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  • WhatsApp introduces custom lists for your chats

    WhatsApp introduces custom lists for your chats

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    Today WhatsApp has released a new feature – custom lists. These are the evolution of chat filters, introduced earlier this year as a way to find messages faster.

    With custom lists, you can filter your chats into custom categories of your choice – you can have a list for anything: family, work, your neighborhood, and so on.

    WhatsApp introduces custom lists

    Creating a new list is as easy as tapping the + in the filter bar at the top of your Chats tab in WhatsApp. To edit a list, long-press it.

    In a similar way to your favorites, you can add both groups and one-on-one chats to any list. All the lists you create will appear in the filter bar.

    The rollout for this feature has already started but it will take a few weeks for it to become available to every WhatsApp user out there.

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  • Netflix gives us another sneak peek of Squid Game season two

    Netflix gives us another sneak peek of Squid Game season two

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    We’re still officially in “teaser trailer” territory for the new season of Squid Game but a lot of interesting details just dropped in the latest one for season two.

    The new trailer takes us deeper into the games as Seong Gi-hun, played by Lee Jung-jae, returns to the island presumably to take down the rich tyrants and the Front Man from the inside of the tournament. Seong is back as a player (Player 456 again, to be specific) and at least two of the games from the last season will be part of the new one, including “Green Light” and the dalgona cookie cutting challenge. This time, however, they have an experienced contestant in the sea of green, bloodied jumpsuits who can tell them how to avoid the pitfalls (figuratively and literally if the Mirror Bridge returns).

    Seong seems to be on a personal crusade to save the latest batch of players who may not have any understanding of the games and its very high stakes. Unlike last season, Seong isn’t smiling when he takes his official contestant photo. The new trailer also features an impassioned Seong trying to convince the new batch of players to vote to leave the island with their lives still intact.

    The next season of Squid Game lands on Netflix the day after Christmas, but for me, it still cannot get here quick enough.

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  • Pokémon TCG Pocket Needs These Three Things From Marvel Snap

    Pokémon TCG Pocket Needs These Three Things From Marvel Snap

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    Pokémon TCG Pocket arrived this week on iPhone and Android, and it’s a surprisingly crisp and streamlined version of the card game after years of really bad alternatives. Pokémon is pretty much a license to print money, but TCG Pocket does a great job of spotlighting what people love about about the game—the cards themselves—and getting most of the other stuff out of the way. Still, as a big fan of Marvel Snap, there are a few things I wish the mobile game would steal from Second Dinner’s 2022 comic book phenomenon.

    I’ve been spending most of my idle smartphone moments the past two days playing Pokémon TCG Pocket instead of doom scrolling Twitter or ingesting AI-slop on Instagram, which is exactly what I want from a good, daily grind mobile game. All of the currencies and sub-economies aimed at getting you to spend money on the otherwise free-to-play game are a bit convoluted and hard to parse, but the battles are fun and opening virtual booster packs by slicing wrappers with a finger swipe is a surprisingly effective simulacrum of the pure joys of doing so in real life.

    I’m not yet as obsessed with Pokémon TCG Pocket as I was with Marvel Snap, however, and I think there are three reasons for that. The first is match length. Marvel Snap battles breeze by, making it feel relatively low-stakes to start up another no matter what’s going on around you. TCG Pocket is a bit more involved. Players have a cumulative timer of 20 minutes, with countdowns starting at over 60 seconds for individual turns. The clock rarely gets milked, but matches can still feel a little drawn out as players stack their benches and build up their Pokémon’s power. More than once I’ve finished a match and thought, “That was neat but do I really have time for another.”

    The second thing holding Pokémon TCG Pocket back a little for me are the match rewards. In addition to bite-sized matches, Marvel Snap has an ingenious progression built around acquiring extra cards to level them up and earn points that can be spent on acquiring new ones. It’s a clever twist on the traditional booster pack RNG formula. TCG Pocket, as an adaptation of an existing card game, doesn’t have that same luxury. Unfortunately, as things stand, the only rewards for winning matches are miniscule amounts of XP that contribute to an overall level. Raising it nets additional rewards but none of them feel very distinct. The result is that finishing matches feels a bit anti-climactic, rather than giving out that dopamine hit that makes you immediately want to play another match.

    Finally, there’s the cards themselves. Outside of building your collection, Marvel Snap has the secondary goal of acquiring, sometimes by outright purchasing, cool alternate card art for your favorite decks. It provides something else to strive for as well as a way to express your particular flavor of popular deck type. Again, TCG Pocket runs into trouble here because its working off of existing card art, and while there are multiple versions of certain cards to unlock, there aren’t many, and there’s no real way to chase them directly. If you open a pack and get a full art variant, great! If not, well, wait for the next random pull.

    It’s still early and TCG Pocket is otherwise doing a lot right, certainly more than probably every other digital version of the Pokémon card game I’ve played in the past. There’s only one set of cards to collect at the moment and not much eye candy to salivate over in the paid in-game store. I’m sure that will all change soon enough but for now the game hasn’t quite conjured the full magic of my early days with Marvel Snap. Maybe that’s for the best. I eventually had to delete that game from my phone because it was consuming way too much of my free time.

          

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  • Dezko adds to unique Afro-house approach with fifth single of 2024, ‘Kiss U’

    Dezko adds to unique Afro-house approach with fifth single of 2024, ‘Kiss U’

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    Dezko adds to unique Afro-house approach with fifth single of 2024, ‘Kiss U’Screenshot 2024 10 25 At 2.59.43 PM

    Dezko’s musical journey only has just over a full calendar year of releasing music under his belt, having first arrived in the release ring back in July 2023 with his debut original. And at 20 years old, the self-taught, Colombian native has already emphatically carved out a seat for himself amongst an overcrowded field of electronic talent. Having already built up a 2024 calendar that’s included four original cuts, Dezko is back again to convert an ID that he had the pleasure of rinsing at Tomorrowland Brasil into his fifth release this year, “Kiss U.”

    With the exponential explosion of Afro-house over the past year, Dezko had continually managed to put his own individualized flair on one of dance music’s most in-demand genres. And “Kiss U” does just that, with Dezko delicately placing a sultry vocal over a melodically-tinged, five-minute ballad, proving once more why he’s caught the eye of Tomorrowland, CamelPhat, Claptone, Gryffin, and many more.

    Stream “Kiss U” below.

    Featured image: Victor Bese

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  • The Role of Gamification in Modern Education –

    The Role of Gamification in Modern Education –

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    Gamification is used in many fields and industries. It is meant to promote customer loyalty in business: ” Find a discount among our 5 latest emails to get 50% off dedicated server hosting.”

    It’s a little different in education. Gamification in education aims to provide a more interactive learning experience for students while providing evidence of their progress through rewards.

    Gamification plays a key role in modern education and offers many benefits besides just making the learning process fun.

    About Gamification

    Gamification is the process of making various activities more entertaining by making them into games.

    See also The Difference Between Game-Based Learning and Gamification

    In education, gamification involves incorporating game elements (usually game design) into educational settings and learning materials to boost students’ enthusiasm for learning and skills such as analytical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. Educational gamification doesn’t mean turning every lesson into a game but rather using game features to enrich lessons.

    Games can help educators determine the strategy they need to apply to promote a certain skill or activity. For example, they can propose activities involving competition to promote social interaction or customization to encourage creativity.

    In short, gamification is there to increase motivation and interest in learning.

    See also How To Remove The Gamification From Your Classroom

    Benefits of Gamification

    The gamification benefits are hard to deny and very visible; thus, we mention the most substantial ones below.

    Better Cognitive Development

    Gamification is proven to activate the brain areas associated with cognitive development. Moreover, gamified learning accelerates brain activity and speeds up the development of various skills.

    The diversity of ways the task is presented through gamification helps expand the range of situational analysis and problem-solving too.

    Higher Engagement Levels

    Increased engagement in a classroom is one of the most profound effects of gamification. Conventional learning methods often struggle to maintain the student’s attention and focus frequently leading to worse learning results.

    Gamification uses challenges, leaderboards, points, badges, etc., to encourage exploration and curiosity and keep students engaged.

    Making Learning Visible

    One of the reasons why students aren’t as invested in the learning process as they could be is because it’s hard to define the learning journey without specific milestones and something that represents them.

    Gamification helps make the learning process visible. Rewards or points are often acquired after completing a certain task, or there’s a physical result of collaboration to remind students of a certain activity.

    Promoting Growth Mindset

    Feeling ashamed or embarrassed is very real for students of various ages. There’s also a fear of failure that could potentially be witnessed by other classmates, which is translated into pressure.

    Introducing game elements into the learning process creates an atmosphere of effortless self-expression. Plus, it makes failing fun and even something to bond over.

    Like in a video game, where you fail but get to try again, this time knowing what you can expect, gamification introduces a perspective where failing is just a part of the process. This way, gamification helps build persistence and confidence. 

    quote about benefits of gamificationquote about benefits of gamification

    How Effective is Gamification?

    Gamification has many benefits, and thanks to them is very effective. Based on research and statistics, gamification leads to:

    • Almost 90% increase in student performance.
    • 68% increase in motivation towards learning.
    • 300% homework completion rate.
    • Faster task completion in more than 50% of cases.
    • Continuous study improvement for 73% of students with ADHD.
    • Students desire to be a part of improving the learning process.

    How Gamification Can Help Different Students

    Gamification can promote an equal environment for innately unique students.

    The reality is that the classroom is diverse and students will find one task of different complexity. Gamified lessons can help students approach and complete tasks that seem too difficult or too easy in an enjoyable way, all the while helping learners stay on track with the curriculum.

    Gamification can help:

    -Break down difficult material. Gamification can put difficult material into an easy-to-digest form for all students to understand it. And even if they don’t understand it entirely, gamified lesson invites them to follow those parts that are easier for them to follow at their own pace.

    -Make easy tasks interesting. On the other hand, if the material is too easy for other students, they can lose interest and focus. Gamification, using rewards and challenges they can take on at their own pace, can help those students be more present with their progress.

    -Overwhelmed students relax. The reward system is a great tool gamification offers. It can help overwhelmed students feel better about their progress, keeping their focus on one step at a time instead of being overwhelmed by the big picture.

    -Anxious and stressed students to focus. Gamified lessons take away the “seriousness” of formal education and bring more fun to learning.

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  • Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps | The Recipe Critic

    Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps | The Recipe Critic

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    This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.

    Enjoy delicious Asian flavors in these Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps! This appetizer or main is loaded with tasty lean ground beef, sautéed shredded carrots, red bell pepper, and garlic, all tossed in a mouthwatering sauce and spooned into lettuce leaves.

    Overhead shot of Korean beef lettuce wraps on a serving platter.

    Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

    • Incredibly Delicious: Your family will go crazy for the taste and texture of these beef lettuce wraps. There is an explosion of the most delicious flavor in every bite!
    • Restaurant Quality: These are just like something you would find at a fancy Asian restaurant and way better than takeout! Plus, they are so quick and easy to make.
    • Highly Customizable: Mix things up and make these just how you like! You can easily change the meat, veggies, and sauce ingredients based on your taste preference. I’ve included lots of customization ideas below!

    Ingredients for Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

    Whether you enjoy these beef lettuce wraps as an appetizer or light meal, they always deliver amazing flavor and texture. Plus, I love that they’re high in protein and low in carbs. Here is a note on all of the ingredients. Check out the recipe card for exact measurements.

    • Beef: For the protein base of these wraps, you’ll need 1 pound of lean ground beef. I like to use 90% lean, so they’re plenty flavorful without much grease.
    • Garlic: Freshly minced garlic gives the meat an extra boost of flavor.
    • Vegetables: Shredded carrots and diced red bell pepper add vibrant color and extra heartiness!
    • Brown Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the savory and spicy flavors.
    • Soy Sauce: The base of the sauce. Use reduced sodium if you’d like.
    • Sesame Oil: Provides the sauce with a slightly nutty, complex flavor.
    • Ground Ginger: Gives the sauce a zesty, warm taste.
    • Gochujang Korean Chili Sauce: This sauce perfectly combines spicy, salty, earthy and sweet. It also has a thick, sticky texture that coats the beef wonderfully.
    • Butter Lettuce Leaves: You’ll need ten butter lettuce leaves to hold the filling. They add a layer of fresh crispness that can’t be beat! Boston and iceberg lettuce will also work.
    • Garnish: Finish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds for extra texture.
    Overhead shot of labeled ingredients. Overhead shot of labeled ingredients.

    Korean Beef Lettuce Wrape Recipe Instructions

    This beef lettuce wrap recipe comes together in just four easy steps and can be ready to serve in less than 30 minutes. Now, that’s my kind of recipe – especially one that’s as tasty as this!!

    1. Cook the Beef: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. 
    2. Add the Veggies: Stir in the minced garlic, shredded carrots, and diced red bell pepper. Cook for 4 minutes or until the vegetables soften.
    3. Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and Korean chili sauce.
    4. Serve: Pour over the ground beef and let simmer for 2 minutes. To serve, add ¼ cup of the beef mixture to a large leaf of lettuce. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

    Variations of Beef Lettuce Wraps

    One of my favorite things about these wraps is their versatility! You can easily switch up the ingredients to make them your own. Here are a few yummy ideas for you!

    • Beef: Beef is the star of this dish, but swap out the beef for ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken if you prefer.
    • Ginger: You can use one tablespoon of freshly grated ginger to replace the ground ginger in this recipe. It will add a big, bold ginger flavor!
    • Switch up the Veggies: Any color of bell pepper would be delicious in this recipe. Additional vegetable options include diced mushrooms, shredded purple cabbage, or zucchini.
    • Serving: Any kind of lettuce works for these wraps, but I suggest soft, bendable lettuce like butter or green leaf lettuce. I know these are lettuce wraps, but the beef mixture would also be delicious served over rice!
    • Make it Spicier: The Gochujang Korean chili sauce is the secret to this recipe. It gives it that small kick of Korean spice! Add more if you want it spicer. You can also garnish individual servings with red pepper flakes before serving.

    Overhead shot of Korean beef lettuce wrap beef and vegetable mixture in a skillet. Overhead shot of Korean beef lettuce wrap beef and vegetable mixture in a skillet.

    Storing Leftover Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

    Whether you’re making this lettuce wrap recipe ahead of time or storing leftovers, it’s best to store the lettuce and beef filling separately. It’s perfect for reheating for a quick lunch throughout the week!

    • In the Refrigerator: The Korean beef filling will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
    • To Reheat: Transfer the beef mixture to a skillet and cook on medium heat until warmed through, stirring frequently. You can also use the microwave to heat the beef in 30-second intervals.

    More Asian-Inspired Recipes

    My family goes crazy for Asian flavors! In fact, I have a whole category of Asian recipes to check out! Here are a few that I make on repeat and always get rave reviews.

    Pin this now to find it later

    Pin It

    • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.

    • Stir in the minced garlic, shredded carrots, and diced red bell pepper. Cook for 4 minutes or until the vegetables soften.

    • In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and Korean chili sauce. Pour over the ground beef and let simmer for 2 minutes.

    • To serve, add ¼ cup of the beef mixture to a large leaf of lettuce. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

    Calories: 199kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 21gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 718mgPotassium: 474mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 2306IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 3mg

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.



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  • Warming Ginger Syrup Recipe

    Warming Ginger Syrup Recipe

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    I often keep fresh ginger around in case of upset stomachs (it can be a lifesaver during early pregnancy!). Ginger root also adds a tasty flavor to drinks, gingerbread, and even iced tea. On its own it can be a little spicy, but ginger syrup is a flavorful way to add a little sweetness to beverages and dishes.

    This warming herb has tons of health benefits and boosts circulation and immunity. It’s perfect (and tasty!) for cooler weather.

    Ginger Simple Syrup

    The traditional recipe for ginger syrup uses fresh ginger root and a sweetener, like brown sugar or organic cane sugar. Similar to elderberry syrup, the spicy ginger is simmered in liquid, then strained and bottled. You can still get the ginger flavor without highly refined sugar though.

    This version of ginger syrup simmers the ginger in water and then mixes the strained infusion with raw honey. Not only do you get the health benefits of ginger, but raw honey offers anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits too.

    The Benefits of Ginger

    If I don’t have fresh ginger in my refrigerator, you’ll be sure to find dried ginger in my pantry! I found it really helpful for first trimester pregnancy nausea and the kids like it for upset tummies. Here are some more of ginger’s health benefits:

    • Helps soothe muscle aches and pains, including menstrual cramps. Rub ginger infused oil over sore muscles, or add some dried or fresh to a hot bath.
    • Reduces nausea, indigestion, and vomiting. Sip it as a tea or use ginger tincture.
    • Calms a cough and helps with sore throats.
    • Stimulates circulation. This helps speed cold and flu recovery, soothe achy muscles, and warms the body on chilly days.
    • It’s an antioxidant to help fight cancer causing free radicals.
    • Some research suggests ginger can help with a healthy blood sugar balance.
    • A 2019 meta-analysis found ginger significantly decreased body weight, improved fasting glucose and insulin resistance, and improved cholesterol balance.

    While a cup of ginger tea is a nice way to finish the evening, ginger syrup is even more versatile!

    How To Use Ginger Syrup

    Ginger simple syrup is most frequently used in cocktail recipes like the old-fashioned Moscow mule or the more recent Penicillin. While it may be a staple for bartenders, you can make plenty of healthy mocktails with it too.

    I use a ginger bug to make homemade ginger ale (also known as ginger beer). While the process is pretty simple, it does require some hands-on time and time to ferment. Simply pouring some homemade ginger syrup into sparkling water or club soda is an even faster way to make your own ginger ale variation. Here are some more ways to use ginger syrup:

    • Pour some into hot tea and add a squeeze of fresh lemon to soothe a sore throat.
    • Take a small spoonful as needed for nausea, muscle aches, etc.
    • Add a little to homemade cranberry sauce.
    • Use it in coffee with some raw cream or coconut milk for a healthy latte.
    • Combine with lime juice and sparkling water for a healthy soda water.
    • Use to sweeten smoothies, like this creamy pumpkin smoothie.
    • Make a vinaigrette with ginger syrup and apple cider vinegar for salads.

    Flavoring Ginger Simple Syrup

    My homemade cough syrup combines an herbal infusion of ginger and other herbs with lemon juice and honey. This recipe is similar but cuts out the other herbs. There are plenty of ways to customize it to your liking though with different flavors.

    Add a little vanilla for a ginger vanilla syrup that’s great on ice cream. Or simmer some lemon and lime zest with the ginger for a citrus flavor. You can even add other warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, or cloves for an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial powerhouse. Rosemary, orange zest, and lemongrass are also good options in a ginger syrup recipe.

    How to Make Ginger Syrup

    If you can make tea then you can make ginger syrup. Start by roughly chopping organic ginger root. If the pieces are too large they won’t infuse as well, but if they’re tiny then they’re harder to strain out. Once the water is infused with ginger, simply strain out the solids and stir in the raw honey. Now your syrup is ready to use!

    ginger syrup

    Ginger Syrup Recipe

    This easy simple syrup tastes great in mixed drinks or stirred into tea. Get all of the health benefits of ginger in an easy to use syrup!

    • cup fresh ginger root (roughly chopped)
    • 4 cups water
    • 1 cup raw honey
    • Add the ginger and water to a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil.

    • Reduce the heat to simmer and let it simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. You want the liquid to reduce to 1 cup so put the saucepan lid partially on to allow some steam to escape.

    • Strain out the ginger pieces and pour the ginger infusion into a heat safe glass jar. A Mason jar works well for this. If you have more than 1 cup simmer it down some more. If there’s less than 1 cup then add more water to make 1 cup.

    • Stir in the raw honey.

    • Store the ginger syrup in the fridge. This will last for about 2 weeks or it can be frozen for longer storage.

    Nutrition Facts

    Ginger Syrup Recipe

    Amount Per Serving (1 Tablespoon)

    Calories 33

    % Daily Value*

    Fat 0.01g0%

    Saturated Fat 0.002g0%

    Polyunsaturated Fat 0.002g

    Monounsaturated Fat 0.002g

    Sodium 1mg0%

    Potassium 10mg0%

    Carbohydrates 9g3%

    Fiber 0.04g0%

    Sugar 9g10%

    Protein 0.1g0%

    Vitamin C 0.1mg0%

    Calcium 1mg0%

    Iron 0.1mg1%

    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Add other herbs as desired with the ginger while it simmers. See the above article for suggestions.
    This syrup is very thin. If you want a thicker syrup you can simmer the honey with the ginger, but then it won’t be raw. 

    How to Store Ginger Syrup

    This will keep for several weeks in the fridge. While honey has a long shelf life (it was even found in Egyptian tombs!), herbal tea does not. If you want to store some for later, you can freeze it in ice cube trays and use as needed.

    Have you ever made a simple syrup before? How will you use your ginger syrup? Leave a comment and let us know!

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  • Expensive Markets Are Surging—Here’s Where Investors Can Buy Big

    Expensive Markets Are Surging—Here’s Where Investors Can Buy Big

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    Despite mortgage rate unpredictability, the real estate market is growing in some of the country’s priciest cities. According to the latest Zillow data, listings and homes going under contract have increased markedly in September. Cities at the top end of the market, such as Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Jose, showed the greatest gains.

    “Generally, new listings and sales moved closer to pre-pandemic norms in September,” said Kara Ng, a housing economist at Zillow, told Yahoo! Finance. “That’s still a long way to go in terms of normalizing supply.”

    Rate-Locked Buyers Come Off the Sidelines

    The top end of the market had been stagnant amid the post-pandemic interest rate increase, with homeowners rate-locked and unwilling to give up sub-4% interest rates for 7% and higher. The recent movement at the high end could reflect optimism about future interest rate cuts and a desire to jump into the market before prices climb. It could also signal a pent-up need to move, which had been stalled amid interest rate and market uncertainty.

    Despite a slight softening overall, with around 940,000 homes for sale nationwide in September, the market is still 23% below the level it was at the same time in 2019. However, according to Realtor.com data, listings were still up by 25% or more over the previous year in top-end cities and regions such as Seattle, Silicon Valley, Denver, and Washington, D.C.

    Silicon Valley Has Helped Ease California’s High-End Market

    The housing market on the West Coast has been a particular cause for concern in recent years, with 28% of the country’s homeless being in California. However, on the high end, a surge in tax revenue, particularly with high-flying Silicon Valley companies, could have also helped loosen the real estate market in some rate-locked regions, with employees choosing to cash out stocks for real estate.

    ZHVI

    Similarly, wealthier homeowners flush with cash would not be as affected by the fluctuations in mortgage rates as other buyers who need to borrow more. 

    California Housing Trend Speaks for Pricier Homes Nationwide

    The idea that the real estate market is increasingly polarized between the affluent and middle class is reflected in stats throughout the year. Redfin’s first-quarter report showed that overall real estate sales fell 4% nationwide. However, luxury real estate sales increased more than 2%, posting their best year-over-year gains in three years.

    The real estate data and listing company’s second-quarter report showed that investor home purchases were up almost 30% in pricey West Coast markets such as San Jose and Las Vegas, followed by Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. San Jose also saw the largest gain in overall home purchases, which rose 15.2% year over year in the second quarter. San Francisco came in second place.

    New Listings 1

    Most of the investor activity was in the single-family home sector. Craig Pellegrini, a real estate agent in San Jose, said at the time of the report’s release in August:

    San Jose has a lot of overseas investors buying sight-unseen, and a lot of home flippers who are purchasing dilapidated homes, putting some lipstick on them, and selling them for a profit. I’m also seeing parents buy second homes that they plan to rent out for a while and then pass on to their kids, some of whom just graduated college and can’t afford to buy themselves.”

    Zillow’s price index report for September (previously mentioned) echoes the market trend. On the upper end, interest rates are less of a concern for cash-rich buyers, who are making moves now before prices increase amid further rate cuts.

    The Outlook for the California Housing Market in 2025

    The trajectory for increased activity in the upper end of the market is reflected in the outlook for the California market in 2025, according to the California Association of Realtors. CAR president Melanie Barker, a Yosemite Realtor, said in a press release:

    “An increase in homes for sale, along with lower borrowing costs, is expected to entice more buyers and sellers to enter the market in 2025. Demand will grow as we start the year with the lowest interest rates in more than two years, particularly for first-time buyers. Meanwhile, would-be home sellers, held back by the ‘lock-in effect,’ will have more flexibility to pursue a home that better suits their needs as mortgage rates continue to decline.”

    CAR senior vice president and chief economist Jordan Levine added:

    Inventory is expected to loosen as rates ease; demand will also increase with lower mortgage rates and limited housing supply, which will push home prices higher next year. Price growth is expected to be slower, but the housing shortage will keep the market competitive outside of big economic shocks, so prices will still rise.”

    How Investors Can Capitalize on Increased Liquidity in the Top-End Markets

    All this sounds great. But how do you make the most of it as an investor? Here are some strategies.

    Target emerging markets located around pricier ones

    Buying on the border of some expensive real estate markets is a trusted strategy when predicting where to invest, as there will always be people priced out of expensive cities. Whether investors flip homes or rent, there is likely to be high demand for housing here. Examine the emerging markets for investment around these cities, and you’ll be on secure footing.

    Flip homes

    The risks and rewards are both high when flipping homes in expensive cities. However, if you’re a well-funded house flipper, flipping here makes sense because the demand for housing will always be there. Assuming you buy right, there is plenty of scope for high profits, even if you are tearing down an older home, building a new one, or simply doing a cosmetic upgrade. 

    Team up with wealthier residents to do deals

    Many residents of expensive cities are flush with cash but don’t have the time outside their primary jobs to invest in real estate. That’s where a knowledgeable, well-organized investor comes in. 

    Borrowing large sums of money or teaming up with a well-heeled silent partner requires a highly competent flipper with a good track record who can deliver on their objectives and has a solid contingency plan for any potential downsides, where the investor is protected as much as possible.

    Wholesale deals for high profits

    In expensive markets, wholesalers must be credible and adhere strictly to local real estate guidelines. If that means closing deals before selling, they will need the cash to absorb the expenses. However, the potential profits could be high because of the price points.

    Purchase long-term rentals for equity appreciation and cash flow

    One advantage of buying deals in expensive cities is that eventually, the market corrects many mistakes because properties continue to rise in price. Conservative investors can build their net worth simply by holding on to a property that pays for itself with rental income but accrues appreciation. Over time, with rental increases and mortgage paydown, these pricier assets will start cash flowing, too. 

    Final Thoughts

    Timing emerging markets is where the gold is in real estate, but it’s also a risky endeavor, as it could mean being saddled with homes that don’t turn the corner as quickly as hoped. 

    If you can afford it, buying in already-established markets is a safe move with few downsides, as long as you do not over-leverage. Given the market cycle, buying now as the market rises as rates eventually drop could be a good move. 

    However, with an election and a new president, many investors have put buying plans on hold, regardless of the outcome. This might represent a gap in the market for bullish, well-funded buyers to make a move.

    Find the Hottest Markets of 2024!

    Effortlessly discover your next investment hotspot with the brand new BiggerPockets Market Finder, featuring detailed metrics and insights for all U.S. markets.

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  • After exiting the Christian music industry, these artists engage religion on their terms

    After exiting the Christian music industry, these artists engage religion on their terms

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    (RNS) — When former Christian artist Michael Gungor first hosted a new spiritual community in Los Angeles this year, worship began not with an organ blast or sermon series video promo, but with blowing bubbles.

    Appropriately dubbed “Play,” Gungor envisioned the event — which featured painting, dancing, corporate singing and meditation, but no religious creed — as a celebration that “redefines worship.”

    “I want to be in a room and see each other’s eyes and smell each other and hear each other singing out of key. This is something we’ve always done as a species,” Gungor said. “I think there’s something important, really grounding and human about it.”

    Gungor’s idea of worship wasn’t always so experimental. In packed churches and concert venues, thousands once sang along to the band Gungor’s 2010 hit “Beautiful Things,” a song that became a permanent fixture on the setlists of youth group bands. But in 2014, Gungor’s critiques of the Christian music industry — as well as his public musings on Genesis as a poem rather than historic fact — led to his exclusion from the Christian music business. Now, after a long process of wrestling with his inherited evangelical faith — documented on his podcast “The Liturgists” — Gungor says he’s more interested in embracing the current lived moment than being tethered to a set of religious beliefs, though he describes Christianity as his “native tongue.”

    Michael Gungor. (Video screen grab)

    For those like him who have “deconstructed” — a popular term today for the process of questioning and sometimes letting go of the teachings of one’s faith tradition — Gungor still sees a desire for ritual and for communal gathering. He recognizes the power of the collective — and aims to write non-dogmatic music for corporate, if not religious, worship.

    “We’ve gotten rid of some of the shame-based stuff and some of the dogmas that were oppressing and hurting a lot of us, but now we’re kind of just wandering around alone … What are we missing? Is there anything we can find back here?”

    In the last two decades, several Contemporary Christian Music powerhouses — Audrey Assad, DC Talk’s Kevin Max, Hawk Nelson’s Jon Steingard, among several others — have publicly exited the CCM industry. For many of these musicians, questioning the industry’s theological parameters meant becoming unwelcome in mainstream CCM spaces. Years later, after interrogating their beliefs, a handful of these onetime CCM artists are revisiting faith in some fashion, trying on elements they’d previously discarded and writing music for listeners who might be more spiritual than religious. In many ways, these artists’ break from institutional Christianity and hunger for a broader form of belonging exemplifies national religious trends.

    One of the earliest CCM artists to publicly depart the industry was Jennifer Knapp, who burst onto the Christian music scene with her debut album “Kansas” in 1998. But while Knapp was drawn to Christianity’s teachings on human dignity and divine love, she soon realized that the Christianity promoted in the CCM world drew hard lines around who belonged, and who didn’t. Her lyrics about the Christ’s humanity and questions about the necessity of substitutionary atonement — the idea that Jesus died as a substitute for humanity — began to draw criticism.  

    “I was already getting critiqued at the time and being basically told you weren’t a Christian anymore,” said Knapp. “And then I was like, oh, well, I’m wondering what you guys are going to think about my sexual orientation.”

    In 2002, Knapp “pushed the eject button” on the Christian music scene and her faith. When she returned in 2010, it was as an openly gay musician no longer publishing music under the Christian banner.

    Jennifer Knapp in 2024. (Courtesy photo)

    For longtime Bethel Music recording artist William Matthews, it was in part the rigid homogeneity of the Christian Music industry that ultimately led him to walk away. Raised in a Black Church of God context, he came to Christian music by way of spontaneous worship models promoted by Morningstar Ministries in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri. Though skeptical about the existence of hell, Matthews, who spent his evenings watching Bill O’Reilly on Fox News, largely felt at home in the prophetic corner of the Christian music world. In the early 2010s, he led worship at the conferences of charismatic leader Lance Wallnau, now known for his pro-Trump prophecies.

    But by 2015, Williams found non-violent Christian theology a more compelling approach. He watched as anti-immigrant rhetoric and opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement reached a fever pitch in evangelical circles and grew frustrated with what he saw as the Christian music industry’s “conservative bias.” After spending nearly 15 years thinking he’d been bridging cultures as one of the only Black people in white-majority evangelical spaces, he was shattered to discover that many of those he’d grown close to seemed ambivalent toward racism.

    “That led me to really walk away from Christian music,” said Matthews.

    He attributes the CCM industry’s apparent conservative slant to its target audience of “white, suburban, Midwest or Southern moms.” In catering to that demographic, Christian radio executives and Christian bookstores are known to censor songs or albums that cross conservative theological or political boundaries.

    The Mystic Hymnal Songwriter’s retreat at the Glen Eyrie Retreat Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in late Sept. 2024. (Photo courtesy Michael Gungor)

    “What the CCM industry, or Christian music, is selling is security,” said musician Derek Webb, founding member of the Christian rock band Caedmon’s Call. “The people who run or appear to be gatekeeping the CCM industry are not doing that as a means of holding some kind of moral plumb line.” Webb believes the pushback usually has more to do with a company’s bottom line than personal convictions.

    Despite the Christian music industry’s restrictions, exiting the industry often means leaving behind record labels, the Christian music festival circuit and radio play and requires promoting music to a market that’s much less defined. While some boundary-pushing Christian artists like Semler and Flamy Grant, two queer artists who’ve scored top spots on the Itunes Christian charts, have found success via social media and streaming platforms, many onetime Christian artists are labeled “too Christian” for mainstream music spaces and “too secular” for explicitly religious ones.

    “It’s this kind of no man’s land, algorithmically,” said Gungor. “I still have more listeners of ‘Beautiful Things,’ than anything else I make.”

    Creating music for a more nebulous spiritual audience might not guarantee commercial success, but if it means creating music that feels authentic, for many former Christian artists, it’s worth the tradeoff.



    Known for his provocative approach to songwriting, Webb says his lyrics cause him to both “shed” about a quarter or third of his audience every 18 months and gain new listeners. After 30 years in the music industry, he’s comfortable with the ebb and flow. In 2017, three years after his divorce from fellow Christian artist Sandra McCracken, Webb released “Fingers Crossed,” an album documenting his departure from Christianity. But though he still considers himself an agnostic, his latest album, “The Jesus Hypothesis,” grapples more explicitly with Christian themes.

    Derek Webb. (Photo by Emily Tingley)

    “I wanted to go back into the rubble of where all this was pulled down and burned down, and where I was in here with an ax before, I want to come back in with a scalpel,” he said of the album.

    Webb’s return to the debris of his Christian faith coincided with a return to Caedmon’s Call, which recently produced a re-record of its self-titled debut album in honor of its 25th anniversary. The 2022 release is emblematic of the ways several former Christian artists have been coming back to reclaim elements of their religious heritage.

    More than a decade since her return to the music world, in May, Knapp offered a re-release of her first album, “Kansas 25.” She graduated from Vanderbilt Divinity School in 2018, and now views Christianity as a source of wisdom whose teachings on liberation have fueled her own LGBTQ+ advocacy. The outpouring of support for “Kansas 25,” Knapp said, caused her to see her early music in a new light.

    “If ever I had any bitterness about my role inside of evangelical Christianity, or concern that maybe I tied people down, exposed them to too much religious trauma because of the conservative evangelical space that I came from, this was a real joy to be able to witness, that our faith can teach us something, and it can expand beyond some of the harms sometimes that our smaller religious spaces offer to us,” said Knapp.

    Gungor’s next project has emerged from his desire to see communal songs that trade religious lyrics for more universal themes, like love and unity. This fall, he gathered with over 20 other songwriters in Colorado for a songwriting retreat to begin writing and recording music for the project, called The Mystic Hymnal.

    William Matthews. (Photo by Lina Khatib)

    After a long hiatus from Christian music, William Matthews, too, is releasing new, honest songs about spirituality. Earlier this year, he was invited by the evangelical authors of a recent anti-culture war statement to write and produce a corresponding album intended to call the church out of political idolatry. Titled “Return to Love,” the September album was recorded by artists from a range of theological and political perspectives and is designed for those who are “full of faith or struggling to believe.”

    “I’m always in the middle of wrestling. Does church even matter to my life?” said Matthews, who leads worship at a progressive LGBTQ-affirming church in Los Angeles where former evangelicals regularly attend. “I will say, in my life, I’ve somehow always managed to come back. Maybe it’s cyclical. You’re always returning home or to a sense of home or to a better expression of home.”





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  • Euclid mission reveals “page 1” of our cosmic story | by Ethan Siegel | Starts With A Bang! | Oct, 2024

    Euclid mission reveals “page 1” of our cosmic story | by Ethan Siegel | Starts With A Bang! | Oct, 2024

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    This composite map shows stars from ESA’s Gaia mission and dust from ESA’s Planck mission, together, along with the first 1% of the Euclid catalog’s data, just released, shown in yellow. A 36x zoom into the Euclid region reveals galaxy cluster Abell 3381, at lower-left. (Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA; ESA/Gaia/DPAC; ESA/Planck Collaboration; Processing: J.-C. Cuillandre, E. Bertin, G. Anselmi; Composition: E. Siegel)

    What are dark matter and dark energy? The large-scale structure of the cosmos encodes them both, with ESA’s Euclid mission leading the way.

    Measuring our Universe is challenging from within the Milky Way.

    The European Space Agency’s space-based Gaia mission has mapped out the three-dimensional positions and locations of more than one billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy: the most of all-time. Looking toward the center of the Milky Way, Gaia reveals both light-blocking and luminous features that are scientifically and visually fascinating. (Credit: ESA/Gaia/DPAC)

    Optical measurements pinpoint stars, while longer wavelengths reveal dust.

    When the entire sky is viewed in a variety of wavelengths, certain sources corresponding to distant objects beyond our galaxy are revealed. This first all-sky map from Planck includes not only the cosmic microwave background, but also extragalactic contributions and the foreground contributions from matter within the Milky Way itself. All of these must be understood to tease out the appropriate temperature and polarization signals. (Credit: ESA, HFI and LFI consortia; CO map from T. Dame et al., 2001)

    From space, ESA’s Euclid mission has grander aims.

    Each time the Euclid telescope points at a region of sky, its VIS and NISP instruments have access to the same half-a-square-degree (0.57 square degrees) so long as Euclid remains pointed there. Once observations are complete, Euclid then “steps” to point at the next, adjacent patch of sky. By performing tens of thousands of these steps, Euclid will build up the largest high-resolution extragalactic catalog in history. (Credit: European Space Agency)

    Over six years, total, it will map out huge areas of the entire sky.

    By targeting the most dust-free regions of the sky, the ones least obscured by the foreground material present in the Milky Way, ESA’s Euclid mission seeks to map out an enormous portion of the sky at great depth and at very high resolutions. The science goals are to map out galaxy positions and the effects of mass throughout cosmic history, revealing new information about dark matter and dark energy. (Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA/Planck Collaboration/A. Mellinger)

    These maps aren’t merely large-area, but also deep and high-resolution.

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