Terry Bandy

Terry Bandy Shares What a Data Scientist Does

Posted on by Arturo
Terry Bandy
One of the jobs with the highest demand in the workforce today is the data scientist. This job has become increasingly important to businesses due to the expanding ability of technology to keep vast stores of records at an affordable cost.

So what does this job involve? What kind of person would do well in this career? What kind of skills are required to do the job effectively and what is a typical day like in this career? These are some of the questions we’ll endeavor to answer.

What Are Some of the Things a Person Does in this Job?

Data scientists collect and analyze large amounts of data for a given enterprise or business to troubleshoot various problems. They can also use this data to boost productivity and make general improvements in other areas of the business.

The massive amounts of data some large businesses can accumulate are sometimes referred to as “big data.” The two types of data that most often make up big data are structured data and unstructured data. To keep it brief, structured data involves the hard numbers like website traffic and raw statistics about product use. Unstructured data, which is the fastest growing form of data, involves less concrete information such as social media posts, customer reviews, and email.

A company usually employs IT personnel to handle the structured data that a computer can more easily process. The job of the data scientist is to analyze and act upon information given largely by the unstructured data available.

While there are IT aspects to this work, it often involves a more business-oriented brain-storming focus. It isn’t just about the organization of data but finding creative ways to make that data useful.

What Kind of Individual Would Enjoy and Thrive in this Career?

People that thrive on problem-solving using numbers and statistics will do well in this career. Having the patience to deal with some repetition in the workplace is important. This is a job for those that enjoy working indoors and sitting at a computer rather than being outside on their feet. An individual that would do well in this type of job is one that enjoys working with new technology and feels at home working with complex software.

What Kind of Skills are Required for the Job?

A firm grasp on mathematics and statistics is essential. An understanding of business is imperative when working in applicable jobs. The best data scientists also have the creativity and logical reasoning capacity to use data in new and unexpected ways to improve business operations and solve problems.

An innate ability to use technology effectively and an aptitude for learning new programs quickly are also important skills to have. Good programming knowledge is a must in order to manipulate programs effectively and create tools to deal with unique situations.

Lastly, data scientists need to have good communication skills to help others within the company understand their analysis of the data and be able to demonstrate how to effectively use this information. They have to work well as part of a team and have the humility to accept constructive feedback from their fellow co-workers.

What a Typical Day on the Job is Like

Most people will spend their days as part of a team working together to solve problems and achieve the goals of the company they work for. But some people, such as Terry Bandy, are self-employed. He reports that his typical day involves working from his home office mining data and reporting his results to clients or preparing presentations. Terry Bandy is able to manage his own home business while maintaining a balance between family and his work.

Those that work at a corporate office and report to a manager would experience a similar workload, but with specific variations dependant on the products and goals of the business, they work for. Knowing the goals and expectations of the business is essential in creating solutions that match the company’s vision.

Why This Type of Work is Important

As technology advances, the ability to access vast amounts of data in a short period of time has become readily accessible. Having a person dedicated to the analysis of all this big data and actively finding methods to use it in ways that improve company procedure is invaluable for many different types of businesses.

This career is needed everywhere data is an important component of success. Companies that market directly to consumers, businesses that sell to other companies, and organizations that process big data for research purposes can all benefit from the employ of data scientists. As technology makes it easier and cheaper to store and process large amounts of information the role of the data scientist will only continue to grow with time.

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5 Tips to Shooting Great Portraits

Posted on by Arturo

Photography has been around since the invention of the first camera after painting self potraits were abolished. Today, you will find several professional photographers just by doing research. Some of whom are Tyler Newcomb in Boston, Massachusetts, or even Rocco Basile. So, what exactly does it take to get the perfect portrait, you might ask?

Firstly, playing with eye contact takes a huge role. It is intriguing how much the angle of your subject’s eyes can impact a picture . Most photographs have the model looking directly into the lens– something that can create a genuine significance of connection between a model and those surveying the image. But there are a couple of other things to try:

Looking off camera – have your model focus their concentration on something the outsider cannot see and outside the gaze of your camera. This can initiate a feeling of sincerity and also create a little pique and captivation as the viewer of the shot wonders what they are looking at. This pique is usually drawn about when the subject is showing some kind of desire. Just be conscious that when you have a model looking out of the frame, you can even focus the eye of the viewer of the shot to the corner of the photograph also – taking them away from the point of significance in your shot.

An alternate option would be looking within the image. Alternatively, you could have your model gazing at something (or at someone) within the frame. A child eyeing a ball, a new mother cherishing her new baby, a man looking at football…. When you give your model something to view at that is inside the image you create another point of something to be piqued at and a relationship between it and your first subject.

Furthermore, consider natural lighting coming into play. Don’t have an extravagant studio or want to get more candid portraits? Average lighting in a house or during the midsummer heat in the day is not very flattering on skin; however, once light passes through a window or an open reflection, it is very soft and overly. Consider placing your model next to a small window so the light hits the model at a unique angle (without them looking straight out the window). Without very much effort, you have created stunning and flattering light which studios fail to copy.

If you don’t feel comfortable setting the exposure in a standard way, simply have the model stand in front of a light or the sun with their back facing the light source, then learn to use spot metering. With spot metering, you can plainly have the camera focus on the model’s face to expose it accordingly, and then let the background be slightly overexposed. For some, spot metering may be a better option than a standard setting the exposure for the face.

Lastly, the infamous ‘s’ pose. Every human being who could ever be considered a portrait photographer should by now have the knowledge of the s-curve. Essentially, the model does this pose by capturing the (camera right) side of a model make the structure of an S with the shoulders and hip originating the right edges of the S.

Ideas to Increase Donations to Animal Shelters

Posted on by Arturo

Marty Stallone gives you some things to consider:

Take stock of your nonprofit’s current strategy and gather your development team to reflect on the organization’s mission, vision and goals prior to planning any further. Analyze the current state of the nonprofit in reference to funding practices.

Try delving deeper by asking questions such as:

• How long has your nonprofit provided its current services or resources to the community?

• Does your nonprofit have documented credibility within the community or cause?

• What kind of programs do you offer? Are these programs attractive to donors?

• Does your nonprofit collaborate with any like-caused organizations, community groups or federal, state or local government?

• Who is your target donor audience? Are there organizations within the community that share this same audience or have a similar vision and mission? Do they have a secure fundraising program in place?

• What is your nonprofit’s image within the community with constituents? With current donors? With prospects?

• Has your nonprofit’s current fundraising strategy been successful? How often are elements within the strategy updated or rethought? Are donors bored with your strategy’s tactics or have they come to expect it?

More Tips And Ideas

S – Specific. Be very clear on what you are hoping to do. Use exact numbers and concise phrases. Answer the who, what, where, when, why and how to make your goals quantifiable.

M – Measurable. How will you recognize success unless you measure your efforts? Whether it in dollars raised, new donors obtained or impressions made, make your

goals measurable … and then, measure them!

A – Attainable. Don’t set your nonprofit up for failure by working toward a goal that just can’t happen. Know the resources you have to work with, and address challenges.

R – Realistic. This one goes hand-in-hand with “Attainable.” While it’s nice to dream, setting goals that aren’t realistic are not going to help your strategy or team morale.

T – Timely. Goals have a timeline—a start and an end. Not only will this aid in measurement, but the progress of your overall fundraising strategy will be based on this timeline.

As you determine your goals, think about what gap the fundraising efforts will fill. Is this an annual campaign, a capital campaign, a holiday appeal or is there a specific program that is in need of funding? Does your nonprofit hope to receive a spike in gifts, or are you seeking a series of gifts from a donor throughout his or her life-cycle? These questions will guide in determining your nonprofits fundraising goals and outlining the overall strategy.

Once goals are established, a budget and timeline should follow suit. The budget and timeline should be developed with the action plan and tactics portion of your strategy in mind. A budget should outline the anticipated expenses for covering the costs of your strategy, and from what sources these costs will be covered.

Expenses may include:

• Staff time

• Printing, photocopying, equipment and supplies

• Postage and shipping

• Telephone, fax and internet usage

• Travel (for general coordination and to meetings with donors)

• Food and entertainment (during meetings and at special events)

• Professional services or consultants (sponsorship consultants, party planners, etc.)

• Promotional material

The timeline should address what needs to happen, when it will happen, how it will happen and who is responsible for it. Also take into account holidays, staff vacations or potential conflicting community and competitor events.

Shaun Barratt Bosch Diamond Plus Certification Review

Posted on by Arturo

Review by Arturo Alvarez Demalde, Shaun Barratt Bosch Diamond Plus Certified

When assessing any product or service offering, my default position tends to be that of a skeptic, and this is especially the case when it comes to matters relating to finance and investment strategy. After hearing about the Shaun Barratt Bosch Diamond Plus Certification and listening to the consistently positive feedback its members had reported, I maintained my normal sense of skepticism, but I must admit that I became much more curious about the services the company offers to traders.

So when I joined this company, I did so with a bit of apprehension. I had some experience day trading in the past, but never with the kind of success that so many seemed to have had with this particular opportunity. I talked it over with some of the existing members I already knew prior to joining, and they assured me that previous experience or success is not necessary for reaping the rewards of membership with this company.

In this review I will discuss my personal experience as a member of this company, including my assessment of each of the company’s following service offerings:

• Chat room access

• Daily watch lists

• Webinars and training courses

• Blog posts and video lessons

My experience with this company been entirely positive, but, as I mentioned already, I did enter the program with a healthy amount of apprehension and skepticism. I will also discuss how any concerns I had were eased in the review that follows.

On My Initial Feelings of Apprehension

I take pride in performing due diligence before parting with any of my hard-earned income, so I thoroughly researched the company and read every review I could find. While the overwhelming majority of the reviews were entirely positive with regard to the program, the people and the information provided, I also came across a few negative reviews that planted seeds of doubt.

With the mind of a skeptic, just the slightest bit of negativity can be more than enough motivation to push me away, but I decided to pursue the opportunity simply out of respect for the members I spoke with directly who firmly believed in the efficacy of This company. This proved to be an excellent decision, and I can hardly imagine being in my current financial position had it not been for the insight and information I received through this company.

The Chat Room and Its Sense of Community

After joining, I was most curious about the chat room hosted by This company, so I logged in to get a sense of the subject matter other members discussed throughout the trading day. I was quite surprised to find that every subject was absolutely relevant to day trading and there was no tolerance for off-topic discussions. This was quite a welcome change for me since I have never been part of an online community that did not ultimately devolve into discussions bearing no relevance to anything in particular.

Interestingly enough, this focused subject matter was still quite successful in establishing a clear sense of community among the many members and moderators. Any questions I had were answered quickly by more experienced members or moderators, and I never felt that my questions were unwelcome even when they had been addressed in the chat room many times before. I was also impressed with the sheer volume of information that was shared in the chat room, and I feel that the chat room alone is enough to make membership entirely worthwhile.

Stock Identification, Real-Time Alerts and Constant Access to Trading Resources

People who know me say, “Arturo Alvarez Demalde, how long will you stay here?” My answer is the same, “I don’t know!” As someone who deeply appreciates access to vast amounts of data along with other useful resources, I was quite impressed with the attention to detail I found through this company. I came to greatly value the scanning tools to which I was given access and made frequent use of the daily watch lists in order to develop and deploy a strategy for each day of trading.

As a result, I felt that I was so thoroughly prepared for each day that my confidence soared in a way that I had not experienced during my previous forays into day trading. Even though I was still relatively new to trading in this manner I still felt completely in control of my success and was able to make the kinds of choices necessary for reaping a sizable financial reward at the close of every trading day.

I benefited a great deal from the information and other resources made available through Barratt Bosch’s Certification program, but the fact that it was provided in such a timely fashion really made a significant difference in the results I was able to achieve. I always felt one step ahead when making trading decisions and was grateful for the fact that the company clearly designed its program with an emphasis on providing frequent and actionable information to its members.

Clear Emphasis on Education

When I began posing questions in the chat rooms regarding strategies for day trading, I would often receive a direct answer along with a link to a relevant blog post or video lesson for further information. I quickly realized just how much information I now had access to and was impressed by the breadth of the subject matter included in the articles and lessons I read or viewed.

After exhausting my own research abilities, I decided to enroll in some of the trading courses offered by Arturo Alvarez Demalde. Taking part in these courses really opened my eyes to a number of aspects relating to successful approaches to day trading, and it also underscored the fact that this company truly understands the value of educating its members in the most comprehensive way possible.

I enjoyed a tremendous amount of success throughout the entirety of my experience with Shaun Barratt Bosch Certifications am especially grateful that I listened to the members who made the initial suggestion to join. While I had some modest success with day trading in the past, I never really understood just how much I still had to learn until I signed up for membership. Without the education I received or the help of the scans and daily watch lists, there is simply no possible way that I would be able to enjoy the kind of day trading success I have had thus far.

Overview of Taking Great Pictures With Quick and Easy Digital SLR Settings

Posted on by Arturo

For a first-time user, the many settings of a dSLR camera can be quite overwhelming. The reason that a dSLR has such a wide variety of settings is so that it can be used in a wide variety of circumstances. These cameras are among the most versatile options for both amateur and professional photographers, which is why they are so commonly seen at so many picture-worthy events. Understanding these settings and the rationale behind their use will allow the photographer to yield the best photograph possible, but there are many conditions that will influence which settings are prioritized and how the remaining settings are used.

The most important thing that a photographer must do is to consider their goal with regard to the photograph they intend to take. There are a number of questions that a photographer must first take into consideration, including:

  • What is the nature of the available light?
  • What is the subject of the photograph?
  • What type of composition will be achieved through this photograph?
  • What is the overall objective of the photograph?

Certainly, there are other considerations that should be taken into account, but if each photographer were to first ask these questions, the answers will help to determine the settings that are ultimately used.

Aperture Settings

It is helpful to think of the aperture setting of the camera as equivalent to the iris of an eye. In both cases, the amount of available light will influence the manner in which the iris and aperture should behave. When there is a great deal of available light, the iris of the eye will become smaller to reduce the amount of light that is allowed in. When it is dark, the iris will dilate to maximize the amount of light being allowed in. The same is true of the aperture of a dSLR camera.

The aperture setting can be used for practical purposes or for creative and artistic purposes. In the case of practicality, the aperture should be set to the low end of the f/stop range for situations in which there is not a great deal of light. For creative purposes, the photographer can use this setting to achieve a shallow depth of field, meaning that only the subject will be sharply in focus. The background in these types of photographs will remain blurred, drawing further attention to the subject.

On the other end of the aperture setting spectrum is the small aperture setting, which is represented by a larger f/stop number. This setting will be used in situations where there is plenty of available light, such as an outdoor photograph taken on a sunny day. This setting can also be used to create a large depth of field, which is preferable when engaging in landscape photography where everything should be in focus.

Shutter Speed

The shutter speed of a camera will determine how quickly the camera sensor records the image being photographed, which should be determined based on the nature of the subject and the composition goals of the photographer. The shutter speed that is employed will also impact the other settings being used, as the faster shutter speeds will allow less light and influence the quality of the photograph. If the shutter speed is the priority setting of the photograph, the other settings will have to be manipulated to compensate for the lack of light, thereby yielding the best photograph.

Photographing subjects in motion requires the use of a faster shutter speed, otherwise the motion will cause the subject to blur. Of course, there are situations in which the photographer will wish to achieve this blur for artistic purposes, in which case a slower shutter speed will be used. Sports photographers use shutter speeds that are sometimes in excess of 1/2000 of a second in order to freeze a subject in motion, while landscape photographers may use a prolonged exposure (up to 30 seconds on most dSLR cameras) to detail the motion of a waterfall.

ISO

The ISO setting of a dSLR camera also influences the amount of light that is taken in, though when a high ISO is used there are other consequences as well. When shooting a portrait inside in low light, for example, high ISO can be used to avoid the need for a flash. The issue, however, is that the use of high ISO also results in an image that is not as clean, making the image appear grainy or “noisy.” This setting may be used for artistic purposes, but many photographers simply opt to use the lower end of the ISO spectrum and use the other settings to compensate for a lack of light.

Basic Considerations

Ultimately, photography is a creative endeavor, and it should be viewed as an art form and not as a science. While certain settings are commonly used in certain situations, this does not mean that other combinations cannot be explored. Through the use of a dSLR camera, there are seemingly endless ways to view one single image through limitless perspectives. Viewing photography from a results-oriented point of view is best, though it is true that certain specific settings are viewed as preferable over others in specific circumstances.

In order to arrive at the best possible photographic end result, it is important to first evaluate the goal of the photography. If a photographer has certain ideas with regard to how the composition will look, then the photographer should alter the settings in order to best achieve that composition. If the photographer is simply looking to accurately document an event in the most realistic way possible, then the settings should be altered in order to best achieve that specific goal. Understanding the nature of the settings and how they influence the end result is an important step for the adept use of a dSLR camera.