Joan Reeves: 2025

Monday Magic - YouTube Trick 2 Ways

Do you attend YouTube University? I do—just about every day of the week.

Of course, I mean learning how to do something from a YouTube video. My Darling Hubby has repaired more mechanical things than I thought possible just by watching videos on how to do it.

So far, he's replaced sprinkler heads, repaired a sprinkler valve, figured out what was wrong with his pickup's engine fan that 4 trips to the dealer—cost about $1K—didn't properly diagnose it, replaced the blade on the riding lawn mower, and on and on.

I don't know how much he's saved us in repair bills, but I do know the cost of parts he ordered were a fraction of what a repair service wanted.

Me? I mostly watch videos for research, graphic design, using AI for graphics, and other information probably used mostly by authors.

I do find I go back to videos I watched for research to find a specific part of the video to make notes, and it takes time if you have to scroll from the beginning because many videos do not have time or subject matter stamps on them.

I discovered there's a way to easily do this. So that and other tricks are the focus of today's Monday Magic Tech Video.

1. Go to a specific part of a video by adding a bit of code at the end of the URL.

There are 3 simple ways to do this. When you open the video, go to the URL in the address bar (must be the actual URL and not one from a playlist. At the end of the URL, type the & sign followed by t (for time) then the = sign and the time you want the video to start. For instance, to start at the 1 minute 5 second mark, you'd type: 1m1s then copy that URL

When you paste it into a address bar, the video will start at that time stamp. Example: Here's the URL for one of my videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay8ZSIW3aBI

To start it at the 27 second mark, I added: &t=27s to the end of the URL which made it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay8ZSIW3aBI&t=27s and then I copied that URL and saved it. I can now paste that URL into the address bar—without opening YouTube etc.—and the video will open at that time stamp.

Another example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y415Y-EqcUg&t=1m18s

2. Go to a specific part of a video by using the YouTube Share feature.

The second way is even easier, but by reading the first way you'll understand what bit of code is added to make this happen.

This way is simply typing in the time and letting the YouTube feature add the code.

When playing a video and you reach the spot where you want to return to it again, pause it, go below the video to SHARE.

In the pop-up box, there's a little square that says START. Put a check mark in the box, and a time designation appears. If that's exactly the point to return to in the future, click copy, and the link with that time stamp as the start is saved to your clipboard. Paste it anywhere you want.

If you want to start a few seconds before or after that or whenever, simply change the time stamp YouTube popped up to what you want and then copy, etc.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I hope this helps. If you like YouTube tricks, keep visiting on Monday. I've learned a bunch that saves a lot of time. I intend to add these to my Monday feature. That's a wrap for Monday. Have a great week.

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Saturday Share Recipe - Oven Roasted Duet of Potatoes

A Duet of Potatoes? Confusing title? Actually, it means 2 kinds of potatoes.

Most people cook either white potatoes or sweet potatoes, but not both together.

However, it's perfectly okay to roast them together. In fact, it can be quite delicious to have a side dish of two kinds of roasted potatoes.

Serve with a grilled steak or roasted pork or ham, and you'll be convinced.

This uses Idaho potatoes, commonly called baking potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

Here's how you do it.

OVEN ROASTED DUET OF POTATOES

Ingredients

1 pound white potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed thoroughly, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 pound sweet potatoes, also unpeeled, scrubbed clean with any bad spots cut off, cut into 2-inch chunks

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dry thyme

4 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F (235°C).

While oven heats, pour oil onto a foil-covered baking sheet.

Add both types of potato chunks and coat with oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and thyme on the potatoes.

Place pan in oven. Every 15 minutes, turn potatoes so all surfaces get brown. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender.

Remove from oven, adjust the seasoning if needed, then sprinkle with the parsley to serve.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

With summer coming on, we cook out a lot. I love easy side dishes to accompany barbeque chicken or grilled steaks.

New Release Spotlight - Sunflowers for Her by Kara O'Neal

I'm pleased to shine the SlingWords Spotlight on Kara O'Neal who has a lovely new historical romance for you.

SUNFLOWERS FOR HER is Book 4 of Wildflowers of Texas series

KARA, WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR SUNFLOWERS FOR HER?

My husband and I always go on a trip for our anniversary. I went hunting for our next getaway – I wanted a small town with antique shops – and I found Jefferson, Texas.

This small town sits in the northeast corner of Texas, just a hop and a skip away from Louisiana.

When I discovered all the historic houses in this town, I flipped with excitement. I can’t even begin to tell you how many gorgeous homes have been turned into B&Bs. We ended up just strolling the streets to see them all.

Jefferson is small. Not a lot of people live there. But, at one time, it was a happening place. Reason being, there was this natural log jam, called a raft, on the Red River. It clogged up waterways, which forced all the steamboats to use Jefferson as a port.

Well, in 1873, the US Corp of Engineers said the raft was a hazard and cleared it up. That forced other waterways to open and the great steamboats started passing by Jefferson for other cities. (Like Houston.)

This caused Jefferson, once a very booming city, to become almost a ghost town. In an instant, people’s lives were changed.

And that got me to thinking…

What would a town do if their city was threatened with extinction?

Enter Millie Stewart, the heroine of SUNFLOWERS FOR HER. A young lady who isn’t used to carrying heavy burdens and discovers that an entire town is depending on her to get things right. And because she loves her neighbors, she’s going to do everything she can to be what they need.

Of course, she needs help. And John Fletcher, a mysterious, reserved, intelligent, grizzly bear of a man, is just the person she needs.

Read more about Jefferson, Texas, here: https://visitjeffersontexas.com/history .

BLURBING THE BOOK

Buckshot, Texas, 1885

After a horrific storm rips through her hometown, Millie Stewart finds that her neighbors are in dire need of help. She sets out to do everything she can, but when her brother leaves her high and dry, she has to operate Stewart Mercantile on her own. The town is depending on her.

John Fletcher—smart, reserved, and mysterious—comes to town, sets up shop, and brings with him the knowledge needed to clear the log jam on the river, giving everyone a chance at survival.

John is a tad scary in Millie’s opinion. Never mind that he’s handsome. Never mind that he’s generous. He makes her feel things. He makes her heart skip a beat, and suddenly, with barely a warning, she’s in love. Only he doesn’t seem to return the sentiment.

Her brother returns, but only to rob her blind. A little too mad and a whole lot tougher, Millie sets out to find him and give him what-for. Little does she know, someone is chasing her.

John won’t let Millie go to battle alone, especially since she’s the reason his heart is beating again. Can he get to Millie in time? Or will her ne’er-do-well brother’s villainy take everything John holds dear?

EXCERPT

As Millie gathered her thoughts and tried to manage the hard pound of her heart, she studied John. He didn’t appear as if he’d also been tormented by their kiss throughout the day. But it didn’t matter. She had to know, or she was going to lose her mind like she’d already lost her heart. “I have some questions,” she stated succinctly.

“All right.”

“Actually, I have two questions.”

“Two?”

“Yes.” She took in a deep breath, then said, “There was a painting of a field of sunflowers in the auction.”

He stilled and an arrested expression came over his face.

Hope surged within her. He had painted it! “Are you the artist?”

He didn’t immediately answer and swallowed hard.

She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, but she had to know.

“Yes,” he said gruffly. “How’d you figure that out?”

Her cheeks flamed with heat, and she nibbled on her bottom lip. Her heart was pounding so hard. Why do I keep doing all of these scary things?

Before she could lose her nerve, she closed her eyes and said in a rush, “I was curious about your other desk and saw your drawings on it the night you tried to give back the bandages and medicine.”

After her confession, there was silence.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and found him rubbing his jaw.

“I’m sorry,” she said hastily.

He waved her off. “It’s all right.”

“I invaded your privacy.”

“Millie, it’s all right.” He lowered his arm. “What’s your other question?”

Oh, dear. Knots were forming in her stomach. What was she doing? She was being too forward. She was not herself. She was—

Enough! All of her anxiety and agonizing had to end. She lifted her chin. “You titled the painting “For Her”. Am I ‘her’?”

The lines of his face went instantly unreadable, and he blinked at her. “No.”

GET TO KNOW KARA O'NEAL

Kara O’Neal is an award-winning author of over thirty historical romances. Humor, family, love, and romance take center stage in her novels, and her characters have been touted as “real, complex, and down-to-earth”. Her books are available in print and ebook.

When not writing, she’s a teacher, but she’s always a mother to three talented children, and the wife of a man quite worthy of being called “hero”.

Telling stories is her passion, and she does so with memorable characters and unique plots certain to keep you reading late into the night!

Visit Kara at these popular websites:

Website: www.karaoneal.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/KaraONeal84/

X: https://twitter.com/KaraONealAuthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kara-o-neal

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveandletters7/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7278350.Kara_O_Neal

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

The weekend is here, and SUNFLOWERS FOR HER sounds like a great weekend escape. It's available in ebook and print at most ebook retailers. Why not get a copy today?

Oh, for you "Amazon only" readers, just click here for SUNFLOWERS FOR HER.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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Fashion Trend - Wide-Leg Pants

Do you order clothes online? Generally speaking, I don't. However I did order a shirt a few weeks ago—the design graphic said BOOKTROVERT. It is so cute!

I think that was my first online clothing purchase, and it was really large. I should have ordered a small. I kind of hate to return things so I usually buy only the things I know for sure that I will keep.

Anyway, wide-leg pants and bell bottoms have made a comeback.

(Wish I'd saved all the ones I had from when they were popular before.)

My daughter bought several pair online so I decided I had to have some too. I mean, they are really the most flattering pants style there is.

Since I'm trying to stay chained to the computer to complete my latest romantic comedy, OLD ENOUGH TO BE BOLD, Book 2 of Mean Woman Blues, I was excited to receive one of those "sales" emails from Amazon.

Featured were wide-leg yoga pants with pockets —I love pants with pockets! These come in about a dozen colors that come in 20 different colors I think. I ordered Light Khaki.

They're also priced right—around $23 dollars and change. Of course, they're Prime with Free Returns so I couldn't think of a reason not to buy them.

YOGA PANTS? NO—WRITING PANTS!

These are described as yoga pants / comfy pants / sports pants / lounge pants. They're probably all that, but I won't be doing yoga in these.

I think they're going to be so comfortable that I'll make them my daily writing pants since I spend about 8 hours every day at the computer.

They're supposed to arrive today, and if they're as great as I think, I'll be ordering another couple of pairs.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I'll keep you posted about these wide-leg pants. I think they'll be on sale for a while so maybe I'm ahead of the trendy sale for once.

Heat Lightning — 99¢ SALE

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Review - Heart of Champions - Netflix

Michael Shannon stars in Heart of Champions, a college sports drama about rowing, available free to Netflix subscribers or for purchase on Amazon. The movie is rated PG-13 so not for the whole family.

Although based on true events with scriptwriter Vojin Gjaja drawing on his own experiences, Heart of Champions is largely fictional.

The story follows the usual pattern of underdog sports team composed of disparate members carting around a ton of emotional baggage which prevents their coming together as a team and winning.

When hard-as-nails Coach Murphy, a tough Army vet played by Shannon, is hired to turn the rowing team into winners, he manages to whip them into shape with his hard-edged "No man is an island" philosophy.

As is usual, the coach's methods offend the college's well-heeled donor (David James Elliott) who demands his son captain the team.

The water scenes are beautiful. I believe it was filmed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The setting is supposed to be the fictional Belston University—no geographic location is actually named. Belston is supposed to be a top Ivy League school.

If this were a novel, the target audience would probably be Young Adult/New Adult/College/high school because that would be the generation with the story's growing pains, angst of young love, and kids who have too much versus kids who come from nothing.

It's supposed to be a feel-good movie, and there are scenes that create that feeling. However, the ending which one expects to be of winning the title because of lessons learned and hard work paying off isn't really shown.

I found it to be an okay flick but a little disappointing at the end. Of course, I'm not a newly-minted adult so my expectations for story are probably higher. Don't let my ho-hum review deter you from watching it.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you're a member of the target audience for this kind of story, you'll probably like this film because it will speak to you on a more personal level than it did for me. If you do watch it, leave a comment and tell me what you thought.

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Quote for Week - Bravery

Mary Tyler Moore of sitcom and movie fame once said: "You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you."

I think that's true. Life tests us. Some of us get tested more than others.

The thing I've noticed as I've gone through life is that people who have easy lives with few problems eventually get something awful that happens to them.

Those who have had it easy often crumple in the face of disaster. I've seen it happen. There are no shortcuts to get through heartbreak and bad times.

The only way to survive is to toughen up and go straight through, hoping to reach the other side where acceptance—if not peace—may be found.

You have to fight to survive when you fail, when your heart breaks, and when you lose someone precious and dear to you.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you survive, it's because you toughened as you fought to endure. In the end, you'll be stronger than before. You may not think you possess bravery, but you may find you're tougher than you ever thought.

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Monday Magic App - Doodle

Trying to get a meeting or event scheduled with multiple people attending can be like herding cats.

Doodle is a free app—a scheduling tool—that can make it much less frustrating, and it's easy to use.

It simplifies organizing meetings and events by allowing users to create polls to find the best time for everyone involved.

You create a poll with date and time options and share the poll link with those who want to participate.

QUICK GUIDE TO USING DOODLE

1. Get started by visiting Doodle Website.

2. Click the green button, Create a Doodle.

3. Sign up for a free account or log in if you already have one.

4. Enter Meeting Details, i.e., title, location, and notes you think are pertinent/

5. Add Date and Time Options available for the meeting.

6. Customize Any Poll Options you might need, i.e., "yes," "no," "limited options" etc.

7. Share the Poll via the generated link with participants via email or the Doodle app.

8. To Participate in the Poll, those invited will receive the link and can indicate their preferred time by clicking the appropriate boxes, choosing thee responses: YES, NO, IF-NEED-BE on each time slot.

9. Choose Final Option. As the organizer, once everyone has responded, analyze the poll results, and choose the final meeting time.

TIP: Select the time with the most votes or the time that works best for everyone.

9. If needed, send Calendar Invitations. This requires you to have a calendar connected to your Doodle account. When that is done, a calendar invitation will be sent out automatically to each participant once you've made your dat and time selection.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

The free version of this works quite well. For more information about paid plans or tips and tricks on using this tool, visit the Doodle website.

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Easter Sunday Memories

Holidays bring back memories of days gone by.

1. Dying Easter eggs the day before Easter Sunday.

2. Decorating Easter baskets with pink or green celephane "straw" and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup "eggs" and Peeps and jelly beans.

3. Going to church wearing my new Easter dress, white shoes, white lace socks, and a frilly white hat. In the South, that's what little girls wore.

4. Singing more songs than usual in church.

5. Greeting everyone after services then rushing home to help put Easter dinner on the table.

6. Easter dinner: baked ham covered with pineapple rings and a brown sugar glaze that makes my mouth water as I write this.

7. Baked sweet potatoes, green beans, salad, and potato salad too. No desserts because we were allowed to eat our Easter candy as dessert.

8. Running around the backyard in an Easter egg hunt. We had to be quick or the dog would get to the eggs before we found them.

9. Eating so much Easter candy that we were nearly sick and didn't want any candy for many weeks thereafter.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I loved everything about Easter—Sunday School, church service, happy days full of laughter and fun. Oh, to be six again and carefree.

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Saturday Share Recipe - Cinnamon Coffee Cake in a Cup

If you've been a long-time reader of SlingWords, you've seen my recipe that I've shared a couple of times for Chocolate Cake in a Cup.

I've been trying to create a "cup" recipe that offers the flavorings of a Cinnamon Roll since my Darling Hubby loves those.

I want it to be easy to make, like my Chocolate Cake in a Cup, so there wouldn't be a dozen of the delicious buns around to tempt me.

Also, I want to make it in a cup, in the microwave, like my Chocolate Cake in a Cup.

Today, I offer the end result of my experiment. I have an idea for another treat in a cup, but that's for another time. I must first perfect the recipe. This one has the tasty cinnamon-pecans-raisin combination. I also made a glaze that I poured on top which adds to the gooey goodness.

Darling Hubby loved it. I hope you will too.

JOAN'S CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE IN A CUP

Ingredients

8 tablespoons self-rising flour

3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons raisins + a few extra

2 tablespoons chopped pecans + a few extra

1 egg

3 tablespoons cooking oil or melted butter

4-5 tablespoons milk

4 coffee cups or mugs that are microwave safe - if you want larger cakes, use only 2 cups

Directions

In a large measuring cup, mix all dry ingredients including the 2 tablespoons each of raisins and nuts.

In a smaller cup or bowl, beat the egg, add the oil and sugar, mix well.

Combine the liquid mixture with the dry ingredients. Blend well.

Pour equal amounts of the batter into the 4 cups. The extra raisins and nuts? Poke them into the batter. The ones you added in the mixture probably will sink to the bottom as the cakes cook. Adding a few to the top gives a taste of them with every bite.

Place in microwave and bake for 1 minute 45 seconds to 2 minutes (Depends power of your microwave.) The top shouldn't be sticky when you lightly touch it with a fingertip.

Remove from microwave. Serve as is, or piece the tops with a toothpick in several places and add one of the following: simple powdered sugar glaze, 1 pat of butter, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, a dusting of powdered sugar, or butter cream frosting piled as high as you like. *G*

I place the cup on its saucer and serve it that way. Serve warm or cold.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I hope you try this recipe. If you do, give me some feedback in a Comment. Did it give a cinnamon coffee cake taste experience? How do you think it could be better?

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Good Friday Words of Peace

May the solemn beauty of Good Friday fill all of our hearts with peace and purpose.

Let's try to remember that there is more that binds us together than separates us.

Be kind, compassionate, forgiving, and practice what you say you believe.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Wishing you a sense of optimism, the determination to rise above the noise and confusion of life, and Joy in everyday Life.

Awesome Girl Gifts That Won't Break the Bank

I must admit I'm totally taken with these adorable charms for Pandora style bracelets.

You know, those uber-expensive bracelets that cost about $50 bucks in silver and about $300 in gold? They're a slender coiled chain that comes apart so you can slide charms on them. Yes, those!

Well, it's Easter, and if you have some tween or teen girls on your gift list, you'll appreciate today's post. It's all about girly things that I find appealing, and they're all Amazon Prime.

You could probably get these in time for Easter if you live in a city. Otherwise, it might take a day longer. I find Amazon's next day delivery isn't as fab as "next-day" as it once was.

The item shown above is the Happy Birthday Heart Charm from BEVALY, a company that has a huge line of charms for Pandora-style bracelets. This charm is only $11.99. Isn't it cute? A teen I know who is having a birthday next month is going to love this.

There are so many cute charms like Moon Star Dangle shown at right which comes in a silver finish or Rose Gold, but I'm only showing you the ones I want to order. This one is $13.99. Most of the Bevaly charms are in that price range.

Yes, I think these are so cute that I wanted a Pandora Style Bracelet for Charms too. Sure, I have expensive bracelets, but I seldom wear them. I guess because I'm a little wary in today's world.

Also, I don't go to elegant formal events very often so the diamonds stay locked up. But I like wearing jewelry, and this is fun jewelry that's chic and stylish too.

If I lose it or something happens to it, I won't be devastated. This is worry-free good-looking jewelry.

At left is the bracelet I found on Amazon. I like the little barrel clasp decorated with sparklies. It's not by BEVALY, but those charms will fit since they're designed to fit most U.S. and European bracelets, such as Pandora, Biagi, Troll, and Chamilia.

The BEVALY charms are made of hypoallergenic 925 sterling silver, and the ones with cubic zirconia are set in a high-polish finish which means they're fade-resistant for a long time.

This summer one of my girlfriends is taking her first cruise, and I have the perfect bon voyage present for her—this Cruise Ship Charm, another BEVALY design. There's also an airplane with little dangles that's cute.

Last but not least, here's a 925 Cubic Zirconia Heart Charm, also $13.99. This is a gift for an August birthday.

And that concludes my birthday shopping for the next few months plus a couple of things for me—my reward for spending time searching for these delights. *G*

I think many women would find these gifts charming—if you'll pardon the pun.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I'm so taken with these that I think I'll buy a couple to give away as prizes when I run my next promotion. What do you think? Do you find them appealing? Drop a comment and let me know.

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Why Offer Ads on a Blog

Hurray! It's Hump Day.

Have you grabbed a new book to read yet?

Me? I have a book to read and some loquat trees to plant. Sounds like a busy weekend, doesn't it? But it's the kind of weekend that's fun and energizing.

To me, just as satisfying as writing a book is working to beautify my front and back yards.

I once read that one's front yard is your gift to the world, but the back yard is your gift to yourself.

Think about that the next time you drive past a beautiful landscape. It will make you wonder what the private space in back looks like.

But I didn't intend to talk about the joys of gardening. Since I just updated my Advertising Policy and I know several other authors who have begun accepting ads, I thought I'd give some insight into...

WHY BLOGS ACCEPT ADVERTISING

I've always offered advertising on SlingWords and have had the sidebar graphic that says that. I've never actively worked to obtain paid advertising though.

Through the years, I've often been offered quite a bit of money to advertise products that I would never use so I decline.

I'm always open to authors who need to build an audience for a book or blog or for someone offering a service to authors.

Other than something specifically aimed at readers and writers, other advertising has appeared because someone contacts me and asks if I will publish a guest post about a specific service, product, or area of interest that may be of general interest rather than specific to readers and writers.

If it interests me, I accept because I blog about subjects of general interest. Every ad or guest post is subject to review by me before I accept it. Sometimes I'm offered a fee, but not always.

BARGAIN ADVERTISING

I offer advertising for those who are looking for an inexpensive way to draw attention to what they have to offer.

Since SlingWords averages 20K to 30K views each month, it's a good opportunity for advertisers.

I offer it at a low price because I know authors are having a difficult time in today's world. The competition is fierce for reading dollars.

Discoverability is difficult without a lot of marketing and high-priced ads. I see offering ads as a win-win for an advertiser and for me. They get eyeballs on their product. I get a few bucks into my PayPal account.

PET PEEVES ABOUT ADS

I hate blog posts with umpteen hot links that glow or, worse, pop up as you move your mouse to read the post. I hate pop-ups in general and will never use them because I think they take away from the reading experience.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

That's my 2¢ worth about blog advertising. What do you think? Got any pet peeves?

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Review - Resident Alien - Netflix

I adore Alan Tudyk and was delighted when he got a series that has been successful.

I'm talking about Resident Alien, now streaming on Netflix and Peacock for subscribers. You can also rent it on Apple, Google Play, YouTube TV, and Amazon Prime.

Resident Alien, an American science fiction mystery comedy-drama TV series was created by Chris Sheridan, and is based on the comic book of the same name by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse.

It premiered January 27, 2021, on Syfy, with Mr. Tudyk in the title role. The series has now moved from SyFy to USA Network which will air the new episodes.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT

An extraterrestrial crash lands his spaceship near the small town of Patience, Colorado, and is ejected. His mission is to wipe out humanity so when he accidentally kills a vacationing doctor, he takes on the doctor's appearance and identity.

When he's asked to take on the job of town doctor, he figures that will enable him to locate his downed spaceship. The only initial problem is the mayor's young son who can see him in his true alience form. Of course, the fact that he is an alien creates hysterically funny complications, and that he becomes more human, he learns emotions.

2 THUMBS UP

Why should you watch? Because it's so off-the-wall and unexpected in dialogue and situations and surprising with heartfelt emotion. It's irreverant, inventive, and just plain laugh out loud funny.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you're a subscriber, absolutely add this to your list. You'll become a fan too.

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Monday Magic Tip - Tabs

Instead of a review on a free app for Monday Magic, I'm giving you a quick tip to make your browsing easier.

If you're still opening tabs on a browser the old school way—by moving your mouse up to the + sign and clicking, you're wasting time.

When you want to open a new tab, simply click this key combination: CTRL + t. Voila! A new tab opens in a nano second.

That's right, it's that simple—the CTRL key and the letter t on your keyboard.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Seconds saved can add up to minutes. I'll give more tips like this because I find them so useful and time-saving. Try this and let me know if you incorporate it into your work routine.

Heat Lightning — 99¢ SALE

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Funny How Time Disappears

There's an old country song, "Funny How Time Slips Away," written by Willie Nelson for Elvis Presley and recorded by Willie, Elvis, and other singers too.

Originally, the song was a lament about losing someone you loved to another and hearing the lost lover tell a new person the same thing you were told—that he/she would "love you forever."

The viewpoint character muses over how time changes some things but that, sometimes, the deep emotion and sense of loss remains.

The lyrics are so true and applicable to so many aspects of life. That struck me today when I was lamenting that we are in the 4th month of this year, and I haven't accomplished nearly as much as I thought I would.

The Rolling Stones may have sung that "time is on our side," but I'm at the age when I must disagree with that idea.

The Theory Simplified

EINSTEIN'S THEORY OF TIME VS. MINE

I'm not a physicist, but I think Einstein left something out of his Theory of Relativity that revolutionized the understanding of time. Yes, it's definitely not absolute.

According to Einstein, time is relative to the observer's frame of referenced—yes, I concur—and gravitational field. Well, I don't know much about the gravitational field to which he refers.

I do know that time is definitely relative to my frame of reference. See if you agree with my Theory.

When going through hard times of grief and loss, time seems to freeze. You're stuck in that emotional mine field, seemingly forever.

Then there are the times of great joy, happiness, and excitement. Those moments seem to pass quickly and slip away before we notice that they're now in our past.

TIME DILATION FIELD

Other examples of time and one's frame of reference that make you think you're frozen in a time dialtion field:

* standing in line at the DMV or post office

* waiting in a doctor's office for your name to be called

* waiting in a hospital ER for news of your loved one who's being treated

* working on a project for so long you feel as if it will never end

* waiting for your kid to come home after he or she drives to a nighttime event, alone, for the first time.

Bad times don't last forever—it just seems as if they do.

Good times feel fleeting, but as long as there's life, good times will come again.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I guess all I'm trying to say today on this Palm Sunday is to be aware of the truly important people in your life and make the moments with them memorable in a good way because it really is not funny how time slips away.

In case you want to learn more about the REAL Theory of Relativity, John Stoddard published an excellent book on the subject, in plain easily-understood English, and it's available in paperback and hardback from Amazon.

The book has a LONG title which I've shortened: Relativity For Beginners, The Special And The General Theory

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