The change-up is a slower pitch that throws batters off-guard when expecting another fast-ball. Hold the ball completely in your palm, letting your each finger rest on the laces, and skip the finger snap when following through, instead leaving your hand open. This is often the first special pitch you should learn after the fastball. The aim of the pitch is to make the ball sink on the batter. Grip the ball with your fingers aligned with the laces, instead of across them like you would on a fastball. Keeping your elbow a little more rigid than normal, flick your wrist and follow through like as if you were throwing a basic pitch. You need the same grip as a drop pitch -- fingers aligned with the laces, not across. Curveballs move down and sideways, making them tricky for a batter to track and hit. Your throwing motion is nearly the exact same as a fastball, but you twist your wrist (counter-clockwise for righties, clockwise for lefties) as you release the ball. This causes the ball to spin sideways as it travels. The hardest pitch to throw, this ball will come up towards the batter, making it incredibly hard to hit. The goal is a pitch that has top-spin so that the bottom of the ball rotates towards the top. To throw it:  Put your middle and ring finger in between the laces, at the point where they start to come towards each other. Dig the tip of your index finger into the side of the ball. Begin your normal fastball motion, but keep your palm facing down as you come around behind your back. As you release, quickly turn your hand so that your palm faces up, as if you were turning a doorknob. Release the ball early so that it has time to rise. Remember that this is the hardest pitch to throw, and may take upwards of a year to perfect.

Summary: Throw a change-up by following through without snapping your fingers. Throw a drop pitch by gripping the ball along the laces. Throw a curveball by rotating your wrist as you release. Throw a "rise ball" with a special grip and release.


You can safely keep a woolly bear caterpillar in a clear plastic jar, like a mason jar. The jar should have a lid to prevent the caterpillar from escaping. You can also use a cardboard box. You should punch small holes on the lid. You can also use a mesh lid. It's important for the jar to have some air circulation. Your caterpillar will need a twig to build a cocoon. Place a small twig or branch from outside in the caterpillar's jar. Angle the branch in a diagonal fashion, as this will allow the caterpillar to climb onto it when it's ready to build its cocoon. Each day, you will notice the caterpillar has left droppings in the container. These should be cleaned out regularly. You can move the caterpillar out of the container and use a tissue paper to wipe up droppings. Woolly bear caterpillars need a cold environment to thrive. You should keep the container in a secure location outdoors. Something like a garage or shed near your house is a safe place to keep your caterpillar.

Summary: Use the right container. Provide twigs. Clean the container regularly. Keep the container outside.


Heat 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Shift the pan back and forth so that the butter coats the entire bottom of the skillet. Olive oil or canola oil could be substituted for the butter if you desire a healthier alternative. Season both sides of the cod fillets.  Note that you can use both fresh and frozen fillets, but the latter will take longer to cook. The salt and black pepper should be added according to your own tastes, but if you are uncertain about how much to add, try 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) of each. You could also use other seasonings on the cod, as well. For instance, you could try adding 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) garlic powder, 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ground paprika, 1 tsp (5 ml) prepared seasoning blend, or 2 tsp (10 ml) dried minced parsley. Add the seasoned cod fillets to the melted butter in the skillet and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side or until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork.  If using frozen fish, cook for 6 to 9 minutes per side. Turn the fish using a spatula. Do not use tongs since tongs may cause the cod to break apart. Remove the cooked fish from the skillet and transfer to plates. Enjoy immediately.

Summary: Heat the butter in a large skillet. Sprinkle the cod with salt and pepper. Cook the cod until done. Serve warm.


A soft reset essentially forces the phone to end all of its current processes, turn off, and then restart from a fresh state. No long-term data is lost — you'll still have all of your apps, messages, and contacts saved to your phone after you perform a soft reset. The only data you risk losing is unsaved data in programs that are running when the phone turned off. Because a soft reset is quick, easy, and relatively risk-free, it's a good first step when trying to solve minor issues.  Situations that might call for a soft reset include: You can't seem to receive calls or texts properly Your phone seems slow or "laggy" You can't seem to connect to wifi networks that you know are broadcasting correctly Your touch screen seems unresponsive or erratic An app has become frozen or unresponsive To start the soft reset process, close any applications that are currently open. Be sure to save anything that you're working on, like important texts or emails (note however, that most modern phones will automatically save drafts of your messages.) If the reason for the soft reset is that one of your applications is frozen and won't close, you don't have to waste time trying to close it. Just proceed to the next step. When you're ready to start your soft reset, slide off the rear casing. Carefully lift the battery out of its slot. This will cause the phone to immediately turn off. Give the phone a brief chance to "cool down" after removing the battery by waiting at least a few seconds. Then, simply replace the battery and turn the phone back on as you normally would by holding the power button down for a few seconds. This brief waiting period is something that's also frequently recommended when resetting everything from desktop computers to network routers. The reason for this has to do with capacitors — small structures inside most modern electronic devices that store electric charge. Ten seconds is about how long it takes for most capacitors to discharge. Thus, waiting ten seconds before restarting your phone allows you to be sure that it's 100% "dead" before turning it back on. Another (slightly longer) way to soft reset your phone is simply to turn it off like you normally would by holding down the power button. Select "Power off" or "Restart" from the menu that pops up. Note, however, that if your phone is frozen, you may not be able to get a response this way, so removing the battery will be necessary. Note that some sources of tech knowledge (including executives from companies like Apple) recommend powering off a phone at least once every few days to preserve battery life. Since performing a soft reset by turning your phone off is so quick and easy, you may want to make it part of your regular schedule, especially if there are times of the day when you don't use it (like at night.) Another reason this can be a good idea is because it gives the phone a chance to (literally) cool off. The heat that can result from continuous use can eventually cause the lithium ion batteries in most phones to degrade.
Summary: Use a soft reset for minor problems and service hiccups. Close all applications. Remove the phone's battery. Wait at least ten seconds before turning the phone back on. Alternatively, just use the power button. Consider powering off your phone semi-regularly.