Month: April 2022

Apple pushes emergency update for iPhone, Macs and other products amid fears of dangerous bug

The updates are numbered 15.4.1 for the iPhone and iPad, and 12.3.1 for the Mac.

They bring some small changes, including a fix for a battery bug that meant that iPhones and iPads lost charge more quickly than they should after a recent update. While it is not clear how widespread that bug was, affected users said their devices had been losing charge more quickly since iOS 15.4 was released.

© PA Wire

OS 15.4 was made available by Apple in mid-March, and included a range of features, including the ability to unlock an iPhone while wearing a mask.

But as well as that battery fix, the new updates also fix a critical security bug that Apple warned could already have been used by hackers.

It did not give detailed information about those bugs, how exactly they could be exploited or how many people are likely to have been hacked. The company often withholds informations about such security flaws so that attackers are not able to exploit them.

Installing the latest updates should however secure devices against anyone trying to make use of the attack.

That is done by opening up the Settings app, clicking through to software updates, and pressing the option to install the new version of the operating system. Macs, iPhones and iPads should also prompt users to update too.

Apple has pushed out a number of security updates over the year, aimed at fixing similarly dangerous bugs.

By Andrew Griffin for The Independent©

Source: Apple pushes emergency update for iPhone, Macs and other products amid fears of dangerous bug (msn.com)

KEEP BUSY WITH OUR LIST OF APRIL GARDENING JOBS

April gardening jobs come thick and fast as it is the prime month for getting your plot ready for the rest of the year.

The soil will be warming up and dampened by showers, making it perfect for planting and sowing.   Plants are growing well, filling beds and containers with luscious fresh green that is the calling card of spring.

The most important April gardening jobs include some of the best ways of keeping plants healthy and flowering.   Now prepare your plot for the longer days and plentiful sunshine ahead. 

 

SHOW YOUR POTTED SHRUBS SOME LOVE

Shrubs grown as part of your container gardening ideas will need some extra love now as they return to growth. Whether ornamental plants or   fruit bushes that thrive in a confined space, they need some extra goodness to start them off.

Because they only have a finite amount of food in their pots, you need to top-dress them.  That means removing the top couple of inches of old compost, adding a granular fertilizer, then replenishing with fresh compost and watering well.

Check for bugs also

While you do so, check for creamy vine weevil grubs that eat the roots of many container plants. They are often curled into a C-shape and have brown heads and can be killed off with a solution of Vine Weevil Killer.

Top tip: If you are growing rhododendrons, azaleas or blueberries in pots, make sure you use ericaceous compost and fertilizer.

POT UP SUMMER CUTTINGS

 

About those cuttings

Any softwood or semi-ripe cuttings taken from perennials last autumn should have rooted and grown through winter and will be ready to pot up individually now.

Hardwood cuttings taken from shrubs should be left alone until the coming fall, as they take a lot longer to produce roots than their more flexible cuttings cousins.

Once you’ve learned how to take cuttings from plants, you’ll be able to spot if the cuttings have rooted, or ‘taken’ successfully because they will have grown since they were potted up.

The process

Start the potting-up process by standing the cuttings’ pot or pots in water for around 30 minutes to soak the compost.  Then gently tap them out. If you have more than one cutting per pot, carefully separate the roots so the young plants can be potted up individually.

Inspect the roots to make sure they are robust and healthy.  If they aren’t strong, repot them in cuttings compost, water them in and leave them for a few more weeks.  Then pot each plantlet in its own 3in (7cm) pot of multipurpose or John Innes No 2 compost.

Let there be light

Set them somewhere light and frost-free for a few more weeks, keeping their compost damp and the plants pest-free. They can be hardened off and planted out to flower this summer.

Top tip: If the cuttings start to produce flower buds pinch them out so all energy is directed towards growing rather than flowering.

CUT BACK FROST-TENDER PERENNIALS

 

Cut back or prune

Now the weather should be getting reliably warmer, you can cut back the more tender perennials you have growing.

Penstemons and salvias are not a big fan of our grey wet winters.  In this regard, both plants to turn stodgy in sodden, freezing soils during the coldest months. To help them survive winter, leave last year’s stems attached in fall, as they help insulate the crown. 

Penstemon shoots appearing at the base of healthy plants is the signal to remove the old stems. Cut them down to just above the lowest new shoots.  Feed them with blood, fish and bone or another granular fertilizer and water it in. They should soon start to grow well.

Article by Ruth Hayes for Gardeningetc.com©

Have you remembered all of your goals?  Or chores?  This post will help:

April Garden Goals – TUTORING YOU

30 Creative Writing Prompts For National Poetry Month

 

April is National Poetry Month

In honor of National Poetry Month, we’ve curated a number of creative writing prompts to help you cultivate your own poetic ritual. Try one prompt each day for the month of April in service of building a new routine, or skip around to the poetry prompts that inspire you most. I’m committed to following my own advice and will also be writing one poem a day using the thought starters below for creative fuel. 

Creative Writing Prompts to Spark Your New Writing Practice

  1. Describe your ideal day, from morning to night. Where are you, what will you do, and who will you spend your time with (if anyone at all)?
  2. Write a poem about your favorite food using all the senses.
  3. Write a ghost poem inspired by a song lyric or line from a book you love. That is, take the original sentence and use it as the first line of your writing. Then begin adding to it until you come back to the beginning and erase the first line that inspired all the subsequent lines — effectively making the inspiration a ghost.
  4. Describe your favorite color without naming it. Or, imagine your color aura and describe that.
  5. Come up with your six-word memoir. (Fun fact: did you know that a one-line poem is called a monostitch?)
  6. Walk the reader through a place you can’t wait to visit again, sharing all of the sensory details that make it like paradise to you.
  7. Write about your life if you lived in a different period in history. For example, you wake up and it’s 1970, what’s the first thing you’d do?
  8. Confront your fears and write about what scares you most.
  9. Select a piece of art and write an ekphrastic poem about it — that is, a poem that describes the work of art (sculpture, painting, drawing, performance, film, or photograph) in effusive detail.
  10. If you were to host a dinner party, who would you invite, dead or alive? What meal would be served, how would the table be set, and what conversations do you imagine would take place?
  11. Think of a trip or commute you’ve taken many times. Jot down your observations and memory of said journey and recreate it for the reader. Then decide what’s more important to you, the journey or the destination?
  12. Find an object in your home that brings you joy and tap into why it’s so meaningful in a descriptive poem.
  13. Think of someone you had a miscommunication with and explore what would happen if you said everything you wanted to say.
  14. What’s your favorite month and why? Orient it in the season as part of your description.
  15. Write about the emotion you experience the most and list out what situations, people, or things make you feel that way.
  16. Where do you come from? Start a poem by exploring and defining your origin story.
  17. Describe a recent dream of yours in vivid, fantastical detail.
  18. Explore what you’d say to your 13-year-old self, or another pivotal age from when you were younger.
  19. Write about what it’d be like to encounter a long-lost love, years later.
  20. Manifest future you with a poem describing who you’ll be in 5 or 10 years.
  21. Think of the happiest day of your life and write about what made it so magical. Can you capture that feeling in poem form?
  22. What lessons have you learned from your elders and ancestors? Write about the ones that still show up for you today.
  23. Think about all the cities you’ve lived in. Pick one to write about that’s had a lasting impact on your identity.
  24. What’s a youthful memory of a time you were reckless or misbehaved? Write about that experience and what you may have learned.
  25. Identify your alter ego, or someone totally opposite of you and write a poem from that point of view. What would they do that you would never dare?
  26. What is one of life’s biggest mysteries you wish you had the answer to? See if you can come up with an answer in your poem.
  27. Write a poem about a beloved character in a book, movie, or show that you adore.
  28. Personify an inanimate object (such as a crystal, a postcard, or vintage scarf) and tell its story. Where all has it gone before it made its way to you?
  29. Turn something mundane, like a grocery list, into a poetic writing exploration. How can a few creative adjectives and alliterative details make it shine?
  30. Pick someone you’re drawn to, even a stranger on the street or in a coffee shop and write what you imagine they’re like in real life.

Article by Alison Ives for Brit+Co©

 

April Fool’s Day Writing Prompt

 

April is the month of showers or fools. Students and teachers will typically take their spring break during this month.  But not you.  You will be busy with April Fool’s Day prompts.

Here is a writing prompt for each day of April that  can be used as straightforward writing assignments, warm-ups, or journal entries. Feel free to use and modify these as you see fit.

 

Writing Prompt Ideas for April

April 1 – Theme: April Fool’s Day
Have you ever been ‘fooled’ successfully by someone on April Fool’s Day? Have you ever fooled someone else? Describe the experience. Note: Your answers must be appropriate for a school setting.

 

Please complete your April Fool’s Day writing prompt quickly because there are 29 more prompts waiting for you to complete in the month of April.   No hurry though.  Just complete them in one day.

“April Fools”.  Just do one a day, like the pill.  

April 2 – Theme: World Autism Awareness Day
Use #LightItUpBlue to share your experience across social media and help light the world up blue this April!
OR  International Children’s Book Day
International Children’s Book Day encourages reading and promotes the love of books for children.  

 

The publisher Scholastic, Inc. compiled a list of the top 100 children’s books of all time. Readers voted for the top five (5) selections: Charlotte’s Web; Goodnight, Moon; A Wrinkle in Time; The Snowy Day; Where the Wild Things Are. Do you remember any of these books? What’s your favorite children’s book? Why?

 

April 3-Theme: Tweed Day
William Magear “Boss” Tweed, was born on this day in 1823. Tweed’s claim to fame was being convicted of graft and corruption while serving as a U.S. House of Representatives and a New York State Senator. He was exposed because of political cartoons that were drawn by Thomas Nast that pictured him unfavorably. What political issues today are the subject of political cartoons? Try your hand at drawing one.

 

April 4 – Theme: Keep America Beautiful Month
What are your feelings about littering? Have you ever done it? If so, why? Do you think that the punishment for littering is too light or too heavy?

 

April 5 – Theme: Helen Keller 

 

On this day in 1887: The tutor Anne Sullivan taught Helen Keller the meaning of the word “water” as spelled out in the manual alphabet. This event is dramatized in the play “The Miracle Worker.” Keller became deaf and blind after a childhood illness., but she overcame these obstacles to advocate for others. Who else do you know advocates for others?

 

April 6 – Theme: The North Pole was “discovered” on this date. Today, research stations relay information from the top of the world on the changes in the Earth’s climate. What questions do you have about climate change? 

 

April 7 – Theme: World Health Day
Today is World Health Day. What do you think the keys to a healthy lifestyle include? Are you following your own advice? Why or why not?


April 8 – Theme: April is National Garden Month
Do you consider yourself an inside or outside person? In other words, do you like to hang out in your own home or spend time in nature? Explain your answer.

 

April 9 – Theme: National Name Yourself Day
Nick Harkway is credited with saying, “Names aren’t just coathooks, they’re coats. They’re the first thing anyone knows about you.”
In honor of National Name Yourself Day, go ahead and give yourself a new name. Explain why you chose this name.

 

April 10 – Theme: National Sibling Day
Do you have a sibling or siblings? If so, what is the best thing about them? The worst? If not, are you happy that you are an only child? Explain your answer.

 

April 11 – Theme: National Mathematics Education Month
Celebrate mathematics and statistics, both of which play a significant role in addressing many real-world problems: Internet security, sustainability, disease, climate change, the data deluge, and much more. Explain three reasons why learning math is important for everyone.

 

April 12 – Theme: Space Shuttle Columbia First Launched
Would you ever consider being an astronaut? If so, explain why and where you would like to visit. If not, tell why you don’t think you’d like to be one.

 

April 13 – Theme: Scrabble Day
Sometimes, the two word combinations in Scrabble (Hasbro) can be high scoring such as the points given for these examples:: AX=9, EX=9, JO=9, OX=9, XI=9, XU=9, BY=7, HM=7, MY=7
Do you like to play word games like Scrabble? Why or why not? 

 

April 14 – Theme: The Titanic Disaster -1912
The Titanic was billed as an unsinkable ship, but it struck an iceberg on its first voyage across the Atlantic. Many saw the fact that it sunk as an example of what happens in extreme cases of hubris (arrogant pride). Do you believe that people who are overconfident and arrogant will always fail? Explain your answer.

 

April 15 – Theme: Income Tax Day
The 16th Amendment that created income taxes was ratified in 1913:
The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.
What are your feelings on taxes? Do you think that the government should take a higher percentage of money from the wealthy? Explain your answer.

 

April 16 – Theme: National Librarian Day.
Celebrate a librarian that you know from elementary, middle, or high school.
Visit the library today, and make certain to say hello and “Thank you” to all of the librarians.
April 17 – Theme: Daffy Duck’s Birthday
Daffy Duck is a character foil to Bugs Bunny.
Do you have a favorite cartoon character? What characteristics make this character a favorite?

 

April 18 – Theme: Evolution
On this date in 1809, the botanist Charles Darwin passed away. Darwin had proposed a theory of evolution for living organisms, but there are other things that evolve, for example, technology, music, dance. Respond to his quote, “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”
What do you notice that has evolved in your lifetime?

 

April 19 – Theme: National Poetry Month
In honor of National Poetry Month, write a poem using the tanka format. The tanka consists of 5 lines and 31 syllables. Each line has a set number of syllables see below:

 
  •  Line 1 – 5 syllables 
  •  Line 2 – 7 syllables 
  •  Line 3 – 5 syllables 
  •  Line 4 – 7 syllables 
  •  Line 5 – 7 syllables
 


April 20 – Theme: Volunteer Recognition Day
Pay tribute to someone who volunteers or (better yet) volunteers to help others. You will find out that the benefits can be fun and camaraderie. What could you volunteer to do?

 

April 21 – Theme: Kindergarten Day
Research shows that students who learn more in kindergarten are more likely to go to college and earn more. What skill(s) did you learn in your kindergarten class that help you today?

 

April 22 – Theme: Earth Day
Take the Earth Day quiz from the World History Project website.
What are specific actions that you and your fellow students could take to help protect the environment?

 

April 23 – Theme: Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was born on this date in 1564. His 154 sonnets can be read, analyzed, or used for Reader’s Theatre. Turn one or two lines from Shakespeare’s sonnets into a dialogue. Who is speaking? Why?

 

April 24 – Theme: Time Travel
Recent reports claim to supports time travel. Why might physicists be interested in time travel? Maybe because we want to test the boundaries of the laws of physics. If you could travel back in time, to which age and location would you go? Why?

 

April 25 – Theme: DNA Day
If you could determine the sex, eye color, height, etc. of a child in advance by using genetic advances, would you do it? Why or why not?

 

April 26 – Theme: Arbor Day
Today is Arbor Day, the day we are to plant and take care of trees. Joyce Kilmer started his poem “Trees” with the lines:

 
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
 

What are your feelings about trees? Explain your answer.

 

April 27 – Theme: Tell a Story Day
Write a short story about a funny event that occurred in your or your family’s past.

 

April 28 – Theme: Astronomy Day-during Dark Sky Week
Download, Watch, and Share “Losing the Dark,” a public service announcement about light pollution. It focuses on the dangers of light pollution on a dark sky and suggests three simple actions people can take to help mitigate it It can be downloaded for free and is available in 13 languages.

 

April 29 – Theme: Film Genre Thriller.
Alfred Hitchcock died on this date in 1980. He was one of the most influential filmmakers in the genre of horror or thriller.
What is your favorite thriller or horror movie? Why?

 

April 30 – Theme: National Honesty Day
Honesty is defined as fairness and straightforwardness of conduct; an adherence to the facts. Does this definition apply to you? Do you consider yourself an honest person? Why or why not?

Source:  ©thoughtco.com/April-writing-prompt

 

The Surprisingly Genius Reason You Should Add Water To Scrambled Eggs

Of the many ways to prepare eggs, scrambled is one I’ve yet to perfect. I can make a mean over-easy egg, perfectly hard boiling and making deviled eggs are my specialty, and my eggs in a blanket are *chef’s kiss*. But, when it comes to scrambled, I have much to learn.

© Suggest

I don’t make them often, but when I do, they’re not the fluffy, moist, light scrambled eggs I know are possible. They tend to be rubbery, unevenly cooked, and have a brownish tinge. Yum? 

So what’s the secret to the perfect scramble?

The Secret Ingredient You’ve Been Missing

Lots of people like to add a liquid to their scrambled eggs, most often whole milk or cream. This is the way I was taught, but since I’m lactose intolerant, I stopped using milk a long time ago. Adding milk tends to make eggs creamier, softer, and heavy, and they typically have a richer flavor. If you’re looking for a fluffy egg, this isn’t it.

On the other hand, adding water will steam the eggs while cooking, leaving a lighter, fluffier scramble. However, it’s a delicate balance. Adding too much water will dilute the “eggy” flavor, leaving you with a fluffy but tasteless meal. So, adding in just enough water is essential. Typically, about one teaspoon of water for every large egg is the appropriate amount to make a light and delicious scrambled egg.

Other Things To Consider

Before you cook your eggs, make sure to whisk them well. Whisking them vigorously will also contribute to a fluffy scramble. Add butter or oil to the pan to keep the eggs from sticking, and remember that it’s easy to burn your eggs if you cook them at too high a temperature. Medium to low heat is a better option for scrambled eggs.

While they’re cooking, use a rubber spatula to pull them into the middle from the edges. Turn off the heat when the eggs are almost completely cooked and continue to break up the eggs to finish cooking the underdone pieces. Then, finish with salt and pepper, and add herbs to your scrambled eggs for color and flavor, if desired. Chives, rosemary, parsley, and tarragon are many people’s go-to herbs.

So, next time I make scrambled eggs, I’ll know what to do to ensure my eggs come out perfectly. Wish me luck!

(Have you tried this water thing?)

Article by Dana Hopkins for Suggest©

Source: The Surprisingly Genius Reason You Should Add Water To Scrambled Eggs (msn.com)