms have upped their number of daily active users compared to October. Newsmax counted more than 2 million daily users on Tuesday, Rumble had just under 600,000, and OANN had about 630,000. While each app is clocking fewer additional downloads now than in November, Rumble, Newsmax, and OANN have nevertheless increased their daily downloads since late October. This lingering popularity could be attributed to President Trump, who has personally endorsed Newsmax and OANN as Fox News competitors.	https://onezero.medium.com/parler-newsmax-and-oann-app-downloads-tumble-after-november-spike-b66840e0a785	['Sarah Emerson']	2020-12-16 06:33:12.460000+00:00	['Social Media', 'Facebook', 'Culture', 'Tech', 'Platform']
Eight Signs Your Agile Testing Isn’t That Agile	Only your Testers Test What is a tester? As Joel Spolsky famously wrote, they are cheap resources you hire because you don’t want your developers testing. This opinion is anathema to Agile testing — if you hire cheap resources to ‘test’, you aren’t testing with an Agile mindset. Testing is not a role, it’s an activity. It’s an activity that everyone on a team should participate in. Even if you have a role on your Agile team with “quality” in the title (and I think you absolutely should!), they should not be the only ones who test. “But developers can’t test their own code!” some might say. Well, they can’t be the only ones that test their code, but they certainly can and should test. “Developers can’t test, it’s not how they think!” others might argue. That’s an interesting opinion, but not one I subscribe to. While I agree that there is some confirmation bias introduced by knowing how something is built, this does not preclude those who helped build the software from testing it. In fact, I would argue that testing, thinking destructively, finding edge cases, etc. are all critical skills for software developers to learn. I would even go so far as to say that true Deep Testing, as defined by James Bach and Michael Bolton, is a skill that all roles on a team should develop and practice. Drawing a hard line between development and test activities by assigning all testing to a special group of testers worked in waterfall development, but is not something that is compatible with agile methodology. You create defects for everything When you have a story in a sprint, and you find an issue with that story, what do you do? For many teams, the answer is still “file a defect.” In waterfall development, test teams would get access to a new build with new features all at once. They would then start a day-, week-, or even month-long testing cycle. Given the amount of defects that would be found and the time duration between discovery and fixing, it was critical to document every single one. This documentation is not necessary in Agile development. When you find an issue, collaborate with the developer and get the issue fixed, right then and there, in the same day or at least in the same sprint. If you need to persist information about the defect, put it in the original story. There is no need to introduce separate, additional documentation. There are only two reasons you should create a defect. One: an issue was found for previously completed work, or for something that is not tied to any particular story. This issue needs to be recorded as a defect and prioritized. (But, see next topic!) Two: an issue was found in a story and the product owner feels resolving the defect is significantly lower priority than completing the story, and feels the story can be accepted as-is. In this case a defect is created to fix the remaining work, and the current story is moved to done. Creating defects for every issue found for in-flight work is a holdover from the waterfall testing days of yore. PS: this is still true even if you hide your defects as sub-tasks. You assign a priority to defects So, you have a defect for a valid reason. (See previous section!) The waterfall tester would immediately assign that defect both a severity and priority. “Just found a pri-1, sev-1!” was a common exclamation in the days of waterfall testing. What is priority in Agile? It is simply the order the defect is placed in the backlog. Whether that defect is high or low priority, or something in between, is the product owner’s decision and communicated by its relative position among all the other stories and defects in the backlog. Giving every defect a separate and redundant priority, recorded in a special field, is incompatible with the idea of a prioritized backlog. Severity is less egregious, but still redundant. The severity of the defect should be obvious given the description recorded. If you really feel you need to summarize this into a single numeric value, fine, but it’s probably going to be ignored by everyone except executives reading vanity reports. You find a significant number of defects for every story In waterfall development, there was a mindset of “developers build it, testers test it.” Thus, it was expected that a significant number of defects would be found when a new build was given to the test team. For many, this mentality has seeped into their Agile development. A story is developed, passed to a QA, and many issues are found. The QA returns the story to the developer to fix the issues. This process is repeated. Finding significant defects in each story is an indication you still think of testing as a post-development activity, and not something that is done continuously as the story is being implemented. A story’s lifecycle across an Agile board should be thought of as a process of continually increasing confidence. If significant issues are always being found in one of the last stages, something is wrong in an earlier stage. Adjust your testing process to find these issues earlier, rather than treating your two-week sprint as a two-week waterfall. You exhaustively enumerate test cases in a test case manager When a huge number of features were dumped on a manual test team, it was great to have a plan for executing all those tests. While developers were off building that first deployment, there wasn’t much for testers to do anyway. Thus, big exhaustive test plans. Agile stories should be small — it’s the ‘s’ in INVEST. The testing of a single story should not require its own test plan or an enumeration of all test cases. Does this mean no test documentation? Absolutely not. It’s still important to document in the story what was tested, any test infrastructure that was required, testing challenges that were encountered, etc. If you really feel it’s necessary, you can use external management tools (Zephyr, TestRail, etc.) to document some of this, but this is often an indication you are falling back into waterfall test case documentation. Test planning, documenting test concerns and approach, etc. are important when testing in Agile. Exhaustively documenting each and every test case is not. You automate test cases Given that we’ve already said exhaustively enumerating test cases is bad, automating those test cases is doubly bad. “WHAT! Automation is NECESSARY in Agile!” naysayers will say. Absolutely it is, but you shouldn’t automate test cases. I’ll repeat that because it’s so foreign to some Agile teams: you shouldn’t automate test cases. Automating test cases, taking the 152 test cases from your test plan and turning them into 152 new automated test cases to be added to your ever-growing test suite is a surefire way to build an inverted test pyramid. If you didn’t know, inverted pyramids are bad. The problem with test cases is that they are usually high level (eg: “whole application”) descriptions of expected behavior, whereas we want automation to exist at the lowest level possible. What should happen is from the handful of stories that are being delivered in the current sprint, several hundred (or even thousand) very low-level unit tests are written, hundreds of component or API (sometimes grouped as “subcutaneous”) tests are written, and maybe a handful of new of existing E2E, high-level automated tests are written. You should have WAY FEWER e2e automated tests than you have test cases. Agile teams must actively assess their automation holistically—from unit to e2e—to ensure that all combined, the automated tests are providing the necessary coverage and confidence on new features. Teams should aggressively trim test suites by eliminating redundant tests, or pushing tests down the pyramid. Hearing someone brag about the number of automated e2e tests they have in an agile development methodology is a sure sign they are not testing (or automating) with an Agile mindset. Another great indicator of over-automated test cases: you find yourself having to run suites of tests overnight, to get a once-per-day feedback. 12-hour automated suites were fine when we deployed twice a year, not so much if we want to deploy twice an hour. You need significant regression testing before prod deployments You just finished a sprint! All your stories were successfully completed! Your product owner wants to deploy to prod! Can you? If you need a “regression sprint” before you are comfortable pushing to production, your testing can’t really be called Agile. The more testing you need, the less Agile it is. Because of compliance, security, or enterprise bureaucracy reasons, it’s not always possible to deploy on-demand (e.g. Continuous Deployment or even Continuous Delivery), let alone after every sprint. However, the goal of Agile testing should always be to get all completed work production-ready, as part of the story. The more delta you have between completed stories and production ready, the less you can call your testing Agile. A different way to look at this is to evaluate how done the “done” is in your story Definition of Done. It is very easy to start cutting things out when schedule pressure hits. “Well, we don’t really have to do performance testing as part of each story… let’s do that before deployment,” etc. The more you cripple your “done” the less Agile you are becoming. You separate testing sprints from development sprints Developers develop a bunch of stories (in collaboration with QA!) but there are always testing or automation tasks left undone at the end of the sprint. Rather than fixing the root problem (story sizing, estimation, dev-QA collaboration, etc.) the team decides on a strategy of “follow-up” test sprints: the stories are developed in one sprint, then the testing and automation of those stories happens in sprint + 1. Follow-up test sprints are an admission to failure. They take your process in the exact opposite direction it needs to go: towards a more siloed, serial division of labor between development and test activities. If you are a proponent of follow-up test sprints I won’t be able to convince you of their lunacy here. I do feel sorry for the developers who get stories returned to them for work they did four weeks prior. I usually can’t remember what I did yesterday. No, YOU’RE not Agile! Even if you disagree with some (or most?) of these, hopefully the awareness of alternative thinking at least encourages reflection on how your approach fits within the ecosystem of Agile testing. If you want even more detailed opinions on Agile, I guarantee that there are people out there willing to give them to you. For $400 an hour.	https://medium.com/slalom-build/eight-signs-your-agile-testing-isnt-that-agile-d3989bc1b9bb	['Blake Norrish']	2021-07-27 21:33:53.385000+00:00	['Software Testing', 'Agile', 'Agile Methodology', 'Software Development', 'Testing']
Ponder and the Ponder Gold Token Sale	Large-scale matchmaking has traditionally been done centrally, either through online services such as Match.com or Linkedin, or offline through matchmaking agencies and recruitment firms. Informal matchmaking done among friends and contacts often leads to the best results but is very limited in scale. Ponder takes this informal matchmaking, and scales it for the mass-market using game mechanics and financial rewards. We motivate everyone to play matchmaker. The Ponder beta is already available in both iOS and Android and has 70k users. The initial focus is on romantic matchmaking. Users drag and drop photos of singles they think would be a good match. If the couple like each other, the matchmaker earns $10. If the couple marry, the matchmaker wins $1000. Singles each pay $10 for every successful match, thereby earning the app $10 for each union. For singles, Ponder is the best way to find quality dates recommended by friends and a community of motivated matchmakers. For everyone, single or taken, Ponder is a fun game-like experience where they can test their intuition and make some money. Ponder Gold — Incentivizing engagement The Ponder Gold token provides users with a number of benefits: 1. A Ponder Gold holder who is dating will be exclusively shown to the matchmakers that have the best match rates. In other words, singles will increase their chances of being matched. 2. A Ponder Gold holder who is matchmaking will be shown the most active singles, increasing their own match rate, and thereby potentially gaining more financial reward. 3. Only Ponder Gold holders can participate in Matchmaking Groups. These are private sub-communities aligned around values and interests, providing a more focused matchmaking experience. 4. Ponder Gold holders can offer other services to token holders such as singles events or relationship advice, with the ability to charge for their services. 5. As we expand into other verticals such as recruiting, Ponder Gold holders will continue to accrue special benefits. Token Type: ERC-20 Link: http://tokensale.ponderapp.co Token Sale Volume: 18,000,000 USD Token Distribution: 25% Token Sale 5% Token Distribution 40% Purchase within app 30% retained by Ponder Token Price: $0.2 Token Sale Start: 6am PST February 14th, 2018 Token Sale End: 10pm PST April 20th, 2018 Accepted Forms of Payment: BTC, ETH, LTC, Dash, Zcash, NEO, or USD.	https://medium.com/theponderapp/ponder-and-the-ponder-gold-token-sale-777443959b72	[]	2018-01-26 07:59:48.002000+00:00	['ICO', 'Bitcoin', 'Token Sale', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Blockchain']
Cannabis Research Bill Is Passed By U.S. Senate	Another marijuana research bill has been introduced, this time to the U.S. Senate following the introduction of a similar bill last week by the House of Representatives. Last week, legislators from both sides of the political aisle introduced the Medical Marijuana Research Act to the House of Representatives, which seeks to allow researchers to use dispensary cannabis for their studies, as opposed to current regulation which only allowed for marijuana grown at the University of Mississippi to be studied. Just one week later, a similar marijuana research bill was passed by the U.S. Senate called the Cannabidiol and Marihuana Research Expansion Act, which was initially introduced in 2019. The bill seeks to remove red-tape when it comes to researching cannabis-derived medicines, expediting research for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA.) Given that just last week a very similar bill was introduced by representatives on both sides of the political spectrum, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), it stands to reason that this senate bill will likely be passed with bipartisan support. Should this occur, the bill will be enacted into law, and Americans can expect barriers to research to be brought down in 2021, allowing for a more evidence-based prescription process when it comes to cannabinoid medicines. This is critically important, as Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) outlined in 2019, stating: “In many cases, there are very limited data from which to draw specific recommendations for treatment.” The series of marijuana research bills follows growing scrutiny placed upon the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), who have been stonewalling research into medical cannabis. The DEA hasn’t carried out the evaluation process for 37 applications to cultivate cannabis for medical research purposes after nearly four years of delays. In theory, removing the barriers to research surrounding cannabis-derived medicines in the U.S. may allow cannabis to be removed from the list of Schedule I substances, which deems the plant to have no “accepted medical uses.” Should positive research emerge surrounding the benefits of cannabis use for legitimate medical conditions, this may prompt a revision of cannabis’s scheduling within the Controlled Substances Act.	https://medium.com/@louisarthuroneill/cannabis-research-bill-is-passed-by-u-s-senate-9f59c2336dd	['Louis O Neill']	2020-12-18 05:55:15.329000+00:00	['Drugs', 'Cannabis', 'War On Drugs', 'Marijuana', 'Policy']
How My Peter Pan Syndrome Landed Me In Prison For 10 Years	The Simpsons started my whole obsession with art. My sisters and I used to watch The Tracey Ullman Show together. One time, when I was nine, my sister drew the entire Simpsons family, including their cat and dog. She was a very good artist when we were younger, so I took her drawing and traced it, in an attempt to get the same attention from our foster parents that she did. But I was ultimately unsuccessful. Instead of celebrating it like they did with her, they just said, oh that’s nice, and pushed aside. I eventually decided, around age 15, that I didn’t want to be in a foster home anymore, so I ran away. I moved to different parts of the city—North Philly, South Philly, West Philly, the Northeast, Germantown — all considered dangerous crime-infested neighborhoods. When I say crime-infested, I mean, drug dealing, drug using, prostitution, robberies, murder, cops killing innocent people, cops planting drugs on people, police brutality, stuff like that. There was no disciplinarian to tell me to go to school — so I stopped. I was like a black Peter Pan with no real comprehension of reality. I was just in my own world. But one day that all changed. I was riding my bike when someone’s dog started chasing me and I got hit by a car. The hospital told me there was nothing wrong with me even though I had a broken ankle. There was a warrant out for my arrest because I was skipping school. I went to the youth study center and from there I went to a place called Sleighton Farms. I was 15 when I arrived and 17 when I left. Some years later, when I was 20, I was arrested again… this time for drug charges — possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine. I had fallen into the wrong crowd. Drug dealers were my role models, so I did whatever they asked me to do. I got three to nine months because I was a first time offender. A number of arrests followed for the same charge. Each time I got arrested, my jail time got longer and longer. As you can see, recidivism was a big problem of mine. I was locked up every time for the same thing: crack cocaine. Why’d I get caught like this? Because I had no education and no parental guidance. I thought that selling crack was the only way to make a living. I fell into the downward spiral because of my lack of understanding of the consequences and the nature of that whole lifestyle — that Peter Pan syndrome again. Never never land turned out to be a maximum security penitentiary.	https://medium.com/the-composite/how-my-peter-pan-syndrome-landed-me-in-prison-for-10-years-17fc932512b5	['Russel Omar-Shareef']	2017-09-09 04:25:09.459000+00:00	['Criminal Justice Reform', 'Prison Reform', 'War On Drugs']
Beta Geometric Negative Binomial Distribution — CLTV Prediction Model	We can make some observations here. There are 4339 customers and 12346 made single purchase, so the F and R are 0, and the T is 325 days. df[‘frequency’].plot(kind=’hist’, bins=50) print(df[‘frequency’].describe()) print(sum(df[‘frequency’] == 0)/float(len(data))) As shown, both frequency and recency are distributed quite near 0. Among all customers, >38% of them only made zero repeat purchase while the rest of the sample (62%) is divided into two equal parts: 31% of the customer base makes one repeat purchase while the other 31% of the customer base makes more than one repeat purchase. Similarly, for Recency, most customers have made their last purchase early in their lifetime and then became inactive. Indeed, the last repeat purchase that half our customers will make is within less than a year (252 days to be precise), since their first purchase for 75th quantile. Let’s do the Model talking now: We first need to fit the customer probability model to the data so that it picks up on their behaviors and pattern. This is done by looking at each individual’s Frequency, Recency and Age and adjusting its parameters so that it better reflects the intervals in which our customer-base purchases. The parameters also vary across different customers so it is calculated over two distributions for a more accurate and flexible fit of the data. Mathematically, this is done by taking the expectation of the equation over both distributions. bgf = BetaGeoFitter(penalizer_coef=0.0) bgf.fit(df[‘frequency’], df[‘recency’], df[‘T’], ) print (bgf) # Plot gbd = beta.rvs(bgf.params_[‘a’], bgf.params_[‘b’], size = 50000) ggd = gamma.rvs(bgf.params_[‘r’], scale=1./bgf.params_[‘alpha’], size = 50000) plt.figure(figsize=(14,4)) plt.subplot(121) plt.title(‘Heterogenity of $p$’) temp = plt.hist(gbd, 20, alpha=0.75) plt.subplot(122) plt.title(‘Heterogenity of $\lambda$’) temp = plt.hist(ggd, 20, alpha=0.75) Visualizing F/R Matrix: Frequency/Recency matrix computes the expected number of transactions a customer is to make in the next time period, given the R(age at last purchase) and F (the number of repeat transactions made). The matrix has the customer’s recency on the Y axis and the frequency on the X axis and the heatmap component is showing the predicted number of future purchases customers at intersecting points will make in one unit of time. The customers most likely to order are those who’ve placed lots of previous orders and have been seen relatively recently. plot_frequency_recency_matrix(bgf) The RF plots maps a customer’s expected purchases by the next year and probability that they’re alive given the frequency / recency. Intuitively, we can see that customers with high frequency and recency are expected to purchase more in the future and have a higher chance of being alive. Customers in the white zone are of interest as well since they are 50/50 on leaving the company but we can still expect them to purchase about 2 to 2.5 times during the next year. These are the customers that may need a little customer servicing to come back and buy more. It is interesting to note that for a fixed recency, customer’s with more frequency are more likely to be considered dead. This is a property of the model that illustrates a clear behavioral story: A customer making more frequent purchases is more likely to die off if we observe a longer period of inactivity than the customers previous intervals. We can see that if a customer has bought 120 times and their latest purchase (R) was when they were 120 days back, then they are you best customer (bottom-right). The coldest customers are those that in the top-right corner: they bought a lot quickly, and haven’t seen them in weeks. The tail around (20,50) represents the customers who buy infrequently, but are not seen recently, so they might buy again — we’re unsure if they are dead or just between purchases. Probability that each customer is alive: We can visualize is the probability that each customer is alive based on their frequency and recency. plot_probability_alive_matrix(bgf) Customers who have purchased recently are almost surely “alive”. Customers who have purchased a lot but not recently, are likely to have dropped out. And the more they bought in the past, the more likely they have dropped out. They are represented in the upper-right. Ranking customers from best to worst: Let’s rank the customers from “highest expected purchases in the next period” to lowest. Models expose a method that will predict a customer’s expected purchases in the next period using their history. t = 31*3 df[‘predicted_purchases’] = bgf.conditional_expected_number_of_purchases_up_to_time(t, df[‘frequency’], df[‘recency’], df[‘T’]) df.sort_values(by=’predicted_purchases’).tail(10) Listed here is our top 10 customers that the model expects them to purchase in the next 3 months. We can see that the customer who has made 131 purchases, and bought very recently, is probably going to buy again in the next period. The predicted_purchases column displays their expected number of purchases while the other three columns represent their current RFM metrics. The BG/NBD model believes these individuals will be making more purchases within the near future as they are the current best customers. Assessing model fit (Incorporating Heterogeneity): After fitting the model, we’re interested in seeing how well it is able to relate to our data. The first is to compare our data versus artificial data simulated with our fitted model’s parameters. plot_period_transactions(bgf) The two are almost identical indicating that, the model is a very good fit and predicts the number of periods in the calibration period rather well. The expected number of customers that are going to repeat purchase 0, 1, 2, 3 … 6 times in the future. For each number of repeat purchases (x-axis), we plot both what the model predicted and what the actual numbers were. As we can see, little to no errors in the fit for up to 6 repeat purchases. Let’s do the next fact check. However, it is always a good idea to compute the overall % error which is(predicted transactions/actual transactions -1) and the % error per transactions done in the calibration period. This will help us to quantify how close to reality the model is. Model testing: summary_cal_holdout = calibration_and_holdout_data(data, ‘CustomerID’, ‘InvoiceDate’, calibration_period_end=’2011–06–08', observation_period_end=’2011–12–9' ) print(summary_cal_holdout.head()) bgf.fit(summary_cal_holdout[‘frequency_cal’], summary_cal_holdout[‘recency_cal’], summary_cal_holdout[‘T_cal’]) plot_calibration_purchases_vs_holdout_purchases(bgf, summary_cal_holdout) In this plot, we separate the data into both a in-sample (calibration) and validation (holdout) period. The sample period consists from the beginning to 2011–06–08; the validation period spans the rest of the duration ( 2011–06–09 to 2011–12–09). The plot groups all customers in the calibration period by their number of repeat purchases (x-axis) and then averages over their repeat purchases in the holdout period (y-axis). The plot groups all customers in the calibration period by their number of repeat purchases (x-axis) and then averages over their repeat purchases in the holdout period (y-axis). The orange and blue line presents the model prediction and actual result of the y-axis respectively. The lines are quite close to each other indicating that, the model is not far off at predicting the number of orders each customer will make. The model is able to accurately predict the customer base’s behavior out of the sample, the model under-estimates at 4 purchases and after 5 purchases. Customer transactions predictions: Based on customer history, we can now predict what an individual’s future purchases might look like: t = 10 individual = df.loc[12347] bgf.predict(t, individual[‘frequency’], individual[‘recency’], individual[‘T’]) 0.15727742663038222 The model predicts that customer’s (id:12347) future transaction is 0.157 in 10 days. Key takeaways: Customers are the most important assets of a business and CLTV allows assessing their current and future value in a customer base. The CRM strategy and marketing resource allocation are based on this metric. Business not only need to predict the retention but also analyze the purchase behavior of customers if we consider customer centric business. BG/NBD is a slight variation in the behavioral story associated with the Pareto/NBD but vastly easier to implement. The transition from an exponential distribution to a geometric process (to capture customer dropout) does not require any different psychological theories nor does it have any noteworthy managerial implications. I can be reached at here .	https://towardsdatascience.com/measuring-customers-value-using-python-lifetimes-d8b19a04e9c1	['Sarit Maitra']	2021-06-08 13:11:35.606000+00:00	['Rfm Analysis', 'Predictive Analytics', 'Customer Lifetime Value']
A Game of Words: Season 8	A Game of Words: Season 8 Analysing the words spoken in the last ever season of Game of Thrones The final season of Game of Thrones aired in April and May 2019. It was by far the most controversial season in terms of viewer reaction, with many people unhappy about the ending. For a more detailed investigation of why it was so unpopular, see my new article ‘Game of Thrones Season 8: What went wrong?’, where I look at what the data can tell us about the reasons behind fans’ unhappiness. Despite this negative reaction, Episode 6 marked the conclusion of 8 years worth of television and arguably the most successful TV show of all time. In a previous article of mine ‘A Game of Words’ (and in Part 2) I analysed scripts from the first seven seasons and showed how the words that characters use perfectly reflect their personality and storyline (if you haven’t checked it out I recommend you do so here, as it will explain in more detail some of the graphs included in this article). It is now time to add to this by looking at the final season of the show! This analysis will use similiar methods to the previous articles mentioned above, in order to allow for comparison between them. All script data was scraped in the same way as the first article, from the Genius.com lyrics website. Analysis was then performed in R using the tidytext package. ‘She is my queen’ In the original ‘A Game of Words’, the first table I produced was (and still is) my favourite - a table showing the most commonly used word for each character. Despite the simplicity of it, the results manage to capture the essence of each character extremely well. In order to allow comparisons, I have recreated the same table but for Season 8. Here I chose 12 of the characters who spoke the most words in Season 8. As before, common stopwords (‘the’, ‘and’, ‘is’ etc.) have been removed. The results are almost as good as they were in the first article! Table showing the most common words spoken by characters in season 8 of Game of Thrones and their relative frequency (the % of all those character’s words). I think this succinctly captures each character’s storylines in the final season, with their most commonly used word reflecting either what concerned them most, or the storyline they played a most prominent role in. Jon : there have been plenty of memes ridiculing the fact that Jon said ‘she is my queen’ (or a variation of that) too often in Season 8. The data here would appear to back that up - ‘queen’ is his most commonly spoken word and every time he says it he is referring to Dany. : there have been plenty of memes ridiculing the fact that Jon said ‘she is my queen’ (or a variation of that) too often in Season 8. The data here would appear to back that up - ‘queen’ is his most commonly spoken word and every time he says it he is referring to Dany. Arya & Sansa : I like the contrast here. Sansa is now the Lady of Winterfell and her concerns are keeping the ‘North’ safe, i.e. she will be staying there. Indeed she doesn’t leave Winterfell in Season 8 other than in the final episode. Arya on the other hand will not be staying and plans to be “going” on her own adventure. Arya also frequently tells others what she is going to do before she does it (or attempts to)- in this Season she was ‘going’ to kill Cersei, for example. : I like the contrast here. Sansa is now the Lady of Winterfell and her concerns are keeping the ‘North’ safe, i.e. she will be staying there. Indeed she doesn’t leave Winterfell in Season 8 other than in the final episode. Arya on the other hand will not be staying and plans to be “going” on her own adventure. Arya also frequently tells others what she is going to do before she does it (or attempts to)- in this Season she was ‘going’ to kill Cersei, for example. Daenerys : this is an interesting one. It appears that in Season 8, Dany became slightly obsessed with comparing herself to her older brother Rhaegar. This combined with the fact that three of the people she interacted with most in this season (Jon, Sansa & Tyrion), have brothers who also play a key role in the series (Bran, Jon/Bran and Jaime, respectively), meant that ‘brother’ was her most commonly used word. : this is an interesting one. It appears that in Season 8, Dany became slightly obsessed with comparing herself to her older brother Rhaegar. This combined with the fact that three of the people she interacted with most in this season (Jon, Sansa & Tyrion), have brothers who also play a key role in the series (Bran, Jon/Bran and Jaime, respectively), meant that ‘brother’ was her most commonly used word. Cersei & The Hound : the same word but in different contexts. It has been widely remarked that Cersei played a surprisingly minor role in Season 8, not getting the chance to speak very often. This relative lack of words then skews her results when she pleads for her life shortly before her death (‘I don’t want to die. Don’t let me die.’). I think this perhaps reflects the fact that her mentality in this season was all about survival (i.e. avoiding death). The Hound on the other hand is staying true to form with his abrasive, offensive nature and “we’re all going to die anyway” mentality. : the same word but in different contexts. It has been widely remarked that Cersei played a surprisingly minor role in Season 8, not getting the chance to speak very often. This relative lack of words then skews her results when she pleads for her life shortly before her death (‘I don’t want to die. Don’t let me die.’). I think this perhaps reflects the fact that her mentality in this season was all about survival (i.e. avoiding death). The Hound on the other hand is staying true to form with his abrasive, offensive nature and “we’re all going to die anyway” mentality. Varys & Tyrion : the same objective but two different ways of looking at it. They both frequently remind us how their characters are only concerned with ‘the realm’. Tyrion, being the more persuasive and less confrontational character, approaches this by reminding everyone (especially Dany) how ‘the people’ are suffering and ‘the people’ need the right ruler. Varys on the other hand is scheming to ensure the person sitting on the ‘throne’ is of the right caliber. The same end goal (peace and stability) but two different methods - one which gets you burned alive and one which doesn’t. : the same objective but two different ways of looking at it. They both frequently remind us how their characters are only concerned with ‘the realm’. Tyrion, being the more persuasive and less confrontational character, approaches this by reminding everyone (especially Dany) how ‘the people’ are suffering and ‘the people’ need the right ruler. Varys on the other hand is scheming to ensure the person sitting on the ‘throne’ is of the right caliber. The same end goal (peace and stability) but two different methods - one which gets you burned alive and one which doesn’t. The rest: Jaime’s season 8 revolves around his relationship with his sister. Qyburn pretty much exclusively interacts with Cersei, who he refers to as ‘Your Grace’. Sam’s most commonly used word reflects his part in the storyline of Jon finding out his true heritage and Tormund doesn’t actually say dragon very often (4 times in fact) but he doesn’t say much else either - also he is in awe of the creatures. The Stars of the Show Next I’ll look at how the volume of words spoken by each character changed over the course of the final season. Season 8 had significantly fewer words spoken than previous seasons and as such it will be interesting to see how these scarce words were portioned out among the remaining characters. This will also allow us to see who was actually central to the storylines of the final season. In the diagrams below the blue line represents the average number of words per episode for that character across seasons 1–7 (taken from the original ‘Game of Words’ article). Graph showing the number of words spoken in each episode of GoT Season 8, by 12 of the main characters. The blue line indicates (where available) their average words per episode in Seasons 1–7. So it seems that on the whole most characters had a similiar level of engagement in Season 8 as they did in the preceding 7 seasons, with a couple of exceptions. Tyrion: what the diagrams above suggest is that Tyrion and Daenerys were the stars of Season 8 - which won’t come as a surprise to most of us. What may be surprising is just how much Tyrion talks towards the end of the season. In episodes 4–6 he averages just under 1000 words per episode, which is roughly 5 times as much as Jon Snow (an arguably more important character). This perhaps highlights the difference between an eloquent man of speech on the one side and a brooding teen/quiet man of action on the other. As Grey Worm says to Tyrion in Episode 6 “…we have heard enough words from you”. what the diagrams above suggest is that Tyrion and Daenerys were the stars of Season 8 - which won’t come as a surprise to most of us. What may be surprising is just how much Tyrion talks towards the end of the season. In episodes 4–6 he averages just under 1000 words per episode, which is roughly 5 times as much as Jon Snow (an arguably more important character). This perhaps highlights the difference between an eloquent man of speech on the one side and a brooding teen/quiet man of action on the other. As Grey Worm says to Tyrion in Episode 6 “…we have heard enough words from you”. Cersei: there has been much said about Cersei’s lack of involvement in this final season. Aside from a few key dialogues early on with Euron, the Lannister Queen was relegated to what was essentially a non-speaking role for most episodes. This can be seen here clearly - Cersei was not a key player in Season 8. there has been much said about Cersei’s lack of involvement in this final season. Aside from a few key dialogues early on with Euron, the Lannister Queen was relegated to what was essentially a non-speaking role for most episodes. This can be seen here clearly - Cersei was not a key player in Season 8. Daenerys: the Mother of Dragons consistently spoke more in this season than she averaged in previous seasons. This is to be expected as she was one of the main players, having been at times something of a side story during the first 7 seasons. A ‘sentimental’ farewell In order to stay true to the original articles and allow for proper comparison, I’ll again perform some sentiment analysis on the words the characters spoke. See Game of Words Part 2 for more detail on what sentiment analysis is - however the graphs below should be fairly self-explanatory. For the benefit of those who didn’t read the original, see the excerpt below to explain what is meant by ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ in this context: “…you should think of ‘positive’ as meaning polite, friendly, or enthusiastic and ‘negative’ as rude, dismissive or violent.” (A Game of Words Part 2) Graph showing the sentiment of each character over the course of Season 8 of Game of Thrones. Sentiment analysis performed using the sentimentr package in R. Unfortunately there isn’t a great deal of interesting analysis that can be drawn from this. However, it is nice to see that some of the patterns from previous seasons have remained in Season 8. The Mad Queen’s Descent: Daenerys’ graph taken as-is, doesn’t appear to be particularly interesting. However if we take into account the results of the original analysis - which showed that Dany’s words were always significantly positive in their sentiment over the first seven seasons - then perhaps this shows the transformation of the Mother of Dragons into the Mad Queen. Daenerys was always stern but tempered her words with positivity, optimism and mercy. However, in this final season she was almost consistently negative with the words she spoke, which provides some evidence for the argument that she had a significant change of character in Season 8. Daenerys’ graph taken as-is, doesn’t appear to be particularly interesting. However if we take into account the results of the original analysis - which showed that Dany’s words were always significantly positive in their sentiment over the first seven seasons - then perhaps this shows the transformation of the Mother of Dragons into the Mad Queen. Daenerys was always stern but tempered her words with positivity, optimism and mercy. However, in this final season she was almost consistently negative with the words she spoke, which provides some evidence for the argument that she had a significant change of character in Season 8. Same old Sam: as noted in the original article, Sam Tarly’s bumbling and polite ways mean that he always scores high in sentiment analysis. He rarely uses negative or abrasive words, preferring always to take a deferential and measured tone. as noted in the original article, Sam Tarly’s bumbling and polite ways mean that he always scores high in sentiment analysis. He rarely uses negative or abrasive words, preferring always to take a deferential and measured tone. The Hound and The Giantsbane: in the original article I pointed out how the Hound consistently had by far the most negative sentiment to his words. This remains true in season 8, but he is almost matched for ‘negativity’ by Tormund. This is because both of them are strong individuals who do not tone down their words regardless of who they are addressing and like to swear. Perhaps their similiarity is why their personalities clashed so much in the show. in the original article I pointed out how the Hound consistently had by far the most negative sentiment to his words. This remains true in season 8, but he is almost matched for ‘negativity’ by Tormund. This is because both of them are strong individuals who do not tone down their words regardless of who they are addressing and like to swear. Perhaps their similiarity is why their personalities clashed so much in the show. Jon: In my opinion Jon’s graph shows how his character was displayed in this final season. He consistently restrained himself and appeared neutral, especially when talking to Daenerys, with whom he shared a significant amount of dialogue. He was never an abrasive person but particularly in this season he seemed to lack a real personality (insert “she is my queen” meme) - and I think that shows here. The end of an era Game of Thrones is over. Alongside this article I also produced some analysis on what the data can tell us about the underperformance of Season 8, I’ll be posting that in the next couple of days so check back soon if you found this interesting! If you enjoyed either of these articles please check out my other analyses, share or give me a follow so you can see the next time I post something that interests you!	https://towardsdatascience.com/a-game-of-words-season-8-8fbd53df1833	['Chris Brownlie']	2019-08-05 15:00:36.822000+00:00	['Data Visualization', 'TV Series', 'Data Science', 'Pop Culture', 'Game of Thrones']
Twitch Prime Members, Level Up Your Arsenal with the Warframe Gear Bundle!	Starting today through September 14th, Twitch Prime members can get a Gear Bundle for Warframe that includes 50 Platinum (non-tradeable) to use towards new equipment, a 7-Day Affinity Booster to double the rate in which players upgrade their equipment, and a 7-Day Resource Booster to double the amount of Resources players get from pickups. To take advantage of this offer on PC, PS4, or Xbox One, link your Warframe and Twitch accounts. If you’re not a Twitch Prime member, you can sign up for a free trial here. What is Twitch Prime? Twitch Prime is a premium experience on Twitch that is included with Amazon Prime. Benefits include monthly in-game loot, a channel subscription every 30 days AND all the benefits of being a Prime member. Check out the full list of Amazon Prime benefits in: US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Australia, Japan, and Singapore. You can try it for free for 30 days right here, and when you do, you get all the Twitch Prime benefits instantly just by linking your Twitch account to your Amazon account.	https://medium.com/twitch-news/twitch-prime-members-level-up-your-arsenal-with-the-warframe-gear-bundle-a907206e6af	['Joveth Gonzalez']	2018-08-14 18:01:01.429000+00:00	['Twitch', 'Warframe', 'Twitch Prime']
MDMA to be Approved by FDA as Early as 2022 for the Treatment of PTSD	MDMA to be Approved by FDA as Early as 2022 for the Treatment of PTSD Jesse Yorks Jul 8, 2020·3 min read MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) known by many names such as ecstasy or molly is a synthetic compound first synthesized in 1912 by Merck chemist Anton Köllisch. Many people associate MDMA as a party drug used in nightclubs and raves. Although, this drug was first created with the intentions that it would help control bleeding. Starting in the 1970s and 1980s MDMA began to grow in popularity with psychiatrists. They stated that the drug helped to enhance conversation during patient sessions and also gave patients better insights about their personal problems. Due to these reports and findings MDMA then began to become more popular in culture and society as a street drug known for its euphoric and psychoactive properties. In 1985 the DEA placed a ban on MDMA making it a schedule 1 substance stating that there were no known medical uses and that the drug had a high abuse potential. During the early 1990s the FDA approved the first human clinical trials for MDMA to see if it could alleviate pain in terminally ill patients and also to test its potential as an adjunct to psychotherapy. Although the results of these trials were never published it did help to establish parameters for safely administering MDMA to patients within a controlled healthcare setting. After this, MDMA for nearly 30 years went unstudied and its therapeutic potential ignored. In August 2017 the FDA approved more trials for MDMA assisted psychotherapy to be studied for the treatment of PTSD. These clinical trials were conducted by The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Currently MAPS is conducting phase 3 clinical trials which will most likely be completed in 2021. This means that MDMA could be approved as a breakthrough treatment for PTSD as early as 2022. MAPS is also starting phase 2 clinical trials in Europe. MAPS recognizes the amazing therapeutic potential of MDMA. The goal of MAPS is to establish the efficacy of MDMA for healing psychological and emotional pain caused by war, violent crime, sexual assault and many other types of trauma. MAPS is also studying MDMA’s effect on anxiety, autism and depression. Many medications used for mental illness require patients to take medication daily and for years sometimes indefinitely. MDMA assisted psychotherapy unlike many currently accepted medications only has to be administered a few times. Ecstasy and molly sold on the street, although they may contain MDMA are commonly mixed with dangerous and unknown adulterants. It is important to distinguish that MDMA when used in clinical trials is 100% pure. Pure MDMA has been proven to be safe for human use when taken a few times at appropriate doses. Due to the extensive testing and phase 3 clinical trials conducted by MAPS there is an extremely high likelihood that MDMA assisted psychotherapy therapy will be approved by the FDA for the treatment of PTSD. MDMA will undoubtedly help to save lives and increase quality of life for many soldiers and victims of trauma. Thanks to MAPS and MDMA the future is looking much brighter for people suffering from PTSD caused by psychological and emotional trauma.	https://medium.com/@jesseyorks123/mdma-to-be-approved-by-fda-as-early-as-2022-for-the-treatment-of-ptsd-a12386736424	['Jesse Yorks']	2020-07-09 15:44:23.443000+00:00	['PTSD', 'Mdma', 'Psychedelics', 'Maps', 'Clinical Trials']
10 Ideas for Sculpting With Ceramic Network	As Ceramic enters Beta, we’re seeing more and more experimentation in the community, and we’re excited to see the network and IDX library used in increasingly creative ways. If you’re thinking about your your next project — whether that’s a hackathon entry or a new feature for your stable product — here are 10 ideas to get excited about! Using Ceramic in your product 1. Manage user identities, information, accounts and data The identity index data structure makes it easy to manage identities and user data without any servers or silos — one of the primary use cases Ceramic was created to support. IDX also lets you turn blockchain keys into authentication for a robust identity, with the ability to manage off-chain data, profile info, settings, and more. Partners like Textile for data storage, Fleek for hosting, Magic for authentication and more can be used with IDX. 2. Index or catalogue content on IPFS and elsewhere Use Ceramic as a flexible index for content being stored on IPFS — or anywhere else. Putting this on Ceramic allows easy discovery, as well as definitions and links that make routing to and consuming the content easier over time. 3. Publish and manage metadata to make data discoverable, linkable Publish metadata like schema and tags for privately stored data, making it discoverable and interoperable while preserving privacy and flexibility. This lets you use any data storage option you can imagine — whether centralized or decentralized — while still building on a linked and open web. 4. Anchor IPFS content onto Ethereum Ceramic can be used for any use case that requires blockchain anchoring, including creating scalable and auditable records or signed documents. Every Ceramic document and update is signed with a DID, and these updates are batched and anchored on a blockchain. This provides super scalable verifiable records for things like content feeds, comments, annotations, proposals, votes, and more. 5. Trusted content publishing Use Ceramic to publish content with verified authorship in a platform-independent way. Because Ceramic documents have a permanent ID but are mutable, you can update and version content over time without needing to adjust pointers. This makes it perfect for storing and distributing content to a number of sources. You could use Ceramic as a headless, trusted and open CMS. 6. Data storage backend Ceramic documents offer capabilities similar to your favorite NoSQL document store. Improve information security, ship faster, and eliminate the need to configure and run database servers for storing user and application data. Project Ideas You can use Ceramic and IDX with most applications. Here are a few ambitious ones we know the community would love to see. 7. DeFi-Wide Trollbox One of the most amazing things about DeFi is the ability to move across interfaces and access the same money legos and pools. But right now, it’s just assets and on-chain information that’s shared. We think the social element should be too. Imagine a chatbox anchored to a given pool or smart contract that users across platforms could all be chatting in! You could build this today, using IDX for identity (so users still authenticate with the same Ethereum key) and pairing it with p2p chat like Textile, OrbitDB, or others. 8. DeFi Account Tracker Lost track of all your historical accounts (and where you might have airdrops from Uniswap and others)? Use IDX’s crypto-links to create a self-sovereign, portable and privacy-preserving mapping of your various accounts to a single identity. This could be read across DeFi platforms and interfaces too, reducing the need to recreate your watch list on each one. 9. Profile Plugin Create a simple component that gets rid of hex addresses and replaces them with profiles, read from IDX. Help create a web3 experience that is familiar and human. This could be a plugin developers use to replace hex addresses in their interface, or browser extension for users to overlay profile information where it exists. 10. Ceramic Explorer Create a visual explorer for Ceramic documents, making it easy for content to be discovered and shared by applications across web3. This would make it easy for developers to see what documents exist, what standards are emerging, and how to build their data model on Ceramic. Bonus: User Notification Service Web3 Apps today don’t have a reliable way to get ahold of their users. This means they either have to let the experience end when the app is closed or they end up storing email addresses and preferences in a server. IDX provides a new option. User notification settings can be stored in a Ceramic document, as can contact info like an email address — encrypted and access controlled. A notification service built on this could enable apps to get in touch with users based only on their Ethereum address, without storing user contact info. Our bounties We’re at lots of hackathons in the next month, including EthOnline. Bounties we’re currently offering include: Best overall use of IDX Library Best user notifications or chat product using Ceramic Best tool to help other developers use IDX and Ceramic We will also be adding bounties in soon, including adding support for new blockchains for Ceramic and more. Get started Ceramic is a peer-to-peer dataweb for publishing, linking, and querying verifiable information on the open web. Start here: The IDX library on Ceramic make it simple to store, use and manage decentralized identities and data across any network, platform or application. Start here: For more information now and going forward, join us in the Ceramic Discord Community and sign up for our mailing list for frequent developer updates.	https://medium.com/ceramic/10-ideas-for-sculpting-with-ceramic-network-35328d9ad686	['Danny Zuckerman']	2020-10-06 14:00:38.382000+00:00	['Blockchain', 'Ethereum', 'Ipfs', 'Hackathons', 'Identity']
AYS DAILY DIGEST 09/07/2020: Protests in Greece against New Demonstration Law	AYS DAILY DIGEST 09/07/2020: Protests in Greece against New Demonstration Law First aid trainings in Moria // Report on discriminatory practices by Blue Star Ferries // News from the Sea // Von der Leyens reaction to investigation into March shooting at Turkish-Greek border Are You Syrious? Follow Jul 10, 2020 · 11 min read young boy at Victoria Square in Athens FEATURE: NEW DEMONSTRATION LAW IN GREECE On Thursday, thousands of people demonstrated in Athens against a new law that has been submitted to the parliament. The law aims to expand police power over demonstrations. “It stipulates that protesters apply to the police for a license to demonstrate. Groups must do so via an assigned organiser who will be financially liable for any damage to property or obstruction of economic life deemed to have been caused by the protest.” (see article below) The demonstrations that were held on Thursday proved the new bill’s inadequacy and the people’s will to oppose it: some 10,000 people gathered to show their disapproval. Clashes between demonstrators and police occurred. Greece sees big demonstrations on a regular base, especially since police violence, mainly against refugees, is high. The bill is especially inadequate since many of these protests are held spontaneously and without clear organizing structures. At the same time, there have been reports of an increase of police violence, especially during Corona-lockdown. Ioanna Manoussaki-Adamopoulou, a PhD candidate at University College London researching refugee rights in Greece, spoke about the “increase in records of police stripping of citizens during stop and search operations, and worryingly, taking them into spaces without cameras and beating them up. These are all the practices that remind us of non-democratic dictatorial governments. Such practices have reappeared with ferocity, and with a kind of discourse of Junta-like police powers.” For more information, see:	https://medium.com/are-you-syrious/ays-daily-digest-09-07-2020-protests-in-greece-against-new-demonstration-law-4ee62b8b6449	['Are You Syrious']	2020-07-10 20:12:59.240000+00:00	['Refugees', 'Mediterranean', 'Europe', 'Digest', 'Greece']
DLT M&A Weekly : March 2nd 2019. Distributed ledger technology mergers…	DLT M&A Weekly : March 2nd 2019 Distributed ledger technology mergers and acquisitions DLT M&A news with week was dominated by reactions to the acquisition of Neutrino (chain analytics for exchange risk management) by Coinbase which was well covered by The Block. The only notable newly announced M&A transaction this week was the acquisition of Ethos (private) by newly public Voyager Digital(Public TSX.V: VYGR), described in detail below. — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Voyager \| Ethos \| $3.9mm \| February 28, 2019 Small but strategically important and illustrative acquisition Target Description: Ethos offers a mobile phone-based multi-asset cryptocurrency wallet (the Ethos Universal Wallet). There are a long list of wallet competitors include Coinbase (Toshi), Blockchain, GreenAddress, Bread, Jaxx, Mycelium, Electrum, MyEtherWallet, Samourai, and hardware based-wallets including Ledger, Trezor and KeepKey. Ethos raised $2.3mm in capital in July 2017 through a token issuance (whitepaper). The token (ETHOS) currently trades on Binance and Bithumb and according to OnChainFX, has a current market capitalization of $14mm. 56% of the total token supply remains in the Ethos treasury. Ethos.io PTE LTD (“Ethos”) was founded by Shingo Lavine in May 2017 as Bitquence. Mr. Lavine will assume the role of Chief Innovation Officer and join the board of directors a Voyager upon close of the transaction. Buyer Description: Voyager Digital (Canada) Ltd (TSX.V: VYGR) is a crypto asset brokerage firm, offering retail and institutional clients commission-free trading services. Via their Smart Order Router, Voyager access multiple crypto exchanges and other trading venues to ensure efficient execution of desired trades. Voyager currently operates in the select U.S. states and plans expansion within the U.S. and internationally this year. Voyager competes with companies such as Coinbase, Circle and Robinhood. Voyager, led by Steve Ehrlich and based in New York, NY, was created via the reverse merger of Voyager into a public shell company which closed on December 31, 2018. Voyager is pre-revenue and has a current fully diluted market capitalization of $45mm U.S. (79.6mm fully diluted shares at $.5625 per share U.S.). Transaction Parameters: Voyager is acquiring certain assets of Ethos for 7 million common shares of Voyager, today valued at approximately $3.9mm U.S. Comparable acquisitions include: Binance’s acquisition of Trust Wallet (July 2018), nChain’s acquisition of HandCash (May 2018), Coinbase’s acquisition of Cipher Browser (April 2018), ShapeShift’s acquisition of KeepKey (August 2017) and Bitmain’s acquisition of BlockTrail (July 2016). Strategic Rationale: A cryptocurrency wallet is essential to allow an individual to access, store and transact with cryptocurrencies and tokens. In essence, the wallet is a critical user interface. Companies who control the wallet, have direct access to the consumer, making it highly strategic to control. Today, there are 35 mm cryptocurrency wallet users according to Blockchain.com Vision, and other crypto exchanges, require wallet integration (their own or third-party wallets) and are also seeking strategic advantage by controlling the wallet as cryptocurrencies and tokens are more widely utilized as payment or access. Other competing user interfaces include cryto-enabled mobile and desktop browser (Brave or Metamask), use case specific apps (including crypto exchanges like Voyager, Coinbase, …) where the wallet is linked but in the background. Voyager and Ethos had an existing business relationship. Architect Partners Observations: We’ve only begun to see the emergence of the competition to control the cryptocurrency wallet given its immense strategic value. Those who control access to the consumer, have the opportunity to extract value from that relationship. No different than the web and mobile browser, search or social media. Also of note, this is an acquisition of a company which had previously issued tokens in an ICO. The circulating supply of these tokens are currently ascribed a market value of $14mm and 56% of the token supply remains held in the Ethos treasury. As we’ve observed before, while issued tokens may make M&A more complicated, it’s certainly not impossible as theorized by Kyle Samani in his October 2017 Crypto Acquisitions post. One way to think of this transaction is that Voyager paid $3.9mm for the assets of Ethos which theoretically include tokens valued by the market today at $18mm. Interesting …	https://medium.com/hackernoon/dlt-m-a-weekly-march-2nd-2019-236943051497	['Eric F Risley']	2019-03-06 08:43:24.667000+00:00	['Strategy', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Distributed Ledgers', 'Mergers And Acquisitions']
Smart Cities Deserve Smart Contracts: The Missing Piece of the Enterprise IoT Puzzle	Smart Cities Deserve Smart Contracts: The Missing Piece of the Enterprise IoT Puzzle A much-needed bridge for rapidly growing IoT infrastructure to scale securely Cartesi Follow Apr 13 · 6 min read The technology that underpins so many vital industry frameworks around the globe is evolving at a rapid pace. Businesses from every corner of the industry are looking for ways to keep up with demand, whilst at the same time streamlining processes and maintaining high levels of data security. But as the mainstream population’s appetite for technology increases by the day, the technical glue that sticks the world’s biggest industries together is quickly becoming outdated and inefficient. The Internet of Things (IoT) is one such industry and, in this article, we look at how although still somewhat nascent in its stages of development, the sector already requires a “level up” if it is to deliver upon its promises of managing efficient energy consumption, urban development and population growth. IoT and Smart Cities: Constructing the Future IoT connects computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data. The possibilities for this technology are seemingly endless; we are already witnessing the rise of the “smart home”, which offers the inhabitants automated control of lighting, climate, entertainment systems and appliances, taking steps toward reducing carbon footprints and saving energy. There are an estimated 175 million smart homes in the world and the US is expected to have 63 million connected homes by 2022. In a relatively short period, IoT has significantly expanded and now connects billions of devices and networks in homes, workplaces, transportation systems, and even entire smart cities, with the market size set to grow considerably in the coming years. But this plan for huge scaling requires careful consideration given the fact that user data, some of it quite sensitive, is constantly being transferred and communicated between billions of devices around the globe. Security is of top importance in the field of IoT, but there are also valid concerns about data integrity within the current landscape. Is IoT secure? The short answer to this is, unfortunately, not as secure as we’d like. The saying goes that “the S in IoT stands for Security” and somewhat surprisingly, when it comes to cybersecurity IoT has failed to keep up with development in the enterprise IT world; IoT systems are vulnerable when connected to the unwieldy internet, with security concerns sadly hindering IoT’s scaling efforts and wider deployment Security vulnerabilities in IoT devices make them an easy target for Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, with a number of incidents in recent years causing major disruptions for organisations and individuals alike. As our appliances and devices become more inextricably linked than ever, the Internet of Things has been increasingly associated with cyber-attacks, some involving the hijacking and abuse of surveillance cameras and other vulnerable connected devices, to facilitate malicious and illegal activities. The industry’s current shortcomings in attempts to secure billions of devices have often come under fire and, unsurprisingly, calls for viable solutions that could fill the security gap. Blockchain and IoT: Accelerating the Internet of Things A Gartner study estimates that blockchain technology will add $3.1 trillion in business value by 2030, with a plethora of industries able to benefit from the expanded security, scalability and functionality that blockchain provides. Utilising blockchain’s trustless mechanics, businesses can stop relying on centralised models and look toward a future of an automated industry that is free of human reliance and therefore human error and bad actors. In the IoT world, blockchain and distributed frameworks can reduce the risk of devices being compromised through a central authority and can also massively improve the scalability of IoT as a whole. When coupled with blockchain’s verifiable, secure and immutable mechanisms, IoT has the power to become a more secure machine with no human reliance and with efficient decision-making processes that take place at the drop of a hat. The opportunity to greatly improve the security of IoT systems with the use of blockchain has not gone unnoticed, with some of the world’s largest companies, such as Telefonica, one of the largest telephone operators and mobile network providers in the world, making moves to combine IoT infrastructure with blockchain technology. Deloitte and IBM are other notable industry leaders dedicating considerable time and resources towards exploring possible integrations and benefits of utilising blockchain. Verifiable Computation with Cartesi The world’s billions of IoT products, ranging from tiny wearables to larger industrial devices, rely on huge amounts of data to function and interact with each other. Therefore, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of this data is crucial for the correctness and safety of many IoT applications. Currently, this data is, in the majority of instances, stored within a third-party cloud which by design will be centralised and therefore can not be fully trusted. Data has the potential to be corrupted by malicious cloud employees, outside attackers, storage faults and more. A survey conducted by McAfee highlighted that 25% of cloud tenants have experienced data theft from the public cloud at some stage, with 20% of cloud tenants experiencing an advanced attack against their public cloud infrastructure. With tampered or erroneous data, IoT applications could potentially make the wrong decisions and cause economic losses or in the worst cases, lead to the loss of human life. Cartesi opens a whole new avenue for IoT with the introduction of truly “verifiable computation”. It has not before been possible to have verifiable general-purpose computation running on smart devices; IoT DApps running inside Cartesi Machines can process virtually unlimited amounts of data, whilst executing verifiable and enforceable computation, meaning that the risk of data corruption and authenticity is mitigated enormously. Combined with the immutable, distributed and transparent mechanics of public blockchains, Cartesi’s verifiable computation paves the way for an explosion of opportunities within the IoT industry. Building strength in IoT systems Cartesi also makes it possible for businesses within IoT and their development teams to benefit from the strong security guarantees of the Ethereum blockchain, whilst keeping access to the traditional and battle-tested Linux tools that they’re used to. Enterprise applications that run on sensitive data can scale massively with Cartesi but, at the same time, preserve user privacy on IoT DApps and devices. Integrating Cartesi allows IoT platforms to build more resilient and fraud-proof systems. We have already begun exploring the potential for Cartesi within IoT through our recent partnership and incubation of Creol, an IoT commercial building control system that carbon offsets itself in real-time to be a carbon-neutral building control system. Creol is implementing Cartesi in their IoT devices to ensure that building stats measurements and computations are verifiable and securely inserted on Ethereum and, by porting Cartesi’s virtual machine to run on ARM devices, they are able to offer a trustless solution in the carbon credits market which is currently not regulated by the FCA. You can read more about Creol here. Cartesi + Iota The recent announcement of our partnership with Iota is another milestone on the road toward improving and expanding the adoption and development of smart contracts for IoT. We will be working together towards a future of accessible smart contract development for enterprises that want to put security and scalability first. By integrating IOTA Oracles into the Cartesi computational oracle, we will enable smart devices and corporate servers to check data integrity and provenance, as well as giving them the functionality to execute verifiable batch processing. Enabling tomorrow’s limitless potential Today’s gradual advance into the age of the industrial internet is being greatly accelerated through the accessibility and utilisation of blockchain technology alongside artificial intelligence, automation and machine learning. By allowing billions of devices to connect with each other simultaneously, the giants of the industry are changing the way we live, work and communicate. But in order to make the necessary leaps that will enable hyper-scalability of IoT, networks and platforms must evolve to overcome the current security challenges. Cartesi is here to bridge the gap between traditional development and blockchain technology, with products that give access to the tools recognised by traditional developers but that are able to go beyond the limitations of current mainstream software development. By doing this we aim to facilitate the changes necessary for the major developments planned in IoT in the coming years.	https://medium.com/cartesi/smart-cities-deserve-smart-contracts-the-missing-piece-of-the-enterprise-iot-puzzle-241b6f4a855	[]	2021-05-29 05:44:30.468000+00:00	['Smart Contracts', 'Smart Cities', 'Dapps', 'Internet of Things', 'IoT']
Book Review of “NO MATTER WHAT!: 9 STEPS TO LIVE THE LIFE YOU LOVE” by Lisa Nichols	I can’t help but think of the words from that Yolanda Adam’s song, “The Battle Is The Lord’s”. Part of the chorus rings out to me: Remember that God only wants to use you No matter what you happen to go through right now Remember that in the midst of it all, God only wants to use you. The lyrics to that song are powerful…and so is Lisa Nichols book. In this book, Lisa share with us 9 STEPS TO LIVE THE LIFE YOU LOVE. I had to put that in caps because I think most of us can think otherwise. This life is can be at times…blah. Lisa breaks the book down in terms of Bounce-Back Muscles we all need to develop and empower our life. The 9 Bounce-Back Muscles: Lisa breaks down the meaning of each muscle with honesty and vulnerability from her life. Examples she shares from her life are very real. Lisa does not hold back detail and her honesty about the situations. I was shocked and encouraged to read on at the same time. I was asking myself out load, did she just say and in that way? There is such a down to earth writing style of this book. You feel as if Lisa is speaking with you face to face. She doesn’t just give you a rah, rah speech in this book, but calls you to an honest assessment and action steps for your life too! This is another book in which I keep for reference going back to again and again. If you haven’t picked up a copy of this book, YOU must-have it for encouragement fighting your “battles” of your life. You can order a copy of Lisa’s book > https://amzn.to/2KbvjJi I strongly encourage this book as a beginning read for a teenager. there are many tips for them to transform into great adults having this book. Thanks for reading my review, donovin Other books by Lisa Nichols: Abundance Now: Amplify Your Life & Achieve Prosperity Today Chicken Soup for the African American Woman’s Soul: Laughter, Love and Memories to Honor the Legacy of Sisterhood (Chicken Soup for the Soul) Do you like eBooks? You can browse through a variety of books in my digital stores: Reasonable Otherwise Check Out other Book Reviews of books I have read: https://bookreviewofmindbuildingbooks.blogspot.com 👕 Into T — shirts and mugs? Browse my Designs store at: donovin_4_designs 💻 Interested in starting a Home Business? NEW SIDE HUSTLE	https://medium.com/@donovintheblogger/my-book-review-of-no-matter-what-9-steps-to-live-the-life-you-love-by-lisa-nichols-a0bf2bd8bde4	['Walter Ray']	2021-01-14 05:22:43.031000+00:00	['No Matter What', 'Motivation', 'Lisa Nicols', 'Book Review', 'Transformation']
Why Sue Grafton Uses a Process Journal and You Should Too	Why Sue Grafton Uses a Process Journal and You Should Too Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a place you could go to solve all your writer’s block problems? A place where all your questions of ‘what should happen next’ and ‘who should say what here’ are answered. A place where all your bad ideas get flushed out before they even land on the page. Boy, do I have some good news for you. I recently learned of a not-so-new tool called the process journal. While reading The Art of Slow Writing: Reflections on Time, Craft, and Creativity by Louise DeSalvo, I came across where DeSalvo describes a time she saw Sue Grafton speak of the process journal at USC in 2001, calling this technique a “record of the conversation [you can] have with [your]self about the work in progress.” This journal will easily become your new best friend if used right. Below are 3 ways you can use your process journal to advance your writing. Solving scenes with rewrites While working on scenes in your narrative work, it is commonplace to find the scenes unrealistic, boring, or confusing to navigate. By keeping a process journal you have a place to discuss these ideas, even if just with yourself. Sometimes having a place to think outside of your latest draft can be helpful to work out some kinks. You won’t feel the need to make everything perfect if you aren’t working in your draft. Giving yourself a structureless place to free-think and explore will help you navigate your scenes better. Unrealistic scene? Write about a conversation or something you saw on the street in as much detail as possible to get back in touch with what the real world feels like. Boring scene? Write something overly dramatic just to see how it goes! Then discuss with yourself what you like or don’t like, and find that middle ground. Confusing scene? Maybe you’re having a hard time grounding your characters. If so, write the scene again and mention each specific movement you see your character doing. Maybe the issue is the setting of your scene. Relocate it and see how it feels. Now, none of these rewrites are likely to be what goes into your final draft, but now you have more to work with, more to play with, and an opportunity to see sides of your story you might not have before. Making dialogue decisions Dialogue is hard. There’s a lot that goes into making good dialogue happen. Sometimes it takes a lot of tweaking to create realistic dialogue that works for your piece. With a process journal, you’re able to explore new ideas for dialogue, much in the same way as with scenes. According to DeSalvo, Grafton likes to keep “lines she’s imagined but doesn’t know how to use” in her process journal to keep for later. It happens to all of us; the perfect line of dialogue pops into our heads and we get so excited about it, but it is not the perfect line for the scene we’re working now. With the process journal you can jot down the line, get it out of your head, and begin to craft something better for what’s on the page in front of you. The imposter syndrome antidote My favorite use of a process journal is to free myself of mental worries before I begin to work on my piece. A process journal is a great place to get all of your ‘am I good enough to be working on this piece?’ or ‘is anybody going to actually read this?’ anxieties on paper and out of your head. By writing down all your worries, you’re freeing up space in your brain to work on what actually matters — your writing. Who can get anything done if the whole time they try to work, they’re concerned about what other people will think of their work? We all have these imposter syndrome voices in our heads, but now you have a place to let them be heard, and to move on from them. I like to write down my worry, much like “This story is not worth being told.” From there, I’ll write underneath it all the reasons it is worth being told: “There is a good moral lesson here.” “This is topical and resonates with a lot of people.” “If I don’t tell this story, nobody will.” Success and gratitude Another important use of a process journal is to lean in to your success. I like to take time at the end of my writing sessions to jot down what I did well, what I got accomplished, what I’m looking forward to next, and why I’m so grateful to be writing what I’m writing. This helps me end my session on a positive note, not worrying about all the new frustrations that came up this time about scenes, dialogue, publication, the list goes on. And, when I get back to my process journal the next time, the first thing I’ll see is this gratitude and what I’ve accomplished so far, which is a very motivating tactic. A tip for the process journal When I first started process journals, I was tempted to keep them in a notebook by hand. But I quickly followed the advice DeSalvo passes on from Grafton of keeping the journal on my computer. DeSalvo says, “Grafton keeps her process journal on her computer so she can transfer material into the draft of her manuscript when appropriate. She can also quickly search the journal to find all the entries about a given topic.” I can’t imagine what it would’ve been like trying to search through scribbles of illegible handwritten notes to pull up an old thought or transfer a new draft of a scene into my work. Thank god for the search and find function. So, what will you start using a process journal for first?	https://writingcooperative.com/why-sue-grafton-uses-a-process-journal-and-you-should-too-cb774cc5415a	['Michelle Renee Miller']	2020-02-06 02:09:01.294000+00:00	['Journaling', 'Writing', 'Journal', 'Writers Block', 'Imposter Syndrome']
2021 Best 6 Blu-Ray Rippers for Windows/Mac (Test & Reviewed)	Blu-ray discs are used to store high definition videos, graphics, and special features, and these blu-ray discs become more and more popular. Thus to play Blu-ray videos and movies more conveniently, you need to rip them. Here in this post, I’d like to share you the top and best 6 Blu-ray ripper software in the market. No matter you are using Windows or Mac, you can find what you need. Both free and paid programs are introduced. If you want to back up your DVD collection and don’t want to be held back by time limitations or slow processing, you can try WinX DVD Ripper Platinum, which is the best DVD ripper overall we’ve tried. It comes with a free DVD ripper, which is basically the free trial version of the Platinum edition. And once the trial period expires, it’s totally unusable. However, the Platinum edition definitely provides the value. It boasts almost all the boilerplate features that we need to rip a Blu-ray among all the product in the lineup. Above all, it earns a spot of our review for its high-speed conversion. Platform: Windows & Mac. For a detailed user guide of WinX DVD Ripper, read my previous blog: DVDFab is a great choice if you’re looking for premium functions. It isn’t cheap, but it’s a great pick if you want to escape the headaches and extra work which are often associated with free software. Although it’s not cheap, it’s definitely worth it. DVDFab Blu-Ray Ripper can rip 2D/3D Blu-rays to popular 2D/3D videos of all formats with much ease. If you are ripping standard Blu-rays, you can even add in their Enlarger AI to upscale the output video 300% to 4K level. Platform: Windows & Mac. WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro is believed to be one of the best alternative to WinX DVD Ripper on Windows. As I test, it is ratter quicker and faster to help me to rip protected Blu-ray DVDs to common video, especially when compared with the free Handbrake which I introduced below. WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro is highly recommended because it offers abundant functions for blu-ray DVD ripping. And it’s updated very fluently to support the latest copy protection. So I would think it’s very reliable. The only drawback for this DVD ripper is that it only offers a version for Windows. If you are a Mac user, you can check others that support Macs in this post. Platform: Windows only. With Tipard Blu-ray Converter, you can rip Blu-ray/DVD and convert Blu-ray/DVD Disc, folder and ISO image file to MKV, MPG, MP4, AVI, MOV, WMV, VOB, WebM, and up to +500 output format. Tipard Blu-ray Converter is one specially designed program around the concept of being easy-to-use and user-friendly. It adopts the top-level accelerating technology, Blu-Hyper technology, which includes Graphics card image processing, and video decoding/encoding technology based on CPU level, so that it creates the 30X faster ripping and converting speed than before. Platform: Windows & Mac. AnyMP3 Blu-ray Riper can help us rip home-made Blu-ray disc/folder/ISO image file to 4K UHD/1080p HD video and 3D movie with original quality. It supports over 500+ output digital formats like MP4, MOV, WMV, AVI, FLV, MKV, MP3, etc, and rips Blu-ray to lossless MKV file with keeping the original subtitles, audio tracks, etc. It can extract all the 4K UHD and 1080p HD movies from Blu-ray disc or folder, so that you can play the blu-ray movies on a UHD player with ease. In addition, the software can convert 3D Blu-ray files into 3D MP4, MKV, MOV, and AVI with Red-Blue or Left-right support. With the advanced acceleration technology, AnyMP4 Blu-ray Ripper offers you 30X faster speed than others. Platform: Windows & Mac. Handbrake is a fantastic free Blu-ray ripping app that also works with DVDs. It provides a bunch of output options, quick settings for specific formats and devices, and it’s completely free. However, it cannot handle encryption, which means that it doesn’t work with most commercial Blu-ray discs. You can use HandBrake to convert the video format you’ve ripped with another program, but HandBrake itself can only rip unencrypted Blu-rays. Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux.	https://medium.com/@vincent-cero1985/the-best-blu-ray-rippers-for-windows-and-mac-ff76cf86a818	['Vincent Cero']	2021-04-15 06:35:24.379000+00:00	['Technology', 'Dvd', 'Blu Ray', 'Efficiency', 'Blu Ray Reviews']
Airflow: Tips, Tricks, and Pitfalls	Airflow, the workflow scheduler we use, recently hit version 1.6.1, and introduced a revamp of its scheduling engine. We like it because the code is easy to read, easy to fix, and the maintainer, Maxime Beauchemin, is very responsive. We also like that it’s all code, rather than using config files like xml to describe the dags. Nevertheless, there are a few things that are less than obvious that we wish we had known. Make tasks idempotent In a distributed environment, things are going to fail. Airflow accommodates this by automatically retrying tasks. So far, so good. The problem arises when you have a series of tasks and you want to reset to a state where it makes sense to retry them. One strategy is to have a subdag. The subdag task will have its own retry, so if you set the tasks in the subdag to never retry, and rely on the subdag operator you can have the whole dag succeed or fail together. This works well if the reset is the first task in the dag; it’s attractive if there’s a relatively complex dependency structure within the subdag. Note that SubdagOperator tasks won’t mark failure properly unless you’re using the latest version from GitHub. Another strategy is to use the retry handler: Make tasks idempotent with retry handler This works great to make a particular task re-tryable. Generate your tasks programmatically One of the most powerful features of a system where workflows are described in code is that you can programmatically generate your dag. This is very, very useful where you want to automatically pick up new data sources without manual intervention. We have our log ingestion dag examine HDFS for the log directories which exist, and generate one task per directory to ingest the data within it. Example code below. Daily tasks run when the day is over Not at the start of the day. You can’t put subdags in the dags folder Or to be more accurate: you can’t put a subdag in its own module in the dags folder unless you protect it with some kind of factory. Or to be even more accurate: you can, but then the subdag will be run on its own schedule, as well as by the subdag operator in the main dag. Here’s an example of two dags (assume they’re both in the dags folder, called bad_dags) where the subdag will be scheduled by the scheduler independently of the main dag: How not to do it unless you really want the subdag to be scheduled by the scheduler We solve this by using a factory function. This has the advantage that the main dag can pass in the necessary parameters to the subdag, so their schedules, and any other parameters align automatically. No need to hunt down parameters when the schdedule of your main dag changes. In the below example, assume the dags are in a package called good_dags: Use a factory to make subdags more maintainable and keep the scheduler from running them Another pattern is to stuff everything that needs to be shared between main dag and subdag into the default_args, and pass that down into the factory function. (Thanks to Maxime for that suggestion). Subdags must have a schedule and be enabled Even though subdags are triggered as part of a larger dag, if their schedule is set to None or ‘@once’, the subdag operator will succeed without doing anything. Even worse, if your subdag is disabled, then the subdag operator will run, but never complete, as your subdag will never run. This will quickly lead to your main dag having the maximum number of active dag runs active (by default 16 as at time of writing), and in consequence no more runs will be scheduled. In both cases, the cause is that the subdag operator is implemented as a BackfillJob. See here calling this. DagRuns: the missing piece The single biggest change in Airflow 1.6 is the introduction of the DagRun. Now, scheduling of task instances is triggered by the creation of a DagRun object. Accordingly, if you want to trigger a run of all of a dag, instead of running a backfill, you are likely better off creating a DagRun. You can do that either with the `airflow trigger_dag` command, or through the webserver’s DagRun page. The big advantage of this is that it makes the scheduler’s behaviour easier to understand, as it scans for DagRuns to create, then schedules TaskInstances based on which DagRuns are active. The webserver can now show us the state of individual DagRuns, and the state of the task instances associated with it. This creates one new pitfall — namely that Dags have a maximum number of active DagRuns, and if your DagRuns don’t reach completion for whatever reason, the scheduler will stop running your Dag. How DagRuns are scheduled The new model also creates a new opportunity to control the scheduler. The next DagRun to be scheduled is calculated based on the last scheduled DagRun in existence in the database. Apart from the case where the maximum is reached it does not matter whether the most recent instance is in a running or final state. This means that if you want to rerun several DagRuns, you can delete all the DagRuns between the present, and the last run you want to re-run. The scheduler will then rerun them all, triggering them in order. Whether it waits for one to complete before the next depends on your settings for depends_on_past. You will also need to delete the corresponding taskinstances for those dagruns. It also means that if you want to rerun a DagRun which is not part of the contiguous set between the present and a past time, you can simply delete the taskinstances for that DagRun, and set that DagRun to a running state. The scheduler should be restarted frequently In our experience, a long running scheduler process, at least with the CeleryExecutor, ends up not scheduling some tasks. We still don’t know the exact cause, unfortunately. Fortunately, airflow has a built-in workaround in the form of the — num_runs flag. It specifies a number of iterations for the scheduler to run of its loop before it quits. We’re running it with 10 iterations, Airbnb runs it with 5. Note that this will cause problems when using the LocalExecutor. We currently use chef to restart the executor for us; we’re planning on moving to supervisor to keep it up constantly. Operators (dis)appear based on dependencies The airflow.operators package has a little of magic to only expose operators which imported correctly. This means that if you don’t have the necessary dependencies installed, it will look like your operators are missing. That’s all folks! (For now) Airflow is under active development, not least by us. There’ll be more improvements, and I’ll post about more tricks as we learn them.	https://medium.com/handy-tech/airflow-tips-tricks-and-pitfalls-9ba53fba14eb	['Marcin Tustin']	2016-03-25 21:28:41.852000+00:00	['Airflow', 'Software Engineering', 'Software Development']
6 Simple Hustles You Can Start To Create Financial Freedom	1. Eliminate or Reduce Unnecessary Expenses Budgeting The first step I had to take was to reduce my spending and lower my standard of living. I needed to do this for a few different reasons. First, I needed to save for travel expenses. I also wanted to adopt a lifestyle that would be possible to maintain without traditional employment. Finally, I wanted to give myself the freedom to make choices in my best interest and aligned with my core values, not decisions driven by money. Can you maintain your current standard of living and still live the lifestyle you’ve dreamed up? If you’re like me, probably not. I wanted to quit my job and travel for an extended period of time, which meant I would need to learn to live with less money. By reducing my standard of living a year before I left my job, I was not only able to save money, but I was able to ease myself into the lifestyle I would have without a full-time income. Start with reducing spending or budgeting. Look at your spending for the past 3 months and break it into categories (many online banks’ software and credit card statements will do this for you). Assess where your money is going and begin to think about making small changes to reduce that spending. 2. Lower your standard of living and save more To travel, I needed a chunk of money. I also needed a buffer in case my other ideas to make money fell through or if something went horribly wrong. So after adjusting my budget and lowering my standard of living, I was able to begin saving more. Once I was ready to travel and sold off my stuff, most notably my car, all of that money went into my savings as well. After you’ve budgeted and lowered your standard of living, you should be able to set aside more money. For some, this money will go into a travel fund. For others, it’s a safety net in case their business flops. Either way, assess your goals and determine how much money you need to feel comfortable before making a big change or taking a risk. 3. Create independent income If you’ve saved enough, you likely could achieve your goals by using your savings. I met plenty of people who were traveling solely off of their savings. I met people on the road who literally did not have money to buy their flight home and worked odd jobs to raise enough funds. That is not me. I will never be comfortable with that way of life. I’m a planner, and I like to feel that I am ready for anything thrown my way. Finding a source of independent income and, more specifically, location independent income was significant. I developed some of the ways to earn money independently, including selling my stuff and handmade goods on Etsy, eBay, pet sitting, and renting my spare bedroom out on Airbnb. Some of these are truly location independent, while others are remote, but they helped me sustain myself during and after quitting my job. Whatever the case may be, jot down a list of all the ways you think you can make money. If you’re having trouble, try to think of how you can provide value to others using skills you already have or look at other people who have the lifestyle you want and find out how they support themselves. 4. Make a Plan Making a plan sounds obvious, but for me, it was actually really, really difficult. I knew I was going to leave my job and travel, but when or where? I questioned myself, my abilities, my motives, everything. That’s why finding the answers to these questions and developing a plan is so important. To make a plan, what helped me was something as simple as writing out a chart. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do first, so I came up with 3 options and wrote them down. My chart looked something like this: Travel now or Work & Save for 9 months, then Travel or Move somewhere & get a job Your choices might look different. After weighing the pros and cons, I chose option two: save for 9 months and then travel. I didn’t yet feel comfortable with the amount I could save, so I wanted to work a bit longer somewhere new to save a little more. I found an awesome beach town with a lower cost of living to move to, I found a job, and 2 months later, I quit my job and moved. 5. Garner Support This is an important step — one that I didn’t realize just how important it was until I was forming my plan. If you’re doing something that goes against society's norms, there are going to be a lot of people who give you strange looks, question your decisions, or, even worse, tell you you’re making a big mistake. Hopefully, by this point, you’re confident in your game plan, but even the most confident person can be shaken by people questioning his or her choices. So find the people who support you. I was fortunate enough to have my family by my side, which made a huge difference because we could support and encourage each other. If you’re having trouble finding people to support your goals, you’re not alone. Most of my friends didn’t understand what I was doing and were less than stoked that I was quitting a job I had worked for years to reach and when traveling abroad. 6. Take action on your plan Following through with your plan is the hardest, scariest part. I have a special trick for this: Take the decision out of your hands. Pick a date that is comfortable in the future and hold yourself to it. For me, choosing a date I felt comfortable with was the best way to force myself to follow through with my plan. Taking action on your plan is super scary, and you’ll probably never feel completely prepared, but if you’ve done the steps listed above and have a plan to support yourself, you’re as ready as you’ll ever be. Set the date or whatever you need to do to hold yourself accountable and go for it!	https://themakingofamillionaire.com/6-simple-hustles-you-can-start-to-create-financial-freedom-9b476fb6c478	['Josef Cruz']	2020-12-24 15:03:51.959000+00:00	['Money', 'Freedom', 'Travel', 'Life', 'Saving']
How to Ask for a Raise	How to Ask for a Raise Photo from Canva A lot of time I get a call from candidates who started looking for a new job because of all they really want a 5–10 percent increase in their salary. They like their jobs, like their colleagues, like their role, and like their company. In the perfect world, they would just get their raise and they are happy as can be. The first logical question I ask them is, have you asked for a raise? 90 percent of the time the answer is no. And the reason why the answer is no, is because no one really knows how to ask for a raise. Chances are if you have been at a company for over a year, you are in a good position to ask for a raise. Here are 7 steps to ask for a raise: 1. Do your research Figure out what the average salary is for your current role in your location. If you are below or at the average, this gives you great ammunition. If you are on the high end, don’t worry, you have tenure, and the next step will help. Get these numbers from a few sources and consult a professional. Call your friendly neighborhood recruiter and get their professional opinion. 2. Collect your wins What have you accomplished since your last review or since you started? Think of all examples of when you did something that brought the company money, saved the company money, increased efficiencies, or saved the company time. Brownie points if you did those things without being asked to. Note all these wins down, quantify them as much as you can. 3. Think of a number This is the real reason we are here, how much of a raise do you want? The average rate of inflation is between 2 to 3 percent so if you have a few wins you can speak about asking for a 5 percent increase is justifiable. If you are below or average with some notable wins this year, asking for 10 to 15 percent can be totally doable. If your research tells you that you are on the top end of your salary in the marketplace according to your role and you cannot think of many wins this year, a 20 to 30 percent increase maybe too much. Find the number that makes sense to you and your family and think of a range. This is a negotiation so there needs to be some room. 4. Practice Now that you have your number, data, and wins, put it together into a pitch. I would suggest starting with a few wins, then market research, and end off with the percentage increase you are after. Think of what questions might arise, find answers to those questions. Practice this pitch until it is comfortable for you. Practice in front of a mirror, in front of your pets or significant other. 5. Book a Time I suggest being proactive and booking a time with your manager before your year-end review. Most companies set their budgets before year end-reviews, so you want to speak to your manager about 6 weeks before your annual review to ensure your increase is in their budget. Set a time with your manager, set up a video call, or book a room. 6. Ask confidently You have prepared for this, ask confidently, and answer any questions. 7. Be patient Every company is different, so do not expect a yes right away. No could simply mean not right now. If your manager or the company simply does not have the budget to give an increase this year, they will remember you asked and good companies will do it as soon as they are able. So be patient and keep up the good work, it will pay off later. There you have it, 7 simple steps to ask for a raise. Good luck!	https://medium.com/@junecoffey/how-to-ask-for-a-raise-3b7e74cab96e	['June Coffey']	2020-12-02 15:03:12.376000+00:00	['Salary', 'Career Advice', 'Career Change', 'Recruitment', 'Careers']
How to Create Eye-Catching Maps With Python and Kepler.gl	How to Create Eye-Catching Maps With Python and Kepler.gl Use this intuitive tool to simplify mapping In this article, we’ll explore Kepler.gl, an open-source solution for geospatial data visualization and exploration. Kepler was developed by Uber to make it easier for users of all levels to design meaningful maps that also look good. The tool can handle large amounts of data and has a friendly, intuitive interface that allows users to build effective maps in an instant. Available for all to use since 2018, it’s about time we get a closer look at how the tool fits into the data visualization landscape. In this article, we’ll cover the basics of importing data to Kepler using Python’s Pandas and GeoPandas, how to design your visualization, and export the map to an HTML file. Vancouver Number of Graffitis by Block Getting Started The dataset for this example is NOOA’s Global Significant Earthquakes dataset. [Kaggle] Import statements. Pandas I’m interested in looking at the intensity of the earthquakes and if they generated a tsunami, but those aren’t the only values we’ll need. We also need some Geolocation. # read csv df = pd.read_csv('data/Worldwide-Earthquake-database.csv') In this dataset, our geolocation is stored in two fields, Latitude and Longitude. Those will be essential for Kepler to draw our data, so we need to make sure all those values are clean and usable. # lat and lon to numeric, errors converted to nan df['LONGITUDE'] = pd.to_numeric(df.LONGITUDE, errors='coerce') df['LATITUDE'] = pd.to_numeric(df.LATITUDE, errors='coerce') # drop rows with missing lat, lon, and intensity df.dropna(subset=['LONGITUDE', 'LATITUDE', 'INTENSITY'], inplace=True) # convert tsunami flag from string to int df['FLAG_TSUNAMI'] = [1 if i=='Yes' else 0 for i in df.FLAG_TSUNAMI.values] After loading the data to Pandas, we can use .numeric to make sure they’re numbers, then use .dropna to remove the empty values. You can also convert the TSUNAMI_FLAG from yes and no to 1 and 0. Cleaning and preparation are up to your needs, you may have different requirements or use other tools for that, but once your data is in a Pandas data frame you can map. Kepler.gl Kepler is straightforward. It gives you a world map and tools to build the visualization; it expects the data, and the configurations of the map. Let’s start by defining a map. (I’m using Kepler for Jupyter) kepler_map = keplergl.KeplerGl(height=400) kepler_map Default map without data. Then we add the data frame to it. kepler_map.add_data(data=df, name="earthquakes") Map marking the earthquakes. And the map is updated. Quite easy! You can load your data to Kepler with Pandas and Geopandas, which support a more comprehensive array of extensions, or directly from a GeoJSON and CSV files. Design On the top left of the map, there’s an arrow that opens the settings menu. Settings Menu On the menu we have: Layers — Defines how the variables are encoded to the map — Defines how the variables are encoded to the map Filters — For selecting smaller sets of data — For selecting smaller sets of data Interactions — Defines interactions such as Tooltips, search boxes, and others — Defines interactions such as Tooltips, search boxes, and others Basemap — Defines the style of the world map and other elements like labels, roads, styles Layers You can select an existing layer or create a new one, then click the ellipsis besides Basic. That’ll open a selection of different encodings for your map, try selecting Hexbin for the next example.	https://medium.com/nightingale/how-to-create-eye-catching-maps-with-python-and-kepler-gl-e7e897eff8ac	['Thiago Carvalho']	2020-06-26 15:03:18.577000+00:00	['Mapping', 'Python', 'Data Science', 'Programming', 'Data Visualization']
การติดตั้ง OpenCV 4.3.0 บน Raspberry Pi 4 model B	เริ่มจากขั้นตอนตามนี้ EEPROM พิมพ์คำสั่งต่อไปนี้ sudo rpi-eeprom-update หากขึ้น up-to-date ให้ทำตามขั้นตอนต่อไป แต่หากขึ้นเป็น update required ให้พิมพ์คำสั่งต่อไปนี้ sudo rpi-eeprom-update -a และทำการ reboot โดยพิมพ์ sudo reboot ทำการติดตั้งส่วนที่จำเป็นก่อนที่จะติดตั้ง OPENCV 4.3.0 โดยพิมพ์ sudo apt-get install cmake gfortran sudo apt-get install libjpeg-dev libtiff-dev libgif-dev sudo apt-get install libavcodec-dev libavformat-dev libswscale-dev sudo apt-get install libgtk2.0-dev libcanberra-gtk* sudo apt-get install libxvidcore-dev libx264-dev libgtk-3-dev sudo apt-get install libtbb2 libtbb-dev libdc1394–22-dev libv4l-dev sudo apt-get install libopenblas-dev libatlas-base-dev libblas-dev sudo apt-get install libjasper-dev liblapack-dev libhdf5-dev sudo apt-get install gcc-arm* protobuf-compiler ทำการดาวห์โหลด OPENCV 4.3.0 พิมพ์ cd ~ wget -O opencv_contrib.zip wget -O opencv.zip https://github.com/opencv/opencv/archive/4.3.0.zip wget -O opencv_contrib.zip https://github.com/opencv/opencv_contrib/archive/4.3.0.zip unzip opencv.zip unzip opencv_contrib.zip และตามด้วย mv opencv-4.3.0 opencv mv opencv_contrib-4.3.0 opencv_contrib ติดตั้ง Virtual Environment พิมพ์ทั้งหมดนี้ลงไปใน Terminal python3 — version which python 3.7 echo “export VIRTUALENVWRAPPER_PYTHON=/usr/bin/python3.7” >> ~/.bashrc source ~/.bashrc ตามด้วย sudo pip3 install virtualenv sudo pip3 install virtualenvwrapper และ echo “export WORKON_HOME=$HOME/.virtualenvs” >> ~/.bashrc echo “source /usr/local/bin/virtualenvwrapper.sh” >> ~/.bashrc source ~/.bashrc mkvirtualenv cv430 และพิมพ์ pip3 install numpy หลังจากนั้นจะเริ่ม Build Make โดย cd ~/opencv/ mkdir build cd build cmake -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RELEASE \ -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local \ -D OPENCV_EXTRA_MODULES_PATH=~/opencv_contrib/modules \ -D ENABLE_NEON=ON \ -D ENABLE_VFPV3=ON \ -D WITH_OPENMP=ON \ -D BUILD_TIFF=ON \ -D WITH_FFMPEG=ON \ -D WITH_GSTREAMER=ON \ -D WITH_TBB=ON \ -D BUILD_TBB=ON \ -D BUILD_TESTS=OFF \ -D WITH_EIGEN=OFF \ -D WITH_V4L=ON \ -D WITH_LIBV4L=ON \ -D WITH_VTK=OFF \ -D OPENCV_EXTRA_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS=-latomic \ -D OPENCV_ENABLE_NONFREE=ON \ -D INSTALL_C_EXAMPLES=OFF \ -D INSTALL_PYTHON_EXAMPLES=OFF \ -D BUILD_NEW_PYTHON_SUPPORT=ON \ -D BUILD_opencv_python3=TRUE \ -D OPENCV_GENERATE_PKGCONFIG=ON \ -D BUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF .. ขั้นตอนการติดตั้งโดยการ Compile Source Code ใช้ Memory มาก หาก Pi มี Memory ไม่พอจะทำให้ Compile ไม่ผ่านต้องทำการ Swap ไว้ก่อน พิมพ์คำสั่งต่อไปนี้ลง Terminal ของ Raspberry Pi 4 sudo nano /etc/dphys-swapfile 2. ตั้งค่าตามนี้ CONF_SWAPSIZE=4096 3. stop และ start swap sudo /etc/init.d/dphys-swapfile stop sudo /etc/init.d/dphys-swapfile start เป็นอันเสร็จสิ้นการ Swap ใครที่มี Raspberry Pi 4 4GB สามารถข้ามขั้นตอนนี้ได้เลย หลังจากนั้นให้พิมพ์ make -j4 เมื่อเสร็จแล้วให้พิมพ์ sudo make install sudo ldconfig sudo apt-get update และกลับไปแก้ไขค่าให้เหมือนเดิมและลบไฟล์ที่ไม่ใช่แล้วทิ้งก่อนทำขั้นตอนต่อไป sudo nano /etc/dphys-swapfile set CONF_SWAPSIZE=100 และทำการ Save (Ctrl + x , Y , Enter) Sym-link OpenCV บน Raspberry Pi cd ~/.virtualenvs/cv430/lib/python3.7/site-packages ln -s /usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/cv2/python-3.7/cv2.cpython-37m-arm-linux-gnueabihf.so cd ~ และตรวจเช็คให้พิมพ์คำสั่ง workon หรือ workon cv430 ตามด้วย python >>> import cv2 >>> cv2.__version__ ‘4.3.0’ >>> เป็นอันเสร็จสิ้น แต่หากพบปัญหาโดยมีข้อความขึ้นว่า “No module named cv2” ให้พิมพ์ cd ~/opencv/build/lib/python3 sudo cp cv2.cpython-37m-arm-linux-gnueabihf.so \ /usr/local/lib/python3.7/dist-packages/cv2.so ตามด้วย cd ~/opencv rm -r build ทดสอบด้วย Code ตัวอย่าง Python Opencv import numpy as np import cv2cap = cv2.VideoCapture(0)while(True): # Capture frame-by-frame #ret, frame = cap.read() # Our operations on the frame come here # gray = cv2.cvtColor(frame, cv2.COLOR_BGR2GRAY) # Display the resulting frame ret, frame = cap.read() cv2.imshow('frame',frame) if cv2.waitKey(1) & 0xFF == ord('q'): break # When everything done, release the capture cap.release() cv2.destroyAllWindows() อ้างอิงแหล่งที่มา :	https://medium.com/@krittidejkeng/%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B1%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%87-opencv-%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%99-raspberry-pi-4-model-b-8d7d718e3930	[]	2020-04-10 10:52:06.029000+00:00	['Opencv', 'Raspberry Pi 4 Model B', 'Raspberry Pi']
The Burden of Multitasking	Your Brain is Like an Air-Traffic Control Centre Harking back to contemporary psychological research, psychologists have identified that the brain is typically not optimized to do two heavy-duty things simultaneously. As time stretches onward, we will get tired and we will get fatigued. Even if you don’t feel the effects now, you will likely feel them at another time, depending on your specific situation. The best way to conceptualize our tasks is to visualize an air-traffic control centre. Photo by Mael BALLAND on Unsplash When we are multitasking, we code and switch from one item to another, often in quick succession. This is what is called “juggling” and there is usually a cost associated with this constant code-switching. Sometimes, this cost is time. For example, let’s say task 1 is similar to task 2, and both require doing some kind of research and mathematical calculations. Task 1 requires 1 hour of your life. Task 2 also requires 1 hour of your life. Without multitasking, perhaps you’re spending 2 hours at a minimum with a 10-minute break thrown in the middle, making it 2 hours and 10 minutes. Instead, multitasking may cause you to get both parts done in 2 hours or more. On top of that: You’re much more tired There was no self-care break You might have even wandered into timewasting activities Overall, the next time you’re multitasking, just be mindful of your cognitive loads. It’s okay to sometimes do two things at once, such as talking to a friend while sorting boxes, but it’s not as appropriate to write two lab reports simultaneously. In the wise words of Idries Shah,	https://medium.com/preoccupy-negative-thoughts/the-burden-of-multitasking-a3e34a5d82a4	['Synthia S.']	2020-12-23 04:27:21.089000+00:00	['Time Management', 'Mental Health', 'Organizational Culture', 'Multitasking', 'Psychology']
Zones in Dart: Big Brother Is Watching You	Hello! My name is Dima, and I’m a frontend developer at Wrike. We write the client part of the project in Dart, and we often deal with asynchronous operations. Zone is one of the most useful tools that Dart provides for this purpose. I’ve recently started to dig into this topic, and today I’ll show you examples of using zones and the non-obvious features of their behaviour. Let’s take a look at AngularDart. For a basic introduction to zones, read my first article. NgZone and optimization of the change detection process Let’s imagine a situation: During the sprint review, you’re talking about a new feature, confidently avoiding known bugs, and showing the functionality at its best. But after a couple of clicks, the framework’s self-written performance counter shows over 9,000 attempts to re-render the interface. And all of that in just a few seconds! After the review is over, you feel an irresistible urge to fix the situation. Your first idea is most likely to cheat the counter. To do so, you need to figure out how it works. Let’s look inside the code. We’ll probably see these lines: After further research, you can see the reason: Angular uses the onMicrotaskEmpty stream at the root of each application in order to automatically launch the change detection process for every event: It seems like we need to figure out what NgZone is and how it works to fix our app properly. Let’s look under the hood. NgZone isn’t a zone, but a wrapper over two other zones: the external one (where the Angular app started) and the internal one (created by Angular and inside where it automatically starts all app operations). Both are saved at the NgZone creation stage: The inner zone takes on a lot of work and uses different features of the zones. First, let me briefly remind you why change detection is needed. This is what a simple tree structure of components may look like To build an interface, Angular uses components arranged in a tree structure. Normally, as the application starts, components get filled with data, build a DOM tree, and wait for and save changes to their data. During all of this, Angular doesn’t know about these changes immediately. At convenient moments it starts the process of traversing the component tree from the root through all potentially affected nodes in search of changed data — change detection. If changes have taken place, the framework starts updating the corresponding DOM subtree. There are different sources for these changes — user events, online notifications, or timeouts. Any of them can affect the interface, which means you need to check if something has changed in these components and update the interface. Hence, our first goal is to track all possible events. A lot of events can happen in a short period of time. If Angular tries to track changes after each event, the app will drop drastically in performance. Moreover, event responses can be instantaneous for the user, but asynchronous for the execution thread. Let’s remember the browser’s event loop: I took this figure from a great talk about event loops by Jake Archibald. On the left we see a section where a task will be executed. On the right there’s a section where scripts scheduled by requestAnimationFrame will be executed in turn, then style calculation, then layout calculation, and then rendering. We can only execute script tasks in the yellow sections. Now let’s try to get inside the heads of the authors of Angular and understand when it’s best to execute detectChanges . The easiest way to do so is after the task is completed, but our task can schedule microtasks, which, in turn, can change the data. This will lead to either inconsistency or another detectChanges launch. No good. We could try tracking changes within the requestAnimationFrame , but here I can give you a whole set of obstructions: Change detection on a large application can take quite a long time. This can cause too many frames to omit. Scripts running in requestAnimationFrame can also schedule microtasks that will run immediately after the script is executed and before rendering. We’ve already discussed the consequences. can also schedule microtasks that will run immediately after the script is executed and before rendering. We’ve already discussed the consequences. The interface after change detection may not be completely stable. There’s a risk that the user will see an unplanned animation of the interface change instead of the expected result. Another option is to run detectChanges after the task and all the microtasks, if any, are executed. This is our second goal. It turns out that to work Angular’s “magic,” it’d be nice to: Catch all possible user events. Run change detection after the task and all the microtasks planned at that time we’ve finished executing. Catch all possible user events. This can be perfectly handled by the same innerZone. Let’s have a look again: In the previous article we already discussed that Future executes its callback in the zone where it was created. Since Angular tries to create and execute everything in its internal zone at the start, after the Future completes, the task is performed using the _run handler. Here’s what it looks like: Using the run* family of methods, we catch all user events, because after the application starts, changes in it are likely to be caused by asynchronous interactions. Before executing a callback, NgZone remembers that changes may be taking place in the app now, and counts the nesting of the callbacks. After executing the callback, the zone calls _checkStable method without scheduling it for the next iteration of the event loop. Run change detection after the scripts in the stack and all the microtasks planned at that time have finished executing. The second important element of the inner zone is scheduleMicrotask : This function monitors when all microtasks are finished. The work is similar to ”run”: We count how many microtasks have been scheduled and how many have already been completed. There can be a lot of microtasks scheduled at once, and all of them will be executed before the next task is launched. The zone calls _checkStable within the last microtask, without planning another one. Finally, let’s look at the method that ends everything: That’s when we get to the point! This method checks if there are more nesting or unfinished microtasks. If everything is complete, it dispatches an event via _onMicrotaskEmpty . This is the stream that synchronously launches detectChanges ! Additionally, at the end we check if any new microtasks were created when change detection was running. If all goes well, NgZone considers the view stable and reports that the run has ended. To summarize: Angular tries to do everything in NgZone. Each Future when completed, each Stream at every event, and each Timer at the end of time will launch run* or scheduleMicrotask , which also means detectChanges . Let’s remember that this isn’t over. For example, addEventListener on the Element object from dart:html will also tell the current zone about the scheduled work, even though it isn’t a Stream, Timer, or Future. Another example is calling _zone.run() will also launch detectChanges , because we use NgZone directly. This process is optimized. The detectChanges method will only run once, at the very end of the task that triggered it, or within the most recent microtask scheduled in the last task. Change detection will happen not in the next iteration of the event loop, but in the current one. In our project, we use the OnPush strategy for change detection of components. It allows us to save a lot on this operation. However, no matter how fast detectChanges is idling, events like scroll and mouseMove can trigger it very often. According to my own test, non-debounced or non-throttled calls can consume 200ms from each second for a user. It depends on many factors, but there’s definitely something to consider. And since this deep dive into the bowels of Angular began with the urge to optimize, I’d like to end this article with a couple of curious and not self-evident conclusions from the knowledge obtained. Stream and runOutsideAngular The main case of runOutsideAngular refers to the situation when we listen to a very fast stream that we also want to filter, i.e., onMouseMove for the Element object. A quick look under the stream’s hood won’t work, because there are many stream implementations in Dart. But this article about zones has a simple and effective rule: Transformations and other callbacks are executed in the zone that started to listen to the stream. The zone depends on the subscription. It’s executed where it’s created. Therefore, it’s recommended to subscribe and filter fast streams outside of the Angular zone: What isn’t obvious here is why we put the stream outside the Angular zone if it’s filtered anyway. Wouldn’t it be more concise without it? The problem is that we don’t make a single subscription here. The where method returns a stream when called. And it isn’t the same stream. It’s a new _WhereStream : When we subscribe to _WhereStream , it immediately subscribes to the parent stream, and so on to the source. And all these subscriptions will be created in the current zone, which means detectChanges will be triggered as many times as the fastest stream in the chain is triggered — even if we created the entire chain in a different zone. Zone control for package:redux_epics We often use the redux_epics package in our views. Under the hood it uses streams very actively and forces us to use them as well. Sometimes actions that we dispatch may not affect our condition. Besides, our change detection will start in any case after the action works and changes something, so we don’t need to kick it over again. To avoid false positives, we’ll execute epics outside of the Angular zone. How do we do that? Since all the stream actions are executed in the zone where we subscribed to it, we should look for the listen method in the redux_epics code: We will find it in the call method. This means that the subscription is created at the time of the middleware call (in this case, the first call), and this happens when the action is dispatched. Hence, a simple conclusion: The first action must be dispatched outside the Angular zone, i.e., in the root component after creating the store: And if there’s nothing to dispatch, then null will do: After that, epics streams will be performed outside the Angular zone, which will eliminate some of the parasitic launches of change detection. Multiple change detection for native events Now this is a neat trick. Let’s say we have a parent component, it has a child component, and the child has a button element: In each of these components, we listen to the native click event. It bubbles to the parent. The trick is that change detection will run twice here. During the template compilation event, listeners are compiled not as a stream, but as a close to native addEventListener : _el_0.addEventListener(‘click’, eventHandler(_handleClick_0)); This will happen in both components. This means that we also bring here an interesting feature of addEventListener : When the user clicks the button, the browser will create a special task, which will generate as many task executions within a single iteration of the event loop, as listeners will be affected by the event bubbling. And after each script, all the microtasks generated by it will be executed immediately, and detectChanges will also be executed. So in Angular it’s better not to count on the event bubbling, but to create an Output in the child component: This option will launch change detection once, because Output is a stream, and even asynchronous streams use microtasks, which, as we already know, NgZone tracks well. This strange behavior of pop-up events is well described in this article about microtasks by the same Jake Archibald. Rocks ahead! Zone is a powerful tool that solves special tasks and often simplifies the interface. But none of the examples shown previously is written in our own project. They are all from third-party libraries. Explicit is better than implicit. The app code should be simple, readable, and understandable. Zone is a tool that looks like magic, which is acceptable in community-tested libraries or in self-developed and well-tested utilities. But we need to be careful with implementing such a tool into the code that we work with on a daily basis. I’d like to end with a little warning. Zone is not too well-documented of a functionality, and sometimes you can encounter bugs that can’t be easily fixed. Here, for example, is an issue that we found. Let me briefly describe it to you. When a Future is created, it keeps the current zone, which gives us some control. But it turns out that the Dart SDK has at least two pre-created Futures with the root zone saved in them: Let me remind you that any Future must execute callbacks scheduled in a microtask. If we try to add a task to Future using the then method, it’ll at least execute: zone.scheduleMicrotask zone.registerUnaryCallback zone.runUnary We already know the callback is guaranteed to be registered and executed in the zone where it was passed to the then method. But with scheduleMicrotask it’s not that simple. The Future has an optimization: If several callbacks are hung on one Future, it’ll try to execute them all in one microtask: Both callbacks in this example will only have one call to scheduleMicrotask . Great. But sometimes callbacks are hung in different zones: In this case they’ll still be executed in a single microtask. Here’s a tricky question: Which zone should schedule this microtask? The first? Or the second? The developers of Dart decided that it’ll always be the zone recorded in the original Future: This means if we schedule a callback execution for a previously created and compiled _nullFuture , scheduleMicrotask will be called from the root zone instead of the current zone: The current zone will never know a microtask was scheduled. This behavior can easily break the previously discussed FakeAsync: It won’t be able to execute synchronously what it doesn’t know. You might think _nullFuture will never come out, but: It isn’t so difficult to get it — and from a completely unexpected place. That’s where the bugs with FakeAsync are from. We could use some help with discussing this strange behavior. Welcome to the issue — together we stand, divided we fall! Plus, there’s additional information from contributors about how other zones interact with Future and Stream, don’t miss it! That’s it. If you have any questions, leave them in the comment section below, and I’d be more than happy to answer them!	https://medium.com/wriketechclub/zones-in-dart-big-brother-is-watching-you-7845f822e3a0	['Dmitry Elagin']	2020-10-21 12:27:16.070000+00:00	['Dartlang', 'Zone', 'Angulardart', 'Dart', 'Async']
A sample of Greece	Author: Aristides Nakos Motivation It is June 2021 and this is a reflection on the fortunate ability to visit my roots, while having the San Francisco Bay area as my base of sustenance and growth. In this journal piece, I examine sentiment, intent, and facts during my sojourn in Greece after a 2 year hiatus. There will be anecdotal stories on a wide spectrum of topics. From the quality of tourism and infrastructure to the entrepreneurial spirit and plethora of cultural impact. There is hope that this documentation can catalyze further conversations, if not positive step changes, for a country that bore me. My intention to weave the theme of sustainability will be the common thread. Sustainability here encompasses cultural traits, in addition to environmental resources, landscapes, and biological forms. The itinerary In a world dominated by condensation of information into stereotypes and edited snapshots, I will present to the reader a map with the major points of interest during the trip. Having not seen my family for 2 years, while being cognizant of uncertain epidemiological variables in the midst of a pandemic, I elected to broaden my horizons on Rhodes, where I was raised prior to moving to the USA. Simultaneously, I sought out new bite size experiences before the onset of the tourist season. Image 1 shows the vast coastline of Greece, which has a plurality of landscapes, beyond islands and beaches. An informational fact to drive this point is that 80% of Greece’s landmass is mountainous, which results in predominantly coastal infrastructure [1]. Image 1 June 1 — June 16 itinerary By way of Athens, I arrived in Rhodes for a 2 week residence with my parents. Rhodes will be referred to as The Island, henceforth, by personal choice. Various locations were visited, some more developed than others. We were privileged to have much space to ourselves, whether it was commercially developed or not. While this is a personal preference, it is not a desired aspect by the community, which is economically reliant on traffic, as tourism is the main lifeline for its residents. Old Town Rhodes A true experience of The Island, requires meandering the largest occupied Medieval structure in Europe, also a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Old Town of Rhodes [2][3]. In the Old Town, structures from Ancient Greek and Roman rule still stand, such as the Temple of Aphrodite, and a Roman fortress from the Hellenistic period of 5th century BC, when it saw its Golden Age for the following 3 centuries [4]. During the Byzantine empire’s reign, fortresses, churches, and habitations were erected. From that era 11 structures still stand. The number would have been higher, had it not been for the conversion of churches into mosques. Image 2 Old Town of Rhodes A next era of edifices came during Byzantine rule around 7BC with a few overlook points and walls (marked as 25 on Image 2), but nothing quite like what followed from the Knights of Saint John [5]. This Order of Knights came from Jerusalem bringing with them much wealth and a desire to build Rhodes into a strategic center on the Mediterranean Sea. The majority of volume seen in the Citadel is due to their rule, which amounts to 23 out of 71 noted historical structures. Image 3 Inside the Medieval town of Old Rhodes Occupation by the Hospitalliers lasted through 1522, when the third attempt by the Ottoman empire resulted in a weakening of Venetian resources and a compromise between Suleyman the Magnificent. This battle lasted for 6 months, however Venetians walked away with all the wealth they could carry in exchange for no retaliation and a promise that Christianity can carry on [6]. Ottoman rule resulted in the addition of a few new elements in the Citadel’s character, predominantly in the form of mosques, baths, and a library. Most churches were converted into mosques, one of which can be seen in Image 3, which is in exquisite exterior form. A documented 9 buildings exist from that era Image 4 Mosque Suleyman Mustafa Tourism; an opportunity to rebrand The Island had about 115 thousand permanent residents per the 2011 Census, however due to an uncertain economic outlook in past years, that number has likely dipped. At the peak of tourism, during July and August, the population typically doubles. However, the summer of 2020 was lackluster and the coming summer of 2021 is expected to be a repeat. This is due to highly strict public health mandates by European Union countries. For example, the Netherlands enforce quarantine measures for individuals travelling for areas of high risk, even if they have proof of vaccination and a negative coronavirus screening test set [7][8]. While people need their standard sources of income now, one can’t help thinking whether the creation of jobs by rebranding this summer can pave the way for many summers to come. In other words, can funds be allocated to address chronic issues, such as a decrepit waste infrastructure, lack of recycling, a dearth of domestic agricultural goods, a reliable power grid, and building renovation? Some say the desire by locals is there, however the economic gridlock from years of mismanagement impede meaningful change. Pictorial proof of the need to reinforce this point can be seen in images 5–9. These images depict both highlights and lowlights from various spots of the island. In some cases, businesses have been maintained or built to attract crowds. In others, there’s been neglect for a slew of reasons, which are not entirely clear to myself. Image 5 500 years later and still serving coffee. Image 6 Bar Street Rhodes Image 7 Kalami Beach Bar Image 8 Hotel by Ialysos, Rhodes Image 9 Stray cats are abundant All things considered, there’s a beautiful backdrop to build on. Financial schemes to support these improvements with returns on the horizons are necessary. Greece’s infrastructure Rhodes was followed by a visit to Athens and the Peloponnese. A deeper look into the infrastructure was conducted in Nafplio, former capital of Greece, once various reclaimed territories coalesced under the leadership of Ioannis Kapodistrias, after liberation from the Ottoman rule for 400 years, which was marked this year. Nafplio has much history and is a short distance from Argos, the ancestral capital of the first settlers of modern Greece, the Dorians. Argos is one of the most ancient settlements in the world, on the order of 7 millenia. At a rare span of solitude, I managed to explore a former old town in Akronauplia [9], a town that’s located on a mountainous section of the town of Nauplio. Walking toward the site one turns over to see a medley of natural and artificial expressions blended together. In image 9 one can see the Venetial castle of Palamidi, a dilapidated hotel which is a haven for graffiti art, and Arvanitia beach Image 10 Clockwise from top: Palamidi Castle, Arvanitia Beach, Graffiti Museum My ratio of disappointment to benefit-of-doubt peaked when I visited the Old Town of Nauplio, Akronauplia. Ill-natured graffiti, litter, and pillaged facilities abound. One wonders what made this reality possible and one that endures through today. What is more, there was a capital project worth 620k €, funded by the EU and executed by the Government of Greece during 2007–2013, to restore this site. Granted that was a period of financial recession, reform, and capital controls, nonetheless, those should have been obstacles for the rebirth of history, not its obfuscation. Image 11 Bathrooms at ancient town of Akronauplia Image 12 Wedding couple taking pictures at Akronauplia lighthouse Image 13 Memorial to Giannis Ritsos, a Greek literary writer The narrative here goes deeper though. I see the root problem itself as the solution. Youth needs a platform for expression and growth. We personally know they will seek outlets, whenever and wherever it’s possible. Thus, I can see a revived Akronauplia from the community itself. Graffiti can have a home, while old structures can be renovated to their full potential by the youth that roam these areas. Educators and social workers need to be empowered (funded) to collaborate and innovate by motivating the youth. What’s more, the adults can justify these funds by rearing in revenue from cosmopolitan visitors, who truly fall in love with every corner of Nauplio and not just its marble-laden downtown. This particular finding sparked an internet query on touristic revenue, which prompted a calculation of its impact on Greece and other countries (Table 1). In 2019 figures for Europe, Spain reared in the most revenue overall at approximately 79M $US, whereas Austria reared in the most revenue per capita at 2,580 $US. Austria claims that every tenth trainee from its educational system will work for the tourism industry [10][11]. However, when discounting the revenue with respect to the comparative price levels index of 2019, which compares the cost of a $US100 basket of goods per OECD standards of costs across different countries, then one can see the true impact of this revenue [12]. Clearly, Greece banks on tourism, since about 10% of its GDP normalized to Purchasing Power Parity is attributed to tourism. In other words, Greece relies heavily on tourism. Is this a sustainable path forward to economic prosperity, as per the values of the Mediterranean Sustainability Coalition ? Can Greece be a hotbed for hospitality management, since this a strong suit? What can we learn from pioneers in tourism, such as Austria? Table 1 Touristic revenue in 2019 and fiscal impact Greece is pioneering One can’t help to think whether Greece is more than a haven of agricultural products, sunshine, water, and ancestral achievements. There is a forward facing movement and I came across a sample of it. In Athens, I was fortunate to cross paths with Vasilis ‘Bill’ Stenos, founder and CEO of Solmeyea [12]. Bill’s nature is warm, kind, and thoughtful. We met digitally on September 9, 2020, which was an infamous day for San Francisco for its apocalyptic skies, yet a serendipitous reaffirmation of the reason for connecting; anthropogenic climate change and the need to trim the fat in our value chain. Bill is a leader in business development of agricultural technology for the sake of meeting 9 out of 17 sustainability goals set by the United Nations [13]. Currently his mission is to leverage one of earth’s autotrophic protists, algae. To be autotrophic means to synthesize your own food, given carbon dioxide, water, light, and a small amount of minerals. Plants, algae, and many bacteria share the ability to be relatively self-sufficient compared to fungi and animals. Bill currently leads a team of chemical engineers into designing their technology stack, while they are looking to cement meaningful business partnerships that could drive carbon dioxide reduction and removal from the atmosphere. Bill envisions a supply chain that is derived from microbial based organisms, which can coexist with the nurtured nature of humans around protein centric diets, disposable plastics, cosmetics, and much more. This endeavor brings a much needed reinvestment of fiscal and human capital into research and development, a field that Greece has neglected, but fortunately is steadily rising [14]. Image 14 Solmeyea team Infrastructure is pivoting, slowly Old habits die hard goes the aphorism. Having lived in California for 9 years, recycling and sorting through my consumables is natural for me. It’s crucial to have systems in place that both prevent waste and collect it. Granted this is a rather modern problem and a byproduct of the rise of disposable single use packaging [15]. In Nauplio, I was mildly happy to see a valuation of single-use plastics. I saw a queue of adults and children behind the submission of plastic bottles for the rate of 33 1.5 L containers for 1 €. While the sum is not substantial, one can make ends meet if they collect these vessels daily. It’s also common for Greeks to consume bottled water instead of tap water. Image 15 Nauplio plastic bottle recycling center by Marine port Overall, one sees that putting a price tag on a good is sufficient to result in its collection. However, the need of people to address those low fees suggests a bigger issue at hand, because people are scrounging through waste to make ends meet. Thus, while it’s a step forward to recycle, we know this is a treatment of the symptom, not the cause of the problem. Conversation is taking place Fortunately, attention is on these issues. In a society where attention is monetized via the likes of digital advertising, criticism should channel constructive reinterpretation of such problems and further fruitful solutions. However, let’s be mindful of an oft narrative that it will all be fine, because technology and people exist. We may have made leaps and bounds with solving public health crises as they have come, while also increasing accessibility to food and education, but we have never encountered a climate that is irreversible, and we shouldn’t. Former First Lady of the USA to FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt once said: ‘Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself’. What if we were to learn from the successes of others as well? Can Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus pioneer in Research and Development, like their neighbors and associates in Israel and Germany? [16][17] Can symbiotic relationships among entrepreneurs and the current workforce flourish, such that the government encourages these innovations? What mistakes must we avoid at all costs? What recommendations or thoughts do you have?	https://medium.com/@medsus/a-sample-of-greece-56aa2d3165fd	['Mediterranean Sustainability Coalition']	2021-07-05 22:56:39.885000+00:00	['Mediterranean', 'Culture', 'Greece', 'Sustainability', 'Tourism']
HOW TO SURVIVE IN A POLLUTED CITY	Do you know Air pollution is a Threat to everybody around the world. WHO reports that 90% of the population around the world living in the areas that exceed its air safety recommendations. With the increase of vehicle usage and the increase in population, Air Pollution is the fundamental issue which everybody is facing at the present time and experiencing it. According to the study, it is examined that there is decreased in the lifespan of over 3 yrs in the individuals who are living in a polluted city which is the major global threat to human health. Living in a polluted city like Delhi, Hong Kong is like as we are smoking two Packs of Cigarettes per month. The major causes of Air pollution are lungs disease, cancer, asthma, shortened lifespan, shortened life span. But with a proper nutritional diet and arranging things we can easily survive in a polluted city. Here I will talk about what to do and what not to do and what type of nutrients and vitamins you have to take to better avoid your healthy getting damaged from the Air pollution. Here are the top ways to protect our health from Air Pollution or how to survive in a polluted city:- 1. INSTALL AIR POLLUTION APP:- There are many air pollution application in Play store like Air Quality Index etc to check the air quality of your area. You can check at what time the air quality is good enough to go out and do outdoor activities. Here I provide the Air Quality Index of the city I am living (without mentioning the city name). As you see, if your Local AQI ( IN) is between 0 to 50 then the air quality is very good and you don’t have to worry about the polluted air. More the Local AQI (IN) more will be air pollution, more you have to be care full. 2. AVOID EXERCISE IN A POLLUTED ENVIRONMENT:- Avoid doing gym or physical exercise when the air polluted level is at its peak. Go to the gym early in the morning as the pollution level at that time is very low and u can feel fresh air rather than in the evening as there is more usage of the vehicle in the evening rather than the morning. 3. USE OF EUCALYPTUS OIL:- After moving all day in the polluted environment, our lungs and respiratory systems get damaged. Eucalyptus oil is the best antioxidant for our respiratory system. It is very beneficial for the lungs as it helps in breaking down Mucus. Eucalyptus oil also helps in removing a lot of pollutants we breathe the whole day. Just put the 2 drop-ins boiled water and deeply inhale the steam vapor for 3 to 5 min. With regular use of Eucalyptus oil, you can easily protect your health from air pollution. 4. INSTALL AIR FILTERS IN ROOM:- It’s compulsory that our rooms should have clean air and we should inhale good quality of air while sleeping or eating at the room. So it’s better to install good quality of air filters in room to avoid harmful health to your body. Pls keep in mind if u are having a baby or have a baby less than 5 yrs, it is compulsory to install an Air filter in the room to avoid the bad effect of bad quality air on your children’s health. 5. AVOID EATING FAST-FOOD Avoid eating fast-food as your body is already taking unhealthy air or bad quality of oxygen. So your body is already getting damaged from outside. So don’t damage your body from inside by eating fast-foods which are made from bad oil or poor quality of water. Eat good quality of food made at home from Olive oil or good quality of oil and eat green vegetables as much as you can to avoid harmful effects from air pollution. 6. INDOOR PLANTS:- Grow indoor plants in your room that helps in eliminating Air pollution and cleaning your room from air pollutions. Planting indoor plants in your room help in a good quality of sleep. There are many indoor plants which are available in the nursery and through online apps and sites. So the top indoor plants which I recommend you to plant in your room are:- Areca Palm, Money Plant, Golden Pothos. 7. SELENIUM:- Living in the polluted city will generate free radicals in your body. Free radicals are present in the smoke and when that free radicals enter in your body, this will cause lung cancer and can damage your cells. Selenium is the powerful mineral or powerful Anti-oxidant which helps in protecting free radicals generating in the body. The foods rich in Selenium are cottage cheese, Brown rice, Eggs, Sunflower Seeds, Milk & Yogurt. 8. USAGE OF VITAMIN C:- Living in the polluted city decrease the Immune system of our body and also weakens the blood vessels. The immune system plays a vital role in recovering the body from fever and other diseases. If you have a weak immune system, our body will not recover easily from fever. So to increase and strengthen the blood vessel. Start taking vitamin C from the different types of foods or seasonal foods eg. lemon, Papaya, Orange. 9. USAGE OF VITAMIN E:- Our cells are more damaged from the bad quality of oxygen or from Air Pollution. Adding Vitamin E helps to supply good quality of oxygen to the body which helps in recovering the damaged cells. Vitamin E is present in the Egg yolk, spinach, fish capsules. Tips to avoid pollution:- Plant more trees. If you are using cars and going alone start sharing it with neighbors e.g going to an office. Indoor plants for cleaning rooms. To know more about healthy living. Go to my blog’s section on Healthy lifestyle, Supplements and traveling. Source:- https://thehealthylifefit.com/how-to-survive-in-a-polluted-city/	https://medium.com/@thehealthylifefitn/how-to-survive-in-a-polluted-city-7de51deacb12	[]	2019-09-17 18:04:16.637000+00:00	['Mucus', 'Air Pollution', 'Survive In Air Pollution', 'Pollution']
Grief, You’re Like A Sunflower	While yesterday may have been beautiful, it was also a sad day. Yesterday would have been my grandparent’s 55th wedding anniversary. My grandpa passed away this past December after a very long and hard 2020. He did not die of COVID, but died during COVID times. I miss him every single day. My heart hurts as the hours and days go by without him. Over the last few months I have tried to find him; connect with him; feel his heavenly presence around me. I have been very lucky to find his gifts every once in a while. I’ve noticed that my grandpa talks to me through music: songs I most likely would not have listened to on my own. When I hear one of those songs, I know it is him playing them. Yesterday was one of those days. I went to Trader Joe’s to buy some flowers for my grandma and for my grandpa’s grave. As I stood in front of the fresh flowers, trying not to make eye contact with the succulents, music began playing from up above. Now for whatever reason Trader Joe’s always has the best music playing, something that every employee and shoppers happily sing along too. Bruce Channel’s “Hey Baby” began playing and my eyes surely welled with tears. The very first “heeeyyy babbyyyy” I could hear my grandpa singing it. Anyone who saw me must have thought I was crazy for standing with several bouquets of flowers in my arms, just crying. What’s funny is as I was combing through the different flowers I had asked my grandpa which flowers he liked the best; of course it was the sunflowers. I got one for him and one for my grandma. Later on, I went to my grandma’s house and my mom was telling her the story about me hearing grandpa in Trader Joe’s. As I retold the story I started crying again with both my mom and grandma crying besides me. My grandma told me that “Hey Baby” was their song; the very first song my grandpa sung to her when they first started dating. Grief is crazy and so unpredictable. I hate it, but then there are times like yesterday where I have to thank my grief for recognizing the blessings and gifts from my grandpa. I started to read Grief Day by Day by Jan Warner who talks about her own grief as a sunflower. She writes: “I often think of my grief as a sunflower. The center is always dark. My grief is dark and unchanging…the yellow petals surrounding the center are bright and numerous. At the beginning, my poor sunflower hardly had any petals. However by nurturing it and allowing it to grow, the sunflower’s dark center is now surrounded by many bright colored petals…” Grief, you are my sunflower — but only the center. Out of my sadness a new bright yellow petal appeared. A tiny reminder that my best friend is here with me, every day. Nicole xo	https://medium.com/@nicoleashley4/grief-youre-like-a-sunflower-374f11dc6740	["Nicole Rivera O'Donnell"]	2021-07-30 13:09:46.219000+00:00	['Grief', 'Mental Health Awareness', 'Mental Health', 'Grief And Loss', 'Grief Counseling']
Laravel .env Exposed. When it comes to host a Laravel project…	When it comes to host a Laravel project on shared hosting, many of the developers finds a difficulty. So they just apply any random solutions from different websites to make their project working without even knowing the consequence of that. Let me give one example. One of the easiest way of Laravel hosting is move all files of public folder to root and make some changes in index.php Once you go with above solution, you are opening doors for the hackers and attackers. Because Laravel’s base directory has many important files like .env, .htaccess etc and your web-server is also pointing to Laravel’s base directory. So these all important files can directly be accessed by URL. For example, .env file can be accessed via www.example.com/.env and it results, .env exposed	https://medium.com/@mehtamohit80/laravel-env-exposed-7f08629b91e8	['Mohit Mehta']	2020-12-16 05:21:15.776000+00:00	['Bugs', 'Vulnerability', 'Env', 'Laravel', 'Hacking']
New Zealand’s Most Controversial Foodie Doesn’t Want To Be ‘Mean’	Hey Albert, for all the non-Kiwi readers, could you please introduce yourself and tell us about you, your work, and how Eat Lit Food came to be? My name is Albert Cho, I’m 23 years old and I’m a New Zealand-born South Korean. Eat Lit Food came about for a whole bunch of different reasons… Firstly, I come from a family who love to dine out and experience new cuisines. But it was my time as a model, when my agents in Korea told me to restrict and diet, when I weirdly started getting more obsessed with food. I was put on this crazy diet where I could eat one meal a day and for me, that one meal was everything and I couldn’t let it be a fuck out. So I got into reading reviews, looking at photos of the dish so I knew what to expect. But a lot of the times, these food photos were barely ever uploaded with a caption to state what that dish was, so expecting someone to write an honest opinion was fucking stretching it. I guess you could say I just took matters into my own hands and started doing it… I also clearly had way too much free time. ‘I don’t give out words of advice.’ – Albert Cho What was the trajectory of Eat Lit Food? Were any major events/happenings you can identify that caused the project to take a turn, amp up, or morph into something else? At first, Eat Lit Food was just a fun platform where I could talk about my opinion and have a laugh. But then chefs and famous restaurateurs started following me. Al Brown (one of New Zealand’s most successful and ‘household name’ chefs) talked about me to the Sunday Herald and I had a full page feature in a newspaper which was so fucking cool at the time (2018). And when David Lee followed me, I was like holy shit. He’s the man who has opened the most successful cafés in Auckland like The Candy Shop and I’ve been looking up to this man since the early days at his North Shore cafe, Little King. I started to recognise that my voice was louder than I thought and then this controversy with Goodness Gracious happened. For those of you who don’t know what Goodness Gracious is, it’s a bagelry that doesn’t make its own bagels and is quite literally the most trash food in Auckland. I wrote a shitty review about them, which they deserved, and they responded, telling me to send them my mum’s bank details so they could send me a refund, and for me to take it as their contribution to my next yum cha feast. Newshub picked up on it and wrote a story, and I got so many death threats and racist remarks like “stick to reviewing noodles you gook.” That’s when I decided that my page was about more than just food. It’s about me being someone of colour, in an industry that is so predominantly white, and almost being a voice for Asian people. Us Asians have always been so ridiculed for our cuisine and I love how I have this platform to shine light to how fucking awesome all cuisines across the world are. I find that it turned out to have a good balance between boojee white and authentic Asian and this wasn’t intentional. It’s just how it naturally turned out in the end and you can see it by clicking the link in my bio. None of these are in order because that’d just be fucking stupid as every day is different and the order will always change depending on how I feel. Before any of you @me, please remember that it’s just my fucking opinion – Albert Cho on his recommendations for Auckland eats. Is Eat Lit Food your full-time ‘job’? Can you make a living from it? As of currently, yes it is. We’re living in an online world now and sadly, print media does seem to be on its way out. I was made redundant from my job as a food journalist at Denizen Magazine (Ed. Note; Cho was given the post after being ‘discovered’ through Eat Lit Food), but my work for Eat Lit Food has sky-rocketed and I’m finally able to make a good living out of it. Did you start Eat Lit Food with a vision for making it into your main gig, or was it intended to be something on the side that could open other doors more important to you? I didn’t expect it to ever reach the point where it has now. The fact that brands are wanting to partner with me is still pretty crazy to me. Although it’s my main gig now, I don’t want to close any doors or opportunities. Some people ask if I regret giving a whole year of my life to another business (Denizen) or if I had an agenda while working there. My answer to that is, no. I am lucky to be able to say that I’ve worked for a small business for over a year where I learnt a lot about magazine writing, especially from the senior editor, Margie Cooney who I now call my older sister. A lot of the women that worked there are like my mums and sisters and they’ve shown me the ropes to not only writing, but owning your own business and brand which I will be using in the upcoming future, but I never planned on simply just learning what I needed to learn, and fucking off. Over the past year you have moved from Instagram posts into ‘vlogging’ — creating a series of episodes on YouTube of food and eating experiences in countries outside of NZ. What caused you to embark on this? Is it a strategic move to transition Eat Lit Food into a new existence? I had basically every follower telling me to please start a YouTube channel and I put it off for as long as I could. I’ve seen YouTube vlogs and 95% of them make my skin fucking crawl, but I knew I had to do it someday. I can’t just swear my nut off on one platform. That gets so fucking old! This guy, Tim Lambourne started following Eat Lit Food and I noticed that a lot of people that I followed, follow him too. I did a little stalk and saw that he lived in Tokyo and I messaged him, telling him to get the Hokkaido Cream Cake Roll from Lawson and his life will change. He thought I was bold and weird and asked me if I had ever been on camera, which I sort of had from doing a few TV commercials, but never as me just being myself on camera. He said that he was coming to New Zealand for a few weeks to do some contracted video work and suggested that we should just film something for fun. We met up at Selera and shot on a phone and Jesus fucking Christ I hope that never resurfaces. I hadn’t planned on doing anything with the video, but apparently, Tim saw something special in me and went back to Tokyo with a plan. He planned to find an investor, which he did. I got a phone call, asking if I could get two weeks off work because we have a man who’s willing to fund our entire trip and eat around Asia. My first reaction was, honestly, “do I have to suck his dick?.. Because I don’t do life like that” and Tim said there were no strings attached. It took me a free trip around a continent with a professional videographer to really push me into starting a YouTube channel. Fuck I sound so snobby. I hope this episode can make you all laugh a little, especially during our current climate where people are in fear, including me to tell the truth. — Cho on Episode #32 of his vlog with local comedian Chris Parker Now that you’ve transitioned to the vlog, what are your ambitions for Eat Lit Food? That’s a hard one… I guess my ambition with Eat Lit Food is to always keep it as something that gets me excited. This Instagram account has turned really personal, which I never expected. People don’t just message me to ask about what restaurant to go to, but they also seek advice on how to come out as bisexual or gay to their family. How to deal with body positivity issues is also a big one. For now, I keep these messages unread and although that might sound harsh, I’m not a therapist and don’t have the confidence to give anyone life advice. But I hope one day, I grow into a person that has lived a seasoned life and actually can give words of guidance in the future. How has life in the times of COVID-19 changed your days and Eat Lit Food? Well, now Eat Lit Food is my full time job. I had to decrease my fee rates because nobody has money and charging a large fee per post is just wrong right now. I also have to make my content, like literally make it, and it’s so fucking draining. I’m so tired of cooking and I’m not ashamed to admit it. But it has been really fun, learning new recipes and everything. But fuck, I’m so excited to go to restaurants again. All I’m saying is, if you want to stay home, nobody is stopping you. If you want to go out, do it, but safely and sensibly. – From an EatLitFood post, early-March 2020. Fuck me gently with a chainsaw, I have never felt so conflicted while uploading a post in my life and this is coming from the one of the biggest assholes in Auckland. On one side, I have people telling me that I need to go out and support the restaurant industry, while the other side is telling me that dining out is socially irresponsible and Rona is just not chilling the fuck out aye. People are telling me to ‘use my voice and platform’ and like, I know that I have a large following on here but just because I have followers, it doesn’t mean I have a fucking brain. You all should be listening to Jacinda, not a 22 year-old punisher and as of most currently, Cindy has told us to reduce human contact even further. So what I have decided is, from now on, after this post, I’m going to be eating majority of my meals, takeaway, at home for a while and that way I can support both, the restaurants and the community. Going out to eat is my favourite thing to do, I love being a wanker and being seen but right now ain’t the fucking time for that. – From an EatLitFood post, three days later in mid-March 2020. Earlier on you were a proponent for continuing to support the restaurant industry despite social distancing recommendations, was there a backlash? Oh my god, yes. But I’ve learned to accept that there will be a backlash from whatever I do. If I don’t support the local restaurants, people will talk shit, and same for when I do. I said this before, but I can’t stress this enough: just because I have followers, doesn’t mean that I have a fucking brain, and we should all be listening to Jacinda (Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister) and not a food Instagrammer. …if I post something that isn’t good, that’s all on me and I look like the fucking idiot. — Albert Cho What’s the process like now for continuing the Eat Lit Food project and coming up with fresh content? Babe, it’s so fucking stressful aye. So what I do is create a little content buffer. I will make something today for tomorrow’s post, while I post yesterday’s creation, today. Unfortunately, life can get in the way sometimes and completely fuck up your cooking, and that means you’ve just lost a potential post and have to whip up something else. When I was reviewing restaurants, it didn’t matter if it was lit or shit as it wasn’t by me and it was the chef’s fault. But now, if I post something that isn’t good, that’s all on me and I look like the fucking idiot.	https://medium.com/@no_fun/new-zealands-most-controversial-foodie-doesn-t-want-to-be-mean-19a8f3bf1199	['Jess Henderson']	2020-04-23 16:32:02.386000+00:00	['Food', 'New Zealand', 'Covid 19', 'Influencers', 'Interview']
There Are No Green Stars	There Are No Green Stars When astrophysicists peer into the universe, they see a nearly perfect rainbow spectrum of stars, from cooler red ones on one side to hotter blue ones on the other. In the center of the spectrum, they should see green stars, but they don’t due to the nature of stars and the limitations of the human eye. Astrophysicists can see virtually every color of star, except green. Let There Be Light A star begins its life as a cloud of hydrogen gas. Due to gravity, the cloud condenses. If the cloud is big enough, it will have enough gravity to create the temperature and pressure needed in its core to fuse hydrogen together ( along with the help of quantum tunneling). The original hydrogen atoms have slightly more mass than the helium they fuse into, and this missing mass is converted into energy, as shown by Einstein’s E=mc^2. Small amounts of mass (m) are converted into incredible amounts of energy (E) when multiplied by the speed of light squared (c^2), about 9 x 10 16m^2/s^2. This is what generates the majority of light from stars, although bigger stars can fuse helium into heavier elements and these heavier elements into even heavier ones, all of which releases energy, until it tries to fuse iron, causing a supernova event. But what is this light? Light is simply perpendicular waves in the electrical and magnetic fields. When one goes up and down, the other goes left and right. Together they are called an electromagnetic wave, or EM wave. EM waves include the X-rays fired at you by your doctor, the microwaves heating your left overs, the radio waves bringing you your favorite tunes, the light detected by your eye, etc. It’s all the same stuff, the only differences being its wavelength, which is the distance between each crest or trough, and its frequency, which is the rate at which it oscillates. This is the EM spectrum: What the human eye can detect is only a tiny fraction of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Radio waves have longer wavelengths and lower frequencies, which allows them to travel further. Gamma (γ) waves have much shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies, making them far more energetic and dangerous. (Creative Commons License) The EM Spectrum and Black-body Radiation The wavelength and frequency of light coming out of a star can be modeled by a black-body. Black-bodies are theoretical entities that emit electromagnetic waves, the amount of which is determined by their temperature alone, without any other complicating factors. While black-bodies are theoretical, the data they produce matches real world data fairly closely. Below is a black-body plot, which demonstrates the relationship between wavelength/frequency and temperature. As can be seen, the higher the temperature, the shorter the wavelength and therefore the higher the frequency. For example, a 3000K object generates light mainly in the infrared part of the EM spectrum. An object like this would only be faintly visible to us, as the graph barely overlaps with the visible spectrum. The majority of light from a 4000K object is just outside of what we can see, but it produces enough within the visible spectrum to make it likely visible. A 5000K object peaks in the orange part of the visible spectrum, while a 6000K object peaks within the yellow. To us, these objects would appear orange and yellow, as the majority of light is orange and yellow. If you follow the pattern, the peak goes up and to the left as temperature increases. This means that the hotter an object gets, the more its peak moves from right to left along the EM spectrum in the chart above. Extremely energetic objects like the accretion disk of a black hole or a neutron star can peak in the X-rays or even gamma rays. The color of an object is determined by the wavelengths of the majority of the light it emits in the visible spectrum. (Creative Commons License) The Universe Staring Back at Itself “We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to figure itself out-and we have only just begun.” — Neil DeGrasse Tyson When it comes to stars, the light we see matches closely with an ideal black-body. Blue stars appear blue because they are hotter and emit most of their light in the blue part of the visible spectrum. And red stars are red because they are cooler and emit a majority of red light. This is demonstrated in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, or HR diagram. While this is not as simple to read as the black-body plot above, it still demonstrates the connection between surface temperature and color. As a star burns up its fuel, its temperature wanes, forcing it down the main sequence. Our Sun is a little over halfway through its life, putting it over halfway down. (Creative Commons License) There’s a glaring omission though: there are no green stars. Even our Sun is in the lighter part of the yellow spectrum, pushing into white, where green should be. What’s going on here? The answer has to do with how our eyes processes light from the stars. The human eye has evolved to detect three colors and their many combinations. More specifically, we only have three types of cones in our eyes, each of which detect EM waves associated with red, green, or blue. Colors in between are perceived due to more than one cone being activated at the same time, as explained by the chart below. Here, we can see each cone is dedicated to either small wavelengths, medium wavelengths, or long wavelengths, yet they overlap substantially, especially the medium wavelengths/green cone and the long wavelengths/red cones. The human eye detects light in a narrow band of the EM spectrum. The cones in our eyes are only sensitive to the primary colors of light: red, green, and blue. (Creative Commons License) So, let’s stitch all of the above together. Imagine a star with its black-body curve peaking in the middle of the green band in the chart above. Yes, the majority of its light is green, and the green cone would detect this. However, if you look at the shape of a black-body curve, you’ll see that it would spread out and down across the chart as well. That is, a black-body curve that peaks in the green, would also encompass large amounts of both red and green light, thus triggering all three cones, which we perceive as white light. In other words, a star that peaks in the blue or the red will appear as such because its black-body curve doesn’t overlap nearly as much with the rest of the visible spectrum. Blue stars don’t trigger the red cone, and red stars don’t trigger the blue cone. Green stars, though, trigger all three. So, when you think about it, it’s strange that we don’t actually see the Sun in its true green because our eyes didn’t evolve the ability to do so.	https://medium.com/discourse/there-are-no-green-stars-9400ea468795	['The Happy Neuron']	2020-12-21 05:47:02.180000+00:00	['Astrophysics', 'Technology', 'Astronomy', 'Science', 'Space']
The For You Page is Really For YOU: An Essay About Social Media	The For You Page is Really For YOU: An Essay About Social Media Evan Shvetsov Jun 1·5 min read The apps on your phone probably know you better than you know yourself. We all have noticed those oddly specific ads on the internet about products or services that we have either talked about or even just contemplated. For example, you just got a new phone and start seeing several ads on Instagram depicting phone cases specifically for the model of the device you have just purchased, but you swear that you have done no research or given any possible indication that you may be in need of such a product. This is one of the many ways that the predictive AI algorithm present on all modern social media platforms manifests itself; alarmingly enough, this type of technology is not restricted to effective product placement. Social media platforms use this algorithm to calculate and present individualized content. It incorporates many variables, such as what posts an individual liked, saved, or commented on, as well as tracking the amount of time the consumer spent perusing the post or advertisement. The liking system on apps such as TikTok and Instagram is extremely intuitive, requiring just a quick succession of two taps on an image or a video to indicate that this type of content is “liked” for one reason or another. Each post has certain defining characteristics that are also taken into account by the AI, such as hashtags, the associated accounts, the text present in the post, as well as the other individuals who have “liked” the post. Eventually, once enough “liked” posts have been accumulated in association with an individual’s account, the predictive algorithm can make extremely accurate predictions as to the type of content the aforementioned individual is likely to “like”, therefore, creating a sort of unique digital fingerprint. This fingerprint can accurately describe a myriad of things, including, but not limited to, the interests, age, and political orientation of the person to whom this digital fingerprint belongs, as well as the people or groups this person may be affiliated with. The psychological phenomenon known as confirmation bias plays a vital role in this system. People tend to “like” posts that coincide with their worldview, that being in terms of politics, religion, or other beliefs of the individual. This effect is only exacerbated by the simplicity of social media’s interface. It only takes two taps of the screen to “like” the post; little thought is typically put into what posts are “liked” or ignored, especially when the individual is mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or TikTok for a prolonged period of time. In psychological terms, this mindless usage of the platform, in conjunction with the inherent sense of privacy regarding online activity, which is present in social media platforms, bypasses most conscious social filters; this provides, for the most part, an unadulterated representation of the user’s likes and dislikes. Scruitinizing someone’s “For You” page for long enough, one can gain a fairly accurate understanding of the nature of the character of the individual in question; a “For You” page belonging to a vegan, for example, will be filled with PETA and vegan-related content and a “For You” page of a Neo-Nazi will undoubtedly be replete with dog whistles, swastikas and other fascist symbolism. This is one of the most prevalent dangers of contemporary social media. The predictive algorithm presents an individual with specialized content, predominantly confirming their worldview, no matter how flawed; this will continue to feed that individual’s delusional or immoral philosophies. This content serves only to strengthen their views, rather than presenting arguments encouraging them to question whether or not their beliefs are based on fact or sociopolitical fantasy. “Repeat a lie often enough and it will become the truth”, a quotation often attributed to Nazi Minister of Propoganda Joseph Geobbels, provides insight as to how social media potentially affects the beliefs of its users at the psychological level. The vast majority of media content contains an opinion of some form, and social media is the contemporary paradigm of informational exchange. More information is provided to a person consistently browsing Instagram a few hours a day over the course of month, than a person living in the 15th century would be able to attain in a lifetime. According to psychological theory, we do not truly forget anything as all of the experiences and knowledge we acquire reside in our subconscious, yet the vast majority of the human experience is deemed “irrelevant” and remains repressed in our subconscious, such as what you ate for breakfast on the second Monday of October 2020. Therefore, most of these opinions an individual comes to face while browsing their apps are internalized. Information that a person does not reject unconsciously piles up in the individual’s psyche, serving as the invisible mortar for the ideological beliefs that have been constructed for them. The digital fingerprint is continuously analyzed by algorithms created for purposes ranging from directed advertising to national security. “Liking” a TikTok or an Instagram post, discussing how to make a bomb, and / or one that is related to a terrorist organization, automatically puts an individual on a digital watchlist for further screening. However, this kind of technology may very well lead to a technocracy. People with digital fingerprints which identify them as supporters of “undesirable” groups or ideologies may be digitally branded as political dissidents and suffer consequences in their physical lives. A social credit system (similar to what is currently being developed in China), will track activity both in the physical and digital worlds and assign individuals a social credit score. If an individual has a low social credit score, they may be unable to open a bank account, buy a house, or even have access to basic amenities that people in North America often take for granted, such as food and clothing. The definition of “bad behavior”, actions that reduce an individual’s social credit score, can range from committing fraud to “liking” a post that doesn’t coincide with the nation’s political agenda. For a country, this kind of system is extremely beneficial as it greatly facilitates maintaining ideological cohesion of the population, while serving to the extreme detriment to those who oppose this draconian technocracy. Every technology throughout history has been employed for a certain purpose, usually finding itself pertinent for a myriad of functions, stemming from the central raison d’etre. For example, the primary use of a plane is to fly, but this functionality arborises into many different sub-functions such as transportation of goods and individuals, farming, and military use. Social media is not exempt from this quality; though primarily a form of communication and entertainment, it also serves as an immensely effective form of data collection. Facebook, the parent company of Instagram, was subject to an international scandal regarding the unsolicited collection of data of over 50 million users, culminating in a lawsuit where Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, was summoned to appear in court. The question is, were these contemporary forms of social media created with the purpose of data harvesting in mind? If so, who receives this data? Social media is the most effective tool ever invented in terms of communication and social control. Previously, the internet was a place where anyone had true freedom of expression and consumption of information, however, it has now become as regulated as the rest of the informational outlets available to us today. Will we remain idle and pray that our right to personal privacy and freedom of expression will not be violated by a “Big Brother-esque” bureaucracy, or will we take individual and collective action to ensure our security and prosperity, not to mention the stability of the ethical, ideological and informational components of our civilization as a whole?	https://medium.com/@evanshvetsov/the-for-you-page-is-really-for-you-an-essay-about-social-media-d22f4295991e	['Evan Shvetsov']	2021-06-02 22:56:23.628000+00:00	['Social Media', 'Data Collection', 'Psychology', 'Sociology', 'Democracy']
10 Benefits of Automated Testing in Web Development	If you want to improve the quality of web development, you should think about test automation. It can bring many benefits to your app and help you build a better product. But what are the specific advantages of using it in your web projects? Let’s find out! In his article about the aims of the automated testing, Tomek talked about the pros of automating test cases and showed why it’s worth to use it. But have you ever considered what does automated testing mean for you and your project? Why choose automated testing and what are the real benefits of it? Automated testing means using an automation tool to control the execution of tests. But which test cases should be automated? First of all, you need to automate the important business test cases, the ones executed repeatedly, test cases that are difﬁcult to perform manually, and those that are time-consuming. 1. Regression testing What is the regression testing? It’s a type of software testing that veriﬁes whether the previously developed and tested software still performs the same way after undergoing some changes. A common issue encountered during software development is the fact that tested functionality suddenly stopped working in the production environment. So, what’s the solution to this problem? Automated testing — it’s fast, precise, and answers what went wrong. The real value of automated testing lies not in the testing something for the first time but in a cheap and time-saving regression testing. 2. Supporting SCRUM Imagine how cool it would be if automated testing could give you a Holy Grail of web development — the happiness of customers? But let’s think about it — when are they happy? Well, when everything is going properly and they know what’s happening in the project. Thanks to BDD methodology used with automated testing you can create a system’s specification with examples and scenarios that help defining requirements for the project and are understood by developers, testers, managers, and customers. 3. Return On Investment As we know, manual testing can take a lot of time and resources. The coverage of sensitive test cases with automated tests undoubtedly ends up with a return on investment. Such tests are not only used many times in the project, but their elements can also be used in other projects, about what I’ll talk further in my article. Of course, return on investment does not come up immediately since it requires long-term planning, but keep in mind that automated testing in big projects is crucial. 4. Reusability Manual tests obviously differ from each other, but your scripts don’t. With that in mind, you don’t have to write new scripts all the time. To test login page in two projects, you can use the same login script — you’ll only need to make some small changes. You can, for example, modularize test automation code that checks login and logs out the whole process. Thanks to that it can be separated and used again when needed. 5. Running tests 24/7 Manual tests have their limitations — they can be performed only eight hours a day, five days a week, which results in only forty hours per week dedicated to this important task. After eight hours of work people go home, so the tests are put on hold. Automated testing, however, has the advantage of running at any time of day or night. With them, you can have the test report when you come back to the office in the morning. 6. Challenging the QA team Manual tests not only can take a lot of time but are also be rather tedious and monotonous, which can influence their quality. In such situation, they can be covered with automated tests so that testers will focus on more complex cases instead. Besides, while working on creating automated tests, they will learn good software development practices. 7. Early bug detection The rule is that the sooner you find a bug, the cheaper, faster, and easier it will be to fix it. That’s theory, but in real life it happens that even the best manual tests overlook errors that will come up in the production. Automated testing improves the confidence that critical errors have been resolved early in the project and will not reach the next stage of the project. 8. Continuity Let’s imagine this situation: a new tester joins the project that people are working on for more than a year. He or she must know all the requirements of the project and quickly implement them. Automated testing, when in line with the BDD methodology, makes it much easier. New additions to the team will know which test cases are already covered by tests, while the scenarios are going to serve as technical documentation that is readable for everyone. 9. Increasing the test coverage The goal of introducing automatic testing as an addition to manual testing is to maximise test coverage. This, however, will not happen without the contribution of testers, both manual and automatic. Keep in mind that there’s no way to avoid a human error, so it’s rather hard to have two identical manual tests when people are working on the same thing for the fifth or seventh time. Frequent repetitions of the same test scenarios are not only laborious but also take a long time. Additionally, tests can be performed in a variety of environments, operating systems, and web browsers. Automated testing, on the other hand, can last a few seconds and will cover the couple hours of manual testers’ work. Not to forget that the automated test itself is always the same and works in the same way. 10. Improving the accuracy Automated testing combined with manual testing undoubtedly ensure the accuracy of tests conducted on the project. Possible bugs are eliminated early in the project, thanks to what QA team don’t need to focus on the same paths all the time, but can work on even more accurate testing of new functionalities. If you really care about the quality of your project, then automated testing is definitely worth taking into consideration. It can both find the problems humans can’t and easily detect the differences in behavior between for instance platforms, operating systems, and browsers. It can help you check if multiple operations in your app do everything up to your specifications. I could keep going If you want, but let me just say one thing -don’t hesitate; automation testing is definitely worth trying out! DOROTA NIEZBORAŁA, QA Specialist Merixstudio.	https://medium.com/wdstack/10-benefits-of-automated-testing-in-web-development-3b62cf06efa3	[]	2017-12-07 10:19:07.035000+00:00	['Software Development', 'Automated Testing', 'Listicles', 'Web Development', 'Testing']
BCB Appoints Jamie Siddons as Batting Consultant	The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has brought back former Australia batsman Jamie Siddons to Bangladesh cricket, this time as a batting consultant — after ten years of serving as the senior men’s team head coach from 2007 to 2011. The Included in The System :- It is not clear which part he will be in the system when he takes up his role early next year. “We have appointed him as a batting consultant,” BCB president Nazmul Hasan said after the board meeting in Dhaka on Friday. Also read:- Suresh Raina: Wishing Everyone A Merry Christmas “It is not yet deciding in which place he will serve, whether it is the high performance, under-19 or senior team. We expect him to join in February 2022.” https://twitter.com/ESPNcricinfo/status/1474590066424967172 BCB Appoints Jamie Siddons as Batting Consultant BAN Women Cricketers Get Salary Hike :- The BCB has increased the salaries of stipulated women cricketers by “about 33%” for the calendar year 2022. This growth was due to his good performance on the recent tour of Zimbabwe and his ability to qualify for the 2022 ODI World Cup. According to BCB President Najmul Hassan. The salary structure of women players will be dividing into two or three categories according to the perception, performance, and quality of each player. Former South Africa captain Ashwell Prince is currently the batting coach of the senior team. He will be tying up until the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Having beaten Siddons to the position earlier this year. Jamie Siddons was the head coach of Bangladesh from October 2007 to April 2011. He is best knowning for brought a civilization of professionalism to the team and developing Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal as batsmen in particular. BCB Appoints Jamie Siddons as Batting Consultant The Marked as Team Level :- He was in charging when Bangladesh beat New Zealand 4–0 in the 2010–11 ODI series. Marking the first summit-level team that Bangladesh had defeated in an entire series. Among other new appointments to the BCB’s standing committees for the 2021 election body, the board has nominated Jalal Yunus as the chairman of the cricket steering committee after Akram Khan announced last week that he no longer wanted to continue in the post Did. Read more:- Harbhajan Singh has announced his retirement in all formats game Yunus will be replacing by new director Tanveer Ahmed as media and communications administrator. Experienced Ahmed Sajjadul Alam Bobby has been given charge of the tournament committee. While Akram has been made the chairman of the facility control committee. Qazi Inam Ahmed will be making the President of the Bangla Tigers Committee.	https://medium.com/@babacric/bcb-appoints-jamie-siddons-as-batting-consultant-70b942560172	['Baba Cric']	2021-12-25 10:00:48.690000+00:00	['Jamiesiddons', 'Cricket', 'Australia', 'Bcb']
The massacre that made Japan the enemy of the International Community	The massacre that made Japan the enemy of the International Community The Rape of Nanjing and the International Response The Japanese atrocities in the Second Sino-Japanese War It’s 1937. The Empire of Japan is trying to fulfil its aspirations of further expansions and the Chinese government is trying to resist. The first Sino-Japanese War had ended in 1895, with the win of the Japanese forces and the loss for the Qing Dynasty of China. At the most recent war, the stakes were higher and the need to win the war was more urgent than ever. Japan was pursuing the imperialist policy that had started with the beginning of the century and after the Great Depression of 1930, had committed the Invasion of Manchuria in China, one year later, establishing a puppet government by the name of Manchukuo; according to many historians the second war between the two powers started in 1931. China, on the other hand, was concerned since it was a smaller military power but simultaneously, had started being offered help by the United States of America; since the expansion of Japan was threatening US interests in the Pacific waters. In 1931, the Mukden Incident, in which the Japanese military had accused Chinese troops for blowing up a railway train, although there was plenty of evidence that depicted the Japanese accountable in purpose; in this way they could declare war and justify their attack. This time, in 1937, the beginning of the war had been located at the Marco Polo Bridge in July, when a dispute between Japanese and Chinese troops in Peking led to a full-scale invasion; by many it was regarded as the beginning of WWII in Asia. The foreign aid that the Chinese government would receive wasn't enough for the early period of the war and that led the Japanese forces to capture the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and the Chinese Capital of Nanjing in 1937. The text focuses on the last victory which was also been named as the Rape of Nanjing, due to the brutality and inhumane acts that the Japanese military forces showed. This wasn’t a typical victory for the Japanese forces and it has been justifiably alternatively named the Nanjing Massacre, since for 6 weeks the soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army were constantly murdering disarmed combatants and civilians, with an estimated number of over 300,000 people. Widespread rape and looting were also some acts that not only violated the civilians’ human rights but for many, showed the real ‘face’ of the Japanese to the international powers. The debate with the accurate number of people killed had been an important issue until the end of the 20th century, due to the fact that the Japanese had kept secret or destroyed all evidence and there are many estimations for the death toll by both sides. The question one might ask is why the United States didn’t intervene and prevented this massacre. To provide an answer, one has to understand the context of the events and the significance of the reaction by the other global powers. As stated before, the United States were concerned about Japan’s expansion and violation of Chinese borders, but couldn’t react with a strong intervention mainly due to the Great Depression of 1930, the inefficient naval force and the trade relations with Japan. Firstly, the impact of the depression was still disturbing and Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt were obliged by the American population to focus on the domestic affairs of the economy. Secondly, the severe impact of the Depression was also clear in the military sector, where the US lacked a credible naval force. In this particular case, provoking a conflict in the Pacific by supporting China and directly opposing Japan would be a move that would find the US unprotected for any attack. Additionally, the American interests and security weren’t directly affected by the attacks of Japan and their close economic and trading ties with the US, urged the latter to not jeopardise their trading well-being. For these reasons, the United States chose to issue a non-recognition doctrine on the 7th of January, 1932, declaring that there wasn’t any American recognition to an agreement that violated Chinese borders. It was an indirect moral condemnation for Japan’s actions, introduced by the Secretary of State Henry Stimpson. He clearly stated that “It would seem that the responsibility for determining the course of events with regard to the ending of the situation rests largely upon Japan…”. Historians such as Richard Story, stating that “…it exacerbated nationalist feeling in Japan, was of no practical help to China, and advanced America’s own interests in no way at all”, support that the Stimson Doctrine wasn’t necessary and didn’t clearly show that the US was completely neutral. This neutral stance would ultimately end with the Japanese attack in Pearl Harbor, on the 7th of December in 1941 and the article cited below can show how the United States recovered and joined the war. Therefore, when Chiang Kai-Shek supported a policy of ‘selling territory to buy time’, he waited for an international response in the Japanese bombings but it wouldn’t be answered by the United States and moreover, it wouldn't definitely be answered by the British and the French. In July, he appeared to the Western Powers and a Nine-Power Treaty Conference was organised in October 1937, two months after the bombing in Shanghai and before the massacre. Despite the fact that the great powers of Britain, France, Japan, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and China joined the conference, Japan refused to attend, since the leaders were aware of the issue that would be discussed. The Treaty was signed under the auspices of the Washington Conference in 1921–1922, which promoted stability and peace-making. However, there’s nothing wrong with stating that the treaty failed overall, since Japan went on to devastating and brutal attacks with the appalling atrocities at the massacre. This was an event that immediately put Japan in the ‘column’ with the most notorious countries at the time and ‘opened the eyes’ of the global powers for the future of peace-making. Even Japanese historian Akira Iriye states that “The rape of Nanjing would make it all but possible for Japan to still be accepted as a respectable member of the international community”.	https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/the-massacre-that-made-japan-the-enemy-of-the-international-community-12027bf847b4	['Ioannis Dedes']	2020-12-27 16:02:53.750000+00:00	['History', 'Government', 'Life', 'Politics', 'Economics']
Attorney General William Barr has concluded that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 election	While every major media outlet in the U.S., including the New York Times, seems content with variations of the the headline, “No Collusion between Trump and Russia,” something critical has gotten lost. Namely, this part of the opening of Barr’s memo, where he states without equivocation that the Russian government interfered with the 2016 election. The Special Counsel’s investigation determined that there were two main Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election. The first involved attempts by a Russian organization, the Internet Research Agency (IRA), to conduct disinformation and social media operations in the United States designed to sow social discord, eventually with the aim of interfering with the election. As noted above, the Special Counsel did not find that any U.S. person or Trump campaign official or associate conspired or knowingly coordinated with the IRA in its efforts, although the Special Counsel brought criminal charges against a number of Russian nationals and entities in connection with these activities. The second element involved the Russian government’s efforts to conduct computer hacking operations designed to gather and disseminate information to influence the election. The Special Counsel found that Russian government actors successfully hacked into computers and obtained emails from persons affiliated with the Clinton campaign and Democratic Party organizations, and publicly disseminated those materials through various intermediaries, including WikiLeaks. Based on these activities, the Special Counsel brought criminal charges against a number of Russian military officers for conspiring to hack into computers in the United States for purposes of influencing the election. But as noted above, the Special Counsel did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts, despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign. But that admission means something critical. Namely, it shows a problem with the narrative that’s emerged. According to Barr, no one from the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts. Except, we have multiple people who worked from the Trump campaign who were already indicted, and some who plead guilty. George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, served 14 days in jail for lying to the FBI about his efforts to coordinate with the Russian government. Roger Stone was arrested this year, and his indictment indicates that Stone tried to conceal his contacts with Wikileaks, the agency that acted as the intermediary between Russia and the Trump campaign. Somehow, we have to accept that coordination, and attempts at coordination, between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence agents and assets are not, actually, coordination or attempts at coordination. If you find this baffling, once you see it, just know it’s a sign that you’re still sane.	https://effdot.medium.com/attorney-general-william-barr-has-concluded-that-the-russian-government-interfered-in-the-2016-6ce4ac7b9e55	['Fred Chong Rutherford']	2019-03-26 23:16:11.147000+00:00	['Corruption', 'Russialago', 'Mueller Report', 'Politics', 'Trump Regime']
🚀🚀 3 September 2018 10:00 AM! XRP is ready to trade on Coin Asset	Invest In The Future Of Blockchain & Cryptocurrency With CoinAsset ®. Our commitment is to assure 'easy-friendly-security' experience for both domestic and international traders. Follow	https://medium.com/coinassetexchange/3-september-2018-10-00-am-xrp-is-ready-to-trade-on-coin-asset-6dd07a3b1925	['Korn Cax']	2018-08-27 07:57:45.217000+00:00	['Coin', 'Ripple', 'Coin Asset', 'Xrp']
A Proper Grieving	Me and my Dad This year has been a difficult one, especially when you begin to take count of how many people we have lost to Covid-19, to tragedy, or to Father Time. So many were giants in the public eye; all were giants to those who loved them. When we were all shocked and saddened by the loss of Kobe Bryant, the hashtag, #girldad, began trending and it was truly inspiring to see fathers showing their bond with and love for their children, especially their daughters. It reminded me of what me and my sister shared with our Dad. The third week of September has always been hard for me because it is the anniversary week of my father’s passing. All of the key details of each day creep back into my memory and demand attention and as I relive them. My body remembers every part of that week. The call that you were in the hospital. Again. The realization that this time, you were taken by ambulance because you were alone and still trying to be macho and called Auntie instead. The hope that I held for you to return home and maybe I needed to prepare to come for another extended visit to take care of you. The last time I heard your voice and how it was distinctly different from every other conversation I’d ever had with you. Then came the late night call from Sis that you were doing really bad and together we needed to make a decision if you coded again. Searching for flights. Knowing that I needed to pack funeral clothes. Understanding that you’d been preparing me for this moment my entire life and that Sis was not as prepared. It was time to step into the strength that you and Mom always reminded you knew was in me. The entire day I spent traveling from California to Georgia. Plane, shuttle, and then a Lyft to the hospital. I thought I was prepared for what I’d see. I was not. Thank God Auntie was there. “Baby, talk to him and tell him what you want to tell him, but your Daddy is not in there,” as she pointed to the frail, dark chocolate frame that was hooked up to a tall rack of machines. “Daddy, I am here now. You can go now. You don’t have to fight anymore,” is what I said to you with tears streaming down my face, touching your right hand that felt so foreign to me for the first time in my life. Your hands and your smile were my favorite of your physical characteristics. They were the epitome of light and warmth. Now, there was no smile and your hands were lukewarm — like your Spirit was half here and half over there. But you didn’t go then. You hung on so your siblings could say goodbye and for me to convince Sis to come so we could all be together one last time. And we were together as you took your last draw of earthly air. As Sis began to grieve, I began to realize what this meant for you. No more pain. No more treatments. No more bad news to listen to or deliver from the doctors. I also began to realize what this meant for me. Now was not my time to grieve. It was my time to take care of Sis, Mom, and your siblings. My time would come. And it does. Every year, this week I get to grieve you as I relive those moments like I didn’t because I was making space for everyone else to. I get to honor you with my tears and vivid memories. I grant myself permission to be vulnerable and fully feel what missing you, my first love, is like for me — your baby girl, the last button on Gabriel’s shirt. I get to remember how your smile would be beam with pride just to spend time with me and doubly so when both of your girls were in your presence. You’d often sit in between us and hold both of our hands. I miss marveling at your meticulously groomed hands that were always the perfect temperature — never too hot, never too cold, never clammy — always soft and never ashy. Your fingers were long with beautiful, long nail beds and perfect cuticles. I miss those fingers and hands that always pinched my cheeks and squeezed my nose every time I saw you. I get to hear your voice clearly. Most times since your transition, when I attempt to hear your voice it’s muffled. You sound far away or underwater. But never this week. I can hear your timber, pitch, and emotion like normal. “A man who doesn’t take care of his hands and feet won’t take care of you,” is what you’d say as I’d sit and watch you do your self-care. “If you ain’t already done did it, you’re going to do it one day, so we may as well talk about it,” is how you started my very clinical and shocking birds and the bees talk on one of our Daddy/Daughter dates. “ And don’t go on dates you can’t afford to pay for,” is what you told me in part when you gave your logical explanation for why I couldn’t date until I was 16. You were telling me not to put myself in a situation where I felt like I “owed some little knucklehead boy” something. “I ain’t raising no punk ass girls!” Your emotional response to finding out I had not stood up for myself or made the right decision. It was never your response to me crying or showing emotion. “Me and your momma live where we want to live, now you go live where you want to live,” is what you told me when I was on the fence about leaving the comfort of close proximity to family, friends, and my beloved godson for my dream of living in California. “I love you, Pook! Myyyy baby! The last button on Gabriel’s shirt,” is how you’d end every conversation I had with you, especially after reaching adulthood. You’d always remind me that no matter how old or “grown” I thought I’d gotten, I was always your baby. “I’m tired, girls. I love you,” was the last thing you ever said to us. This week, every year, I make time to sit and experience the extreme gratitude I have for you being my Father. I resist the urge to busy myself or reject grieving you — my flawed, fearless, protective patriarch. Instead, I welcome the memories of the lessons, laughter, pride, and pain that your legacy conjures in me. Your legacy is not just in your daughters, but in your nieces, nephews, siblings, and friends. It’s in Mom — your high school sweetheart, ex-wife, and the mother of your greatest joys, who still shares your story with us. So, as I make the best of an awkward and difficult year and mourn the loss of so many lives known and unknown, I will honor the need to have a proper grieving of you, Dad.	https://medium.com/@anetrahenry/a-proper-grieving-db0cde5ea443	['Anetra Henry']	2020-09-22 20:33:11.412000+00:00	['Father And Daughter', 'Grief And Loss', 'Blackfather', 'Self Care']
Avoid Social Isolation and Stay Healthy as a Freelancer	Avoid social isolation To stay healthy and motivated, it is important not to feel socially isolated in our home offices. Once the initial excitement about being able to work in your pyjamas and not having to commute to a stuffy office wears off, some freelancers may feel alone and cut off from the rest of the world. Some work long hours and rarely leave their home. According to a Viking survey, nearly two-thirds (64%) of freelancers reported that their job makes them feel lonely on a daily basis. Here are some steps you can take to avoid feeling socially isolated: 1. Stick to fixed office hours and socialise after work. 2. Network with fellow freelance professionals in your area. 3. Arrange regular lunch dates with friends or colleagues. 4. Join a local business group and attend their meetups. 5. Use social media to network and talk to others. 6. Join a co-working community and work there a couple of times a week. 7. Go for walks or join a gym to get out and active during breaks. 8. Ensure your office is welcoming and tidy to help you stay motivated.	https://medium.com/swlh/avoid-social-isolation-and-stay-healthy-as-a-freelancer-bc951470ddcd	['Kahli Bree Adams']	2020-06-25 00:35:12.371000+00:00	['Business', 'Work', 'Self', 'Remote Working', 'Freelancing']
Getting Started with Rails as an API	An API is known in the programming world as an Application Program Interface. What does this mean you ask? Well from my understand an API is used to grab data from a particular source, usually a database. You may ask, what is a database? From my understanding, a database is used to store and retrieve information, and when I get really good at communicating with these suckers, I’ll become a better engineer. An API can be created by anyone, that’s the really cool part. The way to get started will be explained in this blog post. Now the first thing I will tell you is, APIs enable programmers like me, to access and display on a web page. APIs can become the grit of your application because of the freedom and the ability to grab any informational database and use it as a tool. APIs are great because your program is allowed to be multi-resourced. It has range, it has freedom, go create. This tool comes with flexibility by using a powerful gem called the Fast JSON API. The Fast JSON API gem provides a quick way to generate and customize JSON serializers. Woah, slow down! What are you even saying? Okay, I’ll break it down, you’re probably asking, “what is JSON?” It stands for JavaScript Object Notation. JSON (JavaScript_Object_Notation) is a simple data format that uses sets of the familiar key & value pairs to store information. Back to that information storing thing again. JSON is chosen because it uses javascript to pass information around. Serializers enable us to handle the logic of arranging our JSON data the way we want it. There are many gems out there, but there is a particular gem in Rials that I truly have fallen madly in love with. It was an instant connection, didn’t make much for me to realize the power of this tool. It’s not just me that can confirm how brilliant it is. Using this popular option, the Fast JSON API gem creates a JSON serializer for Rails APIs. It provides a way for us to generate serializer classes for each resource object in our API that is involved in customized JSON rendering. Setting up Fast JSON API To add the Fast JSON API gem to your Rails program, go to your project’s Gemfile and copy and paste this line there: gem ‘fast_jsonapi’ Then run bundle install in your terminal. Once installed, you will gain access to a new generator, serializer. Godly Gem!	https://medium.com/@mccullers-ghameerah/getting-started-with-rails-as-an-api-ae56def8510f	['Ghameerah Mccullers']	2020-11-22 22:41:07.262000+00:00	['JavaScript', 'Backend', 'React', 'Ruby on Rails', 'Ruby On Rails Development']
5 Steps to Improved Focus and Unparalleled Time Management	Step 1: The Time Inventory Learning to manage time more effectively requires that you first gain an understanding of how you spend your time currently. If we don’t know where we are, successfully planning how we will get to another destination is difficult. We will start by recording an inventory of your day to day time. What do I mean by an inventory of time? Simple: record how you spend your day, and try to be as accurate as possible, but don’t go overboard. It’s perfectly fine if you round to 15-minute blocks. If your inventory contains entries measured to the second, you’ve overdone it. If you’ve never attempted this, or you are struggling with how to approach the task, use your calendar. If you have an email, you have access to a digital calendar. And, who doesn’t have access to email? If you don’t want to use an existing calendar for this exercise, set up a new calendar using a free service, Google Calendar is a natural choice. Start by adding blocks of time to your calendar for every significant activity in your day. Wait. How do I add a block of time? Add a meeting with no attendees. It’s just for you. Update those blocks as the time spent on the represented task changes or even moves around. The level of detail is not overly significant. Don’t overthink it. Just leave yourself a quick note in the description to remind you how you spent the time. At the end of the week, group all the items you recorded into logical categories and sum the time spent for each. As an example, you might end up with something that looks like this: Internal Meetings: 18 hours External Meetings: 8 hours Project work: 4 hours Email & Office Time: 6 hours Other: 4 hours The concept of Office Time is something I find useful. I use it to collect the time spent updating my calendar, dealing with emails, and other administrative tasks that need time but don’t fit elsewhere. Did you find anything surprising in how you spend your time? Everyone I’ve discussed this with has been surprised by the results. Step 2: Managing Focus Interrupts Now that you have a working process in place to pay closer attention to how you spend your time, let’s push it a step further. I’ve written previously about the effect of focus (or lack of focus) on the quality of our work. In this step, we’re going to start paying close attention to this particular problem. I want you to keep a notebook or scratchpad handy throughout the day. During any particular work session or activity, record when you are interrupted in any way. Add one or two words, so you know what caused the interruption, and approximately how long you spent on that detour activity. Did you stop to respond to an email notification? Email, 10 minutes. Did you take an unplanned phone call? Phone call, 15 minutes. Mark it all down. We don’t need to overcomplicate this. In fact, we need to ensure that we don’t let this activity itself become an interruption. For that reason, I recommend paper over a digital solution, though you are, of course, free to do whatever makes you most comfortable. Here’s the challenging part. I also want you to recognize when you are distracting yourself. When does your focus fade? When does your mind wander? How many times when you are scheduled to be working on a large project do you end up checking social media quickly and lose track of 20 minutes? Record every occurrence that you notice, and try to be more mindful about when this happens. Be honest with yourself here; it can be enlightening. In your gap between activities throughout the day, or at the end of the day, take your log of interruptions and record it in the calendar event that represents the activity time you just finished. At the end of the week, categorize the interruptions just as you did the activity types in the last step. Add all of it to your time inventory. As an example, your interruptions might look something like this: Email: 2 hours Phone: 1 hour Distracted/Lost Focus: 2 hours This addition to our time inventory provides us some interesting insights. You will start to understand not just how you spend time on the items captured, but how those items are impacting the focused work you recorded earlier. Step 3: Prioritize Your Work Once you understand where you spend your time, it’s time to adopt a practice of ruthless prioritization. I want you to question the importance of every task you undertake. Our purpose every day is not to be busy, but to be productive. We do this by being more intentional with time, which requires that we understand the priority of our tasks. There are many ways to approach prioritization. I’m going to share my favorite: the prioritization matrix. If you have a system you like, or this isn’t a good fit for you, then feel free to adopt something else. Be ruthless and honest in your prioritization. Try to avoid assigning priority to something based on personal feelings like whether or not you enjoy the task. It’s common and natural to want to procrastinate the items that we don’t enjoy doing anyway, but that doesn’t help us become more productive. Consider external factors such as deadlines or dependencies with other people or teams. Not everything is a high priority. If you struggle with this, approach the prioritization assignment as a budget. If you think both items rate the highest priority, remember you can only pick one winner. Give the other task a lower rating. The prioritization matrix takes these into account naturally. You will rank all your tasks on two spectrums: Urgency and Importance. If we draw a 4x4 grid with urgency tracked on the vertical, and importance tracked on the horizontal, all our tasks will fall into one quadrant or category: Not Urgent/Not Important (lower-left) Urgent/Not Important (upper-left) Urgent/Important (upper-right) Not Urgent/Important (lower-right) Urgent items would be those tasks with a deadline assigned or where an external person, team, or customer has a dependency on your work. Non-urgent items have no particular time requirements; they just need to be done — maybe. Importance is a determination of how critical the task is. Important items are required. It’s not possible to remove them from your task list. Non-important things are the opposite: they are less significant, possibly even something you can skip entirely. Done with that? Good. Now you have a prioritized task list. You can choose work that is both urgent and important first, moving on to the lower-ranked items as you have available time. Step 4: Saying No You are now more intentional about how you spend your time. You are now treating that time like the valuable commodity it is. You may, however, still find some things just don’t fit. You made a legitimate effort to ensure that every task on your list isn’t the highest priority, and yet the list of top priority items is still extensive. There really is not enough time in the day. There is a solution to this, and you’ve done the work to understand where you spend your time, so you have the data necessary to take the next step. I want you to get comfortable with and embrace the power of saying no. Let’s consider a concept that I’m going to borrow from economics. Opportunity Cost is the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. By saying yes to everything, what critical tasks are you failing to complete? What is the cost to you or your team when those tasks are not taken up? Say no, but do so knowing that you understand precisely what your capacity is, and the value and relative importance of the task you are refusing. Say no strategically. Then carry on with your day. Step 5: Saying Maybe or “I reserve the right to say no later.” As a final step, we’re going to continue building on this iterative approach to intentional time and task management. You now have a functional and accurate accounting of time on your calendar. You are comfortable with saying no to protect your ability to do your best work on things that matter. We have one last skill to adopt. We’re going to give ourselves the ability to say maybe when no would be too strong, where we can’t decide with the information we have. We’ll rely on our handy calendar for this change, as well. Start by responding as tentative where you don’t feel comfortable sending an outright decline to a requested meeting. Now, at a regular interval, I want you to start reviewing your schedule. Do this weekly if you can. When you conduct this review, give particular attention to the tentative items on your calendar. After a few days, how do you feel about that event? Have you gotten more comfortable with saying no? Good, decline it. If a second look or more information you’ve received in the interim convince you it’s worth your time, send an acceptance. What should your criteria be for accepting or declining a meeting? If a meeting doesn’t have an agenda: decline it with a note explaining why. As new meetings come in, if you can’t justify your attendance against your other priorities: decline it. If you aren’t sure, reply as tentative — say maybe. Review it in a few days, and if you still can’t see the value: decline it. In this way, we continue to evolve the time and task management skills we’ve adopted by recognizing that sometimes we can’t make a firm decision on the spot. We allow ourselves some necessary flexibility without sacrificing the benefits of our new system. There will always be more things to get done, another task to complete, another meeting you could take. With the right system, you will be the next high-performer that your colleagues look to and say, “How do they get so much done?”	https://medium.com/leadership-vision/5-steps-to-improved-focus-and-unparalleled-time-management-1e10e6f01527	['Matthew A. Overlund']	2020-04-13 22:15:54.516000+00:00	['Focus', 'Leadership Development', 'Productivity', 'Leadership', 'Time Management']
Our place in the universe.	Not far ago, my home advisor (a strong believer about god) told me why we are V.I.P in the universe (without even knowing a place far from our solar system), so I decided to not interrupt her and hear what she thinks about our place in the universe , while she was talking me about how god loves us and of course he would let us in the V.I.P zone in the universe, I fell in a deep reflexion about our place, and was at that moment that i figured out that people doesn't even imagine how big is just our galaxy, sometimes I wonder how is to think that we are the only and precious race ever borned, and leaving a side that there are billion galaxies, and that our observations states that the universe we live in is infinite, as a matter of fact she started talking to me that god created the universe just to have us, and I again began to wonder, ?how could he created the universe?, if there's no universe, there's is no time, because the time and space are just available in the universe, where ? , at what time did he created it?, that thought gave me even more questions that cant be answered by a human, as we kept talking (me being completely respectful about her beliefs and listening every word) she started saying something that bounced my head and made me think, if the universe is infinite, there's no V.I.P zone ! , when we finish talking, I started researching and found the “Copernican Principle”, basically a principle that states that the earth and our place in the universe, doesn't take a V.I.P place. In conclusion I would like to say that we are special and we should enjoy life the way it is, everyone with his beliefs and moral, if they want to put a blindfold on reality is them choice, who are we to determinate what we should think, either way we need curios people that guides us to the understandings of the universe itself, I think that when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change, and that ain’t even my phrase. I decided to made this story as short as possible to be fast to read and let big reflexions flow. Felipe V. Ekelund	https://medium.com/@felipeavidale/our-place-in-the-universe-ea162f62cdad	[]	2020-12-22 20:03:03.758000+00:00	['Conversations', 'Experience', 'Philosphy', 'Physics']
GgFun evening at Garden City Golf Club Bahria Islamabad	This is my account of a fun evening at Garden City Golf Club Bahria Town Phase 7 Islamabad and where to go to find the enjoyable stuff. Garden City Golf and Country Club is the one on GT Road, not the one on Murree Expressway. The day started with me driving from the DHA 3 entry gate from GT Road towards the rear of Bahria Phase 7 Islamabad with my Brother in Law. The wide road across DHA 3 is unlike I have ever seen in any housing scheme in Pakistan. It is even wider than GT Road itself. Just don’t ask me why they call the Place Islamabad when it lies smack in the center of Rawalpindi. That’s how Pakistan rolls. PRO TIP DHA3 has acquired Bahria Serene Land and its property value is perfectly placed to rise fast. Get a plot for investment purposes. Bahria has shops, apartments and plaza’s for sale but their investment value rise is not consistent. Anyways, I had my rusty Golfing kit with me in my mini car and it was a pleasure driving through open valleys on a sunny winter day. Turning right at the first intersection, I reached Garden City Bahria 7 Golf and Country Club. Hitting Golf Balls on the practice range Me and my partner walked up to the practice range and shot 50 balls a piece deep into the fairway of hole number 1. There is nothing more pleasurable than seeing your perfectly executed Golf shot sailing over the fairway and landing near the green. I probably got one ball to go the whole nine yards the rest were duds. One of my balls landed on the roof of the Coffee shop close by and it wasn’t even in the periphery of the golf course. Membership Charges at Golf Club Bahria Town and Country Club I paid the caddy Rs 500 per player and Rs 100 tip, although non-members are supposed to pay Rs 1000 green fee. Garden City Golf and Country Club Bahria Town Phase 7 Coffee Shop I then moved to the Coffee shop close by and had ourselves a hot desi chai with pakora. The Coffee shop was a bit of a disappointment as it wasn’t well established. Bahria Golf Club House The club house, at a walking distance has a restaurant, spa, fitness gym and a marquee too. After a detailed discussion on Pakistan’s colonial history and legacy inherited by Pakistan Army, I moved to Bahria Town View Point. Bahria Town View Point Islamabad From Bahria Town view point you can see all the way to Chak Beli Chakwal, Rawat and Giga Mall. Lots of families visit this spot. Bahria Town Zoo On the way back I stopped at the Bahria Town Zoo to check out the sad looking lion. Cine Gold Cineplex, Bahria Town Phase 7 In the evening people to the Cine Gold Cineplex at Bahria Golf City and County Club. Attractions of Bahria Town Phase 7 Other attractions in Bahria Town Phase 7 are the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty Chowk. Phone Contact Bahria Golf and Country Club Dial 080000100 Phone: 92 51 5706302 Garden City Bahria Town Golf and Country Club Map Overall the openness and greenery at Bahria Town Golf and country Club is very refreshing. As a bonus, check out this view of Margalla Hills from close to Pir Sohawa, in the evening. Drive to Margalla Hills to see the sunset in the evening. Next time I intend to explore the Bahria Town Golf City located on Murree Expressway.	https://medium.com/@neatgye1/ggfun-evening-at-garden-city-golf-club-bahria-islamabad-3854c9687e75	[]	2020-12-12 09:47:43.647000+00:00	['Fun', 'Golf Club', 'Pakistan', 'Travel', 'Golf']
A Liberal’s Ode to Sir Roger Scruton	A Liberal’s Ode to Sir Roger Scruton At 75, a colossus of conservative philosophy has died. A young liberal reflects on this great man’s life and legacy. Blue page numbers. The first book of Sir Roger Scruton’s that I read cover to cover was How To Be A Conservative. Released in 2014, this brief read, written in tight and masterful prose, distilled a life’s thinking on the nature of conservatism into one accessible, entertaining little book. A book with blue page numbers. Of all the elaborate covers this titan could have chosen, he went for an understated solid blue with white text. Subtly fitting a book on conservativism. And yet, he had it published with those blue page numbers so that every single page used colour ink; no doubt at great bother and cost. This was what sold me on Scruton; a deep care for detail and beauty, told with a light smirk and gentle wit. A philosophy professor on aesthetics, he released several books on the subject, including Art And Imagination, The Aesthetics of Architecture, The Classical Vernacular, The Aesthetics of Music, Beauty, and Understanding Music. This culminated in his BBC documentary aptly titled Why Beauty Matters. In it, he advocates for the meaning and significance of art and looks at that which dismisses it — Duchamp’s infamous urinal — with a quiet despairing hatred. His form of conservativism is bound in and born of this love of beauty. Repulsed by the wayward destruction of the 1968 French university protests and riots, he was stuck by the carelessness of the progressive drive. That in the aim to tear down the old order and build a new better world, so often we lose what came before, much of which is of crucial value. If this strikes you as Burkean, it should; his political philosophy is grounded in Burke’s line that society was: “a partnership… between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born” For Scruton, this meant the preservation of that which is meaningful in an objective, graspable sense. In his eyes, beauty - in classical architecture, painting, and music — was key to this: “Beauty is a value, as important as truth and goodness… The beautiful work of art brings consolation in sorrow and affirmation in joy. It shows human life to be worthwhile” And, as with truth and goodness, it is one of the clearest signs of objective meaning: “Beauty makes a claim on us; it is a call to renounce our narcisissm and look with revererence on the world.” This is bound to his belief in national identity - in a national soul. Contrary to a relativistic position, he argues that countries are not bound together merely by arbitrary in-group/out-group divisions. Rather, their people are tied to their lands by shared meaning, tradition, and culture. Science may explain the cosmos but it definitionally lacks soul. On the other hand, beauty and meaning nurture the soul. This is not to say that art must be stagnant. Of course not. Rather, meaningful progress is only possible in tandem to that which we inherit. As he wrote in Modern Culture: “Without tradition, originality cannot exist: for it is only against a tradition that it becomes perceivable. Tradition and originality are two components of a single process, whereby the individual makes himself known through his membership of the historical group” And it is in this that you find his conservatism. Scruton best distilled this in a key passage from that little book with blue page numbers: “Conservatism starts from a sentiment … that good things are easily destroyed, but not easily created. This is especially true of the good things that come to us as collective assets: peace, freedom, law, civility, public spirit, the security of property and family life, in all of which we depend on the cooperation of others while having no means singlehandedly to obtain it. In respect of such things, the work of destruction is quick, easy and exhilarating; the work of creation slow, laborious and dull. That is one of the lessons of the twentieth century. It is also one reason why conservatives suffer such a disadvantage when it comes to public opinion. Their position is true but boring, that of their opponents exciting but false.” Too often do those on the left characterise the right as being curmudgeonly, uncaring for the poor, held hostage by nostalgia, and disconnected from the issues of today. It is something I in the past have been guilty of. And yet, any fair reading of Scruton and what grounds his philosophy reveals anything but that ‘Nasty Party’ image. Rather, his philosophy is firmly rooted in his love of beauty, heritage, and the passing of knowledge. Lest his prolific writing and populated library not be evident enough, his love of books is most aptly shown in this wonderful little anecdote:	https://medium.com/thatrosschap/a-liberals-ode-to-sir-roger-scruton-964b2780cd8c	['Ross Anderson']	2020-05-04 12:34:53.703000+00:00	['Culture', 'Art', 'Philosophy', 'Biography', 'Politics']
I started building a DApp – these were my architectural difficulties	This part is not gonna be focused on coding details, but more on the question: What should I think about when building a Decentralized Application from a business and architectural design perspective? It’s gonna be based on my experience and facts. The blockchain ecosystem (and software engineering in general) is very fast growing and changes often. So by the time reading this, there could be no Ethereum blockchain anymore, the majority switched to a competitor or whatever. But I don’t think it will be that outdated in the near future. What is a Blockchain? Consider the following scenario: Think about being in a group of art people where each person draws a picture. At the end of the course, you all want to put your drawings with your name on the wall to win a prize. The next day a jury is going to rate the pictures. And there you see that the name on your picture has been changed to some ‘Rick…’. You can’t prove that it’s yours anymore. Even though you won the million dollar first price… In a centralized system, you would have an authority, like the jury, who would say ‘okay, show my your ID’ – so you can claim your price. But the problem is still that the name has been changed to someone else. The jury could have signed the drawing in the beginning, so that there is no chance of manipulation anymore. But, what if the jury itself is behind the manipulation? Or its system got hacked? In the end you have to trust one authority to sign your drawing, which is fast and easy to do. Also, when the signing happened, has to be managed by this authority. In a decentralized system, all artists of the group would have two random keys: One for the public and one for private, to keep just for yourself. The idea is now to use this private key to sign your work so that only you, using your private key, can say that it’s you who created the drawing. To be consent about what happened and in which happened, we need the concept of a blockchain: Each person in the group must have a consent about what happened in the system. That means, that everything is noted publicly. So when you want to sign your picture, you take, for example your Name and your private key together, to create a unique hash of your work. Using your publicly available key, now everyone can verify that it’s from you. But only you can proof that it’s your work. Now, the problem comes that anyone could come to do that signing and submit something. And to where? Simply put the crypto signed drawing on the wall? – we need a publicly shared ledger. Every time someone wants to publish a drawing, he or she needs to put a reference to the latest drawing and their hashed signitation together into a block, and then chain them together. Note: this is a very rough explanation of the whole process. In reality, a new block can only be added to the blockchain if the mathematically problem has been solved (mining process). This means, that the miner, who solved the difficult problem, tells the group about the easily verifiable solution. For a miner to stay motivated in mining, there might be a block reward and fees. What is a smart contract? – DApp Smart contracts are ‘software codes’ that run on a blockchain. They are self-executing, means that there is no central authority necessary to run that software. In general you can do many different things on a blockchain — and currency, ownership or smart contracts are just a few examples of them. A DApp is a decentralized application, which runs partly or entirely on the blockchain. So, back to the arts and drawing scenario. Let’s say you write a piece of software (smart contract), that handles the whole authority process: A jury is deploying a smart contract so that the whole system can begin. In order to add a drawing to the system, you have to pay a pre-defined fee, that is being added to a ‘pool’ in the contract. Everyone can see who added a drawing to the system. The jury can stop the ‘adding drawings’ process and then rate the drawings. After the winner has been selected, each voting member gets their occured transaction fees back. Then the winner gets all the money from the pool and the smart contract is being deactivated. An interesting part about that smart contract system is, that nobody can steal money, manipulate, hack or do whatever bad things.	https://reime005.medium.com/i-started-building-a-dapp-these-were-my-architectural-difficulties-a2c7139819cf	['Marius Reimer']	2018-08-05 11:37:19.273000+00:00	['Software Architecture', 'Smart Contracts', 'Solidity', 'Blockchain', 'Ethereum']
テスト観点レビュー時のチェックポイント	Our mission as a data empowerment company. Dramatically expands data utilization possibilities, from operational reforms to social issue solutions. Follow	https://medium.com/wingarc/%E3%83%86%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E8%A6%B3%E7%82%B9%E3%83%AC%E3%83%93%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BC%E6%99%82%E3%81%AE%E3%83%81%E3%82%A7%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%83%9D%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%83%88-932adf70111d	[]	2019-12-19 14:45:42.275000+00:00	['Quality Assurance', 'Japanese', 'Review']
Хорионы үеийн тэмдэглэл 4: Хайрцаг, хайрцаг ахиад л хайрцаг	in Beyond Pen and Paper	https://medium.com/@saikhnaa68/%D1%85%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%8B-%D2%AF%D0%B5%D0%B8%D0%B9%D0%BD-%D1%82%D1%8D%D0%BC%D0%B4%D1%8D%D0%B3%D0%BB%D1%8D%D0%BB-4-%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%80%D1%86%D0%B0%D0%B3-%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%80%D1%86%D0%B0%D0%B3-%D0%B0%D1%85%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%B4-%D0%BB-%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%80%D1%86%D0%B0%D0%B3-2331f0fb836b	['Saikhnaa Dk']	2020-12-26 07:53:39.061000+00:00	['Quarantine', 'Life Lessons', 'Mankind', 'Personal Development', 'Self-awareness']
My Witchy Nature Intuition is a Powerful Gift	My Witchy Nature Intuition is a Powerful Gift Exploration of my “witchy” nature intuition Aimée Gramblin: Tree Hugger, Nature Writer, Poet, and Nature Witch; photo by Aimée’s daughter, Ceci. Recently, I have begun embracing my ability to intuit Nature. I intuit Nature for a better understanding of myself, my mission, and my place in the world. I intuit Nature as a way of sharing profound experiences with friends and family. I intuit Nature to share what I have learned in my writing and on my social media outlets. I have come to respect my gifts of Nature Intuition and Expression. I am beginning to see myself as the Earthy, Nature Witch I have always been. At one time, this terminology would have frightened me due to the negative connotation of witches as ne’er-do-gooders in childhood fairy tales. But, don’t we all know that the history of witches is more complicated than that? If being a Nature Witch means I know how to listen to Nature, forage for wild plants, talk with the moon, and see in darkness, then, by all means, sign me up. Through seemingly disparate events yesterday, the tapestry for knowing deep within my bones that I am a Nature Witch myself was powerfully woven on my mind, heart, and spirit through Nature and my own intuition. Morning Light and Hawk on an Electric Wire; Photo by Aimée Gramblin, Author It was sunny yesterday. It was a perfect day for watching butterflies, so I did. Many different species traveled through our backyard, but one, in particular, held me under some kind of enchantment. She was yellow with a tinge of orange and black barring on her wings. I spent much of my day sitting near a Wild Senna (Cassia hebecarpa) plant and watching this butterfly visit it. She would flit around the leaves, pausing only for brief seconds, fly away, and then return after several minutes. She was nearly impossible to photograph. Finally, my 9-year-old daughter, Ceci, captured the photograph you see below. Sleepy Orange Sulphur butterfly (Abaeis nicippe); Photo by Aimée’s daughter. Ceci and I spent a good amount of time arguing about which kind of butterfly it was. We knew it was either a Cloudless Sulphur or a Sleepy Orange Sulphur because both of these caterpillars host on Wild Senna plants. After I posted the photo in my local Facebook butterfly identification group and received the id: sleepy orange sulphur (Abaeis nicippe) a leader mentioned it looked like she had laid some eggs on the wild senna leaves. While watching her, I had realized she was probably laying eggs, but I wasn’t sure my intuition was correct. Maybe she was just visiting the plant for kicks. It wasn’t flowering, but maybe she didn’t need to eat. Maybe she was just scoping it out for later. I kept second-guessing myself. The day grew longer and my husband, David, our son, Jaden, and Ceci sat down to dinner as tornado sirens began sounding. I glanced at the irises I had put together into a bouquet when I heard there may be hail that night. Oklahoma has some wild weather. When the sirens sound they alert the entire county of possible tornado touchdowns in the entire city of Tulsa, which covers a large geographical area. Radar is more reliable than sirens these days. David kept his eye on the weather radar while we all ate our dinner salads, wondering if part of our evening would be spent taking cover in an interior closet. When I finished eating, I stepped out the front door to look at the sky. It had grown a strange bright grey, the wind had picked up, and rain had begun falling. There were low rumbles of thunder, similar to a dog’s growl, and patches of light illuminated the darkened daytime sky. Sirens blaring, I stood on our covered front porch, barely seeing any lightning bolts, just quick flashes of light in a suddenly darkened world. I watched our front yard Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) tree take in the storm. Her bright green leaves vibrated confidently. Her orange, green, and white flowers floated to the ground when they were ready to descend and the leaves that were not ready stayed in place. I knew as I have always known: Nature is a beautiful beast. Irises picked for an arrangement before the storms came rolling in. Photo by Aimée Gramblin David and I had gotten into a fight over clearing the table after dinner. Stubbornly, I wouldn’t back down and apologize for the mean words I let come out of my mouth. Instead, I decided to stand on the front porch while the sirens were sounding, the lightning coloring the sky, the rain falling, and the wind rolling by. I decided that this was a moment I needed to take for myself — David and I could make up later. Intently, I observed the storm and considered how a tree reacts when a tornado is nearby. I came up with this as I watched the mature trees standing tall in all their glory amidst thunder and lightning and manmade noise: trees know how to soak in and transmute that fierce, powerful energy of an intense storm and turn it into some kind of new magic. They are not afraid. They let the storm embody them and they move in the ways that they must. On the porch, I closed my eyes gently and tried to be a tree. I wanted to take in the transmuting magic of the storm and the trees, to let this natural force embody me. I felt a tinge of the energy and then opened my eyes. I went back inside. Nature is deep. Later, David and I apologized to each other, the fight fleeting like the storm. I lay in bed, resting, and pulled the curtain back to see what it looked like outside. It was about 7:30 pm. The darkness had lifted and daylight now appeared like filtered brightness with emphatic tones of pinks and yellows. Yanking my phone out of its charger and throwing my glasses on my face, I rushed out of bed to more closely see what the sky looked like. As I walked out the backdoor I looked up and found myself breathless. The skyscape was filled with what I later learned are called Mammatus clouds. These clouds resemble breasts. I snapped several photos and took a short video to share on social media. I was awestruck, having never seen these clouds that I could recall in my 41+ years here on Earth. Slowly my social media feeds filled up with local photos of the amazing Mammatus clouds. Pure magic. Nature had connected us in that moment. Nature is connection. Nature is magic. Mammatus Clouds April 28, 2020 Tulsa, OK, USA; photo by Aimée Gramblin, Author. As I lay my head down to sleep last night, my mind drifted back to the Sleepy Orange Sulphur butterfly. Suddenly, my heart leapt with understanding. This butterfly knew out of the hundreds of thousands of plant species on Earth exactly which plant to lay her eggs on. She knew. She just knew. All butterflies know which plants to lay their eggs on. That is pure intuition. If you are ever unsure of what intuition is, consider the butterfly who knows without knowing exactly how to give her progeny the very best chance of survival by laying her eggs on exactly the right plant. Nature is Intuition. Aimée Gramblin: Tree Hugger, Nature Writer, Poet, and Nature Witch; Photo by Aimée’s daughter, Ceci. I have recently begun working with my Spiritual Guide, Christine DeMelle, who is heavy into Intuition, Earth Healing, and Magic. She calls herself and her clients Nature Witches. I am realizing now that I, too, am a Nature Witch. Like Nature, deep within my being, I am a beautiful beast. I am deep. I am connection. I am magic. I am intuition. I didn’t realize until today as I sat down to write this article that my experiences yesterday, from butterfly gazing to imbibing the energy of a tornadic storm to the collectively shared vision of Mammatus clouds to my Intuitive insight about butterfly intuition while I was drifting off to sleep were all intricately, knowingly, intuitively woven into my deepening understanding of Nature. I am a Nature Witch and I am thankful for this rite of passage.	https://medium.com/age-of-empathy/i-am-a-nature-witch-bbd17e7ff68c	['Aimée Gramblin']	2020-10-07 14:38:50.386000+00:00	['Relationships', 'Parenting', 'Outdoors', 'Life', 'Self']
Anxiety: A necessary evil?	Making it big, a message that prevails in our modern society. It’s on everyone’s minds. The constant struggle, the pain we go through to get what we achieve makes us who we are. We are aware of failure making us a better person, a learner. But not all of us are applying this mantra to our day to day lives. That conversation you had with your friend that pissed them off because you had to come up with an honest opinion to make their actions right. According to you, you were helping them realize their mistake. But really you were just trying to not fall in that situation again with them and wanted them to be nice to you. You are working for YOU. Constantly. I’m not saying its not good to be self-caring in situations like these, the action is correct but the intentions behind it are not. We really need to make the right conversations in our mind. Why do you do what you do? Why do you hurt people even though it means you’re just saving yourself. You can also hurt someone now because it may do good to them. Not everything that goes downhill needs to be a bad thing. Coming back to the statement. Failure helps you learn. Failed relationships, failed friendships, failed marriages — its just a part of a huge picture you’re painting that ends up defining you at the very end. Being kind, having empathy for the people who are doing wrong to you can really go a long way with you. Sometimes people hurt you by saying being rude to you or disrespecting you. Just understand that you may be wrong with some of your actions that made them hurt you in revenge. But, is revenge really the answer? You can’t really stop someone from being rude to you. You can’t control someone else’s actions. YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL. Anxiety is what makes you believe that you need to be in control because we humans tend to be entitled for being the alpha, being the one on a pedestal, being the one sole protagonist of our own movie. When you overvalue your position in the society , you start going backwards. Why’s that? We know we can make a change, we have seen people make the change in the society. Let me tell you why… When you have the mindset of you being in control all the time you tend to fall into the chaos because naturally nothing seems to be in your hands, not even your own actions sometimes. Being a part of the chaos is okay, unless you aren’t emotionally confident enough to know that you can get through the downs in life. Failure becomes a big deal and starts looking like doom rather than it just being a setback and most of the times a medium of learning. Nature is exteremely pedagogical, it tends to teach you at every moment of your life. Start listening to the vibrations around you and synchronize your inner vibrations with it. Start believing in the universe, and stop trying to control things around you and just believe in one thing… You can’t control everyone or everything but you. Then why expect from the world? Start listening to what the world needs and be a person who is a giver and don’t forget to take what’s yours.	https://medium.com/@ritviksingh909/anxiety-a-necessary-evil-e5a98a82b4ed	['Ritvik Raj Singh']	2020-12-21 06:58:26.987000+00:00	['Failure', 'Life', 'Anxiety', 'Nature', 'Happiness']
Nigeria’s Mass Kidnap and Growing Insecurity	Nigeria Originally published in Today News Africa 12/14 Council on Foreign Relations Last Friday, December 11th, the consequences of national insecurity played out in a vulnerable northern Nigerian town where hundreds of children are still missing. Gunmen attacked a secondary school in the country’s northwestern Katsina state, armed with AK-47s overrunning the all-boys Government Science Secondary School. The story, picking up throughout international headlines, is a blaring reminder of the multiple security challenges Nigeria faces across the country, layered in economic, political, religious, and personal issues that complicate and block solutions. Nigeria’s national insecurity is not isolated to Boko Haram or ISIS in the northeast. It includes the Niger Delta Militants in the south, kidnappers, bandits, and gangs operating in smaller pockets across the country, and pirates near the ports and at sea. Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President (1999–2007), says it’s time for better strategies to secure Nigeria. “While I urge our nation’s law enforcement agencies to immediately swing to action and rescue the missing students, I am nevertheless conscious of the fact that we cannot continue to be reactionary in our response to the growing insecurity in Nigeria. Something has to give. I, therefore, call on the Federal Government to immediately declare a state of emergency in states bedeviled by banditry and terrorism, for an offensive and decisive war on terror and insecurity.” John Campbell, a Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C., published the Nigeria Security Tracker “Weekly Update: December 5–11,” outlining the scale and scope of Nigeria’s insecurity. The data provides a snapshot of recent terror events and gives insights into the Buhari Administration’s effort to respond. Some of the security issues outlined in the report, just in the past week, include the kidnapping of foreign-nationals and aid workers. Kidnapping for ransom is more common than it should be in Nigeria, reinforced by ransom payments from private companies and family members. The issues go beyond Nigeria’s citizens being targeted, making the country dangerous for foreigners coming in to work, provide skills and aid, or even to visit. However, mixed into Campbell’s report, the killing of four Boko Haram militants in Magumeri, Borno on December 6th and the killing of two bandits in Nasarawa, Nasarawa by Nigerian troops show federal movement on the issue of terror. Some say the Buhari Administration has done too little too late because, in the face of what’s happening, they hear that children are kidnapped and don’t understand why it’s taking so long to return them. These issues have layers of complexity that don’t start and end with a single order from the president, requiring accountability from a nation of leaders at every post and throughout multiple government offices from the most populated cities to the least populated towns. Human rights and citizen security are the nation’s task, a nation of people entrusted with leadership positions. As for the current situation, Garba Shehu, the president’s spokesman, told BBC on December 14th, there was a “massive deployment” of troops to rescue the abducted children, and the president was being briefed hourly on the situation. “No sacrifice is too great to make, to return law and order to the affected communities, and that must be the singular focus of the Federal Government until this menace is eradicated,” says Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President. The federal government must do more, parallel to the nation’s state leaders in an honest and vigilant effort to share the country’s successes and failures. The key to solving these issues starts with communication between the states, requires political cooperation, and places the most vulnerable populations, especially children and elderly, as a protected priority. According to John Campbell, Council on Foreign Relations, “The government is centralized but weak, while true political power is decentralized in government and non-governmental entities.” One approach to balancing stability in the country is fostering cooperation amongst the country’s powers to agree where they’ll draw the line on tolerating terrorism amongst citizens and foreigners who work peacefully toward Nigeria’s economic goals and well-being. Salish Masi, parent of two kidnapped boys, told The Associated Press Monday, “I am worried that after three days, I have no news about my children … I have been waiting for the authorities to tell me what happened, but till now, they have said nothing.” As parents anxiously await the safe return of their children, and negotiations with kidnappers continue in other parts of the country, the consequences of Nigeria’s national insecurity is a reality for its citizens, an issue the world is watching with growing intolerance.	https://medium.com/global-perspectives-with-kristi-pelzel/nigerias-mass-kidnap-and-growing-insecurity-4bc3ecb40222	['Kristi Pelzel']	2021-02-14 19:02:08.981000+00:00	['Communication', 'West Africa', 'Kidnappings', 'Nigeria', 'Terrorism']
Starting with Machine Learning🤖(Day 1)	You will encounter this image more often if you are new to machine learning 😃 According to Arthur Samuel, “Machine Learning algorithms enable the computers to learn from data, and even improve themselves, without being explicitly programmed”. Machine learning (ML) is a category of an algorithm that allows software applications to become more accurate in predicting outcomes without being explicitly programmed. The basic premise of machine learning is to build algorithms that can receive input data and use statistical analysis to predict an output while updating outputs as new data becomes available. Machine Learning is also used by physicists not only by IT guys in the self driving cars, face recognition movie recommendation system and what not. It is used by the physicists in the sense that they usually start with large datasets of the particle that they create in a detector and they use ML to identify ten or one minutes that helps them in winning noble prizes 🏆. ML algorithms can be primarily classified depending on the presence/absence of target variables.	https://medium.com/@sandyblogs/starting-with-machine-learning-day-1-fc96eb193e26	['Sandeep Kumar']	2021-06-08 02:44:07.424000+00:00	['Beginner', 'Numpy', 'Python', 'Google Colab', 'Machine Learning']
Enter the Art	A few months ago, SMK approached me with the task of helping them explore new ways for guests to experience and establish connections with the paintings from the SMK collection. They wanted to use new digital tools to extend and transform the interface or connection between the visitor and the artworks, and create fun and/or beautiful ways for people to picture themselves in the art. After exploring a few different ideas I focused on how to allow people to combine photos of themselves with a handful of iconic paintings. Going beyond just swapping faces, I imagined how people could take photos of themselves and place their bodies wherever they wanted to inside an original art piece. However, copying elements from photos and pasting them onto a painting without having the end result look like a collage of unrelated separate elements is a challenging task. A bit of research led me to a scientific paper by researchers from Cornell University and Adobe Research who presented a technique called Deep Painterly Harmonization. Their approach allows you to use segmented cutouts of faces and bodies and seamlessly merge these onto paintings as though they had appeared there in the original painting. In order to allow people to see themselves painted onto the pictures of SMK, I imagined a website experience that gives visitors a lot of creative freedom. Because of COVID-19, it also made sense to make something people could experience from their own home, without necessarily visiting the physical museum. The proposed user flow was as follows: 1) A person starts out by capturing or uploading a picture of themselves from their computer or mobile phone. SMK’s director Mikkel Bogh photographed in the museum’s Sculpture Street. 2) A machine learning algorithm (like BodyPix directly in the browser or via Person Segmentation from RunwayML server side) performs segmentation and creates a mask containing only the part of the picture where the person appears. Mikkel ’s picture has been segmented. 3) The person positions the isolated image of themselves anywhere on top of a classic painting from the SMK collection.	https://medium.com/smk-open/enter-the-art-2f36a2df079f	['Merete Sanderhoff']	2020-12-17 12:38:36.018000+00:00	['Coding', 'Remix', 'Hacking', 'Smkopen', 'Painting']
Using Video Interviews To Find Your Next Great Hire	Photo by Anastasia Gepp from Pixabay It should come as no surprise to hear that video interviews are growing in popularity. In a remote world, we need remote hiring solutions and video is an easy way to bridge the divide. In fact, one recruitment agency saw a 67% spike in video interview usage among its clients this spring. But conducting a successful virtual interview is not merely a case of taking what you used to do in the office and trying it online. If you’re turning to video interviews to support your talent acquisition activities throughout the pandemic, then consider these strategies to help you make the most of them. What can you do to improve your video interview? If you’ve got a virtual interview set up with a jobseeker then think about the following 5 factors to help streamline your interview process and keep things running smoothly. What’s your purpose?: Like all interviews, you’ll collect more relevant information if you take the time to prepare beforehand. That means identifying what skills or attribute you want to find in a candidate and putting a plan in place to help you sort through potential hires. What will your hiring process look like and what tools will you be leveraging? Consider how many interviews it will take you to learn everything you need and how many other recruiters or hiring managers will need to be involved. Plan your interview questions in advance and when in doubt, stick to behavioural based interview questions in order to access a deeper level of insight into a candidate. And remember, make sure you’re communicating with your candidate throughout the entire interview process, especially your end decision, so they don’t feel left out of the loop. Finding the right fit: Of course, even with the best-laid plans, it can be hard to get an accurate sense of your candidate and how they might fit into your existing teams and culture. Video interviews are a great way to save time and hire remotely, but they still have limitations in terms of how much you can learn about a potential hire. Of course, one way to help keep your virtual interviews on-track is with the use of pre-employment assessments. Assessments can be easily completed and scored online which makes them an ideal addition to any remote hiring process. At McQuaig, we suggest starting with our McQuaig Job Survey in order to create an ideal profile of what a successful candidate might look like. Then leverage the McQuaig Word Survey to gain a deeper understanding of the respondent’s personality and temperament to see if they are a match, not a match, or potential match to your ideal benchmark. When used together, you have a better chance of gaining a more accurate view of your candidate and their future potential, as well as align culture and job fit. If you have to keep your distance from your candidate, at least you can still get a good sense of who they really are before you make your hiring decision. Read More: Remove unconscious bias from your recruiting process with these tips Welcome your candidate: Think about what kind of candidate experience you’re providing and don’t rush into your questions as soon as the interview starts. Take a minute and chat with your candidate. Stress and anxiety are high these days and video interviewing can feel a little strange at first. Put your candidate at ease and explain what the interview process is going to look like. This is also a great time to address what to do if either of you run into technical issues or get interrupted. Keeping the tone of the interview more open and conversational will also help your interview stay on-track. Body language and attention can be hard to gauge through a screen so you want your candidate to be as comfortable as possible so as not to miss non-verbal cues. Think about your background: What’s behind you when you join an online meeting? You want to consider what a candidate will be staring at when they look at you to make sure there’s nothing distracting that might be catching their attention, like a messy closet. You also don’t want to have a plain white wall behind you if you can avoid it. Try to find a background that’s warm or has some personality to it to better set the stage for the interview. Also, avoid fake virtual backgrounds if you can. They’ll do in a pinch but the resolution can be problematic and it’s always nicer to see a person’s real environment when possible. Where’s your camera?: Think about your video quality and where your camera is located on your laptop. Some laptops have lower webcams, for example, which you might want to offset by raising the computer on a box for the interview. It’s a good idea to open your camera before your candidate arrives to make sure everything is in working order, your lighting is good, and your camera is in the right place. Also double-check your video is clear. If it’s fuzzy, you probably need to clean your webcam quickly. And lastly, once the interview starts, think about where you’re looking. We tend to stare at the screen to see the other person but looking at the webcam is actually making “eye contact” in a remote world. Pro-tip: Reduce the amount of time it takes to hire by changing your interview approach Be ready for the unexpected While considering the above factors will help you improve your video interview approach, remote interviews also come with some unique challenges. Prepare for unexpected distractions by taking the following potential issues into account. 1) Tech trouble — We’ve all had Zoom or Skype meetings where we can’t get the video or audio to work. Be prepared just in case you run into technical issues on the day of the interview and have a plan in place that you can share with the candidate for what to do if things go wrong. 2) Internet connections — Not everyone has stellar Wifi at home and low or dropped connections may delay your call. Swap phone numbers with a candidate before the interview so you have a way of contacting them should the internet fail. 3) Interruptions — People are working at home these days which means interruptions are common. Be prepared in case a child wanders into the background or a pet jumps on a lap. Try using humour to dispel any tension created by an unexpected interruption. 4) Phone calls — We’re living in a very wired in world at the moment. There’s always the possibility someone’s phone might go off and interrupt your conversation. If that happens, take it in stride and ask the candidate to mute their phone for the rest of the interview. If it’s your phone, apologize and move on. 5) Environmental distractions — While both candidates and interviewers should think carefully about where they choose to hold their side of the interview, there are always events beyond your control that might impact the meeting. If a fire alarm goes off, sirens wail, or construction starts up, there’s not a lot you or your candidate can do so either reschedule your interview or use headphones to diminish the outside noise. Rock your next video interview When you can’t meet a candidate face-to-face, that doesn’t mean your quality of hire needs to suffer. Video interviews are growing more popular and will likely remain so even after the pandemic is over. Learning how to get them right just takes a little practice. The key to video interviews, or any job interview really, is to be prepared. Figure out what you’re looking for, what questions you’ll use, and what the structure of the interview will be before you meet your candidate. Consider what first impression you’re making yourself and take care to create as welcoming an online environment as you can. And of course, be ready for things to go awry. There is much more that’s out of our control in a video interview than an in-person one, from noise, to tech trouble, to interruptions. Don’t let the unexpected derail your interview. Plan out your approach and then be flexible where needed. Video interviewing can absolutely help you find top talent when you take the time to get it right.	https://medium.com/@McQuaig/using-video-interviews-to-find-your-next-great-hire-bf0ac4e5d51	['The Mcquaig Institute']	2020-12-23 17:02:45.669000+00:00	['Talent Acquisition', 'Interview', 'Hiring', 'Talent', 'Video Interview']
How to Effectively Use a Virtual Assistant to Boost Your Income and Get More Done	How to Effectively Use a Virtual Assistant to Boost Your Income and Get More Done Photo by Soundtrap on Unsplash 6 months ago, I hired my first virtual assistant. I’d never managed anyone before, let alone someone on the other side of the world. Happily, it’s been a joy! My VA edits audio, sends emails, creates social posts, schedules episodes, does ad-hoc tasks — all the things I hate doing. Just as importantly, she gets to work from home, spend more time with her family, and learn a bunch of new skills. With the time zone difference, I also wake up to a daily report, detailing work that’s been completed and the time it took. I’m effectively working as I sleep! The cherry on top? Now all my systems are in place, on-boarding my next VA will be a hundred times easier. Here’s how I developed my systems, hired my first virtual assistant, and continue to manage this relationship. 1. I documented all the tasks that need doing Although it took some time, documenting all of my tasks gave me a sense of how long each task should take and potential stumbling blocks for a VA. Take podcasting. To produce Entrepreneurs Can Party, there are a bunch of tasks that make this happen. There’s promoting on social media, reaching out to guests, guesting on other podcasts, etc, etc. I now have a single Google doc that documents every task that needs doing which my VA can access anytime through our shared Dropbox. Just as importantly, each task is broken down into a series of steps. For example, ‘producing a podcast’ alone is broken down into over 30. Documenting these steps out was the most tedious thing I’ve ever done. But now it’s been systematised, I’ll never have to spend time training future VAs. You don’t have to document tasks by writing them down. One of my favourite YouTubers, Travis Marziani, does video recordings of his tasks using Screen-o-matic which his VAs can watch in their own time. 2. I wrote a Virtual Assistant Rulebook A Virtual Assistant Rulebook will help set your expectations so that you and your VA are on the same page when you onboard them. It should also outline a process of what will happen if they don’t meet these expectations. For example, what happens if your VA secretly does work for others in your time and you catch them? Do you give them a warning? A strike? Dismissal? My rulebook contains information on my strike system, whereby if a VA gets 5 strikes in a month for not fulfilling certain duties, I let them go. It also details what daily tasks I want them to complete and other expectations. It’s worth noting this rulebook is a fail-safe. I haven’t had to turn to it yet and I believe if you hire the right person, you shouldn’t have to either. 3. I wrote a 1st Day VA Orientation Document This 1st Day VA Orientation Document gave instructions to my VA on their first day of employment. It told her what tools to download, what documents to read and an overview of my most important rules/policies. At this stage, it’s also helpful to think about money. How much are you willing and able to pay? Will it be on an hourly or monthly basis? Although it’ll feel a long way off, it’s important to consider these questions before you hire because it’ll help give you clarity on the systems, tools, and processes you need in place. It’ll also save you time in the long-run. 4. I wrote a 1st Day Email This 1st Day Email detailed my expectations, how I’d pay for their time, and included a link to the 1st Day Orientation Document. Screenshot by author 5. I loaded all the tasks into Asana When it comes to managing the work of my VA, I use Asana’s free plan. Asana is a web and mobile app designed to help teams organise, track, and manage their work. Here are just a few of its great features: It’s easy to allocate tasks to you or your VA You can opt to receive daily emails reminding you of tasks that you are due to complete for the day If you have a task that needs to be completed daily/weekly/monthly, you can set the task to repeat. You can split tasks by category. For example, I have a category called ‘Episode Editing & Shownotes’ which lists all of the tasks to be completed for this category. 6. I created an account on onlinejobs.ph ($69 fee) I used onlinejobs.ph to hire a virtual assistant from South-East Asia for a number of reasons: As Travis Marziani speaks to, the majority of VAs in this region are loyal, dependable, extremely well-mannered, and speak excellent English. Because of the low costs of living in South-East Asia, wages are extremely cost-effective for those looking to hire. The time zone difference means I wake up to completed work from my VA. 7. I created a Sample Project & Pre-Interview Message Before posting my job on onlinejobs.ph, I created a sample project in a Google Doc. This contained four mini-projects which I would ask candidates to complete 24 hours before our interview. The four mini-projects included: Testing their internet speed using speedtest.net and attaching a screenshot. Internet speeds in South-East Asia can be slow in and I was looking for upload speeds over 5 MB. Producing a 1-minute audio clip of them talking about one of their favourite hobbies, featuring an intro and an outro. This tested their English, as well as their audio-editing. Finding a specific piece of information from my website and recommending a tool they think could go on one of my web pages. This tested their ability to follow simple instructions and their knowledge of podcasting. Including a link to their onlinejobs.ph profile in the email Next, I wrote a pre-interview message which I sent to candidates when I received their applications. In this message, I provided a link to the sample project and asked them to select an interview slot from a Google spreadsheet I also provided a link to. Having an interview timetable means you can batch all of your interviews in one day. I interviewed 7 people back to back, giving myself at least a 15-minute break between each so I could reflect on answers. I’d recommend scheduling an interview day at least a week after you post your job to give candidates enough time to submit their applications. 8. I posted a job on onlinejobs.ph I’m not affiliated with these guys but I wish I was with all the professionals I send their way! Here’s a link to the job I posted in April 2020: https://www.onlinejobs.ph/jobseekers/job/386788 In the header at the top, it clearly specifies I’m looking for someone on a part-time basis and the salary is $200-$250 a month. In the job overview section, I make it clear what the job entails and what the perks of working for me are. I wanted to make the proposition as enticing as possible to find the best talent. For example, I made it clear the VA could work whenever they want, wherever they want and would have the opportunity to learn new skills. Screenshot by author I also gave detailed instructions on how applicants should apply for the job. This separates those who tailor their applications from those who bulk respond. Just by asking applicants to change their reply subject line, I was able to immediately discount over half of all applicants. Screenshot by author 9. I waited for responses to come in and started sending sample projects Once the responses trickled in, I messaged applicants with the sample project for them to complete. As the sample projects then poured in, I reviewed each one and kept an eye on the interview timetable to make sure there weren’t any clashes. Screenshot by author 10. I interviewed applicants After receiving sample projects and whittling down the applicants, I conducted interviews over Zoom. Here are the questions I asked: Tell me about your last job — what did you do? Why did you leave your last job? If you were to get this job, how many hours are you looking to work? What are you looking to get from this job (other than a paycheck)? Do you own a computer and an internet connection? Do you own a smartphone? How fast is your internet connection? When would you be able to start if you got the job? Have you ever worked for a foreign employer before? Where in South-East Asia are you? Any previous podcasting experience? If your internet goes out, do you have any options? What happens? Can’t work? Do you have a PayPal account? What are your long-term goals? How many other companies are you interviewing with? Does the advertised wage work for you? Random question: if you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose and why? Here some other things I made a note of: Did the applicant turn up on time for the interview? Note: Being an hour early (as one of my applicants was) and staying in the Zoom waiting room is just as bad as being late. In my opinion, candidates should be no more than 10 minutes early. Note: Being an hour early (as one of my applicants was) and staying in the Zoom waiting room is just as bad as being late. In my opinion, candidates should be no more than 10 minutes early. How prepared are they? The VA I hired gave good answers and was the only one who seemed to have prepared. The VA I hired gave good answers and was the only one who seemed to have prepared. Can you see yourself working with this person? This is one of the most important questions! 11. I responded to applicants Once the interviews were over and I think I knew who I wanted to hire: 1. I messaged back the applicants I knew for sure I wouldn’t be hiring. I thanked them for their time, gave a couple of lines of feedback (what went well, how they could improve, etc), and wished them luck in their search. 2. I emailed the virtual assistant I wanted to hire on the same day with the following: Screenshot by author Thankfully, my virtual assistant was delighted to accept! 3. I messaged the applicants I had on my reserve list to tell them the bad news and give them feedback 4. After she accepted my offer, I emailed my new virtual assistant with the following: Screenshot by author As you can see, I made it clear to my assistant that she didn’t have to complete anything before our first Monday meeting. However, she’s the best! She agreed to check through the VA documents before Monday and came back on Sunday morning with the following: Screenshot by author We had our first meeting on Monday. In it, we made sure she had everything set up, and then I let her crack on. The First Week One piece of advice I always give to people hiring their first virtual assistant is to keep your schedule clear for the first week. You’ll want to provide your assistant with as much feedback as possible and it may take time to respond to their questions, as well as give constructive criticism. By providing constructive feedback from the beginning: 1: It’s less likely your VA will make the same mistake twice which will save you time in the long-run. 2: Providing detailed feedback signals to your VA that you’re serious about the relationship. 3: You’re developing their skills which most VAs will appreciate. Screenshot by author The first week is also a good time to iron out creases in your systems. For example, it took us a while to find a suitable payment system for me to send money to Vietnam where my VA is based. (We ended up using TransferWise and they’ve been fantastic.) We also had to tweak the amount of work I gave my VA to do each day. Initially, I spread it over the week. Now, it works better for us to front-load and to have the weekends off. You probably won’t get it right straight away. You’ll make some mistakes. And that’s absolutely fine. Enjoy the process and I hope your first hire is as successful as mine!	https://entrepreneurshandbook.co/how-to-effectively-use-a-virtual-assistant-to-boost-your-income-and-get-more-done-258b2980632a	['Scott Stockdale']	2021-03-26 14:47:46.104000+00:00	['Outsourcing', 'Systems Thinking', 'Freelancers', 'Podcast', 'Virtual Assistant']
The Sex Workers’ Rights Movement: A fight for bodily autonomy	Introduction The sex workers’ rights movement is a movement fighting to decriminalize sex work and for the autonomy, recognition, and protection of sex workers as it is a community that for has suffered from mistreatment, high rates of violence, and social stigmatization. This movement has no definitive beginning. Sex work has been a facet of society and interwoven into history for as long as we can remember, even biblical stories such as Rahab and the Israelis in the Book of Joshua include sex workers. In 1969, a trans-gender, Latina, sex-worker named Sylvia Riveria was one of the first activists to throw a brick at police during the Stonewall Riots. She was later denied the ability to speak at rallies because “the crowd didn’t want to hear from a transgender sex worker” (NSWP). In 1972, French prostitutes tried and failed to occupy the Église Saint-Nizier in Lyon, France, but three years later, were successful and their protest against repression and state abuse gained international attention. Today, massive rallies, protests, and events are organized every year in order to advocate against the criminalization of sex work and its’ unjust repercussions. In between events, groups like Decrim NY, COYOTE (Call of Your Tired Old Ethics), Desiree Alliance, the NSWP (Global Network of Sex Work Project), and SWOP (Sex Workers Outreach Project), work tirelessly to draft bills, raise awareness, fundraise, and support sex workers. In 1995, New South Wales Australia became the first state to decriminalize sex work, ensuring the removal of “criminal and administrative penalties that apply specifically to sex work, creating an enabling environment for sex workers’ health and safety” (Open Society Foundation). The NSW government actively collaborated with the Australian Prostitutes Collective (APC), a group founded in 1983 in response to mounting anti-sex work sentiments. The APC’s effort began in 1979 “with the removal of penalties for street-based sex workers,” and in 1995, accomplished the decriminalization of brothels (Aroney & Croft 51). The NSW government formed the Select Committee to deliberate and summarize their recommendation regarding decriminalizing sex work into the Final Report. Following this, in 2003, New Zealand passed the New Zealand Prostitution Reform Act (PRA), which fully decriminalized sex work for any citizen over 18 years old and guarantees sex workers their employment and human rights (Fraser). In a review five-years after the introduction of the PRA, studies found that “the sex industry had not increased in size, and many of the social evils predicted by some who opposed the decriminalization of the sex industry have not been experienced…on the whole, the Committee is confident that the vast majority of people involved in the sex industry are better off under the PRA than they were previously” (Fraser). Since then, countries like Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Northern Ireland, France, Ireland, and most recently Israel, have adopted a different approach to regulating sex work termed the “Nordic Model.” This model assumes that all sex work is violence and aims to “eradicate sex work both in the short term, via criminalization and fines for buying sex, and in the long term, by creating an understanding of sex work as inherently harmful to both the individual and society” (NWSP). It operates through focusing on ending the demand for sex work by punishing the buyers of sex, but not the sellers or the act itself. Many sex workers find this model harmful because it still puts sex workers at risk by driving the industry underground, maintaining stigmaa, and refuting sex workers’ autonomy and ability to consent. Policies like this fall under the umbrella of “protectionist policies,” which aim to rescue sex workers from their industry rather than acknowledge their rights as autonomous laborers. The Issues: A Neo-Liberal, Capitalist System The discussion of sex workers’ rights is settled in a much larger critique of a neoliberal, capitalist society that is responsible for the neglect and abuse of workers. The rhetoric of “sex work as work” and demands for “the right to work, to work safely, and the sociocultural struggle to refute stereotypes” (Jackson 28), ground the sex workers’ rights movement in a “rights-based framework.” While opposition to sex work currently aims to protect people, and especially women, from being economically coerced into selling their body, a capitalist critique “illustrates how criminalization and poverty are social problems that need intervention,” not sex work (Jackson 38). This theory stems from the Marxist critique of the “silent compulsion of economic relations,” in which all “labor is coercion” (Berg 694). Similarly, sex work activists advocated against “sex-work exceptionalism” by asserting “commercial sex is not exploitative because of anything unique to sex,” but rather, “it is exploitative because it is labor under capitalism” (Berg 694). Thus, the demands sex workers seek regarding access to healthcare and protection from violence are critiques on how a capitalist system treats its workforce. A core tenant of the capitalist consumption contract is the notion that “purchasing a thing or service entitles the consumer to ignore the labor required to produce it” (Berg 710). In sex work, the lines between private and commercial sex are purposely blurred because a sex worker’s job demands that they “create the illusion that [they’re] not working (Berg 709). The pressure for sex workers to present as if what happens on screen “just happens to be filmed while [they] participate in [their] usually daily activities of acrobatic sex with a lover,” has significant, negative effects on helping viewers and policymakers “understand [their] efforts to form a union” (Berg 710). Therefore, a rights-based framework, which situates the sex work movement within larger labor rights discussions, exposes further hinderances for the movement to garner public support. The worker’s protection against capitalist structures is the formation of unions, class-consciousness building, and collective demand. However, “self-employment… is outside the ambit of labor protection and collective bargaining” because “the absence of a shared employer [prevents] institutional arrangements for unionization” and “the lack of recognition of the work [sex workers] undertake [precludes] access to both labor and social protections” (Hardy & Cruz 246). Therefore, previous models for labor movements must be reconfigured to fit the unique distribution of sex workers’ workplace environments. 2. Operating Within a Feminist Framework In the 1970s, the sex workers’ rights movement coincided with second wave feminism, which adopted issues regarding sexuality, family, workplace, reproductive rights, and other forms of inequalities. The second wave of feminism also began to critique larger, systemic issues of sexism include the patriarchy, domestic violence, abuse against women, rape culture, and the objectification and sexualization of women’s bodies. Maalik, a black queer man with experience in the sex industry, highlights the cross-over between second wave feminism and sex work as “…the issue is not really being about sex or the selling of sex, but about the real, serious cultural and social problems that people have with women having agency [and] their bodies” (Jackson 36). Although not all sex workers are women, many feminist theories remain relevant to the diverse identities within the sex work community who are all afflicted by regulations of the body and mainstream stereotypes of prostitutes that influence policy. Second wave feminism gave rise to theories of consciousness-raising like “standpoint theory,” which dictates that “knowledge is socially situated, and marginalized standpoints offer epistemic advantages” (Aroney & Croft 56). Standpoint theory helped lead to the recognition of sex workers’ similar social positioning and identifying the “whore stigma,” which posits that “any woman attempting economic initiative, and especially women who do so through sexual labor, will experience strong social disapproval” (Jackson 36). In the context of feminism, the whore stigma was merely another example of the patriarchy’s attempt to regulate and narrow the confines of how women should behave sexually and economically (Jackson 36). The whore stigma also exemplified the two-fold bind that sex workers face: (1) that there is an appropriate display of sexual identity for women, which sex work transgresses, and (2) women should be limited in their capabilities to become economic players. These examinations of women’s limited economic and social freedom exposed how “capitalism has always relied on the affective, socially reproductive paid and unpaid labor of women in the home and community” (Hardy & Cruz 245–246). This pattern of simultaneously depending on, but not recognizing women’s labor is reproduced in the legalization of pornography, but criminalization of prostitution, which then allows “white males to sell women’s bodies but does not allow women to sell their bodies themselves” (Jenness 412). Nevertheless, there is a division within the women’s movement between feminists who support sex work and those who do not. The opposition believes that sex work contributes to heteronormative gender roles that continue to relegate women to realms of objectification and sexualization. Anti-sex work feminists view the industry and its’ workers as sexual slaves who are victimized, abused, and controlled by the patriarchy. Although there is dissent over in what ways sex work is a feminist issue, it still remains that sex work is inextricably tied to women’s issues, especially discussions regarding a capitalist systems’ regulation of the sexual body. The Problems With an understanding of the previous theories around capitalist systems and their impact on gendered labor in mind, the sex workers’ rights movement has organized behind a few key efforts including decriminalization, reducing stigmas, legitimizing sex work as work, and upholding civil rights in the face of disproportional rates of violence. Seeking Legitimate Recognition Sex work activists campaign endlessly for the recognition of sex work as legitimate labor in order to create reform that accurately reflects the community’s needs. Historically, policymakers “[speak] for and about sex workers, rather than being informed by the lived experiences of sex workers and the kind of reforms that sex workers want and need” (Aroney & Croft 52). Most policy regarding sex workers portrays the community as “inert, helpless objects to whom men do an endless number of things” (Jenness 413). If sex work was legitimized as labor this could change wide-spread perspectives of sex workers as autonomous rather than victimized and therefore enable them to be considered valuable voices to inform future policy towards decriminalizing. Without being viewed as legitimate laborers or referenced as experts during policy making, sex workers are subjected to harmful policies intended to “protect” sex workers and treat them as victims. Many activists conclude that “the neoliberal politics of protection are less about protection of individual rights and more so about the abilities of the state and state-sanctioned actors to police gender and class” (Jackson 29). Sex workers oppose protectionist policy like “end demand” which the state frames as a “strategy to promote gender equity and combat trafficking through eradicating sex work,” without targeting or criminalizing sex workers. (NWSP) However, end-demand actually serves to maintain victim-frames, “define sexual labor itself as a form of violence against women” (Jackson 30) and make “women more vulnerable to violence, discrimination, and exploitation.” (NWSP) Presently, “sex work activists fear [that] being labeled victims effectively silences their voices” and limits their ability to participate in drafting policy (Jackson 34). The legitimization of sex work could enable sex workers to enter the mainstream media as experts in their own field, to inform effective policy that creates safe and healthy workspaces, and advocate for decriminalization. 2. Destigmatize Sex Work The sex workers’ rights movement is working to garner greater social acceptance for sex workers in order to decrease rates of “public harassment, rape, violence, denial of healthcare, denial of protection by and under law, and denial of alternative job opportunities” (Jenness 406). Stigmatization creates an “invisibility” of workers and clients, which sex worker and activist Mirha-Soleil Ross claims is “perhaps the political missing link to the obtainment of prostitutes’ rights” (Berg 70). The “whore stigma” has limited “people’s ability to mobilize, both because it is ‘discrediting’ to other political actors and because it limits workers’ ability to speak publicly (and therefore ‘out’ themselves) as sex workers” (Hardy & Cruz 248). With majority of the industry pushed into the shadows, a vacuum is created that allows outsiders to take control of crafting a narrative of the sex work industry. The result is policies, like end-demand, that do not reflect the needs of the industry and were crafted without consent or input from those affected. Many sex work activists in the United States believe the stigmatization and criminalization of sex work stems from American Puritan roots that informs a current sex culture and a “fascination with intimacy as private, sacred, and uncommodifiable” (Berg 697). Current policy reflects this traditional moralism and reproduces stigma through policy that “positions sex workers not only as ‘other’ and not like us, but a toxin to be eliminated from the social body” (Aroney & Croft 51). This outward rejection of citizenship invites public disrespect towards sex workers and ultimately causes disproportionate rates of violence and harassment. 3. Uphold Civil Rights The criminalization, delegitimization, and stigmatization of sex work denies sex workers their civil rights by limiting professional opportunity, social acceptance, and protection by and under the law. COYOTE, a sex workers’ rights organization, spoke out against issues of police abuse by claiming, “police harassments of prostitutes, not illicit sex, makes prostitution problematic” (Jenness 407). Even today this problem persists as in 2016 more than a dozen Oakland police officers were involved in a sex scandal with an underage sex work who, after escaping an abusive pimp, ran to a nearby police car and was taken advantage of rather than helped (Albarazi). This instance is only indicative of a larger trend of police abusing sex workers’ status as criminals to elicit demands of personal pleasure. Activist organizations like DecrimNY are working to repeal laws like the “Walking While Trans” bill in New York, which unfairly lead to the arrests of transgender folks for wearing skirts, carrying condoms or loitering for the purposes of prostitution. The sex workers’ rights movement is attempting to prevent further injustice, violence and protect both sex workers and their civil liberties through decriminalizing the industry. Campaign Tactics to Address Problems The sex workers’ rights movement has used a range of communication tactics in order to progress towards decriminalizing the industry and address issues of illegitimacy of the industry, stigmatize of sex work, and abuse of civil rights. In recent years, the sex workers’ rights movement has generated significant and inspiring headway as politicians have begun to vocalize support, add decriminalization to their platforms, and champion bills that sex workers support. In 2019, bills were introduced to the New York and Washington, D.C. Senate that were “the most comprehensive sex work decriminalization measure in the country” (Grant). The bill in New York was helped drafted by DecrimNY and is supported by state senator Julia Salazar, senator Jessica Ramos, and assembly members Catalina Cruz, Ron Kim, Yuh-Line Niou, and Dan Quart (Grant). Part of this bill aims to repeal the “walking while trans” bill and removes other penalties associated with adults buying and selling sex. In 2018, when Salazar was campaigning with decriminalization on her platform, “sex workers in Brooklyn and Queens turned out for her in significant numbers, throwing pizza parties in packed bars, and going door-to-door to tell voters why Salazar had their support” (Grant). Solidify a Common-Base The first goal in advocating for decriminalization of the sex work industry is consciousness-raising and coalition-building in order to forge a united front that represents the collective needs of the community and demand change from the establishment. COYOTE, an activist group founded in San Francisco in 1973, uses methods of local out-reach and protection of members to foster a sense of reliability, loyalty, and care between workers. COYOTE provides sex workers with community benefits through “numerous services for prostitutes, including a hotline for prostitutes, immediate legal assistance for prostitutes who had been arrested, suitable clothing for prostitutes making court appearances, and classes on survival skills for prostitutes in jail” (Jenness 407). These tools not only help individuals fight back against an unjust system but was also generate community support. Through newsletters, meetings, and rallies, sex worker activists encouraged the proliferation of diverse sex worker narratives and “sex workers became increasingly aware that their individual predicaments were all too common” (Aroney & Croft 56). This process of collective recognition and acknowledgment of a shared social place enables sex workers to identify their issues as systemic and widespread rather than individual, isolated abuses. Similarly, AMMAR, a sex workers’ advocacy group in Argentina, practiced tactics to collectivize and build an “intimate union” that was based on shared standpoint perspectives on society and their identities not just as workers, but as the marginalized (Hardy & Cruz 246). AMMAR fostered intimacy through speaking with sex workers about their personal lives before offering “condoms, lubricant, and the latest leaflet or information about legal issues and campaigns” (Hardy & Cruz 250–251). They also “invited women to workshops, parties, and other events [in order to] speak to them about their rights as workers, women, and citizens” (Hardy & Cruz 250–251). One AMMAR member noted how, “you meet all the girls that you never see, because the police always disperse us” (Hardy & Cruz 252). The community efforts of AMMAR is a form of “affective organizing” that results in strong sense of familial belonging and solidarity. AMMAR bestows upon each woman working in the street the “status of compeñera,” to signify that all of them are “worthy of solidarity and to occupy a place in the emergent shared class identity” (Hardy & Cruz 252). These practices have transformed the local sex industry community into one of companionship and care rather than hostility and competition. AMMAR and other activist organizations emphasize efforts to unite individuals in order to foster strong bonds that raise moral, ensure loyalty, and strengthen the base of the movement for the cause. 2. Legitimize Sex Workers and the Movement By educating, promulgating, and working across movements, the sex workers’ rights movement have used the rights-based framework to influence public perception of sex workers as legitimate workers. Activists have attempted to position sex workers as experts in their field by generating primary research and educational sources that accurately depict the realities of sex work. Bound, Not Gagged (BnG) is “one of the very few multi-authored blogs used by and for sex workers,” and helps mitigate sex workers’ unequal access to mainstream media (Feldman 244). BnG provides a platform with the protection of the Internet’s anonymity that allows sex workers to “collectively deliberate issues and events, share diverse sex worker experience and perspectives, and [provide] a space for challenging dominant public and political understandings of their work and industry” (Feldman 258). Moreover, groups like the Australian Prostitutes Collective (APC) in NSW was instrumental in the decriminalization of sex work there as they sourced and provided ample research that informed the Select Committee’s decision. The government’s Final Report included on almost every page “quotations from individual workers and the APC, [or] primary research produced by the APC” (Aroney & Croft 57). However, the previous role that the APC assumed during the AIDS crisis is what officially legitimized their status and undeniably expedited the decriminalization of sex work in Australia. While in the U.S., the AIDS crisis led to increased social control and stigmatization of sex workers, the NSW government responded by funding the APC to task sex workers with educating clients and the industry on safe sex (Aroney & Croft 56). This decision not only led to safer conditions, but also legitimated the APC and funded their ability to increase outreach, media presences, and garner necessary resource to support decriminalization. The APC used the funds to appoint staff, rent premises “where those in the industry could attend for legal advice and support,” develop trainings, skills, and gather data to educate the public (Aroney & Croft, 56). Groups in the U.S. have recently attempted to assume similar positions of expertise and primary sources of research as in 2017, COYOTE Rhode Island “conducted the first national sex worker-led survey of trafficking and the sex industry in the United States in collaboration with the Sex Workers Outreach Project Behind Bars” (COYOTE). 3. Destigmatize Sex Work The sex workers’ rights movement has facilitated numerous campaigns with the intent of destigmatizing their work in order to foster pride within their community, provide powerful counternarratives to dominant mainstream media, and increase visibility by emboldening workers to openly speak on their experiences. An important part of destigmatizing the sex work industry is selecting and using purposeful language that instills new values and meaning to define themselves and their work. For instance, in 1979 Carol Leigh aka Scarlot Harlot coined the term ‘sex work’ in order to “prioritize the work of the provider rather than the customer” and further ground the movement in a labor rights and work framework (NSWP). In the context of a capitalist society, questions regarding labeling something “work” or not, “are not simply semantic, but determine access to worker protection, benefits, and the right and ability to organize” (Berg 698). For many sex workers, the use of specific language has been a seminal strategy to provide a new collective identity surrounding their class and work in order to help unlearn internalized stigmas and prevent further isolation of women’s experiences. In Argentina, studies showed that “the adoption of self-identification as workers has had an important role in raising self-esteem, self-respect, and for contribution to the change in the affective and emotional lives of many” (Hardy & Cruz 256). These affective, collective identities have proven powerful to unite workers, provide a sense of community, and unite shared experiences in order to demand change. In San Francisco in October of 1974, COYOTE hosted the first Hookers’ Ball, a night dedicated to honoring the “Trick of the Year,” fundraising, and drawing attention to the organization. The annual event was marketed as “the social event of the year for heterosexuals, bisexuals, trisexuals, nonsexuals, homosexuals, and other minorities who feel discriminated against” and attracted the attention of media and local politicians. (NWSP) As an attendant recalled, this was a “very important part of sex positive history because whores are at the forefront of this movement… the parties were remarkable events because sex workers were coming out and making themselves public” (NWSP). For sex workers attending the Hookers’ Ball, COYOTE’s campaign against stigmatization represented “deviants ‘coming out all over’ not in acts of confession, but rather to profess and advocate the lives they live, along with the worth and values of those lives expressed” (Jenness 416). Similarly, in Australia in 2015 the #FacesOfProstitution campaign circulated through Twitter in which thousands of sex workers revealed their faces in order to demonstrate how “there is no singular story or person to present the varied and complex experience of all sex workers” (Middleweek 343). When activist organizations destigmatize sex work, they embolden workers to “come out” and therefore, disrupt stereotypes of what or who is a sex worker. When the APC was pushing for the decriminalization of sex work in New South Wales, they pressured the government to provide amnesty on penalties for prostitution in order to allow sex workers to freely discuss reform, organize, and “reduce the traditional power difference between sex worker and client” (Aroney & Croft 57). The APC convinced the government that their voice was valuable in a larger discussion regarding decriminalization because they were “in a key position to offer the world some of the most important analyses in prostitution ever produced in this hitherto shadowy subculture” (Aroney & Croft 55). The activist group continued to be “savvy in representing its research findings to media [by] selectively choosing to present new data that challenged myths and preconceptions about sex workers” (Aroney & Croft 58). Overall, the APC assumed a legitimate role in the effort to educate the public on sex work and sex safety and therefore help deconstruct stigmas of sex workers being destructive to or separate from mainstream society. 4. Advocate for Civil Rights Issues The sex workers’ rights movement used rhetoric, participation, and awareness-raising of intersectional issues in order to ground their movement within larger, parallel discussions of civil rights abuses. The use of a rights-based framework links the sex workers’ rights movement to those of undocumented immigrants and contingent laborers in the U.S. as they “struggle for both labor rights and basic social rights that humanize them and their struggles” (Jackson 40). Moreover, sex work activist groups today, like DecrimNY, list the Immigrant Defense Project and the New York Immigrant Coalition as partner organizations on their websites (DecrimNY). In 2019, the COYOTE Rhode Island fact sheet stated one of their main accomplishments for the year was translating and transcribing “know your rights” sheets for migrants alongside supporting incarcerated sex workers and providing medical services (COYOTE). In the 1970s, COYOTE and its affiliates found a home in the second-wave feminist discourse, thereby solidifying a “genuinely alternative conception of prostitution” as a women’s issue regarding autonomy over the body (Jenness 409). With a feminist platform, the sex workers’ rights movement was able to draw awareness to and gain visibility for their issue on large-scale, international stages like the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women and the United Nations Conference on Women held in Copenhagen. They also supported and helped to secure public funding for abortions, and effectively lobby for the passage the Equal Rights Amendment alongside other marginalized groups (Jenness 411). Through these intersectional and multilateral campaigns, the sex workers’ rights movement effectively unified sex workers’ and women’s issues to declare, “an attack against prostitutes is an attack on all women” (Jenness 411). The sex workers’ rights movement also has strong ties and connection to the LGBQT movement, as represented by the coalition between COYOTE and ACT UP during the AIDS crisis. The state of California passed two bills that aimed to put prostitutes behind bars who tested positive for HIV and in response, ACT UP and COYOTE joined to protest “Speaker of the House Willie Brown and other politicians and lobbyists in Sacramento” (Jenness 415). In the late 80s, COYOTE devoted many resources to educating, covering, and advocating for or against laws that related to the AIDS epidemic. In New South Wales, the APC collaborated with Sydney’s Gay Center to form the Task Group on Prostitution in order to strengthen the weight of their research submissions to the Select Committee (Aroney & Croft 57). As previously mentioned, the government responded by tasking the APC with the responsibility of educating the public, clients, and the community on safe sex. Sex workers’ groups are stilly highly intertwined with LGBQT issues, such as the Sylvia Rivera Law Project that campaigns against the intersection of the for-profit prison complex, mass incarceration, and trans rights (SRLP). As sex workers suffer from disproportionate rates of violence, police harassment, and civil rights violations, the movement has focused on garnering legal protection, coalition-building with other civil rights groups and highlight police misconduct. Through previous efforts of collectivizing and raising awareness, sex workers have exposed wide-spread police misconduct and elevated these scandals in the media. In the 1970s, most anti-sex work laws targeted sex workers and not their customers, so “suits were filed on the grounds that it [was] an invasion of privacy, overly vague, and restricts freedom of expression, and that the state has no compelling interest in regulating sexual behavior in consenting adults… therefore, its selective enforcement violates the right to equal protection” (Jenness 407). Through education and research efforts, COYOTE showed that incidence of venereal disease was at least as high among people 20–24 years old as among sex workers and therefore successfully lifted a “mandatory three-day venereal disease quarantine imposed by the San Francisco Police Department on prostitutes” (Jenness 408). COYOTE’s annual Hooker Ball also presented an award to the “Vice Cop of The Year” to call out the unethical methods of the San Francisco Police Department, including entrapment of sex workers and having sex with sex workers as evidence (Jenness 407). COYOTE brought attention to these issues and pursued their change with rallying efforts like picketing the Hyatt Regency Hotel for “being finky and providing vice-coppers with free rooms to entrap their sisters” (Jenness 407). Current activist organizations are still petitioning and advocating against police malpractice and harassment like the “Walking While Trans” bill in New York. Another group, INCITE!, focuses on protecting women of color in sex work against state violence and has collected personal stories, called to attention violence, built strong national networks, and advocated for legal rights and representation in order to prevent and outlaw state-sanctioned violence. (INCITE!) Establishment Response The establishment has been divided on its response to sex work as recently, numerous Democrat politicians have begun to close the divide between policymakers and sex workers by fostering discussion between the groups. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who supports decriminalization, has met with sex workers in the Jackson Heights, an area she represents (Grant). Moreover, two-days after Decrim NY’s rally for sex workers in 2019, California senator and then Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris declared her support for decriminalization (Crabapple). Although not representative of the establishment or their power, large international NGOs also have the ability to sway public opinion with their objectivity and expertise. Groups like Amnesty International and The Lancet (2014) medical journal have come out in support of decriminalization and their stance helps legitimate and support the movement for sex workers’ rights. Nevertheless, the movement also combats backlash from two main sources: (1) the government that still enforces the criminalization of sex work and (2) anti-sex work activist organizations attempting to persuade the government and public opinion. These anti-sex work groups often have incredible amounts of funding, power, and lobbying leverage in major cities. These groups mainly work to equate sex work to trafficking through fearmongering, misleading statistics, and highlighting a narrow set of sex worker experiences. For example, in 2011, actors Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher spearheaded an anti-sex trafficking campaign titled, “real men don’t buy girls” (Jackson 36). Sex workers critiqued this campaign for how it framed all sex workers as victims and disavows, “sex work as a service economy,” thereby circumscribing any conversations regarding the agency of sex workers (Jackson 36). Similarly, Rashida Jones helped produce the well-known Netflix documentary “Hot Girls Wanted” that aimed to expose the abusive and coercive nature of the pornography industry. Again, sex workers spoke out about how anti-sex work advocates often cherry pick a few voices and horror stories that do not represent the whore industry or its workers. These campaigns against sex-work culminate in bills like FOSTA/SESTA, which passed in 2018 and were twin bills proposed as an effort to deter sex trafficking networks, but only “stripped sex workers of the ability to advertise or seek support online by making websites criminally liable for their posting” (Crabapple.) Besides celebrity intervention, widespread advertisements, research, and protests that enforce moral proscriptions and critiques of sex work are proliferated by the religious evangelicals or feminist organizations, like NOW-NYC and the international Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. Government policy has continued to represent or reproduce these anti-sex work agendas through harmful bills that are presented as anti-sex trafficking, but in practice target autonomous, consenting sex workers. Last March in New York, these groups staged a small rally at New York City Hall to protest the increase of Democratic politicians, like Tiffany Cabán, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jessica Ramos, who have vocalized support for decriminalization. Through emotional and affective campaigns that conflate sex work and sex trafficking, the anti-sex work movement has effectively and severely altered public perception that the decriminalization of sex work is a prerequisite or invitation for wide-spread sex-trafficking. The anti-sex work movement has not only limited sex workers voices in mainstream media, but also reduced their representation to two stereotypes: (1) the bruised and battered victims in need of protection or (2) the “happy hooker” that is “thrilled with their sex work and have no suggestions on ways to improve” (Jackson 29). An analysis of Canadian media stories from 1980 to 2004 showed that “risk, enslavement, and entrapment remain important prisms through which sex work is viewed from a shifting gender lens” (Jackson 30). During the #FacesOfProstitution online campaign, the hashtag was quickly co-opted by anti-sex workers who displayed images of bruised, battered, or dead sex workers in order to undermine the intention of the protest (Middleweek 355). A difficulty for the sex workers’ rights movement is how the rhetoric of victimizing sex workers is extremely emotional, whereas a “workers’ rights framework may not evoke the same level of emotion” (Jackson 34). Most mainstream media stories that reproduce stereotypes about sex workers only address “the opinions of academic or media ‘experts,’ while overlooking the experiential knowledge of sex workers in the activist community” (Feldman 252). The current criminalization of sex work severely limits the movement because outing oneself can subjugate someone to surveillance, tracking methods, and imprisonment. Blogs like Bound, Not Gagged or social media that connect sex workers can be used by the state to “suppress political activism… through surveillance and profiling of protestors on sites like Twitter” (Feldman 246). These intimidation factors prevent sex workers from congregating, sharing their common experiences, or physically rallying against the establishment. Moreover, high rates of police abuse and assault contribute to growing fear and distrust of law enforcement. Assessment of Current & Future State of Movement Wins & Losses Although, not yet decriminalized in the majority of the world, the movement has made significant progress towards decriminalization through garnering the support of politicians, advocating to international NGOs, and becoming a major platform in upcoming elections. While the movement was successful in gaining the backing of U.S. politicians like Kamala Harris, she still has supported the Nordic Model, which sex workers adamantly oppose. Nevertheless, there has been more conversation than ever between policymakers and sex workers, which could lead to desired change. For instance, COYOTE RI just helped pass the B5254 bill that will create a study commission to examine health and safety impacts of sex work laws in Rhode Island (COYOTE). Although in 2008, San Francisco did not pass a bill that would decriminalize sex work, more than 10 years later, Governor Gavin Newsome has signed bills, like SB233 that target police harassment of sex workers and were drafted and supported by SWOP. The movement has suffered wins and losses over the many years, but the general direction has resulted in more support, attention, and legitimate consideration than ever before. 2. Critiques Like most social justice movements, the sex workers’ rights movement has a tendency to overrepresent “white, middle-class, cis-gendered women” as the foci of the movement (Berg 700). This presentation is apparent in campaigns that attempt to shift the stigma and isolation sex workers experience by adopting a new collective identity that refutes the label of prostitution by mobilizing “the emotive identities of mothers and daughters to elicit sympathy for women in the sex industry” (Hardy & Cruz 255). This strategy serves to maintain the link between motherhood and sex worker, therefore relying upon gender roles to garner sympathy from the public. Many sex work activists that challenge this type of campaigning argue that they shouldn’t have to “prove [they’re] worth sympathy” or have to prove their humanity to the public (Habib 26). Similarly, the emphasis on the rights-based framework also subjects the movement to critiques around “[locating] personhood in one’s contributions to systems of value production” (Berg 696). While refuting a victimizing framework and arguing for their autonomy, some sex work activists in the future want to move away from binaries between “choice versus exploitation” in order to make space for more structure critique of the capitalist economy (Berg 702). 3. Recommendation The sex workers’ rights movement is a symptom of larger issues regarding the treatment and exploitation of workers in a neoliberal, capitalist system and especially the state’s regulation of bodily autonomy, sexual identity, and economic freedom. These issues have been decisive for a long time as sex work activists advocate for the decriminalization of sex work to protect citizens and anti sex work activists push back with the conflation of sex-trafficking and moral proscriptions. The sex workers’ rights movement has divided to conquer issues of lack of recognition, stigmatization, and civil rights abuses. They have done so through solidifying and unifying, calling awareness, raising funds, pressuring politicians, and being loud about the abuses they have experienced. Moreover, the movement has highlighted how sex work is a deeply intersectional issue, touching the lives of the LGBQT community, women’s issues, immigrants, police brutality, and more. While they have refused to remain silent, even in the face of establishment abuse, intimidation, and denial, the sex workers’ rights movement still has much to go before decriminalization. Bibliography: · Nwsp. “Global Network of Sex Work Projects.” Global Network of Sex Work Projects, www.nswp.org/. · Laws and Polices Affecting Sex Work. Open Society Foundations, https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/uploads/f6ae725c-4344-47b1-bc32-abec41f791c3/sex-work-laws-policies-20120713.pdf. · Aroney, Eurydice, and Penny Crofts. “How Sex Worker Activism Influenced the Decriminalisation of Sex Work in NSW, Australia.” International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, vol. 8, no. 2, 2019, pp. 50–67., doi:10.5204/ijcjsd.v8i2.955. · Crichton, Fraser. “Decriminalising Sex Work in New Zealand: Its History and Impact.” OpenDemocracy, 21 Aug. 2015, www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/decriminalising-sex-work-in-new-zealand-its-history-and-impact/. · Nswp, Challenging the Introduction of the Nordic Model. https://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/sg_to_challenging_nordic_model_prf03.pdf · Jackson, Crystal A. “Framing Sex Worker Rights.” Sociological Perspectives, vol. 59, no. 1, 2016, pp. 27–45., doi:10.1177/0731121416628553. · Berg, Heather. “Working for Love, Loving for Work: Discourses of Labor in Feminist Sex-Work Activism.” Feminist Studies, vol. 40, no.3, 2014, p. 693–721. Feminist Studies, Inc. · Hardy, Kate and Cruz, Katie, “Affective Organizing: Collectivizing Informal Sex Workers in an Intimate Union.” American Behavioral Scientist, vol. 63, no. 2, 2019, p. 244–261. SAGE Publications. DOI: 10.1177/00027642189794795 · Jenness, Valerie. “From Sex as Sin to Sex as Work: COYOTE and the Reorganization of Prostitution as a Social Problem.” Social Problems, vol. 37, no. 3, 1990, p. 403–420. Oxford University Press. www.jstor.org/stable/800751 · Albarazi, Hannah. “How Sex Workers Made San Francisco Safer For Everyone.” Next City, 25 Oct. 2018, https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/how-sex-workers-made-san-francisco-safer-for-everyone. · Grant, Melissa Gira. “A Historic Breakthrough for Sex Workers’ Rights.” New Republic, 9 June 2019, https://newrepublic.com/article/154111/new-york-bill-decriminalization-prostitution-sex-worker-rights. · Feldman, Valerie. “Sex Work Politics and the Internet: Carving Out Political Space in the Blogosphere.” Negotiating Sex Work: Unintended Consequences of Policy and Activism, edited by Carisa R. Showden and Samantha Majic, University of Minnesota Press, 2014, pp. 243–266. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctt6wr77g.16. Accessed 19 Apr. 2020. · Sex Trafficking and the Sex Industry in the United States. COYOTE, 2017. https://coyoteri.org/wp/ · Middleweek, B. (2020). Pussy power not pity porn: Embodied protest in the #FacesOfProstitution Twitter network. Sexualities, 23(3), 342–360. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460718818964 · Decrim NY “Coalition Members.” DecrimNY, www.decrimny.org/. · “Who Was Sylvia Rivera?” SRLP (Sylvia Rivera Law Project), 19 Feb. 2019, srlp.org/about/who-was-sylvia-rivera/. · “Stop Law Enforcement Violence.” INCITE!, 2 Aug. 2018, incite-national.org/stop-law-enforcement-violence/. · Crabapple, Molly. “‘Whores But Organized’: Sex Workers Rally for Reform.” NY Books, 11 Mar. 2019, https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2019/03/11/whores-but-organized-sex-workers-rally-for-reform/. · Habib, C. (2015, Jun). IF YOU’RE AGAINST SEX WORK, YOU’RE A BIGOT. The Stranger Retrieved from https://proxy.library.upenn.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.upenn.edu/docview/1693330855?accountid=14707	https://medium.com/@sarahfin_1267/the-sex-workers-rights-movement-a-fight-for-bodily-autonomy-61f2f89382d1	['Sarah Fingerhood']	2020-05-09 19:18:42.180000+00:00	['Sex Work', 'Sex', 'Activism', 'Social Justice', 'Labor']
How to get started with Machine Learning in about 10 minutes	Python Machine Learning Projects Of course, reading and studying alone will not bring you where you need to go. You need actual practice. As I said on my blog, learning the tools is pointless if you do not jump into the data. And so, I introduce you to a place where you can find Python Machine Learning Projects easily. Courtesy of Kaggle.com Kaggle is a platform where you can dive directly into the data. You’ll solve projects and get really good at Machine Learning. Something that might make you more interested in it: the Machine Learning competitions it holds may give a prize as big as $100,000. And you might want to try your luck. Haha. But, the most important thing is not the money — it is really a place where you can find Machine Learning with Python Projects. There are lots of projects you can try. But if you are a newbie, and I assume you are, you will want to join this competition. Here’s an example project that we’ll use in the below tutorial: Yes, the infamous Titanic. A tragic disaster in 1912, that took the lives of 1502 people from 2224 passengers and crew. This Kaggle competition (or I can say tutorial) gives you the real data about the disaster. And your task is to explain the data so that you can predict whether a personal survived or not during the incident. Machine Learning with Python Tutorial Before going deep into the data of the Titanic, let’s install some tools you need. Of course, Python. You need to install it first from the Python offfical website. You need to install version 3.6+ to keep up to date with the libraries. After that, you need to install all the libraries via Python pip. Pip should be installed automatically with the distribution of Python you just downloaded. Then install the things you need via pip. Open your terminal, command line, or Powershell, and write the following: pip install numpy pip install pandas pip install matplotlib pip install seaborn pip install scikit-learn pip install jupyter Well, everything looks good. But wait, what is jupyter? Jupyter stands for Julia, Python, and R, hence Jupytr. But it’s an odd combo of words, so they changed it into just Jupyter. It is a famous notebook where you can write Python code interactively. Just type jupyter notebook in your terminal and you will open a browser page like this: Jupyter Notebook Write the code inside the green rectangle and you can write and evaluate Python code interactively. Now you have installed all the tools. Let’s get going! Data Exploration The first step is to explore the data. You need to download the data from the Titanic page in Kaggle. Then put the extracted data inside a folder where you start your Jupyter notebook. Then import the necessary libraries: import numpy as np import pandas as pd import matplotlib.pyplot as plt import seaborn as sns import warnings warnings.filterwarnings('ignore') %matplotlib inline Then load the data: train_df=pd.read_csv("train.csv") train_df.head() You will see something like this: That is our data. It has the following columns: PassengerId, the identifier of the passenger Survived, whether he/she survived or not Pclass, the class of the service, maybe 1 is economy, 2 is business, and 3 is first class Name, the name of the passenger Sex Age Sibsp, or siblings and spouses, number of siblings and spouses on board Parch, or parents and children, number of them on board Ticket, ticket detail Cabin, their cabin. NaN means unknown Embarked, the origin of embarkation, S for Southampton, Q for Queenstown, C for Cherbourg While exploring data, we often find missing data. Let’s see them: def missingdata(data): total = data.isnull().sum().sort_values(ascending = False) percent = (data.isnull().sum()/data.isnull().count()*100).sort_values(ascending = False) ms=pd.concat([total, percent], axis=1, keys=['Total', 'Percent']) ms= ms[ms["Percent"] > 0] f,ax =plt.subplots(figsize=(8,6)) plt.xticks(rotation='90') fig=sns.barplot(ms.index, ms["Percent"],color="green",alpha=0.8) plt.xlabel('Features', fontsize=15) plt.ylabel('Percent of missing values', fontsize=15) plt.title('Percent missing data by feature', fontsize=15) return ms missingdata(train_df) We will see a result like this: The cabin, age, and embarked data has some missing values. And cabin information is largely missing. We need to do something about them. This is what we call Data Cleaning. Data Cleaning This is what we use 90% of the time. We will do Data Cleaning a lot for every single Machine Learning project. When the data is clean, we can easily jump ahead to the next step without worrying about anything. The most common technique in Data Cleaning is filling missing data. You can fill the data missing with Mode, Mean, or Median. There is no absolute rule on these choices — you can try to choose one after another and see the performance. But, for a rule of thumb, you can only use mode for categorized data, and you can use median or mean for continuous data. So let’s fill the embarkation data with Mode and the Age data with median. train_df['Embarked'].fillna(train_df['Embarked'].mode()[0], inplace = True) train_df['Age'].fillna(train_df['Age'].median(), inplace = True) The next important technique is to just remove the data, especially for largely missing data. Let’s do it for the cabin data. drop_column = ['Cabin'] train_df.drop(drop_column, axis=1, inplace = True) Now we can check the data we have cleaned. print('check the nan value in train data') print(train_df.isnull().sum()) Perfect! No missing data found. Means the data has been cleaned.	https://medium.com/free-code-camp/how-to-get-started-with-machine-learning-in-less-than-10-minutes-b5ea68462d23	['Tirmidzi Faizal Aflahi']	2019-06-05 02:36:23.568000+00:00	['Machine Learning', 'Data Science', 'Python', 'Technology', 'Artificial Intelligence']
Том и Джери / Tom and Jerry Целият филм (2021) HD-Sub BG	Watch Том и Джери (2021) Movies Online — Stream Free Movies & TV Shows Copyright © 2020 Stream thousands of movies and TV shows free. All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: This site does not store…	https://medium.com/@makanbesar2543/%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BC-%D0%B8-%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8-tom-and-jerry-%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%8F%D1%82-%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BC-2021-hd-sub-bg-591b8ec80a97	['Makan Besar']	2020-12-21 17:35:43.381000+00:00	['Animation', 'History', 'Adventure', 'Comedy', 'Bulgaria']
Exarhia or how to frame a revolution!	“One could not be more cozily accommodated in an uncozy situation” Walter Benjamin Saturday’s newspapers always reserve some room on their printed and digital editions to fit in the report on the clashes in Exarchia. The same article, slightly changed, is reproduced weekly just like the urban conflict it describes: police forces and urban guerillas gather and collide, every Friday night, with exceptional consistency, on the Tositsa Street or in the alleys near the famous Exarchia Square. A conflict that resembles a performance, weekly displayed in the showroom of Exarchia and condenses the rebellious nucleus of the neighborhood. On one side, stand the armed police forces. Police trucks and bodies of policemen delimit the area, control the passage. Opposite to them, groups of young men, their faces covered in balaclavas, gesture aggressively, move constantly and dashing stones and Molotov cocktails against the enemy. Traces of gasoline all over on the pavements, the smell of teargas fills the air. The act, in its weekly repetition resembles a rehearsed performance. The actors in their aggressive gestures, try to imitate their ideological ancestors; rather their cinematic representations. Their angry voices spew curses, like spells calling the ancient spirit of revolt to be resurrected. Walter Benjamin was one of the first to take notice of the mimicry and contradictions emerging in an increasingly mass society. He observed how spectacle was consuming reality and how mass culture did not anymore try to conceal scenes of poverty and violence, rather it was exposing these phenomena, to transform them into commodities. In a small booklet, entitled “The Author as a Producer,” he criticized an artistic and journalistic stream, called Left-wing radicalism, for its affinity to poverty; more or less like the “Vice” of the 1930s, looking for images of misery and rebellion. Their pens and photos, their words and images glorified, aesthetized and sold poverty to a mass audience thirsting for new images. To Benjamin, this stream transformed poverty into a profitable source of enjoyment by narrowing it down into spectacle. Closer to us, but in the same category of critical thinkers, Mark Fisher came to realize the most extreme and extensive omnipotence of Spectacle. For Fisher, spectacle could not only integrate aspects of life that could have some subversive potentials, but could pre-corporate them in advance. For Fisher, Curt Cobain represented the tragic realization of this cultural dreadlock: “In his dreadful lassitude and objectless rage, Cobain seemed to give wearied voice to the despondency of the generation that had come after history, whose every move was anticipated, tracked, bought and sold before it had even happened. Cobain knew that he was just another piece of spectacle, that nothing runs better on MTV than a protest against MTV; knew that his every move was a cliché scripted in advance, knew that even realizing it is a cliché.” (Fisher, 2009:9) What Fisher saw in Cobain was the last tragic reaction against the immobilization of a generation that came to realize its inability to speak, gesture, express originality; a generation trapped into pre-crafted actions and reactions, cliché answers to cliché questions; a generation that couldn’t resist anymore the image because it had become the image; a generation in despair, no longer able to reflect on and modify its place in this vast stage. In the case of Exarchia, the rebellious demonstrations of the full-faceted youngsters are the furious actions of a youth that cannot escape the image it has constructed for itself. On the other side, Police Forces are violently executing the orders of a political system that wants to prove that it can actually intervene in the public realm; to prove that it still has power. But it cannot. State power has been neutralized by a bureaucracy that operates remotely, following no restrictions. The same force that transforms our human universe into spectacle is the same force that has neutralized State power reducing States into managerial structures striped back to their core police and military functions. The State that the rebels revolt against, IS NOT THERE. Both the lyrical Left and the realistic Right, in our representative dipole, cannot articulate a political vision that can go beyond discussions on annual budget, balanced spending and need for reforms. For good or bad, power has been shifted away from national parliaments that have more or less transformed into managers of decision already taken and dictated from a de-territorialized bureaucracy. The lyrical Left and the realistic Right know that they are delimited in a domain with finite political capacities; a fact that weakens the political boundaries and blurs the distinction between Parties. What is Left? Some symbolic political gestures trying to convince people that there is an actual difference and thus a reason for parties to be. Exarchia is a neighborhood so important because it is a forest of symbols; it has a long history of revolt and suppression; it is a territory that can still divide public opinion and mobilize collective emotions. In the media coverage of Exarchia you see the indefinite reproduction of symbolic clichés. An unstoppable struggle of rebellion and repression, that conceals the richness of everyday life in the neighborhood. In mainstream Media Coverage and public political discourse, Exarchia does not have any local residents living their common daily lives, any shops, no flows or interactions. Exarchia is portrayed as a land of constant and endless conflict. What may be familiar and common, gets muted and buried; What is left is the image of a disorganized urban zone where the forces of Order and homogeneity struggle against the forces of anarchy and violence. The Minister of Citizen Protection knows how politically profitable the area is. He promises to make Exarchia, a Normal neighborhood. The normality he invokes is a myth; he knows that; he also knows that it is one of the few political arguments he can use to differentiate himself from his political opponents. When Stavros Balaskas, the chief of the police force, compares residents as trash to be cleaned, he knows that the extremity of his statement will activate the conservative reflexes of a huge amount of people that support him. The prerequisite for this political gambling is for Exarchia to succumb to the image that spectacle has created for it. But everyday life is not only under muteness but also under the threat of eviction. The neighborhood of Revelation, the neighborhood of Rebellion Against Repression is the image and the myth that attract tourist waves that want to witness this alternative atmosphere and journalists who want to record the scenes of resistance. The circus of international correspondents who flοοd in to get a good shot of the weekly conflict or an interview with the prominent figures of the colliding sides, is hosted in an airbnb apartment of the neighborhood, driving an immigrant or a student or anyone who cannot pay for the high rents, out of the hood. On March 18th, last year, the online reader of the Guardian could have come across an odd advertisement. The ad was calling the Guardian’s readers to visit Greece, in a tour led by the newspaper’s accredited correspondent in the region and navigate though the hard-hit neighbourhoods to look at lessons that could be drawn for the rest of Europe. The tour was offered at the price of 2.500£. The outcry was big. Numerous furious twits emerged against the advertisement, forcing the paper to remove it. The likelihood of a foreign crowd of adventurous leftists walking through dirty alleys, along semi-abandoned buildings tacking pictures of drug addicts and homeless people, was publicly condemned in moral terms. To them, this ad was offering a safari, live-streaming poverty, an exhibition in the Athenian urban museum. The Guardian may have removed the ad, but the phenomenon is still present. A few weeks ago, Athens Urban Adventures, a tourist agency located in Exarchia registered a new tour on Airbnb’s Experiences Section offering a look at bohemian cafes, discussions with anarchists and other interesting alternative urban experiences. Exarchia, the alternative neighbourhood of Athens, finds its place on tourist platforms, in Spectacle and mass Media. The story is well known. Residents and tenants in the after-crisis lookout for some extra money, register their apartments and rooms creating offer. Alternative tourists and journalists of the crisis, cover the demand. This is how Exarchia has become Athens’ second most popular neighbourhood on Airbnb, by commodifying its alternativeness. The ritual, the weekly meetings on Tositsa Street every Friday night is another, slightly extreme, version of this saleable alternativeness. It is a live performance offered to any curious flaneur who would like to see the live acts of the heirs and followers of the spirit of the Rebellion. The ritual of conflict, the manipulation of its symbols have swallowed the neighbourhood; they have empowered politicians who promise to restore a mythological Order; they have degraded the uncharted daily life of Exarchia and they have deepened the registration of the neighbourhood in the collective consciousness of mass tourism. But can this neighbourhood escape its mythology, release itself from manipulation and heal its drain of constant evictions of its permanent residents? John Berger spoke and wrote against the mystification of arts by art authorities who obscure the meaning of images. He spoke out against the museumization and sterilization of art. He saw a liberating force, on the makeshift walls of young people who cut out pictures and texts in magazines and write their own codes, construct their own narratives, far from any authority. I think that such a moving away and beyond the pre-crafted images sustained by the collective authority of spectacle could free up whole urban landscapes, including Exarchia. The life-giving power of the neighbourhood’s daily life needs more space; space to accommodate an alternativeness that does not pretend to be alternative; space for the permanent residents to create their own codes and lead to an organic instead of an intentional alternativeness. Mass spectacle is the cultural logic of a system that has now prevailed and has nothing else to conquer. In the absence of any externality it turns into the things that it has already swallowed and writes and rewrites their codes; it returns to old symbols and presents them as new; it imposes lifestyles and invites us to buy into them; it containerizes whole neighbourhoods; it digests revolution and uprising. But there are also leaks and cracks that can no longer be concealed. The environmental degradation that cannot be solved with a Molotov Cocktail. The epidemic of mental disorder that plagues cities and privatizes stress. The deterritorialized bureaucracy that interferes with domestic political decisions, whilst shaping individual desires and crafts the images that we consume as spectators and produce as performers. Exarchia and every other neighborhood will get rid of the pre-crafted depictions that manipulate its past and present, if they allow people who want to become their organic part, to start writing the codes of the neighborhood by themselves. The only pre-condition of writing is to remember how to write. When Fisher talks about post-lexia instead of dyslexia, he addresses the problem of linguistic poverty. We are surrounded by images that indefinitely follow one another and we have developed the ability to process their data fast and efficiently with no words needed. A slogan is enough. The eye has won and the word is defeated. But these images are framed and they fool the eyes; the data is not enough to formulate any comprehensive narrative of the world. The succession of frames disconnects the relationship between events and fragments reality. We need to start using words once more. Perhaps this reflection on Exarchia could be the triggering effect for us to talk about the problem of cities, with our focus on our collective problems: the epidemic of loneliness, political disenchantment, environmental degradation, commercialisation of neighbourhoods and cities. For people to rewrite the code of their neighbourhoods, allies are needed; Political institutions and municipalities eager to tackle urban and demographic side effects of mass tourism; groups that hack the tools of new digital multinationals; but mostly everyday people who want to live a different, unmonitored life.	https://medium.com/@nikvrantsis/exarhia-or-how-to-frame-a-revolution-2fc7f73f35b7	['Nikos Vrantsis']	2019-11-15 14:16:54.337000+00:00	['Politics', 'Spectacles', 'Athens', 'Exarcheia', 'Revolution']
Astell&Kern KANN Alpha review: This digital audio player delivers the high-res goods	Astell&Kern KANN Alpha review: This digital audio player delivers the high-res goods Sherry Jan 15·11 min read The KANN Alpha is the third model in Astell&Kern’s acclaimed KANN series, following the KANN (reviewed in 2018) and the KANN Cube (reviewed in 2019). These are high-end, high-res digital audio players (DAP) designed to deliver pristine audio to just about any headphone you might decide to pair it with—regardless of impedance. The Alpha continues the KANN line’s superlative pedigree, but only a select audience will be willing to hand over $1,099 to attain its drool-worthy feature set and very high performance. This player is perfect for owners of difficult-to-drive headphones; music lovers who demand the latest advancements in wireless audio, including Bluetooth 5.0; people who demand broad high-res codec support; audiophiles who want to take full advantage of 4.4mm balanced audio support. This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best mobile digital audio players, 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.Cutting-edge features, unrivaled codec supportHaving reviewed Astell&Kern’s previous two KANN models, it’s clear that each model has a specific focus. Whereas the KANN Cube was geared towards the audiophile demanding no-compromise performance and balanced audio connections to high-end audio gear, the KANN Alpha seems targeted towards the audiophile who demands the latest high tech features and wireless standards. The KANN Alpha uses USB-C for all digital connectivity and charging. That’s a welcome sight given the original KANN’s dual-personality with both micro-USB and USB-C connectors—each with different purposes. Connect the USB-C to your computer and you can use the KANN Alpha as an all-in-one headphone amp and DAC. Theo Nicolakis / IDGThe heart of the Alpha is an ESS Sabre ES9066AS DAC. The ES9066AS is a 32-bit stereo DAC with MQA rendering. The DAC will decode MQA, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, WAV, and every major legacy audio format, including native DSD256 decoding. The KANN Alpha’s wireless codec support is unrivaled. The Alpha supports LDAC, MQA, aptX HD, aptX, AAC, and—of course—SBC Bluetooth codecs. The Alpha even supports MQA-CD playback when playing MQA-CD’s via Astell&Kern’s CD-Ripper. Mentioned in this article Astell&Kern KANN Cube Read TechHive's reviewMSRP $1,499.00See it Codec support doesn’t stop there. The Alpha’s settings menu allows you to select a preferred codec for all your wireless connections. When it comes to LDAC, you have a choice between audio quality optimization or connection quality optimization. If one of the Alpha’s onboard codecs isn’t supported by your headphones or other Bluetooth receiver, then the Alpha will switch to a mutually supported codec. Bluetooth 5.0 is on board, giving you a huge advantage in wireless operating range, speed, low power consumption, and security features. You’ll see a theoretical maximum of 800 feet in open spaces and about 130 feet in typical indoor spaces—that’s a far cry from the 33 or so feet in Bluetooth 4.2. Likewise, Bluetooth 5.0 delivers twice the speed of Bluetooth 4.2: 2Mbps vs. 1Mbps. Astell&Kern touts the KANN Alpha’s quad-core CPU. In my testing, Astell&Kern either needs to bump the processor’s performance or optimize the underlying operating system a bit more. While the KANN Alpha is generally responsive, there were times where the player would just lag. I couldn’t find a consistent rhyme or reason. I sometimes found myself clicking things two or three times, unsure if the player had registered my input. While the lag is nowhere near the dog-awful performance of the now defunct AK Jr, for a player in this price range, performance should be snappy and precise. It’s worth noting that the KANN Alpha retains the rich feature set of all Astell&Kern players, including DLNA network streaming. I’ll point you to my AK70 review for a more in-depth discussion of all those features. Introducing 4.4mm balanced audio outputThe KANN Alpha sports familiar 3.5mm unbalanced and 2.5mm balanced outputs. The Alpha is the first Astell&Kern DAP to sport a 4.4mm balanced headphone connection. Astell&Kern says its 4.4mm implementation is unique and noise-free because the Alpha physically separates the 2.5mm and 4.4mm outputs using microrelays. The Alpha’s design prevents noise and interference from outputs that aren’t in use by switching them off. Smart. Theo Nicolakis / IDG Detailed view of the KANN Alpha’s 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm headphone outputs. Power and battery lifeClean power is the measure of any high-performance audio system, and the Alpha’s amplifiaction is superb. The Alpha’s internal amplifier has three gain settings—low, medium, and high—so you can match the amplifier’s output to your headphone’s impedance. Setting the amplifier to high and using the KANN’s balanced output, you’ll be able to take advantage of the Alpha’s 12Vrms output, which is the same output as the massive KANN Cube. Setting the amplifier to high will drain the battery quickly and Astell&Kern recommends connecting the USB-C charging cable if you use the amplifier in the high gain setting. [ Further reading: The best headphones you can buy ]Draining the battery quickly is a relative term and will depend on several factors including the types of audio files you’re playing and volume levels you’re playing them at. Battery life is rate at 14.5 hours of continuous playback. You can get a full charge in about 3.5 hours. In real-world use, I sometimes went days without needing to recharge the KANN Alpha. Protecting your hearingHearing is a precious gift. Thankfully, protecting our hearing is getting a bit easier. For the first time, an Astell&Kern DAP gave me a loudness warning. If I set the player above 50 with the 2.5mm balanced connection, or 60 with the 3.5mm output, the player warned me I could permanently damage my hearing. I had the option to defeat that warning message or enable volume limits in settings. Doubles as an artistic statementThe KANN Alpha’s gorgeous design continues Astell&Kern’s seemingly endless play with geometric design and textures. When you buy an Astell&Kern high-res player, you’re buying a work of art as much as you are a DAP. To me, the KANN Alpha’s design is a synthesis of the KANN Cube and elements of the SA700. The player’s all-aluminum casing has different finishes on each side. The back sports a black, brushed-aluminum finish with the words KANN machine engraved into the player’s body. The name Astell&Kern, with model and power requirements, are laser engraved. That lettering, however, only becomes visible when you shine a light on it, much like the One Ring’s Tengwar script from the Fellowship of the Ring, which appeared only when heated in fire. Theo Nicolakis / IDGThe player’s sides and bottom are matte-finished and untextured. This time around, Astell&Kern chose to protrude the front glass ever so slightly from the player’s body and round the glass sides and edges. The tactile experience is amazing and the rounded edges create a singular line of light that complements the player’s beveled, aluminum edge. Astell&Kern seems to be joining the 1980s throwback party by including a ceramic black, mirrored finish along the KANN Alpha’s top. Gold circular accents around the three heapdhone inputs complement the black mirrored finish. The gold color pallet reminded me of the similar black and gold color pallet on legendary high-end audio gear from Nakamichi and Pioneer Elite. Astell&Kern says there is a special coating applied to the ceramic surface to prevent fingerprints and smudging, but I didn’t find it to be effective. In my hands, the KANN Alpha’s high gloss ceramic finish and front glass were far from oleophobic. They both collected fingerprints easily and at a far higher rate than my iPhone 12. I found myself wiping the high gloss finish and glass every now and then. Ephe Nicolakis / IDG Top view of the KANN Alpha’s high gloss ceramic finish. The KANN Alpha maintains the same mesmerizing LED illumination around the player’s volume knob that I first experienced in my review of Astell&Kern’s SA700 DAP. Unlike the SA700, where the LED ring took center stage, Astell&Kern has given it a more subdued role, recessing the LED ring almost inside the player’s casing. You’ll notice it if you look at the KANN Alpha from the side, but the LED ring is largely shielded from view when you look at the player head on. Theo Nicolakis / IDG A recessed LED illuminates to tell you the resolution of the file you’re playing. As with the SA700, the LED ring isn’t just a design element, it gives you a visual indication of the file format you’re playing. Red indicates you’re playing a 16-bit file; green, 24-bit; blue, 32-bit, and purple indicates DSD. If you don’t like the LED feature, you can turn it off through the settings menu. The LED temporarily changes to a red color pallet when you adjust the volume. The LED increases saturation to a light-saber red as you turn the volume louder, and it de-saturates towards a light rose color as you turn the volume down. The LEDs worked as expected with local files and the Open APP version of Tidal, but I encountered an anomaly with Quobuz. With that service, both CD-quality and all high-res files up to 24-bit/192kHz showed only a red LED. Either Quobuz wasn’t streaming the high-res files advertised, or there’s a bug in the Quobuz app that isn’t registering properly with the Alpha. Three rectangular buttons on the left side (in contrast to the KANN Cube, where the buttons sit below the volume knob on the right) are unmarked. By now, Astell&Kern assumes everyone knows the top button is previous track, the middle is play/pause, and the bottom is next track. Open APP ServiceA valid criticism of Astell&Kern players over the years would have rightly been the dearth of apps and supported music services. In the past, I would have been paying more careful attention to the KANN Alpha’s 64GB internal storage and 1TB micro SD card support. But now, with the introduction of Astell&Kern’s Open APP feature and support for streaming services with high-res audio files, that’s less of a pressing issue. Astell&Kern’s Open APP lets you install just about any major streaming service onto the player. I first experienced Open App in my Astell&Kern SR15 review. As of this writing, 10 Astell&Kern players support Open APP. Ephe Nicolakis / IDG Rear view of the KANN Alpha’s multi-angled, multi-textured aluminum body and physical button controls. I have a serious love-hate conflict with Open APP. The good news about Open APP is that you can install Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music, Spotify, and a dozen more streaming services to suit your taste or current subscription. The downside is that the Open APP installation process remains clunky and requires a computer. You can indulge yourself in the step-by-step installation process here. I’m sure you’ll agree that you shouldn’t have to go through a nine-step installation process on a $1,000+ DAP. At some point in Open APP’s evolution, Astell&Kern should pre-load all these apps into the player as “ready to install,” and then provide the end user the ability to perform an over-the-air (OTA) installation over Wi-Fi. The other approach would be to pre-install a dozen or so of the most popular and allow the end user to turn them on or off. Astell&Kern just needs to make it easier for the user to get the music services they want. While I’m truly thankful that Astell&Kern has Open APP, it’s clunky implementation sticks out like a sore thumb against the meticulous detail A&K pays to the rest of the user experience. Effortless, musical blissI used Focal Clear, Bowers & Wilkins P9 Signature, Oppo PM-2, and Beyerdynamic Amiron Home headphones with the KANN Alpha. I used a Kimber Cable Axios 2.5mm balanced cable with the Focal Clear. Though I also paired the KANN Alpha with a pair of Bowers & Wilkins PX Wireless headphones, my comments below pertain to my wired listening. The KANN Alpha’s effortlessness is astonishing. The Alpha’s firm, unrelenting sonic grip on every single headphone was completely insane. The KANN Alpha’s control revealed ripples and textures on the classic bass lines in James Blake’s “Limit to your Love.” The Alpha articulated the details and decay of bass strings on Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am.” I noted deep, controlled, pulsating bass on Katie Melua’s “Sailing Ships from Heaven.” No matter the track, there was no smearing and no muddiness. It goes without saying that to get the most of the KANN Alpha’s bass performance, you’ll want to use closed-back headphones. The Focal Clear and Oppo PM-2 open-back headphones couldn’t deliver the deep bass performance their closed-back counterparts were capable of. That sonic grip comes at a price: The KANN Alpha is a brutally honest customer. It won’t cuddle you or euphonize sub-par headphones. It will lay bare any shortcomings in your headphones and your source material. Theo Nicolakis / IDG Detailed view of the KANN’s knurled volume and multi-angled industrial design. I shook my head again and again, track after track at the attack, detail, and bass control on anything I threw at it. Music seems to emanate from a velvety black background with this player. The noise floor and channel separation are superb, allowing you to peer deeply into the music. Rebecca Pidgeon’s “Spanish Harlem,” by Chesky Records, is a reference-grade recording. It was easy to follow the subtlest decays of Ms. Pidgeon’s vocals through the KANN Alpha. Ephe Nicolakis / IDG The KANN Alpha’s display is bright, but it’s UI exhibited some lag at times. In fact, the KANN Alpha’s sound is so clean and distortion-free that you’ll be tempted to bathe yourself in sound for hours. You can easily lose track of how loud you’re listening to it. The KANN Alpha’s presentation is consistent with other ESS Sabre-based players I’ve reviewed. The presentation won’t woo you with warmth; rather, the music is clean, transparent, and detailed with airy highs and tight, controlled bass. Astell&Kern hasn’t added any artificial bumps or overemphasis. I will note that during my review period, the KANN Alpha’s body had a tendency to get warm to quite warm. How warm will depend on your headphone’s impedance and if you’re decoding DSD and high-res files. A grand slamAstell&Kern’s KANN Alpha hits a grand slam—though not without a few stumbles around the bases. The Alpha earns its place among the finest high-res audio players I’ve reviewed. By any measure, the KANN Alpha is a superlative high-res DAP. If you’re an audiophile who wants the freedom to connect any high-end headphone, you also want to connect your high-res DAP to your stand-alone setup, you might find the KANN Cube a better fit. If portability in a slimmer form factor is a higher priority, then you should add the SA700 to your short list. But if you’re looking for a middle ground, something that can drive any headphone, fit in the palm of your hand, and deliver cutting-edge wireless audio tech, the Alpha is your ticket. The Alpha’s gorgeous design; high-powered amplification; 40-meter wireless range with Bluetooth 5.0; unparalleled high-res wireless codec support; generous battery life; 2.5 and 4.4mm balanced audio connections; and effortless sound with dual ESS ES9068AS DACs are just the introduction to a long list of specs and features that truly make this the “Alpha” player among its peers. Its occasional sluggishness, clunky Open APP architecture, and fingerprint-prone surfaces are minor annoyances; they certainly aren’t enough to dampen my spirits about this superlative-sounding high-res DAP. 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/@sherry55982673/astell-kern-kann-alpha-review-this-digital-audio-player-delivers-the-high-res-goods-8c7b7321c50d	[]	2021-01-15 07:07:18.997000+00:00	['Connected Home', 'Music', 'Audio', 'Consumer Electronics']
Why the Fed Should Not Have Lowered Interest Rates	What will we do if we cut our interest rates to zero and it isn’t enough to stimulate the economy? The answer is that we have to go to negative interest rates. Negative rates are a terrible thing. See Negative Interest Rates Have Become an Addiction from Barron’s for a discussion of Europe’s problems with negative interest rates. Negative interest rates are a ‘tar baby.’ One could argue that negative interest rates are not necessary since what the economy really needs is well planned fiscal policies to put money into the hands of the middle class. Yet, does anyone really expect anything to get through Congress anytime soon? The Fed Only Cut Rates to Support Trump’s Trade War According to Fed Chairman, Jerome Powell, ‘the rate cut is an insurance policy against potential speed bumps for the economy, including rising trade tensions and a slowdown in global growth.’ See Fed Cuts Interest Rates for 1st Time Since 2008 from NPR for more on this rate cut. The Fed needed to maintain independence and not become complicit in an ill-conceived trade war. Had the Fed not cut rates, it would have put more pressure on the Trump Administration to abandon its destructive tariffs. How could a President think it would be a good idea to attack the entire world, allies and not so friendly nations, with protectionist trade barriers simultaneously? The Fed just ensured a continuation of this insane policy. This trade policy has little to gain and much to lose. Winner or loser, the President will claim victory and his supporters will agree with him. Meanwhile, our crops that would normally have been exported, are rotting in the fields. The longer this policy continues, the greater the chance of entering into a new recession. Since many of the systemic problems that led to the Great Recession have not been fixed, this next recession may be known as the ‘Greater Recession.’ The Problem With Negative Interest Rates Normally, when a person makes a deposit into a bank, he or she is actually making a loan to that bank. The bank adds the value of these deposit funds to its fractional reserves and can them make loans based on a multiplier of the amount deposited. The bank pays interest to the depositor and received interest from the borrower. This is the way the world is supposed to work. When a country has negative interest rates, money flows in an upside-down fashion. The bank charges the depositor interest in order to keep money in the bank and pays the borrower interest in order to borrow funds. This is crazy, yet these negative interest rates are a reality in many European countries today. For many bank depositors, the change to negative interest rates will not really matter. As hard as it is to believe, many depositors still do their banking at institutions that charge monthly fees and do not pay interest on the deposits. For a large portion of Americans, these negative interest rates will matter though. In Order to Keep From Losing Money, One Either Has to Be a Borrower or a Cash Holder In the upside-down world of negative interest rates, to keep one’s bank account from dwindling due to negative interest rates, one would need to become either a borrower and therefore be paid interest or to remove money from the bank and carry cash. In a recession, a lot of people carrying substantial amounts of cash would be targets for crime. Many of these targets of crime would be in more impoverished areas because of the generally lower credit scores of the people living in these areas. These people would not be able to borrow and therefore be paid interest, but instead would either have to pay interest to banks or carry cash. How would the government respond to such crime waves? Negative Interest Rates Would Increase the Need for a Cashless Economy The solution for these problems with negative interest rates is to go to a cashless economy. On the surface, there may be many advantages to having a cashless and/or cryptocurrency economy. For the most part, many of us are already living in a cashless economy through the use of debit cards and credit cards. Cashless to this extent is just fine. However, a completely cashless economy is a terrible idea. When a person can hold actual physical currency in their hand, there is a degree of freedom that will never exist in a cashless economy. For example, what if you have a disagreement with a creditor and they gain a judgment against you without your knowledge. That creditor could remove some of your ‘cashless’ money. On the other hand, the same creditor cannot come and get cash out of your pocket — at least without your knowing it first. Failure to be able to carry cash will result in abuses of the due process rights of individuals. Conclusion Does anyone want to live in a world where one has to borrow in order to keep their bank account from shrinking? We must avoid the use of negative interest rates. Income and wealth inequality will only grow worse if we live in a world where the three-digit code that represents one’s credit score is a determinant of whether your bank account shrinks due to negative interest rates or your bank account grows. People of lower financial means usually have lower credit scores due to inability to repay debts. Therefore, the upside-down world of negative interest rates will leave these people with shrinking accounts that lead to a more desperate situation. Debt, to a degree, is a form of personal enslavement. I spent a good part of my life trying to relieve people of their debt. I fear that a world of negative interest rates and cashless societies will lead to a dystopian reality where we will only be able to buy and sell based on our three-digit credit score. Currently, we have an economy where we can refuse to be a debtor if we do not want to be a debtor. A cashless/negative interest economy would make ‘choosing’ to be a non-debtor much more difficult. A real economy must be based on the concept of ‘value exchanged for value’ not ‘debt for less value.’ It is time that the Fed stand up and assert its independence. By doing so, the Fed will force American voters to elect responsible leadership. Any responsible leader would realize that America must stop relying solely on monetary policy. Any responsible leader and political party would be pushing fiscal policies to lift the middle class as opposed to fiscal policy that results in large wealth transfers from the middle class to the wealthiest Americans, e.g., tax cuts for the wealthy.	https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/why-the-fed-should-not-have-lowered-interest-rates-903f0b727acd	['Jp Kobel']	2019-08-12 08:00:36.190000+00:00	['Economics', 'Monetary Policy', 'Fiscal Policy', 'Negative Interest Rates', 'Politics']
AN IN-DEPTH RESEARCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FRONT DESK AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF THE HOTEL…	AN IN-DEPTH RESEARCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FRONT DESK AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF THE HOTEL; A CASE OF GOLDEN VILLA HOTEL, ENUGU, NIGERIA. HOTEL’S ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE The hotel as at time of research was made up of few units such as; Reception Department, The Restaurant Department, The Kitchen Department, The Bar Department, House Keeping Department, The Business centre Department, The Security Department and The Laundry Department. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF GOLDEN VILLA HOTEL STAFF QUALIFICATIONS: POSITIONS FIELD OF STUDY MINIMUM QUALIFICATION MANAGER MANAGEMENT SCIENCE BS.C AND ABOVE ACCOUNTANT CHARTERED ACCOUNTANCY BS.C AND ABOVE HEAD OF UNITS MANAGEMENT SCIENCE HND, BS.C AND ABOVE RECEPTIONISTS /PORTERS SECRETARY STUDIES ND, HND AND BS.C WAITER /WAITRESSES ANY FIELD OF STUDY IS REQUIRED O’ LEVEL AND ABOVE CHEFS /CATERERS HOME SCIENCE, NUTRITION & DIETETICS ND, HND AND BS.C SECURITY PERSONNELS CRIMINOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL WORK O’ LEVEL AND ABOVE CLEANERS ANY FIELD OF STUDY IS REQUIRED O’ LEVEL AND ABOVE DRY CLEANERS CLOTHING AND TEXTILE O’ LEVEL AND ABOVE PAY ROLL: MANAGER CLASSIFIED ACCOUNTANT CLASSIFIED HEAD OF UNITS 60- 65, 000 NGN RECEPTIONISTS /PORTERS 35, 000 NGN WAITER/WAITRESSES 20, 000 NGN CHEFS/ CATERERS 40, 000 NGN SECURITY PERSONNELS 25, 000 NGN CLEANERS 15, 000 NGN DRY CLEANERS 20, 000 NGN WORK SCHEDULE FOR EACH POST, POSITION AND OFFICE HOURS MANAGER 8:00-5:00PM ACCOUNTANT 8:00-5:00PM HEAD OF UNIT 8:00-5:00PM RECEPTIONISTS/ PORTERS 8AM-2PM, 2PM-8PM, 8PM-2AM & 2AM-8AM WAITER/WAITRESSES 8AM-2PM, 2PM-8PM, 8PM-2AM & 2AM-8AM CHEF/CATERERS 8:00AM-2:00PM & 2:00PM-8:00PM SECURITY PERSONNELS 8AM-2PM, 2PM-8PM, 8PM-2AM & 2AM-8AM CLEANERS 8:00-5:00PM DRY CLEANERS 8:00-5:00PM BUSINESS UNIT 8:00-5:00PM BARMAN 8AM-2PM, 2PM-8PM, 8PM-2AM & 2AM-8AM GATEMAN 8AM-2PM, 2PM-8PM, 8PM-2AM & 2AM-8AM LIFE GUARD 10:00AM-8:00PM DEPARTMENTS IN GOLDEN VILLA HOTEL 1. THE RECEPTION DEPARTMENT: the reception department, also known as the front desk is charged with the duties of welcoming the visitors/guests and then lodging them into the room of their choice. After the security, they’re the second people the visitors come in contact with. This department also serve as the medium through which information can reach everywhere in the hotel. For instance, if a guest needs something from either the kitchen or the laundry or the bar, he/she calls the front desk to make his/her order, the front desk then contact either of the unit their services is needed. They also serve as customer care to the visitors. Most times, when some things go wrong, the complaints go to the front desk department, they then contact the manager or the house keeping department to address the issue. They are also charged with the duty of recording the number of visitors per month or week, depending on the hotel policy. They are also in charge of signing in and out of customers. 2. THE RESTAURANT: The unit is charged with the duty of serving the customers with any food of their choice, but in the case of Golden Villa Hotels and Suites, they only prepare local dishes. They are to record every order placed by a customer, so as not to lose track of anything. 3. THE KITCHEN: This department is charged with the duty of getting prepared all forms of food indigenous to Nigeria. They also are charged with making freshly squeezed juice. In doing this, they’re advice to maintain neatness, so as not to allow background dirt to attack the meal. They also take care of both indoor and outdoor catering service. They also bake cakes and other snack. Anything edible that requires making use of heating, boiling, cooking and frying is of interest to the Kitchen. For the time been, they make only south eastern Nigerian dishes. 4. THE BAR DEPARTMENT: The bar is charged with the responsibility of making sure that all type of drinks is available, both continental and intercontinental. They are also charged with the duty of making sure that the drinks are chilled to a reasonable temperature. This unit also takes care of using and cleaning of the swimming pool. 5. THE HOUSE KEEPING DEPARTMENT: Housekeeping is a department that is otherwise known as the cleaners’ unit. They see to it that the hotel is sparkling clean at all time. 6. THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT: In Golden Villa, this department takes care of all electrical and mechanical appliances. They do mostly repairs of any broken or spoilt equipment, or facility such as electrical cables, fan, television, air conditioners, refrigerators, plumbing pipes and equipment, toilet, bath tub etc. 7. THE MARKETING AND SALES DEPARTMENT: This department oversees everything that has to do with network, wireless internet, telephone services, typing, photocopying and every other services business Centre render. In Golden Villa Hotels, they also include selling of recharge cards to their sales. They are in charge of taking care of the Convention room, Meeting Room, Ballroom, Gymnasium hall and volleyball court. 8. THE SECURITY: The Security takes care of making sure that orderliness is maintained around the hotel premises. Also, they are to make that the guest feel relaxed and never to feel security alarm at any time. They are also charged with the responsibilities of turning off and on the generator, patrol at night and inspect visitor’s luggage. 9. THE LAUNDRY: The Laundry department takes care of washing, rinsing, drying and ironing of clothing of any kind. In order for there to be orderliness in the hotel, the security department mapped out some policies guiding the hotel against any threat coming from either the guests or the staff and management of the hotel. Below are some of them: Guests are not allowed to smoke or make use of drugs such as cocaine, marijuana etc. in the rooms. Destruction of hotel property by any guest will warrant the guest to pay fully or half percent of what was spoilt, depending on the gravity of what was destroyed. In case of armed robbery, yahoo dealings and drug dealings, they notify the security personnel immediately. Improper serving of guests and mistreatment by the hotel staff is an offence against the hotel policy; such an offence is usually sanctioned by the hotel management. Coming to work late also has its own consequences as a staff of the hotel. Destruction of hotel property by a staff attracts its own consequences. Disobedience of any sort is also punishable by the management. The degree to which each of the aforementioned offences is committed determines the kind of punishment that follows. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN A HOTEL The front office staff interact with all departments of the hotel, including marketing and sales, housekeeping, food and beverage, banquet, controller, maintenance, security and human resources. These departments view the front office as a communication liaison in providing guest services. Each of the departments has a unique communication link with the front office. However, Nwankwo (2007: 23) described the front office department as the centre of activities and operations of any hotel. 1. MARKETING AND SALES DEPARTMENT: The marketing and sales department in Golden Villa Hotel relies on the front office to provide data on guest histories, details concerning each guest’s visit. Some of the information gathered are based on zip codes, frequency of visits, corporate affiliations, special needs, and reservations for rooms. It is also the front office’s jobs to make a good first impression on the public, to relay messages, and to meet the requests of guests who are using the hotel for meetings, seminars and banquets. The guests history is a valuable resource for marketing and sales, which uses the guest registration information to target marketing campaigns, carry out promotions, prepare mailing labels, and select appropriate advertising media. The front office staff must make every effort to keep this database current and accurate. The process of completing the booking of a special function (such as a wedding reception, convention, or seminar) depends on the availability of sleeping rooms for guests. The marketing and sales executives may have to check the lists of available rooms three, six, or even twelve months in the future to be sure the hotel can accommodate the expected number of guests. A database of available rooms is maintained in the property management system by the front office. The first guest contact in Golden Villa Hotel, with the marketing and sales department is usually through the hotel’s switchboard. A competent and switchboard operator who is friendly and knowledgeable about the hotel operations and personnel will make a good first impression, conveying to the prospective client that this hotel is competent. When the guest finally arrives for the function, the first contact with the hotel is usually through the front office staff. The front office manager who makes the effort to determine which banquet supervisor is in charge and communicates that information to the desk clerk on duty demonstrates to the public that this hotel is dedicated to providing hospitality. Messages for marketing and sales department must be relayed completely, accurately and quickly. Managers should show new employees pictures of the department directors and supervisors. Requests for service at meetings, seminars, banquets, and the like are often made at the front office. The banquet manager, a person who is responsible for fulfilling the details of service for a banquet or special event, or sales associate, a person who books the guest’s requirements for banquets and other special events, might be busy with another function. If a guest needs an extension cord or an electrical outlet malfunctions, the front desk staff must be ready to meet the guest’s needs. The front office manager establishes standard operating procedures for the front office employees to contact maintenance, house-keeping, marketing and sales, or the food and beverage department to meet other common requests. Knowing how to find a small tool kit, adapters, adhesive materials, extra table covers, or window cleaner will help the quest and save the time involved in tracking down salespersons in charge. 2. HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT: In Golden Villa Hotel, the housekeeping department and the front office communicate with each other about housekeeping room status, the report on the availability of the rooms for immediate guest occupancy. Housekeeping rooms status can be described in the following communication terms: Available Clean, or Ready – Room is ready to be occupied. Occupied – Guest or Guests are already occupying a room. Stayover – Guest will not be checking out of a room on the current day. Dirty or Unchanged – Guest has checked out of the room, but the housekeeping staff has not released the room for occupancy. Out of order – Room is not available for occupancy because of a mechanical malfunction. Housekeeping and the front office also communicate on the details of potential house count (a report of the number of guests registered in the hotel), security concerns, and requests for amenities (personal toiletry items such as shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, and electrical equipment). These issues are of immediate concern to the guest, as well as to supervisors in the hotel. Reporting of room status is handled on a face to face basis in a hotel that does not use a property management system (PMS). The bi-hourly or hourly visits of the housekeeper to the front desk clerk are a familiar scene in such a hotel. The official reporting of room status at the end of the day is accomplished with a housekeeper that lists the guest room occupancy status as vacant, occupied, or out of order. Sometimes, even regular reporting of room status is not adequate, as guests may be anxiously awaiting the opportunity to occupy a room. On these occasions, the front desk clerk will have to telephone the floor supervisor to determine when the servicing of a room will be completed. 3. THE KITCHEN, RESTAURANT AND BAR DEPARTMENT: These three departments have similar relationship with the front desk. If and when a guest needs pertaining to food and drink, he/she calls up the front desk, and the desk in-turn, calls up the Restaurant and Bar department (or Food and Beverage department in some hotels) to go to the said room and deliver or render any edible services required. Also, if a customer or guest wants to complain about food or drink, either the degree or hotness of the food or the manner in which the food was presented, he goes straight to the front desk to complain, and sometimes, become physical, depending on the kind of guest one is dealing with, the front desk then calls the restaurant to relay their complaints. After a guest finishes with his/her meal, the front desk sometimes, call the restaurant and bar unit to come pick up or clean up any mess there is, and the plates and cups or bottles. These departments also provide the front desk with the menu of food items and drinks they have for either morning, afternoon and night, because most times when guests or passersby come in, they do not go to the restaurant and bar for questions about food and drink (because they do not even know where it is located), they come straight to the front desk to ask and enquire about them. The communication between restaurant/bar and the front desk is very constant. This is because the status of a particular food or drink in the menu may vary according to time requested. Some foods are not meant to be consumed in the morning, or afternoon or at night, when a customer goes to the front desk to request, he/she should possess the knowledge of what’s onboard, so as to maintain quick accessibility and delivering. 4. THE LAUNDRY DEPARTMENT: The laundry department also works with the front department, especially when a guest calls the front desk and asks for the laundry services, the front desk calls the laundry department to go to that room and pick the clothes, and when the clothes are ready, the front desk calls the guest to inform them that their clothes are ready. Also, when there is unsatisfactory complaints/comments about the services of the laundry department, the guest goes straight to the front desk to lay his complaints, and then the front desk calls the laundry department to relay the customers concerns to them. 5. SECURITY DEPARTMENT: In situations where there are guests owing the hotel, and he/she has still not signed out, the front desk, calls the security department to inform them of the situation on ground, the security takes proper and required action to settle the entire issues between the hotel management and the guest. The security department employs soft approach on the guest at first, but if he persists with ill behavior, the security may be pushed to take drastic measures, or better still, involve the law enforcement agencies. 6. MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT: Whenever guests complain about an equipment in the room that has issues, to the front desk, the front desk calls the maintenance to come and fix it. PROBLEMS/PROSPECT The hotel will be running into a lot of troubles with their customers from other parts of Nigeria because the structure of their kitchen is currently designed to suit only people from southeastern Nigeria. While I was still there conducting my research, I ran into a dissatisfied customer, pouring out her dissatisfaction on the receptionist because the room she booked online was not ready at the time she got there. As usual, the porter pleaded with the customer to exercise patience with the management. After a while, the problem was resolved. Another customer also complained bitterly, on the hotel’s power supply policy. He stressed that their power supply should be 24/7, so as to make customers comfortable. It is strongly advised to hire someone with good customer service to serve as the Porter or the Front Desk Officer. This is largely because they are responsible for calming dissatisfied guests. Also, the hotel is fast in fixing all problems complained by the guests. Thus, the future of Golden Villa Hotel and Suites will be determined by how fast they solve the problems the guests complain of, the manner of approach of their staff, especially their receptionist and finally, adding to their food menu, intercontinental dishes, since most of their customers are gotten from the airport.	https://medium.com/@rosemarydaniella/an-in-depth-research-on-the-relationship-between-the-front-desk-and-other-departments-of-the-hotel-d24af8d03a4b	['Rosemary Eberechi Obi']	2019-06-09 19:10:23.222000+00:00	['Hospitality', 'Enugu Hotels', 'Tourism', 'Hotels', 'Golden Villa Hotels']
THE MORAL UNIVERSE?	Maybe closer than you think? But only if we want it? If we are willing to not compromise? Isn’t that a universe worth creating?	https://medium.com/@prof-mitch/maybe-closer-than-you-think-9643e53f6663	['Mitch Goldfarb']	2020-12-14 11:46:24.981000+00:00	['Life', 'Truth', 'Success', 'Inspiration', 'Mindfulness']
Social Media and Brands: A Love Story?	Did you know some social media platforms have more active users than the population of China? For context, China has a population of 1.3 billion people, the most populated country in the world. Well, by the second quarter of 2020, Facebook already had 2.7 billion active monthly users, that’s twice the population of China, 4 times the population of the US and over 13 times the population of a country like San Marino. “Social media is not one media channel, it is a virtual society in which all sorts of human activities take place“ — Professor Mike Yao (Illinois GIES College of Business) According to Statista, Youtube is the second-most used social media platform with 2 billion monthly active users. No wonder we see so many ads on YouTube, signifying an active relationship, and brands have to be present to keep the love going. Here are some other major platform statistics, Facebook-owned WhatsApp and Instagram have 2 billion and 1.1 billion monthly active users respectively, Tiktok is growing at 689, Snapchat at 433 and Twitter at 353 million monthly active users. Although social media and brands may have a strong relationship, it definitely isn’t the type of affair you had in mind. Brands work hard in this relationship to leverage the power of social media by introducing creative ways to appease the interests of their customers. Even if this isn't a romantic relationship, content is still the love language. The most successful brands know that curating valuable content on social media will drive engagements, increase awareness, recognition and ultimately build trust. To curate the right content, it is important to note that creating detailed buyer personas will help your brand understand the social media behaviour of your ideal customers, and ultimately allow you tailor messages that will resonate with your target audience. Buyer personas can help you curate the right content and also help set the right voice for your brand. Buyer personas are semi-fictional representations of your ideal customer including demographic and psychographic data. For your brand to be successful on social media, you have to align all your communications with your brand’s voice, actively use storytelling — everybody loves a good story, use images, videos and blog posts to capture the attention of your audience and personalize your posts by always writing your posts to your buyer persona.	https://medium.com/@tkprincewill/social-media-and-brands-a-love-story-2e16c4b5e4b0	['Tk Princewill']	2021-01-07 23:59:02.632000+00:00	['Brand Strategy', 'Business Development', 'Branding', 'Social Media Marketing', 'Brands']

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.