Tag: #tenacity

#cloud, Career, Coding, Digital Platforms, Employment, Mentoring, Technology

Optimize Your Video Workflow and Improve Productivity Using FFMpeg, Ruby on Rails, Django, Laravel, React, and Angular.

Revisiting FFMPEG, and adding Ruby on Rails, Django, Laravel, React, and Angular

FFmpeg is a command-line based open-source multimedia framework that includes a set of tools to process, convert, combine and stream audio and video files. FFmpeg works by taking input from a file or a capture device (such as a webcam), then applying filters and encoding the data to a new format as output.

Here are some key components of how FFmpeg works:

1. Input: FFmpeg can take input from a variety of sources: video files, audio files, image sequences, capture devices, etc.

2. Decoding: Once the input source is defined, FFmpeg decodes the data from its original format (e.g., H.264 video codec) into an uncompressed, linear format, which is easier to process and manipulate.

3. Filters: FFmpeg has a vast set of filters that can be applied to the data, including scaling, cropping, color correction, noise removal, and more.

4. Encoding: After filtering, FFmpeg compresses the data back into a new format (e.g., MPEG4 video codec), using one of many built-in or external codecs. FFmpeg has support for dozens of codecs, containers, and formats.

5. Output: Finally, FFmpeg saves the newly encoded data to a file, streaming server, or other output device, typically in a format such as MP4, AVI, or FLV.

FFmpeg provides a flexible and powerful way to manipulate multimedia content on a wide range of platforms and operating systems. Its command-line interface allows for fine-grained control over every aspect of the processing pipeline, making it a popular choice for integrating into larger workflows and pipelines.

Buckle up, we’re about to dive into the wild world of frameworks.

In computer programming, a framework is a pre-existing software infrastructure that provides a set of guidelines, pre-made code libraries, and tools to help developers build and deploy applications more efficiently. 

A framework generally consists of a collection of libraries, modules, functions, and other pre-written code that serves as a foundation upon which developers can build their applications. A framework often includes a set of conventions and best practices for developing applications in a specific programming language or domain.

The goal of a framework is to provide a standardized approach to building applications that reduces development time and minimizes the possibility of errors. Frameworks can help developers implement common features like authentication, routing, and database access more easily, allowing them to focus on the unique aspects of their application.

Different types of frameworks are available for different purposes, such as web application frameworks, mobile application frameworks, software testing frameworks, and more. Some popular examples of frameworks include Ruby on Rails, Django, Laravel, React, and Angular.

1). Ruby on Rails is a popular open-source web application framework that is primly used to create dynamic, database-driven web applications. It is built on top of the Ruby programming language, and provides developers with a set of tools and conventions for building modern web applications. Some of the core features of Ruby on Rails include its emphasis on convention over configuration, the use of a Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, and a wide range of built-in libraries and tools for handling common web development tasks, such as database management and asset compilation. Overall, Ruby on Rails is ideal for building complex, data-driven web applications quickly and efficiently.

1A) The Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture is a design pattern that is commonly used in software engineering to create scalable, modular, and maintainable web applications. The key idea behind the MVC architecture is to separate the different components of the application into three interconnected layers:

– Model layer: This layer is responsible for representing the data and the domain logic of the application. It encapsulates the data and provides methods for manipulating it, as well as rules for enforcing constraints and performing computations.

– View layer: This layer is responsible for presenting the data to the user. It provides a user interface that allows the user to interact with the application, and displays the data in a meaningful and intuitive way.

– Controller layer: This layer is responsible for handling user input and coordinating the communication between the Model and View layers. It receives input from the user, manipulates the data in the Model layer, and updates the View layer to reflect the changes.

– The main advantage of the MVC architecture is that it promotes separation of concerns, making it easier to build and maintain complex web applications. By keeping the different layers separate, developers can modify or replace a component without affecting the others, making it easier to test, debug, and extend the application.

2) Django is a popular Python-based web framework that is often used for building complex, scalable, and data-driven web applications. It provides developers with a range of tools and libraries for handling common web development tasks, such as request handling, database management, and user authentication. Some of its key features include its built-in admin interface, robust security features, and support for rapid development.

2A) A Python-based web framework is a software framework that is built using the Python programming language and provides developers with the tools and libraries they need to build web applications quickly and efficiently. 

Web frameworks provide a set of pre-written code and tools that help developers define the structure, behavior and presentation of web applications. Some of the most popular Python-based web frameworks are Flask, Django and Pyramid, each offering their particular strengths and weaknesses.

These frameworks typically provide a variety of features and functionality, including:

– Routing: mapping of URLs to application code.

– Request/response handling: Parsing HTTP requests and sending HTTP responses.

– Template engine: allowing developers to create reusable HTML templates for UI rendering.

– ORM (Object-Relational Mapping): simplifies database access by abstracting the underlying SQL and database tables with Python classes and objects.

– Authentication and session management: developers can control user login, logout and session tracking.

– Server-side caching: to optimize the serving of static assets and large response data.

– Error handling

Using a Python-based web framework, developers can minimize the amount of low-level or repetitive code they need to write, speeding up the development process and ensuring the quality of the application.

3) Laravel is a popular PHP-based web application framework that is primarily used for building backend web applications. It provides developers with a range of tools and libraries for handling common web development tasks, such as routing, database management, and user authentication. Some of its key features include its elegant syntax, built-in support for unit testing, and support for building RESTful APIs.

3A) RESTful APIs (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interfaces) are a type of web service architecture for building client-server communications over HTTP. RESTful APIs provide a standardized way for clients to interact with server-side resources in a stateless manner.

REST architecture is based on the following principles: 

– Client-server architecture: A clear separation is maintained between the client and server components in the interaction.

– Stateless: Client-server communication is free of any context of previous requests from the client. Every request is a self-contained transaction without requiring knowledge from past transactions.

– Cacheable: Responses from the server can be cached by the client to enhance performance

– Uniform interface: Standardized interfaces for interactions that include four different types of operations: HTTP Methods: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE and HTTP codes like 200 for success or 404 for not found. 

– Layered system: Components of the endpoints can be created in layers to improve scalability, security, load balancing and support.

– Code On Demand (optional): Capability to return executable code on-demand like Javascript code served within HTML.

RESTful APIs can work with various formats, including JSON, XML, and plain text. RESTful APIs are widely used to integrate web applications, microservices architectures, mobile applications and other distributed systems. Applications, web services or websites can use these APIs to deliver data to various platforms and devices, enabling easy cross-platform and device communication.

4) React is a popular JavaScript library that is primarily used for building user interfaces in web or mobile applications. It allows developers to create highly interactive and responsive UIs using reusable components, making it ideal for building applications that require a lot of user interaction. Some of its key features include its declarative approach, virtual DOM, and support for building composable UI components.

Declarative Approach:

4A) React is a JavaScript library designed for building user interfaces. It’s based on three key concepts that make it unique and powerful:

1. Declarative approach

2. Virtual DOM

3. Support for building composable UI components

– Declarative Approach: React follows a declarative approach to building user interfaces, which means that you tell React what you want your UI to look like, and it takes care of the rest. Instead of directly manipulating the DOM (Document Object Model), which can be time-consuming and error-prone, developers provide React with a description of the desired UI structure and state.

– Virtual DOM is a lightweight copy of the actual DOM in the memory that React uses for rendering. It allows React to update only the parts of the DOM that have changed, rather than re-rendering the entire UI on every update. This makes React much faster and more efficient than traditional DOM manipulation.

– Support for building composable UI components:  React supports building composable UI components, which are modular building blocks that can be combined to create complex user interfaces. Each component is independent of each other, making it easy to reuse code and design complex interfaces in a modular approach. React components are also highly customizable, can have state and are designed to be reusable multiple times across different scenarios.

Adding these concepts together, React provides a simple, efficient and maintainable way to build complex, highly interactive user interfaces that can scale easily. React’s declarative approach, virtual DOM, and support for building composable UI components help to make development faster, more enjoyable and scalable. 

5) Angular is a popular JavaScript framework that is often used for building complex, scalable, and data-driven web applications. It provides developers with a range of tools and libraries for handling common web development tasks, such as data binding, dependency injection, and user authentication. Some of its key features include its support for building Single Page Applications (SPAs), two-way data binding, and support for building reusable UI components.

5A) Single Page Applications (SPAs). It offers many features to help developers create scalable web applications with a strong focus on user experience. Here are three key features of Angular: 

– Support for building Single Page Applications (SPAs): Single Page Applications (SPAs) are web applications that load a single HTML page and dynamically update as the user interacts with the application. Angular provides a modular architecture and Routing system which helps developers to create scalable, single-page apps that can run in any web environment.

– Two-way data binding: Angular’s two-way data binding feature allows the exchange of data between a component’s view and its model. Data changes in the view are automatically propagated to the model, and vice versa, without the need for additional coding. This feature simplifies code and makes it more readable, as developers don’t need to write as much code for data update mechanisms.

– Support for building reusable UI components: Angular follows the Component-based architecture, where components are modular and can be reused throughout the application. These components are also designed to be decoupled and extendable, which makes them more flexible to adapt to different scenarios. This feature allows developers to create a UI toolkit that can be reused across different web projects, making the app development process faster and more efficient.

Angular’s support for Single Page Applications, two-way data binding, and reusable UI components make it a powerful framework for developing complex, scalable web applications with ease. With its ease of use, it reduces the complexity of development, increases productivity and ultimately improves user experience with fast application speed and functionality.

Please reach out with questions, comments. Please like if you enjoy this content.

Thank you!

Life Choices

Tips: Breaking into the Broadcasting Field

You will need to gain (over time) extensive knowledge and experience in the field. Here are some steps you can take:

  1. Get a degree: A bachelor’s degree in broadcasting or a related field can provide you with a strong foundation of knowledge and skills required in broadcasting.
  2. Gain hands-on experience: Get involved in student radio, TV stations, or other broadcasting organizations to gain hands-on experience.
  3. Specialize: Choose a niche or specialty field within broadcasting, such as sports, news, entertainment, or production, and become proficient in it.
  4. Stay current: Stay up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and developments in broadcasting by attending industry events, webinars, and workshops.
  5. Build a network: Build connections within the broadcasting industry by attending conferences, industry events or joining related groups on social media.
  6. Share your expertise: Share your knowledge by writing articles, giving talks, or teaching others in the broadcasting community.

Remember that becoming an SME takes time and dedication. Continuously developing your skills and expertise will boost your career and improve your chances of becoming an SME in broadcasting.

Golf, Life Choices, Mentoring, Moving Forward

Giving Yourself Credit

If you’re like me, you beat yourself up for every mid-step, mistake you make, big or small. I played softball yesterday and made a ton of good plays, ran for first to be safe like a jet, scored at home plate twice by out running the throw, but also was thrown out once at second base, bobbled a ground ball and didn’t get the runner. I remember the mistakes more than the good stuff.

The same goes for my golf game. I hit the ball straight most of the time, but a lot of the time I don’t hit it very far, or get “air” on it. The ball rolls down the fairway pretty far at least and is competitive. But, if I’m swinging over water I choke. If I swing out of a bunker or high grass, I chip like a champ. My tee shot is terrible, my short game is awesome. I love chipping and putting. I practice driving on the range into the water, and I hit equally good and bad shots. Putting and chipping, I’d say I do what I want to do and am successful 90% of the time.

On the driving range

What do I remember most? The misses. It’s time to change that. Especially after all my lofty (pun intended) plans in January. They weren’t resolutions, they were plans.

I also wanted to write everyday. I’ve written some, so I’ve attained that. But, I haven’t written everyday and posted it like I planned to.

I wanted to improve my running time, I hurt my ankle and had to take downtime, so now I started over again last week – slowly.

The Swimming – ankle support

I swim, I’m trying to improve my lap time, but my ankle kept torquing there too, I had to get a swim ankle brace, but I’ve been able to swim regularly again now, and my lap time has improved, and I now do over a mile 5-6 days a week. Days that I feel tired, I have a slower lap time, I beat myself up for going so slow all the way home, but try to shake it off while making dinner.

At work, I can do every right. Cross all I need off my list, and I feel accomplished. Then I realize I forget to get an essential ingredient(s) for dinner at the store. What do you think I think of? Not the accomplishments, but then I pivot on the dinner, and make something else, most of the time it turns out better than I thought it would.

Improvising works!

So, my point it, it’s time to reset. Reset your thinking if you’re like me. Remember the good, the great, the lucky break even. Yes, I’d rather be great or even good than lucky, but I’ll take the luck, any day.

We all need some encouragement sometimes, so hopefully this has helped someone recalibrate their mindset to remember the good or great things you’ve done and accomplished up to now. And, if you’ve taken mid-steps or not even started your plans for 2023, reset now.

There are 24 hours in a day. You can restart your 24 hours at any time, whether it’s 10am, 2pm, or Midnight. It’s YOUR 24 hours. Let go of any regret of not even starting what you set out to do – YET. You can start your 24 hours now, or anytime you choose.

Love Yourself First, the rest Will come. Act and think like “it’s on its way”, and it will come. You need to think that it’s coming first, then it will. Be patient, be persistent, be courageous, be humble, be grateful.

Love yourself like you’re the last YOU on earth, because you are.

Career, Charity and Giving, Giving Back, Golf, Life Choices, Mentoring, Moving Forward

Your Big Break

It’s not a puzzle to be solved

You’ve worked and worked. Shown up, gone above and beyond at work, with friends and family too. You’ve volunteered for the food bank, and local toy drive, helped neighbors with packages, and driven them to appointments they forgot about, and they didn’t want to take a car service.

You’ve gone to holiday gatherings for over a month for work and with friends. You’ve networked with your business contacts, sent notes, emails, well wishes done everything possible to bring good will to others.

Work is great, your friends and family are great, you’ve taken care of your significant other. Now what ?

It’s YOU time, that’s what!

Don’t forget about Yourself. I learned 12 years ago (on my yoga mat) that taking time for yourself is Not selfish, it’s actually one of many self-less things you can do for yourself and others. Ummm hmhmmm – it’s true.

Say what now?

Take one hour for yourself Today in anyway you’d like. A walk, meditate, if you want movement involved – work out (today I worked out, then did yoga, later I’ll play a little golf), listen to music, take a bath, swim, read, write, play an instrument, play /practice a sport, but do it. Yes Today!

You should set aside time everyday for yourself. It doesn’t always need to be an hour, just set aside some “boundary time” (time you will not be disturbed). No kids, no family, no friends, no texting, no social media – just where you’re doing You, unplugged to reset. No bills, no cooking, no cleaning, no kids (even for 5 minutes), breathe…..

This brings you back to you, the best version of you gets to emerge from this practice because not only your wants are met, an intrinsic Need of Re-connecting with yourself occurs.

You don’t know what to pick? It doesn’t HAVE to be any one thing. Pick one thing a day to try. Try something new. I chose yoga, it was the single greatest thing I did, because I didn’t even know at that moment how much I needed it yet. I just wanted to get out of the house, be with people – and try a class at my new gym. This year, learning golf and its process has me in the same zone. It’s amazing.

After the new year I’m taking a 4 day completely unplugged break. No phone, no email, no phone calls (except for emergencies only). I haven’t had a break since COVID began. Working and living at home has crossed some serious time boundaries, every day seemed to run into the next until I set some boundaries.

Exception: In an emergency, “me” time can be interrupted – but the house better be on fire! Ok, maybe not literally on fire, but I think I’ve made my point.

And, if I haven’t made my point. My point is take a break before you do!

Everyone needs even a quick reset, make it a 5 minute a day practice to start (and build from there), I guarantee others will see a positive change in you before you do. You’ll be healthier and much happier.

You’re worth it, believe it, own it, be it. You have permission to just think of yourself for at least 5 minutes a day – for the rest of your life. Then, you can return to your job, following up on tasks, the carpool, doing the dishes, grocery shopping, cleaning up after your pets and loved ones.

This is not a New Year’s resolution. Leave all your worries and things to do outside a virtual or physical door. When I step onto my yoga mat or write, nothing else exists at that moment in time. I can compartmentalize with such focus that nothing else exists, it’s almost like being in a trance. There are hours I’ve easily written through, and stepped onto my yoga mat hundreds of times, hearing just the voice of the instructor, going through the entire class, moving through each Asana, and found myself at the end not even realizing that someone else was in the room with me. It’s transcendent. It’s transformative.

It’s what I didn’t even know that I needed. Permission. Permission to think of just that for that moment in time.

You have permission to break from the task filled universe and be selfish for yourself, then you can be of service and more of yourself with the world.

Do it, you have Permission.

Career, Employment, Life Choices, Mentoring, Moving Forward, Technology

Success at Job Hunting in the Universe’s Vacuum

If you want to be successful in job hunting, you need to be persistent and never give up. You need to believe in yourself and your ability to find the right job for you. The universe is full of opportunities, and it’s up to you to find them.

I started a great new position this week. After years of seasonal, and short contract work at various places, I wanted to find something full-time, and permanent. Permanent is a relative term to me. One can be “let-go” at any time these days, because there was a restructuring, not because one wasn’t doing well, for cause, or just lay-offs. It can be disheartening.

When I was offered my current job, I literally had gotten another offer the very same day, and a third offer the next day. I asked each possible new employer further clarifying questions so I could make an informed decision. That doesn’t give me any guarantees, but gives me the best chance at what I want and need. Note: I also only applied to jobs I really wanted, but was still looking because nothing was “final” until I, and the company have finished the on-boarding process. But, more on that another day.

FINDING THE OPPORTUNITY

Fear not, there are many opportunities out there, one just has to find them. Make looking for a job, a full time job in itself. Let me break it down a bit with some specifics. Set-up job parameters with automated Daily alerts on multiple sites, visit specific company sites daily (there are jobs there that are not posted publicly), filter for job keywords, position, desired location, (or on-site,remote/hybrid), and then of course latest or newest listings. This cut down on how “far” back anyone will have to cull through a seemingly endless list of jobs (most of which that wouldn’t fit one’s skill-set, or ones that aren’t of interest, or titled oddly). I only applied to jobs I wanted, and that I was at least 80%+ qualified for. My resume was updated nearly weekly to tweak it, and so was my cover letter.

BOTS

I’m sure job-seekers already know about HR bots: ATS system: Applicant Tracking System. It’s designed to automatically find keywords from the job description and find those skills in your resume automatically. If your resume doesn’t match up to a certain percent, then it automatically gets rejected, and the hiring manager, or HR person never gets to see your resume at all. So weave the keywords from the job description into your resume (assuming you truly have those skills), and your resume will actually get a human’s eyeballs to look at it.

Otherwise you’ll more than like get the dreaded automated response of, “while we are so excited that you’ve spent time applying for this position, and you’re highly skilled, we are not moving forward with your candidacy, and moving forward with other candidates that are more closely aligned with this position.” Even worse, you may have now been put into their system in an automatic reject for X amount of time. It’s true, so always try to present yourself in the best light, your effort upfront has big pay-off.

Now, keep in mind, every company must legally post a position even if they already know the candidate they Will be hiring. I’ve gone to job listings that were only a few hours old, saw there were no other applicants, but also was removed or “no longer available” almost as soon as it was posted. “Whatttt!!!??” The company legally did what they had to do, they posted the job, then removed it as soon as legally possible. I found this annoying at first, then took a different purview of the action, “at least I didn’t waste my time going through the entire application process”. It all depends on how you look at it. I chose the latter – be positive.

CONNECTION IS KEY

If you have a connection at a company you’re applying to, reach out to them. This is not just to ask them to recommend you, it’s also exploratory to find out more about the company, and if you want to work there too. It’s equally important for YOU to interview the interviewer about the company, culture, company and job challenges, who had the position prior to this, where did they move up or onto, and why. There are many other questions, but that’s a good starting point.

Next, there is the “quick apply” tactic. Job sites that offer a seemingly “one-click” application process, followed usually by a couple of generic questions like: Are you a US citizen?, Will you now or ever need sponsorship?, and are you at least 18 years old? I would advise if you decide to apply this way that you should also write a cover letter if the app provides the option. If not, note who the hiring manager or job poster is, and contact them through email if provided, or LinkedIn (In-mail).

DUE DILIGENCE

Don’t underestimate the cover letter. Many Recruiters and Hiring Managers automatically reject resumes from highly qualified applicants simply because there was no cover letter. Why? It shows interest, and a level of effort. Even if you don’t have the name of the job poster, or hiring manager, simply start with Dear Hiring Manager, then in the body of the cover letter say why you’d be great in the position, something that’s NOT in your resume and be positive.

Finally end with something like, “I look forward to hearing from you”. Then your signature. Boom! You’ve written a few short sentences and “Submit”. You’ve just upped your chances of being contacted by a Recruiter (whether in-house or not) by approximately 80%.

FOLLOW THROUGH

Lastly, if you haven’t heard anything for over a week, follow-up with a “checking in” email. Don’t ask for a response, the hiring manager and recruiter are very busy people. Just let them know you’re still interested in the position (you didn’t just one-click apply). A little effort goes a long way. If you’re willing to put the effort in before you have the job, you’re a good candidate to actually DO the job.

If you’d like more tips please leave questions in the comment section, or email me directly (it’s in the contact area of this site).

Good luck in your search. I look forward to hearing feedback from you!