fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Justifying your price
By: Roh Krishnan
Tags: Transparency, Menswear, Pricing Strategy, Fashion, Consumerism

Pricing is one of the hardest things to do for apparel companies, whether it be a startup or a century-old heritage brand. Here’s how you solve it.

Justifying the price is difficult. You have to take into consideration the investment you’ve put into each garment, and get the extra margin, so you can make a profit.

I’ve always believed that if you do something, and you do it with quality, you shouldn’t have to justify anything.

For small companies, it’s easier to do, because the head designer, or the owner, could come and explain things to you, and justify the cost.

What happens when you grow? I’ve written about this before, which is often brain-dead stupidity on the retail floor, in addition to the lack of transparency when shopping online.

If you want to justify your price, be transparent. Transparency will allow your consumers to understand the reason for your price. Let us say that you are buying a jacket. It looks great, it fits great, it feels great. You immediately get a sense of joy, and then you look at the price tag, and your happiness turns to ashes in your mouth.

To be able to properly justify your price ranges, without going around prostrating yourselves to the masses, you need to be transparent. You need to provide real-time information about a given garment or a pair of shoes, that tells the customer the “story” of that item of clothing. Just like a good movie costs more than a bad one, the story of the garment is what determines the price.

Even a Mini Cooper — each Mini Cooper is, in a way, bespoke. There is no Mini Cooper on the road today that is the same as the other.

From designer to inspiration to construction to fabrics to manufacturing.

Here is a story:

If the designer was Tom Ford, and the inspiration came from his love for English style tailoring, the fabrics, which happen to be merino wool & linen are sourced from two prominent mills, one in Scotland, the other in Italy. Finally, it was all assembled at a bespoke manufacturing facility in Naples.

If this were the case, then there is no justification needed. The jacket is worth what it is.

See www.boardwalktech.com/products/story

Cheers,

Roh
Radical Transparency
By: Rui Costa
Tags: Transparency, Coaching, Learning, Agile, Life

I am a firm believer that transparency is the best approach a company can take to improve its culture.

We are used to hearing about the “Need to know basis”. What if we change this?

What if instead we use “Cannot know basis”. Let me explain.

You will only not be able to know something if you truly cannot know about it.

For example :

Any business deals that cannot be shared before they are done.

Security information that cannot be shared with everyone.

Personal information from employees and/or customers that would invade their privacy.

We should change the paradigm. Instead of just showing the information that you need to do your job (which looks like the other stuff is being hidden away when in reality there is no point in it), we openly say what is being “hidden” and the reason why you cannot access that information.

This eliminates one of the biggest wastes we have in any organization. Office Politics. If anything that can be out in the open is out in the open, then there is no place for office politics. You cannot try to sell politics when everyone can have access to that information and see for themselves.

This quote sums it up

Sunlight is the best disinfectant

Try radical transparency.

Go for “cannot know basis” and see how your culture improves over time.

Till next time …
Origin Story: Ethiopia Kossa Geshe Estate
By: Moka Origins
Tags: Ethical, Transparency, Ethiopia, Coffee, Roasting

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia is a country that needs little introduction. Their reputation for great coffee alone is what brought us to explore these beans. Although more well known coffee farms in Central and Southern Ethiopia have built a large name for themselves, such as Yirgacheffe or Sidamo, the coffee grown in the “Wild West” of Ethiopia brings its own character to this diverse country.

“This is coffee country. Every community has a different claim to being the birthplace of coffee, and backs it up by producing some of the world’s best coffees every year.” — Crop to Cup Coffee Importers.

Although this “no man’s land” is still expected to hand you muddy terrains and the fuzzy boundaries of overlapping farms contained within protected rainforests, the high quality coffee producing climate has been encouraging road development, infrastructure, and an influx of people ready to take advantage of the region. This “Wild West” is the birthplace of our Ethiopian Kossa Geshe coffee.

Walking the grounds of the Kossa Geshe Estate

The Kossa Geshe farm in the Limmu Area of Ethiopia is where our partners, Crop to Cup, obtain this coffee. This particular farm contains around 125,000 trees and is run by a farmer named Abdul Wahid. Surrounded by protected forests and located in some of the last virgin forests in the country, this farm has been expanding rapidly in the past couple years alone. Dorm rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, hand-washing stations, and even a schoolhouse classroom can now be found on site as more success from coffee sales touch this land. It’s inspiring to see this farmer invest his earnings back into his farm.
Series. Puntopia.
By: Richard Mark Dobson, The Rmd Gallery
Tags: Street Photography, Gambling Addiction, Fiction, Macau Casino, Existentialism

Title: 3 Punters. Praca de Dom Afonso Henriques, Macau

NB: Quasi-Fictional Street Photography Series.

©richard mark dobson

Three is an odd number. Punters are odd people. They gamble on chance.

You might notice 3 punters appear before you, and yet they’re not in front of you at all. Such is the illusion. The law of reflection states a ray of light leaves a mirror at the same angle it enters. Light is known to behave in a predictable manner, unlike the punters, who arrive with grandiose delusions of winning the jackpot, and leave, mostly, disillusioned. Often angry and delusional!

That’s when they regress psychologically and with it their composure changes. All decorum evaporates. At this juncture, Puntopia’s observation system matrix takes over, making notes on their behaviour, which often turns for the worse. Usually manifesting in the form of binge drinking and then seeking out sexual gratification with the legions of hookers who ply their trade along the Cotai strip. Here onward, it’s a spiral down. From 10–3. The girls usually make sure they clear out what little money they have left.

Below three it’s game over…..the surveillance apparatus kicks in, tips off the security detail and the punters are rounded up. They spend the next 48 hours behind steel, not glass, where the angle of incident is reported, and after writing a 20 page confession, those guilty have had, without doubt, plenty time to reflect upon their misdemeanor.

Many of them though are back in week for more of the same. Such is the power of illusion that this place promotes and capitalizes upon.

The moral of the story is, Puntopia is a moral free zone.

to see more of this series and peruse the fine art giclee prints, please visit the artists website at;

https://richardmarkdobson.com/personal-work/existential/puntopia/1
Thanks For Your Support! 6 More Months Coming Your Way
By: Thomas Dylan Daniel
Tags: Ethics, Serious Philosophy, Philosophy, Technology, Existentialism

Serious Philosophy is 6 months old!

Hey everyone, it sure has been a wild ride. Just six short months ago we were running our first few stories. We technically got our start on March 30, but everything is pretty crazy these days so the 6-month update newsletter you’re reading now is a bit late. That’s okay, we’ll do better next time. I’ve been getting into video content (follow my YouTube Channel here if you like) and would be happy to chat with people from this magazine and spread a bit of awareness of our projects here.

And there is a significant amount of activity there. We’ve got nine stories up at the Existentialist Book Club page, and it doesn’t bother me at all that I’ve written every single one of them! I would love to see some more love for the project, as it’s a great deal of fun, but as I assess my own Medium journey to date I find that this has been one of the most successful ideas to date for me personally. So feel free to enjoy the ride along or get involved if that would make you happier.

We’ve run submissions by three contributors in all, so thanks be to James Holley, Brandon Long and Stephen Ray Brown for stepping in and providing the readers some great essays to read!

I may mess around with the idea of including video content alongside my stories in the future, and I encourage any and all possible writers for Serious Philosophy to look at doing the same type of thing. It will be interesting to see how things go from here!

Cheers,

Thomas Dylan Daniel

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

Serious Philosophy
Neil Armstrong’s Anti-Remedy for Your Existential Crisis
By: David Majister
Tags: Space, Philosophy, Travel, Existentialism, Life Lessons

The Existential Crisis When Neil Armstrong Visited Buckingham Palace

Life’s lack of meaning haunted Prince Philip — husband to the Queen of England, Elizabeth— around the same time he met his idols: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins.

The trio of astronauts visited Buckingham Palace in October 1969 as part of their world victory tour following the successful moon landing. In the Netflix series The Crown, a historically accurate re-telling of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, Prince Philip requests a private audience with the three astronauts during their visit to the Palace.

Prior to meeting the astronauts, Prince Philip follows the moon landing with a compulsive zeal. He is mesmerized by what the astronauts achieve. Philip admires them for who they are — people of action. He sees in them the man he wishes he was, the adventurer he longs to have become, and that his station in life has prevented him from becoming. He feels locked up in golden handcuffs.

Philip has lost his sense of purpose in life, and with it, his faith. His obsessive following of the moon landing gives him a renewed sense of meaning, a sense of hope that something is out there — something he hopes to grasp by meeting the astronauts.

Coming face-to-face with Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins, Prince Philip confesses to the three of them:

“I haven’t been able to become the adventurer I wanted to…I want to know what your thoughts were…out there [in space]…’’

Philip wants to hear about what emotions the astronauts felt in space, what they realized about life, what spiritual insights they discovered, how their perspective on humanity was altered. He is hoping to rediscover the self he feels he has lost.

The astronauts’ response — or rather their inability to respond to Philip’s questions — leaves him disappointed.
When the mind wanders …
By: Sun 김선 Sailor
Tags: Stream Of Consciousness, Mindfulness, Daily Thoughts, Mind, Existentialism

I’m about to sit in silence for the majority of this entire day as I read and write and contemplate my life. Why? Because I must. Why? Because, lately, every day I have been having to deal with shit that I’ve never had to deal with before these days.

Everything is new but not necessarily shiny. Everything is different but not necessarily unfamiliar. Everything is challenging but not necessarily overwhelming. Everything is overwhelming but not necessarily unmanageable.

And all at the same time, I must continually remind myself that, “Everything is nothing.” And ultimately, I’m alone in this world.

These American bootstraps are made of rubber.

It’s that great ‘ol American Dream of These United States — individuality — to be able to do and pursue the thing(s), the life(ves) that I want/need/must obtain in order to be and feel fulfilled. And I must achieve all of these things on my own, and if I’m given any help along the way, I should be grateful. Am I being treated poorly, or am I just being insecure? At eight in the morning, these thoughts cannot be brushed aside.

I know what I’m supposed to do; I know where I’m supposed to go, but the how seems to be the bit about which everyone knows very little. How?, they ask. You do!, they exclaim. But what?, I ask. Whatever you want!, they exclaim again. But how do I figure out what I want?, I ask. Ask yourself what you want to do!, they exclaim. And then do!, they exclaim again. And again, the how is lost.

Nobody wants to hear you.

I hear them say. Over and over I am pummeled by the reality that not only do I not matter, but also, it’s impossible to matter. Who, honestly, matters? You reveal your own importance by creating that importance, but to create one’s own importance reveals a true lack of it (one’s importance).

A sphere being pulled by one hundred thousand tiny suction cups, away from the center, outward, stretching the film of the mind suspended at its core. Pop — the perfect pinging petite pop of a tightly held thing set free — pop, pop, pop, pop, POP. All she wants is to run away. But where will she go and truly be happy? She knows there is nowhere. She knows there is no one. She knows that when all else fades and all else fails, alone she will be when her alive self becomes dead.

The mind is not a palace it’s a cage. But within the minds of others is where I feel trapped. The perception, the perspective on a perception that all must be … translated.

When the mind wanders, where does it go?
After Church
By: Samuel Duran Franada
Tags: Identity, Post Christianity, Mental Health, Existentialism

It’s been 10 years since I left Christianity.

In between then and now, life has felt both exhilaratingly hopeful yet insurmountably despondent; expansive yet myopic, enriching yet consuming, loving yet hateful — in so many words, nothing changed, and life went on. As it turns out: wherever you go, there you are; and whether it was inside or outside of the church, I was still the same barren self the entire time.

It’s only now that I realize that I chased Jesus because I desperately wanted to be wanted, despite never really believing I deserved it. I don’t find fault with the idea of Jesus — in fact I still refuse to categorically say I don’t believe in who he says he is —it’s just that whatever emptiness lived inside me left no room for anything, or anyone, else. I pursued his promises to reach beyond the grave and redeem the discarded, but disappointingly my sense of un-belonging, this deeply inherent other-ness, ran deeper than an alien promise I’ve come to find I’m not wired to understand: acceptance.

After church: life turns out to be the same broken mess, and I’m still wandering to find sense, and my place, in it all.
What do you want in this life?
By: Matthias Deleeuw
Tags: Nature, Spirituality, Politics, Inspiration, Existentialism

Can I take a guess? A guess that your problems, all your problems stem from society and its quarrels. You aren’t living how you want to be living and maybe you’re too blinded to realize that. The first sign of being brainwashed is being in denial of being brainwashed. It’s an illusion, smoke and mirrors and manipulation. 'You want a nice car, you need to work and earn a living because you need a home, you need to pay taxes and contribute because you need to retire.'

It’s a trap that was structured for the majority, established by normal people. Who said you were normal? Who decided you were part of the majority? Natural selection has been avoided in every way with medical advancements, tools, weapons, comfort and fear. we are fearful of coming into harm’s way, we are comfortable in a home or apartment away from nature and its horrors. We live on this planet together, as one. We aren’t different from the animals in the wild and we are growing more and more distant from our natural instincts and survival abilities. The more time you spend in nature the more nature starts to look at you as part of it. The more animals see you, the more comfortable they become around you. Most animals look at us as aliens and not from where they’re from because we have progressively distanced ourselves over the years.

Back to comfort- Most people don’t want to give up their cushion life, their big bed with silk sheets, cappuccino machines, Netflix, good meals and fast food. therefore, it’s going to be much harder to give it all up. if you’re bored in this day and age, imagine how bored the natives were years ago. No, they weren’t bored because they hadn’t been introduced to the new age entertainment. They were perfectly content until the industrial revolution, technology and government started taking control. I’m here to tell you it’s a trap, there is immense capabilities that we obtained and the further we get from nature the more it is suppressed. We are living in a dystopia and I hope more people wake up before it is too late. Make your ancestors proud. Seek and ye shall find.
I Am Trying to Get Back On My Feet
By: Savannah Ward
Tags: Depression, Writing, Self, Self Help, Existentialism

I Am Trying to Get Back On My Feet

How do I get back on my feet when I feel like I am just a brain? Savannah Ward Oct 17, 2019·3 min read

Photo by Nick Scheerbart on Unsplash

I do not mean to endlessly complain about my life to strangers on the internet for the sole purpose of gaining attention. (I had a Tumblr blog in high school that did the trick.)

But, growing up in the age of social media has me wanting to seek validation in a way so familiar to me in what has become such an unfamiliar world.

I am starting to write here so I can find a way to document how I am getting back on my feet. Right now, it feels as like I have no legs and thus no ground to stand on. I am just a slab of meat and chemicals floating around in some form of epidermic capsule. But, in the back of my mind, I know that I am more than that. We are more than that.

I would not consider myself a good writer. I have been writing songs for as long as I can remember, but none of them are that great. But, I have always loved to write. I have always wanted to write better, but I never had anything to talk about. I wished I had something to talk about.

Well, this is that moment. (And in this moment, I must advise you: be careful what you wish for.)
What If Science Could Determine What Happens After Death?
By: Eszter Brhlik
Tags: Religion, Science, Death, Philosophy, Existentialism

And God Said, “Let There be Light”

After years of research, imagine scientists have confirmed the existence of God. Surprisingly, most of the experts agreed on the main points: the Christian God is the real God, exactly how the Catholic Church interprets it and practices the religion. The role of the priests is unquestionable: they are God’s servants.

Lastly, they also claim the Holy Bible shows the fundamental principles and regulations required for entering Heaven. The ones who are not obedient or violate the rules will have to burn in Hell.

How Would This Affect Society?

Anna started her day as usual: with a prayer. It’s been the 9th week since she’s been practicing Christianity, and she’s still not feeling closer to God. Her heart is filled with fear while praying. During her entire life, she’s been an atheist and has been living according to modern standards. But now, everything has changed.

Anna is 22 and already had several sexual experiences. Obviously, she’s still unmarried, and the sole purpose of sex was pleasure and intimacy for her. Not procreation. Later on, marriage and children were in the plan, but definitely not now. She’s focused on her studies. Consequently, she had to confess to the priest and fill her little free time with contrition because her parents were not rich enough to pay redemption fees to the church for their daughter's sins.

Another issue is that her best friend, James, is homosexual. The catholic church refuses to accept homosexuality, as according to the Bible, “man must not lie with man” (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13). James is confused and deeply sad now. Is he going to hell only because he enjoys something forbidden?

Still, many people celebrate and rejoice. True Catholics feel content: their love for God will eventually pay off. They were right in everything. Those unbelievers will pay more attention to their words from now on. They truly hope love and faith will guide humanity on the way towards a better life.

All the protestant churches acknowledged the authority of the Vatican.

Pope Francis highlighted the importance of ecological sustainability as “the entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains — everything is, as it were, a caress of God.” He expects quick action from the leaders of every country.

Politics has also changed. Muslims and other religious groups were given exactly 3 months to adjust to the new reality or leave the country. Abortions have been immediately banned in numerous countries. Same-sex marriages are now reconsidered.

Let God guide us through the way! Anna finished her prayer with a heavy heart.
What is Existentialism?
By: Laura Halls
Tags: Psychology, Simone De Beauvoir, Philosophy, Existentialism, Life

Existentialism

Disappointingly for some, the first section of the book is Simone de Beauvoir explaining that she was often asked to summarise Existentialism during a trip to America when it cannot be done so simply. I thought this part was quite interesting as for a long time I felt frustrated when trying to read certain Existentialist works and not really being sure I understood what was being said.

“life is itself neither good nor evil; it is the place of good or evil as you make them!’ The fact that the old labels, idealism-realism, individualism-universalism, pessimism-optimism, cannot be applied to a doctrine that is precisely an effort to surpass these oppositions in a new synthesis, respecting the fundamental ambiguity of the world, of man, and of their relationship”

This quote illustrates a recurring theme throughout the book. The idea that there is no intrinsic morality or meaning and life, it is up to us as individuals to pursue this on our own. She also applies this argument to notions of an intrinsic, morality that is independent of us which is a point I really found interesting and reminded me of the writings of Sartre.

The essay contained in the beginning, Pyrrhus and Cineas is brilliantly put together because it also helps to highlight some really nice themes that are covered in existentialist philosophy. Throughout it, Cineas is constantly asking Pyrhhus what his plans are with regard to his empire and what he plans to do after he conquers certain areas.

His response is to say where he will go next and what area he plans to conquer however Cineas responds in turn to this by asking him why does he not plan to rest. Pyrrhus’ response to this is to say he will rest once he has finished his last conquest. However, the question is raised as to why doesn’t he rest now, as he will also rest once he has finished his goals.

She argues that people are essentially similar to Pyrrhus in the sense that, by our very nature, we are forever setting ourselves goals to accomplish and upon finishing them we are starting the whole process all over again. To not do this, would almost be to go against what it is to be human.

It’s important to note, however, that Simone de Beauvoir in no way considers this to be a condemnation or indictment of humanity and the general human experience. Quite the opposite in fact. For her, it is through this process of constantly setting goals and either succeeding or failing in them that we are able to establish ourselves. Humans establish meaning in doing so whereas we otherwise would not be able to in a world that does not have meaning.
The ending was upsetting for me too but at least Arya ended up carving her own destiny and John…
By: The Bumble Life
Tags: Game of Thrones

The ending was upsetting for me too but at least Arya ended up carving her own destiny and John Snow wasn’t crowned King although his brother wasn’t really the greatest idea of a king… Through they did kill some amazing characters and the author was a man and some of it was inspired by history where some rulers were mad due to marriages with close relatives.

In a way the experiences we do face do shape us and us women do oftern face hardships; it is odd because sometimes half the fight is actually trying to disassociate the trauma with who we’ve become and perhaps where it ended; at the end of a huge war mqybe Sansa just hadn’t had the time to process her experiences. She did become Queen of the North and arguably the North was who a lot of people were routing for the entire time whilst Danearys was a conqurer and by that time an outsider with little understanding of whom she was actually invading other than it was her birth right that was taken from her. In that she did always have a superiority about her and it was sort of odd that she was seen as this all glorious white woman that was worshiped by the people she freed. If she had won there would probably be issues with that fact because of how I guess in society she’s sort of that powerful white woman born with privilege who’s ideals and voice is seen as so important that she can speak for and above others.

The dragons were cool through. The North were more trying to survive and do what they felt was right. Sansa is sold the idea of being beautiful and finding Prince Charming but then Prince charming isn’t really great at all and it was a lie that lead her to more horrible men. In the end she came to stand by herself, was respected by the North and became Queen which was always something that was destined to be reserved for her brothers. At the beginning she is portrayed as weak and I don’t think that its because she was a bad character more because she was sold an idea that her brothers would be leaders and she would marry a Prince and rule by his side as support and that was her place in life.

I wonder if the author ever expected it to become so popular when he first sat down and put pen to paper or even for people to start naming children after characters in a show with many twists and turns where it was common knowledge that no one was safe and I wonder how well the story was actually told in the last season as it felt rushed. Bran being king doesn’t seem to actually be something we are supposed to be celebrating. You get a sense that he is actually mad and not fit to be king because he is the three eyed raven and that he indeed has other motives to be there. He is distanced and has very little emotion which begs the question of what happens next is he that great a king; we he decend into madness? You get the impression that the South is quite a corrupt place in Game of Thrones and that the story hasn’t fully been told yet.
Reigns: Game of Thrones 1.22 Apk [Full Paid] for Android
By: Allan De Leon
Tags: Reigns Game Of Thrones, Game of Thrones

Reigns: Game of Thrones Apk is a card game for android

Download latest version of Reigns: Game of Thrones v1.22 Apk [Full Paid] for Android 4.4 and up

Game Name: Reigns: Game of Thrones

Genre: Card

Developer Company: DevolverDigital

Current Version: 1.22

Last Update: April 11, 2019

File Size: 106 Mb

Store ID: com.devolver.reignsGot

Requires Android: 4.4 and up

Reigns: Game of Thrones Apk Description

Reigns: Game of Thrones is the heir to the award-winning HBO® TV series Game of Thrones® and the smash-hit swipe ’em up series Reigns from Nerial and Devolver Digital. Through the fiery visions of Melisandre, claim the Iron Throne as Cersei Lannister, Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and more to carefully navigate the complex relationships and hostile factions of the Seven Kingdoms. Employ ruthless tactics to outwit political rivals and wield impervious charm on your fickle bannerman. Maintain the balance and favor of the people to extend your reign and maybe, one day, survive the horrors of the coming winter.

A Formidable Cast: Rule from the Iron Throne as Cersei Lannister, Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, Sansa Stark, and more. Change between each king and queen you unlock to face challenges and mysteries unique to their story.

Impose Your Will: Swipe left or right to change the fate of the Seven Kingdoms forever as you hear the impassioned pleas and unpredictable demands from the people of Westeros. If a particular character becomes bothersome, tear their card in half to unburden Your Majesty with their concerns — but at what cost?

Reenvision Westeros: Melisandre’s visions are your playing field and extend beyond the TV series to imagine the many fates of those that would sit upon the Iron Throne. Rebuild the Great Sept of Baelor as Cersei or discover the path of the Seven Kingdoms if Sansa Stark had married Jaime Lannister.

Regal Mini Games: Even the most powerful rulers need to set aside their worries and partake in more trivial matters now and then. From jousting to tavern brawls, these distractions aren’t without consequence!

A Grander Reigns: Fans of the Reigns series will be delighted with the biggest, deepest entry in the series that does not simply retell the stories you know but rather lets you create new adventures at your whim.

Iconic Soundtrack: Decide the fate of Westeros and those that reside in your land to the soaring score of the HBO series by Ramin Djawadi.

What’s New

Will you prevail over the White Walkers? Travel to the Wall and fight against the White Walkers before the wall crumbles around you. 100 new cards for free.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Introducing NEuler — The Graph Algorithms Playground
By: Mark Needham
Tags: Graph Algorithms, Game of Thrones, Data Science, Neo4j, Announcements

Introducing NEuler — The Graph Algorithms Playground

Until now the only way to run Graph Algorithms on Neo4j has been to learn Cypher. The Graph Algorithms Playground changes all that. Mark Needham Follow Apr 12, 2019 · 6 min read

Note: This article assumes that you have used Neo4j Desktop before. We added some info that should get you through anyhow, but if you have questions, please refer to this great intro to Neo4j Desktop by Jennifer Reif.

It’s been almost two years since the release of the Neo4j Graph Algorithms library, which made it easy for developers to run algorithms like PageRank, Louvain Modularity, and Weighted Shortest Path, on their graph data.

The PageRank algorithm in the Neo4j Graph Algorithms Library

These algorithms were made available as procedures, and can be executed directly from Cypher queries.

Online Meetup #54: Desktop Graph Analytics: For the Throne

In January my colleague Irfan and I were chatting, and we thought it’d be cool if we could open up the power of graph algorithms to users that don’t want to spend their days writing Cypher code.

We presented our initial efforts building the Neo4j Euler (NEuler) Graph App (aka the Graph Algorithms Playground)in episode 54 of the Neo4j Online Meetup, and showed how the app could be used to analyse the Game of Thrones universe.

Over the last month we’ve taken user feedback on board, and added support for path finding and similarity algorithms.

How do I install it?

First you should have Neo4j Desktop installed. Then in the default Project, create and start a Graph.
DAWN OF MARVEL’S FAULTY CASTING (Probably)
By: Saurabh Raj
Tags: Comic Book Movies, Game of Thrones, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Movies, Comic Books

Marvel studios moving towards the likes of DCEU and Dark Universe in terms of casting popular actors for their movies shows their lack of confidence in their upcoming projects.

Marvel Cinematic Universe started in 2008 with Iron man. Casting an almost nobody like Robert Downey Jr. against likes of Tom Cruise & Hugh Jackman seemed to be an epic suicide but it worked and took off the studio which was initially bankrupt.

This formula seemed to work for them in later years with Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L Jackson, Scarlet Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Paul Rudd, Josh Brolin etc.

Apart from few exceptions like Edward Norton & Terrence Howard every casting has been on point. This formula of picking up an unnoticed talent and making people feel invested in their portrayal of character seemed to work all the time.

How do you make people feel invested in a character?

By doing what marvel did. Casting an actor who does not have associations with any iconic role previously i.e., getting a clean slate.

For example, it’s not possible to cast Tom Cruise in a movie and expect audience to not think of him as Ethan Hunt or Casting Daniel Radcliffe and expecting audience to not shout “Hey that’s Harry Potter”.

What did marvel do wrong?

They casted these beautiful and famous individuals for their upcoming phase IV movie “Eternals”.

Richard Madden as Ikaris, Harry Styles as Thanos’s brother Starfox, Angelina Jolie as Thena and Kit Harrington as Black Knight.

There are Pros of casting famous names which is obviously getting their fanbase and then there are cons. The downside is these Pros are short term while the cons on the other hand can be long lasting in case of a franchise based universe like MCU.

You can’t look at Richard madden without thinking about Robb stark/GoT, You can’t look at Harry styles without your mind auto-playing a one direction song, You can’t look at Kit Harrington without thinking about Jon Snow/GoT and last You can’t look at Angelina Jolie and not think about well, Angelina Jolie and This creates an obstruction for people to actually get invested in the character.

Most Lead Game of thrones actors like Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams & Emilia Clarke haven’t been able to prove themselves out of GoT-universe. Apart from Richard madden in BBC Bodyguard and Peter Dinklage in Avengers: Infinity war, most of the GoT caste have become irrelevant.

I still believe that Marvel can make these characters shine without letting actor’s previous work overshadow in present but it’s going to be tough, tougher than it ever was for them.

Let’s just hope for the best.
Game of Thrones Data Analysis
By: Ramavath Shivaji
Tags: Dataanalys, Game of Thrones, Data Visualization, Power Query, Power Bi

Game of Thrones is an American Fantasy Drama Television Series based on the epic fantasy novel series, A Song of Fire and Ice, written by George R. R. Martin. The first novel of the seven-book series is called A Game of Thrones; the show creators and HBO decided to keep that title as the overall name of the show. The show was immensely popular and commanded record breaking viewership and rating. The Original show comprises of total 73 episodes across 8 seasons.

GOT is one of the highest viewed series in the history with a total viewership of 398.73 million.

Dataset contain two tables “EPISODES” AND “SERIES”.

Data of episodes.

here we have to change the first row as headers.

Our finding are:

1)Split the author column in two and replace the resulting nulls with blanks.

2)You should also filter the data to show only episodes directed by Dani

3)Should show how many people watched each episode Written by the various authors

a)Episode Name.

b)No of viewers.

c)Mostly watch Directors.

Can you show me some interesting insights in terms of the release dates that will help me to have an idea about frequency of each episode coming up and help me to plan the future production.

here we changed the column name “Created” by as “Director” and “Written” by as “Author”.

Split the author column in two and replace the resulting nulls with blanks.

we have split the author column by split Column option.

You should also filter the data to show only episodes directed by Daniel.

Should show how many people watched each episode Written by the various authors

a)Episode Name.

b)No of viewers.

c)Mostly watch Directors.

Highest viewed Episode is “The Dragon and the Wolf” with 12.07 million viewers. This episode is written by the authors, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and directed by Jeremy Podeswa.

2) Least viewed Episode is “The Kingsroad” with 2.2 million viewers. This episode is written by the authors, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and directed by Tim Van Patten.

3) Most of the episodes are written by the authors, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. i.e. 46 episodes are written by them.

4) Most watched episode is directed by Jeremy Podeswa.

From 2011 to 2016, Each Season i.e. from Season 1 to Season 6 contains 10 episodes. Where as from 2017 onwards, episode count decreased season wise.

i.e. Season 7 in 2017 contains 7 episodes and Season 8 in 2019 contains 6 episodes as per the given data.

So that’s how power bi makes work too easy for analyzing any data and for any future prediction and helps in taking business decisions just by the understanding of data correctly.
Productivity tips from ‘Game of Thrones’
By: Gayanjith Loku Pathirage
Tags: Game of Thrones, Productivity, Eisenhower Matrix, Time Management, To Do List

Okay, now to the lessons!

Lesson number 1: Delegate

Arya managed to check off some items in her to-do list by herself but relied on others to get some of them done for her. One good example is The Hound killing The Mountain. Probably, The Hound was more suited for the job than Arya trying to do it herself.

This tells us that we do not have to do things ourselves all the time. Delegate things! Probably you can delegate the work that is not so important but urgent. By delegating these tasks, you can spend more time on the things that matter the most.

Lesson number 2: Ignore

Arya’s kill list had been evolving. A task that was super important to you once can eventually become a task that you can ignore. The Red Woman and Beric Dondarion getting removed from Arya’s kill-list shows exactly that.

Priorities change! If it is something that is not important and not urgent, it’s probably the best that you ignore it for now and park it until it becomes either important or urgent again.

Lesson number 3: Invest

Killing Walder Frey required Arya to practice and train for a very long time. She had to invest herself in it physically and emotionally. You have to do the same if you need to get the most important things done!

Prioritize the tasks and focus on what is most important to you even if they are not very urgent. It can be about learning a new skill, preparing to find a better job, or anything that is super important to you.

Lesson number 4: Do Now

But Arya’s biggest achievement was not even on her list! Killing The Night King and the entire race of White Walkers!

There are things that come up which can be super important and extremely urgent! Don’t think too much about planning these. Consider these as the tasks that you should be doing right now. Think on your feet! Kill the Night King!

But most importantly, do not treat all the tasks as super important and urgent, otherwise, you will burn out and end up getting killed by the Night King. Keep the ‘Do Now’ list of tasks short and simple!

Lesson number 5: Visualize

Keep remembering and recalling the tasks you have to do. This is why Arya repeats and recalls the kill-list every night before she goes to sleep. As the list gets shorter, the satisfaction increases and she gets more motivated to try harder.

Arya kept the list in her head. But unlike Arya, most of us have books, mobile phones, or whiteboards. Use those to visualize the tasks that we need to get done. Use a to-do list! Refer to it every morning and evening to see how you are progressing. Go to sleep feeling satisfied and also motivated!
If Harry Potter were Game of Thrones
By: Ryan Brookshire
Tags: Listicles, Fanfiction, Game of Thrones, Humor, Harry Potter

Presenting HBO’s Game of Stones, based on the epic fantasy novel series A Song of Horcruxes & Hallows by J. R. R. Rowlin.

☠ In the pilot, Snape shoves Dumbledore off Astronomy Tower.

☠ In season 1’s penultimate episode, Draco publicly executes Arthur & Molly Weasley.

☠ Ginny trains in the Dark Arts to carry out her Kill List.

☠ Hermione marries a Death Eater to form a strategic alliance.

☠ Bellatrix castrates Hagrid.

☠ Fred & George Weasley are totally fucking.

☠ Harry discovers that his real parents are not James & Lily Potter as previously thought, but rather Sirius Black’s secret sister with none other than Voldemort himself aka The Mad Wizard.

☠ During the end-of-year House Cup ceremony in Hogwarts’ dining hall, Slytherin massacres all Gryffindor students & faculty.

☠ The Order of the Phoenix declares war on Azkaban, freeing the prisoners.

☠ In battle, one of the Order’s three dragons — a red Ukrainian Ironbelly — sustains a Dementor’s Kiss, turning black & becoming a heretofore unthinkable Dragmentor.

☠ Ron burns Neville at the stake, believing this sacrifice to have been commanded by the Lord of Light aka the Red God of Flame.

☠ Remus Lupin challenges Fenrir Greyback to Trial by Combat, during which Greyback dies, but not before biting Lupin’s head clean off.

☠ Tonks beats the ever-loving shit out of Lucius Malfoy — I mean, she really fucks his shit up.

☠ Paralyzed from the waist down, Albus re-emerges, referring to himself as “Not Dumbledore” & “The Three-Eyed Owl.”

☠ Peter Pettigrew, in rat form, is eaten alive by cannibal rats who roan the Forbidden Forest north of Hogwart Wall.

☠ Dolores Umbrage is fatally poisoned at dinner: Cornelius Fudge is initially accused, but later Lady Minerva McGonagall proudly claims credit.

☠ Gringotts refuses to underwrite Gryffindor.

☠ Cedric Diggory is stabbed repeatedly by Cho Chang during the Triwizard Tournament, as payback for a generations-old Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff blood feud.

☠ Dobby “Hodors” a door. Then gets devoured by Aragog’s children.

☠ The Dursleys are beheaded for treason, which Harry insists on carrying out himself. Vernon takes two chops.

NOT IN NEED OF ADAPTATION:

☠ Harry still knows nothing.

☠ Hermione is still Queen of Books.

☠ Ron is still completely useless.

☠ Dumbledore is still completely cryptic.

☠ Voldemort is still the Mother of Basilisks.

☠ Bellatrix is still cursed to the friend zone.

☠ Harry Potter still has plot armor.

☠ Tormund & Brienne can still get it.
Season 2 of Modern Love to have a flavor of Game of Thrones — The Next Hint
By: Ombir Sharma
Tags: Game of Thrones, News, Netflix, Modern Love, The Next Hint

Season 2 of Modern Love to have a flavor of Game of Thrones — The Next Hint Ombir Sharma Aug 21·2 min read

Modern Love is here again for the fans all filled with hope, love, romance, and with a mix of despair. All the fans are eagerly waiting to view all the new storylines in this new season, the excitement level of them is on the other level as their favorite actor from ‘Game of Thrones, Kit Harrington will be a part of this season. Apart from this, there is also a ‘GOT’ reference that is definitely going to leave a huge smile on the faces of the people and the fans who are interested in watching this series.

Do you know? Episode 3 of Season 2 is given the title Strangers on a Dublin Train. In this episode, there is going to be a short and witty reference to Game of Thrones. In the scene of episode 3, Kit Harrington who is seen playing the role of Michael has an endearing first meet moment with the medievalist Paula. Michael talks about his new love interest with his brother Declan. Here is the point, where his brother says like Game of Thrones and stuff? On this, Michael is having a strange and angered response.

What are the reviews of people on Season 2 of Modern Love?

There are many critics who were satisfied with the intriguing storyline. However, many people felt that Season 2 lacked depth with underwritten characters. Matt Roush highly appreciated the element of surprise and he has also said Modern Love is something that can make you laugh, weep, sigh, shudder or swoon. This means that this is the story that is having everything in a single storyline only.

On the other hand, Roxana Hadadi says that the character lacks chemistry. Contrived situations, underwritten characters and lack of chemistry make this show not too exciting, were the words of Roxana Hadadi.

So, if you haven’t watched Season 2 of Modern Love, then go and watch now.
Dismantling the Hackerrank Game of Thrones Challenge Using JavaScript
By: Abiodun Olowode
Tags: JavaScript, Algorithms, Game of Thrones, Microverse, Hackerrank

“Game of Thrones” was a very popular TV show and when it ended, viewers were left sad. A major question was what other show could create as enormous traffic as it did, causing total strangers to strike up conversations spanning hours. Thankfully, Hackerrank gives us a platform to do something related, that is, solving the Game of Thrones Challenge.

We are to determine whether a string ‘s’ can be arranged into a palindrome. This is to enable King Robert lock the single door to his kingdom and protect it from the Dothraki. The two questions we should ask ourselves are ‘What is a palindrome?’ and ‘What are its characteristics?’, as answering these is the key to the solution.

A palindrome is a word that reads the same backward as it does forward (eg. the word ‘madam’). Having solved a few challenges related to Palindromes, a major characteristic I have come to realize is the fact that not more than one letter can appear an odd number of times, and this dear reader is the key to the solution.

To solve this challenge, we are going to count the number of times every letter appears, and if more than one letter appears an odd number of times, we return ‘NO’, else ‘YES’.

STEPS INVOLVED

Rearrange the string in alphabetical order: We do this to make counting the number of times a letter appears easier, by comparing it to the letter after it. To sort the string, we convert it first to an array.

let word = s.split("").sort();

2. Create Counter Variables: To count how many times a letter appears, we create a counter variable that starts at 1. This is because it already exists, hence the counting. We also create an oddCounter variable to count the number of letters that appeared an odd number of times.

let oddCounter = 0;

let counter = 1;

3. Loop through the array and count: We create a loop that checks if an alphabet is the same as the one after it. If it is, we increase the counter by 1 and if it isn’t, we check if the number of times it appeared was odd. If odd, we increase the oddCounter. We also re-assign the value of 1 to the counter because we have encountered a new letter.

for(let i=0; i<word.length; i++){

if(word[i] == word[i+1]) counter++

else{

if(counter%2 == 1)oddCounter++

counter = 1

}

}

4. Check the Oddcounter Value: Finally, we check how many letters appeared an odd number of times by checking the value of the oddCounter. If more than one letter appeared an odd number of times, this means we cannot have a palindrome and we return ‘NO’, else we return ‘YES’.

return oddCounter > 1? ‘NO’: ’YES’

In order to save some time though, we can return ‘NO’ if the oddCounter becomes greater than 1 at any time and then, make our default return a ‘YES’ so that the loop does not continue once we know the answer is ‘NO’.

This is a very easy way to dismantle the Game of Thrones Challenge. I hope it was explanatory enough and it helped you.