This person is persistent. They continually attack my site from Ashburn, Virginia? Not sure to what gain, but they are definitely a persistent asshole.
And I have another from Redmond Way. Bill is that you? Please stop it.
WordPress Plugins
We’re going to talk about researching a profitable plugin idea. So don’t worry about anything else except for getting an idea of what’s out there, and different ideas that you can potentially create. Now obviously, if you already have a plugin in mind, you probably could skip this, but it’s a good to read just in case you decide to have another idea in the future. So let’s do some quick research to show you what plugins are in demand by looking at what we call consumer demand. And that’s really what drives whether or not your plugin is going to be profitable or not, whether or not there is a need out there. So there are two ways of doing this, because there are many plugins out there already. You can look at them and look what’s wrong with them and see what people are saying and improve on that. Which is actually the easiest way to go about doing this and can be very profitable. Or you can develop your brand new idea plugin doesn’t exist or anything like that. But with that, it’s a little bit more time to try to figure out consumer demand. But there are ways of going about doing that. So consumer demand is really, really important here. So I really want to drive that home. All great WordPress plugins are born out of problems that people are facing. So if this is a problem that you’re facing, that’s great, then you can associate with that you know exactly how that feels. If this is a problem that you do not face, but you can research it, and figure out how people are feeling about it, what people are doing about it to solve that issue. And how your WordPress plugin can speed the process up, then that’s a good thing as well. But you really want to get into the brain of the consumer. So let me go ahead and show you how to find consumer demand through the use of free keyword tools, and how to start with Google and research from that point on.
Now, before I jump in and start talking about consumer demand or anything like that, I wanted to talk briefly about what you should be looking for as you’re looking for the consumer demand. Now obviously, when it comes to any type of software or WordPress plug in, what you’re trying to look for is you’re trying to find some sort of tedious process that takes time. And it’s very manual process. So what I mean by that is something that somebody actually does either on their computer, or wherever else, and it’s just taking a lot of time, and you have to speed that process up. And they’re willing to pay for the ability to speed that process up. Alright, so if you look at most WordPress plugins, they basically speed a process up, or they help you in some sort of way. They basically take some process that could take anywhere from a couple hours to a couple of days or even a couple weeks. And it speeds the whole process up thereby saving you time. That’s one of the reasons why most people buy pieces of software because it automates the process. So as you’re looking through for consumer demand, or as you’re looking for plugins, you want to find something that is sort of a pain point, meaning it’s really frustrating because you have to take all this time to actually do it. Alright, so if we head back over to Google here, and if we think about it for just a second, if we think that software is often are born from frustrations, so you can go to Google and type something like top frustrations and let Google complete it for you such as top frustrations and life top frustrations at work top frustrations in gaming so you could think about something you enjoy yourself or something that you have done that takes time on the computer and you want to speed the process up alright, but usually this process with a WordPress plugin needs to be something that is on your website. So top frustrations related to maybe your website and then go from there and try to figure out what these top frustrations are. So if you just take some time to just go through the articles so let’s open up these here. And you may or may not find the WordPress plug in that you’re looking for, but you’re kind of getting a an idea of what is happening on the website itself. So we can See like playing messenger lacking communication, changes, continuous edits. So maybe you could develop a WordPress plugin around that wavering deadlines time management, you can develop a WordPress time management plugin, you can go through here, we can go to a different article here. So this is core up and we see this guy says providing high quality for us content, maybe you could develop a plugin that pulls in YouTube videos or content curation to make it so it’s easy for people to develop content, or maybe you can develop something that allows them to create fresh articles really, really fast without plagiarizing, of course. And then we go down. And let’s look at a different article.
What are your top three frustrations with your website, too much content that overwhelm the reader, user design and user experience directing the user to the right content and workflow. So going through here, what you’re looking for is a pattern if you can see several people saying I have problems because just finding fresh content is just a big roadblock in my life. If you see tons and tons and tons of people saying that, the next thing you want to do is you want to head on over to wordpress.org slash plugins over here. And then you want to type that in so we could type in something like time management, and see what we get. So as we can see a good amount of plugins. And we can see, if we can see more plugins, that means there is definitely a demand. Now if you see a lot of plugins, but there’s no feedback or ratings or anything like that, that might not be a good sign. But another thing you can do is you can see, a lot of times you’ll have like a really good plugin, but nobody leaves any reviews, right? So we got four and a half stars out of 522 reviews. But if you look down on the bottom left hand corner of these boxes, you can see that 40,000 people installed it. Alright, so that definitely shows there is a demand for that plugin. So if we look over here, easy appointments 3000 installs 100,000 installs for events manager. So we can see the demand by looking at wordpress.org/plugins, but jetpack here is obviously created by WordPress. So obviously, they have 3 million active installs. So that means that 3 million people installed it on their WordPress site. So what you want to do is you want to go through here and find a WordPress plug in that really stands out to you.
So let’s say we want to click on one. And you want to get an idea of what it does. And then you want to take a look at the one star ratings. Why one star ratings because you want to find people’s frustrations, you want to see if you can find a pattern. Now if this WordPress plugin is really good. And you’re asking how can I compete with these guys? Well, you can look at the one star ratings and see where this plugin falls short. If constantly people are saying this fall short because of this, this, this and this, you can go out and create a WordPress plugin based on that particular shortcoming. And then you come out with it. And you know that it’s going to sell because you have so many people that are frustrated. Now, obviously you need to make sure that people are willing to buy for that, and we’ll talk more about that later. But that’s just a simple process that you can take by going to Google typing in top frustrations website, or things I hate about my website or, or something related to WordPress, and then find those and dig deep into those pain points. You can do the same thing with YouTube, you can do the same thing with Facebook, use the search bar at the top and fine frustrations that people have. So that’s a good way to kind of figure out consumer demand in the terms of figuring out how many people are frustrated with this specific problem. And that’s really what we’re I am to drive home.
Japan breaks internet speed record with a 319Tbps data transfer
The many-gigabit internet speed records of a decade ago now seem downright inadequate. Motherboard reports that scientists at Japan’s National institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) have smashed the internet transfer record by shuffling data at 319Tbps. For context, that’s almost twice as fast as the 179Tbps a team of British and Japanese researchers managed in August 2020.
NICT managed the feat by upgrading virtually every stage of the pipeline. The fiber optic line had four cores instead of one, and researchers fired a 552-channel comb laser at multiple wavelengths with the assistance of rare earth amplifiers. While the test was strictly confined to the lab, the team used coiled fiber to transfer data at a simulated 1,864-mile distance without losing signal quality or speed.
As with many of these experiments, it could be a long time before this performance has a meaningful impact. While the four-core fiber would work with existing networks, the system could easily be very expensive. It’s more likely to see initial use with internet backbones and other major networking projects where capacity matters more than cost.
That could still impact your internet usage, though. The NICT researchers envision their next-gen fiber making technologies “beyond 5G” (like 6G) more practical. You may see the benefits simply by moving to faster internet access that doesn’t choke when there’s a surge of users.
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Alphabets latest moonshot aims to make industrial robots more practical
Alphabet has launched another company in its X moonshot factory, and this one may be its most ambitious robotics project to date. The just-opened firm, Intrinsic, plans to make industrial robots more accessible to people and businesses that couldn’t otherwise justify the effort involved to teach the machines. You could see robotic manufacturing in more countries, for example, or small businesses that can automate production that previously required manual labor.
Intrinsic will focus on software tools that make these robots easier to use, more flexible and more affordable. To that end, the company has been testing a mix of software tools that include AI techniques like automated perception, motion planning and reinforcement learning. Company chief Wendy Tan-White has relevant experience, too. She started the “world’s first” software-as-a-service site builder to make web development more accessible, launched early online banking and lending services, and helped nurture startups as a VP at X.
The technology is still early, but there are already promising results. During its development time at X, the team trained a robot to make a USB connection in two hours (instead of programming it over hundreds of hours) and had robotic arms build simple furniture (shown below). Automation wouldn’t be “realistic or affordable” for efforts like these using existing technology, Intrinsic said.
Intrinsic/X
The new company still has much work to do. It’s now focused more on creating a practical product and “validating” its tech. It’s also hunting for partners in car manufacturing, electronics and healthcare that currently use industrial robots. If Intrinsic succeeds, though, it could make robotics more equitable and fill gaps in production. The company even suggests that its work could help the environment — the closer robotic factories are to people, the lower the emissions needed to transport goods to customers.
This might prove challenging. Rethink Robotics spent years developing collaborative robots that learn through simple human guidance, only to shut down as sales fell short. X moonshot companies also aren’t guaranteed to succeed — look at Loon’s fate as an example. Alphabet’s money could help where companies like Rethink struggled, however, and Intrinsic is focused more on solving overall robotics problems rather than specific scenarios. This effort might stand a better chance than most.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Fighting Hack Assers
In an earlier post, I wanted to find out how Hack Assers used IP addresses that would geolocate to a river, lake or tennis court. I looked deeper and found this article:
From: https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/geospoofing/
“Geo-spoofing: How to change your location online
If you want to unblock region-locked websites and services, you’ll need a VPN. We’ll show you how to pretend to be in a different country and let you know the best VPNs to fake your location.
Geo-spoofing is the process of changing your location or country online so you can appear to be in a location of your choosing. It’s hugely popular and usually achieved by using a VPN. There are lots of reasons to use geo-spoofing but the most common are to access blocked content, apps and streaming services or to conceal your real location to protect your privacy.
Chances are you’ve come across geo-blocked content online. This is often due to copyright and licensing issues, which is why streaming services such as Netflix or Disney+ have different content from one region to another. Additionally, some countries have very strict online censorship, which might mean that anything from online gambling to political blogs could be blocked. Fortunately, a VPN lets you fake your location, providing you with access to otherwise restricted content. This means if you travel abroad you can still connect to your usual home streaming services, websites and apps.
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, offers a number of benefits. First, it lets you fake your location which enables you to view content that’s usually inaccessible in your current location. However, VPNs also offer several security advantages. In particular, they encrypt your internet traffic and hide your real IP address and location. As such, you can enjoy greater online freedom and improved privacy and anonymity when using a VPN.
How to pretend to be in a different country (fake your location) with a VPN
The process of faking your location is the same whether you’re connecting to a server in the US or Australia. Below is our short step-by-step guide explaining how you can quickly and easily spoof your location.
Here’s how to fake your location with a VPN:
1. First, sign up with a VPN provider – we particularly recommend NordVPN. However, Surfshark and ExpressVPN are two strong alternatives.
2. Next, download and install the appropriate VPN app for your device. Many of the best VPNs also offer browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
3. Open your VPN app (or browser extension) and connect to a server in the country from which you want to browse. For example, you’d use a server in the US to unblock Netflix US.
4. You now have a new, temporary IP address which you can use to unblock geo-restricted online content.
5. Still finding blocked content? Try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies. You may also connect to another server in case the IP address you’re using has been blacklisted. Alternatively, contact your VPN’s customer support for further guidance.
WANT TO TRY THE TOP VPN RISK FREE?
NordVPN is offering a fully-featured risk-free 30-day trial if you sign up at this page. You can use a VPN with more than 50 locations as much as you like for a month—great if you want to binge your favorite show while abroad or simply protect your privacy.
There are no hidden terms—just contact support within 30 days if you decide NordVPN isn’t right for you and you’ll get a full refund. Start your NordVPN trial here.
How to fake your location in Google Chrome
Some browsers such as Google Chrome use the latest geo-location API which means they may be able to detect your location even if you’re connected to a VPN. The best way to protect against this is to connect to a VPN’s browser extension. However, you can also block location sharing by turning off geo-location settings within your browser.
Here’s how to fake your location in Google Chrome (with a VPN):
1. Click on the three dots in the top right corner of your Chrome window and select Settings.
2. Click on the Advanced tab on the left hand side of the screen.
3. Select Privacy and Security and then Site settings.
4. Select Location underneath the Permissions section.
5. Finally, click the toggle button so that location-sharing is blocked. Now you can simply follow the steps above to set up the VPN of your choice.
How to fake your location on Android
It’s also possible to fake your location on your Android device. However, it’s worth knowing that this is more difficult on iOS as it requires the phone to be jailbroken.
Here’s how to turn off location tracking on Android:
- Go to Settings
- Search for Security and Location.
- Turn off Location.
Note that the menu layout and titles vary from phone to phone. As such, it may be easier to simply type ‘location’ in the search bar in order to quickly find what you’re looking for.
Best VPNs to fake your location
Ready to unblock geo-restricted content while enjoying greater online privacy? Here’s our list of the best VPNs for faking or spoofing your location:
- NordVPN: Best VPN for faking your location. Unblock Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Offers over 5,000 servers including P2P and Double VPN servers. 24/7 support and a strict no-logs policy.
- Surfshark: Budget choice. Secure an unlimited number of devices simultaneously. Unblock Netflix and Disney+. No-logs VPN with Double VPN servers. Includes 24/7 live chat support.
- ExpressVPN: Good all-rounder with consistent connections and servers in over 90 countries. Secure with encryption and very user-friendly. Unblocks Netflix and includes 24/7 support.
- CyberGhost: Easy for beginners. No-logs VPN with very fast servers in 90 countries. Connect up to 7 devices simultaneously. Includes 24/7 live chat support and very strong security.
- IPVanish: Servers in 15 US cities for watching Netflix US abroad. Allows up to 10 simultaneous connections. No-logs policy and encryption for your online security.
- PrivateVPN: High-speed VPN for streaming and torrenting. Easy-to-use apps and live chat support. Protects your privacy with a no-logs policy and encryption.
- Hotspot Shield: Fake your location with 70 countries. Servers in 27 US cities for watching Amazon Prime Video. Beginner-friendly apps and secured with encryption.
There are plenty of factors to consider when choosing a VPN. These include the available server locations, connection speed, and security features. We based our selection of the best VPNs for faking your location on the following criteria:
- Servers in dozens of countries
- Fast, consistent connections
- Protects your privacy with encryption
- Beginner-friendly desktop and mobile apps
- Offers live chat and email support
- Supports multiple simultaneous connections
What is geo-spoofing?
You may have come across the term “geo-spoofing”. Spoofing your location is just another term for faking or hiding your location. This requires changing your IP address. One of the easiest ways to spoof your location is to use a VPN. This allows you to connect to a server in another country and obtain a different IP address.
Why would I want to pretend to be in a different country?
There are two main reasons to use a VPN to fake your location. The first is to access geo-restricted content. For many people, this means streaming services such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer. However, some countries have strict online censorship which can mean blocks for anything from social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to news and political sites. Connecting to a server abroad and obtaining a new IP address is a way around this.
The second reason to pretend to be in a different country with a VPN is security. A VPN helps protect your online privacy. In countries with limited freedom such as China and Saudi Arabia, a VPN can be essential for avoiding government surveillance. A VPN secures your data with encryption and hides your location, protecting you from hackers and snoopers. Plus, if you choose a no-logs VPN, you can rest easy knowing that your personal information stays private at all times.
Can I use a free VPN to pretend to be in a different country?
While there are plenty of free VPNs on the market, we recommend you stay away from them. If you want to fake your location, free VPNs can prove limiting due to the lack of servers and server locations. Furthermore, the average free VPN service is very slow. This is often down to heavy server load as well as bandwidth throttling by VPN providers.
The poor performance of free VPNs makes for slow browsing but is particularly frustrating when streaming and torrenting. Even if you find a free VPN that offers reasonable speed, it’s possible you’ll encounter poor unblocking abilities. For example, most free VPNs are unable to unblock popular streaming services such as Netflix and DAZN.
Despite all this, we still haven’t mentioned the biggest flaw of free VPNs — security. When you use a free VPN service your data may not be secured with encryption. The service may also lack a kill switch that protects your data from leaks. While some free VPNs make money through advertising, some log your browsing data and sell it to third parties.
Using a VPN will hide these details and protect your privacy.
We recommend using NordVPN – #1 of 45 VPNs in our tests. It offers outstanding privacy features and is currently available with three months extra free.
I also found the following:
From: https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/229004/how-fast-can-hackers-change-their-ip-address
…”IP based rate limiting fundamentally does not work on IPv6 against an attacker who actually understands how IPv6 works.
But all is not lost! While IP based rate limiting is useless, rate limiting as a concept is not yet dead. You simply need to pick a different resource to limit access to. Instead of limiting the number of times an IP address (or range, or block, etc) can attempt to attempt OTP verification, you should limit the number of times an account may have OTP performed against it. By locking out the account after a certain number of failed OTP attempts and requiring the user click a link in their email to reactivate OTP, the attacker will not be able to bruteforce the OTP for the account no matter how many addresses they can wield. By setting this limit fairly high (say around 25), a normal user should never be inconvenienced by the policy unless something is very wrong with their authenticator (and so would probably need to initiate recovery anyways).
Such a technique has been used effectively by Instagram, Facebook, LastPass, and likely many more for both SMS reset codes and OTP. It is very effective and, in my opinion, the only safe way to block brute force attempts in a world where IPv6 is no longer simply ubiquitous but often mandatory as quite a few networks (mainly mobile!) are slowly transitioning to IPv6 only and using proxies to access ‘legacy’ IPv4 resources.”
Here is the latest IP location used to attack this site…
More Attempted Hack Attacks
Still not sure why they do it? In fact, one of you attacking this website leave me a message on what good it does you? Anyways, new hackassers from Ohio, New York, and China. The China one (see below) is using a river location. I would like to know how that is accomplished. In fact, I will and post below what I find out.
Dublin, Ohio
Ashburn, Virginia
Well after posting, I got three more hackassers but no comments. The new hacks are shown below.
And the best, from California, with the image located to the left, below
I also found out what they are doing from https://splinternews.com/how-an-internet-mapping-glitch-turned-a-random-kansas-f-1793856052
“There are lots of different ways a company like MaxMind can try to figure out where an IP address is located. It can “war-drive,” sending cars around the U.S. looking for open wifi networks, getting those networks’ IP addresses, and recording their physical locations. It can gather information via apps on smartphones that note the GPS coordinates of the phone when it takes on a new IP address. It can look at which company owns an IP address, and then make an assumption that the IP address is linked to that company’s office.
But IP mapping isn’t an exact science. At its most precise, an IP address can be mapped to a house. (You can try to map your own IP address here.) At its least precise, it can be mapped only to a country. In order to deal with that imprecision, MaxMind decided to set default locations at the city, state and country level for when it knows only roughly where the IP address lives. If it knows only that an IP address is somewhere in the U.S., and can’t figure out anything more about where it is, it will point to the center of the country.
As any geography nerd knows, the precise center of the United States is in northern Kansas, near the Nebraska border. Technically, the latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates of the center spot are 39°50′N 98°35′W. In digital maps, that number is an ugly one: 39.8333333,-98.585522. So back in 2002, when MaxMind was first choosing the default point on its digital map for the center of the U.S., it decided to clean up the measurements and go with a simpler, nearby latitude and longitude: 38°N 97°W or 38.0000,-97.0000.
As a result, for the last 14 years, every time MaxMind’s database has been queried about the location of an IP address in the United States it can’t identify, it has spit out the default location of a spot two hours away from the geographic center of the country. This happens a lot: 5,000 companies rely on MaxMind’s IP mapping information, and in all, there are now over 600 million IP addresses associated with that default coordinate. If any of those IP addresses are used by a scammer, or a computer thief, or a suicidal person contacting a help line, MaxMind’s database places them at the same spot: 38.0000,-97.0000.
Which happens to be in the front yard of Joyce Taylor’s house.”
Big Data in Saint Petersburg – Why you Need to Learn Docker
This was a good resource for Docker information.
From: Big Data St. Pete — Why you Need to Learn Docker | Meetup
The goal for this session is to motivate data professionals to get up-to-speed on content and materials so that data professionals can have a better sense of what it’s like to achieve a DevOps project in a team setting. Each data professional will be able to build their very own flask application and deploy it to the cloud and will be able share their accomplishment in a very interesting, intelligent, and highly technical conversation with likeminded individuals.
PREREQUISITES:
-> Please bring a charged laptop with the following installations
-> Install Windows Terminal (highly recommend if using windows) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/terminal/get-started
-> Install Ubuntu https://www.meetup.com/big-data-st-pete/events/279094095/
-> Install Docker https://www.meetup.com/big-data-st-pete/events/279094095/
-> Install VS Code https://code.visualstudio.com/download
-> Install Git https://git-scm.com/downloads
-> Install Python https://www.python.org/downloads/
-> Install and configure AWS CLI https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/install-cliv2-linux.html
-> Complete the following tutorial (except for the “Deploy your app” step) https://docs.docker.com/language/python/
HOW TO INSTALL DOCKER
#### Windows ####
• Docker uses hyper-V for virtualization and Windows 10 needs hyper-V enabled
• Use windows subsystem for Linux 2.0 (WSL2)–for all windows 10 versions after 1903
• Go to Start → Settings → System →About →Windows specifications to check your current windows 10 version
#### Installation – Windows ####
• Open Windows Features and turn on Windows Subsystem for Linux and Virtual Machine Platform.
• Install the update package–see
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10
• Open PowerShell and run wsl –set-default-version 2
• Open Microsoft Store and download ubuntu in Microsoft Store
• Open settings and use the WSL 2 based engine
#### MacOS ####
• Models after 2010 w/ Intel processor
• MacOS version must be after 10.14
• Check the compatibility in your terminal sysctl kern.hv_support–it shows kern.hv_support: 1
#### Installation – MacOS ####
• https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-mac/install/
• Download the dmg file
• Open the dmg file to start the installation
• Drag Docker to Applications
• Start docker
#### Older Versions ####
• https://github.com/docker/toolbox
• https://devconnected.com/how-to-install-docker-on-windows-7-8-10-home-and pro/#1_Install_Docker_on_Windows_7810_Home
Need a List of Leads to Contact?
I have been learning how to collect leads from the internet and now have many sources. If you need leads from specific sources please use the form to contact me.
Tampa Bay Lightning Win the Cup Again!
I am a big hockey fan and got to go to the win against the Islanders at Amalie Arena. And now the Lightning have won the cup again, back to back. With a back to back Buccaneers win looking possible too, no wonder we are using the term “Champa Bay”.
Are Aliens Real?
Me and my grand daughter tell stories about aliens. Having seen much of the broadcasts concerning their presence, I tell her about the Greys from WikiPedia:
- Greys are typically depicted as grey-skinned diminutive humanoid beings that possess reduced forms of, or completely lack, external human body parts such as noses, ears or sex organs.[4] Their bodies are usually depicted as being elongated, having a small chest, and lacking in muscular definition and visible skeletal structure. Their legs are depicted as being shorter and jointed differently from humans with limbs proportionally different from a human.[4]Greys are depicted as having unusually large heads in proportion to their bodies with no hair on the body, and no noticeable outer ears or noses, sometimes with small openings or orifices for ears, nostrils, and mouths. In drawings, Greys are almost always shown with very large opaque black eyes. They are frequently described as shorter than average adult humans.[5]
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Flatwoods monster[2][3] | Tall humanoid with a spade-shaped head.[2] |
Greys[4][5]
|
Grey-skinned humanoids, usually 3–4 feet tall, hairless, with large heads, black almond-shaped eyes, nostrils without a nose, slits for mouths, no ears and 3-4 fingers including thumb. Greys have been the predominant extraterrestrial beings of alleged alien contact since the 1960s.[5] |
| Hopkinsville goblin[6] | Small, greenish-silver humanoids.[7] |
| Little green men[8] | Diminutive green humanoids. Even though a few abductions have referred to green skin, no report has ever involved anything that would fit the classic cultural stereotype of “Little Green Men”. They are included here only for cultural reference.[8] |
| Nordic aliens[9][10] | Humanoids with stereotypical “Nordic features” (tall, blonde hair, blue eyes) and have featured in several cases of contact. It is said they are from Ancient Earth but presenting themselves as ETs in the past, they moved from living on the surface to live underground around the Himalayas area after a natural event.[11] |
Cryptozoological animals and cryptobotanical plants, including those from folklore, religion (e.g. golem), mythology (e.g. dwarf (see also dwarfism); giants from Atlantis (see also gigantism), etc.), and even some reports of ghosts, poltergeists, and time travellers (alleged)
|
Some claim that many of the allegedly real creatures from the Fortean archives (see also: Fortean Times and William R. Corliss) and related reports of anomalous phenomena[16] are actually of extraterrestrial or mixed origin, such as in the extraterrestrial hypothesis, the interdimensional hypothesis, or the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis. Sometimes these creatures are associated with the occult or with esotericism, or linked with supernatural or paranormal phenomena. Others dismiss these explanations in favor of skepticism, cultural tracking, or the psychosocial hypothesis such as in cases of mass hysteria. Some of these alleged encounters have turned out to be hoaxes or scams to boost local tourism, sell more newspapers or more fringe science books. |
Reptilians and Reptiloids (sometimes spelled as reptillians)[17]
|
Tall, scaly humanoids. Reptilian humanoid beings date back at least as far as Ancient Egypt, with the crocodile-headed river god Sobek. The Reptilian conspiracy theory has been advocated by David Icke. |
| Rods[18] or Skyfish | Elongated visual artifacts appearing in photos and video recordings, sometimes claimed to be extraterrestrial beings. Generally thought to be caused by motion blur from flying insects. |
Secret results of genetic engineering (alleged)
|
Some have speculated that some reports of extraterrestrials are due to escaped creatures which are the result of secret government and/or corporate genetic engineering and hybridization projects (or even such genetic-engineering experiments being done by extraterrestrials, sometimes with cooperation from the military-industrial complex). Others explain these as encounters with humans with heightened ESP, esoteric, occult, and siddhi powers, highly intelligent individuals, and/or mutants/hybrids and humans who have congenital deformities. |
I also found this point of view at https://newmessage.org:
“At this point it is important to address the reality of love and fear. The Greater Darkness upon the world can incite tremendous fear, particularly as you learn what it really is and how it is functioning in the world with very little human awareness or resistance. Some people will think that they cannot accept the New Message because it seems fearful, because they think that it does not come from a place of love. But it absolutely comes from a place of love, for God loves humanity and does not want to see you lose your freedom and become enslaved by other forces in the Greater Community.
Here you must remember that the physical universe in which you live is not your Ancient Home. It is a relative reality because it is a reality that is changing constantly. God watches over the physical universe, but God rarely intervenes directly except to deliver essential Messages such as the one that is being presented here.
People are very confused about this issue of reality. Some people think that spiritual reality and physical reality are the same, and they try to apply their spiritual understanding to the physical world. Others think that there is no spiritual reality, that there is only the world. However, neither of these evaluations is correct.
In physical life, there is competition in nature. This is part of nature. This is the natural world you live in. This competition exists throughout the Greater Community as well. In the Greater Community, there are races that are spiritually advanced and aware, and there are many races that are not. Some are technologically advanced, and some are not. There are powerful commercial forces in this part of the galaxy in which you live. They seek to take advantage of new biological and mineral discoveries. They seek to take advantage of emerging worlds such as your own. They are not spiritually advanced, or they would not be behaving in such a self-serving way.
These forces are living in a relative reality, as are you. But this is your reality only while you are in the world. You are here in the world ultimately to make a contribution to this reality, to help the well-being and the spiritual development of people everywhere.
It is no different in the Greater Community. There are forces that speak for the good, and there are forces that work against it. There are no neutral forces in the universe. Everyone is either helping or hindering this great redemption, this great process of renewing and reinvigorating spiritual reality. Or, said in other words, everyone is either helping or hindering the return to the Creator. It is necessary to speak in very large terms here because you need to see things in this way, for this will bring great clarity to your understanding. This will enable you to recognize the forces that support humanity’s freedom and those that oppose it.
Fear serves only one beneficial purpose and that is to alert you to the presence of danger. This kind of fear is part of your natural makeup. It is there to protect your well-being and to give you an awareness of those elements in your natural environment, the physical world, that could threaten this well-being. Yet most of the fear that plagues people is the product of their imagination. It is something that they create for themselves. It is not grounded in reality. Though you can see evidence of terrible things in your physical reality, the fears that drive people are largely the product of their imagination. These are purely destructive fears.
Love is the emanation of Knowledge within you, Knowledge being your spiritual reality and intelligence. But even the manifestations of love may not always seem to be kind, gentle or reassuring, for love sometimes must challenge you. Love sometimes must correct you, and love sometimes must redirect your actions. People have a very romantic view of love, but this is not really what love is. If you could see that the Creator is being loving by alerting you to the realities of the Intervention and by attempting to prepare you for your future in the Greater Community, you would see this expression of love very clearly. Then you would not have a conflict regarding love and fear. You would see the fear that disables you, the fear that weakens you, the fear that tells you that you are pathetic and cannot really establish a position of power and responsibility in the world. Love brings out fear. It reveals fear. It transforms fear.
When people become aware of the Greater Darkness in the world, their first reaction may be fear. Part of this fear is their natural fear, being aware of danger. But much of this fear will be their imagination and what they think it means, and this fear will disable them.
While your natural fear is cautionary, your imaginary fear is purely destructive. Reality will bring out this destructive fear. What will replace this fear is a kind of love that is aware, that is present, and that is responsible. It is not the kind of love that makes you feel passive and reassured. That is not really what love is. Love is not thinking that everything is going to be fine and that God is taking care of everything. Indeed, God has sent you here to take care of everything! Love is a position of self-acceptance, responsibility, cooperation and contribution. That is love. It is clear. It is sober. And it is able to face whatever life brings across its path. Love treats every difficulty as an opportunity. It does not deny the realities of life. It does not seek to gain personal advantage by denying reality. It does not seek to put a happy face on every event of life. This is love. This is God’s love.
Some people believe that God’s love is like an aphrodisiac. They think that it will make you forget everything else and put you into some kind of ecstatic state. The only real ecstasy is to be grounded in God’s love because this gives you all the inner security you could ever need. But it also gives you the responsibility to contribute to a world in need. Here there is no confusion between physical life and your Ancient Home. Here you are grounded spiritually but are learning to be effective in the natural world. Here you will see that God’s New Message is an unparalleled gift. Here you will see that the Intervention, though grave and serious and unlike anything humanity has ever faced before, can in itself give humanity the foundation to unite itself on its own behalf.
In the Greater Community, the physical universe in which you live, the strong will dominate the weak if they can. This is a reality of life in the physical realm. You see this in nature all around you. The evolution of species and the competition for environment are fundamental to the natural world you live in. To be in denial of this is to deny the natural world, the reality of your body and the reality of your being in the world. Yet there are many people in the world today who deny this reality because they are afraid. As a result, they cannot see that the physical world and the heavenly state are two entirely different realities. Each must be responded to differently.
The spiritual reality lives within you, in your Knowledge. This is the reality that the Creator has given you. You have it already. This is the source of real love, compassion and contribution. Knowledge within you does not seek escape. It does not try to deceive itself into thinking that everything is wonderful. It does not claim that God is taking care of everything for you, as if you were a helpless child. Knowledge within you is here on a mission. It is here to contribute. It is here to face the world as it is and to contribute to it and to improve it so that the possibilities for greater spiritual awareness may be cultivated here.
In the Greater Community into which you are emerging, technologically advanced races are rarely spiritually advanced. Those who seek to explore and to exploit other nations are not the spiritually advanced. You can understand this. It is no different in the Greater Community than it is here in your world. The question is whether you can accept it.
Love will always encourage you to face reality and to meet its challenges and its opportunities. Fear will always take you away from reality because you are afraid for yourself— afraid your ideas may be wrong, afraid your security may be challenged, afraid that you will not know what to do, afraid that you will be helpless, afraid that you will be dominated and afraid that you will fail. Love will take you to meet these challenges. Fear will take you away. Love will face the Intervention. Fear will deny it. Love will receive the New Message from God. Fear will dispute it.
God must give you this real understanding of love and fear or you will become very confused. Fear is always the basis of preference in these matters. You deny reality because you want something else. Perhaps you don’t want your personal goals to be upset by the realities of life, and so you will deny those realities. Perhaps you want the universe to be a place full of enlightened beings so that you won’t have to be challenged.
Already the Intervention that is in the world is preying upon these preferences and these fears, encouraging people to think that the Intervention is here for their good, if people are aware of it at all. There are people in the world today who are driven by fear, and they will naturally be receptive to such persuasion, for their own personal advantage of course.
Who in the world really wants an Intervention? Most people do not want an Intervention, but an Intervention is what is happening. It is a reality of life. If you can face it, then love will become stronger. If you deny it, then fear will become stronger. God can only speak to that part of you that is capable of real love. The Intervention can only speak to that part of you that is already afraid.
It is possible that those who are intervening in the world can be redeemed through Knowledge, but that is God’s work and not yours. Your work here now is to preserve human freedom and to establish yourselves in the universe as a free and independent race. If you fail, then all that humanity has accomplished will be lost. All of the teaching, all of the true spiritual understanding, all of the art, all of the culture, all of your advancements can be lost. Impossible, you say? Well, think of all the human civilizations that have disappeared from your world. All that they established is lost, leaving only a few traces.
You have the possibility now to establish a greater foundation for humanity, a Greater Community understanding and awareness, a real unity and cooperation based upon real need and necessity. If you shrink from this, then you are following fear. If you shrink from this, then you are serving the Intervention, either knowingly or unknowingly. Establishing this foundation is a great challenge. The problem is not that the truth is difficult to comprehend; the problem is, do people really want it? It is not that life is too difficult; the question is, can people face it, rise above it and use it to gain greater maturity, greater equanimity and greater power? The gift of God’s New Message is pure. Can it be purely received? That is the real question.
The Intervention itself is a gift in that it can unite humanity in its own defense. Yet it is only a gift if you can receive the New Message from God because you cannot prepare yourself for the Intervention. From your vantage point, you cannot understand what life is like beyond your borders, what has prompted the Intervention, how it is functioning or the nature and organization of those who are generating it. For this, you need a greater awareness. You need a New Message from God.
Therefore, come to realize what love really is within you. Love affirms your strength, your integrity, your responsibility, your honor, your courage and your contribution to others. It encourages selfless participation in the world. Love is the essence of your strength. It is not sentimental. It is not like the ridiculous romantic images that people have generated to describe it. It is not a source of personal avoidance or irresponsibility.
What is fear? Fear is the belief that you are powerless and that you can do nothing. Fear is what prompts you to give yourself to your preferences and to your compulsions. Fear is what keeps you weak. Fear keeps you from responding to the real needs of the world and disables you from doing what you know you have to do for yourself. Fear prevents you from serving others in a real and genuine way.
Both love and fear are pervasive within your world. But people are still confused. The Intervention will speak to your fear. God’s New Message will speak to your love. Yet in order for you to see this, you must deeply consider these things. You must face the great challenge of your time and be willing to see the relevance of the answer that God has given.
Being in the world, by its very nature, is a compromised state of awareness. Your personal self wants to survive. It is afraid of death and does not want to suffer. And yet you cannot destroy what God has created within you. You can lose sight of it. You can avoid it. You can deny it. You can believe it does not exist. But it is still real within you. It is permanent. It cannot be destroyed. It can only be rejected. And now it is being called for as never before.
When you begin to recognize that there is a Greater Darkness in the world, when you see that this can take from you everything that you have and everything that humanity has gained and developed throughout its entire history, you will begin to really understand what you are facing. Perhaps you will lose faith in yourself, thinking, “What can I possibly do? It’s already too late!” It is not too late. If it were too late, God would not give a New Message to the world. It would be over.
However, it is not over, except perhaps in your imagination. It is just beginning. The Intervention is the greatest challenge that humanity has ever faced. Yet it can give humanity its greatest opportunity to become strong and united. No one in the world will have any advantage facing the Intervention alone. Even those individuals who are recruited to serve the Intervention will have no real advantage here.
It is only by meeting a greater challenge in life that humanity can override and surmount its longstanding conflicts. This challenge is not momentary. It will be ongoing, for you live in a beautiful world that is greatly valued by others. You live in a world that is rich in mineral and biological resources—a gem in the universe. Such places are far more rare than you may realize. Other nations in the universe that have outstripped their world’s resources must now trade and barter for what they need. They must seek and explore for what they need. You are living on what is considered by others to be a paradise island in the universe. Yet you do not know what you have and you are ruining it.
Only a real Greater Community awareness will change this. With this awareness, you would not squander such a place. You would not ruin the world if you realized what is really at stake here. Many people think the universe is just a big empty place that humanity will go out and colonize for its own benefit. Be assured that is not the case.
The situation has become very grave. However, humanity has the power to stop the Intervention. To do this, it must gain a greater cooperation. To do this, enough people must respond. This response must be born of love and not of fear. Serving the real needs of humanity, even in the face of great danger, is an act of profound love and selflessness. Let this be your understanding.
Even the Creator is concerned that humanity may fail. This concern is born of love. As a parent is concerned for the well-being of his or her child, this concern is born of love. Do not repudiate this concern, thinking that it is negative or that it is unjustified. Indeed, the New Message from God affirms that behind all of the manifestations of life in the physical universe, there is the great love and compassion of the Creator for what has been created.
You cannot fully understand God’s great love at the outset, for gaining this understanding represents a journey, a journey with many steps. You must begin from where you are. Here you are saved from your own personal predicament because God has given you a greater problem to address and a greater set of needs to meet within the world. Here you are saved from your hopeless attempt to fulfill yourself alone by being given something that can truly serve the world.
There is no fulfillment in personal fulfillment. If you seek happiness only, you will compromise yourself and you will follow fear. You will deny reality, and you will turn away from the great needs of the world that are calling for you. Even the great needs that you are meant to serve, that you are sent here to serve, you will deny in order to try to fulfill your own agenda. You may try to fulfill what you think you want, but your heart will only be fulfilled by doing what you came here to do.”
Interesting. Not sure about all this including the recent government report, but as always, I’ll keep my mind open.
Gentleman’s Whiskey Bacon Jam
Taken from: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/gentleman-s-whiskey-bacon-jam/
I love bacon and have been known to eat way too much bacon for a guy my size and at one sitting. This is great on anything you use to put jelly on…
“Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds thick-sliced bacon strips, finely chopped
- 8 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup whiskey
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- Assorted crackers
365 Creative Writing Prompts – ThinkWritten.com
Taken From: https://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts/
Here are 365 Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire:
1. Outside the Window: What’s the weather outside your window doing right now? If that’s not inspiring, what’s the weather like somewhere you wish you could be?
2. The Unrequited love poem: How do you feel when you love someone who does not love you back?
3. The Vessel: Write about a ship or other vehicle that can take you somewhere different from where you are now.
4. Dancing: Who’s dancing and why are they tapping those toes?
5. Food: What’s for breakfast? Dinner? Lunch? Or maybe you could write a poem about that time you met a friend at a cafe.
6. Eye Contact: Write about two people seeing each other for the first time.
7. The Rocket-ship: Write about a rocket-ship on its way to the moon or a distant galaxy far, far, away.
8. Dream-catcher: Write something inspired by a recent dream you had.
9. Animals: Choose an animal. Write about it!
10. Friendship: Write about being friends with someone.
11. Dragon: Envision a dragon. Do you battle him? Or is the dragon friendly? Use descriptive language.
12. Greeting: Write a story or poem that starts with the word “hello” or other greeting.
13. The Letter: Write a poem or story using words from a famous letter or inspired by a letter someone sent you.
14. The Found Poem: Read a book and circle some words on a page. Use those words to craft a poem. Alternatively, you can cut out words and phrases from magazines.
15. Eavesdropper: Create a poem, short story, or journal entry about a conversation you’ve overheard.
16. Addict: Everyone’s addicted to something in some shape or form. What are things you can’t go without?
17. Dictionary Definition: Open up a dictionary to a random word. Define what that word means to you.
dictionary success
18. Cleaning: Hey, even writers and creative artists have to do housework sometimes. Write about doing laundry, dishes, and other cleaning activities.
19. Great Minds: Write about someone you admire and you thought to have had a beautiful mind.
20. Missed Connections: If you go to Craigslist, there is a “Missed Connections” section where you can find some interesting story lines to inspire your writing.
21. Foreclosure: Write a poem or short story about someone who has lost or is about to lose their home.
22. Smoke, Fog, and Haze: Write about not being able to see ahead of you.
23. Sugar: Write something so sweet, it makes your teeth hurt.
24. Numbers: Write a poem or journal entry about numbers that have special meaning to you.
25. Dread: Write about doing something you don’t want to do.
26. Fear: What scares you a little? What do you feel when scared? How do you react?
27. Closed Doors: What’s behind the door? Why is it closed?
28. Shadow: Imagine you are someone’s shadow for a day.
29. Good Vibes: What makes you smile? What makes you happy?
30. Shopping: Write about your shopping wish list and how you like to spend money.
31. The Professor: Write about a teacher that has influenced you.
32. Rewrite: Take any poem or short story you enjoy. Rewrite it in your own words.
33. Jewelry: Write about a piece of jewelry. Who does it belong to?
34. Sounds: Sit outside for about an hour. Write down the sounds you hear.
35. War and Peace: Write about a recent conflict that you dealt with in your life.
36. Frame It: Write a poem or some phrases that would make for good wall art in your home.
37. Puzzle: Write about putting together the pieces of puzzles.
38. Fire-starters: Write about building a fire.
39. Coffee & Tea: Surely you drink one or the other or know someone who does- write about it!
40. Car Keys: Write about someone getting their driver’s license for the first time.
41. What You Don’t Know: Write about a secret you’ve kept from someone else or how you feel when you know someone is keeping a secret from you.
42. Warehouse: Write about being inside an old abandoned warehouse.
43. The Sound of Silence: Write about staying quiet when you feel like shouting.
44. Insult: Write about being insulted. How do you feel? Why do you think the other person insulted you?
45. Mirror, Mirror: What if you mirror started talking to you? What might the mirror say?
46. Dirty: Write a poem about getting covered in mud.
47. Light Switch: Write about coming out of the dark and seeing the light.
48. The Stars: Take inspiration from a night sky. Or, write about a time when “the stars aligned” in your horoscope.
49. Joke Poem: What did the wall say to the other wall? Meet you at the corner! Write something inspired by a favorite joke.
50. Just Say No: Write about the power you felt when you told someone no.
51: Sunrise/Sunset: The sun comes up, the sun goes down. It goes round and round. Write something inspiring about the sunrise or sunset.
52. Memory Lane: What does Memory Lane look like? How do you get there?
53. Tear-Jerker: Watch a movie that makes you cry. Write about that scene in the movie.
54. Dear Diary: Write a poem or short story about a diary entry you’ve read or imagined.
55. Holding Hands: The first time you held someone’s hand.
56. Photograph: Write a story or journal entry influenced by a photograph you see online or in a magazine.
57. Alarm Clock: Write about waking up.
58. Darkness: Write a poem or journal entry inspired by what you can’t see.
59. Refreshed: Write a poem about a time you really felt refreshed and renewed. Maybe it was a dip into a pool on a hot summer day, a drink of lemonade, or other situation that helped you relax and start again.
60. Handle With Care: Write about a very fragile or delicate object.
handle with care writing prompt card
Make your own writing prompt cards with the printable version of this list!
61. Drama: Write about a time when you got stuck in between two parties fighting with each other.
62. Slip Up: Write about making mistakes.
63. Spice: Write about flavors and tastes or a favorite spice of yours.
64. Sing a New Song: Take a popular song off the radio and rewrite it as a poem in your own words.
65. Telephone: Write about a phone call you recently received.
66. Name: Write a poem or short story using your name in some way or form.
67. Dollhouse: Write a poem or short story from the viewpoint of someone living in a doll house.
68. Random Wikipedia Article: Go to Wikipedia and click on Random Article. Write about whatever the page you get.
69. Silly Sports: Write about an extreme or silly sport. If none inspire you, make up the rules for your own game.
70. Recipe: Write about a recipe for something abstract, such as a feeling.
71. Famous Artwork: Choose a famous painting and write about it.
72. Where That Place Used to Be: Think of a place you went to when you were younger but it now no longer there or is something else. Capture your feelings about this in your writing.
73. Last Person You Talked to: Write a quick little poem or story about the last person you spoke with.
74. Caught Red-Handed: Write about being caught doing something embarrassing.
75. Interview: Write a list of questions you have for someone you would like to interview, real or fictional.
76. Missing You: Write about someone you miss dearly.
77. Geography: Pick a state or country you’ve never visited. Write about why you would or would not like to visit that place.
78. Random Song: Turn on the radio, use the shuffle feature on your music collection or your favorite streaming music service. Write something inspired by the first song you hear.
79. Hero: Write a tribute to someone you regard as a hero.
80. Ode to Strangers: Go people watching and write an ode to a stranger you see on the street.
81. Advertisement: Advertisements are everywhere, aren’t they? Write using the slogan or line from an ad.
82. Book Inspired: Think of your favorite book. Now write a poem that sums up the entire story in 10 lines.
83. Magic: Imagine you have a touch of magic, and can make impossible things happen. What would you do?
84. Fanciest Pen: Get out your favorite pen, pencils, or even colored markers and write using them!
85. A Day in the Life: Write about your daily habits and routine.
86. Your Muse: Write about your muse – what do they look like? What does your muse do to inspire you?
87. Convenience Store: Write about an experience you’ve had at a gas station or convenience store.
88. Natural Wonders of the World: Choose one of the natural wonders of the world. Write about it.
89. Status Update: Write a poem using the words from your latest status update or a friend’s status update. If you don’t use sites like Facebook or Twitter, you can often search online for some funny ones to use as inspiration.
90. Green Thumb: Write about growing something.
91. Family Heirloom: Write about an object that’s been passed through the generations in your family.
92. Bug Catcher: Write about insects.
93. Potion: Write about a magic potion. What is it made of? What does it do? What is the antidote?
94. Swinging & Sliding: Write something inspired by a playground or treehouse.
95. Adjectives: Make a list of the first 5 adjectives that pop into your head. Use these 5 words in your story, poem, or journal entry.
96. Fairy Tales: Rewrite a fairy tale. Give it a new ending or make it modern or write as a poem.
97. Whispers: Write about someone who has to whisper a secret to someone else.
98. Smile: Write a poem about the things that make you smile.
99. Seasonal: Write about your favorite season.
100. Normal: What does normal mean to you? Is it good or bad to be normal?
101. Recycle: Take something you’ve written in the past and rewrite it into a completely different piece.
102. Wardrobe: Write about a fashion model or what’s currently in your closet or drawers.
103. Secret Message: Write something with a secret message hidden in between the words. For example, you could make an acrostic poem using the last letters of the word or use secret code words in the poem.
104. Vacation: Write about a vacation you took.
105. Heat: Write about being overheated and sweltering.
106. Spellbinding: Write a magic spell.
107. Collection: Write about collecting something, such as salt shakers, sea shells, or stamps.
108. Taking Chances: Everyone takes a risk at some point in their life. Write about a time when you took a chance and what the result was.
109. Carnival: Write a poem or story or journal entry inspired by a carnival or street fair.
110. Country Mouse: Write about someone who grew up in the country visiting the city for the first time.
111: Questions: Write about questions you have for the universe. Optional: include an answer key.
112. Rushing: Write about moving quickly and doing things fast.
113. Staircase: Use a photo of a staircase or the stairs in your home or a building you love to inspire you.
114. Neighbors: Make up a story or poem about your next door neighbor.
115. Black and Blue: Write about a time you’ve been physically hurt.
116. All Saints: Choose a saint and create a poem about his or her life.
117. Beach Inspired: What’s not to write about the beach?
118. Shoes: What kind of shoes do you wear? Where do they lead your feet?
119. The Ex: Write a poem to someone who is estranged from you.
120. My Point of View: Write in the first person point of view.
121. Stray Animal: Think of the life of a stray cat or dog and write about that.
122. Stop and Stare: Create a poem or story about something you could watch forever.
123. Your Bed: Describe where you sleep each night.
124. Fireworks: Do they inspire you or do you not like the noise and commotion? Write about it.
125. Frozen: Write about a moment in your life you wish you could freeze and preserve.
126. Alone: Do you like to be alone or do you like having company?
127. Know-it-all: Write about something you are very knowledgeable about, for example a favorite hobby or passion of yours.
128. The Promise: Write about a promise you’ve made to someone. Did you keep that promise?
129. Commotion: Write about being overstimulated by a lot of chaos.
130. Read the News Today: Construct a poem or story using a news headline for your first line.
131. Macro: Write a description of an object close-up.
132. Transportation: Write about taking your favorite (or least-favorite) form of transportation.
133. Gadgets: If you could invent a gadget, what would it do? Are there any gadgets that make your life easier?
134: Bring on the Cheese: Write a tacky love poem that is so cheesy, it belongs on top of a pizza.
135. Ladders: Write a story or poem that uses ladders as a symbol.
136. Bizarre Holiday: There is a bizarre holiday for any date! Look up a holiday for today’s date and create a poem in greeting card fashion or write a short story about the holiday to celebrate.
137. Blog-o-sphere: Visit your favorite blog or your feedreader and craft a story, journal entry, or poem based on the latest blog post you read.
138. Mailbox: Create a poem, short story, or journal entry based on a recent item of mail you’ve received.
139. Sharing: Write about sharing something with someone else.
140. Cactus: Write from the viewpoint of a cactus. What’s it like to live in the desert or have a prickly personality?
141. It’s a Sign: Have you seen any interesting road signs lately?
142. Furniture: Write about a piece of furniture in your home.
143. Failure: Write about a time you failed at something. Did you try again or give up completely?
144. Mystical Creatures: Angels or other mystical creatures – use them as inspiration.
145. Flying: Write about having wings and what you would do.
146. Clear and Transparent: Write a poem about being able to see-through something.
147. Break the Silence: Record yourself speaking, then write down what you spoke and revise into a short story or poem.
148. Beat: Listen to music with a strong rhythm or listen to drum loops. Write something that goes along with the beat you feel and hear.
149. Color Palette: Search online for color palettes and be inspired to write by one you resonate with.
150. Magazine: Randomly flip to a page in a magazine and write using the first few words you see as an opening line.
151. The Grass is Greener: Write about switching the place with someone or going to where it seems the “grass is greener”.
152. Mind & Body: Write something that would motivate others to workout and exercise.
153. Shaping Up: Write something that makes a shape on the page…ie: a circle, a heart, a square, etc.
154. Twenty-One: Write about your 21st birthday.
155. Aromatherapy: Write about scents you just absolutely love.
156. Swish, Buzz, Pop: Create a poem that uses Onomatopoeia.
157. What Time is It? Write about the time of day it is right now. What are people doing? What do you usually do at this time each day?
158. Party Animal: Have you ever gone to a party you didn’t want to leave? Or do you hate parties? Write about it!
159: Miss Manners: Use the words “please” and “thank you” in your writing.
160. Cliche: Choose a common cliche, then write something that says the same thing but without using the catch phrase.
161. Eco-friendly: Write about going green or an environmental concern you have.
162. Missing You: Write about someone you miss.
163. Set it Free: Think of a time when you had to let someone or something go to be free…did they come back?
164: Left Out: Write about a time when you’ve felt left out or you’ve noticed someone else feeling as if they didn’t belong.
165. Suitcase: Write about packing for a trip or unpacking from when you arrive home.
166. Fantasy: Write about fairies, gnomes, elves, or other mythical creatures.
167. Give and Receive: Write about giving and receiving.
168. Baker’s Dozen: Imagine the scents and sights of a bakery and write.
169. Treehouse: Write about your own secret treehouse hideaway.
170. Risk: Write about taking a gamble on something.
171. Acrostic: Choose a word and write an acrostic poem where every line starts with a letter from the word.
172. Crossword Puzzle: Open up the newspaper or find a crossword puzzle online and choose one of the clues to use as inspiration for your writing.
173. Silver Lining: Write about the good that happens in a bad situation.
174. Gloves: Write about a pair of gloves – what kind of gloves are they? Who wears them and why?
175. All that Glitters: Write about a shiny object.
176. Jealousy: Write with a theme of envy and jealousy.
177. How Does Your Garden Grow? Write about a flower that grows in an unusual place.
178. Jury Duty: Write a short story or poem that takes place in a courtroom.
179. Gifts: Write about a gift you have given or received.
180. Running: Write about running away from someone or something.
181. Discovery: Think of something you’ve recently discovered and use it as inspiration.
182. Complain: Write about your complaints about something.
183. Gratitude: Write a poem or journal entry that is all about things you are thankful for.
184. Chemistry: Choose an element and write a poem or story that uses that word in one of the lines.
185. Applause: Write about giving someone a standing ovation.
186. Old Endings Into New Beginnings: Take an old poem, story, or journal entry of yours and use the last line and make it the first line of your writing today.
187. Longing: Write about something you very much want to do.
188. I Am: Write a motivational poem or journal entry about positive traits that make you who you are.
189. Rainbow: What is at the end of a rainbow? Or, take a cue from Kermit the Frog, and ask yourself, why are there so many songs about rainbows?
190. Museum: Take some time to visit a nearby museum with your journal. Write about one of the pieces that speaks to you.
191. Cartoon: Think of your favorite cartoon or comic. Write a poem or story that takes place in that setting.
192. Copycat: Borrow a line from a famous public domain poem to craft your own.
193. From the Roof-tops: Imagine you could stand on a rooftop and broadcast a message to everyone below – what would you say?
194. Time Travel: If there was a time period you could visit for a day, where would you go? Write about traveling back in time to that day.
195. Changing Places: Imagine living the day as someone else.
196. Neighborhood: Write about your favorite place in your neighborhood to visit and hang out at.
197. Pirates: Write about a pirate ship.
198. Interview: Write based on a recent interview you’ve read or seen on TV or heard on the radio.
199. Hiding Spaces: Write about places you like to hide things at. What was a favorite hiding spot for you as a child playing hide-and-seek?
200. Extreme Makeover: Imagine how life might be different if you could change your hair color or clothing into something completely opposite from your current style.
201. Empathy: Write about your feelings of empathy or compassion for another person.
202. Opposites: Write a poem or story that ties in together two opposites.
203. Boredom: Write about being bored or make a list of different ways to entertain yourself.
204. Strength: Think of a time when you’ve been physically or emotionally strong and use that as inspiration.
205. Hunger: Write from the perspective of someone with no money to buy food.
206. Greed: Write about someone who always wants more – whether it be money, power, etc. etc.
207. Volcano: Write about an eruption of a volcano.
208. Video Inspiration: Go to Vimeo.com or YouTube.com and watch one of the videos featured on the homepage. Write something based on what you watch.
209. Sneeze: Write about things that make you sneeze.
210. Footsteps on the Moon: Write about the possibility of life in outer-space.
211: Star-crossed: Write a short modern version of the story of Romeo and Juliet or think of real-life examples of lovers who are not allowed to be together to use as inspiration for your writing.
212. Font-tastic: Choose a unique font and type out a poem, story or journal entry using that font.
213. Schedule: Take a look at your calendar and use the schedule for inspiration in writing.
214. Grandparents: Write about a moment in your grandparent’s life.
215. Collage: Go through a magazine and cut out words that grab your attention. Use these words to construct a poem or as a story starter or inspiration for your journal.
216. Oh so Lonely: Write a poem about what you do when you are alone – do you feel lonely or do you enjoy your own company?
217. Waterfall: Think of a waterfall you’ve seen in person or spend some time browsing photos of waterfalls online. Write about the movement, flow, and energy.
218. First Kiss: Write about your first kiss.
219. So Ironic: Write about an ironic situation you’ve been in throughout your life.
220. Limerick: Write a limerick today.
221. Grocery Shopping: Write about an experience at the grocery store.
daily writing prompt ideas
222. Fashion: Go through a fashion magazine or browse fashion websites online and write about a style you love.
223. So Close: Write about coming close to reaching a goal.
224. Drinks on Me: Write a poem or short story that takes place at a bar.
225. Online Friends: Write an ode to someone online you’ve met and become friends with.
226. Admiration: Is there someone you admire? Write about those feelings.
227. Trash Day: Write from the perspective of a garbage collector.
228. Mailbox: Open your mailbox and write something inspired by one of the pieces of mail you received.
229. Fresh & Clean: Write about how you feel after you take a shower.
230. Energized: Write about how you feel when you’re either at a high or low energy level for the day.
231. Rhyme & No Reason: Make up a silly rhyming poem using made up words.
232. Tech Support: Use computers or a conversation with tech support you’ve had as inspiration.
233. Hotel: Write from the perspective of someone who works at a hotel or staying at a hotel.
234. Underwater: Write about sea creatures and under water life. What’s under the surface of the ocean? What adventures might be waiting?
underwater life picture
What’s it like deep in the ocean? How did you get there?
235. Breathing: Take a few minutes to do some deep breathing relaxation techniques. Once your mind is clear, just write the first few things that you think of.
236. Liar, Liar: Make up a poem or story of complete lies about yourself or someone else.
237. Obituaries: Look at the recent obituaries online or in the newspaper and imagine the life of someone and write about that person.
238. Pocket: Rummage through your pockets and write about what you keep or find in your pockets.
239. Cinquain: Write a cinquain poem, which consists of 5 lines that do not rhyme.
240. Alphabetical: Write a poem that has every letter of the alphabet in it.
241. Comedy Club: Write something inspired by a comedian.
242. Cheater: Write about someone who is unfaithful.
243. Sestina: Give a try to writing a sestina poem.
244. Fight: Write about witnessing two people get in an argument with each other.
245. Social Network: Visit your favorite Social Networking website (ie: Facebook, Pinterest, Google, Twitter, etc.) and write a about a post you see there.
246. Peaceful: Write about something peaceful and serene.
247. In the Clouds: Go cloud watching for the day and write about what you imagine in the clouds.
248. At the Park: Take some time to sit on a park bench and write about the sights, scenes, and senses and emotions you experience.
249. Sonnet: Write a sonnet today.
250. Should, Would, And Could: Write a poem or story using the words should, would, and could.
251. How to: Write directions on how to do something.
252. Alliteration: Use alliteration in your poem or in a sentence in a story.
253. Poker Face: Write about playing a card game.
254. Timer: Set a timer for 5 minutes and just write. Don’t worry about it making sense or being perfect.
255. Dance: Write about a dancer or a time you remember dancing.
256. Write for a Cause: Write a poem or essay that raises awareness for a cause you support.
257. Magic: Write about a magician or magic trick.
258. Out of the Box: Imagine finding a box. Write about opening it and what’s inside.
259. Under the Influence: What is something has impacted you positively in your life?
260. Forgotten Toy: Write from the perspective a forgotten or lost toy.
261. Rocks and Gems: Write about a rock or gemstone meaning.
262. Remote Control: Imagine you can fast forward and rewind your life with a remote control.
263. Symbolism: Think of objects, animals, etc. that have symbolic meaning to you. Write about it.
264. Light at the End of the Tunnel: Write about a time when you saw hope when it seemed like a hopeless situation.
265. Smoke and Fire: “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Use this saying as inspiration to write!
266. Railroad: Write about a train and its cargo or passengers.
267. Clipboard: Write about words you imagine on an office clipboard.
268. Shipwrecked: Write about being stranded somewhere – an island, a bus stop, etc.
269. Quotable: Use a popular quote from a speaker and use it as inspiration for your writing.
270. Mind Map it Out: Create a mind map of words, phrases, and ideas that pop into your head or spend some time browsing the many mind maps online. Write a poem, story, or journal entry inspired by the mind map.
271. Patterns: Write about repeating patterns that occur in life.
272. Scrapbook: Write about finding a scrapbook and the memories it contains.
273. Cure: Write about finding a cure for an illness.
274. Email Subject Lines: Read your email today and look for subject lines that may be good starters for writing inspiration.
275. Wishful Thinking: Write about a wish you have.
276. Doodle: Spend some time today doodling for about 5-10 minutes. Write about the thoughts you had while doodling or create something inspired by your finished doodle.
277. Chalkboard: Imagine you are in a classroom. What does it say on the chalkboard?
278. Sticky: Imagine a situation that’s very sticky, maybe even covered in maple syrup, tape or glue. Write about it!
279. Flashlight: Imagine going somewhere very dark with only a flashlight to guide you.
280. A Far Away Place: Envision yourself traveling to a fictional place, what do you experience in your imaginary journey?
281. On the Farm: Write about being in a country or rural setting.
282. Promise to Yourself: Write about a promise you want to make to yourself and keep.
283. Brick Wall: Write a poem that is about a brick wall – whether literal or figurative.
284. Making a Choice: Write about a time when you had to make a difficult choice.
285. Repeat: Write about a time when you’ve had to repeat yourself or a time when it felt like no one was listening.
286. Outcast: Write about someone who is not accepted by their peers. (for example, the Ugly Ducking)
287. Scary Monsters: Write about a scary (or not-so-scary) monster in your closet or under the bed.
288. Sacrifice: Write about something you’ve sacrificed doing to do something else or help another person.
289. Imperfection: Create a poem that highlights the beauty in being flawed.
290. Birthday Poem: Write a poem inspired by birthdays.
291. Title First: Make a list of potential poem or story titles and choose one to write from.
292. Job Interview: Write about going on a job interview.
293. Get Well: Write a poem that will help someone who is sick feel better quick!
294. Lost in the Crowd: Write about feeling lost in the crowd.
295. Apple a Day: Write about a health topic that interests you.
296. Cravings: Write about craving something.
297. Phobia: Research some common phobias, choose one, and write about it.
298. In the Moment: Write about living in the present moment.
299. Concrete: Write about walking down a sidewalk and what you see and experience.
300. Battle: Write about an epic battle, whether real, fictional or figurative.
301. This Old House: Write about an old house that is abandoned or being renovated.
302. Clutter: Is there a cluttered spot in your home? Go through some of that clutter today and write about what you find or the process of organizing.
303. Go Fly a Kite: Write about flying a kite.
304. On the TV: Flip to a random TV channel and write about the first thing that comes on – even if it is an infomercial!
305. Fruit: Write an ode to your favorite fruit.
306. Long Distance Love: Write about a couple that is separated by distance.
307. Glasses: Write about a pair of eyeglasses or someone wearing glasses.
308. Robotic: Write about a robot.
309. Cute as a Button: Write about something you think is just adorable.
310. Movie Conversation: Use a memorable conversation from a favorite movie to inspire your writing.
311. Easy-Peasy: Write about doing something effortlessly.
312. Idiom: Choose from a list of idioms one that speaks to you and create a poem around that saying or phrase. (Ie: It is raining cats and dogs)
313. Playground: Whether it is the swings or the sandbox or the sliding boards, write about your memories of being on a playground.
314. Romance: Write about romantic things partners can do for each other.
315. Rock Star: Imagine you are a famous rock star. Write about the experience.
rock star life
What’s it like to live a day in the life of a rock star? Imagine your story!
316. Come to Life: Imagine ordinary objects have come to life. Write about what they do and say.
317. Airplane: Write about meeting someone on an airplane and a conversation you might have.
318. Health & Beauty: Take some time to peruse your medicine cabinet or the health and beauty aisles at a local store. Write a poem, short story, or journal entry inspired by a product label.
319. Determination: Write about not giving up.
320. Instrumental Inspiration: Listen to some instrumental music and write a poem that matches the mood, beat, and style of the music.
321. Wait Your Turn: Write about having to wait in line.
322. Personality Type: Do you know your personality type? (There are many free quizzes online) – write about what type of personality traits you have.
323. Decade: Choose a favorite decade and write about it. (IE: 1980’s or 1950’s for example)
324. I Believe: Write your personal credo of things you believe in.
325. Lost and Found: Write about a lost object.
326. Say it: Write a poem or story that uses dialogue between two people.
327. The Unsent Letter: Write about a letter that never made it to its recipient.
328. The Windows of the Soul: Write a poem about the story that is told through someone’s eyes.
329. Trial and Error: Write about something you learned the hard way.
330. Escape: Write about where you like to go to escape from it all.
331.What’s Cooking: Write something inspired a favorite food or recipe.
332. Records: Go through your file box and pull out old receipts or records…write something inspired by what you find!
333. Banking: Write about visiting the bank.
334. Sweet Talk: Write about trying to convince someone of something.
335. Serendipity: Write about something that happened by chance in a positive way.
336. Distractions: Write about how it feels when you can’t focus.
337. Corporation: Write about big business.
338. Word of the Day: Go to a dictionary website that has a word of the day and use it in a poem, story or journal entry you write.
339. Pick Me Up: What do you do when you need a pick me up?
340. Unfinished: Write about a project you started but never completed.
341. Forgiveness: Write about a time when someone forgave you or you forgave someone.
342. Weakness: Write about your greatest weakness.
343. Starting: Write about starting a project.
344. Mechanical: Think of gears, moving parts, machines.
345. Random Act of Kindness: Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone or someone has done for you, no matter how small or insignificant it may have seemed.
346. Underground: Imagine living in a home underground and use that as inspiration for writing.
347. Classic Rock: Pick a classic rock love ballad and rewrite it into a story or poem with a similar theme.
348. Night Owl: Write about staying up late at night.
349. Magnetic: Write about attraction to something or someone.
350. Teamwork: Write about working with a team towards a common goal.
351. Roller-coaster: Write about the ups and downs in life.
352. Motivational Poster: Look at some motivational posters online and write a poem or journal entry inspired by your favorite one.
353. Games: Write about the games people play – figuratively or literally.
chess game story starter
354. Turning Point: Write about a point in life where things turned for the better or worse.
355. Spellbound: Write about a witch’s spell.
356. Anniversary: Write about the anniversary of a special date.
357. Gamble: Be inspired by a casino or lottery ticket.
358. Picnic: Write about going on a picnic.
359. Garage: Write about some random item you might find in a garage.
360. Review: Review your week, month, or year in a journal entry or poem format.
361. Detective: Write about a detective searching for clues or solving a mystery.
362. Camera: Take your camera for a walk and write based on one of the photographs you take.
363. Visiting: Write about visiting a family member or friend.
364. Trust: Write about putting trust in someone.
365. Congratulations: Did you write a poem, short story, or journal entry every day for a whole year? Write about what you’ve learned and celebrate your achievement!
More Hack Attacks
I hate these jerks. The newest now is from Jersey where the Hackass hit my site at least 60 times:
Once again, more attempts at my site. Why? Honestly, what could they be trying to accomplish? Well, the newest attack is from the Netherlands! I looked up from exactly where and they are in Brielle, Zuid-Holland Region. It looks like a nice place generally. They are very close to the church (see images below). Learn from the church you jerks and stop attacking my playground!
“country_code”:”NL”,
“country_name”:”Netherlands”,
“region_name”:”Zuid-Holland”,
“city_name”:”Brielle”,
“latitude”:”51.90167″,
“longitude”:”4.1625″,
“zip_code”:”3232″,
“time_zone”:”+02:00″,
“isp”:”No”,
“domain”:”legaconetworks.nl”,
“net_speed”:”COMP”,
“idd_code”:”31″,
“area_code”:”0181″,
“weather_station_code”:”NLXX0015″,
“weather_station_name”:”Rotterdam”,
“mcc”:”-“,
“mnc”:”-“,
“mobile_brand”:”-“,
“elevation”:”2″,
“usage_type”:”DCH”,
“address_type”:”U”,
“category”:”IAB19-11″,
“category_name”:”Data Centers”,
My website has been under attack by proxy IPs again. Not exactly sure where it is originating from, however, a Digital Ocean account, 157.230.230.140, in New York at the intersection of Broadway Walker Street (#396) and Walker Street near the Infinity Shoes may have some information on the attempts. Well, please stop your Hackin Ass. Thanks…
I will just keep updating this Hacker Call Out as it continues.
It seems as if Digital Ocean is offering free for a limited time (see here) a developer cloud that I assume is being used by the Hacking Monkeys and identifies as the following:
ipTRACKERonline.com IP Address Summary Report
Originating IP: 178.128.176.16
Originating ISP: digitalocean.com
City: Santa Clara
Country of Origin: United States of America
This IP is identified as being near the Old Mission Center off Lincoln Street.
After this IP was shut down, the following Digital Ocean from Santa Clara IPs were used…130.185.74.247 – enough is enough you jerks.
Once again from Digital Ocean, the place for learning how to Hack:
ipTRACKERonline.com IP Address Summary Report
Originating IP: 159.89.190.105
Originating ISP: DIGITALOCEAN-ASN
City: Clifton
Country of Origin: United States
* For a complete report on this IP address goto ipTRACKERonline
This geo location is a funeral home? Just wrong.
Well it seems now I am being targeted. The newest hack came from the Netherlands or the UpCloud LTD server – “Thousands of businesses are powered by UpCloud around the world. Our customers run business-critical applications on our enterprise-grade cloud platform. They value our high performance, reliable service, and personal approach.”
Great Eating Right Website
I found this fantastic eating right website today (see below). It is called Eat This Much. I will try to stay on target with the expectations it applies based upon my reduction calculations.
Scam Artists and the Systematic Scams
Beware the systematic scam going on the InterWebs. A Russian email address (noreply.014652@mail.ru), a call center in India (with the phone number 1 8103758671 ) and then, a transfer to the financial advisor (apparently the one who can talk you out of your checking account number, I did not go that far). These guys are total assholes.
Email received:
“Hello,
We have received your order and your services will be activated within 24hours.Keep an eye on the mailbox or click the link below to check the process on how to active your service.Order (Product ID RE86H1R2F):Product: NORV5DSV13
(USD 395.08)Qty: 1;*Please Note – Product name is same as the serial number.Order placed on: 04-06-2021
We have received your order and your services will be activated within 24hours.Keep an eye on the mailbox or click the link below to check the process on how to active your service.Order (Product ID RE86H1R2F):Product: NORV5DSV13
(USD 395.08)Qty: 1;*Please Note – Product name is same as the serial number.Order placed on: 04-06-2021
Payment Status: Received
Payment Method: Paid via checking account
Paid To: pay@norfast
Thanks,
Warm and regards,
Manager-customer support
Need to modify or cancel your order?
Feel free to contact us at +1 8103758671 (Working hours only)
This is an automated-email, please do not reply to this email.
To check status of your product go to the application or you can check your mailbox for updates.”
Systematic Scams Suck
1-810-375-8671
18103758671
1-810-375-8671
18103758671
IT’s silent career killer: Age discrimination
Taken from: https://www.cio.com
By Bob Violino
Contributing Writer, CIO | JUN 2, 2021 2:00 AM PDT
Bob you are scaring me…
“Recent reports that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) found technology company Intel had discriminated against eight older workers during mass layoffs in 2015 have shed light on a topic that often remains in the dark: age discrimination against older workers in IT.
It’s an issue that never seems to go away, and it can hinder career advancement for IT professionals — even at a time when many tech skills are in high demand. Given that a large share of professionals in the workforce are nearing traditional retirement ages, the number of discrimination cases may only rise.
“I am definitely seeing more instances of age discrimination across the board, including with IT positions,” says David Miklas, a management, labor, and employment attorney who regularly works with business owners and CEOs to prevent and defend litigation on all types of employment law matters.
“Age discrimination is a particular problem with the tech industry, because of the tendency for many tech companies to be startups and often run by fairly younger individuals,” Miklas says.
There is a widespread misconception in most industries that older employees are not “digital savvy” and are afraid to learn new things when it comes to technology, Miklas adds. “This assumption often results in decisions that can result in being sued for age discrimination, especially when the older worker is passed over for promotion, not hired, or terminated,” he says.
One issue that arises more in age discrimination claims than other types of discrimination is an employer’s use of selection criteria for hiring, promotion, or layoff decisions that are susceptible to assumptions about age, says Raymond Peeler, director of the Coordination Division, Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
“For example, an employer making determinations about workers based on ‘energy,’ ‘flexibility,’ ‘criticality,’ or ‘long-term concerns’ are susceptible to employer assumptions based on the age of the worker,” Peeler says. The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against job applicants or employees because of a person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, or age.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating economic impact on older workers, says Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of AARP Foundation, a part of AARP, an advocacy group representing people aged 50 and over.
“Research shows that age-diverse workforces have a positive effect on employee engagement, productivity, and the bottom line,” Ryerson says. “Yet older workers continue to face resistance, more often than not simply because they are perceived to be ‘too old’ for the job.”
Individuals can take steps to overcome age discrimination or work around it to achieve their career goals.
Embrace new technologies and work methods
Older employees should embrace newer technologies and methods of working, because many of the organizations hiring IT professionals have either deployed these tools and methods or are planning to do so. For example, being proficient in the use of the latest mobile devices and apps for work is almost a must today, because so many jobs require people to work from wherever they are at the moment.
“Even if you can perform your duties tethered to your desktop, you should learn how to perform them on a tablet or phone,” Miklas says. ”This will open doors and help remove any assumption that you are ‘set in your ways’ or not interested in making changes.”
Learn new digital communications platforms, Ryerson says. These skills have always been important, but now more than ever because of the pandemic and work-from-home model. Familiarize yourself with Zoom and LinkedIn if you’re not already using them, she says. IT professionals should be open to working from home if that’s what a position calls for.
It’s up to individuals to keep themselves current, says Bill Balint, CIO at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. “IT professionals should take ownership of their career path from day one, and consistently forecast skillset and work culture changes that could impact them over the next 12, 18, or even 36 months,” he says. “Remaining connected to IT industry trends in addition to employer expectations are critical.”
Workers not only should stay current on the latest workplace skills, but document their progress in taking training classes, attending seminars, and so on, Peeler says. “Hard data of the employees training on new skills and processes can overcome or refute assumptions about an older employee’s ability or willingness to take on new tasks or technologies,” he says.
Leverage your past experience
Sometimes by sticking to what they know best, IT professionals can succeed at staying in demand later in their careers.
“When you’re in your late 50s and looking for your next gig, it certainly can feel like age is working against you,” says Bryan Phillips, senior vice president of technology and CIO at Alpha Packaging, a manufacturer of bottles and jars.
“In my personal experience, after leaving my previous CIO job it did feel like some of the companies were looking for someone a little younger,” Phillips says. “For me, moving back to manufacturing from a more high-tech commercial software development company felt a lot more comfortable, and I could still showcase my innovative side from my previous job while leveraging my 25 years of manufacturing experience.”
If IT professionals find that their skills are a bit dated, they should consider their niches, Phillips says. “Some skills are hard to find, like RPG, COBOL, PL1, Pick Basic, and many more that are no longer taught in school,” he says. “Many smaller companies often have a mix of older technologies that are in demand for these hard-to-find skills.”
It used to be that people had to be open to relocating because demand for niche jobs could be geographically diverse, Phillips says. “But not now, since work-from-home situations are much more common,” he says. Searching the popular job sites for a particular niche area can turn up opportunities, he says.
Don’t panic, and be proactive when seeking opportunities
Besides taking ownership of their career paths, Balint advises people who are anxious about potential IT career upheaval or age discrimination to not panic. “Such panic can produce a perceived desperate need to learn a bunch of new technologies, coupled with the fear [professionals] will not be able to learn them well enough and/or quickly enough,” he says.
Instead, veteran IT professionals need to be thoughtful and measured about modernizing their IT skills and knowledge. “They should consider being very proactive in understanding those evolving expectations of supervisors and the organization, allowing skill set modernization to flow accordingly,” Balint says.
For example, when an employer is moving an IT system to either a legacy or retired status, IT professionals operating that system should work to develop specific knowledge and/or new skills needed in the future, Balint says. “Veteran IT professionals who instead fail to be proactive and wait on the employer could make it easier for discrimination to go unchecked,” he says.
Look to be a mentor
One asset that can clearly make older workers attractive to companies is the years of working experience that can be leveraged to help younger workers in the IT field. And mentoring can work both ways, which is even better.
“Older employees should seek out significantly younger — think one or two generations — co-workers to try and create a mutual mentoring arrangement,” Miklas says. “The older worker may be able to help share decades of institutional knowledge to the younger worker, while the younger worker can often share what is ‘hot’ right now for the younger generation.”
For example, a younger co-worker could help the older one get set up on video-sharing platform TikTok and help explain how it works and what type of videos can go viral, Miklas says. “This can allow the older worker to consider whether it is feasible to help the employer’s brand by being on a platform that is designed to reach a younger demographic,” he says.
In general, older workers should make it a point to interact with younger coworkers, Ryerson says. By inviting different perspectives and forging relationships with colleagues of all ages, experienced workers will show that a multi-generational workforce is good for employers and employees alike, she says.
Know your rights
It’s against the law for employers to discriminate on the basis of age, Ryerson says, and older workers should familiarize themselves with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act so they can recognize and respond to discrimination in the workplace.
The act makes it unlawful for employers to refuse to hire or to discharge any individual or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of age.
Companies are also forbidden from limiting or classifying employees in any way that would deprive them of employment opportunities, or reducing their pay, because of age. The law also applies to employment agencies and unions. While most people would likely rather avoid legal action, it’s a good idea to be familiar with existing safeguards against discrimination.”
Another article found at theladders.com –
“Do you want to know what agism exactly is? How to avoid it? Here is everything you need to know about ageism, plus the industries where ageism is the most rampant.
Over the last year, we’ve seen a rapid change in the workforce. Over 1.1 million workers between ages 55 and 70 have left the workforce in the last quarter, which is an incredible improvement from the 2.6 million that left the workforce in Q2 of 2020.
These numbers are staggering. Especially when you think about the fact that many of these workers won’t find a job anymore and are forced to retire with less money than expected.
The high number of people over 55 in the workforce that wants to work, but can’t get a job is increasing. Why is that? We think it’s because of something called ageism, and we’ll tell you exactly what that is and what industries it’s most prevalent in.
What is ageism?
According to AARP, over 61% of employees in America over 45 have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace. 38% of people believe it’s common to see ageism.
While older employees are usually more knowledgeable and experienced than other staff members, they are typically discriminated against in favor of the younger and less experienced employees. Like racism and sexism, ageism refers to discrimination against specific staff members based on their age.
Robert Butler coined the term in 1969. According to Butler, ageism is visible at an individual and institutional level. It can include wrong assumptions, stereotypes, dislikes, avoiding contact, and outright aversion at the workplace against employees who are more experienced and considered older.
In 96% of the cases, ageism is also affecting the health of the employees targeted. They are submitted to “stress-inducing negative age stereotypes” that affect their mental and physical health in various ways.
Common stereotypes against workers considered older
Some of the most common myths and stereotypes of workers aged above 55 include:
- They resist change.
- Are demotivated.
- Avoid career development programs.
- Are less productive.
- Know how to do their work and don’t innovate.
- Are taking sick leave more often.
- Don’t share their knowledge.
- They will leave their jobs sooner.
While there are obviously not true, it’s still what many younger employees think. Employees who are considered older bring their work experience, their life experience, and they overall know how to get the job done. They connect the dots quickly and have deep knowledge of the industry.
Age discrimination in employment act explained
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967(ADEA) offers protection for certain employees and applicants aged over 40 from all forms of discrimination in the hiring, promotion, discharge, and workers’ compensation. The act also prohibits the use of age preference in the hiring process. It prohibits denying benefits to older employees.
According to this act, it’s illegal for an employer to decide to hire or fire an employee based on age. They also can’t base pay on their age and have a policy that negatively affects employees because of their age. Beware of ageist interview questions and know how to respond to them.
While the ADEA act doesn’t protect workers who are under the age of 40, some states have their own law that protects younger workers from ageism.
7 industries where ageism is most rampant
While it happens in all industries, there are specific sectors where ageism is more prevalent.
These industries are known to have a lower median age among employees, and a couple of them have already lost lawsuits with regards to ageism.
Here are the industries where ageism is most rampant.
1. Business and Finance
Many professionals in the business and finance sector attest that ageism is common in the industry. They feel that they aren’t taken seriously in the business and finance sector because of their age. Some are discriminated against because they are too young, while others feel they face discrimination because they are too old.
Employers in the business and finance industry feel that employees who are too young might not stay long enough in the industry. Others face ageism because they lack the same level of experience as their older colleagues. Old employees face ageism in the business and finance sector because employers feel they are too old to learn new things.
PWC, one of the biggest auditing firms globally, was recently sued in the US, where it was alleged that the firm favors younger job seekers. The company focuses on university campuses for their new hires and doesn’t consider older candidates for their entry-level positions. According to a study presented to the San Francisco federal court by the Plaintiff lawyers, younger people have a 538% better chance of getting hired at PWC than applicants aged over 40. The company finally agreed on an out-of-court settlement in the class suit. It is a clear indication that ageism is rife in the business and financial sectors.
2. Technology
The technology industry is one of the sectors that have a terrible reputation for ageism. Employees in the technology industry often prefer young workers instead of seasoned workers. According to a study done by Payscale, only three out of 18 well-known tech firms in the study had a median employee age over 33. The medium age in seven of the companies studied was 30 years or lower. This is in comparison to other industries in America, where the median age is 42.3 years.
Ageism in the technology sector occurs in various forms, from innocuous comments to being overlooked in the hiring process due to age. Employees in this sector face numerous hurdles to prove that they are not yet a “industry dinosaur.”
As a sign of ageism in the technological sector, Tokensoft, a technology platform that issues digital securities, faces an ageism suit. In the lawsuit, a woman says she was repeatedly overlooked for promotion while opportunities were given to younger workers with less experienced. She also claims to be excluded from dinner meetings with key clients and weekly sales opportunities. Her complaints to the CEO were dismissed as “not being helpful.”
3. Marketing and advertisement
Older consumers have high spending power. This might make you believe that advertisers will target them in their marketing and advertisement. However, this is not the case. In fact, not only is this demographic shunned, but they are also caricatured in many marketing images.
While over 30% of the United States population is over 50, this group only appears in 15% of the adverts. Even in adverts, older people are often shown at home and will be depicted as unproductive employees.
According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report, over 60% of workers in the marketing, advertising, and public relations industry are under 45 years. The median age is 40. With these kinds of statistics, it is clear why older consumers are often overlooked in marketing messages.
Experts believe that younger employees are often associated with a higher level of creativity and technological aptitude. Simultaneously, the older people are often seen as less innovative, less creative, and not able to put out creative advertisements.
4. Hospitality industry
The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the hotel industry has workers with a median age that is less than 30. The hotel industry has often been found to be discriminatory in the hiring of older workers in principle and in practice.
Some hotel positions such as waiters and receptionists are often for workers below the age of 35. Hotels and restaurants would hire young and vital people over more experienced and professional older workers.
5. Retail industry
In the recent past, we have seen big retailers get sued for age-related discrimination. Retailers GNC and Anthropologie lost in ageism lawsuits.
In the Anthropologie case, an employee sued for what he called an age-based hostile environment as co-workers referred to her as mom despite recording her displeasure at the use of the term. She was also denied a promotion when her manager claimed she didn’t have the stamina for the job, as she was too old. She won the lawsuit from the company.
In the GNC case Santos Anduja, age 57, claimed a manager fired him in his 20s because of his age. He won the lawsuit as well.
These are perfect examples of how the retail industry is equally affected by ageism.
6. Healthcare industry
Five nurses at the former South Peninsula Hospital filed a lawsuit at the Homer District Court alleging that they were fired from their jobs due to age discrimination. All the nurses were aged over 50, and they termed their sacking as an attempt to replaced old employees with younger, less experienced, and cheaper staff. This is even though they were all highly qualified.
In the healthcare industry, ageism is mostly based on productivity concerns. When you get older, people believe that you
7. Energy
Atlas Energy LLC will pay $85,000 in an ageism-related suit against it by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a production foreman aged 52 and over 20 years of experience who a young superintendent sacked.
The production forearm was widely considered as knowledgeable by pumpers and field operators under him. This is an indication that ageism is rife in the energy sector.
Conclusion: Industries with the most ageism
All industries have ageism, however, there are some industries where ageism is the most rampant. Generally, the newest industries will have the youngest workers, making ageism more prevalent.
If you are experiencing ageism at work, you can schedule an appointment at an EEOC office. They will help you with the next steps and they will tell you exactly what you need to do. “
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Know About When and How to Enable the WordPress Error Log in an Effective Manner
While using WordPress, you can experience various error codes. Right from a mistake in the coded themes or custom coding, there’s a long list of errors for which one can get website error codes. For the smooth working of WordPress, you need to fix them immediately.
For doing so, your first step should be enabling the WordPress Error Log. It helps the users in finding the errors that are causing the problems that you are encountering. With the help of this, you can track its source of occurrence to rectify them properly. So, you must first enable the error log to proceed.
When do you need to enable the WordPress error log?
Let’s have a look at some of the situations or problems when you need to enable it:
- If you see your entire site crashed.
- If you see a blank screen when trying to load the site.
- Very slow performance of the site.
- When you don’t know which plugins or themes are causing issues in the site’s performance.
- If getting a warning code such as error 500, error 404, and many others.
- You can also set up a WordPress error log if a plugin or theme isn’t functioning well.
Steps for enabling the error log in WordPress
Two ways can help you to enable the error logging with WordPress. This can be done either manually or with a plugin. Let’s learn about manual ways that you can do with 3 steps:
Accessing the Website’s Files
The first step that you can do is accessing the site’s file. You will need direct access to your site’s files for activating the WordPress logs. For doing this, one of the ways is using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). With an FTP client, users are allowed to log directly into the site. Once done, you are free to edit, delete or add files if there’s any need of doing so.
Editing the wp-config.php File
Many of you must have heard this term wp-config.php file for the first time. It is a core file in which all the essential configuration related details and database’s credentials are located. When you need to access the wp-config.php file to edit it, just download and use an FTP client. Apart from this, a file manager tool from the host’s cPanel can also help you with this.
Locating the New WordPress Logs
By performing all these steps, The WordPress logs are now ready and can be used. If you want to know about using it them go ahead and read. For the previously occurred errors, you will need to trigger the error again. You can do this by interacting with the element that caused the error previously. The record of this error can be found by logging into your site using FTP.
So, if you see any warning code during your WordPress Admin Login, you can follow these steps as mentioned above to get rid of them.
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Free Site Cleaning & Site Security Audits for K-12 Public Schools
This is great by WordFence:
“We are now expanding this program worldwide to include all public/state-funded schools serving students in K-12 programs (or the like) around the world.
Wordfence, the leading provider of WordPress security software and services, is announcing today that we are, effective immediately, offering free site cleaning and site security audit services to K-12 public schools in the United States who use WordPress as their content management system.
Whether a site is infected with malware, or you are looking for an expert analyst to audit your website security posture, the Wordfence security team is available to help. No credit card is needed, and you have the option to have the free version of Wordfence installed on your website and configured by our analysts.
With more students and teachers remotely connecting for education, the need for security awareness has never been greater. Malware infected websites pose a significant risk to students, teachers, parents and administrators. These risks include the breach of personal information, the risk of threat actors targeting children, and the disruption of learning and online services to students.
Wordfence is committed to helping public schools safely provide education to the next generation. Each Wordfence site cleaning and site security audit is valued at $490. Effective immediately, Wordfence is offering these same services free of charge to K-12 public schools.
The number of security audits and site cleanings that we can provide is limited, and available on a first-come, first served basis. If there is a wait time for an analyst, our customer service engineers will work with each school to ensure you are kept apprised of your position in the queue and when you will be served. We are initially limiting service to 20 websites per week, and we hope to expand our capacity if needed.
Wordfence is the number one choice worldwide for WordPress security. We currently protect over 4 million WordPress websites, with a team of credentialed analysts and researchers who are known throughout industry for our groundbreaking research. The Wordfence team is honored to help keep public school districts in the United States secure, districts that have been under extraordinary pressure to rapidly transition to online learning.
Complete the form on our K-12 site cleaning request page to begin the process. Our team will be in touch shortly.”