fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
#WeekendDhamaka Trade Contest in XRP/INR!
By: Team Koinex
Tags: Crypto Trading, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Team, Ripple

Since its launch, our P2P INR deposit-withdrawal mechanism has received a lot of love and support from you guys. To celebrate this success and as a small token of our appreciation, this weekend, we are organising another trade contest in the XRP/INR market. So put your trading hats on! #LetsTradeCrypto

This contest will be live between 5.00 PM, October 5, 2018, till 5.00 PM, October 7, 2018.

How to enter the competition

The rules are same as the previous trade competitions on Koinex. You need to click on the contest pop-up on Koinex and start trading (buying, selling or both) in the XRP/INR market while the competition is live.

Also, note that consent is mandatory for participating in the contest.

Ranking

Traders will be ranked based on their combined buy and sell volumes of XRP in the XRP/INR market throughout the trading time.

Top 15 traders (Rank 1 to Rank 15) will be featured on our leaderboard. We will only list the trade volume for these bucket ranks on the leaderboard. The leaderboard will be updated every hour.

Koinex Lucky Draw

Along with the trade contest, all participants can also try their luck with Koinex Lucky Draw. 5 lucky traders will also stand a chance to win four Amazon Echo Plus and one Bose QC 35 II Wireless Headphone. All you need to do is meet the eligibility criteria and trade on!

Eligibility criteria

You need to have a minimum trade volume of INR 20,000 to be eligible for Lucky Draw Rewards. Volumes will include buying, selling or both.

Note: The winners will be awarded cash rewards which will be deposited directly into their Koinex INR wallets. The amount will be credited within 3–4 working days after the trading contest ends and the rewards awarded will be as per the table above. Lucky Draw rewards will reach to you by 3 weeks.

Stay tuned for more updates on the contest!
She Tripped Over Truth
By: Louise Foerster
Tags: Microfiction, Self, Love, Breakups, Fiction

She was the one who doodled during meetings, hauling pen and notebook into conference rooms wired and thrumming with the latest, filled with the best and the brightest that money could buy.

On the day that happy blobs of flowers and bunny rabbits turned to words, she gasped. All eyes on interrupting her, she apologized, cleared her throat, and asked for further elaboration on points just made.

She nodded the rest of the hour, acting her typical deep-thinking self, laughing in the right places and complimenting the nervous woman presenting the research.

Back in her office, she closed the door and sat at her desk. Sipping water like it was any other day, she opened the notebook and stared at what she didn’t want to know about the one who left her.
The Difference between “is” and “==” in Python
By: Mohammad Ahmad
Tags: Software Development, Coding, Programming, Python, Data Science

To understand this better, let’s look at some Python Code. First, let’s create a new list object and name it a , and then define another variable b that points to the same list object:

>>> a = [5, 5, 1]

>>> b = a

Let’s first print out these two variables to visually confirm that they look similar:

>>> a

[5, 5, 1]

>>> b

[5, 5, 1]

As the two objects look the same we’ll get the expected result when we compare them for equality using the == operator:

>>> a == b

True

This is because the == operator is looking for equality. On the other hand, that doesn’t tell us if a and b are pointing to the same object.

Photo by ETA+ on Unsplash

Now, we know they do because we set them as such earlier, but imagine a situation where we didn’t know—how can we find out?

If we simply compare both variables with the is operator, then we can confirm that both variables are in fact pointing to the same object:

>>> a is b

True

Digging deeper with examples, let’s see what happens when we make a copy of our object. We can do this by calling list() on the existing list to create a copy that we’ll name c :

>>> c = list(a)

Now again, you’ll see that the new object we just created looks identical to the list object pointed to by a and b :

>>> c

[5, 5, 1]

Now this is where it gets interesting. When we compare our copy c with the initial list a using the == operator. What answer do you expect to see?

>>> a == c

True

This is expected because the contents of the object are identical, and as such, they’re considered equivalent by Python. However, they are actually pointing to different objects, identified by using the is command:
My Pretty Baby
By: Heath ዟ
Tags: Songs, Literally Literary, Relationships, Love, Lyrics

Where did you go,

my pretty baby?

Were there too many bright lights calling your name,

and

did you imagine that you weren’t free

here in the dark with me?

Well, now,

I’d have to disagree.

Oh, but did you know,

my pretty baby,

those lights were also calling to me,

and

we could have seen them without the need

to leave me bleeding?

Well now,

you may disagree.

Did you leave

because

you were afraid you’d love me?

or did you leave

because

you didn’t trust your heart

to beat along with someone else’s?

you didn’t trust enough

to feel it in the way I held you?

It was never ropes

just my naive hopes

that we’d be more than memories

in the end
孔老夫子與敏捷 — 談敏捷開發的節奏感
By: Yu-Song Syu
Tags: Agile Scrum Methodology, Scrum, Scrum Agile, Confucius, Agile

Kuma老師的軟體工程教室

Welcome to the Kingdom of Software Engineering
3 Helpful Tools That Make Writing More Enjoyable
By: Itxy Lopez
Tags: Success, Creativity, Advice, Writing, Writing Tips

1. The Freewrite ($549.00)

Image by Astrohaus

The Freewrite is a smart typewriter created by Astrohaus. As opposed to an actual typewriter, what you write on this device automatically backs up to Dropbox or Google Drive (or Postbox, a website created for the Freewrite). Despite the WiFi connection, you don’t actually have access to the Internet, which is the best part about the Freewrite — it’s distraction-free.

You can’t go on social media, watch YouTube, or do research. As long as you keep your phone away, you have no access to distractions. There’s a keyboard and an e-ink screen, so writing is easy on the eyes. This is the best investment I could’ve ever made. I write faster — thanks to the mechanical keys — but my eyes don’t burn if I spend a few hours writing, and it’s fun. It makes me want to write.

It’s expensive, there’s no doubt about that, but if you can save up, it’s well worth it. The only caveat is this: You can’t edit. There’s no cursor. Some people don’t like this feature, but Astrohaus’s goal was that you wouldn’t be tempted to fix mistakes you could worry about later. That’s what the editing process is for after all. I’ve never had a problem with it.

If you want to learn more about the Freewrite, you can visit the page here.
“The Scientists were tasked with ridding the world of sadness.
By: Kyle Freeman
Tags: Future Technology, Happiness, Webcomics, Art, Infidelity

“The Scientists were tasked with ridding the world of sadness. After much trial and error they finally succeeded with Joy Bot. Joy Bot travelled the world spreading happiness and delight. In particular he brought your wife a lot of joy. Your wife is leaving you for Joy Bot. I’m sorry you had to find out this way“
AMMA Healing Joins Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs Fall 2020 Cohort
By: Tiffany Madison
Tags: Entrepreneurship, Startup, Accelerator, Cbd, Austin

AMMA Healing Joins Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs Fall 2020 Cohort

The AMMA Healing team is excited and honored to announce our participation in the Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs Fall semester cohort.

The AMMA Healing team is excited and honored to announce our participation in the Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs Fall semester cohort. The esteemed University of Texas-Austin program is designed to create top-notch, real-world learning experiences for graduate students while providing the resources to boost participating businesses to the next level.

Part of the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, TVL was founded in 2010 and claims several successes, including RideScout, which was bought by a Daimler AG subsidiary, and Gazzang, which was bought by Cloudera, a California big-data analytics company.

AMMA is one of 14 companies selected to work with multi-disciplinary teams in the TVL practicum course. Among the diverse range of industries, founders, and technologies, AMMA was the only hemp wellness brand chosen to participate. Our product, ELEVATE, is also the only alcohol alternative product.

“As an Austin startup, we are honored to participate in UT’s program by offering a real experience for business students to learn how companies remain agile and scale during economic turbulence,” said Danielle Sunberg, Co-Founder of AMMA Healing.

“I’m thrilled to be participating in TVL. We have been impressed by their students so far, and know they will bring a lot of value to our organization,” said Ted Moskovitz, Co-Founder of AMMA Healing.

To learn more about the program, please visit: http://blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/texasventurelabs/2020/08/20/announcing-the-fall-2020-tvl-accelerator-cohort/
Iranian killer slapped and saved by victim’s momma
By: Afeef Nessouli
Tags: Hanging, Iran, Law, Hassan Rouhani

Seven years ago a 20 year old named Balal stabbed Abdollah Hosseinzadeh, 18, in a street brawl. To apply the idea of retribution in Sharia law, or qisas, the victim’s family was supposed to participate in Balal’s punishment by pushing the chair on which he stood, consequently hanging him. What actually happened brought tears to my damn eyes. In a country where more people are put to death than any other, including China, the victim’s mom, Mrs. Hosseinzadeh, slapped Balal in the face for killing her son all those years ago. Then she freed him from his almost certain death. Read more at The Guardian.
On visualizing the loveliness of the pinball universe
By: Zoë Wilkinson Saldaña
Tags: Social Network Analysis, Data Storytelling, Pinball, Data Science, Data Visualization

For me, one of the most striking things about pinball is how poorly it communicates what makes it special.

Pinball was around as a kid, but it never really made an impression on me. I used to play at a bowling alley at the birthdays of my elementary school classmates. The experience usually went:

Drop in quarters;

Keep the ball moving while anxiously watching the score;

Fear the inevitability of the exactly-down-the-middle bounce-back;

Experience the exactly-down-the-middle bounce-back three times; and

Wander away.

I think as a kid, I assumed that a physical game in an arcade would conform to the same principles I expected from video games. If there was anything to get, I assumed I would find out in a tutorial, or else I could infer the rules based on other similar games. As a result, pinball felt like random stimulus flashing at me. Even now, while I can remember the layout (and the carpet) of the pinball room at Lanes & Games, I can’t recall the name of a single machine I played.

All of the special and inviting and joyful parts of pinball were never obvious to me. It took other folks (in particular, other women and queer folks) pointing out what was happening on the playfield, and in doing so, apprenticing me in ways of relating to these unlikely machines.

For me, it was Carolyne, my friend and coworker at an academic library in Seattle, who first introduced me to Medieval Madness. She explained that this game was sort of a weird, side-eyed take on fantasy adventures. If you hopped into Merlin’s hat and the random event scroll stopped at just the right points, trolls would pop out of the floorboards (years later, my friends would attempt to compel the hat to stop by chanting “trolls!… trolls!…trolls!…”) Most importantly is Medieval Madness’s castle drawbridge, which descends to provide a route to attacking and eventually raising the castle gate, until finally, a bold pinball strike exactly up the middle destroys the castle in a flurry of gyrating stone towers.

This brief apprenticeships was, in itself, just a start. But over the years, it has made all the difference. When several friends moved from Boston to Seattle, I passed on the few mechanics I had gotten to know (with lots of enthusiastic jumping up and down). We started spending time at Shorty’s and places like Add-a-Ball, all the while nudging each other further and further down the rabbit hole. I moved to Ann Arbor, and I kept playing. Pinball became the thing I do when beloved old friends visit, or something I try sharing when I want to feel closer with someone new.

Through it all, I hardly improved at all in terms of points scored. Nor have I acquired encyclopedic knowledge about flipper techniques or obscure machines. But I learned to hear that soft voice beneath all of the blinking and whirring and ricocheting: pay attention, pay attention, pay attention.
The Ideal Number and Range of Digital Policies for Your Organization
By: Kristina Podnar
Tags: Tech

Photo by Pierre-André Roy

In digital governance projects I am often asked what is the ideal number and range of policies to ensure digital integrity. The answer varies and is specific to the organization, since each organization is unique. In general, the range is 7–10 for a small organization just starting to implement digital policies, and upwards of 35–40 for a larger organization that has already mapped out its requirements. Multinational organizations with mature digital practices that address regulatory and legal risks, as well as the opportunities and competitive advantages of digital, will often exceed 40 policies.

Which digital policies you choose to create and adopt depend on variables particular to your organization:

Business sector: Commercial, B2B, governmental, or not-for-profit

Commercial, B2B, governmental, or not-for-profit Vertical industry: Financial or insurance organizations will have different requirements than those of pharmaceuticals.

Financial or insurance organizations will have different requirements than those of pharmaceuticals. Geographical location of users: Country-to-country and regional regulations and legal requirements differ, impacting the type and scope of policies.

Country-to-country and regional regulations and legal requirements differ, impacting the type and scope of policies. Digital platforms: Websites, mobile applications, customer relationship management, social media, chatbots and others each have their own requirements which translate into their own policy statements.

Websites, mobile applications, customer relationship management, social media, chatbots and others each have their own requirements which translate into their own policy statements. Organizational status: If you are the global parent organization with national subsidiaries or joint ventures, you might delegate authority for policy definition and dissemination which will likely decrease the number of policies required at the global level and increase the overall number of policies in the ecosystem.

If you are the global parent organization with national subsidiaries or joint ventures, you might delegate authority for policy definition and dissemination which will likely decrease the number of policies required at the global level and increase the overall number of policies in the ecosystem. Risk tolerance level: The lower your organization’s threshold for risk exposure, be it brand, legal/regulatory, fiscal, or market place positioning, generally the more control you will want to exert over what can and cannot be done with digital, and thus the higher the number of policies.

So before anyone can answer the question of what is the ideal number and range of policies to ensure digital integrity in your organization, a proper analysis and assessment will need to be made using all indicative factors.

This insight originally appeared on kpodnar.com.
https://youtu.be/-Wx8L5KK6rA
Tags: ICO, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cryptocurrency, Altcoins

Utilizing ERC20 payment Technology to disrupt the current education system and enable global learning for everyone

Follow
A revolutionary approach to software development
Tags: Web Framework, 54origins, Software Development

SINGLE LOGIN / SINGLE PERMISSION SYSTEM

Single login and single permission system

Ecosystem54 implements the technology of a single login and password. This greatly simplifies user access to many Ecosystem54 services and significantly saves employees’ working time. You need to create an account for a user with their set of credentials once, and then he will be able to instantly switch between the available services.

A single permission system allows you to manage and configure access rights for each user group created from one main service — Auth. Any user action is limited by access rights. You can create groups with a specific set of permissions, add and remove users, manage permissions for each service separately, and give out personal permissions if necessary, which are priority ones.

Basic authentication by login and password does not provide the appropriate level of security required by modern enterprises. It is highly probable that an employee can forget the password, or write it down in any accessible place, can also inform password to his colleagues. Therefore, Ecosystem54 uses a built-in authentication system to protect user accounts and ensure the highest level of security. It is implemented through the usage of ECDSA key pair (public and private keys) and a QR code. The ECDSA key pair is generated during user registration on his phone and the private key is stored only in the place of creation, that is, on the user’s personal phone. Scanning a QR code is only possible with a user’s phone with a private key stored on it.

Also, in order to protect certain operations in Ecosystem54, it is possible to attach a confirmation QR code to a critical action — that is, even with an open account, only the account owner can perform a critical operation by scanning the QR code only with the device (mobile phone) on which the private key is stored. Critical status can be assigned to certain services.
Why I Call Them Freedom Fighters
By: Dhanush Kaluvala
Tags: Family, Self Improvement, Parenting, Storytelling, Short Story

There is no permanent problem.

Within just months, my Dad and my family.

Will recover shortly,

But what if the Situation Causes You Groan? Just cry at that moment.

What if the situation causes you to be happy?

Just laugh at that moment

Which I firmly believe in this

So that’s the reason; I am just sad now.

If any issues belong to my friends or my love or my relatives or anyone

At that moment: No matter what, I didn’t even care.

But the matter is about my Dad (parents)

That’s why I am struggling nights, and I am just getting low. I am profoundly delicate and emotional when it comes to My Family matters.

MY STRENGTH and MY WEAKNESS ‘FAMILY’

REASON:

In Love (I’m Good)

In the study (not for ranks, just for knowledge)

Money (I have my ways)

Room (I’ll adjust my self according to money)

Friends (unconditional support)

Parents (my freedom fighters)

I am just perfect in everything.

But the only obstacle that I have been facing since last month is my DAD.

(Why Is My Dad facing this situation?.)

The reason why I’m so angry every single day…& Letting Me Down,

PARENTS (FREEDOM FIGHTERS)

Why a calling like this?

Because THEY ALWAYS FIGHT FOR MY FREEDOM

I LOVE MY FREEDOM FIGHTER’S

NO MATTER WHAT,

ANYONE

JUST AFTER YOU.

Well, Before My Dad Surgery, I’ve given Him this note, and yes, he was emotional while reading. He is very confident to bear surgery.

Yeah — My Dad Recovered and My Family Recovered.
10 Different Ways to Loop in Swift
By: Mark Lucking
Tags: Programming, iOS, Xcode, Mobile, Swift

Ten Ways to Loop

The humble loop

This does what you might expect it to do: print out the directions one at a time on different lines.

The humble loop, again

This of course does the same but uses a more Swiftish syntax, certainly one that will get you set up for thinking in coding in SwiftUI.

A sort of stacked loop

This is an interesting variation on the idea. Imagine I want to loop through my directions, not in nanoseconds as I have been doing, but on demand. Of course, this version will loop automatically (in nanoseconds) because I used a repeat/while — but I am sure you get the idea.

The recursive loop

This one loops through our directions using recursion. I cannot help being a little nervous about recursion. It uses more resources than a simple loop and should not be used unless it really makes sense.

Simple skipping loop

Of course, maybe you don’t want to print every direction out. Here is an unusual use of the guard statement to select even ones only.

One more simple loop I missed

This loop uses a while condition to check each time it prints out an element in our array. This one is special because, using it, you could change the contents of the directions array without worrying. In all the previous cases, that simply isn’t an option.

The indexed loop

OK, but what if you need the index too? This will do the trick.

The indexed loopII

Same again, but this one uses a Swift function to extract the index values.

The indexed loop, less code

Again, an arguably more Swiftish version. Of course, you don’t need the loop for enumerated ; you can simply use it on its own.

Another version of a loop with an index

This one, like the last, is a nice efficient, short piece of code.

One more I found on Stack Overflow

An interesting approach, although I am not sure how obvious its implementation is ultimately.
Classroom PRANKS: Suspicious Teacher Gets Punished
By: Sabana Grande
Tags: Short Story, Self, Humor, Education, Life

Guys, before I begin this story, know that I have no moral high ground to stand on. None.

We had a creepy teacher in high school. Kids are cruel. We called him a pedophile. He was, (to my knowledge), not a pedophile. But he did feel up students unnecessarily which is why we made fun of him.

This was at an all-boys Catholic high school. Here’s the story:

“Daniel. Can you read next?”

We were reading out of Shakespeare… or something. As was usual for this teacher, any time he spoke to anyone, he felt the need to go and feel them up. He would ask someone to read while standing behind them and start rubbing their shoulders, for instance.

It was just weird. And high school kids are not known for their benevolence, understanding, and patience. We were quick to make fun of him.

He was also a Catholic priest, which didn’t help with the rumors that he was a creep. In retrospect, I think he was just awkward. He didn’t really have a bad bone in his body. He just rubbed people the wrong way verbally (and sometimes physically). Again, he is not actually a sex offender.

Photo by DIEGO SANCHEZ on Unsplash

But he picked on the wrong m*****fucker.

Right. Normal day. This teacher had an inspection coming up. We hadn’t planned any pranks. We were simply there for his English class (he taught English and Religion).

In that class — and not for long after this incident — there was a troublemaker. We didn’t particularly like this teacher as a collective. But this student hated him most of all. We shall call him Bob the student.

Bob the student was the type of student whose parents were far worse than he was — they were the type that would happily tell teachers to go fuck themselves if giving out about their son. About a year after this incident, Bob began growing weed at home and selling it. Weed was and still is illegal in the country we were in.

This kid was not a good kid. I don’t know if he was a sociopath but he was usually glib, cruel, and easily-angered. And our teacher — for whatever reason he had thought was right — decided to move him up to the top of the class from the back.

Nobody particularly wanted to sit at the front. This student least of all. After some cussing from the recalcitrant student, he moved to the top of the class. His desk was joined to the teacher’s desk, right in front of it.

We all knew what was going on. But we didn’t do anything about it.
What Is It To You?
By: Sarah Nderi
Tags: Spirituality, Faith, Purpose, Calling, Christianity

A big reason as to why I left Christian service is because it affected my relationship with God. I wasn’t connected to The Source. Church Politics surrounding gifts, talents, work, and dressing were also a contributing factor.

Being a young Christian, (I still am); I felt that the people responsible for helping me build my faith, offering guidance, showing me hope and truth, were leading me to guilt and condemnation.

As a proud member of the body of Christ worldwide; I recognize the duty I have in being part of that body while making sure that it’s healthy, whole and connected to The Source.
Ports and Adapters implementation in PHP, with a little help from Symfony
By: Grzegorz Olejarz
Tags: PHP, Ddd, Hexagonal Architecture, Engineering, Software Architecture

Implementation

The setup

I set up my project using Symfony skeleton:

$ composer create-project symfony/website-skeleton song-vote-paa

Test-driven development?

Time to write some code. It is good practice to start with a test that will cover the business logic.

That code fully tests our case. You might be wondering why my domain object is called Song and not something like Vote ? Because in my bounded contexts, Song means “A song that I would like to vote on” and is different from “A song from the external database” that comes from another bounded context. They share only the same id .

The first test covers a vote for the new song added from the external db, it covers if the first vote is equal to the overall score. The second test checks whether the overall score is the average of all votes. The next two tests check if the votes are scored between 1 and 10.

There are no getters and setters, I don’t want my entity to be anemic. The business logic is in the vote() method. This file is created in a new directory called Domain . I have created it outside the Symfony directory structure.

If I want to move my domain to another application, I simply copy the Domain directory.

Domain Service

Now I can implement the rest of the business logic. This is work for a service that uses repositories to receive and store data. Test first:

I want to findSong in the external db, add a score and then save it in my db. As these are external repositories I have to create ports for them. Ports are represented by Interfaces.

Interfaces exposes the methods that must be implemented in the application layer. These implementations will be the adapters.

You might have noticed something interesting here. The behaviour of the vote() method is written in just 3 lines of code and can be easily explained to a domain expert or non-technical person.

The vote() method is not working as expected. The reasons and explanation will be discussed further in this article.

Out of the Domain

For this project I created a very simple “in memory” song database. In the future it could be connected to real providers like Discogs or MusicBrainz.

To connect to this external db I need to implement SongRepositoryInterface . This will be placed at the application level, in the Symfony Repository directory. I am leaving the Domain level and starting to create adapters at the Application level.

The implementation of VoteRepositoryInterface is more complex because I’m using Doctrine. But I have Symfony to help!

Next level

I don’t want to use Doctrine annotations in my domain objects so mappings are defined in Symfony’s configurations. This is the Framework level.

I also configured my db in Symfony’s .env file:

DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///%kernel.project_dir%/var/data.db

and ran migrations:

$ php bin/console make:migration

$ php bin/console doctrine:migrations:migrate
Becoming a Leader in the Movement for Inclusion
By: Special Olympics Global Youth
Tags: Lebanon, Inclusion, Special Olympics, Respect, Spread The Word

Written by Ibrahim Fadel, Special Olympics Lebanon Youth Leader & Event Coordinator

Joining Special Olympics Lebanon helped me to acquire many skills and helped me to select the right major at my MBA level. I am grateful for all of the knowledge and positive changes that Special Olympics Lebanon has had in my life. What really inspires me at Special Olympics is it’s inclusive message for all people all over the world.

The Spread the Word campaign and the movement for inclusion is important to me because it eliminates and supports overcoming all #discriminations #differences and #disABILITIES through the power of inclusion. I decided to become a leader in the movement for inclusion because youth like myself can make this world #Unified together using all the positive energy of the #YOUTH and their new #Unified ideas. Each person is responsible and able to help; it is the responsibility of society as a whole. My advice for young people if they wanted to host their own #SpreadtheWord events, start start with Unified activities using all available potentials and resources. Just #START.

I pledge to overcome all differences, discriminations, and disABILITIES over all the country #Lebanon! Through the power of inclusion. I #PledgeToInclude.
Life and Leadership Lessons from Rush
By: Mai Mislang
Tags: Music, Life Lessons, Success, Leadership, Music Business

What I took away from the Rush documentary were life and leadership lessons — a delightful unintended consequence of sheer curiosity about the “holy triumvirate of rock.” Here is the secret sauce that sustained them for more than four decades of performing to massive audiences, with 19 records under their belt and legions of loyal fans.

Commit to what you love

“We were so in love with what we’ve done. We were so into it. So proud of it. When Caress of Steel pretty much met a deaf ear, we were opening acts for smaller tours. We were playing backwater clubs. We called it at the time the “Down The Tubes” tour.” — Neil Peart

Rush wrote songs that they loved which appealed to the eccentric. They were not popular and easy to appreciate.

One example of an album that did not land well was Caress of Steel. According to Geddy Lee: “Caress of Steel was not well-received by the record company. It was not well-received by our agents.”

They were proud of this album, but it wasn’t paying the bills. The record company was not happy and, in Neil’s words, “was leaning on us at our weakest.”

The band kept firm, which, as you can imagine, was probably not an easy decision to make when their own survival as working musicians was at stake. They “chose to go down fighting rather than make the record the record company wanted them to make.”

The result was the seminal 2112, their fourth studio album.

If this sounds familiar to you, then you must have, at some point, left a job you hated, pursued a career your parents did not want for you or focused on a passion that you were not sure would amount to something. For Rush, such risk-taking led to an enduring 40-year career as legends of progressive rock.
Won’t You Please Protect Me
By: Atheno Boldly Fearless
Tags: Failure, Fear, Growth, Poetry, Poem

Photo by Amaury Gutierrez on Unsplash

Father, I’m afraid

Turmoil is all I see

All order is frayed

Won’t you please protect me?

I can’t, said father

What would you desire?

That I lock you up, life withdrawn?

Never to see the light of dawn?

Go out, my son

And battle on

Sword firm in hand and standing strong

I am old, yet this night is long

You must face these wars

This world is soon yours

God, I’m afraid

Turmoil is all I see

I’m without aid

Won’t you please protect me?

I will not, said God

Let fall this facade

Were you made to cower?

On this, your finest hour?

Go out, my son

Fight till it’s done

Whether burdened by fear or despair

He who stands stalwart will be my heir

You must face this vile trial

Else yourself you will revile

Satan, I’m afraid

Turmoil is all I see

All hope now abrade

Won’t you please protect me

I gladly will, said Satan

All chaos I shall straighten

Let dry your secret guilty sadness

You’re powerless against this madness

Stay here, my son

The day is won

Grow fat and happy in my embrace

Against all pain we shall firmly brace

Wear now this heavy iron chain

And you’ll never suffer again
Hello, Medium world.
By: Rebecca Sealfon
Tags: Quora, Partner Program, Introduction, Autobiography, Personal

It was early in my life that I knew I wanted to be a writer.

The books surrounded me, each one unlocking another world. Each one broadened me, made me feel my limits expanding a little bit. Some felt colorful and alluring. Some felt colorless and barren, and I mostly ignored them until later. Those were the “adult books.” It was sometime in the middle of the 1980s, when home computers were the great new thing but books still seemed to have so much more. I don’t even remember learning to read. For as long as I could remember, written language was open to me. And if I could write my own stories, I could share my own worlds.

Over the years, staying on course to complete my education but letting it take me where I fancied, I learned about lots of things. Animals. Computer programming. Literature. I could not help but keep writing. I write on Quora.com, where my work has been read millions of times. Some of you might know me from there. Mostly, my pieces are about technology, New York City, Judaism, J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, nature, and Israel-Palestine peace. I reveled in the freedom I had to share what I loved, and the people who loved these things with me. I could cross anyone’s conventional idea of disciplines and connect with people from all over the world. I could even test new party lines on Israel-Palestine. I hope to have the same freedom here on Medium.

Me in Central Park, wearing a sweater I decorated to look like one of my favorite animals. If you don’t know me, can you guess the animal?

I’m going to be blunt. I’m trying out being a Medium writer basically because of the Partner Program. If you read this and you subscribe to Medium, you’d help support me. I’m luckier than a lot of other people that way, honestly. I don’t need this because I need to be fed and pay my medical bills right now. I’m free to take a few risks. And I’m definitely hoping to use Medium to think about how to help the people who can’t afford to take those risks. I also want to have children soon, and I really don’t want to be a full-time mom without any leverage outside my home. I have too much pride in myself to just leave the world outside my home to other people. Honestly, I’d go crazy if I didn’t write for you. I’d feel trapped inside myself.

Quora doesn’t have a program like Medium, and should. So many of its most popular writers are leaving or stepping back from the site because they aren’t getting enough in return. I don’t feel like being the chump who just feeds the tech tycoons and doesn’t get anything back for it. Of course, I get a lot back, otherwise I wouldn’t have been writing for so long voluntarily. I get to express myself. I practically live to surround myself with the smartest and most caring people I can find, enjoying my own world and thinking about how it can improve the real one. Getting a little something back basically gives me more of an excuse to do what I want to do. Write.
WTF is Two-Way Binding in VueJS?
By: Christopher Agnus
Tags: Vuejs, JavaScript, Software Development, Software Engineering, Reactjs

Vuejs: the Progressive Javascript Framework

In Vuejs, you can use the v-model directive to create two-way data bindings on form input, text-area and select elements. Two-way binding allows you to update the element based on the input type automatically. v-model is essentially syntactical sugar for updating data on user input events.

<input v-model="message" placeholder="edit me">

<p>Message is: {{ message }}</p>

The property is set between the quotation marks. The property is the name we want to bind in both directions.

How is this different from v-bind ?

Remember v-model is syntactical sugar.

<input v-model="something">

is syntactic sugar for:

<input

v-bind:value="something"

v-on:input="something = $event.target.value"

>

or shorthand syntax:

<input

:value="something"

@input="something = $event.target.value"

>

In summary: v-model is a two-way binding for form inputs. It combines v-bind which brings a js value into the markup, and v-on:input to update the js value.
Forerunner
By: Nadia Camandona
Tags: National Geographic, Mars, Space, SciFi, Art

My tribute to National Geographic Channel miniseries “Mars” (2016). Jihae as Hana Seung.

Forerunner. Acrylic on canvas. 14"x11". Photo ©Nadia Camandona.

Forerunner

Don’t be afraid!

When is the right time to leave our comfort zone? Nature tells us: when we leave the safety of the mother’s womb to face the outside world. From that moment all the protections that will be offered to us will only be an illusion. We are alone in dealing with the unknown.

We are all potentially forerunners.

History tells us that forerunners are special, unique, brave people. Many people refuse this opportunity. Others are not aware of it: the mere fact of not treading the path traced by our parents makes us the forerunners of a new lifestyle.

When you read history books, don’t think about unattainable people.

They too were afraid: they had to choose between the boredom of security and the excitement of uncertainty.

Many died for these ideals, many survived to tell.

But everyone of them has changed the world because in order to leave our comfort zone it takes a forerunner who create one!
Movie Quote: Ladies
By: Hanan A.S.
Tags: Quote, Cute, Movie, Disney

in Both Sides of the Table
Photographer Of The Month (July 2020): Dina Voicu and her Photography Journey.
Tags: Journey, Interview, News, Articles, Photographer

QUESTION 1: Every journey has the beginning. So how and when did you start your adventure with photography? What were your first steps?

I started my adventure with photography for the first time when I was in Greece on Crete Island. I did some tourist pictures with my Nikon Coolpix point and shoot camera. When I returned home I bought my first DSLR Nikon D3200 and joined the local Photo Club Banatul Montan.

Santorini, Greece. Taken with Nikon Coolpix camera.

Dina’s first photo taken with DSLR Nikon D3200.

QUESTION 2: Did you know from the moment you’ve taken your first picture what kind of photography you like best and is right for you? What do you like to capture the most and why? What inspires you the most?

I photograph portraits and landscapes most often.

I am inspired by beautiful people, beautiful places, special flowers, pleasant colors, and sunsets.

QUESTION 3: What’s your most memorable and the most exciting experience related to photography that helped you in understanding what photography is to you?

The most memorable experience was my first personal photography exhibition, which took place at the museum in my hometown, where I presented 30 artistic pictures with ancient buildings in my county.

Dina’s first personal photography exhibition.

QUESTION 4: Can you remember any moment or moments when you noticed the biggest change/improvement in your photos? What helped you with that?

My photos improved when I was at home in the maternity ward and I had more free time to photograph and document myself about photography.

QUESTION 5: Is there any advice or maybe a tool or technique that worked for you that helped you to track your progress and to keep on going forward in your photography journey?

My advice for other photographers is to dedicate all their time to photography. If you have other jobs besides, you will never be able to have high performance.

QUESTION 6: They say that you can’t grow without being challenged or without challenging yourself. So what is the most challenging part of photography for you? How do you challenge yourself?

The most challenging thing is to travel to different places just to photograph them and sometimes it is risky to sit on the edge of a mountain just to catch a very beautiful view.

BONUS QUESTION: If you had to say one thing, one tip for other aspiring photographers that could help them grow — what would it be?

Photography is an expensive passion that requires a lot of physical work, passion, and talent. It’s not an easy thing, but if you’ve caught the germ you can’t get rid of it. But remember that…

Work hard, talent it’s not enough!

If you want to see other Dina’s photos and follow her on Shuttout, just go here.

And don’t forget to join with your photos and upload as many as possible — this way you’ll see how your progress is going when it comes to votes and places in rankings. See all open contests and rankings here.
December 15, 2017
Tags: Questions, Games, Apple, Crowdini, Steemit

TODAY ENDS WELCOME TO STEEMIT

Quick SBD update…SBD = $10.17 and STEEM = $1.91

Today is the last question for the Welcome to Steemit game. Today’s question was inspired by me searching on Google. A little ironic.

Tomorrow starts a new game. (Yay!!)

There will be a slight adjustment to the prize because well the SBD price has exploded in the last couple of weeks and I have a budget to stick to. I will announce that tomorrow.

As I said in yesterday’s email, because of the bonus question yesterday, which we won’t have the data for until Sunday, and because I scheduled a meditation retreat on Saturday, and because I am new to distributing prizes via Steemit and SBD…

The prize payout will be calculated most likely Sunday afternoon/evening and announced Monday morning.

I apologize for the delay, please know I don’t like the delay. I prefer getting the prizes paid out immediately. This 100% Prize is new to the game and something I want to make sure gets done right.

I hope you all enjoy your Friday! 👍(◕‿◕)👍

All the best,

Jason
Announcing the second ticketing company to make use of GET Protocol: ITIX
By: Olivier Biggs
Tags: Theater, Partnerships, Tickets, Sales, Cryptocurrency

ITIX is the second ticketing company to make use of the GET Protocol! Since launching in 2007, the aim for ITIX has been to become ‘a user-friendly and flexible online ticketing system’. They have sold 14.000.000 tickets to date.

Currently ITIX does ticketing for 23 theaters throughout the Netherlands, and sells more than 2 million tickets per year.

‘Attention for theaters.’

The integration of these honest tickets for the clients of ITIX will be done in phases. Starting later this quarter, ITIX will offer their clients the possibility to provide consumers the comfort and benefits of GET Protocol’s digital tickets.

Total integration for all tickets sold by ITIX is the mutually agreed goal which both parties are working towards. This is a process that will gradually be completed over the next couple of years.

From GET Protocol CEO Maarten Bloemers:

‘Our partnership with Dutch ticketing company ITIX is very exciting in various ways. Not only will we learn how to make the technical onboarding for ticketing companies as easy as possible with a committed local partner, also the opportunity costs for choosing not to service theaters directly but through an established brand are virtually non-existent. GET Protocol is extremely committed in helping ITIX grow in market share with our unique features, to both our benefit.’

For more about GET Protocol, click on the image.

Needless to say, this is a big milestone and an important step for the growth and adoption of GET Protocol in the world of ticketing. We look forward to this process of integration, the expansion of honest tickets and the doors this will open. More details and relevant information will be shared as it becomes available.
Ma, Where’s My Bucket Of Kentucky?
By: Lim Wee Ling
Tags: Food, Drawing, Comics, Memoir, Life

It’s such a cliche, longing for the simpler days during times of uncertainty. But here I am, craving for a retro birthday menu I once whined about as a kid who was always asking — “Where’s my bucket of Kentucky?”
Jealous Lover
By: D Abboh
Tags: Lovestory, Relationships, Poetry, Storytelling, Life

I used to breathe in your skin

like it was my favourite perfume — Obsession,

but only somewhere between dusk and dawn

you would linger on my wrists and neck like the sweetest scent of taboo

a hint of the love story between the Ocean and the Moon,

the jealous lover hovering over a wild thing

as distant as Neptune circling the Sun,

part time lovers

lonely together under a blanket of stars and the night covers

that became dirty laundry for the tide to wash away,

now — I sleep alone on the shore like a wild thing

with the Sun rolling down my back and the Ocean dripping from my feet
This Evening Routine Will Dramatically Improve Your Sleep
By: Max Phillips
Tags: Sleep, Lifestyle, Self Improvement, This Happened To Me, Mindfulness

This Evening Routine Will Dramatically Improve Your Sleep

First, you need to understand sleep’s importance.

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

One morning while in quarantine, my girlfriend rolled over and said: “I was talking to you and you fell asleep mid-conversation.” I found that hilarious.

Usually, it takes a while for me to sleep. Not this time. I’d made some changes. For one, I began to understand the importance of sleep, as I’d often neglect it in the pursuit of productivity. Sleep’s importance cannot be understated. Neurologist and sleep medicine specialist Winnie Pao, MD says:

“How can you be in your best health when one-third of your life is spent in sleep and you cannot do that? It’s like over drafting from your bank account. If you overdraft every day, pretty soon you can’t pay back the interest.”

Sleep expert Matt Walker takes it a step further, saying:

“Human beings are the only species that deliberately deprive themselves of sleep for no apparent reason.”

A lot of people overlook sleep in favour of productivity. A 2018 study found that the average UK resident sleeps for between 5.78 and 6.83 hours per night, with only 6% getting the recommended 8 hours. A mere 16% of surveyed people believed they got enough sleep each night. The researchers went a step further and found that 35% of respondents would be willing to give up a portion of their salary for some more shut-eye. So, it’s clear that we value sleep but don’t get enough of it.

Walker says even if you can’t get to sleep, you shouldn’t lay in longer to make up for it, as it could ruin your body’s sleep schedule in the future. That’s all well and good, but how do you fall asleep quickly? Tossing and turning feels immensely frustrating, and it is easy to get worked up about it. Happily, there are some ways to tweak your routine.
A Visit to the Coal Mine
By: Claire Barliant
Tags: Chicago, Climate Change, Comics, Coal, Museums

Spiralbound

Comics for life, brought to life by Edith Zimmerman.