What are your own thoughts on these new developments about this miracle that is just taken place?
Do you think that its a coincidence this would happen right before Easter?
Do you believe that a congregation can take place in a mass illusion of some sort or do you take miracles at face value?
Does anyone live in this area of Connecticut & has it caused any kind of a stir in the community? {besides making the news}. As always look forward to the replies ♥️

CHURCH INVESTIGATES LATEST MIRACLE

Lemme preface this by saying that i haven't actually used any of these apps, so i'm not an authority on the matter. I'm just on the seach for the right app for me, and in the spirit of not letting my research go to waste, i thought i might as well throw my little slice into the chasm of the internet rather than let it die alone in my notes (which is currently Evernote btw, looking to change).
I've spent probably 15 hours of watching videos and reading articles and then parsed all the data into my personal notes. I feel quite grateful for all the people that go to the effort to share their knowledge/experiences with productivity apps so this is my way of giving back i guess. Productivity apps are so personal, and with people's needs being uniquely specific there's so much noise to sift through with how many options there are, so i thought this might be helpful for people looking to cut through the noise.
It'd also be useful to see where my findings get validated or disagreed with, as i'm still yet to make a final decision.
Just as a sidenote, personally i'm looking for something that can help me manage my freelance projects with music & audio as well as something to catalog all my research with various hobbies/work areas, so my thoughts might have some bias towards that. Other personal needs are: it's gotta be able to sync between Android to PC. Also it's gotta have as little resistance/barriers to making notes+tasks as i have ADHD and my short term information retention is crappy.
I did deeper dives on some more than others, but i spose you can tell that by the amount of words written.
Hope it helps...

• Notion -- It's like a DAW for your life/brain (IYKYK), it's got a bunch of plugins/templates. You can do heaps of different stuff with it. Endless use cases, covers heaps of needs, so wont likely wont need to install multiple other apps. The way Notion comes across to me is that it's basically like a universe of interconnected excel spreadsheets with pretty bows. This is valuable because of the sheer amount of possibilities that comes with how you set up your data expression. Super customizable/flexible, but by the same token this makes it very "heady". It looks like a lot of work to use, it's easy to feel a sense of resistance. How productive can you be when your productivity app involves so much work? You have to think a bit like a coder or mathematician to get the most out of it. There's a loooot of functions/terminology, and it would require doing a course or something to optimize using it to its fullest potential. Definitely a nerd's wet dream, but how easily can you get into a state of flow with it? Only after a long period of initial study, i imagine. Has a nice minimalistic look/feel to it so it doesn't feel overwhelming to look at. You can really personalize it which is why i think so many people fell in love with it. You can have collaborative workspaces that you use at the same time and see each other's cursor. You can upload files (incl audio) with unlimited storage (!). You can express your data in various tables, AND it integrates with Whimsical (Flowchart/Mindmap app, which has a generous free plan btw). It's the most popular productivity app, so it's "future-proofed" because the "network effect" tendrils are firmly planted. LOTS of community templates are available, which can either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your brain style (option overload?). It's also among the most reasonably priced. They added an AI element too (for extra charge) for "input data" side of things. Some drawbacks include: reports of sluggish load times once your databases get bigger, being forced to place each note into a hierarchy, and being TOO robust lol.
  
• Motion -- (Or "Use Motion") Kind of a one-trick pony but the trick it does is cool: it's like a "smart scheduler", you put in the tasks you need to do and it populates your daily schedule based on its special algorithm. Basically tells you what you need to be doing without you thinking about it. 2 problems: the web app is apparently crap and it's expensive.
  
• Akiflow - similar to Motion, planner app
  
• Sunsama - similar to Motion, planner app
  
• Obsidian - Knowledge base "2nd brain" style note taking app with a cool visual representation of how the notes link together, kinda looks like neurons connecting. Overall it's a lot like a personal wikipedia. An academic's best friend. The linking of notes is its main value, it's like an interconnected knowledge vault. The formatting is good, it's similar to GitHub (markdown). It seems to have some basic to-do list functionality but there's not much info on how deep it is. No collaboration features. Works offline, it doesn't save to cloud or sync devices unless you pay extra, which makes the free version fairly useless for note taking if you can't write notes while you're out away from your computer (cos that's when note inspiration hits the most). Paid version seems better than Notion for note taking, but not as good in other ways, much less features. More of a specialty app for note taking specifically. Would be VERY useful for students and journalists, or someone that's researching for writing a book/documentary/podcast. Not so much for freelancers or project managers.
  
• Mindmanager - mindmaps and flowcharts of all kinds. pricey but very visual and seems to integrate with a calendar
  
• Xmind - a cheaper alternative to Mindmanager but with no calendar? It is cross-platform though
  
• Mindgenius - Has all the features i need, but the affordable subscription is web only, there's no app, and the desktop software costs heaps. But definitely one of the more appealing options for project management. It lacks in the note-taking "2nd brain" field though.
  
• Ayoa - looks good, bit pricey. Fully cross-platform too. The UI design is a bit too "cutesie".
  
• Maps of Mind - nice and cheap, seems to have good features, web based only
  
• Amplenote - It's basically a better version of Evernote. Really streamlines the process between 'conception' and 'action'. The main philosophy being that it intends to reduce barriers between having an idea seed and having it go through the funnel into action with the least resistance possible. Actually looks like the perfect combo of simple but versatile/useful. Probably more elegant than Notion purely because of the "streamlined" nature of the way notes and tasks are integrated together. It's a clean and minimalist look/feel, similar to Evernote (not a "cool/inspiring" look though, unlike something like Taskade which looks sexy af). It's divided into 4 main sections: Jots, Notes, Tasks, Calendar. Jots become Notes, Notes become Tasks. And they all sorta merge together behind the scenes due to tags and contexts, which allows for a more seamless process of note taking. It has linkable notes like on Obsidian and Notion. You can insert pics etc. Good formatting options. Task management seems good. You can set task priority, and it creates a "task score" where it automatically ranks your tasks list based on various factors. I really love that automatic ranking. It's better than Evernote for sure. It's like Evernote + a deeper Google Tasks + elements of Notion/Obsidian. Apparently much snappier app than Notion too. Def gonna start using the free version of this instead of Evernote (which i'm currently using). Drawbacks include: can't upload audio files (Notion can), weak support for real-time collaboration, less support for table-like data and charts, doesn't have a fully-fledged desktop app yet (it's a PWA app that's powered by your browser. It's fine, it works as a dedicated software would, just a bit more resource heavy than a dedicated software would be, i assume?). Not as "cool" as others, but it might the easiest to get along with out of the fully-featured apps like this. The biggest drawback for me is the lack of task dependencies / sub-tasks. My brain has such a hard time keeping up with "A can't be done until i finish B, B can't be done until i finish C, etc" that not being able to map it out in whatever app i decide on is kinda a deal breaker. P.s. worth noting that the devs seem active, secure and dedicated. As do their community.
  
• Coda - the go-to for data processing, table formulas, data views, charts.
  
• Mem X - more of a competitor to Evernote (purely note taking app), but it's next level. It uses AI to categories your notes automatically, so you don't have to think about it yourself, which REALLY removes resistance barriers. Bunch of other cool AI features. There's also some task mangement stuff there but i think it's still in early development. Not on Android though (might be in future??) but a workaround is you can SMS notes to Mem and it saves it for you. This seems like the future of note-taking. It's early though.
  
• Taskade - Has the coolest looking UI design, kind of a Discord look/feel. It has recently added AI integration included for writing notes (with generous generation amounts). It has mindmaps and flowcharts, which a lot others don't have. Task management looks good. Calendar sync, and at the highest subscription cost it has google drive and dropbox integration. Cross-platform. Has a video chat feature. You can attach audio files (handy for music producers/engineers). Generous free plan. Lacks in the way of creating personal wiki's or custom databases though. Seems like less of a "2nd brain", more of a streamlined project management tool. It definitely has "2nd brain" capability though and the dev team seem motivated, with a dedicated community too. Can see this one growing in popularity among the younger remote workers if more people catch wind of it amongst the noise.
  
• ClickUp - (note that i'm talking about ClickUp v2 here. V3 is on the way apparently) Less of a "2nd brain" sort of thing and more geared towards team project management. For those use cases specifically it is SUPER feature-rich. It's all cross-platform too with good integrations. It looks like it has a learning curve, but not too bad, and certainly not as steep as Notion because ClickUp uses pre-made widgets, and Notion is more like building from scratch with building blocks that end up looking like widgets. I know you can get Templates in Notion but finding the right one in the sea of noise is a lot of work in itself. ClickUp has built everything already, you've just gotta pull it up on the dashboard. And that's where ClickUp really shines for me, the dashboard, and the widgets you can pull up onto it. Super cool. Some widgets require higher subscription plans. At the highest subscription plans, ClickUp suuurely has everything you need for the development and tracking of any kind of company. All kinds of charts and graphs and productivity monitoring widgets -- the best offering i've seen of anything on this list. The disdvantage to everything being made for you with widgets is that stuff isn't as customizable. You can't "personanlize" it as much as Notion, which means you can't "build a relationship" with the app in the same way. Some might say that getting in the weeds and tinkering stuff is a form of procrastination though, so i guess it depends on your personality what you prefer. ClickUp isn't as powerful for note-taking specifically, as the Doc Tags are limited to 100 tag uses except in the most expensive plans, so it comes down to whether you think it's a worthy sacrifice for the project management capabilities. If you're a stan for seeing your project's productivity data expressed into various charts then ClickUp is the one for you. That element alone almost has me saying "fuck note-taking, lets go graphs!". The big question mark is how well inputting notes (Docs) and tasks integrates/aggregates with the widgets. Is it all interconnected? Or do the notes/docs live on an island? Hopefully V3 brings it. Some other drawbacks: Apparently it's a bit "notification trigger happy". The biggest drawback is probably how there are various reports of it being a bit buggy at times, lets hope they roll V3 out slowly enough to where they can iron bugs out before it scales up. Oh also the Windows desktop app doesn't work for me at all, not sure why. Edit: Actually, the ClickUp community seems pretty frustrated in general, not a great sign. It's possible the team is TOO big and they are struggling to merge all their contributions together without bugs, and it doesn't sound like the support team are able to take much accountability. I'm also reading a recurring theme from people in the clickup subreddit saying that the features are really only 70% realised / a bit half-baked (seems like a real love/hate relationship with ClickUp in there btw). This leads me to believe that ClickUp more interested in customer conversion rather than retention. Still, at the end of the day i don't see any other project management centric apps that provide THIS many tools in one place. As convenient as that is, it also seems to come with all the usual pitfalls of trying to be everything to everyone.
  

TLDR: ClickUp: Best for team project management. Notion: Best for personalized 2nd brain / LifeOS. Amplenote: Best for individual efficiency. Taskade: Best for new-gen remote workers. Obsidian: Best for researchers and academics. Motion: Best for daily planning guidance. Mem X: Best for automatic aggregation of notes.

i am making two cultures that are meant to oppose each other thematically : one would live in rather large settlements and coordinate in the long term with the stars and the sun , the other would instead prefer more fluid and scattered settlements and coordinate with work songs ,
and i was wondering what consequences would there be for the first culture to use preferentially sing language : being in crowded cities sign language would reduce the noise , and allow living in these cities more bearable , also it would be a nice segway from sign language to flag semaphores , to heliographs ,
i doubt they would only use sign language to communicate : vocal calls could still work to call upon a person that is turned the other way , and would still be used for artistic purposes i bet , and smaller communities may speak more ofthen than the largest ones ...
is the reasoning sound ?
how could i make this more belivable ?

I found a house for rent and then a roommate about 6 months ago. Didn't know the person that well, but some other people in the community knew him, so we rented the house. After a few months of just regular conversations, he has said a lot of stuff that made no sense to me. I.e lie/exaggerate about education/credentials/military service for no reason, and other conversations that raised some red flags in my book. He's kinda creepy to my guests. Anyway, all this made me think that if this guy has been lying about stuff he doesn't need to lie, what else can he be lying about? So i figured I'd do a background check. I subscribed to one of those background check online services , and it turns out he has 2 felonies. One for something like "distribution of nude material" and the second one, "entering an auto". Both were like was 10+ years ago. Not sure if there was prision time or probation, or if it was some plea deal for a much worse offense, etc. Either way, I really do believe in second chances, I really don't want to violate his privacy or anything like that, but I just don't want to live with him anymore.
For me, Worst case, I move out of the house when my lease expires, regardless of who stays. Best case, I keep the lease without his name on it. So, should I contact my landlord and tell him what i know? Should I wait until the lease is over and ask my landlord to renew the lease just for me? Should I talk to my roommate and tell him I don't want to live with him anymore and he needs to find another place? Should I dig deeper, get more info on what happened and make an assessment?
I would really like to keep the place and either find another roommate or pay the rent on my own.

Hi, I’m Inês, director of Developer Experience at a company called Vue Storefront. We’re a Frontend as a Service platform to help merchants and agencies build fast, scalable and modern frontends.

Four years ago, we introduced Storefront UI - an open source UI library tailored specifically for eCommerce. Back then, it supported vue.js only. It was pretty successful - 700k downloads, thousands of live stores - , but the eCommerce landscape has evolved significantly- we knew Storefront UI had to evolve as well to continue fitting the community’s needs. We’ve seen the headless market expand, with composable gaining more space in the enterprise sector. The way UIs are built have also shifted, with CMSs and their relevance. And ultimately our own understanding of user’s challenges has matured. All combined, these have prompted us to take a new look at Storefront UI - and, as such, we brought Storefront UI 2.0 to the market this week, after some gruelling, full of challenges and difficulties, years. As a group, we made a big effort to make it open source and collaborative. It hasn’t always been easy or obvious explaining it to co-founders, investors, even customers at times. I personally believe open-source is more than just code- it’s a mindset which starts and ends with a purpose that’s bigger than you, me, a company, etc. A purpose connected to helping tech jump forward, and doing it together. Sounds cheesy maybe, but having personally benefited so much from open-source technologies over the years, I have felt this deeply in my bones.
So, why am I here? I’m representing a team who worked tirelessly to bring this to the market and who now needs YOUR feedback to double-down, or iterate, in its direction. Storefront UI 2.0 has evolved to:

• support react.js & vue.js
• achieve 95-100 performance on Lighthouse
• have WCAG 2 compliancy out of the box
• work seamlessly with Tailwind & Figma
• and more (we’re confident the level of customisation is allows users to achieve is incomparable in the market).

If you’re building an eCommerce store, give it a shot and let us know what definitely needs to improve. If you’re helping to run your own or other’s open source projects, share your favourites with us: we are active supporters of the ecosystem and want to pay back your help.
Find us at: Github: https://github.com/vuestorefront/storefront-ui Docs: https://docs.storefrontui.io/v2/

Hello everyone,
I have been accepted into the Professional Masters program in Computer Science at the University of Colorado Boulder for the upcoming academic year. As an international student, I would appreciate hearing from current Professional Masters students regarding the cost of living in Boulder and available on-campus job opportunities.
I would be grateful for any insights on the average expenses for housing, food, transportation, and other essentials to help me better plan for the upcoming academic year.
Furthermore, I'm also interested in learning about any on-campus job opportunities that may be available to students in the Professional Masters program. If anyone has any information or advice on how to find these positions, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your help and insights. I'm excited to become part of the CU Boulder community and looking forward to hearing from you!

Watch out for that scumbag murderer living in your community. He killed my friend Stacey Kohler, 28 years ago and was just released to Prince George half way house.

Currently 20 female/white. First generation Highschool graduate, first generation college student. Dads a meth head baby mom beating criminal that abandoned me as toddle moms a heroin addict victim criminal that traumatized me and half raised me/ was half raised by my enabling, thieving grandmother. Diagnosed with over 10+ mental disorders throughout childhood, pretty much completely functional and unmedicated as an adult though. Midwest USA more or less urban setting growing up-Went to public school. Freshmen and sophomore year on state tests I scored in the top 90th percentile of my class. (That’s with skipping school and putting 0 effort into my classes). At the end of my sophomore year I had about 1 high school credit. I got locked up in juvenile at the end of my sophomore year. Through my state testing scores and credit makeup packets I made up the previous 2 years worth of credits in about 6 months. Spent the next 2 years (junior and senior) at another public school in the foster care system. Was in advanced English and math my junior year. college credit math and English my senior year. Also took 2 years of Spanish and chemistry my senior year. Graduated Highschool 2020 (Covid yikes). In my best semesters of Highschool and college I get a 3.8 GPA, with how my life is and how bumpy everything has been the GPA isn’t always consistent, obviously haha. 25 on my ACT, never got the chance to take the SAT. Decided to attend the cheapest accredited community college in my state so that way I don’t have to pull out any student loans or deal with my fear of rejection. I’m currently a physics and computer science major. I appreciate the ease, assistance and lack of pressure from the community college but I feel like it’s a waste of my unique brain and it feels like I’m not actually learning or being challenged at my skill level nor do I feel like I’ll be able to have ample opportunity to take advantage of my full potential with the education I am receiving. (sorry this is so randomly thrown together and unorganized) ask anything you want. chance me with state/higher education schools and where I have best potential to get full ride scholarships.

When people think of my country, they often think of Amsterdam as being the cultural capital of today with a blossoming music scene and expansive counter-culture community, but I think that view is personally dated. Amsterdam has become heavily gentrified which forced out a lot of the creative people and as such it is no longer the Amsterdam of the 80s and 90s.
I think these days, Rotterdam is the city to go to for an aspiring artist. It's not crazy expensive to live there just yet, there are plenty of small to medium-sized venues and a lot of affordable rehearsal spaces. I also think that Rotterdam breathes counter-culture from the very fact that it is so different compared to other Dutch cities. After WWII, they had to rebuild the entire city center and this gave way for younger people to decide how their new city would look like. You see a lot of different architectural styles which go hand-in-hand with the musicians making new, experimental music. A lot of people outside Rotterdam view the city as ugly and in a way, Rotterdam embraced this and use this as fuel to create new art.
What cities do you think have great music scenes that people may sleep on, e.g. because they get overlooked because of neighboring cities? I have been told Leipzig is a city with a very vibrant arts and music community, cheap rent and lots of venues that not too many people know about because it's close to Berlin. I also read Lisbon has a big scene, but I don't know anything about it and I have never been there.

Apply → https://jobboardsearch.com/redirect?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=bot&utm_id=jobboarsearch&utm_term=www.localjobs.com&rurl=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubG9jYWxqb2JzLmNvbS9qb2Ivdmllbm5hLXZhLWNvbmNpZXJnZS8/cmVmPWpvYmJvYXJkc2VhcmNo

Company Name	Title	City
RI International	LPN	Durham
Quality Care Animal Hospital	Associate Veterinarian	Four Oaks
Wallburg Animal Hospital	Associate Veterinarian	Winston Salem
ProMedica Senior Care	Licensed Practical Nurse - LPN - LVN - Hospice Mon- Fri 8am-5pm	Alamance
HealthMarkets	Healthcare Benefit Provider	Apex
Ark Veterinary Hospital and Urgent Care	Licensed Veterinary Technician	Arden
Chattr For CHHJ e492e621 d836 4f7b 8533 924a3	General Laborer	Arden
Eliada Homes	Medical Case Manager	Asheville
Farmburger LLC	Back of House - Line Cook	Asheville
ProMedica Senior Care	Licensed Practical Nurse - LPN - LVN - Hospice Mon- Fri 8am-5pm	Bynum
ProMedica Senior Care	Registered Nurse - RN - Hospice Weekends Sat and Sun 8a-8p	Cary Township
Amazon Warehouse	Amazon Order Filler - Immediate Hire	Charlotte
Year Up	Internship in Business	Charlotte
Year Up	Entry - Level IT Role	Charlotte
Amazon Warehouse	Warehouse Team Member - Full-time Weekday Shifts Available	Charlotte
HealthMarkets	Healthcare Benefit Provider	Clayton
HealthMarkets	Healthcare Benefit Provider	Coats
Med-Trans Corporation	A&P Base Mechanic - Rotor Wing	Elizabethtown
AT&T	Shoe Salesperson	Fallston
°Nomad Health	Surgery Aide	Fayetteville
Amazon Warehouse	Amazon Order Filler - Immediate Hire	Gastonia
AT&T	Shoe Salesperson	Gastonia
Texas Roadhouse	Busser	Goldsboro
HealthMarkets	Insurance Agent	Greensboro
HealthMarkets	Healthcare Benefit Provider	Harris

Hey guys, here are some recent job openings in nc. Feel free to comment here or send me a private message if you have any questions, I'm at the community's disposal! If you encounter any problems with any of these job openings please let me know that I will modify the table accordingly. Thanks!

Apply → https://jobboardsearch.com/redirect?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=bot&utm_id=jobboarsearch&utm_term=www.localjobs.com&rurl=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubG9jYWxqb2JzLmNvbS9qb2IvY3J5c3RhbC1sYWtlLWlsLWNvb2svP3JlZj1qb2Jib2FyZHNlYXJjaA==

Apply → https://jobboardsearch.com/redirect?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=bot&utm_id=jobboarsearch&utm_term=www.localjobs.com&rurl=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubG9jYWxqb2JzLmNvbS9qb2Ivc2FuLW1hdGVvLWNhLW1lZC1jYXJlLW1hbmFnZXItMy8/cmVmPWpvYmJvYXJkc2VhcmNo

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"…cars and trucks in which human drivers are never required to take control to safely operate the vehicle. Also known as autonomous or ‘driverless’ cars, they combine sensors and software to control, navigate, and drive the vehicle."
—Union of Concern Scientists, USA (USCUSA)
Is this what the future of trucking looks like?
For a few years, electric trucks were mainly being worked on by startup companies, while the large tech companies were mostly silent on the issue. This all changed around 2017. Tesla unveiled its all-electric autonomous truck in 2017 and the early customers of this product are Walmart, UPS and PepsiCo. Then, Daimler unveiled the electric siblings of their most popular trucks, Cascadia and M2 as eCascadia and eM2 in 2018. At the ACT Expo in 2018, Roger Nielson, the CEO of Daimler Trucks, said that the time has come to contemplate the post-internal combustion engine. The production of Daimler electric trucks will begin in 2021. In April 2019, the Nikola Motor Company, a tech startup unveiled its semi-truck powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Anheuser Busch, a beer making company has planned to buy 800 units of Nikola’s hydrogen fuel powered semi-truck.
Uber has also acquired a startup company, Otto which is working on autonomous trucks. In October, 2018 Otto completed the first shipment in the world from a self-driven truck. The cargo hauled by it contained 51,744 cans of Budweiser.
📷
Any technological advancement requires large investments. According to a report from CB Insights, $2 billion has been invested in startup trucking companies as of 21st May, 2019. The investments in tech startups jumped a huge leap from $114 million in 2014 to $3.6 billion in 2018. The growing interest in the future of trucking has increased the scale of investments. The costs of electric trucks are quite higher than that of a diesel truck. Nielson went on to say that the business scenario at present will not allow a sane fleet operator to buy an electric truck. The industry needs to find ways to carry on research and make batteries that are half the current size and price. Also, it must double the energy density. In the meantime, partnerships and grants can make production of electric trucks possible.
The 6 major technologies that may impact the future of trucking are:
Electric Trucks
Autonomous Vehicles
Platooning
Shipper Platforms
Blockchain Trucking
Artificial Intelligence

Electric Trucks - Future

The depletion of the conventional sources of energy have made researchers seek alternative sources to power vehicles. Additionally, vehicles need to be designed and structured in such a way that is compatible with alternative sources of energy. Thus, conservation of nature has been a driving concern behind a lof of the recent innovations.
Since trucks were first used in the late nineteenth century, they have come a long way. The future seems quite exciting as truck manufacturing companies are aiming to build electronic and autonomous trucks. Trucking had altered the way America did business and a lot is set to change in the coming years as well. With Tesla, Volvo, Daimler and other truck giants about to launch electric trucks in a few years, the future of trucking never seemed so promising and exciting.

A Brief History of Electric Trucks

The first crude yet viable electric motor which could power a tiny car was built by ÁnyosJedik, a Hungarian priest in 1827. 28% of vehicles running on American roads in 1900 was actually powered by electricity. Milburn electrics was the vehicle used by President Woodrow Wilson and his team of secret service agents to travel around Washington, DC. Once charged, the vehicle could travel a distance of approximately 60-70 miles. Though, initially electric vehicles did not have rechargeable batteries. The first electric carriage was invented somewhere around 1832-1839 in Scotland by Robert Anderson. It ran on primary cells which were non-rechargeable. The nickel-iron battery was one of the kinds of rechargeable batteries.
Of the many companies that produced and sold electrical vehicles, Baker Electric, Detroit Electric and Columbia Electric were quite notable.

Why did electric vehicles lose their prominence?

Cars powered by internal combustion became cheaper. Also large petroleum reserves were found in Oklahoma, California and Texas. Additionally, roads outside urban areas began to improve. Due to the availability of better roads, cars with internal combustion engines became a more popular choice.
In 1913, Henry Ford introduced a line of gasoline-powered vehicles. These vehicles were mass produced which lowered the price. Gasoline vehicles became more and more popular. The electrical vehicles began to lose ground, only to come back with a bang after nearly a century.

Why do Electric vehicles seem like a promising option in the present day?

📷
There are a number of reasons behind the growing popularity of electric vehicles:

Can use electricity generated by non-conventional sources

Electrical vehicles need electricity to recharge batteries. Apart from fossil fuels, this electricity can also be generated from renewable sources like solar, wind and tidal energy.

Leaking oil from conventional engines

The conventional engine may leak oil. If not detected in time, this can lead to damages. Electric vehicles do not have this fear as they run on rechargeable batteries.

Regenerative braking

Regenerative braking is one of the key advantages of plug-in or hybrid electric vehicles. In a hybrid vehicle a conventional way of propulsion is often merged with an electric one. This braking system helps an electric vehicle gain back the kinetic energy which is usually lost as heat during friction braking. This recovered kinetic energy can be stored in the vehicle’s battery as electricity and give a small recharge in that way.

A step towards autonomous driving

It is an easier integration for full self-driving capabilities to happen with an electric vehicle rather than a traditional engine.

Less noise while operating

Vehicles that run on electricity cause less noise in comparison to a combustion engine. Emitting less noise means that a truck can run in suburban areas at night without causing any disturbance.

Fewer service and maintenance needs

Electric vehicles have fewer service and maintenance needs. This is because there are 30% fewer movable parts as compared to a conventional vehicle with a combustible engine.

No tailpipe emissions

As electric vehicles do not run on conventional sources of energy like fossil fuels, there is no smoke emission. Hence, it can be driven in environmental zones as well.

Energy efficient

As electric trucks use rechargeable batteries to function, the energy consumption of the truck is maximized.

Types of Electric Vehicles available

Electric vehicles can recharge batteries from a number of energy sources:

• Fossil fuel
• Nuclear energy
• Solar energy
• Wind energy
• Tidal energy

Based on the type of energy used, electric trucks can be classified into four categories:

• HEV or Hybrid Electric Vehicle
• PHEV or Plug-in Electric Vehicle
• BEV or Battery Electric Vehicle
• FHEV or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

HEV or Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Instead of using only a traditional engine, a HEV or Hybrid Electric Vehicle, adds to the engine an electrical option. By using regenerative brakes, HEVs convert kinetic energy into electric energy as mentioned above. These vehicles use both electric energy and use gas or diesel to operate.

PHEV or Plug-in Electric Vehicle

A hybrid electric vehicle which has a battery that has the option of being recharged by plugging it into an external source of energy is called PHEV or Plug-in Electric Vehicle. These vehicles use electricity for short distances. When the battery is over, the driver can switch over to the conventional combustion engine. This type of vehicle allows the driver flexibility that ensures high fuel and energy utilization. The use of electric energy to run the vehicle saves fuel costs. The emissions from the tailpipe are also minimized.

BEV or Battery Electric Vehicle

This type of vehicle uses chemical energy stored in its rechargeable batteries. This is a pure electric vehicle. Being battery operated, BEV vehicles do not have a combustion engine. Instead, it uses electric motors along with motor controllers.

FHEV or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

This type of vehiclehas an electric motor, that is recharged by the chemical reaction of oxygen and hydrogen. It is true that some emissions are created while the hydrogen is produced for the fuel cells. However, water is the only waste product while an FHEV is driven.

Autonomous Vehicles

The advancement of electrical vehicles in recent years calls for another futuristic feature in trucking: autonomous driving. The concept of autonomous driving began with the notion of ‘driver assistance’ or ‘assisted driving’. It aims to have completely driverless vehicles or a vehicle where the people inside are passengers. Undoubtedly, the concept of autonomous driving demands an advanced technology with superior sensors. P C Mag has defined an autonomous car as, “A computer-controlled car that drives itself.” Autonomous trucks can save a lot of money too. Morgan Stanley estimates that if American trucks are made autonomous, $168 billion can be saved each year. Though, we are still many years away from full autonomous driving as of now. Autonomous driving has been set to five stages. The fifth stage is considered the most technically and mechanically advanced one:
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Stage 0 – No Automation

Vehicles controlled by human drivers and without any sort of support from computerized driver assistance system is considered stage 0 or ‘No Automation’.

Stage 1 – Driver Assistance

Vehicles in ‘Driver assistance’ level or stage 1 are jointly controlled by the driver and a computerized automated system. There are a number of ways in which this system can work. A driver usually always controls the steering, while the automated system may have certain control over the brakes and speed of the vehicle when required. At times the engine power is controlled by the automated system which ensures that the vehicle can maintain a specific speed. At times parking assistance is also available with this automated system. Here, the speed of the vehicle is controlled manually while the steering is done automatically. However, the driver has to be alert and ready to take up the control if any problem arises. This type of driving is also called ‘hands on’ driving.

Stage 2 – Partly Automated Driving

In stage 2 or the ‘Partly Automated Driving’ level, the driver monitors the driving process while it is conducted by the automated system. If in any situation or condition, the automated system cannot do its job or fails to respond, the driver has to take up manual controls immediately. This stage is at times called ‘hands off’. In this stage it is mandatory for the driver to keep hands on the steering wheel at all times. This mandate is for safety purposes. Having the driver constantly holding the steering wheel means that immediate manual control of the vehicle can be taken up during any situation.

Stage 3 – Highly Automated Driving

The ‘Highly Automated Driving’ level is commonly called ‘eyes off’ level. This means that the driver is not required to constantly monitor the driving or look at the road ahead. The automated system will be able to perform on its own and without any human interference. If any problem occurs, automatically the emergency brakes are applied. Though the driver can usually do personal work while the vehicle is on the road, during adverse or critical conditions human intervention may be required. These situations will be specified by the manufacturer before-hand.

Stage 4- Fully Automated Driving

In the ‘Fully Automated Driving’ the human driver is allowed to take their ‘mind off’ in most of the situations. The driver may sleep or do other work in other part of the vehicle as the vehicle is capable to look after its own safety. This type of vehicle is capable of completing the journey and park itself. However, during traffic jams (which falls under ‘special circumstances’ category) or tight-spaced areas, the vehicle has to be operated by a human driver.

Stage 5- Full Automation

In a vehicle having ‘Full Automation’, the steering wheel is optional. Hence, it does not require any human intervention for any aspect related to driving. Through this type of vehicle, full automation is achieved.

What is our present stage in Truck automation?

Volvo’s VNL and Pleton’s Platooning System are examples of trucks that are available in the trucking market today that have Stage 1 automation. Under the Stage 2 automated truck category, the new 2020 Cascadia will be the first truck in Northern America according to Freightliner. It will begin production from July, 2019. Embark and Starsky Robotics are the two other Stage 2 automated trucks that will be available in the future but at present are in pre-commercial stage. Freightliner Inspiration and Uber Otto are trucks that fulfill the criteria of the Stage 3 automation. However, at present they are only available in prototype retrofits. The Freightliner Inspiration was the first automated truck to be licensed to operate on the highways of the country back in 2015.
At the CES electronics show in Las Vegas on 7th January, 2019, Daimler trucks announced that it will invest more than half a billion dollars and create 200 new jobs in its global endeavor to launch Stage 4 or highly automated trucks in about 10 years. The switch from Stage 2 to Stage 4 is natural and hence the step of conditional automation is being skipped as according to Daimler, conditional automation will not provide any extra advantage to the truck drivers. In the 3rd stage of automated driving, drivers can go about doing other work but have to take immediate control if the system cannot tackle the situation. The mental and physical switch from leisure to prompt action may not be as quick as required thus, it is judicious to skip the Stage 3 altogether. Additionally, Stage 4 will ensure optimal utilization of the trucks. They will be able to travel at night and avoid traffic congestion by smart route management. Future of trucking is looking very promising with autonomous vehicles.

Platooning in Trucks

Another trucking innovation in the near future is platooning. Platooning is the coupling of two or more trucks to form a convoy through the use of automated driving support system and connectivity technology. The ways in which platooning works is:

• The trucks maintain a set automatically.
• The space between the trucks is reduced when the trucks are connected to each other during certain parts of the haul. This reduction of gap between the vehicles improves the aerodynamics which in turn improves fuel efficiency.

Peloton Technology plans to commercially introduce a platooning system that is partially automated. This system at present allows two trucks to work in a close chain. Peloton technology’s PlatoonPro is already being used in fleet operation by six of its clients.
The features of Platooning system by Peloton Technology:

• In the PlatoonPro system, the driver of the rear truck steers the vehicle.
• The powertrain and brakes are controlled by the PlatoonPro system. This allows the vehicles to follow one another at a small gap.
• According to Peloton Technology, the PlatoonPro system ensures average fuel savings of 7%.
• The Automated Following system is a combination of radar-based active braking and software with vehicle-to-vehicle communication. This allows the human driver to guide the steering, acceleration and braking of the following trucks. The human driver will also be able to connect the trucks’ safety systems with little or no latency.
• According to Peloton Technology, the L4 Automated Following truck will double the freight a truck driver is able to haul in one trip.

Usefulness of platooning

Platooning is said to have a number of benefits for the future of trucking:
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Improved safety

Truck platooning is said to improve the safety of the convoy as the brakes of all the trucks can be applied automatically and immediately. It has been seen that during truck platooning, automated brakes take one-fifth of the human time to analyze the road condition and apply the brakes.

Efficient performance

There can be optimal utilization of roads in the platooning system, increasing the range of the roads and avoiding traffic jams. As a consequence, goods can be delivered quickly and efficiently.

Cleaner environment

During truck platooning, the Carbon Dioxide emissions can be reduced along with fuel consumption. The air-drag friction is also considerately reduced as the trucks drive close to one another.
However, Platooning is not really as fuel-effective as it is being claimed by some. Daimler has said that during testing of the platooning system its fuel savings are less than estimated even in perfect conditions. These savings are further reduced if the platoon is disconnected and have to be accelerated again to get reconnected.

Shipper Platform: Uber Freight and Amazon Freight

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Freight brokerage connects shippers with the appropriate carriers. Recently, technology is playing a role in this aspect as well with Shipper Platforms.
The Trucking business was taken by storm with the introduction of shipper platforms like Uber Freight. Shipper platforms connect shippers with small fleets hauling freight via a load-matching feature. Uber Freight launched its load-booking app in May, 2017. The main intention behind the launch of Uber Freight was automating the manual processes of shipper selection and increasing market visibility. It was also intended to relieve shippers from time consuming legal proceedings and the anxiety of getting the best possible deal. This is one of the many ways on how owner operators can find loads.
The features of Shipper Platforms and how they may impact the future of trucking:

• Carriers can book a load with just the click of a button.
• Shippers can instantly connect to a network of drivers and fleets of the Uber network and manage shipments from their office or home.
• Uber freight enables shippers to tender a load with the click of a few buttons saving time and energy.
• Transparency of quotes helps shippers know the marketplace pricing instantly. The Uber Freight’s rates are current on-going marketplace rates which are generated in real-time.
• The vast network of drivers and small fleets with Uber Freight ensures that reliable and appropriate fleets are chosen.
• Shipments can be tracked. For every major milestone, automatic notifications are sent to the shippers.
• Uber Freight’s Uber Freight Plus has a loyalty program. It gives the drivers fuel discounts, servicing discounts, and helps in the purchase of old and new trucks among other features.
• With the completion of the delivery, all the necessary documents are arranged automatically for shippers.

Uber also reported that the freight division has a network of more than 50,000 carriers and mentioned that some of the largest carriers in the country are users of the app. However, it has not been all great for Uber Freight since its launch. Uber Freight posted a loss of $64 million in the first quarter of 2020. According to CNBC, Uber Freight gives 99% of the revenue generated to the trucking companies, which leaves little room for profitability.
There may also be a few other reasons why Uber Freight has not been fully able to live up to its vision:

Rudimentary features

With the growth of GPS tracking and ELD devices, merely providing shippers the details of the truck’s location is not unique. Shippers also need to know the route the truck is taking and the HOS data.

Not so reliable in fleet and driver selection

In Uber Freight there is not a lot of barrier to sign up. All carriers do not have to provide basic requirements like an active DOT/ MC number, proper safety ratings or proof of insurance. A shipper may not feel comfortable about doing business with such carriers.

Shortage of drivers

Uber Freight provides drivers a number of perks. In spite of this, driver shortage is quite a problem. Drivers will want a steady job that ensures a good livelihood. Hence, many drivers will prefer to work with a trucking company with regular pay, rather than rely completely on Uber Freight.

Focus on shippers rather than carriers

While launching the load-booking app, the shippers’ perspective was given a lot of importance as the price transparency feature shows. However, the carriers are an integral part of the trucking business too. Apart from the loyalty program there has not been a push to ensure that carriers get steady and constant work through Uber Freight.
Uber Freight is not deterred from their path though, and mentioned recently in 2020 that their focus is still there to grow the Uber Freight business.
Amazon has also launched its own freight app, ‘Amazon Freight’. Amazon Freight was released quite quietly some time in 2016 or 2017. This app allows truck drivers to take up jobs of hauling Amazon packages in Prime-branded trailers across the country.
Fleets can sign up through the website and hauling assignments get allotted accordingly. There are a few requirements which drivers have to fulfill:

• A fleet should have at least 3 trucks.
• The trucking company should have its own DOT/MC number.

Amazon tried to use the truck drivers base and enhance its business via the Amazon Freight service. However, truckers do not see a good livelihood coming from only hauling Amazon trailers. Anecdotal evidence says that the payment is fairly low. It can be kept as an option, or can be opted as back-hauling. Doing business exclusively with Amazon Freight is said to not be fully profitable. In spite of the initial setbacks, Uber Freight and Amazon Freight are changing the future of the trucking business.
Amazon launched its freight app ‘Relay’ in 2018. It operates in 5 states—Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania. Its aim is to give truckers additional freight information. It has features like route tracking and expedited checking procedures at the warehouses. It has been designed to help truckers get faster entry and exit at the Amazon warehouses. It is Amazon’s first attempt at automating the truck delivery process.
How does the Relay work?
In these 3 steps:
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Amazon also intends to build an app like Uber Freight that will match cargo shippers with truck drivers.

Blockchain Trucking

The trucking industry in general has certain inefficiencies. Deals can take time to get finalized. The related paperwork is again, time-consuming and hectic. The trucking industry needs an open platform where shippers and carriers can view each others profile, get the selection process done in less time and get the load rolling. However, how will this be possible? The Blockchain is kindling hopes of achieving a seamless and frictionless trucking system. First, let's understand the basics of blockchain and how it can make the trucking space a community where work can get done more efficiently.

What is Blockchain?

Blockchain is an open digital ledger. It is a business network where transactions can be recorded along with tracking of assets. Blockchain technology is inherently based on cryptography, a complicated branch of mathematics. Blockchain is also decentralized. It depends on the consensus of a peer network spread across the world to function. This digital ledger is made up of a series of ‘blocks’. The blocks are the bundles of transactions which are connected together in an open ‘chain’. The data entered in the blockchain is considered to be true and valid. As being a decentralized forum, there is no single authority to verify the facts. Everyone is always on the same page. It is impossible to change or modify the data in a block as that will modify the entire chain and will need consensus from the entire network.
The whole community associated with the blockchain will be able to validate the data entered by an organization as blockchain technology is an open-to-all ledger. It leaves no room for speculation, assumption and data falsity. Hence, a holistic trucking ecosystem can be developed through a blockchain network. After all, organizations can be rest assured that the data they have been provided is authentic and validated.

How will blockchain be used in the future of trucking?

The trucking industry can definitely benefit from blockchain technology. One of the obstacles of the trucking industry is that it is largely fragmented. There’s no open knowledge about which shippers are currently looking for carriers or which carriers are open to haul shipments. Blockchains open ledger will open up the trucking industry. One of the problems it will most definitely solve is matching appropriate truckers with shippers. In the longer run blockchain technology can function as an open network for truckers.
The trucking industry largely depends on paperwork. Due to this, administration and processing costs have gone up to 20%. However, blockchain technology allows the sharing and easy distribution of documents on the open ledger. This sharing facility makes paperwork between shippers and carriers quite unimportant. Easing out the hassles of documentation will make payments possible in less time.
Some trucks, especially refrigerated ones, carry medical shipments. These are at times detained at customs for large periods of time. This mostly happens when trucks exceed the allowed range of temperature. A blockchain enabled refrigerated truck-trailer made by the Swiss Tech company, SkyCell, lowered the temperature-deviated rate to less than 0.1%. With the use of smart approvals, clearance at the customs checkpoints can be made smoother and more efficient. Moreover, a refrigerated trailer has to be closely recorded at every step. It has to pass through more than 30 organizations which require more than 200 different pieces of information. Any miscommunication can either delay the shipment or the shipper may lose track of it. A blockchain network will ensure that communication at every step is clearly noted. This ensures the shipment reaches the respective facility on time.
The e-commerce industry has developed in such a pace that same-day and 2-hour delivery options are provided to customers. For a parcel to be delivered in the same day or in 2 hours, the technology should not have any glitch. The traditional trucking technology largely relies on paperwork at every stop can not be suitable for such a fast-paced delivery. The blockchain technology with its immediate access to order tracking and authentication ensures that the delivery takes place in the required time.
At times, trucking companies order spare truck parts and also old trucks. The tracking of these spare parts or old trucks can be pretty exhausting as no proper forum is provided for constant tracking. However, the blockchain network will enable the efficient tracking of the supply chain as well.
These are the different ways that blockchain can impact the future of the trucking industry:
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Efficient Freight Tracking

As mentioned above consumer expectations are ever-increasing along with demands for same-day delivery and two-hour delivery. Blockchain will not only take care of the tracking of the shipments but also help in authentication.
In order to ensure consistent improvement in trucking operations, authentic data has to be provided to transportation companies. EDI or electronic data interchange and API or application program interface leaves room for data manipulation or misinterpretation. Blockchain has the backup of the entire network to contribute information and authenticate the data. Hence, there is no scope of data tampering. Blockchain also improves the efficiency of temperature controlled and refrigerated trucking which is reliant on on-time delivery by giving data backup at every step.

IoT (The Internet of Things) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) enhance monitoring efficiency

Carriers and shippers can detect the total space taken up by a shipment in a trailer with the help of IoT. This helps to determine the expense of the shipment and all the information can be transmitted to the blockchain. This aids in maintaining the transparency of the freight cost. SkyCell had created containers for air freight. These containers monitor humidity, temperature and location for transporting biopharmaceuticals that require refrigeration. Its cloud platform is also utilized by SkyCell for recording every document of the shipping process, from start to finish. As these cargos travel through various check-points, all the required documents available at hand make the transportation process easy and efficient. Thus, the blockchain technology ensures that valuable cargo is transported intact and has the backup of all supporting documents that might be needed along the journey by using IoT and AI.

Maintaining vehicle performance history

While it is very important to have fleet tracking records for future use, the tracking records of a vehicles performance is also beneficial for the future. A vehicles performance records include its maintenance history and past performance. When considering used trucks, buyers are usually interested in the past history of the truck. However, that leaves a grey area of speculation. With blockchain technology, a prospective buyer and seller will have all the information validated by the entire network easing any intermediary speculations.

Ease of new carrier onboarding

While taking on new carriers, it is quite difficult for freight brokers to find all the adequate information on that carrier. It is quite time consuming to get all the required details together and that also leaves room for speculation. However, with the blockchain system all the necessary details of the new carrier will be provided by the decentralized network. This network stores all the data of the carriers operating in the transportation and freight industry. No new carrier will be able to give false information in an open network.

Vehicle to vehicle communication via the Internet of Things (IoT)

Platooning technology uses vehicle to vehicle communication to enable vehicles to work together as a convoy. This communication via IoT can improve the vehicles efficiency and safety as the platooning system claims to do. All communication information can be stored in the blockchain and this information will be helpful for all the transportation companies using the blockchain network to operate their fleets better.

Improving reliability of load boards

In a blockchain network, all the loads can be verified by others and get time-stamped in the process. This will ensure that loads are not duplicated and the carriers get authentic information. The blockchain network will also be able to authenticate all the loads put up. Thus, the reliability of the load board is improved due to a blockchain network.

Smart Contracts

Smart Contract allows companies to program self-executing tasks in the blockchain network. The task gets automatically performed when certain criteria are fulfilled. For example, a carrier’s payment can be released when the cargo reaches the facility if the task has been set accordingly.
Those are a list of some potential benefits. The largest blockchain network at present is by the Blockchain in Trucking Alliance (BiTA). Its current members have exceeded 1000 in number. The members include mcCleod Software, UPS, DAT, Salesforce, Don Hummer trucking, Transfix. BiTA members are taking part in nearly 85% truck-related global transactions. Its blockchain standards have brought a uniformity and efficiency in the trucking community. Sweetbridge is another blockchain based technology that seeks to take care of the significant inefficiencies of the supply chain across the world. Some major problems it addresses are — supply chain operations, supply chain flexibility and supply chain liquidity.
The blockchain revolution has just begun. It must also be taken into account that to use a blockchain system, the trucking or shipper company must have the adequate resources like the required hardware and software, along with the technological know-how. In spite of all the speculated downsides, blockchain seems like a wonderful solution for many trucking problems. It must be nurtured with time and technical advancement. In the coming years, the trucking industry’s profitability and efficiency will reach new heights if blockchain trucking’s functionality continues along the same graph.

Artificial Intelligence and Trucking

According to the American Trucking Association, the US freight transport will increase to 20.73 billion tons by 2028. This huge growth by 36.6% from the freight weight of 15.18 billion tons in 2017 will need an advanced infrastructure. This will be able to ensure smooth operation of such a ‘healthy’ industry. Along with the existing challenges, fuel prices, increasing cost of operation, driver shortage and shortage of shipping capacity will be the crucial areas in coming years. Every American is virtually affected by trucking. Hence, smooth operation must be ensured so that the economy and the lives of the people maintain a steady pace. AI can be of real help to continue to roll the wheels of the trucking industry.
Some of the key ways in which AI can affect the trucking space are:
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Cost reduction

AI will be able to foster predictive maintenance systems. This will help vehicles perform better. With constant monitoring, any mishap can be predicted beforehand. It can monitor by keeping in check the maintenance logs, IoT sensors, and other external sources. This will have a dual impact of reducing the maintenance costs and increasing the fleet performance. In other words, it can predict when a maintenance will be needed in advance of an issue occuring. So rather than being reactive with maintenance issues, carriers can be proactive.

Lower the numbers of highway fatality

AI along with IoT enhances vehicle to vehicle communication (V2V). V2V along with ADAS, or advanced driver assistance systems, can prevent nearly 40% of road crashes according to a publication by the NHTSA or National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The prevention of highway fatality will save a lot of money and more importantly lives. Cisco IBSG estimates that the savings can be $280 per crash.

Natural image processing

Trucking involves a lot of paperwork. The documentation has to be stored in proper folders as any information may be required for any purpose in the future. This process can be exhausting and time consuming. AI with its feature of natural image processing can recognize and retrieve any scanned document. This easy retrieving of documents will aid the manual task of computer data entry.

Predictive analytics

AI processes past performance records. This will not only predict the health of a vehicle but will also predict about the drivers. AI will also be able to analyze what conditions are preferred by drivers and what are the chances of driver retention.

Match carrier with shippers

While human freight brokers find it extremely taxing to connect the appropriate carriers with the shippers, AI can easily do so by matching facts and data.
With all the new technological advancements and more to follow, the future of trucking indeed looks promising and exciting. We are also a technology provider in this space and are always looking for ways to improve the life of truck drivers through technology. You can learn more about us - ELD Mandate.

Hey, guys. I'm currently a freshman at W&M, and I'm absolutely miserable. I wanted to transfer all 1st semester, but I wanted to give the school a chance. I had mental breakdowns almost every week. My life was centered around school because I didn't have time for anything else. And the isolated and dreary nature of Williamsburg combined with the shitty living situation isn't getting any better. I feel like no matter how hard I try, it doesn't get better. I'm not completely alone. I have friends, but I feel like the community as a whole isn't for me. People at my school are all pretty similar, and I don't think I fit the mold. I think I would be happier at a bigger school with a more diverse student body, better clubs, and with a better party scene. Somewhere much warmer, too. However, sometimes I question if there's anything more I can do. Maybe if I take fewer courses or try out other clubs l'Il be happy. Should I try my luck at another school? Also if you’ve been in a similar situation, it would be very validating to hear.

Going live with our product ArianaAI tomorrow!
Here's what I found helpful:

1. It's not just a 'post' - it's a whole digital marketing channel that needs it's own strategy, so treat is as one. Start early and allow yourself plenty of time to prepare.
   
2. Pick your big date. You can schedule your launch for 30 days in advance so I would say joining the platform anywhere between 30-60 days prior to the day you've decided to launch is ideal. Make sure you schedule it, so you don't procrastinate on it (and so you ensure you get the 'launching soon' badge, to drive more interest and traffic
   
3. Prepare a list of all the things you'll need and design the creative assets. Having this ready gives you headspace to focus on other things. Full list I used: https://www.producthunt.com/laun...
   
4. Be active every day. Set reminders to use PH and grow your followers, as well as contribute and collaborate. May be overwhelming first, but really think of the value YOU can bring to others. Really participate in discussions, ask questions and bring value.
   
5. Give people a reason to click that 'Notify Me' on your product page - a discount, a special feature, etc.
   
6. Find other online communities and list them so you can post your product launch there (also clever to find influencers - Passionfroot has been great for us)
   

You can follow the launch here: https://www.producthunt.com/products/ariana-ai
Would love to hear what other makers have done!

Are you looking for ways to infuse your daily routine with a greater sense of purpose and meaning? Our latest blog post, "6 Simple Ways to Make Life More Meaningful," has got you covered. In this post, we offer practical tips and actionable strategies for cultivating a more fulfilling life, from setting meaningful goals to practicing gratitude and mindfulness. Whether you're feeling stuck in a rut or simply looking to deepen your sense of purpose, this post is full of inspiration and ideas to help you live your best life. Don't miss out on this opportunity to discover the simple steps you can take to make every day more meaningful.

That way, they get to live their lives mostly in peace, ignored by conservatives. We get to have constant media attention and the threat of our existence criminalized. If the right-wing loses, then that's good for human rights. If the right-wing wins, then at least the part of the queer community that didn't get genocided is the part that can actually come up with actually funny jokes, instead of the same 2 things on repeat.

Not sure where to put this, so I guess it'll go here. I literally just started the episode and have 2 things to say real quick. 1: your dad's friend, sounds JUST LIKE YOUR DAD omg!

1. Justin mentioned that he didnt want the cat community to come for him about admitting he doesn't want to live with cats, and as a member, I'm sorry if they have/do. I think its very big to admit that taking care of a cat doesn't fit your life style. That's how I feel about dogs. I LOVE dogs and would be a liar if I said that I didn't get giddy & all high pitched when I see them. (They'll always be puppies to me. Every dog. Every age 💙) Dogs take more maintenance than I can give due to work and family.

& that's on just being a responsible pet parent.