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Remembering John McCain

Senator John Sidney McCain III passed away. A Republican senator from the First District of Arizona, John McCain served for thirty-five years.

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Remembering John McCain
On August 25, 2018, Senator John Sidney McCain III passed away. A Republican senator from the First District of Arizona, John McCain served for thirty-five years. He also ran twice for the office of president on the Republican ticket. The first time he dropped out during the primaries and the second he became the Republican Party’s nominee, paired with Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. During the twilight of his career, he broke with party lines and openly worked with Democrats to solve some of our nations most pressing issues. But this wasn’t the first time he was a maverick.

Early Days

Even as far back as his days in the United States Naval Academy, John McCain was known as a rebel. He received enough demerits to become legendary, but not enough to get expelled. This “devil-may-care” attitude served well as a Naval Aviator and officer. During the Vietnam War, he served with distinction. He flew missions into North Vietnam for a year before being struck by a surface-to-air missile and ejecting. After being shot down, he suffered and survived five years of imprisonment at the hands of the North Vietnamese. On the day he was shot down, McCain had dark hair, on the day of his release, his hair had gone completely white. Although he had the option for early release, he chose to stay in captivity until all his fellow POW's were released. His five years of captivity would plague him with physical ailments for the rest of life. After his release, he worked hard to regain flight status and return to active duty as an aviator. Until the early eighties he served with distinction and rose through the ranks until he was the assigned as the Navy’s liaison to the US Senate. Given his father and grandfather’s military status and clout, it seemed natural for him to enter politics upon his discharge from the Navy.

End of Service

In 2017 he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Despite the treatment and the toll it took on his body, McCain returned to his duties at the Senate and remained head of the Armed Services Committee. On May 22nd, 2018, he published his final memoir, The Restless Wave. In it, he expressed his contentment with the successes of his life but said: “I hate to leave it.” On August 25th he passed away due to complications related to brain cancer. In preparation for his final exit, McCain planned out his own funeral services. On Wednesday, August 29th, his body will lie in state at the Arizona State Capitol. The next day, the 30th, a memorial service at North Phoenix Baptist Church in Phoenix, AZ. On Friday 31st, McCain will lie in state in Washington DC. The next day will be another memorial service at the National Cathedral. Finally, on Sunday, September 2nd, he’ll be buried in the cemetery of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. His family is in our thoughts and prayers.

3 Reasons Walmart is NOT the Little Shop Around the Corner

Walmart is ramping up its arsenal against Amazon by launching an eBook store. Walmart, and its partners, are proving they're big contenders.

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3 Reasons Walmart is NOT the Little Shop Around the Corner
Walmart is continuing to ramp up its arsenal against Amazon. The most recent advance in this ongoing contest is Walmart’s partnership with Kobo. By partnering with Rakuten, and it’s e-reader brand Kobo, Walmart has launched its own online bookstore. While Amazon is the reigning power in that space, Walmart isn’t exactly a small contender either.

The Little Shop Around the Corner

In 1998, just as the internet was exploding, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan stared in a cute remake of “Little Shop Around the Corner.” Titled “You’ve Got Mail” this took the basic premise of the 1940 film and reworked for a more contemporary setting. This time, instead of pen-pals, Hanks and Ryan were the instant messaging each other. Trust me, instant messaging was a big thing back in the day. And the alert was the pre-recorded “You’ve Got Mail.” Hence, the title of the movie. In the original “Little Shop Around the Corner,” the setting was a gift shop. For the 1998 version, Hanks is the corporate executive who’s in charge of development for a behemoth book chain store. Kind of like Amazon is today. Ryan is the owner of a small-time bookshop that’s a neighborhood institution. Ryan’s “Little Shop Around the Corner” can’t compete with Hanks “Fox Books.” And she knows it. When the newest location opens down the street from her store, the days of “Little Shop Around the Corner” are numbered. Though she attempts to fight it, Ryan’s little bookshop goes out of business. Let’s reimagine the story this way. Hanks, and by extension Fox Books, is Amazon. They’re established, they’ve run out the little stores, and things are going well. Fox Books, AKA Amazon, accounts for about 80% of all digital eBook readers and eReading apps. Ryan steps onto the scene. But not with a Little Shop Around the Corner. This time she’s Walmart. She may be entering a tough field, but she’s no newbie. And here’s why.

Walmart is a Retail Giant

Walmart has over 5,000 locations nationwide. These brick and mortar stores have been promising “always low prices” and discounts for decades. Walk into any Walmart and you’ll find clothes, food, automotive products, and much, much more. Where they’re lacking is the digital sphere. They do have online ordering, but it’s a far cry from Amazon’s presence. Amazon, however, got its start with books. And books are still a major part of Amazon’s annual revenue. They have eReader apps and the Kindle. They’ve built up a digital empire, and even their books and eReading platforms are an empire in and of themselves. It makes sense for Walmart to go after the book market. While Amazon does have a strong presence there, they haven’t been working to develop and adapt.

Large and Dedicated Client Base

The reason Walmart is a retail giant is thanks to its large and dedicated client base. On the book front, part of the reason Walmart may be losing customers is that they don’t have viable options for them. Now, by partnering with Rakuten and selling Kobo products in the store, they will. As easy as it is for someone to buy something off Amazon, buying it in a store has a much stronger appeal. Getting to hold and test out a product is an advantage. Those who test out a product are more likely to buy it. They get a chance to see themselves using it, thus, they can see themselves owning it. This is a similar phenomenon with books and telling stories, but we’ll get to that later. For Walmart to sell the Kobo Aura in its stores, it’ll be a huge plus for them. Not to mention Walmart is also rolling out an audiobook service. While Amazon already has Audible, Walmart is going to make theirs more affordable. And Walmart’s biggest draw has always been its prices. For a monthly Audible subscription, it’s $14.99. Walmart’s will be only $9.99 per month. Those shoppers who are always looking for a cheaper price, they’ll eagerly switch from Audible to Walmart eBooks.

A Physical Means to Buy Digital Products

With Kobo Aura’s on sale in the store, Walmart is making it easier for their customers to get their hands on it. Sure, you can order it online and have it sent to you. But you’re gambling that way. Reviews of a product can only provide so much insight. Walmart will also “sell” digital books in its stores as well. This is accomplished by provided cards. Like a gift card, customers can pick up a card that will allow them to buy the digital book they want. Maybe it’s Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One”, or Gillian Flynn’s “Sharp Objects”. The customer will take the card to the register and pay for it there. Then they’ll activate the book by inputting the code found on the card. Personally, I’d like that experience. I know it sounds weird, but something about picking up a book and thumbing through it is so appealing to me. Then again, I love reading. Thus, a card that acts as a placeholder for the book is intriguing to me. It won’t take the place of a book. It will, however, fell more involved than just clicking “buy now” online.

Would It Have Been Different?

“You’ve Got Mail” was one of a series of romantic comedies that starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The two had chemistry on screen and worked well together. They didn’t get together in real life, but that’s okay. Tom Hanks has Rita Wilson and they’re perfect for each other. Don’t know what’s going on with Meg Ryan though. Anyway, had Meg Ryan’s character gotten the help of Walmart to take on Fox Books, the movie would have had a completely different ending. For one, Ryan’s “Little Shop Around the Corner” wouldn’t have been shuttered. She would have had a large inventory to work from. Her little bookshop would have been put into a much bigger network and supply chain. Fox Books would have had a harder time forcing her out. For another, Fox Books was really more like Barnes and Noble. And while they had their heyday, shutting down the poor independent bookstores, they’re now dealing with the consequences of not establishing an online presence. They’re fighting Amazon as well. Lastly, had Ryan had the support of a Walmart, then the story wouldn’t have ended with Hanks and Ryan falling in love. They would have fought bitterly for dominance in their region. Marketing teams would have been called in. At one point in the movie, Ryan is advised to “go to the mattresses.” With an army of marketers behind her, she would have gone a much better job this time. The Little Shop Around the Corner would have gone toe-to-toe with Fox Books, and most likely won. It wouldn’t have been a very romantic movie. Oh well.

Find a Book

Romances, mysteries, action, now you can find a book you like through Walmart. To download the title onto your favorite eReader or eBook app, make sure you’ve got the best Spectrum internet deals. This way you’ll save more money. And with all that money you’ve saved, you can go out and buy more books. And really, that’s what’s most important here.

5 Ways to Stop Teddy Maynard

Called "The Ad LIbrary," Google is tracking political ads across its platforms to increase transparency. This is bad news for Teddy Maynard.

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5 Ways to Stop Teddy Maynard

On August 15th, 2018, Google finally published an archive of all the political ads across its platforms. Included in this report are results from Search and YouTube. Dubbed “The Ad Library,” Google is reacting to lawmaker’s insinuation that stricter laws could be passed if they don’t make a move towards greater transparency.

Good news for voters.

Bad news for Teddy Maynard.

The Brethren

Back in 2012, John Grisham published “The Brethren.”

Aaron Lake, a significant character, is a representative to Congress from Arizona.

He’s affable, good-looking, and well-connected in Washington DC. Everybody likes him, and he doesn’t make a fuss. However, he doesn’t seem to want to move up in the party at all.

That is until he meets Teddy Maynard.

In the world of “The Brethren” Teddy Maynard is the Director of the CIA. Although he suffers from ailments that plague him continually, Maynard is just as cunning and shrewd as ever.

Maynard is also worried about a specific political figure in a foreign land. Given he’s in charge of the Central Intelligence Agency, Maynard is aware of a great many things. The United States general population, however, is kept in the dark.

At the beginning of the book, there’s a presidential campaign that’s already underway. The front-runner is not someone Maynard is fond of. It has very little to do with the man’s personality and more to do with his politics.

This guy’s soft on foreign defense.

Maynard wants someone in the Oval Office who is tough...which is why he’s keen on Aaron Lake.

Lake is likeable, and with the right amount of money behind him, Lake could be the sleeper hit for the upcoming Presidential Election. All they need to do is find contributors and staff. With Maynard’s connections and a long list of favors, it’s possible. Difficult, but possible.

So Maynard sets off to disrupt the election.

I should mention “The Brethren” was published in 2012 before President Trump was elected. Before the accusations of Russian collusion. Maybe Grisham knew something?

Whether he did or not, Teddy Maynard presents an interesting scenario; The Director of the CIA who is messing with a federal election and no one being the wiser.

It’s 2018 now. Google’s launched their political ad archive. Should Teddy Maynard have tried to pull off his little covert plot, it would have been a lot more difficult.

Thanks to Google’s archive of political advertising and a recent report, here’s why.

The Ad Library tracks the money

Google’s Ad Library is logging ads that appear on its platforms, and this includes Search and YouTube. It’ll list who paid for the ads, a rough estimate of the cost to deploy the ads, and how many impressions each ad received.

For Teddy Maynard to start running ads now, someone is going to be watching him. Well, maybe not him.

Maynard’s plan was to get others to fund Lake’s campaign. He’s got the favors, and he’ll be cashing them in. In return, Lake gets a lot of money, really fast. These contributors can then run ads on behalf of Lake.

With the Ad Library and similar programs from other social media sites, all these contributors are listed. A swift uptick in spending on a candidate, like Aaron Lake, will catch someone’s attention.

Top Keywords

The concurrent report Google released with The Ad Library will list keywords. Specifically, keywords that advertisers are going after. These keywords are linked to demographics and critical audiences.

A watchdog agency or a very concerned public citizen could find that specific keywords are being targeted more than others. When this happens, Teddy’s going to get found out.

Spending by State and Congressional District

Beyond the keywords, there’s the spending by State and Congressional District.

For the battleground states or swing districts, Teddy will likely spend more money on advertising here. His goal is to garner more and more favor for Lake in these areas.

As the old saying goes “follow the money.”

This would be another way to catch on to Teddy Maynard and expose his evil scheme.

Only Federal Campaigns

As of this writing, The Ad Library is focusing on federal elections at this time.

Good news for Teddy, if he were trying to rig a state senate election or the election of a city. Though bad news for someplace like San Antonio. Someone could seize control of a smaller area without the ad archive tracking them.

However, Maynard’s going for the big one.

Issue Ads Not Included

While there are plenty of ads for and against candidates, there are also issue advertisements.

These issue ads, though sometimes annoying, are meant to raise awareness. Should Maynard seek to sway the public to vote on issues, this could still work for him. However, elections are increasingly about the person running for office and less about the issues.

Case in point, Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton.

This most recent presidential election was between two people whom both had rabid supporters and vengeful critics. Moreover, there were those people stuck in the middle who liked neither candidate.

Instead of talking about issues, the media focused instead on something else. The main topic in 2016 became “who is the better person?”

Not “what’s their stance on X?”

While their positions were part of the discussion, inevitably, it came down to who was liked more. If someone disliked both candidates equally, the question became who was less of a horrible person?

Both had their flaws, and some of those flaws got broadcast louder than others. Both had their skills and strengths. Ultimately, it was about which person was a better person.

When evidence surfaced that maybe someone, from outside the US, had been working to disrupt the election, things got worse.

Hence, the push for transparency in political ads.

Does Teddy Succeed?

While Teddy Maynard’s dubious plot to get Aaron Lake elected is a significant part of “The Brethren”, they are not the main characters.

The eponymous “Brethren” are three federal judges who’ve come to find themselves in federal prison. Each one has committed some crime, and as a result, they’re now serving time.

To pass the hours, and to earn money, they’ve taken to running a scam. This scam gets embroiled in Teddy Maynard’s scam. Only John Grisham could write something like this and make it entertaining.

I won’t ruin the ending, but rest assured, bad things happen and mostly to bad people.

Go pick up a copy of “The Brethren”.

You won’t be disappointed.

Greater Transparency

As mid-terms approach, politicians running for office, or running to keep it, are wary of someone messing with the election for the sake of disruption. While they work to manipulate voters and constituents, someone may be managing them. That's not a fun way to think of the next election.

The good news is that Google, along with other social media platforms, is pushing for more transparency. They’re digging into their advertisers to find where the money comes from and how many people are affected by it. With this knowledge, we’ll have a better idea of who’s getting involved.

While these moves may not erase disruption and manipulation, they will make it more difficult.

In the meantime, do your research into your favorite candidate. Also, pick up a copy of “The Brethren”. Who knows, you may find a real-life Teddy Maynard!

Moreover, check out the best Spectrum internet deals in your area while you’re at it. You’ll get to research the issues, the candidates, and save some money in the process.

For more news on Google updates, and book reviews, keep your browser open to On The Download.

3 Superheroes Missing from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Who hasn’t seen the latest Avenger’s Film? After ten years, Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is getting a shakeup. But Marvel is missing a few superheroes still.

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3 Superheroes Missing from the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Who hasn’t seen the latest Avenger’s Film? Not only does it mark ten years of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, it’s meant to shake it up. There is nothing wrong with the MCU that it needs a shake-up. To keep fans interested, however, things do need to change. This is a wise choice for Marvel, as things could get stagnant if they keep doing things the way they’ve always done them. It’s also a signifier of something else; getting too big. Marvel originally made comic books. The X-Men, Captain America, Spider-Man, Deadpool, and on and on. These series started out simple enough. As the stories progressed, it became more and more difficult for new readers to jump on and understand the depth of the story. Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is having the same problem. Iron Man, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor. These were the first four movies. If someone wanted to catch up on the entire MCU, it was only four movies. Then five movies. Another show here, another show there. But events in this show predate events in that movie. Who’s that person again? Now Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is big and unwieldy. Just like the comic books they were based on. Ironic, isn’t it? Yet, in this massive and expanding universe, there are a few things missing.

Alpha Flight

Our great neighbor to the north is also home to a mutant superhero team- Alpha Flight. This government-sanctioned group of costumed adventurers fought the biggest and baddest threats to Canada. Be they foreign, domestic, or other-worldly, Alpha Flight was there on the front lines to defend the good citizens of Canada. Since they were mutants, a lot of the Alpha Flight stories were tied to The X-Men. Given Wolverine was a Canadian, he was a prominent guest star. They also expanded beyond just him, which was nice to see. But characters like him, like Wild Child and Wyre, shared a common origin with him. There were also other “creations” of the Weapon X program were either allies or villains Alpha Flight had to face. Alpha Flight enjoyed a long run from 1982 to 1994. This was their best series as it had the most time to develop characters and arcs. Due to dropping subscriptions, Alpha Flight was canceled and didn’t see another ongoing series until 1997, 2004, and 2011. These series, though well written and beautifully illustrated, only last a short time. The third series made it two years while the latter series only lasted less than a year each. Given their involvement in dealing with the evil Weapon X program, it’s odd that they were not leveraged as much as they were for the films. And since Fox enjoyed using Wolverine so much for their horrible renditions of The X-Men, it’s a wonder they didn’t dig deeper and find someone from Alpha Flight to inject popularity into. All I’m saying is Canada is a popular filming location already. Why not give Alpha Flight its own movie?

The Incredible Hulk

He’s big, he’s green, he’s always angry. But when he’s not big, green, or angry, Hulk turns back into Bruce Banner. While Universal couldn’t keep Edward Norton as Bruce, I find it odd that they’d only do one standalone movie about him. Mark Ruffalo is a great actor too. To be relegated to some side character is a waste of his talent. There is also the waste of a good character. It’s easy to assume that all Hulk is good for is smashing things. That was not the heart of the character though. Stan Lee’s inspiration for the Incredible Hulk was mixing the stories of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Frankenstein’s monster, though hideous and grotesque, was still a human being. Stan Lee argued that the only reason he was painted as bad was due to those ignorant villagers would get scared of him. When they’d get scared, they’d grab pitchforks and torches and chase him. Frankenstein’s monster was only defending himself. Then there was Dr. Jekyll. This brilliant scientist wanted to see if human nature could be divided. This might make it easier to be “good.” Of course, as these things go, the experiment backfired and we got two people in the same body. There was the mild-mannered and even-tempered Dr. Jekyll. Also fighting for control was the vengeful and manipulative Mr. Hyde. By combining these elements, we get the Incredible Hulk; a brilliant scientist who wanted to increase his own potential, instead creates a monster out of his anger that he must now find a way to control. The Incredible Hulk had so much potential to show a common ailment all people face- the anger within us that we want to give into. But when we do, all we cause is more destruction. This theme was explored in the comic books, but oddly enough, never touched on in the movies. And he’s still just “that big green guy” who pops in and out of other Avenger’s movies. What a waste.

Cyclops

Speaking of wasted characters, there’s the original team-leader of The X-Men, Cyclops. Many a novice would assume that it was Wolverine who was in charge, and they’d be wrong. Cyclops was the first team leader. And he was always the best. An original X-Men, Cyclops was there when Marvel started. In the movies, he was first portrayed by the amazingly gifted James Marsden. And even his skills were wasted too as they turned Cyclops into this stodgy character. It gets worse too. While he’s relegated to third string behind much weaker characters, he’s also turned into a simple caricature. Cyclops was so much more than that. He was a leader who felt the burden of ensuring the safety of everyone. Balancing that against the mission, and Cyclops was always having to make tough choices on the fly. Not to mention he was more powerful than most mutants. All he had to do was open his eyes to level an entire mountain. With this insane power, Cyclops had to learn restraint. As a result, he was forever worried about hurting people. You add that to leading a team into dangerous circumstances and it’s no surprise that he was always conflicted. To cope with this, Cyclops became a master tactician. He knew that better he was in the field, the better his team would be. The better the team, the better the odds everyone got to go home. This brief, and abridged, description of Cyclops is overflowing with story potential. And yet, I keep seeing movies about Wolverine. Or movies that have Cyclops in the background. Again, more waste.

Could There Be Hope?

Recently, Disney bought out most of Fox Entertainment's Assets. Will they right these wrongs? We may finally get to see Alpha Flight get their big screen debut. The Avengers model could be repurposed here. Each team member develops in their own arc. And every four years have a crossover movie with everyone showing up. Cyclops may get his chance in the limelight too. With other, lesser, superheroes getting their own movies, it should be Cyclops turn. Some of them good, some of them bad. The good ones have proven there is a right way to do it. Until that happens, I’ll make do by watching other films. Other heroes that I’m not so emotionally attached to. I get to do this by checking the best internet deals so I can stream them right to my living room. What superhero films are you waiting to see? Which superheroes aren’t getting their chance to shine?

4 Things to Know About Data Science

Data science is a growing field with rich opportunity. But what is it? And how can it be applied to nearly eveyr industry?

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4 Things to Know About Data Science
Back in 2011, Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill starred in the superb and underappreciated film, Moneyball. Based on Michael Lewis’ book of the same name, Moneyball explained how the poorest team in Major League Baseball, the Oakland Athletics, used data science to create a team. And not just any team, a team that went on a win streak of 20 games. The method to their madness, dubbed Sabermetrics, was a unique approach to analyzing data. Sabermetrics, at its heart, was taking large data sets and deciphering meaning from them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpBcwGOvO80 This is data science. For the longest time, Sabermetrics was looked down upon by the baseball elite. After the 2005 Boston Red Sox and the 2018 Houston Astros incorporated it into their strategies, it’s now considered a legitimate method for constructing a team. It’s not localized to the MLB though. Industries, far and wide, are opting to delve into data analysis. Through the thoughtful interpretation of these large numbers, data scientists are helping companies run more efficiently and solve problems. There’s more to data science than just looking at numbers.

It’s an Effective Means of Creating Positive Impact

In 2008 the housing bubble burst. This crisis expanded out beyond those in real estate. Marketing companies to restaurants felt the pinch here. The US economy, as a whole, went into a downturn. The Austin Technology Council, a peer group representative of technology companies in and around Austin, TX, was struggling. In 2009 there came a moment. The board was on the fence over whether to continue their mission or to dissolve the council itself. It was decided to put the vote on hold while the council performed an Economic Impact Study. The goal of the study was to find out if technology companies in the area were having any real effect at all. If the effect minimal, then the choice was clear. Through surveys, research, and of course, analysis, data was collected and handed over to data scientists. The data scientists were tasked with digging through the numbers and determining which pieces were relevant and which were not. They were crunching numbers in order to answer a question; can you measure the impact of a specific industry, like technology, in a given area. The answer was yes. To the tune of roughly $19,000,000,000. That’s $19 billion. Billion with a B. Thanks to the hard work of these data scientists, the ATC decided to remain in business and to focus its efforts on growing the tech community in Austin. This Economic Impact Study was part of the reason Austin has become known as the burgeoning center for technology. If other areas, say San Antonio, was to perform similar economic impact studies, it could set off a rebranding in that area as well. To do this, however, there is a need for data scientists who are qualified to figure out the data.

Data Science is a Reliable Field

Data science has been around for a long time. The reason it’s growing now is that of all the ways companies can capture data. With this uptick in data acquisition, there’s more data to analyze than there are people to analyze it. Companies will never stop gathering data. The practices and procedures may change, but there will always be data. And where there’s data, there is a need for a data scientist.

It’s a Growing Field

Every month LinkedIn reports on the state of the US workforce. It’s a monthly report that explains trends in hiring and retention, as well as providing the numbers to back it up. For August 2018, the Workforce Report stated a skills gap when it came to data scientists. In 2015, there were more data scientists available than there were jobs for them to fill. Now there’s a deficit in the United States of qualified data scientists. A deficit of 151,717, according to LinkedIn. Other sources state the field of data science will grow by as much as 20% by 2020. Good news for those who are interested in collecting data.

More Industries are Getting into Data Analytics

With companies growing and striving to compete in a more digital world, data is the main tool they focus on. This is where data scientists come in. It doesn’t matter if the company sells shoes, baseball bats or software, there will be data to analyze. Thus, a data scientist could enter almost any industry and find a place to apply their skills. Companies need to be able to look at all the numbers they’ve collected and make meaning out of it. Thus, the hard skills of knowing how to think critically, code, and math are a key advantage when it comes to finding a job. Just as important as the hard skills are the soft skills. Being able to communicate is always a deciding factor. Communicating the data in a meaningful way for those who may understand it is difficult. Those who can do it without alienating others will find their jobs secure and a certain degree of prestige. One could argue that knowing how to analyze data is enough. But think of it this way; Steve Jobs was brilliant. He was also exceptionally hard to work with. We don’t need another Steve Jobs. We do need brilliant people though.

The Benefits of Data Science

Applying data science is another difficult aspect of the job. Just being able to analyze the numbers and break down what they mean is not enough. A good data scientist applies that knowledge to solving the problem. They may even be able to spot a problem before it becomes too big of an issue. Most of the time, however, data science is the steady application of analyzing data. Then adjusting to changes in the industry. When its done right, and consistently maintained, amazing things can happen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK1jtVhimPA

More than Just Baseball

While it’s easy to point to Sabermetrics, and Moneyball, data science has applications far beyond baseball. And not just to the business world either. Data scientists do the hard job of culling useful stuff from dense information. Even here, at Bundle Your Internet, we’re analyzing data to find the best internet deals. There is someone always checking spreadsheets to make sure we’re not missing something. It’s not easy. If it were, then this writer would have probably gone into data science. Given my father did heavy research, which involved statistics, it wouldn’t be hard to see me going into some data-rich field. I didn’t do well with math though. There was always something to trip me up and I would get increasingly frustrated when it came to anything involving numbers. The issues only got worse when I got to high school. There, in the first semester of my freshman year, I flunked Algebra I. I had to work overtime to pull out a B for the second semester and average out the year to a C. Now I have a healthy respect for math. Better than that, I understand something about myself- I ain’t good at the maths. When I made it to college and majored in Art, I assumed I would be free of my own nemesis. Come to find out, however, that I still had to pass one college-level math course to complete my degree. Knowing that math was not a friend of mine, I went to the tutoring center every day to make sure I understood what I was supposed to do. And when finals came around, I studied for two days before my college algebra final. And I passed with a B! Now I can’t recall a single equation I learned. I just passed it. That’s all I care about. So I’ll stick to my words and leave the hard math to those who are interested in such endeavors. If math is something you enjoy, and not words, then look at data science. It’s sure to be a rewarding career. But you do have to ask yourself, what’s better; working with words or working with numbers?