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I-Drive and its District Partners pass goal of helping area children in 13th Annual Salvation Army Angel Tree Program

The International Drive Improvement District was able to bring some holiday joy to 790 area disadvantaged children when it partnered with the Salvation Army, along with WKMG Local 6, for its 13th annual Angel Tree program for the 2014 holiday season.




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What is Public Relations?

PR is defined as communicating to inform and persuade. See the differences: public relations vs. marketing, advertising and social media.




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The Best Press Release Distribution Services to Boost Your Visibility

Press releases are a valuable tool for small businesses aiming to improve their recognition. Here are 7 Best Press Release Distribution Services to Catapult Your Small Business.




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Venmo Scams: Common Tricks and How to Avoid Them

If you use Venmo often, here are the main Venmo scams to be aware of so you don't get caught out.



  • Small Business Operations
  • Scams

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You Should Outsource Business Travel Services – Here’s Why

Here are some resources and platforms you can start outsourcing by providing business travel services to optimize your business operations.



  • Small Business Operations
  • Small Business Travel

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Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream - Buy One Get One 1/2 Off

Valid Through: 10/31/2015
Buy One Get One 1/2 Off
9101 International Drive Suite 1140
Orlando, FL 32819




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Boston Lobster Feast - Your choice of beverage, value limit up to $3.50 per person with purchase of feast.

Valid Through: 10/31/2015
Your choice of beverage, value limit up to $3.50 per person with purchase of feast.
8731 International Dr.
Orlando, FL 32819




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CiCi's Pizza - FREE buffet

Valid Through: 4/30/2015
FREE buffet
7437 International Dr.
Orlando, FL 32819




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Del Taco - $1.00 Chicken Tacos

Valid Through: 10/31/2015
$1.00 Chicken Tacos
6855 Grand National Drive
Orlando, FL 32819




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Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen - 15% off food purchase

Valid Through: 10/31/2015
15% off food purchase
8717 International Dr.
Orlando, FL 32819




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McDonald's - 15% off* with the minimum purchase of an Extra Value Meal or Kids Eat Free with purchase of an Extra Value Meal - Not valid with any other offer or discount, such as Dollar Menu items. Kids meal is an All American Meal (no toy) and kids

Valid Through: 10/31/2015
15% off* with the minimum purchase of an Extra Value Meal or Kids Eat Free with purchase of an Extra Value Meal - Not valid with any other offer or discount, such as Dollar Menu items. Kids meal is an All American Meal (no toy) and kids must be 10 or under. One meal per child, per paying adult. Plus applicable taxes.
6875 Sand Lake Rd.
Orlando, FL 32819




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Court Report: DOJ’s Future Unclear; Weichert Latest Brokerage to Settle Commission Lawsuit

The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. Search for new Attorney General underway Given the ongoing antitrust investigation into the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) by the Department of Justice (DOJ), any shakeup at the DOJ could have ripple effects on the…

The post Court Report: DOJ’s Future Unclear; Weichert Latest Brokerage to Settle Commission Lawsuit appeared first on RISMedia.




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Pets, Politics and Presidents: Yun Forecasts Economy, Policy at NAR NXT

Boston, MA—Addressing an audience of hundreds on yet another big stage last week, Dr. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), acknowledged that the broad-based real estate rally that he and many other economists have been predicting has not—and will not—happen this year. “As you know, 2024 has been a very…

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Anthony Hitt Stepping Down as Engel & Völkers America CEO at the End of 2024

Above, Anthony Hitt Engel & Völkers America announced today that longtime CEO Anthony Hitt will be stepping down from his position come Dec. 31, 2024. A release said that Hitt is resigning to focus on “personal interests.”  “Developing and guiding Engel & Völkers in the Americas has been a true privilege and one of my…

The post Anthony Hitt Stepping Down as Engel & Völkers America CEO at the End of 2024 appeared first on RISMedia.




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Corcoran Welcomes First Franchise in Mexico

Corcoran Group® LLC has announced its first Mexican franchise with the launch of Corcoran The Baja Real Estate Co. Owned and led by Blake Harrington, the brokerage will serve clients throughout the greater Cabo San Lucas area. The announcement, made by Pamela Liebman, president and CEO of The Corcoran Group®, illustrates the company’s ongoing expansion…

The post Corcoran Welcomes First Franchise in Mexico appeared first on RISMedia.




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Century 21 Expands into Washington State’s Pacific County

Century 21 Real Estate LLC has announced it is growing its network along the Pacific Coast with its latest affiliation of Pacific Realty, based in Long Beach, Washington.  The boutique firm has served communities along the coast for roughly 50 years, most recently under the leadership of Leslie Brophy. Under Brophy’s leadership, the firm and…

The post Century 21 Expands into Washington State’s Pacific County appeared first on RISMedia.




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Rededicating After an Upset

How many times have you gone into a vacation with the best of intentions, only to get derailed by temptation?  Or maybe you give yourself a vacation from healthful living while you’re away and intend to get right back on track afterward.  Did you know the average cruise passenger gains 7-10 lbs on a week […]



  • Health and Wellness

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Staff Core Software Engineer: Cryptic Studios

  Cryptic Studios is an industry leader in the development of free-to-play massively multiplayer role-playing games on PC and console including Champions Online, Star Trek Online, and Neverwinter.  We bring these popular properties to life with innovative gameplay mechanics, gorgeous graphics, and impressive sound to create an engaging and immersive player experience.  We have adopted a flexible work policy that allows options for onsite work in our Los Gatos, CA studio or fully remotely from anywhere throughout the US. Come and join us! Cryptic Studios is currently seeking a Staff Core Software Engineer.  The creation and operation of massive multiplayer online games requires a wide range of innovative technologies.  As a Core Software Engineer, you can help define and drive improved workflows and engine features for Cryptic’s game development teams.   Every day you could be: * Collaborating with world-class artists, designers, and engineers to build game systems and powerful tools for the creation of fantastic virtual worlds and gameplay. * Extending systems to meet the ever-changing needs of a massively multiplayer online game. * Upgrading our workflows to improve team productivity and enhance content for customers. * Analyzing performance of key systems and refactoring or re-implementing them to perform and scale better under load. * Working in a custom, state of the art, client-server game engine and tool suite. * Researching and introducing new technologies to all engineers and management.     Systems you might work on     * Core components of Cryptic's game client/server architecture, including simulation technologies (AI, cloth, movement, physics), and audio/visual technologies (animation, audio, visual effects). * The many in-engine tools used to build content for our games. * Integration with platforms such as Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Steam, and Epic. * Internal improvements to keep up with the latest software development tools * Graphics team support   What we need to see: * 5+ years of experience programming and debugging. * 1+ year of professional experience programming and debugging with C/C++. * Solid understanding of pointers and memory management. * Working knowledge of asynchronous systems such as multi-threaded or multi-process systems. * Ability to work comfortably within a large pre-existing code base * A passion for delivering great work. * Clear and concise communication skills. * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field (or equivalent experience). * Must be eligible to work in the United States.   What we’d like to see: * Experience in the video game industry and with MMO’s is a huge plus! * Worked on a team developing software that shipped in a finished product. * 2+ years of game development experience. * In-depth knowledge of and experience with games.   C/C++ Programming Cryptic’s software engineers work almost exclusively in a high performance, cross-platform C/C++ code base.  In addition to problem solving skills, this job requires a high degree of proficiency with pointers and memory management and the interview process will test for these skills. (Java and C# are not utilized in this job.)   What Cryptic Offers * Remote Work Options - Anywhere Within The US * A fun tight-knit team where your contributions will have a major impact * Full-Time role * Paid Holiday, Sick Time & Paid Time off * Health Insurance & Perks: Medical, Dental, Vision * Company social events  * Pet-Friendly Environment  




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UI Technical Artist: Xbox Game Studios

Turn 10 Studios, the creators of the top selling and critically acclaimed Forza Motorsport franchise, has an exciting opportunity for a UI Technical Artist to join our team. Forza Motorsport boasts a robust UI screen count across many different new and legacy features. This is an exciting and rare opportunity to impact the future of one of the industry’s most successful franchises through your talent, creativity, technical ability and knowledge.    IDEAL CANDIDATE IS:  A detail-oriented art content troubleshooter and problem solver who will help deliver industry-leading HUD and front-end UI. While this is not an engineering role, creating real-time UI can be technically complex and we do expect a technically adept artist who can quickly adapt to in-house tools and script environments.    Turn 10 Studios is located in Redmond (Washington), just outside of Seattle. The Seattle area is a major hub for the tech and gaming industries. With beautiful mountain ranges, diverse wildlife, great hiking/biking trails, and a thriving arts culture, Seattle offers a variety of options to enjoy your life outside of work.     Required Experience: Implement complex UI screens for interactive game features including data driven dynamic layouts, animations and transitions  Troubleshoot UI artist issues with tooling and content authoring pipelines  Contribute to and maintain a visual library of Sketch components for application to UI screens  Work in a dynamic team environment with a mix of developers, designers and other technical UI artists to deliver in-game UI screens  Recommend improvements to UI content workflows through acquiring deep knowledge of our UI content data flow, tooling and rendering techniques  Benchmark, debut and optimize UI content assets, balancing visuals and performance  3+ years of related experience  Experience with one or more major UI creation platforms such as HTML5, Flash, Sketch, Blend, Unity/Unreal  Portfolio that demonstrates examples of problem solving and content creation across a variety of projects, preferably with a UI leaning  Experience shipping content with limited performance budget  Interest in accessibility and multi-platform scalable UI preferred  Preferred: BS/BA in Graphic Design, User Interface, Art, Computer Science or a related field  Passion and experience in AAA gaming  Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form. 




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Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Professor of Practice in Game Design: Indiana University

The Media School at Indiana University Bloomington invites applications for a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, or Professor of Practice position in game design (appointment dependent on professional experience and impact in the field). We seek candidates with senior experience in the game industry as well as a deep understanding of game design and/or systemic design. The ideal applicant will have some teaching experience and technical skill in some portion of the production pipeline. Applicants with little or no classroom experience are still encouraged to apply and should discuss their interest and preparedness to teach students at the college level. A bachelor’s degree is required and an advanced degree preferred, though significant professional experience will be considered in lieu of an advanced academic degree. The candidate may teach courses on the game industry, advanced design classes, special topics courses based on their expertise, and support students through their sequence of capstone courses. Duties will include teaching and service to the game design program with the potential for leadership within the program, including directorship of the degree.    Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, teaching statement, diversity statement outlining contributions and commitment to equity and inclusion, and a list of academic or professional references. Applications will be reviewed immediately, and the position will remain open until filled. Applications received by October 28, 2022, will be given full consideration. Interested candidates should submit application materials online at https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/13810. The expected start date is August 1, 2023.    Indiana University is an equal employment and affirmative action employer and a provider of ADA services. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment based on individual qualifications. Indiana University prohibits discrimination based on age, ethnicity, color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status. Diversity and inclusion are central to The Media School’s mission.    Indiana University is located in Bloomington, Indiana, a vibrant city full of cultural life, diversity, and opportunity, with a population of some 85,000 people from all over the world. It is not uncommon to bump into world-renowned poets, professors, musicians, and researchers at one of the city’s notable local restaurants, cafes, or breweries. IU Bloomington is home to a lively arts community, with independent local theaters, university orchestras, and one of the best university cinemas in the country.     Questions regarding this position or the application process should be directed to the chair of the search committee, Will Emigh, Interim Director of the Game Design Program, at wemigh@indiana.edu. See more about The Media School at https://mediaschool.indiana.edu/index.html.  




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Staff Infrastructure Software Engineer: Cryptic Studios

  Cryptic Studios is an industry leader in the development of free-to-play massively multiplayer role-playing games on PC and console including Champions Online, Star Trek Online, and Neverwinter.  We bring these popular properties to life with innovative gameplay mechanics, gorgeous graphics, and impressive sound to create an engaging and immersive player experience. We have fully embraced a flexible work policy that allows options for onsite work in our Los Gatos, CA studio or fully remotely from anywhere throughout the US. Come and join us! Cryptic Studios is currently seeking a Staff Infrastructure Software Engineer. The creation and operation of massive multiplayer online games requires a wide range of innovative technologies. As an Infrastructure Software Engineer, you can contribute to advancing the state of the art in back-end systems for online games.   Every day you could be * Working in a team of very talented software engineers to architect, build and maintain exceptional game play systems. * Analyzing game systems to improve game play experiences for players. * Working with operations staff to design and implement new features that will improve the reliability and efficiency of operating Cryptic's games. * Working with game development teams and game engine teams to bring their ideas to live in high performance back-end systems. * Analyzing performance of key systems and refactoring or re-implementing them to perform and scale better under load. * Working in a custom, state of the art, client-server game engine and tool suite. * Developing and extending systems to meet the ever-changing needs of a massively multiplayer online game. * Upgrading our workflows to improve team productivity and enhance content for customers. * Researching and introducing new technologies to all engineers and management.   Systems you might work on * Core components of Cryptic's game server architecture, ranging from gameplay servers, to social systems (such as friends management, chat, and teaming) to economic systems (such as auction). * Integration with platforms such as Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Steam. * Entitlement management systems, ranging from designing micro-transactions, through the purchase flows, to tracking and reporting on game monetization. * Management tools for Cryptic's private server cloud, ranging from deployment tools to operational telemetry. * Asset management ranging from internal tracking of game assets to large scale cloud deployment of the game to customers. * Cryptic's custom built NoSQL object database that optimizes for write-mostly, read-rarely use patterns.   What we need to see * 5+ years of experience programming and debugging. * 1+ year of professional experience programming and debugging with C/C++. * Solid understanding of pointers and memory management. * Working knowledge of asynchronous systems such as multi-threaded or multi-process systems. * Ability to work comfortably within a large pre-existing code base * A passion for delivering great work. * Clear and concise communication skills. * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field (or equivalent experience). * Must be eligible to work in the United States.   What we’d like to see * 2+ years of experience with networking, including sockets, ports, firewalls, packet capture, etc. * Familiarity with web services mechanics such as REST, JSON-RPC, etc. * In-depth knowledge of and experience with games. * Experience in the video game industry and with MMO’s is a huge plus!   C/C++ Programming * Cryptic’s software engineers work almost exclusively in a high performance, cross-platform C/C++ code base.  In addition to problem solving skills, this job requires a high degree of proficiency with pointers, memory management, and performance optimization. The interview process will be testing you for these skills. (Java, C# and other high-level languages will not be utilized in this job.)   What Cryptic Offers * Remote Work Options - Anywhere Within The US * A fun tight-knit team where your contributions will have a major impact * Full-Time role * Paid Holiday, Sick Time & Paid Time off * Health Insurance & Perks: Medical, Dental, Vision * Company social events  * Pet-Friendly Environment      




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Technical Lighting Artist: Xbox Game Studios

Turn 10 Studios has an exciting opportunity for a technical lighting artist to work alongside the team responsible for creating the top-selling and critically acclaimed Forza Motorsport franchise. A technical lighting artist is a key production conduit between our content lighting artists and our rendering engineers. We are looking for a passionate team member who will work closely with those two teams to help us build cutting-edge visuals that are driven through real-time graphics and technologies that lead our industry. This is an important role that provides the ideal candidate with an opportunity to be responsible for the technical implementation of lighting techniques to help us create a state-of-the-art product   Responsibilities Implement real-time game lighting using a variety of lighting techniques (pre-baked, dynamic real-time, light probe transfer / PRT) Primary support agent for the content team members; support for all core production lighting tasks from pre-production to final polish Lead the development of lighting tools and workflow in collaboration with lighting lead and engineering teams Continuously assess and clearly communicate potential concerns and blockers with engineering, tools and other development teams Work with engineering and tools team to optimize for scalable performance, simplify lighting workflows while still pushing the boundaries of visual quality Collaborate with a mix of production disciplines throughout the studio to (Tools, Gameplay, Design, Concept, VFX, and Environment) to collaboratively help develop areas of our game from early prototype, through to final polish and optimization Help to build our internal technical arts community by encouraging artistic development, showcasing workflows, artistic techniques, providing quality feedback, and mentoring other artists on the team Actively improve skillset by staying on top of industry trends and techniques, new software, and product evaluation Qualifications  Should have 3-5 years of professional experience in a lighting/look development role in games Experience with physically based lighting and shading strategies is required Experience with Autodesk 3DS Max required, other modeling packages also desired. Experience working with lighting elements, emissives, materials, shaders, and luminance values in a game environment required Experience with core applications such as Lightroom, Resolve, Photoshop, Substance Designer, Unreal Engine is highly preferred Experience with offline renderers such as V-Ray, MentalRay, Blender, or Renderman required Demo reel/portfolio must demonstrate a firm understanding of lighting and color theory Must be responsive to deadlines and work well under pressure Demo reel should include samples of work and an exact breakdown of your specific contribution to the material submitted along with resume featuring references.   Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.




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Kick Ass or Die

Well, shit.  That’s about the only articulate thing I can say about 2020. To be fair, I’m out of practice. However, I’d also  guess I’m not the only person stuck in the space between “there are a lot of things that should be said about this year” and “dear god, I’m sick of people talking […]



  • All Time Favorite Posts
  • On Kicking Ass
  • Stories about Telling Stories
  • Uncategorized

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On Kicking Ass and Using the Right Measuring Stick

Not only is it that time of year again (the one where we reflect on all the things we’ve done, and all the things we hope to do, while simultaneously being bombarded with “new year, new you” messaging, which is all just bullshit trying to get people to buy whatever weight-loss program/tea/diet crap is hip […]



  • On Kicking Ass
  • Stories about Telling Stories

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SCCM Pod-425 Outcomes in Cystic Fibrosis PICU Admissions

Cystic fibrosis patient care has advanced greatly in recent years and the mortality rate has improved.




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SCCM Pod-431 Hypertonic Saline in Children with Raised Intracranial Pressure

Mannitol is a commonly used osmotherapy agent in raised intracranial pressure (ICP) but the side effects are significant.




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SCCM Pod-435 Intracranial and Cerebral Perfusion Pressure Thresholds Associated with In-Hospital Mortality Across Pediatric Neurocritical Care

Targets for treatment of raised intracranial pressure or decreased cerebral perfusion pressure in pediatric neurocritical care are not well defined.




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SCCMPod-442 Continuous Prediction of Mortality in the PICU: A Recurrent Neural Network Model in a Single-Center Dataset

As a proof of concept, a recurrent neural network (RNN) model was developed using electronic medical record (EMR) data capable of continuously assessing a child's risk of mortality throughout an ICU stay as a proxy measure of illness severity.




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SCCMPod-445 The Association of Workload and Outcomes in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU

Healthcare workload has emerged as an important metric associated with poor outcomes. To measure workload, studies have used bed occupancy as a surrogate. However, few studies have examined frontline clinician workload and outcomes.




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SCCMPod-447 eSIMPLER: A Dynamic, Electronic Health Record-Integrated Checklist

The increasing use of electronic health records (EHRs) has inspired the need for a more dynamic checklist. Geva et al conducted a before-after quality improvement study by replacing a static checklist with an updated dynamic checklist.




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Join me at Out of Chicago IN-DEPTH and GET $50 OFF

Aug 21-23 2020 will bring you an exciting live online photography workshop weekend with 35+ advanced, exciting sessions from world-class photographers (and I still can’t believe that I got accepted to teach with them! Yey! o/) For each session, two photographers will team up to deep-dive into a topic from multiple angles. And I couldn’t … Continue reading "Join me at Out of Chicago IN-DEPTH and GET $50 OFF"

The post Join me at Out of Chicago IN-DEPTH and GET $50 OFF appeared first on PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FROM THE TOP FLOOR.



  • Tips from the Top Floor

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902 Wild Service Tree

Chris talks about wearing multiple hats, he’s bringing back the MIP, a project that was 10 years in the making, and he talks with his guest Don Komarechka about image theft and about Don’s latest book on macro photography. Check out Don’s Macro Photography book Links: Video: Discussion with don Komarechka Don Komarechka’s homepage Support … Continue reading "902 Wild Service Tree"

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913 Epic Episcope

As Chris is on his way to Transylvania (you can follow him on his vlog), he talks about face fixers, an amazing photo and headline combo, re-dubbing movies and if your job as a photographer is safe from our new A.I. overlords. (Episode artwork: DALL-E 2) Topics: [NEWS] Scouting Eastern Europe : As you hear … Continue reading "913 Epic Episcope"

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922 Free Camera Choice

Convenience always wins. That’s why the iPhone camera app is by far the most used one. Not because it’s the best but because it’s the quickest to reach from the iOS lock screen. Not any longer. Chris presents a method to launch ANY camera app to the lock screen with a single tap. Glorious! Also: … Continue reading "922 Free Camera Choice"

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928 One Minute Six Hundred Pics

TFOP 245 discusses a new camera purchase and a conversation about historical photos and gold-plating photography on glass || Neurapix is a German startup that has developed AI-based software that can learn from previously edited images and apply the same edits to new photos at a fast rate || Two lawsuits against AI || xkcd … Continue reading "928 One Minute Six Hundred Pics"

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932 You’ve Been Tricked!

Yes, they have been tricking you. Millions of albums sold that were produced with cheap plastic gear. Inconceivable! Also on today’s show: a few words on dpreview’s demise (and resurrection), some thoughts (and a request for feedback) on guilt, fear and frustrations in photography. Plus thoughts on CJ Chilvers’ latest post about the gear race … Continue reading "932 You’ve Been Tricked!"

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933 Hawk Birdhouse and the Mickey Mouse Camera

Presenting jam-packed newsreel, a new book, French influencer law, semantic segmentation in real-time, dpreview’s archive, a new film by Fuji, the Mickey-Mouse-Leica and DALL-E coming to a browser near you. Special guest Allan Attridge of Two Hosers fame (he now also builds furniture on YouTube) and Chris talk about life, creating youtube videos and growing … Continue reading "933 Hawk Birdhouse and the Mickey Mouse Camera"

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She wants to know what are best practices on flagging bad responses and cleaning survey data and detecting bad responses. Any suggestions from the tidyverse or crunch.io?

A colleague who works in a field that uses a lot of survey research asks: Can you recommend papers about detecting bad survey responses? We have some such methods where I work, but I’m curious what the Census Bureau and … Continue reading




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“Pitfalls of Demographic Forecasts of US Elections”

Richard Calvo, Vincent Pons, and Jesse Shapiro write: Many observers have forecast large partisan shifts in the US electorate based on demographic trends. Such forecasts are appealing because demographic trends are often predictable even over long horizons. We backtest demographic … Continue reading




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“Things are Getting So Politically Polarized We Can’t Measure How Politically Polarized Things are Getting”

Sociologist Claude Fischer writes: Polarization has been less a matter of Americans becoming extremists—most remain centrists or oblivious to politics—but more that politically engaged Americans have increasingly aligned their views, values, and even their practices, from where they live to … Continue reading




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3M misconduct regarding knowledge of “forever chemicals”: As is so often the case, the problem was in open sight for a long time before anything was done

Horrifying story here from Sharon Lerner how chemical products company 3M (which has successfully branded itself as the cuddly people behind Post-it notes) polluted the world’s water supply and covered it up for decades. It features several issues we’ve discussed … Continue reading




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Which book should you read first, Active Statistics or Regression and Other Stories?

Kiran Gauthier writes: I was checking the web pages for Active Statistics and Regression and Other Stories and although I saw that Active Statistics is meant to accompany Regression and Other Stories, I was wondering how you would recommend reading … Continue reading




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Prediction markets and the need for “dumb money” as well as “smart money”

tl;dr. Prediction markets give good forecasts because they attract “smart money” that will fix any gaps between current odds and best available information. The “smart money” is in turn motivated by the profits they can take from “dumb money” coming … Continue reading




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“Reduce likelihood of a tick bite by 73.6 times”? Forking paths on the Appalachian Trail.

Shira writes: As an Appalachian Trail hiker, I always treat my clothes with permethrin. I’m a big fan of Sawyer products, but this claim caught my eye: Reduce likelihood of a tick bite by 73.6 times by treating shoes and … Continue reading




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NYT catches up to Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science

A colleague pointed to this news article, “Do People in ‘Blue Zones’ Actually Live Longer?”, and wrote that I might find it blog-worthy. I replied that, yeah, the topic is blog-worthy enough that it’s already appeared on the blog, with … Continue reading




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Freakonomics does it again (not in a good way). Jeez, these guys are credulous:

From the team that brought you “good-looking parents are 36% more likely to have a baby daughter as their first child than a baby son” and “The PDO cool mode has replaced the warm mode in the Pacific Ocean, virtually … Continue reading




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Props to the liberal anticommunists of the 1930s-1950s

In the 1930s and 1940s, there were many prominent communist sympathizers: leading scientists such as J. B. S. Haldane and J. Robert Oppenheimer, powerful labor leaders, influential intellectuals, and various popular-front politicians, including at one period the vice-president of the … Continue reading




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Calibration is sometimes sufficient for trusting predictions. What does this tell us when human experts use model predictions?

This is Jessica. I got through a long string of deadlines and invited talks and now I’m back to thinking about calibration and decision-making. In a previous post I was wondering about the relationship between calibration and Bayesian use of … Continue reading




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A 10% swing in win probability corresponds (approximately) to a 0.4% swing in predicted vote

There’s some confusion regarding jumps in election forecasts. New information is coming in every day, so it makes sense that forecasts change too. But they don’t change very much. Each new piece of information tells you only a little bit. … Continue reading




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Violent science teacher makes ridiculously unsupported research claims, gets treated by legislatures/courts/media as expert on the effects of homeschooling

Paul Alper shares this horrifying news story by Laura Meckler: Brian Ray has spent the last three decades as one of the nation’s top evangelists for home schooling. As a researcher, he has published studies purporting to show that these … Continue reading