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Stranger | Stranger
Hush….Look Closer
Photo by Taylor Smith on Unsplash
She looks back at me
not a hint of recognition on her face
The lips, eyes, skin — that are so familiar
yet she looks different somehow
As if the seasons have changed on me
I don’t recognize her anymore
The woman in the mirror
she’s a stranger to me now | https://medium.com/literary-impulse/stranger-96cf0ed7e8dd | ['Paroma Sen'] | 2020-06-12 08:09:24.128000+00:00 | ['Poetry', 'Time', 'Mirror', 'Literary Impulse', 'Stranger Things'] |
Будущее баз данных | in In Fitness And In Health | https://medium.com/postgres-professional/%D0%B1%D1%83%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%89%D0%B5%D0%B5-%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%B7-%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85-d1db6c55f516 | ['Postgres Professional'] | 2019-11-14 16:00:06.762000+00:00 | ['Postgres', 'Dbms', 'Future', 'Postgresql', 'Technology'] |
Here are the 50+ popular Baby Girl Names which loved by all | Here are the 50+ popular Baby Girl Names which loved by all Sairajan Goud Jun 18·2 min read
Introduction of Baby Girl Names :-
Hello Guys! we are coming with a greater post about baby girl names. In these latest post, we listed all sweet baby girl names which exactly fits for your babies. Most couples face a hard time during the selection of good-sounding names for their babies. Because the name selected by parents exists forever until departure
In this modern Era couples are looking forward to putting a variety of names for their babies similarly they are focused on selecting cute and meaningful baby girl names
Here are some tips to choose better baby girl names these tips help you to figure out good and trendy names.
Decide an alphabet first the name starts with. Avoid choosing a long name which creates some problems to remember Choose the name which sounds good when speaking in combination with a surname. Focus to choose a great name that doesn’t impact your child in his Adult age. choose a name that is better selected by both couples
Here is the complete list of top 50 + baby girl names and their meanings provided.
01 Aadhya= Power
02 Aalia =Excellent
03 Aarna =Lakshmi
04 Aditi =Liberty
05 Advika =World
06 Amaira= Beautiful forever
07 Amruta =Immortality
08 Ananya =Unique
09 Bhavna= Purity
10 Bhanumati =Famous
11 Brinda= Tulsi
12 Chaman= Garden
13 Daksha= Earth
14 Diya= Lamp
15 Ekta =Unity
16 Falak= Brave
17 Gauri =Fair
18 Gayathri= Mother of vedas
19 Hema= Nectar
20 Heena =beautiful girl
For more baby girl name ideas click here :baby girl names
Conclusion:-
Guys’ above-mentioned names belong to baby girl names. I hope my team listed all possible names. And we are still focusing on updating baby girl names regularly. Follow us for better baby boy names and baby girl names. If you have any queries please mention in the comment section, so your team ready for clarifying all your mentioned comment related to cute baby boy names and baby girl names ……….. Thanking you all from Gbabynames
Our Team Regularly Focusing On Updating All Baby Girl Names. Follow Us For Popular and Trendy Baby Boy Names and Baby Girl Names…….. SRUTHAN | https://medium.com/@gbabynames/here-are-the-50-popular-baby-girl-names-which-loved-by-all-4be0758141c9 | ['Sairajan Goud'] | 2021-06-18 18:19:31.381000+00:00 | ['Baby Care', 'Baby', 'Baby Boomers', 'Baby Sleep'] |
Does segregated witness create two different fee markets? | No. In fact, it was one of the primary design objective to avoid requiring anyone perform multidimensional optimization because of the problems they create in terms of fee estimation for users and optimal fee block construction for miners.
To avoid this, segregated witness updates the 1MB block size limit to a 4M unit block weight limit, counting serialised witness data as one unit, and core block data as four units. As explained above, witness data is given less weight to correspond with the lower demands they place on node resources.
Weighting the data this way better aligns the most profitable strategy for creating blocks with the long-term costs of block validation. The miners’ most rational strategy becomes to select transactions in order of fees per unit of weight. Moreover, this approach is a very close approximation to the income maximizing selection, and also results in predictable behavior that wallets can set fees based on. | https://medium.com/segwit-co/are-segregated-witness-transactions-subsidized-over-legacy-ones-and-create-two-different-fee-242da7425c1b | ['Segwit Resources'] | 2017-01-13 22:06:48.455000+00:00 | ['Blockchain', 'Bitcoin', 'FAQ'] |
CABLE CONUNDRUM: Basic vs. Flat vs. Braided | We all adore the seamless elegance of the charging cable you get straight out of the box. But odds are your smartphone or tablet will long outlive the charging cable it came with, and repurchasing the official brand-name cable may not be the best value.
So should you ditch your basic round rubber cable for something more? Here, we break down the pros and cons:
Round plastic cables:
The majority of the cables we own and use everyday are of the round plastic variety, including most of the charging cables round plastic cables may lack in durability and ease-of-use. These cables can be easily tangled, and the flexible rubber coating on the round cable lead are prone to kinks and tearing, especially in points of weakness (like where the lead meets the USB or charging heads).
Flat cables:
A flat cable is probably the first step up from your run-of-the-mill round one and has a few key benefits. First of all, a flat cable is more resistant to kinks or lengthwise tearing when compared to round cables. Flat cables are also more readily folded or rolled up, and are far less prone to tangles, making them more practical in terms of staying organised. These also come in a wide range of colours and lengths.
A purely cosmetic downside to the flat cable is that it often looks bulkier against sleekly designed smartphones and tablets.
Nylon-braided cables:
The next alternative is a nylon-braided cable. This cable type is often much more durable than both round and flat plastic cables, including the ones offered by major phone manufacturers. The tightly woven nylon exterior means the cable itself is more resistant to damage from pulling and twisting. Furthermore, the USB and charging heads are usually cased in metal, which unlike plastic, is less likely crack or even melt during use. The nylon material can also be easily dyed, and so this option also comes in a wide array of colours and lengths.
One thing to keep in mind is that the nylon braiding, although practical for everyday charging purposes, is prone to fraying if rubbed repeatedly against textured surfaces like carpet, brick or concrete.
All in all, if you ever feel tired of the monotony of everyday life and want to let go of both your inhibitions and your pedestrian, mundane charging cable (or you just need a replacement), hop on down to your nearest Technology Traders, where we stock a great range of round, flat and braided cables! | https://medium.com/@capalaba/cable-conundrum-basic-vs-flat-vs-braided-d335902791af | ['Technology Traders'] | 2019-03-28 01:48:23.308000+00:00 | ['Charger', 'Phone Chargers', 'Lightning Cable', 'Apple', 'Charging Cable'] |
Marketing in the 22nd century | The #1 Crushing Mistake Businesses Make When Marketing Products or Services
Today, Marketing & Advertising is no longer isolated from your product development.
Having created hundreds of ads for myself, partners and clients over the years I can surely and confidently tell you this — great advertisements (the most visible thing you place on the frontend of your marketing campaign) can no longer be crafted in isolation of product.
Well that’s if you want your ads to convert audiences most effectively with the lowest cost incurred and while having the greatest reach of audience on every platform it’s placed on.
image from https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/your-guide-to-audience-engagement-ds00/
You see in most major corporations even today, initial market testing is first done, followed by the first rounds of product-development, and then pilot-testing of the now developed product.
Finally, marketing campaigns & advertising are the last 2 events stamped onto this process like the final cherry on the top of an already finished cake.
The guys and gals over in these departments look at the product, analyze its use-cases and create ads and campaigns that best display the usability, worth and value of the more-or-less finalized product.
This means that the people who are launching the marketing campaigns and creating ads for these products are already confined, from the get-go, to feature the best selling points of an already finished product.
When campaigns don’t seem to convert well and uptake is slow, it’s not actually a marketing or advertising problem… It’s actually a product and features problem. | https://medium.com/wearedayone/marketing-in-the-22nd-century-f9b77e337afc | ['Jt Of We Are Day One'] | 2020-12-08 10:45:33.622000+00:00 | ['Online Marketing', 'Small Business', 'Startup', 'Business', 'Growth Hacking'] |
Autocrats’ Enemy Is Knowledge | Under normal circumstances, human rights need to improve as the ages develop, but in the world where human beings are, this is the opposite. Knowledge is older than human history. Knowledge is something that can be discovered. All dictators fear knowledge, from China to the United States. The disease of controlling knowledge does not belong to our age. Hitler’s Germany banning classical music, the banning of Einstein’s books, the murder of scientists living in Salem are the first examples that come to mind. The Catholic Church condemned Gnostic thinkers to death for their political interests. Galileo was convicted. Bruno was burned just because he said the universe was infinite. Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicu introduced himself as God and demanded that he be worshiped. He caused an economic crisis with their unnecessary expenses.
Let’s sort the burned libraries:
Persepolis Library was burned by Alexander and his soldiers. Thus, human memory regarding the ancient East was emptied. The sacred book of Zoroastrianism called Avesta, written on 12 thousand buffalo skins, was burned and destroyed in this library. We do not even know the names of thousands of lost books.
The fanatical Apollo priests in Rome destroyed the Sibilli inscriptions. All the books in this library belonging to the ancient period of Italy were burned.
The Library of Alexandria was burned down by the Romans. The legendary library of 400 thousand books burned.
Caliph Omar said the following before ordering the burning of the Baghdad library: “If what is written in these books is in the Qur’an, there is no need for them; If they are not in the Quran, then there is no need for them!” This was how the book was burned.
Istanbul Library burned by the Crusader army. Steven Runciman has said of this incident: “There has been no greater murder than the fourth crusade in all of the world history.”
M.S. Books burned by the Catholic Church in Medieval Europe in the 14th century: Thousands of books containing information contrary to the birth of the Catholic Church in Medieval Europe, under the grip of scholastic thought, were burned together with the authors of these books.
The Andalusian Umayyad Library was burned by the Spanish supposedly to eradicate Muslim history. In the main roles were the inquisition priests. Spanish inquisitors burned precious Arab Andalusian libraries. This happened almost only 500 years ago.
The Maya and Inca Manuscripts were burned by the Spanish. They burned all the legacies of the great Mayan Civilization.
The Berlin Library was burned by the Nazis in order not to be captured by the Russians.The Nazis, famous for burning harmful books before the war, also burned the famous Berlin Library so that it would not be left to the Russians at the end of the war.
In 2003, the Baghdad Library and 17 thousands of historical artifacts and hundreds of thousands of manuscripts were burned after being looted and plundered by American soldiers, historical artifact smugglers and then by the Baghdad people.
B.C. 212, Chin Shin Huang, one of the five mythological kings of China, ordered that all books and literary works related to China be burned.
A.C. 700, the manuscripts of the agnostics were burned by Catholic priests. Priests burned the 10,000 rolls of the manuscript.
The Isorian Legion burned 300 000 books in the Byzantine library.
Charlemagne (Great King), who elevated the Carolingian State to empire status and laid the foundations of France, burned the Torur, Nantes and Toledo libraries with thousands of books.
These examples can be increased further. We wanted to write examples from as many different cultures as possible. Why were billions of books burned? Why did Catholics target Gnostic writers? Why did Byzantium burn its own library? Why were thousands of books censored? It would be a mistake to interpret these questions only in a cultural context, politically or religiously. We come across a clear reality: Dictators are afraid of knowledge. Because knowledge spreads easily and affects everyone. Knowledge is dictators’ nightmare. We see this clearly in the reform and renaissance movements, as well as in the French Revolution.
Most autocrats became the head of the state they would rule either by democracy or by coup. Their next step was to try to destroy democracy and the republic. When we look at the periods before taking over, the misery and misery of the targeted population despair catches the eye. The misery during the Great Depression and with the Treaty of Versailles. A disgraced German people was a crucial ground for Hitler’s manipulative moves. Where knowledge is high, the intellectual structure gains the majority. The idea of ”Superior Race” has easily found its way into Germany. An autocrat is also an individual. Hitler placed great emphasis on the light and image of his abilities, because his broad audience is the one who has a say and aims to drag him after himself. Autocrats are the instigators of human herds. Autocrats’ approach is systematic and consists of clear orientations. Something about the ultimate unity of the strict political aim, the destruction of democracy. More than that, the content and presentation of the propaganda itself is inherently linked to nature.
Of course, talking about the multitude of negative manipulations when it comes to autocrats is plausible. Autocrats often use their own ideas and management style to the masses. They do not hesitate to use negative manipulation methods to be accepted.
Freud said, “If the individuals in the group come together to form a union, there is no doubt that something has to happen that unites them, and this bond is a group’s characteristic structure. It is the very thing that creates.” The link in this quote of Freud is the autocrat itself. The autocrat itself is the idol for the audience that follows. Freud thinks that there is an opinion that the integrative bond has a libidinal nature. Autocrats mean that libidinal is the embodiment of desire. Individuality melts with the mass and other individual pleasures; its integration becomes a primitive source of pleasure for every individual within that mass.
The purpose of this article is not to uncover censorships one by one, but to reveal why dictators target knowledge.
Throughout the ages all dictators have well managed to move the masses for their own ends.
We can simply divide dictators’ methods into the following headings:
ORATORY AND WORD SELECTION
SYMBOLISM
CONCEPT
IMAGE
ORATORY AND WORD SELECTION
Most of the autocrats have a talent for rhetoric from childhood. Oratory power and word use are important for conveying messages. Autocrats themselves educate on the constructive-destructive effects of words. Lying, diversion, denial, and word exchange are methods autocrats and dictators use. Autocrats in front of the crowd prefer to convey the message directly and harshly.
SYMBOLISM
Autocrats use symbols or symbols in the shape of a total reflection of their ideas. They need structures. The masses are more likely to believe in an embodied lie rather than an abstract idea. The commodification of a strong idea and mass loyalty are the key to ensuring. Totems seen in primitive tribes, tribal signs, cross symbols and temples set good examples of symbolism.
CONCEPT
A movement, a being and an idea are conceptualized and brought to life. Every ritual has a name and its name gathers the masses under one roof. SS (SchutzStaffel), REICH (Hitler’s all German Ideal of gathering speaking communities under one roof), LEBENSRAUM (For the Master-Race The Idea of creating a living space) are examples of these conceptualizations.
IMAGE
Each autocrat’s image is unique and varies according to the audience he wants to control. Autocrats’ appearance does not easily change over decades. Same hair and beard order, use of accessories are seen. An autocrat wants to keep first public appearance, and that first date. It is prepared carefully for the moment. Autocrats skillfully use propaganda tools to reflect their images.
When you look at the examples of dictators around the world, you will see that they use all of these skills. Where is the knowledge in this? The only weapon that can reveal all these methods used by dictators who want to control the masses is knowledge.
With the texts Gnostics wrote, the Gnostics revealed that the concept of religion was not what the Catholics said. His books were banned because Einstein showed that a single superior race was not suitable for evolution and that the concept of the superior race was an illusion. Classical music was banned because children who grew up with classical music questioned the cases more. The Library of Alexandria was burned to destroy cultural heritage, because if the legacy continued, the desired manipulation would not have happened. Why was Bruno burned because he said the universe was infinite? Hence the inquisition courts of the time, everything was created for the world and the reflection of the god was the priests. All these people who waged war on knowledge in the past were aware of the power of knowledge as it is today. Their image and order were threatened by knowledge.
What happened today is not much different from what happened in the past. Knowledge is now easily spread on the internet. Interaction in the world increases with the internet. Something that is at one end of the world can easily be learned by people on the other side of the world. This unpreventable speed of the internet frightens dictators around the world. Because the things that are hidden by those who want to manipulate the public are easily revealed and can spread with the internet. When a parliamentarian in Europe lies, an Indian citizen can expose the parliamentarian’s lie. The dangers of a censorship law negotiated in the United States can be exposed by Australian activists. War crimes can be broadcasted to the world by brave journalists and people, along with the Internet. Autocrats are no longer able to create their images as they used to, they cannot easily manipulate the public with lies, or easily play word games. For the groups who want to control the people, there is only one thing left to do: Control and censor the internet.
For all these reasons listed above, dictators are now targeting the internet, not the real libraries.
More than 54 percent of the world’s population (more than 4.1 billion people) uses the internet. If this opportunity is used correctly, it means a great power. People can now hear more from each other and can support each other. As we all know, the most important tool of politics and politicians is a lie. It is to direct the people with lies. The proliferation of the Internet can take away their most powerful weapon.
Let’s explain how countries are trying to influence the internet:
There isn’t anything North Korea doesn’t heavily censor thanks to its iron grip over the entire internet. Users are unable to use social media, watch porn, or use torrents or VPNs.
In China, Western social media is blocked, while political media is heavily restricted. Journalists often face severe prison sentences if they publish anything that goes against the government. All privately-owned media is tightly controlled by the Communist Party and foreign journalists frequently find themselves in dangerous situations. According to Reporters Without Borders’ latest report, over 120 bloggers and journalists are currently imprisoned in life-threatening conditions. The country has a small army (upwards of 50,000 people) monitoring internet activity at all times.
Russia blocks torrenting sites and VPNs. Some social media sites are also accessible but these too are heavily monitored and controlled.
News media is heavily censored in Iran. Iran also blocks VPNs. The punishment for spreading knowledge which is anti-Iranian government is often execution.
Turkmenistan blocks social media.
In Belarus, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Eritrea, political media is also heavily censored. The internet is heavily monitored and alternative media are almost not allowed. Turkey’s swelling blacklist of 100,000 websites, coupled with harsh penalties for any whiff of anti-government sentiment, have created an extremely restrictive environment for Turkish internet users.
Quite a few countries block social networks during elections. This is often the case in Africa with Mauritania recently disrupting connectivity following a disputed election. Ethiopia also shut down the internet during national exams to curb cheating, while Somalia banned social media when exams were taking place in high schools across the country.
In Chad, a 16-month social media ban finally came to an end in July 2019. The reason for the ban was “national security.”
The United States threatens anyone who reports against USA, wherever in the world, and asks its own technology companies to provide citizens’ information.
Almost no content that the government does not want is published on the internet in Vietnam.
The European Union is already implementing many censorship laws under the name of national security and working with private data companies.
We all know how dirty things have been in the past of all the countries listed above.
Half of all countries in the world want to control the internet. The remaining half have limited access to the internet anyway. A big part of the world’s population access an internet that is at least partially censored. While there is a big increase in the rate of censorship, there has been a decline in the technological advancement of the internet.
The Internet is a free space where you can easily spread knowledge. People can teach each other new things on the internet. Ideas are exchanged and discussed over the internet. For those who do not want their lies to be revealed, who want to exploit citizens for their own interests and who want to deceive people with false images, the internet will of course be the biggest danger.
The biggest enemy of a false perception, a false concept, a false image and a false word is knowledge. | https://medium.com/@annymsphnx/autocrats-enemy-is-knowledge-309ea9678fed | ['Anonymous Phoenix'] | 2020-12-20 21:09:56.275000+00:00 | ['Knowledge', 'Internet', 'Censorship', 'Autocracy', 'Dictatorship'] |
J B Fashion Plain Imported Fabric Women Top with 3/4th Sleeves for Fancy top,Stylish top, Casual… | J B Fashion Plain Imported Fabric Women Top with 3/4th Sleeves for Fancy top,Stylish top, Casual Wear Top for Women/Girls Top
👉.......TO GET CLICK HERE.......👈
Care Instructions: Dry Clean Only
Fit Type: Regular Fit
Fabric : Polyester
Color :Blue
Sleeve Type :3/4 Sleeve
S , M , L size are available
Wash Care : first wash is dry clean after that use machine wash or hand wash
Product description
Fabric : Polyster fitting type : regular fit, DISCLAIMER: The images shown are for representational purposes only. Please note that the colour of the product may slightly vary in comparison to the picture shown on the website due to various reasons which may include different lighting and devices during photo-shoot and also the colour settings and resolution of your own monitor screen. It is also important to note that we thrive to bring you the best, but, there may be a little difference in terms of fabric and colour. Wash Care: The Dry clean is recommended.
👉.......TO GET CLICK HERE.......👈 | https://medium.com/@yashwagh1315/j-b-fashion-plain-imported-fabric-women-top-with-3-4th-sleeves-for-fancy-top-stylish-top-casual-db4f36a8a6e6 | [] | 2021-02-02 11:27:52.026000+00:00 | ['Amazon', 'Fashionblogger', 'Discount', 'Deal', 'Fashion'] |
Multisignature Wallet for ETH and ERC20 Tokens | We have created an extended version of Multisignature Wallet dApp. This wallet is applicable not only for Ether, but also for ERC20 tokens. Try it now in our Marketplace.
New Multisignature Wallet creating
If you need to use Ether and ERC20 tokens in your wallet — this solution is for you. If you need a wallet only for Ether, it’s better for you to create an older version of the Multisignature Wallet dApp, because it needs less Gas for creation.
New Multisignature Wallet interface
For using your ERC20 tokens in your multisignature wallet you need to send them directly to the Wallet address and then add them in the Wallet interface by entering the token’s smart contract address.
Adding tokens and tokens list
The mechanism of sending multisignature transactions with tokens is the same with sending Ether. One of the wallet’s owners creates a transaction, and then it must be approved by neccessary number of owners, then transaction is able to be sent.
Token sending transaction
Try it now on https://dappbuilder.io/builder
Or watch the code on https://github.com/DAPPBUILDER/dApp-Builder
Stay in touch for for updates via | https://medium.com/ethereum-dapp-builder/multisignature-wallet-for-eth-and-erc20-tokens-d0cc2e0a4c82 | ['Dapp Builder Team'] | 2018-09-27 12:11:03.288000+00:00 | ['Token', 'Ethereum', 'Development', 'ICO', 'Blockchain'] |
Take a magical edge with you to court. | Win Court Case or Get favorable judgment (or verdict)
Get Favorable Court Rulings
Whether you are the person who filed the case (the “plaintiff”) or the defendant, you should reread the complaint. This is the document that the judge will have in front of him or her. S/he will be looking for an explanation of all of the items noted in the complaint. Your first task is to prove (or disprove, if you are the defendant) what was alleged in the complaint.
Once you are started, your story will flow easily, especially if you have a few notes in outline form and your documents are organized in the order you plan to mention them. Indicate on your notes which documents you have to prove which point. You may want to number your documents to help you keep track of them.
court is a place where some look to level the playing field against individuals, businesses, or partnerships that have wronged them in the past. Thousands of Americans end up there each year. Many people cannot afford the cost of a lawyer to ensure a solid case and as a result, are left out in the cold. whether you can afford an attorney or not, you definitely need higher powers in your corner.
Our Spells have helped many of our clients gain the upper hand in court proceedings and have success in legal battles. We can help regardless of whatever legal issues you are dealing with and or help you overcome whatever type of charge you’re accused of.
These spells can influence everything about your case and in the courtroom.
Spells can be used to maximize your ability to win your Small Claims Court case — whether you’re a plaintiff or a defendant. in all cases, one party wins and the other party loses. Unfortunately, there’s no way anyone can guarantee that you’ll win any given case.
But if you are well- prepared, well-dressed, courteous prompt and ordered this spell, you will have done everything within your power to enable you to win.
Spell to win in court
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#tree_magic #trending #trip #truehappiness #truelove #trulyblessed #tshirtlover #tuesdaymotivation
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#vitamind #vmysticmessenger #voodoo #voodoo13 #voodoobar #voodooblue #voodoochild | https://medium.com/spiritual-truth/take-a-magical-edge-with-you-to-court-8e04739ea272 | ['Shiloh Cyrus'] | 2020-12-11 18:36:49.282000+00:00 | ['Witchcraft', 'Courts', 'Spells', 'Magic', 'Legal'] |
The at home gel manicure | I have been successfully doing my own gel manicure and pedicures for roughly 4 years. This at home ritual has saved me time and money on frequent trips to the nail salon. Now I know that the trip to the nail salon is a treat and a time for you to sit and relax. In the light of recent world events, those luxuries are momentarily unavailable. However, just because we are all stuck at home does not mean we have to go without groomed nails. All it takes is a quick run to the drug store or a few clicks on online to get the tools you need for your at home nail service.
Sally Hansen Pro Gel Kit
Photo from Walgreens website
The Sally Hansen Pro Gel Kit is available at Ulta Beauty, CVS or Walgreens. This gel kit comes with everything you need to give yourself the perfect at home gel manicure or pedicure. In this kit you will get; a 6 watt LED lamp, 10 nail cleanser pads, acetone remover, wooden cuticle stick, nail file, base coat, nail color and top coat. It is available in two different color red my lips or shell we dance. As for pricing this kit varies in price depending on where it is purchased. Pricing ranges from $38.79–59.99.
Gel nail polish colors
Photo from CVS website
If you start to become a pro at doing your nails at home, you may want to add a few more colors to your collection. Sally Hansen does sell a variety of gel colors, which can be purchased online ( Amazon, Ulta, CVS or Walgreens) or you can purchase in person at the drug store. You can expect to spend around $13 per color.
Photo from Ulta beauty website
A personal favorite of mine is the Red carpet nails brand. This gel polish can be purchased at Ulta beauty online for $9.99. They have an extremely wide range of colors to choose from. On Ulta’s website they categorize each color by collection, for example they have “Blue, green and yellow LED gel polish collection”. I enjoy this feature because, it groups like colors together making it a little more simpler to choose a specific color/tone.
Additional tools (optional)
This is a list of extra manicuring tools that may be useful.
- Nail clippers
- Cuticle nippers
- Cuticle pusher
- Buffing block
- Nail file
- Foot file also called a pedi egg or callus remover ( removes dry skin and calluses)
- Alcohol or alcohol prep pads ( clean nails before and after polishing)
- Toe nail separators ( or you can use a folded tissue/ paper towels)
There you have it! Everything you need to give yourself the perfect at home gel manicure and pedicure. These products have worked so well for me over the years. Not only has this small investment saved me so much money, but I actually really enjoy doing my own nails. I know this may sound bizarre to some people who are avid nail salon goers. Several years ago, I religiously went to to get my nails done every two weeks ( I had acrylic nails for 8 years). Now I enjoy having the ability to do my own gel nails at home and it is just another step in my at home self care routine. Personally, my gel nail manicure lasts about two weeks and my pedicure I can leave for about a month. You will most definitely get the longevity of a salon manicure and if you happen to chip a nail, you can easily/ quickly fix it yourself. The at home manicure may not be for everyone, but it is definitely worth giving a try while nail salons are not available. | https://medium.com/@feliciatricome/the-at-home-gel-manicure-511a1eb7d0c8 | ['Felicia Tricome'] | 2020-12-26 01:52:42.974000+00:00 | ['Nails', 'Manicure', 'Quarantine', 'Beauty', 'Self Love'] |
Upgrade your TV speakers with this Sony S100F soundbar for under $100 | In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity (Albert Einstein) | https://medium.com/@cody01734611/upgrade-your-tv-speakers-with-this-sony-s100f-soundbar-for-under-100-a44944be7d03 | [] | 2020-12-23 06:51:39.666000+00:00 | ['Internet', 'Surveillance', 'Entertainment', 'Connected Home'] |
Portfolio redesign with accessibility as a top priority | A Whole New Portfolio
Now that I knew more about the potential pain points and barriers that some of my users might be facing, I took an in-depth look at my portfolio, made a list of changes I wanted to make, and did a complete portfolio overhaul. Luckily, I had been working at my new job as a web designer and builder so I had a few more design and front-end skills.
Before : check it out
I know that my portfolio has a long way to go to be perfectly accessible. I used what I learned in my courses and the evaluation of my website from WAVE web accessibility tool to guide my process but there are still things I am not sure how to do such as make sure my website allows for keyboard interactions. Here is a description, however, of the changes I did make.
Changes
1. Of course I had to change my color palette. I had to redeem myself in Josh’s eyes. According to Accessibility for Web Design, meaningful text should have a contrast ratio of 4.5:1 or higher and large or bold text should have a contrast ratio of 3:1. My heading have a ratio of 17.5:1 and my body font has a ratio of 5.9: 1 on most pages and a ratio of 16:1 on blog pages since the text is in larger chunks and requires a higher cognitive load to process. My primary red color which is used for buttons and subheadings has a contrast of 3.6:1 or a AA+ rating according to the Apple Contrast app I installed to frequently check my designs.
2. I intentionally created large target areas and made sure their was space between target areas so that precision would not be an issue when my users need to click or choose important targets.
3. I went through all of my images and made sure that there was meaningful alternative text assigned to each one.
4. I created a site structure that included logical orders of headings and divs which is helpful for E-readers.
5. I changed my messaging form so that it had permanent labels instead of placeholder text that disappeared which helps for anyone that has memory issues, attention issues, or is simply pulled away temporarily from completing a task.
6. I wanted to add animations to my site because I think they really add a lot of life to a website BUT I made sure that my site did not rely on animations or that any animations were necessary for a task to be completed. I also made sure that they were subtle and were stateful with a logical start and end state. This is helpful for anyone with vestibular disorder reactions.
7. For my blog and case study feed I made the entire section a clickable link instead of creating a small clickable link area- this way it takes less precision to get to my UX Writing section.
8. I made sure that each of my buttons had an intention hover, focus, and active state. This helps with E-readers as well.
9. I created separate, specific page titles so that navigating through the site for E-readers and in general would be easier.
10. I chose a high legibility font for anyone with disorders such as dyslexia.
11. I made sure there were Aria labels present for buttons that did not have any textual representation. | https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/portfolio-redesign-with-accessibility-as-a-top-priority-6b19d94b28d3 | ['Katy Wellington'] | 2020-12-22 03:09:25.910000+00:00 | ['UX Design', 'Web Design', 'Design', 'Accessibility', 'Portfolio'] |
Flash Loans a Secure and Generalised Approach | You could say that Flash Loans are the latest and most bespoke new DeFi money lego on the block. The use cases of this new financial primitive are endless. And we’ve seen some pretty cool stuff being built with it.
What is a Flash Loan?
A flash loan allows you to borrow an asset without the need for collateral. You can do whatever you like with the asset as long as you return it within the same transaction. This allows you to perform arbitrage, refinance your cdps or perform some clever manipulations of protocols that rely on spot prices of decentralised exchanges.
Why would you offer them?
You might ask yourself: Why would I Flash Loan my assets to someone and expose my funds to extra smart contract risk?
The answer is very simple. When a borrower Flash Loans from a liquidity pool they have to pay some fees when returning the funds. This generates some nice extra revenue for depositors on funds which would otherwise sit idle.
Aave is one of the biggest liquidity pools that currently supports Flash Loans and the main driver behind their recent popularity.
Current implementations
Most current implementations I’ve seen work in the following way.
Liquidity pool contract gets called. Liquidity pool sends borrowed funds to Flash Loan recipient. Liquidity pool calls callback defined by caller on the recipient. And the contract executes its magic with the borrowed funds and sends the funds back to the liquidity pool. Liquidity pool checks if the balance is equal or greater than the old balance plus fees and reverts if not.
At first sight this sounds good right? The contract lends the funds and at the end of the transaction checks if it received enough funds back.
But it’s not that simple. What if a contract flash borrows 1 token and immediately deposits this1 token plus fee into its own account in the same liquidity pool? As far as the liquidity pool knows the balance is correct and all money is where it should be.
Luckily the contracts which I inspected don’t have this issue as they use reentry protection to prevent calling back into itself in the same transaction.
I do think however that it is easy to forgot reentry modifiers and they should be used as a failsafe for coding mistakes and not a main security check.
I also think smart contracts should have as little responsibilities as possible (preferably one) and one novel feature should not be heavily coupled to systems like money markets.
Solution
When a contract offers Flash Loans you want to be certain that the funds plus fees are send back to the contract before the end of the transaction.
For security reasons you should not imply that funds have been actually returned after a smart contract call by only looking at the balances at the end of a transaction. In my opinion it is much more secure to explicitly send funds back to the liquidity pool by the Flash Loan contract and separate the functionality of the Flash Loans out of the liquidity pools themselves.
Separating the Flash Loan contract from the source of liquidity also allows any address or smart contract to lend out funds without much or any modifications.
The smart contract interactions would work in the following way:
Setup:
Smart contract or EOA grants unlimited allowance for the asset it wants to flash lend to the Flash Loan contract.
Flash Loan:
Flash Loan contract gets called. Flash Loan contract transfers funds from liquidity source to flash loan recipient. Flash Loan contract calls callback defined by caller on the recipient. And the contract executes its magic with the borrowed funds and sends the funds back to the Flash Loan contract. Flash Loan contract expects loan plus fee to be returned and does a transfer of this amount and reverts if the transfer fails.
Implementation
I’ve written a quick untested implementation which you can find here. Feel free to open a PR to improve it. | https://medium.com/piedao/flash-loans-a-secure-and-generic-approach-e9adf344cc8b | ['Mick De Graaf'] | 2020-03-07 18:03:01.947000+00:00 | ['Ethereum', 'Smart Contracts', 'Defi', 'Erc20', 'Solidity'] |
Elon Musk and company have officially departed for greener pastures in Texas. | Silicon Valley has long been the hub of the world’s tech industry giants, dating as far back as 1938, the same year Superman was debuted to the world, when Bill Hewlett and David Packard sold their first audio oscillator to Walt Disney. Disney would go on to use the oscillators to test audio equipment when Fantasia first hit theaters in 1940.
Fast forward 80 years, and the Silicon Valley trendsetter is joining the founder of SpaceX for the same greener pastures, having recently broke ground for a new 440,000-square-foot campus in two five-story buildings in the Houston suburb of Spring. The campus is set for completion in 2022.
On Friday, Oracle, the database software goliath announced plans to join them, saying it will relocate its headquarters to Austin.
According to the Austin Chamber of Commerce, as of November, 39 companies now call Austin, TX their new home, including SignEasy, QuestionPro and DZS who all made the move in the past 12 months. What makes HPE's decision an especially hard pill to swallow for a California economy that is all of a sudden losing ground to it's Texas rival isn't just it's "founder of Silicone Valley" status, but the cool $7.2 billion in sales in Q3 they're taking with them to the Lone Star State, forever.
This mass "tech exodus", or "techxit" can be traced back to a whole host of reasons, be it tax-benefit related, better business climate, reasons pertaining to Covid-19 restrictions, hostility toward businesses, high utility and labor costs, punitive regulations and worrisome housing affordability for employees. Either way, this "techxit" movement has been under way for more than a decade. Roughly 660 California companies moved 765 facilities out of state in 2018 and 2019. Based off what we have seen in recent years, this trend will only continue, as it has in 2020.
Many will go on to say that the reason for so many high-profile millionaires and billion-dollar corporations to pick up and leave is because of the current world pandemic. That's hardly the case however.
Texas is the number one destination for companies leaving California for the past 12 years. This is a statistical fact, not opinion. Covid-19 may have simply hastened the decision for these companies to move on earlier than expected. Couple this with the fact that many employees are now becoming comfortable with their new-found work-from-home situations and are more than likely earning the same paychecks. Several tech firms have said they'll give employees the option to permanently work from home even after the pandemic ends, making residing in one of the worlds most expensive places to live and work in, easier to vacate. I have a friend that is moving to Nashville in 2021 because the internet marketing company she works for in Los Angeles gave her the option to work from home even when things go back to some semblance of normalcy.
California is still by far the largest economy in the US, and will remain so for the foreseeable future indeed. | https://medium.com/@luvmybraves/elon-musk-and-company-have-officially-departed-for-greener-pastures-in-texas-a07d434ec9fa | ['Brandon Beattie'] | 2020-12-18 22:01:28.816000+00:00 | ['Elon Musk', 'Tesla', 'Oracle', 'Texas', 'Silicon Valley'] |
More Than $1K Worth of Clothes I’ll Never Wear Again | by Emily Gould
I’ve tried to write the first sentence of this post about a hundred times now and it’s proving very difficult; it turns out money matters are incredibly hard to talk about. I think we found a taboo, you guys! Imagine: even here, in this adult-diapered medium, there’s a last bastion of self-revelation that’s untouched. I’m just stalling now basically. Okay, (deep breath) here goes.
In 2008 I got a book advance of $200,000, of which my agent took 15% and the IRS took approximately one-fourth. Still, that’s a lot of money, even paid out in quarters over the course of several years, and for a few months after I got that initial check — for the first time in my adult life — I mistakenly assumed that I didn’t have to keep track of how much money I was spending. Because surely this good fortune was the beginning of more good fortune to come!
There would be foreign rights sales, audio rights sales, fat old-school magazine payments for first serial rights when the book came out, maybe a film or TV option — not to mention all the paid teaching and speaking opportunities that having written the kind of book that a publisher would pay a six-figure advance for would undoubtedly bring my way. And then, too, there would be another payment of the same amount or more money for another book, a book I couldn’t quite imagine and hadn’t even started writing, but would definitely be able to write in a year or less after the first book came out because what was I, lazy? No, I was quick, quick like a blogger!
Without whining or belaboring, I will just say briefly that precisely zero of these rosy fantasies came to fruition. Other stuff happened, maybe better stuff in the long run, who knows. My publisher, I’m sure, did the best it could. My book did the best it could. The U.S. economy did the best it could, or something. Please don’t imagine a pathetic little violin solo here. I’m not asking for sympathy, I know I’ve been lucky. I’m just saying, if you ever find yourself in a similar position — and indeed, a few of you undoubtedly will! — here are some simple rules to follow, all of which I broke.
1. Don’t live alone in New York City unless you have a full-time, high-paying job and plans to keep it for the forseeable future!
2. Don’t pay for your own health insurance!
3. No international travel, even if your boyfriend is living abroad for a year!
4. No therapy!
5. Don’t do yoga teacher training, it is so expensive and you will never make any money as a yoga teacher!
But wait, actually, you know what? I’m glad I violated all of those rules. My year of working on my book pretty much exclusively while sometimes flying back and forth to Moscow and going to therapy all while renting my own apartment where I could have the furniture and stuff arranged any way I liked and if there were messes they were all mine — that experience was priceless. Well, it wasn’t priceless — I know exactly how much it cost (see above). And it sucks to have spent all that money and to be broker than a joker now. But if I had it to do over, I wouldn’t do anything differently… except for one thing.
I WOULD NOT BUY ANY CLOTHES. NOT ANY. ZERO CLOTHES.
Owning my mistakes and ne regretteing rien is kind of my “thing,” but these garments are the exception. Some of these items were mistakes from the moment I walked up to the register. Others just wore out their welcome, or have context associated with them I can’t stomach now.
Also, I should state upfront, I have worn a thrifted button-down shirt or, in the summertime, an American Apparel t-shirt and the same pair of jeans or cutoff jean-shorts almost every single day for the past six years, so what I thought I was doing buying any of this gear is very mysterious. Like for example:
Who doesn’t need a leather vest? Oh wait, I know: everyone. Everyone doesn’t need a leather vest. This is from that teenager store “LF” and it cost, oh god. I think it cost $200. I wasn’t hankering after a leather vest for weeks or anything either, I just saw it, tried it on, it looked good over whatever I was wearing that day or the mirror was really flattering or something, and I bought it. Almost immediately afterwards I realized that zero of my outfits were improved by a leather vest and also this particular vest was, maybe because I bought it at a teenager store, an appropriate size for a teenager. A small teenager. With a small ribcage. I want to keep my financial dysmorphia as separate as possible from my body dysmorphia but I will just say that it wasn’t until I saw a photo of myself wearing it — a photo taken by someone I don’t know during a panel I moderated at the Brooklyn Book Festival, which perhaps that selfsame helpful anonymous Internet person has submitted for use alongside my Wikipedia entry‚ that I realized: wearing an undersized leather vest makes a person look HELL OF LARDY.
(I know that I am not fat, but some clothing is more flattering than other clothing, and if we can’t speak frankly about that then we should just call it a day right now.)
Related: this dress. I bought it in anticipation of a holiday party, towards the end of my year of plausible potential-nonbrokeness, and I guess I wanted to send a message with it along the lines of: I can afford a nice dress. Unfortunately the high waist of this dress bisects the broadest part of my giant ribcage and blouses out right below it. A person with small shoulders and a tiny natural waist, aka the inverse of my body type, would look great in this dress. “Are you sure you should be drinking that?” said someone at the holiday party, pointing to the glass of wine in my hand. It took me a minute to realize that what she was implying wasn’t that I was drunk, but that I was pregnant.
I was not pregnant. I never wore this dress again. It cost probably around $300.
Wool cheerleader skirt from Opening Ceremony, more than $100. Because a wool cheerleader skirt is a totally appropriate thing for an adult to own. “Simple Basics for Winter: A Wool Cheerleader Skirt,” Lucky magazine does not ever say. I blame this one on going shopping with rich enablers, lovely but irresponsible people who also encouraged me, during the same shopping trip, to purchase a 3.1 Philip Lim cashmere sweater-blouse that was adorable and genuinely luxurious and which I left hanging in an inadequately defended closet, the result being that it was consumed almost 100% by moths. The moths refused to eat this skirt. We can only assume that they held it in contempt.
It’s also too small for me, but that seems besides the point.
This ethereal little number was purchased for the purpose of wearing to a good friend’s wedding, a wedding I had some trepidation about attending because my ex-boyfriend is even better friends with this good friend than I am and I was 100% sure that he would be there. He was not there. Also it was unexpectedly cold and rainy in spite of being a summertime outdoor wedding so I wore a jacket over this filmy sex-dress the whole time anyway.
Just looking at this dress now reminds me of how stupid I was to go shopping in anticipation of seeing someone I never wanted to see again. Also in retrospect it’s so obvious that this is not my style. Flowy, filmy, witchy sleeves are a perfect physical representation of the kind of girl I used to think I was, that mysterious, ringing-like-a-bell-through-the-night type. Wouldn’t you love to love her?
In a way it’s a relief to know myself better now and to know that I’m not a filmy wispy person. However, this dress cost $250 and I will never wear it again.
I wore this objectively awesome floral Betsey Johnson dress, a reissue of a classic Betsey style, to a lot of my book release events and readings and such. I bought it because it matches my book jacket. I also wore it in this cute photo. During all of those events I was nervous and I sweated a lot and now the dress, which is white, has yellow marks in the underarms that have thus far resisted all attempts at laundering (paging A Clean Person, kind of, but I’m pretty sure it’s hopeless).
Want to buy this dress? I’m pretty sure it’s historic. I am going to say it originally cost $250 but, shudder, I think that’s actually a low-end estimate.
Why can’t I wear it again, you ask? Uh, why can’t you wear your wedding dress again, jerk?! (Also the sweatstains.)
Oh and it made total sense to also buy the shirt version of this garment. Sure! Why not.
Some other sundry purchases, not pictured here because I’ve already found a way to destroy or misplace them, include a pair of jeans bought at my anxious thinnest that for a hot minute I tried to alter by slitting the waistband in the back and a pair of No. 9 clogs that I had custom-made in red patent leather in a fit of amnesia about my inability to wear high-heeled shoes of any nature (I gave them away at a clothing swap). And there’s probably other stuff that, mercifully, I’m blocking.
I’m telling you about this in the hope that someone out there might be able to learn from my mistakes. Or, if you’re a size 6 or thereabouts, you also have the option of wearing them. Make me an offer!
Emily Gould would just like to point out that $200K is not very much money at all when you think about, for example, what some publisher paid for sTORItelling. Top Photo Credit: flickr/fullyreclined | https://medium.com/the-billfold/more-than-1k-worth-of-clothes-i-ll-never-wear-again-bea70eb8a64 | ['The Billfold'] | 2015-12-20 00:07:26.252000+00:00 | ['Clothes', 'Book Advances', 'Editors Pick'] |
2020: Year of virtual collaboration | Virtual lunch chat with ConvAI team. Faces seen here are in different parts of Washington (USA) and Amsterdam (Netherland) virtually together in Teams (Dec 2020)
Lunch Hour @ work
What a lunch session looks like for folks in America & Europe! Connected from our homes, projected by how close we are to our screens, some faces appear big, some small, some in dark, while some enjoying the eternal sunshine :). I have not met a single person in this team yet!
STCA (Software Technology Center Asia) team in China (Nov 2020)
Team meeting @ work
Took a screenshot of our China team sitting together in one big conference room, while the American counterparts were still working from their homes. It was refreshing to see people together, sharing food, sitting next to each other, without masks. I am sure the amount of precaution taken and kind of testing that must have happened for these guys to come together is mind boggling!
Virtual origami session with friends (Sept 2020)
Catching up with friends
A couple of my friends decided to catch-up while making some origami. While it was day time for me, my friends in India were joining during their night. This picture is of the final outcome of the “star” that we made. It took us over 2 hours, seeing instruction on the YouTube video, sharing tricks with each other, trying to see how the other person figured it out. Virtual origami is much harder than doing it together…and thus our faces look so happy when we finally managed to pull it through! | https://medium.com/@jaskeeratbedi/2020-year-of-virtual-collaboration-8a6f5640ddd1 | ['Jaskeerat Bedi'] | 2020-12-23 21:19:25.499000+00:00 | ['Virtual Collaboration', 'Work From Home', '2020'] |
Unroll.Me’s Guide to Avoiding New Year’s Resolution Nightmares | New Year’s resolutions have the propensity for eliciting a collective “sigh”, swiftly identifying the universal complexity that while resolutions are fantastic tools for spearheading goals, they can also become vastly disappointing ventures that inevitably end in frustration. Setting out with the best of intentions, we regularly make bold declarations throughout the month of December, only to throw in the towel by March of the following year, vowing to never partake in the timeless tradition of creating New Year’s resolutions ever again. Much like achieving any other goal, the road to sticking to resolutions can often be difficult, require consistent motivation, and perhaps eventual tweaking of the initial goals. However, with a few simple considerations, you can avoid the pitfalls, nightmares, and potential downfalls often associated with resolutions. After all, a new year signifies another opportunity to get it right!
Mistake 1: Creating Unrealistic Goals
While the seemingly innocent goal of “getting into better physical shape” may appear innocuous enough, it is too vague to ever truly be achievable, and too open-ended to avoid becoming unrealistic. In either direction, opportunity exists for continued disappointment, frustration, and the inevitable desire to forgo the journey altogether. Thus, by focusing on tangible, relatively realistic goals, you can avoid the pitfalls of creating unrealistic goals, or goals without tangible milestones. In the case of fitness enthusiasts, perhaps this goal can equate to starting a particular exercise regimen, or committing to exercising four days per week, rather than unrealistically hoping to shed unrealistic amounts of weight throughout a short span of time, or gaining a celebrity’s physique.
Similarly, this concept expands further than the confines of health and wellness related resolutions. In all areas of self-betterment and improvement, creating realistic and attainable goals is crucial toward starting off on the path to goals that can feel appropriately at the end of the finish line, rather than a merely hopeful mirage. In the same vein, creating goals with a tangible finish line, value, or other discernible marker, with various milestones to be celebrated along the way, will prevent the resolution from being a chase into the future without a dangling carrot.
Mistake 2: Not Implementing Aide
While motivation and commitment certainly must come from within, utilizing the assistance of various tools renders resolutions much more manageable, streamlined, and accessible. From utilizing organizational tools, calendars, and to-do lists to maintain streamlined organization and focus, to using apps and tech developments to track progress, organize thoughts, and streamline processes, there are vast bounties of resolution-helpers ready to assist in every arena.
Where organization and decluttering is key, Unroll.Me can be a pivotal tool to spearheading success. By allowing you to get rid of unwanted email subscriptions, many of which could be detrimental to achieving financial, health, and wellness related goals, we give you the power to create an email solution most conducive to your unique needs. After eliminating unwanted email subscriptions, we offer users the ability to keep important emails within their traditional inbox, and select other emails conducive to overall success of resolutions to be delivered in an aesthetically beautiful bespoke digest, called The RollUp. Delivered once daily, within the confines of the most productive time period, the daily RollUp provides a calming, organized, and effective inbox browsing experience that is perfect for garnering the collateral and content needed to effectively pursue resolutions.
With countless apps and tech resources available to benefit you in every facet of the resolution process, implementing tech as an aide is a thoroughly modern way of minimizing the negative effects of attempting large scale goals without any assistance. Not only will these aides provide useful services, and harness the benefits of organization, they will allow you to feel “on top” of your resolutions, with constant tracking, access to view progress, and tangible tips and tricks for betterment.
Mistake 3: Giving Up Too Early
While resolutions, or any other life goals, may not always be easy, one of the biggest mistakes is throwing in the towel prematurely. When faced with adversity, or feelings of defeat, it sometimes may feel easier to quit, even if the easier portion of the proverbial climb is just up ahead. For many people, resolutions require commitment, dedication, and allotment of precious time toward the achievement of specific goals, and the garnering of tangible results. Thus, without seeing these results manifested throughout an expected time frame, as is often the case with fitness goals, people may become disenchanted, and feel like they’ll never see results, creating a strong argument for quitting their efforts. However, giving up too early on resolutions is the only surefire way to eliminate the potential of success.
Through the development of daily goals and tasks, you can recognize small movements in the right direction, rendering quitting an option no longer viable. By giving weight to even the smallest movements forward, you can recognize the benefits of continued activity, and be less likely to quit prematurely. Through self-talk and actualization, you can also work to recognize that lifestyle changes, financial changes, and many other goals generate results on a steady, but long-term timeline. Thus, by creating realistic expectations, the desire to quit may diminish.
Mistake 4: Going At It Alone
Humans are social creatures by nature, and experience many similar feelings, thoughts, and anxieties, regardless of age, location, or experience. Thus, not relying on a supportive community, and choosing to internalize goals, may be sabotaging success. By eliminating feelings of isolation, and garnering a positive support system, you can harness the communal power of positive thinking, and benefit from the encouragement, camaraderie, and compassion of others. For those seeking somewhat anonymous encouragement, various apps and websites provide users with the ability to share goals, resolutions, and progress with each other, setting incentives and goals for like-minded users. From fitness trackers that inspire the spirit of community through giving digital thumbs up to fellow individuals for completing fitness regimens, to online message boards lending honest feedback regarding savings methods, there are a slew of online communities that instill the value of communal goal sharing, and empowerment.
With these top potential pitfalls related to New Year’s resolutions identified, there is hope in working to overcome the most common mistakes! By following a few tips to overcome traditional pitfalls, you can maintain the motivation, drive, and commitment needed to turn potential resolution nightmares into successful endeavor | https://medium.com/@unrollmeapp/unroll-mes-guide-to-avoiding-new-year-s-resolution-nightmares-d3a738afcf1c | ['Unroll Me'] | 2020-01-14 20:50:44.351000+00:00 | ['Productivity', 'Unroll Me', 'Goals', 'New Years Resolutions'] |
Not Fit to Breed? Forced Sterilization Is Not New In America. | On Monday, a whistle blower and former nurse at a Georgia ICE detention center accused a doctor of forcibly sterilizing immigrant women.
According to the whistle blower, the ICDC consistently used a particular gynecologist who almost always opted to remove all or part of the uterus of female detainee patients.
He has a nickname, that gynecologist.
They call him the uterus collector.
Omg, is America becoming fascist?
News outlets and bloggers are shocked, wondering aloud if America is becoming like the Nazis.
Surely, you jest.
America is not becoming like the Nazis. America inspired the Nazis.
I wish I was kidding. It makes me a little sick to say it.
But the truth doesn’t care what anyone thinks of it.
By the end of World War II, over 400,000 people had been forcibly sterilized under German Eugenics laws.
When the issue of forced sterilization was brought up at the Nuremberg trials, Nazis defended their actions and their eugenics laws by saying they had only taken inspiration from the United States.
Eugenics. Made in America
Although the practice of Eugenics and forced sterilization is associated with Nazi Germany and other oppressive regimes, it started in America.
It seems horrible, doesn’t it? Cutting open a woman’s gut and yanking out her uterus and Fallopian tubes. Like some twisted dystopian Atwood novel.
But no. It’s just business as usual in America.
During the U.S. colonization of Puerto Rico, over one-third of women were sterilized. Many were under age 30.
Eugenics wasn’t even legal in America. Yet
Indiana passed the world’s first eugenics sterilization law in 1907 and 31 other US states followed suit.
Eugenics. Born in America.
An excuse for racial extermination…
White elites with strong biases about who was “fit” and “unfit” embraced eugenics, believing American society would be improved by increased breeding of Anglo Saxons and Nordics, whom they assumed had high IQs.
Sound familiar? That’s what Hitler said, too.
America just said it first.
Anyone who didn’t fit the mold of racial perfection, which included most immigrants, Blacks, Indigenous people, poor whites and people with disabilities, became targets of eugenics programs.
Over to 70,000 Americans were forcibly sterilized under Eugenics laws that were originally declared as a way to eradicate “feeblemindedness,” but that really served as a means of racial extermination.
America’s Eugenics program, accepted by the Supreme Court, targeted Black, Native American, Latina, and Puerto Rican women for over a century.
They were deemed unfit to procreate because of “undesirable” traits that should be bred out of future generations.
You know. Like color.
“Undesirable,” of course, was a euphemism for immigrants and anyone who was not white and also happened to be poor and/or mentally ill.
Have you heard anyone use the word “undesirables” lately?
A phrase as American as apple pie.
In California, Latina women of Mexican descent, were sterilized at 59% higher rates than non-Latinas.
In North Carolina, the state performed surgeries on more than 7,600 people between the 1930s and 1970s. 65% were Black women
According to Rutgers historian Johanna Schoen, more than one-third of those sterilized were not even of legal age to buy a drink or vote. The youngest girl sterilized was only nine years old.
The Mississipi Appendectomy!
Forced sterilization of Black women was so common across the South that it was called a “Mississippi appendectomy” because doctors would tell women they needed to get their appendix out, but then sterilize them.
Wealthy white medical students were allowed to “practice” performing a hysterectomy during those Mississippi appendectomies.
Can you even imagine? The doctor you trust tells you that you need to have your appendix out and you wake up with your uterus gone?
In the 1970s, autonomy was for white women…
You might think it would have ended once the Nazis were tried for crimes against humanity and the Nuremberg trials hit global news.
You would be wrong. It did not end.
In the 1970’s, as Roe v. Wade hit the courts and the headlines and granted women bodily autonomy, up to 50% of Native American women who received medical care were forcibly sterilized by the United States government.
Also during the 70s, the Nixon administration increased Medicaid-funded sterilization of low-income Americans, primarily those of color.
The Last Forced Sterilization?
Most of the state Eugenics laws were repealed by the 1970s.
A Supreme Court ruling in the late 1970s said doctors had to fully inform patients of their rights and could not ask for consent for sterilization during childbirth. But the practice continued.
According to historians, the last forced sterilization in U.S. history was performed in Oregon, in 1981
Except, no.
Forced sterilization is still common for women who are incarcerated or otherwise detained. Like in the ICE center. But not just there.
Even though forced hysterectomies were officially banned in California in 1979, 1400 women in California prisons, primarily women of color, were given unwanted sterilizations between 1997 and 2010.
2010. That’s a decade ago.
A Legacy of Inequality…
America was profoundly shaped by the Eugenics Movement. It’s an integral part of the racial inequality that has always existed in America.
All forced sterilizations, regardless of time or place, both then and now — have one thing in common. They dehumanize a subset of the population deemed less worthy by those with privilege.
24 hours after the whistle blower report hit the news, 168 members of Congress sent a letter urging DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to investigate the allegations.
Of course they did.
It’s an election year.
They’re demanding an urgent response and a briefing by September 25.
Of course they are.
It’s an election year.
On September 25, there will be a report. What there won’t be is change. Not unless enough voices demand it. Inequality will continue for as long as we continue to look the other way. | https://medium.com/the-partnered-pen/not-fit-to-breed-forced-sterilization-is-not-new-in-america-6d05eb31310c | ['Linda Caroll'] | 2020-09-17 15:10:24.579000+00:00 | ['Women', 'Feminism', 'History', 'Equality', 'Racism'] |
The Story of Gavin Wood — Founder of Polkadot, Kusama and Ethereum | The Story of Gavin Wood — Founder of Polkadot, Kusama and Ethereum
British Workaholic Programmer — Gavin Wood is a Founder of Polkadot, Kusama and Ethereum. He has put a lot of effort into the development of the crypto industry. Thanks to his competent implementation of a smart contract on Ethereum, thousands of crypto projects have come to life.
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Biography of Gavin Wood
Gavin Wood was born in London in 1980 and was a very diligent child who was drawn to the exact sciences. Then he started to interested in computers and got acquainted with the theory of games. According to his friends, Gavin was a smart guy and always tried to bring all his ideas to life.
Subsequently, his childhood hobbies grew into the creation of his own online games. The most famous is Milton Kaynes. Wood began his studies at the Royal School of Lancaster. After graduation, he entered the University of York, Toronto, majoring in Computer Engineering. At the age of 22, he becomes a master. And three years after graduation, he defends his candidate’s work and receives a doctorate in engineering.
After that, Wood took up teaching, discovered snowboarding. He learned several languages, including Italian, French and even Romanian. He also continued to study programming languages, became interested in photography and taekwondo. He even managed to work for a couple of years as a technical consultant at Microsoft.
In general, Gavin’s life is not as busy as that of the same McAfee. He needs to be given credit that he is able to achieve his goals without any hype or attracting public attention.
Ethereum
By the end of 2013, the British programmer had 15 years of open source programming experience. At one of the conferences, Gavin met Johnny Bitcoin and Vitalik Buterin.
The Story of Gavin Wood — Founder of Polkadot, Kusama and Ethereum
Johnny hoped that Wood’s programming experience would help Buterin transform Ethereum from white paper into a fully functional blockchain.
His hope bore fruit. A few weeks later, Wood joined Buterin in Miami to write PoC-1 Ethereum and present it at the North American Bitcoin Conference in January 2014. At that point in time, Gavin described Ethereum as “one computer for the entire planet” and devoted all his free time to development.
Six months after the conference, the founders met in Switzerland to formally found Ethereum. Buterin justified this choice by the fact that Switzerland has liberal laws in relation to cryptocurrencies and there are many potential investors.
Starting to work on Ethereum, Wood admitted that he doubted whether this project could bring him any profit at all.
Wood co-founded Ethereum and became the first CTO of the project. Soon he offered and helped develop a programming language for writing Solidity smart contracts. In April 2014, Ethereum was already formally described by Gavin Wood in the Yellow Paper, and informally it was called the “next generation of Bitcoin” (or “Bitcoin 2.0”).
In the second half of 2014, an ICO (initial public offering) was announced as a crowdfunding fundraiser for development. The guys managed to collect about 31.5 thousand bitcoins. At that time, this was equal to $ 18.4 million. The amount at that time was very impressive and it was almost impossible to make investors believe in the project at that stage of the development of the crypto market. Then only madmen invested in bitcoin after the hacking of the MtGox exchange.
Surprisingly, Buterin’s creativity was able to find Peter Thiel, a billionaire and one of the founders of PayPal. He invested $ 100 thousand in the project. Ethereum was seriously interested in large banking structures: Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Barclays, and Vitalik Buterin met with employees of Samsung and IBM.
Within two years of the project’s inception, Wood was responsible for ensuring that the design, development, and final launch of Ethereum went well. Many solutions were also found that subsequently allowed the team to bring Ethereum to the global stage and launch the main Ethereum network on July 30, 2015.
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DAO
Everything is pretty good, the project was developing, the team was one of the most successful in the industry. But this is until the moment when, in 2016, on the basis of the Ethereum network, the DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) fund was created — Decentralized Autonomous Organization. Idea of creating such an organization took the best from crowdfunding, hedge funds and decentralized management of many investors, creating something that did not exist before in the crypto world.
Understanding the DAO Concept: A Closed Network that Manages Itself
The DAO Foundation has been an overwhelming success. In less than a month, a group of developers from Slock.it and the main Ethereum team managed to raise more than $ 150 million.
Since there was the source code on the github, many users talked about the platform vulnerability. The developers did not pay much attention to this vulnerability at first. As it turned out, it was very, very in vain: on June 17, 2016, one of the largest attacks in the history of the cryptoindustry took place.
Taking advantage of the vulnerability found, hackers were able to withdraw about a third of all funds in the DAO account. It was about $ 50 million in Ethereum equivalent. There was a general panic.
The Story of Gavin Wood — Founder of Polkadot, Kusama and Ethereum
After the DAO hack, the price of Ethereum survived the halving, dropping by almost 50%.
In one of the interviews that followed, Gavin Wood shared his view of the event. He tried to explain that the problem did not occur with Ethereum, but with one of the applications, and that smart contracts are not embedded in Ethereum.
DAO is an application that sits at the top level of the Ethereum system. Someone attacked the application itself and stole a third of the funds that were generated with its help.
Wood drew an analogy with hacking sites. If a site breaks down, one cannot say that the Internet itself is “broken”.
The events that took place led to the fact that the network was hard forked. The creators had to break the immutability of the blockchain in order to return the stolen funds to users. At the same time, those users who were against the hard fork and believed that it violated the basic principle of decentralization continued to support the original network. This led to the formation of Ethereum Classic.
The Story of Gavin Wood — Founder of Polkadot, Kusama and Ethereum
After leaving Ethereum in 2016, Wood, along with Jutta Steiner of the Ethereum Foundation and several other developers, founded Parity Technologies (formerly known as Ethcore). The company began building an open source infrastructure on the Ethereum network.
Parity has released a free platform with tools including a mining client software, a downloadable wallet, a framework for building blockchains, and a testing framework for new decentralized applications (dapps).
Ethereum quickly began to gain popularity among miners and attracted a huge number of developers.
Wood and his team have always been the main engine of the industry and they strived to move the industry forward.
Later, they coined the term Web 3.0, also known as the decentralized Internet. This led Wood to found soon the Web3 Foundation to support the development of the technologies needed to realize his vision.
As the development of Ethereum 2.0 dragged on, Wood and his core development team determined that building a protocol to connect blockchains to each other was a critical missing link in Web 3.0. This led to the idea of creating the Polkadot project.
Polkadot
The Story of Gavin Wood — Founder of Polkadot, Kusama and Ethereum
In 2016, he wrote his white paper for Polkadot, naming his network after the idea of a pattern with no beginning and no end.
Compared to Ethereum’s Proof of Work mechanism, Polkadot relies on the Proof of Stake mechanism and allows developers to create their own blockchains. They can interact with other ledgers to form a parachain system. Developers can decide what transaction fees to charge and how to quickly confirm blocks of transactions on the network.
This idea led to the fact that they need a lot of funds to implement such a project. Polkadot raised $ 140 million in an ICO in 2017. Unfortunately, history repeated itself as with the DAO.
The money became unavailable after a hacker found security vulnerabilities, ironically in the Parity wallet that Wood helped create. A year later, Polkadot raised another $ 43 million.
Polkadot was followed by other innovative projects such as Substrate. This project sets up a framework that allows users to create their own blockchains.
Another innovation was Kusama in August 2019, the Polkadot canary chain. This project is completely independent from Polkadot. However, it runs on the same software. It is a testing ground “that will allow teams and individual developers to build and deploy parachains, and test Polkadot’s management and distribution functionality in real-world environments.”
Unlike Ethereum, Polkadot allows every user and developer to create their own blockchains. This gives them the freedom to choose the types of fees they charge and how quickly blocks of transactions are confirmed.
As the main developer for Polkadot, Wood has overseen the busy 2020 for the project since launching in May. Things weren’t going well and Wood had to take part in the DOT token denomination, helping the project and the community fight the exchanges that listed “new DOT tokens” before the denomination was completed.
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Kusama
The Story of Gavin Wood — Founder of Polkadot, Kusama and Ethereum
After a year of active development on Polkadot, Gavin finally announced on May 17, 2021 that the Kusama canary network is capable of launching parachains, network chains that allow Polkadot to run different blockchains with different logic, but with shared security. This is a key final test before launching the same update on Polkadot itself. If that happens, it will be the embodiment of Polkadot’s vision, which has been developed since the ICO.
Several parachain auctions have already taken place for Kusama, during which both Karura and the Crowdloan campaign became the winners. It was launched by Acala, was able to deposit more than 491,000 KSM for Karura, worth about $ 93 million.
Moonriver won a parachain slot and is now on the Kusama network thanks to the efforts of the Moonbeam Foundation. Crowdloan campaign received 206 thousand KSM tokens worth $ 45 million from 6,000 users. Shiden Network becomes the third project, collecting more than 138 thousand KSM tokens for $ 29 million from 4600 users.
Unlike ICOs, where users give their money in exchange for tokens, the kradloan campaign allows you to block kusama tokens from six months to two years and receive project tokens. After the expiration of the time, investors will be able to collect their kusama tokens and participate in further auctions.
After the successful completion of the first auctions in Kusama, it can be expected that auctions for the launch of parachains in Polkadot will take place shortly thereafter.
So far, everything is going according to the developers’ plan without major changes to the deadlines, which may not be encouraging.
Wood stated that Polkadot runs on an extremely simple underlying protocol that will remain unchanged — changes will occur at the top level, and this should protect Polkadot from accidents or unexpected forks. To avoid a situation similar to what we saw with the DAO in Ethereum.
Conclusion
Now Ether is the second largest cryptocurrency in terms of capitalization. Polkadot is in the top ten, and kusama is the top 50 best projects. Dr. Gavin Wood has put a lot of time and effort into all of them. This led him to become a fan of his business, with many years of implementing ideas. His ideas are incomprehensible to many and most likely, they can be ahead of time and even market development.
Despite a very modest life, the experience gained allows a talented developer to act both as a project organizer and as a consultant. He is open for cooperation and gladly agrees to participate in a wide variety of projects.
So, if you are interested in promising projects or technologies, we recommend that you carefully follow this guy, because he knows what is under the hood of this technically revolutionary crypto market.
Disclaimer: This article is not investment advice. Assess the risks yourself before making any investment decisions.
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Ⓜ️ P.S. All investments with Monetka Blog are profitable. | https://medium.com/@monetka.blog/the-story-of-gavin-wood-founder-of-polkadot-kusama-and-ethereum-47971dad5ad3 | ['Monetka Blog'] | 2021-12-29 12:17:29.993000+00:00 | ['Polkadot', 'Investment', 'Monetka Blog', 'Investors', 'Crypto'] |
Top 5 Benefits Of Using Blackout Curtains | A lot of people tend to overlook the advantages of installing blackout curtains or blinds in their homes, but many would be surprised at how much power these drapes yield. In this article, you will learn about five specific benefits that blackout curtains have to offer.
Reduction Of Noise Pollution We all have those days where we absolutely need a good night’s rest, and could probably use a nap during the day as well. Unfortunately, many times there are factors around us that can disrupt our sleep cycle and prevent us from getting the best night’s rest possible. One way to combat this is by installing blackout curtains in your bedroom so you can keep out noises from neighbors, traffic, construction sites, and more outside your window. Increase In Energy Savings Do you find yourself worrying about your energy bill each month? Are you concerned that it is too high and think there may be a better way to lower it? If so, blackout curtains may be the perfect solution for you. Many people do not know that blinds and drapes can actually help save on your energy costs by preventing the sun’s rays from heating up your home. As a result, you are left with substantial energy savings each month.
3. Cleaner Air Quality For those who have allergies or asthma, blackout curtains can be the perfect solution to help filter out dust particles in your air. Even if you do not have allergies or asthma, this is still a beneficial feature of blackout blinds, as they can help to prevent dust from getting into your lungs.
4. Increase In Privacy Of course one of the most common reasons people choose to install blackout curtains is for privacy purposes. Many people want to have control over who enters their home and when this happens, so they opt for a more private solution such as blackout drapes.
5. Provides A More Relaxing Atmosphere Many people find that darkness and serenity can create a more relaxing atmosphere in their homes, and this is the reason they install blackout blinds and curtains. If you happen to live near a busy road or if your bedroom faces an extremely bright streetlight, then blackout blinds can also help you to get a better night’s sleep. | https://medium.com/@cavin3002/top-5-benefits-of-using-blackout-curtains-c88aeaa7a96e | [] | 2021-09-11 11:05:47.830000+00:00 | ['Blackout Curtains', 'Curtains Dubai', 'Home Decor', 'Curtains', 'Home Improvement'] |
Six Ways that Microsoft Enterprise Tools Can Help Managers Streamline Remote Work | Successfully transitioning your team to a remote-first environment is not for the faint of heart. Not only do you need to make sure your employees are logistically able to complete their daily tasks from any location, but at a basic level, you also need to make sure team members are able to collaborate, your data is secure, and employees remain productive with the capacity to innovate on a daily basis.
In order to create an efficient and effective remote work environment within your organization, you first need to find the right tools. With the high demand for digital solutions in the current COVID environment, there are several companies vying for your attention when you’re looking for the right tools to transition your team to remote work.
At Camber, we work across multiple products, and the Microsoft suite is frequently requested for transitioning to a distributed work environment. Just recently, we utilized Microsoft Enterprise Services through our work with AdventHealth to redistribute a large healthcare workforce to handle COVID-19 surges within a short period of time.
According to one of our internal Microsoft Enterprise Solutions experts, one of the advantages of using the MS ecosystem is that it takes approximately 70% less time to build products in comparison to conventional programming. This accelerated time to deployment can be critical to the solution’s success, particularly in the current environment. Our work with AdventHealth is just one example of how Microsoft Enterprise Solutions give clients the tools that they need to foster organizational efficiencies in a remote-first environment. Here are a few ways Microsoft Enterprise tools can help you manage a successful remote workforce.
Foster Collaboration
Microsoft Teams is an essential hub for remote teamwork, satisfying core needs of your team. This tool provides a comprehensive platform where teams can chat, meet virtually, collaborate on content, and create and integrate apps tied to core workflows. Microsoft Teams is a great tool to help organizations stay connected in unique and creative ways.
In comparison to competitive video chat platforms, the Together Mode available on Microsoft Teams provides the unique capacity to place participants in a shared setting, such as a conference room, classroom, or coffee shop, where participants on the call appear to be in virtual seats. This diversity of digital experiences may help meeting participants to avoid fatigue and more closely simulates an in-person meeting experience. There are several other unique features within Microsoft Teams, such as the ability to capture meeting recaps following the virtual meeting, the capacity to split participants into smaller groups through the use of breakout rooms, and custom layouts which can make presentations look and feel more natural to the audience.
Microsoft Teams also offers the Microsoft Teams Power Platform which allows organizational leaders to create apps catered towards the organization’s needs through the use of low-code tools. In addition to providing the capacity for employees to build their own apps, Microsoft Teams also allows companies to integrate a wide range of third-party apps to streamline business processes and facilitate collaboration within the Teams platform.
Improve Employee Efficiency with Data
With the shift to remote work, you can’t rely on workplace observation and proximity to ensure productivity in the work environment. Rather, you need to carefully craft remote work policies to make sure employees are getting their work done without invading their privacy. The tricky part is that if work from home policies aren’t managed properly, they can go horrifyingly wrong.
Microsoft Workplace Analytics and Productivity Score are two analytics tools offered through Microsoft Enterprise that can help team leaders to monitor employee behavior in the remote work environment in a far less creepy way. These tools can provide managers with insights into how well team members are working together and how effective meetings are.
With employees being geographically dispersed, it is critical for managers to have clear insights into how employees are collaborating since it is the behavior and work ethic of these employees that determines the shape of the business moving forward. While there are a wide range of strategically beneficial reports within Workplace Analytics, a few include the capacity to conduct an analysis of top performers and several reports to assess how employees are spending their time.
These reporting capabilities provide companies with the insights that they need to improve how employees work, how they spend their time, and how to adjust internal operations accordingly. Through analyzing which individuals perform best internally and pairing this with an analysis of their respective behaviors, managers can figure out the relationships between workplace behaviors and results. This gives them the information that they need to alter internal processes accordingly to build stronger teams. Conducting analyses on how employees spend their time can give managers insights into the nuances of internal operations to make sure that employees are spending their time on tasks that will directly impact business outcomes.
Productivity Score, which is integrated into Microsoft Endpoint Manager, is another helpful analytics tool that provides insights into performance at the intersection of the employee experience and the technology experience. The tool can provide suggested improvements to let leaders know which systems need to be updated to give employees the technology tools they need in order to do high quality work.
Move Your Team onto the Cloud
Moving your team’s internal processes onto the cloud is optimal, as it makes it easier for teams to collaborate. This increased potential to work together more easily can increase organizational efficiency and productivity. Shifting to the cloud is particularly appealing in a remote environment, as it provides the opportunity for employees to work together across several different devices from any location. For many companies, moving to the cloud also gives leaders the flexibility to store and manage data effectively.
Cloud solutions can provide your organization with the flexibility to scale up or scale back as necessary to meet your organization’s changing needs. Microsoft Sharepoint is a helpful tool to streamline your organization’s workflow through providing the capacity to share internal files and resources. Sharepoint can help your team to quickly communicate and share key learnings, inform key internal stakeholders, and simplify complex organizational workflows.
Deploy Custom Apps and Internal Products
Teams don’t operate within a static vacuum. They operate within a rapidly changing business environment. In order to proactively reassess business strategies and priorities and adapt internal processes in response to changing needs, it is critical to have the essential technology solutions at your fingertips to quickly deploy custom apps and internal products.
Microsoft Azure is a great platform that enables teams to build solutions and deploy applications from any location. Using Microsoft Azure can help your development team to ship innovations more quickly while protecting against threats to your sensitive data. When utilizing this solution, your team will be equipped with the resources necessary to migrate to Azure. This proven cloud adoption framework will also allow you to leverage enterprise-scale analytics to generate real-time insights.
Development teams frequently leverage Azure Devops for planning, to manage backlogs and repositories, for release management, and for hosting apps, Azure functions, and databases.
The MS Power Platform, composed of Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Virtual Agents, is another key platform that can help you to accelerate the time it takes to build custom applications. Power Apps is a low-code app building tool that can help you create custom solutions through utilizing prebuilt templates and a drag and drop functionality, empowering non-technical employees in building apps, automated solutions, and reports.
Leveraging low-code platforms like Microsoft Power Apps can help you to improve organizational inefficiencies, foster rapid innovation, and quickly capitalize on new market opportunities that arise. One major benefit of leveraging low-code platforms is that it can give non-technical team members the capacity to build sophisticated technology solutions, freeing up the time of your tech team to resolve more challenging issues. Not only does Microsoft Power Apps give you the tools you need to quickly build new apps, but it also allows you to update and alter them as needed.
When used in conjunction with Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Virtual Agents, you can automate several business processes. Power Automate allows employees to automate routine business tasks so that they can allocate their time to more advanced strategic priorities. Power BI is a useful tool to obtain insights from your data and visualize key trends. Power Virtual Agents is a platform that allows you to quickly and easily develop chatbots to streamline and improve the scalability of core business processes.
Simplify IT Practices
Through leveraging Microsoft Endpoint Manager, IT professionals are provided with the tools they need to make remote work secure and logistically possible for employees across the organization. This suite of tools can help your business to remain resilient in a challenging and rapidly changing business environment. Microsoft Endpoint Manager is particularly critical in a remote work environment, as it allows employees to set up their company devices remotely within a few hours rather than having to go into a physical office space to get their technology solutions set up. Additionally, employees are increasingly working off of their own technological devices to do work, such as their mobile phones. This suite of Microsoft tools allows employers to secure work files on employees’ mobile and desktop devices so that there is a lower likelihood of data leaks. Strategically leveraging these tools can increase employers’ confidence that sensitive information and internal data is safe and secure.
Additionally, through utilizing the Microsoft 365 monitoring suite of tools with device health and remediation capabilities provided, your internal IT team will be able to focus more on delivering value to the organization and less on troubleshooting issues tied to existing applications. In the current business environment, it is likely that your internal IT team members are stretched incredibly thin, often forced to make the decision between resolving new issues that arise and progressing new initiatives. Through leveraging the right Microsoft enterprise tools, you can achieve both simultaneously. Integrating these tools into your workflow can empower non-IT team members to troubleshoot more independently which will provide your IT team with the capacity to focus on more technically intense and higher priority work.
Maintain Security and Compliance
One of the biggest challenges that companies face when transitioning to a cloud-based environment is to prevent data leaks and to ensure that all information remains secure. The great thing about Microsoft enterprise solutions is that the suite of services nicely complement one another to simultaneously provide your organization with the flexibility that you need to innovate and the security solutions that you need to do so without fear that private information will be compromised.
Microsoft Defender provides a unified security solution that spans both Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure. This tool helps to detect, prevent, and respond to any imminent threats that arise across existing applications and cloud platforms. Microsoft Defender provides real-time protection through utilizing file and process behavior monitoring tools and cloud-delivered protection. The antivirus software is consistently updated to make sure your security solutions are up to date.
In addition to maintaining tight security through Microsoft Defender, Microsoft’s Compliance Manager can help your organization to ensure they are meeting all essential regulations at the industry and regional levels. With the compliance environment changing on a daily basis, it can be difficult to keep up with new requirements. Through simplifying the compliance and risk reduction process, this tool helps you to do just that. Within the Compliance Manager, you will have access to a dashboard that showcases your compliance score and provides recommendations as to what steps you need to take to meet the components of your compliance solution that require your attention.
Key Takeaways
With the rapid transition to remote work, it is important that leaders put the right tools and strategies in place to set teams up for success when working remotely. While organizational needs differ, at a minimum, most companies need to provide employees with the capacity to share files, organize notes, communicate in real time, and digitally build a company culture.
Given that Microsoft Enterprise Solutions offers a range of useful tools for different aspects of remote work, it is important to take a step back and try to understand what solutions you really need to improve the quality of the remote work environment that you’ve created. Depending on your organizational goals and internal processes, certain tools may be more relevant and critical than others so it is important to try to integrate the tools that will be a strong fit for your organizational needs.
If you are looking for ways to better leverage your Microsoft enterprise tools, we are eager to work with you and to provide a free consultation. Our Camber Creative Microsoft experts are here to help with every phase of your project from problem definition to product development and ongoing managed services. We can assist with custom app development, cloud migrations, expedited deployments and assessments of your current configuration. We look forward to collaborating to help you get the highest possible return on your technology investments! | https://blog.cmbr.co/six-ways-that-microsoft-enterprise-tools-can-help-managers-streamline-remote-work-2f4d15d12dbd | ['Jenna Rodrigues'] | 2020-12-14 22:06:56.433000+00:00 | ['Enterprise Technology', 'Microsoft', 'Microsoft Teams', 'Microsoft Azure', 'Remote Work'] |
The Freedom of Press: A Contentious Social Issue | Freedom of the Press is a contentious social issue that affects every country in the world. The Freedom of the Press is defined as “the right to circulate opinions in print without censorship by the government” (Dictionary.com). In America, the First Amendment of the Constitution protects this freedom and it has become one of the foundations of our democracy, however, this freedom is not enjoyed by countries everywhere. Studies have shown that only 13% of the world’s population enjoys a free press that is without government restrictions.
Argument for a Free Press
As an American it is hard to understand what it would be like to live in a place where the press is under the control of the government that is constantly altering the information of its constituents. The Founding Fathers knew the importance of a free press as Thomas Jefferson explained, “our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” Americans are constantly reminded of the great benefits that a free press can bring about to its country as well as the government. The freedom of the press is an essential component of a democracy and keeps the government accountable to itself and the people it serves. The media conveys information about government activities to the people to keep them educated and up-to-date on the happenings of their country.
Argument against a Free Press
“Fewer than one in seven people live in countries where coverage of political news is robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, state intrusion in media affairs is minimal, and the press is not subject to onerous legal or economic pressures” (Freedomhouse.org). Governments who do not want their constituents to have access to a free press want to have total control and want their people to be oblivious to the corruption present in their country. Typically these countries are run by a dictatorship who has remained in power because they have control over the media and are able to interfere with the elections. These rulers severely sensor their media by demanding that all news be positive and condemning any negative coverage. They claim that by doing so they are protecting their people from any distress and are trying to maintain their country’s happiness.
Bias on both sides of the argument on the Freedom of Press
There is a concept called worldview backfire effect which explains that people seek and process information that confirms their beliefs and identity. This is evident in the Freedom of the Press argument because people want to believe that the type of press they have had access to is the best one for their country and wellbeing. The Freedom of the Press is a contentious social issue because there are numerous biases present in the argument that makes it difficult for people, especially from different countries, to agree on the matter. The first bias is if the person is in a country where there is a free press they are likely to be in favor of the freedom of the press; likewise, if a person grew up with a restricted media then they may be against the freedom of the press. Another bias is if a person is apart of the government they may be partial to having control over the media to protect themselves and their actions, while a constituent may advocate for a free press so they can be be properly informed. There are also specific bias that are present in each side of the argument (biases extracted from the List of Cognitive Bias Wikipedia page):
Bias for a free press:
Illusion of control is the “tendency to overestimate one’s degree of influence over other external events.” The media may experience this because they believe that by educating the people about the happenings of the government they could be “world-changers” and really help their country.
is the “tendency to overestimate one’s degree of influence over other external events.” The media may experience this because they believe that by educating the people about the happenings of the government they could be “world-changers” and really help their country. Reactance is the “urge to do the opposite of what someone wants you to do out of a need to resist a perceived attempt to constrain your freedom of choice.” If the media were to discover breakthrough information about the government they may be more inclined to share that information to spite the government and expose their corruption.
is the “urge to do the opposite of what someone wants you to do out of a need to resist a perceived attempt to constrain your freedom of choice.” If the media were to discover breakthrough information about the government they may be more inclined to share that information to spite the government and expose their corruption. Self-serving bias is the “tendency to claim more responsibility for successes than failures. It may also manifest itself as a tendency for people to evaluate ambiguous information in a way beneficial to their interests.” The goal of the media is to stay engaged in the happenings of the government and keep the public informed. They may be biased to spin certain events to make them seem more dramatic or intense in order to engage more readers and attain more views on their article.
Bias against a free press:
Empathy gap is the “tendency to underestimate the influence or strength of feelings, in either oneself or others.” The government may not understand how much of an effect they have on their constituents and how limiting the dissemination of information may have a significant impact on their country. Typically these rulers were born into their privileged position and don’t understand the experiences of the common man.
is the “tendency to underestimate the influence or strength of feelings, in either oneself or others.” The government may not understand how much of an effect they have on their constituents and how limiting the dissemination of information may have a significant impact on their country. Typically these rulers were born into their privileged position and don’t understand the experiences of the common man. Authority bias is the “tendency to attribute greater accuracy to the opinion of an authority figure (unrelated to its content) and be more influenced by that opinion.” Government officials are partial to control and may be inclined to take advantage of their powerful position and lie to their constituents in order to maintain their reputation. They do so knowing that their position adds to their credibility and their constituents trust their word.
is the “tendency to attribute greater accuracy to the opinion of an authority figure (unrelated to its content) and be more influenced by that opinion.” Government officials are partial to control and may be inclined to take advantage of their powerful position and lie to their constituents in order to maintain their reputation. They do so knowing that their position adds to their credibility and their constituents trust their word. Naïve realism is the “belief that we see reality as it really is — objectively and without bias; that the facts are plain for all to see; that rational people will agree with us; and that those who don’t are either uninformed, lazy, irrational, or biased.” People in any country tend to lean towards optimism and want to trust that the information they are being presented in the media is true. In countries with a restricted media this bias and way of thinking can be increasingly detrimental.
Examining Data Related to the Freedom of Press
After researching the two sides of the contentious social issue of the Freedom of the Press I found two interesting datasets on Kaggle so that I could look into the difference between countries that have a free press and those that do not. The first dataset, Freedom of the Press 2001–2015, was released by the Freedom House in 2016 which analyzes 200+ countries’ press freedom and then assigns them a score. “The level of press freedom in each country and territory is evaluated through 23 methodology questions divided into three broad categories: the legal environment, the political environment, and the economic environment” (Kaggle.com). The second dataset, Human Freedom Index, was released by the CATO Institute in 2018 and “presents a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom” (Kaggle.com). I merged these two datasets using the country name and performed an explorative analysis on the data to see if I could locate any interesting findings between the top 10 most free presses, and the top 10 presses with the most restrictions.
The top 10 countries with the highest freedom of the press score are: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand. The top 10 countries with the most restricted press (lowest press score) are: Belarus, Myanmar, Iran, Syria, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Kazakhstan. United States was ranked #25 on the list of the most free presses so they will be excluded from my analysis.
The first interesting finding I discovered relates to the Freedom of Movement score given to each country. The Freedom of Movement is the right for a person to freely travel within their own country as well as to places outside of the country. For the countries with the most free press, the people are able to have complete freedom to travel wherever they would like, with all countries receiving a score of 10/10. For the countries with the most restrictive press, the average score for the Freedom of Movement was 3.44/10 which means that they are not able to travel freely and there is a lot of government restrictions on travel. This is interesting because the governments with the restrictive press want to control any exposure their constituents may have to the outside world in an attempt to have total control over their worldviews. They go so far with this control as to place severe restrictions on travel which is significantly different than the restrictions of the countries with the most free press who seemingly encourage their constituents to travel and expand their knowledge of the world. | https://medium.com/information-expositions/the-freedom-of-press-a-contentious-social-issue-dac56b597dce | ['Hannah Weber'] | 2019-07-12 18:42:58.428000+00:00 | ['Info3402s19ma5', 'Data Science', 'Freedom Of Press', 'Journalism', 'Information Exposition'] |
Image Processing for Python — Adjusting to the Ground Truth | Image Processing for Python — Adjusting to the Ground Truth
Old Street (Image by Author)
In this lesson we shall go over an image adjustment algorithm which may be intuitive for most readers. Unlike the other image adjustment algorithms we have discussed so far (such as RGB Channel Adjustment and Histogram Manipulation), this method will use the actual colors available in the image.
Let’s get started!
As always, we must import the required Python Libraries.
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from matplotlib.patches import Rectangle
from skimage.io import imread, imshow
import skimage.io as skio
from skimage import img_as_ubyte, img_as_float
Great, now let us look at the image we’re working with.
overcast = imread("image_overcast.PNG")
plt.figure(num=None, figsize=(8, 6), dpi=80)
imshow(overcast);
Rustic Road (Image by Author)
The image clearly has a color overcast. Now let us try to adjust it.
To begin we must first select the particular ground truth patches we want the machine to work with. To do that we can use the Rectangle function available in NumPy.
fig, ax = plt.subplots(1,1, figsize=(8, 6), dpi = 80)
patch = Rectangle((70,175), 10, 10, edgecolor='r', facecolor='none')
ax.add_patch(patch)
ax.imshow(overcast);
Red Rectangle Added
We can see the red rectangle on the upper left corner of the image. I’m sure most of you suspect that this may not be the best ground truth patch to use. The reason being that it is quite different from the rest of the image. However, for pedagogical reasons we shall use this square and adjust our image to it.
Let us first get a close up view of our ground truth patch. To do that we must use the get_bbox() and get_points() functions found in NumPy.
coord = Rectangle.get_bbox(patch).get_points()
print(coord)
Coordinate Array
We can now use this coordinate array to slice our main image.
fig, ax = plt.subplots(1,1, figsize=(8, 6), dpi = 80)
ax.imshow(overcast[int(coord[0][1]):int(coord[1][1]),
int(coord[0][0]):int(coord[1][0])]);
As we can see, the ground truth patch is far from a monotonic color. Within it are multiple shades of brown and black (a testament to the amount of details not visible to the human eye!).
Now let us actually adjust our image to the patch. We shall use the Max and Mean values of the patch.
image_patch = overcast[int(coord[0][1]):int(coord[1][1]),
int(coord[0][0]):int(coord[1][0])] image_max = (overcast / image_patch.max(axis=(0, 1))).clip(0, 1)
image_mean = ((overcast * image_patch.mean())
/ overcast.mean(axis=(0, 1))).clip(0,255).astype(int)
fig, ax = plt.subplots(1,2, figsize=(15, 10), dpi = 80)
f_size = 19
ax[0].imshow(image_max)
ax[0].set_title('Max Adjusted', fontsize = f_size)
ax[0].set_axis_off() ax[1].set_title('Mean Adjusted', fontsize = f_size)
ax[1].imshow(image_mean);
ax[1].set_axis_off()
fig.tight_layout()
Max and Mean Adjusted Images
As we can see, both adjustments are pretty terrible. Depending on your preference you could say either is better. The Max adjusted image (though clearly overexposed) does highlight the green color of the plant on the left as well as the blue cap of the carriage driver on the right. The Mean adjusted image (though extremely faded) does fair better in terms of overall clarity of the image. But I believe it is safe to say that neither of these adjustments would do. To remedy this let us go back to the selection of ground truth patches.
fig, ax = plt.subplots(1,1, figsize=(8, 6), dpi = 80)
patch1 = Rectangle((100,300), 10, 10, edgecolor='r',
facecolor='none')
patch2 = Rectangle((200,250), 10, 10, edgecolor='r',
facecolor='none')
patch3 = Rectangle((200,190), 10, 10, edgecolor='r',
facecolor='none') ax.add_patch(patch1)
ax.add_patch(patch2)
ax.add_patch(patch3)
ax.imshow(overcast);
Selecting Different Patches
Though we do not have to, we can plot out the patches so that we can get an idea of what they look like.
coor1 = Rectangle.get_bbox(patch1).get_points()
coor2 = Rectangle.get_bbox(patch2).get_points()
coor3 = Rectangle.get_bbox(patch3).get_points() image_patch1 = overcast[int(coor1[0][1]):int(coor1[1][1]),
int(coor1[0][0]):int(coor1[1][0])] image_patch2 = overcast[int(coor2[0][1]):int(coor2[1][1]),
int(coor2[0][0]):int(coor2[1][0])] image_patch3 = overcast[int(coor3[0][1]):int(coor3[1][1]),
int(coor3[0][0]):int(coor3[1][0])] fig, ax = plt.subplots(1,3, figsize=(15, 12), dpi = 80)
ax[0].imshow(image_patch1)
ax[1].imshow(image_patch2)
ax[2].imshow(image_patch3);
Ground Truth Patches
Like our first patch, these patches also show an array of colors. Let us now use each one in adjusting our image. To aid in this, let us first use Python’s list comprehension capabilities to create a list of the adjusted images.
patch_list = [image_patch1, image_patch2, image_patch3]
image_max_list = [(overcast / patch.max(axis=(0, 1))).clip(0, 1) for
patch in patch_list]
image_mean_list = [((overcast * patch.mean()) / overcast.mean(axis=(0, 1))).clip(0, 255).astype(int) for
patch in patch_list]
Wonderful! Now we can simply call all these images.
Let us begin.
def patch_plotter(max_patch, mean_patch):
fig, ax = plt.subplots(1,2, figsize=(15, 10), dpi = 80)
f_size = 19
ax[0].imshow(max_patch)
ax[0].set_title('Max Adjusted Patch', fontsize = f_size)
ax[0].set_axis_off() ax[1].set_title('Mean Adjusted Patch', fontsize = f_size)
ax[1].imshow(mean_patch);
ax[1].set_axis_off()
fig.tight_layout() for i in range(3):
patch_plotter(image_max_list[i], image_mean_list[i])
First Patch
Second Patch
Third Patch
We can see from the results that the Max adjusted patches perform much better than the Mean adjusted patches. Furthermore, it seems that the second patch faired the best. This seems to indicate that best batch is one that adjusts the image to a beige-like color. As a final exercise let us choose patches that fit that particular description. Also, we shall decrease the size of the patches to lessen the amount of color variety in the patches.
Below is a function that can generate the ground truth adjusted images. We simply need to feed it our image, the names of the patches (for labelling purposes), and the patch coordinates.
def ground_truth(image, patch_names, patch_coordinates):
f_size = 25
figure_size = (17,12)
patch_dict = dict(zip(patch_names, patch_coordinates))
coord = []
fig1, ax_1 = plt.subplots(1, 3, figsize = figure_size)
for n, ax in enumerate(ax_1.flatten()):
#Create Rectangles
key = list(patch_dict.keys())[n]
patch = Rectangle(patch_dict[key], 5, 5, edgecolor='r',
facecolor='none')
coord.append(Rectangle.get_bbox(patch).get_points())
ax.add_patch(patch);
#Show and Format Images
ax.imshow(image)
ax.set_title(f'{key}', fontsize = f_size)
ax.set_axis_off()
fig1.tight_layout()
fig2, ax_2 = plt.subplots(1, 3, figsize = figure_size)
for n, ax in enumerate(ax_2.flatten()):
#Show and Format Rectangles
key = list(patch_dict.keys())[n]
ax.imshow(image[int(coord[n][0][1]) : int(coord[n][1][1]),
int(coord[n][0][0]) : int(coord[n][1][0])]);
ax.set_title(key, fontsize = f_size)
ax.set_axis_off()
fig2.tight_layout() fig3, ax_3 = plt.subplots(1, 3, figsize = figure_size)
for n, ax in enumerate(ax_3.flatten()):
patch =image[int(coord[n][0][1]) : int(coord[n][1][1]),
int(coord[n][0][0]) : int(coord[n][1][0])]
image_max = (image / patch.max(axis=(0, 1))).clip(0, 1)
ax.imshow(image_max)
ax.set_title(f'Max : {patch_names[n]}', fontsize = f_size)
ax.set_axis_off() fig3.tight_layout() ground_truth(overcast,
['First', 'Second', ' Third'],
[(105, 275), (50, 45), (330, 105)])
Ground Truth Adjusted Images
We can see that among the different ground truth patches, the third patch performs the best. Though the image is noticeable bluer, the yellow overcast was completely removed. Additionally, overexposure is kept at a bare minimum.
In Conclusion
We see that one does not need to be extremely well versed in the different ways color is interpreted by the machine. We can use the simple yet effective Ground Truth algorithm to adjust our images. This particular method may be more suited for individuals with an intuitive understanding of colors. Though good results did take a while to achieve, this method is worth keeping in mind as it one of the more straightforward ways to alter an image.
I hope that you have learned the significance of this more simple algorithm. | https://towardsdatascience.com/image-processing-for-python-adjusting-to-the-ground-truth-d0275e4f253e | ['Tonichi Edeza'] | 2020-12-25 14:39:10.060000+00:00 | ['Programming', 'Image Processing', 'Data Science', 'Philippines', 'Python'] |
Best hair straighteners under ₹5000 | Best hair straighteners under ₹5000
When you see the perfect hairstyle, whether it’s curly, wavy or straight, you want a professional styling tool that can help you try a little bit of everything. NuMe hair straighteners can do just that with a cascade of features that offers your hair just the right amount of TLC. Take your time when you style these tourmaline ceramic and professional titanium hair straighteners, to reveal your shiniest, healthiest looking mane yet.
Hair straighteners have been a very important part of our lives these days. Either it’s an important occasion or any normal day to anywhere. But choosing the right one has always has been a difficulty. Either the favourite product’s price push us away or the low price comes with a lower quality.
So what to do now? Here we have got you covered. We present you this wide range of hair straightener with affordable price i.e. under ₹5000. Choose your pick ;)
For your security, all the products mentioned below are all from AMAZON INDIA
Moving below you will come across 4 different categories which we divided for your ease.
1. Broad hair straighteners
2. Mini Carryover Hair Straighteners
3. Built- Different Hair Straighteners
4. Combo Packs
For this blogpost you will be seeing the Broad Hair Straighteners and other categories you will find it in this very group I will be attaching. Best one is at the last. So shop your cause ;)
Broad Hair Straighteners-
These straighteners come with a broader opening thus covering a wide area. For faster work these are the best recommended.
VEGA Hair Straightener (Gray)
With stunning build quality this masterpiece is priced M.R.P.:₹2,199.00 but you will get it at just:₹1,099.00. (click here)
PHILIPS HP8318/00 Kerashine Temperature Control (Purple)
This beauty with a perfect purple is priced at ₹3,495.00. It’s so fast to sold out that the time you click the link to check the price you might not get it. So hurry up! (click here)
VEGA Classic Hair Crimper With Quick Heat Up & Ceramic Coated Plates, (VHCR-01)
This elegant beauty is one of the classics in the market and might cost much high but with us you will be getting it at a surprising price of just ₹1,749.00. What are you waiting for? (click here)
Ikonic S3 Hair Straightener
This red hot S3 is one of the best available out there with a price tag of M.R.P.:₹4,400.00 but if you shop with us, you will get it at just:₹3,700.00 (click here)
VEGA Ultra Shine Hair Straightener (Black)
This pinkish charm is a celebrity level hair straightener and is available only at a price of ₹899.00. (click here)
VEGA Pro-Ease Hair Straightener (VHSH-26), Black
This amazing VEGA product is the most sold out of VEGA products. Generally it costs:₹2,199. But for the deal Deal of the Day it is available at:₹1,399.00 (click here)
PHILIPS BHS736/00 Kerashine Titanium Wide Plate Straightener With SilkProtect Technology, Black
This extra carefully designed Phillips product is sure gonna blow youe mind. On normal day its priced at:₹2,895.00, but for Deal of the Day its available at: ₹2,198.00 (click here)
This is another one of the BHS series from Phillips and is popularly known for the extra smooth behaviour and comes in a pinkish hue for the fashion lovers. It generally comes at a price of: ₹3,195.00 but here at a 23% discount you get it at: ₹2,447.00 (click here)
Havells HS4121 Hair Straightener (Red)
This is one of the best Havellss has to offer in the wide straightener range and below ₹5000. It also comes with a digital temperature meter for ease of access. Generally its priced:₹2,095.00 But for Deal of the Day its available at:₹1,299.00 with a 38% discount(click here)
These were the 9 best hair straighteners available in AMAZON RIGHT NOW. Go check out your best fit and happy shopping!
The next Blogpost will be about mini carryover hair straighteners which can be took anywhere. So to se that follow us on Medium :)
To get latest updates on us do follow us on instagram | https://medium.com/@loyalwolfmail/best-hair-straighteners-under-5000-89c6fc772540 | ['Loyal Wolf'] | 2021-10-28 14:39:15.255000+00:00 | ['Hair', 'Shopping'] |
My Gun Toting “Friend” | My Gun Toting “Friend”
He posts on FB about guns, Trump, and Democrats
Photo by Josh Rocklage on Unsplash
He loves guns and the NRA
Years ago I had a friend. I’ll call him Ralph (not his real name). I never see him any longer and suspect I will never see him in person again. I don’t really consider him a friend any longer, but somehow he became a Facebook friend. I have thought of removing him, but sometimes his posts and the comments accompanying them are interesting to read. So I have not deleted him yet.
Ralph is a true Trump supporter. He espouses the virtues of Trump and does not agree that he has any faults such as immorality and dishonesty. He is one of those Republican stalwarts who thinks Trump is the best President ever.
He shares glowing reports about the NRA. He writes that he is against anyone who says anything negative about guns and the NRA. When a popular actor announced that he did not support the NRA, Ralph said that he will never again watch any of his shows.
Horses and dogs are some of Ralph’s favorities. He likes them more than he likes people. He also likes guns and hunting. He owns many guns. He hates anyone who speaks of gun control. He says he wants his guns close to him and will not hesitate to use them if an intruder comes to his house.
It’s pretty obvious that Ralph hates Democrats. He is especially vocal about how horrible he thinks Nancy Pelosi is. He obviously cannot stand Pelosi. He doesn’t like Joe Biden either, or any Democrat for that matter. He regularly reposts on Facebook, various negative posts he finds against Democrats. Then he adds his own comments. It shows how hateful people can be.
Ralph does not believe in any kind of gun control, reasonable or not. He is devoted to his guns and doesn’t think any guns should be taken away from people. He will not listen to reason about criminals and guns. He is close minded. There are lots of people like Ralph.
Photo by Josh Carter on Unsplash
If you don’t agree with Ralph and people like him, please vote to make your voice heard. It is important! | https://medium.com/illumination/my-gun-toting-friend-9e9644d128e7 | ['Floyd Mori'] | 2020-10-14 15:41:00.950000+00:00 | ['Voting', 'Guns', 'Donald Trump', 'Democrats', 'Politics'] |
Victoria BC Real Estate Blog | Are you looking for a Victoria BC real estate blog that you can trust? You are in luck, we are not Realtors. We are not regulated by the victoria real estate board, so we can tell you how things are.
We are also not looking to make a sale in Victoria. Further, we don’t need to convince you that it’s a good time to buy or sell your home. We are here to educate you on the victoria real estate market and real estate law.
If you want to hire a Realtor or a real estate lawyer, you can contact us below. We have a few good people that we trust. They have proven themselves to us to be reliable and honest. Before recommending anyone to a professional, we need to know that the professional is willing to work hard for the client.
We do not like lazy Realtors or ones that just want a quick commission. ClearWay Law started as a law firm and moved into a free service for the public. We first focused on improving the law firm industry, now we are working on the Realtor industry.
Time Of The Year To Sell Your Property
Spring is the most common time to list your property. People are in the mood to make purchases, and Victoria BC looks so beautiful during this time! Many people are wanting to retire in Victoria, and they come in the Spring. They might look at properties for a month or two, and then pick a property to purchase. A lot of people start looking for a property around March or April.
If you want to speak to a Realtor or real estate lawyer, fill out the form on the side of this page. One will call or email you directly.
Real Estate Market Forecast Victoria BC
We believe the forecast will be position. This is because of the uniqueness of our demographic. This is also because of the economic factors in Victoria. In Victoria BC there is a military base, universities, hospitals, foreign investment. There are people that are retiring here that want to be close to nature.
There are many things propping up the real estate market. This is as opposed to places that rely on restaurants, pure tourism, and industry. Any city that has less than three economic drivers will struggle to main stable housing prices. Even with tourism down, the future for the real estate market will be bright.
Current Real Estate Market Victoria BC
The current real estate market has gone up month over month 2% for the last 3–4 months. COVID-19 has brought social distancing measures for all aspects of the business. This includes when a Realtor shows a property. Further, there are rules when Realtors communicate with people looking to buy or sell real estate. Open houses are being done virtually.
Victoria BC Realtor Commission | Victoria BC Real Estate Blog
It’s 6% on the first $100,000 and 3% on the balance are the standard on anything under $1.5m. After that, Realtors in Victoria BC start doing 3% for properties over $1.5m.
Fair Realty has a mere posting model. This is where they will upload your listing onto MLS. They do the work to get the property on MLS. This work includes photos, property descriptions. However, they will not invest in getting good pictures.
They charge $1000 to do that. It is up to you to sell the property. They do not do open houses in this model. People can still purchase full service at Fair Realty.
1% Realty does a straight 1% commission across the board. These realtors won’t be able to offer effective marketing for your home. It takes money to sell a property effectively. This model can work, but you need to connect with the correct Realtor. People get what they pay for. If you pay a low commission, you can’t expect over-the-moon service. It depends on what you are looking for.
Are Realtor Fees Negotiable?
Realtors are trained by coaches to avoid negotiating on fees. However, 80% of the time a fee negotiation is possible with your average agent. It’s the strongest Realtors that will not negotiate on the fees.
Where should I live in Victoria BC?
The most popular neighbourhoods are within 20-minute proximity of the downtown core. However, Langford seems to be emerging as its own independent entity. It is building out its own infrastructure.
Oak Bay is a nice upper-class neighbourhood. It has strict bylaws to maintain its character and community. There are a lot of senior people in Oak Bay. There are also a lot of young families.
The homes are older as well. This can mean having to update the property to get insurance. Expect oil tasks, asbestos, cracked foundations. Any capital expeditor should be accessed prior to purchasing.
Saanich East is an upper-middle-class area. It has lots of schools and lots of young families. There are a lot of people that are retired. It’s close to nature, as are most of the areas in Victoria BC. It’s just outside the city. It has quiet neighbourhoods. All of this while only being a 20-minute drive to downtown Victoria.
Is Victoria cheaper than Vancouver?
Yes. Victoria would be similar to Burnaby or New Westminster. Or many of the sub-areas of Vancouver. It’s not near to Vancouver.
Are house prices going down in Victoria BC?
No, they are currently on the rise. However, this could change due to COVID-19.
Langford real estate
Real estate in Langford has been on the rise, value-wise! There are lots of affordable homes for young families. The demographic tends to be very young. It’s basically like what Gordon Head was back in the ’90s.
We hope you enjoyed reading part of our Victoria BC Real Estate Blog.
Author: Alistair Vigier is the CEO of ClearWay Law | https://medium.com/@avigier/victoria-bc-real-estate-blog-da148f99a173 | ['Clearway Law'] | 2021-12-15 20:46:11.992000+00:00 | ['Property Investment', 'Property', 'Property Management', 'Property For Sale', 'Property Development'] |
How to Improve Your iPad and iPad Pro Battery Life? | Apple iPad models have topped the ‘best-selling tablets’ list for many years, and statistics imply that Apple remains the most popular tablet brand of 2020. We love iPads for many reasons: their beautiful design, powerful processors, and high-resolution screens. However, of all the features an iPad offers, its battery life is one of the most impressive.
But sometimes, your iPad drains faster than you would like — even if it lasts 10 hours, you would love to see it survive a little longer.
So since it’s possible, why not try a few things to improve your iPad or iPad Pro battery life performance?
How Long Can the iPad Battery Life Last?
Like most consumer electronics, the iPad uses a lithium-ion polymer battery. It’s a lightweight rechargeable battery with a flexible case. It may come in almost any desired shape, and it’s a fair bit safer than the lithium-ion battery.
The latest generation iPad Pro 12.9 and Apple iPad Air 2020 have a battery capacity of 9720mAh (36.71Wh), while the new Apple iPad has about 8000mAh, and iPad mini 5000mAh. Generally speaking, the more capacity the battery has, the more energy you can spend, and the longer the iPad lasts. Although the iPad Pro has a larger battery than the mini, it consumes more power as well. Apple claims that all iPad models, whatever generation, have up to “10 hours of battery life to keep you going all day.” But that number varies by use and configuration. Ten hours is more than enough for scrolling Twitter feeds, but you could face the risk of running out of juice by midday when you have heavier tasks.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your iPad’s Battery
There’s no low power mode on the iPad, but you can tweak your device to extend your iPad’s battery life. Try a few of these suggestions and see how things improve:
1. Adjust Screen Brightness & Turn On Auto-Lock
Like the iPhone, if your iPad’s screen is on for a long time and it’s too bright, the battery percentage of your iPad will decrease quickly. So don’t forget to adjust the brightness to a proper level. And turn on Auto-Lock if you don’t want the screen to stay on unless you lock it.
2. Use and Store Your iPad in the Right Temperature
The average temperature operating range for the iPad is 32° — 95° F. Heat and cold can affect battery performance and permanently damage the battery. Avoid using or storing your iPad in the sun or places where the temperature could fall out of that range. More importantly, don’t charge the device when it’s hot, or remove the case if it’s thick or doesn’t dissipate heat well. If you use a super-slim, lightweight case like the PITAKA MagEZ Case for iPad Pro 11 and 12.9, then it should be fine.
3. Keep Your iPad Updated
Apart from new features, the latest iOS software usually includes bug fixes that improve battery consumption, so it’s always a good idea to have your device updated.
4. Use Wi-Fi instead of LTE Data
Connecting to an LTE network consumes more power, given the fact that LTE data is more powerful and has a more complex design. Whenever possible, stay connected to a Wi-Fi network to extend battery life. If it’s not available, turn it off.
5. Limit Activities You Don’t Need
There are software and settings that you can use to conserve battery life, but the more powerful the iOS device becomes, the more energy it needs. The thing is, sometimes you don’t even notice that you have so many things running.
Here are some settings that you might want to check: Background App Refresh, Motion, Share iPad Analytics, Notification, Location Services, Fitness & Activity Tracking. Get rid of what you don’t need or use often.
What To Do If Your iPad or iPad Pro Battery Still Drains Fast?
After implementing the tips above, your iPad’s battery life will improve. However, if you still observe a severe battery level drain, there may be a deeper software issue. Try the following:
1. Restart Your iPad
Restarting your device is the easiest yet often the most useful tweak. Giving your iPad a fresh start can fix problems you often didn’t know about.
2. Check Battery Usage
When you are using your iPad as usual, but the battery drains significantly, something is probably going wrong. You can check by going to Settings ->Battery ->Battery Usage ->Show Detailed Usage to get a clear idea about the overall power usage. You might find software that you don’t use much is a big power consumer. Remove it as it could be malware.
3. Reset or Erase All Settings
Reset all means wiping out all your settings without erasing user data/media. This option could be useful when your device is experiencing a battery issue. If it doesn’t solve the problem, you may go one step further — erase all content and settings. It’s like restoring your iPad to factory settings, which can be painful and time-consuming, so if you don’t want to start from scratch, back it up first.
If the problem still exists, book a Genius Bar appointment and have them test the battery as it may need replacing.
Enjoy Your iPad or iPad Pro All Day
An iPad can be used in many situations. It’s more powerful, but it’s not a patch on the iPhone when it comes to battery life. If you often find yourself in situations where your device is running out of battery, I hope the tips above will improve your iPad’s battery life. | https://medium.com/macoclock/how-to-improve-your-ipad-and-ipad-pro-battery-life-dbeaac241951 | [] | 2020-12-30 08:41:52.171000+00:00 | ['Ipad Battery Replacement', 'iPad Pro', 'iPad', 'Ipad Mini', 'Battery Life'] |
You Don’t Need Writing Motivation — You Need a Writing System | A Messy Path
About one year ago, I decided to start a blog. I wanted to make sense of my random thoughts and was excited to share my ideas with the world.
Naive as I was, I bought a domain — ok, three(I didn’t like the first two). I started a small Wordpress blog and hoped that people would come to my site.
Obviously, that didn’t work out. Almost no one visited my little blog.
“That’s no problem at all,” I told myself. If people don’t come to me, I will go to them. I realized that I needed to get active on a bigger internet platform, like this one. After I binged hundred of articles, I subscribed to the premium service and eventually decided to publish my first article.
I followed some amazing people, found interesting publications, and published more articles. Every once in a while, I checked my stats (all 20 minutes, cough).
Basically, my activities looked like this:
However, after a few days of following, commenting, and writing, I felt overwhelmed. I was paralyzed by the massive amount of opportunities this platform has to offer. There are just too many good articles, marketing hacks, and writing tips for one person to ever read or implement.
Nevertheless, I wanted to make it work — so I kept running without any particular goal. I had no clue what I was doing, let alone a clear plan. | https://medium.com/better-marketing/you-dont-need-writing-motivation-you-need-a-writing-system-57135264a1b5 | ['Rob Stux'] | 2020-06-15 22:33:07.006000+00:00 | ['Self Improvement', 'Life Lessons', 'Marketing', 'Productivity', 'Writing'] |
70 Million Americans are Going Through Growing Pains | 70 Million Americans are Going Through Growing Pains
“Just as physical growth causes physical discomfort, psychological growth can cause psychological discomfort. The stress and strain caused by thinking about things in new and foreign ways can create a cognitive dissonance where your long-held perspectives are challenged by alternative views and ideas. Aug 24, 2018” | https://medium.com/@patcyndi04/70-million-americans-are-going-through-growing-pains-1033a79b9506 | ['Cynthia Patrick'] | 2020-11-15 09:04:33.356000+00:00 | ['Shame', 'People Of Color', 'Violence', 'Losing', 'Election 2020'] |
Mental Health in the Developing World: In Chains | Photo published in The Economist
On November 21, 2020, The Economist published a disturbing article about the way people with mental health issues are treated in Kenya.
Father John Pesa at the Holy Ghost Coptic Church of Africa in Kisuma, Kenya, keeps at least 60 “patients” shackled in chains, according to Human Rights Watch.
This even happens with the consent of families. One 17-year old boy was sent to the priest by his own father after he began hallucinating and behaving oddly. He was locked in chains and soon became thin, as the church was not paid enough to feed him.
Such treatment is not limited to Kenya. According to The Economist, Human Rights Watch found “evidence of shackling in 60 countries, from Brazil to Indonesia.”
The Economist reports that in Kenya, traditional or spiritual healers, such as priests who say they can dispel the demons causing mental health problems, are called in before qualified medical professionals. “It is hard to shake off such deep-rooted beliefs,” the paper laments.
The tone of the report implies that such treatment of the mentally ill is limited to developing countries.
“In Africa, on average, there is less than one mental-health worker per 100,000 people, compared with 50 in Europe. Kenya has 0.19 psychiatrists per 100,000 people and one psychiatric hospital.”
But is the “developed world” really doing that much better when it comes to mental health? Many of the causes the article cites for the mistreatment of the mentally ill in Kenya could be equally applied more or less the world over, even in Europe, with its apparently generous supply of mental health workers:
“good care is expensive and patients are expected to recover in their community. Often people are ignorant of mental health issues, or fearful that the afflicted person may harm others.”
In the United States, the advent of anti-psychotic medications led to most psychiatric hospitals being closed and people with mental health issues being expected to recover in the community, while remaining “compliant” with medication.
People affected by mental health are more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators of it, yet global stereotypes, fueled by sensationalized and skewed media reports, fuel a widespread misconception that people with mental health issues are more likely to be violent.
“…hundreds of thousands of people who suffer from mental illness have at some point been chained or locked up. In countries where such illnesses are poorly understood, many sufferers never see doctors.”
In the United States, 15 to 20 percent of inmates in prisons and jails have a serious mental illness. In the United Kingdom, “mental health detention,” or forcibly sectioning people, is standard and accepted practice. Chains may not be used in British mental health facilities, but seclusion is.
Readers of The Economist’s report may be tempted to believe mistreatment of the mentally ill only happens in the developing world, and that things will get better once developing countries advance economically. That is a dangerous fallacy.
Where “developing” countries have shackles and chains, “developed” countries have jails or psychiatric hospitals that are even more dangerous than prisons. Mistreatment of the mentally ill is not a malady that can be medicated with rising GDP. It is a pandemic of prejudice, fear, and discrimination. A re-evaluation of the way we treat mental illness, and the way we treat each other, must be part of the cure. | https://medium.com/@josephoneill888/mental-health-in-the-developing-world-in-chains-ac78bc4712ac | ['Joseph Leonard O Neill'] | 2020-11-22 02:41:24.383000+00:00 | ['Human Rights', 'Pandemic', 'Discrimination', 'Kenya', 'Mental Health'] |
Virtual private network — Crypto News | A virtual private network ( VPN) extends a private network across a public network, and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Applications running on a computing device, e.g. a laptop, desktop, smartphone, across a VPN may therefore benefit from the functionality, security, and management of the private network. Encryption is a common though not an inherent part of a VPN connection.
VPN technology was developed to allow remote users and branch offices to access corporate applications and resources. To ensure security, the private network connection is established using an encrypted layered tunneling protocol and VPN users use authentication methods, including passwords or certificates, to gain access to the VPN. In other applications, Internet users may secure their transactions with a VPN, to circumvent geo-restrictions and censorship, or to connect to proxy servers to protect personal identity and location to stay anonymous on the Internet. However, some websites block access to known VPN technology to prevent the circumvention of their geo-restrictions, and many VPN providers have been developing strategies to get around these roadblocks.
A VPN is created by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of dedicated circuits or with tunneling protocols over existing networks. A VPN available from the public Internet can provide some of the benefits of a wide area network (WAN). From a user perspective, the resources available within the private network can be accessed remotely.
Types
Early data networks allowed VPN-style connections to remote sites through dial-up modem or through leased line connections utilizing X.25, Frame Relay and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) virtual circuits, provided through networks owned and operated by telecommunication carriers. These networks are not considered true VPNs because they passively secure the data being transmitted by the creation of logical data streams. They have been replaced by VPNs based on IP and IP/Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) Networks, due to significant cost-reductions and increased bandwidth provided by new technologies such as digital subscriber line (DSL) and fiber-optic networks.
VPNs can be characterized as host-to-network or remote access by connecting a single computer to a network, or as site-to-site for connecting two networks. In a corporate setting, remote-access VPNs allow employees to access the company’s intranet from outside the office. Site-to-site VPNs allow collaborators in geographically disparate offices to share the same virtual network. A VPN can also be used to interconnect two similar networks over a dissimilar intermediate network; for example, two IPv6 networks over an IPv4 network.
VPN systems may be classified by:
the tunneling protocol used to tunnel the traffic
the tunnel’s termination point location, e.g., on the customer edge or network-provider edge
the type of topology of connections, such as site-to-site or network-to-network
the levels of security provided
the OSI layer they present to the connecting network, such as Layer 2 circuits or Layer 3 network connectivity
the number of simultaneous connections
Security mechanisms
VPNs cannot make online connections completely anonymous, but they can usually increase privacy and security. To prevent disclosure of private information, VPNs typically allow only authenticated remote access using tunneling protocols and encryption techniques.
The VPN security model provides:
confidentiality such that even if the network traffic is sniffed at the packet level (see network sniffer and deep packet inspection), an attacker would see only encrypted data
sender authentication to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the VPN
message integrity to detect any instances of tampering with transmitted messages.
Secure VPN protocols include the following:
Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) was initially developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for IPv6, which was required in all standards-compliant implementations of IPv6 before RFC 6434 made it only a recommendation. This standards-based security protocol is also widely used with IPv4 and the Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol. Its design meets most security goals: authentication, integrity, and confidentiality. IPsec uses encryption, encapsulating an IP packet inside an IPsec packet. De-encapsulation happens at the end of the tunnel, where the original IP packet is decrypted and forwarded to its intended destination.
Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) can tunnel an entire network’s traffic (as it does in the OpenVPN project and SoftEther VPN projector secure an individual connection. A number of vendors provide remote-access VPN capabilities through SSL. An SSL VPN can connect from locations where IPsec runs into trouble with Network Address Translation and firewall rules.
Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) — used in Cisco AnyConnect VPN and in OpenConnect VPN to solve the issues SSL/TLS has with tunneling over TCP (tunneling TCP over TCP can lead to big delays and connection aborts).
Microsoft Point-to-Point Encryption (MPPE) works with the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol and in several compatible implementations on other platforms.
Microsoft Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) tunnels Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) or Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol traffic through an SSL 3.0 channel (SSTP was introduced in Windows Server 2008 and in Windows Vista Service Pack 1).
Multi Path Virtual Private Network (MPVPN). Ragula Systems Development Company owns the registered trademark “MPVPN”.
Secure Shell (SSH) VPN — OpenSSH offers VPN tunneling (distinct from port forwarding) to secure remote connections to a network or to inter-network links. OpenSSH server provides a limited number of concurrent tunnels. The VPN feature itself does not support personal authentication.
Authentication
Tunnel endpoints must be authenticated before secure VPN tunnels can be established. User-created remote-access VPNs may use passwords, biometrics, two-factor authenticationor other cryptographic methods. Network-to-network tunnels often use passwords or digital certificates. They permanently store the key to allow the tunnel to establish automatically, without intervention from the administrator.
Routing
Tunneling protocols can operate in a point-to-point network topology that would theoretically not be considered as a VPN, because a VPN by definition is expected to support arbitrary and changing sets of network nodes. But since most router implementations support a software-defined tunnel interface, customer-provisioned VPNs often are simply defined tunnels running conventional routing protocols.
Provider-provisioned VPN building-blocks
Depending on whether a provider-provisioned VPN (PPVPN) operates in layer 2 or layer 3, the building blocks described below may be L2 only, L3 only, or combine them both. Multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) functionality blurs the L2-L3 identity.
RFC 4026 generalized the following terms to cover L2 and L3 VPNs, but they were introduced in RFC 2547. More information on the devices below can also be found in Lewis, Cisco Press. Customer © devices
A device that is within a customer’s network and not directly connected to the service provider’s network. C devices are not aware of the VPN.Customer Edge device (CE)
A device at the edge of the customer’s network which provides access to the PPVPN. Sometimes it is just a demarcation point between provider and customer responsibility. Other providers allow customers to configure it.Provider edge device (PE)
A PE is a device, or set of devices, at the edge of the provider network which connects to customer networks through CE devices and presents the provider’s view of the customer site. PEs are aware of the VPNs that connect through them, and maintain VPN state.Provider device (P)
A P device operates inside the provider’s core network and does not directly interface to any customer endpoint. It might, for example, provide routing for many provider-operated tunnels that belong to different customers’ PPVPNs. While the P device is a key part of implementing PPVPNs, it is not itself VPN-aware and does not maintain VPN state. Its principal role is allowing the service provider to scale its PPVPN offerings, for example, by acting as an aggregation point for multiple PEs. P-to-P connections, in such a role, often are high-capacity optical links between major locations of providers.
User-visible PPVPN services
Virtual LAN
Virtual LAN (VLAN) is a Layer 2 technique that allow for the coexistence of multiple local area network (LAN) broadcast domains, interconnected via trunks using the IEEE 802.1Qtrunking protocol. Other trunking protocols have been used but have become obsolete, including Inter-Switch Link (ISL), IEEE 802.10 (originally a security protocol but a subset was introduced for trunking), and ATM LAN Emulation (LANE).Virtual private LAN service (VPLS)
Developed by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Virtual LANs (VLANs) allow multiple tagged LANs to share common trunking. VLANs frequently comprise only customer-owned facilities. Whereas VPLS as described in the above section (OSI Layer 1 services) supports emulation of both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint topologies, the method discussed here extends Layer 2 technologies such as 802.1d and 802.1q LAN trunking to run over transports such as Metro Ethernet.
As used in this context, a VPLS is a Layer 2 PPVPN, emulating the full functionality of a traditional LAN. From a user standpoint, a VPLS makes it possible to interconnect several LAN segments over a packet-switched, or optical, provider core; a core transparent to the user, making the remote LAN segments behave as one single LAN.
In a VPLS, the provider network emulates a learning bridge, which optionally may include VLAN service.Pseudo wire (PW)
PW is similar to VPLS, but it can provide different L2 protocols at both ends. Typically, its interface is a WAN protocol such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode or Frame Relay. In contrast, when aiming to provide the appearance of a LAN contiguous between two or more locations, the Virtual Private LAN service or IPLS would be appropriate.Ethernet over IP tunneling
EtherIP (RFC 3378) is an Ethernet over IP tunneling protocol specification. EtherIP has only packet encapsulation mechanism. It has no confidentiality nor message integrity protection. EtherIP was introduced in the FreeBSD network stack and the SoftEther VPN server program.IP-only LAN-like service (IPLS)
A subset of VPLS, the CE devices must have Layer 3 capabilities; the IPLS presents packets rather than frames. It may support IPv4 or IPv6.
OSI Layer 3 PPVPN architectures
This section discusses the main architectures for PPVPNs, one where the PE disambiguates duplicate addresses in a single routing instance, and the other, virtual router, in which the PE contains a virtual router instance per VPN. The former approach, and its variants, have gained the most attention.
One of the challenges of PPVPNs involves different customers using the same address space, especially the IPv4 private address space. The provider must be able to disambiguate overlapping addresses in the multiple customers’ PPVPNs.BGP/MPLS PPVPN
In the method defined by RFC 2547, BGP extensions advertise routes in the IPv4 VPN address family, which are of the form of 12-byte strings, beginning with an 8-byte route distinguisher (RD) and ending with a 4-byte IPv4 address. RDs disambiguate otherwise duplicate addresses in the same PE.
PEs understand the topology of each VPN, which are interconnected with MPLS tunnels, either directly or via P routers. In MPLS terminology, the P routers are Label Switch Routerswithout awareness of VPNs.Virtual router PPVPN
The virtual router architecture, as opposed to BGP/MPLS techniques, requires no modification to existing routing protocols such as BGP. By the provisioning of logically independent routing domains, the customer operating a VPN is completely responsible for the address space. In the various MPLS tunnels, the different PPVPNs are disambiguated by their label, but do not need routing distinguishers.
Unencrypted tunnels
Some virtual networks use tunneling protocols without encryption for protecting the privacy of data. While VPNs often do provide security, an unencrypted overlay network does not neatly fit within the secure or trusted categorization. For example, a tunnel set up between two hosts with Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) is a virtual private network, but neither secure nor trusted.
Native plaintext tunneling protocols include Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) when it is set up without IPsec and Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) or Microsoft Point-to-Point Encryption (MPPE).
Trusted delivery networks
Trusted VPNs do not use cryptographic tunneling, and instead rely on the security of a single provider’s network to protect the traffic.
Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) often overlays VPNs, often with quality-of-service control over a trusted delivery network.
L2TP which is a standards-based replacement, and a compromise taking the good features from each, for two proprietary VPN protocols: Cisco’s Layer 2 Forwarding (L2F)(obsolete as of 2009) and Microsoft’s Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP).
From the security standpoint, VPNs either trust the underlying delivery network, or must enforce security with mechanisms in the VPN itself. Unless the trusted delivery network runs among physically secure sites only, both trusted and secure models need an authentication mechanism for users to gain access to the VPN.
VPNs in mobile environments
Users utilize mobile virtual private networks in settings where an endpoint of the VPN is not fixed to a single IP address, but instead roams across various networks such as data networks from cellular carriers or between multiple Wi-Fi access points without dropping the secure VPN session or losing application sessions. Mobile VPNs are widely used in public safety, where they give law-enforcement officers access to applications such as computer-assisted dispatch and criminal databases, and in other organizations with similar requirements such as Field service management and healthcare.
VPN on routers
With the increasing use of VPNs, many have started deploying VPN connectivity on routers for additional security and encryption of data transmission by using various cryptographic techniques. Home users usually deploy VPNs on their routers to protect devices, such as smart TVs or gaming consoles, which are not supported by native VPN clients. Supported devices are not restricted to those capable of running a VPN client.
Many router manufacturers supply routers with built-in VPN clients. Some use open-source firmware such as DD-WRT, OpenWRT and Tomato, in order to support additional protocols such as OpenVPN.
Setting up VPN services on a router requires a deep knowledge of network security and careful installation. Minor misconfiguration of VPN connections can leave the network vulnerable. Performance will vary depending on the Internet service provider (ISP).
Networking limitations
A limitation of traditional VPNs is that they are point-to-point connections, and do not tend to support broadcast domains. Therefore, communication, software, and networking, which are based on layer 2 and broadcast packets, such as NetBIOS used in Windows networking, may not be fully supported as on a local area network. Variants on VPN, such as Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS), and layer 2 tunneling protocols, are designed to overcome this limitation.
Public or Private VPNs
Users must consider that when the transmitted content is not encrypted *before* entering a VPN, that data is visible at the receiving endpoint (usually the public VPN provider’s site), regardless of whether the VPN tunnel ‘wrapper’ itself is encrypted for the inter-node transport. The *only* secure VPN is where the participants have oversight at *both* ends of the entire data path, or the content is encrypted before it enters the tunnel provider.
Legality
Unapproved VPNs are reportedly illegal in China, as they can be used to circumvent the Great Firewall. Enforcement, however, might not be comprehensive.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. | https://medium.com/@bitsquabi/virtual-private-network-crypto-news-cdb91aa14b81 | [] | 2019-06-19 19:34:59.434000+00:00 | ['Anonymous', 'Vpn Service', 'Anonymity', 'VPN', 'Crypto'] |
Getting Inked — First timer. Tattoos have always fascinated me but I… | It might be obvious why I chose them, I like going minimalist. They are simple geometric shapes with a good deal of meaning to them so I was okay with my choice.
Where to get it done?
As I was a first timer, I had a lot of options to choose from. Now here is where you need to ask yourself, do you want this tattoo to be your identity or something that you look at when no one is around. What I mean by this is, if you are getting it done for the purpose of some internal commitment and you want it done just because you want it for yourself, then you should pick places that are concealed in a casual posture — lower wrist, biceps, chest, etc. If you want the tattoo as a personal brand then go for well exposed places — fore arm, fingers, I don’t know, forehead may be.
I was getting it done because I wanted to experiment with my body at the same time get something meaningful out of it in the end. So, I went for lower wrist extending all the way towards my elbows. So it is something I could hide using a simple full sleeves shirt. Plus my designs were not something that could get me killed in jail so I was okay with showing them off if I had to. So I was golden.
Picking an artist…
Be very picky about this. This is not your grocery store. If you wanted plastic surgery done, would you just ask a few friends for a plastic surgeon. Of course not. So do a proper research. If you are not satisfied with the guy your research yielded, then wait for the right moment. Always remember, the ink is going to stay.
So I did my research well and being in Varanasi has its merits. The place I went to is called Tattoo Adda. The place is a well known spot for tattoo enthusiasts. Here are the contact details just in case you feel like getting a tattoo done.
Facebook
Mobile number: +919369140551 ( Akash )
It is pretty easy to find ( 5min walking distance from PDR Mall, Varanasi )
So I contacted Akash directly regarding the art work I wanted, to which he replied promptly. The questions you should ask are how much will it cost. It would be nice if you have the pictures of the design handy because he will ask for it to give you an estimate. The minimum charge for any design would be 1K INR ( 1–3 sq inch ). If you smartly plan your tattoo design, you can get a big design in under 2K.
A thing to note here is, even though it might seem that Akash would be the one inking you, that may not be the case. It is a tattoo shop and there can be more than one artist working there, so chances are you may end up with a different artist. But I would say, trust your gut like I did. If you feel that the guy is confident and knows what he is doing then go for it. If not, cancel your plans. The person who inked me was Vishal Dwivedi and I can vouch for him. I will show you his work at the end of this article.
Pros:
They are professionals
Hygiene is maintained throughout the process
He will give you a thorough set of guidelines on how to maintain your tattoo and keep it from losing its sharpness.
Cons:
The place is a bit small, and I was hoping for a dedicated tattoo work room, but that was not the case.
The place was loud, really loud music. For which I will advice a few things later in this article. See, they too need to enjoy their work so you cannot expect the place to be dead silent just because you don’t like loud music.
Welcome to the world of hurt…
Probably the most important part of this article. The pain, the agony, the torture. The question that I used to ask, the question that everyone asks — Kitna dard hota hai? ( How much does it hurt ). I will be very honest with you. It is all in your head. Had I gone through this process 4 years back, I would not have been able to sit through that painful procedure but some how I have lost the fear of needles in my 2nd year of college when I went through a Rhinoplasty. Since then, I have never looked away when I was being pricked by a needle. I don’t wish to sound cocky, but I enjoyed the pain. Bring in some music that you usually enjoy and play it on a loop and sit back and chill. If you control your mind well enough, it will feel as if a cat is scratching you. If you don’t know how to get your shit together, you’ll probably won’t last a minute. I repeat — It is all in your head.
Actual image of my tattoo process
But truth be told, when the needle hits you, you’ll know it. When they do a round 2 on your tattoo, you’ll feel as if your skin is on fire, but keep a straight face and listen to your music. May be curse your ex for making you get this tattoo done while you are at it.
By the way, this is the music I kept playing a loop with my earphones on https://soundcloud.com/axelthesleff/red-sun
Yet another actual image of my tattoo process
The procedure itself
Just to give you an idea of what the process involves:
Firstly they will shave off all the hair from the target site.
They will apply a local anesthesia gel to numb the place a bit.
They will use something similar to a carbon paper to get the design on a sheet of paper, which is then transferred onto your skin to give them a guideline to trace.
Then comes in the needle gun. If you are into sketching, you’ll see something similar here.
An occasional application of Vitamin A and D is done to help you heal faster.
And occasional soap spray is done to clean up the artwork.
Finally another healing spray is applied and the whole tattoo is wrapped in a cellophane sheet which you are supposed to remove in an hour.
Finally the artist will give you tips on how to take care of your tattoo which I will mention in detail later in this article.
Pro tips: Do a proper breakfast before the session, keep a few chewing gums and use the restroom if you have to.
Science rules all
So being an engineer, it is a habit of mine to do a good deal of research on what I am getting myself into. Here is a good video on the working of a tattoo gun. | https://medium.com/heuristics/getting-inked-first-timer-d81f0892dbd3 | ['Aakash Mallik'] | 2020-01-27 07:52:31.854000+00:00 | ['First Time', 'Life', 'New Things', 'Tattoo', 'Varanasi'] |
No Goodbye | You say it’s already gone
That nothing of us is left
In the chest of the heart
You say it’s already gone
That nothing of us is left
In the chest of the heart
And that life goes on
For even your moon is born in another direction
And that life goes on
For even your moon
rises in another direction
You put the winter in your voice
When you talk to me
But I even find it funny
You speak of the time that passed
And the look says otherwise
It’s funny because your body language speaks the opposite
You came to say goodbye
But I cannot forget your earrings
What you put to me
Your dress is like we’re meeting for the first time
Where are you dressed like this?
With these beautiful heels?
Nobody says goodbye like this.
Where are you going in a little dress?
And beautiful shoes?
I’d pretend that I even agree.
And that I remember nothing from this dead-end passion
And we hold each other.
Like two lovers
Saying goodbye isn’t the ideal thing. | https://medium.com/afwp/no-goodbye-988b703ec7c7 | ['Josh', 'Υя_Ωιѕємαη'] | 2020-12-23 15:32:31.604000+00:00 | ['Life Lessons', 'Poetry', 'Life', 'Poem', 'Love'] |
ADITYA THACKERAY is a CRIMINAL of BJP MAFIA ‼️ | ADITYA THACKERAY is a CRIMINAL of BJP MAFIA ‼️
BJP MAFIA EXPOSED 👇
https://dwichakraalemaaritruth.wordpress.com/blog
https://bjpmafiaexposed.substack.com
✨🤡✨
Respected Sir,
WHY are you SILENT about the MURDER of DK RAVI & GAURI LANKESH & CCD SIDDARTHA & DISHA SALIAN and SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT & RAJ KAUSHAL & DILIP KUMAR & SIDDARTH SHUKLA by BJP & BOLLYWOOD MAFIA & YOUR FAMILY ❓
For EXPOSING their DRUG MAFIA and CRIMINAL CELEBRITIES and for me being from SCHEDULED TRIBE ➡️
⚫ BJP MP TEJASVI SURYA & his uncle RAVI SUBRAMANYA who stayed just 7️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ metres from my HOME, ordered my HARASSMENT by ACP KV SRIDHARA for WHOLE last year‼️
⚫ BJP BLOCKED more than 9️⃣9️⃣ of my TWITTER, FB, INSTA & YOUTUBE ACCOUNTS 🤭
WHY has your BJP BLOCKED me from POSTING on INSTA HANDLE ➡️ truthyawatchin and TWITTER HANDLE dwichakra_alemaari, after I asked BJP LEADERS about them HARASSING me because I'm from SCHEDULED TRIBE, by their CRIMINALS in my old BUILDING and continue it even around my NEW HOUSE , for EXPOSING their MAFIA TRUTH❓
For EXPOSING their DRUG MAFIA and CRIMINAL CELEBRITIES, BJP BLOCKED my 6️⃣ TWITTER ACCOUNTS back to back on SEPT 3️⃣0️⃣th and OCT 3️⃣Rd, 3️⃣ on each day 🤭
BJP just BLOCKED my insta account dwichakra_alemaari_2 for EXPOSING their DRUG MAFIA and their CRIMINAL CELEBRITIES 😂
Tell your FANS about the women whom you TRAPPED in your PROSTITUTION RING 😎
Your PARTNERS IN CRIME - BJP, FILM INDUSTRIES, DUBAI mafia
You DRUG INNOCENT WOMEN, your LOTUS MAFIA makes DIRTY PERVERTED VIDEOS of them when they're UNCONSCIOUS, later BLACKMAIL their FAMILIES for 💵
You use same tactics to DRUG INNOCENT FAMILY MEMBERS of OPPOSITE POLITICAL PARTY and later BLACKMAIL them for POLITICAL LEVERAGE 😐
How many GOOD PEOPLE you've KILLED with your POLITICAL BLACKMAILING (CCD SIDDARTHA, CHIRU, DISHA, SUSHANT, SPB) 😮
GAURI LANKESH and VIKAS SHARMA was KILLED by YOU for STANDING UP against BJP MAFIA 😠
BJP is ABUSING its power & using its CREW for HARASSING me as I'm from SCHEDULED TRIBE, from past 7️⃣ months, for EXPOSING their MAFIA TRUTH.
WHAT are YOU doing about this INJUSTICE❓
You're INVOLVED in DRUG CIRCULATION, BLACKMAILING RACKET and WOMEN TRAFFICKING 🤑
You're ACTIVELY INVOLVED in OPERATION LOTUS of BJP 🥰
Your ENTIRE FAMILY are FILTHY CRIMINAL PIMPS who should be ARRESTED for the SUICIDES of those WOMEN and their FAMILY members 😤
CHIRU, DISHA, SUSHANT, SPB and LOTS of people had CONFESSED their CRIMES and wanted to EXPOSE you. So you KILLED them ☠️
The MAFIA that you're a PART of is HEADED by the BJP🕷️
MODIJI is the KINGPIN of the LOTUS CARTEL for now 💣
COVID LOCKDOWN was a SMOKESCREEN to HIDE the LOTUS MAFIA connections by BJP and use it as an EXCUSE to KILL those who are EXPOSING their DRUG MAFIA 🤖
REAL STRINGS of LOTUS MAFIA are getting PULLED from DUBAI 🦇
I SHIFTED to a NEW HOUSE, but the HARASSMENT around my building and surrounding ROADS continues.
BJP BUGGED my house with HELP from PHILIPS bulbs SOLD by AMAZON, HACKED my phone, desktop and ALL online accounts 😑
PROOF - They are DESPERATE to STOP ME from putting further names as these same CRIMINALS are INVOLVED with BJP in their DRUG MAFIA.
BJP has kept PEOPLE in and around my BUILDING to make NOISE and HARASS me for REVEALING their DUBAI MAFIA roots 😈
Since, I put BJP LEADER names in my POSTS and as I'm from a SCHEDULED TRIBE, from early MORNING...
💣 BJP CRIMINALS in my OLD ENTIRE building who were HIDING in the LIFT & STORAGE ROOM on my TERRACE were continously BANGING on my TERRACE and pulling HEAVY TABLES.
💣 BJP CRIMINALS in my OLD ENTIRE building & adjacent building were continously making NOISE right beside my ROOM WINDOW.
💣 BJP CRIMINALS in my surroundings are constantly making NOISE, even around my NEW BUILDING.
TEJASVI SURYA ➡️ ALL this ATROCITY & HARASSMENT was happening just 7️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ metres from your HOUSE. What were YOU doing as a LAWYER & a PEOPLE REPRESENTATIVE❓
BJP CRIMINALS around my old BUILDING were continously HARASSING me from past 7️⃣ months for being from SCHEDULED TRIBE and EXPOSING their MAFIA TRUTH and CONTINUE it around my NEW HOUSE also.
BJP was continously cutting POWER in intervals from MORNING to THREATEN ME for REVEALING their DUBAI MAFIA roots and BJP CRIMINALS hiding in my TERRACE were HARASSING me by BANGING on my TERRACE, pulling HEAVY TABLES, making NOISE right beside my ROOM WINDOW and in my ROAD 😁
WHEN will you RETURN those BLACKMAILING VIDEOS❓
CONFESS your SINS and SURRENDER to the LAW ma'am 🤫 SAVE those WOMEN from your PROSTITUTION RING 🤡🥶🤡
I KNOW you're planning to KILL me.
I'm ready to DIE for my TRUTH. Are YOU ready to undergo an INVESTIGATION and face the LAW for your LIES❓
To LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ➡️
BJP CRIMINALS in and around my BUILDING HARASSED me from past 7️⃣ MONTHS in my OLD house and doing the same around my NEW house also.
They were HARASSING me day and night EVERYDAY and ALL this was HAPPENING right in the BUILDING where ACP K.V. SRIDHARA was staying and also in ALL SURROUNDING buildings.
REAL REASON for KV SRIDHARA being SILENT about my HARASSMENT from past 7️⃣ months - HE was sent by BJP to HARASS and THREATENED me for EXPOSING their CRIMINAL DRUG MAFIA 💥
ACP KV SRIDHARA and his BJP CRIMINALS kept BANGING on my TERRACE AND in their HOUSE to THREATEN me. WHEN will the POLICE DEPARTMENT ARREST him and his CRIMINALS ❓ I have enough PROOF to prove this.
Even now, BJP SHAMELESS CRIMINALS continue HARASSING ME in and around my building.
Even after ALL this, POLICE DEPARTMENT is SILENT means...
I got my ANSWER.
#BEGGARhasNOTHINGtoLOSE #JusticeForSSR #BJPFails #BJPHataoDeshBachao #CONFESSANDSURRENDERCULPRITMAHIMA #HOPEyouCOMECLEANbackstabberAPEKSHA #OPERATIONLOTUSexposed #LOTUSMENhaveZEROBALLS #TRUTHwillNOTsetYOUfree #KARMAistheBITCHwhoisALWAYSwatchin #JUSTICEforeveryVICTIMofLOTUSandDUBAImafia
#JusticeForSushantSinghRajput #JUSTICEforeveryVICTIMofLOTUSandDUBAImafia #JusticeForSushantSinghRajput
#Love4SSR
#Revolution4SSR #WorldUnitedforSSRjustice #CBIEnquiryForSushant. #CBIMustForSushant. #CBIInvestigationForSSR #Warriors4Sushant #whokilledsushant #WorldFight4SSR #worldSushantEarthday #302ForSushant. #SSRCulpritsRoamingFree #Oath4SSR #BoycottBollywoodMovies
#boycottbollywoodmafia
#BoycottBrandBollyWood #Sandalwood #sandalwoodmovies #SandalwoodActress | https://medium.com/@dwichakra.alemaari_2_1/aditya-thackeray-is-a-criminal-of-bjp-mafia-%EF%B8%8F-13421eedd5a1 | ['Dwichakra Alemaari'] | 2021-12-28 12:03:00.056000+00:00 | ['Aditya Thackeray', 'Bollywood', 'Bjp Mafia Exposed', 'Bjp', 'Joe Biden'] |
[Weekly report] April 3 | While network is being repaired, Lightning Bitcoin team continue enhancing the system and build up the community around. Here are some news:
Technical Improvements
Full node
Improved voting mechanism
Repaired and testing full node wallet calculation error
Light wallet
Improved light wallet’s UX.
Upgraded light wallet transaction contents. Changed the cointype to 998 when creating a new wallet.
Blockchain explorer
Extended the explorer’s function.
Transaction information can be found by address.
Community
LBTC reviewed by DeepChain Analysis
March 28, Deep Chain Analysis published an analysis article called “Is LBTC a valuable fork?”
The article made a survey from eight aspects, including product orientation, competition analysis, problems, technology, project execution, capital support, team members and community operation. DeepChain Analysis concluded that comparing to other bitcoin forks, LBTC has a strong competitiveness. Read the article
Token Master listed LBTC
Blockchain app Token Master put LBTC on the front page banner.
Click LBTC banner can see more details about LBTC.
Token Master is an application specialised for blockchain investors and institutions. It aggregates the information about projects to help users to invest in better blockchain assets.
Discover quality projects, find valuable information, manage you portfolio. + and now add LBTC to your profile!
LBTC ranks first in searching engine
Both Google search and Baidu search for requests about “Lightning Bitcoin” or “LBTC官网” shows our official website ranked first. We are gaining weight! We hope LBTC community can help us push LBTC further up together!
Global Blockchain (Hangzhou) Summit Forum
March 26, Jack Zhang attended 2018 Global Blockchain (Hangzhou) Summit Forum on behalf of LBTC.
Global Blockchain (Hangzhou) Summit Forum, Jack Zhang
Forum headline was encouraging to “Connect the world, lead the future”.
It was hosted by Financial Office of Hangzhou, Financial Office of Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou Blockchain Technology and Application Association, and 8btc, reported by Lianghang Financial and around ten well-known media, live broadcasted by live stream platforms.
Jack gave a speech titled “Enlightenment and Chaos of the New finance”, explaining his view on blockchain theory as well as promoting LBTC.
He claimed that after LightningBitcoin’s development is completed, by employing DPOS technology, it will be able to handle more than 10000 transactions per second with almost no fee. Morover, LBTC’s IoV will open an access to financial services all over the world. Given that the high performance, built-in smart contract, and DApps will foresee an innovative and challenging experiment in the Bitcoin history. Read the article
Blockchain Congress in Russia
March 27–28, Jack Zhang attended Russian blockchain economic conference — Congress Blockchain on behalf of LBTC.
The conference was held in Moscow. Jack talked about the trend of global blockchain and was honoured to sign first RACIB memorandum on blockchain international cooperation between Korea, Russia and China.
During the conference, Jack had a talk with Russian national blockchain supervisors who introduced him into the development of Russian blockchain industry and investment information
Lightning Bitcoin Community Meetup in Moscow
March 29, LightningBTC community had a meetup in Moscow.
Jack Zhang, LBTC Chinese community, talked about technology and vision of Lightning Bitcoin, introduced the future plan to build-up smart contract and Dapps, as well presented part of the developed community system for contributors. At the meet up ChrisChen, blockchain investment fund Chainfunder, shared insights about the Chinese blockchain market and the strategy for foreign projects to enter it.
Here are some photos: | https://medium.com/lightning-bitcoin-blog/weekly-report-april-3-b694da52ae0e | ['Lightning Bitcoin', 'Lbtc'] | 2018-04-03 08:06:19.998000+00:00 | ['Blockchain', 'Bitcoin', 'Lbtc Weekly', 'Cryptocurrency'] |
Why We Serve: Jordan Ginn | Why We Serve: Jordan Ginn
In this series you’ll hear stories from USDSers and learn why they decided to join, why they stay, and how their work is making an impact for all Americans. U.S. Digital Service Follow Nov 10, 2020 · 4 min read
Jordan Ginn (he/ him), technical recruiter @ USDS HQ. Previously at a tech startup and his first tour at USDS. From Tacoma, WA.
What’s your background?
I started my post-college career as a teacher in the south Bronx for two years then transitioned to social work trying to assist folks in getting themselves in the workforce and off TANF. That put me in the employment space which eventually became headhunting for corporate clients. (I sold out and figured I wanted to make more than a nonprofit salary). However from headhunting, to internal recruiting, to middle management — I never fully felt comfortable in corporate America, despite many successes. So that’s when…
When did you first join USDS? What drew you to apply initially?
…Victor Arellano reached out to me summer of 2016 and introduced me to the notion that I could leverage my corporate skill set to do more than bring in revenue or help a company sell itself to another company. I was enthused by the thought that every person I brought to USDS could help thousands if not millions of people.
The impact potential was something I couldn’t pass up.
When did you leave? What did you do afterwards?
I left in November of 2019 and went to a small start-up. I had spent over 3 years, and it just seemed like I should have a next step.
Jordan with his sons.
How did you start thinking about coming back? What’s the biggest change you’ve seen since your return?
Well, while I wish the startup the best, it was just not a great fit from the onset. It was a great company filled with smart and capable people, but its a different vibe when there’s VC money, revenue targets and profit margins. It was just not where I belonged. The friends I left behind at USDS were genuinely friends — in a capacity I’d never found in corporate America. So I never lost contact with them completely.
Simply put, I missed them, I missed the mission and found myself longing to return pretty soon after leaving.
So my job was just OK before Covid…then the pandemic hit and it became untenable. I also hated the feeling that I was not somehow involved with a solution to the greatest health crisis in a century. I texted my friend, and the director of talent, Andréa Viza, shortly after my last job flamed out and asked “Can I come back?” Within a very short time I was able to make my way back home.
What lessons would you offer your past self at the beginning of your first tour?
Nothing. I did a perfect job and made no mistakes.
J/K…umm, I think earlier I should have recognized that everyone was just playing their own version of improvisational jazz to the tune of imposter syndrome.
So I’d have told myself to speak up more at the beginning when I knew I had the best idea. It’s an organization that actually listens to the best idea, which is more rare than it should be.
How does your work or the work of USDS make an impact?
I love the fact that every person I bring in is enabled to potentially affect millions of people. So the fact I get to bring in several people touching millions of lives is an honor. It’s a humbling position that to think of the most impactful Americans like Abraham Lincoln, MLK, Dr. Dre and Steve Jobs…I’m kinda right there behind them, ya know?
What has been your biggest challenge?
Breaking through people’s assumptions about what government can be. We’ve been lulled into lowered expectations when you think of government technology. It makes folks (understandably) resistant to hearing about us. When they do, most people are wowed by how much of an impact their skillset can have.
What do you want to do after USDS?
Undrafted NBA walk on.
What will you miss most about USDS when you leave?
Everything. | https://medium.com/the-u-s-digital-service/why-we-serve-jordan-ginn-b9f2d856c24 | ['U.S. Digital Service'] | 2020-11-10 14:37:44.783000+00:00 | ['Engineering', 'Interview', 'Civictech', 'Design', 'Government'] |
About Me — Paul Do. Husband, Father, Jiu-Jitsu Enthusiast… | About Me — Paul Do
I am a “Boat Person.” I am a refugee. I am an immigrant. I am Vietnamese. I am an American. I am an Ohioan. I am a Californian. I am a Chicagoan.
The Herald-Star of Steubenville, Ohio wrote a story on my family, circa 1984.
I am an elementary school math whiz. I am a Spelling Bee champion. I am a Little Leaguer. I am an involuntary Catholic. I am a reluctant altar boy. I am a militant atheist.
I am a mediocre high school football player. I am a better wrestler. I am a student of the game. I am a high school football coach. I am a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I am an assistant instructor in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu started as a way for me to get healthy and it turned into a passion. I am pictured here In January 2017 with my Professor, co-founder of Brazil-021 International, and fifth-degree black belt, Andre Terencio
I am a rapper. I am an old-school hip-hop head. I am a breakdancing Stan. I am a Bob Dylan fan. I am in love with Tupac Shakur. I am a procrastinating screenwriter. I am an essayist on untold stories of America.
I am an indoctrinated Republican. I am the holder of two degrees from the People’s Republic of UC Berkeley. I am a registered independent. I am a staunch believer in the phrase, “Black Lives Matter.” I am an opponent of the War on Drugs.
I am a recovering binge drinker. I am a raver. I am a cannabis enthusiast. I am an addict. I am a poker player. I am a gambler.
Poker has gone from a hobby to an obsession because it combines math and risk-taking. I am pictured here playing in the 2015 World Series of Poker Millionaire Maker.
I am a meme stealer and sharer. I am an internet troll. I am on social media for unhealthy amounts of time. I am a reality-television fanatic.
I am a lawyer. I am a writer. I am a teacher. I am a student. I am a friend. I am a foe.
I am a husband. I am a father. I am a middle child. I am a brother. I am an uncle. I am a fur daddy.
I am pictured here with my wonderful wife, Lauren, and my son, Zion, who was born in 2019 after a 6-year IVF journey.
I am not special. I am lucky. I am, according to a law school roommate’s mother, “LOVE.” | https://medium.com/about-me-stories/about-me-paul-do-8f04b1665d04 | ['Dr. Paul Do'] | 2020-12-19 22:59:40.649000+00:00 | ['Ivf', 'Poker', 'About Me', 'Brazilian Jiu Jitsu', 'Vietnamese Boat People'] |
Put That On Your Playlist: Red Velvet | Song: Red Velvet
Album: Stankonia
Honourable mention: Last Call (Speakerboxxx)
— — —
Remember what we wrote for Knowing, about Big Boi and how he is every bit the equal of Andre as an emcee? Enter Red Velvet. On a song where both rappers warn against the dangers of showing off, Big Boi does precisely the opposite of what he says, showing off as he narrates every pitfall possible. The middle part of his verse is particularly egregious and a hell of a tongue-twister.
Twist ya cap back, you got blood off on ya fur hat
Cap, cap, ya link snapped, you slumped off in ya Cadillac
For what though, some diamonds and a Bentley
What you dying for?
Alright hoe, I’ma bank my cheese and let my mic glow
Red Velvet has a weird and futuristic beat that can’t seem to ever get started, halting to a start every few seconds just as it seems to get launched. The synth on the background is fill of velvety (for lack of another word) texture and mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mimics the staccato of the hi-hat, but OutKast somehow make it all work because they’re just ridiculously talented. Mic glow indeed.
— — —
Beat: 7/10
Lyrics: 8/10
Overall: 7/10 | https://medium.com/amanmusthaveacode/put-that-on-your-playlist-red-velvet-a6ff198bceca | ['Charles Blouingascon'] | 2020-12-12 12:22:55.661000+00:00 | ['Hip Hop', 'Outkast', 'Rap', 'Culture', 'Music'] |
My Story — part 2. Choice | Image by Jim Semonik from Pixabay
Choice
A couple of years after the clearing [see part 1] I came across an advertisement for a group meditation held at the church where I had received the message. Thinking meditation was all that was involved I toddled along in time for the next class and asked to join.
I was certainly welcome enough, but the woman taking the group [Lorraine] seemed confused as to why I hadn’t brought a flower with me. The advertisement had stated that the next meeting would be flowers. I didn’t know what that meant but assumed we would be using the imagery of flowers for the meditation, but no, an actual flower was needed so I was told to get a flower from one of the car-park's bushes without allowing anyone to see what I had picked.
Once inside everyone covertly placed their flowers under a cloth on a tray. A few formalities followed, everyone settled, and the meditation began. I hadn’t spent much time in group meditation so I, at first, felt a little awkward, the group energy that began to build soon took care of that, I calmed and relaxed. It is a nice way to meditate.
A short discussion of experiences took place at the meditations end, then the covered tray was passed around the circle with each person taking any one of the flowers not their own. At this point I still didn’t know what the flowers were for. Lorraine began talking something about impressions, feelings, emotions. Finally, I got it. We were expected to read the flower, or really, the energy of the person who had brought the flower. I had never heard of such a thing. I had of heard psychometry, of course, but not with a flower. This wasn’t what I had expected, I had come for the meditation.
I began to panic a bit, but even through the panic I could feel information bubbling up into my awareness. So, against all past belief or reasoning I sat there and calmly read the flower. No-one in the circle seemed at all surprised, but I sure was.
I had known, of course, that I had some ability, it’s just that I had never been asked to perform on the spot and I didn’t know I could. I had thought my form of psychic knowing had to be gifted to me at the appropriate times rather than be called up at will. Looking back, it’s as if before this episode I believed I didn’t have any choice in the matter. Possessing the ability to read others at will was a revelation to me.
I stayed with the group for quite some time, they were a lovely bunch of people. I had great fun reading all sorts of objects and learned much from this association. Eventually, for reasons I do not know, the group dissolved. I felt a little lost for a while, even though I hadn’t ever expected to actually “go” anywhere with this new knowledge, I again wondered why the cosmos should lead me to this beneficial situation only for it to dwindle away.
Maybe I simply needed to be shown what I was capable of when automatically accepted and encouraged. Maybe, or perhaps the teaching here really was about choice.
I realized through this episode that up until then I had been living a huge amount of my life switched off to anything other than accepted reality. I still do, apart from the time I spend channelling my awareness and perception is reined in, closed up. I don’t feel that this is a necessarily bad thing, as I am sure any fellow empath would agree.
I am guessing this reining in, probably, unconsciously began in early life. If this is so I bear no regret. The human survival instinct is strong in all of us from the moment of birth, and if my younger self deemed this action necessary it’s okay with this older self.
The obvious difference now is that I am fully aware of my right of conscious choice. Not just in this matter, but in all matters, we have much say in our way of being.
When I lost the outlet provided by the group I could have sought out another group, I could have looked for a mentor to help hone my abilities, I could have , perhaps, become confident enough to begin reading for clients, but I happily did none of this. I instead returned for a while to ordinariness.
I do not believe it to be true that only a few are gifted with psychic ability, levels may differ, awareness of ability may differ, but everyone possesses the raw form of it. Its expression may be suppressed for many reasons, not all of them negative, sometimes its muteness is part of a teaching for a life plan. Few people live without basic intuition though, and I think that is often enough.
Some very talented people can easily walk their chosen path with one foot in each of the worlds. I have the greatest respect for those who do, and for the gifts they are willing to share. I know I have benefited greatly from any readings I have been fortunate enough to receive and I certainly do not mean to dismiss the worth of the comfort good readings can provide to someone in need, but I believe many people often do not need to know the things they are told through them.
Sometimes it is best to rely on our own intuitive knowing while living a life in solid, ordinary reality, that is what most of us are mainly here for after all.
So, with these sentiments in mind my return to ordinariness proved no hardship. About four years ago I did, however, join another group that, among other things, involved psychic development. Again, with a lovely group of people who taught and gave me much. It was through this association that the channelling came to the fore.
I hadn’t known that those I channelled for myself over years were capable of delivering broader teachings to anyone who would “trigger” them. With this development I again seemed to be confronted with a choice. Do I continue to hone my reading skills or do I concentrate on the teachings coming through?
As I was, and am, a terrible tarot reader [really useless, give me an object any day] and as I felt the teachings held more depth, this choice was easy to make.
So, for now, I hold fast to this choice, the choice I have so far consciously made twice. I wonder how many more times I will be presented with the same choice. One thing I know for sure is that I won’t be trying to read my own tarot cards to find the answer — no point. So, I think, as I believe so many of us should, that I will just keep toddling along not really knowing what to expect.
Who knows maybe I’ll find something even more surprising than talking flowers.
Claire. | https://medium.com/illumination/my-story-part-2-2371faca083c | ['Claire Elaine'] | 2020-07-10 05:23:08.264000+00:00 | ['Personal Growth', 'Spirituality', 'Awareness', 'Biography', 'Choices'] |
Wonder what happens when we stopped writing for a day? | Wonder what happens when we stopped writing for a day?
This is exactly what I did. I stopped writing. For more than 27 hours, to be exact.
Let me share one secret with you.
And that is …
(Image Contributed by the Author)
Nothing happened.
It is like a running enthusiast who is used to running 6 days a week. When he/she stops for a day, it feels like our fitness has taken a step backwards.
It is the same feeling I have today.
There are no signs of regression. In fact, it is a good break.
Take a break.
Have a Merry Christmas. | https://medium.com/@aldric-chen/wonder-what-happens-when-we-stopped-writing-for-a-day-7945b8bf5838 | ['Aldric Chen'] | 2020-12-25 12:02:39.456000+00:00 | ['Writing On Writing', 'Life Lessons', 'Writing Life', 'Self Improvement', 'Writing'] |
Network Topology | In this article, we are going to create such a network topology in which there are three systems : ‘A’ , ‘B’ and ‘C’. A can ping with B as well as C & B can also ping to A but not to C & C can also ping to A but not to B.
All of the three systems are connected with a switch. Here I am using RHEL8 for practice. So, let’s see how to create such a network!!
System A
In our system A , I have changed my private IP by using command:
ifconfig enp0s3 192.168.20.1/24
enp0s3 is the network card name and IP is setted to 192.168.20.1 with netmask 255.255.255.0 .
Create new rule in routing table by using command:
route add -net 192.168.20.0/30 enp0s3
By adding this rule , our system will create packet for only IP’s 192.168.20.{0–3}.
To check the routing table, use command:
route -n
System B
In our system B , I have changed my private IP by using command:
ifconfig enp0s3 192.168.20.2/24
Adding the rule to routing table as
route add -net 192.168.20.0/31 enp0s3
By this rule only 2 IP’s are allowed 192.168.20.0 and 1 as netmask is set to 255.255.255.254
System C
In our system B , I have changed my private IP by using command:
ifconfig enp0s3 192.168.20.3/24
Add the same rule as system B has:
route add -net 192.168.20.0/31 enp0s3
Pinging results of system A:
pinging both to system A and B
system C
pinging with A but not with B.
Hope you enjoyed while reading. | https://medium.com/@yadav12122000/network-topology-3f4c8362a69 | ['Lalit Yadav'] | 2020-12-21 15:03:16.877000+00:00 | ['Topology', 'Networking', 'Vimal Daga', 'Righteducation', 'Right Mentor'] |
Reproductive Justice Must Include Sex Worker Voices | Sangam ‘Alopeke
abortion (rights/justice) sex work. bodily autonomy is bodily autonomy.
This month has been a tough one for anyone who cares about reproductive rights.
The pushback has been strong, and immediate. People are speaking up, in a variety of ways. Organizing rallies, fundraising for the groups already doing solid on the ground work to support people’s access to abortions, and above all talking. On Facebook and Twitter, in blog posts and opinion columns, people have had a lot of thoughts on why this is happening, how to tackle it, how to organize, who to reach out to. The wave of aggressively anti-abortion legislation in multiple states has been nothing short of a concerted attack on our lives. The spate of anti-abortion laws recently passed will affect a wide range of people, but there is no doubt that they will hit poor black and brown people the hardest. Unfortunately, these discourses are continuing to center white women’s narratives, and argue for abortion rights by centering moments of trauma.
It has become something of a trend in the past weeks to center discussions of the draconian abortion restrictions being passed on the fact that they will ban abortions even in cases of rape and incest — and, certainly, that is unconscionable. It strikes me, though, as telling that we so often feel we cannot argue for abortion rights without focusing on trauma. In some ways, I see this as a symptom of focusing too much on white women’s perspectives and catering to the sensibilities of white America. In many circles it isn’t polite, it isn’t done, it isn’t the right thing, to talk about the plain and simple fact that abortion is a routine medical procedure. Instead we need to flay ourselves open, expose our wounds in an attempt to prove we deserve to have access to it.
I don’t believe in allowing this shifting of discourse. It’s standard and common among many — largely white, largely middle and upper class liberal circles — to make appeals in this way. When I am talking with my people, with other black and brown folk, queer and trans people, sex workers of color, the discussion tends to strike far more at the root of the matter.
Unfortunately, as with so many other areas, largely the only people talking about the ways that these issues affect sex workers are sex workers.
The abortion bans are terrible because people who don’t want to be pregnant should be able to end their pregnancies. We shouldn’t need traumatic stories to justify it, we shouldn’t need explanations rooted in horror. Among sex workers, this is an extremely common experience already. So often, we are expected to justify our jobs and our existence with stories of trauma and misery in order to legitimize why we deserve rights. Why we deserve autonomy. Why we deserve to live free of criminalization. There is clear overlap between the criminalization of sex workers and the criminalization of abortion: in both cases, society wishes to penalize people for having sex outside of proscribed boundaries.
We need to speak out to make sure that the fundamental message is centered. We need to engage to bring the conversation back to the ideas of autonomy and freedom rather than falling into a pattern of making concessions that appeal to allegedly pivotal voting groups. Throwing sex workers under the bus in a bid to save those perceived as less transgressive will not produce a just world — indeed, it is not likely to succeed at all.
In so many ways, we are already overpoliced, exposed to increased risk of violence through the process of criminalization. We are already forced daily to justify our right to bodily autonomy by both the carceral system and our supposed allies who present a united front in treating us as though trading sex renders our consent meaningless. There’s so much overlap already in the issues that we fight for daily — and yet I so often see people who are the fiercest advocates for reproductive rights reproduce the same rhetoric that stigmatizes and perpetuates violence against sex workers.
I cannot imagine that a world that already sees sex workers subject to arrest and imprisonment over carrying condoms, we will be allowed any greater liberty when it comes to birth control options. I cannot imagine that in a world that already wants to put us on registries for working, that our safety would be a priority in states with harsh criminalization of abortion. I cannot imagine that in a world that equates our livelihood with rape, we will be listened to when we discuss actual violations of our consent.
Or — I can imagine these things, but only if we start seeing an intentional commitment in the reproductive rights movement to including the voices of sex workers. The fight for sex worker rights is so deeply entwined with the fight for bodily autonomy. Sex workers have long been at the forefront of fights for health justice; have led conversation on sexual boundaries and consent. We have been strong advocates for access to safer sex education. All of these things are intimately connected to the fight for reproductive justice — the fight to be able to have the tools and safety to make our own choices about our own bodies. Leaving sex workers out of the conversation is not just an oversight but actively harmful. | https://medium.com/@reframehealthandjustice/reproductive-justice-must-include-sex-worker-voices-2b6d13c50309 | ['Reframe Health'] | 2019-05-31 15:47:23.446000+00:00 | ['Sex Work', 'Reproductive Rights', 'Abortion'] |
The Lesbian K-Drama That Made Me Cry | Writing Life
The Lesbian K-Drama That Made Me Cry
I teared up watching “Hello, Dracula” (안녕 드라큘라), a TV show about a lesbian from — I cannot emphasize this enough — SOUTH KOREA. (No, she is not a vampire.)
Jesus makes a cameo at the 2018 Seoul Queer Festival, photo by author
Half a lifetime ago I cowered on my sofa in Seoul, TV set to a whisper, watching a Pride Parade in Seoul as shown in the docuseries “Coming Out” (커밍아웃). My mind had exploded with the notion this limited docuseries had been made at all, produced by one of the only openly gay men in Korea at the time, Hong Seok-cheon (홍석천).
I went to a small private school where the only openly out person — a bisexual boy — was relentlessly teased. The kids were clever; they never had a problem with his sexuality per se, just his voice (“So nasal!”), the way he hit on boys (“Such a creep!”), and the way he danced to Britney Spears at the school talent show.
Not only was “Coming Out” made, not only did it land a daytime slot on a major channel, not only did I, for the first time in my fifteen-year life, see people like me — queer Koreans — but now, in the finale of the series I had been sneaking to view while my mother was deafened in the hissing, sizzling, popping kitchen, while my brother was out or holed up in his room, now, the series was telling me that, on top of all that, Seoul had a P-R-I-D-E P-A-R-A-D-E. How far was it from where I was?
There were 20 people at most. Half of them non-Korean ex-patriots. They first gathered at the “festival,” then thinned out as they marched through the streets.
I was filled with hope and terror. Terror that the small demonstration would draw intense hatred; hope that, here in Korea, things were already better than I could have imagined. | https://medium.com/yj-reads/the-lesbian-k-drama-that-made-me-cry-72462bb05c23 | ['Yj Jun'] | 2020-12-02 14:33:01.600000+00:00 | ['Representation', 'Korea', 'Queer', 'Lesbian', 'TV Series'] |
Agile and waterfall- which method ensures success for your project development | Agile and waterfall- which method ensures success for your project development Techcedence Jul 6·3 min read
One of the important decisions faced during project implementations is “Which development methodology should we use?” And this is one topic that gets a lot of discussion. If it is not something you’ve worked with before, then to put it very simply, it’s a way of organizing the work of software development. While there are many different project management approaches, the choice should be made keeping the nature of your business and its requirements in mind.
Out of all the methods, the two basic, most popular methodologies used are agile and waterfall methodology and both of these are usable and mature methodologies.
Would you like to know how both approaches differ from each other? And which one should you go for when it comes to your next project? You’ve come to the right place!
Waterfall
Non-agile, is a traditional method for developing software. It splits the software development lifecycle into 6 stages where one tackles the challenges one stage at the time. One can only proceed to the next stage when the current stage is completely done. The usual stages are:
Requirements
Analysis & Planning
System and Software Design
Coding
Testing
Deployment
It is called a “plan-driven process” due to its rigid structure, as you need to have a clear plan when certain things are done, how they are done, why they are done to successfully use this methodology.
Agile
Agile has an incremental, iterative approach to software development unlike the waterfall approach that has a rigid structure and demands that the product be completed one phase at a time. Agile methodology is a lot more flexible and open to changes as it revolves around the idea of breaking down project requirements into smaller parts of user-functionalities, called “user stories” which are prioritized and delivered continuously in short cycles called “iterations”.
Customer satisfaction is primarily the end goal of the agile approach, as the focus of each iteration will be built around the idea of providing a higher quality solution to the customer.
In order for the agile approach to bring actual results, cross-functional teams work in “sprints”. The ideal duration of a sprint is 2 weeks but there are teams who even run 1 week and 3 week sprints. As a best practice, It is always better to have the sprint duration not exceed beyond 3 weeks. The goal of every sprint will be to build usable software which will then be given to the customers to test. Once the customer gives their feedback, it is used to develop a plan for the future iteration of the product. Work in agile methodology is organized into a backlog that is prioritized based on the business/customer value.
While none of the two methodologies is per se better or worse than the other one, the agile methodology works better in most cases as the development approach provides flexibility and enables a lot of ‘testing on the go’ in order to create a valuable product.
So, if you are not sure which methodology would be the best for your intended project, don’t you worry! At techcedence we understand that every business is unique, and can help you figure out which is the better model for your project.
Would you like to talk to us about your project? Contact us today, we’re always happy to hear from you.
https://techcedence.com/agile-and-waterfall-which-method-ensures-success-for-your-project-development/ | https://medium.com/@techcedence-blogs/agile-and-waterfall-which-method-ensures-success-for-your-project-development-94499cd3759e | [] | 2021-07-06 09:50:21.788000+00:00 | ['Agile Methodology', 'Waterfall Methodologies', 'Software Development'] |
The First Signs of Alcoholic Liver Damage Are Not in the Liver | The First Signs of Alcoholic Liver Damage Are Not in the Liver
Myfather died of alcoholic liver cirrhosis four years ago. It came as a surprise to all of us, even though it was clear he had a severe drinking problem for decades. It was especially surprising to me, as a former nurse and a recovering alcoholic. You would think I’d know more about liver problems and alcohol use than the average person. But the truth is, in the months before his death, I had no idea my father’s liver was struggling at all. Most people know about cirrhosis, but few people know how a liver goes from early damage to end-stage liver cirrhosis.
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The combination of my father’s death and my personal background lit a fire in me to know more. He was admitted to the hospital on June 24, 2016, and he died on July 18. Only 24 days passed between the first sign there was a problem and his subsequent death.
Now, hearing that he was in end-stage cirrhosis didn’t surprise me, given his heavy drinking. What did surprise me was that he’d visited several doctors and specialists in the months before his death, and no one knew his liver was struggling either.
So what happened? Does end-stage liver cirrhosis really sneak up that fast? Were there other signs that would have alerted someone to his failing liver?
As for why the doctors and specialists didn’t know what was happening, that mystery resolved reasonably quickly. The plain truth is that alcoholics rarely divulge the amount and frequency of their drinking to their doctors. This was the case for my dad. He had many health issues that he was trying to solve, but he protected his drinking habit fiercely. So he refused to spill the beans, even when it mattered.
The problem is that liver damage has numerous multifaceted symptoms that are confusing and associated with many other illnesses. Unless a doctor knows that the patient is an alcoholic, they may not know how to interpret what’s happening until it’s too late.
As he was dying, my father told me that he didn’t think to tell the doctors how much he was drinking. He said it was as if he blanked out and “forgot” to mention it. As crazy as that sounds, this strange “forgetting” is a common part of the alcoholic mindset. It may also be due to the metabolic and physical changes of cirrhosis itself.
There are many signs of liver problems, but oddly, none seem to point to the liver at first. And in fact, many of the first signs of liver damage occur in other parts of the body. Knowing these signs may help educate alcoholics and their families if they want to understand their risk of developing liver cirrhosis.
Liver damage has numerous multifaceted symptoms that are confusing and associated with many other illnesses. Unless a doctor knows that the patient is an alcoholic, they may not know how to interpret what’s happening until it’s too late.
Digestive signs
The liver plays a huge part in our digestive process. It filters out all toxins from food as well as helping to break down fats and glucose.
When a liver starts to slow down due to significant damage, it will reduce its digestive work. Instead, it will divert its energy toward vital functions like metabolizing medications and filtering toxins.
This means that symptoms like bloating, nausea, vomiting, gas, and diarrhea will start to increase. Over time, eating becomes more challenging. In the later stages of liver cirrhosis, toxins that can’t be filtered out begin to build in the bloodstream, which causes more nausea.
Cognitive signs
Although confusion and brain fog happen in end-stage liver cirrhosis, they can also be early signs.
The liver is responsible for filtering dangerous substances in the blood. It also helps regulate hormones, blood glucose, and vitamin absorption. In the early stages of liver damage, these processes can be interrupted. Inevitably, this affects our brain and nervous system.
This means that early liver problems can make you feel tired, confused, slow, and foggy. You may have some memory issues as well.
Neuromuscular signs
The liver stores vitamins required for the functioning of many organs and systems in the body — one of them is vitamin B1 or thiamine. A deficiency in this particular vitamin has been documented in many alcoholics with or without liver damage.
Unfortunately, alcohol inhibits the absorption of thiamine in the intestine. Over time, as the liver becomes damaged, it can no longer store thiamine in enough quantities. Thiamine deficiency is responsible for many neurological issues in people with alcoholism.
Symptoms of thiamine deficiency range from mild to severe and include things like: confusion, mental fog, lack of balance, pain and numbness in hands and feet, muscle weakness, rapid heart rate, digestive problems, flushing, and involuntary eye movements.
Thiamine deficiency happens in almost every alcoholic who consumes frequent and large amounts of alcohol. And if thiamine deficiency due to alcoholism is discovered, you can be sure the liver is suffering damage at the same time.
Many of the first signs of liver damage occur in other parts of the body.
Vascular signs
All alcohol consumption can lead to blood vessel dilation, causing flushing in the face and hands. Over time, this can cause damage leading to permanent redness in the face. Although many alcoholics have rosacea or spider-like veins on their faces, this is often benign.
However, spider angiomas are different from rosacea or spiderlike veins. They’re circular and have a central point called a spider nevus that is darker than the rest of the lesion. Spider angiomas are a sign of liver disease and can be present in the early stages. They often progress to more extensive and more numerous lesions.
Spider angiomas are caused by increased estrogen levels in the blood. When the liver becomes damaged, it can’t properly metabolize estrogens, which causes them to build up in the body.
Many women who are pregnant or taking birth control pills may have a few spider angiomas. However, in alcoholic liver disease, these lesions are often more frequent and accompanied by red palms and varicose veins in the esophagus.
These are a few of the main signs of alcoholic liver damage that happen outside of the liver. It’s important to know this because most of us have no idea how the liver functions and how it communicates distress.
The liver itself doesn’t show signs like pain or swelling in the early stages of liver damage. This contrasts with other organs like the heart or stomach, where any damage will emit pain or symptoms directly from these organs.
What happens with liver damage is that its many diverse functions become interrupted, causing symptoms in other parts of the body. This may explain why most people never think they have a problem with their liver.
Unfortunately, patients with alcoholism are rarely educated about these issues. This is because they often don’t reveal their drinking, to begin with. And even if they do, the symptoms are widespread and complex, which makes patient education challenging.
My goal in writing articles like this is to help educate regular people about alcoholic liver disease to understand their health and make better decisions.
It’s hard to say if my father would have changed his drinking habits if he knew more about his vague and complicated symptoms. But I think having proper education would have certainly helped him understand his risks and health problems better. | https://medium.com/@rohitsharma46839/the-first-signs-of-alcoholic-liver-damage-are-not-in-the-liver-628643260a63 | [] | 2020-12-19 11:34:37.244000+00:00 | ['Addiction', 'Health', 'Body', 'Alcohol', 'Mental Health'] |
Cutting Diet Plan To Shred Fat Fast | You’ve built lots of muscle but if there’s slabs of fat over top, you won’t get as much of that WOW factor. Here’s a straightforward diet plan to help get you lean and shredded.
If you’re serious about showing off your hard-earned muscle, then a proper cutting diet plan is a must. Sure you could wing it, but you might not get the kind of results that you could with some strategy.
No, you don’t have to be picture-perfect but proper nutrition, training, and will-power are key to making progress in a reasonable amount of time.
Cutting involves reducing your energy balance (caloric deficit) either by eating less or doing more physical activity so that your body shreds the fat pounds. It’s recommended to engage in a weight training regime simultaneously.
In this article, we’ve put together a plan that anyone can use, but you’ll need to read through if you want to tailor it to you.
What is “Cutting” and Why Is It Important?
We’re glad you asked. Cutting essentially means losing body fat and it’s usually paired with the term “bulking,” — where you undergo a phase that entails trying to gain muscle size at a faster rate through eating a caloric surplus and focusing on increasing strength and training volume.
A cutting phase can be done before or after (usually after you’ve gained muscle size and body fat) bulking, or a standalone method, and it’s a great way (when done safely) to shred fat fast so you can fully reveal those sexy muscles underneath…
Now, you can burn fat by either reducing your calories below maintenance (calories required to maintain your current weight), or you can simply do more physical activity/weight training to burn more calories.
We’ll touch more on this part shortly.
So what happens when you reduce calories?
When the body consistently has fewer calories/energy than it needs, it goes into a catabolic, fat-burning mode because there are not enough resources to maintain or create fat tissue (1).
If not careful, you can lose muscle too if you cut your calories too fast or too drastically although the more you reduce calories, it’s inevitable, but less likely if you’re on anabolics.
Related: Bulking vs. Cutting: The Best Methods To Accelerate Gains!
Where Do Macros Factor Into All Of This?
We were just about to get to that because it DOES matter.
Macronutrients (macros for short) include protein, carbs, and fats. Why are they called macros? Because the body needs these nutrients in larger amounts compared to micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals.
As you probably know, protein is found in all body tissue including muscles. But it’s also important for hormones and several enzyme reactions.
An effective cutting diet plan should consist of high protein to keep muscle tissue while the body is in a catabolic, fat-burning state.
Carbohydrates are the body’s main energy source and fats are also used for energy but play a role in hormone production, nutrient absorption, and more.
Certain (starchy, sugary) carbohydrates retain water when stored as energy in the body. A carb-heavy diet can not only add up in calories but it’s also not recommended if you’re not a very active individual.
Plus, eating the wrong carbs is simply unhealthy but that goes for fats and proteins too.
Most people don’t pay attention to how much of each (macro ratio) macronutrient they consume throughout the day. However, if you have body goals, then macros should be split up into an appropriate ratio.
This will, of course, vary between individuals based on many factors (e.g., body composition, activity level, weight, health, goals, etc), although, typically, percentages are used to determine an appropriate macro range.
A lot of people think that focusing on calories in/calories out is all that’s needed to sculpt a midsection like a Greek god and get vascular like Ronnie Coleman.
If you have god-tier genetics then you’ll be closer than most with that strategy. However, if you want to reach your full potential, it ain’t happening.
What’s a good macro ratio for cutting?
This will depend on factors previously mentioned, and if you want as accurate of an estimate as we can give you then you should use our macronutrient calculator.
Simply type in your basic information and you’ll receive the ideal ratio for cutting, maintaining and bulking goals.
In one 2004 review, “macronutrient considerations for the sport of bodybuilding,” it was determined that a diet of at least 30% protein is best for preserving muscle during an energy/caloric deficit to oxidize fat (2).
In addition, sufficient protein intake provides a significant thermic effect to further enhance the fat loss process.
The same review determined that 55–60% of the diet should consist of carbohydrates to maintain energy during training. You want to be able to maintain a lot of your strength while cutting as this will enable you to preserve more muscle mass.
But having sufficient carbs also prevents the body from using protein as energy rather than building muscle tissue.
Lastly, dietary fats should comprise 15–20% of the pre-contest diet.
Additionally, consuming protein with sufficient amino acids and carbs before and after resistance training was shown to have a great effect on protein synthesis (building proteins), prevention of muscle loss, and glycogen resynthesis.
Protein and carbs seem to have a synergistic effect on insulin secretion and this is optimal for growth and triggering fat loss (3).
Carbs should be consumed at a 1.2g/kg/hour every 30 minutes for four hours and should be high glycemic index.
Another study from 2014 on natural bodybuilding pre-contest nutrition explained that an ideal macro ratio to cut is 2.3–3.1 g/kg of lean mass per day of protein, 15–30% from fat, and the rest from carbs (4).
So there seems to be a consensus on an optimal macro range when the goal is cutting. However, the ratio also works for gaining muscle mass with the difference being overall calorie intake.
How many calories should I eat to cut?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this. It really depends on your metabolic rate or metabolism, total calories burned per day, health, body fat, anabolics use, and more.
The macro calculator linked above estimates your metabolic rate and calories burned and will suggest the ideal number of calories that you should consume every day to reach your goals.
A common recommendation for cutting or bulking is to consume a 500-calorie deficit or surplus respectively in an effort to lose a pound or so per week.
This would equal 3,500 total calories which is believed to equal a pound of bodyweight. However, this is based on old research and newer studies have come out to sort of debunk what is often referred to as the 500-calorie deficit myth.
Don’t get us wrong, reducing your calories by any amount can certainly cause weight/fat loss but long-term, you’ll need to be more strategic about it.
OK, how much weight/fat should I be losing on a weekly basis?
Good question. According to the same previously mentioned study from 2014 (4), those looking to cut body fat while maintaining muscle mass should aim for approximately 0.5–1% (1 lb) body weight loss per week.
We hope that answers your question, but keep in mind, age, genetics, diet, health, anabolics, and other factors can play a role as well. Therefore, some people may be able to lose more while others will do better aiming for a more conservative number.
Now, if your goal is simply weight loss and not just fat loss, which includes glycogen, water, muscle, then you may be able to lose at a faster rate.
Although, for your health, you don’t want to lose weight too quickly. Cutting weight too quickly without proper nutrition can leave you deficient in nutrients and especially for women, it can negatively affect hormones.
Cutting Diet Plan
OK, so now we’ll get into the actual diet where we’ve provided a cutting diet plan that anyone can follow. This section includes an example meal plan with a few different food combinations to choose from per each meal.
Keep in mind though, we cannot give an exact calorie amount as this is something that varies between individuals.
But you should use either the macro calculator or the macro percentages provided in the section above, “What’s a good macro ratio for cutting?” to determine your ideal calories, protein, carbs, and fat.
We also recommend using our nutrition facts analysis tool that contains a large database of foods/nutrition info or MyFitnessPal.
Of course, if you’re more experienced than you know exactly how to structure your regime for an effective cut but you can still use the meal plan below.
The following is based on a 7-day, 5-meal per day plan and consists of healthy food choices, although, if you do feel the need to sin a little, factor it into your calories and macros if possible.
We recommend buying high-quality nutrition such as fresh, grass-fed meats, pasteurized eggs, quality-dairy sources with no added sugars, etc. Also, be mindful of sauces and condiments that contain lots of calories and sugars.
Each meal will have a few different options to choose from so feel free to mix and match but again, make sure to remain within the appropriate calorie and macro percentage ranges.
Alright, let’s get started.
5-Meal/Day Cutting Diet Plan
Note: Make sure to choose only one of the options in bullets below each meal. There are vegan and non-vegan options.
Meal 1
1–2 whole eggs for protein, fats, and other nutrients, egg whites (pure protein, no fat), oats or grits
Egg whites, Ezekiel bread/toast with hummus
Breakfast burrito: Tofu scramble (vegan version of scrambled eggs), diced cooked potatoes, onions, red bell peppers, mushrooms, half an avocado, arugula or spinach, and salsa all encased in a tortilla. Feel free to modify how you like. Use your favorite seasonings and add some non-dairy milk to make the scramble creamy.
Protein yogurt pudding
Protein shake w/ water or nut milk, 1/2 tbsp nut butter, and banana
Green protein smoothie
Meal 2 (pre-workout unless you train after breakfast)
Chicken or turkey breast, sweet potato or yuca, and mixed veggies
Beef w/ sweet potato or quinoa and veggies
1–2 black bean, lentil, or soy patties w/ 1 tbsp condiment of choice, white (Jasmine or Basmati) or brown rice, half an avocado, and green vegetables, i.e., spinach, kale, chard, broccoli, greens, etc
Veggie or whole-grain pasta with ground meat and a light sauce, veggies
Meal 3 (post-workout)
Whey or plant-based protein shake, fast-digesting carb like fruit/natural fruit juice, or a homemade carb drink
Choose any option under meal 2
Vegan pizza with non-flour base, fat-free or low-fat cheese, and light sauce w/ veggies
Chicken breast wrap with veggies
Low-fat ground beef/steak tacos wrapped in lettuce or low-calorie wrap
Butternut squash and tempeh tacos
Acai bowl
Meal 4 (snack)
Protein bar/shake
Jerky
Low-fat, low/no-sugar loaded salad w/ choice of lean meat/shrimp, light low-fat/sugar dressing(e.g., lemon, homemade balsamic, rice vinegar, etc)
Toasted rice cake/s with a little nut butter and a banana
Smoothie
Low-calorie veggie soup
Meal 5 (Bedtime meal/snack)
Egg whites, spinach, and almonds
Low-fat cottage cheese and light fruit (berries)
Casein or plant-based protein shake
Low-calorie veggie soup
Low-fat/skim milk
Nut butter and a slice of toast
Add a potent fat-burner to help accelerate your fat loss.
Meal timing, refeed days/calorie cycling
Timing is sometimes an important factor when it comes to nutrition and specific goals. In fact, we mentioned above that having protein before and immediately after exercise can maximize protein synthesis and muscle retention.
[caption id=”attachment_22610" align=”aligncenter” width=”750"]
Kai Greene[/caption]
Not to mention, for athletes who need to perform, having that energy is very important.
But for cutting, timing does not matter as much, although we still suggest eating enough protein and carbs to sustain your workouts (5).
Now let’s talk a little about a strategy called refeeding and cheat meals (you already know what that is).
Refeeds/calorie cycling essentially gives the dieter a real from their strenuous eating regime. It involves incorporating a few higher-calorie days in the form of carbs and fats.
This can prevent mental burnout, give you more energy for training, decrease hunger, and have a positive impact on metabolic factors related to metabolism.
Learn more about calorie cycling here.
What About Training and Cardio?
Cutting does not mean you get to take it easy on the weights, especially if you’re transitioning from a bulking cycle; a process that typically maximizes strength gains.
You still need to use challenging levels of resistance to maintain that muscle mass. This will also help you to burn fat as muscle tissue burns extra calories as does and training in general (6).
[caption id=”attachment_76890" align=”aligncenter” width=”750"]
Brooke Wells (Image courtesy of CrossFit Inc.)[/caption]
Ideally, a periodized training regime should be utilized and each body part should be trained twice per week minimum. It’s recommended to spread out your sessions to avoid doing much volume in a session (6).
This prevents overtraining and the potentially detrimental effects of pushing yourself too hard while in an energy deficit.
Related: Block Periodization vs Linear Periodization — Which Is Best?
As for weight used, a 6–12 rep range using 70–80% of one-rep max is ideal the majority of the time. Although, you can mix up rep ranges and do fewer or more.
Now, you can train to failure but this should mostly be reserved for single-joint isolation exercises. Otherwise, it’s advised to cut reps just short with heavy compounds such as deadlifts, squats, etc.
Additionally, 40–70 reps per muscle group per session and even more for advanced exercisers is suggested in recent literature.
Rest intervals should be anywhere from 1–3 minutes between but this can be modified as needed.
The more advanced you are, the better you’ll be able to adjust your training regime to elicit the desired results. But we recommend most people stick with this guideline.
If you want to maximize your fat loss potential, add in cardio activities with resistance training.
Related: Most Effective Ways To Burn Body Fat Without Doing Cardio
How Long Does A Cutting Cycle Last?
Some people do mini-cuts but a typical cutting cycle can be anywhere from 2–4 months, especially when leading up to a bodybuilding contest. The rate of fat loss can occur at a much faster rate than can gaining muscle so this is usually a quicker cycle than bulking.
If you have a lot of body fat then it’ll obviously take longer to accomplish this. But it really depends on your goals.
And, of course, like bulking, enhanced individuals will see results much faster. But for the natties out there, a 1–2 lb loss of fat per week is optimal.
Wrapping Up
We’re confident that the cutting diet plan we put together can be beneficial for anyone looking to shred body fat and looked jacked.
While you don’t necessarily have to track your macros whether that’s writing it down or using a tool like a calculator or app, you should at least have somewhat of an idea of the ideal macro range that’ll ensure you make the desired progress.
You’ll also need to do a little work to find your optimal calorie range so that you can be in fat-burning mode but it’ll all be worth it when you lose fat in record time and keep most of the muscle that you worked hard for.
Also read: The Missing Piece of The Bulking and Cutting Jigsaw. | https://medium.com/@fitnessvolt/cutting-diet-plan-to-shred-fat-fast-1fdc84859cd1 | [] | 2021-04-18 20:41:25.899000+00:00 | ['Shredding', 'Weight Loss', 'Diet', 'Cutting', 'Fat Loss'] |
7 tips to find great nonfiction books: | Photo by Alfons Morales on Unsplash
Okay, but first, let me tell you: I like ALL kinds of books.
In fact, I have a book review blog — The Ardent Reader — which I have kept for nearly a decade, through marriage, divorce, kids, new beginnings, changing jobs, life, and love. I review fiction and nonfiction books on my blog.
But that wasn’t always the case. In fact, a long time ago, I stuck to fiction almost exclusively. This choice wasn’t intentional — I just didn’t know what I was missing.
Slowly, I intentionally began to broaden my scope and slide into some of the areas of the library I hadn’t yet explored. I already knew I loved history, but I quickly added memoirs and biographies to the list. I also developed interests in science, sociology, anthropology, civil rights, creative expression, and politics. For me, that list will continue to grow throughout my lifetime.
I’m well aware that I’m addicted to books. Truth be told, if you set me loose in a bookstore, I could empty my bank accounts and max out all my credit cards in one day. When I go into a bookstore, I want it all. And not just books with words in them, either. I want empty journals, book lights, DIY magazines, activity books, and coffee-table books filled with photos of nature or mosaics or the peculiar art of Paul Cézanne. I am a woman of many passions, and like Johnny Number 5, I require input.
A few years ago, I realized that my bookshelf (and my home, for that matter) can only hold so many books. And disappointing as it may seem, I eventually came to grips with the reality that I will be able to read a finite number of books in my lifetime. I could probably read two books a week, providing they’re less than 300 pages apiece, if I really focus. But I’m more likely to finish one every two weeks. At that rate, if I live another 40 years, I have time to read just over 1,000 books. So I’d better choose good ones.
But how can I choose? How could I make one single selection (or two) from so many beautiful, word-filled volumes with colorful covers and the author’s photo pleading, “Read me!” from the inside cover? The horror! The idea!
I started thinking about how I found some of the best nonfiction books I’ve read. What is my system? Do I have prerequisites? How do I decide which books I’m going to read and which I will set aside? What topics interest me?
I sat down and thought about it, and after digging through my brain, I wrote this article.
Here are 7 ways I’ve consistently found great nonfiction books:
Look up people and events that pique your interest while you’re reading or watching the news.
Chances are, any icon or event—past or contemporary — is going to be the subject of a book sooner or later. James Comey wrote A Higher Loyalty after being ousted from his job as FBI Director. Barack Obama wrote The Audacity of Hope before he was elected president. I reserved a copy of Gloria Steinem’s book My Life on the Road after I saw her participate in a women’s rally, and I realized: I call myself a feminist, but I know nothing about Gloria Steinem.
2. Zip through the “documentary” section of Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, or another internet TV provider. Write down people or topics that interest you.
I don’t have a lot of time to watch TV, but I can listen to audio books in my car or at work. If I find a documentary that I’d really like to watch, I can be pretty confident that a book has been written on the topic. You may be surprised how many books have been written on one topic — the story of Emmitt Till comes to mind. Also, you saw a biopic that wasn’t so great (I think of A Beautiful Mind and Running with Scissors), then search out the printed equivalent.
3. Review the recommendations that Amazon sends your way.
This may sound like a lazy recommendation, but there’s something to those algorithms that seem to dig up some real beauts for me. I found Born Survivors by Wendy Holden that way, along with other gems.
4. Ask a [trusted] friend for a recommendation.
Besides the fact that it’s good conversation, you can get some solid recommendations from people you like and with whom you share chemistry. Among her many recommendations, my best friend Liz introduced me to Mary Roach, an author who dives headfirst into the scientific idiosyncrasies of space, death, sex, digestion, and a host of other topics. Her writing is informative and her delivery makes me laugh until my stomach hurts. (If you value your year-end holidays, be careful accepting book recommendations from family, especially in-laws.)
5. Write down your interests and go on the hunt for their equivalents in your local library. (When in doubt, ask a librarian.)
When I was actively reading a book a week for a year on The Ardent Reader, I found myself constantly being drawn back to specific sections in the library. My interests included history, sociology, biographies, crafts, and personal development. If you find a topic that piques your interest, select a couple of books from different authors. Everybody has a different style of writing, and one may bore you to death, while another will keep you wildly entertained.
6. Physically go to the library and look at the “New Books — Nonfiction” section.
Like everything in the library, new books (both fiction and nonfiction) have their appointed place. More than likely, recently published nonfiction books will be sitting up front. You’ll recognize their freshly wrapped covers, which look distinctly unbattered when they’re next to older library books. I found the audio versions of A Life in Parts by Bryan Cranston and Bossypants by Tina Fey that way… they nearly jumped off the shelf at me.
7. Don’t assume an 800-page nonfiction book is better than a 150-pager.
Just the first volume of Mark Twain’s autobiography — which was released with great fanfare a century after his death — is 736 pages and weighs almost four pounds. As a much younger, dumber adult, I paid $60 for that first book. It was so narcissistic that I refused to finish it. Now I keep it on hand to flatten curled-up watercolor paintings and press flowers. In contrast, a smaller book like Night by Elie Weisel is a true account that is formidable in its simplicity. If you try, you can finish it in a day. (And it’s life-changing.)
Are all of these tips going to work all the time? No. But this is what I do to find nonfiction reading material when there are too many choices. Which is always.
For me, one last rule always applies to any book I choose — whether it is fiction or nonfiction: If a book doesn’t hook me in the first two chapters, I set it aside and move on. You should set your own standards and parameters, but do set them. I probably begin four times as many books as I finish for this reason. Maybe you think this is a waste, but I only have 40 years left, remember? And that’s if I exercise every day and take care of myself. I have no time to waste on books that don’t interest me.
Well, there you have it: 7 tips that can help you find great nonfiction books. Feel free to let me know if these tips work for you!
P.S. — these are some of the best nonfiction books I’ve read!
My Song by Harry Belafonte — Easily one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever picked up , and full of surprising anecdotes about famous people, like Eleanor Roosevelt
The Innocent Man by John Grisham — a true story of a miscarriage of justice that resulted in a dead man walking
The Journal of Best Practices by David Finch — the memoir that helped me better understand some of the more obsessive compulsive tendencies of my partner
Wild by Cheryl Strayed — this book made me want to hike some mountains… immediately
Alex & Me by Irene Pepperberg — the story of an African Grey parrot who lived just long enough to put everything we thought we knew about parrots to shame
Who thought this was a good idea? And other questions you should have answers to when you work in the White House by Alyssa Mastromonaco — When I saw the cover of this book, I had to pick it up. When you see it, you’ll understand.
Hillbilly Elegy: A memoir of a Family and a Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance — Is there anyone left on Earth who hasn’t read this incredible book?
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik — The much easier-to-digest version of her life story. (I had started RBG’s own [sort of] biography My Own Words but the legalese was overwhelming)
The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs — A man tries to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in a year, and the experience is hilarious. Don’t read this if you have to pee, because you will laugh so hard you will pee on your seat.
White Rage by Carol Anderson — A must-read if you want to very quickly brush up on your African-American history. (It’s disturbing, by the way.)
Happy reading! | https://estherhofknechtcurtis.medium.com/7-tips-to-find-great-nonfiction-books-a0d11c5f9eb8 | ['Esther Hofknecht Curtis'] | 2019-07-14 20:01:11.028000+00:00 | ['Libraries', 'Interests', 'Nonfiction', 'Reading', 'Books'] |
Vite Labs Listing FRM on ViteX | Ferrum Network Token (FRM) will be listed by Vite Labs on ViteX！
Deposits and withdrawals of FRM will start at 7 am (UTC+0), Feb 26.
Trading of FRM/BTC will start at 7 am (UTC+0) on Feb 27.
For the previous partnership announcement, check here: https://medium.com/vitelabs/partnership-vite-labs-and-ferrum-network-co-listing-9e583b8c760.
About Ferrum Network
Ferrum Network was built to address two fundamental problems impeding the mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies: slow transaction speeds and the lack of interoperability between networks. It leverages the values of existing blockchains and connects them to a high-speed transaction layer that enables peer-to-peer transactions of any digital asset. Laser-focused on user-acquisition and global adoption, Ferrum Network has built a vertically integrated line of financial applications on top of the network, allowing users to buy, exchange, transact, and store any digital asset with no counter-party risk.
Related Links
Website：https://ferrum.network
Telegram：https://telegram.me/ferrum_network
GitHub: https://github.com/ferrumnet/fenova
Explorer：https://etherscan.io/token/0xe5caef4af8780e59df925470b050fb23c43ca68c
Twitter： https://twitter.com/FerrumNetwork
Reddit： https://www.reddit.com/r/FerrumNetwork/
Statements
The asset description is taken from official materials such as white papers issued by the official project team so that investors can better understand and evaluate the project. The content of this article is obtained through legal channels to ensure the reliability, accuracy and completeness of the information as far as possible, but does not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of the information stated in the official materials.
Vite Labs does not provide any investment advice or advice on trading techniques, models, algorithms, or any other schemes, and makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees to you of any kind. The Site and the Services are offered strictly on an as-is, where-is basis and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, are offered without any representation as to merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. The contents of this article shall not be used as the basis or evidence of morality, responsibility and law, whether expressed or implied. | https://medium.com/vitelabs/vite-labs-listing-frm-on-vitex-10de7873953a | ['Khun Sir'] | 2020-02-25 14:38:34.514000+00:00 | ['Vite', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Blockchain', 'Ferrum', 'Announcements'] |
(IJCH) “The Standard”- A message for New Bloggers, a reminder for Experienced Writers… | image by author
Snippet: “When uploaded and released in the wild, mistakes in an author’s work are laid bare and immediately subject to global scrutiny.
Clearly visible to both laymen and pundits alike, these errors represent a negative image of the author in absentia.”
IJCH — Inside JaiChai’s Head (Meaning: My Warped, Personal Opinions and Musings)
image by tumblr
From the Author:
Salutations.
I am JaiChai.
And if I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you before, I’m delighted to make your acquaintance now.
image by giphy
I invite you to interact with everyone, learn and have as much fun as possible!
For my returning online friends, “It’s always great to see you again!”
Background
image by pexel
I read an excellent article named “The Chronicles of the Modern Man” by Christophe WILHELM (@Chriss on Torum) today.
[Note: After clicking “The Chronicles of the Modern Man” and arriving at the article’s location, simply click on this image to view Christophe’s writing.]
image by author
In the article, Christophe discusses several facets of creating quality written content. He includes the idiosyncratic requirements of several blogging sites; some of which, I didn’t know existed until today.
I knew that he would like my thoughts on his article, so I promptly sent him the below message.
And believing his work deserved recognition among a wider audience, I formalized my message into the post you’re reading now.
“The Standard”- A message for New Bloggers, a reminder for Experienced Writers…
I’ve been doing this “scratching my thoughts into clay” thing for a long time; making it easy for me to spot quality content.
RE: “The Chronicles of the Modern Man”
In a word : Brilliant.
This piece bears the marks of thorough research and hours of polishing. You have definitely raised the bar for quality content on Torum.
I like how you describe both the art and science of writing.
Just like an iceberg, >99"% of what a good article is composed of is under the surface; not seen by your target audience.
image by pexel
That’s how it should be.
Contrastingly, lack of adequate research, sloppy formatting and not completing your “pre-flight checklist” before launch (i.e., proofreading, editing, quote and image accreditations, etc.) will surely produce articles that are simply FUBAR (Fu€ked-Up Beyond All Recognition).
When uploaded and released in the wild, mistakes in an author’s work are laid bare and immediately subject to global scrutiny.
Clearly visible to both laymen and pundits alike, these errors represent a negative image of the author in absentia.
Remember that the internet never forgets.
Unless an author is made aware of mistakes in his work and corrects them quickly, the post becomes an embarrassing, perpetual testament to his lack of professionalism.
image by wired
Professionals make the difficult look easy.
In this case, we’re talking about the time and energy-consuming task of creating purposeful, quality content — even if that purpose is simply to entertain.
It’s oxymoronic, but whether you get paid or not, if your work is head and shoulders above the crowd, you’ll be labeled as a “Pro”.
Conversely, some authors who produce dog$hit prose are called “professionals” merely because some schmuck is willing to pay for the worthless scat.
image by scienceworld
It’s all about quality.
I could write (and have written) novel-length expositions on this stuff, but this “short comment” is already too long.
To be exact, 346 words, 2,105 characters and 1,788 characters (excluding spaces) up to the end of the previous sentence. Lol!
You never fail to impress me, young man.
In lak’ech, JaiChai.
A Special Note for New Bloggers
image by pexel
Armed with the tools in”The Chronicles of the Modern Man” — and “The Standard” clearly set, it’s now up to you.
Do not be discouraged if you are beginning from Ground Zero.
Everybody does.
Just strive for a little improvement — no matter how small — on a consistent basis.
“Success is the realization of a worthy goal.” — Earl Nightingale
By JaiChai
“Really Appreciate You Stopping By. Truly hope to see you again!”
And if you liked my post, kindly Clap, Comment, Follow and Repost.
About the Author:
image by author
Believing that school was too boring, he dropped out of High School early; only to earn an AA, BS and MBA in less than 4 years much later in life — while working full-time as a Navy/Marine Corps Medic.
In spite of a fear of heights and deep water, he performed high altitude, free-fall parachute jumps and hazardous diving ops in deep, open ocean water.
Image by author
After 24 years of active duty, he retired in Asia.
Since then, he’s been a full-time single papa and actively pursuing his varied passions (Writing, Disruptive Technology, Computer Science and Cryptocurrency — plus more hobbies too boring or bizarre for most folk).
He lives on an island paradise with his girlfriend, teenage daughter and two dogs.
image by author
“My mind was a terrible thing to waste…” — JaiChai
This is YOUR TORUM INVITATION!
image by hot. rsquare
JaiChai 12–27–2020. Simultaneous, multi-site submissions posted. All rights reserved. | https://medium.com/@ijch/ijch-the-standard-a-message-for-new-bloggers-a-reminder-for-experienced-writers-dadd3035f3d6 | [] | 2020-12-27 11:57:38.377000+00:00 | ['Blog', 'Blogging', 'Writing Tips', 'Writing', 'Blogger'] |
What Purpose and Benefits Does an Efficient Employee Database Software cater to? | Employee data management is surely a crucial task within an organization that is to be catered well with the HRM team.
Major manual interventions and manual data recordings are to be subjected while maintaining employee based data within files and folders or even on a database.
Time to time updating and modifications require a concerned person to update the details thereby, if missed a single entry or updated any entry with an error then it might lead to serious information loss t organization.
Also, within the organizations having a large number of employees managing data manually also becomes an issue for HRM members as they need to collect the distributed data from various sources.
Managing payrolls, maintaining attendance records, leave balances management, etc. all become issues for management.
An efficient and modern approach to employee database management software might solve all your issues.
Being managed online is its outstanding feature that suppresses easy access and support within all employee data management and recordings as well also, reduces the errors.
What were the major fallbacks within a traditional employee data management that an efficient employee database software can easily cater to?
The traditional system of managing employee data was all manual, HRM members need to update even a single modification within the data.
Manual entries sometimes lead to missed data, erroneous data or the data redundancy issues within.
Along with the manual recording of data almost performed on an offline system which creates a dependency over the system for the data access and caterings within.
But when switched to employee database software
then you can attain many benefits as well also facilitate your organization workings that too with quick data responses within.
Below we have discussed some benefits out of employee management the software in an organization-
Easy access to all employee data
You can access all employee data within your fingertips, just within a click, all data be accessed that too efficiently and easily. Employee database software is a quick approach to all employee’s past and current records with just a click away.
Easy to manage individual employee profiles.
Employee based individual profiles can be managed easily that supports all sorts of employee data with ease. All past records, performance criteria, attendance records, payrolls, incentives, leaves, and leave balance management becomes so handy and efficient.
The software approach serves easy data extraction using the smart searching features within.
Employee database software enhances the extraction process of employee data through smart and automated search within. HRM members easily manage the search for the employee and can access their data with ease.
Easy Data Imports in bulk amounts.
If required any sort of data imports from different software then can easily be performed over an employee database software.
Software approach data exporting catalyze the process of extraction.
Easy data management and updating support.
Data management and modifications are to be facilitated with advanced and modern features within an employee database software. Just search the data and hit update to easily modify the employee information. | https://medium.com/@barrownzerp/what-purpose-and-benefits-does-an-efficient-employee-database-software-cater-to-5f9aa2d8ccd9 | ['Barrownz Erp'] | 2019-11-15 10:02:33.728000+00:00 | ['Erp Software', 'Startup'] |
#NaNoWriMo: Mr. Black Cat and Harry write a Magic Book together | A big black cat was walking through the wall. He wore a black suit, black shirt, black tie and black shoes. He also had a black ribbon tie on his head. The black cat walked over to the table in the kitchen.
“Good morning Harry!” said the black cat.
“Good morning Mr. Black Cat,” said Harry in a happy voice.
“Did you sleep well?” said Mr. Black Cat.
“Yes,” replied Harry, “I had a very good sleep again. Thank you very much.”
“Your welcome Harry,” said Mr. Black Cat. “By the way, I have been thinking about something. Why don’t we write your book?”
“Yes,” agreed Harry. The cat and Harry went over to the table. Mr. Black Cat sat on the table. Harry sat in the chair.
“This is going to be so much fun. Especially when we fill it with magic spells,” said Harry.
“Yes,” agreed Mr. Black Cat. “What about we name it, The Harry Potter Magic Spell Book.”
“I like it,” said Harry. Hurry up and write it Mr. Black Cat. After a while they were done.
“Wow! We did a very good job,” said Mr. Black Cat.
“Thanks Mr. Black Cat,” said Harry.
“Thank you Harry, I had the most fun in a long time. We will meet each other tomorrow again,” said Mr. Black Cat.
“Good bye Mr. Black Cat,” said Harry in a happy voice.
“Goodbye Harry,” said Mr. Black Cat.
The black cat walked back through the wall. Harry went over to his bed and jumped on. Then he took a nap. | https://medium.com/merzazine/nanowrimo-mr-black-cat-and-harry-write-a-magic-book-together-b7ee99a80ee9 | ['Vlad Alex', 'Merzmensch'] | 2020-11-08 16:41:40.728000+00:00 | ['Merznlp', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Gpt 3', 'NaNoWriMo', 'Art'] |
How to design a machine learning trading bot — Part5: Running an automation | By reading this article, you’ll have a chance to save a minimum of 59$.
Previously on “How to design a machine learning trading bot”
We have started with “Collecting Data”:
We found out what is OHLCV data and, we learned why we need historical data and online data both together.
Then we continued with “Data Analysis”
We have seen how cleaning the data including features engineering is important. We learned that to make a stable machine learning model we need to prepare data in the right way and finally, we found out how visualizing data can help us to reach the goal.
Then we continued with finding a pattern and we noted you can be trapped like a horoscopist to find a pattern in data, and always follow the scientific ways and act as an astronomer. Then we had found a very simple pattern which was “SMA20” and we discussed how to label them to [0,1].
Then, we build a model. We explained after you made an ML (Machine Learning) model, you should evaluate it with a backtest. And at this point, you need a strategy to Buy and Sell. It means, we already have a signal to open a Long/Short position.
Are you ready? (source)
Now, it’s time to pass this signal to automation or a bot and this bot is going to buy/sell automatically.
Step 5: Running an automation
The automation part is going to control buys, sells, take profits, and stop losses placed by the model’s signals.
Automation
Before we start to build a crypto bot or automation we need to review a couple of terms together.
Cryptocurrency Exchange:
A cryptocurrency exchange, or digital currency exchange (DCE), is a business that allows customers to trade cryptocurrencies or digital currencies for other assets, such as conventional fiat money or other digital currencies. (Wikipedia)
For example, Binance and Kraken are two papular exchanges platform.
By register on Binance with the following link, you will receive 10% back on your commissions.
Register On Binance
Spot Trading Vs. Margin Trading:
On spot trading, you sell and buy the actual crypto/Fiat pairs. For example, you sell real BTC and receive real ETH or EURO. But in margin trading, you bet on the prices of the pairs with some leverage. In margin trading based on the leverage you use, your assets get locked on the exchange. Typically, each exchange has different rules and protocols for margin trading.
Photo by Adam Nowakowski on Unsplash
API connections:
Most of the exchanges are providing a secure API connection. Usually, the API has two parameters: Publick Key and Secret Key.
By having these two parameters you’re able to place an order on the exchange from the outside of the exchange.
API helps developers to connect to the exchange
So, now the question is:
What is a crypto bot or automation?
With a crypto bot, you can place an order in the exchange. Managing the communication between the bot and exchange is with a secure API. Depend on the exchanges and their API protocols, it could be different ways to place an order on the exchange. And also in some cases (depends on exchange), it brings more complexity when we want to place an order with leverage (Margin Market). So, if you follow us so far you have seen that we always start with a simple sample, and at this level, we start with spot trading which has moderate complexity. In our next season, we will see how to implement a crypto bot.
Crypto Bot
Actions:
So, our automation at least should support these actions:
Place an order in the marketplace
Retrieve or query an order from the exchange
Cancel an order in the exchange
Get the asset’s balance in the exchange
Get Online price in a marketplace
Now, let’s dig into the whole process once and review what we need to do step by step since we got the signal from our model to placing an order.
Just as a sample, consider we have the following signal which is the output of our model.
If you don’t have any idea about the model, please review the last episode about building a model.
Model output: Open a Long position on BTC/USDT
Here you need to follow step by step. (Kindly, remind you that I always simplify the method to make the concept more understandable)
Step by step to place an order
Set side and type of your order.
On our sample the side is “Buy” and the type is “Market order”. (Depends on your signal, the side could be Sell/Buy, and also based on your strategy, the order type could be limit order or market order or also some other advanced orders like Iceberg Order)
Set the size
Before you place the order you need to set the size of your order. Also, based on your strategy, in some cases, you need to get your balance and calculate the size you want to dedicate to buy or sell. For example, in our sample, we want to dedicate half of our USDT to buy.
Accordingly, we get the balance of USDT, calculate the half, and set the size to the determined value.
Place your order.
So far you know the size of the order, the side, and the type of your order. Then it’s ready to place your order.
Retrieve your order
Depend on the exchange API you need to retrieve your order to find out if it filled or not. Also, it could possible that your order filled with more than one trades with different prices.
Keep calm!
Place Stop-loss order:
If your signal provides “Take-profit” (TP) and “Stop-loss” (SL) then most probably you have a challenge in spot trading to place an order for TP and SL together. Because in many exchanges on spot trading when you place an order for TP/SL your asset will be blocked by the exchange to make sure that the order has been supported with an asset. (You won’t face this problem in margin trading)
Let’s consider your signal comes with stop-loss. So, it means you need to place an order with the type of stop-loss.
Cancel order:
In the end, you should be ready to cancel your order at any time. Consider, you want to cancel the stop-loss order and place a take-profit order.
Conclusion:
The automation section could be very complicated depends on the exchange you’re working with. So, make sure the API is well-documented and has proper support from the exchange. There are some packages and libraries which help us to connect to several exchanges. In the next season at the automation development part, we will discuss how to work with them.
But if you want a secure, comfortable, and easy way to connect your exchange to intelligent automation and make some profit, try 1DES.
What are we going to do now?
About 1DES
1DES is Trading solutions powered by Machine Learning. At 1DES, we offer an innovative way to trade with machine learning techniques.
There is a “Free Trial” plan for all users at 1Des.
Also, there are other plans if you want to trade more professionally, at this moment both of them have 50% off.
Additionally, as special offers for the readers of this article 1DES is going to refund the first-month subscription, if you select one of the Avion or Rocket plans before 20th March 2021. | https://medium.com/@25mordad/how-to-design-a-machine-learning-trading-bot-part5-running-an-automation-e38bc1652e59 | [] | 2020-12-15 15:32:19.210000+00:00 | ['Trading', 'Robots', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Automation', 'Machine Learning'] |
Berkshire Hathaway and the Trident Group welcome new associates | Berkshire Hathaway and the Trident Group welcome new associates
A breakfast was held to celebrate the newest members.
Berkshire Hathaway and the Trident Group celebrate the sales associates that have recently joined the company at a regional breakfast. “This is a wonderful way to introduce the newest members of our family to their teams who stand ready to assist them in getting every one of their transactions to closing,” said Barbara Griest, president of the Trident Group.
Attendees from the Burlington County Offices include: (pictured sitting left to right) Carol Damato, Trident Land Transfer; Patricia Tiver, Moorestown; Megan Burke, Medford; Lauren Gragilla, Mt. Laurel; Deanna Nielson, Medford; Stacy Pierce, Trident, Regional Manager, (pictured standing left to right) Gerry Griesser, Vice Chairman of the Board, BHHS Fox & Roach/Trident; Bill Stewart, Sr. VP, Trident Mortgage; Larry Lobascio, Trident Insurance; Carl Hinds, Trident Insurance; Patti Lee, Medford; Karen DeBroekert, Medford; Pat Wessel, Moorestown; Denise Pearlman, Mt. Laurel; Michael Wakatama, Mt. Laurel; Bill Fox, Senior VP, Trident Insurance.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®, is a part of HomeServices of America, the nation’s second largest provider of total home services and recently recognized as “Real Estate Agency Brand of the Year” and “Most Trusted Real Estate Brand” in the 30th annual Harris Poll EquiTrend® study. The company, which has 5,000 sales associates in more than 65 sales offices across the Tri-State area, was recently acknowledged as no. 1 in units sold throughout the entire Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Network. Through its affiliate, the Trident Group, the company provides one-stop shopping and facilitated services to its clients including mortgage financing, and title, property and casualty insurance. The company-sponsored charitable foundation, Fox & Roach Charities, is committed to addressing the needs of children and families in stressful life circumstances and has contributed over $6 million to more than 250 local organizations since its inception in 1995. | https://medium.com/the-medford-sun/berkshire-hathaway-and-the-trident-group-welcome-new-associates-80cb622590d9 | ['Melissa Riker'] | 2018-07-18 14:31:01.125000+00:00 | ['New Jersey', 'Business', 'Berkshire Hathaway', 'Celebration'] |
A Great Design Career Starts with Ignoring Money | A Great Design Career Starts with Ignoring Money
Money is not a goal, it’s a byproduct of success.
Photo by Karsten Winegeart
I’ve run my own one-person design business for 18 years. Through most of that time, I’ve never allowed money to influence decisions around which clients to work for or what design projects to take on.
I say “most” because there was a time when I did, and quickly learned it was a mistake.
New freelancers will know all too well that when you first start — when you’re building your business up from nothing — there is a time when you have to take every opportunity that comes your way. You work not for interesting design challenges or for fulfilling client collaborations. You work for the paycheck because cashflow and experience are your most pressing needs.
You eventually gain the privilege of choice. You earn the right to occasionally (and then, more frequently) say “no”. You break free of the binding influence of money — at least a little bit.
I urge you, as strongly as I can state, to pounce on this opportunity and never look back. The moment you have an ounce of freedom to remove the direct desire for money from your business and career decisions, take it and run.
The earlier you make this move, the better your design career will get. That’s because money cannot be a goal in and of itself. Money is but a byproduct of success.
Your true goal is to be damn good at what you do. Be a top 10%er.
Chasing the biggest paycheck, at the expense of far more important factors, is rarely the quickest path to that goal.
You don’t have to be a starving artist. Quite the opposite. Design can be enormously profitable if you — ironically — forget about money and prioritise doing consistent, good work.
Do good work, money will follow
Recently, at Semi Permanent Auckland, I heard Bron Thomson, CEO and founder of Springload, speak about the early days of her thriving digital design business. In this one sentence, she spoke so much truth about success:
“Money is a good measure of whether or not you’re any good at what you do.”
“If you’re good at running a business, you’ll make money. If you’re good at looking after your team and your clients, and you do good work, you’ll make money.” (Emphasis mine)
See the entire day’s webcast on-demand here (start at 6:43:43 for this part).
Bron is an entrepreneur. But unlike the sad stereotype, she’s not a money-obsessed hustle-or-die work-a-holic. She admits she’s “never been particularly driven by money.” She’s always struggled to find answers to the common business-world questions like “what’s your exit strategy,” or “what’s your vision?”.
“I just want to work with people I really like working with — smart, talented, awesome people. For clients that I really like, who are equally awesome. Doing work that’s challenging and interesting, and that fuels us. And that hopefully leaves the world a tiny bit better off than we found it. Is that an acceptable vision?”
Yes Bron, that is an acceptable vision. In fact, despite not one mention of money or growth, that’s a great recipe for both.
When you make decisions which support the right atmosphere for doing your best work and delivering maximum value to your clients, you are, as a byproduct, carving a path to earning more income.
Doing better work isn’t always about polishing up your design skills. It may be improving your soft-skills or business acumen too. Getting better at storytelling or sales. Your design work is only as good as your weaknesses can support.
Why is this important for a design business?
If our goal is to do the best work possible and let the money follow, then we must prioritize creating the right conditions for producing good design.
You know from experience that you do your best work when you’re genuinely interested in the subject. When your clients are passionate about their ideas and make the effort to be respectful collaborators. You do your best work when there are just enough constraints to inspire creativity, but no unnecessary hurdles to stifle it.
Doing better design work — and consequently delivering maximum value to your clients and the world— is all about the choices you make before the project has even begun.
It’s the choice of what to work on in the first place.
I choose projects that are interesting, challenging, or offer variety. Clients that are passionate, good communicators, respectful and honest. Businesses whose missions I believe in, and I’m confident I can help them execute their visions to success.
All of those conditions get a lot more weight than which project might be the most profitable. Because those are the factors that help you do your best work, and doing your best work is the real path to success (and making more money).
Choose to grow value, not chase money
Here are some strategies I use to help make career decisions that direct me towards personal growth over short-term profit. | https://medium.com/swlh/a-great-design-career-starts-with-ignoring-money-298bf2f4475a | ['Benek Lisefski'] | 2020-11-23 19:17:02.832000+00:00 | ['Business', 'Design', 'Freelancing', 'Careers', 'Money'] |
Mental health strategies for remote work during a pandemic | This pandemic has forced us to experience a period of many changes in our life dynamics. Social distance has impacted almost all areas of our lives, especially how we relate to work. The famous Home office, or telework, which was once considered a privilege or an innovative work model, has now become a reality for many companies, especially in the IT sector.
However, there is a big difference between adopting this work model as a conscious and planned choice — when one is able to exercise social activities in other environments -, and the model forced by the pandemic, one which implies social distance and ends up limiting most of our social interactions to interactions that can only be mediated by technology.
But what are the real impacts that the remote work model has on us?
Certainly, there are advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on the dynamics and social context in which each one of us is inserted. Many people have been living a life in which work takes up a large part of their time during the week, and many of the needs for social interactions are fulfilled in that work space with the people in that context.
In this scenario, the social group that lives alone, for the most part, has felt the effects of not having direct physical contact with friends and loved ones as a means of exchange and affection. Social isolation, according to a study by neuroscientists at MIT, causes an effect in our brain which is similar to when we are hungry, so in other words, we can say we are hungry for social interaction.
The dynamics of communication and interaction with work teams underwent changes in channels, formats and even time. Work has begun to invade spaces that were previously well-defined for leisure — like bedrooms, living rooms, and environments that were previously related to resting. Those are now mixed with a routine of productivity and deliveries. As well as physical space, our time dedicated for work is also blending with other activities. Now, we are always connected. We use social networks for work and leisure, which makes it even more difficult to spare time for recovering and resting our minds and bodies.
For those with well-structured family dynamics and well-defined activities — people that have time to take their children to school and pick them up, or share domestic activities — found themselves in a merged reality, where the child’s school is now at home, the house needs to be clean, and they need to work and also rest. Boundaries are becoming more and more difficult to be preserved, especially in a society well-known for gender inequality of rights and duties, where women are the most affected and overwhelmed by this great mix of activities.
In addition, the interference of multiple activities in our work routine can cause an emotional effect due to demands and stress. The balance between hours of work and effort at work has become increasingly challenging. Some people can push themselves even harder to meet goals and show that they can be productive even in the midst of adversity.
What were the impacts on the employee-employer relationship?
The trust relationship between employee and employer has opened the door to more sensitivity during this period. Micromanagement has become more difficult to be used in the leader’s routine, and because of that, they had to adopt other mindsets to keep up with their employee’s productivity and well-being.
Now, employers interested in closely monitoring their employees and providing support for their good performance need to be aware of other factors that can impact their well-being and productivity.
During the pandemic, we have experienced different feelings and reactions that we might have never experienced before.
We are afraid to spread the virus and lose our loved ones;
We are distressed and irritated by the lack of predictable improvement and if/when our reality may return to its previous state;
The sadness of not being able to enjoy moments with loved ones can invade our daily lives, which also causes irritability.
All of those can increase the risk of some behavioral reactions, such as changes in mood, sleep, hypo or hyperactivity and increased anxiety. Those can lead to psychological disorders such as anxiety and panic attacks, depression and others.
Therefore, one of the greatest challenges in the areas that deal with people management is to be able to observe the well-being of a company’s employees at a distance and take actions that minimize these impacts.
How can the people management area support the changes in the work model?
In this scenario, practices that foster good communication and interaction between teams are essential.
Managers can foster a closer contact with their team in order to diversify communication channels, for example: voice chat on discord, knowledge sharing actions that encourage interaction between the team, moments that promote team relaxation, such as activities that include games and interactions that do not aim at delivery/productivity.
Moments like these increase the bond between people, improving the confidence they feel with peers and increasing their availability to express difficulties and share life experience.
Better Together Group at Cheesecake Labs
With that in mind, in June 2020 Cheesecake Labs implemented a group for welcoming and sharing experiences which is called Better Together.
The group has the goal of facilitating and welcoming experiences that employees have been having during this pandemic, strengthening the bonds between peers and helping in the development of new coping resources in the face of diversity situations that arose during this period.
The group is mediated by me, as a Psychologist, but it has no psychotherapeutic character. It is based on the model of integrative community therapy, started by psychiatrist Adalberto Barreto, and focuses on people who are feeling lonely, isolated and depressed. It allows people to create bonds and establish a support network. This therapy promotes the creation of a space that allows people to discover which solutions make the most sense in our context and experiences.
It is an open group in which all people in the company who feel comfortable can participate as often as they like, and because of that, we have different participants in each meeting.
The group assumes that when a person decides to talk about something that afflicts them, there are always other people present who are living or have lived a similar situation and who are willing to share their experiences and the strategies they adopted or used to deal with and overcome the situation. They don’t give advice and always speak in first person. This is based on the assumption that the resource used by one person in a given situation may not be fit for another in a similar situation.
The mediation of this conversation is important in order to not let the group lose focus, observe the particularities of each participant, and pay attention in case any of them needs more attention or referral to psychological monitoring, which is why we have a list of professionals in the area in case they need one.
Some suggestions that might help your well-being and adaptation to remote work in these times
Try to establish a routine at home, one that includes defined times and limiting access to different activities throughout the day. This can help to delimit space and use of time for work and leisure, preventing them from blending.
Take breaks while working. The recommendation from health professionals is that there 5-minute breaks every 1 hour, and that they are active, so they can stimulate the movement of your body.
Avoid too many videoconferences. They cause irritability and fatigue. Try to divide the periods in which you need to be connected in video chats with breaks for readings and practical activities such as organizing a paper planner or kanban.
Look for reliable sources of news and avoid getting overwhelmed. Try to bring your thoughts and actions to the reality of what you can do at this moment. This can help to control anxiety. In the face of difficulty, seek help from a health professional.
Stimulate a trustworthy social network and make time for exchanging and sharing experiences of your routine.
Set a time to relax: listen to music, meditate, watch some movies and tv series, or allow yourself to just do nothing.
Focus on preventive behavior and follow official guidelines from the health ministry.
Try to get to know yourself better and accept the moment we are living in and remember that this will pass.
We are living times that put us in contact with things we have never experienced before and that causes extreme emotions and reactions in ourselves. Take advantage of this moment to reframe your work relationships and if you are going through a moment of intense suffering, look for your social network and especially the help of a professional psychologist or psychiatrist.
References:
https://news.mit.edu/2020/hunger-social-cravings-neuroscience-1123
http://periodicos.uem.br/ojs/index.php/CadAdm/article/view/53637/751375150139
https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/confronting-mental-health/
https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/08/parents-juggle-work-and-child-care-during-pandemic.html
https://tede2.pucsp.br/handle/handle/15496
https://www.scielosp.org/article/physis/2020.v30n2/e300214/
https://news.stanford.edu/2021/02/23/four-causes-zoom-fatigue-solutions/
http://www.saude.df.gov.br/wp-conteudo/uploads/2018/03/Nota-Informativa-A-Sa%C3%BAde-Mental-e-a-Pandemia-de-COVID19-poss%C3%ADveis-impactos-e-dicas-de-gerenciamento-para-a-popula%C3%A7%C3%A3o-geral.pdf
About the author
Psychologist to be passionate about investigation. Always trying to improve people’s experience through jokes and caring. View all posts by Natalia Ferreira | https://medium.com/cheesecake-labs/mental-health-strategies-for-remote-work-during-a-pandemic-490df09daac9 | ['Cheesecake Labs'] | 2021-09-01 18:49:15.551000+00:00 | ['Remote Working', 'Pandemic Diaries', 'Mental Health Awareness', 'Covid Diaries'] |
Everything you need to know about Flutter Europe 2020 | Flutter Europe is an initiative driven by European Flutter Communities to gather every passionate and learn how to create beautiful apps! The main goal is to share knowledge, improve skills and expand the community. This conference gave us the opportunity to meet the most recognizable Flutter developers from Europe and talk with some of them.
The framework is targeting mobile, desktop and web platforms with a single codebase. And it just works! It is now the most popular UI portable framework for the ambient computing world, and we could feel the hype during those two days.
Because it is a new cross platform framework, going full Flutter in companies is still quite rare. Only a few companies went all the way. The Flutter Europe conference was the right place to meet some of those companies. They all came with precious and strategic advices, talks and demos to convince our clients that choosing Flutter is a win-win situation that we have to take part in.
During those two days, we attended several talks around Flutter of course. Some talks were more interesting than others, and this article will highlight those that caught our attention.
Building Voice-First Flutter apps
Elaine Dias Batista, a french 🇫🇷 developer at SFEIR, showed us how to easily add voice commands to a Flutter application.
To add voice control on an app, you will have to pick libraries to handle
Wake word detection, as “Ok Google” Speech-To-Text, transform a voice into a literal String Natural Language Processing, trying to find the intention of thee user Then you can perform programmatically the action on your app And optionally, answer by voice response, using a Text-To-Speech SDK
The implementation can depend on the platform where your application will run (android / iOS), because some SDK like Siri are only available on one platform.
But a lot of SDK are available on Flutter, some are cloud-based, some are bridges to native SDK, but all of them work perfectly with Flutter!
She finished her talk by showing us a live demo of an application she adapted adding a voice control to switch to Dark Theme, impressive!
Bring Flutter to web
Rihanna Kedir, a Google Developer Exert on web technologies showed us what are the possibilities of FlutterWeb. The first use-case is to give the customer access to the application without having to download it from a store, but by just giving him access to an http link. It can be enforced by adding the Progressive Web App concept inside the Flutter’s project.
Another great use-case shown is to perform showcases of our app by directly adding a sample of the real application directly inside the static webpage, instead of a simple video or GIF. With this you’ll surely have a WOW effect!
This is a killer feature of Flutter, now it can really run everywhere, the sky’s the limit!
Flutter at work / Is Flutter ready for enterprise-grade applications / How to convince business to Flutter? Real-life cases
Flutter is a new technology, and like anything new, it divides thoughts. Developers will gain in productivity due to the power of the framework, but how to convince customers to embark on the Flutter adventure? This is a question that many companies are asking themselves, and which is currently the #1 obstacle to the adoption of this tool.
First of all, just explain to them why Flutter is not as any MultiPlatform language or Native SDK, Flutter is:
Simple, Productive, Cost efficient and Robust!
Time is a critical factor
For many companies, time is the main factor in the success of a project. And as we all know, time management is strongly linked to money management.
A developer carried out the 4 project natively on Android and iOS, then in React Native, in Xamarin and in Flutter, in order to expose the productivity on each SDK. | https://medium.com/ideas-by-idean/everything-you-need-to-know-about-flutter-europe-2020-bb57aaa9b98b | ['Florent Champigny'] | 2020-02-03 17:15:17.689000+00:00 | ['Design', 'Flutter', 'Android', 'Mobile', 'UX'] |
What is Civil Conspiracy? Elements | By: Aaron Minc, Principal & Founder at Minc Law
Civil conspiracy is an agreement between two or more parties to commit an unlawful or wrongful act that injures a third party. However, civil conspiracy claims can be difficult to prove and may not be appropriate in all cases.
Below, we examine the elements of a civil conspiracy claim, who can be held liable for civil conspiracy, the difference between civil and criminal conspiracy, the potential damages a plaintiff may recover for civil conspiracy, similar legal claims to civil conspiracy, and how to choose a civil conspiracy attorney.
What is Civil Conspiracy?
Civil conspiracy occurs when two or more people agree to engage in an activity to accomplish an unlawful purpose or goal and cause injury to another as a result. A civil conspiracy can exist when:
Conspirators agree to work to achieve an unlawful goal, or Conspirators agree to achieve a lawful goal by unlawful means.
Understandably, civil conspiracy may be commonly confused with its criminal counterpart, criminal conspiracy. That is because they are very similar legal wrongs and are made up of almost the same legal elements. However, civil conspiracy involves a civil wrong, or tort, while criminal conspiracy involves a criminal act.
Civil conspiracy is not a standalone legal claim. This means a plaintiff cannot only sue for civil conspiracy. Instead, civil conspiracy must accompany another tort.
At its core, civil conspiracy is an agreement between two or more parties to commit an unlawful act. Therefore, there must be an unlawful act on which to base the civil conspiracy claim.
In other words, a civil conspiracy tort is premised on the existence and probability of a separate tort that is actionable, even absent the existence of a conspiracy. 16 Am Jur 2d Conspiracy § 52.
Below, we address two civil conspiracy cases to illustrate how a claim for civil conspiracy accompanies a separate tort.
Civil Conspiracy Examples
Franklin Music Co. v. Am. Broadcasting Companies
The defendant was a music company that allegedly hired the president of a competing music company for two improper purposes. First, the defendant music company wanted the president to induce key employees to leave the competing company. Second, the president could disclose the competing company’s trade secrets.
When the plaintiff company brought suit, it could assert multiple tort claims, such as trade libel, disclosure of trade secrets, and interference with business contacts. But because these torts were the result of a plan created by the departing president and defendant music company, Pennsylvania law allowed the plaintiff to also bring a civil conspiracy claim. Franklin Music Co. v. Am. Broad. Cos., 616 F.2d 528 (3rd Cir. 1979).
Rex Distributing Co. v. Anheuser-Busch
The plaintiff, in this case, was Rex Distributing Company (Rex), a wholesaler of Anheuser-Busch (AB) beer. Rex wanted to sell its business, but Anheuser-Busch claimed that it had a contractual right to decide who Rex’s buyer should be.
When Rex found a buyer, AB stepped in to stop the sale so that AB could force Rex to sell its business to Mitchell Distributing Company (Mitchell) instead. Rex claimed that AB did this for two reasons.
First, AB wanted to reward Mitchell for agreeing with AB’s request to not sell ‘Yuengling & Son’ beer. Second, AB wanted to punish Rex for agreeing to sell a competitor’s beer despite AB asking Rex not to do so.
Rex eventually agreed to sell its business to Mitchell instead of Rex’s original buyer, costing Rex more than $3 million. Rex filed suit, and believing Mitchell and AB were working together, Rex alleged common-law contractual tortious interference and civil conspiracy against both AB and Mitchell.
Mitchell argued that Rex’s civil conspiracy tort claim should fail because there was no underlying tort. The trial court agreed and dismissed Rex’s civil conspiracy claim.
On appeal, the Mississippi Supreme Court reversed, concluding that Rex’s civil conspiracy claim was based on a violation of the Mississippi Beer Industry Fair Dealing Act, which regulated the legal relationships between beer retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Rex Distrib. Co. v. Anheuser-Busch, LLC, 271 So. 3d 445, 455 (Miss. 2019).
Elements of a Civil Conspiracy Claim
A defendant is liable for the tort of civil conspiracy if the plaintiff can successfully prove the following four elements:
Below, we address each of these elements and how a plaintiff can prove them in a civil suit.
Existence of an Agreement
An agreement can only be entered into deliberately; there is no accidental agreement in a civil conspiracy claim. Adcock v. Brakegate, LTD, 164 Ill. 2d 54, 64 (Ill. 1994). However, the agreement can be either express or implied.
What is an Express Agreement?
An express agreement exists if the parties affirmatively agree to the conspiracy. Imagine the following conversation, set of emails, or text exchange between two people:
Defendant One: “Hey, Defendant Two. I know you are under a non-disclosure agreement not to tell anyone what the secret ingredient is in that new food product your employer is about to release. But will you tell me what that secret ingredient is if I pay you $10,000?”
Defendant Two: “Sure thing, but I only accept cash.”
While evidence of an express agreement is useful in litigating civil conspiracy claims, that evidence often does not exist. Luckily, “[a]n express agreement among all conspirators is not a necessary element of civil conspiracy as long as the participants in the conspiracy share a general objective or the same motives for desiring the same conspiratorial result.” Issac v. Crichlow, 63 V.I. 38, 65 (2015) (citing Fisher v. Borough of Doylestown, №02–4007, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23943, at *8 (E.D. Pa. Dec. 10, 2003).”
This is where the implied agreement comes in, although it is harder for the plaintiff to prove.
What is an Implied Agreement?
An implied agreement exists when there is a common understanding or design to commit a tort or unlawful act between two or more people. Because direct proof of an agreement can be unavailable, proof of the agreement is usually shown by circumstantial evidence, such as meetings, shared motives, or conversations between the alleged co-conspirators. Restatement (Third) of Torts: Liab. for Econ. Harm § 27 (2020). See also United States v. Pressler, 256 F.3d 144, 149 (3d Cir. 2001).
The conspirators must have a shared objective and agree to do their part to achieve that objective. Each conspirator must have intended to bring about the tortious injury that was the subject of the agreement. Restatement (Third) of Torts: Liab. for Econ. Harm § 27 (2020).
Let us go back to the above conversation between Defendants One and Two and alter the dialogue to show what an implied agreement might look like in a conversation, email exchange, or text thread.
Defendant One: “Hey, Defendant Two. I know you are under a non-disclosure agreement not to tell anyone what the secret ingredient is in that new food product your employer is about to release. But I also know you hate your employer and what better way to stick it to them than tell me what the secret ingredient is.”
Defendant Two: “Well, I really do hate my boss and I have access to the computer file that identifies the secret ingredient. If the secret ingredient became known to you or anyone else, that would not bother me at all.”
Several days later, Defendant One receives the recipe from an anonymous person. Additionally, the computer system of Defendant Two’s employer shows that Defendant Two accessed the computer file that lists the secret ingredient within hours of Defendant Two’s conversation with Defendant One.
The above conversation does not explicitly prove that Defendants One and Two had an agreement. But this hypothetical conversation, along with the subsequent actions, shows that an agreement can be implied.
There is evidence of related facts or circumstances from which we can draw a reasonable and logical inference that the activities of the co-conspirators could not have been carried on except as the result of a preconceived scheme or common understanding. United States v. Ellis, 595 F.2d 154, 160 (3d Cir. 1979).
Put another way, the plaintiff can show circumstantial evidence from which a reasonable person could infer that the co-conspirators could only have been acting in concert to achieve a common, previously agreed-upon goal.
By way of another example, a California court held that a driver and passenger could be held liable under a civil conspiracy theory for violating a civil statute prohibiting excessive speeding. In the case of Navarrete v. Meyer, 237 Cal. App. 4th 1276, 1293–1294 (Div. 1, 2015), there was evidence proffered that the passenger encouraged the driver to speed excessively and, by complying, an agreement could have been formed.
A jury could reasonably find that the driver and passenger had an implied agreement where the driver would speed excessively and knew that it was at the request of the passenger and for an unlawful purpose.
To Commit a Tort or Other Unlawful Activity
Because a civil conspiracy claim must be premised on another underlying civil claim, the plaintiff must additionally prove that an underlying tort was committed. If there is no valid, underlying claim, then the civil conspiracy claim fails. See e.g. Lamar Co. v. City of Fremont, 278 Neb. 485 (2009); Restatement (Third) of Torts § 27, cmt b (“even the most eager efforts at conspiracy produce no civil liability unless a tort was committed in an effort to carry it out”).
Therefore, a plaintiff must allege in the complaint and ultimately prove the elements of an underlying tort were committed by the defendant. This underlying tort must usually be an intentional tort or breach of some other state civil statute. However, some states do allow civil conspiracy claims to be premised on a negligence claim. See Navarrete v. Meyer, 237 Cal. App. 4th 1276, 1293 n. 5 (Div. 1, 2015).
An Act in Furtherance of the Agreement
The tortious act which injured the plaintiff must have been committed in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Recall Defendants One and Two from the earlier hypothetical. An act in furtherance of the agreement might be shown with either Defendant Two accessing the computer files or Defendant One using the information provided by Defendant Two.
If the act which injured the plaintiff was not itself tortious or did not otherwise relate to the overall conspiracy, then the defendants will not be liable for a civil conspiracy tort.
The Plaintiff Suffered Harm
The essence of a civil conspiracy claim is the damage inflicted on a plaintiff because of unlawful acts taken in furtherance of the conspiracy. Therefore, it is crucial to prove how the tortious act committed in furtherance of the conspiracy caused an injury to the plaintiff.
One way this can be shown is by lost profits. For instance, Defendant Two’s employer in the earlier hypothetical might have lost profits because the secret recipe was leaked to Defendant One.
Who Can Be Held Liable For Civil Conspiracy?
If a plaintiff can prove each of the aforementioned four elements, they will succeed in their civil conspiracy claim. Any conspirator to the civil conspiracy may be held liable for the plaintiff’s damages. But what is a conspirator?
A conspirator is any person who agreed to the underlying unlawful scheme to commit a tort or tortious activity. Not every conspirator needs to have committed an act in furtherance of the conspiracy to be held liable for a civil conspiracy claim.
If the conspirator agreed to the scheme to commit a tort, but a co-conspirator committed the unlawful acts, the conspirator will be held liable for those acts as though they committed them personally.
After the conspiracy is formed, all members of the conspiracy are jointly and severally liable for acts of co-conspirators done in furtherance of the conspiracy. McIntee v. Deramus, 313 Ga. App. 653, 656 (2012). See also 16 Am. Jur. 2d Conspiracy § 57.
To prove that a defendant is a co-conspirator, a plaintiff must show that the defendant had:
Knowledge of the unlawful objective of the agreement (i.e. to commit a tort); and
Intended to aid in achieving that objective.
16 Am. Jur. 2d Conspiracy § 53; See also Kruse v. Repp, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51221, * (S.D. Iowa, March 20, 2020) (“civil conspiracy requires an agreement between two persons to commit a wrong against another and a mutual intent to commit the act that causes the injury”).
But a co-conspirator who joins a conspiracy after some tortious acts were already committed may not be liable for the previous tortious acts. Restatement (Third) of Torts: Liab. for Econ. Harm § 27 (2020).
Imagine Individuals A and B agree to commit car insurance fraud. One of the first things they do is get Individual A to steal a car to use in the scheme. After stealing the car, Individual C gets recruited to help with the plan.
At this point in time, Individuals A and B are both liable for car theft due to joint and several liability. However, Individual C is not liable for the theft as he joined in on the car insurance fraud plan after the car theft took place.
Difference Between Civil & Criminal Conspiracy Claims
The elements of criminal and civil conspiracy claims are very similar. But there is a key difference between the two. In a criminal conspiracy claim, the existence of an agreement is the most important aspect. Whereas the existence of damages is the most important aspect of a civil conspiracy claim. (16 Am Jur 2d Conspiracy § 53) See also De Vries v. Brumback, 53 Cal. 2d 643, 649 (1960); Rex Distrib. Co. v. Anheuser-Busch, LLC, 271 So. 3d 445, 455 (Miss. 2019).
Another major difference between civil and criminal conspiracy is that criminal conspiracy concerns an agreement to commit an act that is a violation of a criminal statute. In contrast, the agreement in a civil conspiracy deals with the commission of a non-criminal, but unlawful act.
What Are the Possible Damages For Civil Conspiracy?
A conspirator and co-conspirator may be both or individually liable for the plaintiff’s injuries. This is true, even if one of the conspirators did not commit the act that hurt the plaintiff.
This means a co-conspirator can be held liable for injuries inflicted on a plaintiff even if the co-conspirator did not actively engage in the acts which caused the injury. United Gen. Title Ins. Co. v. Malone, 289 Neb. 1006, 1026–1027 (2015); 16 Am. Jur. Conspiracy § 55.
Like most other torts, the tortious or wrongful acts taken as part of the conspiracy must have proximately caused the damage suffered by the plaintiff. Future Group, II v. Nationsbank, 324 S.C. 89, 100 (1996). Another similarity to other torts is that legal relief for a civil conspiracy cause of action comes in the form of monetary damages.
If a defendant is found to be liable for civil conspiracy, then they may be required to pay for all foreseeable injuries to the plaintiff, including punitive damages. Punitive damages are not commonly awarded, and usually only come into play as punishment for a defendant that acted with egregious or malicious behavior when committing an unlawful act. Punitive damages are also awarded to deter defendants from engaging in unlawful conduct.
Even if a plaintiff fails to prove the elements of their civil conspiracy claim, they may still be entitled to damages as a result of the underlying tort committed against them. For instance, say a plaintiff fails to prove the defendants had an agreement to defraud the plaintiff. If the plaintiff can still prove all the elements of fraud existed as applied to at least one defendant, the plaintiff can still recover damages for the fraud claim.
Similar Legal Claims to Civil Conspiracy
If the facts supporting a claim for civil conspiracy exist, it is also possible that there is a claim for another tort. Two such legal theories include:
Aiding and abetting; and
Vicarious liability.
Aiding and Abetting
A person is generally liable for aiding and abetting where they know of the tort or wrongful conduct to be committed and provide substantial assistance to achieve the commission of the tort.
Aiding and abetting is distinct from civil conspiracy in that the defendant must have committed acts substantially furthering the underlying wrong. Civil conspiracy only requires that the defendant was a part of the overall agreement. So co-conspirators are liable for civil conspiracy even if their involvement was limited to only agreeing to the plan.
The single most important factor differentiating aiding and abetting from civil conspiracy is the amount of assistance the defendant provides in helping the other defendant complete the unlawful act.
A party could be held guilty for aiding and abetting as well as being part of a civil conspiracy. But not every civil conspiracy claim will give rise to an aiding and abetting claim.
Vicarious Liability
Vicarious liability shares a major similarity with civil conspiracy in that it is derivative of another tort and allows the plaintiff to obtain a recovery from someone else besides the person who was directly involved in the plaintiff’s harm.
One of the most frequent settings where vicarious liability comes into play is in the employment context, between employer and employee. When an employee commits a tort within the scope of employment, the employer may also be held liable for that employee’s wrongdoing.
Vicarious liability can apply even if the subordinate party acted without the supervisor’s knowledge. For example, if a restaurant employee injures a customer, the restaurant owner could also be liable for the customer’s injuries even if they had zero involvement in the incident that caused the injury.
Despite their similarities, civil conspiracy and vicarious liability have a few differences. First, vicarious liability requires a formal relationship between the multiple defendants. A supervisory party may be liable for the actions of a subordinate, based on a legally recognized relationship between the two parties. Black’s Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019).
Put another way, vicarious liability exists when person A has a supervisory relationship with person B and as a result, person A is legally responsible for person B’s actions, even if person A did not expressly tell person B to do something.
Second, civil conspiracy requires all of the conspirators to have knowledge of the plan and agree to the plan. There is no knowledge requirement for vicarious liability.
How to Choose a Civil Conspiracy Attorney
Finding the right civil conspiracy attorney to take on your case is a comparable process to finding any other attorney, whether it is for a contract dispute, personal injury, or online defamation.
In the context of internet defamation, civil conspiracy claims can become particularly relevant where multiple parties are at fault, but only one defendant actually committed acts planned or encouraged by others. But the laws surrounding civil conspiracy torts vary significantly from state to state.
For example, some states do not recognize civil conspiracy as a separate tort, but as a form of vicarious liability whereby one defendant can be held liable for the actions of another. See Kidron v. Movie Acquisition Corp., 40 Cal. App. 4th 1571, 1581 (2nd Dist. App., 1995); Mamoon v. Dot Net Inc., 135 A.D.3d 656, 658 (N.Y. 1st Dept., 2016).
Even jurisdictions that do recognize civil conspiracy as a separate tort recognize that it “exists as a cause of action to hold non-acting parties responsible.” Rex Distrib. Co. v. Anheuser-Busch, LLC, 271 So. 3d 445, 455 (Miss. 2019); Adcock v. Brakegate, LTD, 164 Ill. 2d 54, 62 (Ill. 1994).
For example, in Ohio, successfully alleging civil conspiracy requires the plaintiff to prove the following elements:
And in California, civil conspiracy requires the plaintiff to provide evidence that “the defendant had knowledge of and agreed to both the objective and the course of action that resulted in the injury, that there was a wrongful act committed pursuant to that agreement, and that there was resulting damage.” Berg & Berg Enter. V Sherwood Partners, 131 Cal.App.4th 802 (Ca. Ct. App. 2005).
Each state will typically have its own civil conspiracy laws in their books, although they may have slightly different ways of defining civil conspiracy as set out by state court legal decisions. When hiring an attorney, consider whether they have experience with the specific laws of your state and know how to asset the same type of underlying tort claims.
States can also differ in the time they provide plaintiffs to bring their lawsuits. Sometimes, the civil conspiracy claim may need to be brought within one year. But other times, plaintiffs could have up to two or three years to file their lawsuit.
But why the various deadlines? It is because many states that recognize the tort of civil conspiracy assign it a statute of limitations that coincides with the underlying tort on which it is based. E.g., Agar Corp. v. Electro Circuits International, LLC, 580 S.W.3d 136 (Tex. 2019); Sterenbuch v. Goss, 266 P.3d 428 (Colo. Ct. App. 2011); McFaddin v. H. S. Crocker Co., 219 Cal. App. 2d 585 (Ca. Ct. App. 1963).
How to Find a Civil Conspiracy Attorney
Say you wanted to bring a civil conspiracy claim that involved battery and your state has a two-year statute of limitations for a battery cause of action. In this hypothetical, you would also have two years to file your lawsuit for civil conspiracy.
Should you decide that you want to speak with an attorney about helping you with a possible civil conspiracy claim in your particular state, how can you find an experienced and trustworthy attorney? There are several ways to find a civil conspiracy attorney.
First, you can use Google or another online search engine and search for a civil conspiracy lawyer in your general geographic location.
Second, you can ask for a referral from a professional contact, such as an accountant or business owner. Many civil conspiracy claims relate to business disputes.
Third, you can speak to friends and family members to see if they have any recommendations on a lawyer who handles civil litigation, especially litigation of a commercial nature.
Fourth, you can check with your local bar association and ask for a referral list for attorneys who have any experience in civil conspiracy or business litigation. Most bar associations will have a special list of attorneys to be contacted if a prospective client asks about the services they offer.
Minc Law Attorney Search Tip: Each state will have its own bar association, but most counties will also have their own bar associations. And if you live in a major city, there is a very good chance that a bar association exists for attorneys who practice in that city.
What to Look For in a Civil Conspiracy Attorney
Once you compile a list of potential attorneys to speak with, you will want to narrow your selection to just one lawyer. When figuring out who to hire, there are several traits you will want to look for in the prospective lawyer you want to hire, including:
Experience,
Openness, and
Communication.
Experience applies to both familiarity with civil conspiracy claims as well as the underlying torts that give rise to civil conspiracy claims. Ideally, you want to hire an attorney who has plenty of experience in litigation concerning both the civil conspiracy and derivative civil cause of action.
Openness refers to how transparent the attorney is about what they do and how they operate. This does not mean they need to show you the firm’s financial data or explain every little detail in how they prepare a pleading. But if you ask them how the billing process works or why they take a particular approach in court, you should be wary of evasive answers or answers that do not give much detail.
Attorneys are very busy, but they should still make time to answer your questions and respond promptly when you reach out to them. But some attorneys respond more quickly than others. You will need to decide how important it is to quickly get case updates or have your attorney return your call. And depending on what you require from your lawyer, find an attorney who can provide that level of communication.
★★★★★ “Honestly, your Firm has really uplifted my/our faith in this industry. I interviewed 8 x law firms in this field before choosing Minc Law as our Law Firm and we have never doubted that decision for a second. You are all that you claimed to be via my initial consultation. Your client communication is outstanding. We also find you all to be very clever, emotionally intelligent, compassionate, empathetic, efficient, and extremely transparent. Nadeen, Darcy, yourself Aaron — everyone has been wonderful! THANK YOU!” -Elke O, Feb 12, 2019
If you believe that you or your business is a victim of a civil conspiracy involving the internet, contact the experienced internet attorneys at Minc Law to evaluate your case. You can schedule your free, initial no-obligation consultation by calling us at (216) 373–7706, speaking with a Chat representative, or filling out our online contact form. | https://medium.com/@minclaw/what-is-civil-conspiracy-elements-examples-minc-law-91a7e7f99a66 | ['Minc Law'] | 2020-12-07 13:02:09.999000+00:00 | ['Law', 'Slander', 'Defamation', 'Civil Rights', 'Legal'] |
Hi! My Name Is Adelia Ritchie | Hi! My Name Is Adelia Ritchie
and I’m a writer too!
60th Birthday Selfie
Writing an introductory bio has always been a challenge for me. I’ve done just about everything a girl can ever dream of doing: an international flight attendant, a professor of organic chemistry, a civilian staff officer in the Department of Defense, a belly dancer, a systems engineer, editor of the Military Operations Research Society journal PHALANX, inventor and entrepreneur, and now, retired, a Master Gardener, climate change activist, and poet.
Some have suggested that perhaps I have trouble holding a job.
Years ago, my boss-to-be, studying my résumé and glaring at me across his desk, said, “For a person so young, you’ve had the career of ten people.” At first I was flattered, until I realized he was not paying me a compliment.
Fortunately, he hired me anyway, an enthusiastic, ambitious, female PhD in physical organic chemistry, with a minor in nuclear magnetic resonance.
And fortunately for him and his newly established office in the Pentagon, I would fill a civilian position equal in rank to a full colonel, and at the same time check an “equal opportunity” box for those bat-winged, basement-dwelling denizens of the Pentagon personnel office.
That was more than 30 years ago… | https://medium.com/illumination/hi-my-name-is-adelia-ritchie-8ea4f94e3aa0 | ['Adelia Ritchie'] | 2020-11-13 02:53:53.594000+00:00 | ['Biography', 'Poetry', 'Life'] |
BALANCE | Crawling around my lifecycle I fantasized a perfect rescue mission, A magic balloon. A magic balloon that would help me lift the strings of my cycle of life and stretch it linear. A magic balloon that would severe me from the clutches of my beloved planet (not so beloved then) A magic balloon that would take me to the kingdom of stars reigned by the moon queen (or is it queendom). A magic balloon that would help me out of the pointless homework and ultra-pointless humans.
I had my fairy god mother to grant me my magic balloon that would take me to my hearts deepest desire (or that’s what I thought). My magic balloon took me to altitudes I had longed a lifetime. I probably have no clue on how to speak of my mere pleasure experience. But I can assure you that it was pleasure enough for me to wish for another magic tool. A magic anchor to be precise, which would help me be close to the bluey-bluey oceans and surrender to laws of gravity (JK maybe or maybe not).
I still had my fairy god mother all set to grant me the anchor that has turned out to be my hearts newest “deepest desire”. A very happy me took no time to release the anchor. My magic anchor took me lower and lower, every second quenching my thirst for my newfound longing.
Alas! My magic anchor wouldn’t take me any lower nor would my magic balloon take me any higher. For my dearest companions were never supposed to be together nor did I have my fairy god mother to help me with this dilemma (it isn’t me being too greedy to let go of one). So, did I hang in there not so low not so high longing for the touch of stars and oceans. Wondering if I were stuck or balanced…. | https://medium.com/@ziyan09shareef/balance-7ca5cdf569c5 | [] | 2020-12-23 16:25:59.816000+00:00 | ['Banksy', 'Balance', 'Baloon', 'Life', 'Magic'] |
Strafe Esports 2.31 — Updated Translations | Strafe Esports 2.31 — Updated Translations
Our final update of the year is here! With 2020 coming to a close, we’re finally bringing some much needed love to the localisation of our most popular languages on Strafe:
Portuguese-Brazilian
Spanish
German
French
Russian
These languages have now been fully optimized into the Strafe app, ranging from copy and translations, to news feed sources and tailored push notifications. Overall this will serve to make Strafe a much more cohesive multi-lingual experience for all of our international users.
The update is currently on rollout for both iOS and Android devices, and should be available by Christmas time for all of our users.
What’s next?
This update serves as a first real step towards localising the app in these selected markets both in terms of translations and content. As we continue to work with the Strafe platform, we hope to be able to bring the same level of translation for all of the languages we support.
As for 2021, we have a lot of exciting updates and new features in the works that we’re excited to share with you all. Look out for new announcements in January!
And as always, thank you for your patience and ongoing support! | https://medium.com/strafe-esports/strafe-esports-2-31-updated-translations-816f463c300f | ['Theodor Kumlin Bizot'] | 2020-12-22 15:12:28.059000+00:00 | ['Update', 'Strafe', 'Esports', 'Translation'] |
Project Update 12: 31.08.2018 | FuzeX Team here presents the last Project Update of August. Over the last month, FuzeX Team has dedicated in many ways to further boost FuzeX project by concluding the partnership with Dash and Allbit exchange. Also, the team has publicized FuzeX Project to a larger audience by successfully closing airdrop and bounty events. Kindly note that this Project Update consists of details regarding additional exchange listing, and buyback as it was announced.
Buyback Announcement
Buyback Period : July 31 to August 31, 2018
July 31 to August 31, 2018 Buyback Wallet Transfer ETH : 2,200 ETH
2,200 ETH Wallet Address :
[CoinBene] 0x83f5d1b4074a70400cec48a08ade302318778235
[CobinHood] 0x6fce228b9b5d610f6dcAe55620487b96d694AbEa
[CoinBene] 0x83f5d1b4074a70400cec48a08ade302318778235 [CobinHood] 0x6fce228b9b5d610f6dcAe55620487b96d694AbEa Buyback Usage Information:
On July 31, the buyback began with 0.000095 ETH/FXT in the main intention to stabilize the FXT price and settle the large sales volume on the market to raise its value. In the midst of a downturn in the ETH market, we faced difficulties due to the decrease in value of the available operating fund, and excessive selling volume, but were able to implement the buyback volume that we announced with our initial goal as the top priority.
Although all of the official buybacks has been completed, we have come to a decision to proceed with an additional buyback with a different wallet address in the future, after careful consideration of the current value of ETH and market conditions. However, we are concerned about the possibility of this additional buyback becoming a target for short-term investment schemes. FuzeX Team will not disclose the actual period and the buyback amount, and process buyback with a new wallet address. Then disclose the usage details when all buyback has been completed.
The purchased FXT will be locked for a certain period of time so that it will not affect the market. The locked tokens will be used for FuzeX projects and marketing in the future after the unlock.
New Exchange Listing : CPDAX
Listing Date : September 11, 2018
CPDAX is a top 50 exchange in the world operated by CoinPlug, a blockchain specialist firm established in 2013. As a member of leading blockchain ecosystems such as Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA), R3 and Hyperledger, CoinPlug pioneers the Exchange 2.0 platform that combines global ecosystems.
The company developed the first bitcoin ATM in Korea. Since 2013, Coinplug has been setting industry standards with products such as okBitCard (a prepaid card), a simple authentication process using a secret key, an international wire-transfer platform, and Fido-ledger, a private blockchain.
FuzeX Team is very pleased to be listed on CPDAX, which is one of the leading the innovation businesses at the heart of the blockchain ecosystem. As a team, FuzeX will further endeavor to meet the expectations of everyone who waited for the KRW/FXT pair listing.
Please visit CPDAX official website to learn more details.
Events
Block Festa
The FuzeX Team has demonstrated the FuzeX card for the first time in front of many VIPs from all over the world at the BLOCKFESTA that ran from August 22 to 23. The audience included renowned figures such as Roger Ver, Bitcoin.com CEO and FuzeX advisor. The FuzeX card was praised by many participants for making cryptocurrency an applicable payment in everyday life.
World Blockchain Forum(WBF) London : September 2018
The FuzeX Team will participate in the World Blockchain Forum (WBF) in London from September 3 to 5 as a Gold Sponsor. The WBF, where FuzeX Project had made its debut, is the lynchpin between industry and enterprise in the blockchain space. This year WBF will delve deeper into the future of initial coin offering (ICO) and the background behind the emergence of security token offering (STO).
The forum will feature in-depth panel discussions and presentations by global experts on leading corporations’ role in the blockchain industry, the blockchain sector’s influence on all sectors, and blockchain ecosystem. The business development team manager Alex from FuzeX will also participate as a speaker, and talk about the potential and future prospects of FuzeX Project with the enthusiastic crowd.
BPS Speaker’s Presentation Video
The video of FuzeX CEO Andrew Bae delivering a presentation at the Blockchain Partners Summit has been released. It features the overall contents of the project, including the background behind the launch of FuzeX project, and the direction of the project development. | https://medium.com/fuzex/project-update-12-31-08-2018-6f0728355e8 | [] | 2018-09-03 11:34:19.532000+00:00 | ['Cryptocurrency', 'ICO', 'Blockchain', 'Ethereum'] |
Normal 2.0 | The world will look different after the COVID-19 pandemic passes, as methods of human interaction may be fundamentally and permanently altered. Decentralized workforces and an increasing reliance on the internet for facilitating exchanges will fan the flames of the developing digital world. Economic reconstruction will only accelerate this transition online, and those who cannot adapt to the economy of tomorrow will form an increasingly isolated social class that struggles to get by.
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered the nature of human interaction. Those who are still employed are working from home now more than ever before. Children are attending school virtually through Zoom and Google Classroom from the comfort of their own bedrooms.
As we continue adapting to life during stay-at-home orders, the economy continues to struggle.
At least 36 million people have filed for unemployment since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March. A Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted between April 27 — May 4 suggests, however, that unemployment is even worse than the headline 14.7% U-3 unemployment as of April 2020. According to the Post/Ipsos poll, 40% of laid off workers have not filed for unemployment, and 84% of respondents in this group stated that they do not plan on filing for unemployment within the next two weeks.
Chart taken from unemploymentdata.com
Perhaps 40% of laid off workers believe the economy and country will return to normal shortly. Why bother applying for unemployment if you will soon be back at your job, assuming you have enough in savings as a buffer?
A “return to normal” will not bring the United States back to life as it was before the pandemic. Businesses have been forced to scrutinize their capital expenditures and cut costs wherever possible in order to stay ahead or simply stay afloat. Macy’s furloughed most of its 130,000 employees, and J.C. Penny, an employer of roughly 90,000 people, filed for bankruptcy.
According to economists at the University of Chicago, an estimated 42% of job loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be permanent. Companies like Macy’s and J.C. Penny will be forced to adapt in order to compete with online retailers like Amazon; the e-commerce industry is booming, and human labor is becoming obsolete with the rapid progression of automation.
Americans should prepare for life after quarantine: Normal 2.0
New United States — The Employed
Remote working is decentralizing the workforce. Many people will not return to physical offices if given the choice. According to a recent Gallup poll, 59% of workers who have been working from home due to COVID-19 stated that, moving forward, they want to work remotely as much as possible.
Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, announced that all Twitter employees can work from home permanently if they so choose.
Remote working can increase worker productivity, but it can also lead to break downs in collaboration. According to Kevin W. Rockmann of George Mason University and Michael G. Pratt of Boston College, working from home is contagious. Employees will elect to work from home if their colleagues have already begun doing so. As a result, people will increasingly communicate through video conferences, email, and office workspaces like Slack rather than in conference rooms and by the water cooler.
60% of people working from home say that they now enjoy a better work-life balance because they are not wasting time commuting to their offices. For New Yorkers averaging a 33 minute commute to work, working from home would save over 10 full days of lost time over the course of a year. Saving so much time will further incentivize more employees to work remotely.
Chart taken from Robert Half
The COVID-19 pandemic is also testing how workers’ at-home performance affects company-wide productivity levels. The traditional five-day workweek may soon give way to the four-day workweek. As long as employees can complete their deliverables and do all that is asked of them from home, there may be no need to keep them “on the clock.”
Microsoft Japan trialed a four-day workweek in August 2019, and productivity increased 40%. Unsurprisingly, 92% of employees said they liked the four-day workweek.
Businesses can achieve and even exceed productivity goals by reducing office rent expenses and improving employee satisfaction rates. A post-pandemic economy for the employed may disrupt the natural flow of in-person communication (i.e., nonverbal cues and eye contact) but may also provide unprecedented improvements for employee work-life balance and even increase corporate savings.
New United States — The Unemployed
We are experiencing an acceleration in the transition to a more automated workforce. Why would a company traditionally relying on human labor continue to rely on it when automated alternatives could do the same job while commanding no salary, not threaten to join a union, and not get sick?
The previous examples of Macy’s and J.C. Penny laying off employees or filing for bankruptcy does not necessarily mean these companies will cease to exist. Rather, they will likely try to adapt to the new economy; cutting down on physical retail locations and emphasizing e-commerce will be a high priority.
This forced adaptation will streamline corporate operations, and many employees will become unemployed and under-skilled for the new economy. As the nation’s poor economic situation hampers individuals’ abilities to pursue higher education, and as companies are simply not looking to hire, under-skilled workers may feel that there is no clear path forward to success.
A 2017 National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) study showed that for every 1% increase in unemployment, there was a 3.6% rise in the opioid death rate. The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic will leave many out of work with no set plan for re-entering the job market, and many will suffer financially, physically, and mentally as a result.
Millions of people will be left on the sidelines with little to no income. As hopelessness and despair set in, people will search for ways to cope with and escape from their new realities.
The internet offers such an escape. Easily accessed from the comfort of one’s own bedroom or basement, the internet provides a seemingly endless list of opportunities, including limitless options for entertainment. However, what is currently the foundation for remote workers and virtual schooling may also be a harbinger of prolonged alienation and social isolation.
In 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployed men and women cumulatively spent roughly 75% more time on leisure and sports per day than their employed counterparts.
Chart taken from Bureau of Labor Statistics (annotations added)
A 2017 NBER study highlighted how unemployed people, young men specifically, are turning to recreational computer use and video games. According to this study, from 2012–2015, “younger men increased their recreational computer use and video gaming by nearly 50 percent… Non-employed young men now average 520 hours a year in recreational computer time, sixty percent of that spent playing video games.” That is 21 full days of recreational computer time and 13 full days of video gaming.
Sales for video game hardware, software, accessories and game cards for March 2020 grew at least 35% compared to sales in March 2019. According to The NPD Group, March 2020’s $1.6 billion in video game spending was the highest reported total for a March month since 2008 when monthly spending hit $1.8 billion.
In March 2008, reported unemployment sat at 5.1% as the United States entered into the Great Recession.
Chart taken from Bureau of Labor Statistics (annotation added)
Consumer spending in the U.S. video game industry hit a record $10.86 billion for the first quarter of 2020. According to Mat Piscatella, games industry analyst at The NPD Group, “‘as people have stayed at home more, they’ve utilized gaming not only as a diversion and an escape, but also as a means of staying connected with family and friends.’”
A Whole New World
People have been and still are sitting at home with nothing to do — assuming they are abiding by social distancing measures — and a lack of human interaction is causing people to look for ways to escape. Regardless of their employment status, people are seeking out ways to fill in the hours of their now seemingly wide-open days.
As video game capabilities continue to progress, the online world offers an increasingly enticing option to simply spend your newly found free time. Take a look at the next-generation graphics of the PlayStation 5; virtual worlds are becoming more realistic, and the progression of virtual reality development will further push the boundaries of the gaming experience. Moving forward, video games will become truly immersive and increasingly escape-worthy.
Connectivity without physical human interaction could negatively influence how people communicate with one another not only throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but afterward as well. Strong relationships can and certainly are built through online communities and multiplayer video games, but the increasing reliance on technology as a replacement for human touch will create a subset of the population that would rather stay in the virtual world instead of the physical one.
For those left behind in tomorrow’s economy, this virtual landscape may be the only source of relief. If reality is disappointing and your list of opportunities to succeed is dwindling, plugging in might be viewed as the only way out. | https://medium.com/swlh/normal-2-0-2413752c60cd | ['Tj Magno'] | 2020-05-19 21:47:14.435000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Economics', 'Business', 'Politics', 'Psychology'] |
Lost Nursery Rhymes by Ernest Hemingway | Jack and Jill
We had just returned from Pamplona. It was raining. Our hangovers had more fight in them than the bull Ortonez had faced on Saturday.
“I say, Jack. I’ve got quite a thirst, really, old chap,” Jill said.
They looked at one another.
“I’m parched, too. I could murder some water,” Jack said.
“Let’s go, Jack, let’s do.” she said.
I watched them fall down the hill, first gradually, then suddenly.
Next thing I knew they were both dead.
Thirsts die hard. | https://medium.com/emphasis/lost-nursery-rhymes-by-ernest-hemingway-afbeb8b12770 | ['Scott Stavrou'] | 2019-12-16 14:11:33.281000+00:00 | ['Fairy Tale', 'Satire', 'Humor', 'Hemingway', 'Nursery Rhymes'] |
Aceyus: Enhancing Customer Experience with Real-Time Reporting | Aceyus, a World’s Top 10 Contact Center Solutions Provider, has been recognized by CIOReview as one of the most promising contact center technology solution providers of 2020.
CIOReview is a leading technology magazine aiming to guide enterprises with the most up-to-date news on solutions and services. Each year, they publish a listing of 20 companies that “are at the forefront of providing Contact Center Tech solutions and transforming businesses.”
Aceyus, selected as one of these companies in the forefront, provides a modern platform to help customers gain visibility and actionable insight into their data. With robust dashboards, reporting and analytics tools, Aceyus brings you an easy way to centralize all of your contact center data, improve the customer journey with real-time dashboards with adaptive technology designed to enhance contact center efficiency.
While already incorporating these factors into our sleek product, Aceyus is also looking to the future and identifying trends critical to adapt to and fold into upcoming solution needs.
“Aceyus is now planning to incorporate the power of AI into its solutions. This allows the company to better analyze huge volumes of data and help clients identify and resolve issues associated with the customer journey.”
Read This Original Article Here …
Check This Out: | https://medium.com/@chrishtopher-henry-38679/aceyus-recognized-by-cioreview-54542d0eafba | [] | 2021-06-01 11:02:13.884000+00:00 | ['Cioreview', 'Technology', 'Contact Center', 'Solutions', 'Company'] |
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Tequila | Tequila has been a popular beverage choice for hundreds of years. Found in the majority of bars around the world, and hugely popular in the USA and Mexico, tequila is a staple spirit that shows no signs of losing its traction. But what do you actually know about tequila?
Here are 10 things we bet you haven’t thought about yet.
10. Despite the common associations between tequila and worms, it is illegal to put worms in tequila bottles. The misunderstanding comes from a drink similar to Tequila in origin, Mezcal. In Mezcal, you can find Agave Snout Weevils or Hypopta Agavis Moth in its caterpillar stage. But you won’t find any in your Tequila, that’s for sure.
9. Blue Agave, the plant which Tequlia is made from is composed somewhere between 51–100%, and takes 8–10 years to mature. With that in mind, you should make sure you’re only drinking the most premium Tequlia. As not to waste the plant.
8. Tequlia finds its namesake from the town where Blue Agave is primarily found. Tequila, Mexico. With a population of around 27,000, Tequila has become a tourist site for Tequila aficionados. You can learn how Tequila is made and have a hand at it yourself. They might even let you try it when you’re done.
7. Top bartenders around the world recommend drinking Tequila straight or as a cocktail, not a shot. One of the best ways to enjoy it is in small sips from a wine or tasting glass.
6. Only Tequila made in Mexico can be called Tequila. Thanks to a Denomination of Origin, anything else is just a replica. The best way to ensure that you’re drinking true tequila is to find ‘Made in Mexico’ or some variation of, on the bottle.
5. There are three main types of Tequila. First is Blanco. It’s bottled up within 2 months of distillation. Next up Is Reposado, aged anywhere between 2 and 12 months in barrels. Finally, is Anejo which is aged between 1 and 3 years in small oak barrels. With the time taken to grow the Blue Agave plant, you could be drinking Tequila as old as 15 years in the making.
4. In Mexico, the preferred way to drink Tequila is straight. Lime and salt are a solution to the terrible taste of cheap tequila. Typically, Tequila that isn’t made with 100% of the Blue Agave plant.
3. Tequila can be turned into diamonds. But, before you head to your local store to purchase a car full of Tequila, these synthetic diamonds are too small to be turned into jewellery. Instead, they can be used for industrial and electronic purposes.
2. Most of the Tequila making process is performed by hand. From the harvesting of the Blue Agave plant to the extraction of pulp in large stone bowls. Maybe next time you’re drinking some premium tequila, consider the work that went into each sip.
1. You can’t always guarantee the taste of Tequila from the colour. Tequila turns colour from aging in barrels, or by the introduction of colour additives. Meaning premium white Tequila will taste far superior to artificially coloured Tequila that hasn’t been aged.
Volans Ultra-Premium Tequila
At Volans Tequila, we believe in the highest quality premium tequila. That’s why our award-winning Volans Añejo Tequila and our new Blanco Tequila are distilled in the #1 highest rated tequila distillery in the world.
Take a look at our list of places where you can enjoy Volans tequila and taste for yourself. | https://medium.com/@volanstequila/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-tequila-8a06f37a26c4 | ['Volans Tequila'] | 2019-11-21 08:01:12.304000+00:00 | ['Mexico', 'High Quality Tequila', 'Best Tequila In Mexico', 'Best Sipping Tequila', 'Best Premium Tequila'] |
5 Best Mobile App Development Frameworks Businesses Need to Consider Using in 2019 | Over the past recent years, cross-platform app development has gained notable momentum and the majority of its credit goes to the various mobile app development frameworks that are out there.
The mobile app development frameworks not only offer a cheaper option to build mobile apps, but they also deliver native-like user experience, which is what a business or a company with strict budget needs.
Although, it is critical to choose the right mobile app development framework, as the choice of framework can make or break the success of your mobile app.
What is a Mobile App Development Framework?
A mobile app development framework is a library that is designed to help developers in building mobile apps. It basically provides a fundamental structure that not only supports mobile application development, but it also boosts the process while reducing the costs at the same time.
In this article, I have listed the 5 best mobile app development frameworks that we highly recommend to all of our clients.
5 Best Mobile App Development Frameworks in Detail
Choosing the right mobile app development framework depends on a number of factors.
That’s being said, let’s understand the best 5 mobile app frameworks individually that make the mobile app development simple.
1 — React Native
React Native was launched by Facebook in 2013, and since then it has become the prime choice of mobile app developers.
React Native is a Javascript-based, open-source cross-platform app development framework that allows developers to build high-performance mobile apps with shorter development cycles and faster deployment times.
The best part about React Native is that it’s a JSX-based (JavaScript-XML) framework, which means developers need not learn any complex programming languages such as Swift or Java in order to build mobile apps.
The framework takes care of converting the React Native code into native views before rendering so that grants a native-like experience for its end-users.
Advantages of React-Native:
Optimal Performance
Reusability
Proficiency
Lots of third-party plug-ins
Modular architecture
2 — Flutter
Flutter was launched by Google and is basically an open-source software development kit (SDK) for developing mobile apps. Unlike React Native apps or Hybrid Apps, Flutter is capable of fully compiling to native code.
This compilation allows mobile app developers to give not native-like but truly-native feel. Google made this possible through its graphics engine called Skia, which is a popular 2D graphics engine built by Google.
Flutter uses Dart as its primary programming language and it can construct cross-platform mobile apps for both iOS and Android that can run on any device.
In a nutshell, Flutter is considered to be the best mobile application development framework amongst all frameworks available in the market.
However, you should utilize Flutter only for a certain type of mobile app projects. And this is why you must consult with a mobile app development company if you’re not completely confident about the framework you’re planning to use.
Advantages of Flutter:
Flexible UI
Light-weight components
Lighting fast speed
Native performance
3 — Ionic
Ionic is free, open-source, and also one of the most widely used mobile app framework for building mobile apps.
Ionic basically enables mobile app developers to build native-based apps for various platforms with the combination of HTML, CSS3, and JavaScript.
It uses minimal DOM to maximize performance and better efficiency and also provides native APIs like Ionic Native and Cordova.
Apart from this, the element of HTML5 in Ionic also allows developers to build hybrid apps.
Advantages of Ionic:
Fast Execution
Near-Native Performance
Cordova Plugins
Easy to adopt
4 — Xamarin
Microsoft bought Xamarin from its founder in 2016 and they made it open-source ever since.
Xamarin is basically a cross-platform app development framework based on C# programming language that takes a slightly different approach than the rest of the mobile app frameworks.
For instance, Xamarin allows code sharing, which ultimately saves a lot of developers’ time in building mobile apps for multiple platforms.
In addition, Xamarin also comes with an excellent native UI, which allows businesses to build truly-native apps to give the best user experience to their customers.
Advantages of Xamarin:
Native UI
Easy API Integration
Shared Code Base
Huge Community
Less complex development environment
5 — Adobe PhoneGap
Adobe PhoneGap is another popular mobile app framework that uses HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript to build mobile apps.
One of the main reasons why it’s in the list of best mobile app development frameworks is its best-in-class performance, which enables mobile app developers to build apps without facing any hardware restrictions.
Apart from this, PhoneGap also supports using inbuilt hardware features such as Storage, Phonebook, Accelerometer, Camera, GPS, etc.
In fact, unlike most hybrid mobile app frameworks, PhoneGap can build mobile apps for almost all major operating systems including Blackberry, Windows, Ubuntu, Firefox OS, Mac OS, and of course, Android & iOS.
Advantages of Adobe PhoneGap:
Supports most major OS
Based on HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript
Uniformity across platform
Robust support
Flexible with web technologies
Conclusion
Mobile app development frameworks are basically driving tools to build mobile apps. And the above-mentioned 5 frameworks have proved to be the best mobile app development frameworks in the market.
Although, the choice of a mobile app framework largely depends on the type of app your building and its specific requirements. So, if you’re planning to build a mobile app, it’s best to consult with a mobile app development company to maximize the outcome of your app idea. | https://medium.com/quick-code/5-best-mobile-app-development-frameworks-businesses-need-to-consider-using-in-2019-68e8ae9877bf | ['Sandeep Agarwal'] | 2019-12-09 11:02:11.969000+00:00 | ['Mobile App Development', 'Hybrid App Development', 'App Development', 'Cross Platform', 'Mobile App Framework'] |
Happy new year 2021 — happy new year wishes , happy new year hdmages | Upbeat haapy New Year 2021 .Happy new year wants for companions on Jan first 2021 are offered here to share on whatsapp,Pinterest,Facebook,Twitter and Instagram. These amusing new year wishes are entertaining and can be shared to your family,friends,boss,colleagues and neighbors. Many are looking for new year wishes in Hindi so we have even remembered them for this board. Get interesting glad new year messages to all your precious ones to wish them a decent beginning in arriving at their life goals.These are best cheerful new year event wants for darling.
happy new year 2021 images|happy new year 2021
gul ko gulshan mubarak ,
chand ko chandni mubarak ,
shayar ko shayari mubarak ,
apko humari taraf se naya saal mubarak ,
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LOVE SHAYARI , MOTIVATIONAL SHAYARI ,and SAD SHAYARI , MOVIES , latest punjabi shayari collections , punjabi sad shayari ,
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Happy New Year Shayari on 2021 in Hindi
bhula do beeta hua kal ,
dil mai basao ane vala kal ,
haso or hasao, chahe jo bhi ho pal ,
khusiya lekar ayega ane vala kal ,
aapka naya saal mangalmaye ho ,
happy new year 2021 png
new year wishes| whatsapp dp happy new year 2021|happy new year images|happy new year 2020 png
sunhere sapno ki jhankar
laya hai navvars
khusiyo ke anmol uphar ,
laya hai navvars ,
aapki raaho mai phoolo ko
bikarakar laya hai navvars
mehki hui baharo ki khusbu
laya hai navvars
happy new year ,
saj rahi hai khusiyo ki mehfil
saj rahe hai khushhaal
salamat rahe aapki zindagi
mubarak ho naya saal ,
new year 2021 wishes|happy new year|2021 new year|new year 2020
har saal aata hai .
har saal jata hai
iss saa; apko vo
sab mile jo aapka
dil chahta hai
nav vars ki mangal ki kamnaye
Happy new year. | https://medium.com/@prkaur45/happy-new-year-2021-happy-new-year-wishes-happy-new-year-hdmages-642be4aa5764 | [] | 2020-12-26 11:50:16.481000+00:00 | ['Wishes', 'Quote Of The Day', 'Quotes', 'New Year', 'Love'] |
Reasons to Automate Your Home | Next Step Smart Home
Is a smart home a good idea?
Had you heard about home automation and are wondering what all the fuss is about? Here are 8 good reasons to pursue it.
1. Next Step Make Tasks More Convenient
Many tasks that are repetitive in nature can be accomplished automatically or with fewer steps using home automation. Instead of turning off or dimming four different lights when you want to watch a movie, home automation allows you to accomplish this task with one button.
2. Next Step Save Money on Utilities
Utilities can amount to several hundred dollars per month. Home automation can turn off lights or lower the thermostat automatically when you aren’t using them and easily lower your utility bills by 15% to 30%.
3. Next Step Increased Home Safety
Many accidents happen in the home because of poor lighting. Home automation can automatically turn lights on in closets, stairways, and other dark places when you enter and decrease the chance of accidentally tripping or running into things.
4. Next Step Home Security
Although home security is a priority for everyone, high installation costs or monthly monitoring charges make security systems cost-prohibitive for many homeowners. Home automation provides an inexpensive solution to home security.
5.Next Step Home Automation Good for the Environment
In a time when we are all becoming more environmentally aware, Next Step home automation provides a good solution to help preserve our natural resources. Home automation products can reduce power consumption and automatically turn off lights and appliances when they aren’t in use.
6. Peace of Mind
Never again worry about your home while you’re away. Using home video cameras and an internet connection, you can check on the status of your home or kids from anywhere in the world using a PC or web-enabled phone.
7. Learning Experience for Children
Technology is here to stay and the more your children learn about upcoming technology the better prepared they are for the future. Turn your home into a classroom, as your home automation projects become a learning experience for your children.
8. Something the Whole Family Can Enjoy
A family that plays together, stays together. Although home automation is all of the above, most of all it’s a lot of fun for the entire family. You will find home automation will bring the family closer together as everyone learns about the technology’s capabilities together.
Interested in a Next Step Smart Home for your family? Connect with Next Step Automation today.
Thank You.
NEXT STEP
Your comfort is our priority. | https://medium.com/@nexstep/reasons-to-automate-your-home-b4fa94cbf5eb | ['Next Step'] | 2021-01-22 13:07:21.729000+00:00 | ['Smart Home', 'Home Automation', 'Nextstep Home Automation', 'Home Automation In Delhi', 'Next Step Smart Home'] |
What a year to transition | Hello dear reader. I wrote this before RBG died on September 18th, and I decided to just let it be what it is, rather than trying to twist it into something to express my feelings about her death, or its implications for my civil rights. I hope this can serve as a brief celebratory escape from the U.S. political hellscape.
A year ago I told a hundred thousand of people I was transgender. Some of those people were complete strangers, reading about the news on Twitter or NBC. Others were colleagues in my academic world. Others were coworkers on my campus, or friends in my life. And, wondrously, nearly every response was the same: I see you, I support you, I’m proud of you.
I didn’t feel much pride up until that day. Mostly what I’d felt was shame. To me, my transness had always been something to loathe and to hide, and the idea of telling anyone about my dark secret was, by far, the most mortifying thought I ever had. It took me a year in therapy to tell myself this dark secret out loud, and I when I did, I faced a flood of ugly, shaking, uncontrollable tears. Saying those words to myself was simultaneously the most liberating and humiliating moment in my life. Telling my wife, then my family, then my close friends, and then everyone in my life, meant reliving that same moment each time, just with fewer tears and a larger audience.
I know now, in hindsight, what those tears were about. They were about what this fact about myself would mean for how people see me. After all, my shame had come from the world, and so how could sharing this shameful secret with the world lead to anything but more shame? Coming out was scary because of all the anticipated shame that I expected to experience. Of course, I was lucky to not get much of that shaming at all, due to the privilege of having supportive, inclusive, gender-affirming communities.
Of course, I wasn’t just wrong about shame. There were also a whole range of consequences of coming out that I just hadn’t really comprehended, and far from being grief from broken relationships, they were mostly just hard work. It began with name change labor. While I thought I’d spend all of September and October dealing with rejection, I spent most of it logging into websites, changing names and email addresses, waiting on the phone to come out to confused customer service representatives, and fighting impenetrable bureaucracies to change a single text field in a database. My pervasive feeling then wasn’t of shame, but of frustration, fatigue, and injustice.
The hard work continued as I worked on my voice. I had started working with a vocal therapist shortly before coming out, but didn’t really feel like I could practice in public until I was out. I learned that while there are some things biological about voice—the size of our vocal cords, the size of our vocal cavities—most of voice is learned, and just a byproduct of muscle memory. Changing a voice, at least from masculine to feminine, is mostly just about using some muscles less and other muscles more. Again, this wasn’t a feeling of shame, but frustration and fatigue from practice, and embarrassment from having to publicly practice and change such a personal thing about myself in front of my entire community.
While I was working on my voice and my name changes, I was also starting a very busy academic year. I’d fail to really account for the time involved in transitioning. Clothing choices, grief from deadnaming, navigating new gendered social norms, coming out to a long tail of people who hadn’t seen my original message, supporting closeted trans people in academia who needed to lean on me for support, the increased service load from being tokenized as trans, teaching a long 2-hour lecture twice a week with my unpracticed voice (and then teaching another 90 minute class right after), and more. I already had a full 50-hour work week from my job. Coming out meant another part-time job on top of that, and one that was emotionally exhausting.
As I wrangled my professional and personal workload, I also struggled to see myself as a woman. I hated the face I saw in the mirror, which I still saw as a man’s face, and desperately wanted to see the woman that I was. I did a consultation with a plastic surgeon and was terrified by how excited he was to peel off my skin, shave down my bones, carve chunks of my upper lip away, and tug my hairline down. There’s was something so subjective about the way he just looked at me for three seconds, made a quick judgement about what he thought I should look like, and then carefully measured my head with his assistant before telling me it would cost $100,000. I left, in tears, and then almost got hit but a truck on my way to the train.
After making it through the most challenging academic quarter of my life, and accepting that I might just have to live with my face, I looked forward to a more quiet spring, where I could recover, focus on caring for myself, and finally having some time to just enjoy being me for once, rather than being a robot that did research, teaching, and service from 8–5, a self-advoacy warrior from 5–9, then a mess of emotional tears from 9–10. Nature, unfortunately, had a different idea, and instead started a pandemic. Suddenly, all of the things I was just beginning to feel confident in—interacting with people in public, navigating gendered social dynamics, dressing how I liked—didn’t matter. All that mattered, at least in terms of gender, got funneled down to three things: my face, the top I was wearing, and most importantly, my voice. I became a gendered picture on a screen, and all of the things I hated about my voice got amplified into everyone’s ears. All of this might have been manageable if I’d actually gotten the planned reprieve at work. Instead, I got a wave of escalating pandemic and protest crises, forcing me to put my attention on caring for others instead of myself.
As Spring wound down, and the crises became manageable, I began to find some peace. My therapist and wife helped me find better self-care practices. I gave myself space to just be with myself. I processed my shame. I began to fall in love with myself in small ways for the first time. I slowly replaced all that self-loathing I’d started the academic year with which more localized dislikes: my large feet, my forehead in the wrong light, my lack of curves. I settled into being like most other women in the U.S., just deeply insecure about every detail of my body and my behavior. But not loathing it, just wishing it were different, and unsure how it should be, or whether there is a should. That felt nice, comfortable, and after 8 months of constant effort, earned.
As the quarter wound down, and the pandemic wound up, civil unrest mounted. It began in my news feeds, and in then as conflicts in classrooms that I needed to help manage, and then my lab, and then in my professional communities. The resurgence of public attention on the Black Lives Matter movement pulled me out of that comfortable complacency, and reminded me that as comfortable as I was, I was not safe, because our most vulnerable in society are not safe. Compounding that, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that trans people like myself should be less safe, removing our right to health care. While I felt more comfortable with myself, I felt less comfortable in the world, as I learned more about the broader constituencies that wanted me dead.
I found myself compelled to act, in whatever way I was positioned to help. I wrote about racism in higher education, tweeted endlessly about police and other injustice online. I was dogpiled on Twitter by conservatives, canceled by CS faculty angered by my critiques, challenged by colleagues for speaking so plainly about things that we just don’t talk about. I learned that talking about injustice means starting conflict, and trying to translate that conflict into progress. I learned that taking refuge from that conflict is essential to self care in these battles, especially when that conflict is about my own rights and my own oppression. I was grateful to have others in the trans community come to me with advice about how to manage my time online more effectively.
As I learned to self-advocate more effectively, and build on that foundation, I found myself in a reflective mood this past August. I wanted to take stock of what I’d gained and what I’d lost in the past eleven months by coming out. I returned to a post on privilege that I’d written many years ago, and examined my life from the opposite positive, trying to enumerate what privileges I’d lost. In a way, this was cathartic, because it showed me that in practical terms, I hadn’t lost much. But the reaction to this list, especially by cis people, showed me that few really understand what it means to not have privilege until it’s made explicit. And that adjusting to injustice doesn’t make it any less unjust.
Twelve months after coming out, I’m left in a curious place. In just one year, by being out, my life is transformed, inside and out. On most days, I actually like myself now and like most of my body. I feel like there was an entire cloud of dark thoughts, feelings, and fears that were just excised from my brain, leaving room for so many more things, including feelings I’ve never felt, dreams I’ve never had. Everything is just so much clearer now that gender dysphoria isn’t clouding every thought. Most people don’t get the privilege of seeing themselves in such starkly different ways in their entire lifetime, so I feel lucky to have known two very different selves in just a year.
And beyond myself, as frustrating as it is to have to live in a world that often disregards, dismisses, or denies my identity, it also feels uniquely empowering to be in a position to fight against those forces. Most people don’t get the privilege of empowerment that comes from saying directly to society’s face, “You can’t deny me; I exist, and it’s time to make space for how and who I am.”
While all of this might sound foreign to cis readers, it strikes me that a gender transition is not unlike other kinds of transitions in life. Starting school as a child, becoming a parent, moving away from home for the first time, getting divorced, becoming deeply ill, becoming disabled, losing a loved one, almost dying—all of these transitions disrupt not only the daily patterns in our lives, but our sense of self and how we relate to the people in our lives. Gender transitions are a particular kind of disruption—one often grounded in a changing body and changing treatment—but other transitions are just as disruptive, often along the same axes. The optimist in me then views my own transition as not only an ultimate form of self-acceptance, but also a moment to build resilience for the transitions to come. Perhaps your transitions are the same for you. | https://amyjko.medium.com/what-a-year-to-transition-253831b4c643 | ['Amy J. Ko'] | 2020-09-19 21:09:52.931000+00:00 | ['Transgender', 'LGBTQ', 'Transitions'] |
How to engage more traffic to your blog post…?? By Just Doing This 6 Things | How to engage more traffic to your blog post…?? By Just Doing This 6 Things
“Wow, “these guys write amazing, awesome content! “Why can’t I create content like that?”
You know all those naysayers out there saying you can’t do it?
I don’t care if you have terrible grammar and spelling like me, you can do it. If I can, everyone can. I’m gonna share with you what makes an awesome blog post. So, here are some of the things that you need to know if you wanna write amazing and awesome blog posts.
1: The first thing that makes a great one is a conversational tone. If you’re writing with the words “you” and “I,” you’re creating a conversation with the reader. They’ll feel a connection with you, they’re more likely to engage, and your content’s gonna come out way better.
2: The second thing you need to know, it’s all about the headline. Eight out of 10 people will read your headline, but only two out of 10 will click through and read the rest. If your headline sucks, no one’s gonna read your content, and then, even if you wrote amazing posts, no one’s gonna know about it.
So, how do you know if your content, more so your headline, is amazing, or is gonna be amazing? You go to Buzzsumo, you type in keywords from your space, and you’ll see what’s popular. That’ll give you ideas of what works and what doesn’t. You can go to Reddit, you can go to Twitter, you can go to those sites and see what’s working in your space, but Buzzsumo aggregates all the main social networks, and they do all the work for you.
3: The third thing is a blog post that’s educational, one that teaches, goes above and beyond where someone reads it and is like, “Hmm, I know now what to do. “This post laid it all for me step by step.”
That’s amazing content. But if you read something, that said, “Here’s 10 ways to double your traffic,” and you read it, and you’re just like, “Oh, how do I grow my traffic?
“These concepts seem cool, but I’m lost. “What do I do?” That would suck, and you don’t want that. You want something that educates and is actual, where people read it and they’re like, “Oh my God, Neil has amazing information, “and I am satisfied after I read it, “and I know what to do next.”
4:The fourth tip I have for you is write content that is trendy, up-to-date. People don’t wanna read regurgitated information. Sure, you don’t have to leverage the latest trend, but write new stuff. Don’t write stuff that’s 10 years old. That may have been amazing 10 years from now, but people have moved on, technology, time has changed. Make sure your content is up-to-date.
5: The fifth tip I have for you is leverage different media formats, from images, to infographics, to podcasts, to videos. Not everyone is text-based readers. Your blog posts don’t just have to be filled with text. Include images or infographics that tell your story. Include videos that help get your message across. Include audio clips. By doing all of this, it’ll make your content more amazing.
6: And the last tip I have for you is cite your sources.
You don’t know everything, I don’t know everything, and that’s okay. We’re all here to learn more. I could learn a lot, and I don’t wanna ever be the person who’s the smartest person in the room. I wanna be the person who’s the dumbest one in the room.
That way, I can learn more.
So, when you’re writing your content, and you’re researching, and you’re trying to prove your points and back up your claims, make sure you link to other people who have already done the research and cited this information, right? So that that way, when you cite them and you give them credit, it helps make you more reputable, and it shows people that you did your homework. It’s okay if you don’t know everything. Use Google to research all the stuff that you don’t know, so that way you can make your blog posts way more thorough.
Once you follow all those tips, your content will be way more amazing. | https://medium.com/@digitalmarketing0069/how-to-engage-more-traffic-to-your-blog-post-by-just-doing-this-6-things-e9e18d13e3ba | ['Tanishq Thakur'] | 2020-09-06 13:38:15.407000+00:00 | ['Blogging Tips', 'Blog', 'Content Marketing', 'Blogging', 'Blogging For Business'] |
[Spring] Rest API의 Request, Response 핸들링 | Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more
Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore | https://medium.com/lucky-sonnie/spring-rest-api%EC%9D%98-request-response-%ED%95%B8%EB%93%A4%EB%A7%81-756596f2ae89 | [] | 2020-12-16 13:48:17.895000+00:00 | ['Spring', 'Java'] |
How I Built the Best Christmas Gift Ever With Twilio, AWS, and OutSystems | Where to Start?
Thinking about my master plan from a high level, it’s nothing more than a state machine. A simple state machine that will rain the fire of frustration on my brother on Christmas morning.
End to end, there were three components:
1. Sending/receiving calls and texts
2. State machine
3. File storage (for some soundbites I wanted to playback)
From an architectural point of view, it was a pretty basic flow:
1. A call or text comes in.
2. The details from the call/text get routed to a web service that manages state.
3. The service processes the message in response to the state and returns a message, sound, or a flag to follow up to get more information.
4. The message or follow up is returned back to the user.
Messaging
My decision for messaging was easy. There’s really only one answer when you’re a developer and you need to make a text or a phone call: Twilio.
Twilio has a design feature called Twilio Studio that lets you build workflows via a drag and drop user interface. It has specific routes for a call versus a text and gives you the ability to call into a web API for special logic. This is exactly what I needed.
I assembled a generic flow that passes in the contact type (call or text), phone number, and message into an API I was going to write. Based on the response, it will do one of three things:
1. Say/text a message from the response of the API
2. Play a sound
3. Ask a question and gather input from my brother
In lieu of going into specifics of the workflow, here is the JSON of the flow from Twilio Studio.
The Phone Numbers
Next, I had to acquire some phone numbers. I went to Twilio and purchased eight phone numbers, one for each gift. With Twilio, phone numbers only cost $1/month per number, so I felt like I was getting a steal.
After the numbers were purchased, I had to bind them up to my Flow. So, I went to the dashboard for each phone number, told it to use my Christmas Flow, and then boom. Done.
Messaging dashboard for the phone numbers
Online Storage
There were a few sound bites I wanted to play back when some phone numbers were called. I decided to go with AWS and use S3 (Simple Storage Service) to host the files. For the number of files I wanted to host, it wouldn’t cost a penny.
I uploaded the sound files to S3, made them publicly accessible, and took note of the URLs.
The State Machine
This was easily the most complicated part of the project. I wanted something that was elegant but as small as possible. And didn’t make a fuss when I went to deploy.
Enter OutSystems.
OutSystems is a company focused on low-code/no-code development that manages everything for you. They take away the hassles of deployment, writing extraneous code, and manipulating HTML by providing you with a rich experience through their service studio and designer. Plus, it’s free to use if you’re doing non-production development. Win-win!
This is definitely where you could veer off the path I took and go with a full AWS solution. I did consider that initially, but I wanted to keep my development time down to a minimum, so I opted for OutSystems instead.
Below is the entity-relationship diagram for the state machine.
Call — Used for tracking/humiliating my brother. This shows me every attempt he makes at trying to figure out which present to open. It was initially used for debugging purposes but ended up with a funny use so I can tell him how many times he contacted his presents. This is entirely optional.
NumberState — The response for each phone number at any given state. As the gifts get opened, the state progresses and the phone numbers change their responses and call/text preferences. This is the real meat of the state machine.
Number — The phone number assigned to a gift.
ContactType — Hardcoded list, CALL or TEXT.
State — Represents which gift my brother was on. This Christmas he was lucky enough to get eight gifts, so there were eight states.
Progress — This is a singleton that represents the current progress through the state machine. It was responsible for looking up the appropriate NumberState given the parameters passed into the service. | https://medium.com/better-programming/how-i-built-the-best-christmas-gift-ever-with-twilio-aws-and-outsystems-6c6bc79c1c9d | ['Allen Helton'] | 2020-01-31 11:57:39.699000+00:00 | ['Messaging', 'Technology', 'Programming', 'AWS', 'Christmas'] |
Unlocking your potential: how to get the best out of a management coach | Michael Jordan said of his successes on the basketball court: “you must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.” For anyone who has watched The Last Dance during lockdown, it is clear that Jordan constantly worked with his coaches and teammates to prepare mentally, to set expectations and to define success.
At Beringea, we work with exceptional talent throughout our portfolio. However, as Jordan points out, talent alone does not guarantee success — mental preparation is vital to achieving your goals. This is particularly true when contending with the strains of leading a rapidly scaling business, and a desire to unlock the potential of entrepreneurial talent often leads us to management coaches.
These coaches can have a transformative impact, enabling entrepreneurs to take a step back and consider how they might adapt and define success for themselves as well as the team around them. In our experience, however, coaches can only unlock this potential when they are part of a process that considers the rationale and objectives for choosing to undertake management coaching.
To unpack this process, we gathered insights from three founders in our portfolio who have thrived through coaching as well as tips and perspectives from three of our trusted coaches, Scott Malcolm of Mobius Executive Leadership, Jake Bornstein of Talentism, and Mica Vaipan of new baseline.
This article shares these insights and perspectives by asking three key questions we feel underpin a successful relationship with management coaches. We hope that you find it useful as you consider embarking on your own coaching journey!
Question 1: Why do I need a coach?
A good coach is there to continually help you make sense of what’s not working, so it can transform into the learning needed to win — Jake Bornstein
In your first couple of years as a founder, you will often feel an urgent need to roll up your sleeves and pitch in. When the team is scrappy and evolving, this can work well. However, there comes a point when you will realise the need to take a step back and understand the bigger picture.
Mica Vaipan argues that coaching provides an ideal forum for reflection, providing clarity of mind and enabling leaders to make sound decisions: “Firstly, coaching encourages founders to set aside time to reflect on themselves and process concerns. Secondly, a coach will help hold a mirror to them, allowing the founder to see themselves from top to toe from every angle.”
Scott Malcolm highlights the concept of the ‘balcony and the dance floor’ created by Ronald Heifetz of Harvard. “Imagine a crowded dance floor. And this dance floor has a balcony that gives you a perfect view of where everyone is dancing, who is hanging out with who, and what moves people are trying out. In this analogy, the dance floor is the day-to-day, all-consuming action of your business. It is easy and natural to think you have to be on the dance floor to solve problems and lead. And yet, leaders must be able to go to the balcony and see how you are doing what you are doing as an organisation. Ultimately, it is about reflection in the midst of action.”
Coaching enables founders and CEOs to enter the ‘balcony’ and reflect on the interactions and processes that underpin the day-to-day management and operations of the business. In this way, it can become a simple and powerful process for helping teams and leaders take themselves to the next level.
Kieran O’Neill, co-founder and CEO of Thread, the AI-driven personal styling service for men, decided to turn to a coach for exactly this reason: “I wasn’t in a place where I had huge issues to address. It was more about finesse and ensuring that I was the best at what I do. Any Olympian looking to win a gold medal would seek out an exceptional coach — I felt the same way about my leadership training.”
Kieran O’Neill, co-founder and CEO of Thread
Chris Edson, co-founder and CEO of Second Nature, the digital ‘habit change’ programme for weight loss and diabetes management, similarly commented that, “it can be challenging to grow and upskill as a CEO as relatively few people have that experience — my sole focus with coaching is to become a world-class CEO.” And, as Jake Bornstein adds, “a good coach is there to continually help you make sense of what’s not working, so it can transform into the learning needed to win.”
Question 2: How do I find the right coach?
The coach is not there to solve problems for them or offer them solutions, but rather help the founder identify the solution that fits them — Mica Vaipan
Finding the right coach is critical to success. As with any talent, different coaches suit different people. In our experience, the best coaches are highly oversubscribed and hard to win over. Kieran O’Neill succinctly compared the process of finding a coach to recruiting for an executive hire.
As with any recruitment process, finding the right person begins with defining the job description. To put it more simply, what sort of coach do you need? For some people, an emotional connection and an ability to show vulnerability may be the critical characteristic that you are looking for. As Scott comments, “good coaches will help you see your habits and patterns — both the parts you are happy to look at, and the parts that are less comfortable to consider.”
Kieran also makes a helpful distinction between advice and coaching: “advice tells you how to approach a problem, whereas coaching helping you to discover the right approach.” Mica adds: “The coach is not there to solve problems for them or offer them solutions, but rather help the founder identify the solution that fits them.” Be clear on the difference between the two and which you are looking for. If you are seeking advice, find a mentor; if you are looking to change the way that you approach a problem, seek out a coach.
Once you have set your goals, ask around in your network for recommendations. As Mica comments, “a referral from fellow founders is always a much more effective approach for the coach and the founder alike.” At Beringea, we also have a trusted list of coaches that we provide to our portfolio.
However, it is vital to remember that one person’s ideal coach may not be the same as someone else’s, so contact a number of different coaches and interview each other — it is, after all, crucial to have a dialogue. Jake highlights this: “while it can be helpful to go to your network or investors for recommendations, focus on the goal of finding the right coach for you, rather than assuming someone who was a good coach for someone else will automatically be a match.”
As Ed Rogers, co-founder of Been There Done That, the global community of creative and strategic leaders, recommended, “Spend real time with them before you commit. Do a trial session. Reference them. It is crucial that you respect and connect with the coach.” Jake similarly argues “a good coach combines psychological safety with a willingness to push to your edges, and, like every relationship, some coaches will be a good fit for one part of that equation, but not the other.”
Often, coaches will be more than happy to take the time to understand whether you can build a connection. Mica mentions that she prefers “to offer a free ‘discovery session’ to allow both myself and the client to start forming that unspoken connection which explores the foundation for a future coaching relationship.”
Sometimes, however, you will need to roll up your sleeves and put in the hard work to convince the coach that you are worth it. As Chris commented, “my coach told me at first that we wouldn’t be the right fit, so I proceeded to refuse to take no for an answer.”
Chris Edson (R), co-founder and CEO, of Second Nature
Good preparation will also help here, as a clear rationale and set of objectives will convince a good coach that you could be worth their time. As Kieran noted, “The coach that I chose initially said that he was full, but when I spelt out the process and thinking, he made the time to speak with me. The forethought and clarity really helped.”
Question 3: How do I get the most out of our sessions?
Coaching will enable you to treat the future with a lot of curiosity and a lot of respect — Scott Malcolm
Once you have found your ideal coach, the advice from our founders is clear: “go all in,” as Ed comments, “open up and be prepared to be uncomfortable.” Similarly, Chris recommends that you “let yourself be vulnerable and having an intense degree of introspection.”
It is also essential that you consistently invest substantial time and energy in your sessions. For Chris, he feels it is vital to “carve out a large portion of your time for coaching — I have two hours every fortnight, which I originally felt was ludicrously high, but it is the highest value part of my working routine.” Ed also argues that regularity is key: “momentum enables them to add value — with ‘real time’ views of the business and your challenges, the sessions can get deeper and more specific.”
Jake builds on these themes in his views on successful sessions, which place importance on: “hunger for excellence” through stepping beyond the status quo; a “willingness to experiment” by implementing meaningful actions arising from the sessions and tracking results; and “humility and self-scepticism” through embracing the desire to acknowledge blind spots and weaknesses, as well as talents you may undervalue!
Kieran stresses the importance of preparation: “It is important not to simply show up. Do a bit of work in advance and think about the most valuable thing that you can get out of the experience. The strength of the sessions is correlated to the work that you put in.” Similarly, Mica urges founders to “respects the coaching time by turning up and being fully present during the session — switching off notifications, setting aside various devices and making a conscious effort to ‘be there’.”
Through this preparation and the practice of periodically and consistently taking yourself up to the ‘balcony’, you will begin to perceive the road ahead and how you will react to it. As Scott concludes, “coaching will enable you to treat the future with a lot of curiosity and a lot of respect. Listening and noticing to what you are reacting to, and how you are reacting to it, is the name of the game. The good news is that this is absolutely a skill that can be consciously developed.”
At Beringea, we believe that building a business is a journey. While there may be lumps and bumps along the way, we hope that a few of these tips will help you to reach out to a management coach who might be able to help you find the route to success.
With special thanks to Scott Malcolm, Jake Bornstein, Mica Vaipan, Kieran O’Neill, Chris Edson and Ed Rogers, whose thoughts have helped shape our thinking throughout this article. | https://medium.com/beringea/unlocking-your-potential-how-to-get-the-best-out-of-a-management-coach-22e8b9df24d8 | ['Henry Philipson'] | 2020-06-30 09:43:36.195000+00:00 | ['Beringea Insights', 'Leadership Training', 'Venture Capital', 'Scaleup', 'Management Coaching'] |
VICE Disaster Planning Show Sounds Like Conspiracy Fare — But It’s Real | One of the shows you should definitely put on your watch list is VICE’s, “While The Rest of Us Die,” a six-part docuseries on the history of America’s emergency management planning process. However, let me issue a warning. Some of the information revealed in this series is downright terrifying, and people, already drained by living through the worst pandemic in living history, might prefer lighter fare. Still, the series, which starts in the Cold War era, has a lot of compelling information. Many of the facts revealed in the series sound like conspiracy theory-fare, but they’re all too true and that’s what makes it frightening.
The series is based on the book “Raven Rock: The Story of the US Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die” by Garrett M. Graff.
“Our hope with ‘While The Rest Of Us Die’ is to show Americans how those inequities are central to the way our supposedly egalitarian society and democratic government operates. From Puerto Rico to Covid-19 to Black Lives Matter, America has long treated some American lives as more worthy than others. This isn’t new-and in fact in the seventy years since the Cold War, the US has long prioritized spending trillions of dollars in the wrong places in the wrong ways, a problem that has been felt from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to the streets of American cities,” said Graff according to Broadwayworld.com.
Some of the interesting facts revealed in the series are:
The government still has bunkers scattered around the country
This fact is old news and is a trope often used in sci-fi films. Many of these bunkers were created during the Cold War era, but some exist today. Former counterintelligence adviser Richard Clarke is asked about one of these bunkers, and he answers, “I can’t talk about that.” These bunkers were designed to survive a nuclear strike and contain laundries, cafeterias, office space and living quarters. But the interesting thing often mentioned in this series is these bunkers are only designed for a few people.
In the event of a major catastrophe, the government only plans to save a select few, mainly government dignitaries and well-connected people. The rest of us are on our own. And even more disturbingly, considering the folly of President Donald Trump, Cold War disaster plans still allow the commander-in-chief to suspend the constitution. This gives the president the power to round up enemies and order their indefinite detention in the event of a disaster.
Another interesting tidbit, the government secretly admitted that the Cold War “duck and cover” plan was a PR scheme to placate the public. In the event of a nuclear strike, hiding under a desk wouldn’t have saved you!
Richard Nixon was as crazy as we thought
I’ve heard several stories about how the world came dangerously close to nuclear war. But this docu-series revealed a new one. Apparently, in 1969, President Richard Nixon ordered the launch of a fleet of nuclear-armed bombers. The move was supposed to bring the Soviet Union to the negotiating table in the Vietnam war. Nixon’s plan never worked because the Soviets called his bluff. However, that gambit could have easily gone south if the Russians had also decided to launch their bombers. Or even worse, fire off missiles.
9/11 was an even bigger screwup
The events of 9/11 are recent history and they have been well documented. (The episode about 9/11 is titled “C.O.G. Clusterf**k.) We know about the miscommunication, the lack of direction and the plans that failed. But “While They Watch Us Die” digs even deeper into the mess. There were are all kinds of other disasters.
Apparently, Sec. Of Defense Donald Rumsfeld broke the chain of command when he helped in the rescue. His deputy was in the air at the time. I’ve read that Vice President Dick Cheney ordered the military to shoot down a jetliner that was headed to DC. But I didn’t know the National Guard pilots didn’t have any arms onboard their fighters. The pilots discussed ramming the plane that eventually crashed after passengers stormed the cockpit.
Also, some fighter jets flew out to the ocean because they thought the attack was from an external enemy. Clarke, who was in the White House, said at one point he told the people he was holed up with to list their names and social security numbers in case they were killed.
But one of the central points on the episode about 9/11 is how the trillion- dollar military-industrial complex, designed to protect America against external threats, failed to stave off a low-tech attack that cost less than $5 million to finance. That’s like building a giant killer robot only to watch it defeated by a guy with a screwdriver! So what did we spend all that money for?
Jeh Johnson could have become president — theoretically.
During the inauguration of President Donald Trump, former Department of Homeland Security Chief Jeh Johnson was the person secreted away as part of the continuity of government plan. In the event of a catastrophic attack that wiped out most of the leadership, he would have become president. (This scenario is explored in the series “Lone Survivor,” in which Keifer Sutherland plays a lowly-cabinet member who becomes president after a terrorist attack wipes out the administration.) After watching Trump blunder through the presidency, I think it’s safe to say that Johnson would have done a better job.
However, the series also ask some hard questions about the nature of these government disaster plans. In the Cold War years, America’s leadership was entirely white and male. (Things have changed a little.) And that probably decided who and what they decided was worthy of saving. This point was made in an episode that covered Hurricane Katrina. Apparently, during that disaster, a government helicopter was flown into New Orleans, La. to save blank passports while people were still in desperate need.
So far, I’m halfway through the series. It’s compelling viewing, even though it makes it hard to sleep at night. In this case, truth is more frightening than fiction.
Click here to get this delivered to your email. | https://democracyguardian.com/vice-disaster-planning-show-sounds-like-conspiracy-fare-but-its-real-b8edc1273cd4 | ['Manny Otiko'] | 2020-12-06 17:58:56.806000+00:00 | ['Election 2020', 'Politics', 'War', 'Trump', 'Terrorism'] |
Bears for Crypto, Bulls for ICOs: 2018 Market Positive Statistics | With the first half of 2018 now past, it is poignant to look back at the last seven months of data on the Initial Coin Offering (ICO) market — an important facet of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Some predicted that the explosion of ICOs last year — with many failures and even more scams — would lead to a collapse in this area, but the statistics tell a different story.
The ICO phenomenon has followed an interesting path since its real boom, starting around May 2017. There has been growth, there has been regulation — as well as changing of sentiment.
2018 has been significantly bigger for ICOs than 2017, with the most successful month coming in March. The data over the last seven months indicates that ICOs continue raising huge sums of money, despite many thinking of them as scams. Additionally, the number of projects launching month by month are pretty steady, even showing growth.
Moreover, the stats suggest that the ICOs in 2018 are aiming for big numbers, with the most popular goals being set between $1 million to $10 million, as well as a significant portion at over $50 million.
Understanding the ICO ecosystem’s progression
Statistics show a definite spike in ICOs from April 2017, when $218 million was raised in that month alone. The rest of 2017 — until November, that is — ebbed and flowed, as 584 ICOs were raising $2.52 billion.
The ICO ecosystem — along with the underlying blockchain technology and digital currency tokens — makes up an important facet of the entire cryptocurrency ecosystem. ICOs are walking their own path in relation to regulation and public sentiment. But they are also affected by positives and negatives in the cryptocurrency markets.
Thus, when the SEC ruled that a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) was a security, and when China decided to ban ICOs on Sept. 4, 2017 — many other state regulators started to take note of the financial risks associated with this form of capital raising.
When in December the fever pitch was reached by the end of the year — with suggestions that the G20 discuss cryptocurrency regulation — alongside Bitcoin’s race to $20,000, ICO capital raised hit a new record.
Against the odds, 2018 has been bigger
But January quickly broke December’s $1 billion record, with 254 projects raising $1.83 billion. 2018, thus far, has been a significantly bigger year in terms of the amount of money raised by ICOs. Additionally, the data shows an increase in the number of ICOs that raised this capital in comparison to 2017.
In 2017, 1,069 ICO projects were launched for the entire year. However, in just the first half of 2018 there have been 2,131 projects raising a whopping $12.8 billion.
Hitting their goals
In the past two months — as a recent cut out to give context as to what ICO projects are aiming to raise — it is interesting to note the caps that projects have put up.
When an ICO puts up a cap, it is the maximum amount of capital that it aims to gather. Most of the up-and-coming cryptocurrency projects set their caps so high that they are unlikely to be reached.
However, that number gives insight into where the projects are aiming. Across June and July, the two biggest targets — in terms of the percentages of projects — were between $1 and $10 million, but there was another large grouping of ICOs whose target was to make it to $50+ million.
To give a little understanding of the funds raised by ICOs, there were five projects that managed to raise over $10 million in their ICO that ended in July. The top grossing one pulled in an impressive $30 million.
The focus of ICOs
With ICOs being a funding system for a business which is aiming to use the blockchain in some way or another, there are a number of categories where these ICO projects congregate on. Popular categories for ICO projects over 2018 include platforms and cryptocurrencies, but also business services, trading and investment companies.
But what has become notable as the year has gone on is that the two biggest categories are getting closer together. For example, in January, platforms accounted for a quarter of all ICO projects, whereas cryptocurrencies were only 15.6 percent. So, while there has been a small growth in cryptocurrency projects, there has been a bigger decline in platforms, as other categories also pick up their stake in the overall situation.
Money is key
While there are a host of different statistics and figures that can tell a story about the ICO ecosystem, the biggest and most important one is the amount of capital being raised, as well as the number of projects coming out monthly.
Looking at that information, the ICO space seems to be on the rise — which may be surprising to many, as regulations and scams should be making them far less attractive to investors. Yet, money coming in is up, and so are products for the first half of 2018.
However, the next few months will be critical to note, as July was the worst month in 2018 in terms of funds raised.
Source: cointelegraph.com
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______________________________________ | https://medium.com/ktiglobal/bears-for-crypto-bulls-for-icos-2018-market-positive-statistics-78b85024b2fd | [] | 2018-08-13 09:04:02.691000+00:00 | ['Bullish', 'Bitcoin', 'Blockchain', 'Cryptocurrency', '2018'] |
2020–02: Brooklyn IoT Technology Meetup Group | The second meeting of the Brooklyn IoT Technology Meetup Group was held online on April 15, 2020
The second meeting of the Brooklyn IoT Technology Meetup Group was held on April 15, 2020. We met online, owing to the PAUSE that New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo put in place. The speaker, Chris Muench, is CEO at C-Labs. He has been working on his smart home for more than a decade, and has over 160 smart home devices in his house. (There are countless other devices that he acquired, tried to use, and then rejected for one of several reasons that he described during the course of his talk.)
Before getting into the details of the talk, I want to extend a word of thanks to our sponsors, Barrows Intense Tasting Room and C-Labs Corporation. We had a drawing at the end of the meeting for a gift certificate for Barrows Intense Tasting Room. The winner was Ian T — congratulations, Ian!
The topic for the meeting was: Smart Home — What is it like living in a smart home? Chris’s day job is creating smart factories. When he goes home at the end of the day, he works on creating a smart home. You can tell he loves what he does as he spends nights and days (and weekends too!) helping create the digitized world of tomorrow.
Chris defines a smart home is one where the right things happen automatically. Consider a light in a hallway. When you walk into thehallway, lights should go on automatically. When noone is in the hallway, the lights should be turned off automatically. In addition to being automatic, these actions should happen reliably. What this means, in practical terms, is that they should not rely on a cloud connection because cloud connections are not 100% reliable. (They should also not rely on humans to make things happen because humans are also not 100% reliable.)
Consider a simple thing: a light bulb. Should you use “smart lightbulbs”? They seem like a good idea. The idea is straightforward: allow a light bulb to be remotely connected so you can turn it on or turn it off remotely (say, from your phone). Along the way, maybe allow that light bulb to collect usage data as well, so you can see how much you are spending on electricity on a per-bulb basis! What could go wrong?
What can go wrong is the light switch. People are used to using a light switch to turn lights on and off. When you have a “smart lightbulb”, you need to keep the light switch turned “on” all the time, otherwise it won’t work. But people being people, someone almost always flips the lightswitch to the “off” position. As a result, the lightbulb (which now has now power) cannot be turned on from a phone.
Chris addressed the question of where the locus of control should be for devices in a smart home. Many available smart home devices rely on having a cloud connection. The idea seems attractive at first: A cloud connection means you can <insert action> your <insert device> from anywhere in the world. There are certainly scenarios where this makes sense, such as when you want to view a security camera’s footage when you are not at home. There are several problems these types of cloud-connected devices:
The cloud connection becomes the single point of failure.
When a cloud connection is required, it prevents a user from controlling which devices are cloud-connected and which are not.
A required cloud connection means that any security failure on the part of the device vendor may also introduce vulnerabilities in your smart home.
If a device vendor goes out of business, the vendor’s cloud service is likely to be discontinued and all of its devices that require cloud connections will no longer work.
Here’s an example: a garage door opener that relies on a cloud connection. Perhaps the cloud is available most of the time, and most of the time the garage door can be opened and closed. This model breaks down when the internet is not available, and the garage cannot be opened or closed. When cloud connections are overwhelmed, perhaps because of a denial-of-service (DOS) attack, your ability to control your garage door (aside from manually operating it) disappears.
Chris suggested that smart home devices should be controlled locally, meaning in the home itself. For many devices, the case can be made to use cloud connectivity to enable remote control of smart home devices. But when and how that occurs should be left up to the owner of the device, which is something that is not possible with many of today’s cloud-centric smart home devices.
View into a greenhouse showing Chris’s FarmBot
Chris gave a demo of a pretty unique device that he has at his home, his farmbot from FarmBot. As the name suggests, this is a farming robot. Created by Rory Aronson in 2011, while he was a student at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California, the farmbot makes growing food as easy as playing the online game Farmville.
Screen shot with Chris Muench showing the FarmBot software for organizing a garden.
Here are some of the recommendations that Chris made during the presentation: | https://medium.com/@paullinyao_84961/2020-02-brooklyn-iot-technology-meetup-group-95b0077c0468 | ['Paul Yao'] | 2020-04-20 18:42:03.220000+00:00 | ['Smart Home Automation', 'IoT', 'Smart Home', 'Meetup'] |
EMJAC IEO TOKEN EVENT. 1. Token Name: EMJAC (EMJ) | EMJAC TOKEN DETAILS:
Token Name: EMJAC (EMJ)
2. Participation method: Ethereum (ETH)
3. Price Ratio: Based on 14:00 (KST) coinmarketcap ETH price during the sales period
4. Token Sale Format: Applicable for 1ETH per EMJAC_t ( EMJAC Ticket) within ChainvestEx) 5 EMJAC_t (EMJAC Ticket ) is applied 5ETH
*Note: If the amount of ETH holdings in your account is less than the amount of applications, you will not be able to apply. Also, once apply, it can’t be reversed.
5. Sale session 1st Sale Session: Open at 14:00:00 (KST) on 10th Mar (Tuesday) until 24:00 (Friday) on Apr 10th
1EMJ: 0.11$
*Hard Cap = 50,000,000 EMJ
*Total Supply = 500,000,000 EMJ
* Token distribution will be made as soon as the sale is over.
6. Listing Date: Announced after consultation with EMJAK Foundation
7. EMJAC (EMJ) Token Sales Event $20,000 worth of gifts up for grabs
Event Duration: Mar 10, 2020, 12:00 KST — End of IEO duration
Distribution date: within 1 week after IEO conclusion
The first 25 accounts meeting the minimum purchase requirements within the event duration will be rewarded with the following gifts:
Gifts
1st Gift: Dell XPS 15 7590 4K OLED notebook (2 winners)
Minimum purchase: 75,000 EMJ
2nd Gift: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G 256GB Smartphone (8 winners)
Minimum purchase: 50,000 EMJ
3rd Gift: Nintendo Switch Console (15 winners)
Minimum purchase: 12,500 EMJ
Terms & Conditions:
· EMJAC reserves the right to request personal information to the winners of the event for public charge and tax purposes. In the event that the winners are not willing or unable to provide personal information, winnings will be canceled.
· The announcement date and bonus distribution date can be subject to change under certain circumstances of Exchange.
· The event date can be subject to change or canceled under certain circumstances of EMJAC and Exchange without notice.
*TokensWebsite: https://emjac.io
Whitepaper: https://emjac.io/assets/docs/emjac_wp-english.pdf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emjac_emj
Email: info@emjac.io
Telegram Group: https://t.me/emjac_official
Github: https://github.com/EmjacIO
Facebook: https://www.fb.me/EMJToken
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emjac/
Etherscan: https://etherscan.io/token/0x0D60a8A5755F863734458f198a712F13a995d220
• Exchanges and Foundations have the right to request personal information from event winners for utility and tax purposes. If the winner is not willing or unable to provide personal information, the winner will be canceled.
• ChainX Exchange reserves the right to change the rules and distribution schedule of the event.
• The event may be suspended or changed without notice due to the change of circumstances of the ChainX Exchange and the Foundation.
※ Note: Please complete KYC check. If you do not complete the KYC process, you will not receive a token exchange even if you have successfully purchased TICKET. Please be sure to keep this in mind.
※ We will inform you that it may be refunded later in consultation with the foundation. Refunds will be made in ETH. Investors are responsible for gains and losses arising from changes in the ETH prices within the period.
※ The contents of this notice may be changed or suspended depending on the circumstances of the exchange.
Purchase is not supported for the following countries/regions. Bahamas, Botswana, Cuba, North Korea, Ghana, Serbia, Tunisia, Somalia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lebanon, Liberia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Nicaragua, Macedonia, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine and Venezuela
*DisclaimerRisk Warning: Chainvest is a high-risk investment channel. Investors must be at a reasonable level of participation and be aware of the investment risks. ChainX Exchange is not responsible for any profits or losses of users. The information we provide is not investment advice. ChainX reserves the right of final interpretation of the clause | https://medium.com/@addy.paki/emjac-emj-token-sales-details-10b867d1d0dc | [] | 2020-03-03 18:11:30.284000+00:00 | ['Green Energy', 'Waste Management', 'Emjac', 'Blockchain', 'Ieo'] |
Hauck & Aufhäuser and Kapilendo launch their first crypto fund | Hauck & Aufhäuser Innovative Capital GmbH, founded by Hauck & Aufhäuser Privatbankiers AG, and the Berlin fintech Kapilendo are jointly launching the HAIC Digital Asset Fund I (WKN / ISIN A2QKF2 — DE000A2QKF2). From January 2021, professional and semi-professional investors can invest in a targeted and cost-effective way in a diversified portfolio of leading crypto assets such as Bitcoin, Ether and Stellar. Hauck & Aufhäuser Innovative Capital GmbH is a capital management company and is responsible for portfolio management, while Kapilendo acts as a crypto depositary.
HAIC Digital Asset Fund I
The fund pursues a passive investment strategy, whereby the allocation of the crypto values is based on the current market capitalization and other quantitative and qualitative criteria. All assets have a high liquidity rate. The new fund will be sold exclusively through Hauck & Aufhäuser and Kapilendo Invest AG. The subscription period is not limited, the minimum investment is EUR 200 thousand.
“We are seeing that digital assets and cryptocurrencies are becoming increasingly attractive with institutional investors. With the launch of our first crypto fund, together with Kapilendo, we have created an innovative investment vehicle that gives our customers inexpensive and secure access to the new crypto asset class while meeting the established quality standards and high demands of Hauck & Aufhäuser, ”says Dr. Holger Sepp, member of the board of Hauck & Aufhäuser.
“The new HAIC Digital Asset Fund I is an exciting tech investment and designed as a portfolio addition for institutional investors. Kapilendo takes over the custody of the crypto assets for the HAIC Digital Asset Fund I. In its function as a crypto depository, Kapilendo Crypto AG is tied into all relevant interfaces of asset servicing and technically seamlessly integrated, ”says Jens Siebert, Chief Solution Officer of Kapilendo AG.
More information about the HAIC Digital Asset Fund I: https://www.hauck-aufhaeuser.com/digitale-assets
About Hauck & Aufhäuser Innovative Capital GmbH
Hauck & Aufhäuser Privatbankiers AG has founded Hauck & Aufhäuser Innovative Capital (HAIC), an investment company for digital assets in Germany. The bank received the necessary BaFin license as a registered capital management company (KVG) on September 30th. This is a further step in expanding the range of services in the Asset Servicing division to include the innovative and future-oriented component of digital assets.
Hauck & Aufhäuser Innovative Capital will in future provide services in the areas of administration and portfolio management of digital assets. The bank and HAIC cooperate with Kapilendo AG and Kapilendo Custody AG as crypto custodians.
About Kapilendo AG
Kapilendo AG offers comprehensive, digital investment banking services for medium-sized companies. Based on the latest technology, Kapilendo makes access to capital easier, faster and cheaper for companies.
On the outside capital side, digital financing solutions are available to SMEs in the form of classic loans, subordinated loans and token-based borrower’s note loans. On the equity side, digital share issues. The placements are made publicly or as private placements.
In digital wealth management, entrepreneurs and high net worth private investors receive innovative investment solutions with personal advice. The range of services includes robo-advisor services and alternative investment strategies in the areas of private debt, private equity, real estate and cryptocurrencies.
Kapilendo AG was founded in 2015 and is based in Berlin. Together with its subsidiaries, Kapilendo has a license from the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) for investment brokerage, investment advice, brokerage and financial portfolio management in accordance with Section 32 (1) of the German Banking Act (KWG) as well as a license for crypto custody business. | https://medium.com/frankfurtvalley/hauck-aufh%C3%A4user-and-kapilendo-launch-their-first-crypto-fund-86d9774544cf | ['Pedro Gonçalo Ferreira'] | 2020-12-07 13:26:15.808000+00:00 | ['Hauck Aufhäuser', 'Crypto', 'Germany', 'Frankfurt'] |
How and why I did over 1000 Leetcode problems | Last year, I solved around 1200 leetcode problems, most of InterviewBit and some GeeksForGeeks as part of interview/placement preparation. I have also interviewed with a handful of companies and I want to share some things that I have learnt from the experience.
Disclaimer: This is a highly opinionated post of my experience and what worked for me. Because everyone learns differently, my methods may not work for you.
If you are in a hurry, you can skip to the 3rd section.
The Awakening
When we were preparing for JEE, parents and teachers gave the impression that after we get into a good college we are set for life and like most people I believed that. Therefore I spent my first 3 years of college getting good grades, doing fun projects, exploring stuff etc. However, at the end of 3rd year, I had a rude awakening. I hadn’t paid much attention to placements and companies till then. I got to know that most companies don’t care much about what we did in college. Our grades, projects, knowledge doesn’t matter much to them. Largely, they want us to be able to code and have problem-solving ability. Only 3 courses — DSA, Operating Systems and Databases matter. In fact, FAANG companies mainly only asked DSA problems in their interviews and have almost complete disregard for whatever else is present in the resume.
The fact that companies seem to focus on problem-solving can be a good or bad thing depending on perspective. From a positive perspective, anyone can work hard and get better at problem-solving. Yes, you read that, it isn’t as hard as it looks.
So I got to know one more thing, something like 50% of all problems asked in an interview is directly available in leetcode. Around 30% of the problems are very similar or modifications of questions found on leetcode. Only like 20% of questions are actually new. And with enough preparation, you can solve them as well. These numbers are from my personal and peer’s experiences.
That is why I decided to buckle up and embark on my journey to solve complete leetcode.
Why do companies focus on problem-solving?
I think it is important to understand why companies do their interviews the way they do them. So, the fact is that the big tech companies need to hire a lot of candidates. They also interview and hire globally. Their candidates and interviewers have very varied experience and knowledge. Therefore there is a need for a standardized interview process. The best that the industry has found is testing for coding skills and problem-solving ability. They believe that if the new hires are able to solve problems, they can learn and do anything.
In my opinion, smaller and mid-sized companies should hire differently. However, most of them seem to be copying their big counterparts.
How did I get started?
I had a headstart, I knew C++ fairly well and I was strong with DSA concepts because my college course was very good. However, I didn’t have STL knowledge (C++ Standard Template Library) and I wasn’t familiar with interview-style questions. I recommend solving problems only after being familiar with a programming language and learning the basic DSA concepts.
I started solving with Python and then shifted to C++. If you haven’t picked a language yet, I recommend C++ or Python. I don’t recommend Java due to the verbose nature of the language. Fix a language and code only in that language.
That's it, I just started solving leetcode problems. I started solving the easy problems first. They teach STL skills and give confidence. They also teach some simple tricks which can be combined to solve medium and harder problems.
I spent like 8 hours a day on leetcode. It went slow for a few days but soon I was able to solve with an average throughput of 10 problems a day. On some good days, I even solved 30 problems. How was this possible? I followed some principles which might help you do the same.
Principle 1: Solve every problem
There are so many easy leetcode problems that anyone can solve. Do NOT skip over them. Solve them as fast as you can and move forward. And by solving, I mean actually writing the code and getting all test cases passed.
Principle 2: Read Solution + Discussion
Wrote code on your own and got all test cases passed? Congrats! However, that is not the end, it is very important to read the solution and discussions. More often than not there will be more than one approach to solve the problem. It is important to understand all the approaches.
Leetcode discussion community is very good. Sort by most voted and pick any of the top few answers. Make sure you check out their code as well. The top coders write code very elegantly. There is a lot to learn from them even if you get the solution. Also reading the explanation will give you ideas on how to explain in the interview.
Principle 3: Do not spend more than 5–10 minutes thinking
This might be a controversial opinion. According to me, you will only have a maximum of 10 minutes in an online test to think of a solution and less than 20 minutes to implement it. In an interview, you will have even less time as you will need to explain your approach, code and dry run etc. So if in the actual test you have less time, you should prepare accordingly.
What I did was this, after 5 minutes, I give up and check the solution. If I don’t understand the solution, I bookmark it as red and leave it. If I understand the solution, I bookmark it as yellow.
After a week or two, I come back and solve the yellow ones. This time I try to recollect the solution and solve it myself. If I fail, then I read the solution again and come back later. Most of the times I succeeded to recollect the solution. This is extremely effective because it will feel like I got the solution myself and I would feel confident I can solve similar questions now.
Some advantages of this principle are:
You didn't spend too much time “thinking” You understood the solution fast, it feels like progress If you recollect and implement it later, the concept will be ingrained in the mind Throughput — number of problems solved / day will be high Overall morale will be good because you are not spending time stuck
Principle 4: Solve problems of the same topic together
There are 2 approaches to solving problems. I practised both.
Mix different topics and solve them
This has the advantage of not getting bored. Moreover, an important part of problem-solving is identifying the topic.
Solve problems of the same topic together
This can get boring but has some advantages from the learning perspective.
High throughput — e.g. if you have already solved a binary search problem, you can solve similar binary search problems fast. Pattern recognition — e.g. you will be able to recognize the different types of DP problems. Confidence and Morale — even if you take help for the first type of problem, you are able to solve the next type of problem quickly.
Leetcode suggests similar problems after successfully solving a problem. I have found these suggestions to be very accurate and helpful.
Leetcode Similar Problems
Principle 5: Practice, Practice, Practice!
There is no shortcut, I practised a lot. I regularly solved some important problems I have already solved just to make sure they are at my fingertips.
How many problems should I target?
In my experience after solving 300–500 problems, you should be able to clear interviews in very good companies. If you solve 1000+ problems, you can clear any company!
Leetcode has a difficulty ratio of 1:2:1 for easy, medium and hard problems. I find the hard problems quite hard. They are rarely asked in an interview, so it is okay to skip them and just solve the popular hard questions. I solved the problems in the ratio of 2:4:1.
Don’t worry too much about what problems you solve but make sure you do solve a good number of medium problems because they are the ones that are regularly asked in an interview.
Leetcode Contests
After getting confidence in solving problems, I started doing leetcode contests. This is important because you will have pressure and time constraint in a coding round. So leetcode contests can help simulate that.
Bonus Giveaway
I wanted to give back to the community, so I made 2 things that can help prepare better.
Leetcode Preparation Sheet
This sheet can help you prepare more effectively. It sorts the question based on the popularity and quality of the question. Check the READ ME sheet to understand how to use the sheet. This was prepared by my junior Saiakash Konidena with my guidance.
Link: Leetcode Preparation Sheet
Leetcode Preparation Google Sheet
Interview Bit Chrome Extension
InterviewBit has an excellent list of curated problems. I highly recommend solving them especially if you have less time. However, they have a very poor question and solution description. Even their user interface is subpar. Therefore I built an extension that maps interview bit questions to leetcode ones.
Link: Chrome Webstore
Leetcode Links in InterviewBit site
Conclusion
That's it! This journey was a rollercoaster ride and it took over a year to complete. However, it is completely worth it. Problem-solving rounds are present even for higher positions and therefore this skill will help in the long run.
These were some of the principles that I developed while I was preparing for coding rounds. I am planning to write a blog post on how to prepare for an interview and some important tips. Stay tuned!
If you would like to do a mock interview with me, register for one at https://proxyprep.tech/ | https://medium.com/@satviksr/how-and-why-i-did-over-1000-leetcode-problems-b236a3f887c9 | ['Satvik Ramaprasad'] | 2021-06-15 06:38:07.138000+00:00 | ['Coding', 'Problem Solving', 'Leetcode', 'Interview', 'Coding Interviews'] |
A Global Look at Cancers Affecting Women | by Alexandra Chang
Each year, more than a quarter million women die from cancer in the United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Breast and cervical cancer, in particular, are among the most common diseases affecting women across the globe. Silvia Chiara Formenti, Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Sandra and Edward Meyer Professor of Cancer Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, has spent much of her professional career studying and developing cancer therapies, with an especial focus treating cancers affecting women.
“As an oncologist I find it necessary to do research, because we continue to lose people to cancer,” says Formenti, who is also radiation oncologist-in-chief at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “It is our duty to better understand these diseases, and initiate research to make a difference.”
The Outcome of Children Whose Mothers Die of Cancer
While most of Formenti’s research focuses on studying cancer immunology and immunotherapy, she recently took a wide lens to the disease to ask a more global question. After noticing the high incidence — and earlier death — from female cancers in developing countries, she examined how maternal death from breast and cervical cancer affects the outcome of their children.
“We chose breast and cervical cancer because I was interested in the size of the collateral damage of women dying young,” says Formenti. “Another reason is that in both cancers we know how to make a difference. In breast cancer, one can reduce mortality with early detection and appropriate treatment, and cervical can be prevented with vaccination against HPV virus — its main causative agent.”
Formenti worked with one of her former residents Raymond Mailhot, currently a faculty member at University of Florida, to study child mortality. “There is a robust literature that shows if the mother dies when the children are younger than 10 years old, the children acquire an increased risk of dying that has nothing to do with disease,” says Formenti. “It has to do with losing their moms.”
The questions they sought to answer included these: Can the association between a mother’s death from cancer and her child’s mortality be predicted? How much does maternal mortality from breast and cervical cancer affect child mortality overall in a given country? Thus, how much could child mortality be reduced if maternal death from breast or cervical cancer was prevented?
Global Studies on Mothers’ Deaths from Breast and Cervical Cancer and Child Mortality
Using available large-scale population data from three countries with distinct levels of economic development and medical infrastructure — Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, and Denmark — the researchers looked at incidences of cervical and breast cancer rates in women during their fertile years. They combined this with available data on baseline child mortality, as well as the predicted mortality rates for children who lost their mothers before the age of 10. They then created a simulation model that specifically analyzed the impact of mothers’ deaths from breast and cervical cancer on child mortality in these countries.
The results of the study, which was published in the journal Cancer in 2019, showed that child deaths associated with mothers’ deaths from breast and cervical cancer resulted in notable increases in cancer-related mortality — as high as 30 percent in certain African countries. Formenti says that this demonstrates how the burden of cancer affects more than those who have the disease.
“When you look at both incidents of mortality — mother and child — it is clear that in developing countries it’s much younger than in richer countries.”
In countries with more resources, however, the increase of child mortality was much smaller, for example, less than one percent in Denmark. “When you look at both incidents of mortality — mother and child — it is clear that in developing countries it’s much younger than in richer countries,” says Formenti. “The disease occurs earlier, resources are limited, and women often present with advanced diseases, so they’re much more likely to die. The effect is amplified by the collateral death of children.”
Formenti hopes that broad research like this can help shape policy and health changes in the countries most affected.
Combining Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy, a Novel Therapeutic Approach to Cancer
When it comes to working directly with patients with cancer, Formenti has long been interested in how radiotherapy can be combined with immunotherapy to control cancerous tumors. Her earlier work has shown that radiation could modify tumors to make them more recognizable by an individual’s immune system.
Based on these findings, she moved on to studying breast cancer in mouse models. More recently, she and her colleague Sandra Demaria, Professor of Radiation Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine, performed successful clinical trials using radiotherapy alongside immunotherapy in solid tumors (lung and breast cancer). Building on that evidence, Formenti and Demaria were recently awarded a $5.7 million grant from the Department of Defense to run clinical trials on breast cancer patients.
Led by Formenti, this project consists of a consortium of five groups of investigators — including those at University of Pittsburgh, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and the Mount Sinai Hospital — to conduct a novel clinical trial in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. The research will focus on breast cancers that are hormone receptor-positive (HR+), which make up approximately 75 percent of cases in the United States. Despite therapeutic advances, nearly a third of HR+ breast cancer recurs, and it accounts for the most frequent cause of death from breast cancer. Current available immunotherapy does not have a high success rate with HR+ breast cancer with only a small minority of patients responding to it.
Formenti and the consortium of researchers are addressing this barrier with a multipronged approach. They will perform a randomized trial that tests standard therapy with different immunotherapies targeting specific barriers previously found in mouse models and confirmed in some clinical studies.
“Nobody else has used radiotherapy directed to the tumor with immunotherapy before surgery,” says Formenti. “It’s completely new.” The goal is to demonstrate evidence of a treatment that can convert HR+ breast cancer tumors into an individualized vaccine — essentially immunizing the patient to the tumor. Formenti says that she hopes data from these trials will also spur larger studies and, if confirmed, change the treatment of HR+ breast cancer, potentially reducing tumor recurrence and death.
Weill Cornell Medicine, Ideal for Collaborative Research
As an expert in breast cancer, Formenti has received consultant honoraria and research grants from various commercial entities. Formenti says, “Weill Cornell Medicine is an ideal site to develop forms of interdisciplinary collaboration — not only in the delivery of integrated clinical care, but also for collaborative research.”
Formenti says, “This type of environment is especially conducive to somebody working both as a clinician and a researcher.” | https://medium.com/cornell-university/a-global-look-at-cancers-affecting-women-4ef2e06bde73 | ['Cornell Research'] | 2020-02-03 20:01:01.360000+00:00 | ['Health', 'Cornell University', 'Cancer', 'Women', 'Medicine'] |
Your Complete Guide to Understanding Endocompatibility | How to use your DNA to get smarter about picking your CBD and cannabinoid products.
Finding the right CBD or cannabis product can feel overwhelming.
Your friends rave about a CBD product for joint pain, but when you try it, it doesn’t seem to help at all. Or maybe your family members swear by a specific cannabis strain to help with anxiety, but that same strain only makes you more anxious and irritable.
On the search for the optimal experience, you try multiple brands and products to find one that works for you. And just when you find a product you like, it loses its effect or stops working all together.
Then, you start the whole process over again, and there’s no telling how long it’ll take — or how expensive it’ll be — to find a product you not only like, but can also trust.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. On average, cannabis users try about 6 different strains or varietals before they find one that addresses their health concerns. If you’re trying to address multiple health concerns — like sleeplessness and pain and anxiety — one size does not fit all.
Perhaps you’re trying and buying as many as 18 different stains to find one that works for your unique needs. That means you’re spending tons of time, energy, and money on cannabis products that aren’t providing optimal results.
So, what if there was a better way? What if science and your DNA could help you find the optimal cannabinoid formulation for your unique needs? What if you had your own cannabis and CBD matchmaker?
By decoding your DNA and mapping your endocompatibility, you can discover which strains and products match your one-of-a-kind endocannabinoid profile.
This means you can use your genetics to streamline your CBD and cannabis process and quickly find the best ratios, varietals, strains, and products for you.
What is the endocannabinoid system (ECS)?
Think of the endocannabinoid system like your own internal secret cannabis vault. We’ll help you crack the code so you never have to experiment with trial and error to find the right ratio of CBD, THC, and added terpene profiles again.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) gets its name from two parts: “endo” which means within the body and “cannabinoid” which comes from cannabis. The ECS is named after the cannabis plant because similar molecules are found in both the body and the plant. The cannabis plant molecules, however, were discovered first.
The ECS is a network of cells that communicate to maintain your body’s organic balances, or homeostasis. Even if you don’t use cannabis, you have an ECS, and it’s constantly working to regulate important internal functions.
Endocannabinoid System (ECS)
The ECS is vast and complex, and research is still uncovering the full extent of its influence on the body. So far, research¹ has found that the endocannabinoid system is linked to:
Metabolism
Pain
Immune function
Inflammation
Mood
Sleep
Stress
Reproductive system function
Nerve function
Healthy maintenance of these functions is crucial to long-lasting health and wellness. And many top-notch researchers, including Dr. Ethan Russo, Chairman of Endocanna’s Health Science Board, believe that as we uncover more about the ECS, we’ll be able to better treat conditions and disorders that disrupt these important systems.
Learn more about Dr. Russo and his thoughts on plant medicine here.
Key takeaway: The ECS is a network of communication in the body that helps maintain homeostasis. Just like everyone has a unique network of neurotransmitters and receptors in their brain, everyone has a unique ECS that regulates important body functions.
How does the endocannabinoid system work?
Like most networks in the body, the ECS involves a few core components. The core components of the ECS are endocannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors, and special enzymes.²
Endocannabinoids
Endocannabinoids are molecules made by your body. They’re produced as needed, and they help regulate internal functions (like the ones mentioned above). They’re like cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, but they’re made naturally inside the body.
Essentially, they’re special messengers that carry important information to keep your systems stable.
Cannabinoid receptors
Cannabinoid receptors do exactly what you’d expect. They’re docks for endocannabinoids. For an endocannabinoid molecule to communicate with the ECS and the body, it first binds to a cannabinoid receptor.
The two main endocannabinoid receptors are CB1 receptors (found in the central nervous system) and CB2 receptors (found in the peripheral nervous system).
This is profound because it means that endocannabinoid receptors are found throughout the body and affect countless systems and internal functions. In fact, endocannabinoid receptors are so ubiquitous, we need more research to uncover just how far-reaching the complex ECS system really is.³
Enzymes
Once an endocannabinoid molecule has docked at a receptor and communicated its message, specialized enzymes are responsible for breaking down the molecule. This frees up the receptor to communicate with other endocannabinoids as needed.
Key Takeaway: The ECS works by sending endocannabinoids to dock at cannabinoid receptors. Then, the endocannabinoid delivers messages to help regulate important body functions. Specialized enzymes eventually break down the endocannabinoids to free up the receptor for additional messengers.
Your endocompatibility is your genetic match to optimal cannabinoid and terpene profiles.
So far, we’ve determined that everyone has a unique ECS. But endocompatibility is further complicated because each cannabis strain, varietal, and product has its own unique properties, too. Strains can have wildly different cannabinoid ratios and terpene profiles from one brand to the next, or even from batch to batch.
According to the entourage effect, the compounds present in cannabis work together to create its effect. In other words, the compounds in the cannabis plant synergize differently when taken together, as opposed to taken in isolation. Therefore, each strain, varietal, and product is engineered to work differently.
The endocannabinoid system regulates the body’s systems to maintain homeostasis.
Cannabinoids found in cannabis (including THC, CBD, and nearly 150 other cannabinoid compounds like CBG or THCA) interact with your unique ECS receptors by mimicking the endocannabinoids found naturally in your body.
When you take cannabis you’re introducing unique cannabinoid and terpene messengers to your genetically unique ECS.
So how can you find the perfect cannabinoid ratios and products for you?
By using your DNA and genetic information, you can map your endocompatibility. Then, you’ll have insight into which cannabinoids and terpene profiles will optimally interact with your one-of-a-kind genetic structures.
When you discover your endocompatibility and use the information to modify your cannabinoid therapy, you’ll:
Achieve maximum therapeutic results;
Know the optimal dosing for your body; and,
Reduce adverse events with cannabis.
Ultimately, knowing your endocompatibility will ensure safe and effective use of cannabis or CBD.
Key Takeaway: Your genetics hold the key to decoding your ECS and finding the right cannabinoid and terpene ratios for your individual needs. Knowing your endocompatibility will empower you to use cannabinoid therapies safely and effectively.
Endo·Decoded Report and Endo·Aligned suggestions.
You can discover your unique endocompatibility by uploading your DNA and generating your Endo·Decoded Report. Then, you’ll receive Endo·Aligned suggested cannabinoid and terpene formulations for your unique genetic profile.
When you receive your Endo·Decoded Report, you’ll learn:
The most ideal ratios , methods , and dosing of cannabinoids and CBD for your body;
, , and of cannabinoids and CBD for your body; Which terpenes and cannabinoids will give you the biggest benefit ;
; Which terpenes and cannabinoids you should avoid ;
; Risks and benefits of using CBD and cannabinoid products for your body; and,
of using CBD and cannabinoid products for your body; and, What products are available in your local area that are most closely aligned with your genotype.
Curious what your Endo·Decoded Report will include? We’ve put together a sneak-peek for you. Click here to download a sample report.
Begin your personal cannabinoid journey today.
Finding the optimal therapeutic CBD or cannabis match is possible. Because cannabis is personal.
Let your DNA help you uncover your unique endocompatibility.
If you’ve already had DNA testing through a genetics company like Ancestry or 23andMe, you can get your endocompatibility results instantly. Click here to upload your existing results.
Never taken a DNA test? Not to worry! We have you covered. Order your simple and easy at-home DNA collection kit here and get started today. | https://medium.com/@endodna/your-complete-guide-to-understanding-endocompatibility-19353cb5fb8d | ['Endo Dna'] | 2020-05-06 00:18:22.255000+00:00 | ['Genetics', 'Wellness', 'Cannabis Medical', 'Cannabis', 'Cbd'] |
Hunting for the perfect marketing budget — constantly. | Issue #07, 14th December 2020
Biswajit Das
Like all budgets, the marketing budget is a reflection of a plan — the marketing plan. And as we know, a plan is a priority task list which is based on forecasts of the key parameters.
In this case, the key parameters are:
Sales Plan
Competitors’ Plans
Options Available &
The Market.
How much to spend is a function of how much sales we want, while accounting for the competitor’s performance, as well as the volume of their ‘marketing noise (& to what extent we want to counter it!)
Where to spend must acknowledge the alternative options available, their cost, importance & efficiency. As also, which market(s) there’re opportunities / threats.
Given the huge volatility of the above parameters, it stands to reason that marketing budgets must be validated frequently!
Just like an engineering system constantly hunts for equilibrium,
so also a marketing budget must hunt for its right level
as frequently as possible.
From a corporate control angle, you must benchmark spends vis a vis your peers. And also track spends-as-a-percentage-of-revenue to compare with your category & industry. This could act as the first trigger for under- as well as over-spending.
The above approach must involve a multidisciplinary team of specialists from marketing, finance & specialists.
Marketing highlights growth ambitions / threats-to-be-thwarted from competition for each category, brand & market.
Finance highlights the company’s financial position & projections.
And the specialists will highlight / confirm “value-for-money” as well as “must-have” options.
With this approach, the marketing budget can be built & regularly revised — including reallocation between brands & markets.
Execution Is As Important As Planning
A plan can only be as good as its implementation. And given the dynamic nature of the market, executing a marketing plan itself involves constant evaluation & planning at a micro level.
On completion, the plan is usually found to have undergone significant changes. Hence it needs rigorous monitoring prior to bill-passing. At one level, it’s monitoring which highlights a lot of discrepancies, which yields real savings. (Not enough can be said about the cost-saving effects of monitoring in passing advertising & marketing bills.)
At another level, plan performance is dissected to learn from each plan execution in an exercise generally referred to as post-implementation evaluation or ‘post eval’.
Given that plans cut across multiple markets, regional offices, budget heads & myriad activities, all this is far from easy.
Marketing Data Visibility
It’s essential to review marketing budgets vis a vis performance. And the competition will continue to innovate — both product as well as marketing — so it’s best to keep a close watch using syndicated competitive intelligence. Regular reviews of marketing performance, ROI & the competition is mandatory to increase or decrease spends.
If ‘post eval’ is the micro-component of ‘hunting for equilibrium’ in marketing budgets & plans, then regular review is the macro component.
Both need free flow of data. ‘Post eval’ is currently executed in a somewhat ‘painful’ manner because plan data is usually scattered over multiple spreadsheets. The second is also done infrequently because marketing data is notorious for being ‘invisible’ to the C Suite!
To achieve this, it’s mandatory to make your marketing data more ‘visible’, which by the way is notorious for being practically invisible to the C-Suite!
Merge The Data Silos
One of the obvious reasons behind ‘invisible marketing data’ is the existence & promotion of data silos! Take plan data which lies scattered in individual spreadsheets — these must typically be aggregated from individual spreadsheets to a central sheet before processing for reporting.
Analytics : Frequency vs Accuracy
Marketing data along with sales & other data must be rendered on real time dashboards which are designed to promote analysis & review by the multidisciplinary team of marketing, finance professionals along with specialists.
Use analytics to recalibrate your marketing spends.
The above exercise is just the starting point and needs to be refined with regular analysis of market trends, forecasts & deep business insights for accurate budgeting. (This actually means managing flexible marketing plans which change with the latest insights — on a regular basis.)
This is why analytics exercises must update models every few weeks to help confirm trends & re-chart the course. A lower accuracy is acceptable when the frequency is high.
This also includes building attribution models in the short term for assessing impact of various media, promotions & other factors. The basic idea is to use data sources quickly to test if they exhibit any significant divergence from current understanding.
Need for Ready Data
Assessments & insights may not be perfect, but speed is of the essence.
To get speedy insights on a sustainable basis, clean data must be readily available without much ‘struggle’.
We hope you enjoyed reading this piece & would love to hear from you.
Email us at media-digest@mediawareonline.com | https://medium.com/media-trends-digest/hunting-for-the-perfect-marketing-budget-constantly-933f489b248e | ['Biswajit Das'] | 2020-12-14 08:00:28.170000+00:00 | ['Marketing Technology', 'Marketing', 'Marketing Automation', 'Automation', 'Data Analytics'] |
2021:The Present Time | L,I,F,E. These four letters word seems small but when we try to describe it, even hundreds of words run short. It seems so full yet feels incomplete. I always thought that the control of our life is in our own hand. Alas! didn’t know how wrong was I. The pain, the helplessn2021 The Present we are living iness, the shock and trauma through which my family and I went through is unprecedented and beyond words. And I know I was not the only one or am not the only one who has gone through this. The present in which we are living in is somewhat similar for all, just the difference is some are suffering less and some more. When this whole thing started last year I couldn’t imagine how horrific it would get with time. December 2020 was hard for us but then also I was not able to speculate that future could get even worse. Because we are always taught to see hope at the end. By the beginning of this year I started seeing hope and felt everything will get better soon. Who knew that only few months later I have to run for oxygen, bed in hospitals and ventilator to save someone so close. Never in my life I want someone to go through these things. The scar is deep and I don’t know as of now how much time would it take to heal. I had sympathy for people when I used to read all these things but when I went through the same I came to know that there is a fine line between sympathy and empathy and the line is so bright that it can be seen only if you have felt the thing. Now when I read and see people searching for the same not only my heart goes out but my soul too. I remember that night which you and I might consider it beautiful in normal days as moon was bright and full. The yellow dispersed light night sky. I was gazing at the moon with the same awe as I would have during normal days but unlike other days this time I was praying for the wellbeing. I was praying for the life. I was remembering the laugh I had just a day ago with that person. I never thought that it would be the last. I didn’t shed a tear when I got the news. I didn’t shed a tear when I saw her lying at the ground. I didn’t shed a single tear when they took her for cremation. My heart was not ready to accept. Her voice was echoing in my head with exact tone as if she was standing beside me and speaking. Only the next day when I woke up with the void I realised she is no more. She was my bua. She always stood up in my lows and highs. The epitome of beauty. Pure soul. When my turn came to serve her she left us. This is not so done! This disease is so dreadful that it didn’t even gave time to grieve. When whole family got covid, we started struggling for our life. I’ve never seen such situation ever in my life and I bet none of you have. I just want people to take care of themselves and their loved ones. We are all tired and want this to get over soon. And as I said earlier life can be described in many words and it depends upon the situation and if I have to describe it today I would say life is like a window pane, transparent. Draw the curtain and see things from inside and let someone to see your inside as when you put the curtains on, both the sides gets blocked. Sometimes storms outside gets too strong that it crack the pane but with time you have to fix this by your own. Build a new one. Look outside. Even though it is gloomy outside but a day will come when everything will be bright and you will shine. | https://medium.com/@srivastavaanushka466/2021-the-present-time-44f7465623c2 | ['Anushka Srivastava'] | 2021-08-15 15:32:39.238000+00:00 | ['Covid', 'Soul', 'Meaning Of Life', 'Life', 'Family'] |
[withR]좀더 하는 ggplot2-Annotations with Model Coefficients(그래프 주석달기) | #library(ggplot2)
#library(gcookbook)
그래프에 주석을 달아 보자.
먼저 먼저 그래프를 만들기 위한 데이터를 생성하자.
library(gcookbook) #예제 자료
#모델 생성
model <- lm(heightIn ~ ageYear, heightweight)
summary(model)
#R cookbook Graphics 책 참조
predictvals <- function(model, xvar, yvar, xrange=NULL, samples=100, …) {
if (is.null(xrange)) {
if (any(class(model) %in% c(“lm”, “glm”)))
xrange <- range(model$model[[xvar]])
else if (any(class(model) %in% “loess”))
xrange <- range(model$x)
}
newdata <- data.frame(x = seq(xrange[1], xrange[2], length.out = samples))
names(newdata) <- xvar
newdata[[yvar]] <- predict(model, newdata = newdata, …)
newdata
}
#예측값데이터 생성
pred <- predictvals(model, “ageYear”, “heightIn”)
sp <- ggplot(heightweight, aes(x=ageYear, y=heightIn)) + geom_point() +
geom_line(data=pred)
sp + annotate(“text”, label=”r²=0.42", x=16.5, y=52)
sp<-로 할당하여 재사용하기 편하게 코딩하고 있다.
그다음에 sp+annotate()를 이용해 그래프 위에 주석을 달아 r²값 결정계수를 표현한다.
sp + annotate(“text”, label=”r² == 0.42", parse = TRUE, x=16.5, y=52)
주석에 표현이 달라진다. | https://medium.com/excitinglab/withr-%EC%A2%80%EB%8D%94-%ED%95%98%EB%8A%94-ggplot2-annotations-with-model-coefficients-%EA%B7%B8%EB%9E%98%ED%94%84-%EC%A3%BC%EC%84%9D%EB%8B%AC%EA%B8%B0-133f123fe80c | ['Neo Jeong'] | 2019-08-07 06:40:11.550000+00:00 | ['Data Science', 'R', 'Ggplot2', 'Data Visualization'] |
Nuro — Entregando o futuro do comércio local de forma autônoma | Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more
Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore | https://medium.com/ted-uneb/nuro-entregando-o-futuro-do-comercial-local-de-forma-aut%C3%B4noma-c6a13c6f2778 | ['Laura Teresa De Carvalho'] | 2020-12-25 16:20:31.347000+00:00 | ['Delivery', 'Silicon Valley', 'Nuro', 'Cars', 'Robots'] |
Do we Need Math? Imagine our Life Without It | Do you remember your math classes in school? I definitely do, and on my mind was always:
“Why do I need this formula? Where will I use that theorem?”
You heard or even asked the same questions. After that, the teacher used to explain that we can use integral to find the area and derivative to get the acceleration from speed.
“And what?” — the question always appeared but was newer asked. Most people will never be trying to find a minimum/maximum of the function in daily life.
However, all of us need math, and it’s essential in your career, decision making and any field of life.
The reason is abstractions
Do you remember that day when the teacher started writing letters instead of numbers? Was this easy for you?
Photo by Roman Mager on Unsplash
I was always pretty good at math, but it took me a lot of effort to stop fearing letters in formulas.
Why do I write fancy letters in formulas instead of numbers?
A familiar feeling? But the idea is that everything in math is an abstraction.
You understand what is apple, but what is the number? Right, it’s the abstraction to help us to count apples. The same with any other idea in math, either it’s multiplication or Newton–Raphson root-finding algorithm
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
Math is abstract because numbers are not real entities. They are purely imaginary concepts. We cannot experience numbers. We can make up stories about them, such as “1+1=2”. But, we can never experience such operation since there is no such thing as ONE of anything in our experience. If there is no such thing as ONE of anything in our experience, there can be no such thing as TWO of anything in our experience, etc. When we do math, we are playing a game in a world of imagination. Like fairy tales, numbers are the characters in that imaginary world, while the operations are the activities that those fairy tale characters perform. And just like fairy tales, math can be beneficial, even though neither numbers nor fairy tale characters really exist. Berj Manoushagian, Philosopher.
Why are abstractions crucial?
Because it’s an amazingly powerful tool. Even more powerful than mathematics itself.
Photo by Hunter Harritt on Unsplash
Let me back up a little bit. Forget mathematics. When was the last time you made pasta? You know how to make pasta, right? Boil water, add pasta, wait a little bit, then take out the pasta. If you’re feeling fancy, add some other stuff.
Already, you’re taking advantage of abstractions. How do you know how long to boil that pasta? Isn’t it conceivable that one noodle of pasta differs in some way from another noodle of pasta, even in the same box? But you avoid those questions by abstraction. You don’t worry about the specific noodles of pasta you have, but you treat it like this abstract collection of stuff that you only need to boil for, say, 10 minutes.
Photo by Christine Sandu on Unsplash
As you go forward with your pasta making, you learn that there are yet other shapes. Maybe you boil those shapes differently, but you realise that they’re pretty interchangeable from a culinary point of view. In other words, if you have a recipe for bucatini all’amatriciana, and you have all the ingredients for the dish except you have spaghetti instead of bucatini, by the power of abstraction you can still make an excellent dish: spaghetti all’amatriciana.
It goes on: what if your all’amatriciana recipe calls for guanciale and you have none? You know that pancetta is pretty close, while tofu is not close at all. And on, and on. When you study cooking, you don’t even understand a recipe in terms of ingredients, you understand it in terms of roles. You identify the balance of sweet, salty, acid, fat, spiciness, umami, or other flavour categories. In other words, you understand a recipe abstractly. The abstract approach lets you identify solutions quickly. | https://medium.com/swlh/do-we-need-math-imagine-our-life-without-it-c458fda152b3 | ['Andrew Zhuravchak'] | 2020-01-19 18:08:02.315000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Mathematics', 'Tech', 'Learning', 'Science'] |
How sanitizes and organizes Dunnellon FL arrange your workplace | While most firms have professional people dedicated solely to cleaning the workplace, some best practices may be used regularly to maintain workplace hygiene. This was especially important after the outbreak. While the world heals from COVID 19 and workplaces reopen, offices must maintain a high level of cleanliness and safety. Sanitizing and organizing Dunnellon FL might help make life easier. Some of the most significant suggestions for keeping a clean and hygienic office may be found in the sections below.
Workers spend the bulk of their time at work, so keeping it clean and well-maintained is essential. Organizations invest heavily in providing a pleasant working environment for their employees. A clean, pleasant working environment creates a professional appeal and a decent working atmosphere, which enhances employee productivity.
Pointers for having a quite clean and sanitary workplace
Remove the trash daily
Garbage, such as unused papers, clips, stationery, and other items, will not only take up more space in your office, so hire sanitize and organize Dunnellon FLto make it clean. Furthermore, you are enraged while you search for the stuff you require the most. As a result, it’s a great way to get rid of the trash. Make it a habit, and you may be able to get rid of the things you don’t need. You’ll be able to effortlessly pack your desk while maintaining a clean and spacious workspace.
Stock up the cleaning products
Your home should seem big and secure, but physically cleaning the entire area takes a long time and does not produce the desired results. As a result, it’s critical to keep high-quality cleaning materials and equipment on hand to save time and assure optimal results. It would be advantageous if you also possessed the best bag vacuum cleaner, as well as a well-chosen cloth, dustpan, broom, and mop. Furthermore, having expert cleaners from sanitizes and organizing Dunnellon FL with the right cleaning approach.
Managing and organizing the cables
The cables were among the first things you’ll notice. Despite your best efforts, you would have let the cable swing in your workstation, and it isn’t a pleasing sight. Unfortunately, this may also be harmful. Thus cables must be arranged. Cable organizers are available on the market and are a great option for cable management.
Organizers of desks
Your workspace should be a tangle of wires and cables. We frequently overlook an important part of our jobs: the need for a well-organized workstation. If you keep everything on your desk, it will appear cluttered, and there will be no area for work. It also does not provide a professional appearance. To keep your workspace tidy, you can purchase desk organizers. A desk with drawers and racks for paper and papers would also be beneficial. Electric recipients are built into working desks, preventing needless cords from being visible on your desk and interrupting your workspace.
Promote employee hygiene
Companies place a premium on their employees’ health and hygiene. A tidy office is one strategy, but sanitary standards among employees are also critical. Ensure that your workplace has hand sanitizer and towels at or near the workstation. Sanitizers can be strategically positioned throughout the workplace to make them easily accessible to employees. Sanitizes and organizes Dunnellon FL should also urge them to wear masks, utilize restrooms, and maintain social distance.
A clean restroom is a must
A clean toilet is required in every office. Toilets must be maintained exceptionally clean and sanitary since so many people use them. Make sure it’s cleansed and disinfected regularly. Don’t forget to include toilets and hand dryers in the bathroom. It is also necessary to have an air refresher on hand.
Deep office cleaning schedule
When employed individuals clean up their workstations, it is also vital to engage sanitizes and organizes Dunnellon fl. experienced professionals can clean even the most remote sites. They perform quick service and clean the area with the right combination of tools, equipment, and understanding.
Wrapping it up!!!
These are some of the strategies for thoroughly cleaning the office. However, keep in mind that office cleaning is the best technique to follow. Your office will become more pleasant for employees, and productivity will increase if you hire sanitizes and organize Dunnellon fl. | https://medium.com/@tranquilcleaners/how-sanitizes-and-organizes-dunnellon-fl-arrange-your-workplace-bad33a6c175c | [] | 2021-11-24 05:45:46.373000+00:00 | ['Home Improvement', 'Cleaning', 'House Cleaning', 'Clean', 'Sanitation'] |
PrivacyRaven: Comprehensive Privacy Testing for Deep Learning | PrivacyRaven: Comprehensive Privacy Testing for Deep Learning
Summary of talk from OpenMined PriCon 2020
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
This is a summary of Suha S. Hussain’s talk in OpenMined Privacy Conference 2020 on PrivacyRaven — a comprehensive testing framework for simulating privacy attacks.
Why is privacy a concern?
Today, deep learning systems are widely used in facial recognition, medical diagnosis, and a whole wealth of other applications. These systems, however, are also susceptible to privacy attacks that can compromise the confidentiality of data which, particularly in sensitive use cases like medical diagnosis, could be detrimental and unethical.
Does a restricted setting necessarily ensure privacy?
Consider a medical diagnosis system using a deep learning model to detect brain-bleeds from images of brain scans, as shown in the diagram below. This is a binary classification problem, where the model only outputs either a Yes(1) or No(0).
Medical diagnosis system to detect brain-bleed (Image Source)
Given that an adversary has access only to the output labels, doesn’t it seem too restrictive a system for the adversary to learn anything meaningful about the model? Well, before we answer this question, let’s understand what an adversary modeled by PrivacyRaven could learn by launching attacks on such a restrictive system.
Exploring PrivacyRaven’s capabilities
All attacks that PrivacyRaven launches are label-only black-box — which essentially means that an adversary can access only the labels, not the underlying model’s parameters.
Different privacy attacks that an adversary can launch (Image Source)
By launching a model extraction attack , the adversary can steal the intellectual property by successfully creating a substitute model.
, the adversary can steal the intellectual property by successfully creating a substitute model. By launching a model inversion attack , the adversary can reconstruct the images used to train the deep learning images.
, the adversary can reconstruct the images used to train the deep learning images. By launching a membership inference attack, the adversary can re-identify patients within the training data.
Threat model used by PrivacyRaven (Image Source)
PrivacyRaven has been optimized for usability, flexibility and efficiency; has been designed for operation under the most restrictive cases and can be of great help in the following:
Determining the susceptibility of the model to different privacy attacks.
Evaluating privacy preserving machine learning techniques.
Developing novel privacy metrics and attacks.
Repurposing attacks for data provenance auditing and other use cases.
In the next section, let’s summarize Model Extraction, Model Inversion and Membership Inference attacks that adversaries modelled by PrivacyRaven can launch.
Model Extraction
Model extraction attacks are aimed at creating a substitute model of the target system and can be of two types: optimizing for high accuracy or optimizing for high fidelity. High accuracy attacks are usually financially motivated, such as getting monetary benefits by using the extracted model or avoiding paying for the target model in the future. An adversary optimizing for high fidelity is motivated to learn more about the target model, and in turn, the model extracted from such attacks can be used to launch additional attacks for membership inference and model inversion.
PrivacyRaven partitions model extraction into multiple phases, namely Synthesis, Training and Retraining.
Phases in model extraction attack (Image Source)
In the synthesis phase, synthetic data is generated by using publicly available data, gathering adversarial examples and related techniques.
phase, synthetic data is generated by using publicly available data, gathering adversarial examples and related techniques. In the training phase, a preliminary substitute model is trained on the synthetic data.
phase, a preliminary substitute model is trained on the synthetic data. In the retraining phase, the substitute model is retrained for optimizing the data quality and attack performance.
This modularity of the different phases in model extraction, facilitates experimenting with different strategies for each phase separately.
Here’s a simple example where, after necessary modules have already been imported, a query function is created for a PyTorch Lightning model included within the library; the target model is a fully connected neural network trained on the MNIST dataset. The EMNIST dataset is downloaded to seed the attack. In this particular example, the ‘copycat’ synthesizer helps train the ImageNetTransferLearning classifier.
model = train_mnist_victim() def query_mnist(input_data):
return get_target(model, input_data)
emnist_train, emnist_test = get_emnist_data() attack = ModelExtractionAttack(query_mnist, 100,
(1, 28, 28, 1), 10,
(1, 3, 28, 28), "copycat",
ImagenetTransferLearning,
1000, emnist_train, emnist_test)
The results of model extraction include statistics of the target model and substitute model, details of the synthetic data, accuracy, and fidelity metrics.
Membership Inference
In sensitive applications such as medical diagnosis systems where the confidentiality of patients’ data is extremely important, if an adversary launching a re-identification attack is successful, wouldn’t it sabotage the trustworthiness of the entire system?
Privacy concerns in sensitive applications (Image Source)
Similar to model extraction attacks, membership inference attacks can as well be partitioned into multiple phases in PrivacyRaven. For instance, a model extraction attack is launched to train an attack network to determine if a particular data point is included in the training data, whilst combining it with adversarial robustness calculations. When the adversary succeeds in the membership inference attack, the trustworthiness of the system is indeed sabotaged.
Phases in membership inference attacks (Image Source)
Model Inversion is the capability of the adversary to act as an inverse to the target model, aiming at reconstructing the inputs that the target had memorized. This would be incorporated in greater detail in future releases of PrivacyRaven.
Future directions
The following are some of the features that would soon be included in future releases:
New interface for metric visualizations.
Automated hyperparameter optimization.
Verifiable Differential Privacy.
Incorporating attacks that specifically target federated learning and generative models.
References
[1] GitHub repo of PrivacyRaven
[2] Here’s the link to the original blog post that I wrote for OpenMined. | https://medium.com/towards-artificial-intelligence/privacyraven-comprehensive-privacy-testing-for-deep-learning-fef4521183a7 | ['Bala Priya C'] | 2020-12-28 09:05:16.505000+00:00 | ['Privacy', 'Deep Learning', 'AI', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Research'] |
Memory profiling using Valgrind | Know how much memory you are consuming.
What is Valgrind?
Valgrind is a flexible program for debugging and profiling Linux executables. Most important usage of valgrind is when you try to find memory leaks.
Download valgrind
$ sudo apt-get install valgrind
How to use a Valgrind
you can choose what tool you want to use with Valgrind. I explain only memcheck and massif which are mostly used and important.
--tool=<toolname> [default: memcheck]
Run the Valgrind tool called toolname,
e.g. memcheck, cachegrind, callgrind, helgrind, drd, massif, lackey, none, exp-sgcheck,exp-bbv, exp-dhat, etc.
memcheck
Memcheck is a memory error detector. It can detect the following problems that are common in C and C++ programs.
Accessing memory you shouldn’t:
e.g. overrunning and underrunning heap blocks, overrunning the top of the stack, and accessing memory after it has been freed.
e.g. overrunning and underrunning heap blocks, overrunning the top of the stack, and accessing memory after it has been freed. Using undefined values:
i.e. values that have not been initialised, or that have been derived from other undefined values.
i.e. values that have not been initialised, or that have been derived from other undefined values. Incorrect freeing of heap memory:
such as double-freeing heap blocks, or mismatched use of malloc/new/new[] versus free/delete/delete[]
such as double-freeing heap blocks, or mismatched use of malloc/new/new[] versus free/delete/delete[] Overlapping src and dst pointers in memcpy and related functions .
. Passing a fishy (presumably negative) value to the size parameter of a memory allocation function .
. Memory leaks.
massif
Massif is a heap profiler. It measures how much heap memory your program uses. This includes both the useful space, and the extra bytes allocated for book-keeping and alignment purposes. It can also measure the size of your program’s stack(s), although it does not do so by default.
In summary, it can give you information about:
Heap blocks
Heap administration blocks
Stack sizes.
Run for a real use case
Memory leak example
#include <unistd.h>
using namespace std; int main()
{
while(true) {
int* a = new int[100];
sleep(1);
}
}
Run valigrind to check memory leak
$ valgrind --tool=memcheck --leak-check=yes --leak-check=full --show-leak-kinds=all -v ./a.out
Ctrl+C and then, a result shows up
^C==11001==
==11001== Process terminating with default action of signal 2 (SIGINT)
==11001== at 0x5303A04: nanosleep (nanosleep.c:28)
==11001== by 0x5303909: sleep (sleep.c:55)
==11001== by 0x1086E9: main (in /home/poby/ProgramingPractice/C++/a.out)
--11001-- REDIR: 0x52b69c0 (libc.so.6:free) redirected to 0x4c30cd0 (free)
==11001==
==11001== HEAP SUMMARY:
==11001== in use at exit: 4,400 bytes in 11 blocks
==11001== total heap usage: 12 allocs, 1 frees, 77,104 bytes allocated
==11001==
==11001== Searching for pointers to 11 not-freed blocks
==11001== Checked 110,848 bytes
==11001==
==11001== 400 bytes in 1 blocks are still reachable in loss record 1 of 2
==11001== at 0x4C3089F: operator new[](unsigned long) (in /usr/lib/valgrind/vgpreload_memcheck-amd64-linux.so)
==11001== by 0x1086DB: main (in /home/poby/ProgramingPractice/C++/a.out)
==11001==
==11001== 4,000 bytes in 10 blocks are definitely lost in loss record 2 of 2
==11001== at 0x4C3089F: operator new[](unsigned long) (in /usr/lib/valgrind/vgpreload_memcheck-amd64-linux.so)
==11001== by 0x1086DB: main (in /home/poby/ProgramingPractice/C++/a.out)
==11001==
==11001== LEAK SUMMARY:
==11001== definitely lost: 4,000 bytes in 10 blocks
==11001== indirectly lost: 0 bytes in 0 blocks
==11001== possibly lost: 0 bytes in 0 blocks
==11001== still reachable: 400 bytes in 1 blocks
==11001== suppressed: 0 bytes in 0 blocks
==11001==
==11001== ERROR SUMMARY: 1 errors from 1 contexts (suppressed: 0 from 0)
==11001== ERROR SUMMARY: 1 errors from 1 contexts (suppressed: 0 from 0)
As you can see, it reports where it is leaking and how much it is leaking.
check heap and stack with massif
$ valgrind --tool=massif --stacks=yes --log-file=valgrind.log ./a.out
running valgrind with above will create two files, one massif.out.xxx file and the other valgrind.log file.
Text visualization of massif.out file
$ ms_print massif.out.11686
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Command: ./a.out
Massif arguments: --stacks=yes
ms_print arguments: massif.out.11686
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KB
89.23^ #
| ... #
| @@ #
0 +----------------------------------------------------------------------->Mi
0 2.069 Number of snapshots: 57
Detailed snapshots: [1, 14, 26, 38, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 (peak)] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 0 0 0 0 0
1 39,481 7,176 0 0 7,176
00.00% (0B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 100,934 1,096 0 0 1,096
3 139,912 1,568 0 0 ... 14 656,626 1,416 0 0 1,416
00.00% (0B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15 695,856 1,320 0 0 1,320
16 724,630 1,320 0 0
... 26 1,202,021 1,320 0 0 1,320
00.00% (0B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
27 1,256,763 1,576 0 0 1,576
...
38 1,726,816 1,320 0 0 1,320
00.00% (0B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
39 1,778,582 1,576 0 0 1,576
...
49 2,167,678 82,008 81,504 184 320
99.39% (81,504B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc.
->88.65% (72,704B) 0x4ED4974: ??? (in /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.26)
| ->88.65% (72,704B) 0x4010781: _dl_init (dl-init.c:72)
| ->88.65% (72,704B) 0x40010C8: ??? (in /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.27.so)
|
->10.73% (8,800B) 0x1086DA: main (in /home/poby/ProgramingPractice/C++/a.out)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
50 2,167,894 83,232 82,704 208 320
99.37% (82,704B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc.
->87.35% (72,704B) 0x4ED4974: ??? (in /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.26)
| ->87.35% (72,704B) 0x4010781: _dl_init (dl-init.c:72)
| ->87.35% (72,704B) 0x40010C8: ??? (in /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.27.so)
|
->12.01% (10,000B) 0x1086DA: main (in /home/poby/ProgramingPractice/C++/a.out)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
51 2,168,110 84,456 83,904 232 320
99.35% (83,904B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc.
->86.09% (72,704B) 0x4ED4974: ??? (in /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.26)
| ->86.09% (72,704B) 0x4010781: _dl_init (dl-init.c:72)
| ->86.09% (72,704B) 0x40010C8: ??? (in /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.27.so)
|
->13.26% (11,200B) 0x1086DA: main (in /home/poby/ProgramingPractice/C++/a.out)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
52 2,168,326 85,680 85,104 256 320
99.33% (85,104B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc.
->84.86% (72,704B) 0x4ED4974: ??? (in /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.26)
| ->84.86% (72,704B) 0x4010781: _dl_init (dl-init.c:72)
| ->84.86% (72,704B) 0x40010C8: ??? (in /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.27.so)
|
->14.47% (12,400B) 0x1086DA: main (in /home/poby/ProgramingPractice/C++/a.out)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
53 2,168,542 86,904 86,304 280 320
99.31% (86,304B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc.
->83.66% (72,704B) 0x4ED4974: ??? (in /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.26)
| ->83.66% (72,704B) 0x4010781: _dl_init (dl-init.c:72)
| ->83.66% (72,704B) 0x40010C8: ??? (in /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.27.so)
|
->15.65% (13,600B) 0x1086DA: main (in /home/poby/ProgramingPractice/C++/a.out)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
54 2,168,758 88,128 87,504 304 320
99.29% (87,504B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc.
->82.50% (72,704B) 0x4ED4974: ??? (in /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.26)
| ->82.50% (72,704B) 0x4010781: _dl_init (dl-init.c:72)
| ->82.50% (72,704B) 0x40010C8: ??? (in /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.27.so)
|
->16.79% (14,800B) 0x1086DA: main (in /home/poby/ProgramingPractice/C++/a.out)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
55 2,168,974 89,352 88,704 328 320
99.27% (88,704B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc.
->81.37% (72,704B) 0x4ED4974: ??? (in /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.26)
| ->81.37% (72,704B) 0x4010781: _dl_init (dl-init.c:72)
| ->81.37% (72,704B) 0x40010C8: ??? (in /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.27.so)
|
->17.91% (16,000B) 0x1086DA: main (in /home/poby/ProgramingPractice/C++/a.out)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
n time(i) total(B) useful-heap(B) extra-heap(B) stacks(B)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
56 2,169,387 91,368 89,104 336 1,928
97.52% (89,104B) (heap allocation functions) malloc/new/new[], --alloc-fns, etc.
->79.57% (72,704B) 0x4ED4974: ??? (in /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.26)
| ->79.57% (72,704B) 0x4010781: _dl_init (dl-init.c:72)
| ->79.57% (72,704B) 0x40010C8: ??? (in /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.27.so)
|
->17.95% (16,400B) 0x1086DA: main (in /home/poby/ProgramingPractice/C++/a.out)
graphical visualization with massif-visualizer
ms_print is not very easy to look with a lot of text. Use massif-visualizer to get a better view. | https://medium.com/@poby/memory-profiling-using-valgrind-b30514f35117 | ['Poby S Home'] | 2020-12-26 06:03:14.248000+00:00 | ['Profiling', 'Memory Management', 'Linux', 'Memory Leak', 'Valgrind'] |
How u can make Make 50$ to $100 A Day | By AMAZON AFFILIATE MARKETING for Beginners - | How u can make Make 50$ to $100 A Day | By AMAZON AFFILIATE MARKETING for Beginners - Danyal Malik Jan 22·12 min read
In affiliate marketing, three parties are involved. There’s a merchant or an affiliate network, let’s consider it to be Amazon. Then there will be you, as an affiliate. Where you will be promoting the products of the merchant through a special affiliate link. So when someone purchases a product through your affiliate link, you get a commission, that is, you make money.
Now in my affiliate marketing playlist, I’ll show you step-by-step on how to sign up to the affiliate network, how to generate your links, how to promote these links to thousands of people for free and then make money from your links. Almost all popular companies use affiliate marketing to drive customers. Be it Amazon, Flipchart, Ola, Uber, Swiggy, FoodPanda, Zomato- almost all popular companies are doing it. But the important question is, how affiliate marketing will help you. Well, the biggest benefit is definitely online earning on autopilot.
Today my websites are driving free traffic every month from Google and making my affiliate commission. So now let’s talk about who can learn affiliate marketing. You don’t need any special qualifications, you don’t need any technical background. All you need is one laptop, or a computer, and an internet connection. This is all you need. The best part about affiliate marketing is that you are making money from the comfort of your home.
There is no age limit, no massive course fee, only your willingness to learn, and your willingness to earn money online. I’m friends with people who are making $100,000per month to $300,000 per month from affiliate marketing. So now let’s talk about what is the best way to learn affiliate marketing. Well, when I started there was no one to guide me. No one to tell me the best tips, tricks, tools or strategies that actually work. Well lucky for you, I’ll be teaching you and guiding you in every step. You need a guide, a person who has made the mistakes so that you don’t repeat those mistakes. So now let’s talk about which affiliate network to focus on.
There are thousands of affiliate networks in the market. I myself use 50+ affiliate networks to make money for my affiliate websites. So which one should you choose? While there are more complicated ones and Commission Junction, where you need the knowledge of advanced digital marketing to make money. This is because the competition is just way too high. For beginners, who are just starting, the one I recommend is Amazon Associate. It’s easy to run and promote and now I’ll be showing you why you should be focusing only on Online Shopping site in India: Shop Online for Mobiles, Books, Watches, Shoes and More. Amazon is the world’s biggest e-commerce website. Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more is driving more than 2.5B visitors per month. Amazon India or Online Shopping site in India: Shop Online for Mobiles, Books, Watches, Shoes and More is driving more than 360M people per month. The best part is that every experienced affiliate marketer is only targeting Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more in the US market. But there’s usually zero competition in Amazon India. So making money from an Indian Amazon associate account is a hundred times easier than promoting in Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more on the US market.
How u can make Make 50$ to $100 A Day | By AMAZON AFFILIATE MARKETING for Beginners -
Apart from this, there are many other reasons why you should join the Amazon affiliate network. Once you promote your Amazon affiliate link the cookie period is for 24 hours. So whatever the customer ends up purchasing in the next 24 hours, you will be getting the commission for that. The second good point is that you will be getting paid the affiliate commission for the entire cart. So let’s say you refer someone to buy at-shirt. But the person ends up buying jeans, a cap and a t-shirt as well. You will be getting the affiliate commission for the entire cart value and not just the product that you recommend. This is the best part of the Amazon affiliate link. And since Amazon has so much data and optimization, the majority of the people end up buying so many other products and not just the product you recommend. You can see in the image on the screen that majority of the products that I sold are not the products that I was promoting but the other products that people purchased when I referred them and I still got the commission. The third benefit is the Amazon brand.
Amazon is now one of the biggest e-commerce websites in India. They spend millions on advertising and now everyone knows about Amazon. So there’s a trust from the consumers from Amazon, so the conversion rate of people buying from Amazon is very high. This also helps in getting more sales and hence, making more affiliate commissions. I am getting a massive 3.5% conversion rate. So every hundred people I refer to Amazon, almost 3–4 people end up buying the products. So that’s just amazing. So now let’s talk about how can you make money from affiliate marketing. The easy answer is to create a website and scale it. Don’t worry, I won’t just tell you this and end the video, in our next lesson of our affiliate marketing playlist, I will tell you how to select a profitable niche. In lesson three I’ll show you a step-by-step in how to create an Amazon affiliate website like a pro.
Top 10 Best Freelance Websites for 2021 | Find Freelancing Jobs
Top 10 Best Freelance Websites for 2021 | Find Freelancing Jobs
https://freelancing4004.blogspot.com/2021/01/top-10-best-freelance-websites-for-2021.html
I will be sharing all the strategies that I’ve learned in the last 7 years of building and scaling affiliate websites. So make sure you watch our complete playlist. I even created a comprehensive e-book on how to scale an Amazon affiliate website from $0 — $1,000 per month and also how to scale it further to $10,000 per month. If you want this e-book, all you have to do is like the video, subscribe to our channel and comment with “Yes, I want it” in the comment section below. Once we reach a thousand likes, subscribers and comments, I will make the link of this e-book public on the description section of this video. There are many benefits of starting and scaling affiliate websites. Just as I mentioned, the competition in India is very low. So if you watched our lessons and follow them to the heart, then I can guarantee that within a few months, you will be making money. You don’t even have to work on your website when your article ranks on Google search results. It’s free traffic, month on month. Unlike other platforms that come and go, Google is not going anywhere. So you don’t have to worry that Google will go out of fashion in a few months. People will keep on searching on Google.
There are many other ways apart from affiliate links that you can make money from your affiliate website. You get sponsorship opportunities, branches will start emailing you… you’ll also be making money from sponsored links, sponsored reviews. Like I am charging Rupees, Rs10,000 — Rs20,000for one sponsored review. And also, in the end, let’s say you decide you don’t like the Amazon affiliate website, and you want to sell it. Then the website sells for 30x its monthly revenue. So let’s say you’re making Rs10,000 from your website every month you can sell it for Rs300,000. Now I know that many of you will ask me in the comment section the other ways of doing affiliate marketing. Like opening a YouTube channel or doing it through Instagram.
So let’s take each option one-by-one and share its pros and cons. So let’s start with opening a YouTube channel. Yes, you can open a YouTube channel in any niche. Like many other YouTubers are doing, and they are also making good affiliate revenue. You can create a fashion-related channel and promote fashion-related products. You can also create a technology-based YouTube channel and promote just like Technical Guruji is doing, but the main point to stress is that YouTube is getting competitive. Already for all the popular categories, be it fashion, be it gardening, be it technology, already YouTubers are dominating that niche. It was easier a couple of years back when the competition was low, and also because of the Reliance Jio wave.
Now already the majority of the profitable niche has a channel dominating. Now, I’m not saying that you won’t be able to do it. Yes, you can open a YouTube channel and you will be able to scale it. But it is extremely difficult. It will be difficult to scale, you’ll have to be patient. You also have to show your face and you’ll also have to invest in expensive equipment. I will be creating a YouTube marketing course very soon on this channel so make sure you subscribe to get notified about that… But then again YouTube is more competitive compared to the Amazon alternative that I’m telling you. Now, let’s talk about promoting affiliate links through Instagram.
One thing that I should mention is that every social media platform comes and goes. So Instagram might not be able to survive in a couple of years. Also getting followers in 2019 is extremely difficult compared to a couple of years back. Every social media platforms are going with the pay-to-play model. Like the case of Facebook, earlier the organic reach was very high. So let’s say you have 10,000-page likes, if you post a new post, you’ll be able to reach that 10,000 people. But now Facebook wants you to pay money to reach the people who even like your page.
Now the competition on Instagram is also growing because the people know that there’s money to be made. And also Instagram wants you to pay money to get those followers. So the organic growth is down. And the worst part about Instagram is that there is only one place where you can add the affiliate link that is the bio. So the number of links of the affiliate links will be far less and hence the oral commission that you make in a month will be much lower. And this is why I don’t recommend Instagram as the only source of promoting your affiliate links. The same goes for a Facebook page or a group. The organic reach is dead, so you won’t be able to promote your affiliate links in a profitable manner. So I don’t recommend either going into Instagram or YouTube or a Facebook page or a group… rather the smart strategy is to go into allow competition area and dominate it before it gets too competitive. Also, once your affiliate sites start getting traffic, you can move to these verticals either YouTube channel or Instagram account.
Trust me I’ve been doing this for almost7 years, I have tried and tested everything. The best strategy is to first start a website, scale it, and then move to the various verticals of YouTube and Instagram. This has given me the best results. So what is the process of making money from affiliate marketing through a website? Everything is explained in detail in our affiliate marketing course playlist. But right now, I’ll be giving you a general overview of how all these works. The process will be something like this. The first step is to do niche research. I will help you find low competition and a profitable money-making niche. Then in the next lesson, I’ll share with you how to start a pro affiliate website. I’ll be sharing with you my tips, tricks and strategies that I’ve learned in the last 7 years of doing affiliate marketing. Also, I’ll be telling you the mandatory things that you need to follow so that your account doesn’t get banned. The third step is keyword research. I’ll share with you the exact strategy that I use to find low competition keywords that make you money not in years, but months. The fourth step is to write articles. Either you can write it yourself, but I’ll also tell you how you can outsource it to someone else. I have spent thousands of dollars on knowing the best article structure. How many words your article should have? What should be the button colour? I have tested everything. And I’ll be sharing the perfect article template with you in one of the lessons.
The next step will be signing up to the Amazon Associate account. How to sign up? How to get approved? And how to not get banned. The next lesson will cover the most important detail. How to get your article on rank number one on Google search results. So let’s say your website is about guitar and you write an article like “best guitars in India”. So I’ll share with you all the strategies that I use to rank number one for my target keyword. And the last step is for you to send me a thank you email for introducing you to affiliate marketing. I would love to see some success stories if I like your site, I might even collaborate with you for other projects. So now let’s talk about money. How much many can you make? Now, this depends entirely on you. How much time you are willing to invest on your website. The more time you invest, the more money you will be making. If you follow our complete playlist then I can tell you for sure that you will be making money in a few months.
In the beginning, it might look a bit complicated because you are new at this. But given a few days of implementing, you will become a pro. Once you scale the website, then you already know all the secrets. Then you can create many more websites, build a team, and scale even further. Like I started as a one-man-army, but today I have 9 full-time people working on my affiliate websites. You are planting a tree. Once it’s grown up, all you have to do is spend a few hours on your website and it will keep giving you fruits for many years to come. Now let’s talk about common affiliate marketing mistakes. New affiliate marketers make these following common mistakes. Even I made them when I got started. The first mistake is not showing patience.
You won’t start making money on day one. Rather, slowly and steadily you will be scaling. The second mistake is not implementing. Majority of you will just be watching the lessons, but very few of you will be actually implementing. But the people who implement will be getting the best results. So make sure you don’t just watch the lessons, but also implement everything I tell you. And not just implementing, you’ll be getting a lot of questions in your mind. So don’t just implement, you can ask your questions in the Facebook group or you can also ask them in our YouTube live sessions. And I’ll try my best to answer all of you guys. The third mistake is getting greedy.
Now a few of you might watch our complete free affiliate marketing course playlist and then start implementing everything on multiple websites. If you’re a beginner or just starting, even if you are an experienced affiliate, I would recommend you to open only one single website and try to focus entirely on that. Your goal should first be able to create a website and scale it. Learn all the advance strategies, then build a team, and then open multiple websites. You don’t have to work hard, you have to work smartly. I have already made the mistakes, so you don’t have to make the same mistakes again. Rather follow the working strategies that actually work. One big advice that I can give to all of you is that practice is what matters the most. Don’t just watch the videos but also implement everything that I tell you in this free affiliate marketing mastery course. Readout more Articles Here !!!
How to make money online for free I 2021
In this blog you will learn that how you can make money online free. we have explained different method and platform where you can earn money free.
https://freelancing4004.blogspot.com/
This is the right thing for you guys. Don’t be confused, I am here for you. I’m so happy to have a new member who will be our future success story. I’ll make sure that this journey of helping you, making money from affiliate marketing is fun, exciting and as easy as possible. Where I show you on how to scale an Amazon affiliate website from $0 — $1,000 per month. | https://medium.com/@mdanyal66/how-u-can-make-make-50-to-100-a-day-by-amazon-affiliate-marketing-for-beginners-3b92a1ff0396 | ['Danyal Malik'] | 2021-01-22 07:21:58.344000+00:00 | ['Amazon Selling Tips', 'Online Earning Tricks', 'Freelancers', 'Online Business', 'Affiliate Marketing Tips'] |
Tienes Derecho a Arruinar tu Vida y Empezar De Nuevo | Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more
Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore | https://medium.com/rita-escribe/tienes-derecho-a-irte-al-caraj-y-empezar-de-nuevo-20fedc7ae384 | ['Rita Arosemena P.'] | 2020-09-05 03:56:57.289000+00:00 | ['Motivacional', 'Amor', 'Autoestima', 'Español'] |
Meet Our Marvellous Mumpreneurs|Becky Roberts | Meet Our Marvellous Mumpreneurs|Becky Roberts
Meet Becky, our next Marvellous Mumpreneur. She tells us the inspiration behind starting her business and what services she offers mums to be and mums in the local area.
1. Describe your business or the service you offer.
“My Business is called Blossom and I offer pre & postnatal support to women and their families. My services include: Hypnobirthing, Birth & Postnatal Doula, Breastfeeding Support, Baby Massage & Beyond.”
2. Tell us about your inspiration for starting your business.
“I started Blossom when I was on Maternity Leave with my son. I had taken part in hypnobirthing myself when pregnant and my birth was the right birth for me and my son. It was still 25 hours, with an epidural and was an assisted delivery. But to me it was perfect. Having spent most of my entire working carer in and around children / babies & families the frequent recurrence of birth horror stories and how families were only having one as they’d never want to go through birth again or none at all to avoid the terror, made me really sad.
Birth is a natural, normal event and nobody should be scared, anxious or avoid doing it because of a horror story they’ve heard. So, with this in mind, and how mentally I was excited to experience labour and never had ‘the fear’, I thought every women should have this opportunity. Every women should feel calm, relaxed and in control to the lead up and during their labour and birth.
I then trained in Hypnobirthing and Blossom, blossomed! Once I qualified in one area, I wanted to keep adding strings to my bow. I was very fortunate with my experience as I have so many family members close by. However, for some this isn’t the case. I then had this idea that I wanted to provide all families with the same support I got. Antenatally, postnatally and then months / years down the line. So no one was alone. No one was faced with having to do it all without a helping hand. Blossom, blossomed once again and I now run a service when I offer continuity of care, for birth, bump and beyond.”
3. Who is your business aimed at?
“Blossom is aimed at local women and their families. Antenatally to postnatally.”
4. What’s your favourite thing about Aylesbury?
“My favourite thing about Aylesbury is that it’s home. I’ve lived in and around Aylesbury my whole life. There are memories in every corner. It’s where I had my first job, made great friends, met the love of my life, brought my first house, birthed my child and started my business. But you will find me having a cheeky cocktail at Temple Street Wine Bar or The Craft Yard.”
5. Do you have any events coming up or can you recommend any?
YES! So I’m always running Baby Massage classes. They run in blocks of 4 which you can find dates / venues and times on my website. www.blossom-uk.com. I also have a Baby Massage DROP IN and shop session happening on the 30th March 2019. (Details to follow soon.) This 2.5 hour event will give all families who have taken part in Baby Massage before (doesn’t have to be with me) an opportunity to refresh their minds, learns some new strokes and spend one hours dedicated time with their little one. After the massage session, there will be tea, coffee and cakes (all home made!) as well as a chance to shop from some other local businesses. I will be advertising all this through social media.
6. Do you have any special offers for our followers?
At the moment I currently offering all hypnobirthing clients FREE tickets to The Baby Show London ExCel. There are 6 pairs of tickets ready to give away.
We would like to thank Becky for sharing her inspirational story with us. You can contact Becky for more information or to book her services via:
Website: https://blossom-uk.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_preandpostnatal_mama/ @the_preandpostnatal_mama
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlossomBeckyRoberts/ @Blossombeckyroberts
Photos by Carlie Banks | https://medium.com/@AnAylesburyAffair/meet-our-marvellous-mumpreneurs-becky-roberts-c6ee91b3e5ed | ['An Aylesbury Affair'] | 2019-02-25 10:08:55.141000+00:00 | ['Birth', 'Mum', 'Mumpreneur', 'Hypnotherapy', 'Aylesbury News'] |
France and the ‘Banlieue’ | Pic: Adobe Stock
France’s ‘banlieue’ is a term often associated with the impoverished suburbs on the outskirts of cities such as Paris, known for mass public housing, crime and deprivation. They came to the attention of the media and the international public during the early 2000s, when civil unrest led to widespread rioting and arson. These ghettos became infamous as they burned, shining a light on the socio-economic divisions in French society. Civil disobedience in the suburbs was coupled with police brutality as they attempted to clampdown on the disorder, leading to claims of racism, as these areas were largely inhabited by North African populations, the Maghreb and Sub-Saharan African populations. More recently, these suburbs have been blamed for cases of Islamic radicalisation.
The development of these suburban projects began after the end of the Second World War. Post-war France had a need for low-cost housing to rebuild the cities as the population grew. During the trente glorieuses, the three decades of economic growth following the war, mass housing became a part of the modernisation of France. From the 1950s to the 1970s, over 6 million new homes had been built in social housing estates, demonstrating the scale and speed of construction. This was not only peculiar to France but part of a global post-war renewal as also seen in Britain and the United States.
The choice of architecture in these projects was heavily influenced by the famous modernist architect Le Corbusier. The Swiss-French architect was a pioneer of the International Style, consisting of repetitive forms, the rejection of ornate decorative elements and a preference for simple forms as well as the use of industrial materials such as concrete and glass. Le Corbusier developed the principle of Unité d’habitation, a residential housing principle that resulted in large-scale apartment blocks that were functional and typically high-rise.
Le Corbusier had a vision of multi-storey tower blocks in Paris, devising his ‘Plan Voisin’ in the 1920s. A controversial plan, it involved demolition of the current streets of central Paris to make way for uniformity in the form of distinctly modernist concrete high-rise blocks and skyscrapers,. Whilst the ‘Plan Voisin’ was never realised, some of the ideas and aesthetics can be seen in the functional housing developments on the outskirts of the city.
What was not envisioned, however, was that these spaces would turn into ghettos. During this time, a wave of immigrants from France’s former colonies began to settle in France and by the 1970s they began to occupy these social housing projects. Middle-class French families moved into home ownership through the state sponsorship of low-interest loans, and away from these areas, resulting in a social segregation.
Pic: Adobe Stock
As the social housing projects took demographic shape, policy was revised. Urban planning gave way to the realities of these lived spaces. Mass housing is inextricably linked with notions of welfare and by the 1980s the French government began to formulate social policies to tackle the social problems that had begun to occur in these areas. The ‘Urban policy for Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods’ was introduced in the late 1980s and was focused on improving community relations, rather than the construction and housing aspects. However, by the 1990s the policies had altered to redesign these neighbourhoods, resulting in the demolition of tower blocks to attract more affluent inhabitants. By 2000, a policy of social mixing had ensued. This social mixing policy required a certain proportion of social housing in municipal areas with mixed tenants in an attempt to reduce the social segregation that had occurred and promote an ‘urban renewal’, essentially to destigmatise the banlieue.
Whether the social mixing policy has worked is questionable. Due to the Republic’s motto of ‘Liberté, égalité, fraternité ‘, census information about ethnicity was not included when formulating policy, but the reality is that these impoverished areas are home to large populations of ethnic minorities. Additionally, the policy of demolition has reduced the amount of affordable housing stock in these areas as part of the urban redesign. These areas are still deprived and the social problems remain.
The geography of these housing projects is surprisingly specific and represents a spatial segregation along socio-economic lines. Paris is a stark example of this, with certain arrondissements considered to be ‘no-go’ areas. Websites offer advice as to the areas to avoid, and these are largely in the Greater Paris region, such as the 93 in the north-east of Paris, Seine-Saint Denis, the poorest region in the country, as well as Clichy-sous-Bois where the 2005 riots began, and Grigny, in the southern suburbs of Paris. The north quarters of Marseille and communes such as Vénissieux and Saint Fons in Lyon follow a similar pattern. ‘La Haine’, a film by Mathieu Kassovitz, depicted life in the banlieue in the 1990s, portraying the lives of gang members and their interactions with the police. The banlieue, then, is a part of the social fabric of France, filtering into its cinema and art.
Pic: Adobe Stock
In central Paris, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the Seine are all synonymous with great history. These residential developments are noticeably absent from the city centre. Yet these zones of social exclusion are hidden in plain sight, with ten million Parisians living in these suburbs in contrast to the 2 million living in central Paris. The government’s response to social unrest in these areas has been harsh policing and a zero tolerance approach. For example, former President Sarkozy, in response to the 2005 riots (then Interior Minister), said that he would clean the streets with ‘hoses’, to get rid of the ‘rabble’. Such words only serve to further the sense of alienation amongst these communities. In spite of his harsh rhetoric, in 2008 Sarkozy set out social programme of public spending in the poorest neighbourhoods in France, a so-called ‘Marshall Plan’. The three year plan included increased policing, job training for youths and further education opportunities for people living in these areas.
Pic: Adobe Stock
In 2018, President Macron rejected the idea of another ‘Marshall Plan’ to renew these suburbs, due to the fact that previous attempts have already taken place with only limited success. Instead he is taking a socio-economic approach that focuses on increased hiring by businesses of those who live in the banlieue and reducing discrimination in hiring practices as well as improving standards of education at primary schools. The measures follow a report produced by centrist minister Jean Louis Borloo, recommending vocational training, apprenticeships and renovations of dilapidated buildings.
The recent gilets jaunes movement that saw protests rage across France in 2019 has exposed to the world the gap between the rich and poor in France. Now with a spate of terrorist incidents in France there is a suggestion that Islamic radicalisation is taking place amongst the disaffected youth living in the banlieue. Such suggestions could further demonise the inhabitants of these impoverished areas, and it seems that the social schism is becoming harder to ignore.
The ‘banlieue’ is a fading remnant of modernist idealism. Whilst Corbusier is not entirely to blame, mass housing in this style didn’t take into consideration the everyday realities of the people who would come to live in them, stuck in a housing socio-economic trap, their lives dictated by their postcode. The broken window theory that keeps people in a cycle of poverty needs mending from the ground up so that these neighbourhoods are no longer swept under the rug. | https://medium.com/@leilazerai/france-and-the-banlieue-64ccafd7393e | ['Leila Zerai'] | 2020-12-17 16:22:00.115000+00:00 | ['France', 'Banlieue'] |
The 5 benefits of leading a more stressless lifestyle. | The 5 benefits of leading a more stressless lifestyle.
We all know that stress is one of the major causes of most health problems. Anxiety and depression can leave you feeling like you clutching at straws with less hope or inspiration. So how can we reduce stress in our lives and encourage a sense of peace and hope during troubled times.
Sometimes less is more. Removing yourself from situations that no longer serve us that causes great stress and unhappiness is the first place to start. Feeling overwhelmed because you are over committed and people pleasing can leave you feeling out of breath.
If you have more on your plate that leaves you in a constant state of exhaustion or burnout this is not good. You need to have or set priorities that will serve you and the people you serve long term and make the most of your valued time.
The key is striking a balance and saying yes to the things that really matter and saying no to the things that can be delegated without the fear of retaliation, undermining or sabotage.
Your time on earth is valued and precious dont allow people to waste your time because they like to go out of their way to prove a point to you if they dont get their way.
This type of manipulation does not need to be your everday or every weekend endurance marathon of tolerating their organisational burdens and carrying a heavy load that is placed or expected of you.
You have a say in your own life that does not need a dictator of fear to oppress you into condemnation if you cannot fully commit to every activity they subscribe you to do in order to run their operation. Do what you can and able with respect and dignity.
If you found this helpful in setting some constructive boundaries.
Recommend, Applaud and Follow. | https://medium.com/@angeliichoo77/the-5-benefits-of-leading-a-more-stressless-lifestyle-7d26f416d6b4 | [] | 2020-12-18 11:11:01.040000+00:00 | ['Sleep', 'Self Help', 'Boundaries', 'Depression', 'Stress'] |
From the girl who had no future, Naomi now wants to become a doctor | From the girl who had no future, Naomi now wants to become a doctor Admin Follow Mar 15, 2019 · 3 min read
When Naomi Williams was young, she lived in the Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum in Nairobi, Kenya where she would spend her days playing because her parents couldn’t afford to send her to school. The cost of attending even a theoretically ‘free’ public school in a developing country like Kenya is often prohibitive for families living in communities like Naomi’s.
Sadly, this is not unusual for children in Kenya, especially girls. It is a sad truth that in many communities, a girl’s education is not considered as important as a boy’s. Even when girls are in school, there can be no learning happening; poor materials and absent teachers can mean a classroom is just a space, where access does not translate to education; a fact emphasised recently by the President of the World Bank who said that: ‘‘For too many children, schooling does not mean learning.”
Only a lucky few will be able to attend a good affordable school and sit their final exams. Naomi’s parents, who are casual labourers, found educating their children a struggle. Naomi is one of seven and, the only girl in her family to have finished primary school, let alone attend secondary school. One of Naomi’s older sisters had to leave school to get married and the other passed away after having a child. Her youngest sister now attends a Bridge school, inspired by her big sister.
For Naomi, a chance encounter in her community proved to be life- changing. A conversation about why she wasn’t in school led to Naomi and her family discovering Bridge and the start of a journey that led to incredible things. By her own admission, Naomi says before she joined Bridge she was “a girl who had no future.”
At school, Naomi, was given individual attention and carefully nurtured. She says of her teachers: “They were like second parents to me. I loved the lessons, everything was carefully planned. There was no time that a teacher was confused on what to do, and everything flowed smoothly.”
Given the opportunity and a supportive classroom, Naomi flourished, going on to excel. Her hard work meant she performed very well in the national exams (KCPE). She scored an amazing 376 marks, which was enough to be offered a scholarship to continue learning at the prestigious Kapkenda Girls High School, 300km north-west of Nairobi.
Following her success and admission to Kapkenda Girls High School, where she is top of her class, Naomi says she would like go to Harvard University and become a doctor. From the girl who had no future, Naomi says she now feels like, “I am already an important person to the world.”
Naomi’s story is not an unusual one at Bridge. In 2017, across all of their school’s pupils scored 10 percentage points above the nationwide average in KCPE — continuing the trend of 2015 and 2016 of outperforming the nationwide average. Girls who had been at Bridge for 5 years or more were the highest performing cohort. There are millions of children going to ‘informal’ schools across Kenya who with the right support and opportunity could follow Naomi’s path.
Bridge is proud of its efforts to empower its female pupils, developing confident, successful girls who learn in a safe and supportive environment. They believe all of their pupils should be able to chart their own path, especially girls. In many developing countries there are barriers to a girl’s education that include: distance to school, cultural norms, gender-based violence, pregnancy and early or even forced marriage. This is often compounded by having to sacrifice the income a child can provide, which means an education can constitute a short term ‘financial loss’ to some families or force them to make difficult choices about how many and which child(ren) to send to school. In most cases, parents will choose to educate a son over a daughter. | https://medium.com/talking-education/from-the-girl-who-had-no-future-naomi-now-wants-to-become-a-doctor-25e6cb17a756 | [] | 2019-03-15 10:46:11.609000+00:00 | ['Education', 'Success'] |
How To Run Next.js App With Nodejs API on Minikube | Create a Deployment and Service Objects
A pod is a group of one or more containers that share the storage and network and has the specification on how to run the container. You can check the pod documentation here.
Let’s create a pod with the below file. Before that, You need to start the Minikube on your local machine with this command minikube start and create a pod with this kubectl create -f pod.yml
pod.yml
It takes some time to pull the image from the Docker Hub if you are doing it the first time or depending on the image size. Now you can see the pod is in the running status and exec into it to explore the file structure, etc.
// get the pod
kubectl get po // exec into running pod
kubectl exec webapp -it -- /bin/sh
kubectl get pod
Deployment
Creating just one pod is not enough and what if you want to scale out the application and want to run 10 replicas at the same time. What if you want to change the number of replicas depending on the demand. That’s where the deployment comes into the picture. We specify the desired state in the deployment object such as how many replicas you want to run etc.
Kubernetes makes sure that it always meets the desired state. It creates replica sets which inturn creates pods in the background. Let’s create a Deployment for our project with this command kubectl create -f deployment.yml
deployment.yml
We have 5 replicas in the specification and the deployment creates 5 pods and 1 replica set.
Deployment
Service
Service is an abstract way to expose an application running on a set of Pods as a network service. Let’s create a service with the type NodePort so that we can access the Next app from the browser. Here is the service object YAML
service.yml
Create a service with this command kubectl create -f service.yml and you can list the service with this kubectl get svc
Service
You can create one file called manifest.yml to place all the Kubernetes objects in one place and create all of the objects with one command kubectl create -f manifest.yml | https://medium.com/bb-tutorials-and-thoughts/how-to-run-next-js-app-with-nodejs-api-on-minikube-66b22ae8e589 | ['Bhargav Bachina'] | 2020-12-19 06:02:01.506000+00:00 | ['Programming', 'Docker', 'Web Development', 'JavaScript', 'Kubernetes'] |
Without Limits | Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more
Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore | https://medium.com/blueinsight/without-limits-de69812d375d | ['Ivette Cruz'] | 2020-12-24 07:10:06.044000+00:00 | ['Life Lessons', 'Blue Insights', 'Relationships', 'Love', 'Poetry'] |
November 25, 2020 — Newsletter #6 | November 25, 2020 — Newsletter #6
Dear Framers,
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! In the spirit of giving thanks, I wanted to thank everyone for all their contributions to our growing publication!
We appreciate every one of you and wanted to express our sincere gratitude. Please continue to spread the word about us!
Sincerely your editors,
Samuel Sullivan and Ryan Fan
Framer of the Week
The winner this week is Patrick J. Regal. Congratulations! He brought the “Malice at the Palace” back to life with stunning detail and quotes from the NBA players involved.
The Worst Brawl in NBA History
— ‘The Malice at the Palace’ turns 16 today.
Noteworthy Contributions
If you missed any of the below, I strongly encourage you to give them a read over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Danielle Gibson
The Party of Slavery
— When Democrats were socially and fiscally conservative.
Nathan Allen
Censoring the Movies — What was the “Hays Code”
— These things were out of bounds on the big screen
Edward Anderson
The Mad World Of A Scientific Outsider
— Was the young man truly a mad scientist or just ahead of his time?
From the Editors
Ryan Fan
Robert Frost’s Three Words to Guide Us Through Crisis
— Life goes on. It always has. It always will. Don’t forget that.
Samuel Sullivan
Everything You Need to Know About the History of Faithless Electors
— Is it likely that the 2020 election will swing from Biden’s favor to Trump’s?
How the U.S. got Today’s Uncle Sam
— His final form came to be during World War I
Enjoy Thanksgiving!
Why Thanksgiving Day is the Fourth Thursday in November
— The American holiday that was unpredictable until 1942 | https://medium.com/frame-of-reference/november-25-2020-newsletter-6-5bf172d5a470 | ['Samuel Sullivan'] | 2020-11-25 20:08:09.038000+00:00 | ['Publication', 'Newsletter', 'Politics', 'History', 'Frame Of Reference'] |
Staking DDK | DDKOIN 101 Guide | We create an in-depth guide for DDKOIN specifically for CoinBox Finance users — where to buy DDK, the success of what has been achieved, and more information about this DPOS (Delegated Proof of Stake) blockchain.
Staking DDKOIN allows you to increase your portfolio reward substantially with advantages to increase your asset units and leverage on the DDKOIN price. It takes less than 10 minutes to read this article and start staking if you already hold DDK.
For those of you who have just heard about DDKOIN for the first time, you can start reading the articles issued by the DDK Foundation from this Medium:
You can also read their official Blog to find out their info and previous announcement history from here :
Announcements:
https://announcements.ddkoinblockchain.com/
Blog:
https://blog.ddkoinblockchain.com/
You can also follow the latest updates from them via their official Twitter and Facebook Group from here:
Official DDKOIN Twitter
Staking
Staking is an essential benefit of holding a cryptocurrency, and dependent on the staking options and background tokenomics, staking your tokens while holding them can offer significant upside.
To not get too technical regarding staking, let us compare staking to something most people are familiar with, a savings account at a bank. Similarly, savings accounts pay you interest for storing your money with the bank and allowing them to use it. While staking, on the other hand, it pays you rewards for providing your coins to help secure the network and validate transactions.
However, in staking, you do not physically transfer your tokens to another wallet. Instead, utilize a “Decentralize Protocol” to stake your tokens decentralized on the network without anyone having access to use or manipulate the staking pool of the operator like other centralized concepts.
There are huge lists of staking assets available for most Proof of Stake and Delegated Proof of Stake networks such as DDKOIN, ADA, Tron, Solana, Algorand, Cosmos, Ethereum, and Tezos, amongst others. When following a long-term holding strategy with your portfolio investments, it is vital to maximizing their passive growth. We’ve all seen the classic graph about the difference in taking advantage of compounding interest at different ages.
You can review lists of staking coins from these links :
However, when staking your crypto, you receive your rewards in crypto and not in fiat. As we will be looking at how to stake DDKOIN, let us use an example of 10,000 DDK. DDK staking offers a reward rate of up to 96% per year currently. The 96% annual return is a nice amount and can leverage your assets against inflation and price declines.
In terms of the Staking Reward in DDKOIN, your portfolio follows the Reward curve that can be referred from their Whitepaper.
Based on the above reward curve, we can analyze the staking reward will be decrease based on this year 8% and will be reduced to 6% when they launched their new upgrade DDK Core21 that will enable the creation of the smart-contract and allow developers to build and publish the decentralized application on the network.
So after one year, with the current 8% rate of 10,000 DDK, your initial capital will have around~19,600DDK (10,000DDK + 9600 DDK). It allows you to increase your token holdings without deploying more capital to take further advantage of the potential upside of DDKOIN.
Let’s use the StakingReward.com legitimate portal to check about POS assets as a reference to see the potential Reward that DDKOIN can generate:
From the screenshot, we can see that the “Current Rate” of Staking Reward 96% yearly with the “Current Price” of DDK around ~$ 0.70 will generate around $706 monthly and can generate around $8594.02 per year.
The following screenshot is that with the same amount of 10,000 DDK when we do COMPOUNDING will produce around 151.94%, which makes a return of $13,601 if calculated in fiat amount. | https://medium.com/@coinboxfinance/staking-ddk-ddkoin-101-guide-3c3d1be58f7a | ['Coinbox Finance'] | 2021-07-23 17:42:59.542000+00:00 | ['Dpos', 'Ddkoin', 'Staking', 'Coinboxfinance', 'Ddk'] |
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