Category: Guest Posts

Fishing Dos and Don’ts All Beginners Need to Know

A key focus of my blog is Athletics and Sports. Fishing while a relaxing activity is also a competitive sport which requires quite a bit of knowledge and skill. As with most activities, there important aspects for beginners to consider. The following guest post is entitled, Fishing Dos and Don’ts All Beginners Need to Know.

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Do you like the idea of spending a lazy afternoon being surrounded by nature? How about the thrill that comes with not knowing what can happen next? Then one activity you should consider doing is fishing.

Fishing can be both a relaxing activity bursting with fun and excitement. It allows you to de-stress and appreciate and understand nature more. The fact that there is no way to learn how many fish you can catch and what kind of fish is on the other side of the line makes it an exciting adventure. This is the very reason many continue to fall in love with fishing.

If you finally decide to go fishing, then it is a must to know more about the activity before testing the waters. We’ve gathered some dos and don’ts that newbie fishers like you will find extremely useful.

Don’t forget to secure your fishing license

To make sure that you don’t get in trouble, secure a fishing license before you plan your fishing trip. But why would you need such a license in the first place? Acquiring a fishing license is an act to protect fish populations. There are state regulations that will tell you what kind of fish you can legally fish in a day and what species are legal. The fees you pay will not only support wildlife departments. These will also help finance wildlife research that also costs much.

Don’t buy fishing equipment that you can’t afford

Even if you already set your mind to learning how to fish during your free time, it is wise to buy only fishing shackles that you can afford. Take reel shopping, for instance. When buying reels, it is a good idea to buy Shimano spinning reels, as you can choose from a variety perfect for beginners. Of course, you need to consider your budget before buying one. As for your fishing lures, you can choose cheaper ones so that you won’t regret buying expensive lures only to lose them while fishing.

Be wise when choosing between saltwater and freshwater fishing

For beginners, freshwater fishing is a common choice. When choosing lake fishing, you still have two options to choose from: natural and man-made lakes. Knowing the differences between the two and doing a bit of research will help you understand the best way to fish.

Be confident

Being the newbie in the block is not enough reason to feel wary about not catching a fish. Remember that in everything you do, your confidence is your key to success. The same goes for fishing. If you are not confident, then it can be hard to attract fish. Having the best equipment and learning the best techniques are not enough. You will need to learn how to be confident enough so that you can succeed.

Fishing is not easy. But know that before expert fishers became great, they had once been newbies, too. Don’t lose hope if you fail to catch a fish or two. Get your fishing license, invest in the right fishing tackle, and choose the perfect place to start learning how to fish. Keep practicing and build up your confidence, and you will succeed in no time.

5 Ways to Enrich Your Life While Working 9 to 5

Three focuses of my blog are Career Discussions, Health/Wellness and Professional Development/Skills. Many people stagnate once setting into a 9 to 5 career/job while others continue to grow and thrive. There are ways to continue thriving both personally and professionally while working your 9 to 5. The following guest post is entitled, 5 Ways to Enrich Your Life While Working 9 to 5.

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Time is a precious resource not everyone has. This becomes especially relevant when you reach your adulthood. The typical set-up for most working adults is a 9-5 job. Some work for as long as 10 hours, or work during nighttime. You might be cursed with daily 3-hour commutes. Much of your adulthood will be spent on earning a living and a lot of times you won’t have a weekend well spent aside from lounging around.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t live your life to the fullest while working hard. There are many ways you can enrich your life and get the most out of every situation-if you make time for them. Here are some ways you can step out of your 9-5 box and enrich the moments in your life:

Learn New Skills

The advent of new technologies like the Internet and smartphones paved the way for easier access to things you might not know yet. More often than not, if you don’t know something, you Google it. You can go to online schools and open universities to learn something new. Better yet, you can even learn new skills from YouTube, like learning how to cook or fix the sink.

Also, if you can manage your time, you can try to go to take vocational courses from accredited institutions or continue your education and take a graduate degree. All these can add something new or further hone your skillset, which can help you in the long run.

Declutter Your Life

Take a page from Marie Kondo’s minimalistic way of living and declutter your life. Fill your life with things that spark you joy; get rid of things that don’t make you happy or you have no use of anymore. You can donate old clothes, recycle your stack of papers, or even cut contact with someone toxic from your life. When it comes to work, categorize and sort everything. Make everything in your life valuable and it’ll help you in the long run.

Practice Mindfulness

Become more self-aware. Mindfulness brings you to the forefront of your very situation instead of being stuck in the past. You can do this kind of meditation whenever you’re feeling pressured with your work, or with making a very important decision. You can do things with a clear mind. It lets you become objective; you attune to what’s happening right now, regulating your emotions.

Apart from being a good stress reliever, you gain control that otherwise would’ve been lost when you panic or freeze.

Don’t Forget to Relax

When you have no plans for the weekend, sometimes you might be thinking to yourself: “How do I make the most of my weekend?” Well, there’s more to life than doing a Netflix binge, so do whatever relaxes you. If it’s reading by a warm fireplace, then do that. If you’re more of an extrovert, try doing volunteer work. Be creative, express yourself.

Take Control of Your Narrative

“Live your life so it’s a story to tell,” says one lifehack. Sometimes, there are things that hold you back from achieving great heights. Although, other times, it’s you who’s holding you back. You need to gain the courage and confidence to step up and take a leap of faith. You know yourself well; you know well what you can do.

You don’t have to leave your 9 to 5 to do anything rewarding for your life. Go in headfirst with no regrets. If you stumble along the way or get to the finish line in the end, it’ll be a rewarding, learning experience for you.

How To Write A Very Elaborate Thesis

Two of the focuses of my blog are Education and Writing/Blogging. Whether going for a Bachelors, a Masters, or a Doctoral degree, many individuals must write a thesis. How do you write a thesis if you’ve never written one? Also, what are the keys to writing and effective thesis? The following guest post is contributed by www.customwritingservice.com and is entitled, How To Write A Very Elaborate Thesis.

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Want to write texts that can attract the attention of teachers? Learn 6 Tips from customwritingservice.com That Can Help You

Within the academic universe, students need to find creative ways to write to attract the attention of the teacher who will correct the text. The author of the paper must come out of common sense and explore arguments and issues in depth.

To increase the reader’s interest, it is essential to develop a well-crafted, specific and complex thesis. This start will be the basis for the whole narrative and will ensure the success or failure of the project. Check out tips for writing a good thesis:

1 – Cheer On Your Theme

The more engaged you are, the better your text will be. Although you don’t like it, try to find a solution to make it creative and interesting. Thus, your performance will be more enjoyable and the reading of the final project as well.

2 – Develop A Strong Opinion

Consolidated opinion is important for the success of the thesis. If you encounter difficulties with this part of the process, read specific newspaper articles on the subject. Also, look for ready-made theses that have something to do with yours, to increase your argumentative base.

3 – Use Good Adjectives

Avoid vague expressions like “good” and “bad”. Explore more elaborate adjectives to emphasize your opinion and strengthen the arguments presented.

4 – Focus The Thesis On A Main Idea

Since the thesis is what gives meaning to all concepts in the text, you must ensure that it does not address many different contents. This keeps the document organized and with a relevant line of reasoning.

5 – Be Extremely Specific In The Thesis

A generic beginning weakens the text, because the reader cannot detect which subject will be dealt with the most emphasis. However, if the thesis presents characteristic details about the arguments, the teacher is prepared for the rest of the content. During the newsroom production period, you can stay focused on the main subject.

6 – Make A List Of Interesting Theses

Add to the list the content available in books or on the internet that can help you create your own thesis . The greater the amount of information, the more easily the text will be developed.

Here Are Some Examples Of Theses:

• Weak:

“North and South fought in the Civil War for various reasons, some being equal and others respectful.”

• Average:

“While two sides fought in the Civil War involving slavery, the North faced the dispute over moral issues and the South to maintain its institutions.”

• Strong:

“While northerners and southerners believed they were fighting oppression and tyranny, the former focused on ending slavery and the others defended the right to self-government.”

Taiwan is Becoming a Blockchain Island, and Jason Hsu is behind it

Three key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Blockchain Technology is a technology that will impact numerous sectors is an area that’s worth keeping an eye for those the financial and technology sectors. In the first Blockchain Technology piece on my blog, I gave a comprehensive overview of the technology. The following guest post comes courtesy of Techwarn. It discusses plans to implement and grow the technology on the island of Taiwan and is entitled, Taiwan is Becoming a Blockchain Island, and Jason Hsu is behind it.

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Image from pixabay.com

The world’s digital infrastructure, internet usage, and connectivity are changing rapidly. This is all thanks to the emergence of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Blockchain. Blockchain — the technology behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, etc. — in particular, is a very powerful idea. Just like the internet did in the 1990s, Blockchain has the potential to revolutionize our lives.

Although it was originally developed for financial transactions, blockchain technology can be used to record just about any type of data or transaction. This revolutionary technology allows the distribution of digital information without copying thereby creating a new kind of internet that seems incorruptible. The use cases of blockchain extend beyond cryptocurrencies, and many countries are still on the fence on whether to advance its adoption, with the exception of Taiwan.

Serious About Innovation

The east Asian island nation-state of Taiwan is serious about innovation in the fintech. The country is pumping millions of dollars into advancing the adoption of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Jason Hsu, a congressman in the Taiwanese parliament is working tirelessly to integrate blockchain on a national level and steer the state towards the use of blockchain technology for more than just cryptocurrencies. His goal is to help Taiwan become a blockchain island.

In an interview with Jason Hsu, ExpressVPN asked the popular Taiwanese parliamentarian how exactly he plans to transform the small island nation-state into a crypto and blockchain hub. According to Jason Hsu, the law is a major impediment to innovation in the country. The congressman wants to use his legislative powers to help create an environment that nurtures and cultivates blockchain and financial technology and attract more start-ups to the island.

Who’s Jason Hsu?

Jason Hsu is a former Silicon Valley entrepreneur who wants to turn Taiwan into a haven for people working on different applications for blockchain technology. Hsu moved back to the island in 2009 and started working with the government as the advisor to the prime minister on matters innovation and technology. He joined politics in 2016 after being nominated to the Taiwanese parliament as a legislator-at-large. In his role as a congressman, Jason Hsu focuses on technology broadly and does not represent any singular district.

Since he became a congressman, Jason Hsu has worked on legislation relating to autonomous vehicles, cybersecurity, and the digital economy. Currently, the man christened “the Crypto Congressman” by Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin is on a mission to transform Taiwan into a blockchain island and cryptocurrency hub. Jason Hsu is working tirelessly to deal with any issues between public policy approach and technology. The ‘Crypto Congressman’ hopes to remove legal barriers to technology innovation in the island.

How Has Jason Hsu Changed Taiwan?

The blockchain landscape in the world remains highly uncertain. Countries such as Singapore and Switzerland have taken a proactive approach and have cultivated favorable environments for the advancement of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. These nations are the pioneers of the current digital currency regulatory frameworks in favor of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Taiwan wants to join the ranks of Singapore and Switzerland and become a blockchain island. Jason Hsu is leading transformation efforts.

As neighbors China and South Korea issue blanket ban on ICOs and ICO activity, Taiwan is moving in a different direction. Lawmakers in the island are passing legislation intended to encourage cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation in the island. Congressman Jason Hsu has played a pivotal role in the drafting and passing of legislation designed to advance blockchain and financial technology in the country. For instance, the legislator helped draft and pass Taiwan’s Regulatory Sandbox Bill.

The Financial Technology Experimentation and Innovation Act

Taiwan’s Financial Technology Experimentation and Innovation Act, popularly known as the Regulatory Sandbox Bill, is historical regulatory legislation designed to overhaul the island’s fintech and usher in a new era for the sector. The Regulatory Sandbox Bill allowed selected start-ups to launch new products and services with some immunity from existing regulation for up to one year. The bill was passed on 29th December 2017 and was a response to the decision by the Chinese government to block ICOs.

In September 2017, two months before the Financial Technology Experimentation and Innovation Act was signed into law, Chinese authorities banned Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) by cryptocurrency websites in mainland China. Congressman Jason Hsu came up with the idea to draft the Regulatory Sandbox Bill to ‘capitalize on this chance to introduce friendly legislation that nurtures and cultivates blockchain technology and attract more start-ups to Taiwan.’ This move earned Jason Hsu the nickname ‘Crypto Congressman.’

According to Congressman Jason Hsu, the goal of the Taiwan authorities is to create a fair regulatory environment that encourages innovation and protects the rights of the consumer. The ‘crypto congressman’ believes that Taiwan’s large pool of talent can pilot and pioneer projects that can build actual applications for the blockchain and transform Taiwan into a blockchain island. Compared to Silicon Valley, Hsu notes that the island nation has a supply of cheaper engineers who are just as good — if not better — than their counterparts in Silicon Valley.

What About Taiwan That Makes It Ripe for Blockchain and Technology Development?

In addition to his contribution in the drafting and passing of the Regulatory Sandbox Bill, the congressman has drafted numerous policy recommendations to make Taiwan more friendly to blockchain and cryptocurrency start-ups. The ‘Crypto Congressman’ has helped create a bipartisan alliance designed to help support the blockchain industry. The parliamentary coalition is currently working on implementing a number of crypto and blockchain legislation in his quest to transform the tiny nation-state into a blockchain island.

So far, Congressman Jason Hsu says he has introduced 25 projects across different government departments to address the implementation of blockchain technology in areas such as drug testing and supply chain management. Authorities in Taiwan understand that blockchain has great economic potential and are doing their best to advance the adoption of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. The positivity of Taiwanese authorities towards innovation in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology indicates that the island is ripe for blockchain and fintech development.

How a Poor Name Can Lower the Value of your Brand

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When starting a business, one of the most important components is building and maintaining your ‘brand’. A key component of your brand is your name. Choosing the right name can be the difference between life and death in the business context. The following guest post comes courtesy of Squadhelp.com and is entitled, How a Poor Name Can Lower the Value of your Brand.

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When you are brainstorming a name for your brand-new startup, you might notice that certain people you run into will tell you not to worry about the name you select for your business. They will say to you that a startup name lacks any tangible value because they believe that names are just frills. They will tell you it is not worth investing your time and resources into, but they would be wrong. In actuality, research shows that easy, memorable names outperform non-captivating and lackluster names on the stock market by 33% or more.

A Poor Name Won’t Set a Solid Brand Foundation

In today’s fast-paced market, first impressions matter more than ever before. Generally, your brand name will be the first thing that a possible client or customer will learn about your brand. You brand encompasses many aspects of your business including your logo, beliefs, values and name.

The name is basically the foundation and the identity of your new company. If the name is too weak, it will not be able to support the weight of your brand and will hold your business back from growth. You ideally want to choose a name that sets the stage for your success.

Fail to Capture Audiences

Your target audience is very likely overwhelmed by the vast number of options available in today’s modern market. It’s very likely that your business offers special services or products, but without a great name that captures the attention of your audience, you might lose customers. If your name does not get their attention right away, they will move on to the next business without checking out the options your startup offers.

A name should create a strong connection between your business and your target market. Ideally, it should give them something to hold on to and remember about your brand.

Drive Audiences Away

Although making your brand name attractive is very important, you need double check that it does not drive any potential customers or clients away. Difficult, boring, or offensive names risk alienating a large segment of your customer base. Make sure that you don’t select a company name that is cringey or awkward, as something like that will likely drive customers away and send people the wrong message.

A great example of this would be a salon with the name Curl Up & Dye. Although this name is clearly descriptive and witty, but it could accidentally send the wrong message to any potential customers about the quality of services that the salon offers. The name heavily relies on the audience’s sense of humor, but you risk losing potential clients that do not find the funny brand amusing.

Audience testing is a quick and simple way to make sure that your startup name will do well with your chosen target audience.

A Forgettable Name = A Forgettable Brand

Even if a customer really wants to remember your brand name, if it is boring or too perplexing to pronounce and spell, they will likely not remember it. When your target demographic cannot remember your name even when they want to, it is a bad sign for your business.

A memorable name will ensure that your brand is something that your customers will never forget. Double check that your brand name does not fall by the wayside by brainstorming a catchy, memorable name that will capture your target audience’s attention. Peruse some of these winning company name suggestions to give yourself a better idea of what type of names catch your attention the most.

Lose Referrals

In the end, your brand name needs to be appealing and memorable enough that it establishes your brand and sets you up for success in the future. If you cannot create a solid foundation for your company with a great name, you will not only lose out on any potential clients but also the potential referrals you would have gotten from those clients.

Conclusion

Each and every tiny aspect of your brand adds up in the end, and if your name can help you get some extra of press coverage or a couple more chains of referrals from customers, it makes all the difference. A brand name really has the power to impact your business success.

When you are coming up with a business name, make sure you remember that a brand name is way more than just a word. It establishes the foundation for your business, and it can be a very useful tool making your business successful.

Grant Polachek is the Director of Marketing at Inc 500 company Squadhelp.com, the worlds #1 naming platform, with nearly 20,000 customers from the smallest startups across the globe to the largest corporations including Nestle, Philips, Hilton, Pepsi, and AutoNation. Get inspired by exploring these creative business names.

Understanding The Man-Machine-Theory Of Mind Explained

The first principal of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success, and two of my key focuses are Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and Health and Wellness. The brain and or the mind is arguably the most critical organ in our bodies. Mastery of the mind is key in the maintenance of proper mental health, and excelling at any task whether it’s in the realm of: academics, athletics, or business. The following guest post discusses this and is entitled; Understanding The Man-Machine-Theory Of Mind Explained.

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Image Source: No attribution required

What is the mind?

As most of your 100 billion neurons flash intermittently in search of an answer, you realize that in the very process of thinking you are turning to your mind for the solution. While the fact that we are blessed with the incredible ability to think and reason is incredulous enough, what is even more startling is that the mind is capable of much more than simple retrieval of information. Wealth Creation Mastermind’s guide to the kybalion explains a few interesting theories about how the mind works.
A lot of people associate the mind to be a singular and simple concept. When you don’t know something, you turn your mind “on” and the answer “appears”. Because of our conditioning, a lot of us are stuck in this vicious cycle of assigning simple tasks to our mind and not leveraging its true power.

The Mind Explained

The mind is known as the seat of human consciousness. However, the true answer of what the mind is eludes us as we are discovering profound things about it every day. The mind is the most powerful multi-tool you will ever own. It is like a cosmic Swiss knife which has several tools, some of which can even transform your reality and reshape your life.

Most of us have been conditioned from a very young age to be “realistic” about goals – a strongly inculcated belief system of what we can and cannot do. This leads individuals down the path of inaccurate conclusions of who they are and what they are actually capable of in real life. This path typically leads you to wasted potential and regret.

The most successful people you see around you are those of them who took the first critical step towards their journey – they started to believe that they could. This process of mental transmutation, materializing your own reality, is a very real phenomenon and you can use it to make it work for you as well.

Balancing The Mental Ecosystem

The mind is a complex ecosystem that is powerful and resilient, but with a catch – you are the fulcrum that it rests on. What you think and feel about yourself has an impact on what you become. This is because thoughts are self-perpetuating cycles and they manifest itself in ways that are hard to imagine. If you think that you’re failing your way through life, then that is what you’ll end up becoming.

One way out of this is to make a list of all the things that you feel are positive achievements that you’ve been able to garner. Read this list out to yourself (aloud if you’re alone) when you’re feeling down. Something as simple as this can build confidence and redirect your mental thought flow to a more positive place.

Rework Your Self-Belief System

Image Source: No attribution required

Self-belief is a powerful tool that you can use to tide you over the worst of times. When this falters, you will find that you are left listless and floundering even when it comes to day to day activities. A lot of us are more talented than we can imagine but if this talent needs to surface, you need a healthy self-belief system.

Search for things that reinforce your self-belief. Don’t hang around with people who mock you for your goals. All that doubts and sarcastic company do are hold you back from your true potential. Don’t be the person who calls it luck when things go your way – believe that you deserve it and work towards getting more opportunities.

Draw Positive Conclusions

People tend to give themselves a hard time – they come to negative conclusions when things don’t go their way. When people are too critical of themselves, they tend toward negative labeling which is again a self-fulfilling condition. You’re setting yourself up for the very goal that your label indicates. Thankfully, you can unlearn all these negative habits and change your perception for the better.

Know that sometimes you are more wrong about you than a lot of other people. It helps to talk to people to understand what they feel about you. Challenge negative views of yourself by stepping out of your comfort zone and meeting challenges head-on. The most important thing you can do is try, the results will eventually work themselves out.

Summing it up

These are just a few things that you can try to unlearn the mental hurdles that have been preventing you from achieving the success you deserve. Hone your mind to accept failures as lessons and keep striving to better yourself.

Having a positive outlook does not magically transform everything around you in a flash. What it does is to encourage you towards optimistic thoughts which can lead to productive behavior. Given time, you will notice that a lot of things about you have changed… and for the better!

Can You Keep One Eye On The Business Ball Without Taking Work Home With You This Evening?

Two of the focuses on of my blog are Career Discussions, and Health and Wellness. When stepping up into management positions, balancing one’s health with the new demands can be a challenge. The title of this contributed post is thus entitled; Can You Keep One Eye On The Business Ball Without Taking Work Home With You This Evening?

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Managers are always told that they shouldn’t take work home with them. We all need a break now and again, after all. By taking care of admin into the early hours, you’ll soon start to suffer. Keep this going for too long, and you could experience the notorious ‘manager burnout’. If that happens, your work will suffer. You may even have to take time out. Whatever happens, it won’t be good.

Instead, managers across the world work hard to switch their business phones off and leave their laptops in the office. And, the chances are this is an effort you also attempt to get behind. Good for you. Prioritizing your own time is part of what makes you such an excellent manager.

The trouble is, leaving the office at five and switching off altogether could leave you stalling in the morning. Rather than getting straight to work, you’ll have to take a little time to get back into things. Often, that’ll leave you behind before the day has even started.

Hence why we’re going to suggest something revolutionary. While you still want to leave work at the office, it is possible to keep your mind on the ball regardless. All you need to do is make use of the following outlets during your down hours.

Podcasts

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We all love a podcast, don’t we? Whether we’re listening to Serial or The Daily, this is now the way many of us choose to unwind. Lucky for you, there are plenty of business-based podcasts which can help you relax while teaching you a thing or two. Shows like Fire Nation can teach you about every aspect of entrepreneurial life. In episodes like this one where JLD chats with Joe Kashurba, you can even learn how to grow your business. Options like the Social Pros Podcast can even teach you about content marketing and everything social media. While fun and interesting, these options also fuel the embers of your business fire, rather than putting it out overnight.

YouTube videos

Who doesn’t spend at least some of their evening browsing YouTube? If you get stuck in loops of cat videos, opt instead for inspirational business-based channels. The official TED channel includes talks for individuals from every industry, including business. You may also want to subscribe to entrepreneur-specific YouTubers such as GaryVee. His business advice has gained him well over 1.5 million subscribers. Watching these guys, you’ll feel like you’re relaxing with a past time you love. But, you can bet you’ll learn a few useful tidbits.

Listen to industry news

While we can’t help with any specific suggestions, it’s also crucial you listen to industry news. By finding field-specific radio stations, you can get your fix of what’s going on in the rest of your industry. That can help with everything from finding your target audience, to keeping them interested. Rather than listening to 80s pop music on your way to and from work, then, consider sticking this on and learning something you wouldn’t otherwise.

Demi Lovato: Here’s What Led Up to Her Overdose

A major focus of my blog is Health and Wellness – see my interview with fitness expert James Tate, and my post regarding Chris Herren’s visit to Northern Virginia to discuss his battles with substance abuse. In Pop Culture, we often see celebrities fall victim to the same addictions and vices as everyday non-celebrities. A recent case is recording artist Demi Lovato. The following guest post by Sam Cardigan discusses what led up to her overdose. The image of Demi Lovato used in this post is attributed to Timothy Hiatt of Getty Images.

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In a sad development for fans of Demi Lovato, the singer suffered a setback in her battle with addiction when she was recently brought to the hospital for an apparent drug overdose.

The Los Angeles Police Department responded to an emergency at her home where she was reportedly found unconscious. She was reportedly treated with Narcan, a medication to immediately reverse opioid overdose, prior to being transported to the hospital.

Lovato has been open about her years of struggle with substance abuse. Just last June, she admitted relapsing after celebrating six years of being sober last March.

In the song “Sober”, which dropped June 21, the former Disney star sang about her struggle. Some of the lyrics seem to refer to her cravings for substances that are manifested by shakes and cold sweats. Demi then talked about not wanting any of those feelings as she pled for someone to call her when they were over.

She further sang about the people who never left her and who had been with her during her years of struggle. She finally asked for forgiveness as she acknowledged she is no longer sober.

The “Tell Me You Love Me” singer openly spoke of her substance addiction, eating disorder, bipolar disorder, and depression. She has also publicly shared about going to rehab to address these problems. Here is a look back at her history leading up to this tragic overdose:

Trying Out Drugs in 2009

In Demi’s 2017 documentary Simply Complicated, she shared that she first tried cocaine in 2009 when she was only 17 years old. Her friends were the ones who introduced her to the drug, which she was scared to try at first because her mom had cautioned her about it. Still, she did try it and claimed she “loved it.”

The singer-songwriter also claimed she was curious about drugs and alcohol because her birth father struggled with those substances and chose them over his family.

Rehab for Anorexia, Bulimia, and Cutting in 2010

Also in the documentary, Lovato talked about an incident with one of her backup dancers—a physical altercation that led the then 18-year-old singer to seek treatment for physical and emotional issues.

Lovato said she just remembered going up to the dancer and everything else was a blur. However, she remembered how everyone was freaking out about what happened and that she texted her mom the words, “I’m sorry.”

Shortly after that, her representative released a statement saying she was owning responsibility for her actions and that she was seeking help. During this treatment, Lovato learned she has a bipolar disorder.

Acknowledging Bipolar Disorder in 2011

In April 2011 or three months after leaving rehab, Lovato bravely revealed her bipolar disorder during an interview with People magazine. Around this time she also opened up about her bulimia and cutting issues.

Entered Sober Living Home in 2013

She spent most of the entire year of 2013 in a sober living home in Los Angeles. It was right about this period when she admitted to struggling to survive as little as half an hour without using cocaine. She also said that she would sneak some of the substance inside the airplanes.

In an interview, she said that she would wait for everyone to fall asleep and then sneak into the bathroom and do her thing there.

But Lovato claimed that she had her last drink in January 2012 and that she has been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings just like any other person struggling with addiction would do.

Struggle with Sobriety Between 2013 to 2018

The singer opened up about her struggles to remain sober in an interview with Glamour last December 2016. She acknowledged that she didn’t stay sober even after coming out of rehab. She further said that she occasionally has issues, with some days being difficult while the other days are easy.

In March of 2017, she took to Instagram to share how long she has been sober. She posted about how proud she is of her journey and how, “my higher power (God), my family, friends, and everyone else,” supported her.

Drug Overdose in 2018 and Her Road to Recovery

It was initially reported that Lovato had a heroin overdose but she has not been in rehab for heroin addiction in the past. She remained in the hospital longer than expected due to complications — a source told People that she had a fever and some signs of infection, and also was being treated for issues generally associated with a drug overdose—but was, “expected to make a full recovery.” As of Aug. 7, the Skyscraper singer was reportedly out of the hospital and in rehab.

A Cryptocurrency App Case Study

The following guest post comes courtesy of Al Hill, Co-Founder of www.Tradingsim.com. It focuses on a case study for Cryptocurrency Apps – a topic related to my posts which discussed both Bitcoin and Blockchain Technology. While this post discusses Apps for financial transactions using Cryptocurrencies, it worth noting that the Big Words Blog Site is not involved in giving personal financial advice to readers and is not liable for any financial decisions made by readers. This post contains several infographics. Click on the images to enlarge them.

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Why do a case study on cryptocurrency apps? Well, it wasn’t up to me. There is just too much demand according to the number of searches from Google.

There are a lot of case studies on the web related to bitcoin and cryptocurrencies apps, so we wanted to do things slightly differently by defining a methodology to remove any inherit bias from the equation.

The study focused on 4 main factors on a normalized exponential scale of 1 to 100.

• Social Power- Social power is a custom ranking metric we created by weighting the numbers of followers across social networks: Facebook (45%), Twitter  (35%), and LinkedIn (20%)

• Total Number of Installs (provided only by the Google Play App Store)
• Total Number of Reviews
• Rating on the Google Play App Store (the IOS App Store only provides “4+”)

So, after inputting these data points into our algorithm, what did we come up with? An awesome top 10 list for you to explore!

The top graph depicts the overall rating based on our methodology. Now, if you are a true data geek like me, please have a look at the supporting numbers in the table below.

As you can see, the methodology did create some separation between the best in breed.

Blockchain is the clear technology leader providing a framework solving many business challenges, one of which is the cryptocurrency market, so the 100 rating was not a shocker.

Some of the other apps are news outlets or provide the ability to track the value of currencies, which won’t measure up in terms of value add against apps that allow you to buy cryptos or use them as a form of payment.

But what makes Coinbase so popular?

The real story with Coinbase is the large number of reviews for their app.

With the largest count of over 600k reviews, this was not by chance. Coinbase has a clear growth strategy focused on 4 pillars:

1. Create a simple retail exchange that allow consumers to invest in digital currency
2. Enable professional traders and institutions to trade digital currencies
3. Create an interface for people to make payments with digital currencies and developers to build applications that utilize this payment network
4. Simplify the development process and even invest in some partners that have awesome ideas

This approach creates evangelists that not only use Coinbase’s products, but also scream about them from the rooftops.

You of course will need to determine which app works best for your needs, but how people are sharing and using the application is likely a great measure.

To access the full case study, please visit: https://tradingsim.com/blog/crypto-apps-study/

Al Hill
Co-Founder, Tradingsim.com

The Best Apps for Crypto Investment

I am pleased to present my first guest post for the Big Words Blog Site. It comes courtesy of Michael Kordvani, the Head of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of the App development agency Fueled, and it discusses the best Apps for ‘Cryptocurrency’ (Crypto) Investment – a topic related to two of my posts which discussed both Bitcoin and Blockchain Technology. While this post recommends the best Apps for financial transactions using cryptocurrencies, it is worth noting that the Big Words Blog Site is not involved in rendering personal financial advice to readers and is thus not liable for any financial decisions made by readers.

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There are now loads of different cryptocurrencies to invest in, but how do you keep track of all your investments, and the changes in the market?

No doubt you’ll want to use your smartphone to manage your crypto investments. While we’re not always in front of our PC, we’ve usually got our smartphone to hand, and when it comes to cryptocurrencies, things can change fast. Being able to access your investment data quickly, any time you like, wherever you are, is pretty much vital.

Blockchain development has been highly concentrated in the area of crypto investment apps, so you have plenty of choice when it comes to apps to use. Here’s our pick of some of the best apps for managing your crypto investments…

Coinbase

If you’re new to crypto investment, then Coinbase is a good choice as it’s very easy to use. Setting it up and then making sense of the information displayed is very simple. It’s very popular at the moment with more than 10 million customers using their system.

Gemini

Gemini is another popular choice, and currently benefits from slightly lower fees than Coinbase. This is an intuitive app with lots of reporting capabilities and some great graphs to help you make sense of all the information it presents.

Blockfolio

Blockfolio is particularly useful for anyone with a diverse portfolio. It’s a powerful tool that can seem complicated at first, but it’s well worth spending the time getting to grips with it if you’re dealing with a wide range of investments across several cryptocurrencies. Blockfolio tracks more than 800 different cryptocurrencies and sends push notifications to your smartphone when levels reach your predetermined threshold.

Investing.com Cryptocurrency

If you tend to trust apps from long established companies, then take a look at Investing.com Cryptocurrency. This company has been giving us investment advice for over 10 years now so it’s no surprise they’ve moved into the cryptocurrency market too. Through their app you can track 1300 different cryptocurrencies in real time, and you have the advantage of seeing historical data too. This app will also allow you to set alerts for when your goal price has been reached.

Bitcoin Wallet from BTC

This app from BTC is easy to use and is nicely designed to be simple yet efficient. It’s very secure and has reasonable transfer fees. It offers a good backup system, so you’ll never lose your data, and you can also transfer Bitcoin via QR reader. This app only deals with Bitcoin though, so if you’re investing in other altcoins, then you will probably want to look at our other recommended apps rather than this one.

Xapo Wallet

If security is top of your priority list when choosing a crypto investment app, then they don’t come much more secure than Xapo Wallet. The Wall Street Journal described their security as ‘the Fort Knox of cryptocurrency storage’. It gives you three layers of security and it’s also very easy to use with a smooth interface.

BitTrade Scalping Terminal

BitTrade Scalping Terminal is ideal for those of you who want to make big profits on the small price movements that are so common in the cryptocurrency trading world. It is a cryptocurrency scalping tool that boasts a clean interface, demo trading option for those of you who are new to the process to learn the ropes with, and best of all, it’s browser-based so you don’t even need to download it.