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gumjrop · 6 months

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The Weather

Amid the CDC’s COVID-minimizing and dangerous rollback to isolation guidance, a new Pew Research poll shows that 27% of Americans are very or somewhat concerned that they will get COVID and require hospitalization, and 40% (nearly half) of Americans are very or somewhat concerned that they will unwittingly spread COVID to others. This number rises substantially for low income brackets, and Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults. Concern about hospitalization was highest in adults with a high school education or less. Despite efforts by the CDC, the Biden Administration, and corporate media to downplay the public’s concern about COVID, these numbers show that a substantial proportion of Americans care about protecting one another.

A popular program providing free rapid antigen tests through the USPS ended on March 9, 2024. Despite the limitations of rapid antigen tests, these home tests continue to be a vital way to quickly identify COVID cases, both to prevent further onward spread as well as to identify the need for treatment with Paxlovid. You can use our letter campaign to let your elected officials know we still need free rapid home tests.

COVID wastewater levels are decreasing, with no states registering “Very High” levels as of 3/15/2024. Eight states are currently at “High” and 15 are at “Moderate” levels of SARS-CoV-2 detected in wastewater.

Wastewater levels show a downward trend in the provisional data (gray shaded area) in all regions. The national wastewater levels are overall indicated as “Low.” Lower wastewater activity is an indication of lower overall viral spread, which is certainly a good thing. However, the “Low” designation is not a representation of low risk in our day-to-day lives, and continued masking and multilayered precautions continue to be necessary to protect ourselves and our communities. State and local trends can also provide additional information, where available.

A recent Axios article highlights the expanding broad utility of wastewater testing for COVID and other infectious diseases, as well as the uncertain footing of the funding and infrastructure for this essential surveillance tool. We encourage you to write your elected officials to let them know you want to keep and expand wastewater testing in your area and nationally.

Wins

On March 13, the People’s CDC hosted a press conference to push back on the CDC’s elimination of COVID isolation guidance and demand accountability to the public (watch the video or read the press release). The online publication (pre-proof) of the People’s CDC External Review in the peer-reviewed scientific journal American Journal of Preventive Medicine Focus was also announced, which is an important authoritative resource highlighting both shortcomings of the CDC’s approach and recommendations for a more transparent, effective, and equitable pandemic response going forward. The full External Review report can be found on the People’s CDC website.

March 15 was Long COVID Awareness Day, and Senator Bernie Sanders along with six cosponsors (Tim Kaine, Edward Markey, John Hickenlooper, Tina Smith, Robert Casey, and Tammy Baldwin) introduced Resolution 590 to formally recognize March 15 as Long COVID Awareness Day. You can ask your senators to support this resolution using this letter campaign. Senator Sanders released a video promising legislation to increase funding for Long COVID research and clinical care, as well as emphasizing the importance of prevention, including vaccination and masking. For more info on Long COVID Awareness Day, see the “Long COVID” section below.

When we make our voices heard, whether with the press, with scientific publications, or with elected officials, we win.

Variants

In the CDC’s most recent Nowcast predictions, JN.1 continues to be the most prevalent variant in the United States (86.5%), with a predicted decrease in JN.1 and sublineage JN.1.13 increasing (9.5%).

Vaccines

The CDC has recommended spring boosters for people age 65 and older, at least 4 months after the previous updated dose. As of 3/2/2024, only about 42.4% of adults age 65 and older had gotten an updated vaccine, and many who were vaccinated in the fall may not realize they are eligible for another dose.

In addition to the spring boosters recommended for people aged 65 and older, immunocompromised people are eligible for more frequent vaccination. The CDC states, “You can self-attest to your moderately or severely immunocompromised status, which means you do not need any documentation of your status to receive COVID-19 vaccines you might be eligible to receive.”

As a reminder, the currently available COVID vaccine formulations (2023-2024, first available in fall 2023) are effective against the JN.1 variant, with about 54% protection against symptomatic disease. For people of all ages, immunity wanes after 6 months, and, although current eligibility is more limited, we continue to support access to vaccination at least every 6 months for all ages.

If you have not received one of the updated COVID vaccines released last Fall, you can use this tool to find local vaccine providers that are Bridge Access Participants. The Bridge program is currently available through December 31, 2024.

COVID in Kids

In a recent report in the CDC’s MMWR publication, cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) in 2023 were highlighted. MIS-C is an inflammatory response to a COVID infection that usually occurs 2-6 weeks following an infection. MIS-C may be serious and can affect the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal tract. Although rates of MIS-C have slowed since 2020-2021, 112 cases were reported in 2023, with 82.1% of those occurring in unvaccinated children. Among cases in vaccinated children, 60% occurred in children who had not received a booster within the last year. As of 3/2/2024, only about 13.5% of eligible children aged 6 months to 17 years have received a 2023-2024 COVID vaccine. More info on Long COVID in kids is presented below under “Long COVID.”

It is clear that kids need protection from COVID, and current efforts are inadequate. We demand that public health authorities take action to protect our children. You can find more information to support protecting kids in our Urgency of Equity toolkit.

Long COVID

March 15 marked the second annual International Long Covid Awareness Day. Across the globe, Long Covid survivors, their allies, and the community fight for increased research, treatment, and visibility for people living with Long Covid.

Searching #LongCovidAwarenessDay on most social media platforms will connect you to posts from people all over the world describing their experience navigating their ongoing symptoms while trying to educate others about the barriers they face in seeking accessible and effective treatments.

Up to 5.8 million children in the US may be affected by Long COVID. A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that vaccination reduces the risk of Long COVID in children by about 40%.

Take Action

Super Tuesday has come and gone with nominees in most parties now established for races at the local, state, and national level later this year on November 5th.

People’s CDC wants to remind you that regardless of the outcomes of these elections, we must always continue to organize and fight back against the state’s abandonment of science in favor of corporate interests.

We urge you to use and share our letter campaign demanding that elected officials renew and expand programs to provide free Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs). You can also continue to urge elected officials to support maintaining and extending COVID isolation guidance via our letter campaign. Over 13,000 letters have already been sent, and you can use the same template to send follow up letters.

Whether it’s joining a local mutual aid organization or fighting for increased accessibility measures (required masking, improved air quality, and multilayered precautions) in groups you are already part of, your actions can make your communities safer for all people.

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scifigeneration · 2 years

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The Galactica AI model was trained on scientific knowledge – but it spat out alarmingly plausible nonsense

by Aaron J. Snoswell, Queensland University of Technology and Jean Burgess, Queensland University of Technology

Earlier this month, Meta announced new AI software called Galactica: “a large language model that can store, combine and reason about scientific knowledge”.

Launched with a public online demo, Galactica lasted only three days before going the way of other AI snafus like Microsoft’s infamous racist chatbot.

The online demo was disabled (though the code for the model is still available for anyone to use), and Meta’s outspoken chief AI scientist complained about the negative public response.

So what was Galactica all about, and what went wrong?

What’s special about Galactica?

Galactica is a language model, a type of AI trained to respond to natural language by repeatedly playing a fill-the-blank word-guessing game.

Most modern language models learn from text scraped from the internet. Galactica also used text from scientific papers uploaded to the (Meta-affiliated) website PapersWithCode. The designers highlighted specialised scientific information like citations, maths, code, chemical structures, and the working-out steps for solving scientific problems.

The preprint paper associated with the project (which is yet to undergo peer review) makes some impressive claims. Galactica apparently outperforms other models at problems like reciting famous equations (“Q: What is Albert Einstein’s famous mass-energy equivalence formula? A: E=mc²”), or predicting the products of chemical reactions (“Q: When sulfuric acid reacts with sodium chloride, what does it produce? A: NaHSO₄ + HCl”).

However, once Galactica was opened up for public experimentation, a deluge of criticism followed. Not only did Galactica reproduce many of the problems of bias and toxicity we have seen in other language models, it also specialised in producing authoritative-sounding scientific nonsense.

Authoritative, but subtly wrong bullshit generator

Galactica’s press release promoted its ability to explain technical scientific papers using general language. However, users quickly noticed that, while the explanations it generates sound authoritative, they are often subtly incorrect, biased, or just plain wrong.

We also asked Galactica to explain technical concepts from our own fields of research. We found it would use all the right buzzwords, but get the actual details wrong – for example, mixing up the details of related but different algorithms.

In practice, Galactica was enabling the generation of misinformation – and this is dangerous precisely because it deploys the tone and structure of authoritative scientific information. If a user already needs to be a subject matter expert in order to check the accuracy of Galactica’s “summaries”, then it has no use as an explanatory tool.

At best, it could provide a fancy autocomplete for people who are already fully competent in the area they’re writing about. At worst, it risks further eroding public trust in scientific research.

A galaxy of deep (science) fakes

Galactica could make it easier for bad actors to mass-produce fake, fraudulent or plagiarised scientific papers. This is to say nothing of exacerbating existing concerns about students using AI systems for plagiarism.

Fake scientific papers are nothing new. However, peer reviewers at academic journals and conferences are already time-poor, and this could make it harder than ever to weed out fake science.

Underlying bias and toxicity

Other critics reported that Galactica, like other language models trained on data from the internet, has a tendency to spit out toxic hate speech while unreflectively censoring politically inflected queries. This reflects the biases lurking in the model’s training data, and Meta’s apparent failure to apply appropriate checks around the responsible AI research.

The risks associated with large language models are well understood. Indeed, an influential paper highlighting these risks prompted Google to fire one of the paper’s authors in 2020, and eventually disband its AI ethics team altogether.

Machine-learning systems infamously exacerbate existing societal biases, and Galactica is no exception. For instance, Galactica can recommend possible citations for scientific concepts by mimicking existing citation patterns (“Q: Is there any research on the effect of climate change on the great barrier reef? A: Try the paper ‘Global warming transforms coral reef assemblages’ by Hughes, et al. in Nature 556 (2018)”).

For better or worse, citations are the currency of science – and by reproducing existing citation trends in its recommendations, Galactica risks reinforcing existing patterns of inequality and disadvantage. (Galactica’s developers acknowledge this risk in their paper.)

Citation bias is already a well-known issue in academic fields ranging from feminist scholarship to physics. However, tools like Galactica could make the problem worse unless they are used with careful guardrails in place.

A more subtle problem is that the scientific articles on which Galactica is trained are already biased towards certainty and positive results. (This leads to the so-called “replication crisis” and “p-hacking”, where scientists cherry-pick data and analysis techniques to make results appear significant.)

Galactica takes this bias towards certainty, combines it with wrong answers and delivers responses with supreme overconfidence: hardly a recipe for trustworthiness in a scientific information service.

These problems are dramatically heightened when Galactica tries to deal with contentious or harmful social issues, as the screenshot below shows. Galactica readily generates toxic and nonsensical content dressed up in the measured and authoritative language of science. Tristan Greene / Galactica

Here we go again

Calls for AI research organisations to take the ethical dimensions of their work more seriously are now coming from key research bodies such as the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. Some AI research organisations, like OpenAI, are being more conscientious (though still imperfect).

Meta dissolved its Responsible Innovation team earlier this year. The team was tasked with addressing “potential harms to society” caused by the company’s products. They might have helped the company avoid this clumsy misstep.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

#technopolitics #technology #artificial intelligence #machine learning #text generators #Meta #featured

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bumblebeeappletree · 3 months

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youtube

[Video transcript available below in the comment section]

A new language has been spreading within the DeafBlind community, and has revolutionized how some DeafBlind people communicate. Called Protactile, or PT, the language uses touch as its medium of communication. PT emerged in 2007, when a group of DeafBlind people in Seattle began exploring their natural tactile instinct. Rooted in DeafBlind people's experience, PT aims to resolve previous communication difficulties for DeafBlind people, and advance the community's autonomy. Today, the language has reached thousands of people, and is still evolving.

Visit the Monitor online at: http://www.csmonitor.com/daily

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: / csmonitor100

This video was originally posted onto YouTube on January 15th, 2020. I will put down the video transcript under the read more.

[Video transcript part 1]

The video opens with a scene of Jaimi Lard, a DeafBlind woman, and Christine Dwyer, a hearing and sighted interpreter. They are demonstrating elements of Protactile language together. Christine describes the layout of a building to Jaimi in Protactile. Jaimi holds out one hand, palm up, to represent the floor. A close up shows Christine’s hand “walking” with two fingers on Jaimi’s palm. Jaimi keeps her other hand on top of Christine’s hand to follow her movements. Then Christine signs and applies various touches to Jaimi’s palm. Jing Peng, reporter and the narrator of this video, sits next to them and watches. There is a marimba soundtrack, which gets softer as the male narrator begins to speak.

Narrator: This is a new language that could change the lives of thousands of DeafBlind people.

The video cuts to a shot of Christine describing a detachable camera lens to Jaimi. Jaimi makes a loose fist to represent the lens. Christine taps on Jaimi’s hand and applies twisting motions to it. Jaimi’s other hand stays on one of Christine’s hands to track her movements.

The words “Protactile (PT)” appear on the top left of the screen.

Narrator: It’s called Protactile, or PT, and it’s based entirely on the sense of touch.

The video cuts to a scene of four DeafBlind people speaking PT. Two people are seated directly in front of the camera, and two others are seated further in the background. Each pair of people sit closely together, facing each other, the outer sides of their thighs pressed together. As the speaker talks with their hands, the person receiving the message follows the conversation with one hand, and uses the other hand to provide reactions on the speaker’s leg.

The video then cuts to another scene, where eight DeafBlind people are seated in four pairs in one long row. They are talking in PT.

Narrator: PT emerged in 2007 in the DeafBlind community. And it’s still growing and spreading.

The video cuts to a scene of Jaimi and Christine demonstrating elements of PT to around 50 people in a conference room. Jaimi and Christine stand side by side. Jaimi holds out her hand, palm up. Christine holds Jaimi’s palm with one hand. Her other hand traces lines on the palm, then applies various finger taps to it. Jaimi’s other hand follows Christine’s hand movement.

The text “Jaimi Lard” and “Christine Dwyer” appear on screen, near Jaimi and Christine respectively. Each name has an arrow pointing to the person it refers to.

Narrator: This is Jaimi Lard, she and her hearing and sighted interpreter, Christine Dwyer, have incorporated elements of PT in their communication.

Christine (speaking to the audience): I've known her for 30 years, and we have changed the way we communicate.

The video cuts to an interview setting. Jaimi sits in the middle of an office, flanked on either side by Christine and Jing. The text “Jing Peng, Reporter” appears under Jing’s chest. Both Christine and Jing have one hand placed on Jaimi’s shoulder. Christine and Jaimi’s knees touch.

Narrator: For this interview, Jaimi speaks in American Sign Language, which Christine interprets.

Jaimi (answering a question about PT): By getting it tactilely, we were able to be included in more.

[Video transcript part 2]

The video cuts back to the conference room. Jaimi addresses her audience in ASL. Christine stands next to Jaimi, keeping one hand on Jaimi’s back as she interprets.

Jaimi (speaking to the audience): I was born deaf and blind.

Narrator: Jaimi works as a diversity speaker at Perkins School for the Blind.

The video cuts to Jaimi’s apartment. Jaimi chats in ASL with a Deaf Japanese woman named Kasumi. Kasumi speaks. Jaimi puts a hand on hers to track the signs. Jaimi smiles and signs “yes” with her other hand.

In the next shot, Kasumi teaches Jaimi the sign “flower” in Japanese Sign Language. Jaimi feels the sign with both hands and copies it. The sign starts with two cupped hands pressed together. Then the wrists rotate as the palms open and all ten fingers spread out like petals.

Narrator: Growing up, Jaimi learned American Sign Language, or ASL. That’s one of the ways DeafBlind people communicate: by placing one’s hand over the speaker’s to feel what they’re signing. But, there’s a problem.

Jaimi (speaking during the interview): American Sign Language is a visual language.

The video cuts to Jaimi and Christine speaking ASL to Kasumi in the lobby of a building. Kasumi watches their signs and nods.

Narrator: ASL is designed for sighted Deaf people. It’s meant to be seen. And many gestures that make sense to your eyes make little sense when you touch them.

The video cuts back to the interview setting. Jaimi and Christine demonstrate elements of ASL that are hard to follow for DeafBLind people. Christine describes a space by pointing at imaginary objects in the air, while Jaimi tracks her signs with one hand.

Jaimi (speaking during the interview): There were things I was misunderstanding. I just began to do a nod, and just go ‘uh-huh, uh-huh,’ and go along with things. But I wasn't always sure what I was going along with.

Narrator: It’s the kind of passivity that could hurt DeafBlind people’s independence and autonomy.

The video cuts to Jaimi’s office. Jaimi writes an email at her computer, using an app that magnifies texts on her screen. She leans forward, her face close to the monitor. She clicks the button “compose,” types on her keyboard. Her sunglass lenses reflect the magnified letters on her screen.

The soundtrack changes to an upbeat, rhythmic marimba, as the video transitions to a montage of PT demonstration by Jelica Nuccio and aj granda, two leaders of the PT movement. They sit close together, half facing the camera, half facing each other. Their knees touch. aj describes a waterfall to Jelica. Her palm makes fast, repeated rubs on Jelica’s hand and forearm, showing the intensity of the water flow. The rubs become slower and gentler, indicating a weaker water current.

In the next shot, aj describes a cooking procedure. Jelica holds out her hand, palm up, to represent the pan. On both sides of the hand, aj traces shapes and applies various taps, showing how the batter spreads out on the pan, how the fire licks the underside of the pan, and how the batter bubbles as it heats up.

Narrator: But in the mid-2000s, a group of DeafBlind people in Seattle realized they should explore their natural tactile instincts, and PT was born in the process.

[Video transcript part 3]

The last shot of the montage is a close up of Jelica and aj’s legs. Jelica maps out spatial information aj’s thigh, tracing lines and applying various finger taps. When Jelica finishes, aj taps and scratches Jelica’s thigh in response.

Narrator: Not meant for sight, PT uses the receiver’s body as its vehicle for communication. Here’s an example of how the two differ: Christine will first use ASL to describing the layout of a building.

The video cuts back to the interview setting. Christine guides Jaimi’s hands around in the air to trace out the shape of the building. She then points to different parts of the imaginary building and signs what’s in those areas. Christine voices what she signs: “In the middle is the tower. And on the sides are two hallways. This one has classrooms, this side has offices. But if I'm going to change it to PT, I'm going to ask Jaimi to give me her hand. And I can use this to draw the visual information.”

The scene continues. Christine pats Jaimi’s hand, which has been placed on top of hers, to signal that she wants Jaimi’s other hand for mapping purposes. Jaimi holds out her hand, palm up. Christine applies finger taps to Jaimi’s palm to indicate the center of the building, then she draws the two hallways extending from either side of the center, one down Jaimi’s forearm, the other up to her fingertips. She then taps the areas on Jaimi’s palm and arm that correspond to the hallways, and explains what each side contains. She voices what she signs: “On each side are hallways, with classrooms and offices.”

Christine then indicates the route to the bathroom. She uses two fingers to walk on Jaimi’s palm, and signs to add information. Christine voices what she is telling Jaimi: “In this hall way you go left to the end. And then take a right. The second door on your left is the bathroom. Jaimi smiles in excitement.

Jaimi: “That's clearer.”

The video cuts to the conference room. During a break in the presentation, Christine draws spatial information on Jaimi’s palm. A woman walks up to converse with them.

Narrator: And this sense of one’s surroundings is vital for DeafBlind people’s safety and autonomy.

The video cuts to another montage of PT demonstration by Jelica Nuccio and aj granda. They sit close together, half facing the camera, half facing each other. Their knees touch. The first shot shows Jelica touching aj’s head and shoulders to describe the length of a person’s hair. One of aj’s hands rests on Jelica’s thigh, and makes tapping motions in response to Jelica’s description. Two arrows appear on screen, indicating the two ways in which information flows between aj and Jelica. One arrow follows Jelica’s arm and points to aj. The other arrow points from aj’s hand on Jelica’s thigh to Jelica.

Narrator: Another key innovation of PT is its two-way communication channel between the speaker and the receiver.

The next shot of the PT montage shows aj describing an intense water current. Her palm makes forceful, successive rubs on Jelica’s arm. Jelica’s other hand, placed on aj’s thigh, makes repeated tapping and scratching motions as Jelica receives aj’s message. An arrow points to Jelica’s hand to highlight its movements.

Narrator: This allows the receiver to transmit reactions and emotions in real time without interrupting the speaker, through a mechanism called backchanneling.

The next shot of the PT montage starts with Jelica speaking to aj, who gives a tap on Jelica’s leg. Two arrows on screen indicate the two-way information flow. Jelica finishes her sentence. As aj starts to speak, she lifts her hand from Jelica’s thigh, and Jelica in turn places a hand on aj’s thigh to provide feedback. The two arrows fade out and two new arrows pointing in the opposite direction fade in.

Narrator: This two-way flow is crucial for a sense of connection and engagement.

Video transitions back to the interview setting. Reporter Jing’s hand stays on Jaimi’s shoulder as he listens to her answer. At one point, Jing taps Jaimi’s shoulder repeatedly, and a circle appears around his hand to highlight the movement. Jaimi smiles and nods in response.

Narrator: During our interview, Christine and I gave tactile feedback to Jaimi.

A shot of Christine tapping Jaimi’s thigh repeatedly. A circle highlights the hand movement.

Narrator: Here, Christine is nodding.

A close up of Christine’s hand making rapid, repeated scratches on Jaimi’s shoulder. Christine’s laughter can be heard off screen.

Narrator: Here, she is laughing.

[Video transcript part 4]

Jaimi (speaking during the interview): If there was no backchanneling, then you kind of get distracted. Because you’re trying to figure out: Are they still with me in this conversation? Did the person turn away? But by having a constant touch, it makes me feel like you care about this conversation, and you care about me. If I trust you, then we're going to have a much clearer conversation.

Video cuts to Jaimi and Christine in the conference room. As Jaimi gives her presentation, Christine places her hand now on Jaimi’s back, now on her shoulder. A montage shows Christine’s hand tapping, scratching and closing into a fist to rub Jaimi’s back. As Jaimi and Christine laugh, Christine scratches Jaimi’s shoulder to convey her mood.

In the next sequence, the audience watches a video about Jaimi’s life. A clip shows Jaimi making coffee in her kitchen. The video’s female narrator, voicing Jaimi’s perspective, says: “My hands are not only tools. They are my eyes and ears too. The way people touch my hands is important: Never grab or pull, using a light touch and gentle guide is much politer.” A blind woman can be seen among the audience. A man in a wheelchair sits in the front row.

Jaimi and Christine chat in ASL as the audience view the video.

Video cuts to the interview setting. Christine uses PT’s mapping technique to describe a space to Jaimi. A close up show Jaimi’s hand on top of Christine’s.

Narrator: Jaimi and Christine are among the thousands of people who have been exposed to PT. As the young language grows, it’s seeing new expressions rooted in DeafBlind people’s experience that don’t exist in any other language.

The video soundtrack rises in intensity as the video cuts to a montage of different aspects of PT. In the first clip, two women interlocutors break into laughter. They guide each other’s hand to their own throat, so the other person can feel the vibration.

The next clip shows a woman talking to two other women in PT. The three sit close together in a cluster, facing each other, their knees touching. The speaker’s two hands make mirroring movements, conveying the same message to the two receivers, who follow what is said with one hand. Both receivers hold out their other hand, palm up, toward the speaker. The two palm’s sides touch. The speaker applies various touches to the two hands, the receivers’ shoulders, and her own chest.

The next sequence shows a man performing PT poetry for two women. All three sit close together, facing each other, knees touching. The man’s hands make mirroring movements on the two receivers’ body. His hands, placed on the back of the women’s heads, start to shake rapidly. Then the shaking hands travel down the receivers’ necks, across their chests, and down their arms to their hands, which are placed on the man’s knees. His hands clasp their hands, and all six hands slowly lift up, continuously shaking, above their heads. The shaking stops.

Narrator: It’s a new frontier of communication and connection.

Jaimi (speaking during the interview): I really want more training actually. I’ve learned some, but I don't really have it all down in depth. So, I would like to certainly learn some more.

Video cuts back to the conference room. Jaimi and Christine thank their audience at the end of the presentation. The audience applauds. Instead of clapping, they shake their open palms above their heads and stomp the ground with their feet. Jaimi and Christine also lift their hands and shake their palms. Then Jaimi and Christine pat each other’s shoulders in celebration. Video cuts to black.

Credit screen: Video produced by Jingnan Peng. Production supervisor: Samantha Laine Perfas. Additional clips: DeafBlind Interpreting (DBI).

Video ends. End of transcript.

#The Christian Science Monitor #solarpunk #deaf blind #DeafBlind #protactile sign language #pro tactile sign language #pro-tactical sign language #language #Seattle #Washington #USA #Jaimi Lard #Christine Dwyer #Jing Peng #Youtube

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 1 year

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By: Pamela Garfield-Jaeger

Published: Jun 22, 2023

On May 5th and 6th, 2023, I attended a training conference organized by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). My aim was to gain an in-person perspective on the unfolding developments within my profession, particularly concerning gender ideology. I was eager to witness the current discourses imparted to my colleagues first-hand. Some striking revelations emerged from these sessions, some of which I will share, while primarily focusing on why I am convinced that gender activists feel their narrative is under threat.

In one of the sessions, Linda K. Reeves, a WPATH GEI Certified Gender Specialist, openly voiced her concerns, saying she was “afraid” of the new bills being passed in the Republican States, labeling them as “anti-trans.” The bills she referred to are designed to protect minors from irreversible medical interventions before they’re capable of informed consent. Reeves’ sentiment of fear was expressed twice during her 90-minute lecture, indicating the perception of losing legislative ground amid previous progress made by the trans community.

In another intriguing move, the workshop “Gender-Affirming Medical and Mental Health Care for Transgender Adolescents,” hosted by Aydin Olson-Kennedy, LCSW, and Johanna Olson-Kennedy, MD, requested that no filming take place due to a “tumultuous and hostile environment.” Ayden, a fully transitioned trans man, and Johanna, a Los Angeles Children’s Hospital pediatrician with 16 years of experience prescribing puberty blockers, were the sole workshop to issue such a request. This class “taught” me that puberty blockers are as harmless as a new haircut or clothing style. My question for them is: If you are an expert sharing important clinical information that you are certain of, why would you want your workshop to be hidden?

This workshop attempted, albeit clumsily, to debunk various gender-critical perspectives, signifying that opposing narratives are reaching their audience. For instance, the common question of a child's self-awareness at a young age was addressed. Both Ayden and Johanna asserted that children as young as three know their identities. They countered the prevalent concern about the internet’s influence on young people, stating that more time online is actually a good thing and indicates a healthy journey of self-discovery. Johanna advocated the transitioning of children since every trans adult was once a child, conveniently omitting that a majority of children with gender dysphoria, when not “affirmed,” ultimately desist.

According to a summary of multiple studies, about 80 percent of children desist.

Evidence from 10 available prospective follow-up studies from childhood to adolescence indicates that childhood gender dysphoria will recede with puberty in ~80% of cases. A Dutch paper notes that follow-up studies show the persistence rate of gender identity disorder to be about 15.8%, or 39 out of the 246 children who were reported on in the literature.

During the workshop, the Olson-Kennedys emphasized that gender dysphoria often causes other co-morbid mental health issues, contradicting what many therapists observe—distressed children clinging to trans identity with the misguided belief that it will resolve their underlying issues. “Depression treatment does not treat dysphoria. Gender Dysphoria for some folks is Depression. Gender Dysphoria = Depression,” stated Aydin Olson-Kennedy.

Unexpectedly, the instructors discredited the standard psychology manual, the Diagnostic Standard Manual-5 (DSM-5), which states a person must experience Gender Dysphoria for at least six months. Ayden described the DSM as a book smothered in cis-white privilege. Ayden stated the DSM was “colonized” due to its problematic binary language and its emphasis on Gender Dysphoria as distress. However, Ayden spent much of the lecture, including a video, showing the audience how distressing being trans is. Ayden even said it’s “normal” for dysphoric feelings to increase after receiving hormones and surgeries and, in fact, “There are pieces of dysphoria you can’t undo,” negating the prevailing thought that transition ameliorates distress. Nevertheless, the audience was assured that offering puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries is the compassionate form of treatment. Ayden rhetorically asked the audience: “At what point is it mean to let people suffer?”

Finally, Olson-Kennedy acknowledged the existence of detransitioners, a group often overlooked due to their narratives challenging the notion that those who claim to be trans are always know. The instructors downplayed the numbers of detransitioners but couldn’t entirely ignore their existence given the compelling stories increasingly being shared by individuals like Chloe Cole, Ritchie Herron, and many others who fell victim to “gender-affirming care.” “People are going to detransition, that’s OK, but we need not to organize our practice around it,” she said.

Shockingly, Olson-Kennedy also dismissed concerns about excessive prescription of puberty blockers, arguing legislation to be unnecessary given that “Only 5,000 children total are on puberty blockers in the U.S. That’s a small amount of kids to be writing legislation about.” However, most people would agree that 5,000 healthy children being medicalized for life is too 5,000 many. She also argued that puberty blockers are very helpful because they prevent future surgeries. Moreover, she failed to highlight potential side effects, like the inability to achieve a sexual orgasm later in life for those initiating puberty blockers before Tanner stage two (age 9-11), or the FDA’s warnings about brain swelling and blindness.

Another astonishing argument came when the detrimental effects of cross-sex hormones were downplayed, with the simplistic reasoning that “everyone has hormones.” Yes, that was the argument, from a credentialed medical professional nonetheless. A few side effects were mentioned but many serious ones, like early-onset menopause, urinary tract issues, mood instability, blood clots, and heart issues, were omitted. “At least the patient is alive”, she stated, alluding to the high suicide rates of trans people, but she did not share any data on that point.

Lastly, Linda Reeves addressed Lisa Littman’s research on Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) in her presentation, claiming it had been “debunked” by WPATH due to its reliance on parental observations. It was dismissed based on the assumption that parents possess no real insight into their children’s emotions or histories. A slide from the presentation included an emotion-based argument claiming the report was “intended to cause fear” instead of revealing factual insights.

I see this as a win. WPATH knows this data is a threat to their questionable “standards of care” and they had to get their audience to hear about it with their spin first.

In summary, it was interesting to hear people who promote the sterilization of children and vulnerable adults attempt defend their faulty ideas. Most of what I heard were blatant lies and the bending or omission of truth. They openly said they were afraid of the “attacks” on trans people (which are simply bills to protect minors from high-risk procedures) and they tried unsuccessfully to discredit the thoughts, ideas, and experience of many outspoken critics of transgender medicine. Their quick-paced deliveries and limited question times further hinted at an awareness of growing scrutiny. For those opposed to the gender transition of minors and vulnerable adults, this means your voices are being heard and making a difference. Continue standing up for your beliefs; it's causing those pushing these transitions to reassess their stance.

Fear can make creatures dangerous, however. Especially when they no longer have anything to lose.

#Pamela Garfield Jaeger #gender ideology #queer theory #medical transition #sex trait modification #medical malpractice #medical scandal #medical corruption #puberty blockers #blockers #wrong sex hormones #cross sex hormones #blatant lies #WPATH #World Professional Association for Transgender Health #genderwang #religion is a mental illness

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tobiphoto · 1 year

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プレデターを見て今。 I saw "Predator", and now.

※性暴力に関する内容が含まれる記事です。 ※Content Warning: Sexual Misconduct This blog discusses topics related to sexual misconduct. Reader discretion is advised.

この記事は多くの人に読まれて欲しいと思うので、翻訳ソフトを使用して英訳しています。スムーズな翻訳のために、言葉のニュアンスを変えることがあります。例えば、曖昧な言い回しを回避するなど。 This article has been translated into English using translation software because we want it to be read by many people. Sometimes nuances in wording are changed to ensure a smooth translation. For example, I try to avoid ambiguous expressions..

■BBC　 Why is J-Pop's Johnny Kitagawa still revered in Japan despite being exposed for abuse? - BBC News

BBCドキュメンタリー「J-POPの捕食者：秘められたスキャンダル」【日本語字幕つき】 - BBC Japan

BBC紀錄片《獵食者：日本流行音樂的秘密醜聞》－ BBC News 中文

頭の片隅でずっと何かがモヤモヤしていたが、その理由がわかった。MiitopiaのCMにこの事務所のアイドルが起用されてた。 Something had been bothering me in the back of my mind for a long time. Now I know why. An idol from this company was featured in a Japanese commercial for Miitopia.

ジャニーズ事務所と関わらずに生きられる日本人はあまりいない。 Not many Japanese can live without being involved with Johnny's Entertainment.

思えば、Miitopiaが3DSで発売されることになった2016年の特別映像に出演していた俳優の木下ほうかが、性加害についての告発を受け表舞台から消えたという事件もあった。これも一年前のことだ。　　　Looking back, Hōka Kinoshita, the actor who appeared in a special video for the 2016 release of Miitopia on 3DS, disappeared from the public eye after facing accusations of sexual misconduct. This also happened a year ago.

■4Gamer.net 『Switch「ミートピア」体験版の配信が本日スタート。King & Prince出演のテレビCM映像や，“ミートピア旅の思い出メーカー”も公開』（ENG『Switch "Meatopia" Trial Version Available Today』）

モデルプレス『木下ほうか、所属事務所が契約解消発表 NHKドラマも降板＜コメント全文＞』（ENG Modelpress『Houka Kinoshita's agency announces the termination of he contract, and he also drops out of the NHK drama series.』)

MOTHER2のコマーシャルで、SMAP木村拓哉が出演していたのが古い記憶としてある。（ネットで見たのかも） I have an memory of a MOTHER2 commercial featuring Takuya Kimura from SMAP.（Maybe I saw it online…）

■SMAP - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMAP

ほんの一週間前、78歳の服部吉次さんが70年前にジャニー喜多川から受けた性加害について告白し、記者会見を行った。現在、国連人権理事会から専門家が来日し聞き取り調査を行うと報道がある。現在も被害者のMeTooは続いていて、恐らくもっと被害が明らかになるのではないかと思う。 Just a week ago, 78-year-old Yoshitsugu Hattori held a press conference to confess to the sexual abuse he suffered from Johnny Kitagawa 70 years ago. Now there are reports that experts from the UN Human Rights Council are visiting Japan to conduct interviews. MeToo by the victims is still ongoing, and perhaps more damage will be revealed.

■東京新聞 TOKYO Web 『「その日の夜、ジャニー喜多川氏は5人を次々に襲った」…俳優服部吉次さんらが証言した70年前の性被害』（ENG「On that night, Mr. Johnny Kitagawa attacked five people one after another"... Actor Kichiji Hattori and others testified to sexual assaults 70 years ago.」）

■THE JAPAN NEWS(from Yomiuri Shinbun) 『78-year-old Actor Alleges Sexual Abuse by Johnny Kitagawa in 1950s』

そうした疑惑のある事務所のアイドルを起用し続けた人権意識の無さ、そして、私たちのマヒが問題の根っこにある。 The lack of awareness of human rights and our paralysis that kept appointing idols from such alleged firms are at the root of the problem.

(翻訳にはDeepLと、ChatGPTを使いました。 I used DeepL and ChatGPT for translation.)

#日記 #ゲーム感想 #社会の話

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notebooknebula · 1 year

Video

youtube

5 Proven Strategies to Find Hot Deals Before Other Real Estate Investors

https://www.jayconner.com/podcast/episode-54-5-proven-strategies-to-find-hot-deals-before-other-real-estate-investors/

Key Takeaways:

The secret strategy for finding hot deals before other investors and its two main components

Step 1: Get the local Foreclosure list and maintain it.

Step 2: Market to motivated sellers through a direct mail campaign

Step 3: Meet and Negotiate with Prospects

Step 4: Get the property under contract

Step 5: Consider your exit strategies to turn a profit

How private money can come into play in this strategy

How to overcome your fears about real estate investing.

Jay and Chaffee talk about how to find real estate deals before your competition.

Jay outlines the process as he finds hot deals every week.

He has developed a five-step process over the last nine years:

1) Get the local Foreclosure list and maintain it.

2) Direct Mail campaign to the prospect

3) Meet and Negotiate with Prospects

4) Get the property under contract

5) Multiple Exit Strategies

Plus, Chaffee shares how new real estate investors can overcome their fears about investing.

Timestamps:

0:01 – Raising Private Money with Jay Conner

0:45 – Today’s Guest: Chaffee Thanh-Nguyen

4:18 – Free Online Class

8:51 – Two Main Components

11:03 – Marketing Direct Mail Letters

15:55 – Negotiate The Deal

17:35 – Buying Subject-To The Existing Note

22:13 – Analysis Paralysis

24:06 – Take Action!

Private Money Academy Conference:

https://www.JaysLiveEvent.com

Free Report:

https://www.jayconner.com/MoneyReport

Join the Private Money Academy:

https://www.JayConner.com/trial/

Have you read Jay’s new book: Where to Get The Money Now?

It is available FREE (all you pay is the shipping and handling) at

https://www.JayConner.com/Book

What is Private Money? Real Estate Investing with Jay Conner

https://www.JayConner.com/MoneyPodcast

Jay Conner is a proven real estate investment leader. He maximizes creative methods to buy and sell properties with profits averaging $67,000 per deal without using his own money or credit.

What is Real Estate Investing? Live Private Money Academy Conference

https://youtu.be/QyeBbDOF4wo

YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/c/RealEstateInvestingWithJayConner

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-money-academy-real-estate-investing-with-jay/id1377723034

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jay.conner.marketing

Listen to our Podcast:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2025961/episodes/12671454

#youtube #real estate #real estate investing #real estate investing for beginners #flipping houses #Private Money #Raising Private Money #Jay Conner

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madhukumarc · 1 year

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How can you start learning copywriting skills?

Copywriting is an incredibly useful skill to have in today's digital age, as it can help you create compelling marketing materials, write persuasive sales pitches, craft engaging blog posts, and even many more.

Fortunately, there are many resources available online that can help you get started with learning copywriting. But, here are a few important steps you can take to begin your journey.

Start Learning Copywriting Skills:

1. Start reading copywriting books: There are many great copywriting books out there that you can start reading, such as Adweek Copywriting Handbook, Breakthrough Copywriting, Ogilvy On Advertising, How to write copy that sells, by Ray Edward, and Cashvertising.

A solid foundation can be built using these and other copywriting fundamentals.

2. Take online courses: There are many online courses available that can teach you the basics of copywriting, such as Copywriting Skill by Eduonix Copywriting Course, Introduction to Copywriting, Content Writing and Persuasion by Udemy, Essentials of Writing Content by Udemy, and many more.

[You may access various free online courses and certifications on Copywriting and other aspects of Digital Marketing offered by industry academies worldwide]

3. Practice writing: Copywriting is a skill that requires practice to master. Start by creating your blog or website where you can write articles and practice your copywriting skills.

You can also look for freelance writing opportunities on sites like Upwork, PeoplePerHour, Freelancer, or Fiverr to gain more experience.

To learn the craft and acquire the skills that will advance you, you can look into the possibility of working under an experienced copywriter. To start practicing, this is by far the finest method.

4. Attend copywriting workshops and conferences: Another great way to learn copywriting skills is to attend workshops and conferences where you can learn from experts in the field. Many copywriters who work in the industry have found this to be effective.

5. Network with other copywriters: Finally, it's also important to connect with other copywriters to learn from their experiences and get feedback on your work. Join online copywriting communities especially on social media to strengthen your knowledge and for practicing skills.

Pro-Tip: While working in copywriting, become familiar with cutting-edge technologies like AI to embrace it and remain on top of the game.

“55.4% of survey respondents reported using AI content tools for writing short-form copy e.g. social media posts, product descriptions” – Aira and Verblio’s Future of AI Content Marketing Study [2022]

In summary, learning copywriting skills takes time and dedication, but it's a skill that can pay off in many ways. By following these steps and continuing to practice and learn, you can become a skilled copywriter in no time.

#copywriter #copywriting #copywriting skills

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verdeapartments · 1 day

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Verde Apartments at Mission Rock in San Francisco, CA

Verde Apartments at Mission Rock is amazing. Many people are aware of their presence in the community. Besides, it has noteworthy apartments for rent in Mission Rock these days. Luckily, many young professionals and families can choose from various apartment units offered there. With beloved San Franciscan retail and dining onsite, and full access to The Canyon’s amenities, you’ll have the best of Mission Rock right at home. Furthermore, Verde will include units available for middle income households at reduced rents. Then, additional information will be available soon. All you have to do is check out the website of the apartment complex.

San Francisco, CA

The pre-scheduled events in San Francisco, CA location is found online. If you check out Eventbrite, they have interesting future events. Here are examples. First, there will be a free event named D5 Supervisor Forum this coming Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at around 5:30 PM at San Francisco Public Library. Second, the free event named Career Fair: Exclusive Tech Hiring is scheduled on Friday, September 27, 2024, at around 9:00 AM at Moved to Virtual Event. Moreover, you can opt to attend the #ProductCon San Francisco: The Largest Product Conference on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at around 9:00 AM at SVN West.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, CA

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a treasured place these days. In San Francisco, CA area, it is famous among locals and tourists. In addition, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art or SFMOMA is a modern and contemporary art museum located in San Francisco, California. Moreover, a nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art, and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art. Apart from that, the current collection of the museum includes over 33,000 works of painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, and more. By the way, have you heard about this place in the past?

San Francisco gears up for Oktoberfest on Front, state's 1st entertainment zone event

There are many enticing news reports in San Francisco, CA area. One of these stories is about Oktoberfest on Front. Basically, on Friday morning, crews in San Francisco sprayed water to clean the sidewalks, applied fresh paint on street sign poles, and got barricades in place to prepare for the state's first entertainment zone event. Aside from that, the Downtown SF Partnership, along with Shroeder's Restaurant and other sponsors, are organizing "Oktoberfest on Front," which goes from 2:00 in the afternoon to 10:00 in the evening. Lastly, Friday on Front Street between Sacramento and California Streets. Organizers are hoping it will bring big crowds and big money into the city.

Link to map

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 151 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94103, United States Drive along 2nd St 10 min (1.5 mi) Take Dr Maya Angelou Ln to Bridgeview Way 2 min (0.2 mi) Verde Apartments at Mission Rock 1070 Bridgeview Way, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States

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123gracker · 4 days

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Using Local Rank Tracker for Cybersecurity SaaS Products

Local Rank Tracker not only helps improve your local search visibility but also offers valuable insights for new markets. Discover how Local Rank Tracker can bolster your SaaS product's online presence.

While cybersecurity SaaS products typically target a global market, local rank tracking can still provide valuable insights.

Here's how to adapt local rank for your growth:

1. Track Rankings in Key Markets

Identify primary geographic markets where your target customers are concentrated.

Set up tracking for major cities or regions in these markets.

Monitor rankings for your main keywords in these locations.

Use tools like Google Analytics to identify your top traffic sources by location.

2. Competitor Analysis

Track your competitors' rankings in the same locations.

Identify gaps and opportunities in different markets.

Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to conduct comprehensive competitor analysis.

3. Language-Specific Tracking

If your product is available in multiple languages, track rankings for each language version.

Use location-specific domains (e.g., .co.uk, .de) if applicable.

Consider using hreflang tags to specify language and regional URLs.

4. Industry-Specific Keywords

Track rankings for cybersecurity-specific terms.

Include both technical terms and more general security-related keywords.

Utilize cybersecurity glossaries to identify relevant technical terms.

5. Mobile vs. Desktop Tracking

Compare rankings across devices, as B2B searches may differ between mobile and desktop.

Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to ensure your pages are optimized for mobile.

6. Local Content Performance

If you create location-specific landing pages or content, track their performance in relevant areas.

Implement proper URL structures for international SEO (e.g., example.com/uk/ for UK-specific content).

7. SERP Feature Tracking

Monitor your appearance in featured snippets, knowledge panels, and other SERP features.

These can be particularly important for informational cybersecurity queries.

Optimize your content for featured snippets by providing clear, concise answers to common questions.

8. Keyword Opportunities

Use the tracker to identify new keyword opportunities in different markets.

Look for terms where you're ranking just off the first page and focus optimization efforts there.

Use Google's Keyword Planner or tools like Moz Keyword Explorer to find related keywords.

9. Localized Ad Performance

If running localized PPC campaigns, use the tracker to compare organic vs. paid performance in different areas.

Integrate your SEO and PPC strategies for maximum impact.

10. Seasonal Trends

Track how rankings fluctuate during key periods (e.g., major conferences, fiscal year-end for enterprises).

Use Google Trends to identify seasonal patterns in cybersecurity-related searches.

11. Regulatory Impact

Monitor how rankings change in different jurisdictions as new cybersecurity regulations are introduced.

Stay informed about global cybersecurity regulations through resources like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

Implementation Tips

Choose the Right Rank Tracker:

Look for tools that offer multiple location tracking, such as BrightLocal, Moz Local, or SEMrush.

Ensure the tool can track rankings for both organic results and SERP features.

Consider tools that integrate with your other SEO and analytics platforms for seamless data analysis.

Key features to look for:

Ability to track rankings in multiple countries and cities

Support for tracking mobile and desktop rankings separately

Integration with Google Search Console and Google Analytics

Customizable reporting features

Set Up Comprehensive Alerts:

Configure alerts for significant ranking changes (e.g., moving into or out of the top 10).

Set up competitor alerts to be notified when competitors make significant ranking gains.

Use different alert thresholds for different keyword priorities:

High-priority keywords: Alert for any change in ranking

Medium-priority keywords: Alert for changes of 3 positions or more

Low-priority keywords: Alert for changes of 5 positions or more

Consider setting up daily or weekly digest emails summarizing all ranking changes.

Establish a Regular Review Process:

Schedule weekly or bi-weekly ranking review sessions with your SEO team.

Create a standardized review template that includes:

Overall ranking trends

Top gaining and declining keywords

New ranking opportunities (keywords ranking 11-20)

Competitor movement

Use project management tools like Trello or Asana to assign and track optimization tasks based on ranking data.

Correlate Rankings with Performance Metrics:

Set up Google Analytics goals for key conversion actions (e.g., demo requests, whitepaper downloads).

Use Google Looker Data Studio or similar tools to create dashboards that combine ranking data with traffic and conversion metrics.

Calculate the estimated traffic value of your rankings using average CTR data and estimated CPC from Google Ads.

Regularly assess the ROI of your SEO efforts by comparing ranking improvements to increases in conversions and revenue.

Utilize Data Visualization for Stakeholder Reports:

Create visually appealing reports using tools like Google Data Studio, Tableau, or PowerBI.

Design different report templates for different stakeholders:

Executive summary for C-level executives

Detailed performance reports for the marketing team

Competitor comparison reports for product teams

Include key visualizations such as:

Ranking distribution charts

Keyword movement heatmaps

Geographic ranking maps

Year-over-year or month-over-month comparison charts

Integrate Ranking Data into Your Content Strategy:

Use ranking data to identify content gaps and opportunities.

Create a content calendar that prioritizes topics based on ranking potential and business impact.

Implement a regular content audit process, using ranking data to identify underperforming content for optimization.

Use tools like MarketMuse or Clearscope to optimize content based on top-ranking competitors for target keywords.

Leverage API Integrations:

If your rank tracking tool offers an API, integrate it with your internal dashboards or reporting tools.

Consider building custom applications to automate analysis and reporting tasks.

Use webhooks to trigger automated workflows based on ranking changes (e.g., Slack notifications for significant drops).

Conduct Regular Tool Audits:

Periodically review the accuracy of your rank tracking tool by manually verifying a sample of rankings.

Stay informed about updates to search engine algorithms and ensure your rank tracking tool adapts accordingly.

Annually assess whether your current tool still meets your needs or if you should explore alternatives.

Train Your Team:

Provide regular training sessions on how to interpret and act on ranking data.

Create internal documentation on your rank tracking processes and best practices.

Encourage team members to obtain relevant certifications (e.g., Google Analytics, SEMrush) to enhance their skills in data analysis and interpretation.

By following these detailed implementation tips, you can ensure that you're making the most of your local rank tracking efforts for your cybersecurity SaaS product. Remember to continually refine your processes based on the insights you gain and the evolving landscape of search engine optimization.

Visit for more Info: https://gracker.ai/

#ai generated #content creation #content marketing #cybersecurity #search engine optimisation #saas product #content strategy

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dailyreportonline · 7 days

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iOS 18 Now Rolling Out for iPhone Users: How to Download, Supported iPhone Models | Daily Reports Online

iOS 18 was rolled out globally, including in India, by Apple on Monday. The new update for the iPhone was first previewed at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 in June, and in subsequent weeks, several developer and public beta updates were released. It is now available to download for iPhone users in India and brings system-wide enhancements, including new ways to customise home and…

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willpaul229 · 7 days

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How To Find The Best Restaurant Equipment Auctions Near You?

Finding quality restaurant equipment auctions near you can be a game-changer for your business, providing access to high-quality items at a fraction of the cost of buying new. Whether you’re opening a new restaurant, upgrading your kitchen, or simply looking for a good deal, local auctions can offer a wide variety of equipment at competitive prices. Here are some tips to help you find the best restaurant equipment auctions near you.

Start with Online Auction Platforms

Many restaurant equipment auctions are now hosted online, making it easier than ever to find nearby sales. Websites list upcoming auctions by location, allowing you to search for restaurant-specific events in your area. You can also filter results by the type of equipment you need or the auction format (live, online, or hybrid).

Benefits: Online auction platforms provide detailed descriptions, photos, and sometimes condition reports, giving you a sense of what’s available before attending in person.

Tip: Set up email alerts on these platforms to stay informed about new restaurant equipment auctions near you.

Check with Local Auction Houses

Local auction houses frequently hold restaurant equipment auctions, especially if a restaurant is closing or upgrading its equipment. Many of these auctions are not widely advertised online, so checking directly with auction houses in your area can lead to hidden gems. Visit their websites or call them to inquire about upcoming auctions and ask if they specialize in restaurant equipment.

Tip: Attend a few smaller auctions to get familiar with how they operate, even if you’re not planning to buy right away. This will help you better understand bidding strategies and auction dynamics.

Follow Liquidation Sales

Restaurant liquidations often lead to equipment auctions. When a restaurant closes or goes out of business, it may sell its assets at auction to recoup losses. These liquidation sales offer a great opportunity to buy high-quality equipment at discounted prices. Keep an eye on news related to local restaurant closures or check with commercial real estate agents who specialize in restaurant properties, as they often have connections to liquidation auctions.

Tip: Network with other restaurant owners who may know about upcoming liquidations or auctions, as word-of-mouth can be a valuable resource.

Join Industry Groups and Forums

Joining local restaurant industry groups, both online and in-person, can help you stay informed about equipment auctions. Many groups and forums are dedicated to sharing resources and tips about the restaurant business, including upcoming auctions. Platforms like Facebook Groups, Reddit (subreddits like r/Restaurant), and LinkedIn offer valuable insights and direct auction leads.

Tip: Engage with members by asking for recommendations on trusted auction houses or upcoming events. The more active you are, the more likely you’ll be to hear about auctions first.

Visit Trade Shows and Conferences

Restaurant and hospitality trade shows often include equipment auctions as part of their programming. These events gather industry professionals and vendors under one roof, offering opportunities to network and find auctions. Check local listings for upcoming food service or restaurant trade shows, and look for auction announcements in the event schedule.

Tip: Plan by visiting these events and speaking with equipment vendors, as many will have information on auctions or liquidation sales that are not widely publicized.

Contact Restaurant Supply Stores

Restaurant supply stores often buy used equipment at auctions and may have insider knowledge of upcoming events. Establishing a relationship with these stores can help you tap into their network of auctions and sales. Some stores may even host their equipment auctions, especially if they’re clearing out old stock.

Tip: Ask store employees or owners if they know of any local auctions or if they work with auction houses for their used inventory.

Conclusion

Finding the best restaurant equipment auctions near you requires a combination of online research, local networking, and industry knowledge. By using online auction platforms, checking with local auction houses, following liquidation sales, joining industry groups, attending trade shows, and contacting restaurant supply stores, you can gain access to high-quality equipment at competitive prices. Staying proactive and building relationships in the restaurant industry will increase your chances of finding the best deals on the equipment you need.

#auction #online auctions #restaurant #sales

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companyknowledgenews · 8 days

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Boeing silent amid Starliner rift speculation, but NASA hopeful of its commitment: What we know so far - Notice Important Online https://www.merchant-business.com/boeing-silent-amid-starliner-rift-speculation-but-nasa-hopeful-of-its-commitment-what-we-know-so-far/?feed_id=200911&_unique_id=66e7a2bf8b73d #GLOBAL - BLOGGER BLOGGER Boeing has been silent ever since the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to bring Starliner back to Earth without its crew members.The absence of Boeing officials during the news conference held after Starliner’s landing on Earth on September 7 fueled speculation about a rift between NASA and Boeing.The US space agency and the aerospace company joined hands to carry out Starliner’s first crewed flight to space. NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore became the first persons to fly on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore had launched aboard Starliner’s Calypso spacecraft on June 5. They reached the International Space Station on June 6.The duo was supposed to return to Earth on Starliner within days. However, their return was delayed after Starliner was detected with technical issues involving helium leaks.To ensure the safety of two NASA astronauts, the US space agency decided to bring back Starliner empty on September 6. They further said Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will spend eight months in space to come back home on SpaceX craft in February 2025.Google News NASA, Boeing rift speculationsThe absence of Boeing executives from recent NASA press briefings fueled speculation of a rift between the two sides. Sources had told the New York Post that meetings between the two sides often descended into yelling and arguments.NASA had earlier confirmed having a “difference of opinions” with Boeing during a discussion over the return plan for Starliner and its astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager said during a press conference on September 4, “Boeing believed in the model that they had created that tried to predict the thruster degradation for the rest of the flight…[but] the NASA team, due to the uncertainty in the modeling, could not get comfortable with that.”“…the teams were very split…and [due to the] uncertainty relative to the thruster…the NASA team chose to return Butch and Suni on [SpaceX] Dragon,” Steve Stich said.When asked if there were “heating discussions” or “almost a shouting match” between the NASA and Boeing teams during the meeting, Stitch said, “…I would not characterise it as heated…anytime you are in a meeting of this magnitude where there is this kind of decision, there is some tension in the room.”Meanwhile, Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station, explained Boeing’s perspective, saying that Boeing “is in a bit of a different position in terms of our understanding about the risks and what’s available to us without Starliner“.Google News Boeing silent amid Starliner Saga?Boeing officials made limited public comments about the company’s Starliner spacecraft over a few weeks. Boeing representatives last participated in a news briefing about the Starliner mission on July 25. NASA had announced on August 24 its decision to return Starliner without the crew.Boeing representatives did not appear at Starliner’s post-landing briefing. According to reports, they were initially scheduled to do so. They claimed that a NASA public advisory included the names of two Boeing officials slated to take part in the post-landing news conference held on September 7.Eric Berger, a senior editor for Ars Technica who was present at the event, wrote on X that two chairs were removed from the dais shortly before the briefing began. He said, “It’s seemingly a last-minute change because there were five chairs set up at the news conference here at JSC [Johnson Space Center in Houston], and they just removed two seats right now.”Google News ‘Boeing is committed…’When asked about

the absence of Boeing officials from the presser, Joel Montalbano, the deputy associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, said on September 7, “We did talk to Boeing before this. They deferred to NASA to represent the mission.”Montalbano said Boeing managers congratulate the team on Starliner’s landing on Earth. “They came to the control room and talked to the NASA team…Boeing is committed to continue to work with us,” he added.Montalbano added that Boeing has critical work to do for NASA’s space station program, the commercial crew program, and space launch system’s program. “Their work is critical for the success of all three programs,” he said.Instead of appearing at the post-landing briefing, Mark Nappi, the vice president and program manager of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program, issued a brief statement on the company’s website.“I want to recognise the work the Starliner teams did to ensure a successful and safe undocking, deorbit, re-entry and landing,” said Mark Nappi. “We will review the data and determine the next steps for the program,” he added.Meanwhile, astronaut Butch Willmore said in a recent interaction with media that both NASA and Boeing are “onboard” with changes needed to bring Starliner back on track.“We have lessons learnt that we will go through. We will have discussions” with NASA and Boeing regarding what needs to change in order to get Starliner back on track. He said things that need to change will change. “…when you have issues like those we had, there are some changes that need to be made… Boeing’s on board with that. We are all on board with that,” Wilmore said on Friday.Boeing is yet to respond or issue a statement on the ongoing speculations about its rift with NASA and change in public visibility.Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.MoreLess“The absence of Boeing officials during the news conference held after Starliner’s landing on Earth on September 7 fueled speculation about the rift between NASA and Boeing. Here’s what we…”Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/us-news/boeing-silent-amid-starliner-saga-but-nasa-hopeful-of-its-commitment-what-we-know-so-far-sunita-williams-space-news-11726390856418.html http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1726455007_418_g0fa472b736b682621436fbcd6f181648cd62c7596ce7d8eed798740bec074813bd6356af4021f8c23a37114547249a2c8c8.jpeg Boeing has been silent ever since the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to bring Starliner back to Earth without its crew members. The absence of Boeing officials during the news conference held after Starliner’s landing on Earth on September 7 fueled speculation about a rift between NASA and Boeing. The US space agency … Read More

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Boeing silent amid Starliner rift speculation, but NASA hopeful of its commitment: What we know so far - Notice Important Online - #GLOBAL https://www.merchant-business.com/boeing-silent-amid-starliner-rift-speculation-but-nasa-hopeful-of-its-commitment-what-we-know-so-far/?feed_id=200909&_unique_id=66e7a2bdd9666 Boeing has been silent ever since the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to bring Starliner back to Earth without its crew members.The absence of Boeing officials during the news conference held after Starliner’s landing on Earth on September 7 fueled speculation about a rift between NASA and Boeing.The US space agency and the aerospace company joined hands to carry out Starliner’s first crewed flight to space. NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore became the first persons to fly on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore had launched aboard Starliner’s Calypso spacecraft on June 5. They reached the International Space Station on June 6.The duo was supposed to return to Earth on Starliner within days. However, their return was delayed after Starliner was detected with technical issues involving helium leaks.To ensure the safety of two NASA astronauts, the US space agency decided to bring back Starliner empty on September 6. They further said Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will spend eight months in space to come back home on SpaceX craft in February 2025.Google News NASA, Boeing rift speculationsThe absence of Boeing executives from recent NASA press briefings fueled speculation of a rift between the two sides. Sources had told the New York Post that meetings between the two sides often descended into yelling and arguments.NASA had earlier confirmed having a “difference of opinions” with Boeing during a discussion over the return plan for Starliner and its astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager said during a press conference on September 4, “Boeing believed in the model that they had created that tried to predict the thruster degradation for the rest of the flight…[but] the NASA team, due to the uncertainty in the modeling, could not get comfortable with that.”“…the teams were very split…and [due to the] uncertainty relative to the thruster…the NASA team chose to return Butch and Suni on [SpaceX] Dragon,” Steve Stich said.When asked if there were “heating discussions” or “almost a shouting match” between the NASA and Boeing teams during the meeting, Stitch said, “…I would not characterise it as heated…anytime you are in a meeting of this magnitude where there is this kind of decision, there is some tension in the room.”Meanwhile, Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station, explained Boeing’s perspective, saying that Boeing “is in a bit of a different position in terms of our understanding about the risks and what’s available to us without Starliner“.Google News Boeing silent amid Starliner Saga?Boeing officials made limited public comments about the company’s Starliner spacecraft over a few weeks. Boeing representatives last participated in a news briefing about the Starliner mission on July 25. NASA had announced on August 24 its decision to return Starliner without the crew.Boeing representatives did not appear at Starliner’s post-landing briefing. According to reports, they were initially scheduled to do so. They claimed that a NASA public advisory included the names of two Boeing officials slated to take part in the post-landing news conference held on September 7.Eric Berger, a senior editor for Ars Technica who was present at the event, wrote on X that two chairs were removed from the dais shortly before the briefing began. He said, “It’s seemingly a last-minute change because there were five chairs set up at the news conference here at JSC [Johnson Space Center in Houston], and they just removed two seats right now.”Google News ‘Boeing is committed…’When asked about the absence of

Boeing officials from the presser, Joel Montalbano, the deputy associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, said on September 7, “We did talk to Boeing before this. They deferred to NASA to represent the mission.”Montalbano said Boeing managers congratulate the team on Starliner’s landing on Earth. “They came to the control room and talked to the NASA team…Boeing is committed to continue to work with us,” he added.Montalbano added that Boeing has critical work to do for NASA’s space station program, the commercial crew program, and space launch system’s program. “Their work is critical for the success of all three programs,” he said.Instead of appearing at the post-landing briefing, Mark Nappi, the vice president and program manager of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program, issued a brief statement on the company’s website.“I want to recognise the work the Starliner teams did to ensure a successful and safe undocking, deorbit, re-entry and landing,” said Mark Nappi. “We will review the data and determine the next steps for the program,” he added.Meanwhile, astronaut Butch Willmore said in a recent interaction with media that both NASA and Boeing are “onboard” with changes needed to bring Starliner back on track.“We have lessons learnt that we will go through. We will have discussions” with NASA and Boeing regarding what needs to change in order to get Starliner back on track. He said things that need to change will change. “…when you have issues like those we had, there are some changes that need to be made… Boeing’s on board with that. We are all on board with that,” Wilmore said on Friday.Boeing is yet to respond or issue a statement on the ongoing speculations about its rift with NASA and change in public visibility.Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.MoreLess“The absence of Boeing officials during the news conference held after Starliner’s landing on Earth on September 7 fueled speculation about the rift between NASA and Boeing. Here’s what we…”Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/us-news/boeing-silent-amid-starliner-saga-but-nasa-hopeful-of-its-commitment-what-we-know-so-far-sunita-williams-space-news-11726390856418.html http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1726455007_418_g0fa472b736b682621436fbcd6f181648cd62c7596ce7d8eed798740bec074813bd6356af4021f8c23a37114547249a2c8c8.jpeg BLOGGER - #GLOBAL

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