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My Top 10 Reads of 2020
By: Kavya Janani. U
Tags: Books And Authors, Fiction, Books, Reading, Book Recommendations

My Top 10 Reads of 2020

Books that should be on your reading list

Photo by Aliis Sinisalu on Unsplash

The topmost reason I hate 2020 is that it took away my reading time from me. I read almost 30 books in 2019, just during my commute in the Metro. Those ten minutes of to and fro were the only time I got to devour books.

With the lockdown imposed from late March to early September, I lost six months of my reading time. Out of the 23 books, I read this year, 4 books were the only ones I finished during those lockdown months.

Luckily, Metro services resumed from the second week of September. But I started traveling in it only from October. By then, I had started reading a heartrending book and my commute time accelerated my reading. Read on for my top 10 recommendations.

(Please note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a book by clicking on the link, I would receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you!)
One Eskimo For A Tuesday Morning
By: Jeffrey Field
Tags: Loss, Animation, Love, Music, Adventure

It ain't what you think. Former newsman, car salesman, teacher. Everything is Thou, if you so allow it. You can find some of it at https://youtu.be/w6RtVjMDHzE

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The Case for Civility in Modern Discourse
By: Stephen Niedzwiecki
Tags: Mindfulness, Politics, Equality, Life, Philosophy

Miguel Henriques via Unsplash

With radical beliefs and polarizing politics on the rise, shouting matches and violent protests have become the means for discourse. When inflammatory language and hate-based ideology are a basis to an argument, the first instinct may be to mirror that behavior and respond just as aggressively. But power is taken away when another person is allowed to set an aggressive tone for an exchange.

There’s an ongoing debate on whether civility or force are the best ways to deal with radical ideologies. Certain groups believe violence is necessary to combat beliefs that preach hate for groups of people. But others prove that it’s possible to change minds and open hearts by practicing civility.

Aggression can be countered by setting the tone on your terms

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the first to apply nonviolence on a large scale. One of the most famous examples is Gandhi’s Salt March, where Gandhi led protesters and marched over 240 miles in protest of the British salt monopoly. While it wasn’t immediately successful, it inspired millions to protest peacefully across India, which eventually led to independence nearly two decades later.

Gandhi’s commitment to nonviolence later inspired Martin Luther King Jr. during his organizing of the bus boycott and the March on Washington. In a radio broadcast while visiting India, King said, “If this age is to survive, it must follow the way of love and nonviolence that [Gandhi] so nobly illustrated in his life.” Civil Rights activists maintained their zen-like demeanor in the face of violence and it garnered sympathy for their plight. It made their opponents look like the hateful people they were and eventually won over enough minds to enact laws for equality.

Both Gandhi and King met violent ends. But the causes they fought so diligently for succeeded.

They didn’t allow themselves to succumb to the hate and violence carried out against them. They knew that retaliation put them at risk to become the very thing they fought against. As Friedrich Nietzsche put it, “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster… for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.”

You don’t have to be a civil rights legend to win people over

Take Daryl Davis for example, a blues musician who routinely befriends Klu Klux Klan members. Davis began with a simple question: “How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?” He describes his approach as going in with knowledge, not a weapon.

After talking with Davis, many Klan members couldn’t defend their beliefs anymore and renounced white supremacy and handed over their robes to Davis. He now has the robes of 200 former Klan members who left the group after talking with him. He didn’t punch anyone or exchange clever insults; He just talked with them.

That’s not to say we should live and let live in discussions with hateful groups. Instead, we should challenge these ideologies on a personal level through discussion and appeals for humanity. Not through insults and aggression.
Gift — self deprecating
By: Ambarish Chaudhari
Tags: Haiku Hub, Poetry, Haiku This, Haiku, Gifts

Gifted with sense of

humor — self deprecating.

All mock him — he laughs.

Thanks, Sherry Kappel for such a wonderful gift — this prompt!
Reinventing Yourself
By: Rasheed Hooda
Tags: Poetry, Travel, Daily Blog, Self Growth, Self

Reinventing Yourself

Because the same old, same old is boring

Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash

Do you ever feel like there is more to life than what you have or what you’re experiencing?

I know I have been there — many times.

It can take a form of frustration, disappointment, or even boredom.

When you find yourself staring in the mirror and asking, “Is this all?”

You know, deep down inside, that you deserve more. There is more to life than just getting by.

You may be well off financially and in a good relationship, or you may be struggling in all areas of life. But when you look in the mirror, you feel a certain sadness, because you know there is more to life than this — whatever this may be that you’re looking at in the mirror.

What do you do? You reinvent yourself, of course.

In July 2007, I fired my boss to pursue what I thought was my dream goal.

Seven months later, I was faced with a situation where I was broke and looking for work. I knew I didn’t want to work for someone else. I was tired of the same old, same old.

So I reinvented myself. I became a balloon artist, something I had never imagined doing. It was something new and challenging, but it also catered to my strengths and desires.

I have always loved children, and I cherish my freedom. Working as a balloon artist offered me both; an opportunity to work with children and a flexible schedule with no boss holding me hostage.

In August 2011, I became Happily Homeless, as I moved into my van to pursue my dream of living a nomadic life. Being a balloon artist allowed me to work from anywhere I was. I have been a nomad ever since.

In the summer of 2016, I went on an odyssey of faith. With no money and no definite plan, I embarked on a journey from Chicago to Los Angeles — on foot. I discovered a new world within and without. I met strangers who took me in as a house guest, and others who contributed towards my other needs. I learned as much about myself as I did about people in general.

And now, I am reinventing myself as a writer.

Have you ever thought of reinventing yourself? Have you ever done it? What was it like? I would love to know.
Gli auguri di Hitchcock a Truffaut
By: Massimiliano Boschi
Tags: Psycho, François Truffaut, Alfred Hitchcock, Cinema, Guido Vitiello

in Eudaimonia and Co
Monotonous
By: J.D. Harms
Tags: Disability, Poetry, Musing, Pain, Image

Monotonous

A Poem

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Freak. 5 limp

drag steps to the coffee

maker, 6 to the

bathroom. 7 or so

to crash into the bed.

But always back

to the deep prune

overstuffed chair,

pasted into its celebration

of monotony, a perpetual

rest. The deep

grains of other damage

forgotten or scraped away

by someone making

a half-assed palimpsest

out of my experience

in frailty. In a wasted

frame, chipped edges, browning

in the dust and air

lank solemn, death-inviting…

scribbling long sentences

to compare with the map. If I

will where I am

going, does the scenery change?

I think it must, so

I pick up another book while I wait.

*Commentary: as many of you know, I’ve suffered from a disabling neuropathy for the last six-seven years. Pain is fascinating, as well as limiting, annoying, tedious — monotonous. I experience so many qualitatively different types of pain (numbness, tingling, aching, stabbing, throbbing, shooting, you name it), however, that it’s incredibly hard to ignore, hard to predict where it will strike so that I can get on with the business of ignoring it.. The singular monotony, really, turns out to be the mere presence of pain: that’s all I can count on. I’ve entirely given up hope of getting “pain-free days”, but, in the grand scheme of things, all of us get to experience it in some way or another. Perhaps, though, this is also connected to an intensity of experience, a way to heighten the emotional interaction with life. There’s no question that, even with the various medications that help to control my condition, I still have strong emotional sensitivity. Things hit me hard, good and bad…and I still tend to think that’s a good thing…
ICO Alert Crypto Minute: July 16, 2018
By: Mike Finch
Tags: Blockchain, Bonds, Crypto Minute, Crypto, Cryptocurrency

Big Names Join The Cryptocurrency Investment World

As reported by ccn.com, BlackRock is exploring cryptocurrencies, primarily investing in cryptocurrency futures alongside other avenues to gain exposure. Further, EOSIO announced on its blog that Peter Thiel has led a strategic investment round to invest in Block.One, the parent company behind the EOS.IO blockchain software. Both parties are joining or looking to join the cryptocurrency arena during what most consider a bear market.

Thailand Securities Company Plans Token For Instant Settlement of Bonds

The Thai Bond Market Association (TBMA) is creating a blockchain based token for instant clearing and settlement of corporate bonds, as seen on ccn.com. The blockchain is designed to be private, with permissions, and is running in three phases for launch. The first phase is expected to launch in August 2018. Currently the clearing and settlement process involves middlemen and takes two days to complete.

Hong Kong Monetary Authority Brings Together 21 Banks For New Blockchain Trade Finance Platform

As reported by Cointelegraph, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority will launch its own Blockchain trade finance platform this August, with 21 different banks involved. The project is a joint venture with Ping An Group’s fintech subsidiary OneConnect, a Chinese company. Some transactions will process in one day versus the current 14 day process. This is the supposed first time that a regulator has been involved in bringing banks together in order to improve trade-finance.
The chronicle of a design death foretold
By: Eric Stephan Moore
Tags: Leadership, User Experience, Storytelling, Design Thinking, Design

Six months before the murder, Bayardo San Román, arrived in the town where Santiago lived, seeking a virginal bride. Some described the man as a magical fairy who had captivated them with his piercing eyes.

Angela Vicario, a poor young woman, was not particularly interested in Bayardo. She had the misfortune of being a woman living in a 1950s misogynist community. Alas, Bayardo claims her despite her interest.

They marry in a ceremony so fabulous that it was written in the history books. Two hours later, on their wedding night, disaster strikes: Bayardo returns Angela to her family, claiming that she is not a virgin!

Determined to find out how her daughter had lost her virginity, Angela’s mother beat her for hours. Angela finally confesses that it was Santiago Nasar.

Angela’s brothers, the Vicario Twins, were hungry to inflict pain upon the unwitting Santiago. But they were the most unlikely of murderers, openly discussing their plot with the townspeople.

The events unfold with Santiago oblivious to his inevitability. Despite many townspeople forewarning him, he seemed confused as Angela, and he had never been together. Or so we are led to believe. Unfortunately, Marquez never explains this detail.

The story uses dreams as omens of things to come. Even Santiago’s mother, Placida, had a well-earned reputation as an accurate interpreter of other people’s dreams. But even his mother could not interpret the signs. Nor could the townspeople passionately convince him to stay away.

The Designer’s Dilemma

As designers, whether it comes in the form of a “client from hell” or personal biases, if we do not pay attention to the signs, we will become victims of a design death foretold.

Signs, in this way, are not religious or spiritual. Designers need the ability to interpret events that kill potentially damning projects before they begin.

We do not want to be left holding the entrails of a beautiful design that never sees the light of day.

Time-Love Continuum

Most of Marquez’s characters are obsessed with self-image. For some, these characters are righteous protests of human excesses like boozing and philandering. For others, they begin to believe in their own delusional stories they tell, making legends where there are none.

Like Bayardo in A Chronicle, the myths and tales told of him feed his own beliefs. The continued admiration led the man not only to love himself but falsely entitle him to an unwitting bride.

The trap we fall into is the time-love continuum. The more time and effort you put into an idea or project, the more you fall in love with it. The more you fall in love with it, the less likely you will be open to healthy critique.
Is Service Worker Ready? Can i Use Service Worker?
By: Prathik S Shetty
Tags: Service Worker, Pwa, Web Development, Html5, JavaScript

Together they account for lion share of mobile users. Almost 90%. That marks the arrival of Service Worker. Only your grand dad and the kid who wants to save all his data, power and speed doesn't support service worker.

So what if service worker is ready

It means you have been living under the web rock. Service work is the key piece of technology that makes native iOS and android apps obsolete. Basically it helps your websites run offline. Simply put, it’s a proxy that intercepts every network call and helps you programatically respond to it.

Checkout the slides below if you dont know what service worker is

This opens up the field for web apps that can compete on every front with a native app. Service worker is not just for enabling offline apps. Its also the basis for push notification. Although iOS dont yet support it(push) on mobile, my hunch is they would support it soon. They do support push on desktop via a proprietary api. Push api is heavily inspired from iOS Push API. It isnt a huge task for Apple to support it.

Service worker is a progressive enhancement.

It isnt a deal breaking feature. Nothing important breaks for your end user if his browser doesnt support service worker. But it’s that bell including which you make him feel wow. Thus go ahead and use service worker.

How do i use service worker?

The simplest way to get going with service worker is to use Google’s Workbox. It main focus seams to be offline apps and ensuring resilliance.

or Pick one of the recipes from Mozilla’s cookbook, serviceworke.rs. This contains a whole bunch of recipies from push notification to offline apps.

Best part of service worker is that you can simply CTRL+C and CTRL+V the code with minimal change.
Lost Inside a Virtual Slum
By: Lizzie Finn
Tags: Humanity, Poetry, Culture, Virtual Reality, Poem

Lost Inside a Virtual Slum

A poem to unlock your soul

Photo by Lizzie Finn.

I watch the world from behind my screen.

I stalk, I brag, I make a scene.

I want all eyes to turn and see.

But wonder if they’re liking me.

I shine my words to make them glow.

I’m ready for my solo show.

I’m lit, I’m hot, I’m pleasing crowds.

I’m streaming all my thoughts out loud.

What is real, what is true?

No one knows behind the screen.

What is real, what is true?

No one really cares, it seems.

I reach across the great divide,

I’m naked now, no place to hide.

I’ll dance and sing and hit repeat,

You’ll laugh and cry and then — retweet.

What is real, what is true?

No one knows behind the screen.

What is real, what is true?

No one really cares, it seems.

We contort our lives, create a brand,

With distortion and slick sleight of hand.

We seek escape, we crave the rush.

Our drugs of choice are likes and loves.

What is real, what is true?

No one knows behind the screen.

What is real, what is true?

No one really cares, it seems.

We’ve plugged into an empty place,

A world without a human trace.

Our minds are blank, our hearts are numb,

We’re lost inside this virtual slum.

What is real, what is true?

I wish I only knew.

What is real, what is true?

I wish I only knew.

If none of this is true or real,

There’s nothing further to reveal.

And someday when these circuits crash,

We’ll all return to dust and ash.
RecyclerView Optimization
By: Amit Shekhar
Tags: Android App Development, Android, AndroidDev, Kotlin, Interview

Working with the smartest people in the world to change the way we learn. EdTech products: MindOrks | AfterAcademy | CuriousJr | https://amitshekhar.me

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Criss-Cross
By: Elan Cassandra
Tags: Horror, Horror Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Dark

Photo by Andre Benz on Unsplash

I like the way the lines criss-cross each other. Criss-cross criss-cross. The great screaming things down here need them to move.

I like to follow the lines too. Just patches of light above me as I creep along them. The metal is nice and cold on my belly. The ground rumbles sometimes and I rumble with it.

The bright places I do not like. I stay away from them.

There are fun things down here, like crinkly plastic wrappers and shiny bottles. Delicious things too like the rats that squeak squeak squeak when I hold them by the tail. I like to watch them spin as I dangle them. Squeak squeak.

I usually bite on them headfirst, saving their big fat bellies for last. I keep the tails to make things. I have a beautiful necklace and matching bracelet now. I have thought that maybe I should do something with the teeth. But I’d have to take them out of their heads. I think the teeth might be a part of the nice crunch, but I’m not sure.

I have lots of little pools down here to bathe in. Each one is a little different because the liquid comes from different places. More pools when it rains and lots of variety.

I do not like it when people come down here. This is my place. My criss-cross lines. My rumbles and wrappers and rats.
To Be aWriter
By: Priyanka Srivastava
Tags: Mindfulness, Poetry, Writing, Meditation, Awakening

To Be aWriter

That different meditation

Photo by Ksenia Makagonova on Unsplas

When I write

I am no one.

I don’t belong

to any one.

It’s a different

kind of detachment

to be a writer who

doesn't care whether

he is understood or not.

It’s a different kind of love

which can’t be explained

in words.
Notifications Are the Great Nudge. So Master Them.
By: Jeffrey Macintyre
Tags: Notifications, Push Notification, Digital Marketing, Digital Transformation, Personalization

Notifications Are the Great Nudge. So Master Them.

Brands walk a knife’s edge, potentially squandering user trust if the context for their notifications isn’t right.

Getting the cadence right can be a real challenge. Do not take user trust lightly.

Here’s a simple framework for getting them solid.

Sometimes all you need is a few buckets — you know, working categories named for observed patterns — to begin making sense of a broader thing.

In the domain of personalization, I’ve lately found it helpful to look at notifications in this way: as raw or cooked.
What can help you seize control of your inbox right now?
By: Pennink Productions
Tags: Google Apps, Collaboration, Email

OK, so you’ve been away for a few days and you come back to inbox hell. Stacks of email to read through and respond to.

How can you make life easier for yourself? What does it take to master that inbox and turn it into heaven?

Simple answer: cloud-based email. Switching to a cloud-based service such as Google Apps can make life so much easier.

Switching to a cloud-based service such as Google Apps can make life so much easier. Click To Tweet

Why bother to switch?

Get your email on your smartphone, tablet, or computer

Read and respond on the go on any device with the same inbox

Say goodbye to a cluttered, unmanageable inbox

Why not give it a try? New year — new inbox!
Algorithmic problems with JavaScript
By: Narek Harutyunyan
Tags: Programming, JavaScript, Vanillajs, Algorithms, Logic

YoYo. This article is for people who are bored doing trivial tasks every day. This might cheer you up a bit. You might also encounter these kind of questions in some interviews.

1.Soooo, here is the first one — Imagine we have a string which is a math expression (e.g. (1+(2*3–2))+3). We have to create a function to decide whether or not its parentheses are valid. This means that every opening parenthesis should have it’s own closing one. 1+(2+3) is valid, (1+(2))) is not.

Think of a good algorithm which will be the fastest and use minimum amount of memory…

Answer ahead!!!

If you have thought of creating a stack you are good! As we are not interested in keeping the actual data in stack, we can just use a simple counter. Here is the algorithm I suggest:

The solution

Will be glad to see better ideas, just add a response :)

2.Imagine you have an array and you want to find the item in the middle of that array(let’s consider only the case when the array length is even). You can’t use `.length`. But what you can use is just a for loop.

Think of a good algorithm which will be the fastest and use minimum amount of memory…

Answer ahead!!!

Will be glad to see better ideas, just add a response :)

There are 2 indexes, one going twice as faster than the other. Once the first one gets to the end, the other one get right to the middle.

3.How to remove duplicate values from an array?

Answer ahead!!!

With ES6, you can do the following:

With ES5,

That’s it for today!! I hope to add some more stuff soon. Thank you.
Lunar New Year — Piggy Raid. Hongbaoとラッキーホイールを紹介する
Tags: Ethereum, Etheremon, Japanese, Games

in Eudaimonia and Co
Project Manager’s High
Tags: Humor, Technology, Life Lessons, Data, Project Management

A traveler of both time and space...to be where I want to be…find me another space in another time.

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Why I’m Over Being Faith-Shamed By Other Christians
By: The Good Men Project
Tags: Morality, Christianity, Religion, Faith, Social Justice

Why I’m Over Being Faith-Shamed By Other Christians

John Pavlovitz believes fully in the separation of Church and State, but he also believes that a Christian shouldn’t be able to separate their personal faith from their political endeavors.

Photo credit: iStockPhoto

By John Pavlovitz

I am so over being shamed by other Christians for my views on what’s happening in the world and for pushing hard against the bigotry and hatred I see in America.

Really over it.

Friends, my faith is my faith, and it compels me to speak when I do; for equality, justice, compassion, and love. For two decades that always been my work and it’s the work I do now.

The words I share are my spiritual convictions and if those convictions happen to place me in opposition to your particular political views, that is not my responsibility. If what I speak as moral compulsion you take as partisan politics, I can’t do anything about that.

All I can tell you is that this is about far greater things to me than parties or candidates or voting blocks: This is about Life.

The Jesus I see in the Gospels was a loud, opinionated, relentless advocate of people who were marginalized and hurting and forgotten; someone whose words were often offensive to his hearers, especially those with power and comfort and ease.

When he teaches the devout Jews by making a despised, racially mixed Samaritan the merciful hero, was he being political? Yes.

When he announces his life’s work in defense of the poor and oppressed, smack dab in the heart of the Roman Empire’s opulence and power, was he making a political statement? Certainly.

When he calls out the religious leaders for their hypocrisy and their abuse of power was he being political? Absolutely.

Jesus message was surely branded “political”, but his heart was fiercely for Humanity and that is the heart I work hard to hold onto. As best I can it is the place from where I write, speak, work, minister, and live.
Değişim en başta zordur, ortalara doğru dağınıktır, sonunda ise harikadır.
By: Mehmet Gözetlik
Tags: Inovasyon, Tasarım, Spacex, Yenilik, Apple

Future-proof invisible design systems, data-driven strategies, powerful visual identities, and memorable experiences to connect people to your brand.

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How to Hire Integrity — and Why it Matters
By: C. C. Francis
Tags: Hiring, Leadership, Business, Self, Startup

Photo by Emiliano Bar on Unsplash

Do:

Use a standardized, structured interview, and actively listen.

Use a standardized process for your interviews and keep your observations based in fact.

Listen. Take in what candidates have to say to you.

It’s ok to pause and to absorb their words. You don’t always have to ask questions. Make sure that you are actively engaged with the conversation — not staring down at a resume or a notepad (or, yes, even a phone or computer — I’ve seen this).

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” -Stephen Covey

Trust yourself and your instincts, but show respect and rely on facts in making your decision.

Do a deep dive on Google, Twitter, Facebook, and other public social media.

Has the person demonstrated poor judgment online, in any way? Has the person acted out? Showed malice? Tweeted negativity? (Twitter is particularly susceptible to this.)

Has the person demonstrated cruelty, in any respect?

Social media is adept at bringing out hidden “mean streaks.” Once you hire a person, you hire every part of the person — include the ugly ones. Their actions will reflect on you.

Meet references and ask open-ended, but specific questions.

Write questions out in advance, and ask each one. If you can schedule a Zoom call or a face-to-face meeting (once COVID is controlled), this is ideal.

You want your decision to be based on facts. What is the reference saying? Who is this person? What are they like to work for? With?

Listen during the interview, dig deep, and ask follow-ups. Find out what the person is after.

Why does the new hire want from the job? What does he or she hope to gain from it?

Money? Prestige? Career growth? Stability? Balance? A job? Your mission? These are valid goals, especially in a down economy.

People aren’t always direct in answering this type of question, and they won’t always initially answer with full authenticity. Try to figure out where the person is in life, and what they’ll stand to gain from the position. Do their answers make sense in context? What follow-up questions would help your understanding?

Make it clear how important truth is to you, and build a culture of authenticity.

Show some vulnerability yourself.

Share a bit of your story, if you can. Build a connection. Get to know where the person is coming from, and who they are.

Share what your organization is about. Make your mission clear. Be open, share what excites you about what you’re doing, but don’t overpromise.

Make it known that you tell the truth. Always. And that you expect others to do the same.
Family Interrupted.
By: Tim Hawken
Tags: Health, Cancer, Family

In September 2010 my wife Tara was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. I won’t go into crazy detail here about the immediate aftermath, because I’ve written about this before, but after her initial surgery we packed up our lives from Bali, went on the trip of a lifetime through Europe, moved back to Western Australia, both started new careers and had two beautiful little boys. Every 6 months we would go and get a checkup MRI to make sure the tumour was stable. Everything has been going great — until last month. The fucker appears to be growing again.

Just four weeks after our latest boy Kai came into the world, the checkup MRI has shown about 3mm of growth since the last scan (actually 12 months because we didn’t get MRIs during pregnancy). More concerning is that there is a small amount of contrasting now present in the imaging, which the oncologist panel thinks might indicate faster growing cells. If that’s the case, it could be upgraded from a Grade 2 tumour, to a Grade 3 or 4. Rather than go into the clinical explanations of the grading system, I’ll simply say this would really, really suck.

It has currently been recommended that we go into surgery before the end of the year to ‘debulk’ as much of the tumour as possible and get tissue samples for pathology analysis. The analysis will help confirm any true grading and also indicate what kind of ongoing treatment there may be. It has been suggested that a combination of radio and chemotherapy will be likely recommended.

We’re currently in the process of getting second and third opinions. Last week we flew to Sydney to meet with Prof. Charlie Teo, who is renowned for operating on tumours other surgeons will not, and taking out more than other surgeons would. This is a radical option for us. Prof. Teo has suggested that if we wanted him to take out as much of the tumour as he can, there’s a 5% chance of paralysis and a 15% chance of a permanent speech disturbance (including potentially an entire loss of the ability to communicate). These are very high risks, so until we have a clear indication of what other surgeons can do or recommend we do, then we won’t make a decision.

The next steps are two more appointments. One with a surgeon in Perth near where we live, and the other with a team of brain tumour specialists in Melbourne at the end of November. Once we have all of these opinions on the table, we’ll make the best choice we can for us. The goal on our end is to give Tara the longest and highest quality of life we can. That might sound kind of obvious, but when you’re weighing up, for example, the possibility of living 1 year fully functional, or 2 years paralysed, it becomes quite a tricky decision.

I’ll be posting updates to our journey on Medium once new information is at hand. This will be partly to keep friends and family up to date, partly to help others know what what to expect if they ever have to go through this, and partly for my own form of writer’s therapy.

I hope to have less-than-disastrous news in the next instalment.
ICYMI: Reporters Call For Addressing Big Tech’s Role in Slowly Killing Journalism in California, Nationwide
By: Save Journalism
Tags: Google, Big Tech, Advertising, Journalism, Local News

Journalists and internet privacy activists are speaking out in the wake of a recent hearing on big data and privacy in Washington, D.C., arguing that tech companies’ ad practices are hollowing out the news business and even threatening democracy.

They contended the problem is that companies like Google and Facebook use people’s personal data to control 60% of the digital advertising market. Brian O’Kelley, who invented the back-end system that supports digital ads, said big tech can out-compete news sites for ad dollars because they monetize users’ every move online.

“Google and Facebook specifically are really aggressive with how they use our personal data,” O’Kelley said. “And one reason they can make so much money in advertising is because of the data they have that the fragmented, local newspapers and news stations just don’t have.”

Thousands of journalists have been laid off nationwide this year, and a University of North Carolina study found more than 1,800 local newspapers have closed since 2004.

The Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union Tribune have both seen waves of layoffs in recent years. Perhaps ironically, both papers got a lifeline when tech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong purchased them in 2018.

Data privacy activists who would like to loosen big data’s grip urged Congress to pass a federal version of California’s Consumer Privacy Act of 2018. The law forces tech companies to tell people what kinds of data they are collecting, and delete it on request. It also allows users the right to opt out of having personal information collected, with no penalty.

Laura Bassett, a freelance journalist formerly with the Huffington Post, said she wants Congress to break up — or at least better regulate — Facebook and Google, so news companies can recapture the ad revenue to fund their reporting efforts.

“We create the content, write the stories. Facebook takes that content for free and posts it on their site and then takes all of the advertising money that would otherwise be going to us,” Bassett said. “And suddenly, we’re not getting paid for the work that we’re doing, and having to lay off journalists and unable to financially survive.”

Bassett pointed out a vibrant press helps ensure a free society by investigating corruption, explaining the impact of government policies and fostering a sense of community.
by Martino Pietropoli
By: Martino Pietropoli
Tags: Comics, Sunday, Humor

First thing in the morning: a glass of water and a cartoon by The Fluxus.

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The Forgotten Benefits of Boredom
By: Ellis Anderson
Tags: Boredom, Sensory Overload, Mental Health, Peace Of Mind, Serenity

Like a crowd at the World Cup, #tweets #hashtags #emails #phone messages and #texts mob together and push toward the turnstile that will grant them our attention. Each day, a stampede seems imminent. The less-aggressive sorts jostle the Chosen Few in front, grumbling and shouting “Hey! No fair! I was here first!”

Escaping from the crush into the restorative arms of boredom seems impossible; we’ve sealed off the exits ourselves. Most of us carry self-inflicting cattle prods at all times, packaged in sleek rectangular cases. The devices channel all levels of attention gobblers 24/7, intruding with a cacophony of intentionally irritating sounds and vibrating in a fashion that feels suspiciously like a low-level shock.

The phone/tablets bring with them new responsibilities (buy this obscure new app and then waste valuable time learning to use it, when in reality you’ll forget about it next week) and relentlessly remind us of neglected ones (call your aging aunt!). Trifling whims of total strangers can now sidetrack our own trains of thought wherever we go.

Toddlers now swap their tattered security blankets for the plastic box that lights up, and it’s both socially acceptable and fashionable to clutch it publicly. A few years back, my niece told me that some of her college friends had their whereabouts monitored by parents, who use the students’ cell phones as remote tracking devices. If the student’s supposed to be studying at the library, but is partying at a concert? Their phone rats them out.

The solution seemed obvious to me. “Couldn’t they just leave their phones at the dorm when they go out?” My niece looked stunned, as if I’d suggested amputation of an arm. “Nobody goes anywhere without their phone.”

Then there’s Siri. She was supposed to simplify life, but has been deliberately programmed to misinterpret Southern accents. Ask her to dial your banker and you’re likely to be connected with a bakery. Tell her you’re ticked off and she answers “I wonder what that’s like, being mad?” in a maddeningly unemotional tone.

But I need Siri with me at all times, because when some ball I’ve dropped comes bouncing by, if I don’t make note of it at that very moment, I forget about it again. Out of sight, out of what little is left of my mind.

I’d blame the forgetfulness on aging, except that my younger friends seem to have an even worse time remembering things than I do. Their brains have been unrelentingly besieged since birth by sounds and vibrations and electromagnetic energy waves. They’ve never known the odd luxury of extended boredom.

Boredom once gave us time to consider and neatly sort our experiences before moving on to others. Now we’ve become hoarders of stimuli. The rooms of our minds are littered with movie scenes, department store music, Youtube clips, Facebook observations, news dramas and television characters. Buried beneath are emotional debts and unprocessed traumas. The whole mess is dusted with a thick layer of guilt. A snow shovel would be handy, just to clear a path for a bit of contemplation.
Tú, yo y package.json
By: Fernando Larrañaga
Tags: NPM, JavaScript, Yarn, Nodejs

Written by

Code at ️Square 🔲 — Organizer NodeSchool San Francisco ⬡. Live stream about code at https://twitch.tv/xabadu
How Fidel Castro’s Political Persecution Destroyed Cuba
By: The Federalist
Tags: Fidel Castro, Politics, Communism, Cuba, Podcast

Mike Gonzalez, senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, joined Ben Domenech on The Federalist Radio Hour to discuss how Fidel Castro destroyed the country of Cuba and why the media has been praising the dictator since his death on Friday.

“Not only did he repress the Cuban people, he made them flee or put them in prison, and made them very poor,” Gonzalez said. “But he changed the Cuba he inherited. He made it different thing and not a better thing.”

On the recent U.S. deal-cutting with Cuba, Gonzalez said Obama gave up all the leverage. “[Obama] gave the Castros almost everything they wanted,” he said. “Everything we are doing is putting money into the military… and is putting money into the Castro family.”

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Let’s Talk About Oso Oso’s The Yunahon Mixtape Here
Tags: Indie Punk, Wtnsound, Music, Pop Punk, Oso Oso

photo credit: Mike Cicchetti

Let’s talk about the strong contender of album of the year

Oso Oso is the music project of Jade Lilitri after his band State Lines went off too soon. From Oso Oso, I’m more assured to say that Long Island is a scene where punk bands typically have a some kind of radio (Spotify) hit ambition. You can guess it, ranging from Taking Back Sunday, The Movielife, Brand New to Iron Chic.

Lalitri may share the DNA. Want some evidence? The Oso Oso’s second record The Yunahon Mixtape seriously has gravitated a lot of people from different scene.

The album can amass big attention because it’s so good. After couple times listening, the record seems to be literally a love song mixtape. But only it contains songs to say I Love You to someone and turned out to be I hate you and myself phase. It’s sad, but it’s beautiful sad, and still good!

You also can observe that The Yunahon Mixtape suggests names like Mariah, Nathan, Hayley and Annie in the lyrics. Every name has own history. Lilitri says that “Out Of The Blue” which is Hayley mentioned is a song about a woman who moves out the town to get an abortion, causing a fight with her father.

Comparing to Real Stories Of True People, Who Kind of Looked Like A Monsters, Lilitri indicates a grown-up guy in The Yunahon Mixtape. Back then, he wrestled with break-up and personal anxieties. Now, it’s more broader than his own issues.

Aside that, I mostly love to how Lilitri tailors melodies and harmonies and makes punk becomes so catchy or poppy without even leaving its essence. Like I say, this what I mean with Long Island radio hit ambition and still true for guys in the niche scene.

Overall, Oso Oso has successfully surprised many music fans including his longtime fans with The Yunahon Mixtape. But what he never thought that he’s just surpassed a lot of people and his own expectations. I bet, everyone still wants to talk this album more in next couple years.
US maps with statistics
By: Jan Schultink
Tags: Data Visualization

This is a blog about all things presentation design. SlideMagic is a new presentation design app that makes creating business presentations easy. Check it out at www.slidemagic.com

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Japan Has Become a Cryptocurrency Haven, Multi Billion Dollar Firms Launch Exchanges
Tags: Blockchain, ICO, Japan, Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency

Japan is quickly becoming a global center for blockchain ventures and cryptocurrency firms. Despite the region’s colorful history–involving Mt. Gox, for example–the local authorities see merit in these new technologies in the global cryptocurrency industry. Major local conglomerates have begun to enter the sector, with some of them operating cryptocurrency exchanges.

Japan’s Checked History With Bitcoin

When people discuss Bitcoin, the topic of Mt. Gox will come up at some point. This now defunct trading platform made the world’s leading cryptocurrency very appealing years ago. Unfortunately, the platform suffered from alleged hacks and other oddities. While many people see Mt. Gox as a black page in the history books, it also created a vibrant crypto ecosystem in Japan.

Ever since the exchange disappeared, the demand for regulation has grown. Investors lost a lot of money through this exchange, yet the interest in Bitcoin never waned. Local officials took a proactive approach to cryptocurrencies rather than banning it. Even the recent Coincheck hack has not diminished the positive attitude toward Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Japan stands out when it comes to the regulatory aspect. Various other governments — including China, India, and some US states — make it nearly impossible for crypto firms to exist, let alone thrive. The firm support for this nascent industry makes Japan a haven for this type of activity. Even major domestic firms are now entering this booming industry through various means.

Japanese Companies Embrace Cryptocurrency

A fair few technology and financial giants are based in Japan. Among those companies are Rakuten, Line, SBI, DMM, and GMO Internet. Every single one of these firms if currently active in the cryptocurrency world. Ranging from accepting Bitcoin payments to launching or operating a trading platform, the opportunities are virtually limitless.

GMO Internet is perhaps the most intriguing entity of them all. The company, valued at $2bn according to Bloomberg, is active in the mining and exchange industry. Additionally, they also announced a Bitcoin payroll service for its employees. In Japan, it will be possible to receive part of your paycheck in Bitcoin. A novel approach to dealing with recurring payments.

All of this further confirms Japan will continue to quest to become a global cryptocurrency hub. With troubled exchange Coincheck recently being acquired by Monex, another interesting development takes place. The country continues to show the rest of the world how a positive approach to cryptocurrency regulation can open a lot of new doors.

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Marvel’s Avengers is Amazing, Despite Some Problems
By: Wyatt Donigan
Tags: Comics, Videogames, Features, Culture, Gaming

The Characters

By far the biggest positive from my time with the game are the characters themselves. Each one (Black Widow, Hulk, Iron Man, Kamala Khan, Captain America, and Thor at release) feels distinct and has a deep set of moves that make them standout from each other.

Anyone saying this is simply a button masher with no depth are the same people that thing fighting games are button mashers. Yes, you can get through this game by simply mashing light and heavy attacks over and over the same way that you can play any of the Arkham games in a similar way, spamming attacks and ignoring all the gadgets and combo strings at Batman’s disposal.

Take Black Widow. She’s a melee heavy character that also has three different ranged guns (in the beta, at least) in her arsenal. Can you beat each mission by just punching your way through? Sure. But you’d be ignoring the on-the-fly gun switching you can do or all the combos you can link together. There’s also her Support Heroic that can make your entire team invisible for a short time, giving you the ability to get out of some sticky situations.

There’s also the fact that we only have access to a single skill tree with a finite set of combos and abilities available. The final game will feature three separate skill trees for every character. If the beta is any indication, there will be plenty of variability with the movesets of each character.

Further bolstering this last point is the leaked skill trees for both Cap and Thor. Let me tell you, these things are deep. There’s the “primary” tree we have in beta featuring your main combat skills, there’s the “specialty” tree that customizes each of the main Heroic abilities, and there’s the “mastery” tree that allows for specialization between different playstyles (such as ranged vs. melee and the like). Combine that with the different perks each piece of gear and you’ve got a recipe for very deep customization. So yeah, CD doesn’t seem to have been lying when they said my Cap will be much different than your Cap.

My only gripe about the characters in the beta is that I only got to play as Captain America and Thor for a few minutes each. They happened to be the most fun ones to play with and I cannot wait until the full game so I can play with them some more. I understand that there were likely story spoiler reasons why they were locked away, but it still makes me sad I didn’t get more time with them. Speaking of story spoilers…
Submission Guidelines and Instructions
Tags: Writing, Medium

The 1517 Assembly — Quincentennial

We’re always looking for new posts that pull the curtain back on the startup process, creating a product, and getting ahead as a young founder and maker. If you’re a member of the 1517 Community and want to submit a post to us, please make sure it meets the following expectations:

Relevant to startups, technology, or being a young founder or maker (you yourself do not need to be a young founder/maker…we publish advice from mentors and advisors as well as lessons learned along the startup process).

(you yourself do not need to be a young founder/maker…we publish advice from mentors and advisors as well as lessons learned along the startup process). Does not overtly advertise a product or company (we want you to promote your startup and you can drive clicks back to your site with links, just don’t use the post as an overt advertisement).

(we want you to promote your startup and you can drive clicks back to your site with links, just don’t use the post as an overt advertisement). Meets basic etiquette (don’t be an idiot).

(don’t be an idiot). Cannot already be published on another Medium publication (some authors like to post an article multiple times and submit it to multiple publications at once…this is a bad-faith practice and we won’t publish anything that we see published on other publications already).

And of course, we’ll give a preference to content that provides support, actionable items, and positively helps people in the startup process.

We reserve the right to decline submission of any piece for any reason. If we do not publish your piece, ask why and we’ll give you feedback.

Example posts:

Submission

In order to submit a post to us for publication:

Draft up the post as a New Post on Medium. Make sure it isn’t already submitted to another publication. If it is and you want to submit it to us, remove it from the other publication first. If you’re already a writer, under “Publish V,” select “Submit to Publication” and select The Subversionist. If you’re not already a writer, tweet your draft to @1517Fund on Twitter or ask a team member on the 1517 Community on Facebook.

Best Practices

To maximize traction for your piece, do the following:

Use a unique, urgent, and ultra-specific headline. “How I Launched a Product Well” won’t perform as well as “How I Went From Zero to 1,000 Sales in 30 Days.” It doesn’t have to be clickbait, but people want something descriptive.

Include a high-res photo in your piece, preferably above the fold.

Use headlines and bulletpoints.

Share with your friends and community!

Questions? Tweet at us @1517Fund on Twitter.