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Solar Power Driving Demand for Renewable Energy
By: Joe Arrigo
Tags: Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, Solar Power

Solar Panels Photo by KML from Pexels

Seasoned sales and staffing professional Joe Arrigo has a diverse background in IT and energy. As a former advisor for renewable energy supplier SolarCity, Joe Arrigo is a staunch proponent of diverting from fossil fuels to solar power.

According to a recent report published by the International Energy Agency, world reliance on renewable energy will grow 30 percent over the next five years, and solar power will be responsible for well over half of that growth. Part of the appeal of solar energy is its low startup and running costs. While photovoltaic cells have been around since the 1950s, it is only recently that manufacturers have been able to produce solar panels at an affordable rate.

This has made solar power one of the cheapest sources of energy. For example, the Los Angeles city government was able to purchase solar-generated energy at 2 cents a kilowatt, which is half the cost of energy derived from natural gas. Likewise, India and China are investing heavily in solar projects, while residential solar panels are becoming increasingly popular in Europe, Australia, and California.
How To Purchase Led Street Light Solar System On Outdoor Lighting Roads?
By: Mars Solar Led Street Light Factory
Tags: Lazadasolarstreetlights, Solar Energy, Solarstreetlight, Solarstreetledlight, Ledstreetlightsolarsystem

Purchase of solar panels use in led street light solar system :

Solar panel is a power generation system for led street light solar system.It has a more important role. Common types are divided into two types, monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon, with high conversion efficiency, good quality, and long service life.,generally can use more than 20 years. So in the long run, this is also saving a lot of money.

Purchase of batteries which use in led street light solar system:

The size of the battery is different and can be customized according to customer needs.

Purchase of led street light solar system pole:

For lazada solar street light poles, it is the supporting foundation of lazada solar street light. Generally, lazada solar street light poles are processed and produced through complicated processes such as oblique shearing, bending, and welding. It is also necessary to prevent the light poles from rusting by hot galvanizing. Better guarantee its service life.

Purchase of lamp head in lazada solar street light:

The lamp head of lazada solar street light is generally made of die-cast aluminum lamp housing, protection grade IP65, single 1W high luminous efficiency LED lamp beads assembled, the service life is relatively long, can reach more than 50,000 hours. Long life, many users are more favored.
After the rollercoaster ride of 2018 — what will 2019 bring for the energy industry?
By: Solo Energy
Tags: Renewable Energy, Energy Storage, Energy, Solar Energy, Battery Storage

No one can deny that 2018 was a year of volatility and change in the energy industry globally, with new technology developments meaning that the industry is evolving at speed. Here at Solo it was a year of growth, and with it a real sense of excitement that the future of 100% renewable energy supply might soon become a reality.

Last year we saw really positive signs that regulators and system operators alike are recognising the value of our business model — and how the concept of a Virtual Power Plant could provide solutions to many of the issues that the grid is currently facing. The UK regulator is making all the right noises about creating an environment which can keep up with the rapid pace of development that the private sector is currently delivering.

Our Orkney energy storage project is now in operation and supporting a local grid that is facing the unique challenge of overabundance of renewable energy provided by wind generation. Our FlexiGrid software is balancing demand at periods of high generation through storage, and releasing it back into local homes at times when the wind doesn’t blow.

Our StoreNet project in Ireland is now nearing completion and, at the start of a new year, residents will see all the benefits of being part of a virtual power plant — we’ll be talking more about this later in the month.

So, what will 2019 bring, both for the industry and Solo?

We’re expecting a ramp up in regulatory changes in 2019, with Ofgem putting into place the much needed changes to enable a more responsive and agile grid — with services being provided by an increasingly diverse range of technologies and providers.

Larger scale pilot projects will start to roll out — demonstrating the real value of renewable powered, battery-operated VPPs on a much larger scale.

Here at Solo we’re continuing to build partnerships with suppliers, ready to roll out our free in-home battery storage units to homes around the UK,and we’ll complete our funding rounds, allowing us to quickly scale the VPP when the time is right.

We’re also excited about the possibility of P2P energy trading — whilst not technically feasible under current regulations, the leaps that organisations such as Electron have made in 2018, means that the days of consumer P2P energy trading are soon approaching — and, better still, our blockchain-enabled model is ready to go!

2018 was a great year for the energy industry, with wholesale change of the system becoming the norm — we just need to keep up the pace in 2019!
“We are now part of the global village.”
By: Un Development Programme
Tags: South Sudan, Solar Energy, Innovation, Clean Energy

A remote region in South Sudan has become safer thanks to a UNDP-led green renovation of the police academy in southern Rajaf.

The Dr. John Garang Police Training Academy Facility, preparing to graduate some 1,260 cadets, had operated for more than a decade with nearly non-existent power and minimal sanitation — making recruitment and even the most basic training difficult, and creating security risks, particularly at night.

To address these issues, UNDP South Sudan renovated and upgraded dormitories and latrines with funding from Germany and Norway. UNDP’s Office of Information Management & Technology Green Energy Solutions rewired the compound so it could be largely powered by solar cells. The initial investment of US$220,000 included solar panels, a battery bank, solar street lamps, electrical wiring of the dining hall, and three years’ maintenance. Annual maintenance after three years is expected to cost just under US$1,270.

Game-changing innovation

The electrical project follows Smart UNDP Facilities guidelines, which expand energy security and reliability, improve energy storage, upgrade security, and reduce environmental impact.

According to South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) spokesman Colonel James Dak Karlo, these upgrades have been a game-changer.

“Before we had generators but no fuel,” he said. “This has given us a great boost. It has given us energy, power, and electricity. We have light, and we serve the whole community with water. We keep informed with radio and television — we are now part of the global village.”

The training facility has three dining halls, 12 dormitories, seven latrines, six wash rooms and an on-site hospital, kindergarten, and primary school, but it’s far from the electric grid.

The lights are on

Now, fans run 24 hours a day, all indoor lights are on between 5 p.m. and midnight and at least four lights between midnight and 6 a.m., six mobile phones are charging at any given time, and two kettles run for 10 hours daily. Radios, televisions, and computers are up and running.

Recruiting more female police is vital for South Sudan, and Rajaf in particular, for instance to address violence against women. With new facilities specifically designed for women, it’s easier for police to recruit and accommodate women trainees.
Can we create the world’s largest battery deep below the sea?
Tags: Energy, Solar Energy, Global Warming, Climate Change, Green Energy

Energy storage or bust

This post is part two in a series. Part one explains how energy storage plays a critical role in fighting climate change. As I explain, it turns out that replacing fossil fuel with green energy solutions is not possible without also rapidly expanding our stored energy capacity.

Our cheapest, most efficient technology for storing energy is called pumped hydro storage. A pumped storage battery is just a pump sitting below a dam. The pump spends energy pumping water uphill, and then the dam recaptures that potential energy with turbines.

When we run the numbers, the conclusion seems clear, even if surprising. It seems necessary and urgent to find some way of pumping enormous volumes of water up and down some giant elevations.

Below is a quick recap of this vexing energy storage problem. And then I’ll explain why I think the ocean can help us solve it.

Our energy grid has a spending problem.

Our energy grid is very bad at saving the energy it produces. Global storage capacity is less than 2% of our total energy production [c2es.org].

This is a huge problem. Because in order to avoid “substantial damages to the economy, environment, and human health over the coming decades” we will likely need an energy storage capacity of 100% or more (see part one). The scale of this expansion is so daunting that we don’t even have a plan yet for achieving it.

A piggy bank for our grid

Our grid would actually be much safer and more efficient if we had the capacity to store energy for a proverbial rainy day. But we simply have nowhere to put it. There are no batteries large enough to hold the world’s energy. Electrochemical battery storage is too expensive. Our best tool for energy storage is in fact simple gravity and water; pumped hydro solutions comprise 94% of the world’s stored energy.

For those keeping score, you’ll note that without pumped storage, we would only store about 1/1,000ᵗʰ of our grid’s energy. (6% of 2%).

Graphic from https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2018-kaprun-hydroelectric-station-battery/. Pumped hydro energy storage accounts for 94% of our grid’s electric storage. A $3 billion retrofit is planned to enable pumped-storage at the Hoover Dam.

Considering the facts above, it feels clear to me that we must build dozens or even hundreds of times the amount of energy storage we have today. And the most viable solution seems to be pumping enormous volumes of water up and down a giant hill.

It seems obvious where to get vast quantity of water: the ocean. The hard question is, where to get a giant hill? I propose that instead of looking up, we look down.
How Do You Start Using Solar Power
By: Gladstone Solar
Tags: Solar Energy, Solar Power, Solar Power World, Solar

People feel that all of their hard earned money is just going to the utility bills most particularly electricity. Monthly electric bills truly occupy a big chunk in the budget of a person. Normally, electricity from the power grid companies is the one that is being used by many people. But the problem is that this has become very expensive for many. This is why the presence of the Gladstone solar power systems have truly given people the chance to use another energy source which will not be as expensive as the one provided by the power grid companies.

Gladstone solar power truly provides a lot of benefits to its users. It gives enough energy to use without spending big for it. It will give people savings since they will no longer need to get electricity from the power grid companies. This will also make people help in conserving the environment since this is considered to be cleanest energy that people can make use of.

With all the benefits that Gladstone solar power offers, many people are thinking of making the switch to this alternative energy source. So, how can one start to use solar power? Well, first of all, you need to look for possible sources where you can get solar power systems. It is important to deal with legit and licensed sources so that you can be sure that you will get high quality solar power system.

In order to get the system installed in your property, you should start working with the experts. You can consult licensed specialists so that they can first make an assessment on the property where the system will be installed. The experts will be checking for the energy consumption of the property so that they will know what type of solar power system their clients will need. They will also see the entire property so that they can choose on the best possible area for installation.

When the experts have completely installed the solar power system in your property, you can then start using it as your source of energy. They will give all the information that you need so that you can use the system properly and achieve your needed energy. They will also give you tips so that the system will be well maintained and will work for you for many years and even decades.

A continuously working solar power system will eventually give you huge savings. It will last for about three decades which means that you will get renewable and inexpensive energy for about thirty years. This time alone can bring in tons of savings for you. So, start looking for the best source of solar power system to deal with so that you can start using it in your property. With this, you will get all the benefits that this system can give to its users.
Where in SF?. A free, weekly scavenger hunt that…
Tags: Fun, Bay Area, SF, Photography, San Francisco

Where in SF?

A free, weekly SF-based quiz and scavenger hunt that rewards your knowledge of the city with prize money. Subtext Nov 15, 2019·2 min read

Sign up for “Where in SF?” by entering your number and then confirming with a four-digit code. Once you do, you’ll begin receiving a weekly text that contains a picture of a uniquely San Francisco landmark. The first person to respond with the correct name of the pictured location will receive a prize ranging from $20–$50. That’s it!

An EASY example would be something like this:

Will they all be this easy? Hella no! Clues may be pictures of recognizable murals and graffiti, historical pictures you have to place in 2019, a snapshot of the morning bun from a bakery that only a true SF local would be able to tell you the cross-streets of, etc. Here’s another somewhat easy one.

The game is intended to test a participant’s knowledge of San Francisco history, the place, trivia and general San Francisco badassery. Some weeks will require picture evidence that you have the right answer and others just an answer via text.

This comes to you from the creators of Subtext, a service that connects subscribers to hosts through text messages. In this case, the host is our team of SF locals coming up with awesome trivia and quizzes for you to answer. It’s free to play, but up to $50 if you win the weekly hunt — so why not join?

It’s all just a chance to have some good-spirited fun in our city, which we so easily forget is magical, beautiful and ours to enjoy.

The Rules
FentyXnails
Tags: Clark Atlanta University, Bay Area, Nails, Black Business

By Samone Wright

February 15th,2020

Robynn Harrison is a Clark Atlanta University sophomore and the owner of FentyXnails. Harrison comes from the Bay Area of California, which is where she also started her nail business.

In May of 2019, Harrison was inspired by the quote she lives by to launch her business, FentyXnails.

Harrison always had a passion for nails, since she was a young child. When she was younger she would do nail painting designs, which ultimately made her love for nails grow stronger.

“I began doing nails because I’ve always been a “do it yourself” type of person and a perfectionist,” Harrison said.

When Harrison was asked what trials she went through while starting FentyXnails, she said “It was difficult to start a business because it was hard to gain the trust of others when it came to me doing their nails.”

Another challenge that she faced was getting her name in the community.

“It was a challenge to get my name out in the community and prove why I was the best at what I was doing”.

In the future, Harrison wants to perfect her craft. She plans on taking more nail classes and making better connections. Upon graduation, Harrison also plans on opening a nail salon as a second source of income.

To find out more information about FentyXNails or to book an appointment, follow the Instagram page @fentyxnails.

Samone Nichelle is a sophomore at The Illustrious Clark Atlanta University majoring in Mass Media Arts with a concentration in radio, television, and film. You can follow my Instagram @WhoseSamone for more content.
Support the CASA Compact!
Tags: Bay Area, California, Housing, San Francisco, Yimby

Support the CASA Compact!

An Introduction to CASA

For over two years, advocates, major employers, for-profit and nonprofit housing developers, labor and environmental leaders, public policy and affordable housing advocates, transportation experts, charitable foundations, and elected officials all gathered to discuss the Bay Area housing crisis and brainstorm policy solutions. Out of those extensive discussions came the CASA Compact. State legislators then proposed a host of bills to implement the compact, with the goals of producing more housing, protecting existing residents, and preserving affordable housing.

YIMBY Action has strongly supported this comprehensive compact and the critical bills that came out of these discussions. It’s time to get the entire package passed.

Take action to support these important bills right now! Click a bill to use our tool.

Rob Bonta (D-Oakland)

David Chiu (D-San Francisco)

Tim Grayson (D-Concord)

Tim Grayson (D-Concord)

Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland)

Phil Ting (D-San Francisco)

David Chiu (D-San Francisco)

Phil Ting (D-San Francisco)

Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters)

Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont)

Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley)

Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley)

Jim Beall (D-San Jose) / Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg)

Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)

Jim Beall (D-San Jose) / Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg)

Read the full text of the CASA Compact
5 of the Most Unique Ice Cream Shops in the Bay Area
By: Thomas Smith
Tags: Ice Cream, Bay Area, Food, National Ice Cream Day, Unique

Tomorrow, July 18th is National Ice Cream Day! Honestly, I don’t need a dedicated day in order to remember to eat ice cream— I’m perfectly happy to do that on a near-daily basis all on my own.

That said, I’d never turn down an opportunity to seek the stuff out, and to shine a light on a few of my favorite Bay Area ice cream places.

The Bay Area does ice cream well. From the insanely large sundaes served up at Fenton’s in Oakland—which has been a Bay Area staple for 100-plus years— to the classic flavors on offer at the perennially busy Lappert’s on Bridgeway in Sausalito, you can easily find great ice cream throughout the Bay.

The Bay Area is known for culinary innovation, though. We’re the place that brought the world New American cuisine, the popsicle, and the fortune cookie, among many other now-ubiquitous food items and trends. And we’re known for being just a little bit weird and out there.

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So today for National Ice Cream Day 2021, I’m sharing five of the most unique ice cream joints you’ll find in the Bay Area. Some are high-tech, others are nostalgic, and one uses an ingredient best known for freezing a Russian hacker solid in a James Bond movie.

Join me!
Michelin-starred chefs bring Korean & Taiwanese fare to State Street Market in Los Altos
By: Sara Hayden
Tags: Dining, Chefs, Bay Area, Food, Peninsula

State Street Market will also be the site of Bǎo Bèi — the latest concept from chefs Meichih and Michael Kim, who formerly led the kitchen at Michelin-starred Maum in Palo Alto. Bǎo Bèi is in part inspired by their son, their “treasured one.”

“‘Bǎo Bèi’ is what I like to call our son…a term of endearment. Our son is kind of our muse because he’s multicultural, being Asian American,” Meichih Kim said.

“It’s specific to us, different than the other concepts,” she said. “The whole idea behind (Bǎo Bèi) was our cultural identities, Michael being Korean and me having Taiwanese parents. It’s the comingling of the flavors, bringing them together in our concept.”

Chefs Michael and Meichih Kim photographed in 2018 at a Los Altos Hills farm. Photo by Veronica Weber.

Developing unique takes on noodle dishes, seasonal banchan and other dishes, they’ll incorporate both Taiwanese and Korean herbs and spices, such as white pepper, cilantro, black vinegar, fried shallots, sesame oil and gojuchang. Case in point: On the menu is a bao filled with spicy pork belly, gochujang, cilantro and caramelized peanuts.

“The baos were an opportunity for us to show our backgrounds,” Michael Kim said. “In each of the gua baos, it’s not necessarily a very traditional Korean or Tawianese flavor, but it’s a comingling of both.”

The Kims are also selecting beverages to complement the food, with a selection of makgeolli, Taiwanese and Korean beers and yuzu and mandarin sodas.

At State Street Market, food and drink, of course, are a serious focus for the Kims, who’ve cooked in top restaurants across the country. But there’s an appeal even beyond that.

“The big draw was the community aspect,” Meichih Kim said. “Given how the pandemic forced us to stay indoors, I think we lost touch with connecting, and that feeling of being around others.”

Meichih Kim said that they intend to provide that — a space where people from different generations can come together time and time again, and try different foods to suit the appetites of the day.

“There’s a big variety,” she said of the Market. “It’ll make you keep going back.”
These Photos Show Just How Low Lake Oroville Is Right Now
By: Matt Charnock
Tags: Lake Oroville, Bay Area, Climate Crisis, San Francisco

The climate crisis is real — exceptionally so; worryingly so. As the West Coast continues to burn, Western Europe and Eastern China are experiencing historic flooding. An increasing amount of ocean sludge, also known as “sea snot,” threatens not only marine biodiversity but maritime trade, as well. The Gulf of Mexico was literally on fire earlier this month due to a natural gas leak.

But sans accompanying media, it’s hard to conceptualize the extent of any single environmental catastrophe. Well, with a hyperlocal pull and outstanding catalog of sobering photos, NorCal Getty Images Photographer Justin Sullivan has released side-by-side stills that demonstrate just how empty Lake Oroville is at the moment. (Yes: Lake Oroville, nevertheless, remains one of the region’s most important freshwater reservoirs.)

To drive that fact home, Sullivan positioned photos taken a few months prior on top, showing a much fuller—albeit still incredibly low—Lake Oroville, while stills revealing the more dystopian drought conditions sit beneath them.

“As the extreme drought emergency continues in California, Lake Oroville’s water levels are continuing to drop to 28 percent of capacity,” captions a part of one of the photos. “State water officials say that Lake Oroville’s Edward Hyatt Powerplant might be forced to shut down the hydroelectric plant as soon as August or September if water levels continue to drop.”

And to make matters worse, there’s still no rain in or immediate forecast — just another possible spat of dry lightning.

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You can view Sullivan’s images below, should you need another reminder not to take a bath anytime soon and to keep your shower’s less than five minutes long.
Here Are the Most Wholesome Fall Activities in the Bay
By: Brea Salim
Tags: Autumn, Bay Area, Things To Do, San Francisco, Friday Five

Here Are the Most Wholesome Fall Activities in the Bay

The socially acceptable season of chugging PSLs is upon us. I’ll admit that writing about the enjoyments of this glorious time of year feels pretty trite in the midst of the pandemic and the election — and a bit ironic, given that we’re experiencing yet another heat wave. But the way I see it, it seems even more important to take time to stop doom scrolling and enjoy life; we gotta take the wins whenever we can in these times, whatever they may look like.

I don’t know about you, but after that smoky August, enjoying some safely distanced autumnal activities under clear blue skies is a pretty big win by my count. So join me in indulging in these wholesome fall experiences around the Bay Area. As always, don’t forget to respect everyone else partaking in all the cozy fall vibes by masking up and socially distancing whenever possible.

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1. Hit up a pumpkin patch

Photo: ollieismybestie via Instagram

Yes, you can probably buy pumpkins at your neighborhood grocery store, but are you really doing fall right if you don’t get your basic ‘gram at a pumpkin patch? There are plenty of pumpkin patches that have opened for safe and socially distanced visits around the Bay Area, so take your pick. Half Moon Bay may have canceled its annual Art & Pumpkin Festival, but many of its pumpkin patches have opened for the season, like Farmer John’s and Andreotti Family Farms. For the dog parents, Bob’s Vegetable Stand & Pumpkin Farm is dog-friendly and also features pens of cute farm animals like pigs and goats. If you don’t feel like leaving the city, Clancy’s Pumpkin Patch has opened two spots this year (the original spot is at 1620 7th Avenue, and another is located next to the San Francisco Zoo at 2101 Sloat Boulevard) for all your gourd needs. For the East Bay folks, Speer Family Farms is also offering the option to shoot three mini pumpkins out of a cannon for $11 — make your weekend reservations here. Another one worth supporting: The nonprofit Guardsmen Pumpkin Patch at Fort Mason which benefits Bay Area at-risk youth.

2. Get lost in a corn maze
Risk: Mitigate or Bust ?
By: Robert Peach
Tags: Risk Management Solutions, Economics, Electricity, Risk, Complexity

The popularity brokers and parties across the world seem to be getting on in power. They’re tightening the grip on and endeavouring to control their populations. I am distinctly uneasy about the new powers that the government rushed in to deal covid. This is no good for anybody.

Behaviours that we have only just learnt will embed themselves in our subconscious ness and we shall be doing things without even stopping to think,

There will be dire consequences for the people if these things persist. Our “big data” now held in the cloud is feeling a lot like it might just get unlocked by the resourceful hackers. These are increasingly taking over our priorities and our lives. We must resist.

Next time you visit your garden consider one thing at a time.

1 . What risk am I taking by losing the sun cream.

2. What risk am I taking when I leave the doors open to air the house- flies, wasps, bees and burglars spring to mind

3. What damage could I do if I use:

A spade

A garden fork

An electric mower for the lawn

An electric drill

The strimmer

The hoe.

Answers on a postcard please:

robpeach@therisktrilogy.co.uk
4 amazing trends in risk management
By: Alex Sidorenko
Tags: Risk Management, Risk, Future Trends, Decision Making

On November 25th, 2016 the Saint Petersburg risk manager’s club held a meeting at the TGC-1 office. Thank you so much to Aleksey Starkov and TGC-1 leadership for organizing and helping to conduct the meeting. A special thank you to Aleksey for the TGC-1 museum tour for the risk manager attendees.

Alex Sidorenko spoke about four contemporary challenges in risk management:

The transition from risk management as a stand alone system to a quantitative instrument of risk evaluation built into the key processes of an organization

Risk management is not characteristic to people in an office. It is counter to human nature. We must approach this by contributing to the development of a risk management culture

The role of a risk manager in a company must change. The concept of three lines of defense is morally obsolete

To execute its new role the risk management team must possess four key competencies: standards, quantitative evaluation, the psychology of risks and business specificity

Download free risk management book at https://www.risk-academy.ru/en/download/risk-management-book/

More information about RISK-ACADEMY, our training courses and services at https://www.risk-academy.ru/en/
Risk Management Could Be a Powerful Tool, But it Just isn’t (part 3)
By: Alex Sidorenko
Tags: Decision Making, Risk Management, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Manager

In the third of a four-part series, Alex Sidorenko, founder and CEO of Risk-Academy, explains how risk management is disconnected from decision making.

If there is one thing I learned in my previous role as Head of Risk at a multibillion-dollar sovereign investment fund, risk management is not about managing risks. It’s about helping management make strategic, operational and investment decisions while keeping the risks in mind.

It sounds simple enough, but it’s anything but. Here are some of the lessons I had to learn the hard way:

A. Part 1

B. Part 2

C. Business decisions happen every day, not once a quarter

This I found most bizarre, we seem to have created a myth that risk management is about managing risks. Not so. Risk management is not an objective in itself. It’s just another management tool to help them make better decisions and hence achieve the objectives. There is a big difference between how mature organizations implement risk management and the rest.

Mature organizations do risk analysis when a decision is made, using whatever risk analysis methodology is appropriate for that particular type of decision. The rest do risk management when it’s time to do risk management, be it annually, quarterly or some other regular internal. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unless our methodologies, approaches and tools allow risks to be analyzed at any moment during the day, when an important decision is being made or at every milestone within the core business processes, we are unlikely to get management’s attention. This was a big challenge for me personally and to overcome the challenges I recommend the following:
Risk-taking: What’s culture got to do with it?
By: Lubna Kayyali
Tags: Learning, Risk, Gender, Entrepreneurship, Culture

Photo by Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash

We all take risks. Some of us more so than others.

‘Stay hungry’ is often thrown around by thought and business leaders to indicate the importance of searching for more. In that search we take more risks and open up opportunities to learn and create. But why are we different in our risk appetite?

Since I moved to NYC in 2015, I often thought about that question. Culture is one of the reasons why we are different.

By culture, I mean the environment in which you first socialize and acquire and entrench certain assumptions about the world and how it works. Having moved from a collectivist society with a high level of material comfort (#qatar) to an individualistic one with a high level of competitiveness (#nyc), I needed to adapt to how the new culture views risk-taking.

Here is how I think cultures differ when it comes to risk-taking:

Attitude towards learning and failure: Some cultures, especially collectivist ones that emphasize the interest of the group over that of the individual, prefer that we stick to a script with a proven track record of ‘success’. This could mean that becoming a doctor or an engineer is preferred over becoming an entrepreneur or an artist. Learning is linear. Life milestones are linear. This means failure is less tolerated and often colors your record with certain labels such as becoming ‘a burden to the family’. This attitude also arises from economic and political uncertainty in certain developing economies. In such places, economic survival is paramount. To increase your chances of maintaining a stable life, you are better off accumulating wealth rather than experience. Wealth is material and can be readily liquidated to provide security while experience is a luxury and cannot be converted to tangible protection. Attitude towards gender: In some cultures, if you are a woman, you are less encouraged to take risks. In fact, taking risks is seen as a ‘masculine’ trait that immediately reduces your chances in the ‘marriage market’. You are ‘too liberal’ or ‘difficult to predict’ and that behavior might offend some men that buy into the conservative system of the patriarchy. Such gendered attitude often starts in the family, through role allocation. Teenage boys are allowed to hang out with friends in public places until late at night while teenage girls need to be more closely monitored because they are ‘vulnerable’ to sexual predators. Today, some women from such collectivist societies tell me that they are ‘encouraged’ to study, start their businesses etc. Thus, old paradigms of gendered limitation hold less sway. To that, I ask the questions: are you ‘encouraged’ to do the same things that your brother is encouraged to do, or are the activities selected for your risk-taking gendered? Would you receive the same level of ‘encouragement’ if you decide to become an investment banker or a surgeon vs. an owner of a cupcake shop or a nursery?

What does risk-taking look like in your life? In your family? In your society?
Locking Away Democracy: Prison-based Gerrymandering And The Distortion of Districts
By: Heywood Williams-Tracy
Tags: Social Justice, Politics, Gerrymandering, War On Crime, Prison Reform

Daniel Fishel for NBC News

New research suggests that the war on crime in the United States has led to an increase in partisan gerrymandering. A study from Swarthmore College student Lindsey Holcomb found that as the prison population has risen over the past couple of decades, there has also been a decrease in political representation. By utilizing Census data, Holcomb shows how congressional districts are drawn to concentrate prisoners into congressional districts while leaving a smaller population of eligible voters. Holcomb states that prisoners are ineligible to vote and so prisoners are unable to express their concerns on critical political issues. Incarcerated persons are counted according to the US Census usual residence rule. The usual residence rule, according to Holcomb, states that a person should be counted for the decennial census according to where a person lives and sleeps a majority of the time. This rule has established the practice of counting incarcerated people according to their place of imprisonment on Census Day.

As Holcomb points out: “Up until the 1970s, the incarcerated population in the United States was between 100,000 and 200,000 individuals, or barely more than “a blip” in the redistricting data (Wagner 2012, 1243). Since then, however, the major demographic changes caused by mass incarceration have transformed the seemingly innocuous “usual residence rule” into a mechanism by which the distribution of political voice is dangerously distorted.”

Gerrymandering is the dividing of a state or county into congressional districts to benefit the political party in power. Gerrymandering ensures one political party a majority in as many districts as possible where they’ll be virtually guaranteed to win that election. At the same time, the party in power draws other districts to concentrate the voting strength of the opposing party into as few districts as possible.

Holcomb notes that the apportionment of congressional districts must be drawn to be equivalent in total populations. Total populations are counted to include ineligible voters, including people that are incarcerated. According to Holcomb, this leads to a distortion of political power to the voters who are eligible to vote.

Holcomb’s research draws connections between the war on crime and the increase in partisan gerrymandering. Holcomb suggests that revisions to the US Census usual residence rule are needed to apportion congressional districts fairly. Holcomb goes further states that only when the war on crime ends can the impact of prisoners on politics be alleviated.
Game of Thrones episode review — 7.1 — Dragonstone
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Drama, 2010s, TV, Fantasy, Game of Thrones

Original air date: July 16, 2017

Director: Jeremy Podeswa

Writers: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

Rating: 7/10

After a lengthy “Previously on” segment that definitely imagines that Sandor is a lot more importan than the show proper has shown, we cut to Walder Frey hosting another feast, and we can assume pretty quickly that it’s Arya using his face. She poisons them with wine.

It’s a fun, if somewhat silly pre-credits scene.

Arya then stumbles upon Ed Sheeran in a scene that I understand is hated by fans because of Ed Sheeran.

I actually liked the scene quite a bit. It’s the first time since probably the first season that we get to see Arya more or less being her carefree self, and it emphasizes the change that we’ve seen her go through. We can still imagine her as a relatively innocent and young girl.

Bran and Meera end up at Castle Black, and are let in when Bran reveals that he can read people’s minds.

Up at Winterfell, Jon shows mercy towards the families that fought for the Boltons, which angers Sansa. Sansa insists that he has to be a lot smarter than Robb or Ned were. And while this is happening, Petyr Baelish continues to hit on her, which is just creepy.

Littlefinger used to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the show. Every scene he was in was so cleverly written, and seemed like it had so many layers. Now he’s just a creep, and I’m expecting him to die fairly soon now, as it seems his role in the show is over.

With few allies, Queen Cersei welcomes Euron to the capital.

Euron is downright hostile towards Jaime, though Cersei recognizes that he’s not trustworthy. Euron promises to return with a gift.

Sandor and the Brotherhood without Banners arrive at a house that the Hound had previously robbed. Sandor expresses his skepticism towards religion yet again, but they have him look into a fire, and he reportedly sees the army of the dead move through a castle near the Wall.

Finally, Daenerys and her men make landfall at Westeros, Dragonstone, the castle of the Targaryens, which apparently has been left empty for decades.

Dragonstone is also where dragon glass used to be mined, according to an old book that Sam steals from the restricted section of the Citadel’s library, so he hopes to tell Jon.

A lot is going on here. The writing definitely isn’t as sharp as it is in the early seasons, but for a season premiere — which tend to be very slow in this series — it’s pretty interesting.
Free TV and More
By: Robert, Gabamazing Deals
Tags: TV, Smart Tv, Computers, Free, Television

TV in 2020 and beyond isn’t the Cable or Satellite Dish on the side of your home, apartment, RV anymore. TV from a Cable TV Provider, Dish or satellite television Provider; that’s so 2019. What we are handling today is a component of a worldwide Movement: this is often a requirement HAVE download for your Smartphone, Tablet, or PC.

Free TV is the beginning of something truly special. Get found out with a gift Point System we call the Tipping Circle. Then you’ll be ready to download and activate Free TV. It all goes into “AMAZING” from there. From gaining access to Free TV Broadcasts, and even receiving Reward Points for watching TV.

And it starts with FREE TV and gets better and better from there. Once you’re connected we’ll get you everything you would like to understand and see. we will help all around the Globe with this program.

Ready to start. Here the steps to urge you going and Free TV is simply a part:

and check-in for Free TV. this may connect you to “The Performance Giving Network”. Where you not only get FREE PREMIUM TELEVISION, but you’ll continue with FREE TV, or maybe how to form an income from sharing FREE Television; and more.

Where you not only get FREE PREMIUM TELEVISION, but you’ll continue with FREE TV, or maybe how to form an income from sharing FREE Television; and more. Free Chat (That Pays you),

Free Online Gaming (Hottest Labels — and IT PAYS you to Play).

This is just the start we are a part of “The Performance Giving Network”. Backed by a growing “awakening” that realizes there are a far better thanks to sharing the planet. nobody should be hungry, without necessities or the finer things in life. we have got the foremost amazing resources so far. It starts with Premium Television Programming, the web, and Education. We then share knowledge and training around it to show everyone we will “How to Fish” and truly the way to create wealth. Because we all need to live wonderfully it’s time.

Get started; economize, have the simplest in Television Programming (Premium Channels) and be a neighborhood of helping us change the planet. The kind of communications that is so easy to set up. If you have a computer or a smart TV you are on your way to starting a new way of communication.

What has been tied to incredible inactivity in humans across the world, our use of television programs has not exactly been a reason for betterment? so far. You see with our “Performance Giving Network” the utilization of Communication tools, Television, then much more; has created an economic resource to raise the planet.
Apple To Add Older Shows And Movies To Its Apple TV+ Service
By: John Sherrod
Tags: Movies, TV, TV Series, Apple, Television

Apple To Add Older Shows And Movies To Its Apple TV+ Service

Lucas Shaw and Mark Gurman reporting for Bloomberg:

Apple Inc. is acquiring older movies and shows for its TV+ streaming service, aiming to build a back catalog of content that can better stack up against the huge libraries available on Netflix, Hulu and Disney+. The company’s video-programming executives have taken pitches from Hollywood studios about licensing older content for TV+ and have bought some shows and movies, according to people familiar with the matter.

I used the phrase “apparent strategy shift” above because it’s entirely possible this was planned from the start, but Shaw and Gurman don’t seem to think so. Either way, I think this is a necessary move on Apple’s part. Apple’s entire pitch for Apple TV+ is they partner with the best talent in Hollywood to craft the best stories. But that’s debatable and while other streaming services don’t pitch themselves that way, they’re all doing it to a point. Apple’s biggest advantages are that its devices are in millions of pockets/houses/offices/schools, and that it has a massive pile of money it can invest in this service. Even if Apple TV+ never approaches the success of Netflix, it can still earn Apple a significant chunk of revenue.

One of the things it’s lacked though is a back catalog of familiar content. Disney+ rocketed to immediate success because Disney 1) owns decades worth of familiar content and 2) because it has a long reputation for creating great content. Apple’s trying hard to position itself as having the latter asset, but it probably also needs the former. It’ll be interesting to see what older licensed content Apple adds to the service, particularly given how consolidated Hollywood is getting. Heck, it feels like Disney owns two thirds of Hollywood already. I wonder if Apple will ever (as has been occasionally rumored) buy an entire studio such as MGM so that it owns rather than merely licenses a back catalog. I could certainly see Apple being attracted to the prestige associated with owning James Bond franchise outright for instance. There has also been speculation that CBS/Paramount might consider selling Star Trek, and I could see Apple being very interested in owning that IP.
For me, this highlights a difference between Canadian television and American television.
By: Andrea Toole
Tags: Identity, Relationships, TV, Self, High School

For me, this highlights a difference between Canadian television and American television. The original few Degrassi series (starting from The Kids of Degrassi Street) employed actors who weren’t part of the union, who looked like real kids. Few had acting credits before the show.

I’m from Toronto, the home of Degrassi. I feel a bit of warm fuzziness when I see the impact that the Degrassi series’ made across the continent and the world. I’ve heard that Degrassi inspired 90210. I found it amusing and interesting that one of the actors from “the original” Degrassi: The Next Generation (in the early 2000s) starred in the subsequently rebooted 90210.

The rebooted Degrassi had an entirely different feel. It still addressed significant issues such as homelessness and an Asperger’s diagnosis (from the half-season I watched), but it was also flashier. Their multimedia component, while smart business, seemed like too much. Part of the appeal of the original Degrassi was its rawness. (Or maybe that’s my nostalgia as someone started middle school as Degrassi Junior High begun and therefore was subsequently not the target demographic of TNG.)

And, Canadian TV still has a unique quality to it, and not just the politics or aesthetic. You might notice it if you watch Workin’ Moms on Netflix.
Love Hate: Theodore Evelyn Mosby
By: Fatima Kamara
Tags: Funny, TV, Culture, Humor, Television

Him and Robin:

LOVE

Robin Scherbatsky was his love at first sight, the Summer Flynn to his Tom, the Luke P. to his Hannah Brown. They were the cannon’s OTP so the title of the show really should have been “How I Met Your Stepmother.” ANYWAY, they were absolutely adorable together. Whether they were hibernating in their PJs with Marshall and Lily or staring at his architectural designs, the two brunettes had a clear bond and trust built on sarcastic jokes and military salutes. Plus, who wouldn’t want to date a Canadian teen pop star?

HATE

From the start, Robin made it clear what she wanted their relationship to be. Purely physical, nothing else. Instead of backing out, Ted decides to chase her across town and make parties for her until she eventually gave in. This relentless pursuit is persistent throughout the show, despite a ridiculous amount of engagements or even her marriage to his best friend Barney Stinson. His obsession with her can only be described as unhealthy, to the point where the always pleasant Marshall had to intervene. He never allows himself to be 100% happy with any of his other romantic partners after their year long relationship and this stress heavily impacts his life. There is equal blame on Robin but this isn’t her article.