fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Python for MLR Model Diagnosis — Part 3
By: Adam Edelweiss
Tags: Python, Subset Selection, Forward Selection, Linear Regression, Mathematics

Import Packages

import copy

from math import * import pandas as pd

import numpy as np

import scipy

from scipy import stats

from scipy.stats import kstest

from scipy.stats import boxcox

import scipy.linalg as linalg from sklearn import linear_model

import statsmodels.api as sm

import statsmodels.formula.api as smf

from statsmodels.stats.diagnostic import het_breuschpagan

from patsy import dmatrices

from statsmodels.stats.outliers_influence import variance_inflation_factor import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

import seaborn as sns

%config InlineBackend.figure_format='retina'

2. Subset Selection

An example instance is,

SubsetSelection(df_brand, 'BrandLiking')

The output is,

3. Forward Stepwise Model Selection (Automatically Select)

An example instance is,

ForwardSelection(df_icecream, 'cons', 'R_sq_adj')

The plot of the model selection is,

The output is,

'cons ~ temp + income + price'

Note that different methods can give different results,

ForwardSelection(df_icecream, 'cons', 'aic')

The plot of the model selection is,

The output is,
Linear Regression Explained
By: Jason Wong
Tags: Regression, Statsmodels, Regression Assumptions, Linear Regression, Statistical Learning

Regression

Regression analysis is a statistical methodology that allows us to determine the strength and relationship of two variables. Regression is not limited to two variables, we could have 2 or more variables showing a relationship. The results from the regression help in predicting an unknown value depending on the relationship with the predicting variables. For example, someone’s height and weight usually have a relationship. Generally, taller people tend to weigh more. We could use regression analysis to help predict the weight of an individual, given their height.

When there is a single input variable, the regression is referred to as Simple Linear Regression. We use the single variable (independent) to model a linear relationship with the target variable (dependent). We do this by fitting a model to describe the relationship. If there is more than predicting variable, the regression is referred to as Multiple Linear Regression.

Ordinary Least Squares

You may have heard of Ordinary Least Squares Regression. When we are attempting to find the “best fit line”, the regression model can sometimes be referred to as Ordinary Least Squares Regression. This just means that we’re using the smallest sum of squared errors. The error is the difference between the predicted y value subtracted from the actual y value. The difference is squared so there is an absolute difference, and summed.
Python for MLR Model Diagnosis — Part 1&2
By: Adam Edelweiss
Tags: Mathematics, Python, Linear Regression, Model Diagnosis

from math import *

import pandas as pd

import numpy as np

import scipy

from scipy import stats

from scipy.stats import kstest

from scipy.stats import boxcox

import scipy.linalg as linalg

from sklearn import linear_model

import statsmodels.api as sm

import statsmodels.formula.api as smf

from statsmodels.stats.diagnostic import het_breuschpagan

from patsy import dmatrices

from statsmodels.stats.outliers_influence import variance_inflation_factor

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

import seaborn as sns

%config InlineBackend.figure_format='retina'
Weighted Polynomial Regression with NumPy
By: Albert Um
Tags: Numpy, Python, Linear Regression

Photo by Cyril Saulnier on Unsplash

For this blog, I will try to explain an approach to weighted regression using Python package NumPy. Before I dive into this, it’s necessary to go over some linear algebra terms such as vectors, matrices, dot product, matrix inverse, and linear regression.

Vectors and matrices can mean different things depending on the industry. For this case, vectors can be thought of as a single array of numbers and matrices to be a rectangular array of numbers compiled by a number of vectors. Note: a column vector is a row*1 matrix and a row vector is a 1*c matrix.

Multiplying matrices is the summation of the product of each element. The elements from the first matrix are read row-wise and elements on the second matrix are read column-wise. Please note for matrix_1 with m rows and n columns and matrix_2 with o rows and p columns, the dot product will return a matrix of m rows and p columns. (m*n).(o*p) = (m*p). It’s also important that the number of columns on the first matrix must match the rows of the second.

The output of the dot product gives a similar formula to linear regression. Success! Please recall the following formula:

X_i is the input and the beta values are constants to compute the y_hat. The objective is to find the values of Beta_2, Beta_1, and Beta_0. Please recall the following equation.

I now have a means of calculating the beta values given I have an input X and y actual. The calculations(the hard part) will be done with NumPy.
Python學習日記(3) — Machine Learning(Linear Regression)
By: Kevin 陳子畬
Tags: Python, Linear Regression, Practice, 學習, Machine Learning

簡單線性迴歸

只有1個解釋變數，利用數學一次方程式表示，如下所示

y = a +bx

繪製f(x)=2x-12的圖形

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

x = [x for x in range(0,11)]

y = [(2*y-12) for y in x ]

plt.plot(x,y)

plt.xticks(x) #標記每個單一x數字

plt.axis([0,10,-20,15]) #標記刻度範圍

plt.grid()

plt.show() #加格線

繪製的一元一次線性圖形中最重要的組成為斜率跟截距

斜率(Slope):斜率的特色為不論從直線哪2個點算出來的斜率皆相同

截距(Intercept):可分為x截距和y截距。直線與x軸相交點的x座標為x截距;與y軸相交點的y 座標為y截距。

在y = ax + b中，y截距為b，斜率為a。

在機器學習中，假設使用f(x) = ax + b為線性迴歸分析函數，適度的調整a和b的值，然後找出與數據點最近的直線。

迴歸分析就是找出 a和b，給資料後，利用最小平方法，使用最小誤差的觀念尋找最佳函數。

假設給定一組氣溫(x)和飲料銷量(y)資料

建立簡單線性回歸的預測模型，提供氣溫則能預測出銷量，如下所示：

import numpy as np

import pandas as pd

from sklearn.linear_model import LinearRegression

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

#先建立兩者的Numpy陣列

temperatures = np.array([22,26,23,28,27,32,30,29,27,25])

volumes = np.array([15,35,21,62,48,101,86,89,60,45])

#接著建立X解釋變數的DataFrame物件

#y反應變數是DataFrame物件target的volumes欄位

#利用兩者來訓練預測模型

X= pd.DataFrame(temperatures,columns=[‘Temperature’])

y= pd.DataFrame(volumes,columns=[“Volumes”])

lm = LinearRegression()

#fit()函數訓練模型

lm.fit(X,y)

#利用coef_找出迴歸係數,intercept找出截距

print(“迴歸係數:”,lm.coef_) → 迴歸係數: [[9.13074205]]

print(“截距:”,lm.intercept_) →截距: [-189.41696113]

＃代表函數為：f(x)=9.13x-189.42

#預測25,30度銷量

new_temperatures = pd.DataFrame(np.array([25,30]))

#使用predict()函數預測銷量

predicted_volumes = lm.predict(new_temperatures)

print(“25度預測銷量:%d

30度預測銷量:%d”

%(predicted_volumes[0],predicted_volumes[1]))

→25度預測銷量:38

30度預測銷量:84

plt.scatter(temperatures,volumes) #繪出訓練數據

regression_volumes = lm.predict(X)

plt.plot(temperatures,regression_volumes,color = “yellow”)

#繪出迴歸直線

plt.plot(new_temperatures,predicted_volumes,

color = “black”, marker=”o”,markersize=8)

#繪出預測的兩個點

plt.grid()

plt.show()
Merry Christmas!
By: K. Exum
Tags: Personal, Lifestyle, Merry Christmas, Journaling, Piecesofkblog

Weekly Thoughts #82: Merry Christmas!

This week I did my first feature this week. Received a DM about doing a feature. I have literally seen at least 5 of these DMs before. But I always tell them no or tell them one day I’ll do it. Then never talk to them again. Not this time. I just wanted to do it. I didn’t even do it for money. I just had to prove to myself I could. Spoken word slash rap collaboration has been done. Have to cross one off the bucket list. Was nervous, but took a couple hours to write and record. I have no idea for when it’s coming but will let you all know when it does. My Verse is below.

Change Ft: How you want me to change? But this the man you fell in love with Worried bout all these chicks When your vibe the only one I'm fucking with I only got a taste for your lips Your body is my picnic Love the taste of every inch of it From your rolls, to the waves on your ass that flow like ocean when I hit it Them pretty brown eyes Shine bright enough to make the sun jealous God blessed me when he made you My loyalty lies with you They can look but I'll never touch Waiting on a me to change But I never switched up on you There's nobody like you Your one of a kind like the Mona Lisa K

The feature came out. The song was about like some being insecure about their partner. Basically about trying to get the girl back. So that’s why I wrote that. I think I could have recorded it better. It was okay, not my best work on my part. It was an enjoyable experience. I want to do more, actually. I know some people that rap too. It’s going to happen soon. I like the challenge. It reminds me of my weekly writing prompts.

On the topic of writing prompts. I have missed 3 weeks in a row. I am truly sorry. I have found none that has inspired me to write a poem. I guess I’m having another writer’s block. I’m going to work through it. I’m going to make up those 3 that I missed. No excuses.

Christmas came and went just like that. It honestly just felt like another Friday. It didn’t feel joyful as all the other years. Quite boring, but I hope yours was better. On the timeline, it was plenty that enjoyed theirs. So that’s great, I guess. I got a couple of good items. My mother was the real MVP, like all the other years of my life. She got my mac fixed, new shoes, and airpods. I love that woman. What did you receive? Tell me in the comments and I’ll see you next week.

New Feature: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJL7FaoHr0s/

Check Out My New Single: https://songwhip.com/k-exum/goodbye-text
If At First You Don’t Succeed
By: Anish P
Tags: Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Personal, Growth, Motivation

Photo by Jordan Whitfield on Unsplash

That Feeling

Everyone knows that feeling. The moment when you have given it everything you have and you still fall short. The worst thing that can happen in sports is getting 4th place at The Olympics. You train your entire life at one thing, to be great in every way possible, only to find out that on the entire planet there are three people that are better than you. That feeling of knowing you gave it your all only to not achieve to you mind’s desire can be soul crushing and for some people it knocks them out of the big game. What is the big game? It is the one that they call life.

Transforming The Feeling

Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam said to Pramukh Swami Maharaj, “Swamiji, when I first launched a rocket it failed, and I became very depressed and disheartened. At that time I thought about becoming a sannyasi (ascetic), and giving up everything.” Pramukh Swami Maharaj said, “The Srimad Bhagvadgita defines renunciation in a unique way. “One must renounce not the performance of deeds, but renounce the desire for the fruits of those action.” It is my belief that with this thought His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj was able to transform “The Feeling”. He drove himself selflessly, not wanting anything in return for what he was giving. He strived day and night for the betterment of humanity, and even when those very humans he was helping let him down he did not frown upon them. In actuality he only gave more of himself to them. Pramukh Swami Maharaj in this same conversation said to Dr. Kalam, “Human effort and God’s grace move the world…” I believe that His Holinesses only focused his mind on his efforts, prayed to God, and with that grace changed the world around him.

Now My Turn

It is here that I stumble, hard! The reason is because I have an expectation of the outcome. I am not selflessly giving myself to any task that I am tackling. I am doing it with a result in mind, and with that result some sort of recognition. It is because of this that I am going to have difficulty ever accepting the outcomes that do not fit into my mind. Also it will stop me from giving 100% of myself 100% of the time. Thus, for me to take that next step in realizing what I am capable of, I have to let go of my definition of what should happen. I should focus on what I can control like His Holiness did. My efforts. My prayers. His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj often says, “Do your best and leave the rest.” It is by these words of Mahant Swami Maharaj and the actions of Pramukh Swami Maharaj that I need to live by.
Data Scientist
By: Ravindra Nath
Tags: Personal

Hi All

So This is my first blog. I just wanna share my thoughts how i have entered data science carrer. what are the struggles i faced during my carrer

Hope to have a good blogging
Scientific Method
By: Cassidy Bishop
Tags: Poem, Personal, Experimental, Poetry, Poet

Call it a tear in your throat.

I am the long, sleepless night you’ve been waiting for.

One moment here, the next gone -

don’t call 911 when anyone leaves, including me.

Call it a glance.

I am simply here for the ride;

well, the ride of every recollection you may have longed for.

Not to say I do not miss you -

I am an enigma that even I have yet to understand.

Call it a loss. Maybe you, too,

can hypothesize me into existence.

Maybe you can manifest me.

It’s true that the only way to get your answers is by actively seeking them out.

Don’t ask me who I am, though,

I don’t have a response for that.

I do, however, enjoy things associated with dirt.

You know, earth.

Water.

Biological stuff.

Because that is all we are:

mysteries, wrapped in biological stuff…

however, some (mysteries) simply must remain mysteries.

Call it, perhaps, curiosity.

I’d rather die than live a boring life and that’s why I am still alive.
What’s up?
By: Dee Santiago
Tags: Personal, Adult, Life, Writing

Hey! It has been so long since I wrote here on Medium. There were many things that has happened over months. I was scrolling and found out that my last entry was about being stuck in this house due to lockdown. Well, guess what??? PH is still in lockdown. No progress yet. Imagine?? Really incompetent. But I don’t want to dive into those terrible problems.

Tonight, I am writing because I don’t have anybody to talk to at this time. I want to share with you some of the great highlights that has occurred in my life the past months (will be doing this in bullets).

I am handling St. Lucy for 20–21. No words to express how lucky I am to be assigned to 34 intelligent girls. But a few number of my parents are really…. I don’t want to elaborate.

Boss still ??????. Seriously we are entering 2021 and yet she does not show any progress when it comes to her old, classic habits in treating her teachers.

Initially enrolled myself in two classes, but I dropped my sped elective. I admit that there were hesitations in the process. I even had to consult my Ara to help me out. Some context: Since 20–21 is situated in online learning setup, my sped prof was being so unfair by just giving so much readings (+more) and scheduling a requirement urgently. I mean, it was bad timing then. I was adjusting to the new ICA setup (+ boss??) and receiving emails with many attachments in it is just plain gruesome for me. I retained reading class and I must say that it was really challenging, but worth it. I was one of the few who bravely placed myself into MA class in ODL. I am proud of myself. I was good in that class. (*fingers crossed* for a good grade)

Holiday at the moment. Entered the K-pop world (once again) because of BTS. My boys — the true source of my happiness. I'm so gaining endorphins just by watching them. I love all 7 of them but of course having a bias is unavoidable. Mine is Jimin. One bullet on my to-do list is to buy a pet fish which I will call Jimin, and some succulents in which other BTS members’ names will be used. (just awhile ago, boss sent me the revised worksheets/assessments I made. As usual, here she goes again with being so meticulous in English. I know I cannot resign. It’s my loss, actually, never hers. I just wanna think that whenever she does these psychotic things again, I will just watch BTS. She seriously does not deserve my time and energy. In 2021, I want to be tougher. Stronger. And only care to/mind those people to are important, and boss is not one of them. So if circumstances like this happen, I will shrug her off like she’s nothing. She is really nothing to me but a boss who checks all papers.

I am LEARNING HANGUL!

So far, that is it. I feel happy to have written here again. I hope I can manage to continue this despite all the things that I wanna do (paint by numbers, jigsaw puzzles etc. etc.)

Tbh, this is way better that writing on paper. See ya!
I'm All About Everything
By: Julia Fustini
Tags: Everything, Personal, Intro, Creative

This is me, well, me on a good day at least. My name is Julia Fustini, I’m a college student, studying history and geography at a college in Colorado. I hope to become a museum curator or an archaeologist once I graduate. I am interested in true crime stories as well as politics, and even crafts. I love a lot of things. I’m a real estate photographer currently, I'm getting a second job as a staff member at a doggy daycare, and I also run a very very small business off Etsy where I make candles. I can be a little all over the place with what I'm into at any time. I’ve recently picked up sewing and I use the small pouches I sew for packaging on my candles. I hope you like the small stories I publish, I expect it to be a lot of history notes, journaling, and any commission work I can find!
Hello World!
By: Cruithne Kitsune
Tags: Personal, Introduction

Hello World!

I’ve decided to start a blog to record my random journey in learning various things. I love to draw and craft stuff since I was little. When in school, I start to take interest in math & science courses. Since I’m interested in both, I love to combine my knowledge to build something unordinary.

Art & science, they’re usually considered an opposite topic.

However I find that my math knowledge always helps me in my crafting, and my artistic mind helps me in making a less intimidating science presentation.

I’m currently work as a lecturer in a university in my hometown. I live in Bandung, Indonesia. I teach computer science, especially programming & algorithm. My hobby includes teaching, programming, playing online games, cosplaying, costume making, drawing, etc. Really…, I have too many stuff that I like ( ´ ▽ ` ).

I’m a BIG fan of Japan.

It’s true I started as a regular “fujoshi”. I read manga, watch anime, play Japanese games, listen to Japanese songs. But later on I started to learn the language and observer their culture. There are many things that I love a bout them, really (o^▽^o). But I’m a lazy and moody person, so I think living in Indonesia suits me better hahaha… .

Now I will talk about my pen name.

“Tsuki Kitsune” is the name that I choose as my cosplayer name. Tsuki means moon, I always love clear starry sky with full moon, it’s very pretty! Kitsune means fox. I actually loves cat (too much), but I choose fox because I cosplayed “Rin Kagamine — Amatsu Kitsune Ver.”. This is one of my favourite cosplay (* ^ ω ^). This vocaloid song is written by my favourite pianist, Marasy-san.

“Cruithne” is the name that I use in many online games I play. It is the name of an asteroid that orbits the Sun next to earth. It is very close to earth, so that initially researcher thought it is Earth’s 2nd moon. Only later one they figured out it’s not.

So I choose this name, Cruithne Kitsune, because it’s basically sums up my two worlds ! One represents my geek side, the other represents my artist side.
An introduction to the world.
By: Nurideen Kalmey
Tags: Personal, Mathematics, Software

System.out.println(“Hello world”);

My name is Nurideen Farah Kalmey, and this is my first Medium article! I hope to write about my education and career in mathematics, computer science, statistics, and software engineering, as well as the world as a whole.

To the reader, I look forward to sharing my experiences with you!

Yours hopefully

N.F.K
Start All Over Again
By: Furkan Göksel
Tags: Personal

Hello world,

I’m Furkan. I’m a security enthusiast and a person who has big dreams about his future. I’m writing this short text to describe myself. Currently, I’m just a computer engineering student but in the future I couldn’t imagine my position.

I love operating systems, I love exploitation, I love all things that are directly related to cyber security. That is why I created this medium account. I want to show my passion and knowledge in these topics.

Most of the time, while working, I take lots of notes that remind me the whole idea. Instead of using papers for note taking, I decided to use Medium platform, and write blog posts about methods, techniques. Of course, my primary goal is supporting my CV, but I think some people may benefit from these texts.

From this point, I will create some technical blog series (like exploitation, malicious codes, reversing, Windows internals etc.), and these series will contain articles from simple to difficult.

Just remember, I’m not a native English speaker or I’m not a professional. I may make some mistakes. Please feel free to reach me out to fix these mistakes. But one day, I will translate these blog posts into Turkish and benefit Turkish students who want to deal with this field.

Shall we begin?
About Me
By: Cassidy Bishop
Tags: Personal, Introduction, Get To Know Me, Autobiography, Bio

Hi, everyone! I want my readers to get to know me a little better, so here is a brief introduction into who I am. I am a 19-year-old currently residing in Northern Colorado, and I have passion for the outdoors, art, and writing poetry. I am studying Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, working to get hired by the National Park Service or the US Fish and Wildlife Service in a conservation career in order to inflict real change and improve how humans treat the earth.

At that, I am a student not only to my professors, but to myself as well. I believe everyone has something to teach others and there is a purpose for people coming and going out of your life. In other words, I’m a little pretentious (hey, at least I don’t deny it).

On the topic of art, I consider writing an art form. As an artist, I have been writing for almost my whole life, and have been writing poetry for 5 years and counting. I want to induce inspiration for other young writers like me and for people who love to read poetry.

I am an experimental poet, but I have a very versatile writing style both in format and in language. I believe it is important to have fun with when you’re writing, and not take the “rules” of writing too seriously. It’s important to me that I’m not boring, so I welcome any feedback.

Well, you made it to the end. Thanks for stopping by and reading my works!

Cassidy
50 Prepositions
By: Macy May
Tags: Personal, Fiction, Grammar, Life Lessons, Poetry

In the 7th grade, we had to memorize 50 prepositions. Not sure of the pedagogical validity of this assignment, yet each week we regurgitated a list of words onto a page of wide-ruled loose-leaf paper.

About, above, across, after, against, along. Among, around, at, beside, between, beyond, but, by, down. The list was in alphabetical order, so these are the phrases I remember most. When my mind is racing from stress or wandering with boredom, these words sing through my head. Today I checked out a book from the library. As I ventured into the world of George Orwell’s 1984, I felt inspired. The kind of inspiration that comes in an imaginary/not imaginary form. Taylor Swift has coined that phrase now, in an Instagram post promoting her 2nd surprise album in the past 6 months. But long before her fantastical albums graced our ears, I too dealt with a writer inside of me, inspired by me, but not exactly me.

During, except, for, from. It comes back in waves. Like the gusts of wind in a blizzard. Or like the crippling anxiety from a global pandemic. With a wave of memories came a wave of inspiration. It washed over me and I began writing stories in my mind. I wrote about the feelings of nostalgia and loneliness only a Christmastime snowstorm can bring. I wrote about the feelings of bliss and tranquility a full-bodied glass of red can provide. I wrote about the energy and excitement of New York City. In my mind, I wrote these stories.

In, inside, into. That’s about half of the list. I envisioned a series of essays, “On this” and “On that”. Then I envisioned a series of essays, one for every preposition. The flurries of ideas and memories in my mind left me searching for a medium. Or, perhaps, just Medium. A place to draft, a place to share, a place to bring me through, to, toward.

Customarily, one should not end a sentence with a preposition. But this is my story about prepositions and the destination is unknown. So conventions be damned.
Recap of the good from 2020
Tags: Year In Review, Personal, Look Back

2. Daily exercise routine 🏋🏻‍♀️

That’s one of the reasons I wanted to become a morning person. And this year, there has not been a day I have not exercised. I started with daily yoga as it is a practice I enjoy and I could stick to it (Yoga with Adriane and Boho beautiful are my favorites).

After having a foundation and habit of moving daily, I added more cross-body exercises following the Nike training club. I observed I felt more energized during the day if I would do exercise which pumps up my heart rate. As a result of continuous practice, I saw positive benefits, I fell in love with my daily get moving routine and felt more confident to commit to it. I am now working out at CrossFit box 3x per week, absolutely loving it, and always looking forward to the next practice. The rest of the week I keep up with yoga plus long hikes on the weekend.
My 2020 Journey
By: Muazzim Ms
Tags: Personal, Life, Challenge, Job Change, 2020

New life

Since beginning i really love doing UI/UX Design. Even when i was working at Dyson as Web Developer, I’m volunteer my self to do all the designs for every of our projects. In Q2, I decided to start looking for a job change, and retires myself as web developer (just kidding about the retirement, I will be always code).

Got few interviews

I think i sent more than 30 applications through job platform like Linkedin, Jobstreet, and Glassdoor. I must said that UI/UX Designer role is quite high demand in Malaysia. I even got interviews from some of good companies like Zalora, Razer, HP, Celcom, Petronas, and Vanna (place where I’m working currently).

Yes. I got rejected on my very first interview at Zalora. It makes me realise that I need to keep learning and improving myself in order to get my dream job.

First assignment

Passed the first round of interview with Vanna. They giving me an assignment. The assignment is all about designing screens for their upcoming product, and I only got 2 weekends to finish it. Luckily, I manage to deliver the assignment on time despite having a lot challenge as my wife is already at her 8 months of pregnant.

Officially become a father

On 2nd September, 2020, my little princess is safely born. I think I am one of the happiest person on that day. We name our daughter Khalisha Azzahra. She’s so cute like her father of course 😝.

New responsibility, new challenge, and new experience for both of us.

First presentation as father

While still happy with the birth of our daughter, I had to present the assignment that I worked on to Vanna. I’m so glad that they giving me a few days for me to get prepared. Basically I did the presentation during my paternity leave. So, I can really focus on that presentation.

Got the job!

I’m so blessed. That’s the only thing i can say at that moment. Vanna has offered me with the job and i accepted it! All the works i did before is finally paid off. On 19 October, I’m officially a full-time UI/UX Designer at Vanna.
An Open Letter to a Predator — Part I
By: Neda Elewa
Tags: Personal, Consent, Letters

You,

You scare me; you fucking terrify me. What was I to you? Merely nothing but an object? How dare you play me for a fool? Well, I really was a fool.

Everywhere do I see you: I see you in beards and in tall men; I see you in churches and blue sedans. You’re everywhere — following me, even in my dreams. Please, leave me be. Let me be, you’ve done your deed with every ounce of joy in happiness in the world. It’s funny that you find the will to sleep and treat yourself to the luxuries of the world. To me, you are the filth of this universe: a test.

You are a liar, a poor one dare I say. Bright, beautiful and wonderful you used to call me for the sake of getting your way. Lies, lies, lies. Enough lies, enough lies, please! I’m neither of these: I’m a fucking idiot. You were betting that I am… joke’s on me (as usual). We were never friends, were we? You never even cared.

I’m probably ugly, dumb and anything but bright. You bribed your way in; I never loved you. Never ever will I love someone whose life wholly revolves around everything materialistic. All you cared about was your sexual pleasure and your car. Nothing less, nothing more. What a hollow person you must be to not have any interests that speak of you.

I hate you. I hate you for using me, I hate you for making me hate myself. What the fuck is wrong with you? What the fuck have you done? I’m scared of you. Do not visit it me in my dreams, I’m begging you, please.

For months, you made me believe that I wanted this… that it’s all my fucking fault. “We’re only doing things you want to do,” you used to say. Then, you’d add these few twists, triggering me into complying and persisting until I did exactly what you wanted. Tell me, was it funny to watch me break apart? Was it funny to make up tonnes of stories and play me for the fool I was? I bet it was because, as of now, I do nothing but laugh with drying tears as I remember what went down.

You wanted to go even further and force me to give you what you can’t take except willingly. My body is mine; it was never yours. This statement never got through your head, and you thought that you’re entitled to every inch of my body. That’s do not true – I really hope not.

I wish you fucking die more than I wish for anything in this world. You were a selfish bastard, bragging about any ounce of showy goodwill you did. Oh, you feed the poor? You donate money? As you should, that’s nothing to be proud of.

How can you live with yourself knowing that you drove countless girls to this state of despair? We all begged you to leave us be and leave us alone. Did that get you off? I have a question: was the sexual satisfaction worth ruining the teenage years of tens of girls? Do you even think about that?

Go die, kill your fucking self.
Stress Relieving: For Personal Entertainment
By: Kristy Tran
Tags: Random, Personal, Boredom

There are multiple ways people have fun. Like enjoy a book with a warm beverage, or watch the latest episode from a favorite t.v. show, or play a video game that could be mind-numbing. Well, I do those things too, but like when I feel inspired or motivated to do something that’ll need my focus without having to move around. But one thing I tend to do and take on is researching random topics that pique my interest. Most of the topics I’ve compiled were during pre-COVID era like concert etiquette, intermittent fasting, and England’s history (planned to travel there for vacation).

For the most part, I break down what I research by first simply typing in the search bar and seeing what I find first. And then I move on its history or background; i.e. where it originated from, and then I move onto any subdivision; like if the history provided more information that I could research about, and then I go into the methods it can be done or used; like how intermittent fasting is commonly done and in what steps. But even though I do all that, I forget sometimes to cite/paste in the sources that I read and used to compile my research. Luckily, it’s easy to remember what they were since I mainly use unbiased sources or informed and educated organizations cites. However, the downside to that is I tend to get lazy and don’t cross-reference any information I get with other sources.

So, while my time could be better spent doing more productive learning work, I successfully procrastinate by doing and finding other ways to fill my time to distract myself from actual work that I need to get done. Such as, random research that literally didn’t need to be done, but for the sake of my curiosity and boredom, it becomes a priority.
Don’t go looking for the secrets of life too much!
By: Asanka Danushka
Tags: Personal, Poetry On Medium, Buddhism, Poetry, Meditation

Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash

Our entire life is a

meditation;

Who try to meditate especially:

Doesn’t know

Our real-life is meditation.

So I’m going to tell you;

“Don’t go looking for the secrets of life too much! If you look for secrets, the answer to all those secrets is a lie, so live quietly within the perceived limit without looking for answers.”
home, my love.
Tags: Personal

this wasn’t planned at all.

it was not intended to let the words,

“i love you too” hang in the air

as a response to your serenade.

but this is not the end

for two wandering hearts,

bottling the tears from their past.

oh how much have i longed,

a home for my restless mind.

it was three in the morning,

i was abruptly awaken,

you asked me if i love you.

if i weren’t so groggy,

i would have said more than

“i love you so much”.

how i wish i’ve sung you

a song i really like that said:

“you’re no longer alone,

i’ll remain by your side.

and even if the world stops turning,

i won’t, never shall i leave you.”

cry no more, my love,

they can no longer hurt you.

you’re home now, my love,

i shall wipe every tear

brought by the trials and tribulations

of a bitter past,

a history that will never repeat again.
Watch My Six
By: Anish P
Tags: Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Personal

Photo by Diego González on Unsplash

Around The Corner

Have you ever played laser tag or paintball? The most nerve-wrecking part is wondering who is around each corner. When you play the game it is best to have someone right behind you to protect you from what lurks around the corner. It is odd that it takes two people to knock out one person, but that margin safety is what helps win the game. Similarly, when we go about life it always helps to have a friend, mentor, or guru to help us move forward. To think that we can go about it alone is arrogance. Not only that, but without going forward with another person we do not go as far as we possibly could. One reason is because that person who stands behinds us pushes us to past our comfort zone. Another reason is that they see things from alternate perspective which helps us navigate obstacles. Yet the most reason I think is just the confidence that we are not going at it alone.

I Will Always Be With You

The late A.P.J Abdul Kalam in his book Transcendence narrates a moment in which he was going to speak in parliament in the United Kingdom and was worried about his speech. At that moment he remember the words of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, “When you think of me, I am with you.” Remembering these words and and putting them into practice in that moment Dr. Kalam was inspired with confidence. He gave a riveting speech to which many members of the parliament said that they had never heard a speech so well written and delivered. Dr. Kalam writes in his book that it would not have been possible it was not for His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj. To understand the words of His Holiness, “I will always be with you.” helps us know we have a safety net. We know that we are not walking on this path alone. There is someone always watching our back and giving us the push forward that we need. To become fearless we need to believe in his words and trust in his guidance. To exceed expectations we must drive our minds to unite with his wishes just as A.P.J Abdul Kalam did.

No Fear

Fearlessness is what separates the pack. It drives the mediocre to become extraordinary. This is not to say one makes irresponsible decisions, rather one should make bold decisions with limited risk. In doing so, fear is removed and the upside remains. Doing as Pramukh Swami Maharaj has done and asked us to do will help me personally overcome this fear I have. To think I am going at it alone is a huge fear and one that brings me to wits end. Yet, by taking a mere 2 minutes in my day to remember His Holiness and believe that I am going about this life with Pramukh Swami Maharaj will separate me from the pack and place me with the one I truly want to associate with.
HOW I DEALT WITH MY FRANTIC AND NOT SO FRANTIC WEEK!
By: Hitesh Writes
Tags: Storytelling, Personal, Experience

It was a lazy Sunday morning. I was meaninglessly scrolling through my Instagram, and a promotion popped up, it was from “ContentVidhya,” (It is a content writing workshop) and I wanted to attend the workshop. Finally, after a lot of convincing my dad, I booked my slot for it, paid the amount, and was excited. Now I’d like to tell you that my week went smoothly.

But, it did not. SURPRISE!

Whatever said and done, I am happy I went through all this, and I am happy I can share this with y’all. Buckle up.

SEMESTERS — MY WORST NIGHTMARE

IMAGE CREDITS — The Hindu

Because of Covid-19, I haven’t been studying like I used to do before, so it was a task to sit down and focus.

Although exuberant to attend the workshop, I still had my semesters going on. This made me a little worried. I had to cover a lot and had to hurry through it. In the midst of all this, I was also watching old Bollywood movies for inspiration on a script I am working on. And guess what, my semester went well, not as I wanted it to, but it went well. So I’ll take it.

SCREENWRITING MY WAY THROUGH

The only thing that kept me going was writing the script. This helped me tremendously to focus on my studies as well. Of course, on a bad “writing” day, my studies would be poor that day, but what kept me going was those good days.

IMAGE CREDITS — Needpix.com

When you find something you love, you can’t get enough of it!

THE CONTENT WRITING WORKSHOP

The most interesting thing after screenwriting was the workshop. I got to learn so much from my speaker — Mrs. Uma Madhavi. In six days, the concepts were clear to me, and I believe that I can confidently work through obstacles to break in as a writer in this industry and the film industry.

So that was my frantic and not so frantic week. It was good, but god was it hectic. This week was a memorable one. There was conflict, but there was a resolution to it all along, and I am thankful for this.

To get more information on ContentVidhya’s workshops, click here.
QBI Deduction Basics and a Year-End Tax Tip that Might Help You Qualify
By: Fiducial North America
Tags: Personal, Taxes, Small Business, Tax Central, For Business

Learn the basics of the QBI (qualified business income) deduction.

Find out how taxpayers other than corporations may qualify for the QBI deduction.

Discover a year-end tax-planning tip!

If you own a business, you may wonder if you’re eligible to take the qualified business income (QBI) deduction. We sometimes refer to this as the pass-through deduction or the Section 199A deduction.

The QBI deduction is:

available to owners of sole proprietorships, single member limited liability companies (LLCs), partnerships, and S corporations. It is also available to trusts and estates.

intended to reduce the tax rate on QBI to a rate that’s closer to the corporate tax rate.

taken “below the line.” In other words, it reduces your taxable income but not your adjusted gross income.

available regardless of whether you itemize deductions or take the standard deduction.

Taxpayers other than corporations may be entitled to a deduction of up to 20% of their QBI. For 2020, if taxable income exceeds $163,300 for single taxpayers, or $326,600 for a married couple filing jointly, the QBI deduction may be limited based on different scenarios. These include whether the taxpayer engages in a service-type of trade or business (such as law, accounting, health, or consulting), the amount of W-2 wages paid by the trade or business, and/or the unadjusted basis of qualified property (such as machinery and equipment) held by the trade or business.

The limitations are phased in. For example, the phase-in for 2020 applies to single filers with taxable income between $163,300 and $213,300. The phase-in applies to joint filers with taxable income between $326,600 and $426,600.

For tax years beginning in 2021, the inflation-adjusted threshold amounts will be $164,900 for single taxpayers, and $329,800 for married couples filing jointly.

Year-end planning tip

Some taxpayers may achieve significant savings with respect to this deduction, by deferring income or accelerating deductions at year end. In this way, they come under the dollar thresholds (subject to a smaller phaseout of the deduction) for 2020. Depending on your business model, you also may be able to increase the deduction by increasing W-2 wages before year end. The rules are quite complex, so call Fiducial at 1–866-FIDUCIAL or make an appointment at one of our office locations before taking next steps.

Ready to book an appointment now? Click here. Know someone who might need our services? We love referrals!

For more small business COVID-19 resources, visit Fiducial’s Coronavirus Update Center to find information on SBA loans, tax updates, the Paycheck Protection Program, paid sick and family leave, and more.
Stepping Out of Media Overload. In April 2020, a friend and I decided…
By: Charlie Gedeon
Tags: Personal, Media Literacy, Social Media, News, Media Theory

In April 2020, a friend and I decided to start a digital media literacy initiative. We wanted to combat the rampant misinformation happening at the start of COVID-19. The idea was to infiltrate people’s social media feeds with thoughtful posts about how to approach current topics. Thus, ThinkFirst News was born. At the onset, this worked well. Our page’s posts were consistent and people took notice. Then the news got worse, misinformation more nefarious, and online comments more divided. It culminated with an explosion in our home country of Lebanon that shook our ability to handle the negativity.

We limped through a few weeks following the blast. Our posts became infrequent and as we got ready to ramp up again, then the elections in the US came crashing in. This was the final blow for my own sanity. The sheer volume of unpleasant, poorly reported news, and online vitriol broke me. Operating ThinkFirst became quite difficult. It felt as though there were no more lessons to teach, and no one to listen. No matter what we would say, we would upset someone from the left or the right. It became clear that the only effective way to reach the masses was to pander to a side, but we were not interested in that.

As the year comes to a close a new strain of COVID-19 is emerging, we’ve seen almost no change in these behaviours. ThinkFirst still gets an occasional update, but it’s been challenging to figure out what to say next. This year, I was fortunate enough to land a Ground News as a client. They are tackling online polarization by highlighting the political leanings of news outlets. While I laud their effort, we need more efforts like beyond news outlets. We need solutions across a variety of different areas if we are to gain any traction towards constructive social discourse.

The spirit of ThinkFirst lives on, even if we have momentarily found it difficult to find inspiration. For the last decade there have been two issues at the forefront of my mind: Digital media literacy and proactivity towards algorithms. We need to inform our next iterations of digital tools with the latest discoveries in neuroscience. We can no longer sit idly by as our devices place funnels of sh*t down our throats. The giant digital platforms, once the beacons of innovation, cannot correct the course of society on their own.

My time for sitting back and thinking about this ended in early 2020. I have taken some preliminary actions towards solutions but I am not satisfied. There is far too much work to do, far too many minds to save, and far too much abuse to curtail. There are also far too many possibilities. I will not pretend to be confident about what the next step should be, but I know I want to take it.

If you are also interested in this, I would love to meet you — even if it’s for a sanity-saving chat. You can reach me on LinkedIn, Twitter, or my email, which you can find on my website.

We can only fix this together.
Cities
Tags: Personal, Life, Life Lessons, Travel, Reflections

Some cities hold a special place in my heart, not because I lived there for years, but they helped to unearth a part of myself. For better or worse, I could never go back to the person I used to be.

First encounter with such a city made me feel like a butterfly that is just coming out of its chrysalis. Small, insignificant and not yet sure of flying. But has taken the first step towards freedom nonetheless. It was a cold December. I watched everything with wide eyed wonder. I approached new languages, people and cultures with a naivete that was so unbecoming in a woman of my age. I was so oblivious to the measuring eyes of others. What felt like a small step to others felt like a huge jump from Earth to Mars for me. It still does.

The next visit was after an year. It was a hot and humid May. I was a different person altogether - still undecided and clueless about so many things in life, yet so different. At that time, every aspect of life seemed to be rosy even when I was unsure of what I wanted out of that phase. Love changes you like that. We found so many new places, and swore that we would go back there again. Tea, bookshops, sea - It was all perfect. In my heart of hearts I embraced the exhilaration of romance with a tinge of sorrow, knowing that this one is not bound to last and yet hoping against hope.

I couldn't bring myself to visit the city again for more than six years. But I knew I needed a day in the city again - to heal. I made it happen in last year. It was July and the city was nothing like I have seen before. It was moody, about to pour down and it felt like a reflection of myself in the mirror. I traveled in the trains, taxis, buses, auto and searched for the familiar places. I remember going to the cafe I visited last time and having a dessert with the saltiness of my tears. Then I went to the bookshop and found out that it was closed years ago. It was a sign to let go of those memories, like a final nail in the coffin. When I left after days of wandering alone, I felt relieved.

I don't know if I will ever go back to that city again. May be some day, I will make new memories there!
Covid0 Blues
Tags: Personal, Covid, Journal, Mentalhealth, Diary

Covid Blues

Hi.

It’s been a long time. I’ve come to accept that this is how I function. I don’t want to force myself to pour out my emotions every few days. I stopped expecting things to happen. I’ve stopped forcing things that I know will only disappoint me in the future.

I have been letting things just happen as they were meant to. If I can’t change it, I’m not spending time worrying about it any longer. This is the way I’m coping at the moment. Although I’m having difficulty in not having high expectations of myself, I’m working on it.

To be honest, the past few months every single day feels repetitive. Getting up so late in the day, to do little to no work, and then sleeping in the early morning to do it all over again. It has been tiring. I can’t believe that staying at home can be this exhausting! I feel more tired than when we used to travel to uni for 2 hours back and forth daily.

This is my entry for today. Who knows when I’ll be able to write again. I’ve been working on writing my dissertation while doing bits for my project as well, so that has been keeping me busy and should keep me busy until the next semester starts again…

I guess this is it for now. I’m working on things. I’m working on myself.

’Til the next one,

-S