fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Are All Nerds Not Athletic
By: Alexander Towey
Tags: Jimmy Neutron, Jasonblock216, Nerd, Knightsmediaanalysis, TV

Are All Nerds Not Athletic

.Jimmy Neutron is a fantastic kids show, whos first episode aired on the date july twentieth of two thousand and two. It was able to last three seasons with it’s last episode airing on november twenty fifth of two thousand and six. This was a show that told the story of a grade school boy going through life being born with extreme intelligence. With having a large IQ, the show proportionally makes his character have a lack physical strength, having less strength than most kids his age. This creates a image to younger viewers of what a common stereotypical nerd is like. Spreading another stereotype is not a necessary condition in a kids tv show.

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. Stereotypes can be very offensive and are almost everywhere in the consumer world. The show Jimmy Neutron is going to have some stereotypes within it, but do not have to be bad stereotypes of nerds being very smart but lacking in physical strength. In the episode N-men Jimmy is getting tired of being “weak”, and creates a super hero formula. The friend always stronger than Jimmy, but now weaker, become extremely jealous, and Jimmy creates more of the formula to give to his friends. Throughout the show Jimmy is either out of breath after a little bit of running or struggling to lift something up. But not all things enforced are bad.

. Jimmy Neutron acting like a stereotypical nerd is the enforcement of a cultural norm. But Jimmy Neutron also does a good job of enforcing a cool cultural transmission for the stereotypical nerd. Most kids nowadays looking back on Jimmy see him as being nerdy but also being a pretty cool and likable kid. This may be because, although being nerdy, he was a very sociable character who was also pretty funny. His character has no trouble speaking to new people and pretty girls. This new image of a cool, but smart nerd is a good message in my opinion to send to kids.

. So what? Was it really that bad for a kids show to teach kids about a bad stereotype at a young age? Not really, it’s a stereotype that most kids would learn in life anyway. Also, I would argue that a social nerd is a more powerful message that can be seen as more of a encouragement than the damage caused by the unathletic nerd stereotype. I watched the show a good amount as a kid, and would argue as a slightly nerdy person it has given me some motivation to be more outgoing.

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Quantum Leap episode review — 3.8 — The Great Spontini
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Drama, Time Travel, SciFi, Quantum Leap, TV

Original air date: November 16, 1990

Director: James Whitmore, Jr.

Writers: Cristy Dawson and Beverly Bridges

Rating: 7/10

This episode is mostly pretty excellent. And I found it very enjoyable for a number of reasons, not the least of which because it stars two Friday the 13th veterans in Amy Steel from Part 2 and Erich Anderson of The Final Chapter.

Sam is a struggling magician in the middle of a divorce saga. It’s basically Kramer vs. Kramer, with Amy Steel playing the Meryl Streep part.

And the magic really isn’t too big a part of it, which makes sense. And I actually liked that, because the family drama is so compelling. And Bakula’s absolutely incredible in this episode. This might be his best performance in the show. Those scenes where he’s trying to respond to the judge’s or his wife’s lawyer’s questions while trying to listen to what Al has to say to him are just so good.

The last portion of the episode isn’t that good, though. The climax leaves a lot to be desired, but it’s pretty great until then.
TV Picks: 21–27 June 2021
By: Dan Owen
Tags: Television, Listings, UK, Tv Picks, TV

— MONDAY 21st —

★ RICK & MORTY — E4, 10PM.

Season 5 of the sci-fi animated comedy about a young boy and his drunken genius grandfather. (1/10)

Also watch:

Lose a Stone in 4 Weeks for Summer — Channel 5, 7.30pm. Science special about losing weight. Hosted by Ruth Langsford.

Science special about losing weight. Hosted by Ruth Langsford. Devon & Cornwall — Channel 4, 8pm. Series 4 of the documentary about life in the rural south-western counties of England. (1/4)

Series 4 of the documentary about life in the rural south-western counties of England. (1/4) Olly Alexander: Growing Up Gay — W, 9pm. Documentary about life growing up as a homosexual, and how the gay community are often plagued by mental health issues and depression.

Documentary about life growing up as a homosexual, and how the gay community are often plagued by mental health issues and depression. Harley Quinn — E4, 10.30pm. Season 2 of the comic-book animated series about the eponymous quirky villainess (voiced by Kaley Cuoco). (1/13)

Season 2 of the comic-book animated series about the eponymous quirky villainess (voiced by Kaley Cuoco). (1/13) Birdgirl — E4, 11pm. Season 1 of the comic-book animated series about superheroes working for a law firm. (1/6)

Season 1 of the comic-book animated series about superheroes working for a law firm. (1/6) Duncanville — E4, 11.30pm. Season 1 of the animated comedy about a teenage boy with a healthy fantasy life. (1/11)

— TUESDAY 22nd —

★ BETTY — SKY COMEDY, 9PM.

Season 2 of the teen comedy about an all-girl skateboarding gang. Starring Dede Lovelace, Moonbear, Nina Moran, Ajani Russell & Rachelle Vinberg. (1/6)

Also watch:

Philly DA: Breaking the Law— BBC4, 10pm. Documentary series about the first term of Philadelphia’s uncompromising new District Attorney Larry Krasner in 2017. (1/8)

— WEDNESDAY 23rd —

★ THE GULF — ALIBI, 9PM.

New Zealand crime drama about a detective who starts to lose her memory after a car crash that killed her husband, but who is determined to find those responsible. Starring Kate Elliott, Ido Drent, Jeffrey Thomas & Mark Mitchinson. (1/3)

— THURSDAY 24th —

★ DIANA — ITV, 9PM.

Documentary to mark what would have been Diana, Princess of Wales’, 60th birthday, charting her entire life.

Also watch:

Kennington Palace: Life Behind Closed Doors — Channel 5, 8pm. Two-part documentary on the private home that’s hosted the royal family for more than three centuries. (1/2)

Two-part documentary on the private home that’s hosted the royal family for more than three centuries. (1/2) Escape to the Chateau: Make Do and Mend — Channel 4, 9pm. Series 2 of the property show where Dick and Angel Strawbridge help people restore their French chateau’s. (1/6)

— FRIDAY 25th —

★ GLASTONBURY IN THE ‘90s — BBC2, 9pm.

Documentary about the world-famous Glastonbury music festival, focusing on the event’s redefining decade: the 1990s.

— SATURDAY 26th —

Nothing much. Get yourself on YouTube.

— SUNDAY 27th —

Well, nothing I’d recommend you watch. Have you mown the lawn?
If young adults watch too many sports games on television, it may make them want to play sports.
Tags: Television, Sports Games, Basketball, Sports, TV

If young adults watch too many sports games on television, it may make them want to play sports. Ekko Follow Aug 16 · 2 min read

In modern times, a lot of technology comes into our life. There are smartphones, internet. And for myself television is my favorite, I like to use it to watch some TV shows, sports races or cartoons. With the popularity of TV, some people like it, but some people don’t like it. And some people, who don’t like it, start to say that if young adults watch too many sports games on television, it may discourage them from playing sports. But I can’t entirely agree with that idea because I think only if you like this sport, or you are interested in this sport, then will you go to watch this sport on television. So I believe if young adults tend to watch too many sports games on television, it may make them want to play sports.

Photo by Fancy Crave on Unsplash

As an example, if you are a person who doesn’t like sport, and you enjoy watching the romantic show, I believe that when you are watching TV, you will not turn to the sports channel, maybe when you change the television channel, you may be watching it for a few seconds. Still, you will turn it to another medium very fast. But if you like to play sports, like basketball, soccer, baseball, you may be watching the race or sports game on television; this probability is very high. For example, I am a person who also very much likes sport; I like to play basketball, soccer and a lot of other sport; I’m usually watching the NBA games on television all the time, and if I miss it I will also watch some highlights in this game. Sometimes I can learn some tricks or moves from watching the sports game on television, and after I learn those skills, I will go to the basketball court to practice them and show them to my friend. It makes me spend more time playing basketball.

Photo by Sabri Tuzcu on Unsplash

In conclusion, I believe that young people watching too many sports games on television will not discourage them from playing a sport, the only thing that will prevent you from playing sport is laziness.
What I Love This Week
Tags: TV

Every few months I get overcome with the desire to organize everything we own. I rearrange all of our furniture. I move art from room to room until I can say, “oh this makes more sense.” I paint a room, a cabinet…I spray paint whatever I can. Within the last month, I’ve redone our downstairs bathroom, painted my office, and painted my brick fireplace white (photo above). Thankfully, all of these little projects I embark on end up improving our home, but the real upside of doing them isn’t so much about the upgrades as it is the joy of doing them (cheesy but true). You know when people describe being in zen-like “flow states” when they’re doing something they love? That’s exactly how I feel when I’m deep cleaning or organizing or painting. I think back on all the times I rearranged and organized my best friend’s bedroom when we were teenagers. Maybe I missed my calling, or maybe (more likely) I’d hate the projects if they were a job instead of a hobby. Where do you fall on the spectrum of hate it/neutral about it/love it when it comes to cleaning, organizing, and updating?

The Best Time of Year to Buy Everything

If you’re like me, when you go to make a large purchase — an appliance, a piece of furniture, etc. — you faintly remember reading a list somewhere about the best times of year to buy each category of item: cars, electronics, appliances, clothes, and on an on. Here is that list! Bookmark it.

How to Watch the Best Episodes of a TV Series

You know all those TV shows you have on your list to someday watch? Well there’s a site that can help. On ShowSkimmer you can search for a series and it will list the best episodes, in chronological order (there could be 5 episodes, there could be 50). According to Lifehacker, “It’s a great way to watch a series while skipping all the forgettable episodes — which is especially good for long-running sitcoms with light plots and a lot of time to fill.”
Re/Watch: Community, Part 1
By: Deany Hendrick Cheng
Tags: Community, TV

Re/Watch: Community, Part 1

My friend Hanna has never seen Community, and I’ve seen it more than a few times. With the series dropping on Netflix a few months ago, I figured it might be an interesting exercise to watch through it with her and compare notes on how each episode lands depending on whether you’ve seen it or not. Also, it gives her a reason to work through Community, which I consider my good deed for the month.

For the first installment, we’ll be running through the first half of Season 1, from the pilot to the first Christmas episode! This stretch sees the show still finding its footing, and its growing pains are a bit more pronounced than most due to having seven strongly contrasting voices, each requiring their own episode to flesh out. The central theme for the season is language — the study of communicating in a foreign syntax — and these episodes are a case study in the fact that learning to speak another person’s language is both difficult as hell and the foundation of any worthwhile connection.
Friday the 13th: The Series episode review — 2.2 — The Voodoo Mambo
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Friday The 13th, 1980s, Fantasy, Horror, TV

Original air date: October 7, 1988

Director: Timothy Bond

Writer: Agy Polly

Rating: 6/10

Like with most things handling voodoo (at least in the horror genre), this isn’t the most sensitive to Haitian culture. But it’s also quite entertaining. And up until the ending, it seemed like one of the strongest episodes of the series. But then the ending happened.

There’s some kind of Caribbean block party happening outside Curious Goods, and Jack’s old friend and voodoo priest, Hedley (Seneca), is in town to visit.

Meanwhile, Carl (David Matheson) inherits some weird snake mask thing that talks to him and urges him to kill specific leaders of the voodoo religion in order to continue gaining power. It kills with a snake coming out of its mouth and biting the necks of its victims, taking their souls.

The first time we see it used, it’s pretty great, and quite violent. Each subsequent time, there’s not nearly as much blood, but I like that it starts pretty brutal.

The mask is inhabited by the spirit of Laotia (Suzanne Coy), who we later learn was Hedley’s wife. She has some secret goals she’s not sharing with Carl, as one might expect.

She eventually is able to appear physically, though this happens after they’ve taken Hedley’s granddaughter.

And it’s unfortunately downhill from there. There’s a lot of really good stuff earlier, with Ryan and Micki sneaking through a house and finding the body of the first victim. The guest performances are pretty good, even by David Matheson, who has little to work with as the underwritten Carl.

But the conclusion of this episode really does drag it down. Still, I enjoyed it, and paired with “Doorway to Hell,” season two is off to a pretty strong start.
My COVID STORY:
By: Julie Trell
Tags: Covid Diaries, Covid 19, Australia, Quarantine

Again, an exceptionally full flight since Qantas, at that stage, reduced it’s fleet 90% (it’s now 100% reduced international flights). Coincidentally, my friend Tim was also on this flight — and who met Drew #connectingdots — Tim’s final destination was Perth, Western Australia.

The elbow bump right after exchanging digits.

Arrived in Sydney 6am on Wednesday and was picked up by my friend (in his convertible and top down). He dropped me home and braved the supermarket madness and went shopping for me for 2.5+ hours to ensure I had a full fridge as I am on 14-day mandatory [home] quarantine as an international arrival.

Drive home from the airport. Top down. Heading to home quarantine for 14 days.

While he was shopping I checked my temperature and I had a fever. 100.1ish [37.8 C] (my normal is 97.5ish [36.4C]) (but I need to start taking it in C)

I called my doctor who told me to go to the fever clinic at St. Vincent's hospital which is 6 minutes from my house.

Friend drove me there and I went in.

I followed the signs (for once, Australia surprised me with good signage and a green line to follow, but I digress)

Clear and well-positioned sign at St. Vincent’s

Got to the clinic with one person in front of me who said he had to get tested because his girlfriend tested positive. He was let in.

I told the nurse/staff member my story, that I just arrived from US two hours earlier after lots of international travel, had a fever, and ever so slight cough. I also had not yet noticed an itchy rash on my chest.

She sent me home to quarantine without a test — but I did convince her to give me a mask for myself and my friend (which she did so, reluctantly)

Called my doctor back to let her know I was sent back from the clinic. She was surprised (and annoyed) they didn’t take me. She told me to go to her office at 5pm for a test. But I was not allowed in her office, I had to go to the back alley behind her office.

I walked there (15 minutes) to the back alley where she tested me while she was in full hazmat gear. (Swab in the throat — gag, and same swab up my nose — ouch)
covid wanted me to celebrate our anniversary
By: Caterina Signorini
Tags: Covid Diaries, Masks, Quarantine, Italy, Teens

It’s our anniversary, darling. We’ve been together for one year. And, I must admit it, you’ve always been by my side. Always. For one whole year.

Our relationship with SARS Cov 2, Covid-19 for short, has been tumultuous. Hasn’t it? At first we underestimated it, poor thing, and we thought it was just a cold. As the virus originated in China, we Italians — naive and sympathetic as usual — were worried it would cause discrimination and violence. So we started a campaign called «Hug a Chinese» to avoid a social backlash. Little did we know that these were the last hugs we’d be giving.

One year on, things have changed drastically. We’re coexisting with the virus and we’re fully immersed in its dynamics: quarantine and covid-test have become terms of daily life — minor inconveniences. We’re mixing caution and fashion, desperately searching for colourful FFP-2 masks, while in 2020 we craved for a simple, blank mask that would protect us from the deadly virus. I even bought a gas mask, for God’s sake.

Honestly I feel like we’re pioneers. Epidemics have always existed, yet I feel this one is different. There’s some evidence Covid might have been created in a lab, and we have the Internet — therefore fast news and memes. We’re pushing the limits of our technology and our mind.

I hope this aura of decadence will fade away, transforming itself into a new renaissance. We have all the tools we need to start a new life, to build a brighter future for ourselves. Still, it’s hard to think outside the box. Outside our homes.

We must remember that we are overcoming a pandemic. An historic event that will be on history books. After this enormous challenge, I hope people will learn to overcome difficulties with a different mindset: a more positive, optimistic and creative attitude towards life.
Why I got into Software Engineering
By: Erin Cola
Tags: Covid Diaries, Software Engineering, Newtothis, Flatiron School, Future Technology

The question: “why do you want to be a software engineer?” The answer? To be honest is still slightly unknown to me. I do know that I’ve always enjoyed the unknown, exploring, and learning. However this all can only happen in my world as long as there is some sort of constant in the background to go along with it. Adventures are only fun for me as long as there’s the solid comfort of a home base.

Growing up, I wasn’t ever a gamer, and my presence online still isn’t great. Technology, however, is now and always has been fascinating to me. It’s uncomfortable to not understand how things work. Until recently though, I fell too complacent in the hospitality industry as that was all I knew, and I was good at it. When COVID-19 happened I, along with many others, was forced to redirect my life. So I kept going back to my curiosity with software and technology. How does a robot vacuum your whole house? How does an app I use everyday to work for Instacart work? How does my GPS work, and how did we ever get around before? These, along with an endless amount of other questions, are why I decided to use this time being forced out of my current comfort zone to find another one. Technology is something that isn’t going away, and not only is it not going away, it’s probably never slowing down it’s growth.

I’ve always been a person of many ideas and dreams, but rarely follow through. So the thought of starting school again and changing my entire career path is something that both terrifies and excites me at the same time. I want to gain the knowledge of the fundamentals of software engineering and skills to forever learn more. I never realized how much I was settling because I was afraid of the unknown until now after the world basically stopped. The technology world never stopped though, and in seeing that, I decided there was nothing I wanted to do more than to understand what it takes to become a Software Engineer.

There are so many different routes a Software Engineer can take in their respective careers. With all those different possibilities, there is also always a home base with Slack and Github, which connect all Software Engineers alike. There’s always more to learn together as this industry is forever changing and evolving. The comfort of a home base at my computer and support system with fellow engineers combined with the large array of different career paths is exactly why I want to be a Software Engineer.
A Guide to Finding My Side Hustle – Prologue
By: Tammy Olushina
Tags: Covid Diaries, Side Hustle, Graduate, Freelancing, Freedom

I graduated this summer, in the middle of a pandemic. Unlike most of my classmates I had some sort of job lined up, so I have something to cover the bills. Like most of my classmates I’ve had to move back home for the foreseeable future.

It’s been about three months of endless applications for a different job, one that’s actually in my field of interest, in an economy that doesn’t look like it’s going to recover any time soon. When I combine that with having to live at home, I’ve found that my passion for finding a side hustle has been renewed. A quick search on Google and medium has shown me that my plan isn’t an uncommon one, so I’ve decided I’m going to document my attempts to find a side hustle that works for me.

In my free time, I’m planning to look at the commitment, work and planning it takes to become a decently paid:

Copywriter

Presentation Designer

UX Designer

3D Designer

A pattern maker

And maybe a few more.

This is definitely not a fixed list, as I’ve found my interests wax and wane faster than the phases of the moon. On the other hand, I’m hoping that keeping a record of all the references, practice and general effort I’ve put into finding a side hustle will keep me motivated to stick to it.
A new (graduate) nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic
Tags: Covid Diaries, Covid 19, Healthcare, Nurse

I began my nursing career the same week my state and the WHO declared the COVID-19 pandemic. I vividly recall during my orientation the need to be spaced out evenly between other new employees — administrators apologizing profusely for the long wait for us to be registered and filling out the necessary paperwork to get into the hospital’s online systems. It was a rather clunky week as nearly all classes and meetings needed to be held virtually, using technology and physical distance strategies to ensure proper CDC protocols.

My training was far from typical. Every day it seemed as though a new set of rules were told during nurse huddle/shift change. Never had I imagined my career would start with the need to ration personal protective equipment, signing off on alcohol gel and disinfectant wipes. The constant tension in the air at work was nearly suffocating due to the stress and anxiety of the unknown facts of COVID-19. This as especially true for new patients who entered the unit and were not appropriately screened for this scary new disease and were beginning to show faint signs and symptoms.

I am now nearing the end of my orientation — a comfortable 12 weeks of training with different preceptors to better grasp the importance of detailed documentation, prioritization of care, and vital communication strategies to communicate with other healthcare providers and patients. I feel excited to be on my own, finally as a registered nurse caring for my own patients. Though anxious and nervous to know that days are pending to only get busier as COVID cases rise and things may potentially return to ‘normal’ or as close as ‘pre-covid days’ if that were even possible.

The next coming month will be a true testament of my preparedness for this position, a testament to my training and honesty toward my own development as a nurse.
Kerala Quarantine Diaries #12
Tags: Covid Diaries, Kerala, Quarantine

Photo courtesy - Harini

The supermarket delivery didn’t come through as scheduled.

We waited for an hour and then messaged the store manager. He replied back with a voice note. He prefers voice notes and calls to messages. The phone was immediately handed over to Seeja for decoding. Whatsapp doesn’t provide subtitles!

“Our van was not allowed entry. Your area is sealed off. Looks like, a COVID case was found.”

We were living in complete isolation, physical and social as well. Cut off from the local news.

We called up our friendly neighbourhood cop — Muralidharan.

“D idn’t you see the news? There are two cases in your area. But the delivery guy should have told the cops that it is for people under home quarantine. We wouldn’t have blocked them”

Phew!!! So the Idiyappam Podi will come, although delayed

There are two parallel roads flanking us. A radius of around 3 kms including both these roads are blocked by the police.

Francis uncle knew about the two guys who tested positive. One of them had gone to visit a friend who returned from the Gulf and was home quarantined. Sigh!

Contact tracing is in full swing. The roads may be blocked for another day or two to prevent further interaction.

The supermarket delivery reached around 8 pm.

Wednesday is a day when the primary health centre opposite us treats elderly people.

An old lady who came in by 5.30 am to reserve her spot, was informed by a passerby that it may not open and that Sec 144 is in force. She left within 15 mins.

As I type this, I see 4–5 people standing for the centre to open. They are wearing masks and standing 6 feet apart.

Looks like I have had my first brush with fake news here.
A Pandemic
Tags: Covid Diaries, Covid 19, Pandemic, Covid 19 Crisis

A Pandemic

World War Z is a movie released back in 2013 in which a zombie virus takes over the globe and a former UN employee struggle to save his family and to find a cure for this virus. In the movie when a healthy person is infected by the virus he turns into a Zombie and starts attacking other humans. In the fall of the year 2019, we came face to face with a similar virus but we didn’t turn into zombies, we simply had fever and cough and after some time we die. The virus was named “Covid-19”.It created panic and anxiety all over the world.

The first case appeared in “Wuhan, China” and by the end of April 2020 more than 9 thousand people died worldwide and till then this virus was converted into a Pandemic. And it doesn’t stop there it brought down the World Powers to their knees asking for help and forgiveness from the one Almighty up in the skies. Economies collapse, unemployment went wide, and people were found dead on the streets of Italy. Parks, markets, cities, and even the provinces went under strict lockdowns and people were starting to starve. Till this date, more than 67 million confirmed patients and 1.5 million lives are no longer with us because of the covid-19 pandemic. Our beloved nation of “Pakistan” also suffers many losses from this pandemic but as this country is itself a miracle of Allah Almighty and by his grace we are still standing and fighting this pandemic. Humans always improvise, adapt, and survive as we are doing for ages which is a gift that always comes in handy.

Pakistan along with the rest of the world salutes its front-line soldiers the paramedical staff, who have laid down their lives in helping the sick during these crustal times. Now, as the world continues to fight this pandemic through following the major sop of wearing masks, washing hands, and keeping a safe distance from each other to avoid the spreading of the covid-19 virus. We pray to Allah Almighty to emerge us victories in these times and help us to put an end to this pandemic.
Sprinter vs Marathon Mindset
By: Cait Lynch
Tags: Covid Diaries, Mindset Shift, Mindset, Sprinting, Baby Steps

SOURCE: PIXABAY

Sprinter vs Marathon Mindset

How seeing the finish line makes all the difference to be there at the end Cait Lynch Jan 21·2 min read

In case you have forgotten what day it is, it’s Thursday, January 21st, 2020. I share the date with you because I want to talk to you about the difference between marathoning and sprinting. Right now, the days and weeks might feel like you are in a never ending marathon where you cannot see the finish line. Even if the end of the marathon is just around the corner, if you can’t see the finish line, you may not know when it’s coming.

This can be gruelling. Even if we know that all things end, I think there is something psychological that happens to us when we can’t see the end of something.

Right now, during COVID and lockdowns, one of the reasons it may feel so daunting is because so many of us may have a general malaise, a kind of COVID drag because we can’t see the finish line. Yet.

A series of sprints

Instead of seeing these days as a long and gruelling marathon, allow me to encourage you to look at this time we are in right now as a series of sprints.

Here’s the thing: In a sprint, you can see the finish line.

Usually, you know where the end of a sprint is and you can use that finish line as something to look forward to, as a sort of hope to hold in your mind.

The majority of us are not built to marathon. Most of us are sprinters—we can handle short spurts of challenges. Over the last almost year you may not have felt like you are going very fast. You may not think of yourself as as sprinter. (You may think of yourself as more of a couch potato.) If you approach your days like little sprints, that may help get you through to end, to the finish line. Perhaps look at the days as small projects and tasks, where you can see the end result, where you can see the reward, where you can see the finish line.

As we move forward in the middle of the belly of winter, consider these days as little sprints with little finish lines. Use little check marks, little successes throughout your day to break up these sometimes marathon-like days, weeks and months. Short, sweet, sprints where you can see the finish line and feel as if you are making progress.

You are moving forward; you are still in the game. You are making progress. Just be there at the end. That’s the goal…Be there at the end.
Houston AFM Members Play to Help COVID Patients Heal
By: Texas Gulf Coast Labor Federation Afl-Cio
Tags: Covid Diaries, Covid 19, Houston, Unions, Medicine

Photo Credit: Houston Methodist

By Jay Malone

When Houston Methodist approached Houston Symphony violinist Christopher Neal, a member of the Houston Professional Musicians’ Association (AFM Houston), about playing for COVID patients as part of a pilot program at the hospital, he was excited at the opportunity to give back.

“As a musician, I jumped at the chance to contribute something,” he said.

Neal works with Musicare, a pilot program for the Houston Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine. Since the program launched last April, AFM Houston members like Neal have performed over 400 private concerts for ICU patients at Methodist. Although the performances began in the hospital surgical ward, all of the recent concerts have been for patients with COVID.

Christopher Neal, First Violin, Houston Symphony Orchestra (Photo Credit: Eric Arbiter)

“I recently played for one patient who the nurse told me could understand, but couldn’t communicate,” said Neal. “He was having a lot of trouble sleeping, and I played for him and he ended up falling asleep. I considered that a great, great compliment.”

AFM Houston member and Houston Symphony cellist Brinton Smith recently recounted the story of playing for a patient who used to be a jazz guitarist and was moved to tears by Smith’s performance in an interview with the Houston Chronicle. “Sometimes you think people aren’t really all there, and then you see that they’re crying, or you get some kind of emotional response,” Smith says. “The people who really love music have these powerful responses that you never forget.”

Neal and Smith say that they see their work helping patients heal as deeply connected to their union values. “The great part about being in a union is that we band together to take care of everybody,” said Neal.

Brinton Averil, Principal Cellist, Houston Symphony

“As union members and members of our community of musicians, we have an obligation to make the world a better place in any way we can,” said Smith.

The program started out with just two musicians last year, but has grown substantially thanks to the efforts of AFM members like Neal and Smith. “We believe that by getting together as a group and playing for these people, we will get them out of the hospital quicker,” said Neal. “We think we are not only making them happy, but they are also recovering faster. It’s because of a group of people getting together to boost us all. It’s working.”

“The amazing thing about music is that it cuts across every kind of barrier there is,” said Smith. “It connects with such an essential human value. Everybody responds to music on a very fundamental level”.

This is the first in a series about union members in the Texas Gulf Coast. To learn more about the Houston Professional Musicians Association, please visit their website: www.afmhouston.com
@Isolation Day 2
By: Lady Lips
Tags: Covid Diaries, Covid-19, Isolation, Day 2

@Isolation Day 2

Started my morning sleeping in, binged netflix for a while and then did some yoga. I’m planning on meditating more throughout the day and doing some reading. I started reading Elon Musks’ book and it’s so inspiring. Looking at my life, it hasn’t measured up to about much. I’m hoping things will turn around soon. What can I accomplish during this time? How can I help others? What’s the purpose? I have so many plans but haven’t put them through. Timing has never been on my side but this wake up call might change that. Living in a world where it feels like it’s coming to an end, makes risks all the more willing. Seems silly. Why not jump?

Today will be the start to a, hope life’s not going to end, scenario. People keep telling me to think of all the things I’ve achieved. All honesty, if anyone asks for life advice, I say, don’t be like me. Do opposite. Sad right? Reality is I have nothing to show for a good life.

I get scared to try sometimes because I don’t want to keep failing. As I’m reading about millionaires and billionaires, I’m discovering they failed so many times. It all comes from experience.

Today, I’m going to rewrite my resume and make myself sound more appealing to employers. Thanks to a good friend, she is helping me fix my mistakes. I hope to find a good job soon back in chicago.

This is the time to get what I need done. This is the time to reflect on what’s important. This is the time to focus.
360 Clinic Update 11/24/2020
By: Connie Fan
Tags: Covid Diaries, Covid 19, Covid 19 Crisis, Covid 19 Testing, Covid 19 Treatment

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, signaling the start of the holiday season. However, this holiday season will undoubtedly be unlike any others. As the temperature continues to dip into the colder months, the rates of COVID-19 cases are unfortunately, although not unexpectedly, increasing.

Our team has been working tirelessly to come up with ideas to shorten wait times so our patients can return to their day-to-day activities in a timely manner. Today, our teams of physician assistants, student nurses, volunteers, and the 360 Clinic staff at both of our super-site testing centers: Anaheim Convention Center and Orange County Fairgrounds have been so proud to witness so many smiling faces from the patients dropping off their test kits and getting back on the road. The smiles indicate that our patients were happy (and even awed by some) with how quickly they went through the whole process, from receiving the swab kits, to collecting their samples, and dropping off their kits, quicker than they’d ever experienced.

The results from today remind us of why we do what we do: stop community spread, start community health. We’re committed to creating a safe and healthy community, one test at a time. Knowing that our patients get to have a peace-of-mind and not have to worry about endangering their loved ones makes it all worth it.

This, of course, would not have been possible without our incredibly loving, dedicated, and resilient team. We have come so far since July but we’ve only just begun. We’re growing quickly so we can serve more communities and provide more people with access to COVID-19 testing quickly, safely, and always, with love and compassion. Join our team today! Apply on our website at www.360clinic.md.
How to align your marketing strategy during turmoil?
Tags: Covid Diaries, Crisis Management, Crisis Communications, Marketing Strategies, Community Engagement

The first quarter of 2020 has been a tumultuous series of events. As we see world economies shutting down, an underlying sense of despair looms in the air. Our lives have changed overnight, our consumption patterns are mostly shock-driven, and in tandem, markets and economies grapple with this unexpected, unprecedented world crisis.

Over the last few weeks, most of us have received several communiqués from large and small corporations, stating their support to the community and humanity. Their messaging shows empathy and compassion, which is what people are looking for during these troubled times.

As a business owner or employee, have you been able to adapt your marketing strategy to face the crisis? Have you taken the necessary steps to communicate effectively with your customers? If not, we have outlined a simple three-step action plan to tackle the situation.

Do more for the community.

At times like these, communities come together. This is a time to build trust. This is the time to think selflessly and do more for your community. It could be a small gesture like a commitment to help other businesses or a modest contribution (depending on your means) to a known cause.

We advise our clients to communicate with their communities and show support with different digital initiatives. Clear communication and on-point messaging should be in-line with your company’s mission to support and uplift the economy during tough times.

2. Listen to your customers.

With seismic disruptions in the economy, customers’ consumption patterns are erratic and skewed. There are fundamental shifts in societal beliefs and attitudes. This phenomenon could be short-lived or could persist in the long run.

Listening to your customers is more important than ever. It is crucial to know customer sentiment, their reactions, and the reasoning behind it. If you do not have a Voice of Customer (VoC) program set up, now is the time to do it and put it into motion. Our team is helping companies connect and build trust with their customers through proactive messaging and social media monitoring.

3. Plan for tomorrow, now. Not later

With the current doom and gloom situation, it is natural to sink into the operational issues and to offset existing business losses. However, resilience and agility should form the core of your organization. The post-Covid era will be here soon, and businesses must prepare for that scenario today. Companies should be making decisions with recovery in mind.

While this pandemic proves to be overwhelming on the personal and professional front, businesses should use this time as an opportunity to self-reflect, to base strategies on preparedness, agility, and resilience. This is the time to align, innovate, and create value for future consumption through current engagement. And to believe in the good of humanity and a community coming together.
Things I Can Do While Waiting for the Florida Unemployment Website
By: Wendy English
Tags: Covid Diaries, Covid 19, Covid 19 Crisis, Coronavirus, 2020

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Good morning! Today is officially one week from when I was able to successfully submit my claim for unemployment. It’s early, maybe I can get on the Florida Unemployment website and place my first request for payment? I believe it was down all weekend based on the notice I got when I attempted to log in. Coffee in hand, laptop plugged in and away we go …

OMG, I was actually able to log in. It’s a miracle. This system must not be as bad as it has been proclaimed to be. Or maybe the protesters in Tallahassee got the attention of someone important. Whatever, I’m in!

Oh no. They need more information from me. My employer did not verify my employment. A quick email off to HR is sent. In the meantime, I fill out as much as I can on the form. HR gets back to me within moments. They rock! I fill in the needed phone number and promptly get booted off the website.

Ok trying to login again. The website spins and spins after I enter my Social Security number and PIN. And spins. And spins. And my dog needs to go out. I take her out and upon my return see the website is still spinning. Did I clear my browser history prior to attempting to log in? Sure did. Am I using a browser from this decade, yep I am, Google Chrome all the way.

Next, I read 4 pages of my book.

Great! I have now advanced to the page I got bumped off of back when I needed info from HR. Click on “Next Step”. More spinning. Read 5 pages of my book. 1 eye on my computer screen, 1 eye on my book. Kicked off.

Attempt to login again. Website spinning. On my phone, I check Facebook, 2 likes and a comment. Time to check Instagram, 3 likes. My dogs Instagram, 12 likes, she’s popular. Florida unemployment website still spinning. Anything interesting going on in the Twitter world? Error!

Here we go. Clear browser history and attempt to log in again. I now know the “Claimant Warning Statement” by heart. No fraud here. Just a furloughed employee trying to get through and do what is needed so my family has a roof over their head and food to eat. Did I mention I have NEVER been unemployed in my life?

Spinning, spinning. “Run-Time Error”. That’s a new one, never saw this before.

This time I restart my computer and attempt to log in. Spinning. I read 5 more pages of my book. Success! I am in baby. The information that needs to be updated is due in 48 hours. How many of those hours will it take to get this done? As I attempt to add the needed information I am bumped off the site AGAIN.

Another login attempt. “Connect is down processing payments. We apologize for the inconvenience. We will be up again at 12:00 Noon.

“Siri set an alarm for 12:00 Noon.”

12:oo Noon. “Connect is down processing payments. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

To be continued …
Pregnancy, the beautiful journey of carrying a tiny human inside of you for 9 months.
By: Erika Casillas
Tags: Preggers, Baby, Pregnancy, Pregnant, Pregnant Women

Pregnancy, the beautiful journey of carrying a tiny human inside of you for 9 months. My first pregnancy ever happened in 2020, nothing to do with covid stay at home orders, it was actually planned for my husband and I to try and have a baby by 2020. From the moment I found out I was pregnant my heart swelled up with overwhelming joy!

But let me tell you a few things a lot of women don’t talk about. Here are a few I personally went through. The morning sickness that doesn’t go away those first few months to the point where you lose your appetite completely! The smells, don’t get me started on the smells… garlic being the most disgusting of them all. Round ligament pain, oh my was that painful. Pain when I walked or stood up quickly that would shoot down my belly. Also accompanied by lighting crotch. Yup, that’s a thing. The heartburn was the absolute worse!! I didn’t drink coffee until my second trimester and some days I’d prefer to skip out because of how bad my acid levels became. Water itself gave me reflux! I’ll never forget the night I decided to fulfill my hot Cheetos craving and nearly choked on what was coming up my throat while sleeping… hot Cheetos vomit. Worst thing ever! Never ate them again during pregnancy. What else? Baby kicks and punches are amazing until they begin to hurt! But you learn to embrace it.

Doctor visits? Honestly I stopped feeling awkward after the first few visits as everything is checked down there. Ultrasounds and heart beat checks were my fav! But please tell me why I had to have a full bladder during every single ultrasound? Picture a full bladder ready to burst while the tech pushes her magic ultrasound wand on your bladder! And then near the end of pregnancy those weekly check ups and cervix checks, yikes!!

I’m not trying to make pregnancy sound like a tough time, just keeping it real with things I wish I knew that no one really shared with me. Some women experience vaginal pressure throughout all pregnancy, hemorrhoids, hair loss, acne, facial hair, BO, sore breasts, linea negra, etc. And some women don’t experience any of this!

Pregnancy is beautiful! It’s hard, but a wonderful journey to say the least. I remember during pregnancy asking how do women do this multiple times? But again it’s different for every woman. After experiencing the wonderful thing pregnancy is I instantly felt more respect for all mothers!

What comes next? Birth…
Sleep Struggles — Why Do Children Cry As They Learn How To Sleep?
By: Kaoma Chisanga
Tags: Rest, Toddlers, Baby, Parenting, Sleep

Sleep Struggles — Why Do Children Cry As They Learn How To Sleep? Kaoma Chisanga Mar 19·3 min read

Seeing your baby cry is perhaps the most heartbreaking moment of all. You don’t want him to cry. You want him happy. And of course, you want him healthy. But for all that to happen, he needs to sleep properly.

It would be nice if your child could learn how to sleep without any crying or frustration whatsoever. Every parent would sign up for that. Unfortunately, the truth is that all children, regardless of the method you use to help them sleep, inevitably do shed some tears in the process. Let’s see why.

First and foremost, children cry when learning to sleep because they are protesting — they don’t like change. In fact, they hate change. Just think about it.

Do you remember what your favorite book was as a kid? Do you remember wanting to read that book over and over again, even though you knew every word of it?

We all resist change, children and adults alike. It’s normal to do so, and it’s normal for your child to express his resistance by crying. After all, crying comes before words — not the other way around.

Second, as children begin to learn how to sleep but haven’t yet figured out how to do so, they are understandably frustrated. They no longer have Mom and Dad on their side to help them get to sleep, and they don’t yet know what to do differently. They will eventually.

What’s really interesting about falling asleep is that although each of us is born with the inherent ability to do so, it is considered a learned behavior. And yet you can’t teach anyone else how to do it — you can’t simply say to your child to close his eyes and sleep. Instead, each of us has to learn for ourselves what to do to settle into sleep.

Of course, there are children who seem to learn how to sleep almost magically, with very little effort on the parent’s part. However, children are different. Everyone is unique.

Your child, along with many others, hasn’t learned this essential skill yet, which is why he needs you to take a step back, so he has the opportunity to achieve that on his own.

How will he do it? He might kick his legs around a bit, he might gently rock his head from side to side, or he might grab his lovey. Or maybe he’ll suck on his thumb. If he’s a bit older, maybe he’ll play with his hair.

The truth is, each of us has different things we do to soothe ourselves into sleep, and your child will surely find a way that’s perfect for him. But he won’t discover those things nearly as easily with you standing right next to him or picking him up — he won’t have the motivation to do so.

Simply put, if you “help” him, he will cry even harder because the touching feels like a tease that serves to reinforce the crying.

Click Here to learn more.