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8 Must-Visit Places in Coastal Oregon - Perfect Getaway with Outdoor Explorations and Wanderings

On my first full day in Oregon, I met a woman who asked me how long I would be staying. I replied that I would only be there for the summer while I completed my internship. She then proceeded to warn me, with a sly smile on her face, that I should be careful or Oregon will steal my heart and I will not want to leave.    I went back home at the end of that summer, but the words spoken prophetically by the woman in the cafe rang true. I did not go to Oregon expecting it to steal my heart the way it…
Score: 2.53

It Is Indeed Time To Police Social Media

    It is time we faced the music, Internet fans: We broke everything. Social Media was a mistake. None of us are close to understanding how or why, but apparently we have created a monster.    Social media seemed harmless enough when it came along.  Social media was nothing but an extension of the exact same Internet we'd had for decades. Believe it or not, there is very little difference between modern Reddit and Usenet circa 1990. There's also very little difference between modern Twitter and an AOL…
Score: 2.38

Four More Podcasts - For When You Suddenly Have A Lot of Time on Your Hands

And here we are, still in quarantine (or at least us non essential folks should be).    I know you are probably sick and tired of hearing that word (quarantine, ugh) and all of its associates, so you will be happy to hear that the pandemic is not the focus. Today, I am writing to offer you what will hopefully provide some much needed entertainment and delight on slow days working from home or during any other downtime you might have.    After several weeks of entering data alone in my home, with only my…
Score: 1.22

Ruby on Rails

Implement Two-factor-authentication in Rails with Devise, ActiveModel::Otp, and Google Authenticator

by Kevin

Background  There are many gems for implementing two-factor authentication for Rails app out there. But, most of them don't work properly with Devise out from the box.   Some gems offering seamless integration with Devise gem never work smoothly with our existing Rails app. This is why we share our experience and strategy to implement two-factor authentication using Devise and ActiveModel::Otp gems.  This implementation, based on our experience, works very well with the latest Google Authenticator app…
Score: 4.77

Optimize your Rails Code with Bullet Gem and Speed Up your site!

by Kevin

Why Bullet Gem?  For this Rails optimization, we'll focus on optimizing repeated SQL calls to retrieve objects associated with many relationships: N+1 queries problem. The solution to such an issue is an eager loading association.  Unoptimized N+1 affected code takes a significantly longer time as N times additional SQL calls are needed.  But, we should be careful when using that eager loading approach. This because unused eager loading can deteriorate our Rails app performance instead of improving…
Score: 3.87

Step-by-Step guide on how to move from Sprockets to Webpacker

by Kevin

Why we write this guide  There are several reasons The official guide provides very little info. We underestimated the effort to do this. This long post explains our similar experience. Yet, that long post doesn't give a brief step-by-step guide. So, we decide to fill the gap.             1. Add Webpacker to Gemfile  We recommend you to leave the sprockets gem in your Gemfile if it's still needed. Or, if you plan to move gradually. Don't worry because both of them won't interfere with each other.  In our…
Score: 3.7
Social Media Activism

It Is Indeed Time To Police Social Media

    It is time we faced the music, Internet fans: We broke everything. Social Media was a mistake. None of us are close to understanding how or why, but apparently we have created a monster.    Social media seemed harmless enough when it came along.  Social media was nothing but an extension of the exact same Internet we'd had for decades. Believe it or not, there is very little difference between modern Reddit and Usenet circa 1990. There's also very little difference between modern Twitter and an AOL…
Score: 2.38

#MeToo: Did Anything Change?

2 words… 2 words and what was once known as a pound sign lit up the internet, was stoked by celebrities and ignited the world into discussing a topic that once was too taboo to even speak behind closed doors. Though this movement has proven to make major waves in the world of the celebrity - with the big name arrests of Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein - what is happening for everyone else? What about the everyday woman without the money, power, and influence behind her?The first time I was…
Score: 1.24
Oregon

8 Must-Visit Places in Coastal Oregon - Perfect Getaway with Outdoor Explorations and Wanderings

On my first full day in Oregon, I met a woman who asked me how long I would be staying. I replied that I would only be there for the summer while I completed my internship. She then proceeded to warn me, with a sly smile on her face, that I should be careful or Oregon will steal my heart and I will not want to leave.    I went back home at the end of that summer, but the words spoken prophetically by the woman in the cafe rang true. I did not go to Oregon expecting it to steal my heart the way it…
Score: 2.53
Podcasting

Four More Podcasts - For When You Suddenly Have A Lot of Time on Your Hands

And here we are, still in quarantine (or at least us non essential folks should be).    I know you are probably sick and tired of hearing that word (quarantine, ugh) and all of its associates, so you will be happy to hear that the pandemic is not the focus. Today, I am writing to offer you what will hopefully provide some much needed entertainment and delight on slow days working from home or during any other downtime you might have.    After several weeks of entering data alone in my home, with only my…
Score: 1.22

Five Podcasts For When You Suddenly Have A Lot of Time on Your Hands

When I first began hearing the term Podcast, I thought, what is all the hubbub? It is just people having a conversation, not unlike a youtube video or talk show.  Then, as podcasting grew in popularity - rather rapidly, I must say - I went from skeptical to enamored upon discovering a few that interested me.      I realized podcasts could be creative, educational, inspirational, and downright hilarious. They are a great companion for long drives or days when you are doing work around the house (or in…
Score: 1.01
Music Reviews

Best Summer Zoom Hangout Albums

by CFC123

Meet up with friends over Zoom and enjoy some of the best music of the 2000s, for gatherings of any occasion! Find your favorite genres and styles below, match the vibe, and let these great records spin. With a little something for everyone, check out the list below and let your tastes be heard!      I'm all about the classic HIP-HOP sound, both from the old guys and the modern greats. I've heard all the best out there, and I want my rappers to be......brash and cocky   Jay-Z – American Gangster     …
Score: 1.08
Parenting

Helicopter parents

by Dominus

Parents love their children. They want to protect the young ones from everything that can harm them and teach their adorable little humans everything they need to know to become responsible, self-sufficient adults. Parents teach the child the proper way to do things and then they have to give that same child space to practice on their own. That means that in some situations the child has to be left alone to find his/her own solutions to increasingly more difficult problems, based on what they…
Score: 1.82

Busting The Dad Myths and Advice for New Fathers

by ChefPerry

Anyone who tells you fatherhood is the greatest thing that can happen to you, they are understating it.”– Mike Myers          So, you have a new dad (or are about to become) a new dad?  Becoming a new dad for the first time can often be a daunting prospect. Especially if you were void of a good role model in your own life growing up. Research tells us that around 47% of fathers today still believe that their role in those first three years of their child’s life is that of a “Helper” – rather than a “Primary…
Score: 1.13

Post-Apocalyptic Parenting in a COVID-19 World

This may well be the year when the American people learn to appreciate street smarts over book smarts.        Because kids right now can learn important lessons about how badly the adult world has lost it right now.   We have Betsy DeVos in charge of the Department of Education, which is like putting a fox in charge of the henhouse. We have the "demon seed" lady replacing Dr. Fauci as our national pandemic expert. The US is heading into the worst peaks of COVID-19 infection while the rest of the world…
Score: 1.08
Book Review

Doing Good Better by William MacAskill - The Best Charity is often far better than a Very Good One

  Most of us want to make a difference in this world in some way or another - whether it be through our career choices or donating to our favorite charities.  Are you aware that some charities are actually ineffective, even harmful?  Did you know earning to give can be a more beneficial avenue than working in a field that impacts people directly (i.e. The medical field)?  Have you ever wondered how you can make the biggest impact?  In Doing Good Better William MacAskill, author and co-founder of the…
Score: 1.72

You're A Miracle: Understanding and Accepting the Vast Array of Human Emotions and Behaviors

  There are numerous books out there that will claim to change your life - from self-help to multi-step programs. But the jury is still out on how helpful such schemes truly are. That is not to say personal change cannot be inspired by someone else’s story, however. A story is a powerful thing. Words can be both a weapon and an elixir. Or, as Albus Dumbledore would say,    “Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury and remedying…
Score: 1.58

The Wonder of Nature: Four Ecology Books Everyone Should Read

There are so many good books, yet so little time to read them - a thought I have often lamented, until recent developments. With the rise of Covid-19, many people have found themselves quarantined and in need of restful ways to spend some time each day   One way I have found stillness in the midst of chaos is through books.  Reading is a fantastic way to relax and find solace. Reading books about nature, perhaps even more so - which is why I have compiled this list of my favorite nature books with…
Score: 1.24
The Church

The Catholic Church Cover-up

by Dominus

Many years ago, I learned German and was eventually able to work in Germany over summer break. For the last 10 years I have spent 1-2 months working in Essen, Germany and except the first couple of years, when I was still struggling with properly understanding the language, there hasn’t been one year when I haven’t heard of a sexual scandal involving priests of the Catholic Church. I am not Catholic, but in Germany, I worked for a foster home and retirement home complex owned by a pro-catholic…
Score: 1.11

A Letter to the Church

      The Church, specifically white, masculine, evangelical Christianity, has been a driving force behind colonialism, white supremacy, and Christian nationalism. The church has sought to erase any and all culture that does not align with its beliefs sought to hold power over women, force Black, Indigenous, and other people of color to assimilate, and excommunicate the LGBTQIA+ community.    This same Church claims to follow the teachings of Jesus, but if you ask me, I don’t think the Church today looks…
Score: 1.05
Civil Rights Movement

No More White Silence

  I keep grasping for words, but I know better - there are none. There is only grief, rage, and anguish. Would you expect anything less from so much senseless loss of life?    I don’t have words for the losses of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless others whose lives have been taken simply because of the color of their skin. No words of mine can fill the space their lives once held.     I can, however, speak out against the systemic racism and white supremacy that is still…
Score: 1.69
Content Marketing

How I Accidentally Became A Writer

  Hello, and thank you for dropping by to devote these microseconds to a meeting of our minds. That's an appropriate opener for the year 2020. This article was the editor's idea. No really, they said to tell everyone about the life of a writer. I will tell you right now that I press buttons on a flat electronic device in patterns that cause checks to arrive in the mail. Now that I have that dunked, a whole article is left to fill.  I just don't do autobiography well, but as I understand it some of…
Score: 1.45

Freelance Writing in a Post-COVID-19 World

    How long will the shadow of the Corona Virus pandemic darken future history?   We do not know. Therefore, there's no way to know how much I should exposit COVID-19 in this here paragraph. Obviously, if I'm talking to readers in the short term, you're all sick of hearing about it. But did the pandemic gets cured by, say, 2021? Do I have to go back over what it was like for audiences in the 2030s? Or is it indelibly ground into the pages of history textbooks like the 1918 Spanish Flu was?  Just from…
Score: 1.34