#cf30

Here’s this week’s challenge: read the front page from a newspaper printed 100 years ago.

Luckily the NYTimes has an easy way to do this:

I did it. Took a week and I worked on it every night, but I completed my first stop motion film.  What was the process like? What new ideas did it open your mind toward?

I wrote it, storyboarded it, designed the sets, assembled the cast. I realized that I knew more than I thought about the movie-making process, which was neat. Knowing I got information through osmosis. Kind of cool. 

How did working with your hands affect other aspects of your life? 

Day 4 and I’m finally charting out my second part of inputs.  Without further adieu...

First, I’m mapping my time across my days. Things are a little different now because of corona. The curriculum said this about that: 

Try not to be overwhelmed. This isn’t an exact science. We’re looking for the major influences. Perfectly tracking and then categorizing how you spent a random sliver of time on a one-time task isn’t worth it or necessary. Just focus on the big building blocks.

I know we’re not looking for exact, but it was fun divvying it out anyway.

Corona-version of my time:

At home, working: 8 hours (33 percent) At home, working out: 2 hours (8 percent) At home, eating: 1.5 hours (~6 percent) At home, watching TV or playing video games: 3 hours (12.5)

At home, working on hobbies 1.5 hours (~6 percent) At home, sleeping: 8.5 hours (34.5 percent)

Besides working and sleeping, the most I do is probably consume fun media or play video games with my friends. What if I swapped any piece of “fun” media for something more edifying? DNA related or not.

Macro influences

How were you raised? Where were you raised? One place? Move a bunch?

Modestly. Small town Oklahoma after moving there when I was 5 for my dad’s professor job. I went to the same school system my entire life until I moved to Edmond, OK for college. 

Level of education? How many of your friends can you trace back to a common school or work environment?

Master’s degree. My three core groups of friends come from high school (they went to the college), the second group I met in undergrad and the third group I met through friends of friends. But my boyfriend got a job where he works with one of them, so there’s a work tie now. 

Interests

What subjects come easily to you? What do you love to learn about?

Literature, art, writing, music, movies, design. The Arts. Government management. 

Hobbies?

Reading, video games, writing, working out, Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, cooking, making stuff. 

Blind Spots/Dislikes

What are subjects you have a blind spot for? 

Math, science, computers. Sorry, I’m a walking stereotype of An English Major. Also I can’t dance, but I like watching other people dance. 

What music can you not (under)stand? Ever tried opera?

Commercialized country about big trucks and hot girls and cold beer. Screamo metal. Dad was a music professor. I like opera. 

How about shows and movies?

Super christian-y movies and media. 

Meant to blog for Day 2. Didn’t. Maybe it’s because the 30 minute DNA research didn’t click yesterday. I broke a couple of times to watch an episode of a TV show or an unrelated YouTube video. 

But even if I have splurged on some “fun brain” stuff, what I am finding is that I’m not just compulsively scouring YouTube for a new hit of dopamine. I honestly feel kind of bad for mindlessly consuming that stuff, even if I did watch a makeup tutorial while washing dishes. 

If the goal was to make me just pause and think about what I’m doing before I do it, then that’s a success already. 

But today, surprise, the DNA stuff did take off for me. All it took was finding a website that has the kind of stuff I want to read about. I think I was being too strict about learning about how DNA works. Since I’m not wanting to be a geneticist, watching video after video about the nuts and bolts of how DNA works was less than inspiring. While I’m glad I know the gist of how it works again, I’m not cramming for finals.

So I’m going to drop some of my favorite links below, but my favorite was probably learning that some renegade biologists raided a conference of world leaders to harvest their DNA. Trump, Merkel, Teresa May. Anyone who was anyone in world leadership in 2018. And their DNA samples are up for auction in this beautifully produced auction booklet. 

Ethics

‘Human Nature’ Review: We Can Now Alter Our DNA. But Should We?

Stephen Hawking feared race of ‘superhumans’ able to manipulate their own DNA

Crime-Solving

‘Old School’ Technique Helps Identify Victim in 50-Year-Old Killing

The Genealogy Website That Helped Crack The Golden State Killer Case Has Been Bought By A Forensic Genetics Firm

Boston Strangler Case: How Long Does DNA Last?

Combatting Disease

Folding@Home

Haunted by a Gene

Why Does Covid-19 Make Some People So Sick? Ask Their DNA

SCIENTISTS: SALAMANDER DNA COULD REGENERATE HUMAN BODY PARTS

Phylo

Charting DNA Through Time

Some Assembly Required: Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA

World's oldest human DNA found in 800,000-year-old tooth of a cannibal

DNA analysis reveals just how intertwined ancient human lineages are

Privacy

EXPERTS: CORPORATIONS COULD DO TERRIBLE THINGS WITH YOUR DNA

APPLE’S EMPLOYEE “WELLNESS” PROGRAM INCLUDES FREE DNA TESTS

Misc.

The second part of getting started on CF30 today is logging my existing Inputs and media habits. We’re getting up close and personal. 

Does anyone remember MySpace’s Bulletin Board Surveys? This part kind of reminds me of these -- definitely mean it as a compliment, because those were fun. 

Interests What do you like to do in your free time? - I really like making: gardening, crafting, baking, cooking, drawing, writing.  - Under not-covid, I like rock climbing and going to the gym. Yoga too. Anything that gets me in my body and out of my brain.  - Don’t get me wrong, I still watch plenty of YouTube and play video games. 

What kinds of shows do you gravitate to? - People being creative on TV with different methods of doing so. One example, reality TV competitions like The Great British Bake Off, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Project Runway, Queer Eye.  - Exceptional dramas. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul....those come to mind. - YouTube blogger content of people being creative.  

Job What do you spend your time doing? - Copywriting for clients at an ad firm.    Co-workers, who are they? - They’re similar in race, socio-economic status and background (as far as I know) for the most part.

Travel Patterns Exposure to new places, whether near or far. - Right now, no one is doing much traveling. I loved (when things were different) going to small towns and exploring their downtown. I’ve not traveled much out of a handful of states I’ve already gone to, nor much abroad besides the U.K. I’m solidly south and midwestern. States I’ve visited...

Content Consumption TV Channels/Websites - More like streaming channels, but I honestly watch YouTube the most. Funimation, Amazon Prime are a couple of others. 

Podcasts - My Brother, My Brother and Me. Any McElroys podcast. Some Chapo Trap House, Last Podcast On the Left, Laser Time.... don’t listen to many podcasts right now, however. 

Videogames - Right now, Persona 5 Royals, Of Guards and Thieves, Jackbox. Recently Persona 4 Golden, Slay the Spire, The Sims 4, Table Top Simulator. I enjoy multiplayer games, as well as 2D pixel art games, as well as turned base RPGs. Social Apps Are they people you know personally? A mix? - Yeah, I follow about 400 people on IG. I don’t have a social media presence I use actively on any other platform besides YouTube, but that’s a totally different beast. For the most part, I follow local businesses in OKC, my friends, acquaintances and a few celebrities.  

What do they talk about? - I really just watch my friend’s IG stories at this point (because we’re all trying to stay sane during the outbreak.) I use the actual feed for news about local businesses. My friends send me memes, jokes or funny tweets but I don’t seek them out.

This is something I didn’t think of: how do these bubbles of social groups work? Like, aren’t my friend’s algorithms rubbing off on me? Will write more on that subject later. 

This is the first day of the Modiv Creative Fitness 30 (CF30).  As I’m writing this, I’m already noticing how stiff I feel. Not literally in just my low back (RIP gym schedule) but...my brain.  

I’ve tried SO many of these mental or self-help cleanse programs. If you know about it, I’ve probably tried it. But hey, I need to wake up out of this creative malaise. Worth a shot. So here we are.

One of the tasks of the CF30 was starting a blog (check), writing in it at least once a week (check). It’ll be interesting to catalog my progress and process throughout all of this, so I think this is worth it. 

Today’s task, besides structuring the first week and filling out the Input Mapping, is starting Experiment 1. Which is:

The third link on Stokehold on Day 1 of your CF30 sets your media consumption for the week. All non-necessary media must explore topics related to the subject(s) in that link.

That link is...drumroll please...

Everything Worth Know About... Ancient DNA.

Welp.

I’m not going to lie, I think this falls in the sweet spot of “I don’t really care” recommended by the program and “casual passing interest but no working knowledge of.” Did I take AP Bio senior year? Yes. Could I tell you what DNA even stands for without Googling? Eeergh, maybe....

Its deoxyribonucleic acid, right? Cool, yep, confirmed. Ms. Pettijohn will be proud, wherever she is. 

So for this week, all my fun-times, not working content consumption will be related to DNA. I think DNA itself is fairly niche (for me at least). Maybe for someone actually good at science, this isn’t niche. Oh well -- my circus, my monkeys. 

And to honor the occasion, I’m listening to every song just titled “DNA” on Spotify. So far, I actually like all of them, even if they’re from a wide range of styles such as rap, K-Pop, 1990s singer-songwriter and 2010s indie rock. 

I know that most of these songs have n o t h i n g to do with the actual subject matter of DNA. But I don’t want to listen to nothing this week because no one is singing songs about DNA like Tom Lehrer did about the Periodic Table. 

I’ll drop in my links and other content about DNA throughout this week. Maybe there’s a DNA video game I can try?

Ich liebe Salzkaramell und was liegt da näher als es auch einmal mit wunderbarem Käsekuchen zu probieren – soft, süß und cremig. Da ich nun die Petromax cf30 doch recht lieb gewonnen habe und schon das ein oder andere Rezept bereits fernab des eigentlichen Zwecks zubereitet habe, wollte ich hier nun auch mal ein Dessert testen.

Zutaten:

Sauce:

200g Zucker

175g Butter (in Stücke geschnitten)

120ml Sahne

1/2 TL Meersalz

Käsekuchen:

250g Frischkäse (Zimmertemperatur)

70g Zucker

3 Eier

2 TL Vanilleextrakt (oder eine Vanilleschote auskratzen)

200g Mehl

1 TL Backpulver

1/2 TL Meersalz

175g Butter (geschmolzen)

150g brauner Zucker

1/2 TL Salzflocken

Zubereitung:

Den Zucker in einer Pfanne über mittlerer Hitze auf dem Grill (evtl. Seitenbrenner) schmelzen. Der Zucker fängt an zu köcheln und wird dann durchsichtig.

Ab und zu umrühren bis der Zucker die Farbe ändert. Sobald er tiefgelb ist, die Butter dazugeben und das Ganze mit dem Schneebesen rühren.

Ist die ganze Butter geschmolzen und hat die Mischung eine Bernsteinfarbe angenommen, sofort vom Feuer nehmen. Dann zügig Sahne sowie Meersalz zugeben und alles mit dem Schneebesen verrühren.

Danach die Pfanne nochmal kurz auf das Feuer geben, aber die Temperatur stark reduzieren, währenddessen gelegentlich umrühren und danach zur Seite stellen.

Den Geflügelbräter mit etwas geschmolzener Butter auspinseln.

Nun den Frischkäse und Zucker mit einem Schneebesen oder Mixer 2-3 Minuten glatt rühren. 1 Ei und 1 TL Vanille zugeben, unterrühren und beiseite stellen. (Käsekuchenmasse)

Für den Kuchenteig Mehl, Backpulver und Salz in einer Rührschüssel mischen.

Geschmolzene Butter und Zucker in einer großen Rührschüssel mischen, 2 Eier und 1 TL Vanille hinzugeben und verrühren bis alles glatt und gut vermischt ist. Das Mehl mit einem Löffel unterheben bis es gerade nicht mehr zu sehen ist. Nicht zu lange rühren!

Die Hälfte des Kuchenteiges in den Geflügelbräter geben und dann die Hälfte der Käsekuchenmasse löffelweise darüber verteilen. Mit etwas der Karamellsauce beträufeln.

Den restlichen Kuchenteig darauf geben und verstreichen. Nun wieder mit Käsekuchenmasse versehen.

Den Grill für indirekte Hitze (ca.160-170°C) vorbereiten.

Den Geflügelbräter nun auf den Grill geben und ca. 30 Minuten, bzw. bis die Oberseite fest ist, backen und an einem hineingestochenem Zahnstocher kein Teig mehr kleben bleibt.

Vom Grill nehme und gute 10 Minuten abkühlen lassen.

Den Kuchen mit der Karamellsauce beträufeln und einige Salzflocken darüber geben – die restliche Sauce in den Geflügelbräter füllen und den Kuchen servieren.

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Buchteln kennt man eigentlich als süße Nachspeise, aber dass es auch ein herzhafter Partysnack sein kann seht ihr in diesem Rezept.

Zutaten:

700g Mehl (hier: Typ 550)

1,5 Päckchen Trockenhefe

2 TL Salz

1 Prise Zucker

300ml warme Milch

2 Eier

100g Butter

0,5 TL Pfeffer

1 Glas Pesto (oder selbstgemachte Pesto)

1 Stück Käse (hier: Gouda)

200g Schmand

Zubereitung:

Den Käse in kleine Würfel schneiden. Aus Mehl, Hefe, Milch, Zucker, Butter, Eiern, Salz und Pfeffer einen weichen Teig kneten und an die Seite stellen.

Den Grill auf 180-200°C indirekte Hitze vorbereiten.

Die Pesto am besten in eine Schüssel geben. Nun die kleinen Käsewürfel mit dem Teig umhüllen, zu einer Kugel formen, in der Pesto wälzen und in die Pfanne/feuerfeste Form legen.

Sobald die Pfanne zu Genüge gefüllt ist, könnt ihr die Buchteln auf den Grill geben. Nach ca. 30-40 Minuten sollten sie dann fertig sein.

Sobald die Pfanne etwas abgekühlt ist, könnt ihr aus dem Schmand und übriggebliebenen Pesto einen kleinen Dip machen und in die Erhöhung geben.

Ich habe hier mit der cf30 von Petromax gearbeitet, da ich die Erhöhung in der Mitte praktisch für etwaige Dips finde. Perfekt auf einer Party um Platz zu sparen für noch eine Schüssel in der ein Dip steht. Bei dem Käse muss ich sagen, hatte ich mir mehr versprochen, aber er hat für mich nicht genug Fäden gezogen als ich eine der Buchteln geöffnet habe – hier vielleicht noch der Hinweis mit dem Käse zu variieren, probiert doch mal Mozzarella.

Ansonsten wünsche ich euch viel Spaß mit dem Rezept – es lohnt sich auf jeden Fall.

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