Why Are We So Polarized About News And Politics Now?

The central topic of our time currently is, what is increasing the gap between political movements and opinions right now? Why is it that unlike ever before, we as a society are increasingly heading toward mass disharmony and maybe even violence? Politics is the number one issue in many people’s minds as there are great changes taking place in the world. Europe has its own political landscape but in terms of outright conflict between the left and right, America is taking it to another level. There are people fighting in the street, namely two groups that can be defined as Antifa and Center-right coalitions. Fundamentally it's a question of values and policies. For the liberals, they want to see open borders, a destruction of nations and a system that is geared to identity politics. What you see on the right or the coalition in America is centrists, center-right conservatives, libertarians and classical liberals, wanting to keep nations and borders, a maintenance of law and order, and trying to drag out emotions from civilized discussion. Let's go into this a little more.

Source Gage Skidmore

Fighting the person, not the idea

Following the election of Trump as president, something curiously strange started to happen. This person who had been a public personality, a figure on television shows where he pointed his finger at people and said “you’re fired” was being accused of being racist, a fraud, an outlaw and sexual abuser. All of these allegations came at once and no one knew what to believe. He had been in the eyes of America as the classic New Yorker, business, and trade mogul that had billions thanks to his real estate deals.

The left, namely the Democratic Party, began to attack him personally and in a very public way. However, the question is why did they not attack the ideas he was standing on, and instead go for him personally? Well, Middle America voted for the Republican candidate because he promised more jobs and lower taxes. This after the premiership of Obama looked enticing and normal everyday people didn’t seem to care about those allegations and just wanted a better life for themselves. One could argue that the Democrats found it easier to paint their enemy as an uneducated monster than to look at their own ideas, see where they went off the rails in public support and try to see what they could try to offer voters.

Image by Josh Hallett

Who to believe?

US political polarization is taking a new form in that, what news outlets are ‘fake news’? There are so many to choose from and somehow many seem to be saying different things, what should the public choose to take seriously and ignore? CNN is the main hard-liberal news source that regularly goes after anything the 45th leader of the US does in office. On the other hand, Fox News seems to praise Trump on anything he does. They both have different viewing numbers and ratings, with CNN falling behind substantially over the last year or so. Fox News has been steady but due to both not really innovating and trying to hack their way into new media, are declining slowly.

Many news broadcasting companies will only have on certain experts in different fields, and both the left and right seem to pick people that corroborate their values. In essence what you have are echo chambers, where people on side totally say something different to the other. There seems to be no way to trust any of the traditional media news outlets.

Photo by Esther Vargas

Alternative media is rising

News anchors have become personalities themselves. Rather than report the narrative, they are trying to run the narrative. Alternative media sources are simply people that have never worked in the media but have knowledge, degrees, and great knowledge of certain subject matters and they produce videos that are viewed only online. On the left, you have YouTube channels like TYT, and on the right, you have channels like Steven Crowder. People watch their videos for a lot longer than news channels. And since all of their consumption is done online, people are able to pause videos and do their own research to see who is telling the truth. One of the greatest things about alternative media is that there are conversations and debates happening in the comment sections. Anyone with an account on YouTube can post and reply to a comment. Therefore you have people from the left and right, actually debating one another, rather than shielding themselves off from each other.

It's a fascinating time to see the changes the media is going through. Politics is getting so interesting. However, more and more people feel polarized and traditional media may not be helping the issue.

Make Sure That Bump On The Head Doesn't Cost You Your Career

Our parents showed so much concern for our brains when we were kids. Too bad that concern was put in all the wrong places. From a young age we were told not to watch too much TV because it would rot our brains. Or not to play videogames as they would transform us into mindless zombies. Or not to read comics because they weren’t “real” books and that they would herald the slow but inevitable decline into cognitive deterioration. While these have all been proven to be beneficial (or at the very least not harmful) to our brains, the other more wholesome activities they may have suggested were fraught with danger. There’s far more danger of brain injury or head trauma on the football field or the baseball pitch or even in the park than in any comic or video game, however violent they may be.

Image by Flickr

Nonetheless, the simple truth is that a head trauma can result in a traumatic brain injury that has long lasting or even permanent effects. Your cognitive function could be impaired, you could lose your job or your career and even completely lose everything that makes you so special and unique and… you. But life’s for living and the risk of head trauma is by no means a good enough reason to shut yourself out from the world. When that occasional bump on the noggin does occur, however, knowing what to do can go a long way in mitigating its effects…

Get someone you trust on site

Brain injuries can be exacerbated when ignored or left unattended and there are are manifestations of brain injury that someone else may be aware of while you are not. Therefore it’s important to get someone you trust on site. If possible get them to take you home and spend some time with you while you convalesce. Don’t allow yourself to be left alone unless you are absolutely sure that you’re okay. Ideally, you should try and stay awake for as long as you can and avoid going to sleep alone if you can.

Look for signs of brain injury

There are certain signs that might indicate brain injury. If any of these manifest, you need to get to A and E straight away. These include:

• Loss of balance
• Weaving or wobbling when walking
• Hearing loss in one or both ears
• Bleeding from ears
• Clear liquid running from nose or ears
• Nausea and / or vomiting

Give it 48 hours

Ideally you should be under observation, either by a medical professional or someone else you trust for the next 48 hours. In that time you should stay out of work especially if you work in a hazardous environment. Avoid stress and physical exertion and certainly don’t even think about getting behind the wheel. If you experience headaches, take an anti inflammatory like Ibuprofen or paracetamol for pain. Do not take aspirin as this can thin the blood and exacerbate internal bleeding.

Very often a little caution and vigilance can mean the difference between a nasty bump on the head and a permanently debilitating injury.

Exploring the Present Power and Future Facts of Online Gaming

When you look back to the 90’s there were limited options on where and how you could game. Computers and consoles were the primary gaming outlet that everybody used and that’s just what people dealt with. There were never any thoughts about gaming on the go or playing online; it was a winning formula. Nowadays the world of gaming has expanded its horizons hugely and online gaming is one of the most popular platforms there is. Whether it’s online card games or head to head battles, everyone now has access to compete against other players on the World Wide Web. It is true that the internet has been the biggest influence on the gaming world in the past ten years. The massive boost in online gamers is still on the rise and there is a valid reason behind it. Let explore the power of online gaming and what the future might hold for us.

The Vast and Varied Choices

The online world of gaming caters to all ages, abilities and interests. The multitude of genres is one of the most impressive elements of online gaming; people can dabble with new things and try out unexpected games they wouldn’t have explored before using a regular console. You will never be stuck for options when browsing online gaming libraries. You can find anything from this casino card games list to creative games you have never experienced before. Now is probably one of the best times to experiment with something new, so give it a go and you might just find a natural flair for a new gaming genre.

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On The Go Games

The number of smartphone users has catapulted in the last few years and that means a great deal to avid gamers. Being able to play your favourite mobile game when you are out and about is a real privilege, especially when you are trying to fill time on a commute to work or in a waiting room. There are literally thousands of apps that you can download from brain training games to puzzles, so the gaming world has opened up its doors to a whole load more users than there used to be. The target audience is much more widespread nowadays; children as young as three years old can play a puzzle game and eighty year olds are even playing Candy Crush!

Fantastic and Free

The online gaming world has given us the privilege of being able to try new things for free. Many of the top notch games will have a hefty price tag, there is no escaping that, but if you are looking for a fun and free game there are millions to choose from. Downloading a new free game to your phone is a daily occurrence for most smartphone users and it is an element of gaming that has allowed more people to try it out as a hobby.

Competitive Spirit

Another joy of online gaming is having the ability to play against your friends. The internet has allowed friends to connect online and play together even if they are thousands of miles away across the world. Introducing your friend to a new game is a modern day communicative form and it truly bonds friendships together for life. You don’t have to spend a fortune hanging out and doing expensive activities together; you can throw on your headsets, have a chat and immerse yourself into a new game that you both have a common interest in. You no longer have to battle against yourself or a computer; you can truly be challenged by real life, experienced gamers.

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Admittedly, gaming is now widely considered a natural part of modern society and the leisure industry. Millions of people enjoy playing a game every day and new developments are constantly making the gaming world a bigger and bigger thing to be a part of. Gaming is no longer seen as a ‘nerdy’ activity, whereby people hide themselves away in their bedrooms for months and months on end. There is a lot more understanding on the subject as more and more people are enjoying partaking in games every single day. Instead of gaming being an isolating hobby, it is now a lot more social, due to the catapulting popularity of the internet and online gaming. We don’t know what the future will hold for online gaming, but it can only get bigger and better than it already is. It is a fun activity enjoyed by people of all ages and its vast versatility is something that makes it truly unique.

Episode #33: Tyler Herrinton

Welcome to another great episode of the podcast!

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This episode is proudly supported by Swift Kick, an amazing leadership and team development organization that helps people all over the country learn how to build incredible communities.

Check them out, and if you mention "Higher Ed Geek", you'll get $500 off their speaking fee.

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Our guest this episode is Tyler Herrinton; a wedding videographer as well as a podcaster about all things technology related!

Listen to the episode below, or subscribe and listen via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or Google Play.

Here's everything we mention in the episode:

• Connect with Tyler: Website

• Ty's Tech Line Podcast

• The Daily

• Armchair Expert

• Vergecast

• H3 Podcast

• How I Built This

• Casey Neistat

• The Verge YouTube Channel

• Mango Street

• Beats One

Music by pond5.com

Thanks for listening!

What Is Holding Your Website Back?

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In 2018, there is no excuse for not having an effective website ad a good online presence. However, this can often be a lot easier said than done, especially if you have found yourself in a bit of a rut and you do not know where you are going wrong. If your website is failing to have the positive impression you hoped for, read on to discover what could be holding it back.

A lack of security – There is only one place to begin, and this is with security. Today’s customers are savvy. They know that there are a lot of hackers and fraudulent businesses on the web today. They don’t want to take any risks, and so your website needs to be a safe haven. How do you achieve this? Firstly, you need to make sure the payment method available to your customers is secure. Aside from this, trust signals, including security badges, work well. You should also make sure there are a number of different ways for people to get in touch with your company.

No responsive design – Mobile has surpassed desktop in terms of Internet usage, and so if you have not had your website optimized for use across all devices, this is most definitely what is holding you back. You are going to be missing out on tons of potential customers. Not only this but not having a responsive design will hurt your search engine ranking too.

You have used a free website builder – Free website builders can be very tempting. After all, they are free! Nevertheless, these websites are very limited in terms of functionality, plus they offer nothing in terms of branding. Your website will look like thousands of others on the Internet, which is never good. Not only this, but it is likely that you will have to cope with a plethora of performance issues. Your website will also take a long time to load because, with every design facet, there are dozens of lines added to the back-end code. Slow load times create a poor user experience and this also hurts your search engine ranking.

You don’t capture customer information – Finally, a customer will present you with an abundance of information whenever they enter your website, and you need to capture it. This is essential in terms of target marketing and boosting the experience your website provides. From finding out at what point people leave your website to zoning in on buying habits, there is so much to gain by capturing consumer details.

Hopefully, you have now got to the bottom of where you are going wrong with your website. If you have noticed any of the errors mentioned above, there is no need to panic, but you do need to get to the bottom of the issue sooner rather than later so that you can start seeing the improvements you hoped for in terms of visibility and, ultimately, conversions.

Card Games Everyone Should Learn To Play

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Card games have been around for hundreds of years and they used to be the basis of entertainment for many people all over the world. In fact, they still are. Not only can you use marked cards to play cards tricks and amuse people with them, but there is an infinite number of card games you can play which are incredibly fun, take time to learn and can even improve your intelligence. Here are just some of the card games you and your family should learn this year for fun!

1. Crazy Eights

Crazy eights is a super simple game to learns and it is the perfect card game to teach your children to get them introduced to the idea of playing cards from a younger age. The aim of this game is super simple, be the first person to get rid of your cards! It is a fun game and can be a perfect one to play on your family night in.

2. Snip, Snap, Snorem

If you love the name then you will probably love the game too! Snip, snap, snorem is a hugely fun and energetic game which is the perfect one to play at your next party and games afternoon! It’s perfect for everyone in the family and it is pretty loud too at times!

3. Go Fish

Go fish is a game which many of us have grown up with from a young age, and it is usually one of the first card games we learn as a child. It is a simple concept and the whole idea is to get pairs of cards and be the first person to get rid of all of your cards. If you want to let the kids win a few times when starting out this will give them a huge sense of pride and achievement.

4. Rummy

Rummy is one of the most popular card games out there and it has a super simple premise: be the first one to get rid of all of your cards. You will start off with 7 cards each, and you will have a special float which can be added to pairs and flushes to substitute for a different card. During play, you will go from the King being the float and work your way down to the Ace. The idea is to make sets of at least three, and you must have a card you can throw away at the end in order to win.

5. Pig

Pig is a fun card game which has a similar premise to Rummy, however rather than looking for sets of three cards, you will be looking for a four of a kind. This can be a little more challenging than collecting three cards however if you play it right and be tactical when playing you should have no issues with winning this fast-paced game.

6. Beggar My Neighbor

Where most card games are all about getting rid of your cards, this game has the opposite aim. When playing beggar my neighbor you have to collect as many cards from your opponents as possible. It is a fun game and it is one you can play in a small group to increase the sense of danger.

7. War

War is a simple game and it is one which absolutely anyone can be the master of. You will both start off with a few cards and you aim will be to win the deck by playing a higher card than your opponent. There are of course certain rules that you will need to follow, and it can be a fun and exciting game to play during the evenings.

8. Rolling Stone

This card game is all about the suits of your hand, and it is a game which you will find fun but a little frustrating at the same time, everyone starts out with eight cards, and one card is turned over in the center of the table. You have to place a card of the same suit on top of the card. If you run out of the particular suit, you have to pick up the pile and start the game play over again with a new suit. This is a game which can go on for a long time, but when you do win you will feel amazing.

9.   Snap

Everyone knows how to play snap, and it is the easiest game in the entire world. Make sure when you do okay this that you are in a place where you don’t mind shouting and that you can handle a slap from the other players! It is a fast-paced and fun game which everyone loves to play.

10. Cheat

If you are a master at a poker face, this is the perfect game for you to play. The idea behind this game to is to be brilliant at bluffing and to trick your opponent into not knowing what you have in your hand. If you are able to trick them effectively, you will have a good chance of winning the pile from your opponent.

11. Spit

If you are looking for a game which is an ultimate challenge, spit, also known as Speed, is the game for you. You will start off with a few piles of cards lying face down on the table. You will have one pile with one card, one with two, one with three, one with four and one with five. The top card of each pile will be faced up. You only have one hand to play within this game and you have to be Quaker than your opponent. With half of the deck, you will pick up cards and match them to the pile by having the next card in the sequence. For example, if you had a 3 on the pile, you would need to pick up a 2 or a 4. The first person to empty their piles is the winner.

12. Old Maid

The old maid is a game which involves pairs, having fun, and an old maid. With traditional playing cards, you can bring a joker into the mix to act as the old maid, and the loser of the game is whoever has the old maid at the end. You will play into each other's hands during the game by picking one of their cards, and this is how the old maid can be passed from person to person. The idea is to get rid of all of your pairs without picking up the old maid.

13. Blackjack

Blackjack is a popular game to play and is often also known as 21. It is a card game which can be played online with this bitcoin blackjack guide or simply on the table. Each player will start the game with 2 cards, the aim is to get as close to 21 without going over and going bust. For example, if you had a king and an ace you would have the equivalent of a 10 and 11, which would mean that you win automatically. You can swap cards during the game to come closer to 21, but if you go over, you have to exit the game. It is a game which anyone can play and it can be really fun for holidays.

14. Poker

Poker comes in many many different forms, and it is a game which you either know back to front or don’t know at all. The beauty of poker is that it can become a great hobby for you for a long time to come. It is a game which you will carry on learning about throughout your years and you will always be able to improve on your knowledge and techniques. It is a game which you can teach to your kids and one which you can use to make some money for yourself too.

15. Solitaire

Solitaire is one of those old classics which almost everyone knows how to play because it was always on Windows XP. The aim of the game is to play out all of your cards and build each suit to complete your set. To start off the game you will have eight piles. The first pile will have one card, the second will have two, and so on until you reach the last pile. You will then place the rest of the deck above and turn one card out. Take the top card from each pile and face it upwards. The aim of the game is to match numbers in a sequence from the king to ace, alternating color as you go. For example, if you started with a red king, you would add a black queen on top and so on. When you pick up an ace you will want to place it above the piles and then start to add the 2,3,4,5… over it until the suit is complete. It’s the perfect game to play on your own if you have some time to kill and you want a simple way to relax. It can be great for training your brain too.

Refocusing on Outcomes over Metrics

As I continue to work in and get to used to a much different space within higher ed, I've come to realize a professional value I have that I think is a helpful mindset to strive for no matter where you work.

It's the idea that we should focus more on the outcomes of our work versus the metrics. We can often get too caught up in the numbers and analytics of our work as the world becomes more digital. While on one hand, I think higher ed could be more metric driven at times, we need to properly balance this with the actual outcomes we're trying to achieve. The number of likes on a post, for example, won't matter if we aren't improving the student experience or retention through our outreach efforts.

If you're looking for a way to integrate data into your work in a meaningful way (which yes, please do) then you can try to find correlations between data points. A metric in isolation is interesting, but is hard to take any action on. Correlating the data can help try to make sense of these disparate numbers. For example, you can see if there is a positive effect on retention among students who attend events on campus each semester. Folks like Presence have found exactly these sort of insights with their campus partners, which really help shape what outcomes you want to strive for and what will be meaningful action to get there.

This sort of mindset should be construed as trying to get in the way of the very personal and human work we do. It rather is augmenting us to be able to put our focus and effort in the right place at the right time. It's powering our high touch roles with technology.

Data and metrics are important. They can inform our work and direct our efforts. I appreciate the accessibility of current data dashboards in my own work (for some more thoughts on this, check out my book review for Winning with Data).

I hope as you evaluate your work, and the role technology and digital assessments play in it, you make sure to consider both metrics and outcomes as companions helping you towards your goals.

How To Make Your PC Last Longer

As a gamer, you will know how important it is that your computer lasts as long as possible at it’s best performance. There’s nothing worse than running through a game and your computer is only managing to kick out around 10 frames a second. Computers are expensive, so it’s understandable that you want to make it last a long time so that you can really get your money's worth out of it. Even if you’re not tech savvy and wouldn’t be able to tell a motherboard from a graphics card, it’s not difficult to make sure your PC lasts as long as you need it to. Take a look at these tips on making your PC last longer.

Photo by Simon Abrams on Unsplash

Clean it regularly

The side of your computer should be able to be taken off with a simple unscrewing by hand. You will more than likely find a very thick layer of dust inside your computer, which actually slows it down. If the fans can’t turn as fast as they need to, they can’t power the computer as fast; therefore making it slower over all. Gently dust inside your computer and the fans (obviously have your computer unplugged for this) and make sure that you’re doing this once every few months to ensure that it’s running as fast as it can be. Be careful with the components inside too!

Let professionals perform upgrades

It’s always a good idea to upgrade certain parts of your pc rather than buying a completely new one. Many computers these days have removable graphics cards and many other components too, so why not upgrade every once in a while to keep it running as it should? Check out this website that specializes in computer and technology repairs. It’s always a good idea to let the professionals carry out repairs and upgrades so that you can be sure that you’re not going to accidentally break your computer.

Keep drivers updated

Another main reason for your computer running slow might be because your programms and software isn’t up to date. Most applications and installs will alert you when there is a new update available, so make sure that you’re letting them update so that they can run faster for your pc. If you’ve got a graphics card like Nvidia, you will usually get a notification from that too when an upgrade is available, so keep an eye out every time you log on to your computer.

Have security on your computer

Finally, there are millions of viruses all over the internet that can be very harmful to your computer. Make sure that you’ve got an active anti virus on your computer so that you don’t put your computer at risk from attack. You can download free versions of antiviruses which work just as well against viruses and trojans.

Use this advice to make your PC last longer and your gaming experience even better than you’d imagined!