#the main idea is that we will have to prove our age through government id that connects all of your online accounts to you

[hazydaydeer]

I imagine this ask is probably due to Australia literally banning under 16s from social media with rushed legislation that was not allowed input or debate. And boy is Australia the dumbest fucking country on the planet for doing it. Literally how do you implement it without risking everyone's very personal identifying details. And also kids need to be able to connect to their friends, support systems, and just information in general. The entire thing has been dodgy as hell and not at all for the kids.

do you agree with under 16s being banned from social media?

[endenogatai]

Self-reporting app for COVID-19 symptoms for UK research sees 650K downloads in 24 hours

One of the big challenges (among many) with the coronavirus pandemic is that overwhelmed health services do not always know how best to deploy the limited resources they have to meet the demand of people falling ill with COVID-19. For example, we know that more ventilators and beds will be needed, but where specifically are the outbreaks happening and how can those local areas be served better?

Now, an app in the U.K. called the C-19 COVID Symptom Tracker, developed out of an unlikely corner of medical research — looking into the progression of medical conditions by tracking twins — is asking people to self-report their symptoms in an effort to start to gather more of that detail.

And in a mark of how the public is trying to step up its efforts to get involved in the fight to contain the disease, the app has itself gone viral, with 650,000 downloads since being launched on Tuesday morning.

Developed by a startup called Zoe in partnership with researchers at Kings College Hospital in London, the plan is to bring the app next to the U.S., where the latter group had already been working with colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital and Stanford on a previous project (more on that below).

To be very clear, the app itself is not a diagnostic tool — these are being developed on a more national level, linking people through to local services. Nor is it designed to give the public any clarity on where COVID-19 symptoms are cropping up. (As we reported earlier, there are a number of those being built and used already, too, providing maps and other data.)

Instead, it’s a research app designed to bring together information that could be useful to medical professionals to better plan their responses.

At first, the plan was to build an app to figure out where there were clusters of cases in order to better determine where testing kits, in short supply, might be better allocated.

“We were actively speaking to a multitude of companies that are making or have testing kits, and originally the idea was that if we identified people who were expressing symptoms, maybe we could get a testing kit to them faster,” said Sara Gordon, a spokesperson for the company. That proved to be too difficult, she added, because the testing arena is very fragmented and so it’s not clear whether they all reliably and consistently work the same (and work well).

Then, attention turned to where the data could be useful, and providing support to the NHS, the U.K.’s National Health Service, in determining the shape and evolution of the virus, in order to research it better and figure out how to deploy NHS resources, was where the team landed.

The ExCel conference center in the Docklands in East London is being set up as a field hospital now, “but there are many other places that will need hospitals opened,” she said, “and this could help figure out where.”

The app has a somewhat unlikely origin. It was created by Zoe, a spin-out from Kings College Hospital that is now backed by some $27 million in funding — investors include Daphni in France and Accomplice (formerly Atlas Venture) in Boston, among others — in partnership with a research group at Kings College that has been tracking twins.

“We’re a healthcare startup that has been running the world’s largest nutrition study,” Gordon said, spanning some 25 years (predating the startup materialising or getting spun out) and 8,000 groups of twins, and covering not just people through Kings, but also Stanford and Mass General.

Researching food intake as well as blood and stool samples, the idea was to “understand everything about how genes determine how we metabolise food, our immune responses, and more,” using twins with nearly identical DNA to do this, and using that input to determine new insights into cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions.

Last week, Zoe’s co-founder, Tim Spector, who is also Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London and director of the Twins UK study, spoke to the Zoe team about creating an app to reach out to the 8,000 twins in the study (who had already been using Zoe to track other parts of their lifestyles) to see how many of them were expressing signs of the novel coronavirus. It could have been a useful test pool also for determining what role age plays in this, as the long-term study means many of the people involved are older.

Events overtook those plans, too:

“From the conversations we were having with Kings” — the inner-city hospital (which happens to be my local hospital) has been very much at the front lines of the coronavirus response in London and the U.K. — “we decided that if we’re making this available to twins, maybe we should open it up to more people,” Gordon said. “One of the main issues here in the U.K. and other countries has been that governments haven’t been able to get good enough data about where the virus is spreading or how bad symptoms are.”

There are some major caveats with the app, which it seems are still a work in progress.

The biggest of these is that the app itself is self-reporting. That means that you are putting a lot of trust into people to be accurate and also consistent with each other in how they are describing their symptoms. (Is my idea of a continuous, unproductive cough the same as yours? And are our coughs even a reliable enough indicator of what is going on?)

“We’re relying on the public to be honest about their symptoms,” Gordon said more than once during my conversation with her. That would have been one reason too why tying the surveys to testing kits (the original idea) might have been problematic: so many people want some assurance that I’m guessing a lot would have reported just to get the kits.

The other is that it requires regular, habitual use: a person reporting one day is only really useful if that person reports for the rest of the days subsequent to that to get a picture of how and if symptoms progress. On the other hand, that could be a boost to self-reporting too: even if my version of a continuous cough is different from yours, at least I’ll now be showing how and if anything else gets added to that cough over time.

“What we’re trying to do is scale what we see and what scientists are classifying as severity of symptoms,” she said. “If someone has fever over a certain period, then that’s logged as red. Amber is feeling ill.”

Over the next few days she said the team is hoping to separate COVID-19 symptoms apart from those associated with a common cold. “We’re working to make sure that in reporting we’re being able to divide which are common cold or flu and which are COVID-19.”

A third issue is the data usage on the app. The privacy terms on Zoe note that the data is only there to be used by the researchers, but it also notes that it could travel outside of the EU not just for analytics but to be shared with other research partners.

“The data policy we have is the one we have had legal advice on,” Gordon said. “It’s compliant with GDPR, and if and when we pass to others, people’s names are anonymised and switched to code. We feel we have super-strict data rules on our side.” She added that the compliance in the U.S. is even more strict because any research they do there has to go through a clinical process to make sure it is protected, “so there should be absolutely no concerns about data privacy.”

All the same, even with all the best intentions, there could also be a risk of your data getting misappropriated when handed off from one party to another and no longer under local jurisdictions.

One of the other co-founders, Jonathan Wolf, is the former chief product officer of Criteo (the adtech company currently being investigated by France’s data protection watchdog for how it uses personal data), something to consider, particularly when you see that Criteo is disingenuously described as a “machine learning company” in his bio on the Zoe site. If there is nothing to hide, why hide? (The third co-founder is George Hadjigeorgiou, who also doesn’t have any direct links to the medical industry, having been the CEO of HouseTrip and the co-founder of efood, a delivery startup.)

On a more positive note — and there is a lot to see that is positive here — Zoe itself is set up as a business, but this project specifically was built without any of that in mind.

“Building this to meet the current need was just a decision we made,” Gordon said. “The team switched from the commercial product to this for the next few weeks, and the plan is to make it open source and to hand it off to the right people eventually. We just want to get the ball rolling.”

Remember to stay two meters apart from others when you go out, and stay at home when you can. Keep well, TC readers.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8204425 https://ift.tt/2UD2dnk via IFTTT

[lastkidpicked-blog1]

POST 8. Snowflake to Avalanche. Some cast writing.

Rhain was the first to send some writing in, in relation to the project. This will now change some as we are aiming for a humorous delivery. I thought she had some very strong ideas. 

Matthew also provided some writing but mistook Rhains questions as ones the whole group would answer. Despite this some strong ideas still emerged.

RHIAN’S 1st Draft. 

From Snowflakes To an Avalanche

 A few thoughts…

 Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964 (54-72 years old) Generation X: Born 1965-1980 (38-53 years old) Millennials: Born 1981-1996 (22-37 years old) Post-Millennials: Born 1997-Present (0-21 years old)

 1.      Why are Millennials so depressed?

Older generations do not understand that a new era has came with the internet that has changed the functioning of society forever. Young people are now experienced widespread guilt, shame and disillusionment from a hand held device that they never let go of. We are bombarded constantly through social media that has affected our attitudes negatively, as seeing posts about atrocities or violence constantly and only able to help by feeding into a go fund me page is debilitating to any person. We are also confronted with racial issues, terrorist attacks, bullying, body shaming and suicide, on top of this contemporary shame, inherited colonial trauma affects our generation the most due to its ever growing acceptance of otherness and feelings of empathy. We also face unrealistic success standards everyone feels they must portray, this is isolating for those who feel less accomplished. We are constantly bombarded by the entire worlds every day, all day on our most prized possession. Then trying to live up to our parents standards, who expect young people to be able to go out and get a job when the economy is vastly different from when they were young and the jobs that are available are a much more competitive process than ever before.

 2.      Why do millennials treat sexuality and mental illness like fashion statements?

The acceptance of difference has never been higher among society and so has resulted in many claiming dignity in their sexuality or gender. The older generation say there are more gay people than ever or is it just that more gay people feel able to express themselves in today's climate? Perhaps our generational guilt and depression stems partly from the oppression systematically enforced by generation Z? It has not become in style to self harm or self destruct or self express, we just now have the internet to try and not feel so alone and through the internet have found ways of supporting one another.

 3.      Why are millennials so concerned with political correctness?

A struggle for the baby boomer generation is understanding the difference between political correctness and causal racism. The younger generation is in constant cahoots with all other races, we do not have time for casual racism let alone brexit, as we see the struggle of refugees daily and we see ourselves in people from other countries as we are more exposed now to other cultures than ever before, a reason to be grateful for our privilege of being able explore further in the world more than ever before through travel agencies or social media.

 4.      Do you really find traditional family life so appalling?

A traditional life is no longer appealing to a millennial who has inherited a need for something greater than the generation before. New families are being introduced and a nuclear family setting although still a viable option is seemingly not stimulating enough in this new GO GO GO media society.

5.      Everything has been handed to you. When you are so pampered, how do you feel an existential loneliness?

The previous generation believe they have pushed the world in a state of progression and although this is true in a sense that millenials are the most privileged generation yet in terms of material possessions. Now our things are collectively worth years wages of the baby boomer generation and this is supposed to make us the happiest generation! All this proves is that material things are worthless and due to our higher education standard, we are also more aware that there are more homeless people on the street than ever with empty housing being held by the government, government aid being stripped from the disabled and redirected into military programs and referendums and the government are the enemy to our generation with tensions that were beautifully displayed between Stormzy and Theresa May after the Grenfell Tower Fire.

 6.      Why are millennials so worked up over bodily ownership?

The fact that a room full of mostly rich men decide what people and more particularly women can and can not do with their bodies regardless of context is a disturbing, whether they were voted by a majority into power or not, these issues are for a body and a body alone and laws regarding the body should all depend on its autonomous state. This isn’t generational just common sense???

 Phrases and images

 Inspiring-

‘Keep on truckin’’

‘A minute at a time’

‘This too must pass’

 MATTHEW’S FIRST DRAFT.

why are millennials so depressed? It seems the ideas of success and wealth are now measured more than ever on celebrity ideals, with talentless kids such as lil pump being worth a reported 6.5 million dollars at 18. How can anyone in the real world live up to these ridiculous ways, social media is at the forefront of almost all depression id argue. Whether it is girls comparing themselves to cosmetic Barbie dolls or guys seeing footballers flashing super cars, when it comes down to it social media is a place where life looks so perfect. Thus leaving kids to believe in this perfection and in turn ask why they aren't perfect or as happy as others. Why do millennials treat sexuality and mental illness like fashion statements? We live in a society where we are told to think outside the box and be different and if you aren't different you are somehow boring or just seen as 'normal' which is something nobody wants to be branded as. therefore this generation is using sexuality and mental illness to try and define themselves and stand out from the crowd. However the numbers of people in this generation that suffer with depression and anxiety are astronomically high, and therefore it is probably more individual and different to say that you don't have a mental illness, which is sad. As for sexuality it is getting more and more socially acceptable to be openly gay, and even though some say that this causes people to think they are something they are not. some people disagree with the fact that there were probably just as many gay men and women in the 80s as there is now, it is just acceptable for gay people to be open and public about it now as was not the way in the 80s. Why are millennials so concerned with political correctness? Political correctness is often misinterpreted as just not accepting 'causal racism' we all know someone who will start a sentence with "I'm not racist but..." and then proceed to say something which is in fact just racist. usually this will be from someone of an older generation but not always and where as with the older generations I find it easier to forgive as that was the norm back when they were growing up so they have not changed with the times and is harmless, however there are some members of these generations that are just ignorant and really are racists this is often not the case. it is members of my own generation which I can't forgive this casual racism, I was brought up in the same world as them and I don't use these racial slurs or statements so why should they, it is out of pure bigotry that they choose not to accept that racism should just simply not be acceptable in this day in age. Do you really find traditional family life so appalling?

I feel this is born out of some misconstrued idea that to be successful you have to have no 'distractions' and a family is seen as the main 'distraction'. It feels like people have to make the decision to either be successful or be happy, but why can't we have both?. Everything has been handed to you. When you are so pampered, how do you feel an existential loneliness?

It is this idea that we have everything given to us and we are the most equipped generation to succeed that there ever has been that causes this existential loneliness, as we are told we have the tools to do whatever we want yet we still fail. But rather than putting it down to being human and having to fail in order to succeed, we bury any dreams we have in the fear that we won't succeed. And it is this which leads to the loneliness. The pressure put on kids now is greater than ever before as there aren't as many jobs for people and we are told if you don't have a degree you won't be able to get a job, where as generations of the past were born in to a Britain which had more opportunities as they could go and work down the pit or work in a ship yard or some sort of manufacturing jobs. where as now we have been replace by machines, and we have to fight and scratch to get opportunities for jobs.

[honeybadgerradio]

Manchester Bombed, Women Most Affected - Polecat Cast 114

Ariana Grande! Pamela Anderson! Chris Cornell! Celebrity news or nah?

    Good Day, Sir! You Look Like Somebody Who Likes Degrading Minorities

By Max Derrat

For those of you who are fans of the Simpsons… remember that one episode where Homer was trying to sell a sexual performance enhancer inside a mall? HE goes up to one guy and says, “hello, sir! You look like a man who needs help satisfying his wife.” Now, imagine that… but in real life… and instead of a sex drug… it’s social justice.

 Well, that is exactly what is happening at the University of California-Los Angeles, and to top it all off… the school is paying people to do it. A new program, titled the “Social Justice Advocates” program, is going to help students “navigate a world that operates on whiteness, patriarchy, and heteronormativity as the primary ideologies.”  Roughly eight to ten social justice advocates will be selected for the upcoming fall semester. They will have to spend three hours per work facilitating their duties, which include weekly meetings and… wait for it… crafting presentations. The program is funded through the Bruin Excellence and Student Transformation Grant Program (BEST) which receives funding from the university’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

 It is no secret that we, here, at Honey Badger Radio, report on pre-existing articles during our shows. This particular story happens to come from an excellent news aggregator called “Campus Reform”, which, of course, reports on all the social justice hysteria happening on campuses across the USA. The best part of this whole story… is the fact that students who participate in this social justice program have been ordered by their supervisor to NOT talk to Campus Reform, and to defer interview requests to the UCLA media department.

 In the meantime, I would like to take a second to not speak for Honey Badger Radio, but for myself. If you go to UCLA, and somebody comes up to you who says, “Hello sir! You look like somebody who takes pleasure in subjugating minorities”, I recommend you reply with the following: “Well, hello! You look like a massive tool who needs to do something productive for once in their lives like suck a dick and/or clit.” Source: http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=9204 I Don’t Care What You Think Is Sexist: You Don’t Need to Drink While Pregnant By Max Derrat Fellow, Honey Badgers… is it a good idea to drink alcohol when you’re pregnant? This is an honest question. Yes or no? No? Good, so in theory, we shouldn’t have to talk about the contents of this article… but since we have a show to put on…

 Pregnancy charities and researchers are calling for a change to government guidelines which warn expectant mothers to avoid alcohol completely. Dr. Ellie Lee, Director of the Centre of Parenting Culture Studies at the University of Kent, said that, quote, “the exclusion of women from an ordinary activity on the basis of a precaution is sexist.”

 Despite the fact that, you know, consistent heavy drinking during pregnancy can result in foetal alcohol syndrome… apparently there is no evidence that light to moderate drinking… or even the one-off night where you try every drink on the menu… will cause any damage. At the moment, it’s hard to say whether or not this is coming from a biologist, or the woman who heads the centre of Parenting Culture Studies. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service is campaigning for a change in the “tone” of the advice given to pregnant women regarding alcohol, stating that this might be, quote, “needlessly scaring women into aborting pregnancies because of fears that a few heavy nights out will have caused the foetus serious harm.”

 Of course, trying to determine the effects of light and moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy would be impossible because it’s unethical. Having said that, it might just be best to assume that eating and drinking healthy products might be best when you plan to bring a pregnancy to full-term. After all, the thing that should be on your mind shouldn’t be whether or not your feelings are hurt because you can’t abstain from alcohol for nine months, but the HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE BABY. Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/17/telling-women-not-drink-pregnancy-sexist/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw Conceptual PenisBy L Kemlo

A paper was published in a peer-reviewed social science journal as a hoax to prove gender studies is mostly garbage. The paper entitled the “conceptual penis as a social construct” was published in Cogent Social Sciences this May.

The authors, Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay, say that they were careful to make sure the paper did not say anything meaningful, and set out to publish it with the suspicion that gender studies is “crippled academically by an overriding almost-religious belief that maleness is the root of all evil”.

Here is an excerpt from the paper: Many cisgendered hypermasculine males, for instance, seem to identify those aspects of their masculinity upon which they most obviously depend with the notion that they carry their penis as a symbol of male power, domination, control, capability, desirability, and aggression (The National Coalition for Men “compile[d] a list of synonyms for the word penis [sic],” these include the terms “beaver basher,” “cranny axe,” “custard launcher,” “dagger,” “heat-seeking moisture missile,” “mayo shooting hotdog gun,” “pork sword,” and “yogurt shotgun” [2011]). Based upon an appreciable corpus of feminist literature on the penis, this troubling identification results in an effective isomorphism linking the conceptual penis with toxic hypermasculinity.

The paper goes on and even includes a part about climate change. Here is a gem: “climate change is genuinely an example of hyper-patriarchal society metaphorically manspreading into the global ecosystem.”

While this is comparable to the Sokal hoax paper that demonstrated that postmodernism was (is) a bunch of gobbledygook, the authors specifically tested their hypothesis that flattery of the academic left’s morality is the main determiner of publication in an academic journal in that field.

They succeeded. However, it’s important to note that their paper was turned down by their target journal “NORMA: The International Journal of Men's Studies” and Cogent, the one that ultimately published the hoax, is a pay-to-publish journal. Reason Magazine points out this may be better suited as a critique of pay-to-publish journals, while reminding everyone the evidence of problems in gender studies are obvious already, with real papers titled "Women's Studies as Virus: Institutional Feminism and the Projection of Danger” and "Glaciers, Gender, and Science—A feminist glaciology framework for global environmental climate change."

Source: http://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/conceptual-penis-social-contruct-sokal-style-hoax-on-gender-studies/

http://reason.com/blog/2017/05/22/no-the-conceptual-penis-as-a-social-cons

Pam Anderson Swallows...The Red Pill?

By Mike J.

Former model, actress, active member of PETA, and source of roughly 75% of boners produced in the 90s; Pamela Anderson has declared herself an anti-feminist. In a recent interview for the new Baywatch movie Anderson stated, "Men get weaker in an authoritarian environment; they don't need to be as manly. And women are working... who's watching the kids? I may get some heat for this, but I consider myself an "anti-feminist". Anderson continued stating her concerns over humans as a species becoming too androgynous, and adding that men shouldn't drink from plastic bottles as the plastic contains oestrogen. Anderson also expressed joy over the dropping of rape charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange whom she considers a hero and has visited several times.

Source: https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2017/0521/876848-pamela-anderson-says-shes-an-anti-feminist/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4526074/Pamela-Anderson-declares-anti-feminist.html

Fell On Black Days

By Mike J.

Chris Cornell, frontman for bands such as Soundgarden and Audioslave, was found dead May 18th in his MGM Grand hotel room after playing a show the previous day. The cause of death was determined to be suicide by hanging although Vicky Karayiannis, Cornell's wife, maintains that his suicide was the result of Cornell increasing the dosage of his anti-anxiety medication. Cornell had a longstanding history of mental health issues and multiple addictions, but appeared to have both under control after completing rehab in 2002. Cornell's death has reopened important discussions concerning men's mental health and male suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control, white males between the ages of 45 and 65 make up the bulk of all suicides, with men in general representing over 75% of suicides nationwide. Julie Cerel, president of the American Association of Suicidology and a professor at the University of Kentucky School of Social Work states on the subject of male suicide that, "Men notoriously don't seek help, and as people are aging and at a place in their lives where the world isn't looking the way they want, men especially don't know how to reach out and get help or express that they're feeling pain." Cerel adds that even once men do decide to seek help, medical professionals aren't always trained to looks for signs of mental illness and suicidality. Currently only three states in the US require that practitioners of mental health be trained in spotting suicidality. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Cornell#Death http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/it-s-not-just-chris-cornell-suicide-rates-highest-among-n762221http://www.suicidology.org/Portals/14/docs/Resources/FactSheets/2015/2015datapgsv1.pdf?ver=2017-01-02-220151-870

Ariana Grande: http://archive.is/B8NDE

Bonus Story: http://time.com/3613506/prosecuting-women-for-false-rape-allegations/

Check out the latest Honeybadgers episode.

[nbafunnymeme]

The hidden history of Nasas black female scientists

The diversity of Nasas workforce in 1940s Virginia is uncovered in a new book by Margot Lee Shetterly. She recalls how a visit to her home town led to a revelation

Mrs Land worked as a computer out at Langley, my father said, taking a right turn out of the parking lot of the First Baptist church in Hampton, Virginia. My husband and I visited my parents just after Christmas in 2010, enjoying a few days away from our full-time life and work in Mexico.

They squired us around town in their 20-year-old green minivan, my father driving, my mother in the front passenger seat, Aran and I buckled in behind like siblings. My father, gregarious as always, offered a stream of commentary that shifted fluidly from updates on the friends and neighbours wed bumped into around town to the weather forecast to elaborate discourses on the physics underlying his latest research as a 66-year-old doctoral student at Hampton University.

He enjoyed touring my Maine-born-and-raised husband through our neck of the woods and refreshing my connection with local life and history in the process.

As a callow 18-year-old leaving for college, Id seen my home town as a mere launching pad for a life in worldlier locales, a place to be from rather than a place to be. But years and miles away from home could never attenuate the citys hold on my identity and the more I explored places and people far from Hampton, the more my status as one of its daughters came to mean to me. That day after church, we spent a long while catching up with the formidable Mrs Land, who had been one of my favourite Sunday school teachers. Kathaleen Land, a retired Nasa mathematician, still lived on her own well into her 90s and never missed a Sunday at church.

Hidden Figures: watch the trailer for the Oscar-nominated film based on Margot Lee Shetterlys book.

We said our goodbyes to her and clambered into the minivan, off to a family brunch. A lot of the women around here, black and white, worked as computers, my father said, glancing at Aran in the rearview mirror but addressing us both. Kathryn Peddrew, Ophelia Taylor, Sue Wilder, he said, ticking off a few more names. And Katherine Johnson, who calculated the launch windows for the firstastronauts.

The narrative triggered memories decades old, of spending a much treasured day off from school at my fathers office at the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations Langley Research Centre. I rode shotgun in our 1970s Pontiac, my brother, Ben, and sister, Lauren, in the back as our father drove the 20 minutes from our house, straight over the Virgil I. Grissom Bridge, down Mercury Boulevard, to the road that led to the Nasa gate. Daddy flashed his badge and we sailed through to a campus of perfectly straight parallel streets lined from one end to the other by unremarkable twostorey redbrickbuildings.

Only the giant hypersonic wind tunnel complex, a 100ft ridged silver sphere presiding over four 60ft smooth silver globes, offered visual evidence of the remarkable work occurring on an otherwise ordinary looking campus.

Building 1236, my fathers daily destination, contained a byzantine complex of government-grey cubicles, perfumed with the grownup smells of coffee and stale cigarette smoke. His engineering colleagues, with their rumpled style and distracted manner, seemed like exotic birds in a sanctuary. They gave us kids stacks of discarded 11×14 continuous-form computer paper, printed on one side with cryptic arrays of numbers, the blank side a canvas for crayon masterpieces.

Women occupied many of the cubicles; they answered phones and sat in front of typewriters, but they also made hieroglyphic marks on transparent slides and conferred with my father and other men in the office on the stacks of documents that littered their desks. That so many of them were African American, many of them my grandmothers age, struck me as simply a part of the natural order of things: growing up in Hampton, the face of science was brown like mine.

Christine Darden (ne Mann) in the control room of Nasa Langleys Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel in 1975. Photograph: Credit: Nasa

My dad joined Langley in 1964 as a co-op student and retired in 2004 an internationally respected climate scientist. Five of my fathers seven siblings made their bones as engineers or technologists and some of his best buddies David Woods, Elijah Kent, Weldon Staton carved out successful engineering careers at Langley. Our next-door neighbour taught physics at Hampton University. Our church abounded with mathematicians. Supersonics experts held leadership positions in my mothers sorority and electrical engineers sat on the board of my parents college alumni associations. My Aunt Julias husband, Charles Foxx, was the son of Ruth Bates Harris, a career civil servant and fierce advocate for the advancement of women and minorities; in 1974, Nasa appointed her deputy assistant administrator, the highest-ranking woman at the agency. The community certainly included black English professors, like my mother, as well as black doctors and dentists, black mechanics, janitors and contractors, black cobblers, wedding planners, real estate agents and undertakers, several black lawyers and a handful of black Mary Kay salespeople. As a child, however, I knew so many African Americans working in science, maths and engineering that I thought thats just what black folks did.

My father, growing up during segregation, experienced a different reality.

Become a physical education teacher, my grandfather said in 1962 to his 18-year-old son, who was hellbent on studying electrical engineering at historically black Norfolk state college.

In those days, college-educated African Americans with book smarts and common sense put their chips on teaching jobs or sought work at the post office. But my father, who built his first rocket in junior high metal shop class following the Sputnik launch in 1957, defied my grandfather and plunged full steam ahead into engineering. Of course, my grandfathers fears that it would be difficult for a black man to break into engineering werent unfounded. As late as 1970, just 1% of all American engineers were black, a number that doubled to a whopping 2% by 1984. Still, the federal government was the most reliable employer of African Americans in the sciences and technology; in 1984, 8.4% of Nasas engineers were black.

Nasas African American employees learned to navigate their way through the space agencys engineering culture and their successes in turn afforded their children previously unimaginable access to American society. Growing up with white friends and attending integrated schools, I took much of the groundwork theyd laid for granted.

John Glenn enters his Mercury 7 capsule for a test at Cape Canaveral. Photograph: Bettmann Archive

Every day, I watched my father put on a suit and back out of the driveway to make the 20-minute drive to building 1236, demanding the best from himself in order to give his best to the space programme and to his family. My father secured my familys place in the comfortable middle class and Langley became one of the anchors of our social life. Every summer, my siblings and I saved our allowances to buy tickets to ride ponies at the annual Nasa carnival.

Year after year, I confided my Christmas wishlist to the Nasa Santa at the Langley childrens Christmas party. For years, Ben, Lauren and my youngest sister, Jocelyn, still a toddler, sat in the bleachers of the Langley activities building on Thursday nights, rooting for my dad and his NBA (Nasa Basketball Association) team, the Stars. I was as much a product of Nasa as the moon landing.

The spark of curiosity soon became an all-consuming fire. I peppered my father with questions about his early days at Langley during the mid-1960s, questions Id never asked before. The following Sunday I interviewed Mrs Land about the early days of Langleys computing pool, when part of her job responsibility was knowing which bathroom was marked for coloured employees. And less than a week later I was sitting on the couch in Katherine Johnsons living room, under a framed American flag that had been to the moon, listening to a 93-year-old with a memory sharper than mine recall segregated buses, years of teaching and raising a family and working out the trajectory for John Glenns spaceflight. I listened to Christine Dardens stories of long years spent as a data analyst, waiting for the chance to prove herself as an engineer.

Even as a professional in an integrated world, I had been the only black woman in enough drawing rooms and boardrooms to have an inkling of the chutzpah it took for an African American woman in a segregated southern workplace to tell her bosses she was sure her calculations would put a man on the moon. These womens paths set the stage for mine; immersing myself in their stories helped me understand my own. Even if the tale had begun and ended with the first five black women who went to work at Langleys segregated west side in May 1943, the women later known as the West Computers , I still would have committed myself to recording the facts and circumstances of their lives.

Just as islands, isolated places with unique, rich biodiversity, have relevance for the ecosystems everywhere, so does studying seemingly isolated or overlooked people and events from the past turn up unexpected connections and insights to modern life. The idea that black women had been recruited to work as mathematicians at the Nasa installation in the south during the days of segregation defies our expectations and challenges much of what we think we know about American history. Its a great story and that alone makes it worth telling.

In the early stages of researching my book, I shared details of what I had found with experts on the history of the space agency. To a person, they encouraged what they viewed as a valuable addition to the body of knowledge, though some questioned the magnitude of the story.

How many women are we talking about? Five or six?

I had known more than that number just growing up in Hampton, but even I was surprised at how the numbers kept adding up. These women showed up in photos and phone books, in sources both expected and unusual. A mention of a Langley job in an engagement announcement in the Norfolk Journal and Guide. A handful of names from the daughter of one of the first West Computers. A 1951 memo from the Langley personnel officer reporting on the numbers and status of its black employees, which unexpectedly made reference to one black woman who was a GS-9 research scientist.

I discovered one 1945 personnel document describing a beehive of mathematical activity in an office in a new building on Langleys west side, staffed by 25 black women coaxing numbers out of calculators on a 24-hour schedule, overseen by three black shift supervisors who reported to two white head computers. I can put names to almost 50 black women who worked as computers, mathematicians, engineers or scientists at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory from 1943 through 1980, and my intuition is that 20 more names can be shaken loose from the archives with more research.

While the black women are the most hidden of the mathematicians who worked at the Naca, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, and later at Nasa, they were not sitting alone in the shadows: the white women who made up the majority of Langleys computing workforce over the years have hardly been recognised for their contributions to the agencys long-term success. Virginia Biggins worked the Langley beat for the Daily Press newspaper, covering the space programme starting in 1958. Everyone said, This is a scientist, this is an engineer and it was always a man, she said in a 1990 panel on Langleys human computers. She never got to meet any of the women.

Nasa space scientist and mathematician Katherine Johnson at Nasa Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, 1980. Photograph: Donaldson Collection/Getty Images

I just assumed they were all secretaries, she said. Five white women joined Langleys first computing pool in 1935 and by 1946, 400 girls had already been trained as aeronautical foot soldiers. Historian Beverly Golemba, in a 1994 study, estimated that Langley had employed several hundred women as human computers. On the tail end of the research for Hidden Figures, I can now see how that number might top 1,000.

To a first-time author with no background as a historian, the stakes involved in writing about a topic that was virtually absent from the history books felt high. Im sensitive to the cognitive dissonance conjured by the phrase black female mathematicians at Nasa. From the beginning, I knew I would have to apply the same kind of analytical reasoning to my research that these women applied to theirs. Because as exciting as it was to discover name after name, finding out who they were was just the first step. The real challenge was to document their work. Even more than the surprisingly large numbers of black and white women who had been hiding in a profession seen as universally white and male, the body of work they left behind was a revelation.

There was Dorothy Hoover, working for Robert T Jones in 1946 and publishing theoretical research on his famed triangle-shaped delta wings in 1951. There was Dorothy Vaughan, working with the white East Computers to write a textbook on algebraic methods for the mechanical calculating machines that were their constant companions.

There was Mary Jackson, defending her analysis against John Becker, one of the worlds top aerodynamicists. There was Katherine Johnson, describing the orbital trajectory of John Glenns flight, the maths in her trailblazing 1959 report as elegant, precise and grand as a symphony. There was Marge Hannah, the white computer who served as the black womens first boss, co-authoring a report with Sam Katzoff, who became the laboratorys chief scientist. There was Doris Cohen, setting the bar for them all with her first research report the NACAs first female author back in 1941.

My investigation became more like an obsession; I would walk any trail if it meant finding a trace of one of the computers at its end. Iwas determined to prove their existence and their talent in a way that meant they would never again be lost to history. As the photos, memos, equations and family stories became real people, as the women became my companions and returned to youth or returned to life, I started to want something more for them than just putting them on the record. What I wanted was for them to have the grand, sweeping narrative that they deserved. Not told as a separate history, but as a part of the story weallknow.

Today, my hometown, the hamlet that in 1962 dubbed itself Spacetown USA, looks like any suburban city in a modern and hyperconnected America. People of all races and nationalities mingle on Hamptons beaches and in its bus stations, the whites only signs of the past now relegated to the history museum and the memories of survivors of the civil rights revolution. Mercury Boulevard no longer conjures images of the eponymous mission that shot the first Americans beyond the atmosphere and each day the memory of Virgil Grissom fades away from the bridge that bears his name. A downsized space programme and decades of government cutbacks have hit the region hard; today, an ambitious college grad with a knack for numbers might set her sights on a gig at a Silicon Valley startup or make for one of the many technology firms that are conquering the Nasdaq from the Virginia suburbs outside of Washington DC.

But before a computer became an inanimate object, and before Mission Control landed in Houston; before Sputnik changed the course of history, and before the Naca became Nasa; before the supreme court case Brown v Board of Education of Topeka established that separate was in fact not equal, and before the poetry of Martin Luther KingJrs I have a dream speech rang out over the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Langleys West Computers were helping America dominate aeronautics, space research and computer technology, carving out a place for themselves as female mathematicians who were also black, black mathematicians who were also female. For a group of bright and ambitious African American women, diligently prepared for a mathematical career and eager for a crack at the big leagues, Hampton, Virginia, must have felt like the centre of the universe.

This is an edited extract from Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, published by William Collins (8.99). To order a copy for 7.64 go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over 10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of 1.99

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/feb/05/hidden-figures-black-female-scientists-african-americans-margot-lee-shetterly-space-race

http://nbafunnymeme.com/nba-news-and-higlights/the-hidden-history-of-nasas-black-female-scientists

[alternative-eyes]

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W3AWx4xK6SY/Ww7BQnTgy-I/AAAAAAAAj1w/hkZVPNz9-jcUa6wjMUJ46vtdSEapJlY2gCLcBGAs/s72-c/Nova%2BWonders.jpg

Are we redundant?

     Ohh, PBS – you are such a slut! Flashing that UFO booty in De Void’s face like Sally Rand’s ostrich feathers on the front end, as if you really liked me. Then you go and make me sit through an entire hour-long performance of what turned out to be an update of the same old G-rated middle-aged where’s-ET? ho-hum I’ve been enduring for 20 years now. And you never give me another jiggle of that UFO money-maker. Ohh, you are so lowdown.

By Billy Cox De Void 5-15-18

In case you missed it: “Are We Alone?” – the latest installment of PBS’ new “NOVA Wonders” series – really grabbed De Void by the eyeballs last week when it opened near the top with a clip of the now-famous F-18 “gimbal” video, the one that left experienced Navy fighter pilots so jazzed and openly baffled. Unfortunately, the sequence wasn’t the subject, just a segue. There was a but coming. There is always a but coming. “But,” wonders the narrator, “what’s the reality?” The reality is a formula, a formula we’ve seen more times than we can count. The “Are We Alone?” playbook goes something like this: Discuss ongoing and future NASA projects for detecting ET life elsewhere — check. A bit about how microscopic extremophiles thriving in acidic heat vents might mimic alien life on planetary moons — check. Celebrate SETI visionaries Jill Tarter and Seth Shostak — check. Blow off the UFO stuff with maybe a line or two — got it. The most unique thing about “Are We Alone?” was the timing. It aired last Wednesday, just hours after The Atlantic broke a story about a congressional committee attempting (in April) to funnel $10 million in NASA funds into the quote “search for technosignatures, such as radio transmissions.” It’s a big deal only in the sense that Congress hasn’t seen fit to toss SETI any bones in more than 20 years. $10 million isn’t a lot of money, barely enough to cover three (3) Bradley Fighting Vehicles. But “technosignatures” – that’s a pretty broad category, right? And what have the MSM been covering, albeit erratically, for the past five months or so: Navy pilot testimony, the F-18 footage, and real-time recordings among commercial pilots, air traffic controllers and the FAA concerning UFO incursions into American skyways. Why wouldn’t these qualify as technosignatures? Well, if you read The Atlantic piece – “Congress Is Quietly Nudging NASA to Look for Aliens” – you’d never know any of that stuff ever happened. The article focused exclusively on the “such as radio transmissions” clause, which set the tone for every last syllable of subsequent media parroting, from Fox News (“Alien Shocker”) to Fleet Street. Between the Atlantic spread and the publicity bounce from its prime-time PBS platform, SETI might’ve gotten more coverage in one news cycle than it has over the last couple of years combined. And that’s a pretty nifty trick, given how ostensibly enamored the media was of last December’s reveal about the Pentagon’s deeply buried UFO research program. What gave the news about the Defense Department’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program a special zing was its bipartisan initiation by three powerful senior U.S. Senators. Considering how AATIP commanded a $22 million expense account, or more than twice the proposed SETI funding, why wouldn’t a reporter with national resources leverage that precedent by asking House sponsors something like, “Hey, shouldn’t some of the focus be conducted in our own atmosphere, especially since the DoD’s Threat ID Program made it a priority?” Too bad The Atlantic didn’t go there. At least they found time to mention how one SETI enthusiast, GOP Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, is a climate change denier. Anyhow, for whatever reason, it looks like Capitol Hill may be ready once again to invest in combing deep space for technosignatures. Even though, thanks to a paper published in February by scientists at the Sonneberg Observatory and the University of Hawaii’s physics and astronomy department, there may be a little less incentive to follow through now. They warned that ET radio messages could pose an “existential threat” to Earthlings. Conceding the odds are minimal, the authors nevertheless argue Earth can’t discount the possibility that ET’s first message to us could involve extortion. Earth mortals: Do XYZ or we’ll ABC. Or maybe the act of downloading ET’s promised recipe for curing cancer will unleash a worldwide computer virus. “Our main argument,” they write, “is that a message from ETI cannot be decontaminated with certainty … The technical risks are impossible to assess beforehand. We may only choose to destroy such a message, or take the risk. The risk for humanity may be small, but not zero.” “Hey, check this out. It’s been 1.2 million years but it looks like we finally got the callback signal from ET we’ve been waiting for.” “Too bad. Guess we oughtta go ahead and delete …” The last time astronomers went to Congress hat in hand, back in 2014, Shostak and SETI colleague Dan Werthimer ran into a bunch of committee fishheads who barely knew what SETI was. But the guests were challenged by at least one pol who was all too familiar with the pitch. “What’s intriguing about this conversation,” Rep. Donna Edwards, (D-MD), former Lockheed-Martin contractor for Goddard Space Flight Center, told them, “is the idea that – and it’s a lot of hubris, right? – somehow we’re waiting to find them as opposed to them finding us.” Science has never addressed Edwards’ skepticism in a meaningful, systematic way. Too bad she’s not in office anymore. She might ask for hearings. Meanwhile, thanks to a $100 million gift from Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, the SETI Institute forges ahead in its search for ET intelligence at a safe and manageable distance. With the recent assist from PBS, and the media’s corroding attention span, maybe SETI will find a way to keep searching forever and ever and ever. But. Who knows — maybe they received ET’s message awhile back and destroyed it for our own good.

Continue Reading ► See Also: UFOs May Have Attempted Rendezvous With Giant Undersea Object | VIDEO Executive Summary Report: UFO Encounter with the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Confidential Military Report on 'Tic Tac UFO Event' | VIDEO Long-Awaited Government-Funded UFO Reports Now In The Public Domain Documents Prove Secret UFO Study | VIDEO AATIP or AAWSAP? Dr. Eric W. Davis, of NASA's Breakthrough Physics Propulsion Project, Discussed UFOs During Lecture | VIDEO UFO Research By NASA Affiliated Physicist Dr. Eric W. Davis is Confirmed By Colleague Dr Eric Davis, Physicist, Explains Why Scientists Won't Discuss Their UFO Interests Deciphering The Pentagon UFO Program and Release of The UFO Videos BREAKING: Formerly Secret UFO Program NOT Called, 'Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program' (AATIP)? 'Getting the Mainstream Media to Approach the UFO Puzzle as Legitimate News OREGON UFO EVENT: Air Traffic Control Audio Tapes Released via FOIA Request What the Government Knows About UFOs | Interview with Harry Reid 3rd AATIP Video & the Pentagon UFO Study – Interview with Luis Elizondo | VIDEO Third Government UFO Video Released | VIDEO The Military Keeps Encountering UFOs – Why Doesn’t the Pentagon Care? | VIDEO UFO Research Gets New Life By Way of The Pentagon's Mysterious Project BREAKING NEWS: The Pentagon’s Mysterious UFO Program Revealed | VIDEO Ex-Military Official Details Pentagon's Secret UFO Hunt | INTERVIEW – VIDEO Billionaire Robert Bigelow's Decades-Long Obsession With UFOs Navy F-18 'Gimbal UFO' Video Explained? Post Pentagon’s UFO Research Program Revelations – Skeptics Regroup Understanding the Science of UFOs and Space Time Metric Engineering | VIDEO Secret UFO Program Recorded Encounters with Unknown Objects | INTERVIEW – VIDEO UFO-Pentagon FOIA Request Delayed BREAKING NEWS: The Pentagon’s Mysterious UFO Program Revealed | VIDEO Ex-CIA Chief - Keep Studying UFOs Herald Tribune Reporter, Billy Cox Queries CIA On Chase Brandon's Roswell UFO Claims Luis Elizando Former Head of Secret Pentagon UFO Program Describes Five Categories of UFOs | INTERVIEW While Waiting for the Next New York Times UFO Bomb to Drop Navy Pilot, Who Chased A UFO, Says ‘We Should Take Them Seriously’ UFO Legacy: What Impact Will Revelation of Secret Government Program Have? UFO Reports at Nuclear Missile Sites and The Pentagon UFO Program Astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson Discusses The Pentagon UFO Program on Colbert | VIDEO Ex-Military Official Details Pentagon's Secret UFO Hunt | INTERVIEW – VIDEO Pentagon's Secret UFO Search, Stanton Friedman Weighs In | INTERVIEW – VIDEO What the New York Times UFO Report Actually Reveals 'Second' Navy Pilot Comes Forward Re UFO Encounter | INTERVIEW – VIDEO 'The Pentagon’s Newly Revealed UFO Research Program' – What a Week! On the Trail of a Secret Pentagon U.F.O. Program UFO-Pentagon Story Reflects Fundamental Problems Pentagon UFO Study Examined UFO Activity at Nuclear Missile Sites Says Former U.S. Senator Harry Reid UFO Study Focused on U.S. Military Encounters PENTAGON UFO PROGRAM: 'Recovered Material' From UFOs Discussed By Leslie Kean | INTERVIEW – VIDEO Senator Reid Discusses Secret UFO Program | INTERVIEW – VIDEO Navy Pilot Recounts UFO Encounter | INTERVIEW – VIDEO Aliens, UFOs, Flying Discs and Sightings -- Oh My! Secret Programs, U.S. Senators and Money, Who Wants to Talk UFOs Now? Navy Pilot Talks: The UFO Jammed Their Radar — ‘It Accelerated Beyond Any Airplane We Have’ BREAKING NEWS: The Pentagon’s Mysterious UFO Program Revealed | VIDEO Navy UFO Encounter: 'It Accelerated Like Nothing I’ve Ever Seen’ – F/A-18F Pilot | VIDEO Secret UFO Pentagon Program Explained By Leslie Kean | INTERVIEW – VIDEO Secret Pentagon UFO Program Spent Millions

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What is the average cost of general liability insurance for someone that does light field work like surveying?

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I received a quote for an auto insurance and they require a deposit and then the first premium payment..Will the deposit be refundable? Why is there a deposit? Thank you!

On average how much does it cost to insure an apartment building?

I am looking into purchasing 2 triplex apartment buildings. They are both brick buildings built in 1990. Both have been maintained fairly well and have a really good price on them. Now I am trying to find out on average what the cost of insurance would be. Just wanna be sure that it will be well worth my investment and not a sink Hole I have already checked taxes, utilities, and of course viewed the apartments. Now I just need some figures on Insurance. Thanks for any and all help.""

What's the cheapest bike to insure for a 16 year old that still meets my requirements?

I'm 16. I've had my motorcycle license since December 2009, so that would be a year and about 4 months. (This is Oklahoma, you can get a motorcycle license at 14, but I had a late start.) My 17th birthday is in 2 months. I've been driving a car lately, but now I'm wanting to find another bike. However, it has to meet some requirements- it has to be good on the highway, since I live several miles from town and go on the highway almost every day, it has to be smaller than 500cc (not because of ability, just preference, I don't like big engines), and it has to be good on gas- at least 50 mpg. I don't car about the age, I know most people my age want the newest, coolest thing; personally, I don't care. I'd drive some 1963 rust-bucket so long as it ran. I'm just looking for the cheapest bike to insure for my age that still meets those requirements.""

Question about driving a car with motorcycle insurance?

My mother wants to know if I can drive her car even though I'm not under her insurance. I have motorcycle insurance. I live in Florida.

What would be the best choice for health and dental insurance?

I' am 22 year old college student in california and don't have insurance. i was wondering if anyone can help me with choosing a provider. i don't really know how health insurance works. but i would like to get something decent thats not to expensive or to cheap, i do want good coverage just in case. thank you""

How do I get insurance for a car with that on the title?

How do I get insurance for a car with that on the title?

The car dealer i bought my car from is saying i need my own insurance policy instead of being covered....?

Im a covered driver under my parents insurance policy. I pay for full coverage myself. I just financed a new car all by myself (my Parents arent on the loan or on my new registration). The car dealership is giving me such a hard time about my insurance, theyre saying im not insured, only my parents are, and i would either need to get my own policy (which would be a lot more expensive) or add one of my parents to the registration/loan. Neither my parents, our auto insurer, or i understand why this is the case. Can you explain This? is the car dealership right??""

Please reply its a Car Insurance question?

Please Give Me A link , Of telling how much is car insurance i am using Toyota Yaris I want to book Car Insurance For My car because My previous One is Finishing I want to get a New one I am searching on the internet to find any car insurance which is up to 800 pound's but i am unable Pleae i'll be gratful to you if u give me the correct Link for car insurance not the website thanks hope u undersatnd what i mean""

How much would car insurance cost me?

I am male 31 yr old, have 1 yr experience driving on a provisional license, how much would insurance cost me for a 99 fiat punto 1.2?? Also if its possible to pay it monthly or whats the best? Would appreciate any help.""

""Health Insurance, Texas?""

OK I'm 20 and have a part-time job, I don't have health insurance and don't know much about it. Anyway I mainly doing it to see a docter, to see if I have any problems like adhd, bipolar or whatever, which I THINK I may have. Anyway whats a good/affordable plan if thats all I want to do? Maybe something that will cover prescription drugs, if needed.""

Am I paying too much for auto insurance?

I'm a 21 year old female and and I'm on my mom's insurance plan. I drive a 2002 pontiac grand prix and I pay $200 a month for full coverage with allstate. I don't have the greatest driving record by far. I've only been driving for 5 years and I've had 2 speeding tickets, 2 at fault accidents, and 1 non at fault accident. My last accident was in 2009. Unfortunately, I was driving through virginia and got a ticket yesterday. I'm just wondering if that price sounds right for my insurance. Is there a company that offers lower priced plans? Is there anything I can do to lower it?""

When does my insurance expire?

I have a Family HealthPlus insurance that I just renewed thus is valid until next year, I also just got a new job, and my employment insurance is in effect as of July 1. What happens next? is my HealthPlus automatically cancelled or can I use both of my insurances simultaneously? The reason why I am asking is that, I have a referral to extract my wisdom tooth from my old insurance, and would like to use it to do just that. My employer does not allow me to take sick/personal days off in the first 90 days of my employment, so I can't really do that between now and July 1, to schedule an extraction. Thanks a bunch!""

What do I need to apply for an individual health insurance?

what do I need to apply for an individual health insurance? Which one do you have? I don't know too much about it, I just need an insurance that can cover a family doctor and that can cover exams like blood test, prescriptions in case I need""

Does anyone have health insuance?

I need help! I need health insurance and unable to get it due to my chron's diease. I live in Califorina and no one will help me because my husband and I make too much money (yeah right) I need some help on what to do please anyone

How long is a quarter period in insurance?

My insurance says: Family coverage: $2,213 per quarter So how long is that? 3 months or what?""

PLEASE ANSWER!!!!!!!! discounts on insurance?

SO IM 18 YEARS OLD, I HAVE MY LICENSE... AND I WANT TO GET A CAR SOON. PREFERBALY AN 2006 ACURA RSX COUPE (i know coupes are alot more expensive...) but i was wondering if i can get ...show more""

What is the Cheapest Car Insurance For Young Driver?

18 Year Old, Male, Vauxhall Corsa 16V (1.2) Worth 1000, Full License Held for 2 Month, Access To Company Vehicle (Ex Personal Use), Mileage up to 5000 per year, No PASS PLUS, Social Use and kept on a public road.""

Is comprehensive car insurance cheaper if you own the car?

is it cheaper than if you had a loan out on it? why is this? thanks

How much is car insurance for 16 year olds?

How much is car insurance for 16 year olds?

19 year old car insurance.?

My family has a 02 Honda civic that I can fix up and use I'm 19 going on 20 and I need a car to get around. I done online insurance quotes and I've been getting ridiculous quote prices for a low end 12 year old car. (200 - 300) What would be some recommendations for possible companies. And how much do you think it would be if I got on a policy with my parents.

What is the average cost of general liability insurance for someone that does light field work like surveying?

Live in Oklahoma and do alot of surveying and consulting. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas about what it might cost to insure my employees against bodily damage ect.

Best Apartment insurance?

Hey I need apartment insurance. What are the top five best apartment insurance places? Thank you!!

HOW CAN I GET CHEAP YOUNG CAR INSURANCE ?

Hi, please anyone know how or where can I get cheap young car insurance? I am 19 years old, I got pass plus certificate already, at the moment my quote it's 2300 per year I am looking for less and that thank you.""

What does a full coverage car insurance policy cover?

If I have a full coverage insurance policy through Allstate, esurance, statefarm, progressive, or geico. I know that it automatically includes liability as well as comprehensive and collision with a deductible. But does it also cover me if I total my car in an at fault accident, does it cover me when driving a rental vehicle, does it pay for rental cars or offer discounts when my car is down or in the shop?""

Insurance companies (health insurance)....need help?

hello, anyone know anything about insurance companies? meaning how do they make their money? to to setup? for example a health insurance company.... what does it exactly do? how hard is it to setup? tried searching the net on how to setup a health insurance company, no help...thanks""

Why is my car insurance so high?

I'm 17 years old and hoping to pass my driving test ASAP. My parents own a ford fiesta 2009 Zetec and both have been driving for over 20 years with clean licenses and no claims. I've been on comparison sites to see what insurance will be like on their car when I've got my full license. But the cheapest I can find is 10,000 Surely I'm doing something wrong because I thought it would be maximum 5,000! I will only do around 1,000 miles and just use it to go McDonald's ;) Seriously though does anyone know any cheap insurance companies or explain to me why it's so high? Thank you!""

What are the best life insurances for under $50 a month for family?

I am looking to get life insurance for my family since I am newly married this plays an important role. Does anyone know any affordable life insurances for families? Ive searched and haven't found any. I live in the little rock Arkansas area.

I need a site where I can compare health insurance quotes from the top companies. Any help will be appreciated?

Health Insurance Quotes Needed Online...

Buying a car...are you supposed to get insurance before?

okay heres the info. im 18...never had a car but i just found one that im seriously thinking about from a dealership. wil they sell it to me even though i dont have car insurance? im sure this uestion sounds retared...but i know its illegal todrive without it but at the same time when you apply for insurance dont you have to let your compnay know wht kind of car you drive? im so confused.

How do I get my AARP auto insurance rating report?

How do I get my AARP auto insurance rating report?

Does my insurance go up after I get a ticket in someone else car? Or the owner of the car insurance goes up?

I got pulled over for speeding and the officer never asked for the insurance card. Since he didn't ask for the insurance card, does that mean my pay rate will be the same? Or can the insurance company find out by the tag number? Please inform me because this is my first time. Thanks! Also remember I was in someone else car.""

Can insurance brokers be trusted?

I am getting my first car insured and am thinking about going through an insurance broker because of the cheap price....

If you have fully comp insurance can you drive any car?

Basically my friend and I are having an argument - she says I can drive her car and vice versa as we both have fully comp insurance?? But I think you need to be a named driver to drive a car. Also if you don't have fully comp but the car your driving does is that still legal 2? Many Thanks

""Insurance, Drivers license, and insurance all from different states?""

Someone has told me that this is illegal and that it falls under the tri-state law but I havent been able to find any links or anything describing this situation. Im wondering because my husband has a California license and our truck is registered in Arizona with Missouri insurance (we live in Missouri now & my husband is active duty Army) When we contacted our insurance company when we moved here they just informed us that we would just need to make sure our insurance has where we currently live & keep the vehicle. According to the person who told me their husband had a TX license, KY registration, and NC insurance.""

Car insurance for college?

I'm going to start college in a little while and i have an insurance question. i'm probably going to start at a community college that isn't too far from where i live but when i transfer It's going to be a good 300 miles away. The insurance on my car is under my dad's name and we pay next to nothing for it. Does my cars insurance have to be under my name when i transfer? It was under mine in the beginning but the payments were a lot more than they are now.

Cheapest way to insure a car temporarily?

I have had a company car for the last 2 years and looking to buy a 2nd car for a little bit of fun on a few weekends a year. I dont want to buy a full years insurance as it is too expensive (looking at a porshe convertable) and I am only 21. Can anyone suggest a cheap way of which i can only insure the car for a few days a year? Thank you, Richard""

I dont want to pay for car insurance... is there any way around it? LOL?

I know it sounds crazy and I need insurance but is there anyway to avoid paying it... at least for just a month? I have the cheapest plan possible but its still killing me financially every month! Do you think allstate has a low income program? Do ANY of the insurance companies....?

Register a car in CA. you must have car insurance or your breaking the law ?

New Laws in CA????? Help , Can Someone tell me About this New laws in Cal about you have have to have car Insurance?, I thought that that was already a law? Was it?? And if you regiester a car in CA. you must have car insurance or your brecking the law ? True or false ?????""

How much is car insurance per month?

i'm 19 years old, have had my license for about a year, i work two jobs and i'm buying a used car. How much would it be per month ? I am also, starting college in the fall. any help or suggestions? thank you""

What is the average cost for insurance for a 16 yr old?

i just got my license like 2 weeks ago and im wondering about how much would it cost for insurance also i live in San Leandro CA if needed if car/s needed: honda pilot 2008 honda accord lx 2001 i didn't want to check quotes online cause i'd need my address and i don't really wanna put all that info

""I have a new baby, will I get a auto insurance discount or increase if I tell them?""

My little girl is 10 weeks old, I'm not sure if I have to tell my auto insurance company (AAA). Would it be better to insure that she's covered? Or will it just cost me more?""

Is it a legal requirement to advise your car insurance company of a speeding fine?

My 24 year old son has his car insurance renewal coming up soon, and unfortunately he picked up a fixed penalty speeding fine and 3 points on his licence for this first misdemeanour he has had in 4 years of driving. With his insurance still over 1000 for a 10 year old Rover 25! he doesn't really want anything to make this cost any more (it's not as if it is a serious offence). However, I have told him it is best to advise his insurance company of this offence as if they find out in future renewal years he has withheld this information, he may be penalised worse. What's the legal standpoint on this matter? Keep schtum or confess?""

Cheapest cars to insure for a 17 year old?

I think they're group 1 or something, because insurance is a ripoff, so a car thats cheap to insure and runs would be great? Any recommendations and can someone explain this whole insurance group malarky to me please? I will most likely be a Named driver too and my mother will be the Main, if this makes any difference, thanks.""

Car insurance question?

right now I'm driving a 2008 saturn aura xe, I'm 17 and my insurance is around 200$ a month. I'm looking into buying a new car. i recent ran into money on the stock market. I'm looking into buying a 2008 c-300 mercedes they go for around 15,000-17,000. will my insurance go up a lot? thanks""

What companies are still insuring unoccupied and or second homes?

This seems to be a new trend. It seems that insurance companies are canceling Homeowner's policies of their customers who are selling their homes! Once the client has to move out to their new home the insurance company cancels the policy on the home that's still for sale. This is being done even if the customer has been a client for over 30 years and is using that company for the new home! Sellers are having a rough enough time with the real estate market these days! What can be done about this? Also suppose the seller decides not to sell but keep the home as a vacation spot? Are second homes being uninsured also?

Does full coverage auto insurance cover tires?

My car caught fire.. The problem is with the insurance companies... I'm not expecting anything because I gave liability insurance but my car melted my roomates car... She has full coverage.. Thankfully.. Her car is being covered except for the tires... If the tires got messed up in the accident why won't full coverage cover them... I think the insurance company is trying to pull a fast one

What is the average cost of general liability insurance for someone that does light field work like surveying?

Live in Oklahoma and do alot of surveying and consulting. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas about what it might cost to insure my employees against bodily damage ect.

""How much does car insurance cost for 21yr old, is it monthly or yearly?""

I am new to US. I stay in Los Angeles, CA. I have never driven before. And I am talking about a pre-owned car probably a 90s or 2000 model of toyota. Would appreciate if you'd answer with an estimate.""

I wanna buy insurance for my car?

I wanna buy insurance for my car . In my postcode insurance is very expensive if i give a another postcode to insurance company car insurance is very cheap . Is this ok if i buy car insurance and give a another postcode to insurance company .....

""What would you do, get the used car or new one?""

Okay so ever since years ago I've known that my grandpa has an account for me and his other grand kids for our first car. There is a limit. Now, I went out and picked out the car I wanted. A 2009 Toyota Corolla. Which I can pick any car, new or used as long as it is below the spending limit. (mine is that I picked) But my aunt, (Who is in charge of the money sorta, but will let me get what I want cuz she has no say) Is trying to convince me to get a used car and spend like max 5,000 on it. Her friend's son's friend is selling his car for 1,000. it has 200,000 miles on it and looks like a piece of crud. Needs new tires.. all that stuff. She thinks I should get this car or another used car because mostly all teens get in an accident when they first start driving (I am 18) but so what? Even if I get in an accident in a new of used car, thats what insurance is for! And I got quotes already on my new car how much it would be, It wont be in my name either because it'll be wayy more. So my quesiton is: Would you spend the full amount on the car you want now? Or waste 5grand (or less) on a crap car that will mostly suck away the money from that account (if something happens cuz its so old) She says that in a year or so I can still get the car I want. (I would have enough money) But thats not the point.. I don't see wasting 5grand on a car. And it would be wasting. What do you think? Whats should I do and how can I say no to her idea thanks :)""

How much is flood insurance in texas?

How much is flood insurance in texas?

We are a new small business. Where is the best place to get workers compensation insurance?

Just looking for an insurance company (private sector?) who provides affordable workers compensation insurance for small businesses.

About how much is basic auto insurance?

for a used 94 toyota camry in los angeles the main driver is 25 and has a good driving record.

Why are insurance companies obsessed with ripping off young drivers in the UK?

I have four years no claim, the insurance people still want to rip me off at 1000-3000 pound for car insurance. It's actually cheaper to buy a second hand car and have it crushed for having no insurance. Then the road tax costs 250 on a car i barely drive. Is it any wonder that young people drive uninsured?""

Can you take a rental car when you do not have any personal vehicle or auto insurance?

I do not have any car insurance right now. I am planning to get a car rental for a month. Do I need to get some insurance for this? What happens if cop pulls me up will rental agreement be sufficient?

How to get cheaper car insurance in bc?

How to get cheaper car insurance in bc?

Car Finance With Insurance?

Hi, i've been searching for a while now for a car finance which comes with insurance for under 25's. Im 21 and being driving for three years and 90% of the time my son is with me so I wouldn't considered myself a boy racer . The only one I found was the just add fuel scheme by peugeot but like any other scheme you have to be 25. So any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated""

Where can I find a list of insurance rates by make/model?

I am looking to buy a used car, but I want to make sure that the insurance isn't sky high. I do not know what kind of car I want right now so I do not have any information to enter in a car insurance search. Where can I find a list of cars that typically have the lowest insurance rates?""

""Can I own a car, but be covered under my mom's insurance policy?""

Im 17, and I live in Indiana. Right now I own a car, but the title is in my mom's name, and I am insured as the only driver of that car under her insurance policy. Can ...show more""

Where can a 16 year old male get his own auto insurance if he is the only licensed driver in the house?

Where can a 16 year old male get his own auto insurance if he is the only licensed driver in the house?

What is the difference between free health care affordable and universal health care insurance?

Background, I ask many questions in regards to Universal health care insurance, and many people answer with the mind set of free universal health care insurance, So I have to ask the question, does anyone know the difference between free universal health care and affordable health care insurance? I will add details as we go and this question will be put to a vote..""

Insurance policy??????

My car insurance is under my dad's name hes the policy holder im 22 years old from new york I was involved in a car accident 2 months ago i was at no fault since i was rear ended today geico called and said they are raising my dad's preimum by 200 dollars since now they will add me to the policy why are they doing this ....is it because of the accident they said the only way it won't be raise if he takes me off his policy and the car and has to provide proof that im insured by another company im going away for college so i wont need my car which belongs to my dad is there anyway to do somethin to not raise his premium and is it wise to go to another insurance company please help and advice

Insurance??

if i buy a new(used) car, wont the insurance papers in my other car cover my new car for a few days? i have heard this from many of my friends, but i dont want to find out the hard way...""

Health insurance pricing and BMI?

A person's weight and height are found on a driver's license. From these numbers, you can calculate a person's BMI. Do health insurance companies have access to the information found on a driver's license and do they use this information for determining health insurance quotes?""

What's The Best Auto Insurance Company?

I'm a 16 year old male in Southern California... I'm looking at: 1993 Honda Accord 1990 BMW 525i 1991 Nissan Stanza 1992 Acura Legend Sedan 1996 Volkswagen GTI which company is trustworthy, cheap, and helpful?""

""I am getting ready to get homeowners insurance in Indianapolis, IN. Anyone have a good place they go?""

I am going to be in the Speedway area but it doesn't have to be in that area, just someplace around Indy. Just looking for an affordable and reliable place. Hopefully you guys have some good suggestions. Thanks in advance!""

In CANADA - Why is car insurance cheaper for women?

I understand that women are less liability statistically, but to base car insurance rates on gender is a violation of the Charter of rights and Freedom - despite the fact all regulations, policies and laws are suppose to be constituted by it ... One of two things can be the case, either: 1) The Charter is a piece of paper as important as the toilet paper which I use to clean myself after excrement. 2) There is something which I am not understanding. Someone please offer a good explain and ill give ten points.""

Where to get online insurance quotes for health?

Where to get online insurance quotes for health? I should compare plans from major insurance company.

Car insurance question? help!?

I am going to get my dad to be the main driver and me to be the named driver because it makes my first insurance 300.00 =] Which is cheap for an 18 year old! lol But an insurance company phoned up today and said if i did this i would not be able to drive the car, if i did i would be uninsured? That sounds wrong, i was thinking maybe he thought i hadn't passed my test? So would i be able to drive by myself with a full UK licence as a named driver on the car i own? Thanks""

How would i go about getting a hypothetical insurance quote?

I haven't even started to learn to drive yet, but just out of curiosity i want to get a rough estimate for insurance for a car that i found, are there any website where i can do this anonymously?""

Good auto insurance deal?

Which insurance company in Toronto offers good deal for one or two company cars?

Would zero demerit points mean that my insurance rates wont be effected?

In terms of my driving record, etc?""

What is the average cost of general liability insurance for someone that does light field work like surveying?

Live in Oklahoma and do alot of surveying and consulting. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas about what it might cost to insure my employees against bodily damage ect.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whats-cheapest-auto-insurance-company-southern-cal-sharie-noena"

[iota-news]

The other day @BongInma1 pointed my interest towards one of IOTA’s main fields of operation besides Internet of Things (IoT; although the two are obviously linked): Decentralized Digital Identity. One has to distinguish between Identity of Things (which I have touched upon in my previous article) and Decentralized IDs (DID, mainly human beings’ identities). I shall first explain what this is actually about and second what IOTA has to do with it.

1. Decentralized Identity — what is it after all?

I will follow Outlier Ventures’ Jamie Burke in explaining what this is actually about to make it as understandable as possible.

The problem: Today, we have to trust other parties (be it companies, agencies or whatever) to secure our personal data, which they are obliged to collect. This in itself is not a problem, but the data is not safe (thefts of personal data is what happens all the time, as you know). There simply is no standard which tells companies that Joe from Germany, their customer, is really Joe and not some scammer from another part of the world. The problem gets especially apparent if we consider that today more than 1 billion people live without an officially recognized identity.

Possible solution: Blockchain / DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology): The idea is to use this new technology to get rid of third parties and let each individual store personal data in a safe which only he or she has access to: this is the digital identity. Of course, this can (and will) also include devices that are connected to the Internet of Things; in sum, this is called the Identity of Things (IDoT):

Rather than perceiving them as lifeless amalgams of metal and plastic with a specific purpose, we need to shift toward considering each device as its own identity with different attributes.(David Sonstebo, IOTA Co-founder, click)

Advantages:

data is stored in a tamper-proof fashion = safe!

no third parties involved

Zero knowledge proofs: They are “an innovation that means an ability to prove a claim (through clever math) without revealing any of the data that makes it so, such as proving you’re over 21 without revealing your birthday or even your age. This means you can make verifiable claims without burdening the relying party with having to secure your data.” (click)

user-tailored: other parties/agencies/companies get only access to relevant data which in turn reduces legal and compliance risks by processing such information, instead of controlling it on behalf of the user.

it is fast (far less bureaucracy needed)

it is convenient and can be taken wherever you go

Use cases:

By means of your Digital ID you could

vote at elections (without providing evidence that you are eligible)

get background medical record information

use any government-related service

buy things which need an age-verification without providing any personal information (not even your birthday!)

…

Cities and governments could use it for

inter-organisation and inter-city data exchanges,

healthcare

granting access to aid programs to people who have lost their identity

only example so far: Taipei’s partnership with IOTA

…

“Things” could use it for

Digital Twins (example: car industry)

Data marketplace

…

The possibilities are endless — one great use case of Digital Identity is already running in Jordan by the UNHCR in order to help refugees:

https://medium.com/media/6bf76c58f5ce0b57f1a7b5605edea724/href

The possibilities are endless, obviously. However, in order for it to become reality, a standard layer is needed which is accepted by all the countries worldwide in order to process all of the data; you can think of it as the http of data information: Just like you open every web page by means of the http-protocol you would store all your personal data safely on this new data layer and other parties could get access to it if you let them.

The question is how to set up this new layer; and that’s where IOTA comes into play.

2. The (possible) role of IOTA

One of IOTA’s first officially announced partnerships was the one with the Digital Identity Foundation (DIF). Moreover, IOTA has also partnered with REFUNITE to help reunite families during and after conflicts by means of the IOTA ledger called the Tangle.

I will not go into technicalities as to why IOTA is suitable for the job of digital IDs and everything connected with it (just three words: feeless-fast-scalable). However, this article seeks to explain the role of IOTA in all of this. As you will see, there are many connections in this emerging web of interoperation between big companies, governments and IOTA.

I shall first of all introduce you to some big players in this realm and then point out what IOTA’s role might be.

2.1. The DIF

The DIF was founded “to build an open source decentralized identity ecosystem for people, organizations, apps, and devices”. Members include:

http://identity.foundation

2.2. Evernym

Evernym develops software solutions that leverage distributed ledger technology to provide every individual, organization and connected device with secure and irrevocable identity.

The company has just announced that it is partnering with R3 (another DIF member) to apply self-sovereign identity to financial services. Essentially, this joint initiative brings together two ledgers: One for the financial service industry (Corda by R3) and one that was built for self-sovereign identity (Sovrin, originally developed by Evernym and later turned over to the international non-profit Sovrin Foundation).

2.3 Sovrin

At its heart, Sovrin technology facilitates the exchange of ‘verifiable claims’, which in this context refers to those provable attestations which entities make about themselves: their age, address, certifications earned, and more. Evernym builds applications upon the Sovrin network which specialize in identity-based claims, such as those which establish a user’s authority to exert control over the funds in a particular financial account. (click)

Sovrin is als the name of the self-sovereign identity ledger. It is a free and open-source project. The whitepaper can be read here.

2.4 Microsoft

Yesterday, Mircosoft published a blogpost about their status quo in Digital IDs which is also a good introduction to the topic as such:

Decentralized Digital Identities and Blockchain – The Future as We See It.

Of course, Microsoft sees the potential of the technology quite clearly yet they also acknowledge that scalability is a major issue:

Some public blockchains (Bitcoin [BTC], Ethereum, Litecoin, to name a select few) provide a solid foundation for rooting DIDs, recording DPKI operations, and anchoring attestations. While some blockchain communities have increased on-chain transaction capacity (e.g. blocksize increases), this approach generally degrades the decentralized state of the network and cannot reach the millions of transactions per second the system would generate at world-scale. (source)

In order to overcome this they are “collaborating” on other protocols “to achieve global scale” (click). Note that in their blogpost Microsoft reveals that they have “invested in incubating a set of ideas for using Blockchain (and other distributed ledger technologies [which COULD include IOTA]) to create new types of digital identities […].” (click)

2.5 ID2020

Moreover, Microsoft has joined the ID2020 Alliance in January 2018 whose strategic goals encompass:

Accelerate access to digital identity for those living without

Set standards for a trustworthy decentralized identity framework, facilitating interoperability and creating an efficient market

Increase the efficiency and sustainability of global financing for identity

Enable more efficient and effective delivery of development and humanitarian aid

Another main sponsor and also partner of DIF is Accenture.

3. Connecting the dots

So the DIF is the place where all of the above-mentioned companies come together. Microsoft being among those has linked in their blogpost under point 5 (first bullet-point) the website of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web according to Wikipedia. This organization is working on Decentralized Identifiers which are “a new type of identifier for verifiable, “self-sovereign” digital identity. DIDs are fully under the control of the DID subject, independent from any centralized registry, identity provider, or certificate authority.”

The main editors are closely connected to Evernym (Drummond Reed is the Chief Trust Officer at Evernym and Secretary at Sovrin Foundation), Manu Sporny and Dave Longley are members of Sovrin’s Technical Governance board (click).

To put it short: W3C is working on standardizing Decentralized Identifiers and Evernym people are (deeply) involved; this project can also be found among the above-mentioned DIF working groups . The same people that also have a partnership with the R3. Cool.

Now Evernym was recently not only chosen by the same Outlier Ventures as IOTA back in June 2017 to be backed financially, but Evernym has also officially launched a collaboration with IOTA in the field of Digital ID:

The challenge of determining identity goes far beyond simply identifying humans. If the great promise of the Internet of Things is to be fulfilled, connected devices must also be uniquely and enduringly identifiable, and the validity of what they claim to be must be quickly verifiable. This is precisely the work Evernym is pursuing. Expect significant advancements to emerge from our collaboration with IOTA. (Drummond Reed, Evernym’s Chief Trust Officer. Source)

Drummon Reed summed it up in his overview about Sovrin here and called IOTA’s approach as a “powerful new way”:

https://medium.com/media/9c7d990704ed58bb57eea00dbb9d845b/href

The UN-backed ID2020 consortium was co-founded by John Edge. The same John Edge joined the IOTA Foundation in July 2017.

Thus, we have an apparently very good interconnection of IOTA in the realm of DIF on the one side and the co-founder of the biggest Digital ID alliance on a government scale (ID2020) aboard the IOTA Foundation (That both are somewhat linked could be seen from tweets like this).

Something many are not yet aware is IOTA’s collaboration with an initiative which was founded on Richard Branson’s Necker Island, namely the World Identity Network:

https://medium.com/media/f7f1dc24674faf942416c097cb4f9bb4/href

Add to this that not only IoT, but also Identitiy of Things (IDoT) plays an integral part of the IOTA roadmap and you will recognize that big things are about to be revealed here (Taipei certainly is only the beginning).

Obviously, only the tip of the iceberg has been revealed so far, but it also is a very complex undertaking. In Dominik Schiener’s words:

source: IOTA Discord channel

Just to emphasize it: signing up a lot of companies…dedicate their best people…5 companies on board so far.

Bringing IDoT to the masses is an enormous undertaking, but the IOTA Foundation has the means (both financially and manpower-wise) to do so. Enabling this in the real world will certainly be a gamechanger.

I can only advise you to dig a bit deeper into the matter by following the links provided above or simply watch this video of Wilfried Piementa, another IOTA Foundation member, explaining it:

https://medium.com/media/15ed595e8ebc01638d96bab140f95bef/href

We are at the edge if a whole new level of this technology…

As always, I would be really happy about donations (you may also read my other articles):

KGOZYHJRYVDBSXTUSECYJVEBLDVYFKCAKAWTPTCKXMBNOWNVRDRHRVSJNIVOQUFRODFPXWYSGROKRWKRZWJZTJOHSX

This Post was originally published by Chris Mueller on Medium.

The post IOTA: The case of Decentralized Digital Identity appeared first on IOTA News.

via IOTA News

[brandsmagazinepakistan-blog]

Brands Magazine

http://monthlybrands.com.pk/exclusive-interview-rizwan-jaffar-president-youth-parliament/

An Exclusive Interview with Rizwan Jaffar - President, Youth Parliament

BM: Tell us about your educational journey and how you started Youth Parliament. RJ: I was a debater since school, and as there were a lot of people in Karachi who were very good debaters so we had a group of our own. Similarly, I was also related to scouting since my school life, and just at the age of 17 I got the highest award of “President Gold Medal” for the “Best Scout of Pakistan”. After that I did my BBA (H) and MBA, but apart from education I was always involved in social activities.  Along with all the other debaters, we made Karachi’s first ever relevant organization by the name of “Karachi Youth Organization”. Under this organization, we participated in various activities and debate competitions. During this time, I got the opportunity to utilize my idea for starting a youth based show by the name of ‘Café Vision’ on Pakistan’s first private channel Indus Vision. Because I had an experience as a debater, so we gathered all the other debaters and organized dialogue sessions with them in fun and interactive way. The show turned out to be very well as it was one of a kind and was liked by all, so this is how the journey started. At that time, I got the idea that I should initiate something that could make a difference among youth, as people continuously questioned me that what kind of a difference am I creating through my program.  This is when I came up with the plan that there should be a parliament through which youth can become leader of the house and leader of the opposition for constructive discussion and ideas regarding the betterment of the state of affairs in the country; this is when I proposed the idea of a TV show by the name of “Youth Parliament”. But, unfortunately, the idea got rejected by the channel as they thought that I was already doing a hit show and adding a serious factor to another show won’t result in success.  However, all those people who told me to do something for this country, came forward and worked for this organization. It was on 14th August 2005 that I gathered all the people who wanted to work and announced the initiation of Youth Parliament in a 3 hour live transmission of completing the 100 episodes of my show.

BM: What was the aim of Youth Parliament? RJ: The aim was to provide youngsters with the platform. It basically had four main objectives; to gather youngsters belonging to different backgrounds on a single platform, engaging youngsters in building the foundation of this nation, after Zia-ul-Haq’s ban on student councils and political councils it was necessary to provide a platform through which future politicians churn out in the form of students. The final and the most important factor was to create a bridge between students and governmental parties through which youth can interact their concerns and problems with the people holding higher positions in the government organizations. We have a record that we have done more than 1000 programs that no other organization have done till yet, we have a record of keeping 1 lac youth engaged with us within a period of nearly 12 years.

The current show that I have been doing “Sawal Pakistan Ka,” is the only show in Pakistan which still engages youth, and we have done this show throughout the country.

BM: What kind of hurdles did you face while initiating Youth Parliament and still have to face? RJ: We had to face a lot of challenges. When we initiated the Youth Parliament in 2005, we basically kick-started it from Karachi and Islamabad but did induction from throughout the country, as we wanted it to go far and wide. But after 18th amendment in 2010, what actually happened was that many of the rulings of federal government got divided into provincial government. Youth Ministry, Education and Health allbecame the subject of power of Provincial governments. This is when we had to restrict ourselves to provincial level only; from 2011-2015 we focused majorly on Sindh. The reason behind it was to establish ourselves completely in a place where we root from, but now in 2017, we have successfully managed to spread throughout the country. Now we have chapters in 10 other countries too. Now even India and Bangladesh’s youth have requested us to launch a chapter of Youth Parliament in their countries, and our next step is to launch our divisions there.

BM: Do you plan on collaborating with government for educational projects? RJ: Yes, for educational projects, we have worked with both federal and provincial government. Secondly, in order to work with the local government, we have launched a complete movement for 2017 by the name of Jadeed Pakistan Tehreek. This movement will be held out throughout the country with major focus on Sindh. Every district chairman will be given a team of ten youth members, who will work for the betterment and progression of their city. In this movement, we are not only targeting developed cities but we will also be going to small parts of the country. In this regard, we have met many Mayors and they are ready to properly own us and this movement. Even they are willing to give us their offices, so that the combined manpower and youth can work. We will collaborate with different city advisors, professors, lecturers, philosophers, and poets etc. to see what could be done for the betterment of these cities. Some of the subjects on which we will be making our proposals include sports, education, health, disaster management, recreational activities, sewerage, roads, parks, mass transit and many more. So that is the idea of modern Pakistan.

BM: What are your expectations with Jadeed Karachi? RJ: Government has to deliver and we have to back them up with full power through Jadeed Karachi. The city generates more money than all the other cities of the country and it has a great potential for development. But from government to politicians and to people, Karachi has faced a lot of unwanted backlash and it is now time to pay back to the city which is the backbone of revenue. We will be engaging 600 youngsters with government within the six districts of Karachi and we have high hopes from this movement.

BM: Do you think government should induct youth parliament in its own parliament? RJ: Yes. We believe in the mantra that if Pakistan is given to the Youth Parliament to run, it would be Quaid’s dream country within five years. But, I know that we have to do a lot of hard work for that and we have already proved our mettle. With Jadeed Pakistan Movement, we already believe that we would be able to bring about a great impact throughout the country.

BM: How can youth join Youth Parliament? And, what message would you give to the youth of Pakistan? RJ: People throughout the year message us on our official number 0333-5559765 with their Name, Qualification, Institution, City, Cell number and Email ID. We call them for interviews and keep on inducting new blood after every two or so months. As for the message, I think youth is a single platform and they should remain united. They have to get out of selfish approach and foresee a brighter future. Therefore, it is necessary that youth from all backgrounds and ethnicities gather together on a single source and work together for nation building. It is essential to bring about a change for the progression of this country and only youth can does that. So, if youth want a Jadeed Pakistan, they have to take out time from all the spare activities and work for the betterment of their city.

[breakingtheglasses]

Manchester Bombed, Women Most Affected - Polecat Cast 114

Ariana Grande! Pamela Anderson! Chris Cornell! Celebrity news or nah?

    Good Day, Sir! You Look Like Somebody Who Likes Degrading Minorities

By Max Derrat

For those of you who are fans of the Simpsons… remember that one episode where Homer was trying to sell a sexual performance enhancer inside a mall? HE goes up to one guy and says, “hello, sir! You look like a man who needs help satisfying his wife.” Now, imagine that… but in real life… and instead of a sex drug… it’s social justice.

 Well, that is exactly what is happening at the University of California-Los Angeles, and to top it all off… the school is paying people to do it. A new program, titled the “Social Justice Advocates” program, is going to help students “navigate a world that operates on whiteness, patriarchy, and heteronormativity as the primary ideologies.”  Roughly eight to ten social justice advocates will be selected for the upcoming fall semester. They will have to spend three hours per work facilitating their duties, which include weekly meetings and… wait for it… crafting presentations. The program is funded through the Bruin Excellence and Student Transformation Grant Program (BEST) which receives funding from the university’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

 It is no secret that we, here, at Honey Badger Radio, report on pre-existing articles during our shows. This particular story happens to come from an excellent news aggregator called “Campus Reform”, which, of course, reports on all the social justice hysteria happening on campuses across the USA. The best part of this whole story… is the fact that students who participate in this social justice program have been ordered by their supervisor to NOT talk to Campus Reform, and to defer interview requests to the UCLA media department.

 In the meantime, I would like to take a second to not speak for Honey Badger Radio, but for myself. If you go to UCLA, and somebody comes up to you who says, “Hello sir! You look like somebody who takes pleasure in subjugating minorities”, I recommend you reply with the following: “Well, hello! You look like a massive tool who needs to do something productive for once in their lives like suck a dick and/or clit.” Source: http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=9204 I Don’t Care What You Think Is Sexist: You Don’t Need to Drink While Pregnant By Max Derrat Fellow, Honey Badgers… is it a good idea to drink alcohol when you’re pregnant? This is an honest question. Yes or no? No? Good, so in theory, we shouldn’t have to talk about the contents of this article… but since we have a show to put on…

 Pregnancy charities and researchers are calling for a change to government guidelines which warn expectant mothers to avoid alcohol completely. Dr. Ellie Lee, Director of the Centre of Parenting Culture Studies at the University of Kent, said that, quote, “the exclusion of women from an ordinary activity on the basis of a precaution is sexist.”

 Despite the fact that, you know, consistent heavy drinking during pregnancy can result in foetal alcohol syndrome… apparently there is no evidence that light to moderate drinking… or even the one-off night where you try every drink on the menu… will cause any damage. At the moment, it’s hard to say whether or not this is coming from a biologist, or the woman who heads the centre of Parenting Culture Studies. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service is campaigning for a change in the “tone” of the advice given to pregnant women regarding alcohol, stating that this might be, quote, “needlessly scaring women into aborting pregnancies because of fears that a few heavy nights out will have caused the foetus serious harm.”

 Of course, trying to determine the effects of light and moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy would be impossible because it’s unethical. Having said that, it might just be best to assume that eating and drinking healthy products might be best when you plan to bring a pregnancy to full-term. After all, the thing that should be on your mind shouldn’t be whether or not your feelings are hurt because you can’t abstain from alcohol for nine months, but the HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE BABY. Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/17/telling-women-not-drink-pregnancy-sexist/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw Conceptual PenisBy L Kemlo

A paper was published in a peer-reviewed social science journal as a hoax to prove gender studies is mostly garbage. The paper entitled the “conceptual penis as a social construct” was published in Cogent Social Sciences this May.

The authors, Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay, say that they were careful to make sure the paper did not say anything meaningful, and set out to publish it with the suspicion that gender studies is “crippled academically by an overriding almost-religious belief that maleness is the root of all evil”.

Here is an excerpt from the paper: Many cisgendered hypermasculine males, for instance, seem to identify those aspects of their masculinity upon which they most obviously depend with the notion that they carry their penis as a symbol of male power, domination, control, capability, desirability, and aggression (The National Coalition for Men “compile[d] a list of synonyms for the word penis [sic],” these include the terms “beaver basher,” “cranny axe,” “custard launcher,” “dagger,” “heat-seeking moisture missile,” “mayo shooting hotdog gun,” “pork sword,” and “yogurt shotgun” [2011]). Based upon an appreciable corpus of feminist literature on the penis, this troubling identification results in an effective isomorphism linking the conceptual penis with toxic hypermasculinity.

The paper goes on and even includes a part about climate change. Here is a gem: “climate change is genuinely an example of hyper-patriarchal society metaphorically manspreading into the global ecosystem.”

While this is comparable to the Sokal hoax paper that demonstrated that postmodernism was (is) a bunch of gobbledygook, the authors specifically tested their hypothesis that flattery of the academic left’s morality is the main determiner of publication in an academic journal in that field.

They succeeded. However, it’s important to note that their paper was turned down by their target journal “NORMA: The International Journal of Men's Studies” and Cogent, the one that ultimately published the hoax, is a pay-to-publish journal. Reason Magazine points out this may be better suited as a critique of pay-to-publish journals, while reminding everyone the evidence of problems in gender studies are obvious already, with real papers titled "Women's Studies as Virus: Institutional Feminism and the Projection of Danger” and "Glaciers, Gender, and Science—A feminist glaciology framework for global environmental climate change."

Source: http://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/conceptual-penis-social-contruct-sokal-style-hoax-on-gender-studies/

http://reason.com/blog/2017/05/22/no-the-conceptual-penis-as-a-social-cons

Pam Anderson Swallows...The Red Pill?

By Mike J.

Former model, actress, active member of PETA, and source of roughly 75% of boners produced in the 90s; Pamela Anderson has declared herself an anti-feminist. In a recent interview for the new Baywatch movie Anderson stated, "Men get weaker in an authoritarian environment; they don't need to be as manly. And women are working... who's watching the kids? I may get some heat for this, but I consider myself an "anti-feminist". Anderson continued stating her concerns over humans as a species becoming too androgynous, and adding that men shouldn't drink from plastic bottles as the plastic contains oestrogen. Anderson also expressed joy over the dropping of rape charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange whom she considers a hero and has visited several times.

Source: https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2017/0521/876848-pamela-anderson-says-shes-an-anti-feminist/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4526074/Pamela-Anderson-declares-anti-feminist.html

Fell On Black Days

By Mike J.

Chris Cornell, frontman for bands such as Soundgarden and Audioslave, was found dead May 18th in his MGM Grand hotel room after playing a show the previous day. The cause of death was determined to be suicide by hanging although Vicky Karayiannis, Cornell's wife, maintains that his suicide was the result of Cornell increasing the dosage of his anti-anxiety medication. Cornell had a longstanding history of mental health issues and multiple addictions, but appeared to have both under control after completing rehab in 2002. Cornell's death has reopened important discussions concerning men's mental health and male suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control, white males between the ages of 45 and 65 make up the bulk of all suicides, with men in general representing over 75% of suicides nationwide. Julie Cerel, president of the American Association of Suicidology and a professor at the University of Kentucky School of Social Work states on the subject of male suicide that, "Men notoriously don't seek help, and as people are aging and at a place in their lives where the world isn't looking the way they want, men especially don't know how to reach out and get help or express that they're feeling pain." Cerel adds that even once men do decide to seek help, medical professionals aren't always trained to looks for signs of mental illness and suicidality. Currently only three states in the US require that practitioners of mental health be trained in spotting suicidality. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Cornell#Death http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/it-s-not-just-chris-cornell-suicide-rates-highest-among-n762221http://www.suicidology.org/Portals/14/docs/Resources/FactSheets/2015/2015datapgsv1.pdf?ver=2017-01-02-220151-870

Ariana Grande: http://archive.is/B8NDE

Bonus Story: http://time.com/3613506/prosecuting-women-for-false-rape-allegations/

New Honey Badger stuff

[dablackprophet-blog]

Milk new symbol of hate?

When you think of milk, what first comes to your mind? If you’re a millennial, you probably think of strong bones, Got Milk? commercials, or maybe eating your favorite cereal while watching cartoons on a Saturday morning.

What about racism? White nationalism? If you’re having trouble finding the connection between these institutions and milk, you’re not alone. You, along with the rest of the nation, have been so accustomed to hearing the benefits of milk that you probably didn’t even realize the subtle racism hidden in our health facts.

It may not surprise you that the United States was founded on racism. That every institution we uphold has racist roots that are sometimes difficult to catch and even harder to fight against. This phenomenon affects our voter ID laws, state testing and,  yes, even our federal dietary guidelines. But how can our health guidelines, a system meant to be built upon scientific fact alone, have racist messages? Where there is a deep-rooted tradition to suppress an entire race’s existence, there’s a way.

The federal endorsement of milk in American diets contributes to the problem by uncritically pushing people to drink milk, despite the potential detriment it has on non-white people’s health.

Our current federal dietary guidelines urge people to drink three cups of milk a day, according to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The main health benefit of milk is to guard against osteoporosis, a disease that weakens your bones — hence the “stronger bones” rhetoric. While this is a very practical health benefit, osteoporosis affects Africans at a significantly lower rate than it does most Americans, according to an article on Mother Jones.

These facts about milk were brought to attention by a scientific magazine that got trickled down into the world of 4chan, where the facts were distorted and exaggerated to fit a racist rhetoric for white supremacy. The online trollers decided to take their milk jugs to the public using Shia LaBeouf’s social experiment livestream project, “He Will Not Divide Us,” which began as a protest against President Donald Trump. The installation has since been shut down by the host, The Museum of Moving Images, for being being “a serious and ongoing public safety hazard,” according to a February article by USA Today.

This is the basis that white supremacist milk chuggers used for their bring-your-own-milk-jug party using Shia LaBeouf’s camera to advance their hateful message. In an effort to prove their masculinity, a dozen middle-aged white men showed up shirtless, shouting about how they need to “secure the future of our diet and the future for milk drinking.” One man proudly displayed his neo-Nazi tattoo while spitting milk into the livestream camera.

This odd form of white supremacy also received cinematic attention through Jordan Peele’s horror movie “Get Out,” a movie that highlights racism in a post-racial America. Peele artistically addresses the new medium of hate with one of the film’s most eerie scenes, which shows a white woman meticulously sipping milk from a bendy straw. The scene would have gone unnoticed in the movie, but audiences were forced to notice the long, drawn-out frame of the woman taking a sip; Peele wanted people to notice.

These seemingly coincidental acts of racism are backed by the way milk continues to be represented in American diets.

The Mother Jones article states that not only is milk non-beneficial to Africans, but following the guidelines may actually be detrimental to their health. There is a strong correlation to calcium consumption and an increased risk of prostate cancer, unproportionally affecting African men. Furthermore, both black children and adults generally secrete less calcium on a daily basis than white people, making them less dependent upon milk.

Remember that this is the dietary guidelines for Americans. I want to emphasize that last word. These guidelines are for Americans. This means they should reflect the health needs of the ethnicities that make up America which, news flash, isn’t just white people. And since the African American community in the U.S. is continuously rising, it seems only logical to acknowledge that while something may be beneficial for one group of people, that may not be the case for another.

These differences are now leaving the world of health and spilling into our political and social lives. Milk has now become a symbol of racial superiority for white nationalists and neo-Nazis, claiming that their ability to process milk makes them racially superior.

That Peele came up with the idea for the scene days before shooting began, not knowing that the release of his movie would be perfectly timed with the sudden rise of interest for milk among white supremacists, is proof that the connection between milk and white supremacy is gaining visibility.

“That scene is just one of my favorites,” Peele told the LA Times. “There’s no dialogue in it — just this beautiful psychotic image that gives me glee when it happens in the film.”

The milk scene in “Get Out,” along with LaBeouf’s livestream, turned what started out as internet trolling into yet another form of nonsensical white superiority. And while there is little logic to the train of thoughts involved in choosing the next inanimate face of racism, our country’s health guidelines certainly take part of the blame for this one.

Until we recognize the racist roots in our own systems of government and fight to remove them, we are all in part responsible for the white, creamy form of racism currently taking hold in our country.