ring Remembering Mathematical Magician John Conway By rss.sciam.com Published On :: Mon, 20 Apr 2020 13:00:00 GMT His creative and influential ideas spilled over into quantum physics, philosophy and computer science -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com Full Article The Sciences Math
ring USDA moves to ensure students receive meals during school closures By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 10 Mar 2020 20:06:00 GMT American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown issued the following statement today following the announcement by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee that USDA would take steps to give states more... Full Article
ring Interim guidance issued on stroke care during COVID-19 pandemic By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 02 Apr 2020 13:30:00 GMT DALLAS, April 2, 2020 — The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Stroke Council Leadership has released “Temporary Emergency Guidance to U.S. Stroke Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which was published late yesterday in Stroke,... Full Article
ring Interim guidance to reduce COVID-19 transmission during resuscitation care By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 23 Mar 2020 13:00:00 GMT DALLAS, March 23, 2020 — The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, has released interim guidance for resuscitation care intended specifically for patients with known or suspected... Full Article
ring AHA Statement: Pregnant women with CVD need specialized care before, during and postpartum By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 09:00:00 GMT Statement Highlights: Women with cardiovascular disease should receive pre-pregnancy counseling and be monitored during and after pregnancy by either a cardio-obstetrics team or a multidisciplinary team of health care providers with experience in... Full Article
ring Framework on how to safely resume essential cardiovascular diagnostic and treatment care during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the AHA and 14 North American cardiovascular societies By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 16:39:00 GMT AHA COVID-19 newsroom DALLAS, May 4, 2020 — The American Heart Association, together with 14 cardiovascular societies in North America, today issued joint guidance, “Safe Reintroduction of Cardiovascular Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic:... Full Article
ring Telemonitoring plus phone counseling lowers blood pressure among black and Hispanic stroke survivors By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Fri, 21 Feb 2020 19:15:00 GMT Research Highlights: Minority stroke survivors experience better blood pressure control when lifestyle counseling by phone from a nurse is added to home blood pressure telemonitoring. Improved blood pressure control could lower strokes and stroke ... Full Article
ring Genetic scoring can identify more men at risk for aortic aneurysm By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 14:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: A genetic risk score from a blood test identified more men age 50 and older who are at higher risk of an aortic aneurysm and could benefit from ultrasound screening. Weakness and bulging in the wall of the aorta, the major blood ... Full Article
ring Interim CPR guidelines address challenges of providing resuscitation during COVID-19 pandemic By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:09:00 GMT Embargoed until 8 a.m. CT / 9 a.m. ET Thursday, April 9, 2020 AHA COVID-19 newsroom DALLAS, April 9, 2020 — With COVID-19 incidence currently increasing exponentially worldwide, the percentage of cardiac arrests with COVID-19 are also likely to... Full Article
ring Online business exchange creates community, makes critical connections to meet needs during COVID-19 pandemic By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 13:00:00 GMT DALLAS, April 29, 2020 — As the shortage of many goods, resources and services grows during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the American Heart Association, the leading nonprofit organization focused on a world of healthier lives for all, has launched ... Full Article
ring Exploring the Old Rockets at NASA By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 13:01:00 +0000 Daily Photo – Exploring the Old Rockets at NASA If you’re a rocket enthusiast, then the museums at NASA are a must. I’m a little bit of a rocket nerd so I found it pretty exciting. That, plus being a photo nerd, was a perfect combo. Also, you get a leeway when it comes to […] Full Article Aurora HDR Camera Gear Florida NASA Nikon D3X Photo Software Travel United States of America hangar Museum Space
ring 5 Ways to Grow Sales During COVID-19 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 07:04:30 +0000 We are living in unprecedented times. The global pandemic has had a major impact on our lives and our economy. In addition to the vast personal losses across the country and across the world, so many businesses have been negatively impacted. According to CNBC, retail sales fell by 8.7% in March of 2020, the biggest... Full Article Business Online
ring Depression and post-traumatic stress during major social unrest in Hong Kong: a 10-year prospective cohort study By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Jan 2020 11:23:53 EST Hong Kong has been embroiled in increasingly violent social unrest since June, 2019. We examined the associated population mental health burden, risk factors, and health-care needs. Full Article
ring Remembering The Original Woodstock In Wonderful Historical Photographs, 1969 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 12:13:54 +0000 A wide-angle view of the huge crowd facing the distant stage during the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in August... Full Article Photography 1960s festival music woodstock
ring This Family Uses Chalk Art To Go On Adventures During The Lockdown By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 13:38:25 +0000 Quarantine might have trapped us inside the shells of our houses; however, some people are finding ways to escape the... Full Article Photography adventures family lockdown quarantine
ring Family Of Romanian Photographer Moved To A Small Town In The UK And He Started Discovering The Beauty Of This Country By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 14:32:48 +0000 According to Aurel Paduraru: “I am a Romanian photographer and traveler. Last year, my wife, our five-year-old son, and I... Full Article Photography landscapes romania UK
ring Dugout Sports, MLB pitcher Mitch Keller team up to support local firefighters during pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 12:42:34 PDT CEDAR RAPIDS — Jay Whannel is baseball through and through. He was a star player in high school and college, played briefly in the professional independent leagues. He coached in college and... Full Article Minor League Sports
ring No baseball right now, but Cedar Rapids Kernels offering a bit of the ballpark taste By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:40:25 PDT CEDAR RAPIDS — You weren’t taken out to the ballgame or the crowd. You couldn’t get Cracker Jack, though you could get peanuts. Not to mention hot dogs and bacon cheeseburgers, a... Full Article Minor League Sports
ring How Four Food Businesses Started Selling Online During COVID-19 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:00:00 +0000 From no store to 800 orders per day — see how 4 stores successfully moved their business online during COVID-19 to stay open and save jobs. The post How Four Food Businesses Started Selling Online During COVID-19 appeared first on WooCommerce. Full Article Blog
ring How to Advertise your Products on Google for Free During COVID-19 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:00:00 +0000 Google’s offering $340 million in free ad credits during COVID-19. Here’s what you need to know to maximize your efforts and not only survive, but thrive! The post How to Advertise your Products on Google for Free During COVID-19 appeared first on WooCommerce. Full Article Blog Marketing
ring Collaboration creates Camp-in-a-Bag kits for mentoring program By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 09:59:31 PDT “I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service, and my Health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.”... Full Article Community
ring Tyson outbreak: Short closure but enduring grief By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 20:11:00 PDT As the coronavirus spread from the nation’s meatpacking plants to the broader communities where they are located, it burned through a modest duplex in Waterloo. In the downstairs unit lived... Full Article Health
ring Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries: Celebrating during a pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:10:23 PDT A 10th wedding anniversary traditionally is celebrated with a gift of aluminum or tin. For Sondy Daggett, her 10th year of marriage to Liz Hoskins was marked with a gift of Champagne and... Full Article Health
ring I hate recurring payments…so why do I sell my software with ’em? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 20 Nov 2019 23:38:31 +0000 It’s simple—I don’t like recurring payments. And I don’t know about you, but with most recurring payments, I feel anxiety around this need to “get my money’s worth.” In other words, I often feel like I under-utilize the product and thus overpay to some extent. So why do I sell my software under a recurring […] Full Article Philosophy
ring Bohannan: Bring new ideas and energy to House District 85 By www.thegazette.com Published On :: Wed, 6 May 2020 15:38:18 -0400 The upcoming primary election is a pivotal moment for Iowa City. For the past several months, I have talked to people throughout the district who are ready for change. They believe their Democratic representative should show up for people throughout the community, especially those in need. They expect a legislator from Iowa’s bluest district to be a leader in the party, raising money to support Democratic candidates up and down the ticket and making the strongest possible case for progressive legislation. They are ready to start now in building the future of the Democratic Party and state government in Iowa. And I am honored that they are putting their trust in me. There is a lot at stake in this election. The coronavirus has laid bare and magnified preexisting inequities — inequities brought about by the Legislature’s disinvestment in education, health care, and worker rights and safety. Small businesses are now struggling to survive, when for years the state has been giving large corporations hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits. Water quality, climate change and gun violence still need our attention, even as we continue to invest in keeping people safe from COVID-19. We have never needed strong leadership more than we do now.I will be a champion for progressive values because I have lived them. I know how hard it can be for people to get by even when they work hard. I grew up in a trailer in rural Florida. Neither of my parents graduated high school. My dad was a construction worker who suffered for years with emphysema. When his health insurance was canceled, my family had to choose between paying for his medicine and everything else. Fortunately, public education gave me the opportunity for a better life. My teachers taught me well and helped me to apply to college. Public university tuition was affordable then, and I was able to work my way through engineering school and law school. Today, I am a law professor, an environmental engineer and a mother. I believe I have the skills, energy and passion that Iowa City needs at this critical point in time. I will show up for every member of our community and fight for a better future for all of Iowa.It’s time for change in Iowa City. Please vote for me in House District 85 and help to build the future that Iowa deserves. Christina Bohannan is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Iowa House District 85. Full Article Guest Columnist
ring Collaboration creates Camp-in-a-Bag kits for mentoring program By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 09:59:31 PDT “I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service, and my Health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.” — 4-H pledgeThe Johnson County 4-H program is living up to these words, teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County to assemble Camp-in-a-Bag kits for the youngest “Littles” enrolled in the BBBS mentoring program. Big Brothers Big Sisters creates one-on-one opportunities between adult volunteer mentors and at-risk youths ages 6 to 18. Known as “Bigs” and “Littles,” they meet for at least six hours a month for 18 months. But those in-person outings to movies, museums, restaurants, recreational activities and new adventures, as well as monthly events and school-based programs organized by the agency, are on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic. So the kits became an outreach outlet. “I was thinking about ways that we would be able to connect with our Littles, to let them know that we’re thinking about them,” said Dina Bishara, program specialist for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County. “And also in a very small way, to try to fill that gap that so many kids are experiencing right now. They’re used to the structure and activity of school and extracurricular activities and playing with friends.”The bags contain more than six hours of STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and math — activities, from the pieces needed for building gliders and balloon flyers, to conducting scientific experiments, planting seeds, choosing healthy snacks and writing down their thoughts. Those activities also reflect the other contributing partners: Johnson County Master Gardeners, Johnson County Extension and Outreach’s Pick a Better Snack program, O’Brien Family McDonalds and Forever Green Garden Center. “(We wanted to) just give them something really fun and also educational and engaging, to help them spend time with their siblings, if they have them, and get their parents involved, if possible — and just really keep them connected to that learning and the fun, but also to Big Brothers Big Sisters,” Bishara said. “Camp-in-a-Bag helps us structure things in an intentional and thoughtful way.”Partnering with 4-H, known for its summer camps, fairs and educational programs, “was a really great way to make sure that the activities we were including were really robust, so it was not going to be a hodgepodge, throw-some-things-in-a-bag,” Bishara added. “We really needed to be deliberate about it, to have the directions nicely laid out.”The first wave is being distributed to 20 elementary-age children, and officials are hoping to expand the project.“Funding is always a question,” Bishara said. “We would love to expand to 20 or 40 for more. ... We’d sure like to be able to target the kits to a little older kids, who have different interests.”Bishara and Kate Yoder, who works with 4-H out of the Iowa State University Extension office in Johnson County, are eager to continue their collaborative efforts. “It really great,” Yoder said. “When you work together, things comes together and amazing things happen. I’m excited to see what the future holds — what partnerships we can build on and grow.”Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.comTo help• What: Big Brothers Big Sisters Camp-in-a-Bag kit contributions• Contact: Email Dina Bishara at dina@bbbsjc.org Full Article Community
ring Some people miss travel so much they are ordering airplane food By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 15:20:00 PDT Imperfect Foods, an online surplus-stock grocery delivery company aimed at eliminating food waste, has begun is offering JetBlue Airline cheese and snack trays — $2.99 for three ounces of mixed cheeses, dried cherries and crackers.Imperfect Foods CEO Philip Behn says the cheese and snack trays were an early casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.“Almost two months ago, before it became a nationwide pandemic, this catering and airplane meal supplier said they saw a decline in economy and business-class seats,” he said. “This was one of our first COVID-19 food waste recovery opportunities. We could only take a fraction of what they had.”Behn said his company has sold 40,000 cheese and snack trays.“We call that ‘breaking bulk,’” Behn said. “We have stepped up with co-packers to try to repackage some of those products — it’s hard work and it’s slow, given the importance of food safety.”Yet there are bright spots. Imperfect Foods is a budget-conscious company, so high-end products such as pineapples are usually too expensive to offer their customers. Where do people eat pineapples? Hotels. And with hotels stalled, Imperfect Foods has been able to buy and offer them for a fair price. It has redistributed popcorn kernels previously destined for movie theaters and broccoli florets usually reserved for restaurants. Since the beginning of March, Imperfect Foods has doubled the volume of food it was previously buying, the JetBlue snacks among many.Julianna Bryan, communications specialist for JetBlue, said the airline has had to dramatically reduce its in-flight food and beverage service to minimize contact between customers and crew members.“We have temporarily suspended the sales of buy-onboard products including our EatUp Snack Boxes, EatUp Café fresh food items, beer, wine and liquor,” she said.JetBlue has donated leftover inventory of snacks to Feeding America and other food banks, as well as hospitals. JetBlue has worked with its business partners to sell unused inventory, such as the cheese trays, at a heavily discounted price with the goal of moving it quickly and minimizing waste, Bryan said.JetBlue is not the only airline to have to find new outlets for its in-flight overflow. Delta has had to unload its Biscoff cookies — and it serves 80 million to 85 million of these spiced shortbread favorites each year. At United, the Dutch stroopwafels have been piling up. In addition to selling some of their excess, airlines have put donation programs in place. Southwest has donated more than $400,000 in snacks and other in-flight items to not-for-profit organizations and nearly 13 tractor-trailers full of groceries to 15 food banks that are a part of the Feeding America network.Delta has donated 500,000 pounds of food around the world in the past six weeks. Front-line workers and hospitals get the Biscoff cookies along with coffee and other in-flight beverages, while other perishable food has gone to Feeding America’s partner agencies like Georgia Food & Resource Center and Missouri’s Carthage Crisis Center.And United has donated 173,000 pounds of food to food banks and charities, pulling from airport lounges and catering kitchens. United volunteers have also processed more than 428,000 pounds of food and household goods for the Houston Food Bank. Full Article Nation & World
ring Tyson outbreak: Short closure but enduring grief By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 20:11:00 PDT As the coronavirus spread from the nation’s meatpacking plants to the broader communities where they are located, it burned through a modest duplex in Waterloo.In the downstairs unit lived Jim Orvis, 65, a beloved friend and uncle who worked in the laundry department at the Tyson Foods pork processing facility, the largest employer in Waterloo. Upstairs was Arthur Scott, a 51-year-old father who was getting his life on track after a prison term for drugs. He worked 25 miles away at the Tyson dog treats factory in Independence.The two men were not well acquainted. But both fell ill and died last month within days of each other from COVID-19 — casualties of an outbreak linked to the Waterloo plant that spread across the city of 68,000 people.Similar spread has happened in other communities where the economy centers on raising hogs and cattle and processing their meat, including the hot spots of Grand Island, Neb., and Worthington, Minn.The virus is “devastating everything,” duplex owner Jose Garcia, who received notification two days apart from his deceased tenants’ relatives, said recently. “These two guys were here last week. Now they are gone. It’s crazy.”He said it’s possible one of the men infected the other because they shared an entryway, or that they each contracted the virus separately at their workplaces.The virus threatens the communities’ most vulnerable populations, including low-income workers and their extended families.“They’re afraid of catching the virus. They’re afraid of spreading it to family members. Some of them are afraid of dying,” said the Rev. Jim Callahan, of the Church of St. Mary in Worthington, a city of 13,000 that has attracted immigrants from across the globe to work at the JBS pork plant.“One guy said to me, ‘I risked my life coming here. I never thought something that I can’t see could take me out.’ ”In Grand Island, an outbreak linked to a JBS beef plant that is the city’s largest employer spread rapidly across the rural central Nebraska region, killing more than three dozen people. Many of the dead were elderly residents of long-term care facilities who had relatives or friends employed at the plant.In Waterloo, local officials blamed Tyson for endangering not only its workers and their relatives but everyone else who leaves home to work or get groceries.They were furious with the state and federal governments for failing to intervene and for pushing hard to reopen the plant days after public pressure helped idle it.“We were failed by people who put profit margins and greed before people, predominantly brown people, predominantly immigrants, predominantly people who live in lower socioeconomic quarters,” said Jonathan Grieder, a high school social studies teacher who serves on Waterloo’s City Council. “This is going to be with us for so long. There are going to be very deep scars in our community.”Grieder cried as he recounted how one of his former students, 19, lost her father to the coronavirus and has been left to raise two younger siblings. Their mother died of cancer last September.Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson said he first became concerned after touring the Tyson plant April 10 and witnessing inadequate social distancing and a lack of personal protective equipment. As hundreds of workers began getting sick or staying home out of fear, Thompson joined the mayor and local officials in asking Tyson to close the plant temporarily on April 16.But Tyson, with support from Gov. Kim Reynolds, waited until April 22 to announce that step after the outbreak intensified. The company warned of the significant economic consequences even a temporary shutdown would create.The plant, which can process 19,500 hogs per day, resumed limited production this past week.First, Tyson invited local officials and some employees inside for tours to show the new safety precautions, including plastic shields and more space between workers. This time, Thompson said he was “reserved in my optimism” that worker safety would be a priority at the plant.Although Tyson has declined to say how many of the plant’s 2,800 workers had been infected, state health officials announced last week that 444 — or 17 percent — had the virus.In three weeks, Black Hawk County’s cases skyrocketed from 62 to at least 1,450, or more than 1 percent of the county population. Deaths because of the virus rose from zero to at least 15. Ninety percent of the cases are “attributed or related to the plant,” the county’s public health director said.Thompson said the plant’s outbreak decimated the community’s “first line of defense” and allowed the virus to spread to nursing homes and the jail he oversees.“These are the places we did not want to fight the COVID-19 virus,” he said.The losses mounted.A refugee from Bosnia died days after falling sick while working on the Tyson production line, leaving behind her heartbroken husband.The virus also took an intellectually disabled man who died at 73, years after escaping forced labor at a turkey plant and retiring to Waterloo.Scott, who went by the nickname Dontae, was planning to reunite in June with two teenage children he had not seen in person since he was incarcerated on federal drug charges in 2011.A former small-time heroin distributor who suffered from addiction, he and his wife divorced during his prison term, and she moved to Mississippi with the children.Since his 2018 release, friends said he was doing well and rebuilding relationships.Scott told his daughter, Destiny Proctor, 18, that he suspected he became infected at the Tyson pet food factory, which has stayed open under federal guidance classifying the industry as critical infrastructure.Proctor and her 15-year-old brother were looking forward to living with their dad this summer. Instead, their final talk was a video call from a hospital where he struggled to talk.“It was so, so sad,” Proctor, who described her father as funny and caring and frequently sending her cards and gifts, said of their final call. “He told me he couldn’t breathe.” Full Article Health
ring Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries: Celebrating during a pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:10:23 PDT A 10th wedding anniversary traditionally is celebrated with a gift of aluminum or tin.For Sondy Daggett, her 10th year of marriage to Liz Hoskins was marked with a gift of Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries shared through a window.Employees at Bickford of Marion, the assisted living and memory care center where Hoskins is a resident, surprised the couple with the anniversary gift on May 1. Despite the current coronavirus-related mitigation practices, the staff had created a special moment for the couple, who have been partners for 24 years. Daggett burst into tears as employees played their wedding song — Billy Joel’s “The Longest Time.”“It just touched my soul,” Daggett said.Across the state, moments like this are relegated through windows or over a phone call. As the novel coronavirus pandemic sweeps through the country, long-term care facilities have locked down in an effort to keep residents healthy, which means their families are no longer able to hug their loved ones, or sit with them in their rooms.For many families, the feelings at such times this time are conflicted. Typical Mother’s Day celebrations have been placed on hold, and recent milestones have been missed by those living in long-term care facilities. Simple visits through windows feel distant.“Those are the moments you remember and you miss,” said Daggett, recalling memories of visits to Bickford of Marion from Hoskins’s grandchildren and family gatherings during the holidays. Hoskins, who has dementia, has been a resident at Bickford since August 2019.“The pandemic has taken this away,” Daggett said.But beyond this new dynamic with which family members are left to grapple, they also have the constant worry that their loved one could fall ill.So far, Bickford of Marion has not seen any cases.“Every time you read about another outbreak — whether it’s close to home or anywhere in the country — it brings home how fortunate we are so far,” said Matt Hoskins, Liz Hoskin’s son. “I can’t imagine the anxiety the residents and staff are having once it breaks through the wall.”As of Friday, 29 long-term care facilities across the state, which includes skilled nursing facilities and senior living centers, among others — have reported outbreaks of COVID-19 among hundreds of their staff and residents.As a result, for some Iowans, that fear has become a reality.‘I have to trust’Ruth Brackett’s son Jamie Degner, a 38-year-old resident at Harmony House Health Care Center in Waterloo, tested positive for COVID-19 this past week.Degner, who has severe autism and intellectual disabilities, has been a resident there since he was 15 years old.More than 60 residents and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 at Harmony House, an intermediate care facility. It’s one of two long-term care facilities in Black Hawk County reporting an outbreak, defined as three or more positive tests among residents.Degner received his test results on Tuesday. He’s had lower-than-normal oxygen levels, but otherwise has recorded his usual vital signs and has not experienced symptoms.Brackett said it is “unbelievably difficult to not be able to go be with him through this.”As with many facilities across the state, Harmony House closed its doors to visitors in early March, when the first cases of COVID-19 began being reported across Iowa and the nation. Brackett said her son’s cognitive abilities make it impossible for him to understand that she is unable to visit because she might make him sick, so the staff instead tell Degner his mom is “at work.” While she’s optimistic he’ll improve, Brackett worries whether Degner’s virus would take a turn for the worse. “It’s tough because I have to trust” the staff, Brackett said. “There’s nothing I can do, so I can’t spend a lot of time dwelling on what I might do differently.”The families that spoke to The Gazette believe the leadership at long-term care facilities are doing what they can to keep its residents safe and healthy. At Bickford of Marion, officials have taken the unique step of promising public transparency of possible COVID-19 cases in its facility. On the website of every Bickford location is a feature recording the number of residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.“Whether it’s COVID-19 or not, we want to be transparent with families about their loved ones’ care,” Bickford of Marion Executive Director Jacobi Feckers said. “I don’t know why other nursing homes haven’t taken that step because I haven’t spoken to other facilities, but I’m thankful that’s the route we’ve taken.”It’s not just families who are placing their trust in management. Ron Moore is an independent living resident at Cottage Grove Place, one of the largest senior living centers in Cedar Rapids that has reported an outbreak of COVID-19 this past week. According to the latest data from public health officials, five residents and staff there have tested positive.The outbreak originated in the skilled nursing unit, and officials said they are working to ensure the virus doesn’t spread to the assisted-living and independent-living portions of the facility. They restricted movement between the facilities and conduct frequent temperature checks of staff.So far, the general feeling among residents at Cottage Grove Place’s independent-living housing is that management has “done a good job” of controlling exposure.“The feelings of the residents here are positive,” Moore said. “They appreciate what management has done to protect us.”‘Any opportunity to celebrate’Still, life looks much differently at Cottage Grove Place. Moore said his schedule typically is packed with weekly book clubs and coffees with friends. Now he and his wife take walks, or try to connect with friends over email.“I’ve found (residents) are not depressed at this time,” he said. “But in the future, if this goes on for many months? My prediction is yes, depression will be a serious thing.”Local senior living centers have come up with unique ways to allow visitors to see their loved ones. Gina Hausknecht, a 55-year-old Iowa City resident, was able to see her mother in person for the first time in weeks after her assisted-living home, Oaknoll Retirement Community in Iowa City, created a “drive up” visit option this past weekend. While Hausknecht sat in the car, she was able to speak with her mother, 93-year-old Ellen Hausknecht, for an hour outside the facility. Before this, it had been emotionally difficult for Hausknecht not to see her mom weekly as she usually does“It sunk in that I don’t know when I’m going to see my mom again, and that felt really terrible,” Hausknecht previously told The Gazette.Hausknecht said she hopes to take this year’s Mother’s Day as an opportunity to do something special, particularly given the difficult past few weeks.“Our family isn’t super-big on these kinds of holidays but we do like to acknowledge them, and this year it feels important to take hold of any opportunity to celebrate,” she said.Other facilities, including Bickford of Marion, also have eased restrictions on sending food and gifts to residents in time for Mother’s Day. Matt Hoskins, Liz’s Hoskins’ son, said the family’s usual Mother’s Day plans are impossible this year, so they hope to send Liz’s Hoskins artwork from her grandchildren along with other gifts. Brackett, who will be apart from her son Degner this year, said she hadn’t planned anything for the holiday. She looks forward to her first in-person visit with him after the pandemic, when she will bring his favorite meal from McDonald’s and a new deck of Phase 10 cards. Despite the feelings of being separated, their wedding anniversary on May 1 likely is something Daggett will cherish, she said. With Daggett acting as Hoskins caregiver since her dementia diagnosis in 2016, their wedding anniversary has been something the couple hasn’t celebrated in a significant way in some time, she said.But that worry still creeps in the back of her mind. Daggett said she’s trying to remain “as confident as anyone can at this point.”“I learned a long time ago you can’t worry about what you can’t control,” Daggett said. “But does that mean I still wake up at 2 in the morning worried about it? Of course I do.”Comments: (319) 398-8469; michaela.ramm@thegazette.com Full Article Health
ring How to Foster Real-Time Client Engagement During Moderated Research By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 17 Feb 2020 08:00:00 -0500 When we conduct moderated research, like user interviews or usability tests, for our clients, we encourage them to observe as many sessions as possible. We find when clients see us interview their users, and get real-time responses, they’re able to learn about the needs of their users in real-time and be more active participants in the process. One way we help clients feel engaged with the process during remote sessions is to establish a real-time communication backchannel that empowers clients to flag responses they’d like to dig into further and to share their ideas for follow-up questions. There are several benefits to establishing a communication backchannel for moderated sessions:Everyone on the team, including both internal and client team members, can be actively involved throughout the data collection process rather than waiting to passively consume findings.Team members can identify follow-up questions in real-time which allows the moderator to incorporate those questions during the current session, rather than just considering them for future sessions.Subject matter experts can identify more detailed and specific follow-up questions that the moderator may not think to ask.Even though the whole team is engaged, a single moderator still maintains control over the conversation which creates a consistent experience for the participant.If you’re interested in creating your own backchannel, here are some tips to make the process work smoothly:Use the chat tool that is already being used on the project. In most cases, we use a joint Slack workspace for the session backchannel but we’ve also used Microsoft Teams.Create a dedicated channel like #moderated-sessions. Conversation in this channel should be limited to backchannel discussions during sessions. This keeps the communication consolidated and makes it easier for the moderator to stay focused during the session.Keep communication limited. Channel participants should ask basic questions that are easy to consume quickly. Supplemental commentary and analysis should not take place in the dedicated channel.Use emoji responses. The moderator can add a quick thumbs up to indicate that they’ve seen a question.Introducing backchannels for communication during remote moderated sessions has been a beneficial change to our research process. It not only provides an easy way for clients to stay engaged during the data collection process but also increases the moderator’s ability to focus on the most important topics and to ask the most useful follow-up questions. Full Article Process Research
ring A Parent’s Guide to Working From Home, During a Global Pandemic, Without Going Insane By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:06:00 -0400 Though I usually enjoy working from Viget’s lovely Boulder office, during quarantine I am now working from home while simultaneously parenting my 3-year-old daughter Audrey. My husband works in healthcare and though he is not on the front lines battling COVID-19, he is still an essential worker and as such leaves our home to work every day. Some working/parenting days are great! I somehow get my tasks accomplished, my kid is happy, and we spend some quality time together. And some days are awful. I have to ignore my daughter having a meltdown and try to focus on meetings, and I wish I wasn’t in this situation at all. Most days are somewhere in the middle; I’m just doing my best to get by. I’ve seen enough working parent memes and cries for help on social media to know that I’m not alone. There are many parents out there who now get to experience the stress and anxiety of living through a global pandemic while simultaneously navigating ways to stay productive while working from home and being an effective parent. Fun isn’t it? I’m not an expert on the matter, but I have found a few small things that are making me feel a bit more sane. I hope sharing them will make someone else’s life easier too. Truths to Accept First, let’s acknowledge some truths about this new situation we find ourselves in: Truth 1: We’ve lost something. Parents have lost more than daycare and schools during this epidemic. We’ve lost any time that we had for ourselves, and that was really valuable. We no longer have small moments in the day to catch up on our personal lives. I no longer have a commute to separate my work duties from my mom duties, or catch up with my friends, or just be quiet. Truth 2: We’re human. The reason you can’t be a great employee and a great parent and a great friend and a great partner or spouse all day every day isn’t because you’re doing a bad job, it’s because being constantly wonderful in all aspects of your life is impossible. Pick one or two of those things a day to focus on. Truth 3: We’re all doing our best. This is the most important part of this article. Be kind to yourselves. This isn’t easy, and putting so much pressure on yourself that you break isn’t going to make it any easier. Work from Home Goals Now that we’ve accepted some truths about our current situation, let’s set some goals. Goal 1: Do Good Work At Viget, and wherever you work, with kids or without we all want to make sure that the quality of our work stays up throughout the pandemic and that we can continue to be reliable team members and employees to the best of our abilities. Goal 2: Stay Sane We need to figure out ways to do this without sacrificing ourselves entirely. For me, this means fitting my work into normal work hours as much as possible so that I can still have some downtime in the evenings. Goal 3: Make This Sustainable None of us knows how long this will last but we may as well begin mentally preparing for a long haul. Work from Home Rules Now, there are some great Work from Home Rules that apply to everyone with or without kids. My coworker Paul Koch shared these with the Viget team a Jeremy Bearimy ago and I agree this is also the foundation for working from home with kids. When you’re in a remote meeting, minimize other windows to stay focusedSet a schedule and avoid chores*Take breaks away from the screenPlan your workday on the calendar+Be mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers+Keep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for you In the improv spirit I say “Yes, AND….” to these tips. And so, here are my adjusted rules for WFH while kiddos around: These have both been really solid tools for me, so let’s dig in. Daily flexible schedule for kids Day Planning: Calendars and Timers A few small tweaks and adjustments make this even more doable for me and my 3-year-old. First- I don’t avoid chores entirely. If I’m going up and down the stairs all day anyway I might as well throw in a load of laundry while I’m at it. The more I can get done during the day means a greater chance of some down time in the evening. Each morning I plan my day and Audrey’s day: My Work Day:Audrey's DayIdentify times of day you are more likely to be focus and protect them. For me, I know I have a block of time from 5-7a before Audrey wakes up and again during “nap time” from 1-3p.I built a construction paper “schedule” that we update and reorganize daily. We make the schedule together each day. She feels ownership over it and she gets to be the one who tells me what we do next.Look at your calendar first thing and make adjustments either in your plans or move meetings if you have to.I’m strategic about screen time- I try to schedule it when I have meetings. It also helps to schedule a physical activity before screen time as she is less likely to get bored.Make goals for your day: Tackle time sensitive tasks first. Take care of things that either your co-workers or clients are waiting on from you first, this will help your day be a lot less stressful. Non-time sensitive tasks come next- these can be done at any time of day.We always include “nap time” even though she rarely naps anymore. This is mostly a time for us both to be alone. When we make the schedule together it also helps me understand her favorite parts of the day and reminds me to include them. Once our days are planned, I also use timers to help keep the structure of the day. (I bought a great alarm clock for kids on Amazon that turns colors to signal bedtime and quiet time. It’s been hugely worth it for me.) Timers for Me:Timers for Audrey:More than ever, I rely on a time tracking timer. At Viget we use Harvest to track time, and it has a handy built in timer, but there are many apps or online tools that could help you keep track of your time as well.Audrey knows what time she can come out of her room in the morning. If she wakes up before the light is green she plays quietly in her room.I need a timer because the days and hours are bleeding together- without tracking as I go it would be really hard for me to remember when I worked on certain projects or know for certain if I gave Viget enough time for the day.She knows how long “nap time” is in the afternoon.Starting and stopping the timer helps me turn on and off “work mode”, which is a helpful sanity bonus.Perhaps best of all I am not the bad guy! “Sorry honey, the light isn’t green yet and there really isn’t anything mommy can do about it” is my new favorite way to ensure we both get some quiet time. Work from Home Rules: Updated for Parents Finally, I have a few more Work from Home Rules for parents to add to the list: Minimize other windows in remote meetingsSet a schedule and fit in some chores if time allowsTake breaks away from the screenSchedule both your and your kids’ daysBe mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers to track your own time and help your kids understand the dayKeep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for youBe prepared with a few activitiesEach morning, have just ONE thing ready to go. This can be a worksheet you printed out, a coloring station setup, a new bag of kinetic sand you just got delivered from Amazon, a kids dance video on YouTube or an iPad game. Recently I started enlisting my mom to read stories on Facetime. The activity doesn’t have to be new each day but (especially for young kids) it has to be handy for you to start up quickly if your schedule changesClearly communicate your availability with your team and project PMsLife happens. Some days are going to be hard. Whatever you do, don’t burn yourself out or leave your team hanging. If you need to move a meeting or take a day off, communicate that as early and as clearly as you can.Take PTO if you canNone of us are superheroes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed- take a look at the next few days and figure out which one makes the most sense for you to take a break.Take breaks to be alone without doing a taskWork and family responsibilities have blended together, there’s almost no room for being alone. If you can find some precious alone time don’t use it to fold laundry or clean the bathroom. Just zone out. I think we all really need this. Last but not least, enjoy your time at home if you can. This is an unusual circumstance and even though it’s really hard, there are parts that are really great too. If you have some great WFH tips we’d love to hear about them in the comments! Full Article Process News & Culture
ring 7 Best WordPress Membership Plugins to Generate Recurring Revenue By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 28 Feb 2020 14:55:24 +0000 Do you want to turn your WordPress blog into a membership site? Businesses around the globe use this model to sell their physical products or offer exclusive digital content, and many of them are super successful. CopyBlogger, a site with content marketing lessons, offers premium courses to members and they’re currently an eight-figure business. Meanwhile, the owner of the razor […] Full Article Plugins
ring 9 Things You Can Do To Your WordPress Website During Quarantine By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 07 Apr 2020 18:15:25 +0000 If you’d have told us at WPZOOM about the current situation we find ourselves in six months ago, we wouldn’t have believed you. It’s all we can see if we turn on the TV and it’s clear right now, humanity has taken a break. Worrying about loved ones, ensuring we stay safe, and for heaven’s sake, stay inside. Staying inside […] Full Article News
ring How to Create an Online Ordering Page for Restaurants with WooCommerce By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 24 Apr 2020 07:42:25 +0000 Until recently it was something normal for any restaurant to have a well-maintained website. Even so, it seems that for many restaurants this was something difficult to achieve. In these difficult times, for many restaurant owners and other businesses in this field, owning just a simple website is no longer enough. If you still want to remain in business you […] Full Article Tutorials
ring How to Foster Real-Time Client Engagement During Moderated Research By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 17 Feb 2020 08:00:00 -0500 When we conduct moderated research, like user interviews or usability tests, for our clients, we encourage them to observe as many sessions as possible. We find when clients see us interview their users, and get real-time responses, they’re able to learn about the needs of their users in real-time and be more active participants in the process. One way we help clients feel engaged with the process during remote sessions is to establish a real-time communication backchannel that empowers clients to flag responses they’d like to dig into further and to share their ideas for follow-up questions. There are several benefits to establishing a communication backchannel for moderated sessions:Everyone on the team, including both internal and client team members, can be actively involved throughout the data collection process rather than waiting to passively consume findings.Team members can identify follow-up questions in real-time which allows the moderator to incorporate those questions during the current session, rather than just considering them for future sessions.Subject matter experts can identify more detailed and specific follow-up questions that the moderator may not think to ask.Even though the whole team is engaged, a single moderator still maintains control over the conversation which creates a consistent experience for the participant.If you’re interested in creating your own backchannel, here are some tips to make the process work smoothly:Use the chat tool that is already being used on the project. In most cases, we use a joint Slack workspace for the session backchannel but we’ve also used Microsoft Teams.Create a dedicated channel like #moderated-sessions. Conversation in this channel should be limited to backchannel discussions during sessions. This keeps the communication consolidated and makes it easier for the moderator to stay focused during the session.Keep communication limited. Channel participants should ask basic questions that are easy to consume quickly. Supplemental commentary and analysis should not take place in the dedicated channel.Use emoji responses. The moderator can add a quick thumbs up to indicate that they’ve seen a question.Introducing backchannels for communication during remote moderated sessions has been a beneficial change to our research process. It not only provides an easy way for clients to stay engaged during the data collection process but also increases the moderator’s ability to focus on the most important topics and to ask the most useful follow-up questions. Full Article Process Research
ring A Parent’s Guide to Working From Home, During a Global Pandemic, Without Going Insane By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:06:00 -0400 Though I usually enjoy working from Viget’s lovely Boulder office, during quarantine I am now working from home while simultaneously parenting my 3-year-old daughter Audrey. My husband works in healthcare and though he is not on the front lines battling COVID-19, he is still an essential worker and as such leaves our home to work every day. Some working/parenting days are great! I somehow get my tasks accomplished, my kid is happy, and we spend some quality time together. And some days are awful. I have to ignore my daughter having a meltdown and try to focus on meetings, and I wish I wasn’t in this situation at all. Most days are somewhere in the middle; I’m just doing my best to get by. I’ve seen enough working parent memes and cries for help on social media to know that I’m not alone. There are many parents out there who now get to experience the stress and anxiety of living through a global pandemic while simultaneously navigating ways to stay productive while working from home and being an effective parent. Fun isn’t it? I’m not an expert on the matter, but I have found a few small things that are making me feel a bit more sane. I hope sharing them will make someone else’s life easier too. Truths to Accept First, let’s acknowledge some truths about this new situation we find ourselves in: Truth 1: We’ve lost something. Parents have lost more than daycare and schools during this epidemic. We’ve lost any time that we had for ourselves, and that was really valuable. We no longer have small moments in the day to catch up on our personal lives. I no longer have a commute to separate my work duties from my mom duties, or catch up with my friends, or just be quiet. Truth 2: We’re human. The reason you can’t be a great employee and a great parent and a great friend and a great partner or spouse all day every day isn’t because you’re doing a bad job, it’s because being constantly wonderful in all aspects of your life is impossible. Pick one or two of those things a day to focus on. Truth 3: We’re all doing our best. This is the most important part of this article. Be kind to yourselves. This isn’t easy, and putting so much pressure on yourself that you break isn’t going to make it any easier. Work from Home Goals Now that we’ve accepted some truths about our current situation, let’s set some goals. Goal 1: Do Good Work At Viget, and wherever you work, with kids or without we all want to make sure that the quality of our work stays up throughout the pandemic and that we can continue to be reliable team members and employees to the best of our abilities. Goal 2: Stay Sane We need to figure out ways to do this without sacrificing ourselves entirely. For me, this means fitting my work into normal work hours as much as possible so that I can still have some downtime in the evenings. Goal 3: Make This Sustainable None of us knows how long this will last but we may as well begin mentally preparing for a long haul. Work from Home Rules Now, there are some great Work from Home Rules that apply to everyone with or without kids. My coworker Paul Koch shared these with the Viget team a Jeremy Bearimy ago and I agree this is also the foundation for working from home with kids. When you’re in a remote meeting, minimize other windows to stay focusedSet a schedule and avoid chores*Take breaks away from the screenPlan your workday on the calendar+Be mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers+Keep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for you In the improv spirit I say “Yes, AND….” to these tips. And so, here are my adjusted rules for WFH while kiddos around: These have both been really solid tools for me, so let’s dig in. Daily flexible schedule for kids Day Planning: Calendars and Timers A few small tweaks and adjustments make this even more doable for me and my 3-year-old. First- I don’t avoid chores entirely. If I’m going up and down the stairs all day anyway I might as well throw in a load of laundry while I’m at it. The more I can get done during the day means a greater chance of some down time in the evening. Each morning I plan my day and Audrey’s day: My Work Day:Audrey's DayIdentify times of day you are more likely to be focus and protect them. For me, I know I have a block of time from 5-7a before Audrey wakes up and again during “nap time” from 1-3p.I built a construction paper “schedule” that we update and reorganize daily. We make the schedule together each day. She feels ownership over it and she gets to be the one who tells me what we do next.Look at your calendar first thing and make adjustments either in your plans or move meetings if you have to.I’m strategic about screen time- I try to schedule it when I have meetings. It also helps to schedule a physical activity before screen time as she is less likely to get bored.Make goals for your day: Tackle time sensitive tasks first. Take care of things that either your co-workers or clients are waiting on from you first, this will help your day be a lot less stressful. Non-time sensitive tasks come next- these can be done at any time of day.We always include “nap time” even though she rarely naps anymore. This is mostly a time for us both to be alone. When we make the schedule together it also helps me understand her favorite parts of the day and reminds me to include them. Once our days are planned, I also use timers to help keep the structure of the day. (I bought a great alarm clock for kids on Amazon that turns colors to signal bedtime and quiet time. It’s been hugely worth it for me.) Timers for Me:Timers for Audrey:More than ever, I rely on a time tracking timer. At Viget we use Harvest to track time, and it has a handy built in timer, but there are many apps or online tools that could help you keep track of your time as well.Audrey knows what time she can come out of her room in the morning. If she wakes up before the light is green she plays quietly in her room.I need a timer because the days and hours are bleeding together- without tracking as I go it would be really hard for me to remember when I worked on certain projects or know for certain if I gave Viget enough time for the day.She knows how long “nap time” is in the afternoon.Starting and stopping the timer helps me turn on and off “work mode”, which is a helpful sanity bonus.Perhaps best of all I am not the bad guy! “Sorry honey, the light isn’t green yet and there really isn’t anything mommy can do about it” is my new favorite way to ensure we both get some quiet time. Work from Home Rules: Updated for Parents Finally, I have a few more Work from Home Rules for parents to add to the list: Minimize other windows in remote meetingsSet a schedule and fit in some chores if time allowsTake breaks away from the screenSchedule both your and your kids’ daysBe mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers to track your own time and help your kids understand the dayKeep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for youBe prepared with a few activitiesEach morning, have just ONE thing ready to go. This can be a worksheet you printed out, a coloring station setup, a new bag of kinetic sand you just got delivered from Amazon, a kids dance video on YouTube or an iPad game. Recently I started enlisting my mom to read stories on Facetime. The activity doesn’t have to be new each day but (especially for young kids) it has to be handy for you to start up quickly if your schedule changesClearly communicate your availability with your team and project PMsLife happens. Some days are going to be hard. Whatever you do, don’t burn yourself out or leave your team hanging. If you need to move a meeting or take a day off, communicate that as early and as clearly as you can.Take PTO if you canNone of us are superheroes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed- take a look at the next few days and figure out which one makes the most sense for you to take a break.Take breaks to be alone without doing a taskWork and family responsibilities have blended together, there’s almost no room for being alone. If you can find some precious alone time don’t use it to fold laundry or clean the bathroom. Just zone out. I think we all really need this. Last but not least, enjoy your time at home if you can. This is an unusual circumstance and even though it’s really hard, there are parts that are really great too. If you have some great WFH tips we’d love to hear about them in the comments! Full Article Process News & Culture
ring We are Hiring (2020) By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:50:47 +0000 Design Sojourn is an exciting strategic design consultancy passionate in helping our clients leverage on Design Led Innovation to make people's lives better. We have openings for Designers or Design Researchers with a strong background in Ethnographic Design Research. Requirements after the jump. The post We are Hiring (2020) appeared first on Design Sojourn. Please click above if you cannot see this post. Full Article About Design Sojourn Design ethnographic hiring research
ring Stadsbewegwijzering By designworkplan.com Published On :: Fri, 14 Dec 2012 11:01:53 +0000 City Marketing, bewegwijzering en informatie spelen een belangrijke rol in hoe communicatie in een stad effectief tot stand kan komen. Lees verder over hoe bewegwijzering ingezet kan worden als communicatie middel. Full Article blog Bewegwijzering blognl nl
ring Exploring Global Styles By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 20 Mar 2020 18:22:53 +0000 Global Styles is an aspect of full site editing that will have a major impact on theme development. To further my understanding of this feature, I explored adding support for it to the block-based version of Twenty Twenty that Jeff Ong recently shared. Some background: Global Styles aims to bring site-wide controls for things like … Continue reading "Exploring Global Styles" Full Article Uncategorized
ring Troops to receive Purple Hearts for injuries during Iranian missile barrage on al-Asad airbase in Iraq By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 13:50:08 EDT There will be Purple Hearts awarded to troops injured during the Jan. 8 Iranian missile barrage on the al-Asad airbase in Iraq, a defense official told Military Times. Full Article
ring Support Communication During Conversation By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - 12:54pm Full Article
ring Troops to receive Purple Hearts for injuries during Iranian missile barrage on al-Asad airbase in Iraq By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - 1:50pm There will be Purple Hearts awarded to troops injured during the Jan. 8 Iranian missile barrage on the al-Asad airbase in Iraq, a defense official told Military Times. Full Article
ring CSS Vertical Centering – Everything You Need To Know By webdesignerwall.com Published On :: Thu, 22 Dec 2016 13:00:41 +0000 Getting content to center perfectly within an element and then ensuring it responds properly at different screen sizes is one of the biggest challenges that still face front-end designers. It is not that it is difficult, but because there are several ways to go about it, figuring out which method is best can be confusing. […] The post CSS Vertical Centering – Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Web Designer Wall. Full Article Tutorials CSS
ring Older Arctic Sea Ice is Disappearing By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Feb 2017 11:48:21 +0000 Video by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Jefferson Beck Arctic sea ice has not only been shrinking in surface area in recent years, it’s becoming younger and thinner as well. In this animation, where the ice cover almost looks … Continue reading → Full Article Cryosphere Arctic Ice Cap arctic sea ice Artic Sea cryosphere
ring How to Grow Your Sales and Leads During the Coronavirus Pandemic By justcreative.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 10:16:17 +0000 Try these 10 actionable steps for streamlined, cost-effective marketing during the lockdown. Shed costs and embrace innovation to drive leads and conversions. Full Article Blogging & Content Marketing Guest Articles Content Marketing Marketing
ring Comparing Covid-19 models By flowingdata.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 07:44:30 +0000 FiveThirtyEight compared six Covid-19 models for a sense of where we might be…Tags: coronavirus, FiveThirtyEight, modeling Full Article Statistics coronavirus FiveThirtyEight modeling
ring How to Foster Real-Time Client Engagement During Moderated Research By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 17 Feb 2020 08:00:00 -0500 When we conduct moderated research, like user interviews or usability tests, for our clients, we encourage them to observe as many sessions as possible. We find when clients see us interview their users, and get real-time responses, they’re able to learn about the needs of their users in real-time and be more active participants in the process. One way we help clients feel engaged with the process during remote sessions is to establish a real-time communication backchannel that empowers clients to flag responses they’d like to dig into further and to share their ideas for follow-up questions. There are several benefits to establishing a communication backchannel for moderated sessions:Everyone on the team, including both internal and client team members, can be actively involved throughout the data collection process rather than waiting to passively consume findings.Team members can identify follow-up questions in real-time which allows the moderator to incorporate those questions during the current session, rather than just considering them for future sessions.Subject matter experts can identify more detailed and specific follow-up questions that the moderator may not think to ask.Even though the whole team is engaged, a single moderator still maintains control over the conversation which creates a consistent experience for the participant.If you’re interested in creating your own backchannel, here are some tips to make the process work smoothly:Use the chat tool that is already being used on the project. In most cases, we use a joint Slack workspace for the session backchannel but we’ve also used Microsoft Teams.Create a dedicated channel like #moderated-sessions. Conversation in this channel should be limited to backchannel discussions during sessions. This keeps the communication consolidated and makes it easier for the moderator to stay focused during the session.Keep communication limited. Channel participants should ask basic questions that are easy to consume quickly. Supplemental commentary and analysis should not take place in the dedicated channel.Use emoji responses. The moderator can add a quick thumbs up to indicate that they’ve seen a question.Introducing backchannels for communication during remote moderated sessions has been a beneficial change to our research process. It not only provides an easy way for clients to stay engaged during the data collection process but also increases the moderator’s ability to focus on the most important topics and to ask the most useful follow-up questions. Full Article Process Research
ring A Parent’s Guide to Working From Home, During a Global Pandemic, Without Going Insane By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:06:00 -0400 Though I usually enjoy working from Viget’s lovely Boulder office, during quarantine I am now working from home while simultaneously parenting my 3-year-old daughter Audrey. My husband works in healthcare and though he is not on the front lines battling COVID-19, he is still an essential worker and as such leaves our home to work every day. Some working/parenting days are great! I somehow get my tasks accomplished, my kid is happy, and we spend some quality time together. And some days are awful. I have to ignore my daughter having a meltdown and try to focus on meetings, and I wish I wasn’t in this situation at all. Most days are somewhere in the middle; I’m just doing my best to get by. I’ve seen enough working parent memes and cries for help on social media to know that I’m not alone. There are many parents out there who now get to experience the stress and anxiety of living through a global pandemic while simultaneously navigating ways to stay productive while working from home and being an effective parent. Fun isn’t it? I’m not an expert on the matter, but I have found a few small things that are making me feel a bit more sane. I hope sharing them will make someone else’s life easier too. Truths to Accept First, let’s acknowledge some truths about this new situation we find ourselves in: Truth 1: We’ve lost something. Parents have lost more than daycare and schools during this epidemic. We’ve lost any time that we had for ourselves, and that was really valuable. We no longer have small moments in the day to catch up on our personal lives. I no longer have a commute to separate my work duties from my mom duties, or catch up with my friends, or just be quiet. Truth 2: We’re human. The reason you can’t be a great employee and a great parent and a great friend and a great partner or spouse all day every day isn’t because you’re doing a bad job, it’s because being constantly wonderful in all aspects of your life is impossible. Pick one or two of those things a day to focus on. Truth 3: We’re all doing our best. This is the most important part of this article. Be kind to yourselves. This isn’t easy, and putting so much pressure on yourself that you break isn’t going to make it any easier. Work from Home Goals Now that we’ve accepted some truths about our current situation, let’s set some goals. Goal 1: Do Good Work At Viget, and wherever you work, with kids or without we all want to make sure that the quality of our work stays up throughout the pandemic and that we can continue to be reliable team members and employees to the best of our abilities. Goal 2: Stay Sane We need to figure out ways to do this without sacrificing ourselves entirely. For me, this means fitting my work into normal work hours as much as possible so that I can still have some downtime in the evenings. Goal 3: Make This Sustainable None of us knows how long this will last but we may as well begin mentally preparing for a long haul. Work from Home Rules Now, there are some great Work from Home Rules that apply to everyone with or without kids. My coworker Paul Koch shared these with the Viget team a Jeremy Bearimy ago and I agree this is also the foundation for working from home with kids. When you’re in a remote meeting, minimize other windows to stay focusedSet a schedule and avoid chores*Take breaks away from the screenPlan your workday on the calendar+Be mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers+Keep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for you In the improv spirit I say “Yes, AND….” to these tips. And so, here are my adjusted rules for WFH while kiddos around: These have both been really solid tools for me, so let’s dig in. Daily flexible schedule for kids Day Planning: Calendars and Timers A few small tweaks and adjustments make this even more doable for me and my 3-year-old. First- I don’t avoid chores entirely. If I’m going up and down the stairs all day anyway I might as well throw in a load of laundry while I’m at it. The more I can get done during the day means a greater chance of some down time in the evening. Each morning I plan my day and Audrey’s day: My Work Day:Audrey's DayIdentify times of day you are more likely to be focus and protect them. For me, I know I have a block of time from 5-7a before Audrey wakes up and again during “nap time” from 1-3p.I built a construction paper “schedule” that we update and reorganize daily. We make the schedule together each day. She feels ownership over it and she gets to be the one who tells me what we do next.Look at your calendar first thing and make adjustments either in your plans or move meetings if you have to.I’m strategic about screen time- I try to schedule it when I have meetings. It also helps to schedule a physical activity before screen time as she is less likely to get bored.Make goals for your day: Tackle time sensitive tasks first. Take care of things that either your co-workers or clients are waiting on from you first, this will help your day be a lot less stressful. Non-time sensitive tasks come next- these can be done at any time of day.We always include “nap time” even though she rarely naps anymore. This is mostly a time for us both to be alone. When we make the schedule together it also helps me understand her favorite parts of the day and reminds me to include them. Once our days are planned, I also use timers to help keep the structure of the day. (I bought a great alarm clock for kids on Amazon that turns colors to signal bedtime and quiet time. It’s been hugely worth it for me.) Timers for Me:Timers for Audrey:More than ever, I rely on a time tracking timer. At Viget we use Harvest to track time, and it has a handy built in timer, but there are many apps or online tools that could help you keep track of your time as well.Audrey knows what time she can come out of her room in the morning. If she wakes up before the light is green she plays quietly in her room.I need a timer because the days and hours are bleeding together- without tracking as I go it would be really hard for me to remember when I worked on certain projects or know for certain if I gave Viget enough time for the day.She knows how long “nap time” is in the afternoon.Starting and stopping the timer helps me turn on and off “work mode”, which is a helpful sanity bonus.Perhaps best of all I am not the bad guy! “Sorry honey, the light isn’t green yet and there really isn’t anything mommy can do about it” is my new favorite way to ensure we both get some quiet time. Work from Home Rules: Updated for Parents Finally, I have a few more Work from Home Rules for parents to add to the list: Minimize other windows in remote meetingsSet a schedule and fit in some chores if time allowsTake breaks away from the screenSchedule both your and your kids’ daysBe mindful of Slack and social media as a distractionUse timers to track your own time and help your kids understand the dayKeep your work area separate from where you relaxPretend that you’re still WFWExperiment and figure out what works for youBe prepared with a few activitiesEach morning, have just ONE thing ready to go. This can be a worksheet you printed out, a coloring station setup, a new bag of kinetic sand you just got delivered from Amazon, a kids dance video on YouTube or an iPad game. Recently I started enlisting my mom to read stories on Facetime. The activity doesn’t have to be new each day but (especially for young kids) it has to be handy for you to start up quickly if your schedule changesClearly communicate your availability with your team and project PMsLife happens. Some days are going to be hard. Whatever you do, don’t burn yourself out or leave your team hanging. If you need to move a meeting or take a day off, communicate that as early and as clearly as you can.Take PTO if you canNone of us are superheroes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed- take a look at the next few days and figure out which one makes the most sense for you to take a break.Take breaks to be alone without doing a taskWork and family responsibilities have blended together, there’s almost no room for being alone. If you can find some precious alone time don’t use it to fold laundry or clean the bathroom. Just zone out. I think we all really need this. Last but not least, enjoy your time at home if you can. This is an unusual circumstance and even though it’s really hard, there are parts that are really great too. If you have some great WFH tips we’d love to hear about them in the comments! Full Article Process News & Culture
ring 9 Ways To Focus A Wandering Mind By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 16:39:51 +0000 As everyone has made the temporary shift to WFH (work from home), many are surrounded by distractions. The 9 ways to focus a wandering mind infographic originally from On Stride Financial in the UK and now published on Headway Capital, offers simple ways to help you refocus.It’s probably no surprise that the human mind has a tendency to wander. Scientific research has discovered that this trait is almost ubiquitous among humans, and most of us experience it regularly..Constant mind wandering is a source of frustration for many people. In their study “A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind,” researchers found that that experiencing a regular lack of concentration has a negative impact on overall mood and state of mind. In short, people were less happy when their minds wandered.Luckily, research into ways of combating this phenomenon is also plentiful. And while we may never be able to eliminate our mind’s propensity for wandering, there are lots of simple techniques that can help improve concentration and focus.Next time you’re feeling a little distracted, try out some of these techniques and see if you can bring your mind back on task.A little text-heavy design, but the illustrations help with each section. The comprehensive sources help establish the credibility of the information, and the infographic landing page includes clickable links to all of the source material. Nice touch!Found on Creative Bloq Full Article
ring How pottering about in the garden creates a time warp By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 21:09:42 +0000 By Harriet Gross Courtesy of Aeon What’s not to like about gardening? It’s a great way to get outdoors, away from everyday routines, and to exercise your creativity. It’s good for your health, whatever your age, and gardeners tend to be … Continue reading → Full Article Into Action eco-psychology gardening psychology