fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
The Fate of Imaginative Children
By: Rolli, Https, Ko-Fi.Com Rolliwrites
Tags: Creativity, Nonfiction, Humor, Writing, Essay

My first day of school determined the plot of the rest of my life.

Walking to school alone, in the opinion of my parents, would be a beautiful demonstration of maturity.

We lived one block from the school.

I was only late because I stopped to pet a ginger cat along the way.

When I stepped into the classroom, 20 heads turned.

A mature woman pointed to the empty desk.

It was the desk by the window.

A boy who sits by a window will look out the window.

A boy who looks out a window will daydream.

A daydreaming boy grows into a daydreaming man.

A daydreaming man becomes a writer. Or a drunk. There’s no way to predict which.

I took my seat. Then I looked out the window.

I didn’t know it then. But I was doomed.
Letters from the library
By: Melissa Riker
Tags: Reading, New Jersey, Education, Events, Libraries

Letters from the library

Margaret Lafferty explains the upcoming activities taking place at Pinelands Branch Library.

By Margaret Lafferty

Medford Library Association

I do believe Punxatawney Phil played a cruel trick on us by predicting an early spring. While we did reach meteorological spring on March 1, the weather feels anything but spring like.

A quick reminder about our “Just Desserts” program on March 16 at 2 p.m. The best things in life are sweet, so eat dessert first! If you love baking, check out one of our many dessert cookbooks to make a homemade treat of your choice, cookies, cakes and so many other options. Bring in your dessert for others to try and share your recipe along with some tips and tricks on baking. Food will be served.

Our STEAM program continues on March 21 at 4 p.m. for children ages 5 to 12. We provide the opportunity to play/experiment with a bevy of interesting gadgets designed to spark kids’ imaginations & foster their interest in science, technology, engineering, art and math.

March is Women’s History Month; time to learn about some of the important people, events, legislation and issues relevant to the study of women’s history in our country. Bring your children ages 3 to 6 to the library on Friday, March 22 at 10:30 a.m. to hear stories about the some of the amazing women throughout our history. There will also be a fun photo booth and props for kids to pose like some of these historic figures!

Another addition to our adult programing is “Art Splash” on Saturday, March 30 at 2 p.m. This free-style painting program will allow you to express your creativity! We will provide the paints, brushes and canvas. Just bring yourself and your imagination.

Now on to some of those other on-going programs I promised to mention. We have “Story Time with Mr. Rick,” one of our children’s librarians, for children 3 to 6. We also have “Baby Time” and “Toddler Time” offering age appropriate songs and activities.

Until the next time, keep turning those pages and stay warm!
Tips from AIT desk | 18.06.18 | 1.1
Tags: Trading Ideas, Trading, Cryptocurrency Investment, Crypto, Trading Tips

Each trader has his own path, usually by absorbing the knowledge of successful traders that came before them. While no insights on trading will make you a successful trader on its own, but trading tips from our ML team can tell you where you could focus your attention.

“Like” this post, if you want us to share this statistic.

Today Particl (PART) project is in the center of our attention. Please, read, use, share our #AIT_TIPS.
Provision dropped: Drone Casualties Unknown
By: Afeef Nessouli
Tags: Politics, Middle East, Pakistan, Yemen, Law

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin does a great job reporting on Huffpost Live about how Senators dropped a provision that would give the American public the number of civilians killed by US CIA drone strikes each year. This is ridiculous and terrible and that provision needs to be put back in. The provision was included in Congress’ main intelligence bill for 2014 but hasn’t been adopted by the entire Senate yet. While Obama has made the rules for drone attacks a bit stricter, official tallies are nowhere to be found. Whether in Pakistan or Yemen, unintended casualties are a regular occurrence and the government doesn’t release these casualty figures! The New America Foundation, though, does try to maintain a database of strikes and it says 339 civilians have died in Pakistan and Yemen after 2009. Still more have been categorized as unknown. This is an extremely important issue, so please watch my buddy Ahmed explain the situation at HuffPost Live.
2017: Day 2
By: Taz Ahmed
Tags: Poetry, Poem, Writing, Ramadan, Muslim

The month begins with stormy weather

Heavy darkish shifting clouds

Reside inhabit and occupy my mind

Troubled dizzy shaky and scared

Submerged deep with thoughts of death

And though I am drama this is not usual

Thoughts of death for me are not usual

More death than usual

More death than life

Death that feels imminent in spite of life

A reality we all face

Have faced will face again and again

It’s nothing new and it’s all I think about lately

Maybe I want to be prepared

As if I can soften the bite of it

As if I am manifesting an inner tube for it

A life saver to keep me from drowning

When the deluge comes

— Ramy El-Etreby
Key Lessons from Studying Open Data on Bullying and Harassment in NYC Schools
By: Data Clinic
Tags: Projects, Education, Data Science, Data For Good, Open Data

Key Lessons from Studying Open Data on Bullying and Harassment in NYC Schools

How much of a problem is school bullying in New York City? The answer depends on who (and how) you ask.

In the fall of 2017, Data Clinic began to explore local and federal data on New York City schools; both sources contained information on bullying and harassment, but they didn’t necessarily tell the same story. We decided to share our insights March 6, 2018 as part of NYC Open Data Week, featuring a comparative analysis of federal and local datasets followed by a panel discussion on what open data can reveal — and conceal — about this important school safety issue. Click here to read the whole story and our five major lessons learned.
PRE-SALE POSTPONED
By: Bithemoth Exchange
Tags: Trading, Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Investing, Blockchain

Hello to all of our community and supporters!

The Bithemoth team has been undergoing a company restructure in the last two weeks and have brought on a lot of new and talented members. As part of this development, we have decided we will be postponing our pre-sale to accommodate for the time lost during this process. We have also decided as a team, that before we hold our main token sales, we want to have something to show for our development and give the community something tangible to buy into.
Nostalgia and the Danger of Feeling Like Life Will Never Be as Good as It Once Was
By: Casimir Mura
Tags: Lifestyle, Self, Essay, Mental Health

Nostalgia and the Danger of Feeling Like Life Will Never Be as Good as It Once Was

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

Photo by Sinitta Leunen on Unsplash

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that almost every person during this pandemic wishes that they could reverse time. Sure, it might have been nice at first. But, like anyone else, I’m quickly finding myself stuck at an impasse during this time. The world is on pause. I’m really not sure what to do anymore. At the end of each night, the same question comes to my mind. How am I supposed to live my life?

I’ve gotten good at making pizza from scratch. I have a regular exercise routine. I’m writing on medium, in between the margins of my notebook, and in the notes section of my phone. And yet, none of this feels like it’s enough. It all feels like it’s a step short of actual life.

I had to separate my room from my office space because it felt like my entire life was being slowly stretched out within this 12 x 12 room. It’s weird. I feel myself being pulled in three different directions. While trying to make the most of the present, I am nagged by the past and ignored by the future.

Recently, I came across a Youtube video that managed to capture exactly how I felt. This video follows a fictional person named ‘Sarah’. Sarah has obstacles in her life that make her linger on the past. I won’t go into the specific details brought up in the video, but it was something that I could connect with. Each portion of the video transitions to a different stage in her life. It goes from her experiences as a kid on the playground, trying to fit in as a teenager, dealing with real-world stress as an adult, and various other hardships encountered as a person tends to age.

However, one thing tended to remain the same throughout all of these glimpses. Sarah was always somewhere else mentally. She was at a certain point in her life, but she had convinced herself that there was another time where things would be or had been significantly better.

Sarah was caught in the trap of nostalgia and planning for a future that wasn’t there.
What You May Not Know About Strippers and Our Sex Drives
By: Erin Taylor
Tags: Sex, Sexuality, Relationships, Work, Feminism

What You May Not Know About Strippers and Our Sex Drives

Yes, strippers can get turned on at work, and no, it’s not just an act.

Photo by Guido Fuà on Unsplash

Before I share stories of my high sex drive as a stripper and confess to my readers that yes, strippers get turned on while we work, I’d like to talk about money. I would be remiss if I didn’t address the belief that money is the only thing strippers think about while trying to state my case that sometimes we’re thinking about sex too.

Because while we work, I agree it is about the money. But isn’t that the case for every employee when they’re working at their job? Therefore, it always irritated me when a strip club customer complained because none of the girls wanted to sit on their lap and talk for free. They’d say, “God, it’s always about the money with all of you. Give me a break.”

Now, as a stripper, I always handled my business professionally, but I never had patience for anyone who belittled me or any other sex worker. The strip club was an unpredictable work environment, and I had to perform on a saleswoman setting at all times.

To the whining clients who demanded free attention and dances, I’d laugh and say, “Yes, it is about the money. That is why I’m here. I am a stripper working at a strip club, and you are at my place of work. And the fact that you feel entitled to professional services at zero cost to you is a slap in the face to me and, to be completely honest, a total waste of my time.”

But some nights, I’d find myself distracted by one particular desire that overpowered my thirst for money or my smart-ass rebuttals. And when I felt it, there was nothing I could do to reclaim control; it was out of my hands.

On some nights, all I wanted more than anything in the world was to be completely enthralled by the lips of a stranger. On nights like these, money was the last thing on my mind. I wanted to feel hands all over my bare skin. I wanted to be kissed passionately, grabbed forcefully, and salivated over by a man buying me dirty martinis and complimenting my curves. I wanted to watch a man get hard for me while I sat on his lap and pressed my bare ass against him.

When my libido was higher than usual, I wanted exactly what the customers wanted. And on those nights, money came easily, but it wasn’t because I was looking for it. It was because the customers and I were on the same page — we were both seeking to quench a thirst so similar, neither of us had to say a word.
Are search ads really effective?
By: Richard A Meyer
Tags: SEO, Advertising, Marketing, Search

Are search ads a waste of money? This isn’t to say that big brands should never invest in search advertising, but they should bear in mind that search ads work best when they alert consumers to something they’re not already aware of. For instance, Gap might forgo search ads that would pop up when users search the company’s name or its best-known categories, such as jeans, and instead pay to appear in results for categories it isn’t commonly associated with, such as shoes.

Technologies such as radio, television, and the internet have given companies new venues for self-promotion, but the age-old problem persists: How to tell whether ad dollars are really boosting sales? Not only are people spending more time online, but advertisers believe that companies such as Facebook and Google, which track people’s online habits, can put the right ads in front of the people most likely to buy (and the companies can measure what results).

Although most advertisers have come to believe that ads delivered when a customer is searching specific terms are more effective than the static banner ads that once dominated the web, recent research has cast doubt on that.

Harvard Researchers created a randomized sample of 18,295 U.S. restaurants, selected 7,210 that had never advertised on Yelp, and designed free ad packages for each one in that group. (The restaurants weren’t told about the ads or the experiment.) For the next three months they closely tracked user engagement with all the restaurants. Then they took the ads down to see what would happen.

They found that while the ads were up, the restaurants in them got more page views than the others — 22% more on desktop browsers, 30% more on mobile devices, and 25% more overall. Users requested directions to them 18% more often, made 13% more calls to them, and clicked through to their websites 9% more often. The differences disappeared as soon as the ads were taken down. “This was a big effect,” Luca says. “It looks like Yelp ads are a positive investment, even for a business that doesn’t ordinarily advertise. The value Yelp ads seem to provide is in surfacing brands to customers.”
English as a lingua franca in our classrooms, in our lives!
By: Mario Ramírez Orozco
Tags: Matlupbchronicles, Matlupb

One of many things that I learned in Dr. Berry’s #MATLUPB, and has been spinning my head since that is English as a lingua franca (ELF), and all concerning about pronunciation of non-native speakers, like me: a Colombian student, native speaker of Spanish who can’t hide his own culture, his own accent. I believe that ELF uses in classrooms gather different needs of language learning of students no matter where they come from.

English as a lingua franca (ELF) means the use of English of non-native speakers as a common language, and so in a wide variety of international domains. ELF is a concept that includes the shaping of English by non-native speakers. That means every culture, who hasn’t English as their native tongue and uses it to communicate as a second language, shapes it in terms of phonology, pragmatics and lexicogrammar in their verbal exchanges

In classroom practices, a model based on ELF should give the chance to non-native speakers to acquire English without losing their cultural features like accent, using the English as a medium to interact, instead of deconstructing their own culture losing their distinctive or unique way of speak to achieve a standard one.

The priority for students using ELF is to be as intelligible as possible to the people they are communicating with. This does not necessarily mean sounding like a native speaker. So, the teachers have to analyze what their students are planning to use ELF, or whether they need to be immersed in an English-speaking country. Also, students have to become more familiar with a range of non-native English speakers accents because they will be aware of misunderstand a specific accent as a listener.

The more non-native accents the students listen, their awareness of accent variation increases; and, also denies the negative perception of their own accent and others different to native English speakers. Learning a second language doesn’t mean that you have to become a native speaker of that language but using the general rules with your own accent surely help you to become a intelligible English speaker around the world.
In the grain of sand
By: Anna Rozwadowska
Tags: Poetry On Medium, Humanity, Poetry, Self, Dissolution

It is not upon the towers, but in the grain of sand

that you will find me, leftover from the burning from decimation.

I shall reside there with each grain, a portion of my being

collects and dissipates as it pleases, waving to the tender ocean,

as if greeting a long lost friend.

It is not a story of dissolution, rather a portioning of myself

to attend to the many needs gathered as a human being,

to recall waking from the womb until the time of now.

One may collect the particles in buckets, shine forth like

diamonds in light of the sun, build castles with water,

I shall be there, a part of the home you are building and then,

I shall be blown apart once the tides comes in and taketh.
‘The Patterning Instinct’ With Jeremy Lent
By: Douglas Rushkoff
Tags: Politics, Audio, History, Culture, Podcast

‘The Patterning Instinct’ With Jeremy Lent

How humans might retrieve metaphors that amplify altruism and shared intentionality

Playing for Team Human today is Jeremy Lent, author of The Patterning Instinct. Lent’s expansive research looks at the variety of ways cultures throughout history have patterned meaning into the cosmos. In excavating these patterns, Lent shares how humans might retrieve those metaphors that amplify altruism and shared intentionality. Together, Rushkoff and Lent explore the question of what makes humans unique and how we might leverage our patterning instinct to foster a future characterized by deeper connection rather than alienation.

Douglas begins today’s show with a monologue on cultural immunity. He questions the impulse to solve the problems of democracy by simply building better tech. How might we build resilience in people rather than just in our gadgets and algorithms?

This show features intro and outro music thanks to Fugazi and Dischord Records. Midway, you heard our friend R.U. Sirius featured in Episode 31.
Everyone Has a Story, and Yours Matters
By: Mykelti Blum
Tags: Christianity, Courage, Storytelling, Encouragement, Purpose

It might be cliché to say, but every single person has a story.

I oftentimes think: what is so special about me? I am just a person who has been through a mediocre number of hard things in life. I know there are people who have it worse off.

It’s incredibly common to have those thoughts and feelings, but here’s the truth:

It doesn’t matter what you have or haven’t been through: your story can still impact someone’s life.

Because out there, there might be someone who has also been through a mediocre number of hard things, but it just so happens that those circumstances are a lot like yours.

My first time experiencing this was when I got onto a stage and shared a message about finding purpose. I talked about how your purpose isn’t necessarily lost, it’s always been there, but it just needs to be discovered. This is something I had been personally working on for a while at that point, and still feel that it’s a reminder for every day.

I felt that it was time to share my journey with others.

What I wasn’t expecting was the rush of people that came up to me afterward, with tears in their eyes, sharing they were feeling the exact same thing.

· That what they were doing didn’t matter.

· That what if their life isn’t amounting to anything?

· What if they were just put on this earth to do the same mundane thing every day until it was time to go to heaven?

I was blown away by the impact of this message that I had thought was just for me. The message that was my own personal battle. And that single moment opened up what has now been years of work of encouraging others to share their stories to help the lives of others. Because I saw what one conversation, one act of vulnerability, did to make people feel better.

Everyone has a story — no matter how big or small — and it matters.

Your experiences — every battle, heartache, joy, sorrow, and victory — can help someone else who might be experiencing the same thing.

To hide your story, to feel that what you have to say is useless, is a blatant lie from the enemy. An enemy who wants to quiet your heart and drive because he knows the impact you can make.

So what is my encouragement for you today?

Share your story. Be honest and vulnerable in what makes you tick, what your battles have been, what your dreams are for the future. I think you’ll be surprised to see that other people need to hear it too.
SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT: JAY LANIER, INTERFACE
By: Wake Forest Mas
Tags: Recycling, Zero Waste, Sustainability, Carbon Neutral, Wake Forest University

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

‍

INTERFACE HAS PROVEN that even the most unlikely of businesses can not only pursue and promote sustainability but also become one of the most renowned, influential leaders in its field for doing so.

Ray Anderson, the founder of Interface, made sustainability his utmost priority and endeavor. Interface strives to innovate, reduce or even achieve negative net emissions, eliminate waste, and use nontoxic materials to create their carpet tiles. Their design principles have revolutionized the carpet industry, working to create a beautiful space mimicking and representing nature.‍

‍

Jay Lanier, Interface Account Executive and grandson of Ray Anderson, exemplifies much of his family company’s ideals and shared their inspirational initiatives when speaking with our sustainability cohort in our Applied Sustainability class with professor Jon Clift. His wonderful speech, emphasizing Interface’s partnerships and ideals, inspired each of us to look within ourselves, and see how we may revolutionize other industries and organizations.

‍“Sustainability is about meeting people where they are.”

– Jay Lanier

Interface’s creation of programs like Net-Works and Mission Zero is truly impacting and shows that the realm of sustainability is absolutely endless. As Lanier says, “Sustainability is about meeting people where they are.” Whether that be through a program like Net-Works, through learning concepts like biomimicry and biophilic design, or other theories, sustainability is essential to changing mindsets and promoting change.

‍Interface proves that any company may become extraordinary, taking products long-assumed to be devastating to the environment like carpet, and turning them into something that is bettering the world around us. As Lanier says, “If business leads, everything else follows.” If our businesses begin to exemplify sustainable practices, policy and regulations will follow. If you want to see a great example of sustainability at its finest, look no further than Interface.

‍Originally published at graduate.cees.wfu.edu on April 5, 2017.

Photography credit for main image: Interface — Level Set Collection.

Photography credit: Interface — World Woven Collection.

Photography credit: Interface — Net-Works.
Internal World
By: Danny Recht
Tags: Creativity, Médium, Poetry, Mental Health, Writing

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

While I’m sharing, if you feel what I’m going through

If you can feel the feelings of the experiences I’m going to share with you

If my spirit touches your spirit

Please, take that opportunity to thank the God of your understanding.

I believe it takes an act of God for humans to get outside of themselves for a minute and listen to another person, let alone feel another person’s feelings.

We’re so self-consumed and so self-absorbed.

It’s so hard to stop the noise inside ourselves to possibly hear a word that you’re saying.

To be one with another human being is a true act of God.

Feel each other’s pain

Share each other’s joy

It’s a miracle.

It’s an experience of the miracle.

-Kathy H. from Philly

Recently, I’ve been connecting with my Inner Child. I start by asking questions to myself in a notebook with my non-dominant hand and exclude background noise. I learned this assignment from Adult Children of Alcoholics. I patiently wait for Jonathan to speak aloud with safety and security. Clarity is the finest description for our interactions.

Yesterday, Jonathan felt safe enough to express his favorite song, hates when I drink coffee, doesn’t like to watch My 600 Pound Life, and is terrified of my first poetry manuscript (Unworthy of Sanity).

Jonathan conveyed his deep fear of vulnerability and lack of trust with me. I have a child who needs bottomless love and attention because I’ve neglected him throughout my mental health challenges. I do not disagree with Jonathan; I welcome his experiences.

Positive thinking and emotional awareness are imperative to our work together. Reinforcing optimistic language, practicing the “smile meditation”, stretching, and starving my Inner Critic is breathing in faith over fear. I have two halves that live inside of me, False Self and True Self. Jonathan lives inside of my True Self and Inner Critic lives inside of my False Self. At times, I live in a False Reality, which is made of confusion, negative thought patterns, and addiction. I tend to ask myself, is this thought harmful or healing? I tread lightly on my Inner Critic’s opinion. I do not dismiss my Inner Critic; he is there for reasons that no longer serve me well. True Self is full of love, compassion, integrity, respect, and optimism.

I am full of an internal world that I have tapped into. I will continue to take care of Jonathan; in return I will channel my Inner Loving Parent to be gentle with myself.
Robot Revolution
By: Jill Kelley
Tags: Flash Fiction, Revolution, Robotics, Centina, Science Fiction

Robot Revolution

It started with good intentions.

Photo by Taylor Smith on Unsplash

“The Secret Society of Innovators finally attained ATP Regenerators to power the Micro-bio-Nano-bots on common dust and a grain of rice. The tiny bots can be programmed to take on any shape to perform any task; imagine The Statue of David doing your laundry. Humanity will be set free from all forms of labor to enjoy higher pursuits. The economy will evolve to eliminate poverty. The big-wig-one-percenters will not be happy. We must be prepared to fight.”

“Aren’t you concerned about a robot uprising?”

“Well, no revolution is perfect. We will figure it out.”
The Flood and the Flame
By: Karie Luidens
Tags: Poetry, Mental Health

I. The Flood

Back in the winter, the early weeks, we read about this new virus as if it were an offshore storm. It swirled abstractly on a distant map.

Slowly, slowly, they hinted it might blow toward us across oceans.

Then here it was, crashing upon our shores. Each new case slashed in like another drop in the downpour that started to flood our streets. Panic swelled in its wake. We scrambled to stock our pantries and seal our doors. Overnight, we went from hesitant weather warnings to strict orders: shelter in place.

Downtowns went eerily quiet.

We held our breaths.

The pandemic’s tsunami washed over us all through spring while we hid in our homes. How quiet that season felt, sounds dampened as if we’d been pulled underwater. We each sank alone. The mood was murky-dark.

Bit by bit, we found each other again. Not in the flesh, but on screens: through tiny windows and tinny speakers, divers exchanging status reports from distant deep-sea caves. We marveled to one another at how our sense of reality had rippled and warped like a shaft of light bending in the blue. Peering through our fish-eye lenses, we murmured over and over: Alone, together. Together, apart.

We were flooded in. There was nothing for us to do but wait.
What do I do With My New Queer Life?
By: Rachel Brindell
Tags: Queer, Diversity, Transgender, LGBTQ, Gender Transition

I’m scared. I’m alone. I’m unloved. Yet I feel so full of life. I want to experience all my new queer life can offer. I want to help others like me. I want to give to the community. I want the community to give to me. But I find that while my individual and group therapy has gotten me to this point, I must take that next steps alone. But I really don’t know how to go about it. It’s intimidating.

Socially, I know my future is not with my long-time couples’ friends. It can’t be. I am no longer like them, and I’m no longer a couple, just that third wheel no one ever wants to be, and a queer third wheel at that. Don’t get me wrong here. I want you to know I very much love being queer. I no longer have to subscribe to society’s expectations of me, and I am free. But my freedom at this point is infantile in as much as I am a toddler at best, trying to learn to walk, speak and act any way I choose, and I have not chosen yet. So now my focus turns to our community for love and support. I need you. I can’t do this alone.

I am a trans-lesbian stuck between the hetero-normative hell of my past and an uncertain queer future I know nothing about. I wonder will I ever be loved for the person I was meant to be all along? I hope so because I have so much to give. Love, respect, fierce loyalty, laughter and fun, and an intimacy I have never allowed myself to feel before.

Am I the only one who feels like this? Did I miss the queer crusade that I should have been on when I was younger, fighting alongside those other trans-pioneers? I feel like I have missed so much in my life that I can never make up for. I must accept that I was robbed of frilly dresses; pigtails; sweet sixteen; my first period; and most of all childbirth. There is no way to make up for that, but yet somehow I must find a way to accept and relish the times I had in a gender assigned at birth to fill the void left behind. It is a pain so deep it will always be felt. I will never be rid of that tug at my soul.
Let’s remember when the Moore Theatre opened, on this day in 1907 (December 28)
By: Chris Burlingame
Tags: Seattle, Moore Theatre, On This Day, Seattle Theatre Group

A very necessary Happy Birthday is due to one of Seattle’s most long-running theaters. It opened 112 years ago today and it remains an excellent place to see a show.

From Eric L. Flom of HistoryLink:

On December 28, 1907, an overflow crowd of nearly 3,000 jams into Seattle’s new Moore Theatre at 2nd Avenue and Virginia Street for opening night. The fashionable group includes such honored guests as Washington State Governor Albert Mead (1861–1913), Seattle Mayor William Hickman Moore (1861–1946), their wives, and much of Seattle’s social elite. The venue, named after its developer, James A. Moore (1861–1929), opens with weeklong production of The Alaskan, a Klondike-themed operetta with more than a few Seattle connections.

Although ground had been broken for the house almost five months previous, preparations for opening night were a somewhat frenzied affair, continuing up to the last possible moment. Just a week before the Moore was to make its public debut, much of the house — including the furnishings, carpets, tapestries, and seats — had yet to be installed. Men worked frantically to ready the venue; on opening night those theatergoers arriving early caught a few of the workers in the midst of their last-second efforts. “Those who arrived before the necessity of a hurried occupancy of seats, found the finishing touches being placed upon the work of cleaning up,” went one account.

Opening night tickets were hard to come by — the boxes, lower floor, and balcony sold out well in advance of the first performance. “The gallery is certain to be packed,” remarked the Seattle Star of the scramble for tickets, “many of those who were unable to secure seats on the lower floors deciding that they would rather see The Alaskan … from the topmost row than to miss being present [on opening night] entirely.” Even so, theater management found extra room for the occasion, allowing a throng of “standing-room-onlies” to pack the auditorium like sardines, which boosted the house’s capacity from 2,400 to nearly 3,000 for the evening.

The opening was easily the social event of the season, with reporters noting that it had “seldom, if ever been duplicated in Seattle,” even surpassing a spectacular concert by Madame Calve at the Grand Opera House only a few weeks previous. (Nor did the society folk end their evening after the curtain had rung down on the play — several prominent “supper parties” were held immediately after the show let out. Local theatrical manager John Cort [1861–1929], who abandoned the Grand Opera House to make the Moore his flagship Seattle theater, held a lavish celebration at the Savoy Hotel, dining with Governor Mead and Mayor Moore, among selected guests.)
Think of Top 10 Ways To Scare Yourself
By: Fahri Karakas
Tags: Self Improvement, Creativity, Self, Personal Development, Adventure

Think of Top 10 Ways To Scare Yourself

The Top 10 Series — 1

Photo by Finan Akbar on Unsplash

In this article, I will introduce a simple reflective exercise that will help you spice up your life. How can you increase elements of excitement, novelty, adventure, and improvisation in your life?

In this exercise, you will be thinking of the top 10 ways to scare yourself. These might be new adventures, experiments, or projects. Alternatively, they might be high risk and high reward initiatives. What could they be?

High adrenaline activities that will excite you

Adventurous activities that you look forward to

Ways of taking more risk

Bucket list type challenges

Creating something completely fresh, novel, and exciting

Traveling an exotic part of the world with your beloved

Engaging in circus activities, such as being a trapeze artist

Learning about magic

Here are two more ideas from “Yes Theory” YouTube Channel: Spending 4 days in the airport and sneaking in everywhere for free:

Now, please think about your own ideas and scenarios to scare yourself. For each scenario, you can write, doodle, and visualize your ideas. Please make a list of small actions and ideas to put it into life. Please do this now — it will take just 5–6 minutes of your time; and this is totally worth your time.

Image Created by Author

Please take an action and do one of these activities right now (or today).

In your life, you need to move away from things that are irritating and taxing for you. You need to move towards things that motivate, inspire, or excite you. You need to say no to a lot of things (i.e. if it is not a hell yes, it is a clear no) and prioritize things that are adventurous, fascinating, or refreshing.

Please implement all your actions in the next month or so. Do not delay. You have one life to live and live it to the fullest!
Raspberry Pi : Home Control Center Part 1
By: David Vassallo
Tags: Development, Linux, Raspberry Pi, Python, Open Source

In this series i’ll document how I put together a lot of people’s hard work into a home control center that is based off the raspberry pi, both for my future reference and for anyone out there who needs to build something similar. By the end of it, we should be able to have the following features:

Monitor temperature and humidity across various points in the house — wirelessly

Connect to your network via wireless

Display essential info on an OLED screen

Have a “webcam” mode that will allow you to stream real-time video of a room in your house wherever a raspberry pi … Read more at David’s Blog
Teach in Shanghai
By: English Teaching Jobs
Tags: Travel, Teaching Abroad, Shanghai, Teaching English, China

If you’re considering to teach English abroad in China, Shanghai can be a great fit for you! You’ll get to visit the world famous waterfront called “The Bund”, magnificent Jingan Temple, the booming skyscrapers on Nanjing Road, the traditional old houses and alleys in Tianzifang. Additionally, for foodies, what’s better than tasting the real Shanghai xiaolongbao and dumplings!

Nicknamed “Pearl of the Orient”, Shanghai is considered one of the world’s greatest city by CNN Travel for many reasons. There are endless entertainment activities, while job opportunities are also abundant. It’s the largest center of finance and commerce in China with numerous international companies. Thus, some call Shanghai “the New York City of the East”.

Summer in Shanghai

Here are things you should know about teaching ESL in Shanghai, China:

Shanghai Facts

With a population of 26+ million, Shanghai promises a thrilling, fast-paced big city life. It’s unique because, while less traditional than Beijing, Shanghai is a blend of the old and the new China. You’ll find colonial architecture among giant skyscrapers — a mix of East and West. The weather here is subtropical with four distinct seasons. It’s hot in the summer yet winter is quite mild and not as cold as Beijing. The main language used in Shanghai is Mandarin.

The average ESL teacher salary in Shanghai, China is quite high, around 191,872 Chinese Yuan or $27,807 per year, according to Payscale. Yet the source says it can even be as high as 411,000 CNY or $59,562 annually.

Shanghai is among the top four first-tier cities in China. Your English teaching monthly salary range in Shanghai would look like this:

Public school: $1,500 — $2,500

Language center: $1,800 — $2,800

International/private school: $2,500 — $4,500

Learn more about ESL teaching job salary, benefits and the cost of living in China here.

Why Teach English Abroad in Shanghai, China

Shanghai is a vibrant international hub that is probably more progressive than any other places in China. Therefore, that would make your transition to a new life in China as a foreigner become much easier. Although the competition for ESL teaching jobs in Shanghai is fierce, there’re tons of opportunities when you’re looking at such a huge population and demand for learning English. The benefits are great as most schools provide free accommodation, flight allowance, health insurance, and Chinese lessons.
07/16/2019 — Crypto Price Recap. ETH, BCH, LTC, BNB, EOS Dived Deep on…
Tags: Trading, Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Cryptomarketreview, Blockchain

07/16/2019 — Crypto Price Recap

ETH, BCH, LTC, BNB, EOS Dived Deep on Libra Concerns

After two days of grinding Libra at US congress, despite that Facebook has clarified that Libra is designed for payment purpose only instead of challenging any currency, the congress has ordered that Facebook needs to stop everything on Libra before further notice.

Source: CoinTelegraph

BTC-USDT

BTC-USDT tanks on Tuesday in response to Libra hearing at congress to $9400.

ETH-USDT | ETH-BTC

ETH-USDT follows BTC to $198.

ETH-BTC is flat implying ETH-BTC hitting bottom.

BCH-USDT | BCH-BTC

BCH-USDT gives up earlier recovery and revisited early lows at $281.

BCH-BTC recovers a little just shy of 0.03 BTC

LTC-USDT | LTC-BTC

LTC-USDT tanks to $79 dollars.

LTC-BTC stays at 0.0084 BTC

BNB-USDT | BNB-BTC

BNB-USDT drops to $25 dollars.

BNB-BTC stays relatively low at 0.0026 BTC

EOS-USDT | EOS-BTC

EOS-USDT tanks further at $3.48

EOS-BTC drops to 0.000389BTC.
The Truth About Living a Happier Life
By: Moreno Zugaro
Tags: Self Improvement, Life Lessons, Life, Advice, Happiness

I’m a summer kid. I love the sun. The heat. The blue sky and long days. Walking around in swim trunks or shorts all the time. Driving out to a lake and taking a dip every 30 minutes to avoid melting away in the burning heat.

If you asked me, it could be hot and sunny all year round.

There’s only one thing I hate about summer. The nights. Where I live, it’s way too hot to sleep, at least for me. I usually spend most of the night lying stretched out and naked on my bed, with a fan on high, trying to get at least four or five hours of sleep a night. So yesterday, I finally bought an air cooler. Low energy consumption, quiet, enough to cool down my room to a temperature I can sleep in. Perfect. This summer is gonna be the best summer ever. Hot and sweat-breaking during the day, but still sleeping like a baby at night. Ahhh.

Alright, so why in the world am I telling you about my air cooler? Did I run out of topics to write about? No. I tell you about my air cooler to shine light on one of the most basic, yet most overlooked principles of life: Life is about balance.

Marginal returns and marginal costs

To show you why this is so crucial, we have to put the cart before the horse for a moment.

If you don’t focus on balance in your life, you’ll drift to the extremes. And extremes beget extreme side effects. Weather, politics, religion, work. Extreme heat brings extreme drought. Extreme political convictions bring intolerance and radical behavior. Extreme religious beliefs bring extreme behavior towards people of different faith. Extreme working hours bring extreme stress.

At the same time, your marginal returns get smaller. Your marginal returns are the benefits you get from moving further into a certain direction or doing more of a specific thing, e.g. working more. When you are only working 20 hours a week, another five on top will make a large difference in terms of money earned and experience gained — it’s a 25% increase after all. But if you’re already packing an 80-hour week, taking on another five won’t boost your experience or paycheck as much — the marginal return is smaller, especially compared to what you already have.

On the other hand, if you’re already located in an extreme, exploring a little bit of the other side will have large returns with very low costs. Cutting down your work hours from 85 to 80 won’t make much of a difference, but your family will appreciate the extra time they get to spend with you. If you stick to your diet seven days a week and track your calories correct to a dot, a cookie every now and then won’t hurt you — but boy, will it taste good.

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如何抓準年輕人的心？Y 世代和 Z 世代消費者的行銷關鍵
Tags: Gen Z Marketing, Millennial Marketing, Member Get Member, Mobile Marketing, Customer Engagement

WEBA provides digital marketing solution enables enterprises to execute online marketing, o2o interaction, and customer service. Help you to strengthen your connection with your customer in an easier and smarter way.

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What Works For Content Direction Agency Founder Lacy Boggs: Writing For Results
By: Tara Mcmullin
Tags: Content Marketing, Small Business, Digital Marketing, Podcast, Agency

The Nitty Gritty:

Why Lacy is producing fewer “how to” articles and, instead, focusing on “riffing” on the leading edge of content marketing thought leadership

How she’s developing a process for asking for referrals after realizing her top clients come through that channel

Why her priorities have changed when it comes to growing her email list–and why she’s stopped using content upgrades to find new subscribers

How she makes sure none of the work falls through the cracks even as her client load and her team has grown

Today, we’re catching up with Lacy Boggs in a special episode recorded live on Crowdcast. Lacy is a content strategist and Director of The Content Direction Agency, which helps online small business owners communicate and connect with their audiences through authentic, organic, and values-driven content.

Lacy has been honing her business model, adjusting her own content marketing strategy, and growing her team over the last year.

Figuring out what’s not working is just as important as figuring out what is working–especially if you want to cut back on your workload and cultivate sustainable operations in your small business. Lacy shared that she’s been intentional about figuring out where her clients come from and reducing the amount of time and effort she puts into marketing activities that don’t yield the kinds of clients she’s really looking for.

For her, that means backing away from email list growth-at-all-costs and, instead, putting an emphasis on showing up in communities where her ideal clients hang out and writing content that positions her as an authority worth trusting.

Listen to the full episode and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or RadioPublic so you never miss an episode. Plus, follow CoCommercial and What Works on Crowdcast to get notifications whenever we do live episodes.
Towards Human Centered Education
By: Andy Spezzatti
Tags: Development, Education, Data Science, Improvement, NLP

Today’s education

Education is at the hearth of societal, individual and collective development and is supposed to facilitate children empowerment. Yet, in many situations, it fails to do it well, whether because of economic problems or outdated approaches.

According to USI data, about 260 million of children are out of school and a study conducted by Cindy Liu on US students concluded that 1 out of 5 students would consider suicide because of stress at school.

Education is currently not optimized, with a large level gap between students and individual differences not sufficiently considered.

Education in the 21st century

School defines what skills are valued by society. Today, it mainly promotes individualism, competition and zero-sum game. Yet, living in the 21st century, in a society of growth, resources are growing and highly valuable skills are now cooperation and communication.

In addition, knowledge is now at the core of every economy. The more knowledge you have, the more patents, publications or innovations you have and the more powerful you are. This is what makes Google and Facebook the giants they are today. As a result, to redesign learning approach is key so that schools promote cooperation, self-Discovery, creativity and win-win state of mind. Catching attention through gamification, fun and customized information is probably the most promising approach.

“I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained” Walt Disney

The first part of this article introduces the individual differences that influence the learning process. Then, a digital tool aimed at optimizing each individual learning potential will be introduced, leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Big Data to design a more customized platform.
A Quicker Way of Adding Gists to Your Medium Article
By: Fatos Morina
Tags: JavaScript, Médium, Productivity, Programming, Chrome Extension

A Quicker Way of Adding Gists to Your Medium Article

Using the Code Medium Chrome and Firefox extension

Medium is a great place to write. You get to publish your articles and reach a large audience. It’s especially good for developers, who are active and like reading about programming topics.

If you are an author on Medium writing about technology and programming, the chances are that you will need to insert code snippets that are syntax highlighted and formatted by inserting them from GitHub Gists.

You want your code to look pretty here — just as it looks in your favorite editor.

The process of inserting a code snippet on a Medium is long and tedious. You need to go to the GitHub gist and write the code. Then, you need to paste the link in your Medium article.

If you want to change the code, you can’t do that inside Medium, but you have to go to GitHub Gist and update it.

If you want to insert another Gist, then you need to repeat this process.

In other words, it can be quite annoying.

I’ve already written a few articles for which I had to insert hundreds of GitHub Gists. Luckily, I benefitted from a Chrome extension that lets you add GitHub Gists in a matter of seconds.

All you have to do is install it and authorize it by logging in via your GitHub account so that it can access your GitHub Gists. Then you start inserting the code by clicking on a new icon that’s displayed inside the editor and choosing the option to insert the GitHub Gist.

You will see a new side pop up appears that allows you to directly manage your code, whether that is adding, editing or deleting.

You don’t have to have another extra tab open next to ten others doing the same thing.

This plugin is available for both Chrome and Firefox.

It’s also open-source — you can check the code out here.