Well, it is a very brisk -10F this morning. It was 12 when I went to bed. This hold house has trouble keeping the heat up in weather like this so today will be lots of coffee and blankets to make up the difference.

It’s almost January in Canada, so what can I expect? So far this winter is shaping up to be a more traditional winter than we’ve had in several years. I can remember a time when subzero temps around Christmas and into January was normal. It’s been a long time since we had them regularly.

I have to exercise caution outside during extreme cold just as I have to during periods of high heat and humidity. I’ve acquired some lung damage over the years and the two extremes tend to be a bit hard on me. So, all the more reason to be tucked into home writing.

Onward to today’s rambling

Reflections #1, A Mixed Media Collaboration Contest: Results

@tinypaleokitchen announced the winners of the mixed-media collaboration contest she has been running. It’s an interesting approach to a contest. Unless you are a multi-talented individual, you’d need to work with someone else in order to accomplish the criteria. I’ve included some of the entries in past issues of the PYPT summary and also on the Ramble.

Track your favorite coins and monitor your portfolio with this awesome new tool

If you’re anything like me in this brave new world of Cryptocurrency, I am starting from nothing in regards to knowledge. Through coming to STEEM and being exposed to the growing world of crypto, I have formed a curiousity to learn more.

This tool @themarkymark is sharing about looks like one that can help in that curiousity. I have a very small amount invested in other currencies as a bit of a personal learning tool. Going to be checking out this tool.

Write Club, Fight Club, All Right Club!

@rhondak of The Writers’ Block adds her endorsement to @jordan.lesich’s new program at the block called The Writer’s Club. It looks like it’s going to be an interesting program to follow. Even if I was close to the participants level of ability, I can’t commit the time right now. Should be really interesting to see the material coming from it though.

If you are a serious writer and want to hone your craft, you really need to be participating at The Writers’ Block.

What gives Crypto value? A letter to potential investors.

I’ve talked to my eldest brother a few times about crypto and encouraged him to take a good look at it. I do so because he’s into doing stock market investments. His constant response back to me is where does crypto get it’s value?

@aggroed has written a very long detailed post on this subject and is something we all need to read. Every time we write a post and get paid in STEEM or SBD, we’re into crypto. Not a bad idea to develop some understanding of it.

Yes, I emailed the link to my brother and added it to #posts-that-rock on the Steemit Ramble discord

#solidaritywithkarim?

Sometimes people’s suffering can go on for a long time before a catalyst occurs that catches attention and makes people situp. @enginewitty is bringing one of these catalyst to the attention of the platform and is asking the question… with all the people we have around the world, can we do something to help and are there people on the ground in the area to facilitate that? Well STEEM?

The Not-so-Secret Secret to Steem Growth

@gmuxx shares his journey on the platform. Congrats on your 64 reputation @gmuxx.. Well earned. He reminds us all that this platform is not about what you can get, but what you can give. To paraphrase Zig Ziglar, “help a person get what they want and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” There is a lot of truth to that, most people will reciprocate or pay forward nice things that are done for them.

Muxxybot Curators SBD Shares Payout Update

And, as it happened, the next post I came rambling across was this update on @gmuxx’s Muxxybot curation project. Curation takes a lot of time and energy if you’re going to do a good job and @gmuxx’s team does do a good job.

STEEM and SBD rocketing together? It's Impossible.

Unless you wrap your head around the economics side of the platform rather quickly, you might want to take your time reading this through. It’s one of the better posts I’ve seen on the relationship between STEEM and SBD as well as their impact on different scenarios.

I added it to #posts-that-rock on the Steemit Ramble discord

[Grateful Vibes #62] I'm Grateful for a Pleasant Evening with My Family

This post was nominated by @sharoonyasir

I’ve read a few of this series by @ironshield about what he’s grateful for. They tend to centre around family life and the various events in his families life. They are delightful vignettes focusing on the positive.

Memories of Egypt: Calamity Camel

@hopehuggs shares some of her memories of her trip to Egypt. This is about her adventure riding a camel for the very first time. Sprinkled liberally with self-deprecating humour this makes for a delightful read.

[Blog] Together, Together, Together

This post was nominated by @ironshield.

@lturner is @ironshield’s wife. It’s great to see couples interacting and both on Steemit. Her post today is about the importance of togetherness and commonality of purpose in their marriage. Those goals don’t come without challenges and compromise, something many couples lose sight of and it leads to a lot of discord in relationships.

I have to admit though @lturner, the level of commitment to togetherness that you two have would be constricting to me. That is more reflective of my introverted, independent and give me space personality than anything else. My hat’s off to you for being able to make it work.

❓Answering Common Questions: What is Cryptocurrency and Why It's Not Scary ❓

This post was nominated by @battleaxe

Following along on @aggroed’s informative post about what gives cryptocurrency value, @sykochica adds a take on where the STEEM currency comes from. It’s a bit of a long read, but well worth it. While you don’t need to know how a car runs to drive it, it’s not a bad idea to get a sense of how this system works.

I added it to #posts-that-rock on the Steemit Ramble discord

We are all Good at Something

@kittylicious reflects on some of the struggles she has had in life, how that has impacted her working life and how those struggles eventually helped lead her to the platform. They also led her to the realization that we all have something in our lives were good at and a lot of the time those things we’re good at can help us make a buck if properly applied.

You HAVE To Watch HUMAN. One Of The Greatest Films Ever Made!

@ashleykalila, the creator of @humansofsteemit, shares her feelings on the movies HUMAN which can be found on YouTube to watch for free. Actually, she has linked to the volumes on her post. The premise of the movie is the exploration of people’s lives from all over the globe and is the end result of two years of research and personal interviews.

One of the fastes services, new features all the time! (witness missed block and delegations)

@ginabot let’s know what her latest updates are. If you are not familiar with @ginabot, he’s a discord based bot which will notify you depending on the criteria you enter in your settings. I can be notified when someone posts, certain tags are used, certain words are said, someone follows or unfollows etc. I really don’t know how I got along before I used @ginabot.

Introducing The STEEM Engine Initiative!

Hey, like we need another place to hang out on Discord, he? But, @thesteemengine has just been setup and already has some really neat people taking part. Drop on over and say hello.

Wrap-up on Day 136

Wow, pretty decent day for finding posts. I actually needed to stop myself so I can get some other things done. I’m thinking I want to do an end of year post and today would be a good day to do so. Don’t forget, tomorrow is Pimp Your Post Thursday, get those posts ready to share.

Supporting and Upvoting

Let’s not forget folks. I’m sharing these posts not only because I like them. I’d really like to see them get support and upvoting.

Nominate Your Favourite Post

With all the chaff that I end up trying to sift through each time I sit down to do the Steemit Ramble, I think it is time to give you dear reader an opportunity to nominate your favourite reads.

Just visit the Steemit Ramble Discord and post the link in the Nominate-A-Post Channel.

As much as you may love your own post, I am really looking for someone else to say, “Hey, I like this post, have a look”. When I post a Steemit Ramble, that is what I’m telling my readers.

Once you’ve shared someone else’s post, you’ll be given access to a channel where you can share your own posts for me to consider them. It’s only fair for you to have the chance.

Pimp Your Post Thursday

Don’t forget, Pimp Your Post Thursday takes place every Thursday at 11am and 7:00pm EST. Come and join the fun.

Until Next Time — Just Steem on

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If you’d like to see the other days I’ve posted, just visit my profile

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