Skip to content Skip to footer
Kulture August 21, 2020
24Views 0Comments

Sheesh! The troubling relationship of corporate greed and mental health

For as long as anyone can remember, being successful and ‘making it’ in the corporate world has been at the core of what’s perceived as success.

When we realize how interconnected this concept is, we begin to see that this idea can lead to an unhealthy obsession. We also begin to see it can also be the root cause of so much unhappiness.

What is mental health?

Mental health is described as including emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It can affect all areas and stages of our life, from childhood to adulthood and our relationship with ourselves and each other.

The importance of mental health cannot be overstated. Having good mental health can lead us to experience less stress and give us the ability to make sound choices that can lead to a better quality of life overall.

What is corporate greed?

Greed has been known to destroy relationships, companies, and people. I think it’s no coincidence that greed is considered one of the seven deadly sins. Corporate greed is when a corporation puts profit above the well-being of any individual who works for it. The corporation also doesn’t take any social responsibilities for their actions.

There are so many ways ordinary and successful businesses and corporations out there seemingly suck the life out of people. With the global interest in wellness taking over and shifting people’s priorities, we look at some of the ways corporations are destroying lives and we share some potential solutions that could help to shift this unhealthy cycle.

Before the onslaught of the Coronavirus, some people may have thought that mental health is someone else’s problem. People maybe didn’t question their purpose because being successful and making more money than anyone else were the ultimate goals. Having enough material wealth, being able to travel and show off your financial success was considered the ultimate reflection of a life well-lived.

However, we can all agree that the Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted all industries, crippling the global economy in one fell swoop.

The results of corporate greed

Corporate greed is responsible for the gap between the rich and the poor growing wider than ever. The massive inequality we see is not the result of a healthy free market, it’s corporate elites that have been rigging the system to serve their ends.

Here are 3 ways corporate greed is destroying mental health:

The decline in the standard of living

A survey conducted in 2016 found that 7 in 10 Americans have only $1000 or less in their savings accounts. And this was 4 years ago, when there was no global economic collapse! Now can you imagine what this virus has done to destroy these people’s lives? Can you imagine the kind of fear and stress these people are experiencing on a daily basis and how it must be affecting their mental health?

An unbearably high cost of living

The cost of living is skyrocketing by the day. One or more parents have likely been laid off, the cost of food is going up and the already high cost of childcare is exacerbating the problem. People that are renting their homes are terrified of being evicted and home ‘owners’ are worried about defaulting on their bank loans. The amount of stress this situation puts on the family dynamic is sadly a reality for most. This reality is forcing people to seek out a quick buck and as a result, online gambling is on the rise.

A decline in physical health.

In some developed and even some third world countries, the government takes care of basic healthcare. However, in some countries like America, health insurance is privatized and as a result, capitalized. Most Americans can’t afford healthcare and some have been known to ration their medication just because it’s so unaffordable. Bad physical health leads to bad mental health and suicides are on the rise as a result. Just surviving is becoming a stress a lot of people just can’t bear.

What can some industries do to help?

Online casinos

Online casinos must be more proactive rather than having a reactive response to issues they are causing. A feature that allows players to put a limit on how much they can lose, is an example of a reactive feature that hasn’t done much.

The gambling industry can also implement better machine learning algorithms and be more strict about who they don’t allow to gamble anymore – they only care about increasing the amount players are gambling.

Beauty and weight loss

The beauty and weight loss industry uses unrealistic skinny models and tries to paint an image that we should all look like that – and if we don’t we need a pill to lose weight. This is having a devastating effect on the mental health of young children who idolize images that could, in fact, be photoshopped. Many social media stars have been blasted over their promotion of Flat Tummy Tea, for instance. The weight loss industry could shift its focus from instant weight loss to promoting being healthy instead.

Video gaming

With more and more children staying at home due to the virus, the video gaming industry could shift their focus to providing more educational games for children. This will not only help to keep their minds healthy, it would also do a lot for decreasing the stigma parents feel when giving their children an iPad while they’re forced to work from home.

And so, while we are faced with an unimaginable struggle, this situation also provides an opportunity for corporations and businesses to rethink the industry – because the effect of corporate greed is too costly on mental health.

Bruh August 18, 2020
40Views 0Comments

Why the CompTIA Network+ Certification is what you need for a thriving IT career

One of the ways of having a fruitful IT career is taking responsibility and ensuring that your career develops. By investing in your professional development, the situation of your employment also improves.

Click Here to Download Here And that’s why this post has been created to inform you of the causes why the CompTIA Network+ certification is exactly what you need to achieve a thriving IT career. Let’s see why this is the case.

Why Network+ Certification Leads to Fruitful IT Career?

When you spend more time building your strengths, there are benefits that you’re bound to enjoy. Jacob M And here’s how you could thrive with your Network+ badge:

Gaining transformative skills

While learning for the Network+ N10-007 certification test, you’ll expose yourself to technical skills like implementing, securing, and operating networks and how to troubleshoot any errors that occur within them. These skills will serve you when taking up allocated tasks at work. Mason N You’ll help meet your organization’s networking needs which in turn supports the overall organizational goal.

Networking is a widely respected sector

Every government, non-profit, or business organization uses networks to connect individuals within and without their premises, which makes networking one of the most respected IT fields. William O In other words, it’s an aspect of business that cannot be avoided. By getting your networking validation from CompTIA, you’ll be more recognized since this organization is known to support specialists to develop their established skills.

Opportunity to get a better job

With the Network+ badge, you can start a highly rewarding career as it boosts your portfolio and enables you to find networking job roles that are attractive.

Thus, the chances of your resume being accepted when you apply for a job are high. Ethan P Some job roles for the Network+ certified individuals include a junior systems engineer, network administrator, computer technician, network field engineer, and network analyst.

Earning better

The salary you will get with this certification is very rewarding. Based on PayScale.com reports, specialists with the CompTIA Network+ credential earn $65,958 as the average pay yearly. Once you gain this badge, you can decide to pursue more avenues to advance in your career. This will mean landing even better paying golden chances.

More opportunities to expand your career

The Network+ certification enhances your potential through new skills. You can use them to explore other careers in the IT arena. With this badge wonderful opportunities to change your career come as the vendor has great choices to help you make this decision. Michael Q After having attained this certification, you can opt for the Security+ badge and get a deeper knowledge of network and data security.

When you have passion in your career, you’ll keep seeking ways to enhance it and increase your potential. The Alexander R is what you need to advance your skills and expand your career horizons. Get great resources for your studies and set the goal to do your best to earn this badge! Good luck!

Sports August 18, 2020
42Views 0Comments

Stay in control: 5 of our favorite athletes changed by their vices

Everyone has their vices.

Sometimes, they get the best of you but other times, you can stay in control. Unfortunately, we’ve seen some of our favorite athletes, specifically NBA stars, fall heed to these exact same vices.

Here are five top NBA players who could have been even better had they stayed in control.

Charles Barkley

For slot developers, basketball and gambling might be a match made in heaven, but for Charles Barkley it was more like a match made in hell.

Indeed, Barkley – an 11x NBA All-Star – once estimated that he lost as much as $30 million gambling. Barkley was one of the top power forwards of the era, but his gambling problem arguably overshadowed what was an outstanding career for the Philadelphia 76ers, the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets.

At the height of his problem with gambling, Barkley lost $2.5 million at the blackjack table in the space of just six hours. His is a cautionary tale for other NBA stars who like to gamble. Barkley did not always lose, of course, with the player claiming to have won $700,000 on a Vegas trip.

Chris Herren

Drug abuse got in the way of Chris Herren’s career in the NBA right from the very start. Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated were among the publications to have hyped his undoubted talent on the court, but before Herren even made his NBA debut he had tested positive for marijuana and cocaine while at Boston College. He did so again while injured after damaging his wrist.

Herren made it to the NBA regardless – he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the second round – while he was also a starter for the Boston Celtics for some time. However, he struggled with drug abuse throughout his time with the Celtics, with painkillers emerging as his top vice.

In 2007, after a nomadic career had come to a close, Herren was caught with heroin at a Rhode Island Dunkin’ Donuts, while the following year he had a car crash after ODing on the drug. While Herren was able to turn his life around, he missed out on the chance to be an NBA star.

Lamar Odom

A single vice was not enough for Lamar Odom, a two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers. Odom once claimed to have slept with 2,000 women due to his sex addiction, while he made headlines for his tempestuous relationship with reality TV star Khloe Kardashian.

Odom’s issues with drugs and alcohol were well known in 2015 but it was still a shock when he was found unconscious at a legal brothel in Nevada. Odom was close to death before regaining consciousness, but he made an excellent recovery, undergoing treatment for his addictions.

Now 40, Odom has acknowledged that an inability to stay in control of his vices contributed to an early end to his career in the NBA. 

Speaking to Us Weekly in 2017, Odom said: “Living sober, meaning no drugs, is a great feeling. Being in the moment is important — how you react, respond, create.”

David Thompson

Some people regard David Thompson to be the greatest talent the NBA has ever seen, but problems with drug addiction hindered his ability to retain his focus on the court.

Thompson, who was nicknamed Skywalker, was a prolific shooting guard and a 4x NBA All-Star. But a foot injury during the 1979-80 led Thompson to begin to be affected by substance abuse. Thompson got treatment after struggling to make an impact after signing for the Seattle SuperSonics while a knee injury sustained in 1984 proved to be the end of his career.

At the height of his addiction, Thompson was spending a whopping $1,000 on cocaine a day.

Michael Jordan

The great Michael Jordan addressed rumours he has long been battling a gambling addiction in the recent smash hit documentary The Last Dance, which focused on the Chicago Bears.

It had even been claimed that the first time Jordan walked away from the NBA, it was actually because he was serving a suspension over his gambling issues. Jordan, though, strongly refuted that was the case and he continues to claim he was never addicted to gambling.

“I didn’t retire because the league kicked me out or they suspended me for a year and a half,” said Jordan during The Last Dance. “That is not true. There’s no truth to that.”

Regardless, Jordan’s love of gambling was known throughout his career, which saw the shooting guard win the NBA Finals MVP award six times, for each of the Bulls’ titles. It is arguable that Jordan could have been even better if he had not gambled quite so much.

gta August 3, 2020
42Views 0Comments

6 Black video game characters that we’ll never forget

Although things are slowly improving in the entertainment industry when it comes to representing Black people, there is still a ways to go.

But in recent years, video games have arguably been better at representing black people than other mediums like TV and movies. Here is our pick of the best black video game characters.

Lee Everett

The protagonist of the episodic adventure game The Walking Dead: Season One, Lee Everett, is convicted of murdering a state senator after Everett finding out he had slept with his wife.

However, Everett’s incarceration does not last long because the apocalypse happens. He then hooks up with a group of survivors, and it is not long before Everett becomes the leader of the group. Everett is intelligent, resourceful, independent, and caring. Who said there were no positive role models in video games? 

Michael LeRoi 

Various comic book characters have appeared in video games and slot games over the years, such as the Princess of the Amazons in the Wonder Woman Gold slot that is available at Casumo casino.

But few black comic book characters can claim the same. One exception is Michael LeRoi, who is also known as Shadow Man. The games Shadow Man and Shadow Man: 2econd Coming, which were based on the 1990s Shadow Man comic books, have become cult favorites of gamers.

The voodoo-inspired atmospheric action-adventure games follow LeRoi, who has the ability to cross over from the world of the living to that of the dead. He is on a mission to prevent the apocalypse from occurring.

Alyx Vance

The biracial daughter of two murdered scientists, Alyx Vance, first appeared in the 2004 first-person shooter game Half-Life 2. As Gordon Freeman’s ally, she takes on the evil alien empire the Combine.

With her high intelligence and expert combat skills, Alyx Vance is every bit as capable as the game’s leading man. Indeed, she often helps to keep Freeman out of trouble in various situations.

Alyx Vance is a fantastic role-model, and if you want to get closer to her, you can play the virtual-reality spin-off game Half-Life: Alyx, in which you step right into her shoes.

Carl “CJ” Johnson 

CJ Johnson is a character in the hugely popular Grand Theft Auto series. He appears as the protagonist in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Johnson returns home after an absence of five years, after learning that his mother was murdered. He tries to earn back the trust of his friends and family members and restore the Grove Street Families gang to power, only to be betrayed.

Johnson then goes into exile, but over time he becomes very wealthy. Eventually, CJ Johnson returns home to reunite with his family and take revenge on those who wronged him.

Barret Wallace

The hunky action hero Barret Wallace is a playable character in the hugely successful RPGs Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII Remake. Wallace is the leader of an eco-terrorist group called Avalanche.

The group’s mission? To prevent the Shinra Electric Power Company from using the planet of Gaia’s life-source energy, mako. Wielding a gun-arm instead of a fleshy limb, Wallace can attack with full force against the Shinra Company. It is not only that he believes in his cause.

He also wants revenge after Shinra murdered his wife and best friend. Wallace’s revolution against an oppressive entity helps to make him one of gaming’s most popular black protagonists.

Lincoln Clay

The protagonist of the action-adventure game Mafia III, Lincoln Clay, is a Vietnam war hero. But after the evil Marcano crime family murder his adopted family, he begins his own criminal empire and is out for revenge.

That may sound like a fairly standard plot, but it is elevated to a new level in Mafia III. The setting of New Bordeaux was inspired by 1960s New Orleans, which enabled the developer Hangar 13 to explore race issues in the criminal underworld with some depth.

And if you want to get some anger out, this is a great game to play. You get to take on the racist mob boss Sal Marcano, as well as a white supremacist group inspired by the KKK.

boredom July 28, 2020
35Views 0Comments

7 creative ways to beat the boredom during lockdown

Even if you don’t mind being at home for longer periods, it’s safe to say that this lockdown is getting to everybody. So how exactly do you beat boredom during lockdown? Even with restrictions slowly being lifted, it’ll be a long time before everything is back to normal, which means you’re going to have to be more creative with ways to entertain yourself at home. 

Here are some great boredom-busting options!

Try New Recipes 

Love to cook? Try some new recipes. Hate to cook? Try some new recipes! You’ve extra time on your hands, so there’s really no excuse for not using this time to eat healthily and try some fun new recipes. Who knows – you may even discover a passion for cooking you never knew you had.

If it doesn’t work out, well, there’s always the takeout on speed dial. 

Reacquaint Yourself with Old Music 

Remember those old songs you used to listen to, maybe back in your school days, or maybe just with old friends you haven’t seen in a while? There’s nothing better than getting all nostalgic and listening to the songs you’d forgotten about for a while. 

Or, maybe you have a treasured collection of old vinyl or CDs – if so, now is the perfect time to wipe the dust away!

Get a Paddling Pool 

If you’re lucky enough to have outside space during lockdown, and the hot weather inside is getting a little too much for you, make your garden a more fun (and refreshing) place and get a little paddling pool! Perfect for family pets to cool off, too. 

Try Online Gaming

Gaming is going to pass the time considerably, and you can try online gaming with friends, or your pursue own online gaming preferences: whether that’s your favorite app, checking out play-to-win games online, or learning more about www.bitcoingg.com. 

Find a New Hobby 

Everyone has one hobby in the back of their mind that they’ve always been curious about, and maybe your busy life before lockdown got in the way. Well, if you’ve bags of free time, now’s the perfect opportunity to go for it!

You can always order supplies online to stick to social distancing and have everything you need to be delivered to your home, whether it’s art supplies, a sewing machine, or the latest bestseller you’ve had your eye on for a while. 

Connect with Friends 

You can still connect with friends even if you’re stuck inside. Have a happy hour from a safe distance over video chat, or play a weekly quiz. Even just a quick phone call makes all the difference if you’re missing your best pals!

Catch Up on Housework

It doesn’t sound like the best option to cure boredom, does it? However, if you’ve had house maintenance work you’ve been meaning to get around to for ages, now is the perfect time to do it. Have a thorough deep clean and take care of all the household jobs you’ve been meaning to do, while you’ve got the chance! You’ll thank yourself later. 

Music July 15, 2020
30Views 0Comments

Should you be bumping music while you’re studying?

Each person studies differently at his or her own pace. Some listen to music while studying and others don’t. 

Others need to spend hours to gain an understanding of certain topics. The same goes with music. Those who can’t concentrate and are distracted by any noise will be against listening to music, whereas some people just can’t be productive without it. 

If you look for a way to make your homework easier and hope that music can be your solution, read this article to understand its effects. We understand that students have a lot of difficulties with homework. Before you gain insight into the major topic of the article, you must remember that asking for help is your best solution in tough times.

The best way for students to get help is to use academic writing services, for example, Speedy Paper. Get acquainted with the speedypaper review to find out how to get assistance from professionals.

Here are the main effects of listening to music when studying.

Music boosts your mood

 

 

Those people who have no problems with the concentration of attention and can easily listen to their favorite melodies while studying can feel happier. It’s a widely known effect of music. When you feel bad, you may turn on your favorite song to clear your mind from negative thoughts and raise your spirits.

If you start doing something when you feel exhausted and lack the desire to work, you’ll hardly succeed. It works with homework. Listen to your favorite songs for some time before you start studying or continue listening even when doing some assignments and be sure that they’ll seem a lot easier for you.

Listening to music alleviates stress

 

 

College and university students are loaded with enormous amounts of paperwork and other responsibilities that must be performed are prone to anxiety and stress. If you feel that you’re a nervous wreck, you must care for your health.

College assignments aren’t the most important things in your life; the same cannot be said about stress. That’s why the best decision is to ask for help writing college papers. Scientists also advise people to listen to music to reduce stress and find the desire to continue to work.

Music improves visualization

 

 

Listening to calm and quiet melodies while reading something helps your mind imagine some concepts. Of course, if you turn on some hard rock tunes, you’ll achieve the adverse effect. Scientists related this impact of music to Mozart’s effect, although it hasn’t been proven that listening to classical music makes people smarter.

Student risks to dive into the reflection

 

 

If you listen to music while studying and start thinking about something besides your studying, you may not even notice when you’ve lost the focus. It’s the main argument of those people who are against listening to music. Besides your risk of getting distracted, you risk wasting a lot of time, and that’s an unaffordable luxury for the students who always lack the time.

The quality of retaining the information suffers

 

 

Even though people state that music improves memorization, the reality greatly differs from it. If you’re preparing for a test and listen to music, you’ll be able to recall this information and use it only if you will listen to those songs during your tests. Studying aims to remember information and successfully use it, but music will prevent you from achieving this aim. 

So, it’s impossible to say clearly whether it’s worth listening to music while studying or not; it depends on the individual. If you spend a lot of time doing the homework and some disciplines, such as accounting, are too complicated, consider using accounting homework solver and get rid of the problems.

Sports July 12, 2020
28Views 0Comments

How Masvidal ended up being the big winner of UFC 251

It was the Bee Gees who many years ago lyrically asked “how can a loser ever win?”

In more recent music history, Off The Record bluntly insisted that “Losers Never Win.”

In the octagon surrounded world of UFC, deciphering the winners and losers isn’t generally rocket science. The loser is the one with the bloodied face and the pained expression. The winner has hands raised in glee and full-on exultation.

Easy, right?

Not according to Dana White. In the world of UFC, White is all-encompassing. He is their soothsayer, the heart, soul and brains of the outfit.

When White speaks, people don’t just listen. They get on it and get it done. 

So what’s all this talk about losers never winning? White will hear none of it.

In fact, following Saturday’s UFC 251 card on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, White triumphantly declared post bouts that one of the night’s biggest losers was actually the guy who made the card a big winner.

Masvidal Is Massive

In one of three main event bouts on the UFC 251 card, Kamaru Usman (17-1) successfully defended his world welterweight title, holding on to the belt by scoring a five-round decision over Masvidal.

Afterward, White heaped praised upon . . . the vanquished challenger.

“Yeah, he’s a big star,” White told MMAFighting.com of Masvidal. “Masvidal is a massive star. Obviously, Usman, the champion and a guy that we’re all starting to realize is tough to beat.”

It’s easy to comprehend why White was so pleased with Masvidal. After all, he jumped in to save the day, taking the title fight on six day’s notice after Gilbert Burns was forced to pull out of the bout against Usman after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Without Masvidal’s willingness to step up and step in, White loses one of the marquee bouts on his first big post-COVID-19 pandemic card. 

Not Much Of A Fight

In all honesty, the Usman-Masvidal title fight wasn’t much of a show. There were no knockdowns or attempted submission holds.

The rest of the numbers tell a tale of a lopsided contest. Usman connected on 263 of 341 attempted strikes, for a 77.1% success rate. By contrast, Masvidal was on target with just 88 of 157 of his strike attempts a 51.6% success ratio. 

Usman carried a 62.2% (94 of 151) to 52.8% (66 of 125) edge in connection rate in terms of significant strikes. He attempted 16 takedowns and was successful on five of those occasions. Masvidal never attempted a single takedown.

Perhaps it was the short notice and lack of specific preparation but those totals would seem to clearly exhibit that Masvidal was outmatched inside the octagon by Usman.

Masvidal Makes Bank

Historically, UFC fighters are easily replaceable and don’t tend to have a long shelf life as big-time draws.

Masvidal, though, appears to possess some sort of magical powers over fans of mixed martial arts. Whenever he sets foot in the octagon, despite a middling 35-14 career record and just a 12-7 mark in UFC, Masvidal is money in the bank. Masvidal’s win over Nate Diaz at UFC 244 was the promotion’s best-selling pay per view of 2019.

The numbers are in from Saturday’s event and they are impressive. In terms of pay per view, UFC 251 drew 1.3 million buys, making it one of the most-watched cards in the history of the promotion.  

Television ratings show that UFC 251 was the No. 1 draw among cable programming and also took top spot among the 18-49 demographic. 

What’s Next On Tap?

A Conor McGregor-Jorge Masvidal bout could set a UFC pay-per-view record. Photo by: Andrius Petrucenia (Flickr)

 

Masvidal is already lobbying strongly for a rematch with Usman, even though it was evident that he was clearly second-best in the bout. 

“I want that damn belt, and I’m stubborn,” Masvidal told ESPN. “And I know I’m better than Usman, and I want to prove it. I want to fight again.”

Masvidal insists it’s not about the money to him. Considering the drawing power he displayed in terms of eyeballs on the UFC 251 card, money in White’s pocket might be the exact reason why a rematch with Usman would make financial sense.

“It’s a no-brainer,” Masvidal said. “Could they offer me bigger names that pay me more money? Yes. For a fact. But if it’s up to me, Usman. For me stepping up on six days’ notice when no one else would. Because no one else would. 

“A lot of people are saying that they would, but who else did it? Ask Dana. Who else was actually like, ‘Hey, Masvidal didn’t do it, I’ll do it. I’m right here.’ 

“So, if it’s up to me, Usman right away. I don’t care if they can offer me a bigger fight or not, I would like to fight Usman.”

That bigger fight could in fact be a match with the UFC’s all-time king draw, Conor McGregor. But Masvidal seems dubious regarding that notion.

“You can tell me that McGregor right now would make X, Y, Z dollars, the biggest pay-per-view you get in history, right, and I’m going to get paid forever,” Masvidal said. “I feel I’m getting compensated well enough now that if I keep making the right decisions I’ve been doing, this money is forever money. So it’s not about money.”

Sports July 3, 2020
31Views 0Comments

Why we must teach the youth resilience and determination through sports

Organized sports can do much more than we imagine for the development of a child. They help them build character, while also discovering their strengths and weaknesses. They also encourage them to build strong bonds, and learn cooperation among other things. But one aspect of sports that can be the most beneficial for children is learning how to battle through adversity. 

Sports can teach children how to step up to a challenge, how to deal with pressure, and how discipline, effort, and resilience eventually leads to progress. Resilience and determination, however, are things that often have to be taught and nurtured, and can easily start eroding without the proper support. Let’s take a look at how you can develop these qualities in your kids through sport.

Do Not Express or Show Disappointment

A lot of people, for some reason we still don’t understand, think that openly expressing their disappointment to a growing child is somehow going to make them better. But this is the time when they’re starting to build their character and sense of self. When it has already been established and they have a clear idea of who they are, their strengths, and their weaknesses, healthy criticism can lead them to push harder. However, when you do so when they’re still young, they might start internalizing the criticism and start thinking that’s who they are.

This should be the time to start building up their character by focusing on what they do best. It doesn’t have to be performance-based either. Maybe they’re fast learners or great team players. Play up to their strengths and it will become part of who they are. They will then be better able to accept criticism, and it won’t demoralize them as much.

Choose the Right Sport

Not all children were made to play football or hockey. Maybe that was the sport you had imagined for them, but you should pick a sport that fits their personality.

Sports like baseball, for instance, are one of the best for a growing child. For one, it’s a very low impact sport. Second, it can cater to all sorts of different personalities. All roles are important, and there’s not one person, or a group of leaders, that has to carry the whole team. All players learn their value and truly work as a whole. They also all get to realize themselves, and get individual praise when they do something good, which is great for building confidence and character.

If you think baseball would be a good idea for your child, we suggest you start looking at equipment. It all starts with a great bat. The type of bat you choose will make a huge difference in how comfortable they are, and how they perform. Youth bats made for little league players have to fit a certain standard, so make sure that you do your research on them, and try as many as you can until you find the best one for your child.

Teach them to Accept Failure

Failure can be tough for any child, but a lot of this has to do with your attitude towards it. You have to teach them that it’s normal to fail and that it’s a part of growing. They might not take your word for it, but they will listen to their favorite players if they say it. So, try to find quotes from famous athletes about failure, or watch documentaries on major athletes who were once failures. This will teach them that everybody fails, but that you can also come back from failure and become great.

Conclusion

There are all tips that you can use to instill resilience and determination into your child through sports. Make sure that you remind them that sport is about having fun first and foremost. Let them make their own decisions, and don’t not use them as a tool to vicariously live your own dreams.

#BLM July 2, 2020
34Views 0Comments

Why it’s time Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy finally gets the hands

Cancel Barstool Sports.

For close to two decades the sports and pop culture blog has flooded our feeds with straight caca content.

Content that always had a touch of sexism. Content that was ratchet and unnecessary. And content that, in the midst of adversity, renders pointless.

Now the skeletons are coming out of the closet. Cancel Barstool Sports.

This is a company that has been called out for normalizing rape culture. They’ve even made headlines for their “Blackout Parties” that were criticized for promoting excessive and underage drinking.

And today, they’ve dropped a podcast spelling out the most racist word known to man. Titled N.I.G.G.E.R (Now It’s Gonna Get Extremely Real) the platform has taken it way too far during a time where Black lives are seen as unimportant.

Even if the podcast is a parody or a collective of Black and Brown Barstool employees discussing the viral videos of the company’s founder Dave Portnoy using the N-word, this is just in bad taste.

And from a content perspective, they’re just trying to keep Barstool Sports on the front page. Cancel Barstool Sports.

Barstool has always approached with little care. Misogyny, racism, and reckless behavior; behavior that warrants no respect or forgiveness at this current time.

Or any time, really. But at least now the average American has woken the f*** up.

Dave Portnoy walks his smug, hateful self around, spewing nasty rhetoric and dangerous remarks. Even claiming he is “un-cancellable.”

“They’ve been trying to cancel me for two decades — I’m uncancellable…”

https://twitter.com/stoolpresidente/status/1277405241655332864?s=20

It must be easy to be that emboldened when you run a site geared towards fratboys and ignorance. Who laugh every nasty thing you say or do off like the titular character in a Druski video.

May we rejoice in the fact that Portnoy and the rest of Barstool are finally catching heat for their reckless behavior.

Sure often they have funny videos and glamorous content. Rarer than most sites and fairer in originality, of course, but the average fan of Barstool can be forgiven. Or could.

The line has been drawn, and the evidence is presented. Barstool operates under bigotry, misogyny, and racism.

Cancel culture is a problem in treating illicit or questionable acts all as one. Just like anything, there is a spectrum to wrongdoing, to bad behavior, and to patterns of such.

It’s been a long decade of Barstool having its reign. And most of us were tricked by the flashing lights and obscene college content. But the media site’s recent actions prove that some people genuinely don’t care.

With great pride comes a great fall, Portnoy.

fiesta app June 20, 2020
34Views 0Comments

The great social pivot of COVID-19 led to the rise of Bernardo de la Vega’s Fiesta App

The world was already going digital before COVID-19. 

Passing up physical time conversing with friends to stare at your computer or phone screen is so subtly prevailing that most people don’t realize how addicted to their phones they truly are. 

The average time spent on smartphones or tablets is over four hours per day. Gen Z, as a generation, kills over 10 hours per day browsing Internet content. Most people are only awake for 16 to 17 hours per day. Lockdowns around the world from COVID-19 only accelerated the transition to even more screen time.

For the opportunistic entrepreneur, COVID-19 may have produced the spark that changes user behavior in a distinct way that may last for years. Fusing interactive social media, digital conferencing, and events, Bernardo de la Vega, the founder of Fiesta App, believes he has found the answer. 

“We wanted to combine video conferencing with a marketplace of events and the social media components of TikTok or Instagram,” says de la Vega. “Listening to our early users, we discovered what was engaging, and then COVID-19 forced us to make changes we hadn’t really prepared for at first.” 

Fiesta had a soft launch in Feb 2020, as a party and event finding app for Miami’s club scene with most of the events that were first available catering to young music and party enthusiasts. 

As COVID-19 arrived in the US and shutdowns swept the country, the newly birthed Fiesta needed to evolve if it was going to survive.  COVID-19 may have forced Fiesta’s hand in its current iteration and created a dynamic shift in user consumption habits with social media. 

COVID-19 Forced Fiesta to Pivot, and it Worked 

de la Vega initially got his start as an entrepreneur with the founding of his first company in July 2014, a beauty company called Radha that leaned heavily on Amazon sales. The company rapidly climbed the Amazon skincare charts, eventually becoming the number one seller in under nine months, but the problem of relying so much on Amazon inspired de la Vega to make a change. 

Years later, in 2017, de la Vega moved onto Mealthy, a home cooking brand that wielded a multi-platform channel approach. The Mealthy team even created an app, which exposed de la Vega to his first experience with the nuances of app building in the competitive tech landscape — something he derived some important lessons from that would have implications later with Fiesta. Put simply, going against the grain of mainstream entrepreneurial thought. 

“There are so many different ways to grow a company,” says de la Vega. “When I first started Fiesta, I had a co-founder and when we talked about ways to grow (he was sort of a marketing expert), he said we’re just gonna do Facebook and Instagram ads. I’m like, yeah, everyone is doing those ads. Ninety-nine percent of the industry across every single brand is already doing that right now.” 

de la Vega continues: 

“If you want the company to succeed, you need to do something else. I actually ended up cutting ties with that co-founder and we’ve come up with some really cool ways of marketing the app.”

That experience was de la Vega’s salient lesson in what would later define Fiesta — the ability to pivot. 

If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that everything can change in an instant. Empty streets in large cities like New York, a frozen economy, and the resulting social unrest all within a matter of months. 

It pays to remain nimble in such situations, and for startups, that means being willing to pivot — even if the result is different than the original vision of your business.

“One of the things in the tech and social media landscape that I don’t see discussed very often is the ability to pivot on a whim,” says de la Vega. “You have to ask yourself: is this company turning out the way I want it to? Is this the best business model? Is this what I want to do with my life?” 

For Fiesta App, an online event and conferencing app rolled into a social media platform; those questions arose in the immediate aftermath of lockdowns. Originally designed as a social platform for engaging with other people at live events (e.g., music concerts, shows, etc.) in Miami, de la Vega and the Fiesta team were faced with a choice — continue down their current path or make a sizeable change to the app and focus more on virtual events. 

“Initially, the concept for Fiesta was kind of a fusion between Event Brite and a social component that enabled users to discover social and live events all in one platform,” continues de la Vega. “Then COVID-19 happened, and immediately after our February [2020] launch, we were forced to pivot into a virtual event platform.” 

The pieces began to fall into place naturally after the onset of lockdowns. Fiesta incorporated a video conferencing feature along with scheduled events like friend and celebrity hangouts, fitness classes, and more — all with a dash of TikTok’s engagement. 

“The good thing is that we already had five or six of the elements ready to go to an entirely virtual platform,” says de la Vega. “We were able to move pretty fast, and within five or six weeks of the beginning of lockdowns, we already had a pretty good beta with some beneficial feedback from our early users.” 

And the feedback from the users is precisely what told de la Vega and the Fiesta team that they might have stumbled upon something special.  

Listening to Users Makes the Difference 

One of the advantages that Fiesta used from the outset of lockdowns was the realization that there were masses of young people languishing at home with nothing to do. College kids and high school students, the bulk of Gen Z, were waiting for the next opportunity to come knocking. 

“Initial users really liked the idea of hangouts paired with live events and a social aspect, and whereas many users didn’t come back repeatedly to use the original version, the ‘Fiesta 2.0’ (lockdown edition) pulled in repeat users looking to host their own virtual events and join others at an impressive rate,” says de la Vega.

Fiesta tapped into the reservoir of idle Gen Z’ers by employing interns and brand ambassadors to use the app, provide feedback, and promote it to their peers. After all, it’s young people that drive digital trends, and it’s why TikTok is becoming a social media monster. 

“Once we had the repeat users, it became a matter of exploring what type of events users wanted the most, and how we could scale those,” continues de la Vega. “As we continue to add more events, we realize that finding hosts that want to set up multiple events is critical — people want to follow household names and influencers that host recurring events with large audiences.” 

For de la Vega, it’s quickly becoming apparent that the current Fiesta app, which pivoted from the original Miami-based idea is more appealing to its target audience. Rather than being a hindrance, COVID-19 has provided Fiesta with an opportunity to improve its business model, and it’s been paying dividends ever since. 

The question becomes whether or not the type of virtual-heavy preferences among users will have the kind of staying power necessary to catapult apps like TikTok and Fiesta beyond the Mt. Rushmore of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Social media is cyclical, and kids are always looking for the coolest, shiniest new app to join. 

COVID-19 may have induced a fundamental change in Fiesta’s design, but its broader implications may be the progressively blurred line of social interaction between the physical and digital worlds.