THE STEELSERIES ARCTIS 1 WIRELESS HEADSET IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE NINTENDO SWITCH, PS4, PC & ANDROID.

The launch of Apple Arcade introduced a lot of gamers to a bunch of fantastic experiences for iOS. The most memorable for the Press Start team was certainly What The Golf, a sharp-witted and hilarious golfing game that flipped the genre on its ear even more so than Dangerous Golf, inserting a lot of clever nods to pop and gaming culture.

Its explosive, insanely fun and very addictive. Its ideal for those happy to chip away at it on the go for short trips, though were sure theres just as many whove made it a fairway through the game in a single sitting. Were not sure what drives the developers to take such creative risks like this and if the question was ever which game in 2019 provided the most mindless fun then this game would have to be nearest to pin.

RELATED: Press Start's 2019 GOTY #10 - A Plague Tale: Innocence

Though the team didnt review What The Golf, Press Starts own Jake Barros featured the game in an episode of his Arcade Today channel.

Press Start Australia didnt publish a review for What The Golf though it holds a score of 79 on Metacritic.

Steven said: An absolute standout of the Apple Arcade lineup, and mobile gaming in general. Endlessly surprising, What The Golf played with the inputs of a mobile device in delightfully unexpected ways and kept me guessing until the very last moment.

Brodie said: What The Golf was one of the few games at launch that made Apple Arcade worthy of the asking price. Ive never been much of a mobile gamer, but What The Golf captured many of the things that made other wonderful puzzle games like Portal so fun and memorable. A satisfying, addictive core loop along with its self-awareness and the way it manages to be self-referential with regards to the industry its in only adds to the charm.

RELATED: Press Start's 2019 GOTY #10 - A Plague Tale: Innocence

Shannon said: When Apple Arcade launched, it reminded me of what I absolutely adore about mobile games (when done correctly). What The Golf ate up every free second of my day for at least 3-4 days when it launched. It was fast-paced, insanely clever and very addictive and Im still surprised that such a simple concept could work so well in a crowded library of games.

For our #9 spot, we send congratulations to Triband. Along with a spot in our top ten, a nomination for Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards is something to be proud of.

Current Top 10: 9. What The Golf 10. A Plague Tale: Innocence

Originally posted here:
Press Start's 2019 GOTY #9 - What The Golf - Press Start Australia

A nine-year-old legally blind girl who dreams of being a ballerina was able to watch The Nutcracker live for the first time after being gifted with special glasses.

Lily Lueders, from Austin, Texas, was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia when she was just three months old, with the condition causing blindness in her right eye and limited vision (20/800) in her left.

The nine-year-old also struggles with nystagmas, an involuntary shaking of the eyes, and has problems with depth perception which means she can only really see up to 3ft away making the ballet performance even more special.

You can find out more about Lilys story below:

Lily and other visually impaired people were invited to view a live performance of The Nutcracker called the Unseen Ballet sponsored by Dell Technologies and its partners, eSight and Ballet Austin at The Long Center in Austin on December 5.

With the help of advanced assistive eyewear technology eSight, which uses a cutting-edge camera, smart algorithms and high-resolution screens to create a clear, real-time image of what is in front of the user, Lily was able to watch the classic ballet for the first time.

Lilys mum, Kimmy, said the young girl has always been a fan of ballerinas and so was absolutely delighted by the ballet. She is not one to sit still, but there was a calmness and easy stillness to her during the performance, she told PEOPLE.

[It] was the most impactful thing she has experienced with the eSight [glasses] She absolutely loved seeing the details on the edges of the stage and the change of each set. I think the snow scene was her favourite. The giant beautiful snowflakes and falling snow. It was magic!

Kimmy and husband Dustin Lueders first noticed Lilys eye crossing and a lack of object tracking when she was a baby, after which she was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia. Lilys mum says her daughter has learned to navigate the world as she sees it, explaining how she has always done better than we could have imagined.

Kimmy said the young girl was awestruck when she first wore the eyewear technology and says her first fitting enabled her to read letters off a vision chart across the room for the very first time.

The first couple tries at home, she would have these moments where words would fail and she would just let out this excited giggle. It really is the sweetest thing for a mother to experience her child experiencing the world like never before.

The nine-year-old currently attends occupational and speech therapy four times a week to promote self-awareness, while her parents provide sensory activities and tools to help with cognitive focus.

However, the cost of four therapy sessions a week is taking its toll on the young family, who often find themselves struggling to pay bills and provide support for Lily and her younger brother, James. Because of this, they have set up a GoFundMe page to help with the $21,000 a year costs.

The family describe the therapies as crucial in maintaining Lilys quality of life and preparing her for future successes and say they would be so grateful for any donations anyone can make.

You can donate to their cause here.

Here is the original post:
9-Year-Old Legally Blind Girl Watches The Nutcracker For First Time With Special Glasses - UNILAD

Apparel businesses don't look too merry and bright this holiday season. So far this year, 11 of the 16 major retail bankruptcieswere filed by companies that mostly sell apparel, footwear or accessories and the majority of those are dominated by private label products. Though poor inventory management alone is unlikely to drive a retailer to such dire straits, good inventory hygiene is gaining importance in the minds of analysts and investors.

Last week, Moodys cut its fourth-quarter forecast for department stores, heavily reliant on apparel for years, predicting a 20% dip in operating income instead of the earlier prediction of 15%. "Inventory management is critical to success," reads the note, adding most retailers have maxed out operational efficiency gains and winners have managed to better match inventories and consumer demand.

Moodys also lowered its outlook for apparel brands in October from positive to stable. Analysts cited a stronger U.S. dollar, which increased cost of goods sold for apparel importers. Tariff pressure, as well, triggered inventory pull-forward before the expected Dec. 15 implementation of List 4B, though the round was canceled last week.

UBS named inventory growth as a top reason it is bearish on apparel, footwear and accessory sales for the 2019 holiday season. UBS noted in September that inventory growth for apparel, footwear and accessories has outpaced sales growth for four quarters running predicting higher than normal promotions in Q4 and lower gross margins.

"I'm hearing so many companies that brought in inventory a lot sooner than expected, in order to get ahead of what was going to be some tariff increases,"Moodys apparel and footwear analyst Mike Zuccarotold Supply Chain Dive.

But, tariffs, declining consumer spending on apparel and a cooling global economy may only be exacerbating a flaw lurking beneath the modern apparel industry for years.

The problem is the way apparel is sourced and the priorities of operations teams dictating those purchases, which leads to overbuying, argued John Thorbeck, chairman of Chainge Capital, which specializes in lead-time optimization, at the Sourcing Journal Summit earlier this year. The result is markdowns.

Coresight Researchput the value of retail markdowns at $300 billion in 2018 representing 12% of non-grocery retail sales. Apparel retailers had a 60% full-price sell-through rate, which Coresightchalked up to poor inventory management.

"What other industry starts with a 65-70% initial margin and ends up at one or two? Thats the cost of uncertainty. How has this industry dealt with this for fifty years or longer? Its finding what that cushion is in sourcing and cheaper and cheaper countries,"Thorbecksaid.

Demand forecasting, from style to quantity, is growing in importance in modern apparel.Retailers like Kohlsand brands like Nike tout their ability to decrease lead timesleading to a more responsive supply chain and more relevant product. But most brands arent prioritizing short lead times over the king of KPIs: cost.

Most mass-market apparel supply chains were built to optimize cost of above all else, according to Thorbeck. These supply chains seem lower risk, since the cost of goods is so low, but they raise the cost of uncertainty since they tend to require larger orders and more lead time.

"What other industry starts with a 65-70% initial margin and ends up at one or two?"

John Thorbeck

Chairman, Chainge Capital

Change how new suppliers are chosen, said Thorbeck, and the inventory burden could lift, resulting in a perhaps more expensive, but certainly more resilient supply chains.

"When production location is considered part of a sourcing strategy, thats a clear indicator that cost of goods sold is the ruling metric and thats how the industry ended up here,"said Thorbeck. "Speed and flexibility more than compensate for the cost of material and cost of location.I dont see enough attention given to process innovation,"said Thorbeck.

Though Thorbeck put the emphasis on lead times and sourcing, theres not one link of the supply chain that is completely to blame for the problem of chronically-elevated inventory. Best practices in nearly every area can help, said Zuccaro.

True omnichannel operations, which are largely intended to meet the customers where they are and therefore garner the maximum sales, require advanced inventory management skills. In many cases when retailers up their fulfillment speed or omnichannel options, investment, either in technology or more inventory, follows. Even Amazon saw increased expense from staging inventory when it shifted Prime shipping speed from two days to one.

Design, lead times, order sizes, tariffs, omnichannel fulfillment, baseline inventory management ..."There are a lot of different things that can go wrong," said Zaccaro and each company is a little different. Many of these potential areas for error lead to stranded inventory and eventually markdowns. But managing them well can also optimize inventory in an era where most fail to do so offering a competitive edge.

Zuccaro said many apparel sellers still need baseline operational investments to bring their supply chains into the omnichannel age and the ability to change, beyond self-awareness and will, stems from a firms financial health running much deeper than cost of goods sold. No new inventory management tech, no shift to a more expensive yet more flexible and responsive supplier is possible without funds available to invest in these areas. Subpar inventory management and wasteful buying doesnt generally spell doom for an apparel dependent company on its own but combine it with a sick balance sheet not strong enough to invest in best practices and even the best intentions wont turn a business around.

Forever 21s collapse didnt come without the potent combination of high inventory and the financial burden of long-term leases, said Jefferies analyst Janine Stichter at the same summit.

This story was first published in our weekly newsletter, Supply Chain Dive: Operations. Sign up here.

See the rest here:
Poor inventory management weighs down the apparel industry - Supply Chain Dive

Meghan McCain starred in a heated moment with Whoopi Goldberg on The View on Monday morning. The tension was palpable at the Hot Topics table when the ladies took on the issue of impeachment. After being away for a couple of days, the Sister Act star had enough of the conservative co-host and shut her down completely.

Sunny Hostin was noting the hypocrisy of the Republican-led Senate in refusing to take the impeachment proceedings seriously. McCain interjected reminding all of the viewers what her job on The View is.

My job here is not to litigate the ethics of it. Im an ABC political analyst along with being aViewco-host, my job is to analyze the politics of it, McCain said.

When Hostin interrupted to clarify that she was not referring to McCain personally the latter said, just let me finish. I let you talk, let me finish.

As things were getting out of hand, Goldberg tried to resume order at the table but McCain talked over her with a snarky remark.

Do you want to hear a conservative perspective on the show ever? McCain snarked.

This is when Goldberg completely lost it and made her aware who the shows moderator is.

Girl, please stop talking right now, Goldberg said.

No problem, McCain responded. I wont talk for the rest of the show.

Im ok with that, Goldberg added to audible gasps from the audience. If youre going to behave like this

Im not behaving like anything. Im here to show a conservative perspective, McCain responded.

To ease off the tension, Goldberg sent to a commercial break.

After the show, McCain took to Twitter to unload her frustration following the moment she had on TV.

[Democrats] and [Republicans] alike need to confront the ugly truth: both parties are failing to be impartial jurors, she wrote on Twitter. I wont be quiet, even if the reality reflects poorly on the entire political establishment. I have a responsibility to speak for the 50% that feels media doesnt represent them.

In a second tweet, McCain added, Pointing out things that are true is part of my job even if it angers people and even if its politically inconvenient.

Pretending half of the country doesnt exist wont make them disappear, McCain wrote in a third and final tweet. The culture war is real and Americans who arent part of the overwhelmingly anti-conservative media deserve to have their views represented.

McCains interactions on Twitter went off the roof as fans of The View replied to her tweets. Although the conservative co-host never mentioned Goldbergs name, they were seemingly directed at her as shes the one that didnt allow her to continue speaking.

Your view does not anger many, even when they disagree with you, a fan replied. Its your rudeness and complete disdain for others speaking. You interrupt and talk over everyone else. You act like your right to speak overrides all.

As a country, we are divided, another fan added. We need rational folks to debate issues and I prefer to listen to folks like Abby and Whoopi because they appear to be more rational. I can usually sense when Meghans going to have a bad day from the moment she walks out.

You just couldnt help yourself after Whoopi shut you down, a viewer pointed out. You have no self-awareness. The GOP, especially McConnel, ignores the will of the people. The majority of us want Trump impeached and removed. Remind me again who acts like the opposing party doesnt exist.

The Viewairs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET and 10 a.m. CT/PT.

Read more from the original source:
'The View': Meghan McCain Goes Off on Twitter After Getting Dragged by Whoopi Goldberg and Fans React - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Apologies to Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber, but the most interesting cat content online right now is a Snapchat filter that lets humans try on a feline face. The resulting clips are adorable, confounding, and a great example of just how little we know about cat cognition.

In a video compilation making the rounds online, cats look at a phone screen that shows their owners with a cat face filter. The cats whip their heads around to look up at the human, and then back to the screen. It appears the cat recognizes that their owners face should be on the phone, but it is not, Kristyn Vitale, who studies cat behavior at Oregon State University, said in an email to The Verge.

However, its particularly challenging to figure out what this behavior says about cats because we know so little about cat cognition to begin with, says Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere, an animal behavior researcher and director of the Thinking Dog Center at CUNY Hunter College. In cats, its as elusive as cats general personalities can be, she says. Thats partly because they often dont cooperate well in research studies, making data hard to come by. When a researcher tried to test if cats understood what it meant if someone pointed at where food was hidden, for example, multiple subjects wandered off from the testing site.

The video hints at some interesting questions about cat cognitive awareness. It might be a sign the cat recognizes its owner, Vitale said. But it isnt a sign that cats pass the mirror test, despite what some people responding to the video seemed to think.

The mirror test is a key measure of self awareness for animal behavior researchers. It was designed in 1970 to figure out if an animal can recognize itself. When animals are introduced to a mirror, their first reaction is often an aggressive, threatening posture, Byosiere says. They first appear to think its another animal. And then slowly, you see many start to interact with the mirror, she says. In the test, researchers mark the animal with paint or a sticker somewhere they cant normally see. If, when they look at the mark in the mirror, they try to touch it on their body, its a sign they recognize themselves as the animal in the mirror.

But in the videos, the cat isnt looking at itself, its looking at a person. And the cat filters arent on a mirror theyre on a screen, which can flicker in subtle ways, and might be visually different from a mirror to animals. Researchers have started to study how dogs respond to stimuli on a screen, and it seems that they recognize objects on the screen the same way they do in real life. Because theres not much research on cat cognition, we dont know how cats interact with screens, or how they would perceive the properties of screens, Byosiere says.

Its also hard to draw conclusions from videos taken in an uncontrolled environment. We can never really get at what the owner did beforehand, she says. Theres no way to know if its the first time the cat has seen the filter, or if theres something else going on in the background that gets their attention. We dont know if this context is unique, or if it indicates anything about how attentive cats are.

The Verges deputy editor Elizabeth Lopatto tested the filter with her cat, Jeeves, with mixed results. Jeeves turned back to look at her face on the first try, but only after she spoke. And the second time, Jeeves uninterested jumped off her lap and wandered away.

Even if they cant prove anything about how cats think, the videos are fun. Most scientists and researchers really do like these videos, Byosiere says. If the cats are happy to do this, and its not disturbing them, great. They also show that people are interested in learning why their cats behave the way they do, she says. Its exciting because then hopefully theres room for people to do this type of research on cats.

Read the rest here:
The Snapchat cat filter shows how little we know about cat cognition - The Verge

At NerdWallet, we strive to help you make financial decisions with confidence. To do this, many or all of the products featured here are from our partners. However, this doesnt influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own.

A group of Nerds from our Women in Engineering and Data ERG group attended the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) in Orlando, Florida. GHC is a computing conference that amplifies the research and career interests of women in tech, and is the worlds largest gathering of women in tech. Here are our takeaways to help you gear up for the conference next year!

Amanda Brown

Biggest Takeaway: We have a long way to go for equality for women in tech, but we have also come very far. Our goals are achievable if we (and our allies) band together to make it happen. This applies at a global level, company level, and team level.

Jenny Trinh

Biggest Takeaway: I have to surround myself with people who cheer me on in order to succeed in life. There will always be people who doubt my abilities or who try to put me down. However, I have to ignore their negativity and I have to focus on the positive people in my life who believe in me and who are proud of me. By having a solid support system that consists of family, friends, and colleagues, I will be able to stay motivated to do well in my career and in my personal life.

Maria Can

Biggest Takeaway:I attended several sessions on career growth, specifically on increasing self awareness. Its very important to identify yourown strengths and to make others aware of those strengths. This allows you to find work that can showcase those strengths and enables others to advocate on your behalf in a more concrete way.

Nadia Neusypina

Biggest Takeaway: There are so many successful women doing amazing things in tech! Weve come a long way, and while I dont personally feel like I have experienced gender bias, some people have and there is more work to be done. Its important to listen to other peoples stories, to be aware of the statistics, to support those around you and to speak up for what you stand for.

Pallavi Jain

Biggest Takeaway:Its incredibly rare to attend a tech conference that touches upon such a wide breadth of domains like GHC. I tookadvantage of multiple sessions focused on honing the tools and interpersonal skills to navigate career goals. What will continue to resonate with me well after the conference is the importance of taking complete ownership of my career goals, ensuring I continuously verbalize them to create a feedback loop with my stakeholders so that I can be my biggest advocate and hold myself accountable to them.Usually, I can count on two hands the number of underrepresented genders and minorities I see at tech conferences, especially in the Security industry, making my experience at GHC very unique. There is still much work to be done to address the known and unknown barriers that prevent tech from being inclusive for everyone, especially as it plays an increasingly larger role in our lives. Our shared goal for equal representation and inclusion of all people is ambitious and I look forward to partnering with other allies to help NerdWallet and the tech industry on our path there.

Raissa Policarpio

Biggest Takeaway: I am incredibly lucky to be able to say that I have never felt looked down on or short changed because of my gender. However, this is definitely not the case for the majority of women, and thats not okay. Theres so much I can do to be an ally and lift other people up to promote the kind of environment that I have been so lucky to be a part of.

Priya Bibra

Biggest Takeaway: We have made a lot of progress in terms of equal representation in technology. Getting the conversation going is a huge first step, but now its time to take more action to make our goals a reality. Theres still a long way to go! I think being an engineer at NerdWallet in a lot of ways shelters us. As a result of our inclusive culture, were not as aware of the prejudices that other individuals face (or were aware, but often forget because its not in our day-to-day). Its our responsibility as an organization to keep the dialogue for diversity and inclusion active. In niche, up and coming technology pockets such as AI, we have to be especially mindful of historical biases.

Satoko Ayabe

Biggest Takeaway: There are small everyday things everyone can do to help women in tech (e.g. amplifying others, raising a concern to your manager, being an ally).

Zara Gomes

Biggest Takeaway: You are the director of your own career, so identify and make the changes you need for yourself in order for you to make an impact in the organization where you work. This can include becoming an expert in an area you are not as familiar or comfortable with, and encouraging and mentoring people around you so that they can grow as well.

Hyatt Regency, connected to the Orlando Convention center by sky-bridges

GHC is a mega conference with 25k+ attendees, so make sure youre physically ready.One of our nerds calculated it took a 7 minute jog to get from one end of the convention center to the other. Thats a good 15 min walk. Getting from one talk to the next can take a while so get familiar with the layout of the convention center. Give yourself extra commute time and wear comfy shoes. You might have multiple sessions a day and have a hotel thats further away, so have that hearty room-service breakfast and carry some snacks for munchies and dont skip lunch! The lines are long everywhere, from registration, to the sessions, for the food court, to the afterparties, so account for that. Take notes on your phone instead of a notebook/laptop because with some speakers you only have enough time to click a picture of a presentation slide, and your laptop is too heavy to be carrying around all day long.

Be mentally ready to networkA big part of GHC is about networking and the stories people share are powerful! Its amazing that the Grace Hopper Conference provides a safe space for individuals to share their stories, and allows for an environment that can foster conversation about your workplace and career that may not naturally occur otherwise. Utilize this safe space to talk about difficult topics and dialogue with other underrepresented minorities in your workplace and outside of your organization. Walk away from the conference with a sense of community, having met at least one new person! Its easy to get wrapped up running from session to session but dont forget that GHC brings together over 20,000 diverse individuals in tech. Take it upon yourself to meet someone new because that new person can open up doors for you. Set time to explore the Expo Hall, there are booths with interactive demos, people who can talk about what it is like to be a woman in tech at different companies, and fun swag!

Opening Keynote, Orlando Convention Center

Some thoughts for the future:GHC provides many sessions that help develop skills that may not be considered technical but are just as important, if not more, for success in any organization. These kinds of sessions are not usually available at tech conferences and this conference is a great opportunity to sharpen those skills. Make sure to keep practicing those, even months after the conference.

As minorities in the tech industry it can be difficult to have a large impact and often exhausting to not only perform well in our jobs, but also be expected to convince others that problems exists. In the future, itd be great to see NerdWallet and other tech companies encourage more senior engineers and management (regardless of gender identification) to attend not only this conference, but others with a similar tone. In order to effect meaningful change, the urgency of the diversity and inclusion effort has to be in the minds of everyone, especially the people in positions of power. Building empathy at all levels is the only way to inspire widespread cultural change for the better.

See the original post:
The Grace Hopper Celebration 2019 Nerd Takeaway - NerdWallet

How many productivity hacks have you tried this year?

Whether its a new app, morning workout, green smoothie or an inspiring podcast, there are a myriad of things that have been touted to improve our efficiency each day. But something you may not have considered is taking advantage of neuroscience to boost your productivity.

Its not a new concept; its been used in high-performing roles including by the military and Olympic athletes for years. But now the corporate world is starting to pay attention and looking into how we can rewire our brains to be more productive, specifically with neuroplasticity.

Neuroplasticity was first discovered in the 1940s by Donald Hebb and describes how our brains change in response to repeated experience.

The brain is designed to learn, grow and rewire throughout our lives, based on different experiences, and it has various neural pathways connecting different responses. For instance, when you eat a food you love, you respond with happiness, while being stuck in traffic might make you respond with anger. These behaviours are learned over time and science has shown we can rewire our brains to change these automatic responses and regulate our emotions with some training and practice. By taking advantage of your brains neuroplasticity, you can create new habits to help you be more productive.

Stress can be a huge enemy of efficiency and productivity. Many of us have experienced stress that temporarily inhibits our ability to think clearly, but you may not know just how much it affects your brain. Being in a state of stress forces the blood in the brain to be redirected away from our prefrontal cortex, and then our amygdala and adrenal glands start firing. This effectively puts us into fight or flight mode, dropping our intelligence and increasing our motor skills instead. These days, most stressful situations require us to use our minds rather than our bodies, so being able to change your brains response will help you manage stress more effectively.

As a first step you need to be aware of exactly what causes a stress reaction, so you can train yourself to react differently. Once this is clear, you can interrupt or redirect your brains response when faced with a trigger and replace it with a positive response. Imagine yourself in the stressful situation and follow it with happiness, laughter or calmness. You will need to repeat this hundreds of times for it to build a new pathway in your brain. But after some practice, you will be able to stop the stress before it affects you negatively, helping you be more productive.

No matter how hard we try, no one can be 100% productive, 100% of the time. We all have states of being more productive, whether its at a certain time of the day, working in a specific location, or listening to music. Learn your own habits and become self-aware about your productivity patterns.

A great way to expand your self-awareness is to try journaling, which creates a process of regular self-reflection. Keeping a journal helps you become more conscious of your strengths and weaknesses. Once you know your own behaviours, you can use it as an opportunity to enhance productivity.

Aside from these broader patterns, its important to be aware of your thoughts and emotions when working on a task that requires your focus. Being mindful involves being present in the moment, and tools such as slowing your breathing and focusing on something tangible that you can hold may help.

Mindfulness helps you be aware of yourself without any judgment, so you can notice your thoughts and remove any negative emotions. You can then focus on the task and what needs to be done next, helping you stay productive.

Meditation is a powerful tool to help you notice and observe your thoughts and behaviours, so you can then choose to change your responses. Meditating has been proven to change brain structure, particularly for those who practise it over a long period of time. This is because meditation increases the level of oxygen and nourishment in different areas of the brain, making it easier to sustain attention and redirect focus, and therefore better manage your emotions and be more productive.

Meditation rewires and trains your brain to be more disciplined and less stressed, with research showingjust five minutes each day can make a difference.

You might think you dont have the time to learn something new, but using your brain in a new way improves your cognition, making you more switched on and, in turn, more productive.

It doesnt need to be work related either, it can be something fun! You can learn a new language, play a new sport or even just read a new book each week. If you want it to be job related, you can organise company training or try an online course. Whatever you choose to do, it will rewire your brain and improve cognitive function. Keeping the brain fit will help you improve your efficiency both at work and at home.

NOW READ:How neuroscience can improve your business marketing today

NOW READ:The entrepreneurs making it their business to improve your wellbeing despite the hype

Go here to read the rest:
How to train your brain to be more productive - SmartCompany.com.au

@Mark Knudson41

Strike One: Good self-awareness is a very valuable trait to have. Especially for a college football program.

Solets start by giving Northern Colorado Athletic Director Darren Dunn and his staff a ton of credit. They recognized not only where their struggling football program stood, but also exactly who they were and what they needed to do to change things for the better.

Did they set out to hire some guy who may or may not have ever heard of Northern Colorado, with mandatory previous head coaching experience that met some arbitrary standard theyd set for themselves to match an inflated idea of where they stood within the scope of college football?

Nope. They got real.

Very few college football programs would have the nerve to hire a new coach straight off a high school campus. Thats because it hasnt worked out very well in the past. From Gerry Faust at Notre Dame in the early 1980s, to recently fired Tony Sanchez at UNLV, the jump from the preps to college ball has proven to be too big a leap in nearly every case.

So why is the Bears hiring of former NFL standout Ed McCaffrey most recently the head coach at Valor Christian High School in suburban Denver any different?

For starters, UNC knows they arent Notre Dameand that they have nothing to lose. After going 28-72 over nine years with just two winning seasons, the program faced a metaphoric fourth-and-long-deep-in-their-own-territory-with-the-clock-ticking-down. It was time for a Hail Mary. After thinking things over (after announcing they were going to conduct the requisite national search for a new coach) they approached those long odds and came up with a brilliant play call.

While he has no college coaching experience, McCaffrey brings instant name recognition: Every football fan in the region knows him, plus hes well known nationally. He brings an unchallenged pedigree: Not only was he a Super Bowl Champion, but he has produced three sons Christian, a star at Stanford who should have won the Heisman Trophy before beginning a standout NFL career, Dylan, currently a quarterback at Michigan and Luke, currently a QB at Nebraska who are each already excelling at the next level.

All that plays well.

He also brings unquestioned football knowledge. If you listened to McCaffrey do Denver Broncos games on the radio, you understand that he not only knows what hes talking about, but he also has the critical communication skills needed to explain it to those who dont.

And just as importantly, McCaffrey brings tremendous recruiting connections in the region, and the ability to build a brand. Valor Christian alone has been producing dozens of college football prospects every season, and that wont change with his departure. Some of those kids whove gone out of state are going to now take a long hard look at staying closer to home and becoming a Bear.

All these are things UNC needs very badly. Could they have gotten ALL of them by hiring some other coach? The short answer is no. McCaffrey is unique in a lot of ways. Would it have been better if he had college coaching experience? Sure. But you cant have everything. And in this case, the good far outweighs the risk.

Whether or not Eddie Mac ultimately succeeds at UNC or not, the move to hire him was a bold shot well worth taking.

Strike Two: Meanwhile, 23 miles away in Fort Collins, self-awareness took a leave of absence.

Also in the market for a new coach after letting Mike Bobo walk after five nondescript seasons, Colorado State AD Joe Parker took the opposite approach. He conducted a clumsy and publicly awkward coaching search. He ultimately hired recently fired Boston College coach Steve Addazio after new CSU prez Joyce McConnell reportedly vetoed Parkers first two choices, former Tennessee HC Butch Jones and former Indiana HC Kevin Wilson, each because of previously well-publicized character issuesthat McConnell had just discovered.

Better late than never? I guess.

A few years ago, the department-wide slogan being used at CSU was A Bold New Era. There was nothing bold or new about the hire of Addazio a .500 coach whod made numerous enemies in Chestnut Hill before his unceremonious exit. He perfectly fits the description of a re-tread. It smacks of a just get this search over with hire. Its relatively safe in that Addazio doesnt have a Google past that will come back to bite him, but its uninspired and short-sighted.

This is a guy with ZERO recruiting connections in the region. Addazio has never coached west of South Bend, Indianaand the assistants he reportedly is bringing with him are equally new to the region.

Hello Siri? Please find Fort Collins Colorado for me

Being bold for Parker would have meant really interviewing (there was only a single token phone call, nothing face-to-face) CSU alum and Ohio State Assistant Head Coach Tony Alford. Parker ended up ignoring pleas from numerous alums to bring Alford back home, seemingly never taking the candidacy seriously. Alford is a 27-year veteran assistant coach, a great recruiter with a passion for his alma mater. Parker reportedly shied away because Alford has no previous head coaching experience. For the record, neither did Jim McElwain when CSU hired him, and that worked out pretty wellhappening during the schools Bold New Era.

Some supporters of the program think Alford should gain some HC experience at a smaller school first, before trying to get a job in the Mountain West conference. Breaking News: CSU IS a smaller school folks. Its the same as schools in the Mid-American, American Athletic or Sun Belt conferences.

A program thats seven games under .500 over the past five years, hasnt won a conference title in 17 years and has missed a bowl game the past two years isnt too big or two good for a first-time head coach with a great resume, especially one who really wants to be there.

The viewpoint that Alford was not good enough for CSU and that somehow Addazio was a better hire shows an amazing lack of self-awareness.

Strike Three: Were now about a year removed from similar coaching change situations in Boulder and Dove Valley. How have those graded out?

At the University of Colorado, Mel Tuckers first year, even though it resulted in a 5-7 bowl-less season, has been treated as a success by most in Buff Nation. CUs schedule was a killer, with losses to Air Force and Arizona offset by wins over Nebraska and Washington. It doesnt get a lot easier next season. Up and down Fresno State replaces Air Force, with Texas A&M instead of the Huskersfollowed by another gauntlet run through the Pac 12. Going 6-6 and reaching a bowl would be a very good season for the 2020 Buffs.

Tucker had only a brief fill-in stint in the NFL as a head coach (2-3 as an interim HC with Jacksonville at the end of a lost season) on his stellar resume as an assistant coach prior to getting hired by CU. This was basically his first head coaching gig, too.

Recruiting has been decent, and the reception by everyone around the program has been positive. If you had to give a letter grade to this first-time head coaching hire, youd land somewhere in the B or B+ range to this point. Get to a bowl game next season, and that could bump up.

Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos also hired a first-time head coach last year long time defensive assistant Vic Fangio. The Broncos were coming off two straight losing seasons and needed a jolt of old-fashioned discipline within their building.

Enter the man some call the Godfather.

After a bad start that included a really poor handling of the pre-season, the Broncos have finally gotten a little traction late under Uncle Vic. Its taken most of the season, but the new coaching staff appears to have gotten on the same pageand the results including an unexpected beat down of the Houston Texans two weeks ago have improved steadily. Exciting new young quarterback Drew Lock has emerged as a symbol of hope coming out of Broncos Country.

Denver will finish with a losing record for the third straight season, something which hasnt happened in five decades. And even though they could end up 6-10 under Fangio which is exactly the same record they had under Vance Joseph in 2018 this year feels different. Because of the decent finish, theres hope in Broncos Country. That didnt exist at this time last year.

So, after one season, both Tucker and Fangio grade out well as first time head coaching hires. Both searches were not rushed but measured. They werent clumsy and there was no what if fear involved.

Its easy to look at UNC in much the same way.

CSU? Not so much.

Continued here:
Mark Knudson's Three Strikes Blog: Coaching searches Why UNC won, CSU didn'tand how to grade the Buffs and Broncos after Year One. - 1310kfka.com

Joshs girlfriend broke up with him in the fall of 2017, and it hit him hard. He became depressed, started drinking and became more withdrawn. He got into a few mountain biking accidents, which his mom, Diane, thought were intentional. She thought he was trying to hurthimself.

And then it just seemed like all of a sudden he spiraled down bad, Dianesaid.

Of the 166 petitions filed in Oregon in the nearly two years since the law took effect, 112 were for people who were at risk of suicide and 39 were for domesticviolence.

Illustration: Jonathan Levinson /OPB

In February 2018, Josh shot himself in the leg. He owned five guns and initially he told his mom and sister it was an accident. But on the way to the hospital, Diane said he confided in her that he was trying to killhimself.

OPBis not using Joshs or his familys last name to protect hisprivacy.

Eventually, Diane would use Oregons newly created extreme risk protection orders (ERPO) to have her sons firearmsremoved.

The law, colloquially known as a red flag law, allows immediate family, co-habitants or law enforcement to ask a judge to prohibit a person from possessing or buying a firearm for one year. Once filed, respondents have 30 days to contest the order incourt.

OPBhas reviewed all 166 petitions that were filed in the state from Jan. 1, 2018, when the law went into effect, through Oct. 31,2019.

They paint a picture of people in extraordinarycrisis.

For the couple of months after Josh shot himself, he was in and out of the hospital. He would detox, start doing better, then relapse. In the hospital, he would hide his depression, self harm and suicidal thoughts from doctors and social workers. Despite her entreaties, Diane said there was little they coulddo.

But he definitely talked about he was depressed, she said. He would say, I want todie.

Doctors suggested she take his guns, but without his consent that wasimpossible.

I had tried at one point and he got in my face and said, Get the blank out of here, sherecounted.

Finally, in April 2018 a police officer on a wellness check at their home told Diane about the new extreme risk protectionorders.

Of the 166 petitions filed in Oregon in the nearly two years since the law took effect, 112 were for people at risk ofsuicide.

A Tillamook County woman, allegedly addicted to pain pills and in the midst of a divorce while living at a cancer treatment center, repeatedly demanded that her husband give her his firearm and ammunition so that she could take her own life. A father in Josephine County petitioned for an ERPO after his sons numerous threats to kill himself escalated to self harm and violence toward familymembers.

Has history of self harm including cutting, jumping from moving vehicles, and striking himself, reads the petition, which goes on to say the son often fondled a firearm or knife when speaking topeople.

Thirty-nine of the filed ERPOs, or about 23%, were related to domesticviolence.

A Washington County man pointed a gun at his wife and said, maybe Ill take us both out. A Josephine County man pushed a loaded pistol into his wifes chest so hard it left a bruise. That petition, filled out by a Josephine County Sheriffs Office deputy, reads, respondent owns approximately 30 firearms, including assault weapons and bodyarmor.

Twenty-six of the suicide and domestic violence petitions were for both. Most of the petitions involved multiple factors such as threats of violence, use of physical force, owning or attempting to purchase deadly weapons, prior convictions and use of controlledsubstances.

Currently, 17 states plus the District of Columbia have extreme risk protection orders. Connecticut was the first state to pass a red flag law in 1999 after a mass shooting at the Connecticut StateLottery.

The laws vary in how they work. In Oregon, only law enforcement, immediate family, and co-habitants can petition for an ERPO. Maryland and D.C. allow mental health providers to petition and New York allows school administrators. In Hawaii, where the law goes into effect Jan. 1, medical professionals, coworkers and educators can allpetition.

In Florida, where legislators passed a red flag law after the 2018 Parkland shooting, Jerron Smith recently became the first in the state to be convictedfor refusing to comply with an ERPO. Courts in Connecticut, Indiana and Florida have upheld the laws asconstitutional.

A 2018 study found Indianas ERPO law was associated with a 7.5% reduction in firearm suicides over 10 years. Connecticuts law was also associated with a reduction in suicide. Research has yet to show an impact on gunhomicides.

Diane, the mother whose son had become suicidal after breaking up with his girlfriend, filed the paperwork for an ERPO at 9 a.m. on April 17, 2018, and was in front of a judge that afternoon. By 6:15 that same evening, a sheriffs deputy delivered a certified copy of the order to Josh. His mom said he peacefully surrendered hisfirearms.

It tore my heart out, Diane said. I felt like he hatedme.

But, she said, it also served as a wake up call to Josh, who soon after got sober. His mom said he started going to Alcoholics Anonymous and seeing a therapist. Diane agreed to have the order liftedearly.

Josh didnt want to be interviewed for this story, but did relay a message through hismom.

He said he knows that he was so bad off that [the ERPO] was the right thing, but it still didnt make him happy, Dianesaid.

In an August interview with OPB, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said the law is working, but she acknowledged that it is not being widely used, it is not widely knownabout.

Of Oregons 36 counties, 11 havent issued a single ERPO. Another seven have issued just one. Part of that might be a function of awareness for the new law, but it may also bepolitical.

I believe that theres a preconceived notion that these are not appropriate in our county, said Rachael Espy, executive director of the SAFE Project, a domestic violence advocacy program in Coos County,Oregon.

I think that its more of a culture here in Coos County that everyone has a right to a firearm because of our Second Amendment rights, Espy said. And while I agree that we should protect our Second Amendment rights, I dont agree that everyone has a right to afirearm.

She said its up to police chiefs and sheriffs to determine best practices and train their officers and deputies on enforcing red flag laws. If leadership doesnt advocate for policies to protect survivors of domestic violence, then their subordinates wont either, shesaid.

If its not a resource thats readily offered, that theyre not trained on, that theyre not encouraged to use, then why would they use it? Espyasked.

While Oregons law may not have been fully embraced, in Colorado, elected officials and law enforcement are bracing for ashowdown.

The Colorado Legislature passed an ERPO law this year that will take effect on Jan. 1 and a number of Colorado sheriffs have said they wont enforce the law or use it in their counties. On Dec. 7, approximately 200 people attended a We Will Not Comply rally at the state Capitol. The Three Percent militia, an anti-government group, provided security. Speakers included a number of Republican state representatives and candidates forCongress.

Essentially what Im saying is, I wont be an applicant for a red flag order, Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams told KUNC in August. If we have someone who is a significant risk to themselves or others, well go out and handle that person but taking their guns away is not how to make a situation better when a person is incrisis.

Det. Lucas Franks with the Washington County Sheriffs Office in Oregon has been using extreme risk protection orders for almost two years and disagrees withReams.

Before extreme risk protection orders were an option, he said there were times when his hands would be tied, when he had done everything he could legally do and he would have to accept an ongoingrisk.

Its certainly not the answer to all the problems, but it can be a useful tool, Franks said. That void that we may not have been able to resolve in the past, the ERPO potentially helps withthat.

In some states a warrant may be issued allowing law enforcement to search the respondents home. Oregon isnt one of those states. Franks said enforcing a risk protection order in Oregon still requires some cooperation from therespondent.

Theres no mechanism for us to go booting the door and searching around ourselves, Franks said of Oregons law. Thats just not part ofit.

Even before an extreme risk protection order reaches police, it has to pass a judges scrutiny. Through October, 32 of the 166 requests in Oregon have been denied by judges and an additional 12 were dismissed after respondents requested a hearing. That means around 27% of requested ERPOs did not result in gunremovals.

Oregonians have petitioned for 166 extreme risk protection orders since Jan. 1, 2018. Judged granted 122 orders. Forty-four were denied or dismissed after they werechallenged.

Illustration: JonathanLevinson/OPB

Reasons judges denied petitions vary. Five were denied because the petitioner wasnt eligible to request the order it was filed by someones neighbor or boss, for example. Four were denied because the petitioner didnt show up to the initial hearing and another 15 were denied because the judge determined the evidence was insufficient to warrant an ERPO. Others were dismissed if the respondent was already prohibited from owning firearms or if other kinds of restraining orders were moreappropriate.

Jane, a woman in a domestic violence situation, nearly had her petition denied in July2018.

OPBis not using her real name because of safetyconcerns.

Jane said she had been living on adrenaline for more than two months after her husband had a psychoticbreak.

Near the end of April 2018, Janes husband told their daughter that he was going to die on May 1. She said that unraveled their marriage and made her worry about her safety and that of herchildren.

Jane said her life was a roller coaster after that. Her husband became paranoid, erratic and would talk about ending his life if she ever lefthim.

And throughout all of this, were still meeting with counselors, Jane said. Hes being sent to the hospital. The police are being called and still there was nothing I coulddo.

One night in June, she said, she realized she couldnt stay in the marriage any longer. Although her husband had always had what she described as violent tendencies, he had never been violent toward her. Still, that night, she was lying in bed and couldntsleep.

And I just remember thinking: At any time if he wanted to kill me, theres nothing I could do. Im helpless, she recalled. And thats when I realized, Maybe you dont know this person like you thought you did and maybe youre not as safe as you thought youwere.

Two months after his break began, she told him she wanted a divorce. She said he became homicidal. He accused her of having an affair and threatened to put a bullet in her head. When the police came that day, he repeated the same threats and said he was planning on ending hislife.

Her husband was hospitalized and the police told her to look into a restraining order, but didnt offer any details orhelp.

As a person whos in this crisis mode and experiencing their whole world turning upside down, it felt like I had no idea what I was doing, she said. Show me, tell me where to go, what makessense?

Jane was left to do her own research online and found information that incorrectly suggested that because her husband had never actually hurt her, she didnt qualify for a restraining order. Under Oregon law, threats of abuse are sufficient for a Family Abuse Prevention Act, or FAPA, protection order. Without a restraining order, Jane felt unsafe. She stumbled across the ERPOs online and thought they applied to her situation so she applied forone.

After explaining her situation to the judge, Jane said he still wasnt convinced it met the requirements for anERPO.

When the judge was asking me questions, it was like, Thats not enough. Thats not enough. I cant grant this to you, she said. But he said he would get a sniper rifle. He said specifically that he was going to shootme.

It wasnt until she mentioned that her husband had just gotten his Oregon state ID that the judge changed his mind. Janes husband didnt own any firearms but he had expressed an interest in buying one. And with a state ID, he finally had the ability to do so legally. The judge granted the ERPO, which meant her husband wouldnt be able to pass the required background check to buy afirearm.

The ERPO expired in July, and Jane said her relationship with her ex-husband is hostile but working. She said hes on medication now, and while they dont speak, he spends every other weekend with their children. He has even cancelled a few times when he said he felt off, a reassuring sign to her that he is more selfaware.

She said getting the protection order changed the way she interacted with herhusband.

I wanted him to still have parenting time and that was important to me, shesaid.

Without the ERPO, she said, she never would have even consideredit.

Resources if you or someone you know is consideringsuicide:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 orhttps://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Options For Deaf and Hard of Hearing:1-800-799-4889

En espaol:1-888-628-9454

Veterans Crisis Line & Military Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255, Press1

For help with intimate partner violence call the National Domestic Violence Hotline:1-800-799-SAFE(7233)

1-800-787-3224 (TTY), or emaildeafhelp@thehotline.org

Guns & America is a public media reporting project on the role of guns in Americanlife.

Read more:
Oregonians Have Used Red Flag Law 166 Times In 2 Years - OPB News

Getty

If you are an avid traveler, you may be familiar with Away, the fast-growing luggage maker, but you may not have heard of its toxic work environment. A recenttell-all article about Aways internal practices sheds light on the risks of using values and mission to build a cohesive culture. At Away, employees may have faced nightmarish scenarios not because their employer lacked a strong corporate persona, but as a result of it.

Consider the following: People were routinely scolded for falling short of the companys values; they were prevented from exchanging private emails and messages; and they were cajoled into ignoring their feelings of exhaustion and into acting as the extraordinary team players the company needed them to be. Aways story is just the most recent case of an incoherent culture that strides away from its best intentions.

Like Away,Thinx, another purpose-driven startup that became known for its abusive practices, orNetflix, an organization with an unvarnished commitment to culture that was also exposed for unsavory rituals and norms, are only some of the examples from the large universe of companies that start with an inspired purpose and end with a dysfunctional workplace.

Yet, the idea that values and purpose should be used to build a robust core makes intuitive sense and there is evidence to support it. In fact, not only can sharing a common purposebind people together, but it caninspire and direct effort. Indeed, that unique ability that both values and purpose have to glue a group together is also why they can become dangerous liabilities for an organization and its leadership.

The Implicit Demands Of Cohesion

Getty

People intuitively know that some groups have a stronger sense ofgroup-ness and feel more like a real group than others. For example, a tight-knit circle of friends will feel more wholesome than a temporary committee created to complete a specific task. Scientists refer to the quality of group-ness, the extent to which a group feels like a coherent and meaningful whole, asentitativity. The more entitativity a group has, the deeper the level of intimacy its members sharein such groups, people are not solely pursuing some transient goal or outcome, but they are bound together by deeper bonds and commonalities.

Whether a group is more intimate versus business-like also has an impact on the type of expectations that people hold with respect to how group members shouldrelate to one another. In tight-knit groups, people are comfortable with a more communal way of sharing and pitching in as needed. Importantly, of all the factors that can generate entitativity,interdependence and communication are the two conditions most likely to produce it. This is why building a culture with an inspiring purpose and strong values can be equated to the intentional practice of equipping the organization with a high dose of entitativity.

At Away, for example, the veneer and popularity of the brand had the effect of attracting young employees who were sucked into the cool factor and seduced by the idea of joining an exclusive organization. As employees were inducted into the practice of refraining from personal communications and using only group conversations on Slack, they were also subjected to the subtle yet powerful effect of feeling greater interdependence amongst one another. Simultaneously, the impact of communication on the organizations everyday life was strengthened, creating another condition for people to feel part of a tight-knit group.

When purpose and values are devised to shape a strong sense of who people are and trigger an equally deep aspiration of who they should be, they can shift the way in which employees perceive themselves and the organization. Upon being hired, Aways employees would hear from leadership that they were joining a movement, and everyone wanted to be a part of this. But, even more deeply, internal practices were used to, wittingly or unwittingly, make people feel the effects of Aways strong cultural identity. Take the companys obsession with its image and how this deeply ingrained value was mirrored by the use of a consequential way to control how people were made to appear in front of their colleagues - employee shaming. As one ex-employee noted, the CEOs tirades felt like having your pants pulled down in front of the company.

The Risks Of Expecting Communal Sharing

Getty

For businesses that seek high engagement, the fact that employees are inspired by the companys mission and join without the purely transactional mindset that task-oriented groups are more likely to elicit is a boon. At Away, as leadership kept evoking the companys values (i.e., thoughtful, customer-obsessed, iterative, empowered, accessible, in it together) to prescribe and injunct behavior, people were made immediately aware of the tall order that awaited them: meeting ever-unfulfilled and overly ideal standards of conduct.

But while a purpose-led, values-based organization may earn extra goodwill for free, it does so at the cost of stepping into the murky and more complex dynamics that characterize intimate groups. When some of Aways employees were told that the only way to respond to all customers inquiries in a timely manner was to plow through on New Years Eve and New Years Day, people felt unable to refuse because they didnt want their colleagues to be caught in it alone. As one ex-employee noted, they exploited the fact that we were close.

Indeed, abusing expectations of communal sharing becomes an ever-present danger when leaders fall into the trap of raising and fostering such expectations (e.g., our shared purpose and values, etc.) without the required and necessary maturity. The power asymmetries that exist between employees and management combined with the higher personal stakes that tie leaders to their business make it much harder to draw the line once a leader starts applying the norms of a more intimate group to his/her own team. Whether this results in loving and long, but manipulative, messages sent to employees or the leader name-calling and berating people, as the Away story shows, it remains a dangerous breach into the personal sphere that few or no leaders can pull off without catastrophic consequences for the organizations culture.

This is even more likely because when employees joinwith and in a communal mindset (e.g., we are in it together, etc.) they themselves then hold expectations that their communal sharing will be reciprocated - a promise that businesses can hardly fulfill. Thus, in the case of Away, as in the case of any other company that finds itself in the same predicament, its no surprise that people would end up thinking that the mission was just a smokescreen to make people work harder and longer. But, while this feels like a foregone conclusion, it also does irreparable damage to the culture to the point of rapidly eroding any free goodwill the organization may gain because of its underlying mission.

Indeed, for values and purpose to correctly and successfully inform the culture, they cannot be eagerly appropriated, nor can they be used to conveniently erase boundaries. Instead, they must be put to task to re-draw the groups internal boundaries in a way that is devoid of any double standard. This requires a process of humble self-awareness, shared learning and continued personal growth that must start with and from the most senior leaders in the organization.

Follow this link:
From Being Purpose-Led To Fostering A Toxic Culture: Why Companies Like Away Fail To Live Up To Their Promises - Forbes