fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
For Whom The Bell Tolls
By: Sylvia Wohlfarth
Tags: Nigeria, Politics, War, Children, Resistance Poetry

I would like to share the documentary as a reminder of how we should not close our eyes to the effects of war just because it’s happening far away from us. We should, too, open our hearts to the suffering of those who through no fault of theirs have to flee their homes in order to survive.

The film, almost an hour long, was made in Biafra and Sao Tome in 1969 at the height of the civil war and documents the role of the Irish missionaries during it. Whatever my personal thoughts and opinions are of the Catholic church, after watching this documentary, I have to express my respect and admiration for the many Irish nuns and priests who remained throughout the war and through their endeavour and dedication saved the lives of thousands of malnourished and starving Biafran children.

Thousands and thousands of documented and undocumented lost souls, the exact number unknown forever

I also give credit to the Irish people who, although their government failed to recognise Biafra, gave so much support and provided so much aid relief to mitigate the situation of the Biafran civilians. And once again, to the individual Irish nuns and priests who through their persistence and resolve awakened the eyes of the world to the truth.

The documentary is not always easy to watch as it details a painful picture of the effects of war on the civilian population, especially children. It begins quite harmlessly with interviews with some of the Irish clergy on the situation in Biafra, however, the tragedy unfolds dramatically. At times, I had to look away and just listen to the reporter when I saw some of the scenes of starving children. It is, though, a wonderful story of love, dedication and simply standing up to what you believe in. And giving voice to those who cannot defend themselves.
We Can Believe in Religion, or We Can Believe in The People That Wrote That Shit Down
Tags: Personal Development, Growth, Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy

We Can Believe in Religion, or We Can Believe in The People That Wrote That Shit Down UHNU Follow Dec 24, 2020 · 2 min read

something like a poem, something like a request

we can believe in religion

or we can believe in the power

of the people that

wrote that shit down

maybe they heard it from a god,

or the gods, or the universe,

or their parents, or their neighbors,

or their ancestors, or psychedelics

or maybe they didn’t

it doesn’t matter

what matters is, they are happy

they are happily in heaven

happily reincarnated, happily lighting candles,

happily decorating a tree

they brought inside their home,

happily praying to seashells they collected

at the beach because it was their mother’s

favorite place to go,

because the sense

to believe in that came from within

who do you think you are, not to be happy?

whether god speaks to you

or you to speak to you

we all can listen, we all can be happy

someone else’s story might speak to you

and that’s okay. it’s wonderful even.

but my guess is that only parts do—

many parts from here and there

and that collective whole is a new story

that resonates from within you

and that is your direct line to

happy holidays for the rest of your life

and possibly afterlife,

depending on what you hear

i don’t believe in one right

i don’t believe in anarchy

i don’t believe in self-pity

i believe in kindness

i believe in creativity

i believe in sharing what we learn

along the way

write that shit down
[Crypto] The Case of Hacking on the Exchange in Korea
Tags: Crypto, Bitcoin

1. April 22, 2017 Yapizon Exchange Hacking

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Four hot-wallets stolen

3831 Bitcoin About 5.5 billion won Hacking

That’s 37.08% of the total assets that Yapizon has!

After the hacking, YapiZon came up with a plan

The solution to the damage caused by hacking is to be applied fairly to all members. Yapizon’s excuse that this is the most common way of clearing up. So, the Yapizon is responsible for the members’ KRW, BTC, ETH, LTC and Fei.

It is said to have made a 37.08% deduction. (The profits generated by the exchange are taken by the YapiZon and the damage is shared with the members……)

However, the YapiZon has also made a premise for making small compensation plans for these measures.

The loss of members should be minimized as much as possible (finally zero).

The company should bear these losses to the fullest!

In that way, we decided to pay the company’s profits, “Fei,” as much as our members’ losses. This compensation was not rewarded for continuing to leave Bitcoin to Yapizon for damages, despite being hacked in the end because it would require the creation of Fei through transaction roll. Members have ended up crying over and over again about leaving bitcoins in the YapiZon.

In the end, the damage is being handled by all the users.

The centralized exchange is always exposed to this crisis.

The fact that Bitcoin cannot hack is the strength of the blockchain itself, and the exchange that deals with it runs through the central server, so it is very vulnerable to hacking.

But

there’s still a lot of central exchange running, a lot of people using it, and there’s a lot of hacking happening.

Will this trend change soon?

Almost the first Yapizon hacking case in Korea.

They change the name of the exchange later, and it’ll pop up again!!

I’ll keep you posted on the exchange hacking series.
Donald Trump Pardons Convicted Blackwater Guards
By: Lucy M.
Tags: Politics, Donald Trump, Election 2020

Based on Article Two of the US constitution (Section 2, Clause 1), the pardon power clause provides;

The President … shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of impeachment.

The pardon has the power to halt criminal proceedings and prevent an indictment, though this has not been tested in court, like in the pardon of Richard Nixon.

He was granted the controversial pardon by then-President Gerald Ford, on September 8, 1974. He granted Nixon a full unconditional pardon for any crimes that he might have committed against the United States as president especially his involvement in the Watergate Scandal.
Spontaneous Combustion
By: Background Noise Comics
Tags: Funny, Comics, Humour, Cooking, Relationships

Not sure if it’s cooking for a crowd or what, but the meals I cook for John are always a million times better than the meals I make for other people.
A Wave of hope: How the #90drills in Cambodia have created future disaster managers in the country
By: Undp Asia-Pacific Disaster Risk Reduction Team
Tags: Preparendess, Schools, Disasters, Disaster Response, Cambodia

Last week, five students from Sihanoukville — a coastal community in Cambodia — spent several days in Japan learning and sharing tsunami preparedness activities with government leaders and their peers at the World Tsunami Conference.

Author: Muhibuddin Usamah (right) with Cambodian students participating in the World Tsunami Day Students’ Summit in Japan. Photo: UNDP Cambodia

While, Cambodia has never experienced a tsunami there’s more than 400 kilometres of coastline, meaning, the country is at risk of coastal hazards.

Year after year, the coastal zone of Cambodia, which is connected to the tributaries of the Mekong River, has become increasingly vulnerable to the risk of hydro-meteorological disaster — the situation is exacerbated by climate change.

Still, the “Think Hazard Mapping Tool” does depict a low vulnerability for Cambodia as a whole there remains a two per cent chance of a tsunami occurring in the next 50 years.

In other words, potentially damaging events are less likely to occur within a human lifetime but this doesn’t mean we should not prepare because the possibility, though small, remains.

In the aftermath of the of the recent tsunami in Indonesia many are beginning to discuss the need to prepare, but young people, like the students from Sihanoukville, are already planning and training.
Why you should read Blink
By: Daniele Catalanotto
Tags: Reading, Books

Gut feeling explained

Blink is an amazing book by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell is what I would call a damn good storyteller. This guy brings scientific research about gut feelings and intuition in a manner that is super pleasant to read. You will read this book like a good novel. Once you start you won’t be able to stop. Do yourself a favor and go read it.

But what will you learn out of it? You will discover the value of intuition. You will see how you can make better decisions without overthinking. This is an important book for anyone doing any job.
We should do an emotionally distant hang!
Tags: Comics, Social Distance, Friendship, Humor

More from rstevens Follow

I make cartoons and t-shirts at www.dieselsweeties.com & @rstevens. Send me coffee beans.
How Lucky is Your Birthday!?
Tags: Bitcoin, Birthday

How Lucky is Your Birthday!?

Ever wondered how many times you would have won the lottery if you played your birthday everyday over the the past 15 years?

The new ‘Lucky Birthday’ feature is now available on Jackpocket 1.5.0!

Find out how lucky your birthday is by clicking HERE!

How it works:

The ‘Lucky Birthday’ feature supports the recent launch of the daily Numbers and Win 4 games, giving users a fun way to play their numbers.

Using Facebook Connect, get started using the ‘Lucky Birthday’ feature by inputting your date of birth as lucky numbers: (Example: April 17 translates to 4–1–7 & 0–4–1–7).

Once you’ve submitted your numbers, ‘Lucky Birthday’ will calculate how many times and the total amount of winnings your birthday numbers had over the past 15 years. Share your Lucky Birthday on Facebook to get full access to a personalized video and timeline filled with fun statistics where you can see how lucky your birthday is!

Your Lucky Birthday timeline will also show you the number of days since your birthday last won, your luckiest month, and your overall ‘Luck Score’. Finally, you can even find out how lucky your zodiac ranks compared to the eleven others!

Play the new Jackpocket ‘Lucky Birthday’ feature!

Share with Friends and Family

Curious to see if your birthday is luckier than your friends?

Using your network of social media friends, share your lucky birthday dashboard on Facebook to find out where you rank with your friends and family!
Kotlin: How to Do Higher-Order Functions
By: Tioman Gally
Tags: How To, Kotlin Beginners, Higher Order Function, Inline, Kotlin

Of Course, it has nothing to do with Star Wars 😄

In this article, I want to show you from a beginner perspective how a programmer can implement higher-order functions in the beautiful language Kotlin! I tried to write my code snippets in a way that you can just copy and paste it in your preferred IDE and test it by yourself.

And if you are already an expert you can take a look into my last example 😉

But before we start I quickly want to explain what the special functions are.
BE A SEED
By: Lori Mccray
Tags: Gardening, Prose, Poetry, Poem, Poetryenmotion

Flowers, when spent, give up their seeds.

Wind blows them where it will. Dropped

in the perfect place, never wishing to be

elsewhere, they root and flourish.

Never grumble about moving on. You have

no idea where the wind will take you.

Be a seed. Enjoy the journey.

Wherever you land is home.

LBM 10/24/04
Saying Goodbye to My Memory-Foam Mattress
By: Lydia Bates
Tags: Depression, Mental Health, Writing Life, Love, Intuition

A note on letting go of the safe-haven that holds my depression

When my big sister was home for several months last year, we were graced with a long period of her mental and emotional stability. Her precious, warm, kind, and loving spirit was there resting inside of her body and my Dad and I worked around the clock to try and protect her in that space. As with most things, this period didn’t last forever but I still look back with gratitude for the time we shared as a family.

As things were beginning to fall apart, her agony was resurfacing again and she started throwing her usual darts.

“What the f*#@ did SHE ever do that was good?!” she hurled with intensity at our father while pointing in my direction.

“She helped bring you back to me for a little while,” he preciously and heartbreakingly replied.

My heart nearly stopped when I heard him say this, in equal parts because it was so desperately sad, so desperately beautiful, and so desperately overwhelming. If I was the one responsible for bringing my sister to the light then I must also be responsible for hurling her back into the abyss. My mind began racing, trying desperately to find the truth among these questions I started asking.

For a little while after she left, I did okay. I’m a scrappy little fighter in times of adversity. I actually have been known to thrive amidst chaos. So I threw myself into some intense projects. I incorporated a non-profit organization and insisted on getting face time with some of the most influential politicians in the state of Michigan. At the beginning of this adversarial time, I was convinced that I had some really big solutions to some really intense problems. But every day this small whisper started tapping on my conscience.

“You’re so tired. You need desperately to rest.” the whisper said.

“I’m fierce. I’m a warrior. I’m going to change Guardianship or else I’ll die trying! People are being abused by this system and I have to change it! I. I. I!” said my ego.

“You’re so tired. You need desperately to rest. You are so very loved in the fragility of who you are.” the whisper said again and again on repeat until one day the walls came crashing in. The details of this crashing are for another conversation that we’d have to have in person but suffice it to say that if it weren’t for some external circumstances that left me traumatized, I would still be marching around in those classy heals, barking about how Public Guardianship needs to become a not-for-profit enterprise.

The beauty from that painful experience is that it jolted me out of my ego and straight into my memory foam mattress.
Camp funds preservation of 200 acres
Tags: Headlines, Medford, Bodies Of Water, Forests, Camp Ockanickon

By SHANNON CAULFIELD

The Shamong Sun

Two hundred acres have been preserved in Medford and Shamong townships by YMCA Camp Ockanickon.

The preservation was funded through Camp Ockanickon and the New Jersey Pinelands Commission.

According to a release, the commission transferred a total of $436,563 from the Pinelands Conservation Fund to Camp Ockanickon, which used the money toward the purchase of the property located next to the camp. The total cost of the preservation was $1.1 million.

According to the Pinelands Commission website, The Pinelands National Reserve was created by Congress under the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978. The PNR is the first National Reserve in the nation. The PNR encompasses approximately 1.1 million acres covering portions of seven counties and all or parts of 56 municipalities.

The region is 1.1 million acres in size and occupies 22 percent of New Jersey’s land area. It is the largest body of open space on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard between Richmond and Boston and is underlain by aquifers containing 17 trillion gallons of some of the purest water in the land.

“The importance of the purchase is the neighboring land had some development potential,” said Pinelands Commission spokesman Paul Leakan. “The [potential] development would have had some environmental impact. This preservation will open the opportunity for education and other programs out there. It gives Camp Ockanickon more opportunity.”

The land preserved contains two large bodies of water the camp utilizes for ecological studies, according to the statement.

Of the land purchased, 160-acres are located in Medford. The remaining 40 acres are located in Shamong.

“We’re thrilled to participate in a project that will help protect the Pinelands on two fronts,” said Nancy Wittenberg, executive director of the Pinelands Commission in a statement. “First, this acquisition protects land with extensive forests and swamps that serve as headwaters of the Rancocas Creek. Secondly, the camp will use this property to expand its education and recreational programs, which will further raise awareness and appreciation of the Pinelands.”

According to Leakan, 4,000 acres of land have been preserved using money from the Pinelands Conservation Fund. In total, the Pinelands Commission has preserved 50 percent of the Pinelands region, or half a million acres.

“We’re always happy to preserve environmentally impactful land,” said Leakan.

According to the statement, the forests, swamps and streams on the newly preserved property will enhance and expand the camp’s environmental education and recreation offerings, said Keith VanDerzee, CEO of Camp Ockanickon.

Camp Ockanickon regularly offers before- and after-school programs to approximately 100 area schools.

“We are committed to providing opportunities for our community to learn, grow and thrive,” said VanDerzee. “This purchase is a reflection of that commitment, and we’re grateful, honored and proud that these entities have chosen to support us in this project.”

To learn, visit www.state.nj.us/pinelands.
Trump Gets Some Of His Wall, Not All Of It
By: Eric J Scholl
Tags: Budget, Mexico, Donald Trump, Congress, Trump

Border wall prototypes

Trump Gets Some Of His Wall, Not All Of It

The rest could very well depend on whether Democrats are able to retake the House or Senate this fall

Congress has agreed on a $1.3-billion spending bill that needs to pass by the end of the week. The big question was whether Trump was on board with it, since it only gives him $1,600,000,000 of the $25-billion he was demanding for “the wall”. So things were touch-and-go for a while. The bill is also very particular about how and where the wall funds can be spent.

Washington Post reporter Mike DeBonis lays it out in a Tweet (click on the graphic to view the specifics — it’s interesting):

Trump’s kind of right to try to get all his wall funding up front: because he knows darn well that if Democrats retake either the House or Senate, those funds dry up. (Although maybe not: Democrats are finding wall funding is a very easy thing to trade for things they want, and does a lot less dramatic damage than many of the other things the President wants).

Of course the President needs to justify why this is still a “win” for him. And of course he took to Twitter to do that:

The Washington Post says the big win for Republicans and Trump in the end is an increase of $78-billion in military funding, while Democrats got $52-billion for domestic programs they want (but apparently as a direct result of Trump’s intervention, they didn’t get the huge infrastructure package they wanted to rebuild commuter rail service between New York and New Jersey — two states that didn’t vote for him).

The Post also points to a couple of other significant late things that snuck in: money to improve background checks for gun buyers and language that federal funds can be spent to research gun violence, which is currently not allowed.

In what’s expected to be a largely symbolic gesture, many Democrats in the House are likely to vote against the spending bill, in protest of the fact that it does not contain a DACA fix, (something Trump is trying to blame them for). But they can don’t have the numbers to stop the bill’s passage, unless radical House Republicans decide to also block it because it also doesn’t defund Planned Parenthood and rip federal funds away from so-called “Sanctuary Cities”.

In case you’re a real masochist, here’s the entire bill, all 2,232 pages of it.
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein Says Bitcoin Not for Him But Has Future
Tags: Blockchain, Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs says not to rule out cryptocurrencies

Goldman Sachs’ Chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein said this Tuesday that although Bitcoin “is not for him” he could see a future where cryptocurrencies could work as fiat currencies do, adding that dismissing cryptocurrencies simply due to their unfamiliarity would be “arrogant”. Blankfein made these remarks during an interview with Bloomberg’s Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait held at the Economic Club of New York.

Blankfein is the latest of a group of high profile personalities who have recently expressed views reflecting that cryptocurrencies could become mainstream in the not-so-distant future, alongside Twitter’s Jack Dorsey, and legendary Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

If you could go through that fiat currency where they say this is worth what it’s worth because I, the government, says it is, why couldn’t you have a consensus currency? / Lloyd Blankfein

Although Blankfein added that, as far as he knows, “Goldman Sachs has no Bitcoins”, the company has been heavily investing in cryptocurrencies and blockchain related projects. A few weeks ago, as reported on Bitrates, the Goldman Sachs Group is planning on launching its own Bitcoin and Bitcoin futures trading operation, after concluding Bitcoin “was not a fraud”.

Just a few days ago, Goldman Sachs’ subsidiary Circle Invest announced that they will start issuing their own “Circle US Dollar Coin” (USDC) which value would be pegged in a 1:1 ratio to the US$ with the intention of making everyday cryptocurrency transactions available to the general public. This news came weeks after reports that Circle Invest would start listing ZCash in their Circle platform.

Being one of the world’s largest investment banks with assets nearing $1 trillion, Goldman Sachs’ involvement in the cryptosphere will definitely move things towards a future where cryptocurrencies dominate value exchange systems worldwide.
Applancer identified Top 5 App Development Leaders.
By: Shaistha Farheen
Tags: News, Company

Pradeep VR Co-founder at Cumulations Technologies is one among them and congratulations to other two founders Madhu V Swamy Praveen Kumar as well for making Cumulations Technologies, a pioneer across the globe @ https://www.applancer.co/blog/top-5-mobile-app-development-leaders-of-this-week
Lo nuevo; Photoshop de audio
By: Gabriela Nova
Tags: Español, Photoshop, Innovación, Marketing Digital, Adobe

in Eudaimonia and Co
Summer in the City
By: Background Noise Comics
Tags: Summer, Humor, Comics, Heat Wave, Cats

“Hot town, summer in the city

Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty

Been down, isn’t it a pity

Doesn’t seem to be a shadow in the city…”

-Loving Spoonfuls, 1966.
🍁Are you happy 😃to learn from home? new Month new beginnings 🦃
By: Almas Sayyed
Tags: Thanksgiving, Newsletter, Programming Tips, Programming Languages, Technology

Spooky October went by ( or at least the year 2020 has been like October’s Halloween). It's November guys!!! apart from no shave November what are you geared up to? This year 2020 has been like no shave, no trimming.

Change in nature as well as the environment we dwell in.

Oh yeah, there’s also an election going on that will have massive worldwide implications. Even the government will change a new leaf once the results are declared. So, if you’re a bit distracted I get it or by getting out to vote, that’s totally understandable.

Heck yeah, you will ask what is the congruence of Halloween and education or you taking online courses.

Many of the world’s children do not have internet access at home

Household wealth is the biggest determinant of internet access

The link between internet learning solutions and reading skills

Strategies for successful remote learning: internet, television, radio, and ‘take-home’ printed materials

7 First Steps From Java Beginner to a Professional Java Dev

How to Become Cloud Native — And 13 Tools to Get You There

12 Best Kotlin Tutorials & Courses — Learn Kotlin Online

4 Project Management Skills Every Software Developer Should Possess

10 Best Postman Tutorials and Courses — Learn Postman Online

Why you should motivate your Pull Request?

Top 5 React Native Testing Tools Booming in 2020–21

Deploy & Host Your Flutter Website with Firebase Hosting
How to Receive more Money with Bitcoin Cash Back
Tags: Segwit, Cashback, Apps, Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency Investment

For those new to the crypto space, you might ask yourself why you’d opt for the uncertainty of Bitcoin cash back when you could go with sweet, cold, hard cash.

Let’s do a quick recap for those new to Pei. Pei is a mobile app that allows you to receive cash back in Bitcoin or cash from over 6,000+ brands and stores, using any of your debit or credit cards. Just like credit card rewards, Pei awards you points when you spend, which you can cash out when you’re ready. No extra steps needed, Pei cash back is automatic.

There are several ways you’re able to earn more Pei Points. Some of Pei’s other cool features include Double Dipping, meaning you can double up on the existing rewards you have with your credit cards! Save enough Pei Points and you can unlock Anywhere Cash Back to earn even more. Once you’re ready to cash out, you can choose to cash out in BTC or cash.

So now, let’s get back to why the Pei Team thinks you should cash out in Bitcoin.

Let’s give you an example:

If Awesome Brand A is has an offer on Pei to give 15% cash back, and you spend $100 with Awesome Brand A, you will receive 1500 Pei Points. If you decide to cash out, your 1500 Pei Points equals $15 USD, or as of 1:55pm on Monday, May 14th, 2018, you would receive 0.0017 mBTC. (To break this down one step further for the newcomers, this means one Bitcoin is worth $8761.64)

On the Pei app, you are able to hold (or #hodl for those already on the crypto train) your Pei points, and cash out (or #coinout as we on the Pei Team have dubbed it…) when it’s convenient for you. If your goal is to invest into cryptocurrency like you would the stock market and cash out your earnings while they’re hot, your best bet is to hold onto your points until Bitcoin is at a low purchase price (or low valuation price).

Let’s give another example for the newcomers here.

You have 1500 points on Pei, with Bitcoin valued at $8761.64. Let’s say the following week, Bitcoin has a $1k dip and is valued at $7761.64. You can cash out your Pei Points for more Bitcoin — .0019mBTC as opposed to .0017mBTC the week prior. Once we’ve transferred your points into your CoinBase wallet, you can hold your Bitcoin until the value spikes again.

Let’s say you wait two more weeks and the valuation stars align like they did in December 2017 and Bitcoin is worth $19,783.21 (hey, we are a team of dreamers after all!) Your cash out at .0019mBTC worth $15 is now worth almost $40.

Pei also supports SegWit, allowing you to cash out much quicker and see your Bitcoin funds immediately.

When you cash out in USD, your $15 goes into your bank account and stays at $15. You can always argue a bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush, but if you want your Pei Points to get you a yellow lambo by this time next year, give it a whirl!
Nature’s Equalizer
By: Ilexa Yardley
Tags: Circular Theory, Politics, Life, Finance, Data Science

Reversion to the mean…using it to your ‘advantage…’

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

You don’t really have to worry about much of anything if you understand, and maximize (minimize, half-the-time), Nature’s equalizer. Which, as we all know, is an uber-simple circle. Conservation of the circle, to be, technically, correct.

Conservation of the Circle

Complementary Identity

This means, for example, if you’re up, you’re going to go down, eventually. And, then, you’ll go back up. Because you cannot have ‘up’ without ‘down,’ and, technically, when you went ‘up’ you conserved the whole idea of ‘down.’

This is because any movement (any concept) makes the opposing movement (the opposing concept) ‘real.’ This is called ‘complementary identity.’ Or, more simply, complementarity. Or, identity.

Complementary Identity

Complementary identity holds for all concepts (all identities). Meaning, Nature is always at 50–50 (50–50 is the constant and the norm), no matter what ‘we’ do (or think). Therefore, any (every) X and-or Y is, always, 50–50. Two (not one) is the most basic number.

X and Y (X or Y) 50–50

Reversion to the ‘Mean’

This, also, means 50–50 is 50–50–50. Meaning, the arithmetic ‘concept’ ‘number two’ is the same as the arithmetic concept ‘number three.’ Because, technically, any number (any idea) (any algorithm) articulates (is) the number ‘two.’ (Two is the minimum, and, also, the maximum, number in Nature.)

Two

Three

Meaning, traditional ideas about systems, in general, combine the ideas, ‘two’ and ‘three’. Input-process-output is, more technically (more correctly), input-process, process-output.

IOP (IO) (OP)

This is because what we’re showing here is circumference, diameter, pi (in any order).

Circumference (O)

Diameter (I)

Pi (P)

Conservation of the Circle

Meaning, no matter how we ‘label’ the ‘process’ we’re always conserving an uber-simple (always-present) ‘circle.’

So, if you want to be ahead of the ‘game’ in any discipline, reference this article (conservation of the circle in general). Step away from ‘arguments’ of any kind (you cannot win them in a 50–50 reality).

And, most important, put what you’ve learned (what you already know) into more serious practice (in your own life) (which is what is most important for (and to) you). And everybody else, actually.

Conservation of the circle is the core (and, therefore, the only) dynamic in Nature. Explaining, fully, ‘reversion to the mean…’ (What the whole idea of ‘mean’ really ‘means…’)
Becoming Product Science
By: Jen Drabble
Tags: Storytelling, Data Product Creation, Data Product, Product Science, Data Science

Creating a multi-skilled data team in a large organisation

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

At the start of the year we began trialling a new role bringing together two important aspects of our team: Product Management and Data Science.

The most common challenges we recognised as a team were how we were communicating both what we were doing and the process we followed, and how to realise the value of our output into something tangible for our business area.

Historically we had tackled this by hiring dedicated Data Product leads who navigated processes and were in charge of delivery and implementation. Increasingly, however, we found that bringing our Data Scientists into the ideation and strategy process allowed them to build out their skillset as creative problem solvers.

This got us thinking about the skills that were important to us (both within our team and the wider organisation) and the importance of creating an environment where individuals can continuously develop.

Our starting principles for Product Science were therefore the following:

1. Being multi skilled

2. Communicating stories from our data

3. Enabling ongoing opportunities to develop
3 Ways Being Passive Aggressive Will Give You More Confidence
By: Khadejah Jones
Tags: Fear, Confidence, Passive Aggressive, Life Lessons, Anxiety

3 Ways Being Passive Aggressive Will Give You More Confidence

From someone who’s scared of confrontation.

Photo by Kevin Lehtla on Unsplash

I went from a scared nerd in high school to a confident college student who doesn’t take shit from anyone.

It wasn’t easy. I shook at the thought of talking to kids in my kindergarten class so much that they’d tell the teacher on me for any little thing and I’d take the fall.

Now I’m taking that built up anger and fear and molding it into passive aggression. Most people think being passive-aggressive means you’re scared of confrontation. I beg to differ.

Being passive-aggressive has helped me build my confidence over time and it can do the same for you. Here’s why.
How To Send Data From A Rails Application To An IoT Device?
By: Amit Ashwini
Tags: Internet of Things, Rails, IoT, Software Engineering, Software Development

Today, our phones are smarter, the internet is a lot more accessible, and even our pets have connected accessories. These devices aren’t all built by prominent organizations. Most are associated with young engineers, programmers and up until now, obscurely funded start-ups. With a decent grasp of programming and equipped with the right tools, you can make your own connected device in no time.

Ruby on Rails has been used to power modern websites for about a decade now, including many of the sites built here at CognitiveClouds. Ruby remains one of our favorite languages to code in through the years since Rails has made it increasingly easy to build fully functional websites and applications in a short time. Ruby is a beautiful and elegant programming language. It is easier to learn and understand, faster to code in, well documented with an active community behind it, focusing on Object-Oriented Programming and comes with a lot of helpful packages and frameworks, especially concerning web applications.

Ruby on Rails and the Internet of Things: Is there a future?

If you choose to run on low power endpoints, then no. However, a lot of IoT is not low power endpoints. But instead, if you are running Ruby on a RasPi-Zero type of platform, there’ll be no problem, and this platform is quickly gaining popularity with IoT projects. In a low power, low CPU environment, it’s best to use compiled languages. You can use a compiled language like C and sometimes lightweight scripting languages. Soon, Ruby could be primarily used for fast prototyping web API for connected devices.

How can I send data to an IoT device?
I’m Committing To The Process Of Finding A Home
By: Rebeca Ansar
Tags: Memoir, Personal Development, Relationships, Self, Anxiety

I wish there was some way I could calm the nerves that accompany the truckload of changes heading full speed in the direction of my life.

I wanted this. I made it happen. That doesn’t mean my mind isn’t overflowing with anxiety at the prospect of building a new career, moving back to my home state, and finally doing that one thing that petrifies me.

I am going to try and put down some roots.

The thing about coming from a tumultuous household where relationship dynamics were uncertain and I, as a child, felt unprotected is that I’ve always only been half-ready to commit to something.

Truly committing for the long-term requires an emotional regulation that has always been a challenge for me. I haven’t wanted to explicitly talk about my mental health for one main reason.

In doing so, I’d have to face some petrifying demons.

I already know that moving so close to family will come with both its elating ups and its unraveling downs. I have a plan. I’m going to find a therapist soon after I arrive. I’m going to collect as many psychological tools as I can to help me move on to this next stage of my life.

In the best-case scenario, my partner and I will discover a beautiful home before this year ends. It will be a place where I can have my own private workspace that isn’t a makeshift office area in an already cramped kitchen. My partner knows how important it is for me to retreat inward when I work.

When I take breaks, I’d like to stroll into the backyard patio, a glass of Merlot in hand, and feel the beginnings of a Texas winter on my skin.

We will have started to avail the ample kitchen counter space for dinners that require more than three ingredients. We will eat at a dining table like a family instead of bringing our food to the sofa in front of the TV every night.

I know I need to let go of the need to be so transient. I want to explore what it means to stay somewhere long enough to build something.

Then again, there’s always the chance that I make a run from it all.

In the worst-case scenario, my partner and I can’t handle the multitude of changes. Being so close to my family, making the huge commitment of having a mortgage, living in a non-liberal state, trying to make new friends. The list goes on. Could these things cause a break in our bond?

Maybe.

The first year of our relationship was anything other than normal. Almost immediately after we began dating, my partner did his best to help me while I grieved the sudden loss of an irreplaceable person in my life. My partner matured tremendously in the process because that’s what it would take to keep our relationship going.

I changed too. I finally decided that I could give living in Texas another chance. As long as my partner is by my side.

I know that nothing stays the same. It probably shouldn’t. Although I can’t say that I’m 100% ready for all of the changes coming my way, I do know that staying in place isn’t an option.

I suppose the only thing left to do is start packing.
Hitler’s Eugenics Program and What American Source He Used to Form His Opinion
By: Tami Nieto
Tags: Politics, Eugenics, History, Racism, Nazi Germany

Photo courtesy of Mateus Campo Felipe on Unsplash.com

Madison Grant’s “The Passing of the Great Race” created many of Hitler’s ideas and opinions of eugenics and formed the basis for a lot of his theories regarding the Jewish people and those of “inferior race”. While in prison he studied this book in depth and even added many of the ideas extolled in the book about the superiority of the Nordic race and the inferiority of everyone else to his book “Mein Kampf”.

Eugenics, according to Dictionary.com consists of thinking that improving the human race by encouraging “desirable individuals with the right genetic and physical characteristics” to marry each other and procreate as much as possible to help purify the genetic pool.

One of the more important quotes in the book, “The cross between a white man and an Indian is an Indian; the cross between a white man and a negro is a negro… When it becomes thoroughly understood that the children of mixed marriages between contrasted races belong to the lower type, the importance of transmitting in unimpaired purity the blood inheritance of ages will be appreciated at its full value” seems like something taken straight out of “Mein Kampf,” but it’s not.

This emphasizes one of the many insidious forms that Eugenics has created and promoted within modern society and is definitely something to be aware of and to fight diligently. The assumptions throughout this statement throw disgust on the offspring of mixed race marriages and relationships and assumes that these individuals are somehow less important or are worthless based on the “less desirable” race providing half of their DNA. I personally believe that racism as a whole is part of these beliefs and why we don’t always think that it is a problem.

The awful side of this argument and viewpoint, is that those considered “undesirable”, such as unwed mothers, dual race marriages, delinquent behavior and mental instability or deficiency are not encouraged to have children. Conversely, these members of the human race are to be sterilized and refused permission to breed because that taints the genetic pool.

It’s frustrating to realize that this theory was actively practiced and parts were even part of legislated laws even as early as the turn of the century AND parts of these laws were repealed as late as the mid 1980’s. In reality, one of the Supreme Court decisions regarding a woman who was forcibly sterilized is STILL on the books in the United States.

If you want to do a little digging, here’s where I got my information. It’s disgusting to me, but necessary to realize so that we do not repeat ANY of it in the present or the future. Earlier versions of this article may be found at https://randomfactsinhistory.wordpress.com/2017/12/04/what-was-hitlers-bible/

Please feel free to comment and share ideas regarding Eugenics in general. I welcome your opinions, even the negative ones. Just please be considerate and respectful in your statements.

Sources:
Inflatable World
By: Reuben Salsa
Tags: Mental Health, Work, LinkedIn, Social Media, Ego

Photo by Toni Cuenca on Unsplash

Inflatable World

Helping YOU to get that ego through the door!

Welcome to the land of the self-admired

Here at Inflatable World our job is to pamper and primp your one prize Medium asset — your ego. No puffery is complete unless you have that one must-have accessory, the Medium Top Writer of the Year Award.

Yes! Here at Inflatable World we shall explore ways for you to:

Be known for your explicit use of Pomposity as you express just how supremely talented you are!

Gain the ability to look down your nose with contempt at struggling writers who couldn’t possibly share the space or have the same flair as your glorious primped-up self!

Learn how to regal people with your audacious vanity!

Become proficient with the ability to project an ever increasing powerful haughtiness!

You’ll meet our King of Puff, the Dastardly Deed Doer of Self-Love in the flesh. Here he’ll show you how to re-position your ego so it’s front and centre of everything you do. Yes! That’s right! We’ll provide you with the tools to align your ego so it can match the best in the business, Donald Trump himself!

Last year’s top Writers all received a month’s long Masterclass in Inflatable Buffonery. It’s an intense course that pits your wits against the dumbed-down masses of social media. Here we show you how to manipulate the cash poor, the mentally unstable and the unemployed in search of new heroes. Yes, you CAN become that hero. Prepare to be amazed as followers flock to your account and love every word and every post that you deliver.

Previous Inflatable graduates have gone on to create their own Masterclass and truly crush shit on the Keynote Speaker World stage. Where once you were just a local writer and lonely poster on Medium, you can now belong to the Masters of the Universe blogging your way to untold fortune.

Sign up now. Just clap and we’ll send you a glossy downloadable free of charge e-book with Ten Top Tips to hack Medium and earn your way to thousands of dollars each and every week. Yes, that’s right, we’re practically giving away the keys to becoming a Medium Influencer.

Inflatable World — where the ego knows no bounds.

Love this? Read more as I have no value whatsoever!
Akroma Coin Supply
By: Eric Polerecky
Tags: Akroma, Ethereum, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency

Akroma’s vision focuses around developer relations, usability and governance. One of the key innovations that we are implementing is building out a self-funding platform without using a pre-mine, ICO, or other forms of outside funding.

Akroma is first and foremost a blockchain development platform. AKA is not money, but it has value. Just like Amazon Web Services (AWS) credits that developers can receive and use for services on AWS; AKA are the credits that developers can use for building applications on Akroma and users can use for interacting with those applications that developers build.

Unlike AWS, in a PoW blockchain development platform; miners are able to `create` and sell these credits. This new economy brings new factors into play as we focus on building out a valuable platform for users and startups building on Akroma.

Over the base weeks; the Akroma team has been working on codifying the coin supply. We set forth on that task with the following items in mind.

Akroma will have approx 100m coins

Reduction of and major jumps or “halvings” that pump/dump groups organize around.

Theory: It’s possible to build out a self-funding platform using PoW coins just as it is using minted tokens.

Akroma Coin Supply

Below is the coin supply being coded into the next release of Akroma.

Google Sheet Version: http://bit.ly/2Jp5p36

Baneslayer

A major component to the next release of the Akroma client (aka: Baneslayer) is including the coin supply logic into the client. Alpha versions of the Baneslayer release are currently available on Akroma’s GitHub. Baneslayer is schedule for release June 25th and the Baneslayer fork block is 1.2m, approximately July 20th.
Integrating physical devices with IOTA — Philips Hue edition
By: Hugo Gregersen
Tags: Philips Hue, Payments, Iota, Tutorial, Smart Home

The Code

Now that we have made all the preparations, let’s look at the Python code for this project.

The Python script we are using for this project is basically the same as we used for the first tutorial with some minor adjustments. Notice that there are no longer any references to the Raspberry PI GPIO pins or library, which means that we now can run the Python script(s) from any computer inside the local network.

The Python script(s) are basically just checking the balance for each IOTA address (created in a previous step) every 10 sec. As new funds are being added to an address, the script simply turns ON it’s associated Hue device, using a Hue API call. As time passes, the script continually removes time from a local device balance, switching the device OFF (again with an API call) when the balance is empty.

Note!

Notice that in the phue set_light() function, the first augment is a reference to the id of the hue device being targeted. It is not clear to me how device id’s are managed inside the Hue Bridge/API as i can not find a reference to the this id inside the Hue app, only the name. I can only assume the id must be related to the order in which each device was added to the bridge.

Important!

Before we can have our Python code interact with the Hue Bridge, we first need to peer your computer with the Bridge. You do this by pressing the large button on top of the Bridge followed by running the following Python code on your computer within a few seconds: (This only needs to be done once)

And here is the Python script:

You can download the script from here
Serenity.Exchange Development Report
By: Serenity Financial
Tags: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Exchange, Cryptocurrency

Dear friends!

We strive to be as open as possible, so every two weeks we will present a progress report on the development of our Exchange.

During the period from August 27th to September 10th, we have improved a number of features, thereby increasing the security and usability of the Exchange:

Passwords are now more secure!

The risk of your account being hacked is minimized thanks to the improved password generator: not only alphanumeric characters can now be used in passwords. This makes any hacking attempts much more difficult.

2. Select your citizenship from the full list of countries.

We have expanded the list of countries, now all users can choose their country to specify citizenship.

3. Minimum transaction limits are set for each instrument.

The limits will be displayed in the currency of a quote, so our users can immediately access information about the limitations of trading a certain instrument.

4. User’s order list bug fixed.

Our users are reporting a problem: when one of the placed orders is canceled, others get canceled too. We already fixed the bug — try it now!

5. TradingView vulnerability eliminated.

TradingView, a web service providing online charts for exchanges, reported vulnerabilities in its software. Serenity Exchange team promptly updated TradingView libraries, thereby protecting the exchange and users from possible attacks.

6. Automatic verification of scans and photos of documents.

To pass the KYC procedure, you must provide photos of your documents with a .JPG or .PNG extension. Now Serenity automatically checks documents before upload and rejects images with wrong resolution. This eliminates the risk of downloading malicious files and increases Serenity Exchange’s resistance to external threats.

7. “Unnecessary” notification about loss of chat connection removed.

The notification was groundless and confusing to users. Bug fixed.

8. Favicon added for the web version of the Exchange.

Minor aesthetic upgrade: Serenity.Exchange icon added in the site loading bar.

We will continue to keep you informed about our development process. Your awareness, safety, and comfort are of the utmost importance to us. Like this post if you think that these Serenity.Exchange updates are useful. Leave a comment to report a bug, propose an improvement idea for the exchange, ask a question, or share your opinion.