fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Pushing back against the tide: A Pacific nation’s climate fight
By: The New Humanitarian
Tags: Climate Change, Environment, Activism, Humanitarian, Island

MAROW, Vanuatu

Mounds of heavy stones are all that protects Jeffrey Daniels’ home from the waves that wash onto tiny Emao, an island dotting the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.

But the makeshift dams can’t stop his village from flooding during fierce tropical cyclones, tidal surges, or simply a heavy downpour.

“When the rain comes, we feel trapped as if we were standing on a ship,” Daniels said.

His home is located on an island strip less than 70 metres wide. When Daniels was a child, this land was twice as wide. Now his home and his village of Marow are vanishing, losing ground to the sea year by year. Where he used to play football, today there are only floating boats.

“If the sea levels continue to rise, this village will disappear,” he said. “Our community will disappear.”

Afraid that rising sea levels will swallow Marow within a few years, the entire village is planning to move to higher ground — a costly relocation that few here can afford. Many have already left for good, migrating to the capital, Port Vila, in search of work.

For Daniels, it’s the clearest sign of how climate change is disrupting lives, and forcing vulnerable communities to adapt or flee.

The powerful storms that tear through the Pacific are becoming more intense and more unpredictable. Extended droughts make staple crops harder to grow, and food more expensive. Lost income is driving migration away from land that had supported families for generations.

“When the rain comes, we feel trapped as if we were standing on a ship.”

These impacts from climate-linked weather extremes cause billions in damages in countries like Vanuatu, and in vulnerable areas around the globe. Economic costs may be quantifiable; but other losses when communities like Marow scatter — like tradition, culture, and identity — are immeasurable.

Some in Vanuatu are pushing back. Politicians and activists want to confront big polluters by suing for compensation for climate loss and damage. Their target: wealthy countries whose carbon emissions are most responsible for human-caused climate change.

They’re planning to bring the battle from battered communities like Marow to the halls of the UN General Assembly in New York, and to the world court, the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

There is no blueprint for this, and there are roadblocks ahead: Never before has one country sued another for climate change damage. They’ll have to raise political support, and prove the link between the rapidly heating climate and the disasters that hit Vanuatu’s communities.

But the proponents of this push believe it could be a precedent-setting case, setting out a roadmap for how countries might bypass global climate inaction and compensate for mounting loss and damage in a warming world.
What is Dysrationalia?
By: Joe Bologna
Tags: Society, Sanity, Mind

Many of us are concerned about disagreements so prevalent in all aspects of society today. How can two rational people disagree given the same facts? Dealing this problem is difficult for everyone. Long ago I stopped trying to “help” everyone “see the light”. Seemed no matter what the facts, teaching something a person does not want to learn is nearly impossible. Truthfully, I found it increasingly distressing and sought a way to eliminate the distraction. How did I resolve the matter?

I decided that experience is the only teacher and just let these teachable moments pass by, knowing that eventually experience will teach the lesson. But this did not explain my compulsion to correct facts or beliefs. Why did I have this compulsion? Turns out, upon introspection, I realized that I associate gaining knowledge with some level of pain which I wished to spare others from feeling. I suppose this is somewhat empathetic, but correcting someone is actually more painful than letting them learn it from experience. Once I took this to heart, my compulsion and stress in these situations diminished tremendously.

Another lesson I learned is regarding irrational behavior. Why people do some things can’t be explained. It’s like the sound of one hand clapping. It just makes no sense, don’t try to make sense of it. Period. Move on.

These are lessons I’ve learned, but, what does scientific research say? Given the high level of irrational behavior recently, I decided to look into the causes and (hopefully) solutions. It didn’t take long. I opened the latest Scientific American and found an add for this eBook on page 2:

Return to Reason: The Science of Thought

Obviously my concerns are shared, otherwise Scientific American wouldn’t put a full page ad for a book from 2017 on page 2 (basically forgoing the revenue the page could generate otherwise). True, the book cost $6.99, but I’m sure it is a net loss regardless.

The book is a rather dense read, but the subjects shed light on some lessons I’ve learned. It also describes how to handle a conversation where irrational thought and behavior enters the stream. For me, it was $6.99 well spent.
The Reality of Being a Woman is Terrifying
By: Megan R. Clark
Tags: Equality, Women, Society, Culture, Feminism

The Reality of Being a Woman is Terrifying

All I know is that wherever I am, I’m watching my back.

Photo by Maria Lysenko on Unsplash

It was the first cold day of the season. The sky was bright and clear but there was a crisp wind in the air that blew the freshly mowed grass around our street. It was late morning, around 11:30, when my dog, Rudy, decided she needed to go on her mid-morning walk.

I clipped her leash to her harness and opened the front door. “Be right back,” I sang to my husband on the couch. He smiled and I closed the storm door behind me. Rudy was instantly on high alert. There was a squirrel scurrying across the sidewalk in front of us just as we stepped outside. I gently dragged her in the opposite direction to try and get her attention back.

I breathed in the fresh air and thought wow, it’s a beautiful day. Our neighborhood doesn’t have sidewalks, so we strolled along the left side of the street by the grass. The grass was still slightly damp from yesterday’s rain and stuck to my shoes a bit.

We approached the mailboxes and I decided to take a peek. “Nothin’,” I said under my breath to Rudy. “No mail today.” We crossed the small intersection to a larger field of grass.

I usually try not to stay out with Rudy for too long because she gets easily distracted. She just turned 11 years old and sometimes loses focus when a bird flutters by us. But seeing as it was such a gorgeous day, I let her sniff and explore for a few extra minutes.

Finally, I saw her squat and I got out a bag to pick up after her. As soon as I bent over, I heard an unfamiliar male voice exclaim, “Damn, you’re just bending over like that?”

I froze.

My legs started shaking and my hands felt weak. I stood back up and tied the baggie shut and tugged on Rudy’s leash. “Come on, babe,” I said to her and walked back towards our little house.

The man persisted. “Hey, do you like the Ravens? Why aren’t you turning around? Hey, come on, just answer the question.”

Rudy wasn’t cooperating with my urgency so I scooped her up and carried her the remaining hundred feet to our front step. I yanked open the door and slammed it shut, locking and dead-bolting it behind me.

“What happened?” my husband asked.
Devenez rédacteur pour la Société de Visualisation de Données
By: Noëlle Rakotondravony
Tags: Dvsintl, Rédaction, Data Visualization, Dvsintro, Writing

Sign up for The 'Gale

By Nightingale

Keep up with the latest from Nightingale, the journal of the Data Visualization Society Take a look
McConnell Blocks Vote on $2,000 Stimulus Checks
By: Catherine Caruso
Tags: Equality, Justice, Economy, Society, Politics

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked Democrats’ effort to quickly hold a vote on a stand-alone measure to increase stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000 on Tuesday. This move comes just one day after the House of Representatives passed the bill with bipartisan support.

Despite requests from Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Bernie Sanders to fast-track the bill, McConnell objected. While he did not explain why he objected, he signaled his support of President Donald Trump’s demands to increase stimulus checks, repeal Section 230, and investigate election fraud.

“Those are the three important subjects the president has linked together. This week the Senate will begin a process to bring those three priorities into focus,” McConnell said on the Senate floor on Tuesday.

It remains unclear exactly how he will proceed, but tying desperately needed stimulus checks to baseless claims of election fraud and limiting legal liability protections for tech companies will make the bill that much more difficult to pass. As it is, Trump’s delayed signing of the COVID-19 relief package cost many Americans a week of enhanced unemployment benefits.

In response to McConnell’s objection, Sanders threatened to delay Wednesday’s vote to override Trump’s veto of the annual defense authorization bill unless McConnell allows the Senate to hold a vote on the stimulus bill this week.

“The leaders of our country, President Trump, President-elect Biden, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are all in agreement,” Sanders said on Tuesday. “We have got to raise the direct payment to $2,000. Do we turn our backs on struggling working families or do we respond to their pain?”

Until McConnell allows the Senate to vote on the bill to increase stimulus payments to $2,000, Americans making under $75,000 a year will be sent stimulus checks at the $600 level. The payments are expected to start to going out at some point this week. If the Senate approves the stimulus increase, those who already received the initial $600 will be sent an additional $1,400.

“Let me be clear: If Senator McConnell doesn’t agree to an up or down vote to provide the working people of our country a $2,000 direct payment, Congress will not be going home for New Year’s Eve,” Sanders said in a statement. “Let’s do our job.”
The Deadlift Helped Me Tie My Shoes
By: Craig Brett
Tags: Life Lessons, Self, Health, Life, Fitness

The deadlift is the meat-and-potatoes of strength training. It’s easy to do, doesn’t require fancy equipment and builds strength — lots of strength.

It’s how Hugh Jackman transformed into the Wolverine.

The deadlift works everything. Every muscle in your body is employed, especially the glutes, legs and — the important one for me — the erector spinae.

These are the muscles and tendons that run along both sides of the spine, from the hip to the base of the neck. They’re the columns of support that help keep you upright.

So as the trainer explained all of this, it started to make a crazy sort of sense. If we could find a way to build up these important trunk muscles, it would relieve pressure on my disc and maybe — just maybe — give me a long-term solution.

We started very slowly. First the bar, then a plate was added, some more plates and over the weeks and months while the weight got heavier something miraculous started to happen — I was forgetting about my back pain.

I was tying my shoes without thinking. I wasn’t planning how I would bend down and perform the shoe-tying slowly, perhaps lying on my back and with the shoe held above me.

Instead, I tied the damn things and focused on the more important stuff in my life.

The human broomstick who used to break out in a cold sweat if he dropped a pen, was now regularly bending down to lift a few hundred pounds of weight off the floor.

And for me, yes, that’s nothing less than amazing.
Migraine is a Men’s Health Issue Too
By: Gillian May
Tags: Gender Stereotypes, Health, Education, Gender Equality, Culture

Causes of Migraine in Men

It’s important to understand that a migraine is not the same as a regular headache. The symptoms, which involve pulsating pain that begins on one side of the head, nausea, sensitivity to external stimuli, and may or may not have a preceding aura, are vastly different from a headache.

The aura that often comes before a migraine may involve flashing lights, sensory changes, sleep and energy disruptions, and other abnormal sensations. Both men and women have similar migraine symptoms and aura but may have differences in frequency, pattern, and triggers.

We know now that migraine may have a hormonal connection. Studies show that a common trigger for migraine attacks in women is the sudden post-ovulation drop in estrogen. And these fluctuations may cause a hyper-excitability in the brain that contributes to migraine development.

Recent research suggests that men with migraine may also be experiencing hormonal fluctuations. Both women and men have differing levels of estrogen and testosterone. However, estrogen is known to cause neurological excitation, whereas testosterone has the opposite effect.

Experts say that men who have lower testosterone levels have increased neurological excitation and sensitivity. As testosterone decreases, the smaller amount of estrogen may become more dominant in function.

It may surprise male migraineurs to know that they may be predisposed to having increased estrogen and decreased testosterone. And that these hormones in men rise and fall for different reasons than what women experience.

Of course, there are other causal factors for the development of migraine. Like women, men are susceptible to common migraine triggers, which include stress, certain foods, insufficient sleep, skipping meals, chemical scents, and irritating stimuli. However, things such as alcohol, work, and financial pressure, and physical labor may be more common triggers for men.

Research suggests that all migraineurs, regardless of sex, may have more sensitive brains making them more likely to suffer from a migraine condition. This sensitivity may increase the frequency of other ailments such as depression, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and sleep disorders.

The pattern and location of this sensitivity may be different between males and females, which may account for the migraine differences between the sexes.

We know that the cause of migraine in men is similar as it is for women but with slightly different patterns and triggers. We also know that hormonal issues, environmental factors, and increased brain and neurological sensitivity all play a part.
Inviting The Changes at Scene & Heard
Tags: Letters, Writing, Thesceneandheard, Art, News

Inviting The Changes at Scene & Heard

August 17th 2018

Dear Sentients,

Following up on my last letter without ado, I would like to deliver the news about the changes that have been made at Scene & Heard.

We want to provide the best possible media platforms for our readership and contributors. To achieve this objective, in a cluttered world of print and digital media, we are faced with the challenge of not only standing-up but standing out. To keep standing and stand-out, we know we must offer a very unique reader experience.

Facing the challenge to achieve the objective of reaching farther and wider, we need to, and, are re-visiting and re-inventing the form of Scene & Heard.

The process of re-invention requires us to take a step back from the print scene for the immediate & foreseeable future. Nonetheless, we plan to re-introduce the print version, in it’s new form once we have solidified the re-invention, envisaging this to take anywhere fro 9–12 months. I will duly post the updates as we progress.

Standing in for the print version, is a digital version of the publication available for download and reading on screened devices.

In short, effective September 2018, we will continue to produce the publication as a scheduled digital publication (5 times a year), AND publish accepted work submitted to our online platforms on medium.com as well as on our SNH Tavern web page (snhjournal.com) on a roll-in basis.

To accelerate our online presence, a robust social media and online marketing plan is also being developed and will be rolled out methodically over the next 12 months starting with the SNH web site being given an over-haul to better accommodate and showcase our contributors and readers.

This is the way we aim to increase our readership and thus exposure to reach a far greater audience than what we are currently able to do through the print medium.
Simple & Clean Login UI Using Flutter
By: Mais Alheraki
Tags: UI Design, Dart, Google, Flutter Ui, Flutter

Code

Let’s now dive into the code!

Of course, we start from main.dart, declaring the main method and some theming rules.

Note that we will set the DeviceOrientation to Portrait Up, cause we don’t want to deal with the mess that happens if the device orientation changed.

Pretty simple.

Now let’s take a look at MyApp class, I declared some theming rules here.

Next and main step, the home.dart which contains most of our code. First, we write Home StatefulWidget class and declare all necessary variables to store the user input later.

The real work starts here, inside the build method, but first let me split up our UI to understand how we are going to code it.

We have 3 pages:

The main page which contains a logo, and 2 buttons one for login and one for register, and some curve painted in the bottom. The login page, which appears after clicking on Login button from the main page, it has 4 components: closing icon, 2 input fields and a submit button. The register page, which is a copy of the login page with 1 additional field.

Now we can start coding each component!

First, we have a Scaffold, with a key and backgroundColor, we will set the resizeToAvoidBottomPadding to false cause it will make some mess later with the input fields when the keyboard gets over them.

Inside the Column widget, we will add the logo() widget, to draw that nice simple logo using Stack and Positioned widgets. Logo() will be outside the build method, to make our code cleaner.

It’s buttons’ turn. We have 2 buttons, one RaisedButton, and the other is an OutlineButton. Why did we use 2 different kinds of widgets for each button?

Simply for the sake of styling :D

RaisedButton makes it easy to give it a fill color, which is what we wanted for the login button (with a white fill). OutlineButton makes it easier to have a button with a border but with no fill, which is what we wanted for register button.

I’m really bad at arranging my codes… so this is the best idea that came up to my mind. I used the raised button many times across the code, but outline button only one, so I thought it will be better to make one raised button as a function and give it the following parameters to make it reusable:

Widget _button (String text, Color splashColor, Color highlightColor, Color fillColor, Color textColor, void function()){}

Such a long list of parameters! but much better than writing same button code many times!

So here is the full code for our RaisedButton widget:

And here is the OutlineButton:

Last part of the main page is this curved white shape in the bottom, wondering how to do it? we will use ClipPath widget.

Inside the Column in the body of our Scaffold, we will add this code to draw the curved shape:

Let’s move to a new file called clipper.dart, which will contain the class BottomWaveClipper that will draw the curved path.

So magical! we are done with the main page, let’s move forward.
How Running is Helping Me Quit Smoking
By: Benya Clark
Tags: Health, Smoking, Running, Fitness, Self Improvement

Photo by Jenny Hill on Unsplash

Running and smoking cigarettes — I’d be hard-pressed to find two more diametrically opposed habits if I tried.

And yet, for several years, I’ve done both.

I’ve been an on-and-off smoker for over a decade, and an on-and-off runner for the past few years. Normally these habits haven’t overlapped, but occasionally they have, even for months at a time.

I’ve found myself coming home from a long run, my heart pounding, only to immediately light a cigarette. I’ve stood on the porch sucking down smoke and nicotine as the sweat from my run was still dripping to the ground.

I don’t have the words to describe how foolish I felt. (At least I never smoked during a run.)

These habits both represent what I want to change the most about myself, but in opposite directions. I’ve struggled for a long time to give up cigarettes, while at the same time working hard to run consistently.

I’m proud to say that lately, I’ve been experiencing success in both directions — it’s been nearly two months since I stopped smoking, and I’ve been running fairly regularly for about a year now. (Although, I did have to take a month and a half of that off for an injured leg.)
The X-factor That Every Professional Needs
By: Og Sweetboii
Tags: Work, Business, Entrepreneurship

In the new X men movie, Professor Xavier’s ability to read minds, and control people, is acknowledged as the most special ability.

This is not because his abilities are awesome or cool, which they are, but because those abilities allows the Professor to absorb other peoples pain, without suffering under it.

It allows the Professor to bear under peoples deepest pains, and still be full of hope.

The Professor uses this ability to understand people and come up with solutions to help them with their pain.

What the Professor has, and is identified as telepathy, is simply empathy.

I define empathy as the ability to read people, to feel what others feel, and understand their emotions.

This is one of the most important skills in business. Business is about problem solving, and people will always pay more for problems that have emotional weight, and intensity, attached to them.

The most dangerous pains in life are never the physical ones, no matter how excruciating, but internal, emotional and spiritual.

Markets are made up of people, and the desires of human beings change as time goes on.

The most powerful ability an entrepreneur can have is the ability to understand people, human nature, needs and wants, and provide solutions.

Professor Xaviers excellence is rooted in the fact that he can understand truths and insights about people, better than they know their own selves.

This is what Henry Ford did when he decided to give people the commercial automobile instead of faster horses, which they would of probably asked for.

He anticipated and understood the changing wants and needs of the market.

Michael Dell did the same thing when he dared to believe that people would actually buy high end products, such as computers, online without being in a store to touch and feel it.

Steve Jobs did this multiple times, when he decided to make an mp3 with the most basic functions, including just one button.

In order to be a better entrepreneur, or an extraordinary professional, you must be able to:

1) Empaphise with people. Know how to read people, and see things from they eyes of those you want to serve. Learn to know them better than they even know or notice about themselves.

2) You have to be somebody that is proactive and solutions orientated, do not just understand people, but look for solutions.

Some people just acknowledge problems, that is only half of the journey.

3) Anticipate change, this is the only way you can best prepare yourself to deal with pain, failure, challenges, and pressure.

Professor Xavier has to first anticipate and embrace pain in order to bear under the pressure of it.

When you anticipate change, you are in a much better position to stay composed under pressure.

Do not be caught off guard, hope for the best, and prepare for the worse.

Feel free to like this post, and share with others that may benefit from reading this post. You can also give me a shout on twitter, I promise not to bite: @LesliePoku

For more articles feel free to check out www.scribd.com/leslie_poku
Dear Kids: there’s homemade spaghetti sauce in the freezer! See you soon, Love Mom
By: Doctors Without Borders
Tags: Health, Pregnancy, South Sudan, Womens Health, Cooking

I first joined Doctors Without Borders in 2011, when my baby girl was just one year old. As a mother of three it was a difficult decision to leave my family for six weeks, but I knew my skills could go a long way in an area like southern Sudan.

It was easier for the little ones, they don’t really have a sense of time and just accept it as my job. But to my 15-year-old, six weeks was a long time, so it was a good chance for us to talk about the issues that girls not much older than her face in this context — it gave her the opportunity to be supportive on a different level.

South Sudan became the world’s youngest nation while I was there but it is also one of the least developed and health care options are few. Ninety-nine percent of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries; South Sudan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.

Everyone loves their baby as much as I love mine, I just do it in a completely different context.

Every day, women die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth — severe bleeding, infection, pre-eclampsia — that can be prevented with treatment provided by trained medical personnel.

Doctors Without Borders OBGYN Africa Stewart holds triplets she safely delivered on her first assignment in Aweil, Sudan in 2011. The newborns were named Africa, Nicole, and Stewart!

My husband is completely onboard. He says it is worth all of it, worth missing me, worth the angst that comes from me being away. Since my first assignment in 2011, I have been twice more to South Sudan and once to Nigeria. Before I leave, I cook a cauldron of spaghetti sauce. It is one less thing for my husband to worry about, but for my kids, the way their mom cooks is special. On the weekend, it’s mommy’s food: you only have to do that four or five times and then mommy will be home.

The last time I was in South Sudan, in February 2016, I lost a 19-year-old patient and her baby.

She was the same age as my eldest daughter.

Having the discussion with her mother about the complications was hard. It was her only daughter and the baby would have been her first grandchild; the joys and excitement that come with that — even in the middle of a civil war — translate across the board.
Weekly social news roundup! #6
Tags: Social Media, Facebook, News, Instagram

Welcome to the AnalogFolk weekly social news roundup, a weekly collection of the best social news of the week, compiled by our Social media manager, Rachael Bennett.

More Instagram ‘likes’ tests

Following an initial test earlier this year, Instagram has expanded their ‘hidden likes’ test to six more countries. The reasoning behind the test is to help reduce ‘competition’ and ‘social comparison’, as well as create a more positive and connected community.

The number of likes is a key vanity metric that influencers rely on to show their value to brands. If this is implemented across all users on the platform, it’ll change the way brands, agencies and influencers interact.

Read more here

TikTok Rewards for referrals

TikTok has launched TikTok Rewards, a new ‘refer-a-friend’ growth strategy which offers users points for each referral that leads to a download. They can then redeem these points for vouchers to their favourite stores, including a $5 Domino’s gift card for 1000 TikTok points and a $10 Starbucks gift card for 2000 TikTok points.

It’s currently unclear how many points a user gets for referring someone to the app. The move follows a big marketing push by the platform this year. According to The Wall Street Journal, TikTok has spent nearly $1 billion on advertising.

Read more here

Twitter unveils new website

Seven years since the last time it was streamlined, Twitter has unveiled its brand new desktop website. Changes include bringing over the Explore tool from its apps, putting direct messages together in one location, an improved login interface for switching between accounts and more ways to personalise the Twitter experience with different themes.

Read more here

Diesel celebrates Pride ‘loss’

After it released its Pride-themed collection and posted about LGBTQ+ Pride month on social media, fashion brand Diesel received a number of homophobic comments and apparently lost 14,000 Instagram followers. However, instead of panicking or shying away from the community it was celebrating, the brand published a post in the run-up to London Pride which celebrated its lost followers. YES!

Read more here
The Agony of Grief When Death Is Close to Home
By: Caroline De Braganza
Tags: Healing, Health, Family, Life, Grief

The Agony of Grief When Death Is Close to Home

No more limbo, no more not knowing

I’m still walking with you (Source: Tumisa on Pixabay)

This story unfolded here on Tuesday.

I wrote I could handle whatever happened, but I’m struggling with the reality.

My brother passed on at Noon SAST Friday 18 October 2019.

I wondered if I should write this

Did I want people to pity me?

Is it a sympathy-seeking story?

Ego talking?

My heart revealed “No”.

Sharing the tearing up inside is part of my healing.

Please allow me to do that.

Grieving is different for everyone but the common denominator?

It’s HARD.

The final act

On Wednesday, despite the doctor’s attempts to wake my brother, he remained unconscious.

My sister-in-law recited the poem I’d written him, in the hope he would hear it.

Thursday morning, he awoke. He must have sensed his children were arriving from Ireland and the UK that morning.

Before they arrived, she read him my poem again. He nodded!

My heart soared when she told me. He heard. He knows.

Then Friday morning the doctors said his kidneys were failing; his body was shutting down.

Although I couldn’t be there in person, my sister-in-law switched to loudspeaker mode on her phone so I could speak to him one last time.

(She warned me he didn’t know he was dying, or that they were removing him from life support.)

I don’t remember what I said. I was trying to sound normal, calm. My voice only broke once, but I beamed knowing he’d heard me.

The final curtain

Hubby and I sat together in the lounge meditating and listening to healing music.

Two hours later we got the message.

He’s gone.

An Anglican priest gave him his last rites, so he knew. He passed on in peace with his wife and children surrounding him.

He died the same age our Dad was — 71 years and 3 months.

“Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time. It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other.” — Leo Buscaglia

I found great comfort in that because I’d told my brother I loved him before he left.

I had to let my sister know. Awful timing as she and her husband departed on their honeymoon yesterday.

I broke the news without sharing too much detail. A careful choice of words. Relieved to say she’s handling it okay.

Then I bawled and cried and paced and sent a prayer into the stratosphere.

What Now?

No more limbo. No more unknown. No maybe he’ll pull through.

He’s not coming back.

My emotions are a swinging pendulum.

I’m sipping the sadness slow — drip, drip, drip. As much as I can manage.

I know as each day passes, it will become easier.

Having slept little, I was up at dawn and re-read The Prophet, recalling Dad first reading it aloud when we were tweens.
Write on Techtrument!
Tags: Growth, Tech, Publication, JavaScript, Writing

Hey there, since you’re here then i guess you would like to have your story published on Techtrument.

Techtrument simply showcases awesome stuff written by really cool people mostly in tech. From code tutorials to experiences, DIYs and other really useful and cool information.

To submit stories to be published, simply send us a link to the published story or draft on techtrument@gmail.com or send us a DM with the link to @techtrument on twitter.

You reserve all right and credit to the post and can take them down anytime. Also there will be no ads on the story unless posted by the author or agreed between the author and we, the publisher.

Submitted drafts would be run through our editors to correct spelling and grammatical errors before it would be published.

Also, please ensure to proof read your story before sending, from code demos to credits.

We look forward to publishing your story!

Here’s to making an impact.

Cheers.
Call Me Winston
By: Jordan Michael Becker
Tags: Current Events, Awareness, Poetry, Self Reflection, Society

I watch myself upon the telescreen

and wonder on which story I am based —

a cause without its brother, traitor, queen,

a rebel only downward from the waist.

The rocket bombs paint grey my hometown sky,

the shrieking sirens scatter through the smoke,

the streets beneath me reek of death, and I

can only mourn the body that I broke.

This higher brand of selfish cannot last

(though so it seemed when I first made it mine);

the thought that tempts to renovate my past

intends to make it harder to define.

How black the market of my mind and yet

it seems I’ll still remember to forget.
JavaScript: Arrow Functions and Destructuring for Object Transformation
Tags: Destructuring, JavaScript, Patterns, Programming, Ecmascript

Arrow Functions and Destructuring for Object Transformation Sergei Follow Jul 14 · 2 min read

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Arrow functions and destructuring are two powerful features of JavaScript. When used in combination, they present a cool pattern that I like to call object transformation. The point is to write a simple function to change the structure of a given object while keeping (some of) the attribute values.

Simple Transformers

First, let’s write a trivial transformer function that looks very symmetrical, like this:

At first glance, it may seem like this function does nothing. Let’s run it against an object:

It returns the same object that it received. Let’s now feed it with a more complex object:

Now we see that this transformer function returns a new object with only the fruit attribute present.

So how does it work? This extract is a lambda function that accepts an object with a fruit property (left part of the expression). It returns an object with the same fruit property (right part of the expression) and the same value, disregarding all other properties. The => symbol separates the arguments from the lambda function body.

The object to the right of the arrow should be placed in parentheses because otherwise, the JavaScript interpreter parses the curly braces as a function body, not an object:

The body of the wrongExtract function contains just a single expression — the fruit variable. This is a valid JavaScript expression, but it doesn’t return any value from the function, so the function returns undefined .

Now let’s use destructuring to extract some deeply nested data. We want to get a fruit from a box that’s itself located inside a container:

We’ve just written a function to extract a deeply nested structure from the object, using destructuring.

Complex Cases

But destructuring is useful not only for extracting the data. Let’s use it to exchange values of two deeply nested attributes of an object. The object is a bit more complicated here, so we won’t try to write the function as a one-liner — formatting it across multiple lines should improve readability:

Still, there’s a lot to digest here. We have a complex object with two (boolean) attributes on different levels of nesting. We want to exchange the values of those attributes, so we destructure them to the hanShotFirst and greedoShotFirst variables.

Using these variables, we return a new object with the same structure, but with these attribute values exchanged.

Finally, let’s use array destructuring to make an (opinionated) extraction of an element from an array:

I think the way you can use arrow functions and destructuring assignment for object transformation is pretty cool. There could be of course many more use cases for destructuring, but this is my favorite use case so far.
“Technical Debt” dalam Software Development
By: Rahmad Hidayat
Tags: Tech, Startup, Software Development, Tech Debt, Technical Debt

Hal pertama yang kami lakukan adalah menyamakan persepsi. Tidak semua stakeholder paham tentang tech debt. Biasanya yang sering disalahpahami adalah bugs, masalah UI /UX, dan fitur-fitur yang tertunda dianggap termasuk technical debt. Padahal sebenarnya tidak.

Saya suka penjelasan tech debt dari Agile Alliance ini:

“The Technical Debt concept is an effective way to communicate about the need for refactoring and improvement tasks related to the source code and its architecture.

Code issues may be related to architecture, structure, duplication, test coverage, comments and documentation, potential bugs, complexity, code smells, coding practices and style. All these types of issues incur technical debt because they have a negative impact on productivity.”
AlpacaRadar Robo-advisor solution
By: Maya Kusajima
Tags: AI, Robo Advisor, Data Science

Today, we would like to introduce one of the solutions announced in the previous release, the solution for Robo-advisor.

AlpacaRadar for Robo-advisor solution is a solution that proposes a new AI-based approach to common robo-advisors that maintain the ratio of exposure constant.

Most recently, “FOLIO ROBO PRO” was released by providing our score using the solution to FOLIO.

This solution uses expected returns to build and output optimal prediction models in real time for all ETFs invested by robo-advisors. And instead of keeping the exposure ratio constant, by aiming to avoid risks and predict the optimal exposure ratio for market price movements, we aim to achieve excess return over common robo-advisors.

For example, when Covid-19 spiked market volatility, it moved its exposure from stocks to gold and bonds in January 2020 to minimize losses.

Reference: https://note.com/folio_sec/n/na4eb087a1676

Traditional robo-advisors try to bring back the exposure ratio if the market changes and the exposure ratio changes. On the other hand, Alpaca’s robo-advisors will try to avoid risks as quickly as possible with AI by increasing the rebalancing frequency.

The technology inside the AI ​​is the same as that used in the Alpaca Radar bond solution.

The system discovers the assets that have the greatest impact on the future market from all over the world, and builds millions of optimal predictive models inside the system using those assets as parameters. Finally, the model with the most stable performance is automatically selected.

Since AI automatically builds a prediction model, this system also integrates US ETFs (bull bear leverage , new concept ETFs and so on) that have been difficult to calculate expected return/risk and common robo-advisors couldn’t handle. Now we can create an entirely new robo-advisor to suit your needs.

▶︎please feel free to contact us for the details. We also provide customized AI prediction solution services available based on your time horizons/asset classes.

▶︎Contact Info

email: sales@alpaca.ai
How to Upload a File Attachment From a REST API Post Request
By: Ryan Gleason
Tags: API, Spring Boot, Programming, Software Development, Java

Test Using Postman

We are now going to send a file attachment to our endpoint.

This request will be a POST request sent to localhost:8080/api , which is just our local server.

To attach a file, you must include it with the Body as form-data.

Once you are in the Body → form-data fields, you must enter a KEY . This should be “file” or whichever value you specified in the @RequestPart(“[value]”) .

After doing so, a dropdown will appear that gives you the option of Text or File. Select the “file” option.

Then just hit Send. Below is what the entire request and response will look like.

On the Spring side, you will see the filename printed to our console like this:

As you can see in the last line, the name of my file was Getting started with OneDrive.docx .

And that’s all there is to it. It’s that simple.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to leave a response.
LeetCode — Two Sums. This problem was taken from LeetCode —…
Tags: Python, Problem Solving, Programming, Competitive Programming, Leetcode

Solution

Here, we’ll look at two solutions. One is the obvious but brute-force algorithm, while the other one is somewhat harder to get but more efficient, comparatively.

Brute-force Solution

Here, we compare each and every number with the other in the list and see if they add up to the target number. If they do add up, we return their indices. Although this works, still it’s an inefficient solution, O(n²). Its runtime at LeetCode site was 4512 ms when I submitted it.

class Solution:

def twoSum(self, nums, target):

"""

:type nums: List[int]

:type target: int

:rtype: List[int]

"""

for i in range(len(nums)):

for j in range(i+1, len(nums)):

if nums[i] + nums[j] == target:

return [i, j]

Better Solution

We create a dictionary to store the data such that the key is the number and the value is the index at which it was present. We then traverse over the list once and see if the complement of the current number is present in the dictionary already. If it is present, we return its index, stored in the dictionary, along with the current index. If it is not present in the dictionary already, we add the current number and its index to the dictionary. Its runtime at LeetCode site was 24 ms when I submitted it. You can clearly see how much optimized it is as compared to the previous one.
How to Use Scala Pattern Matching
Tags: Programming, Software Engineering, Software Development, Data Science, Technology

Matching with Case Classes

Besides matching against the value of an object itself, we can also match against possible types (or case class ).

Let’s say we are writing a classification program for a computer scanner at a fresh produce department of a supermarket. The scanner will label an item based on its type, e.g. fruit or vegetable. I’d imagine this is how we would define our trait and case classes.

trait GroceryItem



case class Fruit(name: String) extends GroceryItem



case class Vegetable(name: String) extends GroceryItem

Now, we are going to write a function that will take a GroceryItem object as its input and classify whether it is a Fruit or a Vegetable . This is how it would be written in its simplest form.

def classifyGroceryItem(item: GroceryItem): Unit =

item match {

case _: Fruit => println("label item as fruit.")

case _: Vegetable => println("label item as vegetable.")

case _ => println("unable to label the item. this seems to be an item for other department.")

}

Notice the syntax _: Fruit . This is how we should write our case when we want to pattern match against its instance type. Additionally, this expression does not actually look into the value of the case class ’ field (e.g. name ).

If we want to also match against the field of the case class, this is how we can do it (look at the first case expression).

def classifyGroceryItem(item: GroceryItem): Unit =

item match {

case Fruit(name) if name == "apple" => println("item is a fruit and it's an apple.")

case _: Fruit => println("label item as fruit.")

case _: Vegetable => println("label item as vegetable.")

case _ => println("unable to label the item. this seems to be an item for other department.")

}

Please note that the order of the case expressions matters. In the above case, if the additional case Fruit(name) expression is placed after case _: Fruit , the code will never ever reach it as it will match the case _: Fruit right away.
Bus-ted
By: Mark Starlin
Tags: Lifestyle, Humor, Music, Generation Gap, Bus

Three Line Conversations were inspired by Haikus. I borrowed the form of three lines, but without the syllable counts. And dialog instead of poetry.
How to Be a Stupid, Overprivileged American in Rwanda
By: Dave Smurthwaite
Tags: Health, Travel, World, Africa, Poverty

It happened our first night in Rwanda.

As is common practice back home, dinnertime is our chance as a family to come together and talk about the day.

This evening was special, not just because it was our first dinner in the heart of Africa, but also because we had a special guest.

His name was Aphrodis.

When we had shown up at our new home at 5:00 AM that morning, we had been told that Aphrodis would be our live-in security guard, if we were willing to pay a “little extra.”

“Live-in security guard?” we questioned. “Why would we pay extra for a live-in security guard in Africa’s safest capital?”

Less than 18 hours later, we knew why.

It had nothing to do with security.

Aphrodis was our immediate connection to Rwandan culture, our logistics expert for any questions about how to survive in the city, and an instant best friend to our four very rambunctious boys.

“Aff-ro-diz,” they shouted from every corner of the house, “Aff-ro-diz! Come look at this!”

By the time the property manager sat down with us two days later to negotiate the “little extra” that would be Aphrodis’ monthly salary, we were sold.

“Typically, we try and pay him around 60,000 Rwandan Francs,” the property manager informed us.

Having been spending Rwandan Francs for less than 72 hours, it took pulling out our phone to calculate the conversion. Then we had to check the math twice.

“$60.00?” we responded, “And that’s for the entire month?”

It was our first exposure to the ridiculous discrepancy between America’s and Rwanda’s idea of labor costs. Later we would learn that 60,000 RWF was generous compared to what much live-in help earn in Rwanda.
Firebase Google Authentication made easy with new Firebase Update.
By: Himanshu Ranjan
Tags: Android, Google, iOS, Firebase, Flutter

Hey Guys, Today we are going to talk about the new firebase update from 30th September and how it changed Authentication methods.

Firebase in the most recent upgrade changed the way Authentication was used in apps. We will be talking about Google Sign-in in this article.

Packages you will need:

Let’s start with the sign-in function first.

Now create a auth.dart file for the sign-in and sign-out methods.

Now create another auth_listener.dart file that will help you know the authentication state of the user i.e whether the user is signed in or signed out.

Flutter has introduced this new authStateChanges listener which makes it pretty easy to listen to auth changes.

Now to login using google ,create a button and call the login function like this, implement this in your login screen.

Now let’s get to the final implementation in main.dart file:

According to the new firebase update, it’s a compulsion to initialize main function like this :

void main() async {

WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();

await Firebase.initializeApp();

runApp(MyApp());

}

For listening to auth changes just use a ternary operator to switch between login and dashboard screen like used above.

Don’t forget to follow me on github:

So,That’s it for this article. See you guys in the next one!
I Keep a Letter in My Drawer Addressed to Myself
By: Chetna Jai
Tags: Self Improvement, The Masterpiece, Future, Life, Present

I have a letter in the drawer of my side-table addressed to my future self — written in December 2019 earmarked for December 2020.

It is not the quintessential where do you see yourself in 5 years? — kind of letter. It is an abbreviated version, with less fuzz and more soul. For me, it is a yearly executive meeting that I have with myself.

My meeting agenda includes:

➰A quick check-in on how I am doing

➰How I have held up to my intent in the past year and

➰My hopes for the next 12 months

Reading this one letter can transport me through a time-lapse for the past 365 days, and like looking through a crystal ball, launch me into the next 365.

Nothing too far-fetched, but hey, the world is my oyster. The annual letter writing practice has taught me a lot about myself and how I approach a new year.