How to Remove or Uninstall Zoom

Recently it has been known that the popular Zoom application has been undergoing some safety issues. I'm not that high-tech to know about the exact technical explanation. But the most significant point is the exposure of confidential data to the public. For now, several countries have this application already banned to use.

So, as much as I like this application for online meetings since it became popular during this pandemic, I have decided to uninstall it from my PC. But the matter was that I couldn't remove it in the usual way after several times trying going through the "Add or remove programs" section. 

Here are simple steps to remove the application that finally worked for me.

First, type "Zoom" in the "Search the web and Windows" section.

Second, right-click "Start Zoom".

Third, choose "Uninstall". It will lead you to a list of applications. 

Fourth, scroll down until you find Zoom. Click it, and then delete the app by choosing the Uninstall option that occurs at the top left of the application list.

Ta-da finished. Simple, right? I hope this helps.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Keep a song in your heart.

How to Apply Bot Filtering on Google Analytics

I like to read Google Analytics to see visitors' likings on my blog from time to time. It can give me inspiration about what topic to write.

That's why yesterday, I noticed an extreme increase in referral visitors without any valid activity. And, bingo, based on what I saw there in detail, it was confirmed that it was a bot crawling my site.

That's why I finally took the initiative to apply bot filtering on my blog, and it turns out that the Google Analytics setting has already provided a tool like this, which I haven't activated yet.

These are the simple steps after you "log in" to your Google Analytics account.

First, click "Admin" at the bottom left corner of the page.

Second, click "View Settings".

Third, add a checklist to the option "Bot Filtering", and then click "Save".

Fourth, is an optional choice that you can apply if you want to add a more specified filter. But it is advised that you verify it in advance to see the impact on your analytics before the filter will be implemented. If it says that it is not significant, you might reconsider this step.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Keep a song in your heart.

What Do You Need to Create A Youtube Video?

Yesterday, I spent most of my day learning about Youtube videos. It is a time where you stay most of the time at home to avoid the spreading of this coronavirus, and it can get devastating. So I thought to keep my mind busy and excited, I should learn something new.

The first step that I took was looking for easy Videomaker tools. I read a lot of articles and decided to go through some of their suggested lists, choosing based on the simplicity of download and user interface to operate. It took quite a while to go through these steps, and it turned out that although I went over a lot of effort to look and download and try out these tools, in the end, I went with a piece of advice from a Youtuber account. Experience is indeed the best teacher.

From every tool that I tried that day, OpenShot was the most simple for a beginner like me. But it involved a lot of downloading, installing, and uninstalling before getting to this point. Some tools can be very overwhelming and confusing, although of their good looks.

Second, finding a topic and material for my video. I wanted to go with a motivational topic since I felt something like this kept me going in hardships these past years. But I had no personal videos in store, which would be way better for originality, so I went with royalty-free and creative commons license materials to go on with my project. Make sure you fully understand how it works with these sources. You don't want to get a copyright infringement because you were careless and didn't give the owners their creative rights.

Third, tool and material ready, I went on with the creational process. Reading the tutorial on the official OpenShot website, combined with a great Youtuber how-to video, was a great benefit. Very easy for a beginner. You can see the result in this post.

Fourth, go to your channel to upload your video with your Youtube Studio. Another process to get familiar with if you want to add subtitles, for example. I went with English, Indonesian, and German for my first video since those are familiar languages to me. Thank goodness for the Internet. You will be in good hands to find what you need to proceed. If I have time, I will also try to make more detailed posts about this. But I guess this is it for now. I hope all the basics are here for you to begin.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Keep a song in your heart.

Grieving the Loss of A Parent

The one thing that contributed to my four-year-long blogging hiatus includes the loss of my mother and father in law about one and a half year ago. It was destiny that they went about eight months apart. I can't describe how heartbroken I felt, but I think I'm not alone experiencing this kind of saddening farewell.

Both of them were people who belonged to my lovely cheering squad, and I don't think that I would have made it so well if God didn't give me these caring persons to stand by my side during most of the part.

It has been a very rough four years for me, and it still is. But everything got better than it was in the first place. I am hanging on and walking towards a better me each day, and I hope that the worst part has been over. Although sadness and loneliness still overwhelm me from time to time, almost every day. That is how precious they meant to me, and I didn't even realize back then that it was to this extent.  

Now that I know how to deal with the situation. I also feel closer to Him, who gave life to all of us. It keeps me going, especially after my parents' loss. I miss my parents, who always supported me and gave me a lot of joy and calmness in my life, especially throughout my hardships.

So, how do you cope with the grief about the loss of your parents?

It is difficult to realize that the ones who were treasuring you the most through life are now gone. You miss their existence and wisdom. I can't recall that there was just one day without my mother's interaction in daily life when she was still alive. She was the kind of person that would come and call to check up on you if you didn't show living signs of yourself. I hope that I can become like this for my children as well. Someone who will be greatly missed and lived a life as positive and vibrant could be.

I fondly remember her strong personality, who always thought the best out of life, even though she was going through some obstacles herself. Cheerful and warm-hearted, regardless of whatever situation life brought upon her. She has a way to see and point out all those little blessings that God has gifted to you, never holding on to a grudge as well. And these were some of the words that she repeatedly conveyed to me during her last months here on earth. Seek out these little blessings and be happy.

So, whenever I feel down or discouraged, I would remember what she had taught me. I want to live up meeting her expectations of me toward life. Strong and happy!

If only I could be half of the person she was, I know that I will be alright. There is no turning back in time, but there is always a way to live your life the fullest. Believe in Him. Have confidence in yourself. You will be on the right path. That is the way you honor the memory of your parents and get over your grief step by step. Don't be discouraged. It takes time, and you are not alone in this.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Keep a song in your heart.

Dealing with Changes at Work

Nobody likes changes that need you to step outside of your comfort zone.

But there are these situations in life where you just are forced to take these unwilling acts.

The coronavirus pandemic, which also is known as COVID-19, has done this to people all over the world. We are currently not able to commute wherever we want. We have to stay at home, not being able to meet up freely with family, friends, and colleagues. It is hard!

But most of all it might be depressing for those of us who are affected at work. Jobs that urgently need to meet up with people to get their daily target incomes. People who were cut off from transportation and lunch wages, or even released from their jobs. Many establishments have collapsed. There are so many adjustments to face by both employee and employer, and no signs of an end yet.

What do you do to deal with this overwhelming situation?

It is human to feel depressed and at a loss. But it is not the best time to feel physically down, both because of the coronavirus that likes to attack people with a weak immune system, and the urgency of the situation for you to get up and take matters in your hand.

Just remember that it is not only you experiencing this right now. That should help to get rid of negative thoughts that say you are worthless because you are not. No one is. Gather back your confidence and spirit to make the best out of this situation. Be among the fighters who make it up!

It may be time for you to think about other directions and resources.  Try to think out of the box. History has proven that this could even lead you to a better path. Something that you wouldn't try if not being desperate. Many successful persons have a story like this. A moment that finally accelerated them to the top.

List all of your abilities, because there will be something that you can carry out. The internet can be a great inspiration to find out what people with similar skills do. I have seen some of the oddest jobs that never occurred to me, but it turns out to be possible with the right package and method.

One of my favorite places to seek job opportunities is Linkedin. They have a feature that gives you the ability to search and be notified about all kinds of jobs everywhere if you set up your preferable choices. You also can see and check the background of future employers, which can minimize the possibility of being scammed. Another plus is that it reaches out worldwide. So don't feel demotivated, it may just need time for something great coming to you.

Sharing your skills on social media might also be a way to gather a specific audience. If you can find a niche that suits you well, you might boost up to a place with other influencers. Of course, not overnight. That is rarely happening. But it is an option while waiting for other love calls.

Please, stay safe and healthy, plus sane, everyone. Nothing lasts forever in this world, including hardships. So, keep your faith and move on!

Source: Alexas_Fotos at Pixabay

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Keep a song in your heart.

How to Change Your Labels on Blogger

Today I decided to simplify the label system on my blog to make it easier to understand and navigate.

So, I put a few names into a bigger category that was easier to understand, like Photo Meme.

If you are looking for a way to change the labels on your blog this is what you can do.

First, go to "Posts" on your Blogger dashboard and choose "All".

Second, click "All labels" at the upper right page, and choose the label you want to change.

Third, checklist the labels.

Fourth, click the label icon and choose "New label". It will pop up a new window.

Fifth, write the new label in the new window and click "OK".

That is it! I hope that this short tutorial about how to change your labels on Blogger was simple and easy to follow.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Keep a song in your heart.

To The Heartbroken You, This Too Shall Pass

To you who is going through a difficult situation right now,

I empathize with you from the bottom of my heart, and I only want to remind you that whatever it is you are going through, "This too shall pass." Although it might not seem that way at this moment.

End of 2016, I felt like my heart would burst. The destiny that came into my life with a boom shook my very existence. I couldn't eat and sleep well. My weight went down to the point that I had no energy to do anything, and I didn't register the people around me too much. I just spent my days mourning and mourning for the hurt that I felt.

It was so difficult to get over with all of it that I began to hate myself. Do you know something that occupies your mind and doesn't want to go away? You know that you are more important than whatever it is that consumes you, but still, nothing works. It just stays there with you like a parasite.

The good thing about this situation was being surrounded by loving people who made sure to give me a boost. They wouldn't give up on me, though it seemed like I had lost interest in my surroundings. Nothing mattered more than what had struck me hard.

I think if I didn't have these awesome people around me and remember that you are in good hands with God, things could have gotten more awry. So, hold on to people like this if you have them in your life.

There were days I could laugh and feel upbeat for a while, but the misery I was feeling just kept on crawling up again and pulling me down as if it wanted to swallow me into the earth. Whenever this sadness was taking over, I just kept on weeping and didn't know myself. But, I still reached out for others to ask for help, talking to them.

I don't even remember the first time I was getting better, but I eventually made it. With a lot of struggle!

The main point that got me through this was when I decided to convey all sorrows to God. I spent a lot of my time with Him. It allowed me to see all my blessings and realize that others were suffering even more. It has become a cruel, cold world for a lot of people these days, you see. So, I started to reach out to these people in return. Once being down, I tried to push myself up with every possibility by looking around and taking care of others with whatever power that God has given to me. There is a lot inside yourself if you start looking at the other way of your misery.

Getting into the fourth year now, it has been a mind-blowing revelation. Caring for others who are struggling in life put me on balance. The love that I have received and could see through God's blessings and the power of sharing these to others brought me very far.

It's not that I don't have any sorrows anymore, but I know and believe now that this all shall pass too. There will be sun and rainbow after every storm and cloudy sky. It will not forever be dark. Also, for the heartbroken you!

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Keep a song in your heart.

How to Edit and Save Your Blogger Template HTML

The first thing that I have done, while starting blogging again was to get familiar with the new Blogger setting and layout for me. After all four years is a long time to be absent and I got rusty about the things I used to do on a regular basis.

For instance, I like to tweak on my Blogger design to give it a new look based on my mood and interest. I have already forgotten how much fun this could be. Stuff like that gets me excited and I can be really invested in it.

When I first looked around, I actually got confused, to be honest. It took me a while before I found the "Edit HTML" option hidden in the "Theme" section here:

After successfully getting into the HTML, I made the needed adjustments to my blog template's background color and saved the changes made from the menu bar at the right bottom of the page. The buttons turned out not to be at the top of the page like before anymore and the color is also not the eye-catching orange, but grey instead. I almost submitted feedback to Blogger because I missed seeing them first. So, I hope this post might save you time.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Keep a song in your heart.

Life Now Is Not An April Mop

So, it has been about four years now since my last post.

Life has been a real rollercoaster, and I had my share of ups and downs.

The death of my beloved mother and my father in law.

Dealing with an autoimmune condition and revival after that.

Many, many things that I thought my heart could not survive...

And now, we have come to a state where almost all of the world has come to a still point.

The scaring Coronavirus that has made us put on hold and beyond.

But, maybe this is no better time to come back to blogging.

A time to share the pain and survival elements between us all over the world.

Together we stand the fight against this threat towards humanity.

Not only physically, but also mentally.

Never would I have thought of being in a situation that would resemble any scene

in these horror Zombie movies.

Facing a pandemic that destroys our human world and shakes our fundamentality.

I hope you had all a better life during my absent four years.

I myself though being in a lot of pain, have found my better, stronger self through all of this.

God has blessed me with a better understanding of all the principles

that will make you stand your ground and take you over some of the biggest hardships in life.

So, be not fooled by anything on this April Mop day.

But certainly don't lose your laughter and humor as well.

Find a big smile in your heart. This all shall pass. Stay positive and strong!

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Keep a song in your heart.