fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Day 3 — Confessions of a Paralegal turned Techie
By: Legion Legal
Tags: Law, Perseverance, Work, Reflections, Careers

Day 3 — Confessions of a Paralegal turned Techie

Noise

It’s all around us. The sound of a passing train; the chatter of passerby; the pitter-patter of rain. Background noise.

And then there’s a different kind of noise: phones pinging, but never really ringing; background music, always playing; people chatting, but never speaking. Noise that gives us a temporary high — a faint state of ecstasy.

When asked, we tell others that we’re good, that we’re doing well. But are we good? Are we really doing well?

Noise hides our deepest and darkest anxieties, insecurities, and fears. It gives us a quick dosage of endorphins, just enough to soothe our most ingrained pains.

But at night, when all is silent, our anxieties, insecurities and fears? They come back to haunt us, appearing as voices in our head. One moment, you’re thinking about “what-ifs”? The next moment, you’re thinking about that girl back in junior year that you found attractive and should’ve talked to, but never did. You crave the morning to come so you can re-enter the world of noise. To re-enter the world of goodness and wellness.

I quit

That night, hours after I had uttered the words “I quit” to my boss, I couldn’t sleep.

I had always followed the well-paved path, never picking up the shovel to carve out my own path.

“Don’t take the four lane highway, pick up the shovel and dig your own path. The easy route is predictable and leads to easy results which leads to no growth.” — David Goggins (taken from this interview)

The shovel.

Now, I was slowly leaving the world of wellness and goodness. No longer did my phone ring with work emails; no longer did I receive messages from my colleagues. I was now a nobody.

It took a few days for me to put on what Goggins calls “the Bose headphones,” to enter a headspace of noiselessness. After then, I no longer cared about the cheap pleasures of life — going out, partying, drinks with friends. With all that noise gone, what was I left with?

My anxieties, insecurities and fears, of course.

Which I now run towards at full speed. Every. Single. Day.

The world of noiselessness

It’s now been a month of noiselessness.

With coding, I’ve made some progress. Today, I went through the Python datatypes module of the Flatiron School’s Data Science Prep Curriculum. I think I’ll be looking to Udemy for more practical content on Python to supplement my studies. After all, I do want to start building cool stuff soon!

With other things, insecurities like my fear of being judged and my fear of not working hard enough, I think I still have a lot of work to do.

In a state of noiselessness, though, work — that’s all there is to do. My world is now silent, and as haunting as silence can be for some, for me, it sure beats the haunting voices that once used to haunt me at night.

Now, I spend my days building cathedrals in my mind — each cathedral a project that first started off as a crazy idea. In these cathedrals, I find wells of joy. Each cathedral once a “what-if,” now finally a “what-is.”
Why Career Development .
By: Warnant Lisy
Tags: Development, Careers

Ever since 1990s and 2000s, the concept of career development has become increasingly popular and yet most individuals especially women do not take it as a powerful tool which makes the whole family depend on the man in the family. This brings risk to the family incase the man dies or gets a problem because of over dependence on one person that achieved career development. On the other hand In Uganda today , most women after completing University just think of marriage forgetting about career development.

It is therefore against this background that I advocate for career development especially in women because most do not take it as a powerful tool.

Career development refers to a formal approach of developing an individual usually students by embracing focus in selecting a career to undertake in the future.

Career refers to a general course of action of a person in some profession.

I believe career development can be done starting from parents, friends, schools, and finally organisations in order to help different individuals find what they stand for in specific communities. Furthermore career development can be realized through career planning workshops, career counselling, career platforms, mentorship among others.

Career development models.

The models can help one embrace and maintain career development. They include;

Knowing your value. In a way that you choose what you stand for and embrace it in all areas and part of the whole.

Explore your options.

Find if it's really the career you stand for through exploiting in order to discover the best for yourself.

Plan Your actions. You need to plan where you want your career to go because life challenges often interrupt career development but if you have a plane you have a high chance to stay on track.

Create your future. You make sure you have a bright future in away that you dont just live to survive.

Career development is of the following benefits:

Ensures better utilization of employee's skills and provides increased work satisfaction to employees.

Provides you with variety of opportunities across the world due to the recognition.

It gives you a great image in different societies, communities and among individuals.

In conclusion career development is a life long process of managing, learning,work, leisure and transitions in order to move forward a personally determined and evolving preferred future.
Crypto-Relevant Companies Hiring in February 2019 in US, UK and remote
Tags: Businessofcrypto, Blockchain, Blockchain Career, Careers, Blockchain Startup

OpenSea

Focus: Peer-to-peer marketplace for crypto collectibles and rare digital items. Strong backing, partnerships and market.

Looking for: Coders and marketers. There are three job openings in New York City — backend and frontend development from the tech side, and one director of marketing. Calls for some experience, pays 6 figures and shares.

More

Stellar

Focus: Cryptocurrency focused on remittances, transaction speed and regulatory compliance with growing environment of dApps and platforms on top of it. Since recently including an IOU stablecoin with full reserves in US-domiciled banks.

Looking for: Engineers and marketers. There is a bunch of roles opening in San Francisco and Austin, mainly in engineering, HR and communications.

More

Tutanota

Focus: The most advanced private e-mail service provided by a small German company.

Looking for: Quantum cryptographer. This is an advanced role, the main task will be to make Tutanota quantum-resistant. Great opportunity for those who feel like they might be up to the task!

More

Focus: Blockchain game development studio residing in Tokyo that recently got over 1.8 MM USD in funding.

Looking for: Tech and non-tech roles — Blockchain Engineer (Solidity), Front End Developer (nuxt.js), Graphic Designer, Game Content Planner (production, game management).

Send CVs to recruit[at]doublejump.tokyo

More

Hypergrowth Consulting

Focus: Metric driven marketing.

Looking for: Growth Hacker / ICO expert — Advertising specialist for ICO and post-ICO marketing of blockchain and decentralized projects. London, Berlin or remote.

More

Clause

Focus: Blockchain-based legal tech for business contract management.

Looking for: JavaScript Developers — Clause opens several positions for developers well versed in React and node.js for their offices on NYC and London.

More

Focus: Platform to allow settlement of large assets on public blockchain. Backed by ConsenSys.

Looking for: Tech positions and a paid sales internship — JavaScript and Solidity or full-stack/backend experience required for the tech roles. All positions open in MindSpace London.

More
Remove These 4 Things From Your LinkedIn Profile ASAP!
By: Job Box
Tags: Linkedin Profile, Tips, LinkedIn, Careers, Jobs

Earlier this year, we posted an article about how you could improve your LinkedIn profile page in order to increase your chances of landing a new job. The article went over steps you could take or items you could add to make your profile more appealing to employers.

Well, today we are going to take a much different approach. Rather than focusing on what you could add or change, we have decided to point out 4 specific things you need to remove from your LinkedIn profile as soon as possible! They could very well be keeping you from getting that job you’ve always wanted.

That Unprofessional Selfie Profile Photo

Typically, that selfie you took with your friends one weekend won’t impress potential employers no matter how good your Photoshop skills are. Although first impressions aren’t always the best indication of a person’s personality, they are very important when it comes to landing a new job.

It’s certainly worth your time and money to get a professional headshot taken by an experienced photographer. Make sure you dress appropriately for your field, look well-groomed, and are wearing an inviting smile that says “I can make your company successful.”

Those Unprofessional Comments or Posts

Remember, your LinkedIn profile is not the same as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. It’s a professional platform used to convey your intellect and abilities, not controversial issues or personal vents. When an employer visits your profile page, the only thing they need to see are items related to your work experience.

If you’ve used LinkedIn to voice a negative comment or post something that is more personal rather than professional, it’s best to remove it altogether. This doesn’t mean you aren’t “being true to yourself,” but it does remove unnecessary distractions that employers don’t care to see.

Those Unrelated Job Experiences

Although it’s important to show employers your previous experience, it still needs to be relevant to your current career. Remove positions or projects that focus on what you used to do in favor of responsibilities that focus on what you want to do.

Basically, you don’t want any outdated content on your LinkedIn profile. If you’re seeking a job in management, don’t highlight past experiences in which you didn’t perform any management activities. Only focus on the job responsibilities that will impress a potential employer.

That Narrative Biography

Stories are usually written in the third-person so the author can be more descriptive about the action and thoughts of the characters. This is fine when writing a novel, but it’s not the best avenue to take when describing who you are.

Instead, write your biography (or summary) in first-person to allow employers to feel a more intimate connection. They are hiring a person after all, not a robot. Remove any third-person language and make sure your bio is direct and personal. This demonstrates confidence and ownership.
How one career decision can change your life: Sara’s story
By: Radoslaw Fabisiak
Tags: Personal Development, Career Change, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Careers

First choice

At this point, she had to continue the research because different technologies made her confused, and she needed to find out what exactly she has learned to apply for one of those jobs. After going through forums, Facebook groups, and blogs for people interested in programmer career, she thought that learning Java can be the right choice. It was a highly recommended language, so why not try.

She found a Java bootcamp, promising that it’s possible to learn programming in a few months. It seems like it found exactly what she was looking for. As soon as possible, Sara signed for the bootcamp and a few days later went for her first classes, ready for a career change.

When I heard about it, I was really happy that she decided to learn to code, as it was also my life choice, and I was quite sure she will be satisfied, and programming skills let her get a very nice career. So, I really kept my fingers crossed for her, although I knew she may have some difficulties, as it was with me.

In the beginning, she was very excited about the bootcamp, she met some people similar to her, wanted to learn new skills, so it convinced her it was a good choice. Unfortunately, time was passing, and she got more and more confused, she couldn’t understand it at all. That’s why week by week, she stopped to attend the bootcamp, and her determination to learn got very weak. She gave up with Java.
How to Find what Career Suits your Personality
Tags: Career Advice, Job Hunting, Job Search, Careers, Jobs

Are you feeling the itch to change jobs or even careers?

Remember the famous saying by Confucious? ‘If you love what you do, you won’t work for a day in your life’ — that classic is a cliché for a reason- because it’s so true!

So, before you take the plunge, ask yourself, do I love what I do? If not, what type of job or career will best suit my personality?

We already discussed what should you keep in mind before accepting a job offer. Today we will talk about how to choose or re-choose the right career for you, based on your character, likes and dislikes, your passion, and more.

Get to Know Yourself

Another rightful cliché. For you to know what you like and what you are passionate about, you need to know yourself! Remember, it’s impossible to label yourself in a category; you can identify general trends in your personality. This will help you understand things like what motivates you the most or when you are most efficient. This was originally published on SCIKEY website. Read full story at SCIKEY
The Perks of Working in Sales at Xcellent ATL
By: Xcellent Atl
Tags: Small Business, Careers, Sales

Are you looking to enter the world of sales but are worried that you don’t know exactly what you’re getting yourself into? No worries! We’re here to enlighten you. While sales is an ever-changing and shifting industry, it is not exactly new. Sales have been a major part of the American work industry since the beginning. Now, we know that what you may be thinking — “this is just another basic nine to five job”. But, you couldn’t be further from the truth. A profession in sales is the gateway to limitless opportunity and unmatched success. Here at Xcellent ATL, we have never doubted the power of sales, but for those who waver, we are sharing a few of our favorite perks!

Sales foster personal connections. In modern society, the majority of personal and professional interactions occur behind a screen. The way we communicate is through a keyboard, stripping us of personality and human interaction. Sales shatter that. We work face-to-face in order to create deeper, personal connections. What more could a people person want?

Sales tear down barriers to success and render the concept of a corporate ladder obsolete. When you become apart of the sales industry, you are choosing to take control of your own career. Starting from the bottom can quickly shift to you thriving at the top. Our goal — turn your ten-year plan into a five-year plan!

Sales functions on the foundation of teamwork. There is a reason that many of our sales professionals are former athletes, coaches, and club members. We understand that success is built by working together. When one succeeds, we all succeed

Sales encourage travel and exploration. Do you have a passion to take to the skies and see the world? Then, why not achieve this dream while getting paid? When you enter the world of sales, you no longer have to make a choice between making money and traveling. So, if you are looking for a career that lets you escape the mundane of a typical nine to five, you may have just found your industry!

Sales encourage “big-picture” thinking. From an early age, we are taught to set big goals but as we age, those goals tend to be worn down and crushed in the professional sector. However, in sales, you are pushed to think beyond your current station and are given a plan on how to achieve your career goals!

Sales help you identify “the why”. A major perk of working in sales is that you have the chance to be motivated by goals and merit, not just money and titles. This means you are given the chance to concentrate on your passions, while knowing that you are simultaneously setting yourself up for financial success.

For those considering entrance into the sales industry, we welcome you with open arms! You have the chance to single-handedly take control of your future, while also making a positive influence in the lives of others. From all of us here at Xcellent ATL, best of luck!
Why You Should Consider Being a Data Engineer Instead of a Data Scientist.
By: Terence Shin
Tags: Opinion, Work, Data Science, Data Engineering, Careers

3. Data engineering skills are extremely useful as a data scientist.

In more established companies, the work is typically segregated so that data scientists can focus on data science work and data engineers can focus on data engineering work.

But this is generally not the case for most companies. I would say that the majority of companies actually require their data scientists to know some amount of data engineering skills.

A lot of data scientists end up requiring data engineering skills.

It’s also incredibly beneficial to know data engineering skills as a data scientist and I’ll give an example: If you’re a business analyst that doesn’t know SQL, you’ll have to ask a data analyst to query information every time you want to gather insights, which creates a bottleneck in your workflow. Similarly, if you’re a data scientist without the fundamental knowledge of a data engineer, there will certainly be times when you’ll have to rely on someone else to fix an ETL pipeline or clean data as opposed to doing it on your own.

4. Data science is easier to learn than data engineering.

In my opinion, it’s much easier to learn data science as a data engineer than learn data engineering skills as a data scientist. Why? Well there’s simply more resources available for data science, and there are a number of tools and libraries that have been built to make data science easier.

And so, if you’re starting out your career, I personally think it’s more worthwhile investing your time learning data engineering than data science because you have more time to invest. When you’re working a full time job and a couple of years into your career, you might find that you don’t have the capacity or energy to invest as much time in learning. So from that perspective, I think it’s better to learn the harder realm first.
Solutions Architect Tips — The 5 Types of Architecture Diagrams
By: Allen Helton
Tags: Software Engineering, Programming, Software Development, Careers, Technology

Solutions Architect Tips — The 5 Types of Architecture Diagrams

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.

Have you ever been in a meeting where someone is trying to explain how a software system works?

I was having a conversation with a relatively new solutions architect who was trying to describe a system they had come up with. It had about eight different components to it and they all interacted with each other in multiple ways.

They were explaining the solution using hand gestures and a lot of “and this piece communicates with this one by…”

I understood the words coming out of their mouth, but they didn’t make sense strung together.

Words get lost when explaining complex conceptual architecture. I was trying to build a mental model while following a train of thought. I needed a visual.

I needed a diagram.

But not just any diagram. Architecture diagrams are not a “one size fits all” solution.

We’ve discussed recently that a significant part of being a solutions architect is effectively communicating your ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Your diagrams must take that into consideration. If you want to get your idea across to different sets of people, you must make multiple versions of your diagrams.

Today, we are going to talk about the five different types of diagrams you should make depending on five different audiences.

We will take an example from my fake business but real API, Gopher Holes Unlimited, where we add a new gopher into the system to be tracked.
Respect as a Lean Agile Lens
By: Jim Benson
Tags: Lean, Respect, Growth, Planning, Agile

Respect as a Lean Agile Lens

This is part 3 of a series of 5 posts, see the mother post here.

Professionalism as an end allows quality product as an end.

Respect is an abused word. Weak minds use it as a placeholder for fear. Weak egos will demand it up front. Weak hearts will use it to attach themselves to people of bluster, wishing they could be so outspoken.

We can see here, sadly, that our focus on respect is at an all-time low (or at least as of the last 220 years).

We should do something about this.

Respect for other people, in this lens, is at the heart of Lean and Agile. But neither explicitly build respect into their means and methods. Respect for other professionals is required in any healthy system of work. Anything short is abuse or slavery.

When we use respect as a lens, we are constantly asking ourselves, “How is the individual impacted by this system?” “How are these professionals able to grow in this system?” “How does the system improve under the influence of these people?”

We are respecting capability — that the professionals in the system can and should be excellent participants in and caretakers of the system we are creating.

We are respecting judgement — that they are adults and can make good decisions, as long as we don’t put obstacles in their way.

We are respecting their impulses — that they are human beings and subject to the same cognitive biases and triggers as everyone else and that our visual systems should be designed to provide actionable information in a useful way.

We are respecting humanity — that our relationships and communication directly impact people’s ability to perform.

We are respecting their individuality — their unique perspectives, different daily routines, and different lives lead them to come to different conclusions that provide deeper discussing while coming up with ideas, problem solving, or supporting other team members.

We are respecting their drive — some days we come to work excited and ready, other days we don’t. Our colleagues are no different. We also all have different interests, different focuses, different things we “geek out” on. Those interests are motivators. It’s particularly important to respect what, in every professional, makes them that professional.

We are respecting their ability to grow — in nature there are two states, growth and decay. All team members will thrive as long as they are learning, improving, and giving a damn about what they are doing together. Are you surprised to find “give a damn” in there? Well, unless you are mold, you tend to have to care about something in order to actually grow.

Respect as a Lens is an acknowledgement that a healthy team needs to optimize in a way that allows people to thrive. I am certain you can come up with your own additions to this incomplete list.

Respect for people is human and it is systematic.

We can and should work consciously to support it.

We should do something about this.
Respect
By: Anthony Chipner
Tags: Respect

Respect to me is the process by which you show your understanding and love to another person. Whether it is an Elder, Spouse, friend, or figure of Authority. I was raised in a military family. (AKA I’m a Military brat)

https://taskandpurpose.com/family-relationships/8-realities-military-brat/BY SARAH SICARD APRIL 05, 2016

From an early age, I was taught about respect. How to show respect to your elders and authority figures. I was taught about ranks in the military and who to salute and show respect to while I was on base or at a military family function. Essentially because my Father was in the military the whole family was enlisted when he did and there were certain traditions and things that were expected of military children back then.

I know that some of these traditions still hold today in military families. Although like the military they have evolved to different ways of teaching them and different things. At the core, though respect is still the main teaching in military families. This is a tradition I know some civilian families teach their children, but it is my opinion that we still lack these teachings with the youth of today.

Essentially without respect for others. Society would not work as a whole. If nobody respected authority then the police force wouldn’t be of much use. Neither would our form of government or the constitution be needed. For me the guidelines that we live our lives by whether it be morally or ethically all boils down to one simple principle. Respect! Respect for ourselves and others.

At its core Respect is probably the most important lesson each of us should learn. This is why I carry on the tradition of teaching these same principles of respect to my children. I hope others will follow suit as well because without respect I believe we all will be lost as a society.
Women of substance — “Hold your head high” School
By: Dwarak Narasimhan
Tags: Courage, Race, Respect, Nonfiction, Equality

In 1957, the significant white supremist part of America was still seething at the US Supreme Court ruling in Brown versus Board of Education. The Court had ruled that racial segregation in schools was unlawful. On the back of this ruling, in North Carolina, four black students applied for transfers to all-white schools.

Dorothy Counts-Scoggins was 15 years old when she was granted admission to study at Harry Harding High School, one such all-white institution.

Entering school on her first day, backed only by her father’s words (“Hold your head high. You are inferior to no one.”), Dorothy was met by hundreds of white students blocking her path. Continuing to walk on unafraid, Dorothy heard an adult voice call out “spit on her girls, spit on her”. She walked on without reacting and managed to reach class as the students, confused by her composure, slowly parted making way for her to walk ahead. At lunch, students spat into her food. In class, the teacher ignored her while students threw a blackboard eraser at her, hurting her.

Asked by her parents at the end of the day if she would like to withdraw from the school, Dorothy bravely replied that it was only a matter of the students getting to know her and refused to walk away. Only one student would make an effort to try to know her in the next three days. Sadly, it turned out that the student was new to town, and she too would proceed to ignore her the following day.

Two days later, as she exited school and made her way to her parents’ car, she saw angry white students surround the car and break the windows. Fearful for her life, her parents complained to the police. The police pled ignorance to the goings-on and refused to offer any help.

Four days from when she started, fearful for the lives of her family and herself, Dorothy Counts-Scoggins withdrew from Harry Harding High School.

For holding her head high, refusing to break down in the face of such severe abuse, and showing us that we are inferior to no one, 15-year-old Dorothy Counts-Scoggins will forever be regarded as a woman of substance.

Also read: Women of substance — Taking a stab at being number 1 | by Dwarak Narasimhan | Jan, 2021 | Medium
The House the Bricklayer Built
By: James Watadza
Tags: Team Collaboration, Software Development Team, Respect, Software Development, Teamwork

Image courtesy: dmagazine

A master bricklayer built a house.

It was beautiful; every line straight, every cornice perfectly angled, every floor flat and true.

He built it like a true craftsman: nothing left to chance.

One day, an old man was walking by and overheard the craftsman boasting about his great achievement. The old man approached and joined the small crowd that had started forming. The craftsman continued, espousing the quality of his work and how he had no equal in the land.

Indeed, the house was truly a marvel to behold!

As the crowd slowly dispersed, the craftsman wiped his brow… it had been a long presentation after all.

The old man approached the brick layer and after the customary compliments asked: “Sir, this wonderful creation you built, how many bricks did you use?”.

The craftsman beamed with pride, thought for a while, brow furrowing, then replied: “I wouldn’t know… I only built the house.”.

Then the old man asked: “The bricks you used, what tensile strength index did you use for the lower floors, and the upper floors? How did you allow for elastic torsion in the event of settlement and tremors? What of wind shear? What quantities of carbon did the steel used for reinforcements contain and what was the maximum force at work at each supporting beam at maximum load? How was the angle of the roof decided?”…

The questions came, one after the other and to each, the craftsman had the increasingly sad, sullen answer: “I don’t know”.

After what must have felt like an eternity of questioning, the craftsman finally conceded, begrudgingly, that he was an expert at laying bricks — unequalled yes, but bricklaying.

He explained to the old man that he did not know how to draw plans, how to design nor bake bricks, how to design the plumbing or draw up specifications for concrete and steel, how to calculate forces and counter-forces, foundation depths nor even… to design beautiful houses.

There was a long pause, an awkward silence as the two men stood in front of the masterpiece, each surveying it quietly.

The craftsman, now crest-fallen, looked, wistfully, at the beautiful house one more time, turned to the old man and, with a some embarrassment said: “You know… I didn’t build this house alone”.

The old man smiled back, encouragingly, placing his hand on the craftsman’s shoulder in a show of friendship, and replied: “I completely understand, my friend, I didn’t build it alone either; I only provided the engineering calculations that guided the architect’s designs which helped the draftsman drew up the plans and helped the quantity surveyor with costings and provisioning.”.

They both laughed out loudly… knowingly, shaking each other’s hand as old men do. The craftsman, now somewhat red in the face asked: “And who might you be then!”…

The old man replied, still recovering from the bout of laughter: “Kruger… Dunning Kruger, at your service!”.

He winked at the craftsman…

Rumour has it that they still drink together and discuss every building they build to this very day…
Why Are People Offended When Teens Set Boundaries?
By: Valerie Grison-Alsop
Tags: Teens, YouTube, Respect, Trolls, Bullying

For the ones who don’t know Give Us The Floor, the non-profit serving the emotional and social needs of teenagers, it is a community of teens, mostly in distress, who help each other. The teens provide this help via supportive group chats on Snapchats and share their struggles on YouTube and Instagram for a larger youth audience. The result is that teens understand they are not alone, that peers are facing the same challenges and struggles as they do, and that there is a supportive community of teens that they can belong to.

Last week, we posted on YouTube the vlog of a young teenager who explains that she genuinely feels uncomfortable sharing private matters with certain people. When they insist on wanting to know what she feels, it makes her feel that her space is being violated. We have all been there. But how many of us dare to say, “Sorry, I don’t want to share this you”? I’m impressed by this young girl, Hailey, who has the courage to set clear boundaries.

No one from Give Us The Floor’s team predicted the negative reaction this video got! Wow! We know that Youtube has a lot of trolls, and we deal with them with strict moderation. Usually, a video gets a strong reaction because it is because the video is truly controversial or because people have an emotional or cultural reaction to the subject, like our most popular videos: “Being White Passing” by Sophia or “Living in Fear of Deportation” by Lindsey. But when the heck did setting boundaries become controversial?

It says something about our society when people question the very idea of setting boundaries. Boundaries are a healthy way of taking care of and protecting ourselves. What is wrong with people not accepting that they can’t know everything about someone? Or that someone doesn’t feel comfortable sharing private things with them? Does that make them feel unwanted, dumb, rejected? Well, they are the ones who should work on themselves because, if you got offended by this video, I suggest that you work to understand why it is hard for you that people want to keep private what is…private.

If you are an adult taking care of teens, it is important to respect and encourage their privacy, even if they appear angry or upset with you. That they don’t want to share with you is not bad; they might just feel embarrassed about it. Did you want to share everything with your parents or teachers, when you were a teen? Certainly not! That didn’t make you a drug addict, suicidal or a bad person. The important thing is that they have a support system in place that allows them to share their deepest secret without shame and allow others to guide them in the best direction for their mental and physical health.

You can find a list of great resources on Give Us The Floor's website
How to comment on someone’s writing in an online environment
By: Tania Sheko
Tags: Commenting, Articulate, Respect, Blogs, Social Media

There’s a difference between commenting on your friend’s post on social media and leaving a comment on someone’s post in an educational setting.

Of course, everything you say online should be polite and respectful — that goes without saying — but in your class blog comments you will strive to be articulate, constructive, insightful — and that is challenging, and will need practice.

There is no value in monosyllabic responses, eg ‘great’ because this is not specific; it’s a lazy response. It goes without saying that negative responses are inappropriate and will not be tolerated, but that doesn’t mean you should praise the writer indiscriminately, or agree with everything in the post.

Firstly, you have read the post in a thoughtful, attentive way, and then think about what’s been stated, how you feel about it, what you agree or disagree with, whether you can elaborate on some of the points, or bring up related ideas of your own. If you are disagreeing, remember to think about what it is you are disagreeing with and why; it is not an attack on the person himself. Your response will be respectful; you will articulate your thoughts in order to create a discussion, and perhaps to expand the ideas presented in the post you’ve read.

As I said, it takes practice, but don’t give up if nothing comes to mind straight away. You don’t have to respond to the whole post; you might just address something that has caught your attention.

Here are some suggested responses to get you going:

I was interested in what you said about … and I would like to add…

What you say is interesting but have you considered…

I don’t quite understand what you meant when you said…

Don’t you think that…?

You explained that really well! I especially liked …

Of course these are just suggestions, not a formula to follow.

Our class blog is a safe space for all of us to think about art, artistic ideas, themes and techniques, to learn about artists and the history of art, and to share these understandings in a space where we respect everyone, not wanting to offend or show off, just learning with and from each other in an inclusive, stimulating online environment.
My Greatest Pet Peeve
By: Sepideh Karimi
Tags: Self-awareness, Respect, Conversations

“A fool is known by his speech; and a wise man by silence.” — Pythagoras

I think just about anyone can identify with the feeling of being cut off before you’re finished talking, and also being the person who does so. Regardless of which conversational party you identify with most, the annoyance from this experience stems in the fact that it means it inevitably ends up taking twice as long to make a point that could have been done quite easily had your friend given you the opportunity to finish.

By interrupting the individual’s train of thought, we are stalling and diverting the natural progression of both expression and sharing. When I observe this happening it signals to me that the interruptor believes his/her ideas matter much more than the sense of understanding that was alive prior. The worst is when I observe young students my age doing this to special speakers or their elders. I’m sure it’s not intentional, but we’re conditioned to act this way. Everyone in the media interrupts each other, after all this is the essence of modern day political discourse.

But I think we need to recognize the inherent discourtesy that the practice of interrupting can evoke in a person. It is arrogant. It is silencing. And yet, it is very common. For these reasons, I think cutting people off in the middle of conversation is just about the rudest thing a person can do. Of course I understand the urge to release thoughts from your mind in order to quickly clear up some confusion, but I think most of the time this comes off as a bit erratic and off-putting.

True intelligence and wisdom, I think, is illustrated in individuals who listen thoughtfully to their peers’ thoughts, rather than feeling a pressure to speak whenever their mind throws itself into familiar territory. When we give people a chance to complete their sentences, we engender a space filled with understanding and authentic conversation, based on mutual respect. When I find myself in conversations like that I know how good I have it.

“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” — Rumi
TRUMP’S LEGAL CAMPAIGN
By: Hank Vandenburgh
Tags: Politics And Elections, Right Wing, Legal, Fascism, Trump

TRUMP’S LEGAL CAMPAIGN: It’s not actually a legal campaign. Trump wants a big helping of resentment about how the election was stolen from him to warm him through the cold nights of his exile from power and to keep his base, which is founded on the politics of resentment. It’s a good strategy for Trump, especially if he actually believes he was robbed (probably he does.) He’s got good instincts. His handlers may not see this as clearly. This is Trump’s Munich Putsch period.

Our task (we Democrats) is to kill Trump while he is down. Federal charges for sedition are in order, along with the inevitable criminal and civil charges he’ll face. I know there’s some chance of martyrdom, but hefty jail time may take him off the board.

I’m not sure Joe has the stomach to put paid to Trump, and that worries me. He’s already trying to make nice.

I’m not sure Trump is replaceable in the populist right. That’s good news. He may be one of a kind, like Napoleon or Hitler. There wasn’t a Mussolini Junior. We have to put him away.
4 STRATEGIES USED BY CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS TO WIN THEIR CASE
By: The Moscow Firm
Tags: Law Firm, Law, Legal, Criminal Defense Attorney, Criminal Defense Lawyer

A serious criminal prosecution needs a more strong criminal strategy to defend its defendant. Many criminal cases have lots of witnesses, evidence, and proof which makes it trickier for a defense prosecutor to solve the case.

But the best defense lawyer will make the best plans based on truth and deep studies with experience to solve the case with smartness.

Here are the intelligent ideas by law firm West Chester to reduce the severe punishment or completely nullifying the charges against a defendant.

1.DEALING WITH TRUTH

Our best criminal defense lawyer in West Chester always works with truth, they will give a defendant the ability to gain sympathy from the jury, based on using factual evidence which is true to its origin.

This factual evidence lays a foundation of truth with one concept but two different stories, from which the smart defense lawyer will draw the best story for his client to prove his innocence against the events that occurred in the past.

2.GUILT TESTAMENT

Guilt can be accepted in two ways: either admitting the guilt or denying the guilt completely.

Our best criminal defense lawyer in West Chester always follows through to help their clients to be proven innocent using the ‘not guilty’ move to bail them out against all the charges that have been imposed on them.

3.BEST CRIMINAL DEFENSE STRATEGY

Our criminal defense lawyer in West Chester always weighs all the important considerations that happened during the crime scene which involves:

· Identifying the eyewitnesses and their information about the crime scene.

· The loophole in the police’s working at the time he arrested their client,

Sometimes the police department shows a rush and without following the proper steps arrests the person, like not giving time to the person to have his defense attorney, telling them about their rights, etc.

· The credibility of their clients.

· Client’s reputation with his neighbors and community.

· Checking his criminal records if any.

Based upon all these details, our defense lawyer in West Chester formulates a concrete theory of the case.

4. USING DOUBLE JEOPARDY LAW

Double jeopardy law enables a defendant to have a ‘plea bargain’ against the charges imposed on him, defense lawyers can smartly use this law to save their defendant if he has been presented before a jury regarding the same charges.

This law gives a right to the accused person, that he cannot be punished for the same offense again and can ask for a plea under Double jeopardy law.

CONCLUSION

Dealing with a complicated criminal case always needs a lot of patience and guidance from an experienced defense lawyer who has deep knowledge about such cases and always has a way to save or reduce the charges of his client.

We are the best law firm in West Chester who are expert in dealing with such cases, for enquiring more information, visit our website now.
Behind the Scenes: Life as an Attorney at Life.Church
By: Life.Church Careers Blog
Tags: Behind The Scenes, Ministry, Attorney, Legal, Lawyers

My name is Elizabeth, and I’m an attorney who gets to work at a church! It was a dream I didn’t even know was possible — to be an attorney for the church I love. I clerked for a federal judge out of law school and then worked as a litigator in private practice in Oklahoma City. All the while, I attended Life.Church. While I enjoyed my work in private practice, I felt a desire to use my skills to reach people for Jesus. I didn’t have a clue that Life.Church had a legal team, but three years ago I saw a posting to join the Legal and Risk Awareness Team and I immediately applied. Every day, I‘m thankful God brought me to this role at this amazing place.

Today, I have the pleasure of leading the Legal Team at Life.Church, which includes two trained attorneys who provide legal advice to the organization. Our team also includes a coordinator who helps review and process all of our contracts, as well as a coordinator who speaks into risk and safety management issues. And just like our church, our team is growing! We’re currently adding a Data Privacy Counsel to our team who will support and implement all aspects of Life.Church’s data privacy and intellectual property strategies and advise digital product stakeholders and Life.Church leadership on legal matters surrounding those two areas.

Getting to use my skills and legal training to serve my church means more to me than I could ever express because our work makes an eternal impact on a daily basis. When God gives an idea to someone on our team to help His Word reach new parts of the globe, my team gets to play a part in making it happen. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to process contracts and analyze data that helped us ramp up the Church Online Platform so churches around the world could continue meeting online.

More behind-the-scenes examples:

In partnership with our Life.Church Worship Team, we helped execute the recent publishing agreement with Essential Music for Life.Church Worship and Switch.

We partner with the YouVersion Team to help negotiate and execute global agreements on content. Our work is essential for YouVersion to continue to provide God’s Word for free to over 480 million devices worldwide!

Our team works closely with the Real Estate Team to help execute contracts and closings on real estate purchases for new locations. Every time a new Life.Church location launches, our team gets to play a part!

We review and process every single one of the thousands of contracts that makes the operations of our church and ministry happen.

Every day is different as an attorney at Life.Church as we’re constantly growing and learning new things. And we get to do it all while serving alongside people who share our passion for the mission: to reach people to become fully devoted followers of Christ.

If you’ve been curious about how your unique skills can serve the church you love, I really encourage you to check out the Life.Church Careers site like I did!
Why do so many people still want to be lawyers?
By: Julian Summerhayes
Tags: Solicitor, Law, Legal, Wellbeing

A recent survey by UK insurance firm Protectivity found that lawyers are the second most stressed professionals in the country — with 63% in the legal industry reporting stress daily. — Law Gazette

I’m still a lawyer but I no longer work in private practice.

It’s a long story but first in 2010 and then again in 2016, I decided that my soul couldn’t survive in a world denuded of humanity, less still kindness.

Now of course, my journey is my journey and there’s no universal truth, still less any message to take away apropos the way I slowly fell out of harmony (never love) with the legal profession, but that doesn’t stop me wondering why anyone would be attracted to private practice, particularly where, as was my bitter and troubled experience, the name of the game was to bill the bejeesus out of any matter that could withstand the bloated and unsustainable hourly rates.

Perhaps the system — whatever that means — isn’t set up to allow for or facilitate a deep, reverent questioning of what makes law firms tick but I sure wish I’d had the benefit of wiser counsel who could have laid out the road map that was very likely to leave me, if not a broken man, certainly someone very different to the person who came into the profession.

You’ve got to remember that when I joined the profession in 1996 this was prior to a fully functioning Google; but even if I’d had a different trope circling in the ‘we’re-always-stressed-as-lawyers-wind’, I’m sure that my lecturers, colleagues and law firm partners would still have been sufficiently complicit to, if not throw me off the scent, quell any notion that I might not be up to the job, as was the case, of billing at least five or six times my salary.

In sharing my nascent thoughts, and I’ll return to this subject in the near future, all I’m trying to provoke, amongst those people who are contemplating or just starting out on their legal (career) journey, is that they ask a better question or questions than I did before I exited stage left.

More particularly, given the fact that so many lawyers are flayed out and on the cusp of wanting to do something else with their one and oh-so-precious life, to perhaps consider speaking to or sounding out someone who can give you if not an honest appraisal of what you’re up against, at least something more realistic of a life where living and dying by the billing clock is not just in vogue, it’s the sine qua non of your professional life and progression.

Take care.

— Julian