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Basic Muffin Recipe

There are all kinds of muffin recipes out there, about as many as there are quick bread recipes (if not more). That’s what American muffins are of course, portion-sized quick breads. But more on that later. This recipe will work with lots of different inclusions…berries especially, but chocolate chips, nuts, all sorts of stuff. It’s a great launching pad for any of your own ideas.

10 ounces (2 cups) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
5.25 ounces (3/4 cup) sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
4.25 ounces (1/2 cup) sour cream or buttermilk, room temperature
2 ounces (1/4 cup) milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
about 1 1/2- 2 cups fresh or dried berries (3/4 – 1 cup chocolate piece or nuts)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a muffin mold. Sift the dry ingredients except for the sugar together into a medium bowl. In a large bowl cream the sugar and the butter with a wooden spoon until it’s light and fluffy. Beat the eggs into the butter/sugar mixture one at a time, then the sour cream, milk and vanilla. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl and gently fold it all together, leaving a few spots of unmixed flour. Add the…whatever, and stir until it’s all just incorporated. Fill the molds about 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and eat!

27 thoughts on “Basic Muffin Recipe”

    1. Thanks for asking that question, Julie. Frozen berries are in fact preferred for everything but blueberry muffins, as things like raspberries and cranberries tend to weep juice and stain the crumb if put in fresh. Fold in the frozen fruit, pan it and bake it quick and you should have fairly “weep-free” muffins.

      – Joe

  1. Hi Joe,
    You may be getting to this, but I will ask anyway. How do you change this basic recipe to add in things like pumpkin puree, smashed bananas, apple butter, etc…? Would you swap out the sour cream? milk? both? or is it something entirely different? Do you have to worry about acidity if you add a fruit puree? Thanks!

      1. I’m sure I’m just missing it… But, I would love a reiteration of your answer to Eva’s question.

        p.s. Thanks for being so awesome!

        1. Hey Kyla!

          I never did hear back from her, did I? There’s really no single answer for that question, since these sorts of flavorings all have different moisture content, acidity and so on. If you were going to start improvising I’d say that yes, swapping out the sour cream would be a good place to start. But be prepared to have to tweak a little after your first attempt!

          Cheers and thanks for being persistent about Eva’s question! 😉

          – Joe

  2. I have been trying to master muffins for years. The ones I want to make are the ones of my decades old memory that crowned in high peaks. I have never managed more than vaguely domed.

    I have fooled with the ratio of dry and wet ingredients and the heat. The closest I’ve come is preheating a stoneware muffin “tin” to 400+? and then dropping the oven back when the batter goes in.

    What am I missing?

    1. More mixing will make higher domes, but honestly, I don’t think high crowns are all they’re cracked up to be! (See most current post). 😉

      – Joe

  3. I love the yummy classic muffins! The perfect treat for my girls – I think I’m going to make these this week. Thank you for the recipe!

  4. Could you give this a try? I tried making it many times and it never worked for me. After adding chocolate, the mixture curdles and I couldn’t form a smooth emulsion unless I add another egg or something, but then I activate too much gluten and it’s also too gummy. I even e-mailed the author and the newspaper team wrote back to me that it’s been tested many times and many readers have had resounding successes with it… Would love to see you laying your hand on them…

    1. Hey Henry! The link and/or recipe you were trying to send didn’t come through. Would be so kind as to try again?

      – Joe

  5. Hi,
    Do you guys have a basic recipe for king sized muffins?
    The pan holds six muffins only.
    Do I need sour cream? Is this in place of something else?
    Thanks for the help.

    1. Hi Robert! You can just distribute the batter between the larger cups. Use the same temperature, but bake about ten minutes longer.

      – Joe

  6. HI JOE! I live in South Africa and we’re crazy about savory muffins over here. How would one modify the recipe for a savoury muffin, so if I wanted cheese and herb muffins? Or spinach and caramelised onion? Should I just add some of the required items or would I need to reduce any of the other components. Thanks for a great site. Lezell

    1. Hello Lezell! Nice to hear from you. In fact you can use almost identical proportions for a savory muffin. Here’s one that calls for chives and cheese (and bacon), and as you can see it’s almost the same, save for the amount of sugar. The procedure is identical, though you can skip the creaming step.

      10 ounces all-purpose flour
      2 teaspoons baking powder
      ½ teaspoon salt
      1 ounce butter, melted
      1 ounce sugar
      2 eggs
      8 ounces (1 cup) milk
      1 cup cheddar cheese , shredded
      4 slices bacon, crisped and chopped
      ¼ cup minced fresh chives

      1. Awesome! Thanks Joe, its Sunday morning here, I’m going to try out that recipe right now for brekkie. By the way, I’ve used so many of your tutorials and recipes over the past two years …and you really have de- mystefied so much for me. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been brave enough to make pate sucree, creme pat, profiteroles etc. Thank you so much.

        1. Lezell, You made my day! Thanks so much for the very kind note. I hope they worked for you!

          – Joe

  7. Hello, Joe. Thanks for sharing such a genius blog!

    Is there a possibility of using this basic muffin recipe for a lemon muffin recipe? I’m still looking for the lemon muffin recipe that will steal my heart… and I’m a huge sour cream fan! I imagine lemon zest is a must, but can I actually add some lemon juice without screwing out the recipe? Thanks in advance.

    1. Hey Frivola!

      Try this:

      4.5 ounces (2/3 cup) sugar
      zest of one lemon
      10 ounces (2 cups) all-purpose flour
      2 teaspoons baking powder
      1/4 teaspoon baking soda
      1/4 teaspoon salt
      juice of one lemon
      6 ounces (3/4 cup) sour cream
      2 eggs
      1 teaspoon vanilla extract
      4 ounces ( 1 stick) butter, melted

      Rub sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers. Whisk in the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, vanilla and butter. Fold the the mixture together and divide batter among cups in a muffin mold. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes. Drizzle on an icing made of 1 cup powdered sugar and 3 teaspoons of lemon juice.

  8. Aloha Joe,
    You Bring Me Sunshine between bouts of heavy rain. I live down a dirt road about 5 blocks from the ocean on the Big Island. Your lemon muffin recipe calls for “juice of 1 lemon”. Some of my Meyer Lemons are the size of your fist and some of my Navel Oranges are the size of grapefruits. I have 3 questions:

    1. How much lemon juice should I use?
    2. Must I use muffin/cupcake papers?
    3. Can you tweek the recipe for pineapples?

    I want to make them for my ukulele kanikapila group.

    Mahalo to the max!!!

    1. What a delightful thing to say, Barbara! Great questions. Here are the answers:

      1. 3 tablespoons
      2. No…just butter the mold so they don’t stick
      3. Yes you can use pineapple…just drain it a little if it’s really juicy

      I know what ukulele is, but not a kanikapila. But have a great one whatever it is!

      – Joe

  9. Hi Joe Iam new on you web please do give me a basic recipie for carrot muffins am also interested in th dome and cracked tops how do i go about ir? Thnks

  10. Hello Joe,

    I love your site. I have made more than a few of your things and they always turn out. I have a general question though that connects to muffins. I use an amazing recipe I found in Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking Every Day that uses much of what you have in your basic recipe here except 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup oil, 1 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1 tsp soda. I always make sure the eggs are room temp and I always use 1/2 cup brown sugar (instead of 3/4 cup or more that is often suggested in muffin recipes). These muffins are a knockout. The crumb is always perfect. I have become known for these and the many French people in my life really appreciate that they are not too sweet. I make blueberry with lemon zest, cranberry orange, and so on. I often add whole grain, subbing in 1/2 cup of corn meal, or buckwheat, for instance. What I don’t understand is why the ratio of flour-to-oil-to sugar can be so different in this recipe I use than is typical and yet they turn out so well. I know baking is largely about ratios and have tried to find out why I can have 2 1/2 cups flour to relatively little fat and sugar and yet have moist, high muffins with a delicate crumb. Is it the buttermilk?

    If you are not too tired from reading this long comment already, what I am most curious about is: What determines how much sugar is optimal for the crumb? I make my carrot cake (kind of similar to your recipe) with only 1/2 cup oil/melted butter and 1/2 – 3/4 cup sugar and it has a normal, cakey crumb. But that’s carrot cake, a pretty forgiving thing. I cut the sugar slightly in almost all the cakes I bake but am always scared to cut it back too much (even though I would prefer the taste this way) because I don’t want to ruin the whole thing (and I am usually baking cakes for special occasions and don’t want to risk messing up). Any insight you could share would be very much appreciated.

    Also, in response to a comment above, I have learned that if I lighten the buttermilk with water (i.e. use 1 cup buttermilk and 1/3 water) or especially if I use a buttermilk powder with water, the muffins puff up really high and have quite the dome. Commercial buttermilk is very thick, so I am supposing that the thinner liquid helps the muffins rise.

    Thank you again for all you share. It is inspiring. And I love your photos.

  11. I have to agree with Paola, John’s stuff sure come out fantastic, every time. Before finding this site i feel i was stumbling in the dark.

    I usually pre-mix my milk and sour cream and use this in fact when recipes call for buttermilk(i use just a bit of sour cream and let the milk sit at room temp), but especially in this recipe.

    If i could only figure out how to make a muffin with a single large creamy chocolate center. I once had something like this in a restaurant, and the texture of that dessert on the outside reminded me so much of the way these come out, it’s eerie.

    But getting the filling right and especially after being frozen and thawed, is a challenge for my limited abilities.

    Big thanks not only to John, but to people like Paola for adding to the art.

      1. Too little sleep, too many muffins. Substitute Joe for John in my post, dear readers!

        (I’m not the expert, Joe is)

        1. I suspected that’s where you were going, John, but didn’t want to toot my own horn!

          You know, more than I normally do at least.

          – Joe

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The Conviction of Where My Spare Moments Go

Last Saturday while cleaning the house I decided to start listening to an audio version of “The Inklings” an excellent biography covering the lives of four famous writers (JRR Tokien, CS Lewis, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams) and regretted it five-minutes later.

The author began describing things that most people would view as life goals; writing of a children’s play and book, learning of languages, creating your own rudimentary language complete with dictionary, and devouring of any classic literature possible.

Tolkien and Lewis were doing it at the age of six or seven

While these accomplishments are partly due to the fact that these men were obviously brilliant, I believe there are deeper reasons for their achieving such amazing things at a young age

  1. The lack of technological tools to take up their time (tv, computer, tablet)
  2. Reading books was an easy way to escape boredom
  3. Love for literature and words from their parents (especially mothers)
  4. And plenty of solitude (Lewis would spend all day in the attic with his brother)

Within these reasons a profound truth is seen that I believe reveals a big reason why these men became such great writers….they created literature or language for fun

Each of us have some things we enjoy doing for fun or relaxation whenever there is free time.

  1. Hang out with friends
  2. Play a video game
  3. Listen to music
  4. Surf the Internet
  5. Crash on the couch to watch tv or Netflix
  6. And check Facebook or Twitter on our phone

Please understand I’m not saying that these are bad things since there is a need in everyone’s life for forms of relaxation.  But the fact that a spare ten-minutes would lead me to catch up on Netflix episodes or check facebook while Lewis or Tolkien would reach for paradise lost by Milton is convicting.

This led me last Sunday to think about how much time is spent on social-media, my phone, or Netflix every day.  It wasn’t pretty, but helped me realize those minutes invested in these things really added up

  1. While drinking that first cup of coffee
  2. And getting that second (third, fourth) cup of coffee
  3. While my programs load on my computer
  4. While my oatmeal cooks for a minute and a half
  5. During lunch
  6. While cooking supper
  7. During my morning walk through town
  8. And countless other times
With the Lord’s help I’ve begun redeeming these spare moments by reading a book, listening to one, reading scripture, or (Heaven forbid) just being silent.
I’m not saying it’s easy of course.  I would much rather be catching up on NCIS while eating breakfast this morning instead of wrestling with what Owen Barfield called the evolution of language, and his “great war” with Lewis over the subject of imagination.  But sharpening my mind over oatmeal instead of watching Gibbs slap someone in the back of the head is better in the long run (though I love to see it).
No I will never be at the level of the Inklings (and that’s okay) but I can’t help believe God is honored by my wrestling with deep issues of life while oatmeal cooks

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About Us

The Joint Pain Info group of websites was created as a public service to help people gather up to date and credible information about basic joint anatomy and function, joint injuries and various causes of joint pain.

Contributors to the Joint Pain Info group of websites include Sports Medicine Physicians, Orthopedic Surgeons, Radiologists, Family Physicians, Physical Therapists, Podiatrists, Kinesiologists and Athletic Therapists.

Health-care professionals or clinics that treat joint injuries and joint pain are welcome to use Joint Pain Info a link to their website or as an educational resource for their patients. These websites are a work in progress and are continually being updated.


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Business Article - Blog: What business are you in? Jon Dwoskin

Picture yourself standing around at a sporting event, movie or cocktail party and someone comes up to you and asks you what you do for a living.

Everyone wants to know what you do. It’s human nature. That’s just life and that’s just business. From the moment people meet you, they are sizing you up. What is he all about? What is her profession?  Is he successful? Like, really successful? A player in the industry? The curiosity and assumptions go on and on, revolving around what it is you do for a living.

I can tell you right now that what you think you do, you don’t. A whopping 99% of all people get this wrong. You might think you are answering correctly because you answer the generic way: I’m a lawyer, I’m a broker, I sell real estate, I’m a this or I do that. WRONG! You may have a degree or a license in a field, but that is not the BUSINESS you are in. You are in one of three businesses and I am going to tell you exactly what they are. You have to be ready to hear this because once you realize it is completely true, it is going to change the way you look at your business, career, business plan, future and how you execute every day.

I am going to give you three things to think about. Let’s go!

#1: You are in the business of PIVOTING

That’s right, pivoting. Every day you have to course-correct based on the day, the market, the economy, the client, and other factors.  You may be working on something every day for a month, but the wind changes and your instincts, clients and advisors require you to go another. It’s stop, drop and roll to the next new thing. That is called pivoting. We all do it and few of us realize it.

By the way, if you watch those around you who don’t pivot, they are the ones not growing, not making any money, not increasing their game. They are staying in the same place. Don’t be like that. If you want to grow, you need to have the mindset that you are pivoting both in real time and ahead of real time. These are the people that see the trends before they happen, but which are triggered by real time events.

You have the laggard pivoters, who are slow to move. They see things changing, but hold too much onto the past and are slow to let go.

Then there are the innovative pivoters who see things before anyone sees or feels them and they make shifts in their business accordingly. Many times, people think innovative pivoters are crazy, but they are simply wearing the same hats that innovators in the industry wear.

Which one are you?  If you are not an innovative pivoter, you need me.

#2: You are in the business of RELATIONSHIPS

With technology today, relationships are completely redefined. Millenials have a new definition of it and, frankly, everyone is simply off on this one. Yes, video conferencing, Facetime, texting, email, social media is all amazing, but the GAME CHANGERS are those who are meeting people face-to-face and being a value-add to their business every single day. If you have clients that don’t make a move without talking to you, you have a relationship. If you don’t have that, you might have a rapport or an acquaintance. These are the facts and you can’t negotiate face. Well, you can, but you would be wrong!

So, the question is, how would you rate your relationships on a scale of 1 to10? If you are not at a 10, you have work to do.

#3: You are in the business of SALES AND MARKETING

Listen up! Everything is marketing and everything is sales. Life is marketing. Life is sales. We are all selling and marketing every day to our clients, colleagues, stores we walk into, etc. This may be a hard concept to grasp, but every person you talk to, every store you go into, everything you do in business, has you selling yourself and/or your product. You are marketing practically every minute of every day because you are engaging in consistent follow-up of your message and your company’s product message. You can call it whatever you want, but at the end of the day it’s all sales and all marketing. Period. The end.

So, the question is, how are you at sales and marketing your internal and external brand? If you are not a 10-out-of-10, you have work to do!

The next time someone comes up to you and asks what you do for a living, you can give one of these answers above.

Have fun!

Think Big!


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Here are links to some of the coding projects I have up on Git Hub.

ERTAC has developed the Energy Generating Unit (EGU) Projection Tool which can be used to grow base year (BY) hourly EGU air emissions inventories into future years (FY). The purpose of this is to inform air quality impact assessment on both annual and episodic peak bases. The tool uses BY hourly US EPA Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) data, fuel-specific growth rates, and state-provided information such as retirements and controls to estimate future emissions.  For more information visit

I have contributed several of version of this code base, but am not the original coder.

r4moves is an R library that I developed to more easily access the underlying databases relied on for EPA’s MOVES.  It includes tools to access the input and output tables joined with appropriate look up tables, manipulate the tables, create MOVES XML rusnpecs, run MOVES inline.    It is a work in progress, but fairly stable.  It is not yet up on CRAN, but the intention is to post it there in early 2021.


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Current Issue

Online First

Online First articles are published online before they appear in an issue of Canadian Perspectives on Academic Integrity. Fully citeable, complete with a DOI, Online First means that the latest academic integrity research, practitioner articles, and position papers are available as quickly as possible.

Published: 2021-04-20
View All Issues


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Weekly Round-Up

Time for this week’s round-up of the best of the blog posts which I’ve read over the past week. These are the posts that have moved me, taught me something, inspired me, and which I’ve wanted to share with you. Don’t forget if you have written a post which you would like readers to see, just leave a comment below.

Nancy Stordahl, in an excellent post, cautions against the risk of becoming numb to the number of deaths from both Covid-19 and metastatic breast cancer.

Audrey highlights how the lockdown has seriously affected the mental and physical wellbeing of people who are disabled and those who are shielding.

More covid-related posts from Carolyn,  Britt, JoAnn, Connie, Katie, Naomi, and Nancy Seibel.

What are the surgical stages of breast reconstruction? Terri reached out to Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo of PRMA to answer the question.

Dr Attai reports on her research survey aimed at better understanding motivations to forgo reconstruction and to identify factors associated with postoperative satisfaction among patients who participate in online breast cancer communities.

Cathy lists 11 benefits of exercise to keep you moving.

Great post from Abigail on the unreliability of expectations.

Megsie continues on her blog to write powerfully of the racism she has encountered in her lifetime.

What’s it like to be a man newly diagnosed with breast cancer? Charlie shares his story on the Male Breast Cancer blog.

Finally this week, congrats to Michele and Barbara who have made the list of Healthline.com’s 2020 Best Cancer Blogs – do let me know in the comments below if you also made the list.

Until next week,

Stay safe and be kind to one another

Yours with much love always,

Marie xxx


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Bekah's Heart, Blessing, Joy

Vacations are for Detours

I come ‘round the last curve in the road.  A smile grows on my face as contentment grows in my soul.   If I wasn’t sure before, I’m now convinced that this impromptu detour down “J-Hill” road was a great idea.

I can’t wait to get down the drive and park the car, quick turning off the radio allowing for the silence this place demands.

I look around for a rock to carry up. Unsuccessful, but decide the rocks don’t have to be literal, my figurative ones will work just fine for today.

The ascent begins and I ponder… Was it really nearly 10 years ago that I made this climb for the first time?  I also recall some of the “rocks” I laid down here nearly a decade ago… some of the same burdens I’ve come here to lay down again today.

I pass the crossbar and continue the hike, thankful that the frozen ground makes this journey a little easier than the typical summer day with shifting dirt and sliding rocks.  Near the top, I finally turn around.  The awe-inspiring view steals my breath once again.

As if there were an automatic recording, the familiar tune and words begin to come out of my mouth…. “Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary…”

I ponder again… how many times have I climbed this hill?  How many times have I sung that song?  How many rocks have I laid here… my sins, my burdens, my hurts, my joys.

I linger for a while but eventually begin the hike down to the car… hearing in my head the instructions that for many years came out of my mouth… “If you turn your feet sideways it makes it easier to get down without slipping.”  (As this thought passes through my head, I also slightly regret not changing into the gym shoes that were in the trunk.)

On my way down I pay specially attention to the names that remain on weather-worn rocks.

Julius.   I pause a little longer here.

I wonder… What burdens or pains or hurts or sins might he have left there with his rock only weeks before he left every burden behind forever and went to the place of no more tears.

The names and rocks continue, some more familiar than others.  Each name representing the same thing…  a life changed in this place.  Each rock carries a story… one often known by God alone.   Each rock left there together forms a certain shape reminding… We are free.  Over the last decade, hundreds have made that same climb leaving behind their “junk.” And now, collectively, that “junk” is somehow able to point to our risen Lord.  To God Alone be the Glory!

Thanks God for today… for that spontaneous voice in my head that prompted my journey to 7821 Lyons Creek Road… one of the places in this world that has the label “home” in my heart … a place that gives a little glimpse into what our forever home will be like.

Bekah's Heart, Internship Highlights

‘Tis Good, Lord, To Be Here

Today was a beautiful day.  I’m currently back at school in Nebraska for a Mid-Year Conference with all of the DCE interns from all over the world. These few days back on campus are hard to describe.  Most of us interns have used the word “weird” in that description more times than we probably can count.  It’s this interesting dynamic of loving this place but not really fitting in… at least not in the way we have in the past.  Our roles have shifted, and that’s okay.  In the midst of this awkward, indescribable, mid-way check point, it has been such a blessing to just see God presence everywhere I turn.  Here are just a few examples of where that was found today alone:

  •  A conversation with a beautiful woman with whom I’ve literally had one prior face to face conversation with before, yet somehow our hearts just know each other.  I don’t get it, but was so thankful for our time together this morning and God’s presence there.
  • Chapel.  I miss chapel.  What a wonderful REST was found in the very SIMPLE yet profound proclamation of the Gospel today as it was describe as a song, a melody that can, in a way, be the “background” music to our life.
  • Lunch (at Dragon Palace) with fellow interns, talking about anything and everything and nothing.
  • A chance to share with other DCE students our experiences and where we’ve seen God at work through our internships.
  • Being able to “pick up” friendships where they left off and just get straight to what really matters… to know and be known.

As corny as it may sound, I really felt like the last verse of a hymn we sang in chapel today encapsulates this trip back to Concordia for me.

’Tis good, Lord, to be here.
Yet we may not remain;
But since Thou bidst us leave the mount,
Come with us to the plain.

It is so wonderful to be able to reflect and see all the many ways God has blessed my life through Concordia… to be able to come back and be overwhelmed in a good way… to realize the number of people through whom God has blessed me and made me who I am.  But now, as good as it is to be here, it’s obvious that this is not where I belong right now… and God comes with me to what’s next.

Lord, ’tis truly good to be here… to behold Your beauty… to see You at work in my life and the lives of others… to hear and remember your gospel melody that accompanies my life.  And now, as I prepare to wrap this time here up, may You remind me of your promise to go with me and continue to open my heart and ears to that beautiful melody of Your love.  ‘Tis good Lord, to be Your child.  Thank You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Bekah's Heart, Devotional

A Bold Prayer…

It seems that a couple times a year, I stumble upon this prayer that I once read in a book.   And this morning, as I glanced back through some journals, I read it once again.

It’s a bold prayer…

A scary prayer…

A prayer that maybe we don’t really want to pray, because we know God answers prayer…

A beautiful prayer that gets ME out of the way and lets GOD do His work.

And so today, I pray for strength, courage, and GRACE to yet again, pray this prayer:

Challenge me everyday.
Show up every weakness I have.
Play on my vulnerabilities.
Invest me with responsibilities that I might not handle well and
Put me right in the midst of Your salvation drama.
Amen. Let it be so.

Unable To Count That High

The leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and more fills the fridge.

Pies and cookies line the buffet table ready to be eaten as soon as our stomachs can hold another bit of food.

Bodies of friends lay asleep in the living room buried under blankets, pillows, and other remnants of last night’s sleepover.

I sit at my kitchen table…

in awe…

How gracious is our God!

Awesome God, I can’t help but pause and bring you thanks and praise for this day.

For a new day to be alive and live in you.

For an amazing time of worship this morning with Your Family, focusing us as we began this day of giving thanks.

For beautiful friends to spend time with and celebrate with this week.

For big meals… and small meals… reminders of your provision.

For a house and food and family.

For grace… freedom… life.

For the fact that as I begin to “count my blessings,” even just in today,… I suddenly realize, I can’t count that high!

I give you thanks.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Crossroads, First Trinity, Internship Highlights

Crossroads CONNECT – Fighting Satan’s Lies

Last week at Crossroads CONNECT (First Trinity’s Thursday Night Activity for High School Students) we talked about the lies Satan tells us.

After playing a game of Jenga we connected the game with our lives.   The lies Satan tells us and the things he tempts us to do don’t seem like such a big deal… kind of like one block removed from the Jenga tower.  But, as Satan tells us lie afte lie after lie, we’re not who we were originally created to be.   And eventually, we’re so broken we crumble to pieces.

Thankfully we have a God who sent his Son to dwell among us and build us back up the way he originally created us to be.

As part of our discussion last week the high school students identified common lies that Satan tells us or people who are struggling to believe in God, such as:

“You’re not good enough.”
“God could never forgive you for THAT sin!”
“God doesn’t love me.”

Then they wrote down the Truth about that situation, found Bible verses to support the truth, and wrote a prayer they could pray whenever they felt like Satan’s lie was actually real.

I thought I’d share just a few examples of what they came up with.  They really did an awesome job!

Lie: God is just a thing of the past.
Truth: God is alive and present, with us TODAY!

  • Matthew 28:20 – “I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”
  • Psalm 46:1 – “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

 God, help me know that you are always with me, through everything I see every day.  In Your Name I pray, Amen.

 Lie: God is causing these bad things to happen in your life.
Truth:  God is good.  We may not understand what is happening in life, but He is good.

  • Genesis 50:20 – “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
  • Psalm 107:1 – “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His loving kindness is everlasting.”

Dear Lord, I don’t understand why bad things happen in life and why I struggle.  Remind me in these hard times of the simple truth that YOU ARE GOOD.   Even when that’s hard for me to believe, help me know it is true.  You can take the things people and Satan intend for harm in my life and make them into something good.  Be with me as I wait to see the good you have in these hard situation in my life right now. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Lie: If you don’t have _______ (a boyfriend, a girlfriend, the newest clothes/ipod, etc.) something is wrong with you.
Truth: God has made you perfect just the way you are.  You are completely whole in Him.

  • Colossians 2:9-10 – “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ…”
  • Genesis 1:31 – “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good….”

Jesus, it’s hard for me to look around and see everyone around me that has ______ (a boy/girlfriend, the newest clothes/ipod, etc.).  Help me to see that you are more than enough for me… that you have made me perfect and whole just the way I am and that I can find who I am in You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

31 Days of Hope

Hope {Day 20} – Long Term Hope

This morning, as I read in Luke, I came upon this story:

On a Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.  She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.  When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”  Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

The story goes on, as typical for these kinds of stories, with the synagogue rulers indignant and ticked off that Jesus would heal on the Sabbath.  And then, of course, Jesus rebukes them basically saying, “you care more for your animals than you do for the needs of a person.”

Two main things caught my attention with this passage.  First of all, it was a Sabbath and Jesus always seemed to be doing things that the Pharisees didn’t like on the Sabbath.  But more, so this phrase caught my eye… and my heart:

This woman, had probably lost all hope of being healed.  Seriously, eighteen years… that’s a long time.  And going back to the other thing that caught my attention… this was a Sabbath… even if this woman knew who Jesus was and had any hope that maybe healing could be provided, she probably would have never thought that healing would come today of all days… it was a Sabbath.  I imagine, any hope that was there, was very small.  Yet, I do believe there was hope.

If there was no hope, then why was this woman who had suffered from an evil spirit for so long even AT the synagogue that day?  In my opinion, she had long-term hope.  Maybe, JUST MAYBE, SOMEDAY I will be healed.

As I think about this story, I think about people I know and love and care about who have been suffering for a long time.  Whether the struggle is physical, spiritual, or emotional, as each day passes without relief, hope slowly fades.  “It’s already been so long,”  their minds protest.  “How could healing EVER come now?”

Yet, God doesn’t call us to understand.. he calls us to trust him.  Our healing may not come today.  Our healing may not come tomorrow or next year, or even in this life time.  But even if it doesn’t, we continue to ask God to give us what we need to remain faithful and trust.  We ask God to help us to come into his presence, like this woman did, time and time again, knowing that in your time and in your way, you will call us forward and say, “My son… My daughter… you are set free from your infirmity.”

God, please give us hope for today… and tomorrow…. and the next day… and the next day… and the next day… until THAT day:

“Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching head.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Rev. 7:16-17)

Bekah's Heart, Devotional, Uncategorized

Joyfullyblessed … And rejoicing today!

Have you ever found yourself staring at a situation in life wondering how you’d ever get through it?  The mountain is just too big to climb.  The burden is too much to bear.  The weight is just too heavy.  It is just IMPOSSIBLE to overcome.

Now, have you ever gotten through one of those situations and looked back on it.  Have you ever stood at the top of that mountain, realizing that somehow you actually have overcome?

4 years ago I was a college freshmen, not even a month into the crazy college experience.  I enjoyed life with my new friends and was excited about the adventures that lay ahead.

4 years ago today, I was also involved in a car accident that changed a lot of things in life.  The naivety of youth … of thinking “it’ll never happen to me,” was stripped away as my friend and I were pulled from a twisted piece of metal with the Jaws of Life, surprising some that we made it out alive.

At times .  I wondered when the images of the collision would stop playing on repeat in my mind, but eventually they did.   Then, I wondered if a day would pass that I wouldn’t think of the accident and it’s impact on my life…. and the life of my friend… yet that day, and many more since, came.  But SURELY I would NEVER ride, let alone drive, in car again without thinking of that horrible day, right?  Wrong. Most days now it doesn’t even cross my mind.

So, I stop today and remember that day, September 21, 2006… but not with the same confusing emotions that surrounded that event and the time that followed…  no, I remember it today and rejoice!

I rejoice in the fact that I’m still alive.

I rejoice that broken friendships have been healed.

I rejoice in an overcoming Savior that helps me overcome.

As I think about this, and the many things we face which seem “IMPOSSIBLE” to overcome, I’m reminded of a verse from one of my favorite Psalms, Psalm 77.  The first part of the Psalm basically outlines how it seems as if God just isn’t listening and there’s no way out of the situation.  Then, suddenly the Psalmist switches focus…

10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
       the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
       yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

12 I will meditate on all your works
       and consider all your mighty deeds.

13 Your ways, O God, are holy.
       What god is so great as our God?

Even in the midst of things that seem “impossible” to overcome it often, it helps to look back and realize where we’ve seen God already at work… in His Word and in our own lives.  As we meditate on His works and consider His mighty deeds, it gives us hope to continue on and climb the mountain in front of us.

Truly, the days and months that followed my accident 4 years ago, were difficult.  Yet, I stand here today and can truly REJOICE in the faithfulness of our God … and overcoming Savior who leads us through life… but the joys and the challenges!

Joyfullyblessed … by the “Little” things

While I was in Africa, I was amazed over and over again at how God works even in the littlest things.  When I stopped to think about it, I realized that God wasn’t DOING more in Africa, but my eyes were just open to it because of the new situation.  Upon my arrival back to America (and for the 2 months since then), my prayer has remained that God would keep my eyes open to the amazing work he does each day that I would have passed by or counted as coincidence in the past.

I admit that sometimes it’s easy to dwell on what we DON’T see him at work in, but below are some of the “little things” that have blessed me recently.  I guess they’re not really “little”… they’re “God-sized”!  And I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by them… He’s “simply” answering prayers. 🙂

  • Homegrown fruit and vegetables from congregation members
  • Seeing the youth excited to share their experiences at NYG with the congregation 2 Sundays ago and the Women’s Bible Class this past Monday.
  • A package from my sister
  • Volleyball on Wednesday nights – an opportunity to meet new people and exercise all at the same time while having fun. 🙂
  • Getting to have lunch with my teammates each day
  • A congregation member commenting that they were praying for me the whole time I was presenting at the VBS reunion on Sunday
  • A classmate from school who has texted me every week for at least the past month asking how he can be praying for me and the things going on at my church
  • Numerous phone calls, texts, e-mails and notes from friends/family with encouraging words… often at the “perfect” time.
  • Moments of Laughter – like Addie imitating Sailor Jack saying “You’ve got to be kidding” or simply sharing joy with a friend
  • Just “happening” to read the PERFECT verse in the Bible at the PERFECT time

God… open our eyes to see YOU… even in the “little” things. Amen!

And now I turn the question back to you, my beloved blog readers… what “little things” has God blessed YOU with/through recently?

Bekah's Heart, Music

Joyfullyblessed… to simply be His child

So, I always appreciate when people are real with me, so here I am, being “real” with the world.

It finally happened.  All the events, emotions, and adventures of the past few months of my life just hit me like one of those giant wrecking balls taking down a house.  I knew it would happen at some point, but just didn’t know when.  Maybe that’s not quite the best analogy because that makes it sound like a really bad thing, but it’s not at all!

Sure, I’ve been dealing with the various emotions throughout the process of graduation, living in Africa for a month, moving to New York and everything in between, but I think tonight everything just hit at all at the same time… and out of nowhere…. yet, in God’s perfect timing.

All the joy of God’s many blessings, the sorrow of loved ones dying, the excitement of a new job at a wonderful church with beautiful people, the loneliness found in missing familiar relationships, being overwhelmed with responsibilities, anticipating (and experiencing) new adventures, my heart being touched by conversations and relationships, my soul being attacked by the Evil One, the freedom in letting go, the anticipation, yet uncertainty of the future, the peace in just living for today in God’s presence  … it’s just a lot to process and like I said… for a few moments tonight, I was down for the count.

BUT down, I think, is where I needed to go.  I needed to sort through all the “stuff” in order to understand the deep peace in coming back to the beautiful simplistic truth, that I AM GOD’S DAUGHTER… AND HE LOVES ME!

Below is a song by Moses Hogan that we sang almost every year in one of the choirs I was in.  I think it describes that simple truth of being God’s child and hope illustrates the peace that has now covered my heart in words I don’t have of my own.

“I may not be all that You are.

I may not be a shining star.

But what I am, I thank the Lord, for making me His child!

Thank You Lord, for hearing every prayer.

Thank You Lord, for just being there.

Thank You Lord.

Thank You Lord, for I am not worthy of Your love.

“I may not be all that You are.

I may not be a shining star.

But what I am, I thank the Lord, for making me His child!”

I truly am JOYFULLYBLESSED to simply be God’s daughter…beautiful and loved.


text:
How to

12 Ways to Customize the Samsung Galaxy J3

The Samsung Galaxy J3 may have a budget price-point, but just like any Samsung phone, there are plenty of ways to customize it. You can take home the Galaxy J3 for around $180, which isn’t bad for what’s in the box. The only points about the phone that are lacking for a Samsung device is the available RAM (1.5 GB), and the camera (5MP Rear, 2MP Front).

Note: For easy, safe and guaranteed rooting of Android Devices with 24×7 Support you can try using Once Click Root

If you plan on taking pictures with the J3, I hope you have a good photo editor installed to make them look good. If the specifications under the hood have left you disappointed; there’s a silver lining. The ways you can customize the J3 will either change your mind, or make you pass on the phone.

1. Switch Your Default Home Screen

One of the first things you can do on the J3 is change your home screen. You can do this in just a few steps

If you aren’t already on the home screen, press the home key.

Once on the home screen, place two fingers on the screen apart from each other, then bring them together with a pinching motion.

Now swipe to the desired home screen to either the left or right. Once you’ve found the screen you want, tap the home icon at the top of the screen.

If you don’t see it immediately, it’s underneath the remove/trash icon.

2. Adding Widgets to your Home Screen

I mentioned changing your home screen earlier, but what about changing what’s on your home screen? I’m not talking about wallpapers or themes yet, but about moving widgets to that screen instead.

If you aren’t already there, go to the home screen by pressing the home key.

Find the home screen that you want to add a widget to by swiping to the left or right.

Now that you’ve found the desired screen, perform the pinching gesture from the first customization tip.

Now that you’re on the customization viewer for your different home screens, you should see the three buttons at the bottom of the screen.

Touch the Widgets icon.

You should now have a selection of widgets to choose from. If you don’t see the one you want, swipe to the left until you can.

Once you’ve found the widget you want, tap and hold the widget. When you do this, you’ll be able to move it to the home screen you’ve selected.

j3-safe mode

Once you’ve found the proper place for it, you can let go, and adjust the size by dragging its corners if able.

3. Select your Lock Screen

Not every lock screen is the same, and for the sake of security, yours should be customized.

Navigate to your Settings. One way to do this is:

  • Go to the home screen by tapping the home key.
  • On the home screen, tap Apps.
  • From there, select Settings.

Once in your Settings, tap on Lock screen and security.

On the next menu, tap Screen lock type.

You may be asked for your set PIN or other information, put this in to continue.

Once you’ve passed this screen, you can set your lock screen to be: Swipe, Pattern, PIN, Password, or None.

4. Enabling Smart Lock

If you’ve never heard of smart lock, it lets you bypass your normal lock screen under special conditions. Smart lock can save time, and offer another customization option that lets you fine tune your phone.

Navigate to your Settings, and then under Personal, to Lock screen and security.

Now got to the last option under Lock screen: Secure lock settings, and then Smart lock on the next screen after that.

You’ll then need to enter any lock screen information you have currently to continue.

On the smart lock page, you have four options to choose from to enable smart lock.

Using these options, you can bypass your lock screen when your phone detects a nearby trusted device, is in a trusted location, hears a trusted voice, or detects that it is on your person.

You can tap any option on this screen that you like to set up the smart lock. Personally, I recommend the on body specification since it covers most scenarios where you would want the feature active.

5. Turn on Easy Mode

If the current Samsung Galaxy J3 interface is too distracting, or too much for you to keep up with, you can enable easy mode to lighten your J3 experience.

From the home screen, or otherwise, navigate to your Settings.

Once in your settings, under Personal, tap Easy Mode.

Here you will see two bubbles for either Standard Mode or Easy Mode. Make your selection, and then tap DONE in the upper right corner.

Easy mode will provide an easily digestible, home screen experience. Additionally, you can toggle applications to be their Easy Mode version in the same manner.

6. Customize your Keyboard

Throughout a phone’s lifespan, you’ll be using its keyboard multiple times per day. If you want to make that a pleasant experience, you should tailor your keyboard to your use and style.

From any location, navigate to your Settings.

Under the Personal tab, scroll to System, and then directly underneath it, tap Language and input.

On this screen you have a few different customization options to play with, but for this example, tap Samsung Keyboard.

On this next screen you can toggle options that will help suit your typing style and desired keyboard. I won’t go into everything you can do on this menu, so change settings around how you see fit.

7. Make Use of Different Camera Modes and Settings

Despite the Samsung Galaxy J3 not having the best camera around, it does have a few settings you can mess around with to change your pictures.

First, quickly tap the home key twice. This will bring up the camera.

From here you can either press the Settings gear off in the lower left corner in landscape mode, or the MODE button in the opposite corner. I’ll start with Settings first.

On this menu there are plenty of options to change and toggle, but you’ll need to scroll down to see all of them.

j3-camera setting

These are all up to personal discretion. You can set gesture of pressing the home key twice to launch a video recorder instead of just the camera. You can change the functions of your volume keys during picture taking. You can even turn off the quick launch with the home key if it bothers you.

Going back to Step 2 for a moment, let’s look at MODE now instead.

These camera modes are entirely optional, but you can use them to make your shots look unique. I won’t dive into their individual perks here, but you can view their general descriptions by pressing the info button in the top right.

Feel free to experiment.

8. Change your Wallpaper or Theme

I know that one of the first things I do when I get a new phone is change the wallpaper. Thankfully, changing the wallpaper or the theme on Galaxy J3 is a painless process.

Press the home key to return to the home screen if not already there.

Perform a pinching gesture on any empty part of the home screen to bring up the editing menu.

At the bottom of the screen, there should be three buttons, but we’ll only be making use of two this time.

Let’s start with Wallpaper first.

Once you hit the Wallpaper button, you’ll be able to choose an image for your home screen background, lock screen background, or both. This is up to your tastes, and so is the image selection.

You can select an image from your gallery, or from the selections below.

Following suit with Step 4, Themes work much in the same way, except they apply themselves further than just the home screen and lock screen. You can download any number of themes and switch them out as you please. There’s no need to be afraid of experimentation.

9. Configure your Location

This is something you may keep turned off for privacy’s sake, but is necessary for accurate GPS detection.

From anywhere, navigate to your Settings.

Under Personal, scroll to Privacy and safety and tap it.

From here you can toggle Location to be on or off. If you want it to be off, then that’s all you need to complete. However, if you want it on, you have a few more settings to tweak.

Once you’ve toggled it on, you’ll be asked to improve accuracy. You can deny this and still use location services as normal, but your location detection will not be as accurate as possible.

Additionally, you can change your location method between GPS, Mobile networks, and Wi-Fi networks.

One last setting to toggle is Location history. This is located at the bottom of the page, but I would read the description to see if this feature is worth enabling for your own use.

10. Enable Safe Mode

Safe Mode is less of a customization option itself, and is instead  to test and disable other customization options you’ve obtained. If a recent software addition is causing your phone to bug, enabling Safe Mode is a good way to confirm this.

To boot into Safe Mode, you first need to turn off your device completely.

Once the device has been turned off, you’ll need to do two things one after the other:

  • Press and hold the power key for 1-2 seconds.
  • Once the Samsung logo appears, press and hold the Volume Down key.

Once you’ve done this, you should be in safe mode.

What you do in Safe Mode is up to you, but to exit it you can do one of two things:

  • On your lock screen should be an option to disable Safe Mode.
j3-safe mode
  • Restart your phone while in Safe Mode.

11. Enable Smart Alert

Enabling Smart Alert ensures your phone will vibrate when picked up if you have any missed calls or messages.

Navigate to your Settings, either from the home screen, or otherwise.

Once in Settings, scroll down to Device, and then tap Motions and gestures.

You’ll only have one option on this menu, and that’s to toggle Smart Alert on or off.

12. Turn on TalkBack

TalkBack is an option, that once enabled, will help users that are either blind or have poor vision. The Galaxy J3 will often provide vocal feedback to help the user with the device.

Navigate to your Settings from anywhere on the device; it should probably be in your recent tabs by now.

Underneath the Personal tab, scroll to Accessibility and tap it.

Near the bottom of the Accessibility screen is a Services tab. Under that tab, tap TalkBack.

Here you can toggle TalkBack to on or off, and receive a helpful tutorial to better understand its intended use.

That’s twelve ways to customize the Samsung Galaxy J3 right out of the box, but there’s still more than can be done. While these customizations aren’t specifically for the J3, they’re helpful on any Android phone. The Galaxy J3 may be a budget phone, but that doesn’t stop it from having a point where it excels.

Do you have any questions about the Samsung Galaxy J3 you need answered? You can leave any questions or comments below and get a helping hand.

Featured Image Credit

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  1. How do I move my icons in my apps?
    How can I get the into my apps in a box with more than one icon?
    For example, Microsoft Office?

    1. Hi Robin,
      All you have you to is long-press one icon and drag it on top of the other app you want to include in your ¨box¨or folder. That´s it! Thanks for reading. =-)

  2. When unlocking the J3, is the dialer the default program that opens first? Can this be changed?

    1. Hi Brian,
      When you unlock your phone, you should just see the home screen. Is this something that is happening to you? =-)

  3. Hi Edith,
    Those vertical dots are something that is suppose to be in the phone already. What are you trying to do exactly? =-)

  4. I couldn’t find the 3 vertical dots I needed to continue actions on my samsung j3 but I have now solved it my j3 apparently doesn’t have these instead it says edit and this enables me to continue with the actions.

    1. Hi Edith,
      Every phone has a different setup, but I am glad that you were able to finish what you needed to do. Thanks for commenting. =-)

    1. Hi Morgan,
      I have a J5 and after looking into every option, there is, I haven’ t been able to find a way to change the SMS look without downloading an app. So downloading an app is completely out of the question? =-)

    2. There is a way to customize your entire phone with out a app. Go to your theme store which comes with the phone. Through this you can choose many many themes which will change the look of your messages and notification bar and even your dialer and so on. Hope this helps.

    1. Hi Ed,
      You can edit this feature by going to Settings>Language & Input>Tap on the keyboard you are using and turn off predictive text. Hope this helps. =-)

  5. How do I change the font color under my icons & under the time displayed on my pages? I am vision impaired and they are all in white font making them near impossible to read. Thank you!!

    1. Hi There,
      You can use Holo Launcher that allows you to change the size of the font in Launcher settings and with a dark wallpaper you´re all set or you can install Go launcher that has that feature. Thanks for commenting. =-)

  6. How do I change the message text bubble colors on the J3? My old S4 had incoming message text bubble color as yellow and my outgoing message text bubble as blue. The J3 is reverse.

    1. If you mean to move the app icon to another location within the folder, all you have to do is long-press on the icon you want to move and move it over to where you want it to be. The icon that is already there will slide over making room for the one you want to place.

  7. I have recently changed to Samsung Galaxy J3
    Is there possibly a way of having the top icon bar on home page in a colour so that it shows on top of any personal home screen image I have
    And …. a major one – is there any way at all of making the speaker louder. I have everything set at full but yet I can’t hear my phone ring or the alarm if I am anywhere but right next to the phone

    Thank you so much

    1. hi gynor, did you ever get a fix for this . I cant see my icons in top bar because of light wallpaper. On my old LG the icon bar (charge, signal, sound etc ) are in a distinct separate bar above wallpaper.

  8. Why does Samsung J3 2016 can only be touched by 2 fingers while other phones like J5 2016 can be touched by 4 to 6 fingers. Is there anything that I could do to make J3 touched up to 3 or 5?

  9. On my husband’s J3, there is a floating icon that looks like the Applications icon except the background color is a bit different. When it is tapped, I can scroll through 3 pages with 4 icons each. These icons are shortcuts to Recent apps, Home screen, Back, Notification, panel, Volume, etc. So, it appears the icon I’m asking about is a like a folder shortcut. But it is obtrusive, and I can not remove it as an app or widget. I’ve searched for answering and have come up empty. Any ideas?!?

    1. Look in the Accessibility settings. There is an option for Dexterity and Interaction. In there you should see something called Assistant Menu. Toggle that off and you should be good to go.

    1. You should be able to go into the camera settings and turn off the quick launch function. This should eliminate the icon, but also turn off the option for any quick launch options when it is unlocked too. I don’t believe you can have one without the other.

  10. Is there a way to make the predictive text “smarter” in a J3 V? I had a Galaxy 4 that had personalized predictive text and I assumed that was standard for Samsung phones. I am very disappointed with the J3s predictive ability — it just plain isn’t very good at guessing, and even if I type out the whole word it often overrides what I’ve written (replacing “flakes” with “flames”, for example). Any help available??

    1. if there isn’t a background option in the settings, you might want to look into a different sms app like GO SMS Pro. you can get different themes and change just about everything.

    1. Press and hold an open space on your home screen. When you have the option to choose a widget click the tab. Contacts is an option. choose the widget style you want. there are options for contact, direct dial, and direct message. then choose the contact you want to add.

  11. Hello good evening. My camera is not working good.It produces blurred photos even I cleaned the screen and even check whether there is an obstructcle. It seemed that my camera cant have a focus on the subject in a distant. Further images seemed to be too zoomed even though i adjusted the zoom button.Please help me

  12. I have a samsung j3 2016 phone and I was wondering how do I get the writing smaller when I receive a notification in the notification bar as it is to big for me

  13. Hi! Lockscreen clock format (vertical, no colon between double digits) is so absurd that the mind does nit identify its giving current time. How can I change it to horizontal?

    1. Hi, Trixie. You should be able to change this in your display or clock settings, or by selecting a differently formatted widget for your lock screen.

    1. Hi, Dee! Your home button should only go to S Voice when double tapped. Is that what’s happening. You can stop double tapping home from pulling up S Voice by opening the S Voice app, going to Settings and deselect the “Open via the home key” option. If you want double tapping your home button to open a different app, the Home2 Shortcut app allows you to do so.

  14. Hi can someone tell me how to get back the add a ringtone mine disapperaed? and is it possible to have a different notificationsound for email, messages, facebook, or do they all have to be the same one which is annoying me?

    1. Hi, Sara. Could you clarify what you mean when you say that your ringtone disappeared? You can change the notification sound for your email, text messages, and calendar to each be unique under your Sounds and Vibration settings, but all other apps would use the same notification sound. You cannot make the other apps have different sounds unless the app itself allows you to change it’s notification sound or you use an app that allows you to change the notification sounds of other apps.

  15. I have a J3 – Can you tell me if there is any to

    A) Change the Camera icon on the lock screen to something else (most probably texts)
    B) whether there is any way once a text arrives it alerts you on the lock screen as it does for emails.

    1. Hi, Peter! To change the app icons on your lock screen go to Settings -> Personal -> Lock screen and security -> Info and app shortcuts -> App shortcuts, and choose the apps you want to have access to from your lock screen. To ensure that texts appear on the lock screen go to Settings -> Notifications -> Advanced -> Messages and make sure “Hide on lock screen” is switched off.

  16. Prior to the last update I had a custom picture for my profile on my J3 and now it is gone and I can find no way to access my pictures to put it back (can only change to a stock image). How can I fix this issue and continue to use my own custom image for my contact info?

  17. I have a Samsung J3. If I am in an app, such as playing a game, and the phone rings, my ringtone plays, but the phone app will not switch focus so I can see who is calling. If I press the Home button, it will answer the call, but I want the phone app to take focus away from whatever app I cam using when it rings, so I can decide if I want to take the call, or send it to voice mail. Any ideas?

  18. am using a locked screen with my J3 and find I am continually putting in the wrong number because the numbers are too small or my fingers are too big. How can I make this screen larger as there is plenty of space on the whole screen, yet only half is in use?

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text:
7 Questions and Answers to Guyanese Girl

Guyana’s inhabitants was counted at 758,619 in the census of 1980 and estimated to be 764,000 in 1990. The official was eager to note that ladies have roles across Exxon’s operations from business companies, procurement, safety, health and atmosphere, and technical providers suppliers. She also disclosed that two are being educated in Canada and can quickly return shortly to help Operations and Maintenance offshore on the Liza Future FPSO, which is producing oil on the Stabroek Block.

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Guyana Dating Site Guide

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text:
About Us

Judah Tours was started as a shared effort between all the partners to deliver memorable experiences, fun times and knowledge. Judah Tours is a Christian touring agency based in Jerusalem. Our aim is to share the awareness about the christian heritage in Israel & The West Bank.

We offer creative and innovative ideas to allow the maximum enjoyment of the richness of our country, providing a personalized and efficient service, with the backing of professionals of vast experience in the field of tourism.

Among the services offered by the company stands out the coordination of itineraries for individuals and groups, including hotel reservations, transport, tours, logistical support activities and any other special requirements necessary.

We always work thinking of you, of your needs, but above all, of your expectations. We know that every detail is important, and for this reason make our best effort to care for all those "little things" which will always make the difference so that your trip will be exceptional.


text:
According to the book of Genesis, animals and humans were created on the 6th day. I am wondering what Jews think of dinosaurs.

When tested for dating (radioactive decay), their bones appear to be millions of years old, a time period that does not exist according to a literal interpretation of the Torah.

I am aware of certain Jewish/science authors that use Einstein's theory of relativity to argue that the first 7 days of Genesis were "relative" and that they could actually be much longer than the 24 hour days we have today.

But for Jews who are not scientists, what is the general belief about dinosaurs?

It is difficult to separate this answer from science. Ultimately the discovery, knowledge and theory about dinosaurs is a scientific one; one that is not really discussed in classic Judaic literature due to the discovery of dinosaur fossils begin relatively recent.

Rabbi Slifkin has a chapter devoted to this in 'the Challenge of Creation' (chapter 17 entitled 'Dinosaurs and Sea Monsters').

I will try to summarise some of this chapter:

'And Hashem created the great taninim...' (Bereishit 1:21). Some say that this refers to giant sea monsters, however in Devarim 32:33, where 'tannin' is used in the singular, it refers to snakes. Yechezkel 29:3 they are referred to as crocodiles. Slifkin argues against Schroeder (Science of G-d p.193), who says that taninim refer to the general category of reptiles. Slifkin goes on to argue that the modern term 'reptile' bears no place in classic Judaic thought since the Torah's classification of animals has nothing to do with modern taxonomy that is based on DNA. He argues that claiming that 'taninim' as being dinosaurs is sensationalist, at best. Furthermore, seeing as the majority of dinosaurs were terrestrial, Slifkin questions why the Torah would have made a reference to dinosaurs in general as the sea dwelling 'taninim'.

Slifkin argues that there is 'no reason to expect to find dinosaurs in the Torah any more than we would expect to find ammonites or mammoths'. There are countless species (extinct and present) that bare no necessity that the Torah should find the need to mention them.

He brings another 'contender' for dinosaurs from Iyov (40:15-24):

טו הִנֵּה-נָא בְהֵמוֹת, אֲשֶׁר-עָשִׂיתִי עִמָּךְ; חָצִיר, כַּבָּקָר יֹאכֵל. טז הִנֵּה-נָא כֹחוֹ בְמָתְנָיו; וְאוֹנוֹ, בִּשְׁרִירֵי בִטְנוֹ. יז יַחְפֹּץ זְנָבוֹ כְמוֹ-אָרֶז; גִּידֵי פַחֲדָו יְשֹׂרָגוּ. יח עֲצָמָיו, אֲפִיקֵי נְחֻשָׁה; גְּרָמָיו, כִּמְטִיל בַּרְזֶל. יט הוּא, רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכֵי-אֵל; הָעֹשׂוֹ, יַגֵּשׁ חַרְבּוֹ. כ כִּי-בוּל, הָרִים יִשְׂאוּ-לוֹ; וְכָל-חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה, יְשַׂחֲקוּ-שָׁם. כא תַּחַת-צֶאֱלִים יִשְׁכָּב-- בְּסֵתֶר קָנֶה וּבִצָּה. כב יְסֻכֻּהוּ צֶאֱלִים צִלְלוֹ; יְסֻבּוּהוּ, עַרְבֵי-נָחַל. כג הֵן יַעֲשֹׁק נָהָר, לֹא יַחְפּוֹז; יִבְטַח, כִּי-יָגִיחַ יַרְדֵּן אֶל-פִּיהוּ. כד בְּעֵינָיו יִקָּחֶנּוּ; בְּמוֹקְשִׁים, יִנְקָב-אָף.

and in English:

Behold now behemoth, which I made with you; he eats grass like an ox. Behold now, the strength of his loins, and the power in his belly. He thrusts his tail like a cedar, his testicles are bound by twisted cords. His bones are like tubes of bronze; his limbs are like bars of iron. He is the head of the works of G-d; let He who made him bring near His sword to him. The mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. He lies under the shady trees, in the cover of the reeds and swamp. The shady trees cover him with their shadow' the willows of the brook surround him. Behold, he plunders a river without hurry; he trusts that he can draw the Jordan into his mount. He takes in the river with his eyes, his nostrils are as though pierced by hooks.

Slifkin makes reference to a number of creationists that suggest that these verses refer to dinosaurs (saurapods, to be exact), but says that 'no dinosaur lived at the same time as Iyov'. He goes on to suggest that these verses are quite explicitly talking about the hippopotamus.

In summary, he sees no reason for dinosaurs to be mentioned in the Torah.

  • thanks. so if i have this correct, Slifkin is saying that dinosaurs did exist with humans and they just weren't specifically mentioned in the Torah? – kirby Oct 19 '14 at 19:14
  • @kirby he writes 'no dinosaur lived at the same time as Iyov', he strongly suggests that they did not exist at the same time as humans. – bondonk Oct 19 '14 at 19:17
  • 1
    @ray its easy to disregard his books due to what some important Rabbanim have had to say about it. The book is among the best sourced in classic sources (more than others i know) dealing with these issues. There are no outlandish sources and IMHO his conclusions are not heretical in the least. I really think the opposition is in his style... nu – bondonk Oct 20 '14 at 5:43
  • 1
    @ray, what's with the ad hominem attacks? Comments on this post should focus on issues with the content of this post, such as any counterarguments you may have against arguments made in the cited chapter of The Challenge of Creation or any ways in which you feel the tone of this post needs improvement. The "reliability of R' Slifkin's views" is immaterial here, as this post cites arguments and sources, which are impeachable on their own merits, rather than "views." – Isaac Moses Oct 20 '14 at 14:35
  • 1
    @ray, if this answer was relying on his unsupported opinions or fact-reporting, his personal reliability would be relevant. It doesn't. – Isaac Moses Oct 20 '14 at 14:46

NOTE: I am not a science guy but found the following interesting. Copy/Paste from the Ohr Somayach "Ask The Rabbi"

Far from being frightened by dinosaurs, Rabbi Yisrael Lifshitz, author of the Tiferet Yisrael commentary on the Mishna, received the news of fossil discoveries in the nineteenth century with delight. As he had undoubtedly expected, they confirmed everything that we knew all along. He writes:

…As regards the past, Rabbi Abahu states at the beginning of Bereishet Rabbah that the words "and it was evening, and it was morning" (in the apparent absence of the sun) indicate that "there was a series of epochs before then; the Holy One created worlds and destroyed them, approving some and not others." The Kabbalists expanded upon this statement and revealed that this process is repeated seven times, each Shemita achieving greater perfection than the last…They also tell us that we are now in the midst of the fourth of these great cycles of perfection…[Editor's note: Interestingly, many paleontologists also consider there to have been four eras: the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic.]

We are enabled to appreciate to the full the wonderful accuracy of our Holy Torah when we see that this secret doctrine, handed down by word of mouth for so long, and revealed to us by the Sages of the Kabbalah many centuries ago, has been borne out in the clearest possible way by the science of our generation.

The Tiferet Yisrael then goes on to describe all sorts of discoveries that point to evidence of epochs that were created and destroyed preceding ours including the discovery of "a monstrous type of elephant, some three or four times larger than those found today…"

(Tiferet Yisrael, in Derush Ohr HaChayyim, found in Mishnayot Nezikin after Masechet Sanhedrin)

So it would seem that according to the Tiferet Yisrael the dinosaurs lived in one of the preceding epochs and not in our current experience starting from Bereishet.

I encourage you to read the full article linked above.

  • 1
    I am not comfortable with this answer. I'm not sure why Hashem would have put fossils in the ground in order to prove a (perhaps figurative) kabbalistic teaching of worlds being created and destroyed. Furthremore, Hashem destroyed 'those' worlds - why would he leave behind deliberately confusing remnants of it. – bondonk Oct 20 '14 at 21:06

I discuss some of the logical reasoning in Breishis - Creationism and Evolutionism

Logically, we can consider Creation in a way like building a computer program from modules. Each "day" is a different module turned on and off for the unit testing. This is why the first time, when time is created, is יום אחד (one day) and the following days are of the form "a second day". It is only on "the sixth day" and the finish (ויכולו) that the actual execution begins. As a result, nothing before the beginning of man and civilization (Adam) needs to be mentioned.

Speaking of creation in a theoretical sense, the universe could have been created with this post on your screen and we would have no way of proving that it had been created 5 seconds or 5 billion years ago. In either case, the carbon dating and other internal evidence would be the same.

I also point this out in "And it was evening, and it was morning, *one* day"?

The fact is that with the initial creation of space and time, a day was created. Once that was done and a second dark/light cycle created, it was a second day. Something that somewhat duplicated the existence of a cycle a second, third, fourth, and fifth time. It was only with the creation of "the sixth day" that the universe reached the point of being able to continue "according to the laws of nature" and had enough parts in existence to be able to continue to exist. However, it was only with the creation of "rest" that the "program" actually began running.

Note that the third day was the "plant module" and the fourth day was the "sun moon and stars module". This implies that the light of the stars was created reaching the Earth no matter how far away the stars were. These "modules" could not run independantly.

Note that this also answers how vegetation could be created "before" the sun. It also answers why dinosaurs do not have to be mentioned. Just as trees were created with rings (showing an "age"), the stars were created already visible from Earth, dead trees were created to allow mushrooms to grow, etc. Thus, fossils would logically be created as part of the Earth. The sixth day just says that Hashem created all the land animals as they were found when Adam was introduced to the world.

  • 2
    I'm not sure this post addresses the question of dinosaurs – bondonk Oct 19 '14 at 16:13
  • @bondonk I added to the answer from another answer that deals with the same issue. This not deals with dinosaurs explicitly. – sabbahillel Oct 19 '14 at 21:41

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text:
Jump All Around’s primary objective is to provide selection and value, without sacrificing safety, cleanliness and FUN. Please review the information provided below for the safe operation of all rental equipment and to ensure you provide a safe, yet enjoyable, environment for all your guests. Included below are links to written instructions to aid you in the proper operation of the equipment.

Inflatable Unit Operation and Safety

While in use, ALL inflatable units require proper adult supervision.

Always separate children by age groups, if possible. This may be accomplished by forming separate lines and setting time periods for different groups. An attendant should stand at the entrance of the unit and watch the children. He or She should assist smaller children, in and out of the unit. Never exceed the capacity of the unit.

The maximum number of participants (unit capacity), based on groups of children separated by age are:

Size of Unit

15 x 15

Under 5

Under 8

9 to 13 years

+13 years

No one should enter an air-inflated unit wearing shoes, jewelry, watches, glasses, or possessing any sharp objects, including anything in their pockets or attached to clothing.

Absolutely NO Food, drink, gum or silly string inside the bounce house.

Silly String WILL Permanently Damage the Bounce House and you will be responsible for damages as outlined in your rental agreement.

Do not allow climbing on Unit or netting of equipment by persons inside or outside of the Bounce House.

Do not jump on inflatable step area of Unit.

Unless you’re renting a slide specifically for wet use, water is prohibited inside all units.

No one should engage in horseplay, rough or aggressive behavior, flips, stunts, wrestling or any other behavior that could lead to physical injury.

No one should touch or move the blower assembly, untie the air hoses or disconnect the electricity after the air inflated bounce unit is up and in use.

If wind gusts exceed 25 miles per hour or it starts to rain, immediately STOP the children from bouncing and have them exit the Unit. Turn the blower motor off after the children exit and wait for the weather to subside. Turn the blower back on and dry it off with towels if it is wet.

Blowers run continuously when unit is in use. Be certain that all release vents are kept tied in the closed position during operation. If air pressure seems low, determine if the air supply chute (from blower to unit) is straight, without bends, and securely tied around the neck of the blower.

If the blower stops, remove children from the unit, determine if the cord is plugged in, then, if necessary, check the electrical panel box for a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse.

Inflatable Unit must be anchored to the ground at all times with rope tied to stakes or sandbags and should never be untied.


text:
We’re all fighting upstairs battles.

Waiting for Kisses
Photo by Pro PetShots

Sometimes, the best laid plans just don’t work out anywhere close to right.

I know that I didn’t type anything you haven’t already heard or thought during your many trips around the sun. Hell, I know I’ve thought it multiple times in January alone. But this past Sunday, the greatest of plans just didn’t go any way but down. And all they needed to do was go upstairs.

Allow me to explain.

I am a HUGE fan of all things Dogs of Charm City. Lyndsay is the master (no pun intended) of all things Baltimore City Dog Life. She has created the hippest and yippest dog events – from pool parties and Yappy Hours to brunches and cruises – and each one is a must attend. It’s the place to see and be sniffed. Basically, if I’m in town, you can bet you’ll find Wyatt, myself and our dog-day adventure besties, Paige and Pedey, out and about at these events. Wyatt loves them. So much so that he will drag me on the Water Taxi for a DCC Canine Cruise. So when a Galentine’s Romp was planned at Dogtopia in Canton, we were all on board.

PC: just B more

The tickets were bought over a month ago, so at the time, I didn’t know this event would become the shining beacon to get me through a pretty shitty week. To avoid boring you with all of the details (and turning this into a cuss-filled rant), let’s just say the past week was one of those weeks. You know the type: no matter what you do or say, things are just going to go from worst to crap without even glancing at bad. By the time hump day started, I was looking forward to a day with the dogs.

Sunday morning, Paige and I grabbed our pet pals, checked that the collars, bow ties and harnesses were in place, grabbed treats and tickets and headed out. Not living in the city, we were able to grab prime FREE parking. The sun was shining, a coat was barely needed. Everything was set, it was a glorious day.

We opened the door to join the party, and my heart sank right out of the soles of my rugged black boots.

aviod kiss
PC: Pro PetShots

Fricking, stupid, uncarpeted, standard, perfectly safe yet utterly terrifying to my 80-pound Labrador retriever.

Ever seen a kid try to lead a baby calf, and it’s just like, “Fat chance, child,” locks its legs, leans back and drops its head? Then you’ve seen what I have termed Cow Pose, and Wyatt was in full commitment to it.

Don’t bother to ask me why he, after living 10 years on the second floor of an elevator-less apartment in which he has to scale flights of stairs multiple times a day, suddenly refused to go forth. I don’t know. It wasn’t even the first time, as he started to refuse to go up or down the stairs of said apartment building last year. I was seriously starting to worry about what to do, short of moving, when one day, the building mysteriously decided to get carpet and Wyatt decided that was cool with him.

But I can’t carpet the world. Stairs happen. So does struggle. And every restaurant I go to with the intent of ordering rabbit running out right when I get there. Life is really just a bunch of stairs that we have to climb just to find out there are even more. It’s completely and utterly tiring and annoying. I mean, why can’t there be more escalators?

Pedey Galentine's Romp
PC: just B more

And so I found myself walking around Canton with a dog who refused to heed the words of a 2009 Miley Cyrus and climb. All the while, I was thinking about each of the battles I already fought and lost that entire week. My problems and issues were real, honest setbacks and fails. Goals yet again postponed or falling apart. I was trying to move forward with all my might, and my stairs were not leading anywhere. And here was my dog, who had a party, treats and dog wine waiting for him right at the top of his! He could literally smell his success because it was peanut butter flavored and he’s a dog and can smell things like that.

After a few tours of the neighborhood, Paige texted to say she and Pedey were back downstairs. When I got back into Dogtopia, there they were with treats for Wyatt. As he munched on a snack and I took a sip of punch, I came to a realization:

That was NOT punch.

It was chicken broth and beet juice for the dogs.

At that moment something happened.

Ha! You’re thinking I vomited, but no! I did not! (Actually, the dog wine wasn’t so bad.)

PC: Dogs of Charm City

I realized that we’re all fighting upstairs battles, and the best we can do is try to lift each other up.

So that’s what I did.

I hoisted my 80-pound dog on my always-questionable, busted ankle and carried him up the stairs to dog playday glory.

Wyatt and Pedey had the grandest time sitting pretty for treats, playing with new pup pals, and getting compliments and scratches from random people. Paige and I had some human wine (honestly, better than the dog wine) and Lyndsay and I had a good laugh over the whole doggie drama.

Did I feel like a boss carrying my large dog and not falling down the stairs to my death? Hell yeah! Did I remember to lift with my knees? Surprisingly, yes! Did I hang out with good friends and great dogs? You bet! Did Wyatt want to sit with me in the kissing booth for adorable pictures by Pro PetShots? Of course not!

Because, as with all of life’s challenges, there are always more stairs to climb.

And what could just B more appropriate?

photobomb pedey
PC: Pro PetShots

One comment

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text:
Yes, do learn the language

You think you do understand and you are understood by e-e-everyone. Think again 😉

Mayday, mayday

Do you speak English?

Ze breakfast in ze evening

The good old

The Italian Man Who went to Malta

When I get home I’ll get a massage from the answering machine,

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This blog is Zoe's way to spread the joy of finding and learning interesting bits about English. Join her and learn something new every time.

6 responses to “Yes, do learn the language”

  1. tasaunders says :

    This blog is hilarious! Thanks for liking mine.

    • translationsareus says :

      You are welcome 🙂 Thank you for your feedback and presence. Deeply appreciated.

  2. Stefanie Neumann says :

    Hillarious! And I was in need of a good laugh, today. 🙂 – Ich mag besonders das erste und das zweite Video! Vielen Dank!

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text:
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An Gimp developed by the famous Adobe offers a fairly amazing yet simple to use user interface. The application takes you to the amazing interface if you are done with the shooting of image or website with your regular device camera.

Incorporated with 22 remarkable immediate filter impressions, Gimp supplies the out of the world encounter of editing to you. These incredible filters includes vibrant, two very distinct grayscale effects, effect that is punchy, vivid effect, and the list continues.

A rare strategy of previewing your effect that was applied is carried out by the thumbnail preview integrated in this app, which suggests you are able to see what your image will appear like after adjustment of all these brightness, contrast, sharpness, and temperature.

A nonuniform lit of image can be fixed through the use of the shadow and highlight effects. It’s possible for you to add some lively to your standard looking image using the effects that are clearness and energetic. Your entire adaptation can be dodged by you jointly at once automatically using the magic wand present at the topside of the screen.

Turning, rotating and reshaping like geometry of the image can be controlled by using the crop tool at the outmost ease. A red icon beside the main tool bar makes it possible to in fixing and correcting the red eye effect.

Use your Adobe ID to use some of the characteristics that are paid that lets you to control the reduce noise, premium appearance, custom look and many more for the period that is limited. When done editing, you can share your edited wonder with your family and friends over the various social networking sites like twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and a lot more.

You can’t deny the fact that Adobe has always amazed us. Gimp is one of them. It truly is freely available on iOS shop and Mac store. So download now to appreciate its versatility because it’s more like a top notch image editing application to make you a styled icon.

Gimp for pc

How to put it to use on your Mac?

An android emulator “Bluestack” is required to install Gimp in your Mac. Install the Bluestack on your Mac and open it. Make an internet search for Gimp over the Bluestack’s search bar. Get it installed. Hurray!! At this point you have downloaded Gimp on your own Mac. To love the editing encounter that is kickass, open it in the app list section of the Bluestack.

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Dehydrated Treats

All snacks are made of 100%  protein of choice. Slowly dehydrated at low heat to seal in all the best flavors for your best friend. They will keep coming back for more.

  • Single ingredient with no added preservatives.
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  • High in nutrients and great for training.
  • Each bag is perfectly sealed which provides a long shelf life.


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Genetics, Disasters, and Memory

Book: She Has Her Mother's Laugh: Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity

She Has Her Mother's Laugh is probably the most recent and the most comprehensive book about heredity and genetics for the general audience. It is over 500 pages long, yet no words are wasted. This book covers the history of genetics, its many failed hypothesis, up until the most recent and mind-blowing discoveries. If you think heredity is confined to Mendelian genetics, you'd be surprised. As the author Carl Zimmer captivatingly narrates, heredity is not as clear-cut as we once thought it was. It is a messy web of genetic information in between and even within individuals. While the language is descriptive enough for those that do not have much background knowledge to understand, the content is recent enough for even a seasoned science reader to learn something new and interesting. Even those who are already experts in genetics could find the science history section of the book fascinating. There's really not many negatives to say about this book.

Youtube Video: Understanding Apocalypse, Part 1: Death Note and the Cynical Apocalypse

Youtube Video: Shadows of Fukushima

For this whole month, I have been writing a research paper about Korean disaster films. After thinking too much about the apocalypse, it seems like my own head is about to explode. For those who have some background knowledge about either apocalyptic literature, Japanese pop culture, or sociology, the first research paper is a quick read about sekaikei, sekaibukei and nichijoukei subgenres. For those who are less exposed to this field of sociological media criticism, Pause and Select's Youtube video series “Understanding Apocalypse” and “Shadows of Fukushima” are two excellent resources to delve into the subject. Pause and Select is such a goldmine of a channel, that I featured it in my previous post as well.

Article: The Complete Guide to Memory

Scott H Young is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to productivity blogs. While some of his projects are indeed impressive, his rapid learning philosophy can all so easily be misused. Still, this incredibly long yet concise primer on remembering things is very applicable to any knowledge worker.

This month's entry is somewhat short, as I have not had a great chance to check out new and exciting media. Perhaps next month will have better content, as I plan to play through several critically acclaimed games. It stands to see whether they'll stand up to my expectations.