Publishers
Science & Tech • Business • Investing & Finance
Chapter Spotlight: Every Wall Is a Door to a New Destiny, in "Grow in the Dark" by Amy Love
January 02, 2025
post photo preview

Upon returning to Taiwan from Vancouver, Love carried an unwavering desire: "I want to speak English every day!" This internal mantra accompanied her throughout the 12-hour journey home, though she deliberately postponed sharing news of her return with her family until she could determine her next steps. Only Ruby, her best friend and former tea shop customer, knew of her arrival.

"It's amazing how someone can walk into our life and connect with us so easily," Love reflects on her friendship with Ruby. "Isn't it ironic that despite sharing a roof and nearly two decades with my family, I couldn't find anything that connected us? Even after so many years, we remained no closer than mere strangers."

Ruby and her husband welcomed Love at the airport, whisking her away to a Chinese restaurant. Despite her commitment to English, Love discovered unexpected joy in speaking her native tongue: "This experience granted me a profound sense of liberation and the pleasure of embracing my true self through my mother tongue. It felt incredible when my words flowed through my mouth into the air without struggling or stuttering."

Early the next morning, still adjusting to jet lag, Love noticed a serendipitous opportunity in a newspaper while buying breakfast: "Giorgio Hotel Hiring," with English-speaking requirements. Just like her previous job discovery, "it felt like uncovering a precious nugget of gold." A swift phone call led to an afternoon interview with Lucia, the hotel manager.

The Giorgio Hotel's modern decor and sophistication captivated Love immediately. "This is where I want to be," she thought. The interview with Lucia proved promising, but a significant challenge emerged: the 12-hour shifts ending at 11 PM meant missing the last train home. However, Lucia offered an unexpected solution—a shared apartment near the hotel with the main chef.

"A valuable lesson I had gathered throughout my life up to this point was the importance of following the call of my heart to find internal peace," Love shares. Though initially apprehensive about sharing space with a middle-aged married man, meeting the reserved chef dispelled her fears: "His eyes expressed his gentle demeanor. I could almost sense that he was more worried about me having bad intentions than I worried about him."

Within six weeks, an unexpected turn of events occurred—the chef secured alternate housing, likely due to the unconventional living arrangement. This development granted Love access to the main bedroom with its stunning balcony view from the 19th floor. "This sequence of events felt like pure magic, granting me my dream job a mere second day after returning to Taiwan and a dream residence barely two months later."

Each evening after work, Love would embrace the therapeutic cityscape from her balcony. "I would indulge in the most beautiful skyline view I had ever witnessed adorned with glistening stars that danced across the sky and the ever-changing phases of the moon." This vista became more than just a view—it represented her journey from helplessness to empowerment.

"In a moment where I had relinquished what didn't bring me happiness and embraced the uncertainties of the unknown, a significant shift took place in my life," Love reflects. Her experience proved that every wall could indeed become a door to new possibilities, guided by "an intangible presence—an unseen, untouched element, or perhaps even a guiding entity, ready to always materialize whatever I needed precisely when I needed it."

Experience more inspiring stories of transformation in "Grow in the Dark" by Amy Love. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google,  iTunes & Kobo.

community logo
Join the Publishers Community
To read more articles like this, sign up and join my community today
0
What else you may like…
Posts
Articles
Safety Tips for Trenching Operations

Trenching is one of the most essential—and hazardous—activities in construction, utility installation, and site development. A single cubic yard of soil can weigh more than a car, making trench collapses among the leading causes of fatalities in excavation work. Because of these risks, every trenching project must follow strict safety guidelines, proper planning, and OSHA-compliant protective systems.

https://usaconstructionrentals.com/blog/trenching-equipment-guide/

This article covers the most critical safety tips for trenching operations, helping contractors, supervisors, and workers minimize risks while improving jobsite efficiency.

1. Always Use a Competent Person on Site

OSHA requires that a competent person evaluate the trench every day and after any condition changes (rain, vibration, soil shifts).
Their responsibilities include:

Inspecting soil type

Identifying collapse risks

Checking shoring, shielding, or sloping

Inspecting for water accumulation

Ensuring safe access and egress

A trench is never considered safe unless a competent person approves it.

2. Classify the Soil Before Digging

Soil stability determines ...

How AI Is Transforming the Waste Management Business for Smarter Routing

The waste management industry is undergoing a dramatic shift thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). From optimizing trash collection routes to predicting maintenance needs for garbage trucks, AI is helping companies reduce operational costs, improve sustainability, and better serve customers. With the rapid advancement of machine learning, computer vision, and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, AI-driven systems are no longer futuristic—they're being implemented right now in waste operations around the world.

Waste management business leaders are especially benefiting from smarter routing systems made possible by AI. Traditionally, garbage and recycling trucks followed static schedules and routes, often resulting in underfilled bins being collected or full bins being missed. Now, AI-powered systems use real-time data from sensors installed in containers, along with GPS and traffic data, to create the most efficient collection routes possible. These smart-routing algorithms not only reduce ...

post photo preview
Therapist Abuse: Know Your Rights and Why You Need a Lawyer on Your Side

Therapists play a crucial role in supporting mental health and emotional well-being. When working with a therapist, patients entrust them with their most personal experiences and vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, not all therapeutic relationships are safe or ethical. Therapist abuse can cause serious harm, and victims need to understand their rights and legal options. This article will explore what therapist abuse entails, the signs to watch for, and why having a lawyer can make all the difference in seeking justice and protection.
What Is Therapist Abuse?
Therapist abuse refers to any unethical or harmful behavior by a mental health professional toward a patient. Abuse can take many forms, including emotional, physical, sexual, or financial exploitation. Because of the inherent power imbalance in a therapist-patient relationship, abuse can be particularly damaging and complex.
Common Types of Therapist Abuse
Sexual misconduct: This includes any unwanted sexual advances, touching, or inappropriate comments made by a therapist.

Emotional manipulation: Therapists may ...

post photo preview
post photo preview
The Digital Creator’s Safety Net: How To Own Your Audience and Avoid Subscription Service Traps

Digital creators today face a clear paradox: you build the content, cultivate the community, and shape the brand—yet platforms still determine visibility, rules, and revenue.

 

Even on platforms that focus on creators, such as Locals, too much dependence on a single ecosystem carries risks. Algorithms can change overnight, billing models can be modified, and some content can lose its reach without warning. That's why more and more creators are deciding to create a website and base their business on a more solid foundation. A website gives you full control—without algorithmic restrictions and fears that a change in the terms of service will undo years of work. Social media platforms remain an important place to build relationships, but they need their own “command center.”

 

The problem of leased land

 

Every platform, even the most creator-friendly ones, is in practice a rented space. This is reason enough to think about independence. Your own website becomes a stable home for your brand, to which you can always refer your audience.

 

Two pillars of creator independence

 

1. Ownership of data and mailing lists

Email addresses and first-party data are among a creator's most valuable resources. They are portable, resistant to platform changes, and allow you to maintain direct contact with your audience. When selling courses, digital products, or merchandise, this is the key to predictable revenue and long-term growth.

 

2. Self-managed online center

Your own website serves as a digital base that: 

– presents your portfolio without the interference of algorithms,

– contains sales pages for high-margin products,

– builds authority through a consistent brand image.

 

It doesn't have to replace Locals or other platforms – rather, it reinforces them by providing a stable point of reference.

 

Modern tools without unnecessary technology

 

For many creators, the problem is not strategy, but implementation. Few want to hire programmers or learn complicated CMSs. This is where WebWave comes in – a no-code tool that allows you to create aesthetic, professional websites based on a visual editor. Flexible columns, attention to design, and integrations with other platforms allow the website to accurately reflect the nature of the brand.

 

WebWave gives creators the freedom to design – from minimalist portfolios to extensive sales landing pages – and helps build a space prepared for long-term development.

 

Read full Article
post photo preview
Potassium's Critical Function: Why Most Modern Diets Fail to Meet Daily Requirements

Potassium has an image problem. It is treated like a background electrolyte, the thing you hear about when someone mentions bananas or leg cramps. But in nutrition science and cardiovascular medicine, potassium is increasingly framed as a missing pillar of modern eating patterns, especially when combined with consistently high sodium intake. Public health messaging has spent decades warning people about salt. The quieter story is that many people are also not getting enough potassium from food, and the combination matters.

This is the real reason the keyword potassium-rich foods keeps trending. The interest is not only about adding one more nutrient. It reflects a broader shift toward food-based strategies for blood pressure, fluid balance, and heart health. The American Heart Association notes that most Americans get too little potassium, and it links potassium intake with blood pressure control, ideally from diet. 

The modern potassium gap is not mainly caused by ignorance. It is caused by design. Modern diets have moved away from potassium-dense staples like beans, potatoes, leafy greens, squash, and fruits, and toward packaged foods where sodium is easy to add and potassium is harder to preserve at scale.

Why potassium is critical, even when you feel fine

Potassium is present in all body tissues and is required for normal cell function, including maintaining fluid balance and electrical gradients. That electrical role is why potassium is tied to nerve transmission and muscle contraction. It is also why cardiology cares about potassium levels and why clinicians monitor them in people using certain medications.

But the bigger nutrition story is long-term. Potassium is a dietary component of public health concern in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, alongside fiber, vitamin D, and calcium. That is not because potassium deficiency in the severe medical sense is rampant. It is because too many people fall short of recommended intake levels, and that shortfall is linked with patterns of hypertension and cardiometabolic risk.

For adults, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists an adequate intake of 3,400 mg per day for men and 2,600 mg per day for women. The AHA also highlights similar targets and notes that most people fall short. 

The modern diet fails at potassium for a simple reason

Potassium lives in foods that modern diets often push aside.

Potassium tends to be high in vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, dairy, and starchy whole foods like potatoes and sweet potatoes. (The Nutrition Source) Many of these foods require preparation, shopping habits, and a food environment where cooking is realistic. Meanwhile, high-sodium packaged foods are cheap, convenient, and heavily marketed.

This is why the potassium story is really a food pattern story.

A day of modern convenience eating can look normal and still end up potassium-poor.

A breakfast sandwich and coffee
A deli sandwich or instant noodles for lunch
Chicken with a salty sauce and a small side for dinner
Snacks that are salty and crunchy

None of those meals is automatically unhealthy in isolation. But they are built on refined grains, processed meats, sauces, and packaged items. Those foods often push sodium up while leaving potassium behind. The CDC explains that most Americans eat too much sodium and too little potassium, and it reports average sodium intake above 3,400 mg per day. 

When this pattern repeats daily, the diet becomes high in sodium and low pin otassium by default.

It is not only the amount, it is the sodium-to-potassium tension

Potassium is often discussed as if it works alone, like a vitamin target. In reality, it works in a nutritional tug of war with sodium. Potassium helps counterbalance sodium’s effects on blood pressure for many people, partly through the kidneys handling of sodium and fluid. The AHA describes this relationship in practical terms for blood pressure control and emphasizes potassium from the diet. 

This is why public health messaging is slowly shifting from only reducing salt to rebalancing the plate. Less sodium matters, but more potassium-rich foods can be the missing half of the plan.

The hidden drivers of low potassium intake

The potassium gap shows up across many diets, but it is especially likely when one or more of these conditions are present.

Low produce intake
People are eating fewer fruits and vegetables than recommended, which directly reduces potassium intake. 

Ultra-processed staples
Packaged foods can be calorie-dense and sodium-heavy while contributing modest potassium.

Fear of carbs without a vegetable plan
Some people reduce starchy foods like potatoes, beans, and fruit without replacing them with low-carb potassium sources such as leafy greens, mushrooms, avocados, and certain dairy options.

Food preparation collapses
Busy schedules can turn meals into assembled, packaged items. Potassium-rich foods often require a shopping plan.

3487158_mt8rbs8fgcab8xf_custom.jpeg

Potassium-rich foods are not only bananas

Bananas are useful, but the potassium story is broader and more interesting. Potassium-rich foods include vegetables, legumes, dairy, and certain fruits and starchy staples.

Here are examples that change the conversation because they are easy to integrate.

Potatoes with the skin
Potatoes are often dismissed as a carb, but they are potassium-dense and can fit many dietary patterns depending on preparation.

Beans and lentils
These are potassium sources that also bring fiber, which the Dietary Guidelines also flag as underconsumed.

Leafy greens
Cooked greens can concentrate potassium and are a low-calorie way to raise intake.

Yogurt and milk
Dairy can contribute potassium while supporting protein intake.

Citrus and other fruits
Fruits can be an easy daily potassium habit when tolerated and practical.

The point is not to memorize a list. The point is to build a repeatable plate pattern that naturally includes potassium.

A modern way to hit potassium targets without counting

Most people do not want to track milligrams. A practical nutrition approach is to build potassium into meals as a structural feature.

A potassium-anchored breakfast
Greek yogurt with fruit, or eggs with a large serving of sautéed greens, or a smoothie built on yogurt and whole fruit

A potassium-anchored lunch
A bean-based bowl, a lentil soup, or a salad that includes a real volume of vegetables plus a potassium source like beans

A potassium-anchored dinner
A plate built around vegetables first, then protein, then a potassium-dense side such as potatoes, squash, or legumes

This approach does something important. It turns potassium into a daily habit rather than a supplement-style metric.

Why the DASH pattern keeps resurfacing

When clinicians talk about diet and blood pressure, the DASH eating pattern continues to appear because it is built on foods that naturally raise potassium while also improving overall diet quality. The NHLBI DASH guidance emphasizes vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, plus beans, nuts, and low-fat dairy. 

That is not a coincidence. DASH is essentially a potassium-rich food pattern with supporting nutrients. It reduces the need for a single nutrient obsession and replaces it with a consistent plate design.

The supplement question and why food usually wins

Most potassium should come from food for most people. The NIH potassium fact sheet explains that potassium is naturally present in many foods and that supplements exist, but the nutrient is best understood inside the broader sodium and diet quality context.

Food-based potassium brings co-nutrients and typically avoids the sharp intake spikes that can happen with supplements. This matters because potassium supplements are not appropriate for everyone. People with certain kidney conditions or those taking specific medications need clinician guidance, because high potassium can be dangerous in those contexts. MedlinePlus notes that people who are being treated for low potassium may need supplements under provider's guidance.

So the editorial takeaway is simple. If the goal is everyday nutrition and blood pressure support, food-based potassium is the first conversation, not pills.

Why is this problem unlikely to fix itself

The potassium gap persists because it is tied to systems.

Restaurants optimize for salt and speed
Packaged foods optimize for shelf life and craveability
Many homes optimize for convenience over cooking routines
Nutrition education often focuses on what to avoid, not what to build

That is why potassium is a useful marker for overall diet quality. If someone consistently hits potassium targets through food, they are almost certainly eating more fruits, vegetables, beans, and other nutrient-dense staples. Those changes tend to improve more than one risk factor at the same time.

The Dietary Guidelines resource on food sources of select nutrients explicitly frames potassium as a dietary component of public health concern and ties it to underconsumption of nutrient-dense foods. 

A lot of people arrive at potassium through low-carb or keto-style eating, where electrolyte discussions are common. Dr. Berg is one of the public educators who has helped normalize electrolyte awareness among individuals changing their diets.

Conclusion

Potassium is critical because it sits at the center of fluid balance, nerve function, muscle contraction, and the sodium tension that shapes blood pressure for many people. Yet most modern diets fail to meet daily requirements because they are built around convenience foods that deliver sodium easily and potassium poorly. 

The solution is less about chasing one number and more about redesigning meals around potassium-rich foods. When vegetables, beans, fruit, and dairy or other whole foods become the default, potassium intake rises naturally, and the rest of the diet tends to improve with it.

If you want, tell me the diet style you want this to fit, low carb, mixed diet, plant forward, or something else, and I will rewrite the food examples so the potassium-rich foods plan matches that style without changing the title or keyword.

 

Read full Article
What are the Benefits of a Metal Roof
Metal Roofing

When considering a major exterior upgrade for your home, especially a full roofing replacement, the decision often boils down to balancing upfront cost with long-term value. For decades, asphalt shingles have been the default choice, but today, a high-quality metal roof offers compelling advantages that make it a superior, more sustainable investment over the life of your home. Metal roofing is no longer just for barns or commercial buildings; modern options include sleek standing seam panels and even tiles that mimic the look of slate or wood shake.

Choosing metal for your next roofing replacement is a decision that pays dividends in longevity, energy savings, and ultimate peace of mind. While the initial investment may be higher than traditional asphalt, the difference in performance, durability, and resistance to extreme weather quickly makes metal the more economical choice over the span of several decades. The sheer resilience of metal roofing addresses virtually every vulnerability that traditional materials suffer from, from fire risk to rapid degradation under solar exposure.


1. Unmatched Longevity and Durability

The primary benefit of a metal roof is its exceptional lifespan, which dramatically outpaces traditional materials.

  • A Lifetime Investment: Most metal roofing systems are rated to last 40 to 70 years, often outliving the home's original owners. Compare this to asphalt shingles, which typically need replacement every 15 to 25 years. This longevity means you may never have to face the hassle and expense of a second or third roofing replacement.

  • Extreme Weather Resilience: Metal roofs are inherently tough. They can withstand winds up to 140 mph, are highly resistant to cracking and corrosion, and do not suffer damage from hail impact as easily as brittle shingles. They are also non-porous, meaning they completely resist mold, mildew, and rot, which are common issues with organic materials.

2. Superior Energy Efficiency

Contrary to the belief that metal absorbs heat, modern metal roofing is remarkably energy-efficient, offering substantial savings on cooling costs.

  • Reflectivity and Coatings: Most metal roofs today feature specialized reflective pigments and cool-roof coatings. These treatments reflect a significant portion of solar radiant heat away from the house.

  • Reduced Heat Transfer: By rejecting heat rather than absorbing it, a metal roof keeps the attic and the rest of the home cooler, reducing air conditioning costs by up to 25% during hot summer months. This inherent efficiency can even qualify homeowners for energy tax credits or rebates.

3. Class-A Fire Rating

In areas prone to wildfires or even in standard neighborhoods, a metal roof offers a vital layer of protection.

  • Non-Combustible Material: Metal is one of the only roofing materials that earns a Class A fire rating, the highest classification available. Since the material itself is non-combustible, a metal roof will not ignite from stray embers or airborne sparks from a nearby fire, providing crucial minutes of protection for your home.

4. Maintenance and Environmental Benefits

Maintenance is minimal, and the material itself is highly sustainable, appealing to environmentally conscious homeowners.

  • Low Maintenance: Metal roofs require very little upkeep beyond occasional checks for loose fasteners or minor debris. They shed snow and ice efficiently, and because they don't absorb water, there's no concern about cyclical saturation and drying damage.

  • Recycled Content: Metal roofing is typically made from 25% to 95% recycled content, depending on the material (steel, aluminum, copper). At the end of its decades-long lifespan, the roof is 100% recyclable, making it an extremely environmentally friendly choice compared to asphalt, which contributes billions of pounds of waste to landfills annually.

  • Lightweight Advantage: Because metal is significantly lighter than tile or even asphalt, it puts less structural stress on the building's frame. In many cases, a new metal roof can be installed directly over an existing asphalt shingle roof, eliminating the costly and labor-intensive need for a full tear-off and disposal.

Choosing a metal roof is a thoughtful investment that drastically increases a home's value, resilience, and efficiency. While it may require a higher initial budget, the extended lifespan and reduced energy and maintenance costs mean that over time, it becomes one of the most cost-effective roofing solutions available.

Read full Article
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals