Blogging
I kept a personal and political blog the semester that I spent studying abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland working at the Scottish Parliament.
Find all blog entries here.
This week has been all about Nicola Sturgeon.
We officially have a new First Minister. Nicola Sturgeon was elected by the Scottish Parliament on 19 November with 66 votes compared to 15 for Ruth Davidson and the rest of the 128 abstaining. No surprises there though. She’s the first female First Minister and this was the first election with only female candidates.
I got to see it all happen.
First I got to see Alex Salmond’s last First Minister’s Questions; it was a complete laugh bucket. Alex had some good back and forth, as always, especially with Ruth. We had reserved tickets a week in advance and got to see Alex’s farewell and the party leader reactions and speeches in chambers on Tuesday, his last day as First Minister before officially stepping down. At the end of the day a bunch of SNP people stood outside the door to cheer for Alex as he left and drove off for the final time as First Minister while waving flags. I was standing right by the door as he walked out and I think I got in a lot of photos and footage. I’m tall and wearing an orange coat. Look for me.
After his send off though, we spotted Nicola Sturgeon on our way back to our offices and I asked her for a pictures with my friends and I and then Rob (my MSP) walked by and I snagged him and got another picture. It was really neat; Nicola was nice about it. She’s going to have to get used to it.
On Wednesday I got to sit in chambers again as Nicola was officially elected as First Minister by a vote from the MSPs, not that there was any doubt whatsoever about who was going to win. All of the party leaders gave their congratulatory speeches; they were all great except for Jackie Baillie, current speaker for the Labour party in chambers in the absence of a party since Johann Lamont’s resignation, who was unnecessarily malicious. Nicola’s acceptance speech promised an opportunity for all of the parties to work together for a better Scotland:
Her first First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, which I also got to attend, followed up on this promise. Whereas Alex’s FMQs had always been funny, insulting, and adversarial, Nicola’s were welcoming, encouraging, and peaceful. She promised all of those who brought up concerns in their questions the opportunity to come to her with proposals to work through together. I look forward to seeing if that sentiment lasts.
Friday Nicola officially announced her cabinet and, keeping with the theme of ‘the first time in history,’ there is a 50/50 gender split of the appointees. Several people on my floor have been promoted to ministerial positions and now have to pack up and move offices to work in the Ministers Tower.
But Saturday was one of the best days ever. A friend managed to get ahold of two tickets for the Glasgow stop of Nicola’s Stronger For Scotland tour and was nice enough to give me the second ticket. So we hopped on a train to Glasgow, walked half an hour to the SSE Hydro, and had the most amazing two hours. There were all sorts of Scottish musical acts including my favorites The Red Hot Chilli Pipers (please look them up if you haven’t already), Blank Canvas, Lou Hickey, Stanley Odd, Dougie MacLean, and more. Alex Salmond gave an amazing speech, as always, the new deputy party leader Stewart Hosie also talked, and Nicola gave a fantastic speech almost half an hour long. It was sensational. And, one of the craziest things about the day of all: since the referendum SNP membership has over tripled and Alex set a goal to have over 100,000 members by the 2015 UK elections; today, at the beginning of the event, the SNP had 90,263 members. An hour and a half later, just before Nicola gave her speech, SNP membership had reached 92,187. That’s almost 2,000 new members in less than two hours. That’s insane. And wonderful.
After that, we went to the Glasgow Christmas market and looked at all of the lights and decorations, took the hour train back to Edinburgh, went to the Edinburgh Christmas market and looked at all of the lights and decorations. Since there’s no Thanksgiving, there is only Christmas. It makes me so happy. All we need is a light dusting of snow. But we probably won’t get that.
The sun now doesn’t rise until after 8 AM and sets before 4 PM. It’s all sorts of weird. Not that I mind it.
Last weekend a few of my friends and I went to Linlithgow, a town about 30 minutes west of Edinburgh by train. It was an absolutely adorable place. Their castle is amazing, they have a yarn shop, a beautiful little loch with ducks and swans (including my new friends Sean the swan, John the swan, Dawn the swan, and Don Juan the swan), adorable little cafes, and just a feeling of nicety. I would live there. And, while there, I got to pet the only male Italian gun dog in all of Scotland. His name is Archie and his fur is so curly and soft. I also pet a Scottish terrier named Dougal.
This is my last weekend in Edinburgh though. I refuse to believe that my time here has passed into near-extinction so quickly. Next weekend a friend and I are (finally) going to London, which I am ridiculously excited for. The weekend after that I will be accompanying Rob on a constituency visit to the northern Highlands. So excited for that too, I always love being in the Highlands, even if it means nonexistent Internet. And then, less than a week later, I have to get back on the plane and go back to America. It’s impossible; I swear I’ve only been here three weeks. Instead, now I have to leave in three weeks. And I’m not ready for that.
On the bright side: I finally started my research paper. Two pages done of 14 or so. It’s at least a start…
I’m sure there’s a lot more for me to say about blue carbon in Scotland. I just need to get around to saying it.
Say Allo Blog
Say Allo is a new dating app on the scene and working to break into the mainstream. One of the ways to get going is with a strong media presence, including an SEO-strong blog.
Why A Video Date is Your Best Transition From Online to In-Person
Whether you’ve been messaging for a few weeks or you matched that afternoon and decided to meet up for tacos and a marg – or two, everyone’s just hoping that online chemistry is there when you’re finally face-to-face with the person bestowed with your right-swipe. Online dating presents a lot of challenges that past generations never had to think about.
Every so often, you really hit it off and five whole hours fly by without either of you noticing that the restaurant is trying to close. More often though, you both know after an hour that you won’t be seeing each other again, but still have to smile and ask about each other’s siblings until the check comes. Where did that easy banter go? Occasionally, there are even those people who make you wish you could leave as soon as you got there.
Sit down and buckle up, video dates are here to stay – and save your #datinglife!
A Date Has Never Been Safer
Single life is hard right now—we’re not letting you in on a secret when we say that most of us have been stuck at home for the past months. There’s nowhere open even if you wanted to go out. Plus, with recommendations on maintaining your distance, it’s basically impossible to meet anyone in person right now.
Add that to the safety concerns a lot of us already have about sharing our personal information (like phone numbers or social media) with someone we don’t know, or even the possibility that the person you meet up with may end up not being who they said they were. We don’t like to think about it, but every so often you read one of those stories in the news.
All of these concerns are easily avoidable by scheduling a video chat for your first date. The person you’re talking to won’t receive any more information than you’ve already given them and if they make you feel uncomfortable for any reason, you can quickly end the call without any awkward small talk or further concern.
Put Your Chemistry to the Test
Once you’re both on camera, the real you (and them!) is fully on display, no more hiding behind anyone’s best six pictures and perfectly thought-out messages — with endless time to think and rewrite. Tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions will help you communicate and read each other better than typing back and forth ever could.
If the feeling just isn’t there in real conversation, you’ll know. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but if you’re both struggling to find a topic that sticks or forcing laughter to stave off discomfort, a real-life date probably wasn’t going to go much better.
And, hey! If it goes badly, you saved the money you would have spent on a drink or a meal and were able to cut the date short instead of sitting through an uncomfortable couple of hours. Now you can get back to binging the newest must-see by yourself—or maybe you can even plan another video date for that night. You’re already looking great!
You’re Totally Comfortable in Your Surroundings
You want to make an effort to still look nice for your date—always put your best foot forward, even if it’s not in person. But in your own home, you’re most comfortable and most free to be yourself.
In your favorite chair and surrounded by the things you’re most familiar with, you should be more at ease than trying to gain your bearings somewhere totally new and full of distractions. Nothing new to see here, so you’re free to totally focus on your conversation. As a bonus, you know exactly where all the outlets are if the date is going so well that your phone is about to die.
Video dating tip: Just make sure you’re not just staring at yourself on the screen the whole time.
Basically what we’re trying to say is: video dates are the new coffee date. Low cost, low stress, and if they go well, you can schedule something with a bit more thought to it next time.
Read more from Say Allo Founder/CEO Zackary Lewis’s talk with CNET:
https://www.cnet.com/news/how-to-date-online-in-the-age-of-coronavirus-and-social-distancing/
Kansas City Improv Company
Ways You Can Start Improv-ing at Home
Interested in starting to get into improv but don’t know where to start?
Sure, we at the KC Improv Company make it look easy—and it is! Improv games are a fun way to start getting into theater, pass the time with friends, improve your communication and quick-thinking skills and get caught up in a fun imagination game with your kids.
The base rule to get started with improvisation is to always say yes. But don’t stop there—add something to the story by saying “Yes, and…”
“Wow, this forest is scary, isn’t it, Dracula?” “Yes, and I think I hear an elephant!”
“I’m currently hunting for buried treasure, will you help me?” “Yes, and we can drive my truck to find it.”
“This is easily one of the ugliest pillows I’ve ever seen in my life.” “Yes and I think we should burn it.”
One of the easiest ways to get started improv-ing at home is by creating short stories or dialogues together, a line or two at a time. Practicing what works and doesn’t work for each other while creating a story. Don’t worry about being funny! Coming up with good dialogue and ideas is more important—funny can always come later.
You don’t have to just speak about the story, add another element by acting or miming the story out as you go.
Another great game for beginners is called ABC. Starting with a random letter, each player must start speaking with the next letter in the alphabet. They must continue until another player responds with a sentence beginning with the next letter alphabetically. See how many tries it is until you can get through all 26 letters!
Example:
“Hello friends, it was so nice for you all to meet me here today!”
“I really want to know what all of this about—why did we have to bring masks and goggles?”
“Just because you asked us to, we did—but we’re confused.”
“Kazoos were asked of you too, but that’s alright. We’re going to dive today!”
If you start to discover a real interest or passion for improvisational comedy, the KC Improv Company invites you to show up to our Saturday afternoon drop-in classes or even sign up for our six-week beginner courses.
Check them out here and get ready to watch yourself grow as a thinker, performer and communicator!
What Can I Do With A Web Certification?
You’re never too old or young to learn a new skill and start a brand new, lucrative career. Few career fields are growing as quickly as web-based jobs. Add in the perks of the security, freedom and opportunity for creative thinking, and a job in web design or web development looks especially attractive.
You’re ready to get started on all the hard work ahead in obtaining a web design or development certification and you have some research to do. Where do you learn web development? How long does it take to get a certification in web design?
CTE Learning is here to help. CTE Learning provides online courses used across the country that can be easily implemented in schools or your home. The classes provide range to include coursework for a younger middle school-aged audience to more advanced coding classes that would put you ahead of the curve. Time an again, web development has been proven to be a field that budding professionals can get ahead in without a college degree. The time you put into learning and working determines exactly what you get out of this career path.
CTE Learning offers a Web Development and Design (Coding with HTML5 & CSS3) with the option for gaining an Industry Certification at the end of the program. With over 150 videos, 28 assignments and 5 big projects, you can move through the web development and design certification content at your own pace. It’s your perfect web design certification program.
Companies of all sizes need web designers to build and maintain their corporate brand story. Our Web Development course teaches students how to use HTML5 and CSS3 to build websites from the ground up. Concept design, layout, content creation and messaging are the skills that companies hire for. By design we have made this course easy to deploy. Neither teachers nor learners need any previous coding or design experience for this course.
When you’ve finished the CTE Learning online courses, you will have gained practical knowledge and experience in web development and design to fully prepare you for your certification and the start of your career. You’ll learn:
- Solid understanding of the basics involved in HTML5 and CSS3
- An understand and the ability to apply best practices to create websites that are web accessible for users who may have different levels of impairments.
- Recognize what it takes to be a professional in the industry.
- Understand the fundamental relationship between Content, Style and Behavior.
- Demonstrate how to create a website for a client based on the customer’s needs and vision.
- Able to analyze, test and critically review their work and use feedback to improve.
- How to present a solution to a client.
- Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethics and web legal issues including privacy, copyright, and information security.
- Create a Portfolio that demonstrates an understanding of web development using HTML5 and CSS3.
- Understand the trends in the web design.
- Demonstrate an understanding of color theory, site aesthetics, style tiles, wire framing and site testing.
- Understand how to engage with a client, collaborate, communicate and deliver on time and on budget.
- Be properly prepared to take on and earn the optional industry certification
Our web design and development certifications come from partnering with the Web Professionals organization (webprofessionals.org). After completing our training course, the Web Professionals organization offers multiple levels of certification tests to work to the highest certification. Start with apprentice exams, move on the associate level exams then through the professional level exams to achieve the full web design and development certifications.
These vendor neutral industry standard certification exams were designed and created by experts within the web industry, education and the government sectors to make sure that all certification tests are fair and accurately measure skills and knowledge. Once you’ve passed the professional level tests and gained the full official web design and development certifications, your certification will be universally recognized by potential employers and employment councils.
Visit their site [https://webprofessionals.org/certification/] to learn more about the professional certifications.
While having your certification is a huge achievement, that isn’t the end of your work—it’s just the beginning. Once you’ve completed the CTE Learning online web development and design courses and passed your professional certification, you’re ready to keep learning and start proving yourself at an entry-level position. Web design and development are truly career paths where you will fail succeed and learn many times over on a daily basis and will emerge a stronger professional project after project in this fulfilling career adventure.