That Eric Alper

The IT industry is an area that continues to expand at a high speed. And this is a great thing. With the ever-changing landscape that involves the introduction of robust technologies, no one would like to be left behind. Thus, the CertBolt credential offers you an opportunity to have a say in IT technologies and prove yourself as a competent specialist. It is all about learning the networking skills demanded all over the world by many businesses and firms. This is a very popular badge nowadays, so we want to talk about it in more detail and give you some advice on how you can obtain it. We will also let you know why you need to earn this certification. So, let’s finally dive into it!

CompTIA Network+ Certification & Its Exam

CompTIA Network+ considers a number of topics that you need to immerse yourself in to become successful in your current and future tasks. Thus, a demonstration of the following skills is required:

• Designing and implementing effective networks;
• Configuring, managing, and maintaining key devices for the network;
• Using devices such as routers and switches in the network traffic segmentation as well as ensuring resilient networks are created;
• Pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of existing configurations for networks;
• Implementing security, policies, and protocols for networks;
• Solving network issues;
• Participating in designing virtualized networks.

All these skills will be evaluated during the CompTIA 220-1001 Practice Test that comes with about 90 questions in different formats that include performance-based, multiple choice, and drag and drop. You will have to answer them within 90 minutes. If you get 720 or more points out of a total of 900, you will earn the Network+ credential. The test costs $329 and you need to buy the voucher via the Pearson VUE platform. However, before you can take it, it is advised that you have 9-12 months of experience in networking as well as the CompTIA Network+ N10-007 Dumps badge.

So, how can you prepare for the exam and earn the Network+ certification? Let’s find out!

CompTIA Network+ Exam & Preparation Tips

While the candidates differ in how they approach their certification tests, there are simple strategies that are applicable to any learning style. The most important thing is to begin and ensure you organize yourself during preparation. What else should you do?

• Understand the certification expectations

When you are not aware of what the credential expects you to do to get it, you feel like you driving right into a storm. A great approach requires you to begin your preparation by reading more about the A+ Practice Test 14 and all it takes. As you do this, you will discover a number of things that include the exam questions you will be answering. This will help you determine what you already know and how much you still need to find out.

The steps below will give you an understanding of what to expect and what to do to ensure you are on track:

• Check the certification webpage;
• Download the outline of the exam objectives in the PDF file;
• Take a look at the Network+ sample questions;
• Take the trial performance-based quizzes available on the official page;
• Visit the Network+ Hub and learn from the experiences of those who already hold the badge.

• Find out what you still have to understand

To determine what else you need to cover, you should compare what you already know with what is expected. The candidates for the CompTIA N10-007 exam have varied levels of experience in IT. If you feel that you still have a lot to do, it is important that you invest more time and resources to get you to where you ought to be. Regardless of their experience levels, the students are advised to identify the areas where they have very limited knowledge and pay more attention to them. When you are honest with where you are, you will be able to close the gaps Visit .

• Find ways to close the skill and knowledge gaps

The CompTIA preparation options offer comprehensive support to the test takers. The company’s portfolio of learning products covers books, labs, different e-Learning options, and video courses. By using them, you will discover varied ways to gain the skills and knowledge you need as indicated in the exam topics. You can also add some study materials from other websites that offer practice tests and exam dumps. But make sure that you opt for those tools that are reliable, updated, and have good feedbacks.

CompTIA Network+ Certification & Career Opportunities

Once you have followed the right steps and got the Network+ badge, you might not know where to go further. This is the time to choose your career path. This CompTIA certificate is a connection to the job roles, such as a junior systems engineer, an information security consultant, a Certbolt WebPage , a network analyst, and a network administrator. According to the PayScale research, any of these positions qualify for an average salary of $65,000 per year.

Final Words

The networking world continues to be attractive for those individuals who are interested in the entry-level roles. And with the CompTIA Network+ credential, you are set for these positions. If you are considering changing your career or you are just out of high school and feel like the IT field is for you, then this certification is surely worth your time. With the readily available resources and guidance on exam preparation, you cannot miss such an opportunity. Do not wait for some other day to make a decision to go for this certificate. If you put all your efforts into the task, you will get a lot of benefits.

Barbecues can easily be deemed incomplete without some nice music playing in the background. And no, we’re not talking hip-hop, hard rock or some other high-tempo genres. 

Indie is just about the most perfect genre that you can integrate into your summer barbecue party. And this article concerns itself with listing out 11 nice indie songs that should definitely be part of your playlist. These are songs that remain evergreen and would be appreciated by various folks even if they’ve got diverse tastes. 

With these nice indie tunes, you can definitely not go wrong and at the end of the barbecue, you might make new indie fans out of your guests. But first, let’s have a brief introduction into the genre that is Indie Music. 

What You Should Know About Indie Music

Most people claim that indie music saw a peaking around the mid-2000s and they just might be right. What with incredible albums such as Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collectives, Grizzly Bears brilliant run of albums, Person Pitch by Panda Bear, as well as In Rainbows by Radiohead. But fellas would argue that while these might have been the bomb in the early 2000s, there is new stuff to consider. 

Given the continuous evolution of music and the fact that various genres are continually evolving, Indie hasn’t been left out. In the early 2010s, there were some new albums that bore very close similarity to what had been before. And then in recent times, it has been hard to keep track with the new albums blurring the line between indie and pop. 

For the new generation, this is a wonderful innovation and it has especially allowed for expanded listening. Full-blooded indie fans might turn up their nose at the new content churning out, however, music has evolved and so much beautiful music has come out within these years. 

This is what makes it so difficult to create a list such as this. Since we are limiting our pick of songs to 11, it feels like we are leaving so many others out. But it is what it is and without any more long talk, we shall proceed to 11 nice songs from this decade for your barbecue party. 

The Best Indie Songs for Your Barbecue Party 

Bon Iver – Holocene

As with Indie singers, Bon Iver makes this one about his home state of Wisconsin Holocene, speaking about how small we become in comparison to the beauty of the world that surrounds us. The chorus was inspired by a Christmas night that he spent with his brother during an ice storm with ice forming on trees and the reflection of the street lights lit up the outside. Justin Vernon said, “he could see for miles.” In this very moment, he came to the realization that maybe people were not as insignificant as he earlier thought. Maybe there was a bigger picture after all. And then taking his experiences with his loved ones in the city and okay to having too little too much fun in Milwaukee, and then this evergreen tune was birthed. This is a tune that easily stands out in an illustrious catalog that has moved away from small beginnings, however, Vernon would forever be grounded by the home and people he holds so dear and Holocene would forever be theirs. 

Beach House – 10 Mile Stereo

This song has met critical acclaim as one of the best songs of 2010 and it has indeed stood the test of time with Beach House amassing more and more fans using the blueprint laid out by the song and album. “The heart is a stone and it is a stone that we throw.” This is the tune that Victoria Legrand sings over the lilting guitar of Alex Scally on 10 Mile Stereo which serves as the emotional center of the album that thrust the band into limelight, Teen Dream. 

It builds a whirlpool of emotions from the very idea that as we put out our hearts to be had by all, it is not much different from a fragile artist who puts their feelings into a song that would be put under the microscope by listeners. The brilliance of the song is the concept of the 10-mile stereo. This is a song that would be carried by sound waves directly into the future. This upstanding tune that echoes over time with Scally’s ringing guitar echoing Legrand’s words, “Loves like a pantheon, it carries on forever.”

Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

Sprawl II is the climax track to what remains one of the best albums of the 2010s by Arcade Fire, and it feels like the perfect climax to a trilogy of albums that took over indie charts and further propelled the gospel of indie. It 

This dance track basically gives you light at the end of the tunnel after being stuck in the darkness for a while. Regine Chassagne sings about the 1984 styled suburb that the band cannot just seem to escape hard as they try, and one that they have been in since Funeral. 

However, it is pretty different this time. One can almost sense the hopeful feeling that reverberates in the song almost as if they have finally broken the chains that held them down. And of course, it became obvious as their style changed and lyrics talked about something else. 

This remains the climax to one of the most incredible run of albums for a band to start their career with. 

M83 – Midnight City

If you say that M83’s song “Midnight City” brought back the 80’s, you may not be wrong. Thanks to its synth-driven new wave style, M83 brought back the 80’s and made it seem super cool. Now it’s hard to find an indie track that doesn’t compose a synth line or the main stage at any festival that the French band doesn’t perform whenever they’re on tour. Thanks to the sax solo that dominated the end of the track, featuring sax on songs has been made cool again. It’s hard to not love this song and the band itself. 

Lana Del Rey – Video Games

Lana Del Rey’s breakout single “Video Game” is centered around an angelic movie styled orchestra and it served to announce the singer to the world. The modern theme coupled with the old-timey vocals, Lana started out as an indie goddess and something of a cult pop star. While she has evolved as an artist and evolved more into the pop style, it is hard for indie fans to take away the soft spot that she created in our hearts as a result of “Video Games.” She has become an iconic musician in this generation but still has her roots in indie. 

Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener

Courtney Barnett is no doubt one of the most brilliant lyricists and storytellers and this is evident in this story about her struggle with breathing. She is cut out of the same fabric as notable names like Dylan and Cohen. On Avant Gardener, Barnett takes her talk-singing storytelling to another level and it is no surprise therefore that this served as her breakout single. Ranging from her pop culture reference with her Pulp Fiction line to the clear brilliance in her lyrics, Barnett has only gone further up from “Gardner” and made herself into one of the biggest indie acts. 

The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio

If you’re from Ohio, then this song would drive you into a patriotic spirit. Bloodbuzz Ohio, which is the first single from their fifth album, High Violet is an anthem that has attained perfection over the years. It is built on a fast turning drum beat and features lead singer Matt Berninger’s signature cryptic words and deep croon and easily ranks as one of the best musical compositions that have come from this band. It is therefore not surprising that the band has caught the attention of critics and they still have a massive audience even after ten years in the game. They’re not relenting and it almost seems that every year, there’s a new critically acclaimed The National album. 

Big Thief – Mary

This musical ballad comprises the best vocals from Adrianne Lenker. It stands at the emotional center of Capacity, the breakthrough record from Big Thief. This song is simple and centered around beautiful piano sound while being highlighted by a sweet organ. Lenker has a way with words and practically weaves magic here.  

The storytelling isn’t in any way overwhelmed by the music around and this is why her solo work is so good. Lenker easily flies high as a musician and songwriter and the combination with the band only further accentuates the ability. This combination of talent and ability is why this band is definitely going to be around for a while. 

Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know

Alex Turner has always been known for his way with words. Transforming a phrase into clever little lines over punk rock riffs/garage rock. However, AM was where the band morphed from young indie rockers into a fully formed arena rock band. The riffs all through AM remind you of guitar legends from way back and the song’s subject matter, as well as the lyrics, are just as clever always. This is particularly evident on the hit single “Do I Wanna Know,” where all the points mentioned come together to make one cool song. It is a breakup song about some guy who just wants his ex back but he seems to crave for her more late at night. This is where this song exhibits the pounding drums and its blues riff, with the perfect combination of lyricism and swagger. This is truly a brilliant song. 

Radiohead – True Love Waits

To start with, Moon Shaped Pool is just about the most depressing album in all of Radiohead’s illustrious career. It is one that is filled with loss and dread. The band has forever been warning that if we do not do better, we would lose our planet as well as the beauty that we have always taken for granted. 

Moving on to Pool, Radiohead has seemingly given up on sounding the warning over and over again and is settling into the reality of the fact that all that they warned about are gradually coming true and hope is pretty much fading. Coming to this reality may also have been helped along by Thom Yorke’s breakup of his long-term partnership with the mother of his children and her death from cancer just six months after. 

Getting close to “True Love Waits,” this is a song that has been long coming and gives us a glimmer of hope. It can be interpreted as the fact that love conquers all or maybe it is advisable to hold your loved clones close and let them know how much you care about them whenever you can. Nobody knows what tomorrow holds after all. 

Spoon – Inside Out

Over the years, Spoon has become indie veterans and this has brought a unique sense of maturity to them. While this is not to claim that they weren’t previously mature, however, there is a maturity that comes with years of making music. New tunes from Spoon have a form of sleekness with the sound centered on a looped rhythm that is perfectly set up for an angelic harp solo in place of a guitar solo. This is something that Spoon would have never done in their early days. This in addition to lyrics that do not talk about being dragged into bullshit, and that maturity is there for all to see. 

The Bottomline 

This list features some of the best indie songs of the decade as well as some that remind us of what the ’80s were like. However, you can be certain that at the end of the day, these are beautiful songs that you can play at your summer bbq party and they would be thoroughly enjoyed. 

Do we really know what the appeal of an expensive car is? It probably has a lot to do with comfort, speed, reliability, longevity and all of the other benefits that you can expect from paying more for your motor.

But let’s not dance around the truth here. There’s a materialistic element to it on top of all of that stuff. It might sound like it’s a little shallow but a touch of materialism isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

Like when you see an expensive car, it kind of makes you admire the person driving it because they’ve probably worked hard to get there. It’s also possible that they’re a trust fund baby but still, we take notice of wealth for a reason.

Those people are living comfortable lives and we know that we can live comfortable lives too if we are willing to put in the work. So a nice car is a symbol of wealth, and it’s also a symbol of contentment.

This is definitely not to say that everyone who’s rich is content but financial trouble is a big source of stress and misery so it definitely doesn’t hurt. So why don’t we have a little look at what celebrities are driving, the stars cars if you will.

Maybe this will give you a bit of motivation to start working towards a position where you can also afford one of these. And if you don’t necessarily make it that high, working hard isn’t going to do you any financial harm. 

What’s worth noting (and what’s not terribly surprising) about this is that most celebrities do tend to buy over leasing. Of course, not everyone is in a position to do that and leasing is a perfectly acceptable option if that’s what your budget allows.

But it’s much better to actually own your vehicle, it takes away a lot of the stress and complications and that’s reflected by the decisions made by those who can afford it. Anyway, here’s what a few of the world’s biggest stars are driving:

Leonardo DiCaprio (Fisker Karma EV Speedster)

Starting off with one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Leonardo Dicaprio’s attitude towards cars and how much money he pumps into his own is focused on more than just his desire for a comfortable and stylish car.

Noteworthy for being the top-billed actor in almost all of his films and churning out incredible performance after incredible performance, DiCaprio is also known for being one of the most outspoken environmental activists in Hollywood. 

And this is reflected in his choice of car. In 2012, DiCaprio invested in Fisker, a company that was dedicated to producing reliable and eco-friendly hybrids and then bought one of their signature models for almost $500,000. 

Fisker has since gone out of business but DiCaprio still drives this hybrid, which is a reflection of his personal values when it comes to his road presence and also the reliability of Fisker’s vehicles. 

Jay-Z (Maybach Exelero)

Jay-Z is an artist known for his uniqueness and his innovation, and so a unique and innovative car is obviously going to be his first choice. This car is so unique that there was literally one line of it produced.

With that level of exclusivity comes a high price tag. We’re talking $8,000,000 high. But it’s not just the exclusivity, when you look into the inner-workings of this car you can see the case for such an exorbitant price. 

A V12 twin-turbo engine that produces 725 pounds of torque and is capable of reaching top speeds of about over 200 miles an hour. Alloy wheels and an anti lock braking system (ABS) and then a red leather interior to cap it all off. 

An extravagant car for an extravagant artist.

Dwayne Johnson (Pagani Huayra)

The Rock is a big dude and so you would think that he’d have a big car. Well he kind of doesn’t. This thing isn’t exactly tiny but it definitely doesn’t look like something that Dwayne freakin’ Johnson would fit into. 

He does fit into it though, even though it takes him like a whole minute to get out. But here’s the thing about this care and about The Rock. While he is very clearly a kind, considerate and inspiring human being, he is also a businessman.

And ever since he appeared on WWE television for the first time in the mid-90s, he has understood the importance of promotion and marketing to be successful. And the logic behind this car is promotional in nature.

Johnson’s first major television starring role is in a show called Ballers, in which he plays a massively successful sports promoter. And so when he showed up to the premiere of the show in this supercar, it made a lot of sense. 

Johnson knows what he’s doing, and he knows how to utilize every aspect of his life (cars included) to bolster his success. 

Wayne Rooney (BMW i8)

Those of you who aren’t in Europe and aren’t massive soccer fans may not be familiar with this name, but he’s one of the biggest names in soccer, one of the most talented players in the world and has been for almost 20 years.

Being that it’s the most popular sport on the planet, soccer players are some of the most highly-paid people in the world so it stands to reason that they would have some extremely expensive motors.

Rooney has had a few different ones over the years but perhaps none more noteworthy than the now discontinued BMW i8. This car looks like something out of the future and in a way that’s kind of exactly what it is.

The i8 was representative of a future where all cars are committed to sustainability. One of the most economical hybrids at the time, the i8 was revolutionary and when Rooney eventually parted ways with his it went for almost £65,000.

So overall, these celebrities, and many others, aren’t frugal when spending money on their cars. But it’s all in the name of things like comfort, business and even the environment. And you might say they don’t need to spend that much, but wouldn’t it be nice to have that freedom?

To be able to comfortably own whatever kind of car you wanted and not have to worry about leasing? It’s unlikely that most of us will ever reach this level, but maybe we can get to that place of comfort too if we work on it.

It’s easy to move and dance to the rhythm of your favorite song because you can hear it. After all, it would be hard for you to dance to a rhythm you can’t hear. But have you ever thought to ask yourself if insects hear your music too? I mean, dogs and cats hear music. They recognize music. You might even catch your dog dancing if you are lucky. 

But insects. Do they hear music? Do they even hear sounds? And if they recognize music, does it attract them or repel them? And oh! Maybe they have favorite songs too!

If you have questions similar to those your answers are here. Read on.

Can Insects Hear Sound?

To answer this question, you have to know what sounds are. Sounds are nothing more than vibrations that pass through the air. So when we say we “hear”, what we are saying is that we have organs that can help us decode the vibrations that are being transmitted through the air. So, as long as you have organs that can decode sound vibrations in the air and give meaning to them, you can “hear.”

Just like you, insects have organs that can pick up these vibrations and interpret them. However, you may not always hear what they hear, because these organs have a frequency range that they can pick and decode. 

So, yeah. Insects do hear.

How Do They Hear?

Insects have four different types of organs that help them hear. They are tympanal organs, Johnston’s organs, setae, and libral pilifer.

The tympanal organs exist in pairs on some insects. These organs vibrate when sound waves hit them. These organs function in almost the same way as human eardrums. They comprise a membrane that stretches tightly over the frame of an air cavity. 

Every insect that has tympanal organs also has chordotonal organs that can convert the vibrations into nerve impulses. Butterflies, crickets, cicadas, and moths are examples of insects with tympanal organs.

Johnston’s Organ is a group of sensory cells that are located around the base of the antennae of an insect. What they do is to detect the vibrations from the segments of antenna above them. Fruit flies, honey bees (these need special attention when it comes to removal of their nest, they’re protected by law), and mosquitos are the insects that have these organs. But can you repel them using only sounds? Read on to find out. 

Setae are little still hairs on the bodies of some insects. These hairs are there to sense vibrations and every insect has a way of reacting to whatever vibration it senses on its setae. Butterflies, crickets, moths, and grasshoppers are examples of insects that possess setae.

Libral pilifer is a hearing organ that is found in hawkmoths. It enables the insects to hear ultrasonic sounds. Libral pilifer senses vibrations in the air at the same frequency as echolocating bats. That is how the insects can escape bats.

So, now you know that insects can hear, the next question is if they can hear music.

Can Insects Tell Music Apart?

It only makes sense that if insects can be attracted or repelled by the sound of music, they should be able to first recognize it. Even if they don’t “hear” it the way we do, music should at least set off some sort of unique reactions in them. Only then can we say that they can tell music apart from other sounds.

To answer this question, I will refer to a study that was carried out by researchers in Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, and Indonesia. According to their research, electronic dance music repelled mosquitoes. The researchers carried out this research on two groups of yellow fever mosquitos, the species of mosquitoes that are responsible for dengue fever and the Zika virus. The researchers played a song by DJ Skrillex nonstop for the first group of mosquitoes. The second group had no music.

After a while, the researchers discovered that the music-entertained mosquitoes mated less. The females among them attacked their hosts less and they fed on blood less often.

Although this research has a lot of prospects, there are a few questions that come to mind. For the study, the researchers used only one genre of music, electronic dance; and they used only one song, “Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites”. What happens if you use pop music or reggae?

As a result, we can’t say conclusively that mosquitoes, or insects, can tell music apart from other sounds. 

Does Music Attract Or Repel Them?

Now you may say, “well, those mosquitoes sure did know to not bite or mate when they listened to Skrillex’s songs, so music repels them!” But the head of the Department of Disease Control of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Professor James Logan, had something to say. He said, “There certainly is evidence that mosquitoes can hear and that you can manipulate behavior through sound”. 

We already discussed how mosquitoes use Johnston’s organ to hear. But Professor James had more to say about entertaining mosquitoes with music with the hope that it repels them. He argued that using music as mosquito repellent is impractical. “There’s no way that you could use this level of noise in a situation to repel mosquitoes,” he said, ” unless you happen to be at a music festival and it was on anyway.” 

And when you consider it for a while, you may find how this could be wrongly exploited. One of the ways it could be exploited is that some artists might get undeserved publicity if someone claimed that their songs were mosquito repellent. But in actual fact, mosquitoes do not even acknowledge the sound of that music. 

Also, bear in mind that the research was only carried out on a specific species of mosquito. There are many other species of mosquitoes, and of course, thousands of insects.

There are also some arguments that insects are indifferent to music. That music neither attracts nor repels insects. But not much research has been done to prove or disprove this.

Conclusion

So, does music really attract or repel insects, science doesn’t know that yet. But if you are not in the business of entertaining the insects that may or may not want to feed on you, you might as well get rid of them.