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Author: Brian Seko

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Riding the Waves: Ups and Downs of Gas Prices

Riding the Waves: Ups and Downs of Gas Prices

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This April gas price report is based on data through March 2024. All insights provided are taken from the Gas Price Tracker which is updated monthly. Direction in Prices So Far Gas prices have generally trended downward since reaching a peak in June 2022. Although there were increases in September 2023 and March 2024, longer-term trends indicate a declining price index. While prices are higher than they’ve been in the past few years, current rates are slightly lower than the…

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Lazy Recruiting: Coding Tests for Analyst and Data Science Positions

Lazy Recruiting: Coding Tests for Analyst and Data Science Positions

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In the competitive landscape of data analytics and science, the hiring process has become a battlefield not just for candidates, but also for companies vying for top talent. Amidst this, coding tests have emerged as a common hurdle. I argue that these tests are not just ineffective, but also a lazy approach to recruitment that could be doing more harm than good. When a interview process boils candidates to a “top n”, you’ll soon get candidates that just prepare to…

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Global Variables Are Misunderstood, Unlock Their Power

Global Variables Are Misunderstood, Unlock Their Power

Global variables often get a bad rap in the programming world, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re like the wild cards of coding—powerful, yet unpredictable if not handled with care. However, when used judiciously, global variables can be a secret weapon in your coding arsenal. Let’s dive into why they’re amazing and how to harness their power responsibly. The Good 1. Simplification: Global variables can simplify code by providing access to common data without the need to pass…

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Building a Gasoline Price Pipeline with EIA Data

Building a Gasoline Price Pipeline with EIA Data

In the dynamic realm of data science, constructing robust pipelines to collect, analyze, and forecast data is not just a necessity but a fundamental skill. In this guide, we’ll embark on a journey to set up an Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) pipeline utilizing the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) API to gather gasoline price data for exploratory analysis and time-series modeling. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) serves as a cornerstone in providing impartial energy information critical for informed decision-making….

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Unpacking the Role of American Politicians in the Housing Crisis

Unpacking the Role of American Politicians in the Housing Crisis

The American housing crisis is a complex issue, deeply rooted in policy decisions that span decades. It’s a story of missed opportunities, short-sighted policies, and, at times, a stark lack of political will. This post dives into the ways in which political decisions have contributed to this crisis, backed by data and references that highlight the scale of the failure. First, let’s look at the numbers: According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the U.S. has a shortage of…

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Navigating the Economic Currents: The Fed’s Stand on Interest Rates and Its Ripple Effects

Navigating the Economic Currents: The Fed’s Stand on Interest Rates and Its Ripple Effects

In the intricate dance of economic policy and market dynamics, the Federal Reserve’s recent decision to maintain the federal-funds rate steady between 5.25% and 5.50% emerges as a pivotal moment, sending waves through the financial markets and beyond. This decision, articulated by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, was more than a mere numerical declaration; it was a nuanced signal to the markets, indicative of the Fed’s ongoing commitment to taming inflation and ensuring long-term economic stability, even at the cost of…

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Coding Something Tricky? Try Excel, No Really.

Coding Something Tricky? Try Excel, No Really.

In the realm of data science, where Python and R reign supreme, it might seem counterintuitive to bring Excel into the equation. However, Excel, a tool often associated with traditional business analysis, can serve as a powerful ally in the initial stages of algorithm development. This blog post explores the benefits of using Excel to work out pseudo code before transitioning to more sophisticated programming environments. Excel: A Visual and Interactive Sandbox Excel’s grid layout provides a natural environment for…

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Unpopular Opinion: Minimal Viable Products are a Waste of Time

Unpopular Opinion: Minimal Viable Products are a Waste of Time

In the tech industry, the concept of the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) has become a cornerstone of product development strategies. It’s seen as a fast track to innovation, allowing teams to quickly bring a product to market to test its viability. However, this approach, while popular, is not without its pitfalls. There are compelling arguments to suggest that the rush to create MVPs can be counterproductive, leading to wasted time, resources, and ultimately, subpar products. Lets explore the hidden costs…

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How to Choose Between pivot_longer and gather in R

How to Choose Between pivot_longer and gather in R

When it comes to reshaping data in R, there are often multiple ways to achieve the same result. One common task in data manipulation is converting wide data into long data, and two popular functions for this purpose are pivot_longer and gather. Both functions serve the same fundamental purpose, but they belong to different versions of the tidyr package in R. In this article, we’ll explore these two functions and discuss reasons for choosing one over the other. Understanding the…

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Navigating the Risks: A Deep Dive into Equestrian Injury Statistics

Navigating the Risks: A Deep Dive into Equestrian Injury Statistics

Equestrian activities offer a unique blend of exhilaration and challenge. However, like any sport, they come with inherent risks. This article delves into the world of equestrian injuries, exploring how these risks vary with age and how they compare to other sports. Understanding the Injury Rate A key study by Christey et al. (1994) reveals that for every 1,667 hours of riding, there’s an average of one injury, or 0.6 injuries per 1,000 hours, primarily among children and young adults….

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