Chapter 1: Welcome to Episode #164

Greetings, avid readers and passionate writers! In this 164th episode, I've gathered some of my preferred stories along with selections nominated by our talented editors and enthusiastic readers. Below, you'll find links to these pieces after a brief overview of our publication activities.

As a volunteer editor and curator for ILLUMINATION Publications, I juggle various roles, including media coordination across platforms like Slack, Discord, YouTube, and more, all while enjoying the opportunity to support fellow writers and readers in enhancing our publications' vitality. Additionally, I manage two publications—one centered around gaming and another focused on video content and podcasts.

Recently, I authored an article discussing the benefits of gaming for the elderly, inspired by fond memories of playing with my grandparents.

Mike has shared his humorous take on this topic. After my publishing and curation duties, I crafted a short piece to keep my writing skills sharp, as much of my time is dedicated to editorial work.

Just yesterday, we welcomed over 150 new writers to our community, and I've introduced them in the previous collection. Today, another 150 writers joined our ranks, bringing our total to over 30,000 contributors. It's essential for new writers to receive guidance from those more experienced.

Our fresh newsletter on Medium is now live and will also be available on Substack. Dr. Yildiz has launched a new service called Priority Publishing, aimed at time-sensitive content that may interest some readers.

Section 1.1: Monthly Highlights

ILLUMINATION's curators compiled the monthly boosted stories for May. Mike also submitted a new collection featuring a thought-provoking article that resonated with me, mirroring my own recent piece on ethical dilemmas in the medical field.

Among my favorite reads was an article by Dr. Yildiz, explaining how intermittent fasting can alleviate digestive issues I once faced, bolstered by substantial evidence from recent scientific research. You can access a friend link for non-members.

Today, Mike penned a captivating article on gaming, serving as his inaugural contribution to ILLUMINATION-Gaming, aimed at inspiring seniors like my grandparents, who have found great joy in it.

I've also found inspiration in Mike's recent health and science articles, including:

• The Sobering Truth: Alcohol's Connection to Cancer Risks
• Breakthrough in Cancer Treatment: Using Hybrid Nanotubes for Protein Delivery
• Growing Health Crisis: A Surge in STIs Amid Progress on HIV and Hepatitis
• How Enhancing VO2max Has Improved My HRV in My Golden Years

You can explore more of his captivating stories from the provided list.

Subsection 1.1.1: New Writer Introductions

My latest story features a humorous take on young Sheldon, who seems to be changing his beliefs and making waves on social media. I've also written a tech-related piece.

I recently introduced Karen Goldfarb, a seasoned writer stepping into Medium, along with Tejus Yakhob. Additionally, Mike welcomed Naya Monroe, MA, LCDC-I, a relatively new contributor to his Health and Science publication. Naya's recent piece on music therapy has been well-received.

Chapter 2: More Highlights and Updates

Dr. Yildiz's latest memoir is both inspiring and impactful. His recent story on Design Thinking for Artists is noteworthy, and he also addressed the issue of scammers with a powerful satire, following another wave of spam on his works.

Last weekend, I curated a collection of our boosted stories from the past two weeks, featuring 30 new gems for your enjoyment. Here's a brief piece on gaming to keep my writing skills active.

Today, I also examined the recent ransomware cyberattack on an Australian healthcare organization, reminiscent of a similar incident from a few years ago, where hackers sold personal health data on the dark web.

For gaming enthusiasts, I crafted a short article titled "Halo: Redshift Is a Cooperative Halo Campaign Mod."

Mike's new compilation of excellent stories is worth checking out:

Mike's Favorite Stories on ILLUMINATION Publications — #120

Among my favorites is Lawson Wallace's piece on his YouTube journey, as he shares his growth and experiences.

Dr. Yildiz has also produced several enlightening research articles on critical health issues, such as:

• Why Black Youth Experience Asthma Mortality Rates 7 Times Higher Than White Youth
• Investigating Racial Disparities in Mortality Among Young People in the US

Mike curated my emotional story inspired by Australian cinema that struck a chord with him.

If you're unfamiliar with Dr. Yildiz’s work, he extended an invitation from his secondary account to a new ILLUMINATION publication called "Health & Science," which I'll briefly introduce alongside submission guidelines.

Meet Dr. Adam Tabriz, MD, from Health & Science Publication of ILLUMINATION

Dr. Tabriz has established a specialized publication, and we look forward to further details soon. You can apply through our writer registration portal.

Dr. Mehmet Yildiz has shared links to some of his boosted stories to encourage non-members to join Medium. I plan to follow his advice, as engagement rates are low, and he suggests other writers create similar collections to post on ILLUMINATION-Curated.

Friend Links to My Sample Boosted Stories for Non-Members of Medium.com

As an important update, we've informed writers from the Lampshade publication that they can no longer monetize AI-generated content, while human-generated content remains unaffected.