fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Move Fast and Build Messenger
By: Jason Stein
Tags: Messaging, Facebook, Innovation

Being big isn’t slowing down Facebook. The speed at which it is innovating right now is remarkable. Its army of highly talented, hyper-focused developers is evident as ever.

There are many examples — Instant Articles, notifications feed, virtual reality, all things Instagram — but nothing stands out more than Messenger. Its speed, gif integration, social graph, and money transfers have quickly turned it into the best messaging app on any phone outside of China. As a result, Messenger now has 700 million monthly active users, with 500 million coming in the last year.

Everyday, it seems there is an amazing new invention inside Messenger. Last night, I subscribed to the World Series and got real time updates, commentary, photos and video from the game. As a New Yorker who thinks baseball is a wee bit (very) slow but wanted to keep up with the local story, it was a nice way to watch the game. It’s Sports Center in real time.

There was no big, splashy announcement about this feature. Facebook is heads down, building and shipping cool shit for Messenger.

And nothing is cooler than M, the virtual personal assistant inside of Messenger that does whatever you ask of it, including booking airplane tickets and reducing the cost of your cable bill. If the app works at scale as magically as it has for the people using it in Beta, Messenger will likely become Facebook’s most popular app.

Even without M, Messenger has grown into one of the biggest and most popular apps in the world. Businesses are just starting adopt it for customer service, which will only increase time spent in the app, and it sure beats email.

It’s easy to forget that last year most users and critics panned the decision to remove messaging from Facebook, pushing everyone to Messenger. It stands as a good reminder that you should always prioritize user experience and long term growth, and always defy short-sighted external voices. Another reminder: Facebook doesn’t roll out big changes without testing them across its billion-person focus group; it knows what you want better than you do.

Without question, Messenger was by inspired WeChat, the pioneer in the platformization of messaging (as I wrote last year). To its credit, Facebook evolved what it learned to align with its core values. WeChat is a lot like an operating system, with many apps operating inside of it. In Messenger, everything occurs inside a conversation, native to the messaging experience. As Messenger adds more features, this could change… or, you won’t have to click off to another part of the app to hail a cab, buy sneakers, order food, or sell a stock — M will do it for you. It’s the Facebook algorithm of messaging: you don’t have to look for what you want, we’re doing it for you.

The fast yet methodical way Facebook has turned Messenger into a cutting edge utility is innovation at its finest. It’s the blueprint of the future.

Hit me @jasonwstein on Twitter.
Telegram, the superior IM platform
Tags: Telegram, Messaging

Telegram, the superior IM platform

Whatsapp has taken the IM world by storm, but why I don’t truly understand. It has obvious failings that even the billions of Facebook dollars can’t address.

In comes the new kid on the block, Telegram, giving you almost everything you want in an IM app.

Telegram was developed by Pavel and Nikolai Durov, 2 brothers from Russia. They set out to create a fast, free secure IM App and they succeeded.

Here is why I life it more than Whatsapp and hoping the world would adopt it as quickly as they did with Whatsapp.

Cross Platform even Desktops

Telegram is not only for smartphones and tablets, but for computers as well. That is what has drawn to this IM app.

As a mac user, I love iMessage, but it is only limited to OS X and iOS users.

Send Large Files

With Telegram you can send files of up to 2gig in size!

Independent of Mobile

You can use Telegram on your desktop even if you phone is not signed in. With Whatsapp’s pathetic web chat, your phone needs to be connect and unlocked for it to work.

It’s free

It doesn’t cost anything, again unlike Whatsapp.

Continuous development

The developers continually improves the apps both for desktop and mobile platforms.

Works on an iPad

It works on your iPad, unlike Whatsapp.

The list goes on and on.

I don’t understand the popularity of Whatsapp. For me there is no comparison.
Are Chatbots enhancing websites and mobile Apps
By: Sam, Vp Sales
Tags: Chatbots, Messaging, Artificial Intelligence

I recently downloaded an app of a company to have a better customer service experience. But instead, every time I need assistance, I have to call the customer representative. So, I finally uninstalled that app. Well, how good it would be if the app had a built-in feature to response to the customer’s query. Let me tell you, this isn’t impossible at all. This is very much achievable by implementing chatbots.

To understand how chatbots can enhance customer service, let’s understand what chatbots really are. They are computer programs enable to carry out conversations with people using lightweight messaging app UI, language based rules and AI. It uses a natural language conversation tool rather than a conventional website or app user interface. I find this a convenient way of getting better and faster responses than the usual IVR and long waiting for the representative to reply. Will the chatbots also be an enhancement for websites and mobile apps? Let’s find out.

Reasons why brands will be interested in chatbots to make websites or apps more interactive

Crowd is moving towards messaging apps: Messaging apps have become the #1 way people communicate. This implies that every business will need a strategy to engage with people on messaging apps, resulting into a bot based solution. This would be feasible and effective for a brand to better understand their customers.

The work is still on progress:

While the development of new technologies is inevitable, we always have a scope of pacing towards betterment. Chatbots are at an early stage which makes us skeptical about its ruling over the world scenario.

Time and experience are the only factors that will decide the future of Chatbots. We still have to find out how people will react to having brands and businesses in their messenger. If you are looking to use or make solutions and know Why Brands need Chatbots to make their Website & Mobile Apps more Interactive. Click Here

At LetsNurture, we are doing everything we can to make this future a reality. If you think we can help you provide an IT solution for your company, please send us your queries on enquiry@letsnurture.com
Status messenger for Desktop review
Tags: Status, Messenger, Messaging, Cryptocurrency, Crypto

In case you don’t know, now you can use Status, (and therefore, private & secure communication) on your desktop. Beta version is available for Mac, Linux, and Windows, you can download it here: https://status.im/get/

After installation, you have 2 options: to generate new keys or access existing key — if you want to use the account which you already have (i.e. on mobile)

If you choose the second option, you will need to enter your seed phrase.

If you decide to create a new account — you will need to choose one of 5 names. Some of my non-crypto friends were confused at this point. So this is both your account (your address staring with 0x) and your name. But in the future, you will be able to get easier-spelling name (i.e. like I have name cryptotexty)

Then you will need to create a password, (6 characters minimum) and repeat it. You will need the password to login and also to send transactions. As your account is at the same time your Ethereum wallet.

And that’s it, you are ready to communicate.

You can access featured chats on the left, or you can click “+” and access even more chats.

For example, I joined #literature channel. As I think here on crypto blogs, many of us read and write about books — so this is the channel you might be happy to join as well.

I sent a message “Hello everyone” and you see I got a response! Nice!

Yes, you probably noticed, that’s also me from another account. I wanted to show you the difference in names, as on that account I have a custom name, which I bought for 10 SNT.

Happy messaging!
From Chicken Wings to Launch: Part 1
By: Matthew Groves
Tags: Startup, Messaging, Mobile

25 cent chicken wings.

That’s how it all started. Every Wednesday, my friend Brian and I would go eat wings, drink beer, and chat about “guy stuff”. On a particular day about 6 months ago, we were halfway through our ritual (which was eat a round of wings, have a beer, then have another batch of wings) when we spotted two people talking at the bar.

“I wonder if he’ll get her number”, I said.

“Maybe. Most likely it’ll be a fake or something.” he replied.

So we got to thinking — what if there was a way to connect to someone without the pitfalls associated with a phone number? It’s hard to remember, easy to mis-type, and once you give it out it’s out there for good. So that clingy person you met at the bar, your crazy ex-girlfriend, or upset Craigslist buyer can do whatever they want with it. The bottom line is, we all meet people on a day-to-day basis that we may or may not want to give our personal information to. Or, we just want to talk to them temporarily.

Fast forward till now. Just yesterday we finally launched Buzz — Chat Safely on the Google Play Store and Apple Appstore. It’s pretty cool, check it out here:

http://buzzmessenger.co

Some of you may be wondering — what’s it like to build a messaging app from the ground up? What was involved? What mistakes did you make? I’ll write about it next time. Or, if you can’t wait, download the app and message me directly.
Elena Kagan: Just Another Worthless Childless Lady Lawyer!
By: Choire Sicha
Tags: This Just In, Lawyers

The super-weird and super-invasive current strain of anti-single bias has popped up in a whole new Elena Kagan-centric way this past week. It was fine when people just thought she was a striving, careerist lesbian, because that’s how lesbians are, but now that everyone actually understands she’s straight, it is apparently repellent that she hasn’t spawned. Because you know what’s wrong with these sterile (emotionally, at least!), career-oriented, success-craving women who make it to the judiciary and the Supreme Court? They just never took time out to have babies. You know what babies give you? Well-roundedness! And I guess therefore the ability to issue Supreme Court decisions! If you have a baby, that means you have had a life. Otherwise you have just had a job. Take it away, Washington Post non-careerist, obviously anti-single Ann Gerhart! “Motherhood offers a one-word verifier. It signals a woman with an intensity of life experiences, jammed with joys and fears, unpredictability and intimacy, all outside the workplace. Much of the time, it’s the opposite of being strategic and assiduously prepared.” Oh, so she’s actually saying that mothers really are unfit for the judiciary because they’re never prepared or strategic? Good to know! Let’s make sure we never let women have children and jobs at the same time.
Reasons Technology Is Affecting Divorce Rates
By: Abbey Smith
Tags: Relationships, Divorce, Law, Lawyers

How technology affects relationships and divorce rates

The technologies have been on the rise for a few decades already. And that is hard not to notice. People are spending tons of money on buying new gadgets every year. New technologies are out every month and the companies are fighting for your wallet. However, technology is not only about the gadgets that we are using. It is also about the things that we use, but never notice. For example, the Internet has changed our lives forever. We are so used to being able to access everything online that things like normal books and newspapers are struggling to catch on. And they will probably not be able to. Moreover, there is something that is already online that we do not notice unless we need them. Those are the fields that used to be only offline. Well, they feel just alright online too. One of the shocking examples is the marriage field. And the relationships in general too. You will be surprised that you can simply upload your documents online and get married in a few minutes. That has made the value of a marriage extremely low. People think that they will be able to divorce as easily as they married. However, when they get to a point where they have to divorce, they only meet support from services like Cheap Divorce Online, that let you divorce online. Yet, they will not be able to fight your depression that will surely come after the divorce. Another problem that technology has brought to relationships is the fact that it is intruding into the lives of people. Sure, they are the ones to use it, but if there was none, their lives may have been better. This article is here to take a look at how the technologies might ruin your marriage.

1. People are distracted by social media

With every person nowadays having a phone and Internet connection, we are all spending hours a day on social media. That is where our friends, memories, and lives are. And that has brought tons of problems to the lives of couples. The normal communication has been damaged by the fact that every one of us would rather spend some time online instead of having a night out or something like that. You are not talking to your spouse while you are eating. Instead, you are simply staring at your phone, liking the pictures and talking on chats. And that would have not been a problem if normal communication was not damaged. Yet, with all of this, the amount of talking in a normal couple has gone down dramatically comparing to about a decade ago. So, if you are willing to take your relationship to a new level, make sure to take the amount of time spent online less. Especially, when you are together and have some time to spend. If you will be constantly opting to look at your newsfeed instead of normal communication, your marriage may soon be over.
Support the Causes Your Clients Do
By: Matt Homann
Tags: Business Development, Client Services, Lawyers

Support the Causes Your Clients Do

Image Copyright Matthew Homann. All Rights Reserved.

Several years ago, I was facilitating a retreat for a large Atlanta law firm. During one of our business development exercises, I heard an older lawyer tell a group of new partners, “You don’t know your clients unless you know the name of their dog.”

His advice has always stuck with me, but upon reflection it seemed to me better advice would have been to not only know your clients’ pets but to know their “pet projects” as well — the community organizations, charity, civic group or volunteer events they care about and support.

If its not obvious from the plaques, certificates of appreciation, etc. on their office walls the causes they support, ask them. Armed with this knowledge, here are a few things you can do:

Get on the group’s mailing list, so you’ll always know how you can help.

Donate money or goods to the cause’s auction in your client’s name.

Instead of spending your time entertaining your clients, spend that time volunteering with them in support of their cause. You’ll get the same one-on-one time, but will be helping out those in need. As a extra bonus, you’ll likely meet several of your client’s peers.

Find out what is the most pressing issue facing the organization (or its members), and offer to give a seminar to help them understand it better.

Donate a percentage of that client’s fees to their cause as your holiday gift the client.

Your clients will not only appreciate your interest in their cause, but you might gain an interest in theirs. When that happens, everybody wins.
DEAR MAMA, I HAVE BROUGHT YOU THE WIG! Inspirational Story By Jerry Obanyero
By: African Celebs
Tags: Inspirational Stories, Nigeria, Lawyers

Photo Credit: Jerry Obanyero (OBANS)

“DEAR MAMA, I HAVE BROUGHT YOU THE WIG is a real life touching inspirational story, one of the must read stories especially for the upcoming youth.

Lawyer Jerry Obanyero becoming a lawyer is as a result of the agony and pain his mother went through.

As a little boy, not even a teenager (just 11) he had to accompany his mother to court…Read below in his own words…

“DEAR MAMA, I HAVE BROUGHT YOU THE WIG!

Studying a different course at the university and getting a job afterwards, upon completion of my NYSC, did not extinguish my passion of becoming a lawyer.

I resigned from my job, bought a JAMB form and started all over again.

The memories of how my widow mother was taken to court over an offence she absolutely knew nothing about while she was still mourning the death of my late father replayed on my mind always.

I was only eleven when I had to accompany my mother together with some of her elderly relations to court. Devastated, confused and with no money to hire a lawyer, my mother would cry and I would cry with her…
Tito Ortiz Press Conference — Jenna Is Hooked on OxyContin
By: Shabooty
Tags: Addiction, Hooked, Lawyer

Tito Ortiz Press Conference — Jenna Is Hooked on OxyContin

Howard had Robin start her news next. Robin started off with the story about Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson. Howard had some audio clips of Tito’s lawyer talking about what’s going on. The guy said that Jenna has been battling an addiction to Oxycontin and she had relapsed. He claims that Tito confronted her about it and Jenna denied it and had a breakdown. He said that Tito never laid a hand on Jenna. Robin said she thought they found injuries on her. Howard had some more of the press conference and they asked about the injuries. The lawyer said that she did have a scratch on her elbow. He said she may not have the best of balance while she’s on Oxy though.

Howard had some audio of Tito himself talking about what went on. Tito said that everyone knows that his family means the most to him. He said that he’s not going to let his family go through an addiction like that. He said he hopes she can get through this. Robin said that Jenna is saying that she thought he was the sweetest guy but she’s taking out a restraining order and pressing charges.

Howard and Robin said that they’ve been bad judges about this kind of thing so they’re not sure what to think. Robin was wondering if the kids were born addicts since they’re just 13 months old and Tito’s lawyer claims that she’s been battling the addiction for over a year. Howard said he thought that the porn star and the MMA wrestler relationship would be a strong one. Robin said Jenna only weighs 110 pounds and Tito weighs 210.

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Employment Solicitors in London — Sharma Solicitors
By: Paul Sharma
Tags: Lawyers, Attorney, Legal Services

Sharma Solicitors is a boutique, young legal firm specializing in all things about employment law. That’s it. Nothing else.

Paul Sharma is head of the firm. All matters will be either undertaken by or under the close supervision of Paul Sharma. Paul is a University College London law graduate and a Grade A solicitor (over eight years post qualification experience).

Sharma Solicitors Services.

For Employee

Sharma Solicitors have acted for hundreds of employees over the years from junior to every senior six figure earning executives.

Sharma Solicitors can protect you from bullying or harassment in the workplace.

Where the employee decides to leave, we can negotiate the exit package enabling the employee to seek work elsewhere, without post termination restrictions and with the maximum exit package.

Negotiate a settlement agreement with the employer. We have acted for hundreds of employees for settlement agreement. If you are looking for settlement agreement lawyer in London then you can highly rely on Sharma Solicitors.

Recover unpaid commission or bonus.

Litigate for unfair dismissal, discrimination or any other employment right.

Take the employer to the Employment Tribunal to enforce the employment rights.

For Employers

Our specialist team can effectively deal with all employment law related matters irrespective of organizational size, including:

Advice on pre-recruitment processes that will ensure employers do not offend laws protecting would-be employees from pre-entry discrimination.

The drafting of tailored and robust contracts of employment that will protect employers in all the important areas of concern to them such as restrictive covenants and data protection.

The defense of actions from employees in the Employment Tribunal. We have an extensive experience and knowledge of the Employment Rules of Procedure. We have secured the strike-out of actions based on non-compliance with procedural rules. Sharma Solicitors have defended every type of employment claim made by employees. The trick is not just knowing the law but the strategy and tactics to defeat the claim.

Contact Sharma Solicitors, Employment Lawyers in London on 0345 430 0145 or contact us online.
Brockton, MA Woman Receives $100,000 Pedestrian Accident Settlement From Commerce Insurance | d’Oliveira & Associates
By: D'Oliveira
Tags: Settlements, Lawyers, Attorney, Personal Injury Attorney

Brockton, MA Woman Receives $100,000 Pedestrian Accident Settlement From Commerce Insurance | d’Oliveira & Associates

Recently d’Oliveira & Associates attorney, Cara Gallucci, obtained a $100,000 settlement from Commerce Insurance for a Brockton, MA woman, who was seriously injured in a pedestrian accident. A vehicle struck our client as she was crossing the street, which caused her to sustain injuries to her hip.

Attorney Cara Gallucci said, “Every now and again a client comes along who makes me wish every client were like her. This lovely lady was that client. Perpetually positive, even throughout the most trying obstacle. We wanted to get this case resolved for her quickly, to try to lift some of the worry that rested on her shoulder, and so she could focus on healing and resuming her very full life. I am so fortunate to have worked with this woman and wish her continued happiness and good health.”

If you or a loved one were recently injured in a pedestrian accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages, among other losses. Our knowledgeable Brockton Car Accident Lawyers are experienced in working with insurance companies to get you the settlement or award that you deserve. Please call us today 24/7 at 1–508–436–7000 or fill out an online contact form for a free (no obligation) case evaluation.
The Burn Your Mortgage Podcast: Everything You Wanted to Know About Real Estate Law with Nabeel Naqvi of Naqvi Law
By: Sean Cooper
Tags: Real Estate, Lawyers, Law, Home, Home Buying

The Burn Your Mortgage Podcast: Everything You Wanted to Know About Real Estate Law with Nabeel Naqvi of Naqvi Law Sean Cooper Dec 13, 2019·1 min read

Nabeel Naqvi is a real estate lawyer who operates Naqvi Law. He has completed well over 5000 real estate transactions and specializes in the areas of secured financing and all matters related to residential real estate. With offices in Richmond Hill, Pickering, Ajax and Mobile Signing Officers available 24/7, Naqvi Law is ready to serve you wherever you are in Southern Ontario at your convenience.

In my interview with Nabeel, we discuss what happens if a legal issue comes up when you’re buying a home, the difference between title insurance and a survey, and important questions to ask when you’re looking to hire a good real estate lawyer.

Subscribe now and never miss an episode. Reviews and ratings are appreciated, too.

Sean Cooper is an independent mortgage broker. Get in touch with him for all your mortgage needs. For a free mortgage consultation, email Sean@BurnYourMortgage.ca or call 647–867–3711.
The Most Dangerous Months to Drive | d’Oliveira & Associates
By: D'Oliveira
Tags: Winter, Climate, Snow, Ice, Lawyers

The Most Dangerous Months to Drive | d’Oliveira & Associates

Each new season presents unique challenges for drivers. Some seasons prove to be more challenging than others. For Rhode Island, the weather and climate can be unpredictable with each passing month.

Which time of year is considered the most dangerous for drivers?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) compiled 24 years of data regarding the trends of auto accidents throughout the months of each year. Here are some of the specific statistics that they found:

There are 29% more deaths in the summer months than in the winter months.

May, June, July, August, September, and October are the months with the most traffic-related fatalities.

December is the deadliest month to travel in winter.

Drivers travel, on average, 20% more miles in summer than in winter.

Why is Summer Deadlier Than Winter?

The main reason is that there are more drivers in summer than winter, especially with the addition of motorcyclists. The chances of accidents go up with the number of drivers. Another reason is the false sense of security summer can bring. When people drive in the winter, particularly in snow and icy conditions, people pay more attention to the road or stay off them. In the summer, there can be a more relaxed atmosphere; the freedom of the open road on a beautiful day. This lackadaisical attitude contributes to the accident rates of summer. One other factor to be considered is the number of tire blowouts that occur in hotter conditions. It is always a good idea to check your tire pressure and tire treads before making any long driving trips in the summer.

Contact An Experienced Middletown Car Accident Lawyer Today!

If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, contact one of our proficient Middletown Car Accident Lawyers. You may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering, among other losses. Contact our Middletown office anytime at 401–846–5449 or fill out a contact form online for a free (no obligation) case evaluation.

Source:

nhtsa.gov/press-releases/usdot-releases-2016-fatal-traffic-crash-data
interview your lawyer
By: Auren Hoffman
Tags: Law Firm, Lawyer, Start Up

interview your lawyer

As a start-up founder, you spend a LOT of money on your law firm every year. Simple financings now-a-days can run over $25k. Then you’ve got board issues, options, intellectual property, etc. And if you’re filing patents, you’re going to be spending more money on your law firm per year than you might on one of your software engineers.

But most people don’t actually interview their law firm. They get a referral from a friend, check out the rates, and hire the firm. But would you hire an engineer like that? Just on a referral from a friend? Of course not, you’d still have multiple rounds of interviews, coding tests, and references for the engineer.

Do the same for your law firm.

First — specifically understand what partner and associate will be working on your docs. The associate is the most important as this person will be working on 95% of your legal work.

Second — you should read up on everything you can on legal matters … So you can credible interview the lawyer.

Third — Actually interview them. Send them a sample term sheet and have them critique it (if you are interviewing three firms at once, you’ll likely get three different critiques … so you’ll be able to ask each lawyer questions from the other’s recommendations). And understand the notable absences (most law firms have incredible disdain for angel investors and recommend terms that favor the venture guys over your early backers).

Fourth — do LOTS of reference checks. Ask for 5–10 references on the ASSOCIATE. Call the CEOs of these firms and talk to them. Ask detailed questions.

Remember — hiring your lawyer is just as important as any of the first 5 people you hire, so put the time into the hiring process that it deserves.
WSBA Deskbooks: Library Gems
By: Reference Staff
Tags: Books, Washington, Libraries, Law, Lawyers

WSBA Deskbooks: Library Gems

With the ever increasing cost of legal treatises and the continuing shift to digital research, law libraries are sometimes faced with tough decisions when the time comes to update items in the library print collection. With this in mind, the Washington State Law Library continues its commitment to maintaining print copies of the most highly cited items and Washington-specific practice guides such as Washington Practice.

A key component of this core print collection is the deskbook series from the Washington State Bar Association. Comprised of 26 titles, WSBA deskbooks contain practice tips and overviews of laws and legal concepts. These books also provide Washington-specific legal forms. Topics include public records, family law, appellate practice, civil procedure, estate planning and probate. The real property deskbook is a series in itself, with seven volumes covering real estate essentials, causes of action, environmental regulations and more.

Some very useful topics to both the practitioner and pro se litigant can be found in the WSBA deskbooks. Varying aspects of Native American law are treated in Washington Law of Wills and Intestate Succession, the Washington Probate Deskbook, and the Washington Real Property Deskbook, Real Property Interests and Duties of 3rd Parties (volume 3). Many aspects of the appeals process are addressed in the Washington Appellate Practice Deskbook, including orders of indigency in the appellate courts. Meanwhile, the Washington Construction Law Deskbook fills a much needed void in Washington-specific construction law treatment. It dedicates two chapters to construction mediation and arbitration.

Because of the high use of these books, the State Law Library keeps multiple circulating copies and a reference copy so that we can always ensure that one will be on the shelf. We have moved many of the current print editions to the stacks in the Main Reading Room, such as the 2019 edition of the Washington Construction Law Deskbook. Second copies of these titles can still be located in the downstairs reading room. You can browse for additional titles in the library catalog.

Should you prefer online research or if every copy is in use, the law library also has access to the online version of the deskbooks through the Casemaker Libra database. You can access Casemaker at the public computers in the Main Reading Room or the downstairs reading room. And if you are not able to make it to the Temple of Justice in Olympia, but still want to check out this great resource, library staff is happy to send treatise sections or the table of contents via email. Stop by the law library today to check out the WSBA deskbooks and all the other gems of our core print collection. (LE)
Happy Holidays from John and Cait!
By: Caitlin Moyer
Tags: Facebook, Happy Holidays, MLB, Pinterest

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for reading John and Cait…Plus 9 this year!

As we head into the holidays, we wanted to take a moment to thank you again for a great 2012 and wish you a very happy holiday season. And — we’re very much looking forward to 2013 and all the excitement that is sure to come!

If you’re looking to spread Brewers holiday cheer and (off) season’s greetings, here are a couple of ways to do so:

Share this Bernie Brewer image on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

image on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. MLB Facebook Snowy Images Album : MLB has created one holiday-themed image for each team and we’re encouraging fans to share on their wall, as well as with friends. These images also reside on the Pinterest Happy Holidays Board .

: MLB has created one holiday-themed image for each team and we’re encouraging fans to share on their wall, as well as with friends. These images also reside on the . Holiday Photos: Upload one of your own photos (or choose one from Facebook), add baseball-themed holiday elements and share with your friends!

Cheers!

-John and Cait

johnandcait@brewers.com
Thoughts on the Green family
By: Barry M. Bloom
Tags: Dodgers, MLB, Newtown, Phillies

By mlblogsbarrybloom1

PHOENIX — I never met Christina-Taylor Green, but I feel like I have through her parents, John and Roxanna.

She’s the little girl, who was gunned down nearly two years ago in nearby Tucson by a madman with an assault weapon who was after Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and shot 19 people, killing six of them. The attack in front of a Safeway market took 20 seconds and he was stopped only because the 30-bullet magazine he used expired and he was tackled while trying to change that clip. The guy bought those bullets that morning at a local Walmart.

He disabled Giffords with a shot to the head, depriving Arizona of a young Congresswoman and possible Senator and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, of an active wife and a hopeful mother. She’s lucky to be alive and has used all her effort and courage to recover. She had to resign from the House of Representatives and will never be the same.

He left the Greens without their beautiful 9-year-old daughter and as Roxanna said this week: “I have a hole in my heart and will forever.”

But the Greens have moved on, using their faith as a source of strength and a motivating force to bring change to an American landscape that last week led to 20 more families suffering through the pain of losing their little children because of gun violence.

I met the Greens a month after Christina’s death when they were still in the throes of their own suffering and have written a lot about their journey since. The community, the baseball world and their friends and family circled around them.

In the days after the events last Friday in Newtown, Conn., I thought a lot about them and how they were reacting to another round of carnage. It had to have hit too close to home. Then I saw Roxanna being interviewed on CNN by Anderson Cooper from Newtown. The next day I reached out to John on the phone and wrote a column based on that conversation.

By remaining active, they are keeping Christina’s memory alive. I can’t say enough about the quality of these people and their unbelievable courage.

John is a member of s great baseball family. He’s a national crosschecker for the Dodgers, His dad, Dallas, is synonymous with the Phillies, who he managed to their first World Series title in 1980. I’ve known him for more than 30 years. Their son, 13-year-old Dallas, plays baseball. Even Christina played baseball. She was the only girl in her Little League and dreamed of being the first female to play in the Major Leagues. She was also active politically in her elementary school and was excited to meet Gabby that morning. That’s the reason she went to that community event.

John said that the younger Dallas is adjusting to life without his sister. They were very close and Christina was very protective. She sounds a lot older than her age when she died. And now it’s almost two years later.

“I would say we’re doing pretty darn good considering the circumstances,” John told me.

I’m not sure I could do the same.
Composition and the Rule of Thirds
By: Grant Haigh
Tags: Photography, Composition, Photography Tips, Photography Tutorial, Photos

Photo by Luke van Zyl on Unsplash

Did you know that there is one simple trick you can implement immediately to take your pictures from cringe-inducing amateur to aesthetically eye pleasing?

There is, and the best part is you won’t need any more expensive equipment to implement it. Just grab any camera and get shooting.

Now you can think of this as the bedrock rule of photo composition. It will lay the foundation for you to begin taking great pictures and implement more advanced techniques later on.

What is this mysterious esoteric rule? It’s actually quite simple. It’s called the Rule of Thirds.

Imagine you’re composing a picture and over your viewfinder are four lines, two horizontal and two vertical, which form nine squares. The Rule of Thirds states that in order for the photo to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye you want the subject to rest on one of the intersections of these lines, not directly in the centre of the frame. The human eye will typically want to rest on one of these intersections so a subject placed on them is typically more attractive than one directly in the middle or on the edge of the photo.

Heres an example

Haigh, Grant. “Clear Lake MB, Sept 2018.” 2018. JPG.

As you can see I’ve placed the shore on the far left third of the photo. I’ve also rested the horizon line close to where the top third horizontal line. Resting your horizon on one of these lines while photographing landscapes is a good way to balance your background and foreground. Depending on the landscape you may choose to emphasize the foreground (earth/water) or the background (sky).

Haigh, Grant. “Country Road, Brandon MB.” 2015. JPG.

In this photo, I chose to emphasize the sky a bit more because of the interesting variations in the clouds that day. Now if you were to take a 4x4 grid and superimpose it you’d see that I could have probably moved my horizon down just a bit to the lower horizontal line to highlight the sky a bit more.

That being said, the Rule of Thirds is not some iron law of photography and after you understand and begin to implement it you will find that certain situations call for bending or even breaking it altogether. You will find you can still create stunning images without using the Rule of Thirds but it provides a great fundamental tool to use in composing your photos.

Action Steps

The next time you go to compose your pictures ask yourself…

“What is the subject of my photo?” “How can I use the Rule of Thirds to balance the content of the photograph?”

Do this and your composition will improve greatly. In a future post, I’ll show you when it works to break the rule of thirds in pursuit of unique composition. In the meantime, get out there and start taking some extraordinary photos.
Learn the Basics — What is Exposure? — Part 1
By: Sanjula Madurapperuma
Tags: Photography, Tutorial, Photos, Photographer, Cameras

Learn the Basics — What is Exposure? — Part 1

A long exposure photo of a motorway at night

Put it in simple words, exposure is the amount of light that enters a camera sensor, thus plays a crucial role in determining how your photo will look like, whether it is bright or dark.

There are three camera settings that affect the exposure of the image, which are aperture, shutter speed and ISO level, collectively known as the ‘Exposure triangle’. Each end of the triangle will be discussed in detail in the future in another article here at Sanjula Photography . So subscribe!

Why is exposure so important?

Exposure may seem easy to master, but it is easier said than done. Even the most expert of photographers may occasionally fall into a exposure trap.

Each end of the Exposure triangle handles exposure differently, so we must first understand what each of them are responsible for:

- Aperture

Aperture controls the area over which light rays can enter the camera sensor. In other words, it is responsible for the ‘Depth-of-field’ .

Photo with wide aperture (f/2.8)

- Shutter Speed

The shutter speed controls the duration of the exposure of the camera sensor to light. It is responsible for the amount of ‘Motion blur’ present in your photo.

Photo of a man standing on a street taken using slow shutter speed (5s)

- ISO Speed

The ISO speed controls the sensitivity of the camera sensor to a given unit of light. It is responsible for the amount of image noise generated in your photo.

Close up photo of leaves with low ISO (ISO 640)

Stay tuned for in depth explanations of the above concepts and more!

If you liked this article, be sure to leave a clap and leave any feedback in the comments down below, be it good or bad. We are always looking of ways to improve! 😜
Capturing and digitizing vinyl covers with IPEVO VZ-R document camera
Tags: Music, Vinyl, Photos, Document Camera

Capturing and digitizing vinyl covers with IPEVO VZ-R document camera

Are you a vinyl collector looking for ways to digitize your vinyl covers so that you can keep a digital catalog of them, or simply, share their “vintageness” with other collectors? A conventional scanner would be the obvious chance if not for the fact that very few of them have large enough scanner bed to fit a 12” album cover. A DSLR camera or smartphone might be the next choice, however it would require some additional equipment like a tripod or a camera stand. And you’ll need a space big enough to accommodate these setups. Here’s where you’ll find IPEVO VZ-R HDMI/USB Dual Mode Document Camera as a surprisingly effective alternative.

VZ-R, with its small footprint, tall build, multi-jointed stand, swiveling camera head, and high resolution (8MP camera), is the ideal tool for capturing vinyl covers. So let’s take a look at how this little tool makes capturing and digitizing vinyl covers a breeze.

What you need:

A small desk space. VZ-R. Lamp (to provide adequate lighting). Laptop (for connecting to VZ-R and storing your images). Free IPEVO Visualizer software (features “Scan Document” function for easy scanning). Vinyl records (of course you’ll need them).

And that’s all!

Setting up and capturing:

Download Visualizer software onto your laptop. You can download it from https://www.ipevo.com/software/download/visualizer. Connect VZ-R to your laptop via the included USB cable. Place a vinyl cover under VZ-R. Grab a lamp and place it by the side of the vinyl cover. Turn VZ-R on. Launch Visualizer. The image of the vinyl cover should appear on your laptop screen. Adjust the position, height and angle of VZ-R to ensure you have the whole vinyl cover in view. VZ-R’s multi-jointed stand and swiveling head make these adjustments easy. Switch on the lamp. Look at the image on your screen. Adjust the position of the lamp so that you get an even lighting on the image. Adjust parameters such as resolution, focus, brightness, exposure or more in Visualizer to fine-tune the image. Choose “Scan Document” in Visualizer. Set the preferred aspect ratio and file format for capturing the vinyl cover.

And voila! You’re ready to digitize your vinyl covers.

Here’s a video for your reference:

So grab an IPEVO VZ-R document camera, try it out, and let us know how it works for you.
Tribute to Khemchand Prakash, the legendary Hindi film music director on his 111th birth anniversary today.
Tags: Music, Bollywood, Bollywoodirect, Bollywood News

Tribute to Khemchand Prakash, the legendary Hindi film music director on his 111th birth anniversary today.

Khemchand Prakash was one of the giants of the Hindi film industry. He shaped and defined Hindi film music when it was still in its nascent stages. In a short career spanning just about a decade, he left behind a legacy that exceeded his output as a music director.

Khemchand Prakash was born on 12 December1907 in Jaipur. Khemchand had an early start in music. His father, Pandit Govardhan Prasad, was a musician in the royal court of Jaipur and also taught him music. He worked as a court singer and then tried his hand at acting in films before found his true calling in film music. After assisting composer Timir Baran in a few films, Khemchand Prakash debuted as a music director for the film Meri Aankhen (1939).

He joined Bombay’s Ranjit Studio in 1940 and found early success with films such as Diwali, Holi, and Pagal. But it was Jayant Desai’s ‘Tansen’ that established Khemchand as a master tunesmith. Sung by the unmatchable K.L. Saigal and Khursheed Begum, the film’s music remains a classic in Hindi cinema.

While he composed many beautiful songs in his short career, he is perhaps remembered more for the legacy he left than those songs themselves. It was Khemchand Prakash who took Naushad under his wings as an assistant and helped launch what would become a very successful career as a music director. He is also credited as the composer who tried and tested singers like Khursheed Begum, Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar and made them the successful playback singers they went on to become.

Of special mention is the blockbuster hit “Aaayega Aanewaala” (from the 1949 film Mahal) that marked the beginning of Lata Mangeshkar’s domination in Hindi film music.

Sadly, Khemachand Prakash did not live much longer to taste and build upon the success of the music of ‘Mahal’. He passed away on August 10, 1950 leaving us to imagine what else he could have accomplished had he lived longer.
Know About the Latest Jewellery Trends In 2020 To Keep Your Style Statement Trendy
Tags: Jewelry, Trends, Jewelry Design

Know About the Latest Jewellery Trends In 2020 To Keep Your Style Statement Trendy Bulbandkey Dec 11, 2019·3 min read

“You don’t need a special day to wear trendy jewelry. You can wear trendy jewelry and make it a special day”

Trust us, just one piece of jewelry can be a conversation starter. Your jewelry can be an exclamation point of your outfit but you should know what place you should buy it from. Jewelry is sold all around the world, in the extreme old corners of the market and also in the posh most area of the city. You can find jewelers everywhere. This confuses buyers and they are unable to decide how and where should they buy.

Women don’t want to spend much on money and wear better jewels. They want to look like a diva by paying a low price on good jewelry. Buying affordable trendy jewelry is not as easy as it might seem offline. And that is the reason, to support our divas and enhance your jewelry quality, we bring you the latest jewelry trends of 2020.

TASSEL EARRINGS

“A fun pair of earrings is basically the finishing touch to any outfit. It gives a shout-out to your aura. It gives an outer lining to what you wore. A good pair of earrings is the end definition to your statement style”. So are tassel earrings. They are a highlight of your look and can make any simple look turn into an Indo western style. They are highly competitive in their own type.

CROCHET JEWELRY

Crocheted jewelry pieces are the new sensation women are drooling over these days. Gorgeous neckpieces, fancy earrings, stylish bracelets, and finger rings all can be created out of crochet yarn and crochet hooks. The beauty and style of these crochet jewelry designs can be elevated more by using pearls, beads, and buttons.

QUILLING JEWELRY

Usually, jewelry is heavy in weight and sometimes it becomes a little difficult to wear them for a longer duration. So quilling jewelry is the best solution to your problem. Quilling jewelry is very lightweight and easy to carry. These perfect jewels quilled in the form earrings are a blessing in the world of fashion. Wearing quilling jewelry is the trend of the day.

KUNDAN JEWELRY

Kundan means ‘highly refined gold’; so the quality of gold used to design kundan jewelry is of high purity. Kundan jewelry was very popular in the Mughal royalty and these designs depict elegance and rich appearance. Now kundan jewelry is worn by all on festivals and occasions like weddings, religious ceremonies and engagements.

This type of jewellery has more detailed and intricate designs. Precious and semi-precious stones like ruby, diamond, sapphire and emerald are used. As a tribute to Indian ethnicity, Kundan transforms Indian attire and enhances a woman’s beauty immensely.

To Read Full Article Click On The Link Below

https://bulbandkey.com/blog/jewellery/latest-jewelry-trends-in-2020/
Finding the perfect Celtic Wedding Jewellery
By: Rorie Hood
Tags: Jewelry

If you’re from a Celtic nation like me, you might be thinking about opting for Celtic Wedding Jewellery for your big day. Knots, swirls and ancient tribal patterns are all the hallmarks of traditional looking Celtic Jewellery. There are a few great places to get started when looking.

Etsy

The first is Etsy. Etsy is filled with small and medium retailers — many of which without websites of their own. Here you can find a huge range of everything from rings to earrings.

2. Big Retailers

Big retailers such as H Samuel or Tiffany’s stock lots of different options for Wedding Jewellery. There options range from everything to plain wedding bands to more complex designs. Celtic styled bands however are not something they stock much or, and you may struggle to find what you’re looking for.

3. Independent Goldsmiths

If you’re after something a little more authentic, consider discussing your wants and desires with an independent Celtic Goldsmith. Dorothy Hood is an independent Scottish Goldsmith that produces all her own Jewellery. As an independent, she doesn’t have the staffing costs that big retailers have and is often much cheaper. She’s also happy to modify her designs, or take on commissions.