Category Archives: Human Behavior

Human Behavior

Alexandra Ziesler: Trump was the right president at the right time – Salt Lake Tribune

(Susan Walsh | AP photo)In this Nov. 20 photo, President Donald Trump listens during an event in the briefing room of the White House in Washington.

By Alexandra Ziesler | Special to The Tribune

| Jan. 3, 2021, 1:00 p.m.

It takes courage to face the onslaught of daggers and arrows that come as people are forced to leave behind whats familiar, no matter how dysfunctional. Yet familiar patterns, established ways, even traditions can evoke complacency, ingratitude, boredom, sluggishness. It can take the force of immense moral courage to break these holds to awaken to new freedom.

At the eve of a new presidential administration, I want to thank President Trump for his example of morally courageous leadership. He forced a fresh look at everything from news gathering practices to domestic policy, from business practices to foreign relations. His fearless defense of our country and insistence that we use a new type of logic one that questions the rationale of past decisions brought purpose to many.

Beyond policy reform, he enlivened the human spirit to reengage in the national discourse and fight for Americas well-being. He stirred things up enough to allow us to see societal problems and begin conversations we had avoided for years. His brazenness gave us space to be less afraid of the ugliest of human behavior in ourselves and others we couldnt escape confrontation with it and that made larger issues less intimidating.

He was the right president at the right time. Withstanding hate and fear, he helped us leave old ways of doing things. When waking people from complacency, apathy and depression, kind words arent always effective. His election seemed a call to the spirit of those who were ready to recognize their own power, ask questions and employ the moral requirement of being an alert, engaged and informed citizen.

With freedom comes responsibility. During his presidency, he demonstrated this responsibility, following words up with actions. He engaged dialog with foreign dignitaries, who many called enemies. Somehow, they dont feel like enemies anymore.

Under Trumps administration, subversive tactics from North Korea and Russia lessened. Looking at his approach, Trumps genuine discourse with those countries leaders people who need love and attention just like the rest of us seemed to meet the spiritual needs and still historical patterns of aggressiveness.

What if, beyond the torrent of Trumps mean-sounding words and brash bravado, we could have recognized his use of moral courage, bringing healing between nations?

The highlight of his presidency, for me, was the refusal to engage in military action against Iran. In late 2018, there were provocations and his advisors advocated a strong military response. Yet, Trump had the discipline to counsel with his sense of moral justice and drew a line that would only be crossed if there had been a direct hit to an American. There was a response, but no war.

While the legacy of Trump may be long-debated, we may all be cheering if we were to look at Americas progress from a psychological perspective. To me, a quake-like wrenching has taken place, replacing complacency with vigor. What if Trump has led us through a national re-awakening? Even media pundit George Stephanopoulos acknowledged on election night 2020, that Trumps legacy is a more engaged electorate.

Trump incited us to care again, to engage, to consider how and where to take action. Care, action, engagement are tools of love. He brought national focus back to ourselves, allowed us to build from within, strengthen Americas sense of self. Any psychologist would applaud this approach for a patient.

Our country is maturing. No matter who the president is, each of us has the moral duty to engage with each other productively, purposefully, and harmoniously. We have a long way to go, but there is new momentum now.

Thank you, President Trump.

Alexandra Ziesler, Park City, studies the Science of Spirit and practices through her business, The Truth of Being.

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Alexandra Ziesler: Trump was the right president at the right time - Salt Lake Tribune

Human Behavior

Welcome To Hyperreality: Where The Physical And Virtual Worlds Converge – Forbes

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For more than 200,000 years, we humans only had access to the physical world, full of objects we could touch, taste, hear, smell and see. In the 1980s the internet gave birth to cyberspace: a virtual computer world designed to facilitate online communication. Then in 1991, the Web became publicly available; a new technology that would fundamentally change human behavior.

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For kids growing up today, its hard to imagine a time without computers, smartphones, Google, Netflix or Instagram. A time when boredom existed, where we needed to memorize phone numbers and ask complete strangers for directions.Today, the ubiquitous use of social media and digital devices has made the web look and feel like the real world. The division between reality and imagery has collapsed.

We now live in hyperreality, a world where simulations of reality seem more real than reality itself. The concept of hyperreality was first coined by French sociologist Jean Baudrillard in Simulacra and Simulation. Baudrillard defined Hyperreality as, "the generation by models of a real without origin. When Baudrillard first posited the theory of hyperreality in 1981, it was seen as a highly provocative and controversial idea. Today, hyperreality is a permanent fixture of modern life.

In many ways, the current lockdown is the largest social and psychological experiment ever conducted. At the height of the pandemic, more than half of the worlds population4.2 billion peoplewere subject to a partial or complete lockdown. Our way of life has been upended. Human interaction has been replaced by digital pixels beamed across the internet each day. Predictably, people have been spending a record amount of time online. Zoom now has 300 million daily participants, compared to just 10 million in December 2019. Twitch has seen viewership increase by 56% per quarter. And Amazons profits have tripled as the pandemic accelerates the shift to e-commerce.

Perhaps more importantly, digital platforms like Zoom, Twitch and Amazon have been around for years. The technology hasnt changed, but rather our relationship with technology. Clearly, the global lockdown has been a catalyst for the mass adoption of e-commerce, online payments and video conferencing. For the first time in history, we have managed to move society or at least a large chunk online. Many people have established new-found habits built around the digital world. Under these conditions, the virtual world begins to compete with the physical world for time, resources and attention.

The rise of virtual propositions

Most of our time online is spent on devices, while remaining in the physical world. The next level is the virtual world, a fully immersive computer-simulated environment where people are represented by digital avatars. Currently, the virtual world is most visible in the gaming industry. Already, games like Fortnite, Minecraft and Roblox have built complex worlds, where people can create new identities, explore new possibilities and spend time with friends. The explosive growth of gaming is powering major developments in the virtual world.

The virtual world even has its own economy, with 2.5 billion people spending $100 billion on virtual goods. Contrary to popular opinion, gaming is not a form of escapism, but a chance for people to connect with friends and strangers on a deeper level. From a commercial perspective, global brands are scrambling to enter the virtual world. Recent attempts include Nikes League of Legends partnership, Guccis $10,000 virtual dress and Balenciagas runway show in a video game. For corporations with global reach and physical distributionthe virtual world represents an untapped opportunity to 10x revenuewithout having to manufacture physical products. The brands that build compelling virtual propositionsnot digital adswill undoubtedly shape society in the 21st century.

Welcome to the hyperreal

At the final level, we enter hyperreality, a state where the physical and virtual worlds converge. Where we can no longer distinguish between the two realities. But more importantly, the distinction wouldnt matter because people derive equal meaning and value from the simulated world. Early examples include virtual influencer Lil Miquela who has 2.9 million followers on Instagram. AI-powered Soundcloud rapper Fnmeka with 8 million followers on TikTok. And Genies, an avatar company that believes every human will need an avatar to represent themselves.

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In a different realm, pornography has long been at the frontline of technological innovation. Unsurprisingly, porn is one of the only industries where virtual reality (VR) has reached widespread adoption. An estimated60%of the top virtual reality websites are porn sites. Psychologists warn that VR porn can disconnect people from reality. Hyperreality allows individuals to avoid the hardship of life, replacing it with a world perfectly calibrated to their own tastes. Similarly, we are beginning to see the emergence ofsex doll brothelsaround the world. Despite sounding like an excerpt from a cyberpunk novel, sex dolls are threatening the future of sex workers. In many instances customers choose dolls over humans to satisfy their fantasies. A recent study from Finlandsuggests that people view sex with a robot more kindly than they view with a human sex worker.

The global pandemic has further blurred the lines between the physical and digital world. We are now seeing the virtual world compete with the physical for resources. In the next decade, the two worlds will converge, creating a state of hyperreality: a simulation of reality without origin. Although it can be easy to dismiss hyperreality as some kind of sci-fi fantasy. We only have to look at the radical changes in human behavior and technological adoption during the current lockdown. In truth, elements of the hyperreal have already entered mainstream culture. This point takes on extra significance considering the leaders of the new worldGen-Zare equally, if not more comfortable living online. To quote Marshall McLuhan, We shape our tools and then our tools shape us.

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Welcome To Hyperreality: Where The Physical And Virtual Worlds Converge - Forbes

Human Behavior

Borne the Battle: Top 8 Most Popular Interviews of 2020 – VAntage Point – VAntage Point Blog

2020 has come and gone, and this year,Borne the Battle has hosted many great Veterans and their stories. This year-end bonus episode of Borne the Battle features clips from the eight most downloaded episodes of 2020.

The following list explains how the top 8 episodes were calculated:

It was definitely a close call: the top 4 15 episodes were separated by less than 1,000 downloads.

2020s Top 8 most popular interviews:

Marine Veteran Ben Killoy struggled with the challenges of being a father. He found online communities of other men going through the same struggle, connected with them and, in doing so, was able to better connect as a husband and as a dad. He spent years learning to blog, write, and connect with other people. Killoy then founded the Military Veteran Dad Podcast in 2018. He shares stories and helps Veteran fathers be more present for their families.

Army Veteran Josh Strickland is a family man, the lead singer of the Phoenix-based band the Bayou Bandits, and a registered nurse who has worked through the COVID-19 pandemic in some of the hardest-hit areas of the United States.

Marine Corps Veteran, former police officer, MMA champion, bestselling author, and founder of the Mighty Oaks Foundation, Chad Robichaux turned his passion and greatest struggles into a foundation that helps his fellow Veterans who suffer from PTSD.

This 200th episode of Borne the Battle features Air Force Veteran Aerial Johnson, better known by her wrestling name Big Swole. Johnson shares stories from her time in the military and how she transitioned into civilian life, eventually becoming a professional wrestler.

While most events and clubs arent functioning as normal, Army Veteran Luke Wade and the KC Crew have found ways to keep people and communities connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bigfoot, Aliens, Vampires: Do paranormal creatures really exist or are they all products of our imagination? Navy Veteran and private investigator, Jennifer Marshall, started her own show to investigate and solve these mysteries. Marshall believes she has some answers and joins this Halloween episode of Borne the Battle to share her perspective.

Marine Corps Veteran and sniper Brian Marren is an expert in Human Behavior Pattern Recognition and Analysis. He has trained Tier One military units, Fortune 500 companies, schools, churches, as well as local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Marren explains how Human Behavior Pattern Recognition and Analysis is a scientific form of human behavior profiling and is not based on race or religion but rather on how all humans behave.

And the most downloaded interview of 2020 is

Navy Veteran Bryan Bergjans is brings a unique perspective on VA Home Loan Program by educating future Veteran homeowners and realtors.

Michaela Yesis is a podcast volunteer who recently graduated from George Mason University with a BA in English.

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Borne the Battle: Top 8 Most Popular Interviews of 2020 - VAntage Point - VAntage Point Blog

Human Behavior

New Year’s Eve Parties in Los Angeles: It’s Happening – The New York Times

Prohibition in the United States, a short-lived experiment that began 100 years ago, popularized the speakeasy: an illicit establishment designed to sell alcoholic beverages during the years they were legally banned.

Now, people are developing clandestine social clubs all over again and even styling their parties after the era of speakeasies.

Thats true even in Los Angeles, where more than 14,000 positive coronavirus tests are being reported in a day, and where the public health risks of going to a party seem too obvious to let partygoers remain in denial.

For the record: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends celebrating at home, wearing a mask around others and definitely avoiding crowds.

Throughout the pandemic, well-attended parties have mostly been shut down across Los Angeles, which has led to a culture of secrecy on social media. At the same time, underground party hosts are choosing to appeal to the truth of human behavior. They know that they can capitalize on the innate desire to socialize; for all those who cant imagine leaving their homes right now, there are others who are fully ready to celebrate the arrival of 2021 in the company of near strangers, as they would any other year.

These New Years Eve parties in Los Angeles include Spankys, which promises a laid-back affair at an indoor/outdoor venue downtown. The price of admission includes a 10 min Covid-19 antigen test, according to the invite. (While testing may weed out some people with coronavirus, it isnt a foolproof method. For one thing, rapid tests have a higher potential for false positives, according to the F.D.A.)

Chloe Chappe, 26 and a private chef in Los Angeles, has been getting Spankys emails since July and doesnt know how she ended up on their mailing list. I find it funny and frustrating that people are trying to justify partying right now, she said. Why are you trying to party when theres such a severe level of infection rates?

In many cases, revelry has been traded for discretion. People are not posting things because they know how much backlash theyll get, Ms. Chappe said. Being deprived of that kind of interaction for almost a year, I completely understand why people would want to finally celebrate this year being over, but were not at that point safety-wise, so theres such a dissonance there.

Cherrelle Moore, 28 and a freelance creative from New York celebrating New Years Eve in Los Angeles, has been visiting California for about a month. She said she has been to four or five house parties, and one strip club during that time. Ms. Moore plans to see people on the eve of 2021 but to limit her night to a low-key house party.

People think you going out is just being irresponsible, but it feels good and warm and good for your mental health too sometimes to be around people you love and even meet new people too you just have to be responsible, she said. She estimated shed been tested more than 15 times almost every other week, especially because I was in big gatherings.

Ms. Moore said she has never had coronavirus Thank God and that she believes theres a line of communication and trust required to socialize safely during the pandemic. And while she does post about it on social media, she noticed that it seemed like people were shading me and her friends as well, so she started posting only to her private Instagram network of close friends instead.

The reason why I even left New York was because I felt like I was about to go into a deep hole of depression again. I came out here for friends. I just didnt feel like staying in New York for the new year to come, Ms. Moore said. We can agree to disagree, but life is so short. It may sound irresponsible, but Im just going to live my life. Ive been super cautious and responsible this whole time, so Im going to try to turn up and manifest for 2021 and hopefully its way better than this year.

She is not alone.

An iOS app called Vybe Together encouraged users to Get your rebel on and Get your party on, and was designed to organize and promote underground parties to its audience. It seemed particularly well designed to facilitate parties that would violate current restrictions.

After it received attention this week, its website went down and Apple pulled the app from its store on Tuesday. (Business Insider reported that TikTok also removed the companys account.) We kinda blew up over night, said someone who answered Vybe Togethers phone. (The owners declined to speak further.)

The app had only a few thousand users, though there were thousands more waiting for their access to be approved.

Vybe Together updated its Instagram bio amid the trouble: App Store took us down!!! We will be back!!! Follow to stay updated!!! A minimal text post appeared on the accounts Instagram story: blown out of proportion by the media. We DO NOT CONDONE LARGE GATHERINGS!!!

Eventbrite, an event management and ticketing platform, has also been a popular option for people hosting parties. A recent Maskerade at a Los Angeles mansion ($80, open bar, round-trip party-bus ride) was advertised there. The invite, which drew ire on social media, has been removed from Eventbrites website.

Several other parties to be held at popular Los Angeles nightlife venues (such as Bootsy Bellows and Harriets Rooftop) were also listed on Eventbrite but are now marked as canceled. Blind Dragon, a venue listed as closed on OpenTable, promised a premium open bar beginning at 9 p.m. Gatsbys House NYE in Huntington Beach had tickets starting at $99 and topping out at $3,795. An event at Skybar, on the roof of the Mondrian in West Hollywood, promised a special live D.J. performance.

Our Community Guidelines have always prohibited events that promote or contain illegal behavior and our community plays an essential role in reporting any concerning event listings or content, a spokesperson for Eventbrite said in a statement. The company investigates complaints and says it wants to foster digital gatherings during the pandemic.

In the absence of our ability to bring people together for in-person experiences, we moved fast to help creators take their experiences online, said Julia Hartz, a founder and the chief executive of Eventbrite.

Those who wish to party anyway will return to finding celebrations the retro way: through private Instagrams, DMs and invites with no downloadable details, just an address thatll be texted out before midnight along with a request to wear a mask.

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles city attorneys office filed a lawsuit against the manager of LA Party Society, a nightclub in Downtowns Fashion District, and others associated with the venue for holding crowded events amid a surging pandemic, said Mike Feuer, the Los Angeles city attorney, in a virtual news conference.

As of now, the citys revised targeted safer at home order is clear. It states that all public and private gatherings and events with people from more than one household are not permitted except for outdoor faith-based services and outdoor political expression and that all lounges and nightclubs are to be closed.

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New Year's Eve Parties in Los Angeles: It's Happening - The New York Times

Human Behavior

Theres More Than One Type of MotivationHeres How To Tap Into Each To Get Your Butt Into Action – Well+Good

Whether its to work out, drink more water, or achieve a big career milestone, having the motivationthat fire under your bootyto get up and get after your goals makes all the difference. But that doesnt mean motivation is always easy to tap intoespecially when you really dont want to do the thing (were looking at you, piles of laundry).

So, how do you cultivate motivation? The first step is understanding the different motivation types (yes, theres more than one). Enter: intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation. Keep reading to learn the differences between the two motivation types, when its best to use each one, and most importantly, how to tap into them when you need that boost of enthusiasm to get the job done.

Intrinsic motivation is when you perform a behavior because you find it rewarding, says Tess Brigham, MFT, a psychotherapist and certified life coach. You choose to participate in the behavior because it makes you happy. Examples of doing things based on intrinsic motivation include taking online yoga classes that makes you feel good, learning a new language to satisfy your curiosity about the world, working on a passion project, or playing an instrument that brings you joy.

With extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, the motivation comes from outside of you. Extrinsic motivation is when you perform a behavior because you either want to avoid some kind of punishment or you want to earn a reward, Brigham says. You wouldnt perform this behavior unless there was a reward or punishment attached to it. Examples of extrinsic motivation include doing something to make money, please someone, gain their approval, or receive attention.

While it seems like intrinsic motivation would be the superior form of motivation because its aligned with your purpose, one motivation type is not necessarily better than the other. They each play an important role. There has been research to show that both types have a positive effect on human behavior, Brigham says. While it would be nice if we always felt intrinsically motivated to work, its the rewards (receiving a salary) or punishment (being fired) that gives us the drive and motivation we need to get the job done.

When it comes to creating long-term change and achieving big goals, having intrinsic motivation is vital. Purpose is far more fulfilling than meeting obligations, says LaTonya Wilkins, an ICF-credentialed career and executive coach. In other words, outside motivation will only get you so far. You need that internal motivation to get you to the finish line. Extrinsic motivation may help get the ball rolling initially, but intrinsic motivation is definitely required to create substantial results.

To cultivate intrinsic motivation, whether its for a big goal or a small task, you must tap into why you want to achieve the task. Brigham suggests visualizing how youre going to feel after youve accomplished it. Name and identify the feelings, she says. Think about how accomplishing this task will affect other aspects of your life. You may discover that youre not as motivated to accomplish something because the task doesnt align with your values and the person you are today.

For example, lets say the dreaded task is cleaning out your garage. Focus on what youll do with that clean space after the task is done. Maybe youll turn it into a home gym, which aligns with your values of living a healthy lifestyle. Or, focus on how donating your old stuff can really benefit someone in need and how good thats going to make you feel. Once you tap into that bigger why, suddenly you may be excited to start decluttering.

Extrinsic motivation can be a major help when theres a shorter-term task on your to-do list that youre just not that excited about, and getting started feels like a real challenge. Its that extra push you need to get invested in the activity. One of the cool things, Brigham notes, is that having some sort of external reward for doing a task gives you the motivation to do it. Once youre in the thick of it, you may find that youre more interested in doing the thing than you initially thought. This type of motivation works well in classrooms, or even in the workplace, when someone isnt participating or reaching their full potential.

You can also create extrinsic motivation for yourself by finding an accountability buddy that will hold you responsible for finishing the task. They can also be in charge of setting up a reward for you once you complete the task, like doing a face mask or watching an episode (or four) of The Office to unwind. The reward, however, Brigham says, should be in line with the difficulty of the task at hand. For example, to clean out your garage, treating yourself to a latte may not get you going, but perhaps the thought of getting a massage or having a spa day may. Pro tip: Brigham advises also setting up mini-rewards along the way, like taking a coffee break or dancing around to your favorite song, which will make the task feel less punitive.

If, on the other hand, youre the type thats more motivated by the feeling of accomplishing something, Brigham suggests finding ways to praise yourself once you finish. For example, if you cleaned out the garage, when youre finished, dont just move on to the next task, spend some time and energy really taking it all in, Brigham says. Grab someone at home and show them the garage and tell them everything you did and allow them to praise you. Maybe even plan to spend some time in the garage so you can enjoy your accomplishment.

Each scenario that requires motivation will be different, which means youll need different forms to accomplish each. For example, the necessary motivation to get up early and attend a virtual Pilates class will be different from the motivation required to start a business and deal with all of the challenges and obstacles that come up. Thats why its important to know when its appropriate to tap into either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Below, find some pro tips to help you navigate different situations.

If youre already all fired up to do something thanks to intrinsic motivation, adding in external motivation may not be the best thing. Intrinsic motivation will decrease when we introduce extrinsic rewards, Brigham says. For example, you love making jewelry for yourself and your friends, but then you decide to start selling your jewelry on Etsy. Now youre working until 2 a.m. making necklaces, and youre only focused on how much you earned that week.

Finding out what motivation type you need requires some self-reflection. Wilkins recommends asking yourself the following: Do I want to create long-term motivation? Would I like to reframe this project from obligatory to meaningful? Does this project span beyond short-term needs? If you answered yes to any of these questions, intrinsic motivation is the way to go. As a general rule of thumb, intrinsic is needed for long-term goals, and extrinsic works better for short-term goals.

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Theres More Than One Type of MotivationHeres How To Tap Into Each To Get Your Butt Into Action - Well+Good

Human Behavior

Impacts from pandemic to forever alter the PropTech landscape – SecurityInfoWatch

There is no doubt that when we look back in 20 years to 2020, we will see a turning point in human history. In addition to the pandemics impact on human health across the globe, it will be a defining moment when long held patterns of human behavior will be challenged. It will be the moment we rethink many of the normal ways of operating our daily lives, both personal and professional.

Activities that seemed routine may never get back to what we think of as normal, like airline travel, commuting to an office, shopping for groceries, or attending in-person concerts and conferences. The pandemic has changed how we experience these types of activities forever. Technology will be a catalyst for much of the changes we will see. Just as we see technology change how we hail a cab, order takeout, and book travel, we will see technology transform how we interact with the world around us post-pandemic.

Even before the pandemic, property technology (PropTech) investing was at an all-time high. According to Andre Jang from PereNews, venture capital has poured billions of dollars into the PropTech market in recent years - $75.2 billion since 2015. While PropTech investment is not new, it is poised to accelerate with the impact of the pandemic.

Despite the economic uncertainties that have been prevalent this year, weve still seen record investments increase. For example, Proxy, SmartRent, Homeday, and Eagle Eye Networks each secured more than $40 million and a merger of StratisIoT and Realpage brought property management and apartment automation together. The stage is set for this investment to grow as we begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel with a COVID-19 vaccine and beyond the pandemic.

In an article published by Forbes in June of 2020, investors advised that companies focused on simplifying processes, reducing face-to-face interactions, or making employees/residents feel safe, are going to come out ahead. And the acceleration will come because many of the barriers to adoption pre-COVID-19 have been removed.

There are several industry trends that will attract investors and drive PropTech investments for tomorrow.

With the fear of the virus living on surfaces, there has been increased emphasis placed on cleaning and toward less direct touching. The first trend will be the growing use of mobile to help reduce the spread of germs. One of the biggest changes the pandemic will drive is that physical keys will make room for an increase in mobile credentials. Our phones will become even more valuable assets as your smartphone will become your key.

For years weve had key fobs for car doors, but similar to the opening of doors remotely, your smartphone can accomplish the same unlocking of a physical door with the tap of a single button. Mobile credentials can also provide access to a single door or multiple facilities and building amenities. This frictionless access will reduce the need for touching surfaces, although we cannot eliminate that entirely, but unlocking the door can be accomplished with your smartphone.

One of the hardest lessons learned when the country went into lockdown was that for those without remote access control, managing buildings and facilities required a human on-site. Another impact the pandemic will have on PropTech is the increase in remote management of facilities and buildings.

Businesses that already had a remote management solution in place when the country went into lockdown were ahead of the curve. They found that having remote access streamlined management of their facilities, especially if they were managing multiple sites. Companies realized how effective remote access was during a crisis - this is a trend that's here to stay.

Automation and remote access to systems will allow facility and property managers to access building systems without being on site. While automation is not new, the pandemic will accelerate the demand for remote access. Glimpses of automation are already here as evident with self-guided tours, chatbots and digital work orders, says Tech Expert Nitin Vig in the BBN Times.

Automation allows you to manage access any time and unlock doors from any location. With added video surveillance, you can view live door activity as well as recorded video footage. You can remotely assign and revoke credentials to residents or employees who need access to the office and you can send the credentials directly to a users smartphone. You can also initiate a lockout of the facility to ensure no one gets into a restricted area or the entire facility.

One sector of the economy that has seen explosive growth due to the pandemic is ecommerce. With people staying home, the need to order goods online has skyrocketed and as a result, package delivery has also exploded. Ecommerce has become more than just retail shopping too - it has become how we get our medicines, groceries and other essential items. This will have a lasting impact even after the pandemic, as convenience has always been one of the key drivers of ecommerce participation, it is likely that many of the new users will keep ordering at least some goods online in the future, according to the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development).

As ecommerce continues to grow, facilities will need to adapt package delivery protocols. Since we are spending more time at home, increased ecommerce package volume will put pressure on business and property management companies to explore technology solutions to manage, track, and communicate regarding package delivery.

To get a package into a building, you need access to get through the door. PropTech solutions will include the growth of door access control, video surveillance and intercom technology to help assist the delivery and management of packages.

For years weve been talking about big data and how data is the new currency. The real trend moving forward will not be just collecting data, but the real power of data lies more in the insights that can be derived from it and the resulting actions that such insights help trigger, said Vig back in 2019.

Its a travesty of the digital age we have so much data that theres no way to render it useful to make actionable decisions or gain insights. The trend will be a solution how to collect data without investing hours or manual labor to derive meaning, use data to help make decisions, be more efficient, and more effective. The trend will be that more property and security managers will look for solutions that 'make sense' of the data to help them with discovery, risk assessment and prioritization of actions. Solutions that allow you to not just collect data, but to easily use it to make informed decisions will be the kind of solutions that will accelerate the post-pandemic future.

In order for solutions like mobile credentials for doors, remote facility management, video surveillance, and other PropTech solutions, you will have to use cloud-based solutions. Only by making the leap from older, on-premise solutions can you acquire technology that is easily managed, accessible anywhere, and consistently managed and updated to the latest version.

For the millions of businesses and properties who never considered moving to cloud-based access control and video solutions, now will be the time to do your research. There is no doubt 2020 has been a year for the record books. As we enter into a new year and hopefully put the challenges behind us, there will be new opportunities to take advantage of.

About the Author:

Steven Van Till is Co-Founder, President & CEO of Brivo, Inc. a cloud services provider of access control, video surveillance, mobile, and identity solutions delivered as a SaaS offering. He also serves as Chairman of the SIA Standards Committee, and is a frequent author and speaker for numerous security publications and forums, and the inventor of several patents in the field of physical security. Mr. Van Till was previously Director of Internet Consulting for Sapient Corporation, where he lead client strategy engagements for the first wave of the dot.com era. At the healthcare informatics company HCIA, Steve was responsible for Internet strategy for data analytics services. Steve also has more than 10 years of experience in wireless communications as Vice President of Software Development at Geostar, and as Director of Systems Engineering at Communications Satellite Corporation. Steve is the author of "The Five Technological Forces Transforming Physical Security." In his first book, he shares his journey through the surprising ways that the biggest disruptors of our time--cloud, mobile, IoT, social, and big data--are impacting the physical security industry and the people Brivo protects.

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Impacts from pandemic to forever alter the PropTech landscape - SecurityInfoWatch

Human Behavior

Here’s what we know about the new coronavirus variant found in US – KEZI TV

The United States' first known case of the new coronavirus variant was discovered in Colorado on Tuesday, according to state health officials.

The variant, called B.1.1.7, has been linked to the United Kingdom. The man who was infected is in his 20s, is isolating and appears to have no travel history, according to Gov. Jared Polis.

That man had been working at an assisted living facility in Elbert County. Health officials suspect, but have yet to confirm, that another man who worked there also came down with the variant, the county's public health director said Wednesday.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that the new variant has been found in the southern part of his state.

Here's what we know about the variant:

The new variant is believed to have originated in southeast England, according to the World Health Organization.

Public Health England says backward tracing, using genetic evidence, suggests the variant emerged in September. It then circulated in very low levels until mid-November.

But scientists did not know whether the mutation originated in southeast England or was introduced there from elsewhere, said Sharon Peacock, professor of public health and microbiology at the University of Cambridge.

Some experts have suggested the new variant could have been amplified because of a superspreader event, meaning the current spike in cases could also have been caused by human behavior.

Health authorities from around the world have said the variant does not appear to be more deadly than previously identified coronavirus strains.

Initial analysis showed that while the variant appears to be more transmissible, there is no evidence it is linked to a higher risk of hospital admission or death, according to Public Health England.

Scientists advising the UK government have estimated the variant could be up to 70% more effective at spreading than others. Peter Horby, chair of the UK's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), said last week that scientists were 'confident' the new variant is 'spreading faster than other virus variants.'

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UK Parliament Science and Technology Committee, Horby explained that the new variant has 'some kind of biological advantage to make it spread faster.'

Scientists still don't have a complete picture as to why, he said, but they are investigating several scenarios.

There is preliminary evidence to suggest the new strain results in a person holding a higher viral load, which means the virus is easier to pass on, Horby said.

Scientist Neil Ferguson, a member of NERVTAG, said the variant may be more infectious for children.

'There is a hint is that (the variant) ... has a higher propensity to infect children,' he said at a news briefing last week organized by the Science Media Centre, though he cautioned that more data was needed. Severe illness due to Covid-19 is still relatively rare for children.

There are no signs yet that the current vaccine front-runners won't work against this new variant, experts and drugmakers have said.

The companies behind the first two vaccines to gain authorization in the United States -- Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna -- are testing their shots to double-check that they're effective against the variant.

The coronavirus has mutated before, and both firms say their vaccines worked against other variations of the virus.

Some US-based scientists have said it's possible the new variant might, to a small extent, undermine the vaccines.

'You could imagine some modest hit to vaccine efficacy, which wouldn't be good, but I don't think it will break the vaccine,' said Trevor Bedford, an associate professor in the vaccine and infectious disease division of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Adm. Brett Giroir, US Health and Human Services assistant secretary, told 'Fox News Sunday' officials neither have evidence nor do they believe the vaccine would not be effective against the new variant.

'We do believe the vaccine will be effective against this variant,' he said.

The United States will likely see 'homegrown variants' of the coronavirus, similar to the one found in Colorado, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

'That variant from the UK was noted in the UK back in September, and it's probably been in the US since September,' Hotez told CNN's Jim Acosta on Tuesday. 'We're going to see homegrown variants that are similar in character in terms of transmissibility, I can almost promise you that.'

Dr. Atul Gawande, a member of the Biden-Harris transition Covid advisory board and a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said the variant is almost certainly in several states.

He said the fact that the Colorado man who has the variant didn't travel is a clue.

'An unknown travel history means that this person picked it up the community,' Gawande said. 'Exactly how prevalent it is, is the real question. If it's been spreading, how dominant is it?'

Researchers have scoured genetic sequences of coronavirus in the United States to see if any match up with the UK variant. So far, they haven't found any, but they say that's likely because the US surveillance system isn't catching them.

Fewer than half of 1% of all US coronavirus cases have been sequenced, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.

The variant has already spread globally. As of December 29, at least 26 countries and Hong Kong have reported cases of the new variant.

Aside from the United States, it has also been detected in Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Australia, according to WHO.

Canada has also detected the new variant in Ontario, the province announced Sunday. There are three cases in Ontario, with the latest one in Ottawa.

A similar but separate variant has been identified in South Africa, where scientists say it is spreading quickly along coastal areas of the country.

British health authorities said two cases of the South African variant have been detected in the United Kingdom. The coronavirus variants discovered in the UK and South Africa are both 'more transmissible,' said Susan Hopkins, managing director of Public Health England.

Large swathes of England, including London and the southeast, are now under strict Tier 4 Covid-19 restrictions, and UK government health experts have suggested additional restrictions could be required to beat back this variant.

Dozens of countries across Europe, the Middle East and the Americas have also announced travel bans for the United Kingdom, or new testing and quarantine requirements for UK arrivals.

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Here's what we know about the new coronavirus variant found in US - KEZI TV

Human Behavior

2020: The Year That Wasn’t There – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Entering 2020, word that Team Russia had been banned from the upcoming Olympic Games over its state-sponsored doping program raised concerns about whether the country would -- or should -- be allowed to host matches for the European soccer championships scheduled for the summer.

By the time the Summer Olympics and Euro2020 would have begun, the controversy had vanished into the fog of a coronavirus pandemic that not only took all teams and athletes out of the two competitions, but left spectators and participants of mass gatherings worldwide stuck in isolation at home.

Even the most routine, habitual events fell like dominoes as governments imposed social-distancing measures in an effort to stem the outbreak.

In the workplace, in the stands, on the beach, and even at schools and houses of worship, China's announcement of the outbreak on New Year's Eve was the precursor of a year that just wasn't there.

Collective Infection

Since the dawn of man, individuals have found a feeling of shared identity in crowds. As sociologist Emile Durkheim defined the phenomenon more than a century ago, mass gatherings can be seen as a sacred ritual that allows individuals to unite in a group in "collective effervescence," fulfilling the human need to belong.

Unfortunately, close physical proximity can also contribute to the spread of disease well beyond the gathering itself.

"People may come from many countries, mingle in the crowd, share their infections, and then take them home," psychologists Nick Hopkins of the University of Dundee and Stephen Reicher of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland wrote in 2016 while discussing the emerging science of mass-gatherings medicine.

In the case of a highly transmissible, airborne contagion like the coronavirus, many governments, health officials, and event organizers concluded that large crowds and close contact were out, no matter how hallowed.

Cases Closed

On March 11, as the number of coronavirus infections surged above 115,000 globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed deep concern at "the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction" and declared the outbreak a pandemic.

The very same day, the U.S. National Basketball Association -- the world's premier professional basketball league and one that attracts athletes from around the world -- announced that it was suspending all games after a player tested positive. The announcement was followed the next day by the U.S. National Hockey League, another pool of international talent that suspended play.

On March 14 came the temporary suspension of the English Premier League, one of the world's top soccer leagues. On March 17, Russia's Football Union suspended all soccer competition in the country.

Then the oldest sporting competition of them all came to a screeching halt even as the Olympic torch relay was taking place. In late March, the Tokyo Games were postponed for 12 months "to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community."

By April 1, the number of infections had exceeded the 1 million mark across 171 countries and six continents, killing more than 50,000 people, and the United States had overtaken China in terms of the number of infections recorded.

That month also came the first signs that the pandemic would disrupt one of the five pillars of Islam, with Saudi Arabia advising Muslims to put their hajj pilgrimage plans on hold.

By June the country -- experiencing one of the largest coronavirus outbreaks in the Middle East -- had announced that it was barring international travelers from performing the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, ultimately reducing crowd sizes at the July event from the usual 2 million pilgrims to around just 1,000.

No Place Like Home

The list of mass gatherings to fall to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 is a lengthy one, infiltrating every aspect of society.

The Running of the Bulls at the San Fermin Festival in northern Spain, a rite of passage for so many drunken tourists? Canceled, just like Germany's Oktoberfest.

The Twenty20 World Cup? The West Indies will have to wait until next autumn to defend their title in India instead of Australia.

Norouz? This year Iranians mostly stayed home in quarantine to celebrate the first day of spring on the Persian calendar.

Women's Day? Canceled in Kazakhstan.

The Eurovision Song Contest was not staged, nor were world tours by the Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Justin Bieber. And international travel was marked by endless delays, acres of empty beaches, and eerily quiet historic city centers.

Many marathons, with their packed starts and crowds lining the route, were called off.

Gay-pride parades were left to march another day, or another year. And it was the same for military parades, for the most part. Victory Day celebrations were aborted this year in Kazakhstan and postponed in Russia, marking the first time in 25 years that the event wasn't held on the day of the Allied victory in World War II. Bulgaria's Armed Forces Day also fell victim to the pandemic.

Little To Celebrate

A number of prestigious events were not held this year since the Allies were fighting the Axis powers, including golf's original championship, the British Open; the Wimbledon tennis tournament; and the Paris Airshow, which it has already been decided won't get off the ground in early 2021.

There was little room for diplomacy, with the pandemic hindering efforts to reach a peace deal in Afghanistan, causing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to cancel his Balkan tour, and cutting short Bulgarian President Rumen Radev's trip to Estonia for an investment forum.

And back in Russia, the biggest event on the country's economic agenda -- the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum -- was canceled in order to protect the health of Russian citizens and participants from abroad.

Missing In The World Today

The long-term effect the pandemic will ultimately have on the human psyche has been the subject of endless predictions that have changed as the coronavirus numbers rose exponentially. But the loss in terms of human life and experiences is already very palpable.

The global infection count is approaching 70 million, with more than 1.5 million deaths. And society's inability to celebrate en masse has left a void of purpose and identity.

"These events provide an opportunity for social connection with a group of people who share a common purpose or set of values/interests," said Jay Van Bavel, associate professor of psychology and neural science at New York University. "I think we can regain some of that through online events, but it is very hard to replace the needs fulfilled by mass gatherings."

As the coronavirus was just taking over the international stage in April, Van Bavel was the lead author on an extensive research paper drawing on the expertise of more than 35 contributors with the intention of helping align human behavior with the recommendations of epidemiologists and public-health experts.

The effort, published on April 30 by Nature.com, focused on a broad range of topics relevant to pandemics, including fear, coping, the effects of social and cultural influences on behavior, and barriers to a unified response such as political polarization.

COVID -- Don't You Know It's Christmas?

At year-end, the introduction of multiple vaccines developed and produced in multiple countries has raised hopes. But as the world eagerly awaits the chance to bid farewell to a year of gloom and isolation, fresh concerns have arisen, such as that developing nations will be left standing in line for the cure.

And while some events have found ways to continue -- with attendance lacking or in small, socially distanced numbers -- it still isn't time to party.

As the end nears on a long year of quarantines and the denial of collective effervescence, cities around the world are vastly scaling down celebrations of the winter holidays including Christmas and the New Year -- with some, such as Moscow and Budapest, scrapping them altogether.

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2020: The Year That Wasn't There - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Human Behavior

How The Federal Coronavirus Relief Bill Will Impact Arizona’s Housing Crisis – KJZZ

LAUREN GILGER: The Arizona Department of Health Services is reporting more than 10,000 new coronavirus infections and 42 additional deaths in the state [Dec. 28]. A department spokesman says the especially high tally of new cases is due in part to reporting lags over the long holiday weekend. That means today's count contains multiple days worth of data. The state has now confirmed more than half a million cases of the virus this year, and for the first time, Arizona now has over 1,000 COVID cases occupying ICU beds. Intensive care bed usage sits at 91% capacity. Homeless services in the region are being stretched to their limit as they cope with a perfect storm of increasing COVID rates, a struggling economy and an impending housing crisis as eviction moratoriums are extended incrementally while unpaid back rent is accruing for millions of Americans. But after wavering over the holiday weekend on signing a $900 billion COVID relief bill, the president finally put pen to paper [Dec. 27] extending unemployment benefits, issuing a $600 check to individuals and releasing rental assistance funds.

Joining us to discuss the impact of this kind of aid and the magnitude of the region's housing crisis is Amy Schwabenlender, executive director of the Human Services Campus here in Phoenix. Welcome back to The Show, Amy.

AMY SCHWABENLENDER: Thank you. Good morning.

GILGER: Good morning. I want to start just with the numbers. How have intake numbers looked? What is capacity look like at the Human Services Campus in recent weeks? Are you seeing the numbers continue to go up?

SCHWABENLENDER: We've actually seen more of a plateau of the numbers even since March with the response to COVID. It's been really interesting to watch human behavior, and I think people knew that if they stayed in one place, they would be a little more isolated from potential spread of COVID. And so really our numbers have plateaued. What has changed for me is my name and phone number and email address is listed on a HUD website for people to contact for assistance. And the number of inquiries that I receive has been going up, I would say really over the last six weeks. All different kinds of familial living situations with people starting to ask what can they do to keep the housing that they already have.

GILGER: What can you tell them at this point? Is this relief package the president signed good news?

SCHWABENLENDER: Well, I think it's a brief moment of good news, right? It's not for an extended amount of time. I think right now what we're starting to see by this increase of inquiries is that the longer term effects from the global pandemic and what's happening in the economy, people don't fall into homelessness immediately. They're very resourceful. They keep the housing that they have. And I think those of us working in this space knew even back in March and April that when the effects of homelessness would really start would be much farther into the future than that immediateCOVID reaction. And so here we are nine, almost 10 months into ourCOVID response. And we're starting, I think, to see the increase in the demand for help with eviction prevention, foreclosure prevention.

GILGER: Yeah, yeah. Let's talk about some of the specifics. The president signed the relief bill [Dec. 27] and extends the nationwide eviction moratorium by just one month to Jan. 31. That also provides, though, $25 billion in renters' assistance. We mentioned, of course, those one-time payment checks to many Americans of $600. It ups for 11 weeks $300, a weekly unemployment boost. All of these things combined, is this enough to sort of stem the tide, to help stave off this massive crisis of evictions that we're worried is coming?

SCHWABENLENDER: I don't believe so. Again, I think it's been it's been so many months now of people losing their jobs. Many were already living paycheck to paycheck. And so I was reading a new report last night from Harvard University about housing in America, and $600 doesn't really pay one month's rent in many cities in the country. And it doesn't in Phoenix. So people who haven't been able to pay their rent for months have no relief when all of that back rent becomes due, there's going to be another challenge for people to face, and I don't believe that the assistance and the relief is there to help people catch up on what they owe.

GILGER: Let me ask you lastly, Amy, in the last 30 or 40 seconds here we have, just about the stories that you're hearing from people. Like, what are some of the common threads that, that you're hearing as you get these calls and inquiries about help?

SCHWABENLENDER: Jjust like homelessness in general you've heard me talk about homelessness many times. The only thing that's the same is that people don't have safe, affordable housing. And the living circumstances, the personal issues range all over the place. So there's often an underlying cause related to chronic health condition or a mental health condition that's prevented a barrier to maintaining employment and housing. There are people, again, who are really resourceful and families living in doubled and tripled up situations grandparents caring for their grandchildren, people wanting to stay together. And it's really hard to stay together if you're going to fall into homelessness. Our shelters don't allow for couples. And, you know, we can't allow for a couple to come in with three or four cats. We're not set up for that. So all this wide variety of situations, that's really heartbreaking to hear their real-life situations that they're facing and not having great answers for them.

GILGER: We'll have to leave it there. That is Amy Schwabenlender, executive director of the Human Services Campus here in Phoenix. Amy, thank you so much for the time today.

SCHWABENLENDER: Thank you very much. Have a great day.

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How The Federal Coronavirus Relief Bill Will Impact Arizona's Housing Crisis - KJZZ

Human Behavior

Jerry Nelson: Farmer of the Year | Farm Forum | aberdeennews.com – AberdeenNews.com

With a wintertime pandemic raging outside our windows, many of us have opted to hunker down. Watching a movie in the comfort and safety of your living room has gone from being an unhealthy way to avoid exercise to a good way to stay healthy.

A series of random connections recently brought to my attention a movie that was shot in the nearby small town of Tyler, Minnesota and in my home state of South Dakota.

Farmer of The Year was released in 2018 by Yellow House Films. The movies stars include Mackinlee Waddell, Terry Kiser and Barry Corbin along with a cast of various local folks. Over the course of his lengthy acting career, Corbin has worked with the likes of Clint Eastwood, John Travolta and Sam Elliott.

After watching the flick on a streaming service, I wanted to learn how the movie came to be, so I got in touch with filmmaker Kathy Swanson. Kathy and her husband, Vince OConnell, wrote, produced and directed Farmer of the Year.

Is it true, I began, That you were once a dairy princess? I always ask the toughest questions first.

That was a long time ago, Kathy replied with a chuckle. Yes, I was Lincoln County Dairy Princess in 1974. But I doubt if anyone remembers that.

I asked Kathy to tell me about the genesis of the film.

Ive always liked stories, she said. When I was about 15, I began to take notes about things that I observed and the things that my dad said. The idea for the movie sprang from some of those stories and observations.

How does one assemble the myriad resources that are needed to produce a feature-length movie?

Vince and I had made about 20 shorts and decided that we wanted to do a feature film. Once the script was finished, we knew that it made sense to shoot it in Tyler. I have a lot of background in Tyler and a solid infrastructure of friends and family.

Vince and I sold our house to help finance the film. A grant from the state of Minnesota covered 25% of the production costs. About five months before we began shooting, Vince and I moved in with my dad, who lives in Tyler. We shot at Dads house, around Tyler and on the dairy farm where I grew up, which is now operated by my brother, Dale.

So, you saved a bunch of money on location rentals. How did you get Barry Corbin involved?

Barrys name was on the list for the lead role of Hap Anderson, but we thought there was no way we could get him. We offered the role to Terry, but it didnt fit his schedule. Terrys agent then told us that Barry was interested. It turned out that Barry, Terry and Mackinlee all have the same agent.

What was it like to work with Barry Corbin?

Barry was awesome. We hadnt worked with an actor of that caliber before and didnt know what to expect. He was really approachable and was just like part of the crew. Vince and I had a very clear vision of what we wanted, but we would always discuss the next scene with Barry.

This flick is a humorous yet touching road movie about the misadventures of a cantankerous old dairy farmer and his granddaughter. Are there parallels between Haps and Ashleys stories?

Hap and his granddaughter, Ashley, are both trying to grapple with changes in their lives and are both trying to figure out their next chapters. With a movie, you get to tell your story with more than just words. A lot of the films humor is contained in the human behavior that everyone can relate to.

Why is Tyler named as Sleepy Eye in the film?

Sleepy Eye had an iconic water tower that I had wanted to use in the movie. Plus, I really like the name Sleepy Eye. Its unique.

How many people are involved in a typical day of shooting?

There would be up to 30 people on the set during a shoot. A good number of our crew were film students. They were young and enthusiastic and a joy to work with.

How has your movie been received?

We have gotten a lot of positive feedback from across the nation. We sent a DVD to Barry and he wrote a letter saying that he loved it and was very pleased with the result. But the praise that I value the most came from the folks in the area where I grew up.

If youd like to contact Jerry Nelson to do some public speaking, or just to register your comments, you can email him at jjpcnels@itctel.com.

His book, Dear County Agent Guy, is available at Workman.com and at booksellers everywhere.

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Jerry Nelson: Farmer of the Year | Farm Forum | aberdeennews.com - AberdeenNews.com