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An Emergency Preparation Drill That Could Save Your Life

An Emergency Preparation Drill That Could Save Your Life This is a drill. Should you choose to accept this challenge, following the instructions in this drill could save lives and improve your peace of mind and overall security profile. A great piece on safety from Kraken a few years back started with a premise “Let’s begin with the assumption that within 24 hours your usual mobile phone number will be hijacked by social engineers.” Similarly, let’s begin this article with a drill: “You have 24 hours to prepare and travel at which point you will be stuck in place for 60 days with limited access to food, medicine, electronics, comms or help.” What do you do? What do you buy right now? Where do you go? What loved ones or pets do you need to arrange for or help? What unique medical or safety concerns do you have? What about your passwords, hardware wallets, private keys and backups? Do you have hard drives or USBs you need to secure? How will you transport them safely? What if you need to stay in a shelter? How about communications backups? There are lots of questions and sometimes just asking them is helpful. The time to mentally prepare for any security risk is when there are no problems. In a hack, natural disaster, crisis or emergency there are several types of people‬ ‪Some are well prepared‬ Some are unprepared ‪Some are lucky‬ ‪Some are foolish ‬ ‪Some are unlucky ‬ We can’t control all aspects of luck, but we can sometimes create our own luck. One of my favorite business quotes is from Steven Spielberg “Luck Happens When Preparedness Meets Opportunity”. This applies to work but also investing, planning and even survival. Sometimes the luck might be survival itself. We can also avoid being in the “foolish” or “unprepared” category. In most disasters there are a small number of people who make bad decisions: they ignore warnings from safety professionals, refuse to evacuate or don’t prepare. Inevitably these people are the largest drain on emergency and medical systems. Preparing not only helps you, it helps those around you. The more prepared the members of a community the less drain on resources in an emergency: less runs on supplies if more people are well supplied, less avoidable mistakes if people communicate and are informed and therefor less drain on the emergency services and better chance of survival for all. Prepping for emergency is one of the most responsible things we can do. Some tips:

https://medium.com/@brucefenton/an-emergency-preparation-drill-that-could-save-your-life-ad26f70c633f

['Bruce Fenton']

2020-02-23 16:38:10.266000+00:00

['Disaster Response', 'Covid 19', 'Preparedness', 'Emergency', 'Pandemic']

Hope Is All We Need To See Santa Claus

I thought Santa Claus doesn’t exist, but I was wrong. When I was a child, I recognized those faces in the church dressed in red with a hat and pretending to be Santa Claus. They would come during Christmas service to share chocolates, to make us happy. We would then whisper, “He is one of our church elders, not a Santa Claus.” As I grew, I thought Santa Claus is an illusion for happiness and nothing else. “A child in the air still keeps smiling because of faith (full hope) that he will never fall” A child in the air still keeps smiling because they believe that the person who threw them in the air will not let them fall. Clinical psychologists say that there are multiple benefits of letting a child play in the air. The reason behind the stressless moments must be hope. 2020 taught me about hope I have been going through one of the toughest phases of my life. It seems nothing is going on my way, but this very same year, I have carried more hope than ever. One reason is, despite having just around 100 Euros in Bank in August, I have still managed to live a decent life, all thanks to waived tuition fees, unexpected food coupons, food bank donations, and unexpected financial aid from the university. 2020 has been tough for all. It might be even tougher for those students who had to pay tens of thousands of tuition fees in their universities. In her article “384 Ways to Help,” MacKenzie Scott quotes a poem by Emily Dickinson, which is also about hope. “Hope’ is the thing with feathers, That perches in the soul And sings the song without the words And never stops — at all” — Emily Dickinson Her net-donation of $4.2 billion in 2020 has given hope to hundreds of organizations, including Vermont food bank, that received donations equivalent to an entire year of operating cost. Through her act, Mackenzie not only touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens who were living in the hope of food, but she also gave hope to the world about the ‘leaders’ we need in these situations. The world hoped to get a corona vaccine, and few of them, including US president-elect Joe Biden, received a one in 2020 itself. The vaccine is a large need. Homeless hope for shelter and hunger hope for food is a basic need. People strangled in conflict zone hopes for peace while farmer hopes for the waiver of loan. An unemployed hope for a job, and a lonely one hopes for a companion. This hope should continue, and the same hope is a reason you and I live today. Santa Claus exists Santa Claus may not be wearing red dresses when they gift. They needn’t come only in December. They may be a stranger. Whoever and wherever they come, they come as an angel to needy souls. They may not reach all the needy, but whoever they reach, they bring happiness and joy. Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash The researchers who are doing clinical trials are our modern-day Santa Claus. The philanthropists who send donations and those leaders who give us hope of development and good governance are our 21st century Santa Claus. All I need is a hope to see Santa Claus, and he/she can be seen anywhere. Santa Claus may produce no noise when he comes, but he/she will surely come. You too can be a Santa Claus This year, I received many messages from those who have extended their hands to support me; most of them were unexpected ones. I thanked them and politely told them I am good. In return, they told me they are open to help me anytime. They gave me hope. It struck me with a thought; if they can be a Santa Claus for me, I can also be a Santa Claus to those who need me. Yes, I can help them with whatever possible. Today onwards, while you wait to see a Santa Claus in your life, you have an opportunity to be a Santa Claus for the surrounding people. You and I can be angels that people need. We don’t need to be a millionaire, but by sharing a little from what we have, we can give happiness to those people who need. Believe me, a small contribution of one dollar can give happiness to people. And when they are happy, I am sure you too will be happy. Let’s continue to carry hope to meet Santa Claus. Let’s continue to be a Santa Claus throughout the year.

https://medium.com/this-shall-be-our-story/hope-is-all-we-need-today-to-see-a-santa-claus-2720cceeb63f

['Suraj Ghimire']

2020-12-24 21:51:09.155000+00:00

['Christmas', 'Life Lessons', 'Spirituality', 'Life', 'Hope']

Quit whining : developers and sales people CAN work together

In response to articles such as this one, that makes fun of things developpers can’t bear to hear anymore from their non developper fellows. I know it’s meant as a joke but I’m fed up with developers depicting themselves as lonely rangers that nobody can understand, especially salespeople. And the other way around? How lonely is it to be a salesperson among developers? Can you imagine that maybe it is our mindset and surrounding that makes it difficult? Let me tell you a story of how it worked out at our startup because we were willing to put in the effort. AUTUMN 2016 Today I’m super pumped up. I’m starting a new job as a salesperson by a software quality startup. I’m also petrified by stress and the number of things I’ll have to learn in this new environment I only have vague notions about. Professor Xavier, one of the cofounders (and yes he is also a professor and his name is Xavier just like in the X-men) is giving me a lecture about development and project management. He is passionate and a good teacher. I’m thrilled. But then things get harder. He is asking me to read the preface of a book about design patterns and the clean code book by Uncle Bob. The three of them, cofounders and developers, are talking nonsense. I understand one word out of two. I end up the day with a headache. WINTER 2017 It is getting better. I read a lot during office hours and outside. Blogs, articles, books whatever comes to me. I’m desperate to fit in, to be legitimate to correctly advertise what we’re selling. I’m getting around it. I ask a shitload of questions. And most surprising of all: I absolutely love it. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never learn how to code but it is great to understand. I’ve never been more proud than the day I cracked my first development related joke. I don’t even remember what it was, must have been something about sockets, which translates to socks in French and made me laugh a lot when they were talking about it. Or Docker. I often laugh when they speak. What seems ordinary to them sounds like a happy gibberish to me. A different issue emerges. It is the other way around. I, me too, have my own business way of talking. And actually, we don’t understand each other that much. What are you talking about? Call to action? Value proposition? And their favorite of all times « so guys who does what and for which deadline ? ». I guess it is payback time. SRING 2017 They’ve taken interest in what I do. They speak my language. They make fun of me the way I do of them. I wouldn’t say it wasn’t without struggle, but we got there somehow. We do demos together. They give my job a try. We understand each other better. I get it you’re not as talkative as I am. I get it you really need to focus when you code. I’m not allowed to interrupt. I can manage not talking for hours with our headphones on. I just didn’t understand WHY. I’m amazed by all the things you keep in mind when you code. I don’t understand how you do it not to confuse everything the way you. But you do, and it’s amazing. SUMMER 2017 We’ve taken the habit to exchange medium articles on slack in the morning. I’m surprised by what they are all talking about. It is often about oh-so important developers and the problems they are having in their interactions with non-developers people. Gosh, am I behaving the way they are describing? I hope not but frankly, I do recognize myself in some of the traits they are whining about. And it hurts. I’ll be better, I promise. But on the other way, if I had read such articles written by developers before, would have I accepted the job? They are complaining a lot, thinking they are the only asset to the company. I give it to you: yes you do produce the value of the company, but what if nobody was promoting what you do? Yes, business comes with constraints and it is also our job to keep development business oriented. I gladly accept to have my hands dirty. But I want to scream at them: I value what you do for godsakes! I’m rather jealous, to be frank. It looks like magic to me what you do. I have no right to tell you what to do or estimate the hours it takes. It is your call though I’ll still try to have it my way sometimes. Do you think we would be doing what we’re doing if we weren’t believing in you, in what you do? TODAY I could write the same type of article and none of us would benefit from it. I could just ask you to fit in my shoes sometimes. But instead, I want to show you what we achieved at our startup because I’m proud of it. A new developer has joined the team and he said he has never learned so much business stuff since he’s been working with us. It makes my heart fill with joy because I think we’ve finally reconciled sales and development. His remarks and those of the others have changed so much. We ask ourselves first of the relevance of what we’re doing for our clients, for the market before doing anything. Look how we’ve grown. We’re stronger when we team up So what can we learn from this little story? I’ll try to sum it up for you if you want to achieve world peace with developers. Get interested in the other’s person job Have a bit of empathy there, will you? For yourself, for the other, for the client. Why do you say it is not possible to fulfill this client request, again? Oh alright, I really would like to make this sale but I understand that we have good reasons not to accept everything blindly. I’ll talk some sense into him okay. Yes, you think this feature would be a very good addition to our software, but I haven’t picked up any signal from the market that it will be decisive in recruiting new clients. Why don’t we focus on this one instead that has been highly requested? Ask questions, be creative, exchange. I keep an ear during spring retrospective, backlog grooming and we daily meet altogether. You’ll make mistakes along the way We’re closer now but we’ve had our ways. We fought sometimes. We took certain things the wrong way. It is just a matter of understanding. We wanted to take it too far to blend everything together. No, I can’t fit my tasks into your project planning software, it goes into my CRM. Please don’t develop a whole application in your spare time to say whether or not I’m allowed to talk to you. Just let me understand why and I’ll regroup all my questions for a more appropriate moment. Please don’t comment my every sales call, it makes me uncomfortable. Why so serious? Laugh a little! We’re so full of ourselves sometimes. Developers, salesperson, try to make fun of each other. You can’t erase all your differences, might as well laugh about it. A little self-mockery is a good therapy Makes you put things into perspective, say things you wouldn’t normally say and deflate the importance you sometimes give to things. Change your mindset, be willing. Don’t jump to conclusion and pity yourself (talking to myself as well). Step back, why is the other person behaving the way he does? Think positive. Most of us are just trying to relate.

https://medium.com/promyze/quit-whining-developers-and-sales-people-can-work-together-12845ce7de63

['Diane Michalon']

2018-01-03 14:54:50.475000+00:00

['Work', 'Software Development', 'Startup', 'Salesforce', 'Developer']

Dos/DDos Attacks

DOS Attack: A Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack is an attack meant to shut down a machine or network, making it inaccessible to its intended users. DoS attacks accomplish this by flooding the target with traffic or sending it information that triggers a crash. In both instances, the DoS attack deprives legitimate users (i.e. employees, members, or account holders) of the service or resource they expected. Victims of DoS attacks often target web servers of high-profile organizations such as banking, commerce, and media companies, or government and trade organizations. Though DoS attacks do not typically result in the theft or loss of significant information or other assets, they can cost the victim a great deal of time and money to handle. There are two general methods of DoS attacks: flooding services or crashing services. Flood attacks occur when the system receives too much traffic for the server to buffer, causing them to slow down and eventually stop. Popular flood attacks include: · Buffer overflow attacks — the most common DoS attack. The concept is to send more traffic to a network address than the programmers have built the system to handle. It includes the attacks listed below, in addition to others that are designed to exploit bugs specific to certain applications or networks · ICMP flood — leverages misconfigured network devices by sending spoofed packets that ping every computer on the targeted network, instead of just one specific machine. The network is then triggered to amplify the traffic. This attack is also known as the smurf attack or ping of death. · SYN flood — sends a request to connect to a server, but never completes the handshake. Continues until all open ports are saturated with requests and none are available for legitimate users to connect to. DDOS Attacks: A DDoS attack occurs when multiple systems orchestrate a synchronized DoS attack to a single target. The essential difference is that instead of being attacked from one location, the target is attacked from many locations at once. The distribution of hosts that defines a DDoS provide the attacker multiple advantages: He can leverage the greater volume of machine to execute a seriously disruptive attack The location of the attack is difficult to detect due to the random distribution of attacking systems (often worldwide) It is more difficult to shut down multiple machines than one. The true attacking party is very difficult to identify, as they are disguised behind many (mostly compromised) systems Modern security technologies have developed mechanisms to defend against most forms of DoS attacks, but due to the unique characteristics of DDoS, it is still regarded as an elevated threat and is of higher concern to organizations that fear being targeted by such an attack. DOS attack using hping3 command: What is hping3 ??? hping3 is a network tool able to send custom TCP/IP packets and to display target replies like ping program does with ICMP replies. hping3 handle fragmentation, arbitrary packets body and size and can be used in order to transfer files encapsulated under supported protocols. It is also known as packet crafting technique. DOS SYN attack using hping3 command: Open your kali Linux Type the command: hping3 -i u1 -S -p 80 192.168.243.131(ip address of target machine) where : i — interval wait u1- 1 microsecond -S — Syn packet -p — port number Let's check in the Wireshark how this command works. To open Wireshark in your kali Linux type Wireshark in the terminal. Type the command in terminal & press enter. hping3 -i u1 -S -p 80 192.168.243.131 You will get the following result. Now let's check it in Wireshark It can be clearly seen that my machine is sending syn packet continuously to the target machine. Similarly, we can use the same command with another option( — flood) Instead of -i we will use –flood which will send the packet as fast as possible & doesn’t show the replies. Command: Hping3 -S –p 135 — flood 192.168.243.131 Let's check-in Wireshark Clearly, we can see my machine is sending a syn packet and the target machine is responding with syn ack but instead of sending syn packet my machine is again sending the syn packet. Now let me show you how to spoof your IP address and send the syn packet to the target machine for performing SYN DOS attack Command: hping3 -S –p 135 — flood — rand-source 192.168.243.131 this command will make you anonymous and the target will never get to know that the packet is coming from which IP. *Also along with this command you can spoof your mac address** Let's check the result in Wireshark We can clearly see that the source IP is changing every time for sending the syn packet to the target machine. By this, the target will never get to know from which actual IP the packet is coming thus making the attacker anonymous over the internet. This is all for this for more articles stay tuned… Thanks

https://medium.com/@nancyjohn_95536/dos-ddos-attacks-cdbba870af3b

['Infosec Blog']

2019-08-13 12:56:46.308000+00:00

['Hacking', 'Ddos', 'Information Security', 'Infosec', 'Cybersecurity']

Flutter Clean Architecture Series — Part 1

The Architecture and Dependency Rule If you have created the folders as organized in the diagram, then great job.. because now we will talk more about the architecture that we will use in details and the purpose of each layer. Firstly, let us take a deep look at this diagram below: architecture diagram — devmuaz Take a look again and below is an explanation for each layer. Data Layer The bottom layer as shown in the above diagram, its responsibility is to deal directly with the raw data from different data sources (REST API, GraphQl, Sqlite, …etc). The raw data then will be mapped or converted into models (dart objects) using some serialization methods to serialize/deserialize data (Json, Xml, …etc) from and into. The models in the data layer are different from the entities in the Domain layer, and the reason why we have this method is because in some cases if we want to change the raw data serialization from (Json) to (xml), this changes will not affect the internal entities (Domain’s Entities). The models in the data layers will extends the properties from the Domain’s entities and it will always depend on the Domain layer since the models are extending all of the properties from the entities. The data layer is also contains the real implementations of the abstraction in the domain layer including the repositories, so we define the interface (abstracted class) in the domain layer.. then we implement that class in the data layer and this is useful because we have the ability to change or add multiple implementations without interacting with the Domain layer. Keep in mind that repositories returns entities and not models, because the contract written inside the Domain layer, and with that.. we can say that the Data layer depends on Domain layer. Presentation Layer This layer contains two important parts: The Blocs (also ViewModels) and The UI What’s BloC and Why? What’s happening here is that any user interaction that requires data from outside this layers (Remote or Local), the blocs will handle that kind of interactions. Consider the blocs like viewmodels but instead of having one single class, the pattern of the Bloc is to separate those interactions (like user inputs) as Events, the bloc will process that event and return/emit results back to the UI as States. The UI part then can listen to the states (stream of states) and do actions, build widgets or anything upon those states. The reason why most of developers like using bloc is because of the code separation (event, state, bloc) and this is also plays good role of having clean code. Now, the presentation layer as we now know its parts.. also depends on the Domain layer since the bloc will use the injected domain dependencies (such as usecases) to process its jobs. Domain Layer The most interesting layer in the architecture, this layer contains only the internal entities and what this mean is that our domain’s entities are completely independent from any changes that could occur outside this layer. Both Presentation and Data layers depending on this layer, since the data layer will implement what ever contracts written here.. and the presentation layer will use those contracts with the implementations to be used as an injected dependencies. Keep in mind that the presentation layer will only gets data as entities and not models, this is why we separate each layer individually and independently. Big projects may even use a kind of mapping objects in each layer so they make sure that each layer will not interact or depend on other, but now we will not do that since we don’t need that much engineering.

https://medium.com/@devmuaz/flutter-clean-architecture-series-part-1-d2d4c2e75c47

['Abdulmuaz Aqeel']

2021-02-18 15:45:09.752000+00:00

['Flutter', 'Rest Api', 'News', 'Clean Architecture', 'Local Database']

Kings and Queens of Tlacōpan

Okay, so I’ve looked at the tlahtohqueh (kings) of Tenōchtitlan and Tetzcohco, two of the centers of power in the Triple Alliance or Aztec Empire. But it’s a TRIPLE alliance. What was the third āltepētl (city-state)? Tlacōpan, more commonly known as Tacuba. Tlacōpan means ‘place of the stalks’ (see the name glyph below). It was part of an empire controlled by the Tepanēcah in the 14th and early 15th centuries. The Tepanēcah spoke Nahuatl. Legend named them one of the seven tribes that migrated from Chicomoztoc (the seven mythic caves of origin, from which the Nahuas emerged either before or after leaving Aztlan). They would’ve been called something else originally, because “Tepanēcah” means “people of Tepanōhuayān,” their legendary homeland, a city through which Ce Ācatl Topiltzin (Quetzalcōātl incarnate) passed. By the 14th century, their capital was Āzcapātzalco (“on the anthill”). The glyph for Āzcapātzalco As for Tlacōpan, some legends speak of a founding figure called “Tlacomatl” or perhaps “Tlacōmatl.” The name doesn’t appear to mean anything. “Tlaco-” means “stalk,” we’ve established, and “matl” is a unit of measure (an arm’s length). Maybe it should be “Tlahcomatl.” “Tlahco” means “middle” or “middling,” as in the verb “tlahcomati” … to do something in a half-assed way. Again, we know basically nothing about this figure other than his name & the fact that he supposedly founded the city in the late 14th century. So who was the first official king? Ahcolnāhuacatl Tzacualcatl. He was a son of Tepanēcah Emperor Tezozomoc, who installed him in 1400 CE. That first tlahtoāni ruled for about 28 years. His name derives from two places: Ahcolnāhuac, a city on the shore, and “tzacualco” which means “place of the pyramid.” So he was basically “man from the sacred precinct of Ahcolnāhuac.” His wife was Tlacochcuētzin (“spear-breaker”), daughter of the king of Tiliuhcān, a man with the lovely name “Tlācacuitlahuatzin,” or “Lord of Human Shit.” She bore the tlahtoāni two sons. HOWEVER, neither matters. You see, Emperor Tezozomoc died in 1426. His brutal son Maxtla forcibly took the reins of the empire, and when the king of Tlacōpan also passed away in 1428, the new emperor put his little brother Totoquihuāztli on the throne. And, damn, would the Tepanēcah come to regret THAT decision, heh. Because Totoquihuāztli? He helped overthrow the empire. Not long after Maxtla seized control of the empire, he tortured and killed Chīmalpopōca, tlahtoāni of Tenōchtitlan. It was the last straw. Chīmalpopōca’s uncle Itzcōātl became king of Tenōchtitlan. Under his protection was Nezahualcoyōtl, heir to the throne of Tetzcohco. Advising him was the greatest mind Mexico has ever known, his nephew Tlācaellel. Leading his armies was the great Motēuczoma Ilhuicamīna. Holy shit. When they approached Totoquihuāztli with their plan to bring down his half-brother’s empire, he didn’t think twice. He signed right the hell up. (Reader, they won. They kicked the Tepanēcah’s collective ass.) Totoquihuāztli took a new title. Tepanācapan tlahtoāni. “Ruler of the Tepanēcah Lands” I’m frankly not sure what his name means (I need to do more research, heh), but it sounds like it might derive from the verb “tōtoca,” meaning either to pursue someone or to rush quickly. Note: Tlacōpan only got one-fifth of the tribute. Tetzcohco and Tenōchtitlan split the other four fifths they received from tributary nations. But Totoquihuāztli was good with this arrangement. Totoquihuaztli was a poet. Three pieces are attributed to him in the codex Cantares Mexicanos. I translated one of them in my book Flower, Song, Dance: Aztec and Maya Poetry. Here’s a snippet. He definitely made an impression. Kind of the last king of Tlacōpan to do so, however. The emperors in Tenōchtitlan weakened their ally bit by bit down the years. Here’s the bronze casting of Totoquihuatli in the Garden of the Triple Alliance, in Mexico City. He was succeded by his son Chīmalpopōca, named for the Mexica king his brother had killed. That name is straightforward. “Chīmal-” is a noun meaning “shield” & “popōca” is a verb that means “emits smoke.” So “chīmalpopōca” means “shield-smokes,” more idiomatically either “[his] shield emits smoke” or “[he] emits shield smoke.” This may be a reference to the sun. After Chīmalpopōca died, his son Totoquihuāztli II took the throne and ruled until the arrival of the Spanish in 1519. But it was Tlaīhualcan (“envoy”), the daughter of this tlahtoāni, who would make her mark on the world. She married Motēuczoma II and bore him many children. One of them would be Tēcuichpōchtzin, later known as Doña Isabel Moctezuma. (Yes, there’s some controversy over who her mother is, but I find Alva Ixtlilxóchitl credible.) You can read about her life in my article on Mexica queens. Alva Ixtlilxóchitl claimed that Isabel / Tēcuichpōchtzin’s birth name was Miyāhuaxōchitl or “corn tassel flower.” Hernán Cortés would eventually Isabel Tlacōpan as her hereditary estate, drawing men’s greedy affections. Miyāhuaxōchitl with her father. Alva Ixtlilxóchitl explains her parentage. The last tlahtoāni of Tlacōpan is known as a coward. Infamous as the “rey de Tacuba” tortured with Cuāuhtemōc, Tētlepanquetzatzin had quite a name: “he who ensorcels people,” from the verb “tlepanquetza” (bewitch, ensorcel) and the indefinite object prefix “tē-” (people). The verb LITERALLY means “to place on the fire.” Ironic. When the Empire fell, Cuāuhtemōc, Tētlepanquetzatzin, and Cōānacochtzin (tlahtoāni of Tetzcohco) were taken captive. They were held for years. The Spaniards, obsessed with the supposed treasure of Motēuczōma, decided to torture the once mighty kings of Tlacōpan and Tenōchtitlan. Cuāuhtemōc and Tētlepanquetzatzin were strapped down, the soles of their feet coated with oil. Then the Spaniards applied fire. Cuāuhtemōc suffered in silence, claimed Bernal Díaz del Castillo. But the tlahtoāni of Tlacōpan couldn’t take it. He began to writhe. “The pain is great, my Emperor,” he moaned. Cuāuhtemōc turned his head impassively to regard the lesser lord. Disgust filled his eyes. “Do I look like I am enjoying myself?” A 19th-century historical novel written by Spanish author Eligio Ancona changed this line to the famous, “¿Acaso estoy yo en un lecho de rosas?” “Am I perchance in a bed of roses?” The last Aztec emperor would finally tell the Spaniards that the empire’s treasure was in the lake. They didn’t get it. That lake, that isle, the cities that surrounded it … they were the most precious jewels in Mesoamerica. The Spaniards found nothing, no matter how deep they dredged. The tlahtohqueh of the Triple Alliance were hanged on suspicion that they were secretly fomenting a rebellion. So ended Tetzcohco, Tenōchtitlan, and Tlacōpan. The last one is now the barrio mágico of Tacuba.

https://davidbowles.medium.com/kings-and-queens-of-tlac%C5%8Dpan-27d2daf72e28

['David Bowles']

2019-08-20 15:44:12.208000+00:00

['Tlacopan', 'Aztec', 'Tacuba', 'History', 'Nahuatl']

WhiteWall — Best protection for your personal information

link on bitcointalk: [ANN] WhiteWall — Best protection for your personal information

https://medium.com/whitewall-tech/whitewall-best-protection-for-your-personal-information-57771c42f983

[]

2018-04-13 10:22:58.633000+00:00

['Bitcoin', 'Privacy', 'Ethereum', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Security']

Blockchain & The Law: Are Smart Contracts Legally Binding?

There’s one single prevailing question that gets asked no matter what type of company consulting for: Are Smart Contracts legally binding? TL;DR Quick Wrap Up: I personally dont think this is a cut & dry, either/or, yes/no type answer. We should NOT be be pushing for Blockchain to replace the law (code wont be ready for that any time soon). We should be building the Blockchain to be a supplement to making the law work more effectively in our era of new technology. The answer gets complicated, quick. But the end result is: Code is Code and Law is Law. Code can be programmed to act in a way that law considers illgal. If running code is illegal or breaks a law, the law supersedes and regulates the ability to execute that code. People can use legal code in illegal ways. If you’re a bad actor, the law will get you. But, at the moment, in the end those who have the gold, have the gold. The best analogy is a robber in an American Western: The law finds out who robbed the bank, brings them in, put ’em behind bars, but the gold is still buried out there under a toombstone somewhere. Until now… (read to end for more on this) How Can Blockchain Assist The Law? An easy example to take a look at is Copyright Law. One of my companies (nomcre.com) makes media. Technically, we own the copyright as soon as the media is created. But, if the first place we publish that media is on a Social Network, likely the copyright is compromised. If someone downloads one of our photos and adds an InstaFilter + a logo, very few computer programs can even understand how similar the images are. Take a look at YouTube as an example. It is against the terms of service to post someone else’s work. Even still, a bunch of users create ‘lyric’ videos for music that belongs to artists. They post it on a channel that does NOT belong to the musician and profit from the views. It became such a problem, that YouTube put policies in place to verify and validate accounts before they could profit from this kind of shady, if not illegal, activity. YouTube , Facebook & Instagram will all reject a video if it has a song in the video, if they can prove the copyright to that song belongs to someone other than the person making the post. TikTok has very specific rules about how you can use other people music, along with providing music clips that they’ve negotiated a specific license to include <15 seconds of a song. So, that should be the end of the story right? Well, what happens in the real world is a lot like adding an InstaFilter. The publishers of these lyric videos, slow down or speed up, the song just enough that the software cant catch it as a ‘sample of copyrighted material’. In this type of a case, what happens? To a human the copyright is still being violated. To a computer the changes to someone elses source material are great enough to condiser it an original work. So what now? This is where the blockchain can assist the law. While Record Labels have enough money and experince to know that they have to actively submit for copyright any creative for which they want to protect… Most artists may not even know that they have to. Convential Common Law on Copyright used to be pretty straight forward. But in the digital age, things have taken a few wonky murky turns. How does an artist (read: photographer) copyright their work? You’d think posting it to Social Media so that they could prove the first use would be good enough but that argument won't stand. There are a bunch of websites that will let you swap out the image that shows up for a specific link (vimeo does this with videos if you want to add a new version), or delete the image entirely. If an artist were able to submit a hash of their work to the blockchain, the court would have a true record of first use. Blockchains are fundamentally a record keeping service, and one that cant be changed after a record is made. The tansactions holding an image can serve as a timestamp to PROVE first use beyond a reasonable doubt. But what happens when someone else adds an InstaFilter to the photo and posts it as their own? The law comes in to play. Copyright is a legal construct not a technological one. By submitting the image, the hash of the image (that can be used to look up a timestamp & prove the image being submitted is the one on the blockchain) and the Image that is accused of violating Copyright, a human court would have all the evidence they needed to make a ruling in the favor of the original owner. Obviously the idea isn’t limited to pictures and video… the same can be done with Books, Songs, Code, Poems, Podcasts, Broadcasts, process diagrams, patents, and so much more. Imagine a world where internet publishers had been legally de-incentivized to copy their competitors work. What a world that would be :)

https://medium.com/@developingzack/blockchain-the-law-are-smart-contracts-legally-binding-3de47ea8926

['Zachary Weiner']

2020-09-02 21:02:55.769000+00:00

['Smart Contracts', 'Technology', 'Law', 'Future Technology', 'Blockchain']

4 Ways High-Quality Mentorship Can Deeply Impact Your Life

#2 Mentorship Fuels Inspiration “The key to being a good mentor is to help people become more of who they already are, not to make them more like you” — Suze Orman High-quality, transformational mentors provide support and inspiration. High-quality mentors see things that we can’t otherwise see in ourselves. They help guide people to become more of who they already are; meaning, they pull out and encourage you to be the best and most successful version of you. Transformational mentorship acts to motivate the mentee to see things and take action, to think and act bigger, to go beyond the expectations and limits set in the mind of the mentee. Transformational mentorship does not use tricks or play mind-games with the mentee, which is typically found in transactional mentorships. Transactional mentorships are the complete opposite of transformational mentorships. Transactional mentorships look for a specific transaction to take place, typically where the mentor wants to look or feel good about helping someone. Transactional mentorships tend to leave the mentee more confused and ask the question “where do I stand in this learning relationship”. This type of mentorship is not high-quality, nor is it positive. Unfortunately, I have experienced transactional mentorship. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. In fact, the experience left me more confused and discouraged. Yet it provided me with a very profound life lesson. In my experience, I reached out and asked someone for guidance and help on a topic I was having difficulty understanding. I was encouraged by a close friend to find a “mentor who will help you with your questions”. Sure, that makes sense. First, this was a big step for me because I don’t typically reach out to people (hello, introvert). Second, I should’ve listened to my inner GPS, because it felt weird from the very beginning. But I suppressed my gut feeling, tried to keep an open mind, and went along with selecting the mentor anyway, as she was happy to help guide and answer my questions. And I guess I was just happy to have found someone to provide the guidance I needed, based on her experience and what she “sold” me. Little did I know the background noise and turmoil my chosen mentor was experiencing in her own life at the time. This did not help the situation at all. If you are reaching out to someone and asking for mentorship, make sure they are stable and in a good head-space. Do not opt for someone who is bringing along their own baggage to the mentorship. Eventually, I became nothing more than a sounding-board for her own frustrations and problems. In the end, the person I originally selected to be a mentor “ghosted” me; meaning, she completely disappeared off the face of the map with no words at all. No explanation, no text, no phone call, no email, nothing. Gone. The last words I said to her were in a text message that said something to the effect of “let me know your schedule, looking forward to talking to you soon.” And gone. That was back in April 2020. Not a peep or blip since. Transformational mentors do not ghost their mentees. They simply don’t behave in this manner at all. But transactional mentors do. They take and give very little in return (hence, the transaction part). As I have come to learn, this type of relationship is not good-quality mentorship, let alone high-quality. And it’s certainly not inspirational. My profound life lesson here is to not ask just anyone for guidance or mentorship. And when your body gives you a certain reaction, listen to it. It’s there for a reason. Mentorships are meant to be helpful, insightful, and inspiring. High-quality and transformational mentorships have successful people at the helm. Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash #3 Mentorship Develops Future Leaders “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself” — Oprah Winfrey High-quality mentorship provides room and opportunities for personal growth and development. In some cases, both mentor and mentee can grow and learn from one another. Transformational mentors groom their mentees for success. They groom others for success in training, success in leading, then sustaining their success, and then eventually mentoring others the way they’ve been mentored. It’s a process. Transformational mentors don’t just teach, they transform (hence the word ‘transformational’). They help others along their path and are invested in the mentee for the long-haul. Oftentimes, these are lifelong relationships. Every transformational mentorship I have learned about, read about, heard about from others is lifelong. The transformational mentor doesn’t jump ship when they feel their work is complete. It’s actually quite the opposite… they remain involved in the mentee's life in some way. Do you need to personally know someone in order to be mentored by them? No. While your mentor can be someone you know personally, it can also be someone you’ve never met. But you must learn valuable lessons from their example, and take action to achieve results in your life. I have a life coach that I’ve never personally met. Yet her lessons and principles have transformed my life. I’ve been greatly impacted to make such a positive change. Her teachings are invaluable to me and will remain in my life. In fact, I have 3 high-quality mentors I’ve never personally met (however, I have communicated to 2 of them via email). Yet their work impacts how I function so I can live my best life and be successful in all my future endeavors. Because of the teachings of my 3 high-quality mentors, I’ve been able to produce results that I would never have been capable of producing on my own. In doing some research for this article, here’s a few examples of some highly successful people having transformational mentors in their life: Steve Jobs mentoring Mark Zuckerberg Maya Angelou mentoring Oprah Winfrey Warren Buffett mentoring Bill Gates Socrates mentoring Plato (I read about this one in one of my graduate textbooks). Plato was a student of Socrates. Audrey Hepburn mentoring Elizabeth Taylor Sir Freddie Laker mentoring Richard Branson This is just a brief list to illustrate that even the most successful people in business and leadership have mentors! I hope this provides some inspiration to you as well.

https://medium.com/the-ascent/4-ways-high-quality-mentorship-can-deeply-impact-your-life-62a596f8a5a6

['Angie Mohn']

2020-12-18 21:02:19.865000+00:00

['Personal Development', 'Productivity', 'Mentorship', 'Life', 'Success']

Does increased proportion of young adults pose a threat to society?

If this question happened to surface approximately 40 to 50 years ago, the most common and immediate answer would be a resounding NO. Hypothetically, it makes complete sense because the young population of a society used to be reckoned the most precious asset of any nation for some proven reasons. First, it is suggested that youngsters are the main source of creativity and innovativeness and can lead to myriads of breakthroughs which each is capable of shifting the whole landscape of the future by blazing trails for the world. According to the researches conducted by the prominent socio-psychologists depicts that human’s creativity peaks around at the ages of 17 to 40 and plummets down steadily as an individual grows up. To briefly elucidate this, let’s take a look at the most influential figures of all time. Albert Einstein was in his mid-twenties when he formulated the theory of relativity. Einstein was a precocious child, and contrary to the mainstream myth, He was just a teenager when he started to debunk the most common and long-standing beliefs. The same story applies to Maria Sklodowska Curie. Even though she was mercilessly challenged by lots of her male counterparts, she accomplished remarkable feats and invented groundbreaking elements. Marie was most prolific when she was young, which later on resulted in winning a Nobel Prize by making her first woman in the history who awarded with such a prize to this date. Many other stories can be added to the list just to disprove the deep-rooted lure, which constantly dictates wisdom and originality as virtues solely belong to the elderly people. What I mean by that, it was the young Einsteins and Maries who changed the future, not the old ones. In addition, young members of society displayed significantly much better performance in terms of working under certain circumstances require switching between two or more tasks and strenuous effort than their older counterparts. These direct correlations suggest compelling evidence that if we have a relatively more revolutionary and better functioning population, humankind will experience blissfully incredible destiny. We already happen to witness young self-made billionaires and pioneering scientists. But what if I told you that the future we are heading for will be tremendously miserable and pathetic, would you believe in that? If so, here's why that is the case. As a part of our optimist nature, we have a tendency to only ruminate about positive aspects, which therefore makes us blind to the negative sides. We both consciously or unconsciously fail to see the whole picture by evading the evil. However, evading the evil does not erase the evil. Toxic optimism will not save us, so it is the exact time to feel some apprehension on the changes about the happen. First thing first, the more young people we will have, the more problems we will face. Social problems will skyrocket. The increasing scope of unemployment and crime rates tend to goes hand in hand while the gross amount of young adults climbs over. It is essential to discern that young people are a novice to the highly competitive labour market, therefore most employers are prone to hire or recruit people who meet the extremely harsh criteria such as having 4 to 6 years work experience, which is almost unfathomable for a quintessential newly graduated student. Then a phenomenon which I call "rat race" kicks in. This kind of atmosphere propels young people to be sneaky and the pressure it exerts on them ridiculously irrational and excessive. To put it simply, the whole system is exclusively tailor-made for people who pay the extremely high personal cost. Nowadays, the Measure of success is quantified by how much money you make and how many people know your name. Mental health and depression have become widely prevalent among students and legitimately, they have become pretty vocal about it. This eventually leaves more and more young people unemployed and discouraged before they step onto the real world. On top of that, another elephant in the room is crime rates. Criminology and sociology reiterate that propensity towards crime commences peaking at the adolescence or early adulthood and decline with age. There are major contributory elements affecting the causation of criminal behaviour. Initially, the causes of crime seem to be rooted in the ineffectiveness of groups including both informal such as the family and friends, and the formal institutions in the large societies. There are arguments clustered around the idea that crime is largely a function of the inability of the individual to achieve by legitimate means the goals inculcated by society, coupled with an erosion of the restraining forces of social norms. By Gresham M. Sykes All of these lay beautifully detrimental pitfall for young people to fall into and push them to the crime. If we are to pinpoint a culprit, no need to blame youngsters but a society which makes them susceptible to all the scourges of the contemporary world. In conclusion, I buy into the concept that young people will become the perfect asset to our world when it comes to brightness, however, it does not suffice to compensate for the drawbacks which it brings with, by doing irreversible damage to the core of society. Even though we are not fully sure of what will happen in the future, the current situation still allows us to have some ideas about what will the life look like in immediate or distant future. I want to conclude the article with the following statement: “A sociologist is just a man in a crow’s nest who knows no more of this sea than his fellows, but from his position, he will catch sight of coming dangers-shoals, sunken rocks, derelicts, cross-currents-before they are seen by those on deck., By Edward Ross Photo by Christina Ambalavanar https://unsplash.com/@christinaamba While writing this article, I was inspired by the book called THE FUTURE OF CRIME by ,Gresham M. Sykes Ph. D. Department of Sociology University of Virginia

https://medium.com/@sexylinguist/does-increased-proportion-of-young-adults-pose-a-threat-to-society-10ada823de01

['Aemilius Damiano']

2020-08-22 09:19:19.383000+00:00

['Future', 'Young', 'Creative', 'Adulthood', 'Sociology']

Explaining Docker in Front-End Terms

Reproducible Containers Another thing Docker does very well is to give us a way to declaratively rebuild our containers. All we need is a Dockerfile to define how Docker should build our containers, and we know that we’ll get the same container every time, regardless of the underlying hardware or the operating system. Think about how complicated it is to implement a responsive design across all the desktop and mobile devices. Wouldn’t you love it if it was possible to define what you need and get it everywhere without a headache? That’s what Docker is trying to accomplish. Before we go into a real-life use case, let’s quickly go over Docker’s life cycle to understand what happens when. A Docker container’s life cycle It all starts with a Dockerfile that defines how we want Docker to build the images that the containers will be based on. Note the flow below: Docker uses Dockerfile to build images. It fetches the files, executes the commands, does whatever is defined in the Dockerfile , and saves the result in a static file that we call an image . Docker then uses this image and creates a container to execute a predefined code, using the files inside that image. So a usual life cycle would go like below: Let’s unwrap this with a real use case. Running tests on continuous integration (CI) A common use case for Docker in front-end development is running unit or end-to-end tests on continuous integration before deploying the new code to the production. Running them locally is great when writing the code, but it is always better to run them on an isolated environment to ensure that your code works everywhere regardless of the computer setup. Also, we all have that one teammate who always skips the tests and just pushes the code. So a CI setup is also good to keep everyone in check. Below is a very basic container setup that will run your tests when you run the container: Let’s go over the commands there to understand what is happening. FROM is used for defining a base image to build on. There are a lot of images already available in the public Docker registry. FROM node:12 goes to the public registry, grabs an image with Node.js installed, and brings it to us. COPY is used for copying files from the host machine to the container. Remember that the container has an isolated file system. By default, it doesn’t have access to any files on our computer. We run COPY . /app to copy the files from the current directory to the /app directory inside the container. You can choose any target directory. This /app here is just an example. WORKDIR is basically the cd command we know from UNIX-based systems. It sets the current working directory. RUN is quite straight forward. It runs the following command inside the container we’re building. CMD is kind of similar to RUN . It runs the following command inside the container as well. But instead of running it on build time, it runs the command in run time. Whatever command you provide to CMD will be the command that’s going be run after the container is started. This is all it takes for our Dockerfile to build the template of a container that will set up a Node.js environment and run npm test .

https://medium.com/better-programming/https-medium-com-ozantunca-explaining-docker-in-frontend-terms-9d8d2b282ed8

['Ozan Tunca']

2020-08-13 19:46:56.096000+00:00

['JavaScript', 'Programming', 'Iframe', 'Docker', 'Frontend Development']

US Leading Cybersecurity Firm, FireEye, Says It Was Hacked by a Nation-State — What’s Next for The World of Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity One-on-One with Jovworie Tanshi I had quality time with my first guest on my one-on-one session. Jovworie is a Cybersecurity expert, fraud analyst, co-founder of SmartCoop, and the author of “Decoding Cybercrime” where he reveals myths and misconceptions about cybersecurity and the failure of internet users to properly get informed about the security of their data while using the internet. I’m not a cybersecurity expert, so I asked my questions in the best way a non-expert would possibly ask them. How is it possible for a company as exalted as FireEye to get hacked? It’s not surprising. The bigger a company gets, the higher the potential of getting compromised. No matter how smart their employees appear to be, there will always be one less informed person that can be used as a weak link to get into their information system. Over 95% of these cases could be just one slight mistake made by one employee. On a general note, not everyone that has access to critical data in a cybersecurity firm is necessarily a cybersecurity expert. Even some cybersecurity experts don’t have good “data hygiene”. We put these cybersecurity guys too much on a pedestal. Most programmers are just advanced tech-savvy people. They‘re not inclined. How would you pass this information to the average internet that “trusts” the level of security of their service provider? Consumers are not to blame. Most of these industries using tech don’t understand the threat landscape; FinTech, Agro Tech Legal Tech, Insure Tech etc. We have more tech-savvy people than tech inclined people. Imagine a bank that allows its users to enable fingerprint for login and transaction authorization having the latter serving as two-factor authentication because the action was carried outdone twice. What do you think is the future of cybersecurity? The demand for cybersecurity experts will increase. But unfortunately, there will be very few genuine experts. But ironically, employers will not know the difference. They’ll hire the guy that can speak the best grammar because, at the bidding level, Cybersecurity is all about the terminologies, due to its semi-abstract nature. What you should know is that over 95% of the compromises that occur are related to human errors. Humans are the ones interacting with these systems. The surest way to always gain access is to interact with one who has access. So, no matter how secure the system is, there will always be gullible humans. We project that there will be more occurrences. Less than 1% of internet users genuinely know how the internet and information systems work and that’s what Cybercrime thrives on. You should read my article on Cybercrime in Nigeria. Where did we get it wrong? More than 50% of the service providers (if I am not mistaken) are not doing a very good job. That’s why consumers are most times easily attacked. Do you think we consumers have a major part to play in securing our data or it majorly depends on the service providers? Like I said earlier, more than 50% of the service providers are not doing a good job… it’s good for a subject like cybersecurity to be taught in schools to properly educate the public on the benefits and dangers around the use of the internet. Conclusion FireEye has developed more than 300 countermeasures for their customers, and the community at large, to use to minimize the potential impact of the theft of their tools. And they said, “We are sharing these countermeasures with our colleagues in the security community so that they can update their security tools.” I believe that the internet is here to stay. We have only just begun its use. There could be more than 300 countermeasures for future unforetold cases but if there’s no awareness, preparedness, training, and the technical know-how to use these measures, it will all still be counterproductive. But looking on the bright side, for the sake of Africa and the cybersecurity community, there’s still much work to be done. If sufficient and proper education on this subject is done at least from the mid-level of education to possibly the highest level, we will have more African skilled cybersecurity experts in the field and we will be more confident to use the internet with a better understanding of the risks it comes with and know how to handle the challenges when it arises. Want to be a guest on my One-on-One session? Be my guest let’s build a sustainable Africa, using the future today. #promotingfuturesliteracy #Africanfuturist

https://medium.com/@sharonaludo/top-uss-cybersecurity-firm-fireeye-says-it-was-hacked-by-a-nation-state-what-s-next-for-the-7fa179ce5eda

['Sharon Somi Aludo']

2020-12-14 12:54:40.212000+00:00

['Cybercrime', 'Nigeria', 'Africa', 'Fireeye', 'Cybersecurity']

How Truman Capote Teaches Us About Friendship, Love, and Compassion With His Holiday Short Stories

1. “A Christmas Memory” — Friendship Capote begins the early 1930s story, “A Christmas Memory” by introducing us to seven-year-old Buddy and his sixty-something-year-old cousin whom he doesn’t name. Due to a childhood illness, she is developmentally stuck in childhood. Throughout the story, Buddy refers to her as “my friend” or “my best friend.” The two live together in a big home on the edge of town. Though the aunts and uncle are distant, Buddy and his friend have each other. Queenie, the third main character, is their pet rat terrier, who they treat as kindly as they treat one another. The story is written in the first person by Buddy, who is now in his late twenties, as he recalls the annual fruitcake ritual he had with his cousin. He recalls every November, in which Buddy’s cousin enlisted his help in making fruitcakes. “I t’s always the same: a morning arrives in November, and my friend, as though officially inaugurating the Christmas time of year that exhilarates her imagination and fuels the blaze of her heart, announces: “It’s fruitcake weather! Fetch our buggy. Help me find my hat.” (5) We are taken on the journey of saving up pennies, nickels, and dimes for the entire year to be able to afford this pursuit and ultimate cake-making. Buddy and his cousin are able to trade their culinary skills for a bottle of bootleg whiskey from Mr. Haha. They produce thirty-one fruitcakes for sharing with anyone they deem a friend, from President Roosevelt to neighbors to traveling salesmen. And, that is really, what’s at the heart of this story — friendship. Buddy and his friend get in trouble with angry adults when they find the two of them drinking whiskey after mailing all the fruitcakes at the post office. They are caught mid-dance, mid-delight and Buddy’s friend becomes quite sad, running to her room and crying. Buddy reassures her that all will be fine and reminds her the next morning, they’re going on the Christmas tree hunt. After hiking through the woods and collecting greenery in burlap sacks, they arrive in the perfect clearing: “Scented acres of holiday trees, prickly leafed holly. Red berries shine as Chinese bells: black crows swoop upon them screaming. Having stuffed our burlap sacks with enough greenery and crimson to garland a dozen windows, we set about choosing a tree. “It should be,” muses my friend, “twice as tall as a boy. So a boy can’t steal the star.” The one we pick is twice as tall as me.” (19–20) With very little, they create very much love. Buddy and his friend handcraft paper ornaments and safety pin them to the tree. They decorate windows with the treasure from their hike, and they make each other a Christmas present, in separate rooms so as to surprise one another — kites. They set a treat for Queenie towards the top of the tree. There is a beautiful melancholy in Capote’s prose as he examines their authentic friendship, “W e huddle in the bed, and she squeezes my hand I-love-you. “Seems like your hand used to be so much smaller. I guess I hate to see you grow up. When you’re grown up, will we still be friends?” I say always. “But I feel so bad, Buddy. I wanted so bad to give you a bike. I tried to sell my cameo Papa gave me. Buddy — ” she hesitates, as though embarrassed — “I made you another kite.” Then I confess that I made her one, too; and we laugh.” (24) The tender ending to this story will likely bring tears to your eyes and love to your heart. It’s a good moment to pause and reflect on the authentic friendships you’ve experienced in your life. Treat your friends like the jewels they are and honor the ones who are no longer with you. One of the great privileges of life is having good friends.

https://baos.pub/how-truman-capote-teaches-us-about-friendship-love-and-compassion-with-his-holiday-short-stories-4afa2d48c7f1

['Aimée Gramblin']

2020-12-24 12:02:44.342000+00:00

['Books', 'Memoir', 'Holidays', 'Reading', 'Truman Capote']

Monthly Notes: November 2020

RHP Kevin Gausman accepted the Giants qualifying offer for the 2021 season last Wednesday and will return on a one-year contract next season. Gausman will help anchor the Giants rotation next season after posing a staff-leading 3.62 ERA in 2020 and striking out 79 batters in 59.2 innings. His 11.9 strikeouts per 9.0 innings rate was the best of his career last season while his 4.9 strikeout-to-walk ratio was also a career-best. The Creek Fire destroyed nine-year-old Reese Osterberg’s home and her beloved baseball card collection. To lift her spirits, her favorite MLB player Buster Posey surprised her on Zoom. Reece thought she was doing an interview with ABC News until her favorite player appeared on screen. Watch the video here. surprised her on Zoom. Reece thought she was doing an interview with ABC News until her favorite player appeared on screen. Giants IF/OF Mauricio Dubón, a native of Honduras, has organized a GoFundMe to help purchase food/non-perishables, bottled water, hygiene products, clothing and face-masks for the people of Honduras after suffering the devastating effects of Hurricane ETA. The hurricane was the second-largest to hit the country since Hurricane Mitch made landfall there in 1998. Fans can help Dubón raise funds by clicking here. IF Donovan Solano took home his first Silver Slugger award, winning the NL award at second base in 2020. Solano is the first Giants player to win a Silver Slugger award since Buster Posey in 2017 and he’s the first to win as a second baseman since Jeff Kent in 2002. The 32-year-old finished the 2020 season fifth in the National League with a .326 batting average and had a career-best .828 OPS in 54 games. He had 15 multi-hit games and posted the longest hitting streak of his career, a 17-game streak from July 25-August 15. Help make the holiday season special to hundreds of families by joining our friends at Hamilton House in their Winter Coat Drive (ending 11/30). Help provide warm brand-new winter coats for kids in their programs campaign as they gear up to provide warm coats to families experiencing homelessness. Please reach out to Christina Alton at [email protected] to request your wishlists or sponsor a few kids coat wishlists. There are also other ways to help Hamilton Families during the holidays and you can find out more by clicking here to visit their website.

https://sfgiants.mlblogs.com/monthly-notes-november-2020-870ee663655b

['San Francisco Giants']

2020-11-16 20:27:24.498000+00:00

['Kevin Gausman', 'Buster Posey', 'San Francisco Giants', 'Sfgiants', 'MLB']

3 Easy Exercises to Improve Your Writing Skills

1. Copy writing you enjoy (slowly and by hand). Copying is wrong when your intention is to deceive people by putting your name on the work of someone else. That’s theft, specifically plagiarism. But when your intention is to learn from good writing, copying can be a form of language meditation. And by copying, I don’t mean copy and paste. I mean copying by hand, with paper and pencil. Slowly. Thoughtfully. When you copy, you begin to notice things about the rhythm, structure, and word selection in good writing. You’re not distracted by all the other stuff you tend to think about when writing. Are my spelling and grammar correct? Is my writing clear and concise? Are the details relevant and interesting? They’re good questions to ask after you have written something, or if you’re already a skilled writer and want to become more efficient in your process. For this exercise, find some writing you want to learn from, something you enjoyed reading. The sort of writing you wish you could write. How to Copy a Text Mindfully Copying can sometimes be difficult because it’s so easy. As with meditation, your mind may wander off, or push you to do this task as fast as possible. It wants something more interesting or more challenging to think about. In such cases, it may help to make the task more difficult: Copy the text by hand, rather than by keyboard. Copy the text sentence by sentence, rather than word by word. Read a full paragraph several times, then close the book (or hide the browser window) and try to reproduce the paragraph from memory. Take brief notes about each sentence, then try reproducing the text based on your notes, a few days later. Jumble up your list of notes, then try to reconstruct their original sequence and reproduce the text several weeks later. These last two techniques were favored by one writer-statesman-scientist by the name of Benjamin Franklin. As he writes in his autobiography: Portrait by Joseph Duplessis, 1778 ‘About this time I met with an odd volume of the Spectator… I thought the writing excellent, and wished, if possible, to imitate it. With this view I took some of the papers, and, making short hints of the sentiment in each sentence laid them by a few days, and then, without looking at the book, try’d to compleat the papers again, by expressing each hinted sentiment at length, and as fully as it had been expressed before, in any suitable words that should come hand. Then I compared my Spectator with the original, discovered some of my faults, and corrected them… I also sometimes jumbled my collections of hints into confusion, and after some weeks endeavored to reduce them into the best order, before I began to form the full sentences and compleat the paper. This was to teach me method in the arrangement of thoughts. By comparing my work afterwards with the original, I discovered many faults and amended them; but I sometimes had the pleasure of fancying that, in certain particulars of small import, I had been lucky enough to improve the method or the language…’ (Pretty good for someone who dropped out of school at the age of 10.) A Brief Example Below are two paragraphs from an essay by Rebecca Solnit entitled ‘Open Door’ from her book, A Field Guide to Getting Lost. Rebecca Solnit by Sallie Dean Shatz They’re actually the third and fourth paragraphs of the essay. The previous two explain the context of the open door: it’s part of the religious tradition of Passover, meant to allow the spirit of Elijah to enter the house and join the feast, at which point he will ‘answer all the unanswerable questions’. Those first two paragraphs follow the conventional style of a personal essay. But in the third paragraph, the writing starts to get a little strange. It’s strange but I like it, so I decide to copy it down for further study: Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark. That’s where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go. Three years ago I was giving a workshop in the Rockies. A student came in bearing a quote from what she said was the pre-Socratic philosopher Meno. It read, “How will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you?” I copied it down, and it has stayed with me since. The student made big transparent photographs of swimmers underwater and hung them from the ceiling with the light shining through them, so that to walk among them was to have the shadows of swimmers travel across your body in a space that itself came to seem aquatic and mysterious. The question she carried struck me as the basic tactical question in life. The things we want are transformative, and we don’t know or only think we know what is on the other side of that transformation. Love, wisdom, grace, inspiration — how do you go about finding these things that are in some ways about extending the boundaries of the self into unknown territory, about becoming someone else? Certainly for artists of all stripes, the unknown, the idea or the form or the tale that has not yet arrived, is what must be found. It is the job of artists to open doors and invite in prophecies, the unknown, the unfamiliar; it’s where their work comes from, although its arrival signals the beginning of the long disciplined process of making it their own. Scientists too, as J. Robert Oppenheimer once remarked, “live always at the ‘edge of mystery’ — the boundary of the unknown.” But they transform the unknown into the known, haul it in like fishermen; artists get you out into that dark sea. Analyze Your Errors You may make some mistakes while copying. That’s OK. That’s good. You can learn some interesting things about writing by examining your errors. For instance: I left out the second comma in the second sentence: ‘That’s where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from and where you will go.’ Technically, there’s nothing wrong with this mistake. It doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence or make it less clear for the reader. But it does change the feeling of the sentence, just a little. Solnit had a certain rhythm in mind when she wrote this sentence, a rhythm that feels like ocean waves and fits with the trope of water and dark seas. Removing the second comma disrupts this rhythm. I accidentally wrote ‘A student came in with a quote’ instead of ‘A student came in bearing a quote’. This is a natural error, and perhaps ‘with’ is a better choice, since it’s more natural and conversational. ‘Bear’ is a rather uncommon verb these days and sounds a bit old-fashioned. In fact, it sounds kind of Biblical (three wise men came to baby Jesus ‘bearing’ gifts). So, on second thought, ‘bear’ may be a smart choice because it fits with the religious theme of the essay, and it gives the student’s presentation of this ancient quote a sense of majesty. There’s no majesty in my choice of ‘with’. I made the mistake of writing ‘How will you go about finding that which is totally unknown to you?’— omitting the words ‘thing the nature of’ between ‘that’ and ‘which’. My sentence is still grammatically correct, and a bit less clunky, but it’s interesting to ask: Why did Solnit put such an awkwardly long quote in the middle of this elegant paragraph? Perhaps she did it for reasons of accuracy; perhaps those are the exact words she copied down. Nevertheless, these words give the question a stronger sense of precision, while also turning the question into a little grammatical puzzle that forces us to slow down in the middle of the paragraph, sort of like a speed bump. Solnit does not wish for us to race past this question, which will become the central idea unifying all the various tangents in her essay. Those are just a few things I can learn about writing, by slowing down and studying specific examples of actual prose — rather than trying to absorb universal rules for generic situations.

https://medium.com/writeful/writing-exercises-9506077ecd8

['Matt Lemanski']

2020-07-07 07:48:01.411000+00:00

['Writing Prompts', 'Writing Tips', 'Writing', 'Writing Life', 'Writers Block']

13 Reasons Why the Prison of Alcatraz Was the Most Legendary Prisons Of All Times

3. Recreational Activities Had to Be Earned by the Inmates Screenshot by author The library in Alcatraz was not like any prison library you may expect it to b. It had huge stacks of books for the inmates to read, if only they had earned it. But the same privileges could be taken away if the inmates misbehaved at any given point. Also, the inmates weren't allowed to visit the library themselves. But those who had earned these privileges would have to fill up library cards, in which they could also request for other items such as newspapers, magazines, etc. The best part about these reading materials was that anything that was even remotely related to the crime was removed way before it reached the reader. In the absence of other entertainment sources, reading soon became the most sought after activity for the inmates. They would actually look forward to it. Some even started learning law, a different language, or even taking small correspondence courses available. These courses were offered by the University of California in Berkeley. In the 1950s, they were also given headsets to listen to the radio broadcasts for entertainment and information. Of course, these could be retracted if rules were violated. Apart from the aforementioned, the inmates could also engage in a game of chess or softball. Anyone of their family members was allowed to visit them during the official hours only. 4. The Inmates Had Their Own Rock Band Screenshot by author The inmates even had their own Rock band known as the Rock Islanders. These jamming rights were only given to those who had earned them. The positions in these bands were highly coveted. Even Al Capone had to beg to become a member of the prestigious band. Capone had apparently written to his son how he had learned to play various instruments like the Tenor, Guitar, Tenor Banjo, and was also learning to play Mandala. He eventually learned to play over 500 songs. According to one of the former guards George Gregory, ‘’The band itself was only a cut above the fourth or fifth-grade band, but did wonders for their self-esteem.’’ This band played on various festivals, special occasions, or even on Sunday mornings. The inmates were also allowed to purchase some of the instruments but were allowed to practice only between 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM after the 1956 regulations. If an inmate was found violating these rules, not only would his instrument be confiscated but also he will have to face consequences for the same. 5. The Cells Were Basic Picture Courtesy- Creative Commons How would one expect prison cells to be? Cells at Alcatraz provided the most basic of facilities like a cot, washbasin, and a toilet. Inmates were not allowed to bring any outside items and you could of course not expect a prison to have a gift shop, so the comforts were quite sparse. One of the famous prisoners Jim Quinlan, the future Yelp reviewer once remarked, ‘’My new living quarters are pretty subpar, nothing that all I saw today was a steel bed, a straw mattress, and a dirty lumpy pillow. Even the toilets have no seat and the washbasins have only one tap for cold water.’’ However, after the prison regulations in the 1950s, the prisoners were allowed to purchase certain items like textbooks, correspondence courses, magazine subscriptions, or even musical instruments.

https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/13-reasons-why-the-prison-of-alcatraz-was-the-most-legendary-prisons-of-all-times-b504d034df7f

['Bhavna Narula']

2020-10-20 09:22:04.020000+00:00

['Alcatraz', 'San Francisco', 'Facts', 'Prisoners', 'Prison']

chore: ramda-adjunct v2.30.0

[email protected] We’ve just released [email protected]. Release contains 3 new features and an enhancement for the TypeScript typings. Some time has been spent on infrastructural issues: like making our CI run faster or removing obsolete libraries from development dependencies. Creates an array of numbers (positive and/or negative) progressing from start up to, but not including, end. Note : JavaScript follows the IEEE-754 standard for resolving floating-point values which can produce unexpected results. Returns true if two lists have at least one element common to both lists. Checks if value is an Error , EvalError , RangeError , ReferenceError , SyntaxError , TypeError or URIError object. Like always, I end my article with the following axiom: Define your code-base as pure functions and lift them only if needed. And compose, compose, compose…

https://medium.com/ramda-adjunct/chore-ramda-adjunct-v2-30-0-99426050110a

['Vladimir Gorej']

2020-12-27 19:33:55.637000+00:00

['Functional Programming', 'Ramdajs', 'JavaScript', 'Addons', 'Ramda']

The Baby Sleep Solution

July 19, 2020Shree Kant How to quickly and easily end sleepless nights and miraculously cure your baby’s crying through the night… Your baby sleeps or your money back! New baby sleep system, tested and proven in the United States, Europe and Australia. In just 35 minutes, you’ll know how to get your baby to sleep soundly through the night. Simply download the Baby Sleep Solution audio program and turn that dream into a reality tonight…guaranteed or your money back! “It took our daughter one night to learn that she could settle herself to sleep after the usual routine. It took a little longer for her to get used to not having a feed at night, but she was sleeping through by the third night. Bliss! (Although she sometimes still wakes up in the small hours and sings and babbles to herself she no longer cries for a feed.) Thank you so much!” My name is Chris Towland and in the next few minutes you will see how it is perfectly possible for you and your baby to get a good night’s sleep, starting tonight. You are not alone with your baby’s sleep problems. Many parents feel desperate to solve their baby’s sleep issues but often feel helpless and isolated without any idea of what to do about it. It’s important to understand that you are not alone with this difficulty and there is a solution! Read More

https://medium.com/@tripathiskt9/the-baby-sleep-solution-cbe8cf2588a6

['Shree Kant Tripathi']

2020-07-19 04:21:32.777000+00:00

['Baby', 'Mothers', 'Motherhood', 'Moms', 'Dads']

The Scalability Issue Remains for Bitcoin and Ethereum

The latest round of FUD that really seems to be making its way around the news cycle seems to be focused on the scalability issue. Whether its talk about the Ethereum network being at capacity thanks to all the new ERC-20 Tether (USDT) transactions, or the continued struggles of second-layer scaling solutions like the Lightning Network, the ability for the top cryptos to take on extra traffic is currently limited. So what does that mean for the crypto space as a whole as we move into a period of time of increased global financial uncertainty? The fact that this was also a concern during the bull market of 2017/2018, with not much changing in the way of solutions to these issues for Bitcoin and Ethereum, shows that these projects may not ever be able to solve these problems while keeping true to their original design. That opens the door for the subsequent generations of cryptocurrencies to move in. Projects like Emogi, which started off with a focus on low cost, fast payments that can be used on the global stage and can scale to meet the needs. With global tensions reaching levels not seen in decades, it appears a shift in the global financial infrastructure is underway. China has announced that it’s Digital Yuan is near completion and will be released in the near future, and the Governor of the Bank of England recently discussed the possibility of replacing the US Dollar with a Digital Currency. There is a growing push happening around the planet that is moving our financial system towards digital currency, blockchain-based system, and it doesn’t appear that Bitcoin and Ethereum could handle such a capacity in their current states. It’s not like there aren’t people working on the problem. There are multiple firms and millions of dollars being directed towards scaling solutions for BTC and ETH, but they might not be ready when it is truly needed. So for all the people out there pointing to Bitcoin dominance and saying it’s only going to increase, or that Ethereum’s established network effect is too much for another altcoin to overcome, just wait until a billion people come looking for an alternative to high fees and long confirmation times as they just want to use their crypto to pay for a meal. As more and more of the world migrate to the crypto space, and the Internet of Things world continues to expand into every facet of our lives, projects like Emogi and IOST are well-positioned to meet the demands of the coming shift.

https://medium.com/@EmogiCoin/the-scalability-issue-remains-for-bitcoin-and-ethereum-45b0f563aee5

['Emogi Coin']

2019-09-01 19:04:04.951000+00:00

['Scalability', 'Ethereum', 'Bitcoin', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Blockchain']

Airbnb pledges to combat discrimination.

Airbnb plans to pursue new technological solutions to guard against future discrimination on the platform, said CEO Brian Chesky at a recent conference. The move comes after a series of incidents and revelations regarding apparent discrimination on the platform: a Harvard Business School study suggested that racial discrimination may be pervasive on Airbnb, the #AirbnbWhileBlack campaign surfaced personal experiences of discrimination, and the company was even sued in federal court for alleged violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to Chesky: In the next months, we will be revisiting the design of our site from end to end to see how we can create a more inclusive platform. We’re open to ideas. It’s a really, really hard problem and we need help solving it. We want to move this forward. I myself have engaged with people who have been victims of discrimination on the platform. We take this seriously. While we will have to wait and see what changes and potential technological solutions Airbnb rolls out to its platform, as USA Today reports, “Airbnb said a new program is in the works to recruit more underrepresented minorities in computer science and data science. It also tapped civil rights advocate Laura Murphy, the former head of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington D.C. Legislative Office, to help lead a ‘comprehensive’ review of how hosts who rent their homes on Airbnb pick guests.” As Kristen V. Brown and Kashmir Hill write in Fusion, “[o]ne of the questions raised here is the extent to which Airbnb can eliminate racism on its platform. It can certainly take actions that make it harder for racism to surface.” True, there is no single fix. Nevertheless, Airbnb should still be praised for taking discrimination on its platform seriously and working to combat it.

https://medium.com/equal-future/airbnb-pledges-to-overhaul-platform-to-counter-discrimination-6bdcbc594a2f

['Logan Koepke']

2016-06-17 15:36:23.052000+00:00

['Racism', 'Airbnb', 'Marketplace']

Indian Exchange Koinex Launches XRP-based Crypto Trading Market

Koinex is one of the top cryptocurrency exchange in India. Recently it has launched crypto-to-crypto trading on its platform. Soon after that, it has launched XRP based crypto trading market, which is first to be done by Koinex in the Crypto world. Users can now do crypto-to-crypto trading from Koinex website or through its official app. Currently, 15 pairs of tokens are allowed for crypto-to-crypto trading (BTC & ETH) and 8 XRP pairs. “Our platform is built with the agility and technical brilliance to adapt to any market requirement. We were deliberating on the possible new offerings on Koinex and many of our traders expressed interest for a crypto-to-crypto trading corridor. Our thoughts matched and we expedited the platform integration and today are set to offer our entire crypto-pair bouquet for seamless trading, and many more such surprises are in the pipeline to enthrall our users,” said Rahul Raj, Co-Founder, and CEO of Koinex. @Ripple (XRP) has always been a crypto-crowd favourite because of its high liquidity and ease to transact. For the first time in the crypto world, Koinex proudly presents XRP-based trading market with 8 XRP pairs going live tonight. #XRPTheStandard#WhatsNextOnKoinex #Ripple — Koinex (@koinexindia) April 28, 2018 Among the 8 pairs of tokens launched, the tokens available for trading under XRP based crypto trading market are – AETERNITY (AE) EOS (EOS) GOLEM (GNT) LITECOIN (LTC) NUCLEUS VISION (NCASH) OMISEGO (OMG) REQUEST NETWORK (REQ) TRON (TRX) Also, Koinex has slashed the trading fee for buying and selling at 0.15% for INR market. Additionally, for the crypto-to-crypto pairs trading, there is zero trade fee. The tokens available in the Bitcoin market will be Ethereum (ETH/BTC), Litecoin (LTC/BTC), TRON (TRX/BTC), Ripple (XRP/BTC), OmiseGo (OMG/BTC), Bitcoin cash (BCH/BTC), EOS (EOS/BTC), Nucleus Vision (NCASH/BTC), and Request (REQ/BTC). The tokens available in the Ethereum market will be TRON (TRX/ETH), Ripple (XRP/ETH), OmiseGo (OMG/ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH/ETH), EOS (EOS/ETH), and Nucleus Vision (NCASH/ETH).

https://medium.com/koinalert/indian-exchange-koinex-launches-xrp-based-crypto-trading-market-4bd2b0be8226

[]

2018-04-29 14:57:25.896000+00:00

['Xrp', 'Ripple', 'Ripple Coin', 'Koinex', 'Bitcoin']

Is Intermittent Fasting For You?

Time to eat! Image courtesy of Oladimeji Ajegbile via Pexels Intermittent fasting has changed my life. Two to three days out of the week, I fast for 14–16 hours and I couldn’t be happier. Let me explain a little so you understand, I’m not just promoting a trendy health craze, it’s been around since about 1945 when it was discovered that intermittent fasting extended life in mice this study. I have been weight conscious my entire life. I’ve always been a little heavier than the “average” girl and that has been true into my adulthood. In my late teens I ended up losing over 50 pounds in a very unhealthy manner and I promised myself I would never do that again. Still, over the years I have tried the typical, rotating food and diet fads: Atkins Diet, Veganism, Weight Watchers, Raw Food Diet, Paleo, and even more I’m sure I’m leaving out. My point is, nothing ever really “worked” for me. I couldn’t find something that became a part of my daily lifestyle — I viewed them all as diets. When I looked closer at my eating habits I realized… I don’t always plan meals I often skip breakfast I prefer heavier meals earlier in the day I have some days where I eat very little I have other days where I load up on calories Holy shit, I was the perfect candidate for intermittent fasting! Fast, slow, what are we doing? Intermittent fasting is not a limitation on calorie intake, it’s about reducing your eating windows to a limited number of hours in a day. You can fast anywhere from 14 to 35 hours. The key to intermittent fasting is to eat as much as you like during your non-fasting hours. I’m not talking about stuffing yourself like it’s Thanksgiving but don’t overthink how much you’re eating as long as you stay within your daily calorie limit you should be fine. I eat to satiety and not a morsel over — which used to be a very bad habit of mine. Some non-fasting days I am not as hungry as I think I should be but I listen to my body closely. I use a lot of protein (eggs, chicken, turkey, etc) to fill me up while I keep net carbs pretty low around 20–30g. It’s important to put protein first when practicing intermittent fasting. Without your daily protein over a period of time (not just one or two days) you may start to see a decrease in muscle mass. This means a decreased metabolic rate, and in turn, you will be burning less body fat. If you want to figure out what your suggested daily calorie intake should be, you can use this free calorie calculator. During the fasting hours you do not consume anything with calories — this means foods and drink. For many people they have black coffee or tea to help smooth the edges of hunger. I don’t often feel “hungry” during my fasting time but I find that a simple cup of green tea can help my stomach feel less empty. I also feel like I enjoy the flavor of the tea a little more because I don’t have anything else competing for my tastebuds. I’ll just eat less? At first I thought intermittent fasting was like a diet but the more I learned the more I saw the beneficial differences. If you’ve ever tried a diet you know that it can be frustrating and difficult to stick with. You may experience micronutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, decreased bone mineral density, or worse. The difference with intermittent fasting is that it exceeds the beneficial effects of just dieting through calorie restriction. It was studied and found to be not only equally effective for weight loss but overall better. The fasting leads to a more natural calorie restriction, without the feeling of being forced. Naturally, you seem to consume less. Surprisingly, having a large meal after a fasting period does not usually make up for the time you have been fasting. That’s why there’s a few different ways you can try out intermittent fasting from the easiest to the most challenging: - 5:2 Fasting - For beginners to fasting this is a pretty simple approach to implement. You are mindful of your calorie intake, reducing it by 25–35% on one day, and follow it by an unrestricted eating day. This good for someone who already has another layer to their eating restrictions such as low carb, keto, etc because it builds that into your calorie restricted day. The concept is to eat “normally” for five days and then restrict your calorie intake to 500–600 calories on the other two days. - Fat Fasting - For some people eating 4–6 small meals a day is the way they’ve tried consuming their food. With this suggestion, you would instead eat 1 or 2 regular, high fat meals, and then fast the next day. - Spontaneous Fasting - This was how I initially discovered fasting. Some mornings I would have breakfast and then not eat until my late dinner. Other days I wouldn’t skip breakfast and lunch but instead dinner. Never did this feel forced because it was just my natural way of eating at the time. For a lot of people, this is their favorite way to do intermittent fasting. It can be a slow process where you put off your next meal by an hour or so each day until you’re skipping it entirely. Image courtesy of www.hempurecbd.com - Segment Fasting - This method has you fasting in predetermined hourly windows. You can try it as the 16/8 method — you fast for 14-16 hours and restrict your daily eating window to 8–10 hours. It is suggested that you eat mindfully within those time frames. For example, ff you were to eat dinner at 9:00 p.m. then you would not have your next meal until 1:00 p.m. the next day. Thus, you’ve been fasting for 16 hours. If you’re a breakfast person this may not be ideal for you. You can also have 20/4, or even 21/3 if you can manage depending on what suits you best. I like this method because fasting can easily be worked into sleep hours. - Alternate Day Fasting - This is a little bit of a challenge for those who aren’t used to eating like this. You fast every other day and eat what you like on the non-fasting days. I would suggest starting off with just one or two fasting days a week until you get the hang of it. If you have a workout or exercise regime that you enjoy, be sure to check out how intermittent fasting works for you safely. The results are in My own experience with intermittent fasting has been a pleasant one. I’ve noticed after the first month that I was less glucose-dependent. I started to wake up and fall asleep more naturally. This means now when I get up, I have more energy, more focus, and less brain fog. The most tangible benefit is that I’ve lost 20 lbs without trying! I haven’t exercised regularly and I’m still dropping the pounds. I am naturally eating less on the days/times I am eating. It’s also been a very convenient way for me to work with limited foods (depending on what gets sold out before my grocery delivery during the lockdown) and implement my low-carb lifestyle. I’ve had more time to actually prepare my meals in advance and in turn, they’ve all been healthier options. If you are looking to try out intermittent fasting remember: Intermittent fasting alone won’t fix everything. You still need to monitor your sleep schedule, stress exposure, and incorporate some movement where possible. Try to stay busy during fasting times. I find it easier to stop focusing on food when I’m focused on something else. Go for a walk, start or work on a personal project, lose yourself in some music. A busy mind keeps my fingers from wanting to snack. It’s not for everyone. There are a few medical conditions that should be considered before attempting intermittent fasting. Sometimes even if we want to try something, it’s not a good fit for us. Make sure to always double check with your preferred medical professional before starting something like intermittent fasting. Now, intermittent fasting isn’t without its drawbacks for some. This can be a hard structure to follow long-term if you’re trying to establish healthy habits. A lot of fasters tend to initially binge eat or steer away from mindful meal choices — this is a sure way to negate your caloric deficit. For others the effects could be more psychological where you experience the not-so-funny mood of ‘hangry’ or feel a reduction in energy and focus for a long period. On my first few weeks I also noticed I had some difficulties sleeping and craved afternoon naps. This has mostly subsided but I have introduced a 30–45 minute power nap into my routine on fasting days. No matter how or if you decide to try intermittent fasting, the most important factor is you. How does this fit in with your lifestyle? Are you prepared to follow a food schedule? Will you make mindful food choices? If you give it a go (or already fast!) try out the app Zero for all your fasting needs like timers, stats, fasting informational libraries, journals, group fasting, and more. Oh, and don’t forget, good foods lead to good moods!

https://nerdynatali.medium.com/is-intermittent-fasting-for-you-aca92d068f63

[]

2020-08-28 18:17:19.696000+00:00

['Diet', 'Food', 'Self', 'Lifestyle', 'Self Care']

Loving. Caring. Sharing.

For those unaware, the Youtube channel, Grandpa Kitchen, was established by Narayana Reddy from Telengana, India. His videos involved large portions of food prepared by him (and later on, his grandsons) that would then be delivered to the poor and orphaned. Everything he prepared was really in large portions so no, it’s not clickbait. As a person who has her heart hooked in charity work, I’ve become an instant fan. Since then, I’ve been regularly watching his videos — especially when I lose faith in the common good. His videos garnered millions of likes and comments; his fame rose exponentially, but even then, he remained humble. He continued to prepare food the way he’s familiar with, the way we all fell in love with. You would be able to see his heart sewn upon his sleeve in every video. I think that’s an additional charm that many philanthropists miss out on: the heart of doing good. Unfortunately, in late 2019, his journey came to an end. While it was emotional for many of his devoted followers, I could only imagine the pain that his own family went through during that trying time. There is no doubt that he was (and still is) loved. Though his time with us came to a halt, his legacy lives on. His other family members continue his initiative to serve others. Indeed, all is well when your own family commemorate you by acting upon your initiative. I watch their videos often, but there are a few things I’ve learned when I watch them in one sitting (as opposed to watching each video upon release). Alright, before I head on to my list, I just want to point out that I did not watch all videos in one sitting. I’m not an expert in binge-watching. Here are a few things I’ve picked up on, and hopefully something we could all manifest: 1. Food is better with company. Photo by Larm Rmah on Unsplash I think we’ve been told about this line at least once in our lives. No matter the culture and religion, food truly is better when shared. Ironically, I realize this as I munch down on my favorite stack of crisps while watching Grandpa Kitchen. Nothing beats the smiles and stories you share with other people. It’s those little moments, those gleeful glances that you chance upon from others that make you warmer inside. It provides another layer of comfort to your already-comfort food. With good company, any food is good. 2. Philanthropy — it’s not just for the rich. Growing up in a third-world country, people living on the streets is not a rare sight. It’s a heartbreak most of us are used to. The thin line that hinders us from crossing the sympathy block over to empathy (where we could actually do good) is the lack of resources we have. But video after video, Reddy proved that you can serve others without having to empty your pocket. In the channel’s video intro, viewers are greeted with Reddy’s famous line: Loving, caring, sharing. This is my family. He serves the poor and the orphaned with all of his heart; everything that he has, he shares. It continues to astonish me that someone from one of the poorest countries in South Asia can have the courage to share what little rich they have. I still yearn for the era where we hold our government officials accountable for the improper asset allocation across different states and provinces. But until then, I know that I could do more than just wait for my time to serve. I’m just fresh into my twenties, still a college student — I have a long way to go before I get to be an independent, self-sustaining adult that would be able to provide for myself and others. Despite this, I know I could do more today. I don’t need to wait for years to connect to those in need, and build a relationship in which I could help them live better lives. 3. Don’t be afraid to do good because you fear exploitation. The fear of being abused, mistreated, and tricked — might be a trauma response. You might be afraid to let down your walls, to trust people, to give more than you receive because you’ve been hurt in some way before. I know that’s sh*t, and I won’t try to make you forget that. I’m not here to psychoanalyze you. Rather, I want to help you realize that believing in the good in the world might help you a bit. It’s hard to trust in the good after a traumatic experience, but believe me, you will not lose anything in doing good for others. We will not always be rewarded as we should be, but that’s okay. The good will always outpower (and outnumber) the bad in this world. Your acts of kindness will allow you to grow out of the shell you’ve holed yourself in. Continue to do good, even if it might feel uncomfortable sometimes, it’s worth it. Photo by Aravind Kumar on Unsplash All these, I learned from binge-watching Grandpa Kitchen for just a day. Who knew there were perks in binge-watching, right? I’m pretty sure no one from the channel expected that Reddy would be able to capture the hearts of millions, but here we are, more than a year after his passing, still talking about his amazing life. This is the good in the world that you might feel is too good to be true. But dare to open your eyes and heart. Good is everywhere. After all, despite our differences, we all still have the same goal: to live a good life. Let’s stop drawing walls against each other and start living good lives, together.

https://medium.com/@annakumiko/loving-caring-sharing-af413a4a8afa

['Kimi Catahan']

2021-01-19 08:10:36.729000+00:00

['YouTube', 'Giving']

An Insider’s Guide to LA’s Tastiest Tacos

An Insider’s Guide to LA’s Tastiest Tacos Let’s taco ’bout it. We’re not afraid to admit that Los Angeles is, hands down, the best place for tacos in America. And what better way to detox from turkey and stuffing than with a cuisine so opposite from (and lest we say far better than?) traditional holiday eats? Tacos (plus tequila, if you haven’t noticed yet) run through our veins on the SBP team, so just call us your go-to culinary connoisseurs for LA’s best…west of the 405, of course. Check out our top taco faves below. Trejo’s Tacos As Anthony Bourdain once said, “It’s just really good.” And the culinary king was always right. Trejo’s, owned by the epic Danny Trejo, is a vibrant, art-filled taqueria that serves up mind-blowing tacos for both meat-lovers and vegans alike. Whether you’re hankering for steak asada with pepita pesto or cauliflower with cashew cream, Trejo’s is your go-to spot for LA’s gourmet best. SBP Must Order: Spicy Shrimp Taco with diablo sauce, pickled onions, slaw and avocado cream. Benny’s A West LA staple with locations in Westchester, Santa Monica and Culver City, Benny’s has a killer Taco Tuesday…which has SBP written all over it. Three street tacos for $6.99? You know where to find us. SBP Must Order: Barbacoa Taco with slow-cooked shredded beef, cilantro, radish & picked red onions. Frida Tacos At Frida, delectably authentic Mexican cuisine meets the classy Brentwood Country Mart. Whether you choose their barbacoa, pork pastor or pescado tacos, you can always count on one thing: a total bomb of fresh flavor. SBP Must Order: Tacos de Camaron—two soft tacos, sautéed shrimp, pico de gallo and guacamole, served with rice and refried beans. Kogi Truck We’re all for revolutionary cuisine and the Kogi Truck has truly redefined LA’s traditional taco with a unique combo of Korean and Mexican tastes. All you have to do is track them down and devour. SBP Must Order: The World Famous Short Rib Taco—double caramelized Korean barbecue short rib, salsa roja made from Korean and Mexican chilis, cilantro-onion-lime relish and chili soy Kogi slaw, all over two, crispy griddled corn tortillas. Tacos Tu Madre Amongst the most acclaimed taco joints in LA is Tacos Tu Madre which, if you’re in the taco know, you probably already knew by now. With four locations, all housed in not-to-be-missed buildings with sweet mural facades, Tacos Tu Madre dishes out authentic tacos with a gourmet twist, like their epic fried chicken and ahi tuna poke. SBP Must Order: Fried Chicken Taco with buttermilk fried chicken, spicy honey, poblano ranch slaw and fermented fresno chili. Tacos Por Favor A beloved Westside institution, Tacos Por Favor has stolen our taco-loving hearts from the very beginning. The perfect combo of healthy and traditional (aka greasy and cheesy), their tacos are some of LA’s bona fide best. Whether you go soft taco, hard taco or taquito, you’re golden. SBP Must Order: Mahi Mahi Soft Taco with green and red pepper, onions, sour cream, lettuce and pico de gallo. Tec-Catering If you’ve ever been to an SBP Taco Tuesday, you know what’s up with Tec-Catering. Our awesome taco guys create a totally killer spread in an upscale atmosphere (ie our open houses), cooking up fresh chicken, carne asada, pork and veggies with all the accoutrements—guac, salsas, onion, you name it. Call them up and plan your most epic party yet. SBP Must Order: Carne Asada Taco on a homemade corn tortilla with all the toppings. Tito’s A bustling, no-frills joint in Culver City, Tito’s is a nostalgic hard-shell taco stand that’s become increasingly popular as other Mexican hotspots steer toward trendy, gourmet concoctions. Each fried tortilla shell, brimming with mouthwatering traditional flavors, is a true blast from the past. Something we all need these days. SBP Must Order: Tito’s Taco with shredded beef, grated cheddar cheese & sliced iceberg lettuce in a freshly cooked corn taco shell. Benito’s Taco Shop Home of the rolled taco, Benito’s serves up delish and high quality Mexican eats — all topped with guac and cheese. Need we say more? Order their specialty shredded beef rolled in crispy corn tortillas and try not to go there everyday. SBP Must Order: Carnitas Tacos with hand-shredded pork, grilled then smothered with homemade guac and salsa, wrapped in a warm, soft corn tortilla. King Taco When you’ve had a few too many beers at the Kings game, make your way to King Taco—there’s nothing like a greasy, delicious taco to serve as a preemptive hangover cure. King Taco always kills the traditional Mexican game. SBP Must Order: Al Pastor and Carne Asada Tacos garnished with fresh chopped cilantro, onion and their famous salsa.

https://medium.com/tacos-tequila/an-insiders-guide-to-la-s-tastiest-tacos-de3d815543ad

['Smith', 'Berg Partners']

2018-11-29 18:09:18.472000+00:00

['Food', 'Los Angeles', 'Mexico', 'Real Estate', 'Foodies']

free just today 400 visitor in one Day to your website

free just today 400 visitor in one Day to your website maaloma nich Apr 25·5 min read free 400 visitsor in one Day to your website - Posted frequently As described above, I purchased my domain name on November 28 and it went live the next day. I published my first blog post on November 30 and then published 10 quality 500+ words articles within the first 10 days and strictly followed my rule of posting at least 1–2 posts every 2 days. I even wrote 3 articles per day if I had the time… This was all to give Google the impression that my website was being updated with fresh quality content frequently and I could build some authority. You can go to my site (yescydia.com) and look into the archives to check the dates and get a picture. At the same time, I didn’t have a specific time for publishing my posts. I would just start typing and publish it. 2. I rarely used the Google Keyword Planner Tool for get 400 visitsor in one Day to your website - New galaxy s21 5g case ultra hybrid /galaxy s21 — Download Chimera Tool Latest Version (2021) Broken phone lock — free code source videoPlayer 2021 — Free Netflix Series Quiz 2021 — the best phones in usa 2021 The first post I wrote was from a suggested keyword I found using the Google keyword planner. The keyword was “How To Do iOS 7 Jailbreak” which according to Google had a good amount of searches, low competition, and had a decent cost per click (CPC) for Adsense ads. But after some time, I stopped using the keyword planner because I didn’t know how to properly use it, and also it was giving me not much of an advantage. Now my plan was to search Google for a keyword related to my niche. Open the first two links/suggestions, read the whole article, and then publish it in my own words. When I was out of ideas on what to blog about, I would go to a top site in my niche category, look for the latest posts for topic ideas and write them in my own wording. I did not abandon the Google Keyword Suggestion Tool completely. From time to time I used it. Another great keyword tool I used was Wordtracker. It helped me get low competition keywords with high potential. — Posted several articles for the same keyword This is what I did to get ranked higher for a keyword. I published articles about that particular keyword 2–4 times. For example, I targeted “installous alternatives” so I wrote at least 3 articles related to the keyword and added that keyword in the post’s meta title and meta description. I think this helped Google realize that the blog knows about this topic and is liable to provide genuine and helpful knowledge. In the eyes of Google my content became good quality and my traffic started increasing. This helped me score a spot between 6–17 in SERPs. — Created Social Media Profiles After a week or so the best thing I did was to create social media profiles. I knew social media was not going to get me good traffic but I did it for two basic reasons. To get reliable high Page Rank Trusted Backlinks To increase social media appearance To get some social signals necessary to gain trust from search engines I created my blog’s profiles on 3 major sites: Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. I created a Google+ page where I added some descriptions and keywords about my site. I also created a Facebook page and shared it. Finally, I made a profile on Twitter and shared every article that I published on my micro niche site. Later on I created a Tumblr blog too and linked it to my micro-niche site/blog and shared my content on Tumblr. After a day or two Google began to pick up those social signals and I started noticing a little bit of traffic in my stats. Sharing everything on social networks was very easy. I just went to my WordPress dashboard/settings/sharing and connected my social media accounts. — Shared some of my posts on Reddit As you know there are lots of methods and guides on how to score massive traffic from Reddit. In my opinion Reddit is just crap. Reddit is good if you want to get help, seek information or stuff like that. But for getting traffic, don’t bother. The problem is that even if you are able to score 100 thousand visitors from Reddit, it will be temporal. After a day or two your site’s traffic will decrease & it will be back where you left it. You can always share your blog posts on Reddit but just for the sake of a powerful backlink. Don’t get your expectations high about scoring traffic from Reddit. I also did that. I got 315+ views from Reddit for a single blog post after just 10 days after going live. But that happiness was just for a day. After two days I was back to where I was before Reddit. But I got a Backlink. — Didn’t build many backlinks except Social Media & Comments Again, I am not much of an SEO expert. I had no idea of guest posting and I was afraid of my site being dragged down if I used free online backlink services. So in the beginning I did not make any backlinks at all. So yeah. I did not pay a fiver guy to make backlinks for me. But whenever I felt the need to make a good backlink, I would go around a site or too, comment something like: “this is a really nice post”, or asked a question to get a backlink from the comments section. I didn’t go crazy dropping comments everywhere to create thousands of backlinks, instead, I just commented on stuff I read, leaving a link back to my micro nich Click here

https://medium.com/@nichmaaloma/free-just-today-400-visitor-in-one-day-to-your-website-90f1d5c420dd

['Maaloma Nich']

2021-04-25 03:09:53.631000+00:00

['Traffic', 'Website']

Can I dissolve in your heart?

My beloved, I love you from the depths of my being such love exudes that sometimes it baffles me I love you not only as my partner But as my child, bestie, parent, and sibling My life revolves around you My heart beats for you I lay my humble heart at your feet You are my lord, my everything I know, you know the innocence of this love Like a baby, it is pristine and pure It demands nothing Just wish to love you with my every beat My beloved, you are the seed You are the tree You are within my heart You are in my every breath I don’t know what name should I prefix it This love engulfs me completely My every breath dedicated to you My heart at your service Love makes one vulnerable Soft and squishy It is not a weakness if tears flow But this vulnerability catches me somehow Can I vanish within your breath? Can I die never to resurrect? Can I lay my breath at your feet? Can I love you with all my being? Can I place all my love? Can I pour all my trust? Can I bare my soul naked and dance? Can I completely dissolve in your heart?

https://medium.com/share-the-love/can-i-dissolve-in-your-heart-8f9d41aeb7b4

['Ruchi Thalwal']

2020-12-11 09:13:21.307000+00:00

['Prayer', 'Spirituality', 'Heart', 'Poetry', 'Love']

Trying Not To Be A Starving Artist

Trying Not To Be A Starving Artist “You should get a stable job in a science field.” It was a common phrase in my home. I grew up hearing it every time I expressed my dream to make it as a writer. Both my parents are scientists, each with their own ideas of being a creative. Neither of them are creatively-inclined. Somehow two scientific people made a creative person: me. Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash The constant berating and comparison in my childhood has stuck with me even now. I compare my art to others’ and feel inadequate. There has never been a moment when I’ve felt like something I’ve done was good enough. So they pushed me to take science-based classes all through high school and into university. And honestly, it made me miserable. Even though I took art courses and writing courses, the work I had to do was draining. I wrote as much as I could in high school and university, but at the end of it all, I felt burnt out. Like there was no creativity left in me. Trying to complete a NaNoWriMo during university didn’t help either. It’s been 5 years since I graduated university. It’s been 5 years since I lost the will to write. It’s been 5 years since my plans to teach in Japan were dashed by a failed interview. I’m just starting to recover now. I owe it to my husband for pushing me to write. Currently, I work in a bakery. I took a baking program after my goals were crushed by the JET interviewers. Everyday I push my body to get food out to the public and I feel rewarded. But I come home and feel exhausted. Mentally and physically taxed. I struggle to write after work. Knowing how competitive the book market is doesn’t help with motivation. That’s why I took a Technical Writing Program. It brought me back into using my voice while trying to use the lessons I learned taking university writing courses. It’s writing for catering to others’ wants and voices. Technical Writing is a stable job. There are always jobs for Technical Writers. They make good money as long as they find a job. The work can be quite dry, having to write manuals or operations guides. The work can be interesting, depending on the field you go into. But I want to be an author. At 27, I’m nowhere near achieving my goal of publishing a novel. My career as a Technical Writer is at a stand-still, because of my lack of experience. But I need experience to get a job. So I keep plugging away. I keep trying to write. I keep trying to find a stable job. Writing for a living isn’t an easy go. It’s good to have a backup plan. I’m currently on the back-up of the back-up plan. I’ve picked up other hobbies to keep my creativity going. Even though I’m not writing every day, I’m trying to do something creative. Like most people — and me, I’m sure that your path to your dream won’t be straightforward. It’s okay to take your time to figure out who you are. I’m still working on figuring that out too. I’m just hoping that my hard work will pay off eventually.

https://medium.com/cry-mag/trying-not-to-be-a-starving-artist-b4b1110a493b

['Lauren Tashiro']

2020-07-15 14:06:01.323000+00:00

['Chasing The Dream', 'Mental Health', 'Journey', 'Depression', 'Recovery']

Covid-19: Our Continuity Plan

Arekibo’s Covid-19 plan We decided to mobilise our team to work from home last week. This was done to support the measures announced by the Irish Government to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We had been developing a continuity plan and were able to activate this plan quite quickly. Our team are now 100% up and running across the globe. Thankfully unlike many companies, we are a cloud enabled company. All our tools, systems and data are hosted in the cloud and our team can access and manage our systems and tools anytime and anywhere. This week we have been in constant contact with our customers and where possible, we will all try to continue to collaborate to keep the ball rolling. Some of our team are remote working veteran’s and have been supporting the newbies to adjust and adapt to our new working environments. This is difficult but this week I’ve been amazed at how quickly the team have embraced the changes and are all looking after by each other. Over the coming weeks, we will all have to manage family and work, which up until last week for many didn’t happen all in the same place. We have several guiding principles at Arekibo and one of them is Family First. Never has a principle meant so much. It’s important that we can be with our families during times like these. Hopefully one of the lasting benefits of this will be a greater appreciation of family, friends and community not to mention a greater global focus on looking after our environment. Some interesting findings this week include: Microsoft Teams is our MVP product this week and has been busy helping us to communicate. The team have created various activities to keep us collaborating and these include the Movie and Book library and the Step Challenge. The Friday Learning Series, first one today where our remote working veteran’s and other Arekibian’s will share their best practices of working from home. Weekly all hand video call to check in, say hello, show each other our coffee cups and just shoot the breeze for 30 mins. Comedy has helped and it’s amazing how many of the team are using it to cheer each other up. Structure — we have quickly found our cadence and are getting on with it. Taking into account that we will all be doing more conference calls, I’m reminded of a great quote from Nelson Mandela — “Appearances matter — and remember to smile.” Please feel free to contact us if we you need any additional support. We wish you and your family the best over the coming weeks. Stay safe! Onwards 🚀 Martin About the Author

https://medium.com/@arekibo/covid-19-our-continuity-plan-12e4a9026d3a

['Arekibo Communications']

2020-03-23 09:21:10.484000+00:00

['Covid 19', 'Workplace Culture', 'Work Life Balance', 'Continuity', 'Working From Home']

How To Grow The Ace 55 Tomato

When shopping for open sourced Non-GMO heirloom tomato seeds look for growing information on the seed packet. Some of the information included is whether they are determinate or indeterminate, their acid content, and which diseases and pests they are resistant to. All this data is essential to growing a successful harvest. And, for choosing a variety that will be the taste profile you want. The Ace 55 boasts many desirable qualities for a tomato plant: Determinate Low-Acid Crack-resistant Verticillium wilt resistant Fusarium wilt resistant Alternaria stem canker resistant Because of the low-acid content, this heirloom variety is not ideal for water-bath canning. They must be pressure canned. The Ace variety is best eaten fresh. What Makes The Ace 55 determinate or indeterminate? This classification refers to how the plant grows. Determinate tomato plants grow to a specific height and then produce fruit when they are done maturing. Indeterminate varieties do not have a predetermined size and will often go wild, reaching up to 8-feet tall, with long, winding branches. Indeterminate varieties must be pruned, while determinate types should never be pruned. Most heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate, but the Ace 55 is not. There is no difference in quality or production between the types, but this information is vital to understand the best way to tend the plant. Indeterminate plants cannot be grown in containers. Disease Resistance Tomato plants are susceptible to many diseases and pests, which is unfortunate. Anyone who has grown them in the past knows how tricky it is to produce round, untarnished, beautiful fruits. The fruits often grow abundantly but have blemishes, markings, or cracks. The Ace 55, however, is resistant to the three most common issues tomato vegetable gardeners face. This 1950 heirloom variety is sweet, juicy, and yummy. It is perfect for canning, fresh salads, and sandwiches, and it is well ahead of other varieties in terms of success. The Process Of Growing The Ace 55 Tomato Since the Ace 55 is determinate, it can be planted in the garden or in containers or pots or easily grown on decks, balconies, and along fences. This flexibility opens up huge possibilities for growing heirloom Ace 55 seeds. These tomato seeds average 80 days to maturity, which means they grow well in most climates. Early-season tomato seeds require 50 to 60 days to maturity and can be grown as a fall or winter crop depending on the zone or if growing indoors. Steps To Growing An Ace 55 Tomato Step one start Ace 55 tomato seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last expected frost. Use starter trays or small pots and high-quality potting soil. Wet down the potting mix before planting the seeds. Make an indentation 1/4″ deep into the soil, place the seed in, and then cover with the soil. Ace tomato seeds have a high germination rate, so only plant as many as you have space for in the garden or deck. Soil temperature is important. Put the pots or trays in a sunny, warm location, like a south-facing window. The ideal soil temperature for these seeds to sprout is between 75–80F. Use heating mats or grow lights, if needed, to keep the soil warm enough and the location bright. Every day, spritz the soil with water to keep it moist. Never let it get soggy, or the seeds will drown. In 7–10 days, or at most 2 weeks, the seeds will sprout. Continue spritzing them with water every day and ensure they are getting enough light and warmth. When the tomato seedlings have 3–4 leaves, they are ready to be transplanted to larger containers. This happens around 30 days after planting the seeds. Use the same kinds of potting soil and wet it down before transplanting the seedlings. Make a hole in the center. Gently remove them from the starter trays using a small fork or knife to lift it up carefully. Be gentle with the roots. Place the whole root ball into the prepared hole and lightly press it in, patting the soil all around the base. Place the pots back in the warm, sunny location, and water them daily just as before. Once the outside temperature is consistently above 55F, the seedlings are ready to be hardened off. This simply means slowly acclimating them to the outdoor temperature before leaving them out there permanently. Each day, put the plants outside for a couple of hours, increasing the time until, by the end of 10 days, they are outdoors all day. If you are going to keep the Ace 55 tomatoes in containers, they are ready to be placed in their permanent location. Make sure it is a warm, full-sun spot! If you are transplanting the seedlings to an outdoor garden plot, place them 2-feet apart in rows that also 2-feet apart. All tomatoes need regular and consistent watering. A drip-irrigation system is ideal, but hand-watering also works as long as you are disciplined about it. Water requirements for this vegetable averages 2–3 inches per week. Always water at the roots, never from the top. Wet leaves encourage diseases to develop and also may cause leaf burn. Stake or trellis the tomatoes while they are still young; it’s easier this way! This heirloom variety grows between 3–5 feet tall and will need support. The tomatoes will be ready to harvest all at once. Be ready for them! Get the family on board for tomato picking day. Once you see them getting that deep red and the size is about right, plan on harvesting them very soon. Don’t wait, or the birds and small tomato-loving creatures will do it for you. Nutritional Information Disease Tolerance and Resistance Alternaria Stem Canker Fusarium Wilt Verticillium Wilt Friends Basil repels pests and mosquitoes, can enhance and improve growth and flavor. Bee Balm, chives, and mint varieties can improve overall health and enhance flavor. Borage prevents tomato worm, improves growth rate, and enhances the flavor. Marigold deters nematodes Pot Marigolds deters tomato worm and general garden pests. Foes Tomatoes and Corn are attacked by the same worm. Dill may stunt tomato growth. Kohlrabi stunts tomato growth. Tomatoes and Potatoes are attacked by the same diseases. Companions Basil Parsley Garlic Borage and squash Pot marigolds and nasturtiums Asparagus Chives Ace 55 Gardening Tips

https://medium.com/@naturezedge/how-to-grow-the-ace-55-tomato-6136d0c50026

[]

2020-12-23 16:16:35.828000+00:00

['Sustainability', 'Gardening', 'Non Gmo Seeds For Sale', 'Organic', 'Non Gmo']

20 Reasons to Be Thankful to Be a Parent in 2020

20 Reasons to Be Thankful to Be a Parent in 2020 If nothing else, 2020 has provided a new perspective on daily life, especially to parents. Raising an impressionable little human and paving a safe path through the world may seem more daunting than ever in the face of current events… EmmaWell Dec 2, 2020·4 min read …but parenthood is mostly about living in the present, embracing chaos, and enjoying ordinary moments that add up to a lifetime of memories. As the year we will never forget draws to a close, let’s take a moment to celebrate 20 reasons to be thankful for the gift of parenthood: 20. Being a parent makes you strive to be a better person. You’ll always have someone looking up to you, reminding you to model good decisions. 19. You’ll never be lonely…for the first dozen years at least. This year, loneliness has taken on new meanings, but parents of little ones probably can’t remember what being alone feels like. 18. Only through parenthood can you experience the full spectrum of human emotion. Parenting can make you cry tears of joy and break your heart — sometimes in a single day. 17. Becoming a parent gives your life a clear purpose. Though it can sometimes seem like the world’s most thankless job (endless diaper changing, around-the-clock feeding, and communicating through crying don’t offer much in return at the time), it is the most fulfilling thing you can do in the long run. 16. You’ll have an opportunity to relive (or recreate) your childhood. Being a parent gives you an excuse to stay young at heart and escape the reality of adulting. When you have a child, playing and being silly are basically job requirements! 15. By default, you are your child’s favorite person. The unconditional love that you see reflected in your child’s eyes is unlike any other — unique from the love you feel for your partner or your own parents. 14. You will gain newfound powers of resourcefulness and multi-tasking. Whether it’s keeping your child entertained with crinkly paper while waiting for an appointment or whipping up a delicious new meal out of old leftovers, you’ll develop unexpected life skills. 13. You will realize that mistakes happen…constantly. When you lose your cool or mess up, you can bounce back and redeem yourself just as easily as your little one does. 12. Your child’s triumphs will become your own. Without even realizing it, you will cherish your child’s firsts, from milestone accomplishments to mundane discoveries. 11. Your child will believe that you can fix anything. And — with the help of super glue and duct tape — you can. 10. In the eyes of your child, you have all-knowing, all-healing powers. Having an answer for (nearly) any question and kissing boo-boos away are magical talents only a parent can possess. 9. You develop a deep, innate love that drives you to overcome anything. This love gives you the energy to soothe your newborn night after night or the patience to tolerate your toddler’s tantrums day after day. 8. As a parent, you are no longer the center of the universe. You enter a selfless place when you have children, which gives you more depth of character and a more nuanced outlook on life. 7. Your bond with your child is unconditional. Unlike reciprocal relationships, your child is yours no matter what happens, which creates a sense of security for your child and an appreciation for what your own parents did for you. 6. You get to do things your way. As CEO of your household, you are empowered to borrow what you’ve gleaned from your own upbringing and create your own system of living, learning, and loving. 5. Parenthood keeps you grounded. Whatever successes you achieve, at the end of the day your child will remind you that your primary role is to wipe butts. 4. You never get to savor the sublime satisfaction of bedtime until you’re a parent. No matter how many fires you put out in your household throughout the day, bedtime is a sacred ritual of snuggling pint-sized bodies and reading stories to a captivated audience. 3. There is no greater joy than hearing your child laugh. Whether it’s a tickle-induced giggle fest or a genuine chuckle at a joke you made, hearing your child’s happiness in the form of laughter feeds the soul. 2. It is a gift to watch your child grow. When your child is in the womb, you create all sorts of fantasies about who that person will be. When your child actually starts to become a person, developing a personality and revealing bits of you or your partner, you feel a sense of satisfaction exclusive to a parent. 1. Parenthood is the most important role a human can play in shaping another life. It’s a privilege to mold a young mind and shepherd a little person into the world. Every ounce of energy and effort you put into raising your little one will be worth it as you embark on life’s most rewarding, surprising, and loving adventure. With Warmth and Wellness, Your EmmaWell Team

https://medium.com/@emmawell/20-reasons-to-be-thankful-to-be-a-parent-in-2020-13371f72dda0

[]

2020-12-02 15:32:36.403000+00:00

['Baby', 'Parenting', 'Thanksgiving', 'Pandemic', 'Postpartum']

Biodegradables ‘not solving China’s plastic pollution crisis’

A massive increase in biodegradable plastic production in China is outpacing the country’s ability to degrade the materials, according to a new report published by the charity Greenpeace. China — the world’s largest producer of plastic waste — introduced bans earlier this year on several types of non-degradable single-use plastics, prompting manufacturers to ramp up production of biodegradable versions, reports the BBC. According to Greenpeace, 36 companies in China have planned or built new biodegradable plastic manufacturing facilities, adding production capacity of more than 4.4 million tonnes per year — a more than sevenfold increase in less than 12 months. https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/video-Rom-c-Tor-sky8-tv-01.html https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/video-Rom-c-Tor-sky8-tv-02.html https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/video-Rom-c-Tor-sky8-tv-03.html https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/video-Rom-c-Tor-sky8-tv-04.html https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/video-Rom-c-Tor-sky8-tv-05.html https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/video-Luc-v-Gam-orario-tv1.html https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/video-Luc-v-Gam-orario-tv2.html https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/video-Luc-v-Gam-orario-tv3.html https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/video-Luc-v-Gam-orario-tv4.html https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/video-Luc-v-Gam-orario-tv5.html https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/v-ideo-Br-v-Me-dfb-01.html https://skatepowerplay.com/mnk/v-ideo-Br-v-Me-dfb-02.html 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https://www.fareva.com/mkp/videos-fifa-v-football-awards-ttv01.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/videos-fifa-v-football-awards-ttv02.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/videos-fifa-v-football-awards-ttv03.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/videos-fifa-v-football-awards-ttv04.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/videos-fifa-v-football-awards-ttv05.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/The-Best-FIFA-v-Premios-a-los-Awrd201.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/The-Best-FIFA-v-Premios-a-los-Awrd202.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/The-Best-FIFA-v-Premios-a-los-Awrd203.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/The-Best-FIFA-v-Premios-a-los-Awrd204.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/The-Best-FIFA-v-Premios-a-los-Awrd205.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/video-m-v-c-be801.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/video-m-v-c-be802.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/video-m-v-c-be803.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/video-m-v-c-be804.html https://www.fareva.com/mkp/video-m-v-c-be805.html China’s e-commerce industry is on track to generate an estimated 5 million tonnes of biodegradable plastic waste per year by 2025, when the country’s single-use plastic bans come into effect nationwide, the charity said. Biodegradable plastics can be broken down by living organisms, but most require specific industrial treatment at high temperatures to be degraded within six months. Left in landfills under normal circumstances, the materials can take much longer to begin to break down and will still release carbon into the atmosphere. “In the absence of controlled composting facilities, most biodegradable plastics end up in landfills, or worse, in rivers and the ocean,” said Greenpeace’s East Asia plastics researcher Dr Molly Zhongnan Jia. “Switching from one type of plastic to another cannot solve the plastics pollution crisis that we’re facing,” she said. The BBC has attempted to contact China’s ministry of ecology and environment for comment. Chinese president Xi Jinping has in recent speeches stressed the importance of reducing plastic waste, but many major Chinese cities have little or no infrastructure in place to cope with the expansion of biodegradable plastics production. Plastic problems One of the main challenges with biodegradable plastics globally is that they cannot be put into ordinary household recycling or degraded in home composting bins — meaning consumers mostly don’t have any route to get biodegradable packaging to the kinds of industrial facilities capable of processing it. “Unless there is clear infrastructure for what we call ‘end-of-life’ — whether that’s recycling or incineration or landfill or biodegradation in some way — then that is still a single-use plastic,” said Dr Rachael Rothman, the co-director of the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield. “Just because a plastic is biodegradable, that doesn’t mean it is not single use,” she said. Another category of plastics made fully or partially from biological resources — often referred to as “bioplastics” — are not necessarily biodegradable, adding to potential confusion for consumers. Globally, the industrial infrastructure needed to process biodegradable plastics — from collection through to high-temperature composting — does not exist at the scale needed to match the volume of those plastics being produced. “This is a global problem, absolutely,” said Dr Rothman. “The UK has been consulting on bio-degradable and compostable plastics and there’s a new standard on biodegradability. But when you look at the details, it says the material needs to get to 60 degrees Celsius, and what plastic is going to 60 degrees in the UK?” Shipping off waste A study published in October in the journal Sciences Advances, which examined data form 2016, estimated that the US was the world’s leading plastic waste producer that year, followed by India and then China. Taken collectively, the EU nations would be in second place, despite having only about 40 per cent of the population of India and China. The US ships large quantities of its plastic waste to other countries. In 2017 alone, China took in 7 million tonnes of plastic rubbish from Europe, Japan and the US. China has since banned the import of 24 different grades of rubbish, but other countries including Malaysia, Turkey, the Philippines and Indonesia, which already have to tackle large quantities of their own plastic waste, have picked up some of the slack. Some of these countries have since sent some of the imported plastic rubbish back. The Greenpeace report published Thursday warns that replacing single-use plastics with high-volume production of various biodegradable alternatives is not the solution to the plastics waste problem. “This ‘biodegradables rush’ has to stop. We need to take a cautious look at the effect and potential risks of mainstreaming these materials, and make sure we invest in solutions that actually reduce plastic waste,” said Dr Jia. “Reusable packaging systems and a reduction in overall plastic use are much more promising strategies to keep plastic out of landfills and the environment,” she said.

https://medium.com/@jhoncena-5716/biodegradables-not-solving-chinas-plastic-pollution-crisis-ca1eaeaa196c

[]

2020-12-17 18:03:49.903000+00:00

['Plastic Pollution', 'News', 'Climate Action', 'Biodegradable', 'China']

Where Bluebirds Fly

Where Bluebirds Fly Creating and releasing your art. Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels Releasing your art into the universe is a delicate thing. But the act of creating art is something entirely different. You wade through the brutish, clunky, elementary swamp of impulse with your minnow-fine nets. Only then to dump it all out in front of you — a heap of potential possibility — more scavenging. A collage emerges — bits of symbology, logic, theory, hurts and curiosities. The incubation period for your art is a critical element and deeply connected to how easily goes your birthing it. The longer you labor, the more difficult the delivery. Yet deliver, you must. You are an artist.

https://medium.com/flicker-and-flight/where-bluebirds-fly-f791c6462115

['Wendy S. Bradfield']

2020-10-31 09:52:26.874000+00:00

['Poetry', 'Poetry On Medium', 'Artist', 'Self-awareness', 'Creative Process']

Tiny Kamikaze CHIRP BIRD Bosses Me Around.

Photo by Paulo Brandao on Unsplash Howdy, Yesterday I Got Some Revenge on The Tiny-Monster Chickadee Who Has Been Hassling Me for a Year. Dumbass flew into the Back of my Truck and Couldn’t (Or Wouldn’t) get out. I Was Unloading Wood (Truck to Porch) I had Cut to Burn in my fireplace Insert. And Junior Jetson Kept Flying over my head — Trying to Supervise. The Little Nut-Job Flew off Course. Ended up in the Truck-Cap-Covered Back of My Toyota Truck. He Bounced off the Side Windows a few times. Clung to the inside Window Screen. But Wouldn’t come out. I was too Close I suppose. So I ignored The Miniscule Moron. Kept Unloading. And Eventually He flew Out. Then He Gave Me THE BIRD. He Spent the Next 10 Minutes LOUDLY COMPLAINING from a Nearby Holly Tree. I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE! I tracked him to an Old Plastic Cat Carrier on The Porch. There is a Nest Way in The Back — In the Dark — inside. Live and Let Live is my Motto. Except when he or she Chirps LOUDLY for an Entire HOUR — at 5:30 am. THEN I Could Cheerfully Strangle him. DUNNO How He Figured this out. But I Spend a Lot of Time Reading or Writing on the Sofa — Next to my Back Porch Sliding Doors. IDIOT is able to Sit SIDEWAYS on the Brick Wall (Above Porch Sliding Door Handle) to Look inside at me sitting on the Couch. How do I Know This? Because he is not Exactly QUIET While doing his Peeping Parakeet Circus Act. He Gets Noisy. REALLY LOUD. I Can Imagine him Chewing me out in BIRD-LATIN. “I WANT IN. HOW DO I GET INSIDE? IT’S COLD OUT HERE.!” Thank Heaven he doesn’t Do His HAMMER-THE-WINDOW Tricks Much. I am Forced to Follow The Little PEST from Room to Room. He Pecks Loudly on the Outside Of my aluminum Glass Windows. Bedroom, Bath. Bedroom, Kitchen. HECK OF A RACKET. So I have to Go to that room — And Shake my Fist at The Little Monster. Chase him away. YOU SAY, “Just Ignore him.” #1 — It’s Really quite a LOUD RACKET. #2 — Not Sure if He Is Pecking holes in the window frame. #3 — I refuse to Let a Tiny Little Bird — Get Away with Ruining my Day. So I CHASE Him Away. RECENTLY… Because I am Able to Recognize his OBNOXIOUS CHIRP. I discovered the Little TWIT is Following me around. Perching on whatever Tree Limb, Shed roof or Basketball hoop is Nearby. What is The Old Saying? Sticks and Stones Will Hurt Me But Loud Chirping — Not so Much? On a Positive Note. The Little Rascal has Not Gotten Physical. I have watched Birds Change Course while Flying over. Just to Crap on my Truck. AND —Very Recently — While driving to a Restaurant. A VEE of Geese Flew over my vehicle. BANG! Yup. One of the SOB’s Dropped a Load — right on my Windshield. Had to Go Outside with a Napkin and a glass of Water and Clean it up. If you let that stuff Dry it hardens Worse than Concrete. So. That is ONE VARMINT I Am Dealing with out here in The BoonDocks of Northern Maryland. Up close to The Pennsylvania Border. Then There is this WABBIT. But that’s another Story. Thanks, Glenn

https://medium.com/@rentamentor-56426/tiny-kamikaze-chirp-bird-bosses-me-around-d52878c86e46

['Glenn Osborn']

2020-11-21 23:28:58.853000+00:00

['Nature', 'Writing', 'This Happened To Me', 'Birds', 'Humor']

How to Work with Multiline String Variables in GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions are a great tool for automation. I'm currently creating workflows to manage changelog for a BOM file based on releases of included. On the library side, I was sending a release payload as a part of repository_dispatch action and then I wanted to add it to the changelog. sed -i "2 a### $description $release_body " CHANGELOG.md The problem was how to populate the request_body variable. The obvious option would be to extract the value from the event using ${{ ... }} notation. The problem with this notation is that it is basically a pure text replacement so the multiline string would break bash command as well as the workflow YAML file env: release_body: this would be a multine string and break the syntax... For this particular situation of reading the event, one can luckily use the jq and read the JSON which as also stored in the filesystem. export release_body=$(jq '.client_payload.github.event.release.body' $GITHUB_EVENT_PATH) release_body="${release_body%\"}" release_body="${release_body#\"}" The variable will be surrounded by double-quotes so you also need to remove the first and last double-quote. For other situations, passing the value through the filesystem seems the only way to go. Another problem may arise if you want to create an output from the action. When the changelog is changed then I wanted to draft a new release using a part of the changelog. You can create step's output as follows: export CHANGELOG="$(...)" echo "::set-output name=changelog::$(echo "$CHANGELOG")" Again, the multiline strings are not properly handled for these situations. You need to sanitize the content first: export CHANGELOG="$(...)" CHANGELOG="${CHANGELOG//'%'/'%25'}" CHANGELOG="${CHANGELOG//$' '/'%0A'}" CHANGELOG="${CHANGELOG//$'\r'/'%0D'}" echo "::set-output name=changelog::$(echo "$CHANGELOG")" Then the output is read correctly in the next steps — no need to other replacements in the consumer step.

https://medium.com/agorapulse-stories/how-to-work-with-multiline-string-variables-in-github-actions-23f56447d209

['Vladimír Oraný']

2020-10-19 13:32:39.954000+00:00

['Github Actions', 'Tech', 'Automation', 'Github']

Why ZeroBank will be a BLAST in the money exchange and remittance industry

There is no ICO project like ZeroBank in the money exchange and remittance market. Why? Known as the first and only system that applies blockchain technology, smart contract, the sharing economy model, ZeroBank will effectively resolve the problems of cost, coverage and compliance of the current market. Via ZeroBank, all transactions are completely unbanked and can be done in a much shorter time, and come with lower fees. So, ZeroBank can provide a decentralized money exchange system without depending on any authority with absolute power like the traditional bank and remittance system. Let’s dive in to know why ZeroBank can make a break-through in the traditional money transfer methods as well as rise above other projects that are using blockchain and cryptocurrencies for remittance. The problems of traditional money exchange and remittance industry Numerous problems have been found in the current money exchange and remittance industry whilst the intermediaries, which are the banks and MTOs, are the root cause of all these issues. (Source: Internet) Imagine living overseas and you want to send home money. Commonly, you’ll be looking for a bank or an MTO (Money Transfer Operator) to do so. However, since the banking systems and similar money transfer models are inefficient, especially in terms of non-commercial money transfer, you’ll have to pay a premium service fee. The same situation happens when transferring less common currency, even with higher costs. Moreover, waiting time for a money transaction to be completed can be a few days. So, how can ZeroBank resolve the problems lying within the traditional money exchange and remittance industry? What will ZeroBank team do to truly make its service work in the real world and guarantee its legality? Let’s check out the highlight advantages that mark ZeroBank “an innovative and unrivalled feasible ICO project in the money exchange and remittance world”! #1 — Transaction within ZeroBank can be done anywhere, anytime, and with any currency The era of “no bank, no money exchange” is gone. Currently, with the appearance of cryptocurrency, you can exchange and transfer money freely, wherever you are and whenever you want, even if you’re in a rural village with no bank on sight. Moreover, in the event of exchanging with uncommon currency, users can still exchange to more common currency like U.S. dollar, without bearing the astronomical exchange rate fee. (Source: Internet) Legal issues are always a big hindrance when exchanging or transferring money across countries. That’s why bank institutes operating in foreign countries will have to raise their service fee in order to cover the cost of abiding governmental laws. Understanding this puzzle of compliance in the banking system, ZeroBank advisory team carefully reviews all legal frameworks in the countries where ZeroBank operates and guarantees that ZeroBank will fully comply with each government’s policies. ZeroBank truly solves the legal problem when applying blockchain technology to make the system decentralized and sharing economy to get people involved in that chain. It is the crucial thing that enables ZeroBank to be the most achievable unlike any other projects that claim to connect and create an online, multi-banking system or through telephone services which are near to impossible. Moreover, ZeroBank combines the “ on chain” and “off chain” factors to make the process more accessible to all users. “On chain” factor means utilizing technology to solve many parts of our servicing process automatically while “off chain” means to manually and directly facilitate such transactions. We develop an effective Anti-Money Laundering and Know-Your-Customer system which particularly adheres to applicable laws and regulations to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing. At the same time, we ensure that users in ZeroBank ecosystem are not subject to such cost related to our own service operation. Additionally, with the use of blockchain technology combined with smart contract, each transaction in ZeroBank is protected and verifiable. Any suspicious transactions can be easily traced and reported. Therefore, compliance can be more conveniently executed and compliance costs can be minimized for ZeroBank users. #2 — There’s no limit in ZeroBank ecosystem, bringing growth to its community. There’s no limit to users participating in ZeroBank ecosystem. ANYONE can join ZeroBank as an agent, either taxi drivers, tour guides, hotel receptionists, store retailers or students. Theoretically, ANYONE can earn extra income from ZeroBank transactions. They have more means and resources to earn money to improve their life quality. Typical end-users and agents of ZeroBank system (source: ZeroBank whitepaper) ANYONE can also use ZeroBank to send money or receive money anytime, at any place they want, which is the reason why ZeroBank can spread widely in a short time across nations. Our mission is beyond cutting all excessive intermediary costs from the current banking and money transfer organization systems. Our goal is also to bring opportunities back to the community. #3 — ZeroBank has a dynamic team of experts in related industries Led by a core team of banking IT experts as well as influencers in the remittance and money exchange field, ZeroBank is set straight on its way to success in the real world. Our team has the professional expertise in the market, business experiences from around the world at multi-million dollar banking and finance institutions. Our banking IT expert, CTO Bao Ly Van has an extensive experience working as a consultant and architect for BNP Paribas Fortis, AXA Investment, and HSBC Global Banking and Markets. He had just had his spotlight at one of the world’s biggest blockchain summits in London with an impressive knowledge sharing session about KYC and blockchain application. ZeroBank’s CEO Kai Yee Goh is also a serial entrepreneur, investor and director in the field of money transfer and payment, having held business development and strategic roles in Transfast, United Financial Group, Paypal, Harte-Hanks and Western Union. With other passionate technologists, entrepreneur talents and professionals in the banking and finance industry, ZeroBank is guided through a careful planning to execution. We can’t wait to bring you world’s best money transfer and exchange service without any boundary or interference of the third-parties, language barrier or dimension hindrance. Stay updated on our channels:

https://medium.com/zerobank-cash/why-zerobank-will-be-a-blast-in-the-money-exchange-and-remittance-industry-e82bbf947d8

['Zerobank - Your Local Currency']

2018-07-17 02:55:45.343000+00:00

['Remittances', 'Bitcoin', 'Zerobank']

12 Rules for Learning Foreign Languages in Record Time — The Only Post You’ll Ever Need

12 Rules for Learning Foreign Languages in Record Time — The Only Post You’ll Ever Need I’ve written about how I learned to speak, read, and write Japanese, Mandarin, and Spanish. I’ve also covered my experiments with German, Indonesian, Arabic, Norwegian, Turkish, and perhaps a dozen others. There are only few language learners who dazzle me, and Benny Lewis is one of them. This definitive guest post by Benny will teach you: How to speak your target language today. How to reach fluency and exceed it within a few months. How to pass yourself off as a native speaker. And finally, how to tackle multiple languages to become a “polyglot” — all within a few years, perhaps as little as 1–2. It contains TONS of amazing resources I never even knew existed, including the best free apps and websites for becoming fluent in record time. Want to find a native speaker to help you for $5 per hour? Free resources and memory tricks? It’s all here. This is a post you all requested, so I hope you enjoy it! Enter Benny You are either born with the language-learning gene, or you aren’t. Luck of the draw, right? At least, that’s what most people believe. I think you can stack the deck in your favor. Years ago, I was a language learning dud. The worst in my German class in school, only able to speak English into my twenties, and even after six entire months living in Spain, I could barely muster up the courage to ask where the bathroom was in Spanish. But this is about the point when I had an epiphany, changed my approach, and then succeeded not only in learning Spanish, but in getting a C2 (Mastery) diploma from the Instituto Cervantes, working as a professional translator in the language, and even being interviewed on the radio in Spanish to give travel tips. Since then, I moved on to other languages, and I can now speak more than a dozen languages to varying degrees between conversational and mastery. It turns out, there is no language-learning gene, but there are tools and tricks for faster learning… As a “polyglot” — someone who speaks multiple languages — my world has opened up. I have gained access to people and places that I never otherwise could have reached. I’ve made friends on a train in China through Mandarin, discussed politics with a desert dweller in Egyptian Arabic, discovered the wonders of deaf culture through ASL, invited the (female) president of Ireland to dance in Irish (Gaeilge) and talked about it on live Irish radio, interviewed Peruvian fabric makers about how they work in Quechua, interpreted between Hungarian and Portuguese at a social event… and well, had an extremely interesting decade traveling the world. Such wonderful experiences are well within the reach of many of you. Since you may be starting from a similar position to where I was (monolingual adult, checkered history with language learning, no idea where to start), I’m going to outline the tips that worked best for me as I went from zero to polyglot. This very detailed post should give you everything you need to know. So, let’s get started! #1 — Learn the right words, the right way. Starting a new language means learning new words. Lots of them. Of course, many people cite a bad memory for learning new vocab, so they quit before even getting started. But–here’s the key–you absolutely do not need to know all the words of a language to speak it (and in fact, you don’t know all the words of your mother tongue either). As Tim pointed out in his own post on learning any language in 3 months, you can take advantage of the Pareto principle here, and realize that 20% of the effort you spend on acquiring new vocab could ultimately give you 80% comprehension in a language — for instance, in English just 300 words make up 65% of all written material. We use those words a lot, and that’s the case in every other language as well. You can find pre-made flash card “decks” of these most frequent words (or words themed for a subject you are more likely to talk about) for studying on the Anki app(available for all computer platforms and smartphones) that you can download instantly. Good flashcard methods implement a spaced repetition system (SRS), which Anki automates. This means that rather than go through the same list of vocabulary in the same order every time, you see words at strategically spaced intervals, just before you would forget them. Tim himself likes to use color-coded physical flashcards; some he purchases from Vis-Ed, others he makes himself. He showed me an example when I interviewed him about how he learns languages in the below video. Though this entire video can give you great insight into Tim’s language learning approach, the part relevant to this point is at 27:40 (full transcript here). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNQl2TKyRYo #2 — Learn cognates: your friend in every single language. Believe it or not, you already — right now — have a huge head start in your target language. With language learning you always know at least some words before you ever begin. Starting a language “from scratch” is essentially impossible because of the vast amount of words you know already through cognates. Cognates are “true friends” of words you recognize from your native language that mean the same thing in another language. For instance, Romance languages like French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and others have many words in common with English. English initially “borrowed them” from the Norman conquest of England, which lasted several hundreds of years. Action, nation, precipitation, solution, frustration, tradition, communication, extinction, and thousands of other -tion words are spelled exactly the same in French, and you can quickly get used to the different pronunciation. Change that -tion to a -ción and you have the same words in Spanish. Italian is -zione and Portuguese is -ção. Many languages also have words that share a common (Greek/Latin or other) root, which can be spelled slightly differently, but that you’d have to try hard not to recognize, such as exemple, hélicoptère (Fr), porto, capitano (Italian) astronomía, and Saturno (Spanish). German goes a step further and has many words from English’s past that it shares. To find common words with the language you are learning, simply search for “[language name] cognates” or “[language name] English loan words” to see words they borrowed from us, and finally “[language name] words in English” to see words we borrowed from them. That’s all well and good for European languages, but what about more distant ones?… Well, it turns out that even languages as different as Japanese can have heaps of very familiar vocabulary. To show you what I mean, have a listen to this song (to the tune of Animaniac’s “Nations of the World”), which is sung entirely in Japanese, and yet you should understand pretty much everything that I and the other Japanese learners are singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5c06I8rHO8 This is because many languages simply borrow English words and integrate them into the new language with altered pronunciation or stress. So to make my life easy when I start learning a language, one of the first word lists I try to consume is a list of “cognates,” or “English loan words,” which can be found quickly for pretty much any language. #3 — Interact in your language daily without traveling. Another reason (or excuse, depending on how you look at it) people cite for not learning languages is that they can’t visit a country where it’s a native language. No time, no money, etc. Take it from me — there is nothing “in the air” in another country that will magically make you able to speak their language. I’ve done a lot of experiments to prove this (e.g. learning Arabic while living in Brazil). I’ve met countless expats who lived abroad for years without learning the local language. Living abroad and being immersed is not the same thing. If you need to hear and use a language consistently to be immersed, can’t virtual immersion be just as effective? Of course. Technology makes it possible for immersion to come to you, and you don’t even have to buy a plane ticket. To hear the language consistently spoken, you can check out TuneIn.com for a vast selection of live-streamed radio from your country of choice. The app (free) also has a list of streamed radio stations ordered by language. To watch the language consistently, see what’s trending on Youtube in that country right now. Go to that country’s equivalent URL for Amazon or Ebay (amazon.es, amazon.fr, amazon.co.jp, etc.) and buy your favorite TV series dubbed in that language, or get a local equivalent by seeing what’s on the top charts. You may be able to save shipping costs if you can find one locally that includes dubbing in the appropriate language. Various news stations also have plenty of video content online in specific languages, such as France24, Deutsche Welle, CNN Español, and many others. To read the language consistently, in addition to the news sites listed above, you can find cool blogs and other popular sites on Alexa’s ranking of top sites per country. And if full-on immersion isn’t your thing yet, there’s even a plugin for Chrome that eases you into the language by translating some parts of the sites you normally read in English, to sprinkle the odd word into your otherwise English reading. #4 — Skype today for daily spoken practice. So you’ve been listening to, watching, and even reading in your target language — and all in the comfort of your own home. Now it’s time for the big one: speaking it live with a native. One of my more controversial pieces of advice, but one that I absolutely insist on when I advise beginners, is that you must speak the language right away if your goals in the target language involve speaking it. Most traditional approaches or language systems don’t work this way, and I think that’s where they let their students down. I say, there are seven days in a week and “some day” is not one of them. Here’s what I suggest instead: Use the pointers I’ve given above to learn some basic vocabulary, and be aware of some words you already know. Do this for a few hours, and then set up an exchange with a native speaker — someone who has spoken that language their whole life. You only have to learn a little for your first conversation, but if you use it immediately, you’ll see what’s missing and can add on from there. You can’t study in isolation until you are vaguely “ready” for interaction. In those first few hours, I’d recommend learning some pleasantries such as “Hello,” “Thank you,” “Could you repeat that?” or “I don’t understand,” many of which you will find listed out here for most languages. But wait — where do you find a native speaker if you aren’t in the country that speaks that language? No problem! Thousands of native speakers are ready and waiting for you to talk to them right now. You can get private lessons for peanuts by taking advantage of currency differences. My favorite site for finding natives is italki.com (connect with my profile here), where I’ve gotten both Chinese and Japanese one-on-one Skype-based lessons for just $5 an hour. If you still think you wouldn’t be ready on day one, then consider this: starting on Skype allows you to ease yourself in gently by having another window (or application, like Word) open during your conversation, already loaded with key words that you can use for quick reference until you internalize them. You can even reference Google Translate or a dictionary for that language while you chat, so you can learn new words as you go, when you need them. Is this “cheating”? No. The goal is to learn to be functional, not to imitate old traditional methods. I’ve used the above shortcuts myself, and after learning Polish for just one hour for a trip to Warsaw to speak at TEDx about language learning, I was able to hold up a conversation (incredibly basic as it was) in Polish for an entire half hour. I consider that a win. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1KD1O4IttI #5 — Save your money. The best resources are free. Other than paying for the undivided attention of a native speaker, I don’t see why you’d need to spend hundreds of dollars on anything in language learning. I’ve tried Rosetta Stone myself and wasn’t impressed. But there is great stuff out there. A wonderful and completely free course that keeps getting better is DuoLingo — which I highly recommend for its selection of European languages currently on offer, with more on the way. To really get you started on the many options available to help you learn your language without spending a penny, let me offer plenty of other (good) alternatives: You really do have plenty of options when it comes to free resources, so I suggest you try out several and see which ones work well for you. The aforementioned italki is great for language exchanges and lessons, but My Language Exchange and Interpals are two other options. You can take it offline and see about language related meet-ups in your city through The Polyglot Club, or the meet-ups pages on Couchsurfing, meetup.com, and Internations. These meet-ups are also great opportunities to meet an international crowd of fellow language learning enthusiasts, as well as native speakers of your target language, for practice. But wait, there’s more. You can get further completely free language help on: The huge database on Forvo, to hear any word or small expression in many languages read aloud by a native of the language Rhinospike to make requests of specific phrases you’d like to hear pronounced by a native speaker. If you can’t find something on either of these sites, Google Translate has a text-to-speech option for many languages. Lang 8 to receive free written corrections. The possibilities for free practice are endless. #6 — Realize that adults are actually better language learners than kids. Now that you’re armed with a ton of resources to get started, let’s tackle the biggest problem. Not grammar, not vocabulary, not a lack of resources, but handicapping misconceptions about your own learning potential. The most common “I give up” misconception is: I’m too old to become fluent. I’m glad to be the bearer of good news and tell you that research has confirmed that adults can be better language learners than kids. This study at the University of Haifa has found that under the right circumstances, adults show an intuition for unexplained grammar rules better than their younger counterparts. [Note from Tim: This is corroborated by the book In Other Words and work by Hakuta.] Also, no study has ever shown any direct correlation between reduced language acquisition skill and increased age. There is only a general downward trend in language acquisition in adults, which is probably more dependent on environmental factors that can be changed (e.g. long job hours that crowd out study time). Something my friend Khatzumoto (alljapaneseallthetime.com) once said that I liked was, “Babies aren’t better language learners than you; they just have no escape routes.” As adults, the good news is that we can emulate the immersion environment without having to travel, spend a lot of money, or revert back to childhood. #7 — Expand your vocabulary with mnemonics. Rote repetition isn’t enough. And while it’s true that repeated exposure sometimes burns a word into your memory, it can be frustrating to forget a word that you’ve already heard a dozen times. For this, I suggest coming up with mnemonics about your target word, which helps glue the word to your memory way more effectively. Basically, you tell yourself a funny, silly, or otherwise memorable story to associate with a particular word. You can come up with the mnemonic yourself, but a wonderful (and free) resource that I highly recommend is memrise.com. For instance, let’s say you are learning Spanish and can’t seem to remember that “caber” means “to fit,” no matter how many times you see it. Why not come up with a clever association like the following one I found on Memrise: This [caber -> cab, bear -> fitting a bear in a cab] association makes remembering the word a cinch. It may sound like a lengthy process, but try it a few times, and you’ll quickly realize why it’s so effective. And you’ll only need to recall this hook a couple of times, and then you can ditch it when the word becomes a natural part of your ability to use the language quickly. #8 — Embrace mistakes. Over half of the planet speaks more than one language. This means that monolingualism is a cultural, not a biological, consequence. So when adults (at least in the English speaking world) fail at language learning, it’s not because they don’t have the right genes or other such nonsense. It’s because the system they have used to learn languages is broken. Traditional teaching methods treat language learning just like any other academic subject, based on an approach that has barely changed since the days when Charles Dickens was learning Latin. The differences between your native language (L1) and your target language (L2) are presented as vocabulary and grammar rules to memorize. The traditional idea: know them “all” and you know the language. It seems logical enough, right? The problem is that you can’t ever truly “learn” a language, you get used to it. It’s not a thing that you know or don’t know; it’s a means of communication between human beings. Languages should not be acquired by rote alone — they need to be used. The way you do this as a beginner is to use everything you do know with emphasis on communication rather than on perfection. This is the pivotal difference. Sure, you could wait until you are ready to say “Excuse me kind sir, could you direct me to the nearest bathroom?” but “Bathroom where?” actually conveys the same essential information, only removing superfluous pleasantries. You will be forgiven for this directness, because it’s always obvious that you are a learner. Don’t worry about upsetting native speakers for being so “bold” as to speak to them in their own language. One of the best things you can do in the initial stages is not to try to get everything perfect, but to embrace making mistakes. I go out of my way to make at least 200 mistakes a day! This way I know I am truly using and practicing the language. [TIM: I actually view part of my role as that of comedian or court jester–to make native speakers chuckle at my Tarzan speak. If you make people smile, it will make you popular, which will make you enthusiastic to continue.] #9 — Create SMART goals. Another failing of most learning approaches is a poorly defined end-goal. We tend to have New Year’s Resolutions along the lines of “Learn Spanish,” but how do you know when you’ve succeeded? If this is your goal, how can you know when you’ve reached it? Vague end goals like this are endless pits (e.g. “I’m not ready yet, because I haven’t learned the entire language”). S.M.A.R.T. goals on the other hand are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. To start developing your SMART goal in a language, I highly recommend you become somewhat familiar with the European Common Framework that defines language levels. This framework provides you with a way of setting specific language goals and measuring your own progress. In brief, A means beginner, B means intermediate, and C means advanced, and each level is broken up into lower (1) and upper (2) categories. So an upper beginner speaker is A2, and a lower advanced speaker is C1. As well as being Specific, these levels are absolutely Measurable because officially recognized institutions can test you on them and provide diplomas (no course enrollment necessary) in German, French, Spanish, Irish, and each other official European language. While the same scale is not used, you can also get tested in a similar way in Chinese and Japanese. So what do you aim for? And what do words like “fluency” and “mastery” mean on a practical level? I’ve talked to many people to try to pinpoint the never-agreed-upon understanding of “fluency,” and I’ve found that it tends to average out around the B2 level (upper intermediate). This effectively means that you have “social equivalency” with your native language, which means that you can live in your target language in social situations in much the same way that you would in your native language, such as casual chats with friends in a bar, asking what people did over the weekend, sharing your aspirations and relating to people. Since we are being specific, it’s also important to point out that this does not require that you can work professionally in a language (in my case, as an engineer or public speaker, for instance). That would be mastery level (generally C2). Though I’ve reached the C2 stage myself in French, Spanish and am close to it in other languages, realistically I only really need to be socially equivalent in a language I want to communicate in. I don’t need to work in other languages. It’s essential that you keep your priorities clear to avoid frustration. Most of the time, just target B2. To make your specific goal Attainable, you can break it down further. For example, I’ve found that the fluency (B2) level can be achieved in a matter of months, as long as you are focused on the spoken aspect. In phonetic languages (like most European ones), you can actually learn to read along with speaking, so you get this effectively for free. But realistically, we tend to write emails and text messages — not essays — on a day-to-day basis (unless you are a writer by trade, and you may not have those goals with your L2). Focusing on speaking and listening (and maybe reading) makes fluency in a few months much more realistic. Finally, to make your project Time-bound, I highly recommend a short end-point of a few months. Keeping it a year or more away is far too distant, and your plans may as well be unbound at that point. Three months has worked great for me, but 6 weeks or 4 months could be your ideal point. Pick a definite point in the not too distant future (summer vacation, your birthday, when a family member will visit), aim to reach your target by this time, and work your ass off to make it happen. To help you be smarter with your goals, make sure to track your progress and use an app like Lift to track completing daily essential tasks. You can join the Lift plan for language learning that I wrote for their users here. #10 — Jump from Conversational (B1) to Mastery (C2). The way I reach spoken fluency quickly is to get a hell of a lot of spoken practice. From day one to day 90 (and beyond), I speak at least an hour a day in my L2, and my study time is tailored around the spoken sessions to make sure that my conversation is what’s improving — not just my “general language skills” through some vague list of words I may never use. So, for instance, I may start a session by asking what my native friend or teacher did over the weekend, and tell them what I did. Then I will share something that is on my mind lately and attempt to express my opinion on it, or allow the native speaker to introduce a new topic. It’s important to take an active role and make sure you are having varied conversations. Have a list of topics you would like to discuss and bring them up (your hobbies, hopes for the future, dislikes, what you will do on your vacation etc.) and make sure the conversation is constantly progressing. Lots of practice and study to improve those spoken sessions tends to get me to lower intermediate (B1) level, which means I can understand the other person speaking to me fine as long as they are willing to speak clearly and adjust to my level and mistakes. It’s a LOT of work, mind you! On typical learning days I can be filled with frustration or feel like my brain is melting when–in fact–I’m truly making a lot of progress. But the work is totally worth it when you have your first successful conversation with a native speaker. You’ll be thrilled beyond belief. To see what this B1 level looks like, check out these videos of me chatting to a native in Arabic (in person with my italki teacher!), and in Mandarin with my friend Yangyangabout how she got into working as a TV show host: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSvPAfBkq8Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoWXYmLpNJY At this level, I still make plenty of mistakes of course, but they don’t hinder communication too much. But to get over that plateau of just “good enough,” this is the point where I tend to return to academic material and grammar books, to tidy up what I have. I find I understand the grammar much better once I’m already speaking the language. This approach really works for me, but there is no one best language-learning approach. For instance, Tim has had great success by grammatically deconstructing a language right from the start. Your approach will depend entirely on your personality. After lots of exercises to tidy up my mistakes at the B1 level, I find that I can break into B2. At the B2 stage you can really have fun in the language! You can socialize and have any typical conversation that you’d like. To get into the mastery C1/C2 levels though, the requirements are very different. You’ll have to start reading newspapers, technical blog posts, or other articles that won’t exactly be “light reading.” To get this high-level practice, I’ve subscribed to newspapers on my Kindle that I try to read every day from various major news outlets around the world. Here are the top newspapers in Europe, South America and Asia. After reading up on various topics, I like to get an experienced professional (and ideally pedantic) teacher to grill me on the topic, to force me out of my comfort zone, and make sure I’m using precisely the right words, rather than simply making myself understood. To show you what a higher level looks like, here is a chat I had with my Quebec Couchsurfer about the fascinating cultural and linguistic differences between Quebec and France (I would have been at a C1 level at this stage): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw5Re7k1KBA Reaching the C2 level can be extremely difficult. For instance, I sat a C2 exam in German, and managed to hold my ground for the oral component, when I had to talk about deforestation for ten minutes, but I failed the exam on the listening component, showing me that I needed to be focused and pay attention to complicated radio interviews or podcasts at that level if I wanted to pass the exam in future. #11 — Learn to sound more native. At C2, you are as good as a native speaker in how you can work and interact in the language, but you may still have an accent and make the odd mistake. I have been mistaken for a native speaker of my L2 several times (in Spanish, French and Portuguese — including when I was still at the B2/fluent level), and I can say that it’s a lot less related to your language level, and more related to two other factors. First, your accent/intonation Accent is obvious; if you can’t roll your R in Spanish you will be recognized as a foreigner instantly. Your tongue muscles are not set in their ways forever, and you can learn the very fewnew sounds that your L2 requires that you learn. Time with a native, a good Youtube video explaining the sounds, and practice for a few hours may be all that you need! What is much more important, but often overlooked, is intonation — the pitch, rise, fall, and stress of your words. When I was writing my book, I interviewed fellow polyglot Luca, who is very effective in adapting a convincing accent in his target languages. For this, intonation is pivotal. Luca trains himself from the very start to mimic the musicality and rhythm of a language’s natives by visualizing the sentences. For instance, if you really listen to it, the word “France” sounds different in “I want to go to France” (downward intonation) and “France is a beautiful country (intonation raising upwards). When you repeat sentences in your L2, you have to mimic the musicality of them. My own French teacher pointed out a mistake I was making along these same lines. I was trying to raise my intonation before pauses, which is a feature of French that occurs much more frequently than in English, but I was overdoing it and applying it to the ends of sentences as well. This made my sentences sound incomplete, and when my teacher trained me to stop doing this, I was told that I sounded way more French. You can make these changes by focusing on the sounds of a language rather than just on the words. Truly listen to and and mimic audio from natives, have them correct your biggest mistakes and drill the mistakes out of you. I had an accent trainer show me how this worked, and I found out some fascinating differences between my own Irish accent and American accents in the process! To see for yourself how the process works, check out the second half of this post with Soundcloud samples. Second, walk like an Egyptian The second factor that influences whether or not you could be confused for a native speaker, involves working on your social and cultural integration. This is often overlooked, but has made a world of difference to me, even in my early stages of speaking several languages. For instance, when I first arrived in Egypt with lower intermediate Egyptian Arabic, I was disheartened that most people would speak English to me (in Cairo) before I even had a chance for my Arabic to shine. It’s easy to say that I’m too white to ever be confused for an Egyptian, but there’s more to it than that. They took one look at me, saw how foreign I obviously was, and this overshadowed what language I was actually speaking to them. To get around this problem, I sat down at a busy pedestrian intersection with a pen and paper and made a note of everything that made Egyptian men about my age different from me. How they walked, how they used their hands, the clothing they wore, their facial expressions, the volume they’d speak at, how they’d groom themselves, and much more. I found that I needed to let some stubble grow out, ditch my bright light clothes for darker and heavy ones (despite the temperature), exchange my trainers for dull black shoes, ditch my hat (I never saw anyone with hats), walk much more confidently, and change my facial expressions. The transformation was incredible! Every single person for the rest of my time in Egypt would start speaking to me in Arabic, including in touristy parts of town where they spoke excellent English and would be well used to spotting tourists. This transformation allowed me to walk from the Nile to the Pyramids without any hassle from touts and make the experience all about the fascinating people I met. Try it yourself, and you’ll see what I mean — once you start paying attention, the physical social differences will become easy to spot. You can observe people directly, or watch videos of natives you’d like to emulate from a target country. Really try to analyze everything that someone of your age and gender is doing, and see if you can mimic it next time you are speaking. Imitation is, after all, the most sincere form of flattery! #12 — Become a polyglot. This post has been an extremely detailed look at starting off and trying to reach mastery in a foreign language (and even passing yourself off as a native of that country). If your ultimate goal is to speak multiple languages, you can repeat this process over multiple times, but I highly recommend you focus on one language at a time until you reach at least the intermediate level. Take each language one by one, until you reach a stage where you know you can confidently use it. And then you may just be ready for the next ones! While you can do a lot in a few months, if you want to speak a language for the rest of your life it requires constant practice, improvement, and living your life through it as often as you can. But the good news is — once you reach fluency in a language, it tends to stick with you pretty well. Also, keep in mind that while the tips in this article are an excellent place to start, there is a huge community of “polyglots” online willing to offer you their own encouragement as well. A bunch of us came together in this remix, “Skype me Maybe.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HZbBLl4FA0 I share several more stories about these polyglots and dive into much greater detail about how to learn languages in my newly released book Fluent in 3 Months. Grab a copy, or check out my site for inspiration to start your adventure in becoming fluent in a new language — or several. Ganbatte! ### This post originally appeared on my website. Find more from Benny here. Want to Win Every Day? If so, here are 5 things to do right after you roll out of bed. It’s a checklist that will help you win the morning — so you can win your day, and your life. Get the checklist here now!

https://medium.com/@timferriss/12-rules-for-learning-foreign-languages-in-record-time-the-only-post-youll-ever-need-d98e8f4d7a2d

['Tim Ferriss']

2018-04-20 01:15:45.220000+00:00

['Language Learning', 'Polyglot']

Yes, the Government Can Require Masks During a Pandemic Without it Becoming “TYRANNY”

Yes, the Government Can Require Masks During a Pandemic Without it Becoming “TYRANNY” Sean Myers Follow Nov 21 · 6 min read Photo by Fran Boloni on Unsplash Welp. The third wave of coronavirus cases is here. You know what that means: Lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, and mask mandates. You know, all of the things that we should have been taking seriously, all this time. But this is America. Here, “covidiots” claim that they have a right to not wear a mask. They also still claim that their government can’t tell them what to do, that masks are for “sheeple,” and that lockdowns are “TYRANNY.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Public health emergencies were one of the very reasons for government, in the first place, and that is why we gave state governments the power to take action. Here’s how to explain it to these truths to covidiots. State Governments Can Act in the Interest of Public Health The U.S. Constitution gives, or enumerates, certain power to the federal government. Under the Tenth Amendment, those powers that are not enumerated to the federal government fall to either the state governments, or to the people. The power to protect public health, safety, and welfare — known as the police power — is not given to the federal government. Therefore, it falls to either the states or the people. Say: The Tenth Amendment gives states the power to enact laws that promote the public health, safety, and welfare. The possibility that public health decisions — which require collective action and potentially even a degree of sacrifice or inconvenience — could fall to private citizens, individually, is so preposterous that the Supreme Court of the United States, in interpreting the Tenth Amendment, has never taken it seriously. As early as 1905, the Supreme Court recognized that individual liberty could be subject to this police power. 1905! In that case, Jacobson v. Massachusetts, someone in Massachusetts refused to get vaccinated for smallpox (some things never change), even after Massachusetts passed a law requiring one to slow an ongoing outbreak. He was ticketed and fought the ticket all the way to the Supreme Court, which made him pay it. The Court made it abundantly clear that states can, and should, prioritize the public good over the rights of an individual person when necessary: “…the liberty secured by the Constitution… does not import an absolute right in each person to be, at all times and in all circumstances, wholly freed from restraint. There are manifold restraints to which every person is necessarily subject for the common good. On any other basis organized society could not exist with safety to its members. Society based on the rule that each one is a law unto himself would soon be confronted with disorder and anarchy.” Dozens of cases in the century since Jacobson have followed suit. Say: The Supreme Court has a long history of allowing state governments to pass public health laws. No Constitutional Right is Absolute A state’s police powers do not stop at the lines drawn in the sand by the Constitution’s civil rights, either. The Freedom of Speech, the Freedom of Assembly — they can all be legally infringed by a state’s police power when the need is there to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the populace. Say: Even if you think your rights are being violated, no right in the Constitution is absolute. Should a mask mandate or a COVID lockdown begin to infringe on someone’s civil rights, a court would likely look at the measure with strict scrutiny. Hello, Mr. Giuliani, I’m glad you’ve tuned in at this point. When a court looks at a government regulation that infringes someone’s rights with strict scrutiny, it asks, “Is this regulation narrowly tailored to further a compelling government interest?” Say: If a coronavirus measure infringes your rights, it is still constitutional if it is narrowly tailored to a compelling government interest. You can break that question apart and get two: Is there a compelling government interest? Is this regulation narrowly tailored to further that interest? The first one is easy: Stopping or slowing the spread of the coronavirus is a compelling government interest. You’d have to be a COVID denier to argue otherwise. Even if you think that a 1% fatality rate isn’t worth all the hullabaloo, you’d still have to admit that slowing the pandemic is a compelling public interest because you’d still think that over 3 million people stand to die from the virus. Even if you have still managed to stand by the comparison of the coronavirus to fatal car accidents, you would still think that stopping the virus falls within a state’s police powers because why do you think we have drunk driving, speeding, and seatbelt laws? Say: Stopping the coronavirus is a compelling government interest. That leaves the second: Are mask mandates and COVID lockdowns “narrowly tailored” to serve that interest? Strangely, Jacobson sheds light on this issue, even though it was decided before courts started asking these questions about things being “narrowly tailored” to a government interest that was “compelling.” An argument that the 19th century anti-vaxxer had made was that the science was still out on vaccines, and that there were plenty of people who doubted they worked. The Court gave the thought the back of its hand: “The fact that the belief [in the efficacy of vaccines] is not universal is not controlling, for there is scarcely any belief that is accepted by everyone. The possibility that the belief may be wrong, and that science may yet show it to be wrong, is not conclusive, for the legislature has the right to pass laws which, according to the common belief of the people, are adapted to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.” Just because they are disputed or there is the chance that history will tell us that these mask mandates and lockdowns did not work does not mean that they are unconstitutional. Something that would likely not be “narrowly tailored” to controlling the pandemic is a government regulation that seems more likely to be in Trump’s playbook: Singling out Asian-Americans for “treatment.” Back in 1900, the Board of Health in the burgeoning city of San Francisco — population 350,000 — was terrified of the bubonic plague which, they seemed to think, was carried by people from China. Even though there were no cases in the city, yet, the Board of Health decided to inoculate everyone of Asian descent against the plague. The vaccine, it being 1900, was risky, at best. Chinese residents who did not want to get vaccinated with ditch water were not allowed to leave the city. No one else was required to get the vaccine. A court stopped the inoculation order after finding that the Board of Health’s decision was based on no evidence, at all. Mask mandates and stay-at-home orders, like the vaccine in Jacobson, are based on science. Expert epidemiologists recommend them to slow infection rates and viral spread. They might not be perfect, but they are more than guesswork and xenophobia and are designed to slow the coronavirus. More importantly for the constitutional question, they are designed for the sole purpose of combating the coronavirus. They aren’t coming from Big Mask lobbyists. Lockdowns are not an deep state conspiracy to get us to accept increasingly intense levels of servitude until we are no more than slaves (do I really have to say this?). Dr. Fauci is not a mass murderer who knows that wearing masks for long periods of time causes oxygen deprivation and death (have we really sunk so low?). Say: These regulations are narrowly tailored measures that are meant to protect the public health during a pandemic. The government not only has the power to enact them; they have the duty to do so.

https://medium.com/politically-speaking/yes-the-government-can-require-masks-during-a-pandemic-without-it-becoming-tyranny-8b07c87b65f3

['Sean Myers']

2020-11-21 15:13:18.750000+00:00

['America', 'Politics', 'Pandemic', 'Covid 19', 'Lockdown']

A Return to Wellness — Charting the Wellness Industry Recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic effectively put the world on pause, significantly impacting the wellness industry. Fitness businesses, salons and spas closed their doors. People retreated inside their homes. More than a year later, while coronavirus is still very much here, signs are positive as markets reopen, and consumers begin getting back to, or in some cases finding new, wellness routines. We’ve all wondered when we’d get back to normal — or find a relatively feasible new normal, at least. When can salons, spas, gyms, and other health and wellness centers expect business to go back to its pre-COVID days? Are we close to recovering? Are customers anywhere close to booking appointments the way they used to before the pandemic? The Mindbody data science team dug into the data, looking at metrics like monthly bookings, herd immunity, and vaccination rates to see where health and wellness businesses currently stand, and what the days ahead will potentially bring us. We believe the data tells a powerful story of rebound and recovery. As restrictions are lifting across the United States, our research is showing us that the wellness industry is on the road to recovery. In states where COVID restrictions have lifted, booking numbers are reaching pre-COVID levels. Consumers are realizing that wellness is more important than ever, and we’re seeing pent-up demand from consumers who appear eager to get back to their fitness and wellness routines. Between March and April of 2020, Australia (like most of the world) saw a massive drop in daily consumer bookings. Starting around May, they were making the climb back to normality. Between July and November, they were much closer to 2019’s pre-COVID numbers. But getting into November, they actually surpassed 2019’s numbers. They started 2021 off strong and are holding steady, relative to the previous two years. Like what we saw globally, Australia is on trend with historical numbers, however, they have already exceeded 2019 booking numbers. After the initial quarantine and a secondary July-November (limited largely to Victoria) Australia has bounced back as expected. We know that getting vaccinated is playing a role in how quickly different parts of the world are able to overcome COVID-19. Our data shows us that most of our businesses are in regions where vaccinations are higher than the 33% average rate. This is promising news for these business owners, who can expect continued progress. This also reaffirmed that higher vaccination rates are likely correlated with regions being able to get back to business as usual.

https://medium.com/@alexander-soria/a-return-to-wellness-charting-the-wellness-industry-recovery-be26406fe3a5

['Alexander Soria']

2021-06-24 21:31:45.758000+00:00

['Wellness', 'Covid 19 Crisis', 'Covid 19', 'Return To Normal']

5 Aspects of COVID Life I Never Want to Disappear | Truly Mama

Allow me to preface this post by assuring you that this global pandemic is not something I am taking lightly. I’m fully aware of the somber loss of life, security, and stability it has had, along with other grave consequences such as mental health crises. I’m doing my due diligence, I’m helping those who have been affected, and our family is still primarily hanging out at home. Now, all that being said, after months at home with my five children, teacher husband and-surprise, my parents moving in with us after COVID wreaked havoc on the housing market-I have had to look for the bright side of things in order to survive. The truth is, while going through a pandemic has been challenging in a lot of ways, there have also been opportunities to find the positives in the situation. And there may be plenty of people who long for the day when “normal” returns, but for this mom, there are a couple of changes that, truthfully, I hope never disappear. In the past 10 minutes, I have ordered a full week of groceries, dog food, and chicken food for our 8 chickens, all without leaving the comfort of my bedroom chair (where, yes, I am hiding from my children, but that’s beside the point). My early days of a mother were spent mentally prepping for my once-a-week grocery trip, because it involved an exhausting amount of work to get through the store with what was, at one point, four children under the age of six. I have left abandoned carts full of groceries at the check-out lane when a toddler threw a tantrum, I have dragged screaming children through a store at 9 months pregnant, and I have done a full sprint from the frozen food aisle in the midst of potty training when a child yelled, “I have to do potty, Mama!” It was a terrible time in my life and when I was forced to take all of my now five children into the store recently, I was reminded why I never want to go back to those days. I am just millennial enough to fully remember the days of mail-in Netflix and in-person grocery shopping with kids and I can say with full confidence that curbside life is waaayyyy better. The day I turned old enough to legally get a job in my state-14 years and 9 months, to be precise-I begged my mother to let me train to become a lifeguard. And so, before I could even drive, I became certified to rescue small toddlers out of the wave pool and blow my whistle at offending fast walkers on the deck. Since I became a part of the workforce, I have always valued the value of hard work and a paycheck, and that has never changed. But these days, since seeing how the virus has impacted so many people’s employment, my appreciation for having a job to do has grown even more. I feel like the millennial generation especially feels enormous pressure to only find employment that fulfills them on some kind of soul-deep level, but you know what? In times of crisis, sometimes, a paycheck is more than enough. The Realization That Life is Never Set in Stone Before the shutdown, I admit that our family was a bit stuck in a rut. It felt like life was marching on in a relentless cycle of: wake-up, take the kids to school, work, try to get the house back in some kind of order, collapse into bed, rinse and repeat forever. And while the shutdown didn’t exactly change our routine for the better (the house certainly was not in any kind of order), it did open our eyes to the fact that life really can look different-and it can change in an instant. From exploring self-employment to homeschooling to more homesteading, being forced to shake up normal life was actually a wake-up call that we have a lot more choices in life than we realize. An Appreciation for the Simple Things Two words: toilet.paper. And you may think I’m joking, but I’m not. Toilet paper was truly a scarcity where I live, and we went several weeks with nothing but paper napkins. I have a true appreciation for so many things that I took for granted before-a stocked freezer, freedom to buy toilet paper whenever I want, coffee in a country that barely can grow any. I really did have a lot of fear at the beginning of this, and I found that it became my coping mechanism to really focus on the small things that brought me joy, like going for a walk with my kids, growing something in the garden (I finally kept a plant alive, guys!), or making my house as cozy as possible. When the outside world shut down and we turned inward, it was the comforts of home that got us through, and that’s something I’ll never take for granted again. The Opportunity for a New Future for My Children This one is both filled with hope and terrifying, because the truth is, I don’t know what kind of future awaits my children. On one hand, they are a generation of young people who faced a pandemic with a lot more grace and calmness than a lot of adults around them. They adjusted to virtual school, adapted to wearing masks, and found new ways to be creative. Honestly, I’ve been in awe of my kids through all of this. But on the other hand, they are also a generation of young people who have faced some really, really hard things. And who will continue to face a lot of really, really hard things. And I don’t have the answers for them. But I do know one thing for sure: our children will grow up paving a new future based on the lessons they have learned from this experience. Let’s hope it’s a better future, for all of our sakes. And also that it’s one filled with lots of toilet paper on the shelves.

https://medium.com/@trulymama/5-aspects-of-covid-life-i-never-want-to-disappear-truly-mama-25caa981f3fa

['Truly Mama']

2020-11-02 17:01:52.387000+00:00

['Moms', 'Covid 19', 'Baby', 'New Normal', 'Shopping']

You 100% do not have to bloom where you are planted.

A few years ago I attended a womxn’s entrepreneur event. It could have been any women’s entrepreneur event you’ve ever been to. We started with a small batch breakfast and craft coffee punctuated by a call to seize the day so inspiring it resembled a church service. After shuffling from break-out session to break-out session, we paused for a lunch of organic something with grass fed something else on artisan bread. I know you have all been to events just like this one, and so you know a local successful business womxn shared her tips for having it all while we ate; we shuffled off to more breakout sessions; and we ended the day with a vendor fair, photo booth, and happy hour catered by a chef I adore — partially because she is the best in town and partially because she shares my love of a well-made charcuterie board. Also like most events for womxn entrepreneurs in the pre-COVID days, the decor was Instagram worthy with boho garland and inspirational messages in the latest script font everywhere, including the center of every table in the room we convened for food with a side of you got this. This particular event I was attending with one of the most thoughtful, intentional creatives I know, who is also a feminist poet, dedicated to making sure every word in every poem she writes means exactly what she is trying to say. We started towards the front of the room, carrying our food and all the tree-killing handouts from the morning sessions. Anxious to have my hands free again, I put my stuff down at a table that would leave us perfectly poised to soak in all the successful energy sure to come from the lunchtime keynote. With her signature laugh that all at once puts you at ease and tells you that you are missing something very key to your survival, my friend told me we needed to find a different table. She nodded towards the inspirational message framed in the center: Bloom where you are planted. And then she said something that clicked in my soul they way hearing the perfect song for the exact mood you are in does. I one-hundred percent do not have to bloom where I am planted. I get to dig up, uproot, move, reroot, and bloom where I am nourished. And so we moved. Words are my thing. Understanding what they do to us and the power they have to do for us is my jam. And as my soul played the rhythm of her words over and over for the next few weeks, I honed in on the unseen power balance that is solidified when we are told to bloom where we are planted and we listen. For many of us, our mothers and grandmothers believed they had no choice but to bloom where they were planted — they became experts at making the best out of bad situations and being strong womxn in spite of a whole host of realities. My own grandmother lived in a house next door to her husband because she couldn’t divorce him and she couldn’t live with him. My mom has never left a job without one waiting in the wings, regardless of whether she is being nourished or not. And yet, during those same eras, living with those same expectations, womxn have refused to be that one flower that comes up through the crack in a hard sidewalk and sparks life. Instead, they have done whatever they had to do to to create a life that gives them life. They have created underground railroads to bring their friends to safety even when they were told it was too risky. They have left abusive husbands in the middle of the night, kids in tow. They have gone down dark alleys to unmarked addresses to end a pregnancy. They have walked their black children into recently integrated schools with white people literally throwing things at them. They have spoken out in support of the education of girls, even when it meant getting shot. They have also crossed the border from Mexico into the US in the dead of night following a coyote, hoping and praying that everything they have sacrificed for that moment will not be lost, and that they will at last get to start creating that new life they have dreamed of. And still this belief that we should grace up, dig in, and turn lemons into lemonade prevails. It is such a strong current in our culture that the womxn posting this phrase on Instagram or using it to decorate a conference are the very womxn who desire freedom and empowerment for us all. They, too are fooled by the curvy words and flowery sentiment. As twitter puns, well-timed one-liners, and serious conversations turned to the We may actually have to leave moment last week, I saw numerous people responding that even talking about leaving this country to find something else reeks of a privilege that many do not have. This is more well-intentioned folks perpetuating the myth that we have to be given anything to get up and go when it’s time to go. While there is no doubt that privilege, access, inclusion, and equity are in a gut-wrenching spiritual battle right now with patriarchy, gaslighting, and straight up lies, I need ya’ll to hear me when I say this one thing: Womxn have repeatedly found the means to get to some place better when we were ready. Womxn who leave their abusive husbands in the middle of the night often do so with zero dollars in their pocket. Right now, in our country, there are tens of thousands of womxn who are launching companies with no capital, starting podcasts with no college degrees, and just generally kicking ass and figuring it out as they go. What I am not saying is that it is simple. I have watched my brother pull many a root from the ground in the hot Florida sunshine, and it is no small feat. The tropical plants at my mom’s house have roots that go under the driveway and wind around like that yellow brick road that also leads to a womxn realizing she had everything she needed all along. They touch every part of our existence here. And still, it is possible. The sad reality is that the only truth here lies in the fact that we are capable of uprooting and moving on. There is no guarantee that we will succeed and find that better life, or even that we will survive. The beauty that flourishes at the intersection of these two truths is that the power comes not in succeeding, but in the uprooting. It is this power that we give to our daughters and to their daughters and to their daughters, just as it was given to us. Each time a womxn refuses to smile when her heart is breaking, keep silent when she is passed over for a promotion she deserves, or ignore her uncle at a holiday dinner when he squeezes her ass, our power becomes greater and their shrinks. And, as I love to say, With great power comes… great power.

https://medium.com/the-innovation/you-100-do-not-have-to-bloom-where-you-are-planted-7506b6488970

['Lakay Cornell', 'She Her']

2020-11-16 01:55:11.368000+00:00

['Inspiration', 'Empowerment', 'Language']

A Perfect Storm: Supply and Demand in Housing

A Perfect Storm: Supply and Demand in Housing Photo by Jay Wennington on Unsplash There are currently record numbers of people in the UK homeless or living in temporary accommodation such as hostels and bed and breakfasts. Shelter, the housing charity, estimates that approximately 320,000 are currently homeless in the UK; equivalent to one and a third the population of Wolverhampton. The costs of homelessness includes over £1bn being spent on temporary accommodation for people who are homeless as well as up to £20,000 per year per person on support and interventions in some cases. The personal costs affect mental health, education, employment and put pressures on family life. However, it is important to not only recognise the extent of homelessness and its impacts, but also to understand the causes of homelessness and the factors that have led to one of the richest countries in the world not being able to supply enough homes for everyone. Currently, we face a perfect storm within housing of (i) under-supply, (ii) unaffordability, and (iii) welfare reform that curtail any optimism for the future. It is estimated that the UK needs to build between 240,000 and 340,000 dwellings per year to match demand. In 2017 and 2018, there were just over 160,000 completed. Part (though not all) of the problem has been an increasing reliance on the private sector to deliver to a key area of public welfare. Problematically, in terms of the delivery of welfare, the private sector has a history of ‘market failure’ whereby it delivers to the market optimum but does not ‘pay’ for the delivery of the social optimum. Essentially, this means that the private sector will supply enough houses for those able to buy them at the market price but will not build houses that might have a social value but no financial benefit to the company. Furthermore, the ‘inelasticity of supply’ in housing means that increases in house prices and subsidies to first time buyers will not lead to a proportionate increase in housing supply. It is for this reason that we have a mixed economy of welfare in housing whereby there is government support for the voluntary sector (housing associations) and the public sector (council houses). However, since the Housing Act 1980 there has been a significant decline in council housing and, more recently, there has a been a government loss of faith in housing associations. The result is a growing reliance on the private sector to deliver our housing needs. This is fine for those in a position to buy their own houses, but it is bad news for those with more limited financial means. The market is, fundamentally, a site of inequality, with the role of government being to mitigate such inequalities. The reduced role of government over the last decade has signalled an increased role for the private sector and less mitigation of inequalities that accompany the sector. Previously, social housing through housing associations and council housing were the key ways of mitigating the inequalities of the market within housing. However, between 2010 and 2018, affordable housing options reduced as social rented housing completions and affordable rented housing completions declined significantly. Alongside the changes in housing provision has come the spectre of unaffordability. Increasing numbers of people can no longer afford to buy their own home and, as a result, are left looking to the private rented sector as a solution. In the last decade, the private rented sector has grown from 10.1% to 19.9% (2.1m properties to 4.8m) of housing stock as housing unaffordability presents new economic opportunities for those able to buy to rent. This has become the home of the growing number of people in low paid work, the gig economy, zero hour contracts and insecure work. And this brings us to the final part of the perfect storm in housing. For those in low paid and insecure employment, there is a reliance on welfare to help make ends meet. However, in the shadow of austerity, welfare reforms have been a cornerstone of government approaches to reduce the role of the state. In relation to housing, Local Housing Allowance (LHA), which is welfare support to cover rent, has not increased since 2016. At the same time, rents have increased, currently by 3.5% in the last year. At the same time, a cap on the maximum payable LHA means that out of 152 LHA areas in England, only four would provide sufficient LHA to cover the rent of a property at the 30th percentile property. In Birmingham and the Black Country, for example, the 30th percentile rent of a 2 bedroom house (the minimum for a family with children) is approximately £127.62 per week and £113.92 respectively. With LHA capped in these two areas at £127.62 and £104.89, this means a monthly shortfall of £55.97 and £31.15 per month. For London, the shortfall ranges from approximately £100 to £700 per month. This has led to a ‘social cleansing’ of low income households from many areas, the growth in the number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and a large number of households to whom there is a statutory duty to house being placed out of area. Looking ahead, there appears to be little cause for optimism and no sign that the ‘housing crisis’ is likely to improve in the near future. With the absence of an effective national housing strategy, there is no way to ensure that the mixture of housing supply in the UK matches the mixture of housing demand. Behind this, there is no apparent political will to intervene in the housing market from a government that fears such intervention will ‘skew the market’ and perpetuate what they see as ‘welfare dependency’. For the foreseeable future, homelessness looks set to rise, as will the personal and social costs of such a position.

https://medium.com/@icrd/a-perfect-storm-supply-and-demand-in-housing-a9852d2982f1

['Institute For Community Research']

2020-12-01 07:42:27.194000+00:00

['Welfare', 'Homeless', 'Housing', 'Wolverhampton', 'Social Justice']

Quantum Computers, Stable Marriages, and the Intimidating Future we will Witness

Credits: Trendintech I do not believe in spirits. Reality is either classical or quantum, approximately. Classical, as in visible, and quantum, as in sub-atomic or too small for the naked eye. The world of the quantum is a fascinating one. One where it is difficult to separate imagination from reality; a beautiful intersection — one of uncertainties and miracles. Miracles. Miracles like being simultaneously dead and alive, being at more than one place at a time, miracles that made Einstein accuse God never to play dice! For quantum oddities, even God was summoned to the labs. If for nothing else, God must have thought of physicists as more daring than two million Alexander the Greats combined. But this is not about who has a broader courage, it’s about mathematics, and the revelations that come from pruning reality with it. In this article, I make an attempt at describing the physics powering the new cutting-edge technology of quantum computing. I end by introducing the technology. In a sequel, I will dig deeper. In the spirit of going deep, what would your response be if you were to be asked what will be found in a single piece of your skin if you looked closely enough? Go ahead, make a guess. Tiny flashy matter? Could it be elastic black or white stuff? Or just stuff unknown? Well, we find atoms. By even drilling deeper, we encounter atomic constituents — from electrons to protons and quarks. These little beauties make us up from blood to cells and skin, they are the magic. At that scale reality changes and quantum mechanics is dedicated to understanding what goes on in that strange realm. What we find have far-reaching consequences. One is a limit on determinism. What this tells us is that there is fundamentally a limit to how much we can know about truth, about the position and speed of a particle for example. Shoot a golf ball. You can estimate the speed and approximate its position to high degrees of accuracy, maybe to 12 decimal places. However, this is not a problem physically because we are classical bodies, and so a measure that detailed is insignificant. It is a huge deal in quantum mechanics, so important that it has come to be known as Heisenberg’s Uncertainty principle — you cannot know the position and speed of a subatomic particle simultaneously. So then you may wonder, how do we measure quantities precisely in quantum mechanics? We do not. We guess, we calculate probabilities. It is these probabilities that we superpose together — and collapse in a process known as decoherence — to compute the reality of the particle we are trying to measure. This is the idea demonstrated by the hypothetical experiment put together by Erwin Schrodinger in his 1935 talk with Einstein. Schrodinger’s Cat In Quantum Mechanics, it is possible to be dead and alive at the same time! As ridiculous as that sounds, it is the cornerstone of the next generation computers that threatens to break your bank encryptions. We have stated that quantum mechanics is about probabilistic realities; so Schrodinger imagined that if we had a cat in a box with a poison jar and a means to break the jar, it is possible it will break it as much as it she might not. This means there is almost equal chance that the cat would be dead and alive. But how do we deterministically know? We cannot! We combine both solutions and conclude that the cat is in fact dead and alive. Quantum computers are a consequence of this simultaneity. As opposed to bits in classical computers, they are powered by Qubits (Quantum Bits). These bits, unlike classical bits which are either 0 or 1, are 0 and 1 at the same time. Isn’t this strange? You are not alone, it is Hogwarts! But stick with me, with us as we briefly explore some realities of this magical dimension of our world.

https://medium.com/@agbodozie/quantum-computers-stable-marriages-and-the-intimidating-future-we-will-witness-881b03257efd

['Agbo Dozie']

2021-06-08 02:05:32.608000+00:00

['IBM', 'Quantum Computing', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Qiskit', 'Algorithms']

Create Cookies in Cordova with Oreo.js

So, in the past, I write a post about creating cookies in Electron with Oreo.js. This time I just want to show you how to import this package in your Cordova project. Basically, you can use oreo.js as the same way you can use it in Electron or even in a WebBrowser, but the import method could be different depending on the installation type that you decide to use. What is Oreo.js? As I said in the Electron tutorial, Oreo.js is a cross-platform javascript package that allows you to create and manage cookies just like in browsers (with additional features). This package can be installed in different ways depending on the platform on which you are developing your application. Installing the Package In Cordova, you can installed this package in two different ways. You can install it by plugin-manager or by importing directly the .js file in your index.html The script-tag way (Recommended) You can import the .js directly with a script-tag in your index.html file. Just like this: <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/oreo.js/dist/oreo.min.js"></script> Also you can download the oreo.js file in your Electron project folder and import it: <script src="./local/path/to/oreo.js"></script> Once imported, the package will detect automatically if the current platform is an Cordova app to set a storage-system (LocalStorage). Also, a global object will be created with the name oreo and another named cookies . Both objects are the same, but you can select one of them to access to oreo functions. Why I recommend this installation way? I learned a lot of Cordova programming, and will say that Cordova plugins can be really annoying if you don’t have enough Android-Programming knowledge. The plugin version of oreo.js is just an adapted version of the original .js file to be imported through Cordova plugins. When you import oreo.js trough a script-tag, the package will dectect automatically if is working under a cordova-app, and then the package will select the LocalStorage system to storage all cookies.

https://medium.com/@pudretediablo/create-cookies-in-cordova-with-oreo-js-9713a9a3ed8a

['𝕯𝖎𝖆𝖇𝖑𝖔 実']

2020-12-21 17:10:47.333000+00:00

['Web Development', 'Cordova', 'Javascript Development', 'JavaScript', 'Ionic']

Python: Under the hood [Memory Allocation & Management]

Memory Allocation & Management in Python Knowing about memory management may help you write efficient code. Even though you may not have control over memory allocation, but you can optimize your programs to allocate it better. Before we dig deep, remember this: In python, everything is object. Languages like C, C++, or Java store the value in memory, and there’s a variable that points to that memory location. Memory Allocation in C Whereas In python, an entire object is stored in the memory (heap memory); the object could be integer, string, or a list, and variable pointing to an object. Confusing. Right? To make sense, let’s understand what does a python object holds! A PyObject in memory holds Type: integer, string, float, etc Ref Count: number of references bound to that object Value: value/data/information PyObject (a=200) So, whenever you create a variable, let’s say a = 200, a new PyObject is created in the memory, and its ref count is set to 1, and variable “a” points to it. Okay. But what is ref count? Let’s take an example to understand it. We have a variable “a” of type integer with value of 200. Let’s say I need to have another variable named “b” of type integer with a value of 200. So, you’ve created two variables like this. a=200 b=200 Now, you might be guessing; there must be two objects in the memory for variable “a” and “b”. But that’s not the case. Both “a” and “b” points to the same object. Variable a and b referencing to the same PyObject Let’s validate this through code. As you can see, variable “a” and “b” have the same id (memory location) thus, representing the same object, while c has a different value of the id. Therefore, currently in memory, there two python objects. So, what will happen if we assign a new value to “a” i.e., a = 3. “a” now points to a new object, but “b” stills points to the same object. But let’s consider this example. In this example, a =1 but “b” has the value of “a”. When we change the value of “a”, is it going to affect “b” too? Let’s see. “a” now points to a new object, but “b” still points to the older object. Quite Surprising. But why? Because “b” does not directly point to the variable “a” but the object of variable “a”. That’s what ref count does. It keeps track of the number of variables pointing to it. Another intriguing question would be, What would happen if the ref count of a PyObject becomes zero? Before that, let’s find out how we can remove references to an object. del Python’s built-in del keyword helps us remove these references pointing to an object. In fact, some people think that del removes the object from memory, which is not the case. So, you could use del like this to remove a reference. Remove reference to an object 2. Going out of scope The reference to an object gets automatically deleted once it goes out of scope. Let’s take the above code as an example, the object of variable “x” will have +1 ref count inside the scope() function, but as the interpreter leaves this function scope, the ref count of the PyObject reduce to -1 because “x” is a local variable and only have scope to its function. And this is one of the reasons why python discourages using global variables since variables in global scope stick to the entirety of the program. 3. Assigning a new object to a variable. When assigning a new object to an already existing variable, the ref count of the previous object reduces to -1. Reducing ref count of an object by assigning a new object Now, coming back to the previous question, What happens when the ref count of an object is 0. Does it stay in memory? Well, the answer is No. As soon as ref count of an object turns to 0. It gets erased from the memory by Garbage Collector. You can think of garbage collector as a cleaner, which cleans all the leftovers and waste items which won’t be used in the future and this technique is called “Garbage Collection”. We’ll be discussing garbage collection in python in more detail in the next article.

https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/python-under-the-hood-draft-2-7191d4da48aa

['Vasu Pal']

2020-10-02 14:22:34.035000+00:00

['Memory Allocation', 'Programming', 'Memory Management', 'Python', 'Python3']

Leading Diverse and Dispersed Teams in Times of Crisis

Leading Diverse and Dispersed Teams in Times of Crisis The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative is collaborating with Bloomberg Philanthropies’ COVID-19 Local Response Initiative to support mayors as they manage the pandemic. A ninth virtual discussion session held on May 14, 2020, focused on leading diverse and dispersed teams in times of crisis. In the ninth session of the COVID-19 Local Response Initiative, Amy Edmondson, the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, and Jorrit de Jong, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and Harvard Kennedy School, discussed effective crisis leadership with a particular focus on creating conditions for diverse and dispersed teams to thrive. Public Health Update Dr. Josh Sharfstein, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Dr. Caitlin Rivers, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, provided critical public health updates and examined what organizations, businesses, and other settings need to do when they reopen.

https://medium.com/covid-19-public-sector-resources/leading-diverse-and-dispersed-teams-in-times-of-crisis-b1a3b723af78

['Harvard Ash Center']

2020-05-18 16:02:04.565000+00:00

['Local Government', 'Covid 19', 'Leadership', 'Teams And Teamwork', 'Coronavirus']

Robot Vs Cancer 🤖

It’s been long said that the robot revolution was going to change our lives forever. Whether it be the extinction of mankind or the optimization of everything from weapons, to manufacturing and even the finance industry. One of the most important uses for robots and artificial intelligence comes in the form of human health. Over the past 50 years, there has been a serious problem: “”mapping the three-dimensional shapes of the proteins that are responsible for diseases from cancer to Covid-19". Google’s Deepmind has solved this issue. According to a new report from The Independent, Google’s Deepmind claims to have created a program named AlphaFold that can solve these mapping problems in “a matter of days”. This would be a major development if true and would mean this technology has arrived “decades” before it was expected. There are millions and millions of known proteins in the human body and only a small percentage are understood. These technological developments could mean big changes for the way we fight disease. Nobel Laureate and Professor Venki Ramakrishnan had this to say on the matter: “This computational work represents a stunning advance on the protein-folding problem, a 50-year-old grand challenge in biology. It has occurred decades before many people in the field would have predicted. It will be exciting to see the many ways in which it will fundamentally change biological research.” I am not a financial advisor and my comments should never be taken as financial advice. Investments come with risk, so always do your research and analysis beforehand.

https://medium.com/invstr/robot-vs-cancer-143603725a18

[]

2020-12-07 11:49:35.062000+00:00

['Cancer', 'Health', 'Robots', 'Business', 'Technology']

5 Minute DevOps: The Value of Code Coverage

By CteachC — Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8097864 Code coverage is the measure of the amount of code being executed by tests. It’s an easy number to measure and a minimum value is frequently set as a goal. What is the actual value of code coverage? True story, I was once in an organization where management told us that one of our annual goals was to ensure all applications had 90% code coverage. See, we were just starting to push testing in the area and they wanted to track our progress to make sure testing was happening. It was an interesting social experiment that I frequently see repeated in the industry. I learned a bit about people and measuring goals from that. What was the outcome? Test coverage went up, naturally. Let’s try this out. I’ve been given the task to write a function that will add two whole numbers. I have requirements that it should return the sum of two whole numbers but if a decimal value or a non-number is passed, then I need to return the JavaScript value for “Not a Number”. Should be easy. So I have a function that will check both inputs to verify that they are evenly divisible by 1. If they are not, then it returns NaN. Since alpha characters are also not divisible by 1, those will be trapped too. Naturally, we have tests for this because I am also told I need over 90% test coverage. Let's run the coverage report! code-coverage-ex (main ✔) » npm run coverage Adding two whole numbers ✓ should return the sum of two whole numbers ✓ should return NaN if one number is not a whole number 2 passing (5ms) --------------------|---------|----------|---------|---------| File | % Stmts | % Branch | % Funcs | % Lines | --------------------|---------|----------|---------|---------| All files | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | addWholeNumbers.js | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | --------------------|---------|----------|---------|---------| There we go, 100% coverage for every statement, code branch, and function. The gold standard of quality. I even have a nice report for the product owner and my manager. I’m done and ready to hand this off to whoever will be doing support for me. I’m a developer, after all, support is someone else's problem. Later that month, my change is delivered to production and customers start using my 100% covered code to add products to their shopping carts. Random quantity issues begin occurring and customers are getting angry about overcharges and massive over-shipment of products. Weird. We have really high code coverage. What went wrong? Let’s log the output from the fuction 2 + 2 = 4 2.1 + 2 = NaN A + 2 = NaN 2 + 2 = 22 So, the first three runs look great. What happened to the last run? Let’s look at the code. console.log(`2 + 2 = ${addWholeNumbers(2, 2)}`); console.log(`2.1 + 2 = ${addWholeNumbers(2.1, 2)}`); console.log(`A + 2 = ${addWholeNumbers("A", 2)}`); console.log(`2 + 2 = ${addWholeNumbers("2", 2)}`); Hang on. That last run should have returned NaN too. We tested for strings The tests above test very little that is meaningful to ensure the function works correctly. It was written to meet the goal of high code coverage. The customers didn’t care about that goal. The goal they cared about was that the function worked as intended. JavaScript is a very friendly language for rapid development. It typecasts for you. 2 + 2 = 4 but the + operator is also the string concatenation operator so "2" + 2 = “22” . Also, numbers in a string can have number operators used on them so the modulus operator in the function to verify a whole number will typecast a numeric string as well. This is an easy mistake that could be caught in a review of the tests if the size of the code review is small enough. All we need to do is add a test for this problem. The scenario above assumes the best intentions but nieve testing skills. We can fix this by focusing on the actual goal, “we are confident we are meeting the customer’s needs” and then teaching people how to test. Let’s cover another scenario that I’ve personally witnessed as an outcome of “you must have 90% code coverage!”. I was code reviewing some old code one day. Reviewing tests is really the first priority anyone should have. I came across something terrifying. The code had very high coverage and was completely untested. Using the function above as an example, the tests were similar to this: it('Should add two whole numbers' () => { addWholeNumbers(2, 2) addWholeNumbers(1.1, 0) }) This test will also report 100% code coverage. It doesn’t actually run any tests. If you are judging a team on code coverage, how many of your tests look like this? Testing is what professional software developers do. Pro’s have pride in their work and want to deliver working solutions to business problems. However, everyone will adapt to the environment they are placed in or they will choose to move to another environment. If developers are pushed to meet dates and push out features as fast as possible, quality processes are squeezed out. If they are then told to improve code coverage, code coverage will go up. The only thing scarier than untested code is code tested with tests you don’t trust. What is the value of code coverage reporting? To find untested code that should be tested. There should never be a “code converge goal”. Instead, we should focus on what the customer needs and use an actual quality process: reduce the size of changes, focus on improving the quality signal from the pipeline, and deliver changes rapidly to find out if our fully tested application is tested using bad assumptions. Only our users can define quality. A test is only our prediction of what they think. Deliver so you can test the test.

https://medium.com/@bdfinst/5-minute-devops-the-value-of-code-coverage-8645eb6c94d4

['Bryan Finster']

2021-01-16 15:16:35.865000+00:00

['QA', 'Quality', 'Continuous Delivery', 'Continuous Integration', 'DevOps']

Amazon’s new Fire TV Sticks get faster and cheaper

Amazon is updating its $40 Fire TV Stick streaming player for the first time since 2016, giving it a much faster processor and HDR video support. The company is also launching a cheaper option called the Fire TV Stick Lite, which will sell for $30. To go along with the new hardware, Amazon’s overhauling its Fire TV software, with fewer confusing submenus, new features for Alexa, and a bigger emphasis on user profiles. Updated December 9, 2020 to report that Amazon has begun to roll out its new Fire TV software. The updates, however, will initially be made available only on these new devices; owners of Amazon’s higher-end streamers will likely need to wait until early 2021 to get the new user interface and other features. [ Further reading: The best media streaming devices ]Both of the new Fire TV Sticks are shipping next week, and pre-orders are starting today. Here’s what you need to know about the new lineup: New Fire TV Stick Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (2020) See it The third-generation Fire TV Stick (pictured above) looks identical to the previous version, but Amazon says it’s 50-percent faster. Elias Saba of AFTVNews reports that it’s using a MediaTek MT8695D quad-core processor, which is similar to what powers Amazon’s existing Fire TV Stick 4K. Speed had been a major sticking point for the old Fire TV Stick, but the new one should feel much snappier if it can match the speed of the 4K version. The new Fire TV Stick also supports HDR video and Dolby Atmos audio decoding, just like the 4K model. The difference is that the new Fire TV Stick doesn’t support 4K video or Dolby Vision HDR. (HDR support is instead limited to HDR10 and HLG.) For those features, you’ll need either the $50 Fire TV Stick 4K or the $120 Fire TV Cube. Fire TV Stick Lite Mentioned in this article Roku Express (2017) Read TechHive's reviewMSRP $29.99See it At $30, the Fire TV Stick Lite is Amazon’s answer to the Roku Express, which sells for $29. And like Roku’s budget streamer, the Amazon’s version makes a major compromise to hit that lower price: There are no volume or power buttons on the remote, so you’ll need a second remote to operate those functions on your TV. Amazon The Fire TV Stick Lite ditches TV volume and power buttons for a lower sticker price. Intriguingly, though, the Fire TV Stick Lite also includes a new remote button with a TV icon, which Amazon’s pricier streamers lack. This button takes you straight to the Fire TV’s Channel Guide, which can aggregate multiple live TV sources into one grid. Without the dedicated button, you’ll need to navigate to the guide through Amazon’s software menus. The Fire TV Stick Lite otherwise has the same processor, HDR support, and Wi-Fi 5 support as the Fire TV Stick; both devices support Alexa voice commands through a microphone button on their remotes. New Fire TV softwareAs for the new software, it looks like Amazon has recognized the chaos in its current interface and is taking steps to streamline it. Several submenus have been stripped away (including Your Videos, Movies, TV Shows, and Apps) in favor of a single “Find” submenu, where you can discover new things to watch. Meanwhile, your favorite apps will appear in a single strip on the menu bar, and they’ll stay persistently visible even as you scroll to other submenus. Amazon The Fire TV menu system will look a lot different later this year. The software will also support up to six user profiles, and if you say “Alexa, go to my profile,” you can set the device to recognize your voice and switch accordingly. Alexa itself will also be less intrusive, occupying just a part of the screen in response to voice commands, and Amazon says it will add a “hub” where you can learn what voice commands Alexa supports. Amazon’s adding support for video calls as well, so you’ll be able to plug in a Logitech webcam for Alexa video calls. (Amazon says it will add support for other video chat services such as Zoom “over time.”) The new software will debut on the 2020 Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite, and Amazon plans to roll it out to other devices later this year. Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.

https://medium.com/@samanth03290054/amazons-new-fire-tv-sticks-get-faster-and-cheaper-959dad270f04

[]

2020-12-17 02:32:57.644000+00:00

['Cord', 'Music']

You Don’t Have to Choose Between Privacy and Convenience

You Don’t Have to Choose Between Privacy and Convenience Xayn is a privacy-protecting search alternative enabling people to regain control over algorithms and provide them with a smooth user-experience. Using cutting-edge AI tech that’s made in Europe, the startup ushers in a new generation of user-friendly privacy tech — making privacy available for everyone. The AI company was founded in 2017 with deep academic roots in Oxford and London and maintains a workforce that is made up of 30% Ph.D.s. Their open-source framework for federated analytics and learning, XayNet, is the basis of the privacy-protecting personalized search engine Xayn. Xayn recently launched a new product so we spoke with the CEO on how it offers privacy and convenience. We talked with our portfolio company Xayn’s CEO Leif-Nissen Lundbæk, PhD, on the occasion of launching a brand new product that hands you back your privacy and convenience. Congratulations and welcome, Lief-Nissen! 1: First off, what problem are you solving with Xayn? Privacy is a key issue for people around the world: Current data from the 2019 Cyber Security Insights Report shows that 92% of surveyed online users worldwide have at least one significant concern about their data privacy. But even though more than two-thirds of those surveyed are more alarmed than ever about threats to their privacy, almost as many still accept certain risks to their online privacy to make their lives more convenient. The fact that search queries make up around 30% of all global website traffic further underlines the need for a true privacy-protecting and convenient search alternative. Despite knowing that their privacy is at stake, many people — myself included — still used the established search giants, simply because it is so convenient and saves you so much time. I hated being stuck in this trade-off where the user is always the loser. That’s why my co-founders and I decided to solve this problem and build a search engine with no compromises. With Xayn you always have full privacy, find what you’re looking for in a fast way — and you have even active control over the algorithms. Xayn’s CEO and Co-Founder, Leif-Nissen Lundbæk, Ph.D., in Berlin. I hated being stuck in this trade-off where the user is always the loser. 2: So what’s actually your main goal? Privacy is a fundamental human right. That’s why we want to make it available for everyone by making privacy tech go mainstream. With this we provide digital privacy, transparency, and ethical AI from Europe — in line with the Digital Decade proclaimed by the EU Commission. Their goal and our goal actually align quite nicely: To give users control over their personal data. We provide digital privacy, transparency, and ethical AI from Europe… 3: What obligation do you believe startups have in upholding data privacy for their users? I’m convinced that all companies have an obligation to protect the data privacy of their customers and users in general. Startups have a special responsibility because they usually operate at the fore-front of new ideas that have the potential to change the way we use tech. Data privacy regulations are sometimes seen as hindrance to innovation — even though they can actually be the basis for new products as our search engine demonstrates. The Xayn app on your mobile phone gives you well-designed privacy tech at your finger tips. 4: What is uniquely tricky about designing privacy-protecting search engines and apps? What exactly is privacy tech and why and how can it go mainstream? The term privacy tech refers in the broad sense to all services and tools that help you protect your digital privacy. This can include a secure VPN, a browser with no tracking or — as in our case — a search engine that doesn’t collect any data from you. The crucial thing about privacy — that has been overlooked for a long time — is that it not only has to focus on protecting user privacy but also on a good user experience. It is still the case that the vast majority of privacy tech tools and services are designed mostly for tech experts. Xayn’s app includes collections to help you keep and curate favorite things you’ve searched for. Privacy tech can only go mainstream if users are given alternatives that can compete with the incumbents on design and user experience. That’s why we focused so much on a smooth search experience and a nice design for our search engine. We also added a couple of convenient features such as flexible content collections where you can save webpages, news, images, videos etc. These personal content collections provide you with all researched information at one glance, in an interface that provides a clear overview. Privacy tech can only go mainstream if users are given alternatives that can compete with the incumbents on design and user experience. 5: How exactly is Xayn built? Xayn is built on our AI platform XayNet which started as a research project four years ago and which we’ve open-sourced since then. This enables us to bring the algorithms to the data and not vice versa. If you download Xayn, you actually download four different AI models that work together to deliver you the best search results while protecting your privacy. Once you’ve entered a search query it goes directly to our proxy which acts as an intermediary to hide your IP address and personal info. This way, no one can see where the search request came from — not even us. We then send search results from multiple sources to your device via proxy. These results are then tailored to you by the aforementioned four AI models. If you download Xayn, you actually download four different AI models that work together to deliver you the best search results while protecting your privacy. The first model understands the context of each search: Do you mean the city or the football club when you search for “Barcelona”? The second model looks at your domain preferences: Do you like Wikipedia more than Instagram? Model number three builds a picture of your interests: Which sports or music you like more? The final model then combines all this with further context such as the time and location of your search. After you’ve received your search results or suggestions to your personal home screen you can give direct feedback via swiping. Swipe left to dislike a result, swipe right to like it. This way, you can control what the search algorithms learn about you. To sum it up, our XayNet framework and our search engine show that the conflict between convenience and privacy can, in fact, be solved through technology. The conflict between convenience and privacy can, in fact, be solved through technology. 6: What learnings came from working with some major German corporations? For corporations such as Porsche, Daimler, Deutsche Bahn, and Siemens privacy is not a nice-to-have but a necessity. For one thing, they want to protect their company data but they also have to make sure to follow regulations such as employment laws. Therefore, they not only have to protect their own data but also the data of their employees. That’s why we’re also building a business version of our search engine with which companies can not only search the web but also their own databases. 7: What’s unique about your solution? L-R swiping functionality helps the AI to learn your preferences There are several aspects that are unique about our approach; some of them are directly visible to a normal user, some only to experts. One of the latter ones is for example our decentralized approach (also called edge AI) which enables us to protect the privacy of our users. Instead of collecting all the data from the users and shipping it to a central AI, we bring the algorithms directly to the devices of the users. This way your data can stay where it belongs — with you. Another thing that is unique about our search engine is that we empower you to take back control over your search results. You can decide what the AI learns and what is shown to you by simply swiping. This makes the AI transparent and more human. 8: Where can people try Xayn out? You can now download the app free of charge from Play Store or Apple’s App Store. We’re also featured on ProductHunt. And in case you’re wondering: We’re already working on a desktop version and will release it next year. Thanks for sharing these insights with us. We’re excited to see Xayn’s progress!

https://medium.com/birds-view/you-dont-have-to-choose-between-privacy-and-convenience-d4e8b7e6a22a

['Earlybird Venture Capital']

2020-12-15 09:21:43.543000+00:00

['AI', 'Search', 'Privacy', 'Digital West', 'Portfolio']

Submit to Fantasy Shorts

Coiner of Centinas and Pentinas, Jim died in 2076 from either trying to kill a spider while driving or from eating too many burritos. May God rest his soul. Follow

https://medium.com/fantasy-shorts/submit-to-fantasy-shorts-b23a0d458df7

['J.A. Taylor']

2020-10-11 06:58:11.131000+00:00

['Sci Fi Fantasy', 'Fantasy', 'Fiction', 'Flash Fiction', 'Short Story']

Trump urges Congress to amend ‘wasteful’ coronavirus aid bill.

Over half of the bill that congress presented to the present has nothing to do with the US population and/or the coronavirus. A lot of money goes outside the United States. Add to this the Elected Officials have had seven months to be working on this and now is another last minute dance to get it done. Maybe it’s time to recall most if not all the whole bunch of them and start over?

https://medium.com/time-to-bitch/sosdd-d5d3e5a36c3

['Zob Zaris']

2020-12-26 14:41:18.443000+00:00

['Trump Administration', 'Money', 'Trump', 'Congress', 'Money Management']

Day 12 … The Memory Of Us. In memory of us

In memory of us To the love that I once held with a tight grip To the life that we had & was once promised This is to us. It wasn’t all bad but it wasn't all good The long days of silent treatment & short days of passionate vibrations between us. I don’t to hold on to the pain & anger Like a bracelet that I don’t want to let go of but I don’t want to wear Or a song that reminds me of it all good times but also the bad I want to let go. Stop living in a loop living on repeat The cycle needs to end I want to break it. Break the chains of past generations acceptability of what is rational love I can’t sit & make my heart hate you Even though my mind is resentful to the thought of you I wanted to place you above others but others were placed above me You were the one I was dreaming about Falling out of love So this is to us. To the times when our love was so deep that we’d need a rescue team to pull us back to reality Yet so deep that we lost each other in the darkness This is to us And the creation of life that now grows in my womb but who knew that I would be only going through it Living it alone day in & day out. With my reflection & shadow as company It’s lonely To have no companion on this journey of raising our children & baby That all I will ever have is The memory of us. Sincerely Yours Isha A Poet xxx

https://medium.com/@ishaapoet/day-12-the-memory-of-us-b894b68c38e

['Isha A Poet']

2020-12-27 22:00:15.936000+00:00

['Instagram', 'Healing', 'Relationships', 'Moving On', 'Poetry']

Controlling lights with Ikea Trådfri, Raspberry Pi and AWS

A few months back we purchased Ikea Trådfri smart lights to our home. However, after the initial hype, those were almost forgotten as controlling was just too complicated via ready-made tools. For example, the Ikea Home app works only on mobile and it’s only possible to use it when connected to wifi. Luckily, Trådfri offers an API for controlling the lights, so it was possible to build our customized UI. Connecting to Trådfri With quick googling, I found a tutorial by Pimoroni that helped me get started. I already had Raspberry Pi running as a home server, so all it took was to download and install the required packages provided by the tutorial. However, at the time of writing this article (and implementing my solution), the Pimoroni tutorial was a bit outdated. Because of that I just couldn’t get the communication working, but after banging my head against the wall for a while I found out that in 2017 Ikea changed the authentication method. I’ve contacted Pimoroni and asked them to update the article. After getting the communication between Raspberry Pi and Trådfri Gateway working I started writing the middleware server on Raspberry Pi. As I’m a javascript developer I chose to build this with NodeJS. Luckily, there is a node-tradfri-client package available that made the integration simple. Here’s a code example of how I’m connecting to Trådfri and storing the devices in application memory. I also added ExpressJS to handle requests. With just a few lines of code, I had API endpoints for Listing all devices in our house Toggling a lightbulb or socket Turning lightbulb or socket on Turning lightbulb or socket off Setting brightness of a lightbulb Writing the client application Custom UI for our smart lights As we wanted to control the lights from anywhere with any device, we chose to build a web app that can be used on a laptop, mobile, and tablet without installing. After the first POC, we decided on the most common use cases and Eija designed the UI on Sketch. Actual implementation was done using ReactJS with help of Ant Design and react-draggable. Source codes for the client app is available in my Github. Making the app accessible from anywhere In Finland, we have fast and unlimited data plans on mobile and because of that we rarely have wifi enabled on mobile (nothing is more irritating than bad wifi connection on the yard). To solve this, we chose to publish the app to the public web. As the UI is built as a single-page app, it’s basically free to host it with AWS S3 and Cloudfront. Since Cloudfront domains are random strings, we decided that this is enough security for now. This means that knowing the Cloudfront domain, anyone can control our lights. If this becomes a problem, it’s quite simple to integrate some authentication methods too. The app is also hosted on the Raspberry Pi on our local network, so guests can control the lights if they are connected to our wifi. The bridge between physical & digital world is not yet seamless Even with this accessible application we quickly figured out that we still need physical control buttons for the lights. For example, when going upstairs and not bringing the phone with you, you might end up in a dark room without the possibility to turn on the lights. Luckily Ikea provides physical switches for the Trådfri lights, so we had to make one more Ikea trip to get the extra controller upstairs. Another way to reduce the need for physical switches would be using a smart speaker with voice recognition. Unfortunately, only Apple Home Pod is the only speaker that currently understands Finnish and it’s a tad out of our budget and probably not possible to integrate into our system either. Once Amazon adds Finnish support for Alexa we’ll definitely try that. …and while writing the previous chapter, I figured that since Apple supports Finnish, it’s possible to create a Siri Shortcut to control our lights. With few more lines of code in the web app, it now supports anchor links from Shortcut to trigger a preset lighting mode. Conclusion It’s great that companies like Ikea provide open access to their smart lights since at least for us the ready-made tooling was not enough. Also with the help of the AWS serverless offering, we can host this solution securely in the cloud for free. If you have any questions about our solution, please leave a comment below.

https://medium.com/nordcloud-engineering/controlling-lights-with-ikea-tr%C3%A5dfri-raspberry-pi-and-aws-edb2827d8b3f

['Arto Liukkonen']

2020-04-17 07:31:08.366000+00:00

['Smart Home', 'Tradfri', 'Smart Lighting', 'AWS', 'React']

Elixir GenServers for Web Developers

Photo by Florian Krumm on Unsplash I want to share some thoughts and opinions about Elixir GenServers for developers writing web applications (probably with Phoenix). This isn’t a technical deep dive on GenServers, it’s just some of my thoughts about them from writing web apps in Elixir / Phoenix over the last couple years. There’s really just one type of GenServer that’s ever been a great fit for a problem I’m facing, and I come across the problem in almost every app I build: the need for recurring background tasks. For example, in an app I worked on recently I needed to run a job every 10 minutes to pull data from a system of record through one API, and then transform and update some records through another API. Fortunately, any time this “recurring background task” problem comes up, there’s a great reference directly in the Elixir docs on GenServers for how to solve it. I pretty much copy and paste this example code from the docs, change the module name and tweak it with whatever logic I need: defmodule MyApp.Periodically do use GenServer def start_link(_) do GenServer.start_link(__MODULE__, %{}) end def init(state) do # Schedule work to be performed on start schedule_work() {:ok, state} end def handle_info(:work, state) do # Do the desired work here # ... # Reschedule once more schedule_work() {:noreply, state} end defp schedule_work do # In 2 hours Process.send_after(self(), :work, 2 * 60 * 60 * 1000) end end What’s great about this is that you barely need to know anything about GenServers to get this working, you just replace the # Do the desired work here line with a call into whatever part of your app runs the job and you’re done. For completeness, in case you want to test it out, the only other step is that you need to add MyApp.Periodically to the list of children in application.ex like so: children = [ MyApp.Repo, MyAppWeb.Endpoint, MyApp.Periodically ] The function at the end of the example code, schedule_work/0 , implements a job that recurs every two hours, but the timer starts after your code executes. For example, if the code you put in place of # Do the desired work here took 30 minutes to run, your job would actually start every 2 and a half hours because the 2 hour timer would begin once the 30 minute job was completed. This is called “drift” and depending on your requirements it could be a deal breaker. Here’s a simple way I’ve dealt with drift, and it works as long as your job will never run longer than the interval. If we need the job to run every hour to the second, and we’re certain the job will never take more than an hour to complete, we can implement schedule_work/0 like this: defp schedule_work() do now = DateTime.utc_now() # Every hour next = now |> DateTime.add(-now.minute * 60, :second) |> DateTime.add(-now.second, :second) |> DateTime.add(-elem(now.microsecond, 0), :microsecond) |> DateTime.add(60 * 60, :second) milliseconds_till_next = DateTime.diff(next, now, :millisecond) Process.send_after(self(), :work, milliseconds_till_next) end When the job finishes running, the schedule_work/0 function will figure out when the next hour is based on the current time, and then schedule the next job to start at exactly that hour mark. Not too bad! Having such an easy solution for recurring background jobs makes me love Elixir. No external dependencies, no complicated logic, and great documentation to refer to. Warning GenServers are a pretty powerful abstraction, and in the hands of experienced developers who are comfortable with their nuances they can be leveraged to do amazing things. However, if you try to use a GenServer to solve a problem where it’s not the right tool, you’ll quickly find yourself in a world of strange error messages, memory problems, performance bottlenecks, and limited visibility while debugging. One of the amazing things about Elixir is that as web developers we get to import packages like Phoenix that leverage OTP, GenServers, concurrency, and all the raw power that Elixir inherits from Erlang, but we don’t have to understand how it all works under the hood to benefit from it. I love that, because it means I can focus on solving problems at the domain layer. Here are a few quick rules of thumb I have: If it’s a recurring background job, use a GenServer like the one above unless some requirement makes it more difficult than using a queuing library or external dependency. If it’s not a recurring job, then a GenServer probably isn’t your best option If you need a quick cache, start with :ets Your web app probably doesn’t need macros, GenServers, custom supervision trees, etc. etc. beyond what you get for free in libraries and the few lines of code their README’s will ask you to put in application.ex . In short, there’s a great use case for GenServers to make life easy with recurring background jobs, but otherwise just leave the hard OTP stuff to the library maintainers and you’ll build fast, scalable, and most of all simple web apps with Elixir and Phoenix that you’ll enjoy working in for years to come. Thanks for reading!

https://medium.com/@damonvjanis/elixir-genservers-for-web-developers-255d37a3699c

['Damon Janis']

2020-03-26 03:45:45.937000+00:00

['Genserver', 'Web Development', 'Elixir', 'Phoenix Framework']

Birthday Thoughts and Anxieties

I wrote that in a journal entry back in 2018, about six months before I would move away from New Zealand. I lived there for six years — four and a half of which I spent in college and the other nearly two years were spent working and enjoying post-college life. About halfway through 2018 I made the decision to move back to the United States, mainly to be a bit closer to my family and also because I needed a change. I’m sure a lot of us get that restless feeling a few years after graduating college. It’s a feeling of wanting to get out into the “real world” and really start to take charge of our lives. Some people do this by working towards their dream job, others get married and settle down. Some decide to move to the other side of the world just to “switch things up.” I fell into this last category. The sentiments expressed in this journal entry reflect the difficult pull between young adulthood and “grown up life.” There comes a time after living with your friends for years that you feel you need to “grow up.” I think this can be a dangerous feeling for some people as it causes anxiety and an intense pressure to “figure it out” (I’m a big fan of quotation marks today, apparently). While my years in New Zealand were some of the best of my life so far, I reject the notion of them being my “Golden Years” as this leads to the assumption that the rest are going to be worse, or not as great. Who decided that years 18–25 are officially the best? Are we meant to just endure the next 60+ years of our lives and hope for the best? In my humble opinion, that is bullsh*t. The past year has taught me so much about myself and I am beginning to form a vision for the rest of my life like I have never been able to before. Today marks my 27th year around the sun and the quote I included in that journal entry is resonating with me more than it ever has. Especially around big milestones like birthdays, new years, etc., we tend to question where we are at in life and ask ourselves things like, “are we on the path we want to be?” “Should I be doing more?” “What have I really done?” These can be really problematic because it makes you assume you should have done things differently, and in turn begin to have regrets. We can all have, and probably should have, moments we aren’t proud of and wouldn’t repeat. These are called mistakes and are completely human and OKAY. We learn from them, move on and don’t dwell on them…in a perfect world. What that quote from Paulo Coehlo reminds me is this: everything we have done in life has led us to the path on which we are walking. You would not be where you are today without taking the steps you have, even the missteps. I shouldn’t complain or regret my life choices because it got me to where I am today, and for that I am grateful. I will undoubtedly make more mistakes, but I have confidence that I will learn from them and be led on the correct path regardless. Moving through transitions in life — birthdays, big moves, new relationships, etc. can be scary. This is the first birthday in which I feel anxious about getting older. If you are bothering to read this, I’m sure you’ve had similar feelings at some point, too. I am coming around to them because I know they are not only inevitable, but a shared experience. The human experience. And I am so happy to be living through it.

https://medium.com/@stephen-sonya93/birthday-thoughts-and-anxieties-8b21317a7d51

['Sonya Stephen']

2020-12-17 00:24:27.287000+00:00

['Life', 'Trust', 'Adventure', 'Anxiety']

Top 5 Things About the IIoT That You Need to Know

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) may sound vague, but it affects us every day in surprising ways. It’s transforming our lives, but many people still don’t know what it is. Here are five of the most important facts about the IIoT that you, as a modern individual, should know. 1: It’s all around us At its most fundamental level, the IIoT refers to a network of smart devices and machines. The network is connected to systems that monitor, collect, exchange, and analyze data flowing through them with the goal of enhancing efficiency and safety. The umbrella under which IIoT lives and works is the Internet of Things, which includes connected, data-collecting devices that we use every day in our personal lives. Some examples are fitness bands, Wi-Fi-enabled vehicles, wireless printers, and those handy devices that we speak to in our homes to play music and tell us jokes on demand. IIoT networks function at a more global level, working to enhance society’s efficiency in industries like utilities, gas and oil, health, and manufacturing. You may not see the IIoT, but it is transforming industries that provide the necessities of your daily life. 2: It’s all about collecting data All those intelligent IIoT devices are connected, forming systems to perform a variety of tasks. The systems monitor and collect the data flowing through sensors, and then they exchange and analyze the data with seemingly magical results. How does this look in a practical setting? Picture an automobile factory assembly line with robotic workers, all being monitored to determine when one of those machines might fail before it ever malfunctions. Managers receive that data and can schedule maintenance during a slow period, avoiding expensive downtime. That’s all made possible by data collection and analytics. Photo by Luke Chesser on Unsplash 3: IIoT data is incredibly versatile As you may have guessed, IIoT data saves businesses massive amounts of money by improving efficiency. There are countless examples of this, each more impressive than the next. Austrian automotive manufacturer Magna Steyr tracks its assets (tools and vehicle parts) using sensors and keeps tabs on inventory using Bluetooth-enhanced smart packaging to track components in its warehouses. The system then places the order for more when needed. International Aerospace and Defense company Airbus touts its “factory of the future,” their initiative to improve operations and boost production through digital manufacturing. This initiative embeds sensors into machines and tools on the shop floor and provides the wearable tech, like “smart” shop glasses for their employees, to improve safety and gather data while also eliminating as much human error as possible. The field of telemedicine is another industry in which machine-to-machine technology can have a significant impact. M2M communication can monitor a patient’s vital statistics in real time, dispense medication based on the data, and track assets. It remains to be seen if the IIoT technology will create viable “smart cities,” urban centers that integrate data to improve the quality of life for residents. Public sectors such as transportation grids, air quality meters, and energy production are obvious targets for the use of the IIoT. A small step in that direction can be seen in Boston and Baltimore, where smart garbage cans emit data resulting in more efficient pick-up routes for sanitation workers. 4: Smart robots are taking our jobs (at least some of them) Robots are already doing much of the physical labor in factories today, and the IIoT is extending the use of those robots in a variety of ways. Will all these smart, connected machines replace us in the workforce? It’s a logical question, one that is raised with each wave of new technology. Robotics can and do replace humans today in industries like automobile manufacturing, as mentioned in an earlier example. But, in many uses of IIoT, the networks created by all these connected, smart machines are providing real-time data to humans who then make faster decisions and more efficient use of resources. Take, for example, a hospital. IIoT systems can process the data from a patient, diagnose the patient, and recommend a treatment. However, a doctor is a final decision-maker for the patient, and that doctor ultimately provides the treatment. The speed of the connections can be life-saving. This “digital disruption” in the workplace can also lead companies to train employees on new processes to use all this information flowing into their place of business or factory. By reconfiguring systems, a business can earn higher profit margins, which leads to more efficient manufacturing. This, in turn, leads to growth and the need to hire more employees. From a customer service perspective, the news has the potential to be positive too. Improved efficiency in production leads to faster delivery of products. Safety is enhanced when product failure (think about a part in your new car) is anticipated and corrected before it happens. Customers appreciate and remember service like this when it comes time to buy again, leading to higher sales and more workers in the factories. As described by an expert in the field of disruption: “From a technology perspective, it’s about building the right systems that provide the right information and tools to the right people at the right time.” Photo by Daniel Chen on Unsplash 5: The IIoT is the future The IIoT is big business, and it’s not slowing down. It is predicted that by 2020, IIoT applications will generate $300 billion — twice the earnings from consumer IoT. The top three industries that invested in these connected technologies in 2018 are manufacturing to the tune of $189 million, transportation at $85 billion, and utilities with a focus on smart grids at $73 billion. Accenture, a tech consulting giant, predicts that the IIoT will add $14.2 trillion to the economy by 2030, primarily thanks to companies that “design systems that adjust to people — not those who continue to expect people to adjust to systems.” Stephen Hawking warned that artificial intelligence, another term for machines analyzing and then acting on the data being crunched, could be a threat to humanity. At a speech in Lisbon, Portugal in 2006, Hawking said, “Success in creating effective AI could be the biggest event in the history of our civilization. Or the worst. We just don’t know. So we cannot know if we will be infinitely helped by AI, or ignored by it and side-lined, or conceivably destroyed by it.” It isn’t likely that these connections and networks will disappear now that they are here and functioning. The Industrial Internet of Things, under the larger umbrella of the Internet of Things, is the latest wave of a revolution in how products are created and best used. And just like every great invention, it has changed everything. Sources: Published By Ira Sharp Jr

https://medium.com/@phoenixcontactusa/top-5-things-about-the-iiot-that-you-need-to-know-32d009b1c5f9

['Phoenix Contact Usa']

2021-02-23 18:42:31.546000+00:00

['Smart Cities', 'IoT', 'Digital', 'Data', 'Iiot']

Wanna Know How I Got My Wings?

Photo by John Towner on Unsplash Well there I was, hanging out with my friends after school, all of us bored out of our minds, when some bright spark decided we should play Chicken. You know what Chicken is? It’s this dumb game where you run out into a road in front of a car and try to get to the other side without getting hit. Stupid, right? What’s stupider is that I didn’t know how to play. Never heard of the so-called ‘game’ before in my entire 16-year-long life. But I didn’t tell the guys that, did I? “You go first,” they said, since I was the new kid in town. And I was all like, “Yeah, sure, cool, awesome,” without actually clarifying the rules of the game. I just wanted to fit in with the idiots, okay? In hindsight I did a pretty good job. So I go first, with no idea what the hell Chicken is, and I improvise. I head out into the road, head bobbing, arms flapping, feet scratching at the ground. Yes — I pretended to be a chicken. And the guys all start laughing which makes me think I’m playing the game right, so I go all in and start clucking and squawking and pecking at imaginary worms. They’re all clutching their sides, cackling away, and I’m so proud of myself for being so fucking awesome at Chicken that I don’t see the car coming. Next thing I know, I’m in Hell. Turns out that the woman driving the car got a bit of whiplash when she hit me, and apparently that’s grounds to send me to Hell. You’d have thought my being dead would be dues enough, right? So there I am, in Hell, fucking fuming at this ridiculous turn of events, when I learn that it’s about to get so much worse. See, when you get to hell, you’re assigned an eternal punishment that fits your Earthly wrongdoings. If, for example, you had a penchant for farting in enclosed public spaces during your life on Earth, your eternity in Hell would be spent in a small room surrounded by demons with endlessly gassy bowels I know this because I’ve met the poor bastard in this exact scenario. Gross. Kinda funny, I have to admit, but gross. The punishment deemed appropriate for my wrongdoing? I was turned into a chicken. An actual chicken. Feathers and beak and scaly feet and all. And that’s how I got my wings. It’s not all bad. A little humiliating, I guess. The demons find it hilarious; they’re forever making jokes about rotisserie chicken… at least I think they’re jokes. But I can’t complain — it’s way better than whiling away eternity in a fart room. Trust me, you never get that smell out of your clothes. And on the plus side I get to eat fresh eggs every day. Don’t pull that face at me! Food is scarce in Hell. And they’re my eggs, from my own feathery butt. If anyone deserves to enjoy them it ought to be me — squeezing them out isn’t fun, you know. I don’t understand why everyone makes such a fuss about it. It’s only like eating your own bogies and everyone does that. Right? Anyway. That’s my story. Don’t feel bad for me, just learn from my mistakes. If you’re gonna play in traffic, clarify the rules of the game first. Otherwise it could go terribly wrong.

https://medium.com/ellies-telling-tales/wanna-know-how-i-got-my-wings-c18ead84d95c

['Ellie Scott']

2019-06-19 10:01:00.940000+00:00

['Humour', 'Short Story', 'Fiction', 'Comedy', 'Flash Fiction']

8 Exercises to reduce your belly fat faster.

8 EXERCISE TO Reduce Belly Fat. 1: Running or walking Okay, you’re probably thinking, ‘How does moving your legs shrink those love handles?’ Well, the truth is there’s no way to target belly fat. Your genetics get to decide where the fat settles in your body, so the best thing to do is start moving. As you exercise, calories are burned and your body fat percentage decreases. So, exercising not only helps you lose belly fat, but it also sheds fat from other areas. Running and walking are two of the best fat-burning exercises. Plus, the only equipment you need is a good pair of shoes. Between the two, running burns more calories, but walking really isn’t too far behind. Running and walking can be part of your interval training routine and do not forget to warm up and cool down if you take up running for weight loss. 2: Elliptical trainer Some of us no longer have the strong joints we had as teenagers. Jogging is out of the question and walking doesn’t cut it. The good news is elliptical trainers provide an intense, low impact cardio workout. In fact, a 145-lb. a person can burn about 300 calories in 30 minutes on an elliptical trainer. That’s about as many calories as running burns, but without the joint wear-and-tear. 3: Bicycling Bicycling is another great low impact cardio exercise. Not to mention, it’s a great way to travel or see the countryside. Depending on the speed and intensity the average person can burn between 250 to 500 calories during a 30-minute bike ride. 4: The bicycle exercise Burning body and belly fat with cardio exercises is half the battle. Next is strengthening abdominal muscles so you have something to show once the fat is shed. In a recent study, ab exercises were ranked from best to worst. The bicycle exercise ranked as #1 because it requires abdominal stabilization, body rotation, and more abdominal muscle activity. These are some bicycle exercises you can do before you hop on your bike: -Lie on your back with hands behind your head -Raise knees to your chest while lifting head and shoulders off the ground -Bring the right elbow to your left knee and straighten the right leg -Switch sides — bring the left elbow to your right knee and straighten the left leg -Continue switching sides to simulate a pedaling motion Breathing should be relaxed and even -Do 1–3 sets with 12–16 repetitions 5: The Captain’s chair leg raise For this exercise, you require a captain’s chair which is found in most gyms. The chair has a padded back and armrests with grips. Your legs hang free. -Stand on the chair and grab the hand bars -Keep your back flat against the pad while raising knees to your chest -Then lower legs back down -For added intensity, keep legs straight when you raise them -Do 1–3 sets with 12–16 repetitions 6: Exercise ball crunch This exercise needs a lot of stabilization which engages more muscles. You’ll need an exercise ball. -Lie on the ball so your lower back is supported and feet are firmly planted on the ground -Place hands across the chest or behind the head -Contract abs and lift your torso up and forward -Lower back down -Keep the ball stable during each crunch -Exhale when you crunch; inhale when you lower back down -Do 1–3 sets with 12–16 repetitions 7: Vertical leg crunch The vertical leg crunch is similar to a regular crunch. But it requires you to keep your legs straight, which makes the abs work harder and increases the workout’s intensity. -Lie down with hands behind your head -Put your legs straight up with knees crossed -Flex abs to lift head and shoulders off the floor -Lay back down -Keep legs extended in the air the whole time -Exhale when you flex; inhale when you lay back down -Do 1–3 sets with 12–16 repetitions 8: Reverse crunch The reverse crunch was also ranked above regular crunches as the 5th best exercise for strengthening core muscles. -Lie flat on the floor with arms at your sides -Cross your feet and lift them off the floor so your knees create a 90-degree angle -Contract ab muscles and lift head and shoulders off the ground -Exhale when you contract; inhale when you lower back down

https://medium.com/@healthyn/8-exercises-to-reduce-you-98699032b678

['Healthy Nikita']

2020-12-21 20:09:01.134000+00:00

['Exercise', 'Weight Loss', 'Running Tips', 'Belly Fat', 'Belly Fat Loss']

The best smart lock for a keyless home

While traditional lock-and-key systems have improved over time, the basic mechanism hasn’t really changed since the first lock was invented more than a thousand years ago: A piece of metal that is just the right shape pushes pins inside a lock into the proper position, allowing the lock mechanism to turn. As a society, it’s been tough to replace a system that has worked reasonably reliably for literally a millennium. Are smart locks really better?You can thank the hospitality industry for finally pushing locks into the digital age. Hotels learned long ago that keys are easily lost, expensive to replace, and simple to bypass, as thieves can pick locks or simply make copies of a key to allow for unfettered future access. On the flipside, hotel guests have readily accepted key cards (and in some cases, smartphone-based solutions) as the primary means of getting into their room. The electronic solution is just so much simpler. Lost hotel key card? Replacing it is no big deal. Updated November 20, 2020 to add our Kwikset Halo Touch review. We dig the minimal size Kwikset expects to put on the outside of your door, but we’re disappointed the company didn’t train its shrink ray on the interior hardware. Apart from that complaint, this is a great biometric deadbolt. It’s not as sophisticated as the Level Touch, but it costs a lot less and Kwikset treats Android users just as well as iOS fans. But the biggest benefit of electronic entry systems is that they are highly configurable. Digital locks can be changed at a moment’s notice (which is why that old hotel key card in your wallet isn’t good for anything), and the property owner can generate a record of when each door was opened. In a more advanced setting, different keys can be generated for the same lock, so a homeowner can tell when each member of the family came in, or when the housekeeper arrived. Whether you have a teenager who tends to break curfew or merely want to give temporary access to houseguests, service providers, or Airbnbers, smart locks are an incredible upgrade over the old way of doing things. Ready to make the jump to smart lock technology? Here are our top picks of the market at the moment. [ Further reading: A smart home guide for beginners ]Best smart lock overall Schlage Sense Read TechHive's reviewMSRP $229.00See itThis capable smart lock offers commercial-grade construction and impressive reliability. The Schlage Sense smart lock may not win any awards for attractiveness—or ease of installation, given the two dense instruction manuals that must be followed—but if you really want to secure your home with a smart lock, and have faith that it’s actually working, this is the product to get. What if you’ve lost your phone? You can open the lock via an illuminated, smudgeproof numeric keypad or with a physical key. A recent update added the ability to unlock the door with a voice command (you’ll need to speak a PIN code you set up to complete the action). Schlage added the same feature to the similar Schlage Connect. Runner-up Level Touch Read TechHive's review$329.00MSRP $329.00See iton Level HomeLevel gets external hardware, touch-sensitive opening, and more features in a compelling—but expensive—smart lock system. The minimalist Level Touch looks as good as it operates and is our highest-rated smart lock. The reason we’ve named it runner-up, versus best-of-the-best in this category, is that it can be remotely controlled only with an iOS device. The Android version of the Level app includes every feature the iOS app does, with that one important exception. Best retrofit smart lock Level Bolt Read TechHive's review$229.00MSRP $229.00See iton Level HomeLevel’s “invisible” lock lives up to its promise, giving any deadbolt smart features with no change to your exterior hardware. The August Smart Lock Pro has been deposed. Level Home’s Level Bolt is our new favorite retrofit smart lock, thanks in large measure to its ability to disappear. The smart components of the Bolt hide inside your door, where they replace the interior mechanical elements of your existing deadbolt. You re-attach your existing interior and exterior components, so that your door’s overall aesthetic doesn’t change in the least. Runner-up August Wi-Fi Smart Lock Read TechHive's reviewSee itAugust adds Wi-Fi while shrinking the overall size of its hardware considerably, making this a better retrofit option than ever. Weighing the convenience of Wi-Fi versus the visual appeal of the zero footprint that the Bluetooth-only Level Lock offers was tough, but Level Lock won out in the end. Hey, achieving runner-up status in TechHive’s coverage is no easy accomplishment, and if the convenience of Wi-Fi outweighs aesthetics in your mind, then this is the retrofit smart lock to buy. Best budget smart lock Wyze Lock Read TechHive's review$99.99MSRP $99.99See iton Wyze LabsWyze continues to rule the budget smart home world with this good-enough lock that’s half the price of some competitors. Wyze Labs has a well-earned reputation for produce bang-for-the-buck smart home products, and its new Wyze Lock deadbolt converter is certainly no exception. Fit this device to your existing deadbolt, plug in the included Wi-Fi bridge, and you’ll convert your dumb deadbolt into a modern smart home device that can be opened with your existing key, and you can’t argue with its less-than-$100 asking price. Most innovative smart lock Lockly Vision Read TechHive's review$399.99MSRP $399.99See iton Home DepotLockly Vision successfully integrates two complex smart home devices—a deadbolt lock and a video doorbell—into a single, compelling security device. The Lockly Vision reduces the number of security devices you’ll need to deploy on your porch by combining a powerful smart lock with a great video doorbell. It’s not perfect—its big, bulky, and not very very attractive—but there’s nothing else like it on the market. What to consider when shoppingHow do you pick a smart lock? (No pun intended.) This is a young and wildly immature space, and many products on the market are still extremely rough around the edges. Even top products can balk when dealing with old or stiff deadbolts, doors that don’t shut well, or environments where non-standard fixtures are in use. The bottom line is that it’s tough to declare that any product is universally perfect for every home. That said, here are some key considerations to take into account to help you narrow down your shopping list. Bluetooth Special Interest GroupHow smart is it? An important caveat to consider first: Some “smart locks” don’t work with a smartphone app or any smart home networking hubs at all; they’re really just electronic locks that use a code instead of a key to open up. One step up from that, you’ll find Bluetooth-only locks. These work with a smartphone app, but can’t be monitored remotely or via a smart home system. That’s fine if you’re looking to get rid of the keys in your pocket, but less impressive if you want to make your entrance portals a true part of your home network. Replace or retrofit? You’re forgiven if you don’t want to replace your antique doorknob on your vintage Victorian with a metallic device that looks like it would be more at home keeping people out of a strip mall bank branch. A sizeable number of smart lock products don’t require you to replace all your existing hardware. Instead, they are installed on the inside of the door only, replacing only the interior part of the deadbolt. You can continue to use a standard key from the outside or open the lock via a smartphone app. SamsungSmart home hub integration If you have an existing hub like the Wink Hub 2, Samsung SmartThings, or an Apple TV, you’ll want to ensure your chosen smart lock is compatible from the start. Many smart locks support Bluetooth, so they work with your phone, but lack the technology needed to connect with your home network. Some Bluetooth locks, like the Yale Assure system and the August Smart Lock, offer a radio module as an add-on to connect to your home network. If you’re using a smart home hub like the Samsung SmartThings or Wink Hub, look for a lock that supports Z-Wave or ZigBee, instead. Alternate entry means Forgot your phone at the office? How will you get in the house? Physical key? Numeric keypad? Wait for your spouse to arrive? Myriad different approaches are available. Power backup What do you do if the batteries inside the lock die—and you’re stuck outside? Some locks allow for emergency power to be applied should this happen. Yale’s Real Living locks feature external posts to which you can connect a 9-volt battery, giving you enough juice to get the door open. Other models retain the traditional key cylinder for backup. Geofencing Bad about manually locking the door when you leave? A geofencing system automatically locks the door when it detects your phone has left the vicinity, and can be set to automatically open up when it finds you’ve come home. Guest access features Most smart locks let you set up temporary keys for houseguests, which you can delete when they’ve returned home. Smarter systems even let you set time restrictions around when each access code can be used. Our smart lock reviews Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.

https://medium.com/@alicia93212218/the-best-smart-lock-for-a-keyless-home-7e3f509d49d3

[]

2020-12-17 02:50:22.811000+00:00

['Cutting', 'Music', 'Chromecast', 'Mobile']

About Me — Shabaira Junaid. “The only journey is the one within.” —…

About Me — Shabaira Junaid Photo created by freepik — www.freepik.com Being the eldest among my siblings, I’ve always been the responsible one. I’m an introvert, and I come across as very reserved and quiet, but those who know me well would suggest otherwise. I completed my ACCA and worked in Finance, Accounting and Auditing jobs before I chose to become a stay-at-home mother. I live with my husband and two lovely kids, a daughter who’s thirteen, and a son who’s nine years old. I’ve always been fascinated by words and writing and wanted to write myself, but I couldn’t get myself to do it because I feared judgment. It took a great deal of courage and convincing myself, to do what I’ve dreamt of doing. Interests and hobbies Being an introvert, I crave solitude. I love my time alone and like to spend it reading books, listening to music, watching TV, or doing nothing. I love travelling and discovering new places. I’m particularly good at procrastinating and using humour and sarcasm to vent my feelings of anger and frustration. What I write about I’ve not bound myself to any particular niche yet, as I’m still discovering myself. I like to write about life, experiences, parenting, and anything else I find interesting.

https://medium.com/about-me-stories/about-me-shabaira-junaid-67ca97b8efa

['Shabaira Junaid']

2020-12-07 20:01:01.888000+00:00

['About Me', 'Introduction', 'Personal', 'Biography']

Modern motherhood sucks. Part #3: The Feedback Void.

Part #3: The Feedback Void We grow up almost constantly receiving feedback for everything we do: our education, work life and career, sports, hobbies. We do something and almost instantly receive some type of feedback on how we have performed. Grades, project success, pace and mileage, a friends remark: they all help us measure and understand if something we have done is „right“ or „wrong“, „successful“ or „to be improved“. New/social media amplify this response, add likes, comments, ratings, reactions to our everyday life. Altogether, this constant external feedback allows us to — consciously or not — compare our own perception of what we do to what our environment thinks we do and derive a (somewhat) realistic validation of our ‚performance‘. In business life the value of (high-quality) feedback has long been elaborated and is a reoccurring theme in almost every team building, development workshop, or leadership training. Good feedback helps us grow, is helps us built up to a clear, growth-focused perception of who we are and what we can do. Motherhood, especially in the early years, does not involve high-quality feedback. There are simply no feedback mechanisms in place — first and foremost because the subject of interest is just too busy pooping their diapers or learning how to say Mama in the most adorable way. As mothers, so often we find ourselves doing something, trying to work out the best possible way to provide something for our children, teach them, take care of them, love them — only to find that whatever we have done will bear fruits in many years from now. Helpful feedback is direct, and timely. There is no timelines in setting those clear boundaries for your terrible-twos-toddler who just might turn out to be a reasonable first grader one day. Or a responsible teenager. Or a self-conscious adult. Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/BsoJI2JglM9/ Most mothers, especially new Moms, naturally tend to be careful, insecure, and — often — a little too self-critical. Without that external feedback mechanism keeping our own judgment in check, we tend to evaluate our own ‚performance‘ too negatively, too critically, too harsh. What Mom has not ever wondered if she’s messing up her kids for good? In short: Motherhood often lacks a simple reality-check. What adds to this — especially during this pandemic — is isolation. Spending alone time with our little ones can be wonderful (we do love them, after all!). Being isolated from other adults for an extended period of time also means we’re being isolated from another grown human being and deprive ourselves of the opportunity to share parenting moments with others, discuss their perception of what we’re doing, being inspired and and missing out on the oh-so-important ‚you’re doing great!‘. And no, I am not counting your Mothers ‚they watch too much TV‘ phone call as valuable feedback. And all joking aside: while talking to our families and partners is almost always a good idea, as long as they did not witness the actual situation you want to discuss, their ability to provide tangible feedback is limited. So how can we deal with the feedback void? While we will most likely not succeed in teaching our kiddos how to evaluate our daily performance, there are some strategies to create a healthy counter-balance for that inner critic of ours. Set small, realistic, measurable goals Motherhood as such is very difficult to evaluate. What even is a ‚good‘ mother? Instead of trying to evaluate the abstract, it can be helpful to break the task of ‚being a good mother‘ into smaller, more tangible goals. It can be ‚I want to provide my little one with at least one home-cooked meal a day‘ or ‚I will be very clear about washing our hands when we come home‘ or ‚I will not bribe her with snacks‘ (Ok, just kidding). Have these goals visible somewhere — in a journal, a sticky note on the fridge, your phone — and grant yourself the satisfaction of being able to check them off your list. Also, I personally find it very helpful to add self-care goals to that list: I will allow myself 15 minutes of yoga today. I will wash my hair. I will drink one cup of coffee and zone out (back to snack bribery here). It is often easier to take things day by day. So instead of expecting yourself to be that positive Mom who’s never stressed out think of ‚I will do this or that fun activity with my kids today and I will commit to fully enjoying it. I can deal with whatever stresses my out after that.’ Or, instead of I won’t use my phone around my kids try ‚I want to spend one hour today giving him my undivided attention.‘ It’s important to understand that these goals are not meant to put pressure on us but to allow for a somewhat objective perspective of what we have achieved during one day, one week, even one month. Keep it realistic, keep it simple. And enjoy that feeling of ‚being done‘. Share, talk, ask Whatever it is you’re having doubts about: you are not the first, you won’t be the last. And you are certainly not alone. Whenever you have the chance to talk to others — family, your partner, friends, other moms — use the opportunity to share and ask questions. Have you ever experienced this, too? I feel like I should do X,Y,Z — what do you think? We might not always agree to what others tell us but voicing our thoughts, testing them against our environment, give us this valuable opportunity to compare our inside view to the outside world. And we just might learn we’re doing at lot better than we thought. Also, this works both ways: why not tell that other Mom in the park you are really impressed by how patient and loving she is? It might make her day! Create something Big parts of motherhood are abstract and invisible. Sometimes it can help to add something to your routine that allows you to physically create and therefore see a tangible result. Gardening, cooking, baking, drawing, building. Just about everything that allows you to see a before/after will do the trick. Take pictures! Be proud of what you (and your little ones) created! Again, this is not about designing the perfect masterpiece. It is about giving you something substantial, physical to look at, evaluate, even ask feedback for — and then either be happy about or re-do. Lastly, be good to yourself. One of the most difficult and most important lessons I needed to learn as a mother is to have compassion for myself. We’re often so much more generous with others than we are towards ourselves. Not every day is perfect. Motherhood is the goddamn hardest job in the world. Be gentle to yourself and allow yourself to learn.

https://medium.com/@nadja-30250/modern-motherhood-sucks-part-3-the-feedback-void-bc15561af024

['Nadja De Maeseneer']

2020-12-09 20:56:03.837000+00:00

['Female Founders', 'Motherhood', 'Mental Health', 'Momlife', 'Feedback']

Introducing EcoMap 2.0

Enter EcoMap 2.0, a platform that actually conveys the beauty of Baltimore’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. On the homepage of the Baltimore EcoMap, the first thing you’ll come across is a list of resources that have upcoming deadlines. We wanted to make these front and center so that entrepreneurs don’t miss any opportunities. If you want to feature a resource, get in touch with us. If you keep scrolling, you’ll find even more cool featured resources in Baltimore. At the end of this section, you’ll find a link to Explore All Resources. This will take you to the full Resource Directory (Alternatively, you can use the navigation bar at the top by clicking the dropdown next to EcoMap Baltimore). Also in this section you will find a way to sign up to our newsletter. You should really sign up, because if there is anything sexier than EcoMap 2.0, its our monthly ecosystem newsletter (and the majority of post-MVP web platforms, but we digress…). Really, it’s great. It covers everything you need to know about what is going on related to Baltimore + Entrepreneurship. Sign up here. If you click on Explore All Resources (after signing up for the newsletter, of course), you’ll go to the Resource Directory, where you can find every single resource for entrepreneurs in Baltimore, categorized by Resource Type. More dynamic filters are coming soon, so you’ll be able to search for resources based on their stage focus, company-type focus, and more. You can also search for Resources using the handy search bar at the top. For each resource, its type (Accelerator, Funding, etc) is indicated on the top of the Resource Card , and the types of ventures it focuses on (growth startups, small businesses, or nonprofits) is listed under the description. Depending on the type of resource, you’ll also see information about the Stages & industries it focuses on, the amenities it provides, upcoming deadlines, its resource provider, and more. If you click on Learn More, you’ll be taken to the Resource Profile, which is automatically generated for every single resource on EcoMap Baltimore. The Resource Profile covers everything you need to know about that given resource. The left column will show you the Resource Type, its full description, and any Keywords or industries affiliated with the resource. Additionally, you can see the Resource Providers. When applicable, Resource Providers are listed in a cascading nature (for example, FFU is a division of JHTV which is a division of JHU); otherwise, all Providers are listed in a random order. The right column shows which types of ventures that the Resource targets, as well as the stages served by the resource. Below this is the contact information, in case you wanted to learn more or get in touch. If you click on Learn More on a Resource Provider card, you’ll be taken to that Resource Provider’s profile page (shocker, we know). These Profiles provide more information about the Resource Provider, including its organizational type, location, and the resources that it provides. Alternatively, you can explore all Resource providers (categorized by type) from the Resource Provider directory. The GeoMaps for both Resources and Resource Providers can be found on the last tab of their respective directories, under “Map”. If the view looks off, try zooming in or out to set the correct geographic boundaries. This is not a feature, it’s a bug. We’re working on it! You can likewise view our in-site blog by clicking on Blog in the Navigation Bar, or by going to the blog section at the end of each page. We cross-post most blog articles to the site-based blog, but most of our stuff will be published here on Medium first. Finally, as in EcoMap 1.0, you can Add or Edit Resources, Add or Edit Resource Providers, Submit Questions/Comments, and Submit Feature Requests on the Edit the Baltimore EcoMap page. All submissions will be reviewed by our team to ensure that they meet our quality and applicability standards for the Baltimore EcoMap. Coming Soon to EcoMap Baltimore Here at EcoMap, we believe in the Launch Quick mentality. We wanted to get our platform into the world as soon as possible so that we can see how our users respond to it, and add features from there. The majority of our features are driven by user insights and requests (submit one here!), but we do have a few features already in our pipeline. In order, these are the features that will be coming to EcoMap 2.0 in the coming months:

https://medium.com/ecomap-technologies/introducing-ecomap-2-0-b7ff0d5e7708

['Pava Lapere']

2019-09-06 15:16:02.501000+00:00

['Ecomap', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Innovation', 'Data Science', 'Startup']

Of Learning A Language

By Salman Sowdagar THEY say learning a new language is easier when you are a child and it gets tougher as you grow up. It proved to be right in my case. This in no way means that my hair had started falling. I was just closer to becoming a teenager. So, I wasn’t a child after all, was I? The ordeal showed its ugly face when my father was transferred from Pune to Hyderabad in 2006. Though I was born in Kurnool, a not-so-big not-so-small city in Andhra Pradesh, I had moved to Pune at the age of four. My father had got his job posting there. And Urdu being my mother tongue, I had not known a word of Telugu — the language of my home state, by the time I made my way to Pune. And in Pune, you don’t hear it at all; Marathi is its call. Children as we were, my sister and I (though she being older than me by a year or so) gave in to the need of the hour and learned a good deal of Marathi during our eight year long stay in Pune. But grown-ups as they were, my parents could never learn it. Or was it that they never tried? Then came the much awaited transfer to Hyderabad when I had finished my 6th grade. Much awaited because my family had ever since longed to go to Hyderabad as it was nearer to our native place. It is human tendency to try to be close to people and places that make us feel like home. So when the transfer finally came, we were more than just happy. But it seemed my home state failed to see that. For once I was back, it seemed to switch on its revenge mode. Revenge for I had abandoned it earlier. It looked as if it wanted to shove down my throat the whole of the Telugu I had missed. A language all my cousins who lived in the state had mastered. But never did I envy them for that. Firstly because I had Marathi with me. Secondly, I had never found Telugu very appealing. But alas, I had no other option but to opt Telugu as a second language from 7th grade onwards. After all, I could not have discontinued my education to avoid that. So I reluctantly started learning it from scratch. The two centres of learning that taught me the ABC of Telugu were the specially conducted remedial classes in school and my mother at home. Without a doubt, the latter was better. Fortunately or unfortunately, I soon realized that in Hyderabad, one could do without knowing much Telugu. Most of the people there seemed to know a bit of Hindi or Urdu. So I started taking my struggle for learning Telugu lightly. I learned only that much that would enable me to pass the examinations without using any dubious means. However, that worked in my favour only for three years. When I reached 10th grade, I realized the seriousness of the situation. I could no longer afford to take Telugu lightly as it was the year of board examinations. A fear took birth inside me. I was afraid I would not be able to prepare enough to clear the final Telugu exam. There was plenty of time for the exam but the fear would not let me do anything. It only grew stronger as the days passed. But then I did not know that Allah had a plan for me. His plan that would help me overcome my fear of Telugu. I had always been a good speaker since my childhood (at least I like to think that way). I used to participate in storytelling competitions and win prizes. The habit had continued and my speech for the Independence Day elocution contest in my 10th grade had impressed all my teachers and friends alike. The Telugu Language Day was due in the same month and many activities were planned for the students. Some of my teachers, impressed as they were, wanted me to give my name for the elocution competition where I had to speak about the importance of Telugu in Telugu. And when they saw that I was far from doing so, they did it themselves. They gave my name without my consent in front of my very eyes. I tried stopping them but they kept telling me that I could do it. I was left with no other choice but to wait for this unexpected tragedy that was fast approaching me. I got my speech written by my mother and it took me two days to practice it. When the D-day arrived, I was a bundle of nerves. I felt my hand shiver as I held the mic and faced the audience. But after only three minutes, it was all over. I had done it. But not without referring a couple of times to the paper I was holding in my hand on which I had written down the speech. I did not know how I had spoken until my name was announced for the first prize. It came to me as a shocker. That day, it was not the prize that I had won. It was something else. It was my fear of Telugu that I had won over. I realized that if I could speak in Telugu in front of a large audience, I could also face it in a board examination. For writing something privately is easier than public speaking. So, that was Allah’s plan for me. And it made me realize that doing the ordinary things that one usually does to overcome a fear may not help in the long run as the fear may try to resurface time and again. In order to defeat a fear, what one needs to do is something different, something extraordinary. When the final Telugu exam eventually came, I was confident. And it showed in my result. I scored a 63. __________ About the Author Salman Sowdagar is a poet and short story writer living in Hyderabad, India. His work received a Commendable Mention in Wingword Short Story Prize 2017. Salman was among the Featured Writers in Wordweavers Poetry Contest 2017. His work has appeared in magazines such as The Bombay Review, Merak magazine, Verse of Silence, The Pangolin Review, CultureCult magazine, Infinithoughts, etc. He is currently studying MA English at MANUU. Links: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

https://medium.com/ratherquiet/of-learning-a-language-a2e72fe24eee

['Rather Quiet']

2020-11-16 17:27:54.184000+00:00

['Young Muslims', 'Issue 04', 'Language', 'Muslim Writing', 'Language Learning']

Apache Spark — Performance Tuning

Source: Google Images I assume that you are familiar with how spark runs the job, basics of distributed systems, current utilisation of cluster, job SLA, resources details etc. There are mainly two ways we can optimise our jobs: Application Code Cluster/Resources Configurations 1. Application Code There are lot of things we can do in spark while writing a job which i might also not be aware but i am trying to cover some important standard that each should follow according to my experience for better resource utilisation and execution : A. Caching : Let suppose we are reading data from MySql through spark JDBC connector as a result we are getting a dataset. Now this dataset needs to be written at three different places(hive, csv file, Oracle). For all these three destinations we have different transformation to be applied. Now if we did not cache this dataset then due to lazy evaluation this dataset will be computed three times and thats a waste of execution time and resources. So it is great in such scenarios where we are going to use this dataset again and again we must persist. At the end try not to persist unnecessarily and after its work is done do not forget to unpersist cached dataset. B. Number of Partitions : When the shuffle happens in spark it creates by default 200 partitions. Now from the development point of view we always need to keep an eye on the size of partition. We should always adjust the size of partition on the basis of data being processed. Let suppose we are writing a dataset: Scenario 1: Let suppose after shuffle dataset size is 1024 MB ( 1 GB) for writing. Now if we consider to have a default 200 partition then there are 200 files each having the size of (1024 MB/200) = 5.12 MB which is way less than the default block size and so many small files are also getting created so in this case we need to decrease the number of partition. In this case let suppose if the block size is 128 MB then the number of partition should be (1024 MB/128 MB) = 8 number of partitions approx. Scenario 2: Let suppose after the shuffle dataset size is 1048576 MB (1 TB Approx.) for writing. Now if we consider to have a default 200 partition then there are 200 files each having the size of (1048576 MB/200) = 5,242.88 MB (5.12 GB Approx.) which is way more than the default block size so in this case we need to increase the number of partition. In this case let suppose if the block size is 128 MB then the number of partition should be (1048576 MB/128 MB) = 8192 number of partitions approx. Note: In case of increasing the number of partition we also need to consider that default spark shuffle block cannot exceed 2GB. So for an example here if we are creating 8192 files of 128 MB we can always increase the file size upto 2GB but advisable is 1 GB and decrease the number of files within limits of shuffle blocks for better performance. So the calculation in this will look like (1048576 MB/1024 MB) = 1024 number of partitions approx. To increase or decrease the number of partition, We can use different properties or functions: df.repartition(1024) or df.coalesce(8) or spark.conf.set(“spark.sql.shuffle.partitions”, “40”) C. Broadcasting : In distributed environment when there is a large gap between the size of dataset we can always practice to load the smaller dataset into memory and broadcast these at every executor so when some join will happen no data shuffling will take place. D. UDF : Spark optimiser does not understand the logic written inside the user defined function. So when it evaluates the UDF, System goes flat with logic and execute as it is without considering the best optimised case. We should avoid using UDF unless really necessary. There can be other lot of cases which can make the job faster and better like not using frequent actions like count or show, using the write file format, eliminate redundant transformations, reduce IO operations, using right serialisation like kyro etc. 2. Cluster/Resources Configurations There can be different properties which we can use for fast performance and resource optimisation but here we are discussing some of the properties and methods that i have used in my experience. A. Off-heap memory : Shuffle data structure can be stored in off-heap memory as a result this is not maintained by JVM at all which eliminates the chance of garbage collection hence the job can become faster. Following property can enable this off-heap configuration: spark.memory.offHeap.enabled = true spark.memory.offHeap.size = 1g (this can be modified on the basis of need) B. Garbage Collector : GC in JVM automatically determines what memory is no longer used by application and then it recycle this space for other uses. Now in distributed environment these GC can kill time of the job more in garbage collection than execution. To eliminate this we can use different configuration such as following: — conf spark.driver.extraJavaOptions=”-verbose:gc -XX:+PrintGCDetails -XX:+PrintGCDateStamps -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:InitiatingHeapOccupancyPercent=35 -XX:ConcGCThreads=20" — conf spark.executor.extraJavaOptions=”-verbose:gc -XX:+PrintGCDetails -XX:+PrintGCDateStamps -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:InitiatingHeapOccupancyPercent=35 -XX:ConcGCThreads=20" For Example: Before using GC configuration on driver and executors: Spark Job Executor Summary After using GC configuration on driver and executors: Spark Job Executor Summary To read more about the GC for Spark: https://databricks.com/blog/2015/05/28/tuning-java-garbage-collection-for-spark-applications.html C. Number of Partition : This is same as point B in Application Code optimisation. We can do this from outside as well while submitting the spark job. — conf spark.sql.shuffle.partitions=10 (10 is just for example this can be increased or decreased accordingly) D. Network Timeout : In spark when the data load is too high we generally see the spark timeout exception or executor out of network exception. This happens because the executor reports its heartbeat to the driver. So in case if GC is taking more time in executor then spark.network.timeout should help driver waiting to get response from executor before it marked it as lost and start new. If the job start a new one then the task executed by the previous executor will be recalculated. Hence time and resources will be consumed again. This will make the job slow and expensive so setting this property will save the job from starting new executor and it will wait for response some more defined time. — conf spark.network.timeout=240s (240 second is just for example and can be changed accordingly) E. Compress Shuffle Spill : In spark when the shuffling happens data spills will take place which can be compressed using following property: — conf spark.shuffle.spill.compress=true F. Dynamic Allocation : In spark we can use two types of resource allocation. First is static allocation and other is dynamic allocation. In general almost in all production use cases we should use dynamic allocation because it gives the option of getting the resources as per need and does not block the resources if they are not needed like static allocation. You can enable the dynamic allocation by setting following configuration: — conf spark.shuffle.service.enabled=true — conf spark.dynamicAllocation.enabled=true In dynamic allocation we do not need to pass the number of executors as it takes accordingly as per the need of the job. — driver-memory 2g — executor-memory 4g — executor-cores 4 Now back on the performance tuning side the problem with dynamic allocation is that if the job is running on priority scheduling basis then it can take up to n number of executors or we can say it can use any number of percentage of cluster in use for this single jobs because there is no upper or lower circuit is set on this job as a result it will be difficult for others job as well to run on the same cluster. Now the question arises that even if the job will take all the resources in the cluster for this single job only then it means the job will run faster and finish early but if we understand the concept of shuffling we will not be agree with this statement because too less or too more parallelism in the job can adversely affect the job and whole impact of the job will become negative because if we have less number of executor than shuffling can be less which is good but the parallelism is less which not good on the other side if we have more number of executor then shuffling will be more which is not good but parallelism will be more which is good. So we always need to find the balance between both. For an example: Scenario 1: Let suppose we have 100 GB of data in the shuffling process and configuration are executor memory=50GB and number of executors=2 Scenario 2: Let suppose we have 100 GB of data in the shuffling process and configuration are executor memory=10GB and number of executors=10 So if we pass this as a static allocation then in some cases scenario one will be better and in some cases scenario 2 will be better. To overcome this we can pass following properties to set the upper and lower limit to number of executor so that it can dynamically adjust resources according to the need of the job. — conf spark.dynamicAllocation.minExecutors=2 — conf spark.dynamicAllocation.maxExecutors=20 After setting these properties this job will start with for an example minimum 2 executors and can go up to maximum 20 executors. Conclusion There are lot of things we need to consider while optimising the spark job. If we are clear then with using best practices and knowledge we can tune any job. Performance tuning of any job of any kind comes with exploring and experience in the same domain so keep exploring new things. Happy Learning :)

https://medium.com/@sharadgupta619/apache-spark-performance-tuning-a8d1cc59e859

['Sharad Gupta']

2021-05-29 14:42:46.581000+00:00

['Spark', 'Big Data', 'Apache Spark', 'Spark Performance', 'Spark Optimization']

Free Yourself From Grants: 21 Crowdfunding Stories For You

Free Yourself From Grants: 21 Crowdfunding Stories For You This booklet is all about creating a solid, manageable and proper Crowdfunding and Crowdsourcing Campaign for Artivists. Nomadways Apr 22, 2020·2 min read In 2019 our Anne took part in the “Tandem Europe” programme. (Get back to our article on her joining the programme here) It is tailor-made for people who work on creative solutions that make social innovation possible throughout the EU — cultural managers, artists, organisers and educators. People involved in culture and arts. In this programme, the participants pair with someone from another country to create a joint project and explore the great practice of their work. Anne paired with Lisa from Raumpioniere, a Vienna based agency which provides a service range from participative processes for both rural and urban communities, cities, neighborhoods, event planning with focus on urban or rural topics and public space to Urban/Civic Crowdfunding. The project: 21 Crowdsourcing Stories Storytelling was involved in the idea since the beginning. If you have followed our previous publications, you may noticed that the plan was to get stories from people in our communities. However, the idea evolved after Lisa and Anne decided to address a current need: to discover more ways to fund our cultural projects. And since this is something Raumpioniere is quite experienced in, Lisa and Anne joined forces to show us how to do it! The booklet has tips for each step. This booklet presents how to launch a crowdsourcing or crowdfunding campaign in 21 steps. For each one of it, a suggested exercise will help you in finding out what you need to do to move further. There are 3 main chapters: Before launching your campaign, During your campaign and After it is finished. With such a clear timeline, it might be quite helpful to understand what deal of a preparation is needed; how active you need to be whilst crownsourcing and what happens afterwards. >>Download here<< Remember, this booklet is made to be downloaded for free — share it with your team, friends and community, too.

https://medium.com/@nomadways/free-yourself-from-grants-21-crowdsourcing-stories-for-you-16f22ea7a680

[]

2020-04-22 20:26:22.759000+00:00

['Crowdfunding', 'Tips', 'Crowdsourcing', 'Artivism', 'Social']

Firebase update summary 2020

Helpful product updates from Firebase Summit 2020 Over the past few months, we’ve seen that apps not only improve the way we live, they also enhance our ability to adapt…

https://medium.com/@gossy-86158/firebase-update-summary-2020-98fd5e8f10e5

['Gossy Tsukagoshi']

2020-12-02 22:16:49.289000+00:00

['Firebase', 'Firestore', 'Firebasehosting']

Image Processing and ComputerVision for iOS Applications: An Introduction

Nowadays, the field of Computer Vision is on the rise, mainly because of the “discovery” of the potential of Machine Learning. The goal of this post is to discuss the concepts of Image Processing and Computer Vision as well as the frameworks available for working with these technologies on the iOS platform. In the next post I show how to use Core Image ;) Image processing means that we have an input image and apply a filter, ie a program that algorithmically examines and applies some pixel-by-pixel effect to generate a new output image. An abbreviation of picture element, a pixel is a value which represents the intensities of the colors that make up the image. Pixel — Picture Element Computer Vision is an area where we program so that the computer can see the environment around us, making it able to recognize and extract information from objects in real time (Barelli, 2018). In fact, Computer Vision and Image Processing are complementary and many Computer Vision systems employ Image Processing algorithms (Ehiaghe, 2020). Computer Vision is also directly related to Machine Learning techniques, which emerged from the evolution of the pattern recognition area for object and/or feature classification. The Figure below shows the flow of a Computer Vision system (Barelli, 2018). The image acquisition phase consists of the use of capture devices that transform the image into a digital file. Every digital image is converted into an array of integers (pixels). In the preprocessing phase, objects or elements of the image are identified so that they can then be segmented and facilitate feature extraction. Pattern recognition allows the classification of objects according to some category or class. Source: Adapted from (Barelli, 2018). In terms of iOS application development, Apple offers two frameworks: Core Image and Vision. Core Image is the framework responsible for image processing and analysis processing near real-time still and video images (Apple, 2016). It can be used on Core Graphics, Core Video, and image input / output technologies using both Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) rendering paths. Vision is the framework that performs high-performance image analysis and computer vision to identify faces, detect text and features, recognize barcodes in still and video images. Integrated with CoreML (Apple’s machine learning framework) allows the use of Machine Learning models for tasks such as classification and detection of objects and scenes. A widely used library for developing Computer Vision and Image Processing applications is OpenCV (Open Source Computer Vision library), created by Intel in 1999. This framework was developed in C / C ++ and currently has versions in Java and Python. To use it in iOS mobile applications, you can include it in XCode and using Objective-C as the programming language. Click here and read the next post and learn how to use filters with Core Image :) References Albuquerque, M.P.; Caner, E.S.; Mello, A. G.; Albuquerque M.P. (2012). Análise de Imagens e Visão Computacional. Available at http://mesonpi.cat.cbpf.br/e2012/arquivos/g06/CursoE2012-PI.pdf Apple Inc. (2016). Core Image Programming Guide. Available at https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/GraphicsImaging/Conceptual/CoreImaging/ci_intro/ci_intro.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP30001185 Barelli, Felipe. (2018). Introdução à Visão Computacional . Casa do Código. Ehiaghe, A. (2020). What Image Processing Techniques Are Actually Used in the ML Industry?. Available at https://neptune.ai/blog/what-image-processing-techniques-are-actually-used-in-the-ml-industry

https://medium.com/academy-eldoradocps/image-processing-and-computervision-for-ios-applications-an-introduction-fe3171e10be7

['Ilana Concilio']

2021-05-03 14:52:34.140000+00:00

['Computer Vision', 'Swift', 'iOS', 'Core Image', 'Vision']

32 Inspirational John Maxwell Quotes and Sayings

To access the full collection of inspirational John Maxwell quotes, his talks, motivational videos, and selected podcasts, download the Motiveex app for FREE. Inspirational John Maxwell Quotes and Sayings About John Maxwell John Calvin Maxwell is an American author, speaker, and pastor who has written many books, primarily focusing on leadership. John C. Maxwell is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, who has sold more than 26 million books in fifty languages. In 2014 he was identified as the #1 leader in business by the American Management Association and the most influential leadership expert in the world by Business Insider and Inc. magazine. John C. Maxwell’s book titles include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadershipand The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. [ 1] Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP and the John Maxwell Company, organizations that have trained more than 5 million leaders worldwide. Every year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, international government leaders, and organizations. Developing the leader within you 2.0 is the 25th-anniversary edition of the classic book. Which also have changed the way people think about leadership. In this book, John C. Maxwell gives an insight into how to create value, vision, influence, and motivation required to be a leader. ( Get the audiobook for free.) Furthermore, developing the Leader within you has not only revolutionized the process of becoming a leader, and the book has sold over 1 million copies due to its influence over people. John C. Maxwell also has published the 2.0 edition after 25 years of further experience and research on leadership, which makes this work more fascinating and compelling. Book also gives insight into the leadership process as the author further added the 25 years experience after his first publication.

https://medium.com/@motiveex/32-inspirational-john-maxwell-quotes-and-sayings-965dd7188871

['Motiveex', 'Motivational Books', 'Quotes']

2020-12-25 13:53:53.764000+00:00

['Leadership', 'John Maxwell', 'Quotes', 'Success', 'Inspirational']