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Goal factoring, reflecting on what I can do with my time, and enjoying a buffet of goals
Posted: - Modified: | planning, timeLucas Baker came across my Less Wrong meetup notes while looking for more information about goal factoring, a technique for analyzing your actions and goals in order to come up with better alternatives. I hadn't dug into it in much detail before, but since he was curious, I spent some time trying out goal factoring so that I could share more thoughts. Here are the resources I found useful:
- Sandy Maguire: Goal factoring
- Dee Stewart's templates
- Ben Kuhn's notes preparing for a presentation on goal factoring
I started by drawing different goals and their connections with each other. For example, I like learning more about tools and programming languages because that helps me build more tools and cool stuff, and that tickles my brain. It also gives me useful things to share, and that helps me make technical topics friendlier. Sharing also helps me connect with other people, which makes it easier for me to learn from different perspectives, which enables me to make better decisions. Many of my actions and goals support more than one goal, so I get a lot of value out of the time I spend.
I picked a set of goals and listed the actions that I frequently take towards those goals. I also brainstormed different actions that I could take or delegate. This was great because it helped me come up with more ideas for mini-projects or delegatable tasks. For example, a weekly Emacs tutorial might be fun and useful (and maybe I can even commission some of those). I can look into asking my assistants to interview me as a way of fleshing out particular post ideas, too.
One of the advantages of making a list of productive activities is that it's easy for me to switch from one good thing to another depending on my interest or energy. Since "Tickle my brain" turns out to be a totally acceptable goal (at least for me), I can give myself permission to spend one or two hours a day on tech learning. That had been neglected because of my focus on other activities. It's good to get back into tweaking my Emacs or learning more about NodeJS, though. I can get a little carried away doing this (flow can be dangerous!), so I limit my time. After about two hours each time (or maybe four, if I'm pushing it), I should resurface and check on the other activities I may need or want to do.
It's good to decide how much time I want to spend on other activities, too. For example, I want to work on delegation daily so that my assistants get prompt feedback and so that I keep filling the pipeline with more task ideas. I want to work on consulting enough so that projects and tasks keep moving, but I don't want it to take over peak creativity/attention time, so I move it off-peak whenever possible. Packaging (making PDFs and e-books, organizing and revising posts, recording and processing podcasts) takes time and isn't as engaging as the other activities, but it helps me connect with people, so I should do that weekly. I'll also see if I can delegate more packaging so that it gets done.
To make it easier to brainstorm delegation-related tasks, I pulled some out into a separate drawing. There's a lot of room for growth. =) I'm slowly getting used to having assistants do web research, and it turns out to be surprisingly useful. I probably read much faster than they do, but I benefit from the different perspectives and search words they use, and it's nice to ignore the fluff.
One of the templates for goal factoring encouraged you to analyze your current actions instead of getting lost in goals you think you should have. For my third attempt, I picked a few frequent actions and traced the connections to the goals they support. I brainstormed alternatives and compared the costs. The goals looked pretty similar to the first set, but a different perspective helped me identify other alternatives I can explore. For example, it might be a good idea for me to create a Trello board or update my public Org file with the things I'm curious about so that people can help me out.
What am I learning from this goal factoring exercise? It's a good excuse to brainstorm and examine alternative approaches for reaching my goals, especially in terms of identifying low-hanging fruit. I'm already used to explaining how my actions contribute to multiple goals and how my goals are related to each other. I occasionally talk to people about my big picture (or as I like to call them, my Evil Plans). The way I define my goals seems to be a little different from the way most people define theirs. Instead of having big goals and strong commitments, I have a lot of small goals with hardly any commitment aside from curiosity. This approach seems to fit me better, although I'm probably missing out on extra productivity. I like making lists of lots of little goals or possible actions, because that makes the low-hanging fruit easier to pick.
Reflecting on this led to exploring this metaphor of a buffet of goals. Influenced by Jim Collins' Good to Great, I set myself Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals (BHAGs) in 2005. "S.M.A.R.T." was an even more common acronym for goal setting, and I tried those too. The meaning of S.M.A.R.T. varied. My mom's version was that goals should be Specific, Measurable, Ardently-desired, Realistic, and Timebound. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timebound makes sense too.)
Time-boundedness was something that never quite caught fire with me, though. I think it's because I'd demonstrated "potential" at an early age (of the computer-whiz-kid sort), grown up with praise along the lines of "Wow, she can do all of this stuff and she's only ___ years old," and nearly got caught up in the insecurities of looking over my shoulder or ahead of me at people who were doing even more awesome things at even younger ages. I remember consciously deciding, sometime in my teens, that I didn't want age or speed to be special. People made a lot of fuss over precocity — but at the same time, it seemed that age became an excuse for them to not learn or try. I pushed back at that. I preferred looking up to late bloomers like Grandma Moses rather than the "30 under 30" lists.
Self-imposed time-based deadlines–"I will do ____ before I turn 35"–echoed that old conflict for me. If a goal was intrinsically valuable, I would do it already motivated by the knowledge that life is short (memento mori!); and if I wasn't motivated enough to do it, I didn't want to set myself up to feel like a failure just because I accomplished it at an older age instead of the goal I'd optimistically set.
So I've been moving away from goals with deadlines. I wrote a blog post about that in 2012, but I've been thinking that way for a while now, and I'm coming to a clearer understanding. I want to embrace my goals and move towards them as a whole, motivated person, not split myself into taskmaster versus slave. I want to move towards my goals out of interest and curiosity and wonder. Dates might work for other people, but not quite for me.
What do I replace that metaphor with, then? I think of having a buffet of goals stretching infinitely before me. I can choose the portions I want. I can enjoy a variety of tastes, textures, and cuisines. I don't have to overload my plate or stuff my stomach. I can graze. I can go back for more. As I nibble, I can think about what else I want to try, or how I want to tweak things, or if I want to rearrange the dishes for greater convenience. I like it. It's a fun metaphor. =)
So, coming back to goal factoring… What's next? More goal analysis! As it turns out, it's easy to combine Emacs Org Mode and GraphViz. I've started documenting my actions and goals in Org Mode. I hope org-babel will make it easy to slice the goals into different sets and produce intelligible graphs. You can check out the first attempt. It's very rough, but it will get better over time. =)


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The tone of the debate over the nation's immigration laws has taken an ugly turn as some office-seekers offer solutions to problems that don't exist.
The natural rights of all persons consist of areas of human behavior for which we do not need and will not accept the need for a government permission slip.
We all expect that the government will leave us alone when we think, speak, publish, worship, defend ourselves, enter our homes, choose our mates or travel. The list of natural rights is endless.
We expect this not because we are Americans, but because we are persons and these rights are integral to our nature. We expect this in America because the Constitution was written to restrain the government from interfering with natural rights.
When these first principles are violated to advance a political cause or to quell public fear, those whose rights are violated because of an immutable characteristic of birth, not because of personal culpability, become the victims of ugly public indifference or official government repression. The American history of government treatment of Africans and their offspring and the European history of government treatment of the Jewish people are poignant and terrible examples of this.
Today, the potential victims of public indifference and government repression are Hispanics in America. Hispanics here without documentation are being demonized because of the politics of nativism. Nativism — we are exceptional; we are better people than they are; we were here first — is very dangerous and leads to ugly results.
The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution underscore the truism that all persons have the same natural rights, irrespective of where their mothers were when they delivered them.
The right to travel is a natural right, even though it was not until 1969 that the Supreme Court recognized it as such. The court protects natural rights by imposing a very high bar for the government to meet before it can interfere with them, absent due process.
The high bar is called strict scrutiny. It requires that the government demonstrate an articulated area of jurisdiction and a compelling state interest served by the least restrictive alternative before it can treat a person differently or uniquely because of his or her place of birth. A compelling state interest is one that is necessary to preserve life or the state's existence, and it must be addressed using the least force and causing the least interference with personal liberty possible.
This test was written so as to give the government wiggle room in a crisis and to make it intentionally difficult — nearly impossible — to write laws that apply only to discrete groups when membership in them is determined by birth.
But the Constitution itself — from which all federal powers derive — does not delegate to the federal government power over immigration, only over naturalization.
Thus, when the government's motivation for enacting immigration laws is to further genuine compelling foreign policy goals, the laws will be upheld. But when the government's motivation is nativism or fear or hatred or favoritism, strict scrutiny will operate to defeat those laws.
Shortly after the first federal immigration statute was enacted in the 1880s — the Chinese Exclusion Act — the Supreme Court ruled that aliens, whether here legally or illegally, are persons, and the Constitution protects all persons from governmental deprivation of life, liberty and property without due process.
In the same era, the court held that all babies born here of alien mothers are citizens.
The Fourteenth Amendment requires this, and its language is inclusive: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States…" Though written to protect former slaves, its language is not limited to them.
Some well-intended folks have argued that the language "all persons" doesn't really mean "all" because it is modified by "and subject to the jurisdiction (of the United States)." But that language refers to the offspring of mothers who, though here, are still subject to a foreign government — like foreign diplomats, agents or military. It does not refer to those fleeing foreign governments. It does not — and cannot — impose an intent requirement upon infants.
My guess is that nearly "all persons" reading this are beneficiaries of this clause because they — you — were born here.
When the history of our times is written, it might relate that the majority repressed the rights of minorities by demonizing them using appeals to group prejudice — by blaming entire ethnic groups for the criminal behavior of some few members of those groups.
That history might reflect that this was done for short-term political gain.
If that happens, it will have changed America far more radically and dangerously than any wave of undocumented immigrants did.
And that would be profoundly and perhaps irreparably un-American

subset: commoncrawl


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Carnegie Mellon University, Editor and Author, New Venturist**
Sometimes a company is founded because it stumbles upon a niche that it can fill better than any other company. Such a company is RE2 (Robotics Engineering Excellence). Founded by Jorgen Pedersen as a contract engineering house to fill a need for unmanned systems engineering expertise within Carnegie Mellon's National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC), RE2 now provides mobile manipulation systems for defense and safety.
Another company finding their unique niche is Liquid Robotics. More about them later.
RE2 began with an SBIR
A lot of robotics companies started with defense research objectives. Some, like iRobot, have branched into other applications commercializing what they developed for the DoD into consumer products. RE2 has stayed in defense because it's really good at what it does – providing high torque, high payload robotic arms and manipulators.
Arm manipulation is a niche within defense — a large niche — as it is in robotics in general. Capitalizing on research and product development to meet the military's high torque, heavy payload requirements, RE2 is not only a provider to the military but is beginning to commercialize those special capabilities into non-defense applications as well.
RE2 is a success story for the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. Founded in 2001, RE2 remained a contract engineering firm until 2005. The company won its first DoD SBIR in 2006 to develop a small robotic arm for unmanned ground vehicles. The Phase I and Phase II awards, totaling $850K, set the course for the future of RE2. The military was keenly interested in the RE2 approach because existing robotic arms weren't very strong or precise. CEO Jorgen Pedersen puts it, "That was enough for us to focus on and realize that we could solve those problems. Then later we realized the arms needed to be faster, more modular, and less expensive. We fulfilled on those capabilities too."
Those first SBIRs allowed the company to become a recognized expert in mobile manipulation. SBIRs also allowed the company to grow over a several year period from six to 18. Since then it has won dozens of SBIRs that have helped fund the development of its robotic technology and provide jobs. Today, RE2 employs 60 and is growing by about 20 every year.
RE2 never had any outside investment. It never needed it, given the string of SBIRs. But Jorgen doesn't believe that the awards represent money without a return: "We have provided the DoD with $6.5 million in revenue return so far from their $850K investment in our first SBIRs. On the SBIR commercialization index, we are 90 out of 100 because they know that we have a 90% chance of commercializing technology over anyone else."
Liquid Robotics: A Passion for Whale Songs
Liquid Robotics has developed a unique wave glider for science, oil and gas exploration, oil production management, environmental and spill detection and a myriad other applications using only renewable energy. It has blossomed into a very promising start-up company with a broad market: any business which needs to monitor, measure, surveil and explore our oceans. Liquid has recently created two new entities to handle its success: a joint venture with Schlumberg and a new Defense/National Security subsidiary. Liquid will soon be offering a new business: ocean data as a service for those who don't wish to own and operate their own wave gliders. Clients specify their data needs, geographic areas and duration and Liquid Robotics provides the data.
The Wave Glider development was the result of a single man's passion for whale songs. Joe Rizzi, Chairman of Jupiter Research Foundation, had a love for the sounds of whales as they migrated along the coasts of Hawaii to Alaska. He wanted to capture their songs "live". Not an easy task — to develop a device capable of capturing the pure sounds of the whales and stay out at sea for extended periods. After a few years experimenting, Joe enlisted Roger Hine, a mechanical engineer and Stanford University robotics expert, to help develop an unmoored, station-keeping data buoy. It was from this partnership they developed the first Wave Glider.
The original intent was purely to invent a way to capture whale songs. After they had developed the first Wave Glider and were testing in the waters off of the Big Island, they were approached on the possible commercialization of their invention by entrepreneurs looking beyond whale songs.
Early funding was predominately done by the non-profit Jupiter Research Foundation. Roger Hine came to the project with his own funds and then headed Liquid Robotics, which, in 2007, was spun off from Jupiter Research, with angel investors and mutual friends of Joe and Roger. This money seeded the early development and critical endurance/mission testing. In May/June of 2011, Vantage Point Capital Partners and Schlumberger invested a Series D round of $22M.
A Common Thread
RE2 and Liquid Robotics share one common thread: they provided a solution involving robotics to solve a real need. They didn't provide a technology and then search for applications that fit that technology. RE2's Jorgen said, "Even on the military side, it's still not about the robotics. We are helping to save lives. What is the price of a human life? What is the amount of money that the military will invest to train and protect their most valuable resource, people? If we can help disarm the improvised explosive device (IED) on the road, that's a no-brainer. And that's a market need!"
Jorgen cites the acceleration of viable robotics companies from the September 11, 2001 catastrophe: "9-11 was bad but it was a catalyst for ground robotics. In 2002 there were four robots deployed. By 2004, it had gone to12. By 2005, 163, and by 2006, 2,000 robots, an order of magnitude jump each year. 7,000 robots were deployed by 2010." Jorgen sees that trend continuing as robots are demystified and integrated into products and services.
Similarly, Liquid Robotics had a need to develop an autonomous unmoored, station-keeping data buoy with enough renewable energy to power a platform full of sensors and devices capable of capturing the pure sounds of whales.
British Petroleum (BP) began using Liquid's wave gliders in the Gulf of Mexico shortly after the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill disaster:
"Initially we will be calibrating a set of nine optical sensors to monitor water quality, including trace amounts of dispersed oil, and will then add acoustic monitoring of marine mammal activity," said Roger Hine, president and CEO of Liquid Robotics. "We look forward to working with BP on this extended research program."
Data collected by the deployment was posted on a public website for all to see. News spread and oil, gas and military executives saw a fit of Liquid's gliders with their oceanographic needs. Schlumberger, an international supplier of technology, integrated project management and information solutions for the oil and gas industry, took an interest which led to their 2011 funding and 2012 joint venture with Liquid.
Conclusion: Build a Product That Satisfies a Specific Need
Colin Angle, CEO and co-founder of iRobot, has consistently held that we are going about developing the robotics industry wrong: "The idea that a humanoid robot with arms would push a vacuum cleaner is an image that has set many expectations and, in some ways, has set back the industry," when, by just rethinking what needs to be done, we can build a product that satisfies a specific need (vacuuming), as iRobot did with their Roomba line of robotic vacuums. "I used to think that I was a self-respecting high-tech entrepreneur, but it took me becoming a vacuum cleaner salesman to actually have some success for my company, my investors and myself."
** Portions of this article have been excerpted with permission from "It takes the military to spawn robotics."


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If you run a business "on the side" and derive most of your income from another source (whether from another business you own, employment or investments), you may face a peculiar risk: Under certain circumstances, this on-the-side business might not be a business at all in the eyes of the IRS. It may be a hobby.
The hobby loss rules
Generally, a taxpayer can deduct losses from profit-motivated activities, either from other income in the same tax year or by carrying the loss back to a previous tax year or forward to a future tax year. But, to ensure these pursuits are really businesses — and not mere hobbies intended primarily to offset other income — the IRS enforces what are commonly referred to as the "hobby loss" rules.
If you haven't earned a profit from your business in three out of five consecutive years, including the current year, you'll bear the burden of proof to show that the enterprise isn't merely a hobby. But if this profit test can be met, the burden falls on the IRS. In either case, the agency looks at factors such as the following to determine whether the activity is a business or a hobby:
- Do you carry on the activity in a business-like manner?
- Does the time and effort put into the activity indicate an intention to make a profit?
- Do you depend on income from the activity?
- If there are losses, are they due to circumstances beyond your control or did they occur in the start-up phase of the business?
- Have you changed methods of operation to improve profitability?
- Do you (or your advisors) have the knowledge needed to carry on the activity as a successful business?
- Have you made a profit in similar activities in the past?
- Does the activity make a profit in some years?
- Do you expect to make a profit in the future from the appreciation of assets used in the activity?
Dangers of reclassification
If your enterprise is reclassified as a hobby, you can't use a loss from the activity to offset other income. You may still write off certain expenses related to the hobby, but only to the extent of income the hobby generates. If you're concerned about the hobby loss rules, we can help you evaluate your situation. Please contact us.


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Secret to boosting your career: Combine MBA and SAS®
Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow gets students ready for the real world
Theory is great. But in the real world, Professor Ashwani Kumar's students are going to need to know how to market smartly, work with credit scoring models and understand analytics at a deep level. For that reason, Kumar teaches data mining skills to the MBA students and management development program participants at the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow in India.
A data scientist is a business professional who can combine the intuition of decision making with the science of data modeling using tools like SAS. That's what I want my students to excel in.
Dr. Ashwani Kumar
Professor, IT and Systems, Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow
IIM Lucknow is one of the top five business schools in India, with a high bar for admittance and ties with notable business schools, including the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Its offerings include an MBA degree and the Certificate Program in Business Analytics for Executives. In both programs, students are getting hands-on experience in data mining, specifically SAS® Enterprise Miner™.
"This helps my students become proficient in one of the most critical skills needed for business professionals today – data-driven decision making," says Kumar, who is a specialist in customer relationship management analytics. "Exposure to SAS is a highly valued skill in the analytics industry, so my students gain an edge in their careers – specifically in industries such as IT, consulting, financial services, retail, telecom and e-commerce."
Kumar chose to teach analytics using SAS because of its ease of use. "The intuitive, menu-driven, drag-and-drop interface helps me achieve the hands-on exposure, along with the conceptual understanding of business analytics that I want to develop in my students." Kumar says the models, algorithms and industry-specific methods used in SAS better reflect what students will be expected to know when they get into the business world, where 60 percent of the Indian companies use SAS. The students can also use visual model assessments and validation metrics, as they would be expected to do on the job.
Growing popularity
Kumar started the class with 65 students in 2006. It's more than doubled in size, with 135 students registered for the 2014-15 school year. Over the last eight years, more than 800 students have gone through his classes. The course is an elective in the final year of the MBA program and is also a key part of the certificate program. IIM Lucknow uses an enterprise-wide SAS license that allows other faculty and doctoral students (including some of Kumar's) to use SAS in their research. The on-demand option, popular at US universities, does not work as well in India because of connectivity issues.
"My students work on a variety of projects, including churn prediction, segmentation, credit scoring and response modeling. Hence, they gain an edge in their careers over other business school students in analytics, business intelligence consulting, marketing and CRM roles," says Kumar.
Kumar has attended summer workshops in the US to learn more about how to collaborate across disciplines and with industries. He is now looking to spread the teaching of analytics by introducing more management development programs for industry executives in collaboration with SAS. Ultimately, he wants to inspire a bit of the data scientist in all IIM Lucknow graduates. "A data scientist is a business professional who can combine the intuition of decision making with the science of data modeling using tools like SAS. That's what I want my students to excel in. That's the philosophy of my course and management development programs at IIM Lucknow," Kumar says.
Help prepare business students for analytics-intensive jobs in multiple industries.
SAS® Education Analytical Suite with SAS® Enterprise Miner™
Enrollment in Kumar's course has more than doubled in six years, and he is working to include analytics and data mining education in more of the university's business courses. Students are better prepared for their careers, which span a variety of industries.
Learn More
Connect with Ashwani Kumar's on LinkedIn.


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This page lists 46 Chapters through which you can obtain practical, step-by-step guidance in community-building skills. See also our related Toolkits, which offer short outlines for key tasks.
This page lists 46 Chapters through which you can obtain practical, step-by-step guidance in community-building skills. See also our related Toolkits, which offer short outlines for key tasks.
An overview of the Community Tool Box and frameworks for guiding, supporting and evaluating the work of community and system change.
Information about how to assess community needs and resources, get issues on the public agenda, and choose relevant strategies.
Communications that promote interest and encourage involvement.
Information about developing a strategic plan and organizational structure, recruiting and training staff and volunteers, and providing technical assistance.
Information about the core functions of leadership, management, and group facilitation.
Information about analyzing community problems to design, choose, and adapt interventions for different cultures and communities.
Information on illustrative interventions using various strategies for change.
Information on understanding culture and diversity, how to strengthen multicultural collaboration, and spirituality and community building
Information on advocacy principles, advocacy research, providing education, direct action campaigns, media advocacy, and responding to opposition.
Information on developing a plan for evaluation, evaluation methods, and using evaluation to understand and improve the initiative.
Information on achieving and maintaining quality performance, public reporting, providing incentives, and honoring colleagues and community champions.
Information on writing grants, preparing an annual budget, and planning for financial sustainability.
Information on conducting a social marketing effort (promoting awareness, interest, and behavior change), and planning for long-term sustainability.


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Want to ask about our services? Get a quote for a special project? Oo just say hi? Use the contact form below. One of our friendly staff members will get back to you within 1 business day (we're enjoying the outdoors on weekends). We can't wait to hear from you!
Get Your Free Quote Today!


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When and Where?
Mon, 9th September 2024 (09:30 – 16:30), and
Mon, 16th September 2024 (09:30 – 16:30)
Millie's Trust Head Office
Millie's Trust
Lansdowne House
Oak Green Business Park
Earl Road
Cheadle Hulme
How much will it cost me?
From £85 per person
What will I learn?
- The roles and responsibilities of a paediatric first aider
- Assessing an emergency situation
- Dealing with an unresponsive infant or child
- Recovery Position
- CPR and AED
- Choking
- Head, neck and back injuries
- Fractures
- Anaphylaxis and allergic reactions
- Meningitis
- Asthma
- Febrile Convulsions
- Seizures
- Diabetic Emergencies
- Poisoning
- Burns and scalds
- Electric Shock
- External Bleeding
- Hypovolaemic Shock
- Eye, ear and nose conditions
- Bites and stings
- Minor Injuries
- Treatment for hot and cold body temperatures
This is a full qualification course suitable for nursery workers, child minders, teachers etc... Due to you receiving a qualification, this is NOT a free course and no refunds are available.
Please bring your lunch or purchase locally.
Please be aware that as this is a qualification course, babies are not able to attend.


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A hundred thousand dollars a year to work 35 hours a week, picking up travelers as an airport shuttle driver. That sounds pretty good, right? Maybe too good to be true? Well, that's because it is. But, you know, it is a real posting that has become ubiquitous on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, luring would-be workers during one of the biggest upheavals in the labor market in recent history. And while this posting will not lead to a job, it will likely lead to identity theft. And it's only one of many sham job ads that have been popping up lately. Cezary Podkul is a reporter with ProPublica, and he recently did a deep dive into these fake ads. He joins us now.
CEZARY PODKUL: Thanks for having me.
CHANG: So I just want to start with that airport shuttle driver ad. You tracked one of those ads down. And can you just tell us, where did that quest lead you?
PODKUL: I just started taking the text of it and looking around at all the different places where it was showing up. And eventually, just by looking for it and looking for it, I saw a posting on a Nigerian scam board, where people just trade messages and exchange tips on how to basically do all sorts of scams. And it was basically this script for an airport shuttle job aimed at getting people to share their driver's license, their Social Security number, and once they do that, to really reel them in and try to get as much as you can to basically get their personal details and use them to commit fraud.
CHANG: Kind of scary as people are looking really, really hard for jobs right now. I mean, to take a step back, how prevalent are these job ad scams right now, would you say?
PODKUL: So they're growing. We don't have a precise figure right now because it's sort of an emerging threat. One company that I talked with that's helping both the federal government and state governments safeguard against identity theft has been tracking them, and they saw something like 3,000 of these fake job ads in March. And as of when I talked to them just a few days before we published the story, it had grown to, like, 36,000.
CHANG: Wow.
PODKUL: So it's something that people really should be on the lookout for, especially now, since so many people are quitting their jobs or thinking about quitting or still looking for a job.
CHANG: Well, as you say, all of this is happening as there's been so much churn in the labor market. Can you talk about how these job ad scams seem to have evolved as the pandemic has worn on?
PODKUL: Yeah. So basically, they're looking for industries like an airport shuttle driver - right? - like, stuff where they think that people will think, OK, maybe airports are reopening - there's more traffic. Or, for example, you know, restaurants - like, another person I interviewed had fallen to a fake job ad for restaurant chain Steak 'n Shake. And as we all know, right now in the restaurant and hospitality industry, so many people have quit. There's just a lot of demand. And she was applying for what she thought was a graphic designer job that turned out to be totally fake. The other thing that they're doing that's really weird is they'll just email you out of the blue for a job that you didn't apply for. So these are just phishing scams, where they'll send you an email, saying here's a job. And it's not a job. It's just a phishing scam to get your personal information.
CHANG: Well, you're segueing beautifully into the last question. I was just going to ask you, you know, what advice do you have for people who are out looking for a job now, of course, who do not want to get scammed? Beyond, like, weird, sketchy URLs, are there any other particular red flags that you can advise people to try to spot?
PODKUL: Yeah. So probably the most important thing is, you know, be wary of job ads that are touting the need to verify your identity upfront, like, right at the outset. And then, you know, there's a bunch of other things - right? - looking at the URL, looking at the job posting, seeing who's posting it, googling the text of it - does it show up all over the internet in different places, right? But probably the most important thing is just to not ignore that voice, that little voice in your head that you hear sometimes when something feels off. At the very least, get a second opinion from maybe your husband, your wife, a loved one, a friend. Ask them, like, hey, is this right? Should this person be asking - should I be giving them that information? And if they say, hey, no, that seems weird, or if it just doesn't feel right to you, you know, walk away. There's plenty of jobs out there right now. The last thing you need to do is get scammed.
CHANG: That is ProPublica reporter Cezary Podkul.
Thank you very much for your reporting.
PODKUL: Thanks for having me. And good luck job hunting, everyone. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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To connect to an FTP server, you will need:
A folder name for your local mountpoint; the folder will be created if it does not exist
The URL of the FTP server
Port number (default: 21)
FTP server username and password
Remote Subfolder, the FTP directory to mount in Nextcloud. Nextcloud defaults to the root directory. If you specify a subfolder you must leave off the leading slash. For example,
Your new mountpoint is available to all users by default, and you may restrict access by entering specific users or groups in the Available for field.
Optionally, Nextcloud can use FTPS (FTP over SSL) by checking Secure ftps://. This requires additional configuration with your root certificate if the FTP server uses a self-signed certificate.
The external storage FTP/FTPS
needs the allow_url_fopen
setting to be set to 1
. When having connection problems make sure that it
is not set to 0
in your php.ini
. See PHP version and information to learn
how to find the right php.ini
file to edit.
See Configuring External Storage (GUI) for additional mount options and information.
FTP uses the password authentication scheme; see External Storage authentication mechanisms for more information on authentication schemes.


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Björn Andrésen
Swedish actor and musician
Björn Johan Andrésen (born 26 January 1955) is a Swedish actor and musician.
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edit- I was just sixteen and Visconti and the team took me to a gay nightclub. Almost all the crew were gay. The waiters at the club made me feel very uncomfortable. They looked at me uncompromisingly as if I was a nice meaty dish. I knew I couldn't react. It would have been social suicide. But it was the first of many such encounters.
- Quoted in Matt Seaton, "I feel used," The Guardian, 16 October 2003
- My career is one of the few that started at the absolute top and then worked its way down. That was lonely.
- Quoted in Matt Seaton, "I feel used," The Guardian, 16 October 2003


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Jajala Trek-The Hidden Treasure of Ropla
Jajala Trek – The Hidden Treasure of Rolpa
Rolpa, lying in a mid western part of Nepal, is one of the most backward districts in terms of infrastructure. However, it is regarded as one of the exciting potential tourism destinations in the country because of its nature, culture and political history. District headquarters Libang lies approximately 300 km west of Kathmandu. Kham Magars are the major inhabitants of the district followed by other groups like Brahmins, Chettris, Newars and Thakuris. Rolpa is the origin of the decade-long People's War which claimed more than 10,000 people. Jaljala is one of the popular destinations in the district with immense tourism potentials. A detailed itinerary of a trek to Jaljala is given below:
Day 01: Kathmandu- Sulichaur (Drive 12 hrs)
The starting point of trek, Sulichaur, is connected by road from Kathmandu. Surface transport is the only alternative to reach Rolpa unless you charter a helicopter. You can fly to Bhairahawa and drive for six hours to reach Sulichaur. The hill drive is a joy with scenic attraction along the way. Night buses to Sulichaur leave from Gongabu Bus Park and you can reach Sulichaur early next morning.
Sulichaur is both the starting and ending point of this trek. It is a commercial hub of Rolpa district. Lying at an altitude of 810m above sea level, Sulichaur lies near the confluence of Lungri Khola and Fagam Khola. According to locals, early rulers of Sulichaur, the Kham Rajas, used to give capital punishment to guilty people at this very place. Medium range of accommodation is available at Sulichaur.
Day 02: Sulichaur-Kotalbara (1606m) – Drive: 4 hrs, Trek 4 hrs
The drive begins after breakfast at Sulichaur. The jeep drive on a graveled road passes through Sunchahari fall. Sunchahari fall (1450m) is one of the major attractions of the area. It can be reached after a drive of two and half hours from Sulichaur. Sunchahari is derived from two words – sun meaning gold and chahari meaning stream. Locals believed that gold used to flow in the stream in the past. After a drive of about half an hour, you reach Pobang – a small settlement ideal for tea and light snacks. There are a few teashops and a medical store Pobang. Fulibang, where the graveled road ends, is only half an hours of drive away. The trek starts after having lunch at Fulibang. The hike from Fulibang to Kotalbara is a gentle warm up with no steep climb. After walking on the smooth trail for two and half hours, you reach Sirkyang which offers magnificent view of hills, rivers and settlements below. A walk of about one and half hours from Sirkyang, takes you to Kotalbara (1606m) – the destination for the day. Kotalbara is a small settlement with basic accommodation facility available.
Day 03: Kotalbara- Commune village (2217m) – Walk: 7 hrs
This day is one of the most exciting days of the trek as you go through varieties of geographical conditions. After breakfast at Kotalbara, the walk passes through the normal trail till Posbang River. After crossing the suspension bridge over the river, the walk is mostly uphill. A walk of about four hours from Posbang River takes us to Posbang for lunch. Posbang is a small village with a few tea houses. After lunch, the walk passes through Dilbhanjyang (2576m) – the highest point of the day – to reach Sandho River. You walk upstream through the river because there are no trails available. After navigating the River for about half an hours, you reach Ajambari Commune – the destination of the day. Ajambari Commune (2217m) is perhaps the only remnant of Maoist's People's War. Based in purely socialist concept, this commune, which was established in 2000 at the height of insurgency, consists of two houses. As many as 22 families used to reside here during insurgency. At present, only four families are living in the commune. These families don't have private property. The stay in this commune will give you the insights of people's war, their motivation towards socialism and their innovation. In order to sustain themselves, they are looking for the alternative economic activities for which they have already initiated some modern forms of agriculture such as Truffle mushroom and ground apple.
Day 04: Ajambari Commune-Thabang (2000m)
Morning can be spent by talking to ex-combatants about their experience about the People's War. After lunch at Commune, the trek progresses toward Thabang (2000m), popularly known as the headquarters of the People's War. Thabang can be reached after a hike of about one and half hours through wild marijuana field from the Commune. If you have informed the local Magar community of your visit, you will be accorded warm welcome amidst enchanting music and colorful dance. Here, you can stay in homestay, teahouse or a commune. In the evening, you can enjoy cultural performance of the local Magar community.
Day 5: Thabang
Thabang is popularly known as the headquarters of People's War. It is also the village which was affected the most during insurgency. The official Maoist document states that it is a place from where People's War originated.
Bhumya Puja is one of the most significant cultural attractions you will observe in this village. Celebrated just before the start of monsoon (mid June), the whole village celebrate it for five days. Bhumya means land and puja means worshipping, hence this festival is about worshipping the land. The festival starts with a sacrifice of sheep or pig in Thabang River and Selsine marathon which is held among youths. Selsine is a marathon competition where any guy is free to pick a girl (whether or not she agrees) and run her away toward the river. Then they gather in a ground and dance for the whole day. Food, drink, song and dance are all what Thabangis look for over the next four days. The typical day start with invitation by a person through chant and people in the ethnic dress and ornaments gather in the ground and dance for whole day. The concluding ceremony includes dismantling of pole erected on the first day and throwing into the river.
Hiking to nearby Dhakpa hills is among one of the popular activities for tourists at Thabang. If you are lucky, you might be rewarded with the view of the endangered Red Panda. A walk of about three hours from Dhakpa will take you to the neighboring Rukum district. Another viewing point is Ghamchin which offers you views of mountains peaks like Sisne Himal, Otha Himal and other peaks in the Dhaulagiri range.
Day 06: Thabang-Jaljala (3107m) — Walk 6 hrs
After breakfast, you will trek to Jaljala a place of great significance in terms of nature, religion, and politics to the Rolpa district. Situated at an altitude of 3107m above sea level, Jaljala can be reached after a steep climb about six hours from Thabang. There are no tea houses available along the trek. If you are traveling during monsoon, brace for the leech bites.
Jaljala, meaning a water land, is a grassland that is wet almost round the year. There is a natural reservoir of water from where water flows in almost every direction all the year round. From April to September, wild flowers decorate the entire area. The place also offers beautiful views of Sisne Himal, Dhaulagiri and Otha Himal among others. Also, the Bhama Cave, which is yet to be explored to the fullest, is the other attraction of Jaljala.
Jaljala is also a popular pilgrimage for people of the mid-west. During the full moon of April, May and June, people from various part, be it Tarai or hills, travel to this region with sheep to sacrifice in the four temples (known as Than in local language). Hundreds of sheep are slaughtered during these three months. You need to be self-sufficient while traveling to Jaljala as no tea house is available there. However, there are a few Dharmashalas that offer accommodation to visitors.
Day 07: Jaljala- Dharampani (3600m)- Majhibang (2100m) – 7 hrs
After breakfast, you trek uphill towards Dharampani — the highest point of the trek. Weather permitting, you can see various mountain ranges from here. Dharampani can be reached after a walk of three hours from Jaljala. Since there is no human settlement and the place is windy almost all the year round, it is recommended that you take packed lunch with you. After having lunch at Dharampani, the walk goes downward to Majhbang after crossing the highest pass of the trek. The pass is steep grasslands with narrow trail. This is the toughest part of the trek. There are no human settlements until you reach Nabang (3193m) from where you can reach Libang or Majhibang. Lying at an attitude of 2100m, Majhibang can be reached after a walk of four hours from Dharampani. Upon reaching the village, you will be welcomed by the local Magar people. Accommodation is at the home of one of the Magars.
Day 08: Majhibang
Majhibaang is one of the most advanced villages you will see during the trek. The houses are clean and well furnished, have toilets and improved cooking stove which consumes less wood and emits less smoke. Untouched by the road, it lies between the two rivers, giving it the name Majhi Bang (literally middle ground). A typical day in Majhibang starts by listening to the stories of people during the conflict. Trekkers can get to see mines and explosives used during the war. After lunch, you can visit the micro hydro project initiated by local people themselves. Also you can visit the iron and gold mines near the village which were believed to be in use in the past. In the evening, you can enjoy cultural performance by the local Magar people.
Day 09: Majhibang-Jailbang-Sulichaur – Walk: 2 hrs, Drive 4 hrs
After breakfast, a walk of about one and half hours take you to Jailbang which is popular known as the sister village of Majhibang. Here also you will be welcomed by the Magar community amid cultural performance. After lunch, a walk of about an hour takes us to the place where vehicle to Sulichaur is available.
Day 10: Sulichaur-Kathmandu
Drive back to Kathmandu.


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