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The Benefits of Volunteering
Tags: Business Agility, Change Management, Scrum, Agile Methodology, Agile Development

Recorded By Dave Prior

Julianne Jones is a Principal Consultant with LeadingAgile. Her work includes interfacing with the leaders of high profile organizations and pairing with them in order to help Transform their organization to achieve true Business Agility. She’s also someone who believes in giving back to the Agile community. Recently, Julianne spent a week serving as the ScrumMaster for the volunteers that helped put on the 2019 North American Global Scrum Gathering.

In this episode of SoundNotes, Julianne shares some details about her experience volunteering for the Scrum Alliance. She talks about the work she did in Austin acting as a servant leader for the many people who gave their time in order to make the North American Global Scrum Gathering one of the most valuable Agile events to take place each year. During the interview, Dave and Julianne discuss why volunteering for professional organizations is so important, the benefits you receive as a reward for your time, and what it’s like to spend a few days coming together with dedicated people who want to commit their time to ensure that the people who come to the Scrum Gathering have the best possible experience.

Note from Dave:

Volunteering for professional organizations like the Scrum Alliance and the Agile Alliance is one of the most powerful things you can do to develop your career. By offering your time, you get the opportunity to engage with people who are truly dedicated to Transforming the world of work. It’s also one of the best ways you can develop a large network of like-minded individuals who you can turn to for support when you face challenging situations in Agile or when you are looking for a new gig.

Volunteering

For information on Volunteering for the Scrum Alliance:

https://www.scrumalliance.org/get-involved

For information on Volunteering for the Agile Alliance:

https://www.agilealliance.org/the-alliance/volunteer-signup/

(AgileAlliance membership is required)

To Contact Julianne Jones

Web: https://www.leadingagile.com/guides/julianne-jones/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianne-jones-4042264/

Email: Julianne.Jones@leadingagile.com

Contacting Dave Prior

If you’d like to contact Dave you can reach him at:

If you have a question you’d like to submit for an upcoming podcast, please send them to dave.prior@leadingagile.com

And if you’re interested in taking one of our upcoming Certified ScrumMaster or Certified Scrum Product Owner classes, you can find all the details at https://www.leadingagile.com/our-gear/training/
Data Platform Squad Interactions and Way of Work
By: Itiro Inazawa
Tags: Teamwork, Hiring, Scrum, Agile Methodology, Startup

Hi,

We are the Data Platform Squad

And today we’ll tell you about how our squad work everyday.

We use Scrum as our Agile Methodology with 2-week sprints.

The reason of this short sprints is that we can deliver and get feedback from the users as fast as possible.

Although we have defined roles for each one, we are an autonomous team, where everyone is responsible for work in your tasks, provide approaches to solve and deliver the features.

We stimulate criativity, exploring news tools and techniques where they can find ways to make our day-to-day challenges more efficient and growing their own professional skills.

Part of our job is to communicate and align with others squads to provide what is most important for us: the business value to our clients.

The excitement part of this is that each challenge is a whole new page to write ourselves.

We can name some exciting things we are working:

UX, Figma, Python, Pandas, React, Redux, CI/CD, Product Development

But, you don’t have to hear just from the person who is writing this article.

Listen to the comments from our squad members:
Agile Contract Types
By: Sahan De Silva
Tags: Agile Contracts, Contract Negotiations, Agile Methodology

When it comes to agile methodology, both the vendor and the customer have to come for an agreed agile contract type prior to the execution of the project. Since agile is defined to be embracing changes, it’s difficult to establish a contract. Both parties are supposed to cooperate with each other in order to deliver value adding features throughout the entire project life-cycle. (The relationship between the customer and the vendor in agile methodology has been defined and stated under ‘Agile Manifesto Principles‘ and ‘Agile Values‘) There are few agile contract types defined to be used based on few factors such as the relationship strength between the customer and vendor, etc…

Even though embracing changes has made it difficult for both parties to sign an agreement, there are few contract types that still both parties can agree upon prior to the project execution.

Fixed price, Fixed scope (Fixed time is also preferred)

Under this contract, an agreed budget with a fixed scope is provided (Just like in waterfall). By using agile techniques, project efficiency can be enhanced in order to gain maximum benefits out of the agreed price. This contract is good to use when requirements are stable and the relationship between the customer and the vendor is not stable (Not trusting each other).

Fixed price, Fixed scope (Fixed time is also preferred, but scope can be altered by collaborating with the customer)

The project team works closely with the customer from the beginning to identify the project requirements and priorities. Once the project is started, the project management team has to work on a prioritized list and at the end of a delivery, both parties can discuss whether to change the project direction based on the user needs.

Time and Material

According to this contract, customer has to pay for the work being done. This method / type works better when requirements are not stable / volatile. This is the simplest contract to be signed off if both parties trust each other.

Not To Exceed with Fixed Fee (NTE/FF)

Here, the vendor team is promised with a guaranteed profit margin. Both parties protect each other with the speed of project work being executed (Faster or Slower) and work on unexpected events to drive the project towards success.

Fixed price per function / story point

Initially both parties must agree on the unit of delivery (story points / functions / function points). A fixed price per unit is agreed and a certified functional point auditor is selected and advised to observe the number of units delivered at the end of the project. The customer has the freedom to change the requirement throughout the project and the vendor is encouraged to work efficiently.
Introduction to Scrum
By: Shubham Goel
Tags: Scrum Agile, Scrum, Agile Methodology, Agile, Agile Development

In continuation to my last article on Agile Transformation, here I will help you understand the basics of Scrum. If you are new to Scrum way of working, I am sure you will get an overview about what exactly is done as part of this framework.

The word Scrum is borrowed from the game of Rugby, where the complete team comes into a huddle before the game is started. This was done to stress the importance of the teams in complex product development.

Image Source — Google

So, what is Scrum? The below image will give you a perspective on it:

Image Source — Google

Scrum is Empirical, as compared to Theoretical:

Image Source — Google

The Scrum Framework is made up of 3 parts, and each component within the framework serves a specific purpose and is essential to Scrum’s success and usage:

Image Source — Google

Let me quickly give an overview on the above parts as I will not be covering them in detail here:

Roles -> Product Owner, Scrum Master, The Team…

Image Source — Google

Ceremonies -> Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective, Backlog Refinement…

Artifacts -> Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment…

As I said, this article was only to introduce you to Scrum. My next articles will be little deep-dive and cover details on the above Roles, Ceremonies & Artifacts.

Follow me for updates. Happy learning 😊
Software Development Methodologies: Agile and DevOps
By: Asmitha Raj
Tags: Scrum Agile, Scrum, DevOps, Agile Methodology, Agile

Software Development Methodologies: Agile and DevOps

It is software development methodology, which is centered around iterative development, that is by breaking the project into several phases. The agile team delivers work in small but consumable increments. It aims to provide better value to the changing business needs. Scrum, Kanban are two of the most widely used Agile methodologies.

Scrum

Scrum is a framework that helps teams work together. It is a subset of agile. The scrum framework requires the use of development cycles called the Sprints. The scrum ceremonies include: Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, the Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective. The Product Backlog is the list of what is needed to improve the product. The Sprint Backlog is a forecast by the Development Team about what functionality will be in the next Increment and the work needed to deliver that functionality into a “Done” Increment. The Product Increment is the version of the product delivered after each sprint to the stakeholder. The scrum teams are associated to roles, artifacts, events, and rules.

Image from https://www.tuleap.org/

The Scrum Team consists of: Product Owner, Scrum Master and the Development Team.

The Product Owner — the person who is solely responsible for managing the Product Catalog. They make sure the items in the product catalog are visible, transparent and clear to everyone.

The Development Team — this team consists of people who work on the product and release increments of ‘Done’ product at the end of each Sprint. The team size is small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint.

The Scrum Master — the person who is responsible for promoting Scrum. The Scrum Master is the servant leader for the Scrum Team. The scrum master makes sure everyone understands the theory, practices, rules and values and works to maximize the value created by the Scrum Team.

· Cope and respond better to change

· Quality focus

· Accelerated delivery

· Improved customer satisfaction

· Simplifying complex projects through iterative and small incremental cycles

DevOps

It is set of practices and tools which combines Software Development and IT Operations teams to build, test and release software faster and more reliably. It represents the evolution of software delivery cycles from large application and huge code releases to iterative smaller functional updates released frequently. It relies on automating routine operational tasks and standardizing the environments across an app’s lifecycle.

Image from https://devopedia.org

Although both approaches encourage collaboration to improve speed and efficiency, DevOps promotes a fully automated continuous integration and deployment pipeline to enable frequent releases, while Agile provides the ability to rapidly adapt to the changing requirements and better collaboration between different smaller teams.
Agile Waste: Stop Using Story Points. Now.
By: Ben Butler
Tags: Story Points, Scrum, Project Management, Agile Methodology, Agile

Ron Jefferies, creator of Story Points, creator of Agile.

Story points are waste. Creator of Story points, Ron Jefferies, summarized the waste:

I think using them to predict “when we’ll be done” is at best a weak idea;

I think tracking how actuals compare with estimates is at best wasteful;

I think comparing teams on quality of estimates or velocity is harmful.

Today story points are a valueless data creation technique. At best it forecasts by burning down guessed effort on past work against guessed capacity of future work. That means even at its best it is waste.

Ken Schwaber, creator of Scrum, creator of Agile.

Velocity has been weaponized against agility and adaptability. It appears when the creation of value is less important than the ability to measure output. Agile software development embraces the fact that often the increment will deliver something that the stakeholders don’t want; it is the iteration that delivers something stakeholders want. Maybe several iterations. In iterative agile development a feature will be finished “when it’s done”. This throws forecasts out the window.

Jim Highsmith, creator of ASD, creator of Agile.

Jim Highsmith suggested a way to mitigate the damage of story points; by diluting the waste of it with more useful data to “help balance the detrimental effects of velocity measures.”

Martin Fowler, Creator of Agile.

Story points are estimates. Estimates are a myth. Even the creators of Agile, also the creators and first users of story points, regularly failed at estimates; and regularly failed to fulfill sprint expectations. Not even after slicing. Not even with story points. Management insisted on numbers, commitments, velocity. So the creators of agile humored them with story points and trickery. They found a way to make management feel happy, by adding nothing but waste:

Alistair Cockburn, creator of Crystal Clear Methods, creator of Agile,

The secret to estimates: Yesterdays Weather. Martin Fowler described it as, “you should plan to do as much this iteration as you did last iteration”. To spell it out: the creators of agile took what they did last sprint, and pretended they were doing it this sprint. Points and estimates are not an intrinsic part of agile software development, but rather a bone to throw at wasteful project management attempts.

As expected Ron Jefferies clarified to teams who just don’t get agile software development, “I no longer recommend velocity, which means that I also no longer recommend story estimation in points or other measures… velocity is an obsolete topic”.

Congratulations, you can now give your company an easy win: stop using story points.
Building Mercari’s Design System
By: Michelle Handoyo
Tags: Design Systems, Product Design, Cross Functional Teams, Design Process, Agile Methodology

Introduction

Hi, I’m Michelle from the Product Design team at Mercari. My hope is that by showcasing our process in building our own design system, you may get some ideas or inspiration of your own. Let me start by talking a little about the background and challenges we faced before getting into the steps we went through and where we are today.

Along with our engineering partners, our product design team decided to invest in building a design system from the ground up a little over a year ago. Our team had recently expanded to a team of five, and our company was growing at an unprecedented rate (Over 50 million downloads, 350,000 new listings every day). This combination of rapid product and team expansion inevitably revealed issues with the way we organized our component libraries. We quickly realized that the processes and methods which may have been sufficient for a design team of one would inevitably break down as our product and team continued to grow.

The challenge

At the time, all we had in our design arsenal was a barebones branding and style guide with minimal upkeep or documentation. Oftentimes, what was labeled as a “reusable component” was in reality a piece of project component copied over to a shared Figma file titled “components” in the hopes that it could be reused elsewhere. Understandably, newer members of the team had no idea how to use this library; this style guide became more of a design “recommendation” than actual building blocks to be used in all our projects.

This culminated in a Frankenstein-like experience where designers designed at their own discretion with loose resemblance to the so-called “Mercari language”. There were no clear guidelines, and newer members of the team were supposed to share their work with an older member of the team so that they could confirm that the design is within the acceptable bounds of the “Mercari’s style”. As you can imagine, every project looked different, and even work produced by the same designer never looked exactly the same.
Jahi Virgolius Carter.
Tags: Thc, Terpenes, Flowers, Cannabis, Review

Jahi Virgolius Carter.

April, 2020, 23

Strain review

Gorilla Glue #4 “A great time to be stuck”

20:1

Rewind two days earlier I’m peeling myself from the couch after a much anticipated 4/20 celebration with one of my sticky favorites. “Gorilla glue” a,k.a “Gg4”or “Original Glue”. Bright green buds coated in a white blanket of resin cuddled by orange hairs gives a pungent earthy smell accompanied by a peppery scent and lemony aroma as I place the dense brittle bud between my grinders teeth. Fast forward to A modest taste of citrus and herbs bathing over me as I inhale the smooth. A strong profile of Myrene, Limonene, and Caryophyllene are present with each inhale.Veteran cannabis consumers would be proud to include this onto their flavor pallet as it not only offers a bold flavor, but also potent psychological and physical effects with a 20:1 THC to CBD ratio. First arriving with a heavy buzz this strand keeps the consumer focused and relaxed before lulling them to a sound sleep. Also aiding to lull depression, stress and anxiety this indica dominant hybrid makes for the perfect creatives aid. Or the perfect “Glue” to keep you relaxed on the couch all day.
Beautiful flowers
By: Native Wildflowers Nursery
Tags: Gardening, Flowers, Landscape

Having a garden or another area that will supply beautiful flowers is a dream that all homeowners have. It is one dream that can come true as long as the plants will do great in the soil conditions, and they receive the right amount of sunshine or shade that needs to be beautiful. There are also all types of fertilizers available for flower gardens and some that are created, especially for certain types of flowers and perennials. To have beautiful flowers does not have to be a tough task, and some of them will need more pampering than others. Once the plants have been planted, a gardener will need the right amount of water and also need food to become spectacular. It is more work, but in the end, when they begin to grow and bloom, it will be well worth the extra work. Check the soils where the flowers will be planted to make sure they are great and in perfect condition to grow beautiful plants. There are flowering perennials for all types of soil conditions and may take a little research to find the right ones. Some perennials will grow in clay and sandy soil conditions, and then some will even thrive in damp soil conditions very well. When choosing flowering plants, an online plant nursery can help you. They will have complete descriptions, including height and width, that the plant will grow and will also have the needed information regarding soil and lighting conditions that each plant will require. Growing beautiful flowers can turn into a great and enjoyable hobby because when you see them in bloom, you will want more of them. They will look amazing when added to a vase and brought inside of the home from spring to summer. Some flowering plants will be spectacular during the fall months of the year too.
Red Flowers for Your Passionate Friends
By: Ana Hana Flower
Tags: Gift Ideas, Friendship, Flowers, Gifts, Singapore

Red is a fiery colour known to represent passion and love! If your friend is super pumped for everything they do and always give it their all, buy them red flowers that symbolise their passionate nature! Or, you can always buy these sensual flowers for that friend who’s all about romance!

Leftmost red roses preserved flower dome: Hana Domū in Red

2nd column, red preserved flower bouquet on top: Charlotte

2nd column, fresh red tropical blooms on bottom: Tropical Dominica

Rightmost red roses bloom box: My Love in Romantic Red

Discover our full collection of red flowers here!

Check out mood boards for other colour themes here!

If you’re looking for the perfect gift, be sure to visit our website at anahanaflower.com and browse our gift category.

If you have any questions or need any help, feel free to contact us via our website, email, Instagram (@anahanaflower) or via Whatsapp at +65 98569650. We’re based in Singapore but can also deliver non-living items overseas. We also do same-day deliveries locally.

Love,

Ana Hana
Orchidelirium
By: Isabel Hardman
Tags: Mental Health, Conservation, Flowers, Orchids, Nature

This column first appeared in the July 2018 issue of Cumbria Life. All photos copyright Isabel Hardman.

If ever I want to make someone’s eyes widen with wonder, I just start talking about the orchids that grow wild in Britain. They’ll widen a little further as I tell my friend that there are actually 52 different species of orchids native to this country. Behind those surprised eyes, I can tell that there’s an imagination hard at work picturing the phalaenopsis orchids that you can now buy in every supermarket actually growing in a nature reserve, as a rebuke to all those people who regularly buy an orchid in full bloom, only to watch it die on their windowsill.

Our native orchids don’t include the phalaenopsis, lovely as it is, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t glamorous, fascinating, and sometimes downright naughty. In fact, once I’ve started with my orchid spiel, I love to amaze people even more by telling them that growing wild are plants so clever that they often operate in disguise.

It’s a wonder, really, that we don’t know more about our native orchids, given what a cultural cachet this plant family has worldwide. Still more surprising that while Cumbria is a county famous for its orchids, competing only with Kent for variety and rarity, few of its residents appear to know what’s growing around them.

The Victorians were far less indifferent to these plants – and not in a good way. They suffered from a phenomenon known as ‘Orchidelirium’, an obsession which led to a number of species being driven to extinction, or at least left teetering on the edge of it. Their favourite plant to collect was naturally the showiest, Cypripedium calceolus, or the Lady’s Slipper Orchid.

This orchid doesn’t just look like it shouldn’t be native to the United Kingdom: it also looks like it shouldn’t be real. It has claret sepals that twist like a corkscrew, and a lurid yellow lip, or slipper. No wonder people picked it, dug it up, sold it or planted it in their own gardens.

By 1917, the plant was declared extinct. It had previously grown in southern Cumbria at Whitbarrow and Scout Scar (which are still very good for other wild orchids), but now it had been loved to death by plant hunters.

Fortunately, it turned out that one plant still clung on in Yorkshire, at a site that is now heavily guarded. After a great deal of head-scratching, scientists at Kew Gardens worked out how to get its seeds to germinate, and are now reintroducing it to the wild.

Just over the border at Gait Barrows National Nature Reserve in Silverdale, Lancashire is the only public access site for slipper orchids. When I first saw them in bloom in 2017, I was on sick leave and was trying to keep myself occupied. The sight of such ludicrous wild flowers reminded me how much of the world I still had left to see – and the wonder of them lifted me just enough to get me through another day.
Flower power
By: Reema Sharma
Tags: Positivity, Pooja, Flowers, Love, Nature

Flower power

I love to go for walk anytime in the day and if the walk is in midst of nature, what better can I ask for. I feel some sort of connection with different kinds of flowers all around. I always get excited to see how flowers can have so many different shades , different shapes , different size , different fragrance. I love if someone gifts me flowers and I find flower decoration indeed very beautiful. Since my kids were very young they used to bring flowers which had fallen from the plants for me , that was such an emotional gesture and their way of showing love for their mother. Every season brings different varieties of flowers and I love to take pictures while walking. I have passed this to my kids too they also keep noticing different flowers all around.

Anyone who receives flower as gift express their emotions in varied ways. It brings a smile on the face of recipient irrespective of their age. It has been the most traditional gift one can give to someone. It is such a nice way to show different emotions like gratitude, appreciation,recognition,respect and also love. It can uplift the mood of anyone who is sad or depressed, troubled or agitated. They can induce a more positive outlook on life, boosting energy and happiness. Nature provides us with a simple way to improve emotional health . The presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behavior in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed.

I like to decorate my house with flowers and also keep different seasonal flowering plants in the balcony garden. It gives a very happy feeling whenever I see them bloom. It’s our tradition to offer flowers to God while doing pooja. No pooja is complete without flowers. We offer to Him what He has given to us. It is amazing to see how nature has given us so many gifts and ways to keep ourselves happy and healthy. Nature is God’s gift to us and we must try to preserve the beauty of nature in any way we can.
Watching you grow
By: Peculiar Julia
Tags: Daughters, Flowers, Growing Up, Parenthood, Poetry Sunday

Watching you grow

Image by silviarita from Pixabay

I wish a foolishness of flowers to

Grace your garden, an idiocy of

Irises, a daftness of dahlias,

Yes…even a recklessness of roses.

Let them flourish and grow and scent and be

As they are, twining their path, pushing through

Hard spaces, as the butterflies and bees

Pass their secret messages one flower …

… to the other, in curious ambits

Of dizzying flight. All will flourish, bloom,

Then wilt, then stocking passions in roots and

Seeds and other hidden places feel those

Buds burst through fresh clean earth. Shoot and stem

And leaf and bright busty blossoms calling

Out that they are woken, are and will be

Until there is no more to see so bright.

Let them have their wild while in the garden

To unfurl, to reach to spread, so bonny,

Buxom opening to new thoughts, breathing

Sweetness to air as possibilities

Huddling against a bright blue sky, beauty

Budding as days of warm perfumed pleasures

A blossoming of days, tender with soft

Petals, a trellis to guide them…with love.

I wish a fullness of flowers in your

Garden. Not cut, or spliced, or arranged

In a vase, but let grow to their vastness

Capturing dew drops in morning, growing

Wise in their season, sagging and sated

With the weight of happiness in spring rain

Each prospering bud, shoot, and blossom flushed

Vivid and bright and open to life’s blush.
The Orchid Diaries Of Goa
By: No Other Like Goa
Tags: Goa, Orchids, Flowers, Undiscovered

The floral family of orchids is a vast one. Spreading over 24,000 species and thousands of synthetic hybrids, the orchid family is a significant member of the world’s biodiversity. Orchids flower in many parts of the world, and our small state of Goa is among the numerous places that get to see its growth.

Orchids are diverse in their growth. In the sense that they grow on parts of trees, and even from the soil, provided the growing conditions are favourable. Orchids are also known to flower in regions of tropical climate. And since Goa fits these conditions, plenty of local farmers engage in the cultivation of these flowers. In the state, orchid farmers cultivate orchids with the help of poly houses — polyethene tunnels that imitate the conditions of glass greenhouses in temperate regions. It facilitates the maintenance of adequate temperature, soil fertility and humidity, and a regulated water supply. Maintaining a controlled environment proves necessary to reduce the risk of the plants dying.

Goa being a hub for the tourism industry, also serves as a push for orchid cultivation. One tends to see tourists flocking to the state for celebratory occasions that demand flowers to form a part of these occasions. Citing a suitable growth environment, corporate Zuari Agro Chemicals has undertaken a project called the “Orchid Project” to encourage more farmers to engage in orchid cultivation and promote more high-tech flower growing in the state. It has built a demonstration unit at its complex to explain how modern technology can redefine growing orchids in the state.

Orchid cultivation farms can be found in Canacona, Sanguem, Valpoi and are also prevalent amongst the vast species of flora in the western ghats region of Goa. But off late, orchid cultivation in the state has been on the receiving end of various issues. Having been hit with the global pandemic of COVID-19, orchid farmers have faced grave difficulties due to abrupt halts in the regular course of business. With a lockdown enforced last year, there was a steep fall in demand for orchids in the market. It further meant a cut off in the source of revenue for the majority of the farmers.

Many farmers take out loans from banks to acquire the necessary means for the cultivation process. A lack of revenue hindered repayment of these loans putting them into further debt than initially anticipated. Many also had to stop their production course due to the unavailability of funds to sustain the production process, forcing them to shut down completely.

Orchid cultivation in the state is a source of livelihood for many. In a general sense, we all view orchids or any other kind of flower in visually appealing manners. But getting to see these in their best form comes from the dedication and work put in by such farmers. These are difficult and unfortunate times for many. And just like we hope it all passes at the earliest for us, let us hope it passes for these farmers too so that Goa can once again see beautiful orchids in bloom.
Prophetic April 2016 Facebook Post
By: Michael Weddle
Tags: Democrats, 2016 Election, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Politics

Prophetic April 2016 Facebook Post

[Originally published as a Facebook post on April 26, 2016 at 10:45 PM (graphics added)]

States Bernie won in green. IO, MA, IL, MO & NV were close to tied; CA outright stolen!

We’ve learned something from tonight’s election. Due to stupid mainstream Democrats (or ghost machine Democrats) all in line with the DNC ‘fix,’ eight things are gonna happen:

Democrats will lose the White House. Democrats will lose the House. Democrats will lose the Senate. Democrats will lose the ability to pick Supreme Court justices. Democrats will lose the ability to pick Federal Court justices. Democrats will lose the ability to pick the Washington DC Federal Court justices (the second most important court in the nation). Democrats will lose the ability to pick the justices who will serve on the (NSA) Spy Court. Democrats will lose the ability to appoint those who will serve on the (NSA) Spy Court of Appeals.

In effect? Democrats have lost America as we’ve always known it! And to make matters worse, think of all the executive and diplomatic appointments that will be made from a GOPwinger perspective.

Why? There is no way Clinton will beat Trump!
“Las Vegas parking lot turned into ‘homeless shelter’ with social distancing markers”…What’s Wrong With This Picture?
By: Yvonne Owens
Tags: Coronavirus, 2016 Election, Covid 19, Trump, Homeless

Las Vegas Placing Homeless Encampments in Parking Lots as Critics Point to Empty Hotels

In response to the London Guardian headline above, Jim Andrews posted on Facebook, “The homeless shelters are closing. Social distancing not possible there. Put these people in hotels and motels. They can observe social distancing and will give the hotels/motels some probably badly needed business. Mind you, that also puts the hotels/motels in a situation where the cleaning is more dangerous and awful and much bigger work load.”

Adeena Karasick responded: “They’re all over the street in NY. Huddled In groups of 3 or 4 trying to sit a few feet from each other but sharing a blanket.. it’s all so heartbreaking.”

For my part, I noticed that the recent drone photography of empty Victoria BC’s downtown streets avoided filming the areas where homeless people wander near their sprawling tent cities, the municipality’s ‘solution’ to their plight, and only showed the inner harbour areas where they don’t tend to congregate due to the increased wind, rain and cold.

It is indeed very, very sad. If nothing else, this virus shows us that the homeless need to be homed, rehabilitated and cared for. As if they were human beings in a civil society. Governments and communities need to bite the New World Order bullet and, if neither ideologically nor compassionately equipped, fake it ‘till they make it. Turn this societal ship headed for disaster right around.

Of note: Municipalities are ALWAYS financially and economically equipped to home, rehabilitate and care for homeless populations, at least 87% of whom suffer addictions or mental/emotional problems, as NOT homing, caring for and rehabilitating sufferers costs WAY MORE than biting the bullet and doing the right thing as a community, polis or collective. Way more! — in policing, medical, real estate and commercial viability losses for downtown merchants, not to mention community morale and collective shame — as has been demonstrated by several townships on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, demonstrated in the full-length documentary ‘Seattle is Dying,’ available on Youtube, and in Canada.

‘Coralling’ homeless people outdoors, putting them in a pen, as in Las Vegas, doesn’t cut it.
Hillary is a vile, evil, corrupt politician.
By: Lex Brody
Tags: 2016 Election, Politics, Hillary Clinton

Hillary is a vile, evil, corrupt politician. She used her office as Secretary of State to make hundreds of millions of dollars brokering weapons for war all over the world. That’s a lot of blood on her hands.

Her pay-to-play deals with Wall Street firms, rewarded by “speeches” for hundreds of thousands of dollars is also well documented.

Her legacy of war mongering is alive and well among D.C active pieces of human filth like Samantha Power, Neera Tanden, and several members of the CNAS. Haven’t you heard her laugh about Gaddafi’s death? Being so proud to push that foreign policy that Obama says was the single worst event of his administration, only to leave Libya in shambles where slaves are easy to buy as livestock.

Her evil deeds still affect Yemen,Haiti, Honduras, Venezuela, etc…Geez, this is so disturbing that any thinks this woman is great. Just read the Podesta emails…. Wow, I can’t someone could be so tuned out, they’ve never heard of the her blatant corruption all over the map.
Assignment Post 3. Pay Attention, Mr. President, Your…
By: Californians For A Voice
Tags: 2016 Election

Pay Attention, Mr. President, Your Party’s Future Depends on It

Photo by twinsfisch on Unsplash

Mr. President, the choice is clear: learn from the recent political history of California or watch as your administration and your party falls into the ash heap of history.

We’d like to direct you to a recent interview our Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom gave describing the effects your current policies will have on the future of your party. We want to emphasize that the problems of ignoring the wishes of California voters (reflective of the needs of the Americans nationwide you need to pay attention to) will not only affect your party’s future but your immediate presidency and any chance you have at reelection in 2020.

You’d be well served to study the history of California’s political party apparatus. This state was once the home of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. It was a swing state or one capable of voting for either party depending on the Presidential election. That was before Republican Governor Pete Wilson — a Governor who, much like yourself, alienated entire populations of the country and ultimately destroyed any hope of the Republican Party remaining a viable power in the years to come.

Look at what has happened since Pete Wilson’s crackdown on immigration in the 1990s. His decision to appeal to white Californians has led to a political climate in which the last Republican to hold statewide office was Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger eight years ago! Let us remind you in case you’ve forgotten that Arnold was hardly a right winder but a chief critic of yourself since you entered office.

Do you want your party and your administration to go the way of California’s Republican Party? A party so pathetic that it could not muster enough votes in the most recent Senate elections to make a Republican eligible in the general election? That’s right, the highest Republican vote getter had less votes the second place Democratic primary finisher. That should give you some idea of just how badly the Republican Party has fallen here and what will become of your already decreasing popularity should you not reverse course and pay attention to the desires of the people of California. We are representative of the views of left of center Americans you need to gain the support of. Our compassionate views on immigration will either be adopted by your administration or you will suffer inevitable destruction at the hands of a coming majority-minority country. Do not say your weren’t warned. The people of California are waiting.
The bottle cap I threw on the road, where did it go?
By: Navid Mostafiz
Tags: Recycling, Microplastic, Polution

Last Sunday morning was a windy one. An early morning coffee became so necessary, I had to go grab one. Before sipping on the coffee, I took a sip of water and suddenly the bottle cap got carried away by the strong wind like a flapping bird. I started to wonder how far did it go…and where did it end.

pic credit: freepiks.com

Short answer: Really really far; and will probably end up in my mouth.

Long answer: the bottle cap might have landed on the road a quarter miles away and got hit by a car. Getting hit by cars multiple times might have torn the cap in to pieces. The pieces were picked up by wind or birds or squirrel and ended up in some nearby natural reserve. A toddler 👶 that came for a picnic there might have tried to put it in its mouth. The mother had hard time slapping the toddlers back repeatedly to make it spit it out. But it did not end up in a trash can, rather it was spat back on the ground. The pieces started its journey again. Wind, water, earth, thunderstorms and what not. The pieces will get even smaller and granular and will eventually end up in the water bodies.
Ways to recover Energy from Wastes
By: Albert William
Tags: Food Waste Recycling, Recycling, Waste Management

Waste Management is one of the best ways to avoid pollution from our environment. There are many techniques in waste management to eliminate segregated waste. Some of the wastes can be recycled and some may not. One of the efficient and environmentally friendly ways of recycling waste is WTE i.e., Waste-To-Energy system.

The process of conversion of waste into an energy source in the form of heat or electricity is known as WTE or EFW i.e., Energy-From-Waste. Most of the process of WTE generates electricity or heat through combustion or produces fuel methane, methanol, ethanol, or synthetic fuel.

Incineration

Incineration is one of the processes of combustion which is used to generate energy sources from waste. The first incinerator was built in Nottingham UK, in 1874 by Manlove, Alliott & Co. Ltd. The WTE plants should meet the strict emission standards which include the lower emission of NO, SO2, heavy metals, and dioxins, etc.,

Most of the energy plants burn solid waste in industrial, commercial, and domestic processes. The energy plant professionals always segregate the wastes before burning, the only waste that is not burnt is a non-recyclable waste.

Waste-To-Energy systems cause pollution less than the coal plants but higher than the natural gas plants. This Waste-To-Energy system is more effective than any other method of removing the rubbish from the environment in an eco-friendly way.

Working

The working of the WTE plant is the same as the other steam power plants. The wastes are segregated and collected to burn the wastes, the wastes are burnt in the closed are to eliminate the hazardous gaseous content produced during the burning process. The burnt wastes will produce high-pressure steam, which is used to rotate the turbine. The turbine a rotating wheel that is used to run the generator coupled with the generator. When the turbine rotates, the generator coupled with the turbine also rotates resulting in generating the electricity. For further guidance contact the reputed waste management service- “ Quick Wasters” for an efficient waste management system.
World Environment Day 2021: Revivify the Planet.
By: Step-Up Green Climate Warriors Initiative
Tags: Cleanup, Recycling, Plastic Pollution, Climate Change, World Environment Day

The Earth’s average temperature is increasing. Desert encroachment is intensifying. Polar ice melting is accentuating. The climate is capricious. Plant and animal life are going extinct and the ecosystem is at a tipping point. The beautiful planet Earth — the only planet in the ecosystem that can support life is sitting on a keg of gun powder, waiting for that last damage before it becomes antiquated.

Man is in the midst of all of this chaos, ironically he has contributed immensely to its occurrence. Man’s activities on Earth may have been of great benefits but the indiscriminate cutting of trees, burning of fossil fuel, air, water and land pollution, plastic dumping in the ocean and his desultory hunting of wildlife is causing serious imbalances in the Earth system and there is a need to correct this. In light of this, World Environment Day 2021 is aimed at resuscitating the planet and its theme is Ecosystem Restoration.

There is a dire need to correct all the wrongs that have been done to our dear planet. Global warming and climate change would cause much more problems than all our activities combined can bring about. To revivify the ecosystem, conscious efforts need to be taken with alacrity to bring about quick positive changes.

Plastic pollution has become a serious threat to aquatic life and an eyesore on land. They are not biodegradable and when they get to landfills they just remain there causing more pollution and preventing plant growth. In the water bodies they are broken into tiny pieces which are taken in by aquatic creatures such as fishes, turtles, porpoise etc and these driblets of plastics remains inside them which may lead to their death or its transfer through a process known as biomagnification. We cannot stop the use of plastics abruptly, but to fight plastic pollution, we need to reduce, reuse and recycle plastics.

We reduce the amount of plastics at our disposal by reusing the ones we already have. By so doing, the demand of plastics are drastically reduced. There is also a need for communal sensitization on the use of plastics and its impact on the environment. Everyone has a role to play. In cases whereby we cannot reuse, we recycle. Less than 30% of plastics ever produced have been recycled, the rest end up in landfills and water bodies. The recycling of plastics would be of tremendous benefits not just to man but to the Earth in general.

The environment is no one’s property to destroy; it is everyone’s responsibility to protect. Let’s restore the ecosystem, take responsibility and build back better.

#WorldEnvironmentDay2021 #EcosystemRestoration #ReduceReuseRecycle #PlanetFirst #SaveEarth #ReviveEarth #Recycle #StepUpGreen #Environmentalist #TakeResponsibility #NoPlanetB

8th June, 2021

Imoikor Joshua
Hard-to-Recycle: Beauty Packaging 💄
Tags: Sustainability, Recycling, Plastic Pollution, Plastic, Zero Waste

Every year, 120 billion units of beauty packaging is created. Groundcycle is helping you divert your personal care products at their end-of-life so it doesn’t end up in landfill.

We are collecting: All brands of empty cosmetic, hair care, or skin care packaging. This includes items such as… conditioner bottles and caps; eye liner pencils (non-wooden) and cases; eye shadow tubes; face soap dispensers and tubes; hair gel tubes and caps; hair paste plastic jars and caps; lip balm tubes; lip gloss tubes; lotion bottles, tubes, dispensers, and jars; mascara tubes; plastic concealer tubes and sticks; shampoo bottles and caps; shaving foam tubes (no cans); spray bottles and triggers.

*Do not send in: Aerosol or pressurized cans, electronic items such as blow dryers and straighteners, perfume bottles, nail polish bottles or removers, wooden eyeliner pencils, any bio-medical, bio-hazardous waste, or partially full and full packaging (tubes, jars and containers) such as nail-polish, lotion, soap or ointments.

Why NYC can’t recycle it: Beauty packaging is often made of mixed materials which make it impossible to recycle through traditional means. Other items are rendered too small and get filtered out of the system.

We are diverting it with: TerraCycle. TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box™ allows you to pay to recycle almost any type of specialty waste stream. The packaging is separated, cleaned, shredded and pelletized so they can turn into various recycled products. Learn more about their process here.

To participate: Add ‘HTR-Beauty Packaging’ to your upcoming service so our driver knows to look out for it. Please place your beauty packaging in a bag and tie it to the handle of your bin for our collection. Do not include them inside your Groundcycle bin with your food scraps as this will contaminate the material and render it unfit for recycling. If you are participating in another one of our recycling initiatives, please store waste streams separately to help us cut down on our additional sorting time.

How long: From September 9 to October 3