fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Bitfolio — April update
By: Francesco Pretelli
Tags: iOS, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Apps, Bitcoin

Are we out of the tunnel yet? 🤔

In the past couple of weeks cryptos are gaining momentum again.

Will it last? 🤷‍♂️ Will it crash? 🙅‍♂️

We surely hope they will keep growing, but just in case we recommend you to enable “Crash Blinders” in Bitfolio’ settings!

As stated in the last month update, development on the Android app has begun and a web version is under development as well.

Soon you will be able to access your portfolio and check your investment on any device. 🙌

What’s new

We released two big updates in April and finally introduced multiple portfolios support.

And for the sake of our hearts, we introduced “Crash Blinders”, when the value goes below a certain number, better not see it. 🙈

Also introduced in April:

Historical trends

More portfolio insights

Coinmarketcap support

BTC value

What we are working on

Android version

Web version

Exchange sync

In app news

Live tickers

Reports

And much more, check out the Bitfolio roadmap on trello, you can vote on your favorite feature and keep an eye on the development. 👍

Useful Links

Thank you ❤️

We’ve received a lot of feedback and we love it, please keep it going, keep sending feature requests and if you see a bug or an issue, send a complaint! (but please don’t be rude 😉).

Please consider sharing Bitfolio with your friends and coworkers, it would help us tremendously.

Again, thank you ✌️
Some developers have referred to this as an ugly hack, is it accurate?
By: Segwit Resources
Tags: Blockchain, FAQ, Bitcoin

It was originally thought that segregated witness could only be added to Bitcoin using a hard fork. For that reason, it was considered unlikely to be possible to add to Bitcoin in the near term because hard forks are much harder to gain ecosystem-wide consensus for.

However later on, it was discovered that segregated witness could be added in backwards compatible manner as a soft fork. This method may have been described by segregated witness’s designers as a “hack” but this is more a colloquial term among programmers that refers to achieving something thought near impossible in a pleasing way the aesthetic appearance: the actual difference is simply between the location of the witness commitment (in the block header for the hard fork version or in the coinbase transaction for the soft fork version).

In fact, the net effect of segregated witness actually cleans up a lot of technical debt rather than adding to it. If there ever a hard fork in the future, the location of the witness commitment could be relocated as was mentioned in the original roadmap proposal. It is worth pointing out that the hard fork implementation involves its own tradeoff by adding 32 bytes every header required for SPV wallets to operate.
Stable Coin review — TRUE USD (TUSD)
By: Cp Processor Team
Tags: Review, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Ethereum, Trueusd

-HOW STABLE COINS WORK?-

As part of CP Processors’ series HOW STABLE COINS WORK , we are performing stablecoin reviews of chosen six most notable and active stablecoins to day.

This is all part of our stablecoin initiative, done in the effort to further raise awareness on stablecoins in general, and help people understand how they work and what is their overall potential.

Our first review was performed on the stablecoin TrueUSD (#TUSD).

Statistical data is subject to change. Data collected on 2018/11/28

Dear readers, this is the first of the six reviews of active stablecoins that we are performing. Hope you will find them useful. Special thanks to the TrustTokenteam for their cooperation.
Seduce the Unknown
By: Joanna Vang
Tags: Poetry, Bazaar Of The Bizarre, Unknown, Musings, Inspiration

Seduce the Unknown

Poetry

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

The yellow experience treated the unknown in great luminosity

a not so conspicuous process engaging evolutionary growth

when absolute objects float in black and white

yet abstract in an associative way

and still, intuition is a good grey thing

melancholia stands between the within and without

where two paths collapse in playful dreams

the multiplicity of conceptual dimensions

intensifies lucid mottled discoveries

out of this blue obsession deeply buried

that has to be pushed forward to the continuity

but in fact is a completely new layered creation
Reusable Sanitary Napkins: Let’s Address the Stigma
Tags: Women, Learning, Belonging, Collaboration, Year One

In my previous post, I discussed my project proposal of further initiating the awareness and use of reusable sanitary napkins. I believe feminine hygiene is a topic too rarely talked about yet is so significant since it concerns every woman that exists in the world. Other people share the same thoughts as well, so this is why my group and I have decided to choose this topic for our project analysis.

The main question we will be addressing is, “How can we make sanitary napkins more sustainable and affordable for women worldwide?” With this, we could easily touch on the topic of how the initiative first originated and its original motives. This also is a great question because it brings attention to worldwide feminine hygiene. The topic that is often not spoken about is looked at with a new perspective when stating that women worldwide are affected.

Of course, when addressing this topic there will be some stigma uprise against it and thought of whether the napkins are clean and safe to use. Like a diva cup, reusable sanitary napkins are 100 percent clean and safe. The napkins are made entirely of cloth and are in the shape of a disposable sanitary napkin. The reusable napkin can be buttoned around the underwear, much like how wings on disposable napkins stick to the bottom of underwear. When not in use, the napkins can be machine or hand-washed, dried and used again. We would be sure to include all of the following information in our project presentation.

After the information about how the napkins developed, what and who they are for and how they operate, we would then address the statistics of women around the world who do not have access to disposable sanitary napkins. The statistics are more surprising than expected. Additionally, we would also address the amount of waste that disposable napkins cause since they’re made of plastics. This would also be a different approach, yet still, keep the same premise of a global issue since the majority of women in America have access to disposable napkins. Pollution has already been addressed to be a huge issue in our world today, so discussing how disposable napkins pose as a threat to the already piling plastic pollutants will naturally spark interest and/or passion for action.

With a project that is focused mainly on a product, it would be logical to have visuals and the actual product when presenting. So, when my group and I present, we plan to have a real reusable sanitary napkin kit on hand so people can see, feel and understand the product and better understand the presentation and topic. Words and pictures can only influence a person’s perspective a certain amount, but having hands-on material will bring a broader approach to the topic.

We are looking forward to further educate people on this initiative. We believe this global issue deserves more attention because it indirectly affects all of us, men and women, worldwide. Hopefully, the initiative will continue to grow.
El math-rock de Tricot llega por primera vez a México
By: Daniela Rivas
Tags: Concierto, Boletia Live, Math Rock, Tricot, Musica

in In Fitness And In Health
Project Euler — Problem 81 Solution
By: Yan Cui
Tags: Functional Programming, Project Euler Solutions, Programming

Project Euler — Problem 81 Solution

Problem

In the 5 by 5 matrix below, the minimal path sum from the top left to the bottom right, by only moving to the right and down, is indicated in bold red and is equal to 2427.

Find the minimal path sum, in matrix.txt (right click and ‘Save Link/Target As…’), a 31K text file containing a 80 by 80 matrix, from the top left to the bottom right by only moving right and down.

Solution

I took a similar approach to the one I used for problem 18 and iteratively work out what’s the shortest path sum leading up to each of the cells in the matrix.

Considering that a brute force approach will need to walk through the 80 x 80 matrix a total of 92045125813734238026462263037378063990076729140 times…so that’s clearly not an option! So instead, for each cell (x, y) in the matrix, we consider the two possibilities:

the path has traversed down from cell (x-1, y) the path has traversed right from cell (x, y-1)

the shortest path sum from top left to (x, y), let’s call it sps(x, y) will be equal to the lesser of sps(x-1, y) + (x, y) and sps(x, y-1) + (x, y). Obviously there are some special cases, such as when x = 0 and when y = 0, as you can see the different handling in the match pattern.
How to Install Linux on Windows
By: James Briggs
Tags: Programming, Linux, Windows, Technology, Software Development

Install Ubuntu

Bear in mind that these steps can be completely different depending on the distro you are installing. For example, Debian is not as straightforward as Ubuntu. So if you are installing another distro, be very careful and find another article dedicated to installing that distribution.

The first screen should show you two options: Try Ubuntu and Install Ubuntu. It is recommended you try it first, testing that your hardware integrates with Ubuntu as expected.

Once you’ve finished testing, go back to your home screen and click Install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (or whichever version you are installing).

This will take you through the installation process, including a few important steps (alongside many minor tweaks such as setting the keyboard layout, current location, etc.).

Those important settings include the following:

Updates and other software

Minimal/normal installation: Here I go with minimal to reduce software bloat from media players, etc. However, this is not necessary — go with what you prefer.

Whether to download updates while installing Ubuntu: This can help us reduce the time spent manually installing updates later, which can be useful.

Whether to install third-party software for graphics and other items: I would recommend this to help Ubuntu better integrate with our hardware without manually installing/updating drivers.

Installation type

The “Install Ubuntu alongside Windows 10” option must be shown — this is how we install Ubuntu without wiping Windows.

It is very important that you are able to see the “Install Ubuntu alongside Windows 10” option — and that you choose this.

Do not choose “Erase disk and install Ubuntu” if you already have an OS you would like to keep because everything will be wiped with this option.

If you cannot see the “Install Ubuntu alongside Windows 10” option, you most likely need to change where you are booting from. Two options should be available: booting from UEFI or from BIOS (which can be changed from the BIOS menu).

There are several suggestions on Ask Ubuntu for fixing the problem of Ubuntu installer not detecting Windows.

Install Ubuntu alongside Windows 10

The final important step is to decide how much space to allocate to Ubuntu and Windows. The left box represents Windows and should say Files, whereas the right box represents Ubuntu and should say Ubuntu accordingly.

Install

After a few more simple steps, you should be given the option to “restart now”. Do this to begin the final part of your dual boot setup.
The Old WPA Swimming Pool in Martins Ferry, Ohio
By: Nicole Cliffe
Tags: Poetry, James Wright

It’s time for another wonderfully bleak poem by a depressed and alcoholic poet of great skill and beauty! Happy Wednesday!
Is JavaScript Synchronous or Asynchronous? What the Hell is a Promise?
By: Kait Hoehne
Tags: JavaScript, Promises, Asynchronous, Synchronous, Single Threaded

Asynchronous Callbacks

The earliest and most straightforward solution to being stuck in the synchronous world is using asynchronous callbacks (think setTimeout() ).

Let’s use a database request as an example: asynchronous callbacks allow you to invoke a callback function which sends a database request (and any other nested callbacks) off to your app, where it waits for a response from the database, freeing up the rest of your code to continue running.

Image by Aleks Shineleva

Once the database request completes, the results (and any other nested code) are sent to the queue and then processed through the event loop.

In the diagram here, you can see how this differs from the synchronous code. Function C, along with E, F and G are all sent off to the browser, queue and event loop.

While this is a great solution, it leaves something to be desired. Since you can’t predict exactly when function C will resolve, you have to nest all dependent functions within it. This gets messy fast and leads to the infamous callback hell that no one wants to deal with. It was this environment that inspired the promise.
What I find the most interesting aspect of this is the decentralizing effect of masternode share…
Tags: Dash, Blockchain

What I find the most interesting aspect of this is the decentralizing effect of masternode share savings accounts. The masternode system has its critics because they argue that the mn system is too centralized. This effectively diffuses that criticism to a large degree. Will one’s voting rights be tied to how much Dash one has in savings? How do the mechanics of that function? I’d like to write about this as soon as I fully grasp this…any links you may have please advise. Thanks
Magic
By: Lost Angiest
Tags: Poetry, Oceans, Love, Infatuation, Breakups

A. Granheim Photography/2017 /Huntington Beach, CA

The moon pulls the tides in your direction,

beams of light ride the waves like lightening.

In my ocean eyes you look for the affection that you long for.

I know about love, baby, it can be very frightening.

But we can ride this magic together

all the way through the riptides.

Salt used to be my favorite flavor,

until the day I tasted you.

I once treaded water in the shallow end,

but with you I need no shore in sight,

I never want to touch the ground again.

You are the sweetest thing I have ever seen,

Emerald pools of heaven in your eyes,

the soul of an angel with a slightly dirty mind.

The ocean has nothing on you.

You are my favorite now.

Drown me in waves if it means loving you,

Whatever it takes,

I know that the heartbreak is worth more than the pain,

I see it coming.

Like a sunset on the shore with the full moon glowing above,

It doesn’t get any better than this.

How could it.

But, baby, what do I know about love?

Oceans between us,

Its all for the best.

We were never meant to surf together,

I want this wave all to myself,

I don’t think you could even keep up.

My vision is not your future,

My only fear is losing you.

My only weakness loving you.

Stuck in moments as shallow as my heart,

floating in seas of dopamine.

No port in sight,

No songs left to sing.

For a while I will love you more than I love the ocean.

Don’t worry, baby.

It won’t last for long.

I just want it to last long enough to hold you in the setting sun.
Extra Large rooms for up to 50 participants now available in Business
Tags: Communication, Remote Working, Collaboration, Meetings, Teamwork

Extra Large rooms for up to 50 participants now available in Business

With many of our customers having an increased need for large meeting in the current situation, we are now enabling all customers on our Business plan to create Extra Large rooms with support for up to 50 participants.

Up until now, Whereby has had two room modes; normal rooms for up to 4 participants and large rooms for up to 12 participants. We have gotten a lot of feedback that many people need more participants, so we have been hard at work to add support for this.

The new Extra Large room mode has been in beta for some time with Business customers, but given the current situation and this feature being so highly requested by many of our business customers, we wanted to make this available as quickly as possible. Having three room modes is not ideal from a user perspective, but was unfortunately required to get this out quickly. We will continue to work on making transitions between small and large meetings more seamless.

The new Extra Large mode is great for company-wide all hands meetings, team meetings, demos, webinars, online schooling and other use cases in education, conference presentations and any meetings where you want to invite many people to listen to a few speakers.

All admins in Business accounts will now have the ability to create as many Extra Large rooms as needed (within their plan limit).

You can create Extra Large rooms with the “Add XL room” button in the bottom of the dashboard. Read more about room types.

Admins can create Extra Large rooms from the dashboard

How Extra Large rooms work:

The step for reviewing cam/mic settings will always be shown before guests join the call.

will always be shown before guests join the call. 12 participants can have video on at the same time. Participants with video off will be audio-only spectators , who can unmute audio or push space to talk.

at the same time. Participants with video off will be , who can unmute audio or push space to talk. It is possible to rotate which participants are on video, by people turning their camera on/off .

. People can push space to talk.

​Specators can react to what’s being said with animated reactions, making meetings more engaging!

Currently, it is not possible to change the status of existing room to be Extra Large. If you want to switch one of your existing rooms, you can just delete the room and re-create it as an Extra Large room.

Extra Large rooms will have a label in the room list

Extra Large rooms are still in Beta, meaning that we may make smaller tweaks to the experience without notice and you may experience bugs.

Set up a Business plan for your organization to get started. We'd love to hear any feedback you have, and will do our best to iterate quickly!

- The Whereby Team

​
Pipe
By: Patrick M. Ohana
Tags: Humor, Poetry, Illumination Curated, Irony, Pipe Types

Pipe

It’s a dirty word in French

Image (CC0) from PxHere

Whether you use it to smoke something bad

or as a conduit of your utilities

or to whistle a catchy tune

or while wearing a Scottish skirt

or to convey beer into barrels

or to transmit some AI program

or to freaking quiet down

or even just listening to a curlew do it

a pipe is an interesting short word

especially if it’s a pipe dream

Patrick M. Ohana
Collaboration
By: J.D. Harms
Tags: Poetry, Relationships, Collaboration, Image, Others

Collected grief, the proof that others left inky sticky footprints on the heart; then rise into the next set of arms, the eyes lifting you from your reflecting on the ground, and what’s beneath it, scattered ashes.

There’s the Sherbrook bridge, stern, concrete, utilitarian: you use it to get to the other side, the Red rushes past.

There’s the square of cement where you made me dance, pull out an interpretive dance, hauling the sun over the tops of downtown, in my underwear. You cheered. You laughed. It was collaborative.

And underneath, where Jon and I ceaselessly celebrated our homeless version; but we were living with others at the time.

Stones, cars, acres of river mud, the cracked flats where we’d set off fireworks into Wellington. Well they can afford a few fires over there. Then the sudden darkness, the old library frowning down on us. Flee.

You only flee because there’s others; there’s this collaboration we’re working to, from, and get to belong.
Getting up to speed on crypto
By: Yan-David Erlich
Tags: Cryptocurrency, Ethereum, Bitcoin

Bitcoin Price & Market Cap. Source: coinmarketcap.com

Many of my friends & family have asked what they should read/watch to get started understanding cryptocurrencies. I first send them the Bitcoin whitepaper and the Princeton class first (first 2 links below). Depending on how much they’ve been infected by the crypto virus after that, and their level/approach, I suggest more of the below links. There’s a trove of material and this is by no means exhaustive. That said, it’s a decent start. Enjoy!

Start here:

Why crypto matters:

[Watch] Naval’s first Periscope which discusses crypto at length

How to value Cryptoassets:

[Read] John Pfeffer’s paper “An Institutional Investor’s guide to Cryptoassets” (paper is at the bottom of the linked post)

[Read] Chris Burniske’s Cryptoasset Valuations

[Read] Letter to Jamie Dimon by Adam Ludwin @ Chain

Go Deep on Bitcoin:

Cryptoassets other than Bitcoin:

Write some code:

[Code] CryptoZombies, a simple game on Ethereum platform

Stay up to date:

[Follow] There are lots of fun crypto people to follow on Twitter. Some of the funniest are Neeraj Agrawal and Kevin Pham.

[Follow] All the folks above are on Twitter. They’re good follows too.

[Follow] Naval Ravikant (whom you should follow) has a great list.

If you like the above, follow me. Enjoy!
Showing of the Comedic Opera The Barber of Seville in Medford
Tags: Barber Of Seville, Headlines, Entertainment, Families, Antonio Pappano

The Barber of Seville is considered one of the great operatic masterpieces, perhaps the best use of comedy within music of all time. Enjoy a replay of a performance of the opera, written by Gioachino Rossini, on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. from the comfort of the Medford Leas Theater located at 1 Medford Leas Way.

Conducted by Antonio Pappano, currently the music director of the Royal Opera House in London, it will feature opera legends Joyce DiDonato and Juan Diego Florez. The state-of-the-art projection screen and surround sound system at Medford Leas will immerse you in the show and the music. Enjoy scrumptious hors d’oeuvres and other delicacies during intermission.

The great performance and cuisine is the next best thing to being at the opera in-person. A suggested donation of $5 is payable at the door. More information is available at: http://www.medfordleas.org/event-categories/leasmusicast.

Medford Leas is a nationally accredited, not-for-profit community guided by Quaker principles for those aged 55 and older, with campuses in Medford and Lumberton, New Jersey. For more information, call (609) 654–3000 or visit www.medfordleas.org.
Sıfırdan Yüze
By: F. Emir Dorukoglu
Tags: Hayat, Kişisel Gelişim, Başarı, Türkçe

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Ponta D’agulha Costelaria: a unique experience with Bitcoins!
By: Ramon Oliveira
Tags: Criptobanco, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Bancryp, Bitcoin

Bancryp is focused on providing unique experiences giving usability for Bitcoin in the most diverse areas, so another great gastronomic option comes into the radar of those who use crypto-coins on a day-to-day basis.

Brazilian barbecue is their specialty, which on a average month prepares three tons of grilled meat. Costelaria Ponta D’Agulha has three units in Florianópolis and now has Bancryp to accept payments in Bitcoin.

Reference in Florianópolis, the place is indicated for who likes and consumes Brazilian barbecue with a fine touch and unparalleled flavor, besides a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere.

Check out the video:

The Ponta D’agulha Costelaria fica localizada na Rodovia Dr. Antonio Luiz Moura Gonzaga, 3339, no Rio Tavares, em Florianópolis.

Stay tunned at our oficial medias:

Telegram: https://t.me/bancrypEN

Facebook: https://goo.gl/uSFiLb

Instagram: https://goo.gl/UfKeSr

Twitter: https://goo.gl/8CbCms

Medium: https://goo.gl/tUawqp

YouTube: https://goo.gl/LmkeD2

Online Support: http://bancryp.com/
LET’S CROWN SOME MIDDLE CHILD WINNERS!
Tags: Crowdini, Questions, Games, Steemit, Steem

LET’S CROWN SOME MIDDLE CHILD WINNERS!

Quick note…My emailing service is doing some server maintenance at the time this email is supposed to go out so there might be some delay in receiving it.

We have our latest winners!!!

Congrats again to chileheadd who narrowly won the Middle Child game with 810 points. They will receive 12.5 SBD, paid today.

Mjwalsh210 finished second with 808 points and will be paid 6.25 SBD today as well.

Finally machv with a first time top 3 finish will receive 3.75 SBD, paid today.

Tomorrow I will announce the qualifiers for the 100% Prize. At that time you will have about a day to contest if you are not listed as a qualifier and have qualified.

All the best,

Jason
I have a dream!
By: Marcus Raitner
Tags: Leadership, Truly Human Leadership

Decades have passed since Peter F. Drucker coined the term knowledge work in 1959 and pointed out that the organization needs these knowledge workers more than the knowledge workers conversely need the organization. They bear their work equipment always in their heads and are therefore much more flexible and independent than the assembly line workers for whom Taylorism and the modern management based on it were invented. These knowledge workers must be led with equal dignity as associates rather than subordinates. And since almost all work now consists in part of knowledge work, leadership today is really only legitimate if it aims at the self-leadership of the employees entrusted to it, as Götz W. Werner aptly put it.

One does not “manage” people. The task is to lead people. Peter F. Drucker

Decades have also passed since Douglas McGregor in 1960 questioned the destructive conception of human nature in Taylorism and suggested in his book “The Human Side of Enterprise” a much more optimistic one. Those who want to lead knowledge workers can and must no longer assume that those workers are lazy and must be motivated to perform, as the Theory X of Taylorism had previously postulated. The much more helpful assumption to lead this “ army of volunteers “ (John P. Kotter) is that of Theory Y, which regards people as motivated and willing to perform. If people do not show this in the organization, it is therefore a structural problem and not a human one.

The answer to the question managers so often ask of behavioral scientists “How do you motivate people?” is, “You don’t.” Douglas McGregor

So there’s hope. We do not have a problem of understanding, but “only” a problem of implementation. That is why I still have this dream of a new and better workplace.

I have a dream that one day the economy will serve people and life in general and that people will no longer be means but rather the purpose of it.

I have a dream that we treat people as if they were what they should be and thus take them where they could be.

I have a dream that we put the miserably failed attempt to motivate people with incentives into our cabinets together with the other soulless management practices and instead build structures that don’t demotivate people so much that they need these incentives to perform.

I have a dream that humans will no longer be considered resources, but that unleashing individual potential will be seen as a decisive competitive factor in the age of digitalization.

I have this dream every day.

Let’s dream together. Let us create a new and better world of work step by step. And let’s build humane organizations for the age of digitization — in the spirit of the Manifesto for Human Leadership. Persistent in our efforts, modest in our expectation for success, as the wise motto of Götz W. Werner says.
High Self-Esteem Isn’t The Key To Great Leadership
By: Marta Brzosko
Tags: Leadership, Work, Self, Self Esteem, Mindfulness

When High Self-Esteem Becomes Unhelpful For Leaders

I remember talking to my mentor a few years ago and whining about all the great things I would accomplish — if only I had more self-esteem. I always felt I lacked the confidence to do the things I wanted: lead mindfulness workshops, coach others, write books.

She listened patiently, then she responded:

“Confidence isn’t something you can have before you start. It grows as you do the things you want to do. You can’t be confident about what you haven’t done yet.”

This changed the way I thought about confidence and self-esteem. I realized that sitting around waiting for confidence to come wasn’t helpful. A much better way was to go out into the world and started doing the things I wanted— while gaining confidence as a “side effect.”

This was also liberating. What my mentor said gave me permission to start pursuing my dreams before I felt ready.

The same goes for self-esteem. You may want to have more of it before you take up a leadership position. But what you overlook is that self-esteem will most likely build up naturally as you lead and support others — not before.

Self-esteem in leadership may not just be overrated. Sometimes, it can downright hinder your ability to lead.

In his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, Marshall Goldsmith points out a bias people in leadership positions commonly experience. Because of their high place in the work hierarchy, they develop high self-esteem that isn’t necessarily rooted in reality. This may make them confuse their flaws for their strengths. As a result, they end up believing they succeeded because of those flaws — while, in reality, they succeeded despite them!

One interesting example was the executive director Goldsmith coached. He delivered outstanding results but had one big weakness — he was a terrible listener. Interestingly, he believed this was a good thing. By paying little attention to others, he thought he shielded himself against distractions and was able to focus.

His team, however, didn’t see it that way. The director could have done a much better job leading if only he listened more. But because of his executive role, he fell prey to the bias that comes with high self-esteem. He wasn’t able to even begin to see where he could improve.

While there’s nothing wrong with knowing your worth, maybe we attach too much importance to it. What if there were other qualities you could be working on instead?

Better yet — what if those qualities would make the need for high self-esteem redundant?
Seeing is Not Believing
By: Jaya V
Tags: Emotions, Magic, Christmas, Exulansis, Fiction

Christmas Eve 1985, brave little Mike returned from the bathroom at 1.15 am and froze in his tracks. The man stood in the living room wearing a dark red coat and pants with a matching pointy hat. Mike’s eyes shifted towards the man’s huge belly and he started laughing seeing the shiny belt with tiny silver bells. The man’s hair and beard were like candy floss but white.

The man raised a finger to his lips and winked at Mike with a twinkle in his blue eyes. Then he placed a heavy hand on six-year-old Mike’s head and Mike felt a warmth spread through his body.

Mike straightened his hair and giggled. The man climbed out of the window and disappeared.

Mike stood there for a moment and then he saw it lying on the furry carpet; a tiny silver bell. He ran and picked it up, played with it for a while, and then went to sleep.

Mike woke up excited on Christmas morning and ran to check on the gifts, “Mom, you won’t believe who was here last night,” Mike said, tearing the red wrapping paper.

“Who?” his mother asked.

“Santa Claus, he came to give me these gifts.”

“Of course he did,” his mother replied smiling and went into the kitchen.

“Look Dad, he gave me a bell,”

“That’s fantastic,” Dad said.

After opening his gifts, Mike ran outside to deliver this exciting news to his neighbor Tim, who was around his age. “I met Santa last night,” Mike said, unable to contain his excitement.

“Wow,” Tim exclaimed as it was the coolest thing to ever happen to someone.

“Why didn’t I meet him last night?” Tim’s smile disappeared.

“You must have gone to sleep,” Mike said.

‘You were awake,” Tim said, getting jealous.

“Yeah, I had gone to the bathroom alone at night,” Mike said, emphasizing the last three words.

Tim’s jealousy rose. “Next year, I will meet him too,” he said.

Mike spent the next few days of the holiday bubbling with excitement. He couldn’t wait for the school to reopen.

“I met Santa on Christmas Eve,” Mike narrated the event to everyone on the first day of school. He paused at moments so that his audience could exclaim “Whoa” and “Wow”. He even told his teacher who gave him a warm smile. Mike was the happiest kid that year.

For the next few Christmases, Mike’s attempts to meet Santa were foiled by sleep. One Christmas morning, ten-year-old Mike went to talk to Tim. “Have you met Santa?” Mike asked.

“No, I remain awake every year, nobody ever came,” Tim said angrily.

“You must have been dozing off,” Mike said, his anger rising too.

Tim paused for a moment, then said, “No I didn’t doze off, you lied,”

“I never lie,” Mike said indignantly.

Mike was right, he never lied. Over the years, he had grown into an honest, kind, and imaginative kid.

After that day, Tim started giving the cold shoulder to Mike.
Editor’s Choice: One of Illumination’s Newest Poetry Contributors
Tags: Creative Writing, Poetry, Illumination, Poetry On Medium

Editor’s Choice: One of Illumination’s Newest Poetry Contributors

Meet Patience Marshall

Photo by Jen We on Unsplash

As an editor for Illumination, it is a joy to come across new writers and to explore their work. Patience Marshall only started writing here in September of this year, so we can look forward to much more from her in the future.

Her profile doesn’t give much away. She says simply that she is

‘writing about whatever comes to my mind’.

Well it seems there is plenty of inspiration reaching her creative spirit. It is possible, though , that she is not getting all her beauty sleep if we read her latest poem. In ‘Sleep paralysis’, she describes that frightening scenario when the brain is awake, but the body does not respond.

Sleep Paralysis. A Poem | by Patience Marshall | ILLUMINATION | Dec, 2020 | Medium

I believe she must follow her own advice which she so eloquently gives us in the next poem. You’ve got to take chances in life to experience life fully.

Switch up your Environment — ILLUMINATION — Medium
All I Want For Christmas
By: E Barnes
Tags: Very Short Fiction, Flash Fiction, Epistolary Fiction

Dear Santa,

My name is Jennifer Hopewell and I am ten years old. The last time I wrote to you I was seven and a half. I was the one that wanted tickets to Hamilton. Everybody said no kid wants tickets to a play but I did and they were in my stocking. Thank you very much.

You don’t need to bring me anything this year. I am at Children’s Hospital. I have been here a month and Mom and Dad never answer me when I ask if I’ll be home for Christmas.

I heard Mom crying in the hallway this morning when she was talking to the doctor. I couldn’t hear him all the way but he said something was getting bigger.

I am getting medicine through all these tubes in my arm. Just like last April. I guess this medicine isn’t working but it hurts the same. I got all kinds of purple marks around the tubes.

Hearing Mom cry wasn’t as bad as seeing Dad cry though. I never knew that dads can cry. All I asked him was does it hurt to die?

I have a nice room here. The tv has cable on it and everything. I saw a movie on hallmark channel last week and the kid in it was sick like me. His mommy and daddy told him to go to the light when he started dying. He looked happy while he was walking to it.

So that’s what I will do. I’ll just go to the light and look for Jesus. And Grandma too.

I’m getting tired now. I hope you don’t mind an email but my handwriting is real bad.

There is just one more thing.

I never told my little brother Timmy that I dropped his toothbrush in the toilet the morning I left to come here. It was an accident and I tried to rinse it off real good.

So far he hasn’t gotten sick from it and I don’t want Timmy to ever get sick from anything. That’s why I just had to write to you and tell you that — -

All I want for Christmas, Santa, is for you to stick a brand new toothbrush for Timmy in your bag.
Should You Leave That Hard Ministry… or Stay?
By: Dr. Mckay Caston
Tags: Religion, Christianity, Church Leadership, Leadership Development, Spirituality

Don’t get me wrong. There are times to make a change. But we need to be really honest about why we would leave.

Consider getting advice from a trusted mentor. Pray for clarity and peace. Don’t make rash decisions or major changes in the dead of winter, when our moods have a tendency to get more depressed than in the other three seasons.

“We nee to be really honest about why we would leave.”

Timothy was in a challenging ministry when he received his first letter from the apostle Paul, his pastoral mentor. Rather than allowing Timothy to take the easy way out, Paul tells him to “stay” (1:3) and continue a hard work that included conflict and controversy, opposition, and criticism.

Those words may have been hard to swallow.

“Can’t someone else do this?”

“No, Timothy. You don’t realize it, but staying is as much for you as it is for them.” Okay, Paul didn’t say that. But I suppose he could have. Or at least I like to think he would.

Because running from the hard sometimes is a missed opportunity to grow. It is kind of like how a butterfly develops strong wings, by having to struggle with the cocoon. Pushing, straining, and developing. Through trial.

“Running from the hard sometimes is a missed opportunity to grow.”

I suppose our spiritual growth is often the same way. The hard is not just hard. There is always a purpose. This is why it may be more important to stay and face the hard in the power of the Spirit than jump the fence to what looks like greener grass.

But green grass always fades. Like a mirage.

This is a broken world and every field has its thorns.

It is Okay to Leave, But…

It really is okay to leave. Sometimes, the signs are very clear that we should.

But when the going gets hard, it just might be the most important time to “stay” and let God reveal his grace to you and through you.

As Jesus told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect through weakness.”

This is the Jesus who could have run from the cross. Instead, for the joy set before him, he endured it, knowing that there would be glory beyond the grief.

“My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect through weakness.”

Maybe there will be glory beyond your grief. Maybe not. But if our ministries are not about us but about him, we, too, for the joy of magnifying his grace, can endure it… to the praise of his glory.

By the way, if you are in a tough spot or feel as if you want to try something different, it really is okay to find a new ministry. But before you go, do some heart work by asking why.

“For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross, knowing that there would be glory beyond the grief.”

Questions to Ask for Discovering Your Why
Heatmapping in Data Studio Using Custom Viz (Part 2)
By: Ben Kates
Tags: Google Analytics, Google Data Studio, Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Data Visualization

When I first learned about the team here at CompassRed, the article below from Data Analytics Team Lead Patrick Strickler stood out. Creating a custom click heatmap using Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and Google Data Studio was (and still is) an innovative approach to extending Google Analytics capabilities.

In order to get the data required for the view shown in this article, you will need to follow the instructions outlined in Pat’s original post. There, you’ll find the JavaScript for Google Tag Manager to capture x/y coordinates of a click in a Google Analytics event. If you’re just here for a cool viz, keep reading!

The Old vs. New Heatmap Visualization in Data Studio

The previous heatmap visualization using a native scatterplot.

The original visualization resulting from the custom implementation work is awesome. A report viewer can get an understanding of which areas on the page are generating the most engagement.

Unfortunately, when you scale this up, the size of the bubbles gets lost and it’s hard to differentiate exactly which part of a small area is getting the most engagement. Radius size starts to lose its value at scale.

With the arrival of custom visualizations using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS in Google Data Studio’s Community Visualizations, I wondered if this report could be brought to the next level. Using the simpleheat library from Leaflet creator Vladimir Agafonkin, here’s the result:

Now, report viewers are able to get a better sense of engagement using a familiar heatmap visualization. Tightly packed data points are rolled up into a nice red shade making it easier to derive insight.

Note: we’re adding a Device Type filter for desktop and a relevant screenshot of the page underneath the visualization itself (per the original post). It’s not possible to make external requests in Data Studio Community Visualizations so uploading an image into the Data Studio report itself is required.
Advisory Notes 1: Juan Manuel Almasque
Tags: ICO, Television, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin

In the first in a series of advisor interviews, TV-TWO Taskforce member Juan Manuel Almasque from FOX International, reveals why he decided to jump aboard the good ship TV-TWO.

Hello sir! You know all about us, so tell us more about you…

For sure! I started my career at FOX back in 2008, as a Video Operator. This gave me a good grounding in the technical aspects of the business, and soon after I was promoted to Operations Coordinator for the National Geographic channels.

I’m now Senior Production Services Manager, a role which has allowed me to enhance my leadership skills (thanks to my great team!) and improve the overall production process.

So — television! What’s changed most about it over the last ten years, in your opinion?

From a business perspective, the landscape is so much more fragmented — there are so many channels, media platforms, and devices — which makes it harder for big broadcasters to maintain their market share. However, from a viewer’s perspective, fragmentation encourages them to exercise more control over what they watch and be more selective about the content they consume.

Technologies that capitalise on viewer habits and understand the way broadcast TV works will bridge the divide. I honestly think TV-TWO is one of the main players in this new market.

How and when did you first hear about TV-TWO?

I was searching for new ICO projects to invest in and, as I’m part of the TV business, the name caught my attention! Then once I’d read about the project, the team, and their objectives, I wanted to be part of it immediately.

I sent a message to Jan and Philipp, and Philipp wrote back to me the next day. We met — digitally — and things started from there!

What impressed you most about TV-TWO?

The team understands the new ways in which people watch TV, and they’ve built a smart TV app that does it all — and also pays you for watching the shows you love! But what really convinced me was their passion, perspective, and how clearly they communicated the idea, along with their project milestones and roadmap.

Have you previously been involved in blockchain technology or cryptocurrencies?

I started participating in ICOs last year and have since backed more than 20 projects. I really think the blockchain and crypto will change the way we pay for things and give users more freedom.

Anything else you’d care to add?

Yes. I’m really excited and looking forward to the ICO! I truly believe TV-TWO will change television as we know it, and that it’ll make a big impact on the entertainment market in the very near future.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

The TV-TWO ICO starts on Tuesday April 24, 2018, at 1pm GMT. For more info, check out our FAQ section, subscribe to our newsletter, and don’t forget to follow the latest news on Telegram, Twitter (@tvtwocom), Facebook, or Medium. We’re also active on Reddit.

Keen to find out more about we’re doing at TV-TWO? Take a look at our whitepaper.
Performance tests in your CI Pipeline with Lighthouse CI
By: Leandro Almeida
Tags: Performance, Performance Budget, Progressive Web App, Nextjs, Continuous Integration

Integration ranges from quite simple if you need mere informative metrics, to more advance if you need to define budgets, compare runs and keep a longer track record of your app’s performance as it evolves.

Custom Lighthouse CI Server with diff between reports

The aim of this post is to run through the setup of Lighthouse CI in the context of a web app built with Next.js. That’s not to say that you may not find it enlightening if you’re not using Next, in fact, all setup is quite agnostic of the framework (or lack of) you choose to use.

Same goes for your CI tool of choice, here we’ll use CircleCI, but you may as well adapt the instructions to the syntax each CI runner requires.

One last bit of context: we’ll start with an existing CI pipeline that looks like this:

Simple pipeline that checkouts the code, runs npm install, then checks the build process while running tests in parallel

By the end, the goal is to have a new container in that pipeline that will run Lighthouse CI, like this:
E51: A Healthcare Renaissance Man — Dr. Nisarg Patel
By: Jay Gerhart
Tags: Genomics, Innovation, Podcast, Healthcare Technology, Healthcare

“I have a problem liking too many things.”

Learn from Dr. Nisarg Patel, a healthcare renaissance man, about his journey into the world of medicine. Unafraid to “dive into the deep end,” Dr. Patel is a scientist and researcher of computational cancer genomics, synthetic gene circuits for engineered probiotic therapeutics, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated bacterial genome engineering, as well as applying machine learning to health policy and economics. He also worked in venture capital at Bessemer Venture Partners in their Life Sciences division. While most medical students take classes and apply it to their clinical practice, Dr. Patel did that and then also founded Memora Health, a Y Combinator funded technology company providing HIPAA-compliant patient texting. He has also written about health policy, medicine, strategy, and economics for Slate Magazine, STAT, Huffington Post, and on Medium.

In this episode, he shares his perspective on shopping for healthcare, the future of primary care, where healthtech works and doesn’t work, and how he fills his insatiable urge to write. Don’t be afraid to dive into the deep end with Dr. Nisarg Patel!

@nxpatel

https://www.memorahealth.com/ @Memora

@SherpaPod @TheBenReport @annsomerswh

We highly recommend his articles on Medium: https://medium.com/@nxpatel

A Sherpa’s Guide to Innovation is a proud member of the Health Podcast Network @HealthPodNet -

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Cricket$
By: Background Noise Comics
Tags: Humor, Freelance, Artist, Comics, Gig Economy

Written by

Daily comic by Lisa Burdige and John Hazard about balancing life, love and kids in the gig economy.