Matthew C's Heaping Pile o' Blog

Three Days Before Christmas

2011-12-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

‘Twas three days before Christmas and all through the land,

the malls were a madhouse, shopping madness was fanned.

People were all over, driving like fools

to get some trinket to make someone drool.

But in our apartment, there was none of that dread

for Deena and I had planned well ahead.

The gifts were all mailed, and so were the cards,

to places quite near, and to some that are far.

The performances were done, and all with great care,

and we could finally relax and sit in our chairs.

The groceries are bought and are ready to feast

out to my in-laws, who live to our east.

The cats are all sleeping, there’s football to see,

and I had a chance to think of the year that should be.

More than that, though, I had a chance to ponder

of Joseph and Mary, and how they had wondered

about the birth of Jesus, for that is the reason

we go through the madness of each Christmas season.

His birth was foretold in the days of the past,

and his time here was short-it wasn’t to last.

He lived, he died, and he rose once again,

to provide us salvation-hallelujah, amen!

So in the insanity that is the holiday season,

take time out to think of the Savior-and reason

to ask forgiveness of sin, your spirit renewed

your life filled with peace-with His Spirit imbued.

----------

After all, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, The Son of God the Father, the second person of the Living, Triune God. He was born of Mary, that He might be fully God-yet fully man. Do I understand why, after all the years in Bible school, Seminary, and so forth?

No, I don't. What I do know that He is a holy, righteous, God. He is also a loving God, not wanting anyone to perish. That’s I’m glad He chose to come, live, die for my sins and yours...and come back to life. He died for all people. But before that...he had to be born, and that’s what we celebrate.

Merry Christmas to all, and a blessed New Year as well.

On the loss of Shadow, my beloved man-cat

2011-11-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

He came to us on a cold, rainy late October-early November evening. He left on a cold November afternoon, full of years but no longer able to function, his own body betraying him, destroying his red blood cells from within. He came as he left: on his own terms.

November 6, my beloved man-cat Shadow (his picture is in the upper corner of this blog) slipped away while I sat in DFW, unable to be there. He went quickly, surrounded by Deena and her mom, his body failing him. They were preparing the shots that would ease his pain when he simply left this life. They injected him anyway, but it was no longer needed. I guess he’d had enough of needles, thank you.

He was the giver of kitty-kisses, the keeper of secrets, a nibbler of treats both forbidden and allowed. He loved carbs, oddly enough, and earned the nickname The Carb King. (He also liked yogurt, and would stick his nose way into a cup of the stuff to get at it.) He was a man’s cat. He preferred men’s voices singing to women’s, and would come sit and listen when It’s About Time met at the apartment to rehearse. He was a smart cat, letting Cali do the dirty work of waking one of us up to feed them.

Mostly he was my cat. Oh, he was nice to Deena-especially when she fed him-but I was the one he liked and made little secret of it. He knew when I was ill. When I was recovering from surgery a few years back, he didn’t go far. In winter, he’d curl up at our feet when we slept, knowing the electric blankets would be on.

He came to us a kitten, with bat-wing ears and monster paws, wanting to be with people when I was ministering at the church on Boonville, IN. It was raining, we lived on a busy state highway that ran through town, and his fur at that time was about the color of wet concrete. I told Deena to do something with him, before the senior pastor called Animal Control-or worse, the cute little bugger got hit. Since the garage was porous like a Swiss cheese, she put him in the basement.

We tried to find the owner but to no avail. He became king of his domain shortly thereafter, often watching anime with me after working hours. We left for Christmas that year, and on our return this kitten was suddenly a man-cat. We fixed that in short order. When we moved to Evansville, he cried like a baby, and noshed on my fingertips to the point where I couldn’t carry anything for several hours afterward.

He never was a lap cat, preferring to rub up against my legs while I worked on stuff. He once ate a fairly large amount of processed cheese stuff; we almost lost him then. We managed to get him stabilized, and he made the trip with us to Oregon, and when we moved into the apartment, joined his “sister” Cali.

He mellowed a little with age, never totally liking when people came stomping up the stairs. Often, when I came in from wherever, he’d been in the cat-tree or on his pillow on the edge of the couch looking at me as if to say “Where you been?”

His purr-when he chose to do so-was a big, rumbly thing. And when I did the laundry, he'd come up on the bed and help press off something warm by laying on it.

A little more than a year ago, he became diabetic, and we knew we were now on borrowed time with him. He was a good sport with his insulin shots, and still loved to romp and play like all good kitties do. He was active even right before I left, playing with a cat toy of some sort.

Even so, he’d been sleeping more, even by cat standards. Oh, he’d come in at four PM or so and love on me, and was a little friendlier than usual, even letting me drag him to the vet for his checkup. When I left, he sat next to my suitcase, watching me as I packed. Before I left, I got to pet him, told him goodbye, and to be a good boy-and that I’d be home soon.

I didn’t know that would be the last time he’d hear those words from me.

As I wrote most of this, I was still waiting for my flight. Still at DFW, tears in my eyes. Deena called, said he was anemic...badly anemic. I told her to have the emergency vet do what they could.

Not long after, the vet called me and told me he was going fast. I had them put Deena on, told her to take a few last pictures, tell him that Daddy-cat loved him...and then end his misery, put his body on ice, and I’d see the body when I get home. I called her from SFO, and she gave me the news he departed on his own terms.

But I know that somewhere over the Rainbow Bridge, in a golden field with trees to climb, sits the spirit of my boy, dozing in the sun, chasing fat field mice, doing all the things that good kitties love to do, waiting for a voice...my voice, calling to him, telling him it’s time to come Home.

Until then...I’m gonna miss my little man.

Rest in peace, buddy.

On Border's, Photography, and the Digital Revolution

2011-09-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

I recently went into my local Border’s and purchased three books on photography. They were 70% off; for a little more than 26 bucks I was able to get $90 work of reading material. Not too shabby, you ask me.

I’m sad to see Border’s closing. They're yet another victim of bad economic times, bad corporate mistakes and the digital revolution. There’s a Barnes and Noble over near Valley River Mall, but it’s not as convenient. Powell’s doesn’t have a local shop, and Smith Family Books and Tsunami books are also not as convenient. (And living here, I really miss Moe’s.)

But my trip to Border’s books-and subsequent purchase-got me to thinking about another loss to the digital age: good photography-and the stores that supported it.

It’s my opinion that the web is full of bad pictures. Not evil, not adult-though you can make an argument for that as well, and you’d be right-but just simply bad. For every five good pictures, there's at least a dozen bad ones. Sometimes they're blurry or out of focus, sometimes with no thought given to any sort of composition...and sometimes they look like they were taken by a three year old. Tops of heads missing, cut off at the knees, etc. Add to that the fact the most cellphones are the functional equivalent of an old Instamatic-or my Ektralite 10. They really weren’t designed to take photographic art...they were designed to take pictures of Uncle Art at the family picnic.

Please understand: I have used my iPhone’s camera on more than one occasion, usually when I don’t want to haul my Minolta DiMage Z6 around. The iPhone’s okay-with 5 megapixels it’s better than many-but still no substitute for a real camera with a viewfinder. It’s hard for me, on a bright day, to shoot without a viewfinder-and I find I can’t compose the shot quite as well. (You can read about some of my cameras here.)

In the old days, there were stores that helped you with getting your gear, and at the very least showing you how to get going with it. When you were tired of that Instamatic and its fixed-focus lens...or of that Starflex with a fixed focus lens...or of that Polaroid that ate film like I eat pizza, you went to these stores and got better equipment. Once you had that, you went back for film, developing, additional lenses, flash equipment, camera bags, tripods, and so forth. There were books that showed you how to take better pictures, and things like gray cards and light meters. Fotomat kiosks dotted the landscape; if you were willing to pay for it you could get your prints back in a day.

Then larger chains started eating away at those businesses, and when digital cameras really took over, they vanished. Fotomat was the first casualty; some stores started offering your prints in three hours or less...for less. Which was great when I was shooting 110 in high school; I took my film to Safeway because I could afford it on a high-school budget.

But that came at a cost. Now places like Reed’s Camera in downtown Walnut Creek and Gerlach’s in Eugene, over by the UO-gone. Wentling’s in Concord, where I grew up, which still exists-but mainly does studio work, as near as I can tell. Dot Dotson’s in Eugene has made the transition to the digital age, and is still going but it isn’t quite as large as it was even a few years ago. Some places survive by having a broader appeal: Adolph Gasser’s in San Francisco, Helix Camera in Chicago, Pro Photo Supply in Portland, and B&H in New York are some great examples.

But what’s sad is that people are taking scads more pictures. They take them, then attempt to photoshop them into something decent. News flash: A bad photo is still a bad photo, even after you’ve cropped it, colored it, added effects to it, and massaged the thing to the point where it no longer resembles the original work. Note: I do not have Photoshop. For the time my shots are on the MacBook, they reside in iPhoto, where I may on occasion crop a shot, lighten a dark shot, or color-correct a shot. I’m not against things like Photoshop...I am against taking something really bad and attempting to make it into something great online.

In short: I’m the same way with cameras that I am with computers. Learn to use your equipment, please.

Which brings me back, in a roundabout way, to my final trip into Border’s. I went in there originally to see if they had one book on Applescript. They didn’t; the one copy that they did have before the chain tanked was sold at full price. Interestingly enough, many of the books on photography were now right in the computers section...which is why they’re now in my possession.

Seems appropriate enough, somehow: both books and photography are victims of the digital revolution.

Enough for now.

On Steve Jobs Stepping Down

2011-08-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened. After months and years of speculation on everything including health issues, it came to pass.

Steve Jobs stepped down from his CEO slot at Apple. He remains Chairman of the Board. I don’t blame him for wanting to step down-after a liver transplant and pancreatic cancer, and making more money than some small third-world countries I think I’d want to slow down, too. Hey, we all get to that point sometime where we look at life-and what we’ve made of it, and what we’ve done-and say, “Enough already.”

I’m not going to say much-too much has already been said in the last twenty-four hours-but there are a few thoughts.

His career included work on the Apple II (on which I learned to program AppleSoft), then taking over work on the Macintosh (now better known as the Mac) after the failure of Lisa, its predecessor. The iPad, iPod, iPhone-all have his fingerprints all over it, as does OS X. Add to that what he did with Pixar and music (iTunes)-and his work will live on for quite a long time. Plus he loved what he did. How many of us can say the same thing?

There have been many quotes that he’s given. This one is from a commencement speech he gave at Stanford in 2005: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

Another one was sent as a text message to an app developer who had infringed a bit on the iPod name: “Change your apps name. Not that big of a deal.” (They did, by the way.) What I like about that quote is that it is to the point. No wasted words, no formality per se.

And from that same speech at Stanford, there is “One Last Thing...”

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

I’d say in some ways the man has done more with his life than any five of us combined has. I wish him peace and long life.

Enough for now.

On Social Media

2011-08-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

So there was a social media conference in Seattle, and I was in attendance. There were classes and discussions for SMS, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogging. There were “intermediate” sessions and “advanced” sessions.

I discovered that there needed to be a middle ground as the intermediate session was a little too basic, and too many people’s eyes got that deer in the headlights look in the advanced Facebook session. (They started talking about coding a Facebook app, source code, and Google Analytics, and I could hear the eyes glazing over. Seriously.) The same occurred in the YouTube session when there was a discussion of the Insight function for one’s channel.

But sitting there got me to thinking. Never mind how much social media has changed how we do business, but how much computers and the internet has changed our lives just in the last sixteen years.

As I sat there, thinking back to 1995...there was no Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or MySpace. (Some would say there’s no MySpace now.) There wasn’t really laptops as we know them now; it took Apple’s Powerbooks, Windows 95 (really), and Intel’s Pentium level chips to really kick things off. We will not discuss BBS’s or AOL (sometimes privately referred to as America Offline). Most of us had computers that sat on desks; cell phones were still a bit of a novelty-and we all had landlines.

My, how times have changed.

They wanted us to turn off our cell phones, but then realized that was counter to tweeting. (So they asked us to set them on vibrate.) It used to be that we weren’t reachable 24 hours a day; now we can be reached at all hours. Even beepers weren’t that bad as they could be turned off if need be. Computers were tools that aided productivity; now people produce reports that nobody reads simply because they can. Social media used to be a night home watching the TV with friends and family, or maybe taking that cute thing you were dating to a movie with friends. We used to call that a “double date.”

In the end, I’m glad I went to this seminar. I still have to write up the official reports and get them in the hands of those who sent me...but I do think about how all this technology has changed our lives, and how it will continue to change lives well into the future.

Enough for now.

On the iPhone 4 and Travel

2011-06-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

I have a new piece of Apple gear. No great shock to just about all of you; you all saw it coming.

I finally have an iPhone. Specifically an iPhone 4, 16GB model. Verizon made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Now, in truth I wanted to wait for the iPhone 5. But I had a credit that was due to expire the end of July, and the phone I use for work purposes was approaching four or five years of age. The issue wasn’t my personal phone at all...it was the need to upgrade my work phone. I chose to do that by getting an iPhone, and taking my Samsung Alias 2 and making that my work phone, as it’s just over two years old. (And, I might add, in far better shape than the old LG that had been the work phone.) This saves the school money in the long term, as they don’t have to buy a new phone.

The iPhone is fun for me. I can now look up stuff on the fly without needing a wi-fi signal which for me would have been nice when I was in high school or college and was curious about something. The nice man at Verizon said I’d use my trusty MacBook less.

He lied. I’m actually using it more. Not just for recharging and updates, or adding apps to the phone. (Very few games, no added photos or videos, and no music. That’s why I have an iPod.) I find that looking some things up is easier when I know where not to look. Traveling is going to be a little easier; now I can check for e-mail and stuff like that on the fly.

Speaking of traveling...traveling in the digital age can be a pain. When I was in high school, all I needed for a trip had to fit in a small to medium suitcase, a flight bag, and a sleeping bag and pillow. Tape deck fit in the flight bag, along with a few tapes and a 110 camera and some film. My pills were limited to a few extra days over the trip length. Clothes were t-shirts, jeans, a hat, and clean underwear and socks. Band jacket for band tour.

Now I can’t get out of the house without several chargers, the iPod, iPhone, Macbook, my Minolta DiMage Z6 and extra batteries, several books and magazines, a card reader for the card in my camera, several flash drives, a GPS and all its needs, and a six-outlet power strip. Clothes? A vest, jacket, polo shirts and t-shirts, several pairs of pants in case one rips or I get sloppy with lunch, clean underwear, socks, a knee pillow, a hat or two depending on where I’m going. If I’m driving instead of flying, my pillow makes the trip as well; it’s tough to cram a memoryfoam pillow in a suitcase. Pills? I have to take a week’s worth or more: vitamins, prilosec, carbamazepine, fish oil, fibre, cal-mag-zinc, Claritin in season (The season is March through roughly the Fourth of July), vitamin D supplements (it rains in Oregon a lot, so seeing the sun is a rare sighting) and a digestive aid. My backpack weighs as much as my suitcase did in high school, and my suitcase needs a small crane.

And that’s when I’m traveling light.

You think that’s bad...the missus being the woman she is can, on occasion, be far worse. She packs for every conceivable thing, from getting a last minute invite to a state dinner to the apocalypse. You single guys are laughing because you think I’m joking. You married men are laughing because your wife does the same thing. You ladies aren’t laughing, because you all pack the same way. Do you really need to pack a sweater in the middle of summer? If we are gone more than four days, the suitcase requires a herculean effort to get into the trunk. She kids me about packing for a weekend in a ziploc bag; more than once I’ve been called a sick puppy for packing my entire clothing needs for a weekend in a small duffel bag. That’s because I refuse to take a parka with me in 100 degree heat, especially when we’re staying in a motel.

In all fairness, sometimes I pack too light. I now have four swimsuits because I kept forgetting to pack one. So it does work both ways, and no, Deena does NOT pack my stuff.

Married techogeeks, you know the drill. Pack all the gear and stuff, travel to where you’re going, and stop wherever it is you’re going to and set up a mobile command center. I’m no different. NASA didn’t send this much digital stuff to the moon, much less the International Space Station. (At least they had the Canada Arm to help unload it all.) Set up the laptop and make sure you’ve connected to the web. Plug in the phone, so it has a full charge on it. Plug in the GPS, and make sure it’s charging. If you have a portable DVD player for the car, better charge that, too. (We don’t have one of those.) Charge the iPod, if need be. And because the missus and I are a mixed marriage-I’m a Mac, she’s a PC-we often have her laptop or netbook, plus her phone, digital camera, mp3 player, etc. It’s a good thing we don’t have kids; there’s no room for them in the Honda when we go somewhere. And by the time we’re done setting up, we don’t have a hotel room...we have a Borg regeneration chamber.

I wonder what we’ll have to carry next.

Enough for now.

ADDENDUM:

It has been pointed out to me by my charming bride that since her surgery she no longer packs a parka or a sweater for 100 degree days. Instead, she now carries a fleece jacket or a sweatshirt. Nor does she carry her entire wardrobe, unless she’s with her quartet. (Just half of it. I, like most men, am not capable of understanding how any woman can have a closet full of clothes and still say-with a straight face-that you have nothing to wear. It must be A Girl Thing.)

In my own defense, however, I must point out this whole article is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, except the Borg part. We really do carry that much electronic gear with us. And the Macpack still weighs in impressively.

On What's In My Food

2011-05-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

One of the very few vices I have any more is caffeine. Oh, I like bacon, and still find myself eating from time to time like a man half my age, but certain things have had to improve in my life. Caffeine is not one of those, however.

Specifically, Coca-Cola is usually my caffeinated beverage of choice; followed by Earl Grey or Chai teas. And even those are in moderation anymore; not because of the caffeine but because without a gallbladder I have enough issues with stomach acids. (I’ve discovered a wonderful thing called Prilosec. It’s been very helpful with certain issues.)

Anyway...the missus and I went shopping one evening in preparation for a camping trip we were taking. Because she has to be careful of what she eats (and I ought to be), we spent a lot of time looking at labels. She’s done this for a number of years now; and I’m trying to be supportive of this little habit. Tonight, however, I’ve hit on something a number of you probably already know: High Fructose Corn Syrup (aka “Corn Sugar”) is in bloody near everything we eat.

Why?

It’s in spaghetti sauce. Hot dogs (which I know aren’t terribly healthy to start with). Breads and buns. Pickle relish-which to me is silly, as it’s supposed to be sour. Graham Crackers. Ketchup. And yes, in almost every soft drink-where I would reasonably expect to find it.

It’s no blessed wonder we’re all getting fat and becoming diabetic!

Try it, next time you go to the store. Look at the labels; I think a number of you will be mighty surprised at what’s in your food. You don’t need to be a cook, you need to be a chemist.

Now...I’ve said before my body is a product of science. Better living through chemistry; as a lifelong epileptic I know what my meds have been slowly doing to me over thirty five years. I’ve become hideously light-sensitive, for starters. We won’t discuss the long term effects of my meds. The alternative-Grand Mal seizures-is a far, far worse thing, however. But back to my main point: The amount of corn sweetener-or any other sweetener-in our food is disgusting. I’m not a big fan of it in my caffeinated beverage of choice, but will keep drinking the stuff anyway.

I’ll also admit I like presweetened cereal as well. But that is a treat, not a daily occurrence. Most of the time (not all, but most) I try to eat something for breakfast that’s reasonably good for me. (I’m enjoying Northern Gold granola with raspberries and blueberries for breakfast these days, for example.) If I get a box of Sugar Frosted Flakes, I expect sugar. (Duh. That’s why I buy it.)

But breads, sauces, and other things shouldn’t have that kind of sweetness to them. We feed ourselves and our kids this stuff, then they lose recess time and PE, and then we wonder why children are drugged with Ritalin to calm them down. They’re on a perpetual sugar binge!

Now I can’t change things that much. But I am learning to watch what’s in food...and it’s making me want to tell you to do the same. You don’t have to buy organic (I don’t-we can’t afford it!) but you should take a good look at what’s in all the food you buy. It’ll be an eye-opener for you.

It has been for me.

Enough for now.

On Two Divergent Thoughts

2011-04-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

Today I’m struck by two widely divergent thoughts.

One is a big to-do halfway around the world from where I sit, a modern fairy tale of sorts. Will and Katy got married this morning, in a ceremony that Will’s mother would have loved. A lot of people were there, and as at any wedding, there was a lot of well wishes, smiles, and pictures. I understand the church was full of onlookers and family, as well as some VIP types.

Okay...the church was Westminster Abbey, there were heads of state in attendance, and William and Catherine are in line for the British Throne. Okay, so when your grandmother’s the Queen of England, and your mother is the late Princess Diana, you tend to do things like weddings big. It’s sort of expected; after all...you are royalty. Of course, I add my well wishes to the happy couple; and hope that this fairy tale wedding has a fairy tale ending: that they live happily ever after.

Then I look out my window. It’s raining today as I write this. It’s as if God Himself were crying over the metro Eugene-Springfield area today. There are police all over town. A route is being prepared to get blocked off. Flags are at half staff; half the town is wearing blue ribbons. My RCMP pin has a black band over it. That band will remain in place until Monday. I’ve read that the RCMP-and possibly some of BC’s finest-will be visiting today as well.

As will police from California, Washington State, and all over Oregon. This is because today there’s a funeral for one of Eugene’s finest.

Chris Kilcullen was a twelve year officer with the Eugene Police Department. He was a motorcycle officer who was fatally shot last week while stopping a vehicle, in what was described as a routine traffic stop. The person who killed him had been tailgating him, according to written reports. He was a 13-year veteran of the police department, and was the first Eugene officer killed in the line of duty since 1934. His death made a widow of his wife, and left two children fatherless.

And it was one of those shots that was a freakish, million to one shot. While he was wearing a Kevlar vest-which is pretty much standard issue-I understand the bullet went in just inside the armhole at close range.

Now, I’ve never been a cop. I have worked in security and crowd control in four states; I have shields for two of those (California and Illinois). And one certainly doesn’t like to see an officer shot. These people are here to serve and protect; even when they hand us a traffic ticket they are doing their jobs. And those jobs can be thankless at times.

I’m not going to cast aspersions at the shooter; there may be some mental issues that are not being released to the public. We don’t know the whole story, we may never know the whole story, and what’s really sad is the more they’re finding, the less they really learn about what’s happened.

Yes, today in my neck of the woods, there’s a big-to. So big it’s in the new Matthew Knight arena, for a man who died serving his community.

Like I said...two widely divergent thoughts. One happy, one sad. While most of the world celebrates a wedding, we’re having a funeral for a man many of you never heard of.

Now you have. He sounds like he was a heck of a nice guy, from all accounts.

RIP, Officer Kilcullen. You left behind more than family; you’ve left behind friends who knew you well...better than I did. You’ve stopped more than traffic today.

Your death has brought our community to a standstill.

Enough for now.

On the Japanese Earthquake

2011-03-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

I’ve been watching the devastation over in Japan for the last two days, absolutely horrified. The earthquake damage-the quake itself now being listed as a 9.0-was bad enough; but the tsunami damage is worse. The USS Ronald Reagan is there to give aid, and while I’ve been watching the news off and on all weekend, I have not heard the extent of foreign aid they will receive to this point.

I grew up in earthquake country. I’m used to seeing earthquake damage. I live in an area with a little something called the Cascadia Subduction Zone. When it lets loose, as I’ve heard repeatedly, we can expect the same kinds of widespread damage.

I’ve also spent a good chunk of my life exploring the Japanese culture, both pop and formal. I’ve been to Japan, and while that trip is many years in my past, the impact it made has lasted this long. Yes, the Japanese are probably better prepared for the kind of damage than we are.

No, it doesn’t make it any easier. In a lot of places, if the earthquake and aftershocks didn’t destroy things, the resulting surge did.

So...I’m asking those of you read this to respond. Consider it a form of paying things forward, if you would. Contact your local Red Cross for details, or go here: http://www.redcross.org. I’d consider it a personal favor if you did.

Thanks!

Enough for now.

Thoughts on Listening to God

2011-02-19T22:16:00.000-08:00

I recently came across something-I think it was on my Facebook page-that said, in effect, that we are good at praying...but not so good in meditating. In this case, meditating is sitting still and listening to God speak to us in that still, small voice.

I know that word was meant for me that day.

I admit I’m examining a number of different things in my life right now; what those things are I am not quite willing to make public knowledge as yet. Suffice it to say that I am seeking God’s will in these issues, and so have asked certain people to join me in prayer for direction in these matters.

But have I been listening? Really, truly listening for a response? That’s a good question.

Now, before going on (and before a few of you think I’ve blown my last transistor), I do not believe that the Almighty is going to whisper audibly in my good ear. (He might, but that’s not necessarily how He works these days.) We have His written word, a good chunk of my adult life and education I’ve spent studying; therefore actual English coming to me from nowhere is not what I foresee as an answer. (It would certainly simplify things if it did.)

There is not only the written word, but godly advice from people I trust. There are certain circumstances, certain events that I can look at and see that maybe there is something here for me-or not.

One of the people I have asked to pray with me sent me this gem of a line: “But there are things that can tell us when…like Obi-Wan said, “In my experience, there’s no such thing as luck.” If too many things line themselves up in a row to make something happen for you, it’s more likely they were put there.”

Of course, that also means if certain things seem to fall apart, there is a good reason for that as well. But I’m a bit off track...so back to the listening thing.

I have taken some time to not have music playing in the background while I work. There is silence-just me and my thoughts-or an environmental background, courtesy of my iPod (and a nifty app from Naturespace). Yes, I am still working...but my mind is sorting through things as I do so. I am contemplating, without being contemplative. I am allowing the quietude in my life to give me the opportunity to really listen, to see if what I am thinking/feeling/sensing is really of the Lord.

I’m also walking away from things (like the TV), and just sitting and thinking. I have turned off the radio and/or iPod in the car as I drive as well. I have much to consider, and blessedly little time to consider them. Driving takes me away from my MacBook, even if it’s only for a few minutes.

So I guess, when it comes down to it, if you are praying, take some time to listen. Even talking with the Almighty is a two-way street; we should not do all the talking and allow Him to speak to us.

Which reminds me...if you think of Deena and I, pray for us. There will be more to come later and as appropriate.

Enough for now.

Thoughts on MacWorld 2011

2011-01-29T22:16:00.000-08:00

I recently attended the MacWorld 2011 Expo and Conference in San Francisco, and found it quite interesting. There were exhibits, classes, and all kinds of interesting things to see. There were all kinds of things for your iPhones, iPads, iPods...and yes, there were even a few vendors there for Macs.

No, Apple was not here officially. There were some Apple people wandering around; one spotted my hat on day 2 as I spotted his credentials after seeing his hat first. (His was a black ballcap with Apple’s logo; mine is a gray Mao-military style cap with Apple’s logo.) Apple pulled out of MacWorld a year or so back. So did a number of vendors. But that didn’t stop the people from coming, myself included.

Walking into the Expo, my initial reaction was “These are my people.” Most of the attendees were courteous, and while there was a boatload of us crammed into Moscone West, it didn’t feel crowded. (A good thing, as I have alluded to in the past I am not really into being in large crowds for long.) I could tell some funny stories but I’ll keep most of them to myself. One I will share was from a couple walking past me, and provided me with my favorite line of the week: “That’s not true. I’m twice the geek your first husband was.”

As usual, all the sales people were doing whatever it took to get your attention. One booth had a woman in a some strange clothing. I thought at first she was supposed to be an space alien; turns out she was a Lady GaGa impersonator. (Which shows you how much attention I pay to today’s music.)

I didn’t go to this solely for my own amusement. While I am a user of Apple products, and am learning about how things work inside my MacBook, I really went to this to see what kinds of software would be available for some of my students. We have roughly 300-500 students using Macs at Master’s, as near as I can estimate. In that respect, I admit to being a bit disappointed as really there wasn’t much there for them. (Maybe they should have called it iPadWorld.) I got to talk with some other distance educators doing the same thing I was, and having the same issue. (I rather enjoyed the networking aspect of this.)

That notwithstanding, I was thinking of bagging it early, until I sat in on a session called “The Mac in Education” and came to the realization that while the Mac is in no danger of being phased out anytime soon in favor of iPads (or your favorite brand of PC in favor of a tablet), I can see a time coming--sooner than later, I suspect--when the how of education and some businesses will change.

With that realization, I went back through the Expo with new, fresh eyes. There’s a lot to be excited about, if you will allow yourself to look past the immediate, to look past the ways we have done things for many years and see some possibilities.

One of the things that really, really hit me is the outdated concept of the computer lab. When I was learning AppleSoft in my “Intro to the PC” class at LMC, there was a computer lab with a number of Bell+Howell Apple II+ desktops in it. Even moving those up to today, you have to maintain 24-36 computers, power them, upgrade them every so often, replace parts that break, etc. That gets to be expensive when nobody's using them. At the Energy Lab on Hawai’i, when students come in, they are issued (loaned) iPads. They can then work in any of the classrooms, and not just the computer lab. (In point of fact, the Energy Lab does not have a computer lab.) If the batteries run down, they can either be charged or plugged in.

I can see that classrooms and schools will have wifi or whatever number G available, and the parents outfit the kids (remember, schools get educator discounts) with an appropriate iPad or tablet. They then get the books downloaded, they’ll have the programs and apps they’ll need to compete assignments, they’ll have access to teacher’s notes (with hotlinks to further reading), pictures, and...

...the new teaching paradigm will be much more interactive. It won’t just be facts and figures (save for math, I suspect), but interacting with those facts. For the example used, it’s not enough to know that Columbus landed in America in 1492. What were the ramifications of the “discovery” of the New World? How did that impact the Native Americans? The Europeans? Columbus himself? This will become the new way of teaching: facts, mixed with a certain amount of logic and analysis/synthesis. In short: Young people will actually learn to think, and not just regurgitate.

As one working in Christian Education, this is exciting stuff. There’s also that part of me that wishes we had this kind of tech when I was at CVHS and LMC; I would have gotten more out of this kind of interaction with the material. (Not to mention my back would have been grateful to not lug large amounts of weight on the bike ride home--or back to the parking lot at days’s end--when school let out. An iPad weighs far less than 5-6 400 page books, several pens and pencils, and other required school paraphernalia.)

As a whole, we--as adults--have to embrace the tech. (We don’t necessarily have to understand it...but we cannot be afraid of it.) And really, that’s the message I want to share. I went in looking for software...and came out with a changed perspective.

I’m looking forward to coming back next year, and taking in a few more sessions.

By the way...if you are interested, my pictures of MacWorld are here. (No, I didn't have one taken with the Lady GaGa impersonator.)

Enough for now.

On Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy

2011-01-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

Today as I write this, it’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It is the 25th observance of this particular holiday. This is a semi-official holiday, in that the banks, schools, and the government have shut down for the day.

For the rest of us, it’s business as usual. If you’re blessed to have a job outside the above listed...you’re working. I’m working today, and so is my wife. (She’s still only working part-time--she’s not totally healed from surgery--but she’s working today.)

Somehow, I think the late Dr. King would not be pleased with this. Today of all days, we should take a look at where we are and how far we’ve come.

Except we won’t. But not for the reasons some might give. I see things a bit differently.

There’s still perception problems, I’ll grant you. There is still inequality. But some of that has come back--boomeranged, if you will--to the white male.

Women’s rights have advanced tremendously over the last 25 years, since the first marking of this holiday. African-Americans (or people of color, according to the NAACP person on the radio this morning) have also come quite a ways in the last 30 years.

Meantime, white men are shown on TV and movies to be drunkards, womanizers, and total clods more interested in beer, sports, and certain portions of the female anatomy than anything else. They are shown to be pathetic in their attempts to be hip and/or cool. They can’t parent well, leaving that task to the incredibly super-competent women in their lives. Many of them don’t seem to work hard, if at all.

I could speak of some stereotyping among the white community as well, looking at people of color. I won’t, however, because that is not what I read when I read Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech.

Let’s take a good look at part of this:

“Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

What Dr. King envisioned was a place and a time where all people-regardless of their race, color, or gender-could sit down together as the intelligent people God created us to be at the table of fellowship. Not one stereotyping the other, not one trying to be superior to another, but as equal, intelligent children of God, each doing what God called them to do, each fulfilling their unique, God-created role for their individual lives.

In short--to live as equal brothers and sisters, if not in total harmony, at least with charity and understanding. That is his legacy we should stop and consider this day. Not necessarily the man himself...but what his dream was, what he died trying to see the fruit of. Yes, we have come a long way.

But...there is still so much to do, all the way around.

Enough for now.

A Christmas Letter to my Dad

2010-12-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Dad:

It seems strange to write a letter to you like this. I mean, you’ve been gone now for the last two Christmases--this will be the third since you passed--and in many ways, life has moved on...as you told me it would, years ago. It's also strange to write this because you and I wrote each other very little.

And yet, tonight after Deena had gone to bed early, and I was wrapping the Christmas gifts, I found myself thinking of you.

It still seems strange sometimes to go back home and not see you there. (Though there is a nice comfy chair there you’d love, I’m sure.) It’s really hard this time of year; I remember all the years you took pictures of us kids at the top of the stairs...and the year we all beat you to it. That flash had to be visible for a three mile radius! I remember bit and pieces from both birthdays and Christmases past: The 100 in 1 electronic kit, the Starfleet Academy manual (and Enterprise blueprints), and all the LEGO are still in my possession. (As well as more electronics, Star Trek books, and even LEGO than I ever thought I’d own in a lifetime.) Making stuffing, and having you taste it. Trips to Helen and Louie’s in the motor home. (Or, as Amy put it, “Barbie’s Dream Home.”)

I’ve tried to hold up my end of the bargain. I promised to be a good son and watch Mom for you. I’ve tried to keep an eye on Mom without being a pest. You’d be proud of her; she gets around pretty good these days. She’s active enough, gets out of the house, and drives. She flies on her own, too.

When we went to the Big Island, we had a GPS you’d have laughed at. My little unit butchered every Hawai’ian name. We all still laugh about it. (That, and trying to find Diamond Lil’s in Salt Lake City.)

I’m still helping clean up the house as well...I’m going to want to discuss with you some of the more interesting findings. For example, I know you knew nobody was using serial bus ports on computers; USB connections work so much better. So why were there, what--a half dozen or so?--adaptors for serial busses? Plus the cables?

I don’t even want to know why there were hundreds of 5 1/4 inch floppies. I do want to know where you hid the slides. Part of my early life is on those, and I’d really like to rediscover part of that.

So many things. I know all the medals you earned in the Navy. I wish I knew how you earned them all. You never really talked about them, or much else of you Navy time. I understand why as a vet myself. I also never knew you cared much for baseball, much less were a Yankees fan. I know you never totally understood my tastes in music. (That’s okay...I never totally understood yours, either.) But you did instill a love of good music, which means I’ll never like rap.

I also know you never could quite figure out what I saw in some of the girls I dated. That’s cool; you weren’t dating them...I was. You and Mom taught me to look past certain things, and see the person inside. I learned to see certain qualities I knew you and Mom didn’t see. That’s okay too. (I’m still trying to get the “being a good husband” thing down as well, and I am wondering if I’ll ever get it right. Even approaching 19 years of marriage--after 4 years of dating on top of that--I’m still trying to get things right.)

You’ve missed seeing me with the quartet. We have fun, and we do reasonably well. (We are getting better every week.) You watched me compete with barbershop choruses at all levels, yet due to work/guests from out of town (I don’t remember which) missed the only Command Performance I ever had in both intermediate and high school. That was hard for me to understand at the time. There were other things I never understood: how you could solve algebra in your head, and I couldn’t get the same answer twice. (And then there was the time I got one answer, you had another, the book had a third...and my instructor got a fourth answer and none of them matched.)

I remember when you told us as a family we might have a chance to live in Europe while you would be in the Middle East. As much as the education I would have gotten would have been a benefit, given the way things have turned out in the Middle East, it’s better that deal fell through.

You taught me to honor my commitments, even when not a pleasant thing to do. I guess that’s part of what pulled my butt through Moody and TEDS: I made a commitment, and by gar I wasn’t gonna quit. (No matter how badly I wanted to turn tail and run.)

You taught me how to change a tire, spark plugs, headlights and taillights, several wiring harnesses, my own oil and oil filter, and the fuel filter. These days, I’m lucky if I can find the latch to open the hood. Changing my own oil is out of the question...no place to dump it. You also taught me to use the right tool for the job.

In some ways, that’s a lesson I’m still learning; again this year I cut the wrapping paper for the gifts with my Swiss Army Knife. (Some things never change.) You’d have been proud of me. Yes, I still have a knife that weighs a ton. But hey--I’ve carried Swiss steel since 1976-77ish. Why stop now?

As much as I miss you, though...I wouldn’t dream of asking you to come back here, even for a minute so I could say goodbye properly. Not only have you earned your rest, I couldn’t be that selfish to take you away from the presence of God Himself.

And that brings me back to Christmas, and wrapping gifts. Yes, we celebrate the birth of Jesus this time of year. Knowing you’re with Him has helped--and continues to help--me deal with the fact you’re not going to be home for Christmas. It’s been hard to not find you something. I miss sending you e-mails and swapping jokes and puns.

Mostly, though...I just miss you.

I’d better sign off now. It’s late, and I need to get some sleep. Give my love to everyone there.

Love,

Matthew

Thoughts on Communion

2010-11-16T14:54:00.000-08:00

The first Sunday of the month, I took communion. No great surprise that; communion is usually served the first Sunday of the month in many churches.

But for some reason, this communion reached me deeply. It wasn’t the message (though that was good). It wasn’t the music--though that was quite good as well. It wasn’t even the act of taking communion proper; I’ve taken communion for a good many years now in a number of settings ranging from one done in a serviceman’s ministry I belonged to at Great Lakes to a Catholic church in Concord, CA, and a lot of places in between. (Okay, in all fairness I knew at the time that Catholics practice closed communion. I took it anyway.)

No, what brought me comfort this day was the ritual of communion. In the United Methodist Church, we often start communion with the Great Thanksgiving (also known as Word and Table 1):

The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

The liturgy, of course, continues on from there. But for some reason, it was the mechanics--the doing of the liturgy, as many have for years, decades, and centuries before me, and will do long after I’ve been translated to glory, should God tarry--that spoke to me.

The bread and cup, that representation and reminder of what Christ did on the cross for you, me, and the rest of the world is not like anything else in any other religion. Just a quick look at the Wikipedia page shows only Christian references (in terms of religion, at least).

“Take, eat, and be comforted; Drink, and remember too
That this is my body and precious blood shed for you, shed for you”

(From the musical “Celebrate Life”)

The thought that others around the church universal were taking communion-- many of whom were using the Great Thanksgiving as well--and of those who had gone before, using the same liturgy spoke volumes to me that day. I can’t really explain why I found it so comforting.

But take comfort in it I did.

On further reflection, I contemplated that sometimes it is the actual act of taking communion that speaks. After all, this is the remembrance of the Last Supper. It is the revisiting of the Lord Jesus Christ’s last meal before His crucifixion, and all that means to the Christian. Sometimes it is the bread and cup itself, and partaking of it reminds us of the Wedding Feast to come.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of

witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that

clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race

that is set before us.” (Heb 12:1, NRSV)

And yes, sometimes it is the mechanics of why we do what we do. That reminder of the great cloud of witnesses, those saints and loved ones that have gone before, looking down and cheering us on to the finish line, as we try to run the race. I can imagine my grandparents, Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators, Billy Sunday, my Dad, D.L. Moody, my “maiden aunts”, John Wesley, and everyone else translated to glory looking down on us...all of us. Wesley’s own thoughts on this verse: “A great multitude, tending upward with a holy swiftness, of the power of faith.”

It is, in the final analysis, that power of faith that carries us. The mechanics of the liturgy reminded me of that power of faith that day.

Enough for now.

Your World Champion San Francisco Giants

2010-11-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

It had to happen, eventually. The law of averages finally had to catch up; surely it had to this year...didn't it?

Last night, it finally did.

After 33 years of waiting, I can finally say it: Ladies and Gentlemen, YOUR WORLD CHAMPION SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS!

Wow. It seems a bit surreal to a Giants fan that still has his program from his first Giants game...in 1977. (Charlie K, I don’t think I can say thank you enough for introducing me to the Orange and Black.)

I didn’t think this year was going to work out. I mean, back in August the Giants were, what? 6 1/2 games back of San Diego? Then came September and they went 18-8, and took NL west from San Diego on the last day of the regular season.

Then it was playoff time. They split a pair at home, then swept Atlanta at Turner Field. Then to Philly--split a set there, won two at home, then had to go back to Philly. They couldn’t possibly win it there. But they did, and suddenly they were in the World Series.

And then it happened. 11-7 and 9-0 in the first two games. On to Texas, where I honestly expected them to lose. (They did, 4-2.) They won game 4 in a masterful game pitched by a man just barely old enough to buy a beer, Madison Bumgarner, 4-0.

And then came game five. Tim Lincecum did what he does best: served up 8 innings of really good pitching. Brian Wilson took over in the 9th, and that was that.

This year makes up for a few things. You know, like 2002 when they collapsed to the Angels--THE ANGELS, for cryin’ out loud! Like 1994, when the strike did damage beyond the diamond. Like 1989, when more than the team collapsed: the Cypress structure, the Marina District and part of the Bay Bridge collapsed as well. (That was painful for me personally as I was in school in Chicago that year.) Like 1985, when they dropped 100 games--100!!!--and I was in Navy Boot Camp, and had to suffer through a miserable summer being away from home...and having to hear that the Giants had “...blown another game.” And yes, like 1978 when they had some great players...and lost toward the end of the season to the Dodgers.

There’s been a long line of Giants greats. Oh, sure--Willie Mac, Willie Mays, Orlando “The Baby Bull” Cepeda, Juan Marichal. Jack “The Ripper” Clark. Will “The Thrill” Clark. David Dravecky. Vida Blue, John “The Count” Montefusco, Robby Thompson, and Gaylord Perry. Steve “Bedrock” Bedrosian. Bob Brenly. Dave “Rags” Righetti. Yes, both Barry and Bobby Bonds. Jose Uribe. The Alou brothers. Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow. Jeff Kent and JT Snow. So many more.

Now you can add to that list Tim “The Freak” Lincecum, Brian “The Beard” Wilson, Juan Uribe (Jose’s nephew), Edgar Renterria, Pablo Sandoval, Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, Brian Posey, and the rest of the crew.

Managers: Roger Craig, Frank Robinson, Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy. Class acts, all of them. Might as well mention owners and managing partners as well: Bob Lurie, Peter Magowan, and current principal shareholder Bill Nuekom. Congratulations, Bill!

A lot of good memories, too. All those night games at the ‘Stick. I still have my Croix de Candlestick, earned--the hard way--in a late night extra-inning game more years back than I want to admit. It’s the only place I’ve ever been where the American flag blew to the left and the California flag blew to the right...at the same time. You could always tell the tourists at the ‘Stick...they were blue by the middle of the fourth. (Locals brought parkas and sleeping bags.) We won’t talk about the fog. (Or that miserable crab mascot, either.)

And when I couldn’t go to a game, I often listened on the radio or on TV. Lon Simmons, Hank Greenwald, Ron Fairly, Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow. KSFO at first, then KNBR. TV was KTVU forever, with a lot of the same names.

I have a lot of Giants gear: The warmup jacket, a jersey, wristbands, several fitted hats (one of which still fits), pennants, buttons, a tie, programs, Giants magazines, some pocket schedules, a stuffed bear in a Giants t-shirt, and a baseball card of me in a Giants jersey and hat. (And even more stuff, including several years worth of Mother’s Cookies baseball cards.) I know I’ve driven people crazy sometimes--I’m okay with that.

This came so fast that San Francisco fans didn’t quite know how to celebrate: only five known arrests as of this morning. Me? I celebrated quietly, made a few phone calls and called it a night. Too much to do today.

However...I’ve been a Giants fan for a long time, and this has been a long time coming.

I tip my hat to the G-Men...the World Champions!

Reflections on a Sunday

2010-10-26T09:01:00.001-07:00

It’s 10:00 pm on a Sunday night and I’m back in my boyhood home, the house I grew up in. I’m in my old room, and while it’s still my room, Mom made a few changes some years back. The walls are cleaner and a lighter shade of blue then when I lived here daily (though I am grateful the doorframe is the same color blue as my room was originally). The bookshelves that held Star Trek models and books as well as my latest LEGO creation aren’t here either; I have all that with me in my current domicile. (Well, okay. The models are in storage, as is half of the books and a fair amount of the LEGO.) The bed I slept in is over at my in-laws for now in their guest room; I am sitting on essentially a queen sized futon, which in a sense is also a part of my life: things Japanese have formed part of who I am as well.

There are other reminders of my life here: The Norman Rockwell Barbershop quartet picture is hanging up on a wall, as is a beautiful picture of a church (showing my ministry and faith). The napkin holder I made in 7th grade is sitting on a shelf, still in need of Varathane. (But after 32 years, why do it now?) Some Navy stuff is here as well, including a picture from when I was in boot at Great Lakes. A picture from my wedding is on the wall, showing family--far too many of whom have gone to their eternal reward.

I am home for a week, and my bride of nearly 19 years will be joining me at the end of the week. So tonight, it’s me and my thoughts before I turn in. And to be frank, my being here couldn’t have come at a better time for a number of reasons I won’t bore you with here.

It is with all this in reference that God met with me tonight. Oh, nothing major--no burning bush or anything like that--but a chance for me to rest, to be His child by returning to my childhood home. A chance, in the words of Twila Paris, to “..drop my sword, and look up for a smile.”

You see, sometimes for those of us in ministry--any ministry--we get to the point where we can’t fight the battle any more. We get tired, weary...we get discouraged and sometimes wonder if we ever made, or will ever make, a difference. I go through this in my position with Master’s; I wonder if anything I do ever impacts people, or if I have ever made a difference.

Today though, I got a glimpse of that. I could see the hand of God all over my day and my trip.

First off, Mom had Joel Osteen on this morning. He was talking about “Staying Open to Do Things God’s Way.” That caught my attention, as I find myself far too often trying to keep things in nice, neat little boxes. That got me to thinking: am I truly being open, or do I insist that God do things my way?

Then we went to church, and I crashed choir. Actually, Mom invited me to try and sing with the choir at the church I grew up in. Being a decent singer, and wanting to attend church with Mom, I went--figuring the worst case scenario would be I would end up sitting in the Sanctuary.

I was welcomed like lost family, got handed a robe and music by one of my former youth leaders, introduced around, and sang during the service. It wasn’t a difficult set of songs, and the stuff from the hymnal was sight-readable for the one song I didn’t know. Some folks remembered me, and I met some new folk as well. I was reminded that I have made an impact, if for no other reason that those folks remembered who I was.

It was good to be in God’s house this morning.

Lunch was spent with Mom and some friends of the family at a Mexican place that Dad loved to eat at. It was a leisurely affair, and followed once we got home with a nap and some football.

It was good to be at home this afternoon.

Then I had some time to myself, and spent it in God’s Word. And was reminded that: (A) I was not to worry (Mt. 6:28-34), (B) that God will care for me (Mt 25:34-40), and (C) that my job was--literally--to keep the faith (Mt 11:25-28).

Let me make no bones about it: we live in uncertain times. No job or ministry is secure. Elections are in another week, and that can have some upheaval to it. (But enough about my lunch.) The economy is a roller coaster ride. News is bad from all parts of the world: Cholera in Haiti, unrest in the Middle East, drug wars in Mexico, chronic unemployment at home. It seems like everywhere one turns, things are falling apart, and you’re not sure if you can trust anything--or anyone. Heck, bedbugs are all over even. What’s up with that?

Tonight I was reminded that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And while tomorrow is another day and will have trouble enough of its own, God is already there, and will take care of things if I will but let Him.

Praise God, He is trustworthy. You can take Him at His Word. It is good to be reminded of that, in that still, small voice.

Part of the care I need to do this week is to take care of myself. That means getting some rest. Which I am now going to do.

Enough for now.

A Tale of Two Cities

2010-10-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

It was the best of times, it was the wor...wait, I think that line’s already been used.

However, this really is the tale of two cities--Seattle and Las Vegas. (Mostly Las Vegas, though.) I just returned from a trip to both; and while there are some similarities, there are quite a few differences as well.

Seattle is where Deena and I spent a fun weekend with 400+ attendees (and over 10,800 guests) at BrickCon, the Northwest’s premier annual LEGO convention. (The premier bi-annual LEGO event-BrickFest-is coming back to Portland next year.) Las Vegas is where we flew to immediately following BrickCon, as she had a conference to attend. I got to go along and spend a few days working from a suite in the Palazzo hotel that was only 130 square feet smaller than our apartment. (The Palazzo is a five-diamond resort, by the way.) Since this was work related for her, they paid for her room, her meals, the conference proper, her travel...and she still drew a paycheck. I got to work from the 38th floor, which had a heck of a view, and managed at least three quarters of work one day, and a half day the next.

So what are the similarities?

Seattle is home to Boeing, grunge, the Mariners, and Starbucks. Las Vegas is home to gambling, large hotels, the 51’s (a minor league team), and has a Starbucks on almost every corner and in many of casino hotels and shopping areas.

Seattle is virtually surrounded by water; Puget Sound is to the west and Lake Washington lies to the east. There is Mount Rainier to look at. Las Vegas is in a desert with the Spring Mountains off to the west. In all fairness, neither city is terribly clean; Seattle has the edge because it is the Northwest and we tend to recycle more here.

Before I go any further: I need to say that I enjoyed my stay in Las Vegas. I had a good time, and I know that many people come here and have good times. I wouldn’t bring a child with me though, unless that child was at least 21. Las Vegas really is for adults only. That is one thing I do like: the fact it is a place for grown-ups. That upside is also a drawback, however.

Las Vegas is like an amusement park for adults. Sex, slots, and alcohol flow freely here. Rita Rudner--a well known Vegas comedian-commented on the whole women’s body thing not long ago on Mike Huckabee’s program on the Fox News Channel: She went in for a mammogram and found there was a two drink minimum. There are cards on the ground with nude women on them, and phone numbers. That alone should scare any decent person silly.

When one goes to Disneyland, you know it’s not real. But there is a certain charm, if not a magic, to it. You see Cinderella’s Castle, or Tomorrowland, and you know it’s not real. But you go along with it, and it’s fun. You see the rides, you see the characters, and you understand it’s the ultimate interactive storybook.

I guess it is that adult amusement park theme is probably why I don’t care much for Las Vegas...everything here isn’t real. (Including, I suspect, the bodies of a number of showgirls. Implants and airbrushing do work wonders.) Much like Disneyland, you’ll get taken for a ride, all right. Las Vegas is totally designed to remove any inhibitions you have, and separate you from your hard earned cash. If a casino isn’t beckoning to you, the high priced food, booze and expensive jewelry and clothing tempts you. (We won’t discuss the legal “escorts”, however.)

That’s why so many people like to come here. A chance to at least pretend you’re one of the rich and beautiful for a few days, the hope that maybe this slot machine or that poker table will at least pay for the trip, if not make you a millionaire. That’s okay with me too, as long as it stays here. Nothing is sadder than seeing people come back from Las Vegas and trying to maintain the Las Vegas Boulevard lifestyle on Main Street.

I’ll cheerfully admit that during BrickCon, everything we all built was unreal. It was all done with LEGO, after all. But that’s part of the magic of one of these conventions. For a few days, we create a magical little place, with space people and aliens, pirates and cowpokes, knights fighting dragons and saving damsels, trains that run on time past neat clean houses and happy little people. Businesses line little streets that have no potholes. Heroes fight villains, and even mecha-Godzilla is relatively safe. The moonbase has a little Starbucks, even. That’s life in the magic little world we create.

In Las Vegas, though, that magic is on an industrial level. Fantasy is what makes Las Vegas what it is: a unreal, unobtainable world, where every woman is beautiful, every man is good looking, and everyone is lucky and a winner. There’s pirates here too, fighting sirens. New York City is only a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph. Venice, Italy is a few blocks from that; and it’s always sunny and pleasant in Venice. (And, I suspect, cooler and less humid as well.) Heck, I can travel several continents on foot and be back in my room in time for lunch.

That’s another issue: the buildings on the Strip are so huge, there’s no perspective. I walked from the Palazzo to New York New York and back. That’s only 3.6 miles roundtrip. But it seemed like twice that...and yet, didn’t seem that long at all. That’s the problem with the perspective here: you just can’t gage how far is far.

Finally: the thing that made Las Vegas isn’t called gambling anymore. They now call it gaming, and while it is still what made Las Vegas what it is, it’s getting out of hand. (Not just here, but all over--but I’ll save that for another time.) Now, I enjoy a good game of poker as much as the next guy, and I’ll play 21 every so often, and on occasion have even played a few slot machines. But this is way far beyond that. The slot machines here really are designed to entice you: Monopoly, Wheel of Fortune, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Star Trek (that one made me cringe), several others named after TV shows or well-known movies (The Wizard of Oz is one)...and the eBay slot machine.

eBay the slot? What’s next...the iPod slot machine? Now there’s an interesting concept...maybe it could pay off in iTunes credit.

Enough for now.

On Travelling

2010-09-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

They say travel broadens your horizons. (Sadly, it isn’t my just my horizons that have gotten broader; my waistline really should be included in that equation.) Traveling as much as I have has given me a perspective on certain things in life that I would not have had I stayed closer to home.

On my Facebook profile page I have two tabs for maps. One is of countries I’ve visited; the other is cities I’ve been to. The international cities were pretty easy to fill in...the US stuff’s been a bit harder, because there’s been so many. I hadn’t really realized how much I’ve traveled until I filled in the maps. I’ve been to Canada, Mexico, Guam, Japan, Ireland...and have been in just about every state in the union. I have the pictures, by and large, to prove it. Most of them have been taken from the time I was in high school on. Traveling is generally a safe, fun thing to do (unless you are moving, and then it’s a royal pain). It can, however, have its dangers: I have a flat spot on the bridge of my nose where some serious yardage of Daytona Beach, Fl. sandblasted it away body surfing. (Ask me about that sometime.)

In the last few years I’ve had a chance to go to a couple of the Hawai’ian Islands. I can hardly wait to go back. I’ve also recently been to Victoria and Vancouver, BC. I’m already thinking about what I want to see when I return there.

Having gone to Hawai’i as an adult means that I ate in more of the local restaurants, saw a few more sights than I might have otherwise, and learned more about the culture and appreciated it more as a result, instead of the “been there, done that” which would have resulted had I gone there as a teenager.

And that’s one of the problems of having traveled so much as a younger person. You have to go back to see what has changed and sometimes it’s better, and sometimes you find places that were more fun or more “magical” at the time have changed. You look at them and wonder what the big deal is/was. I still feel somewhat that way about Las Vegas. I’m going back soon for a few days, and I intend to see a few more things than I did my last trip. Having said that, there’s not all that much I really want to see. A few days should do it.

They say wherever you go, you can’t see everything in one trip. Once again, “they” are right. When we went to the Grand Canyon, we didn’t try to see it all in a day. The same held true for Las Vegas, Montreal, Killarney and Cork, and several other places we’ve been. (And yes, there are places we’ve been that if we never go back it won’t really break our hearts, if you know what I mean.)

This article really comes down to places I’d like to go back and see more of. For example, on O’ahu, since we were there for a Sweet Adelines convention, I want to go back and explore some more of the island, without having to worry about getting Deena back for rehearsals and competition. I want to spend more time on the beaches, especially Waikiki. As an aging surfer, I’d like to leave a lei at the statue of Duke Kahanamoku, and have a chance to actually surf there this time. I want to spend more time on the North Shore in general, and at places like Waimea Bay and Hale’iwa. And there’s more I’d like to do even after that.

On the Big Island, I want to take the observatory tour. I’d like to go back to Volcanoes National Park, and see lava flowing this time. I’d like to tour the Mauna Loa macadamia nut plantation. I’d like to see more of Hilo, and spend a whole day just loafing around Kona proper. I’d like to surf here, too.

This only covers the two islands I’ve been to. I also want to go to Maui.

I’d like to see what Killarney looks like these days. I’d love to take the Ring of Kerry tour again, this time with a digital camera. Same with Blarney Castle. I’d like several days to really explore Cork. I want to go back to Montreal (again, without a barbershop convention like we did in 2003) and spend several days there poking around a bit more. I’d like to spend a whole day in Niagara Falls, ON. See the falls, from both sides of the water again. See a bit more of the city itself. I enjoyed going back to Victoria, BC for a day last month. I hadn’t been there since 1983. I knew I couldn’t even begin to do that city justice in a day. Two days in and around Vancouver, BC wasn’t enough, either. I need to return to both because there’s just so much more to see.

Oddly enough, I don’t care if I go back to Guam. The few memories I do have are kind of special, and I don’t want them ruined by what things look like today, because I know there’s been a lot of development there over the last batch of years.

Enough for now.

2010 vacation, part three

2010-08-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday, August 19:

Today we did some of the parks around Vancouver. We left camp and crossed the border at Aldergrove. We started off at Lynn Canyon, which has a suspension bridge over the canyon. For those who know me, you know I’m not overly fond of heights to start with, and crossing this bridge was...interesting, shall we say.

Once across the bridge, we hiked down to Twin Falls, which is pretty, then hiked back up to the car and went to lunch. This was at the Black Bear Pub, which was a pleasant find for us. We then proceeded to Lighthouse Park and hiked down to the lighthouse...and back.

We decided we wanted to drive up Cypress Mountain. The view would normally be quite spectacular...but smoke from the fires up north and some overcast conditions made the view a little less than optimum. We also discovered that Cypress Mountain was taking down some of the Olympic stuff. We got what pictures we could, and then headed off to find a SkyTrain map.

Our journey took us to Park Royale Mall off Burrard Street. There was a BCAA office there; we figured surely they’d have a map. No such luck. They recommended either the library or London Drugs. So we went into the mall, stopped at Murchie’s for tea, then headed down to London Drugs.

No luck there. They recommended the library as well.

We wandered back up the mall, stopped at Murchie’s and bought some tea to bring home (they have an excellent Earl Grey), and went into the Bay. I was looking to buy another shirt, but they didn’t have the size in the color I wanted. So I bought a few Olympic souvenirs and was signed up for their points card, and after some discussion of what sounded good, we headed to Surrey for dinner.

Dinner was at Moxie’s Classic Grill. Deena and I had eaten in the one at Windsor and liked it, so this was actually a good choice. After dinner, we went to the concierge (This Moxie’s was located inside the Sandman Suites hotel) and asked for a SkyTrain map.

No joy there...he recommended the library.

We drove a bit more, found a train station, and I hopped out of the car. No maps there, either.

At this point, it was approaching 9:00 PM, so we decided it was time to head back to camp. Back on the TC-1 over to Aldergrove, cross the border, and return to camp. Deena decided to try online for a map.

The story of our trip: the wi-fi went down. (Actually, all along our trip, wi-fi was spotty at the very best, and non-existent a great deal of the time. Which may well have been A Good Thing.)

Pictures:
Lynn Canyon, Lighthouse Park, Cypress Mountain BC

Friday, August 20:

This morning we were not moving too fast. Took the bus/truck entrance into BC, stopped at the Visitor Info center at Surrey. Very nice, lots of information.

No maps of the transit system. She didn’t recommend going to the library, at least.

Driving into Vancouver proper, we started off at the Nitobi Memorial Japanese Garden at the University of BC. It’s really beautiful and serene, except for the trucks that drive past in the rear.

Then came lunch. After a brief excursus in which we found that the Westward Ho restaurant was located in the local golf course (which leads to things like $15 CDN hamburgers), we ended up at a place called “The Diner.”

Three words: Eat here. Now. Our server was one of the owners (we suspect) and it is the quaintest British pub. The food was good and plentiful, everyone was friendly and we left feeling like we were family.

Across the street was a Safeway, so we went in so Dan could purchase batteries. We also were able to purchase tickets for the SkyTrain...and they had maps as well. Much joy!

From there, we headed into downtown Vancouver. Parking at the Olympic Station on the Canada Line of the SkyTrain, we started walking, hoping to find the Olympic cauldron.

We walked past the Plaza of Nations, which is somewhat disappointing because (A) all the flags of the various nations are gone, replaced with national, provincial, and city flags, as well as the flag of (B) the casino that now holds the property. Stepping inside the casino and asking about the cauldron, they pointed us toward Chinatown. We had a walking tour planned through there anyway, so off we went.

We walked through Chinatown, past the world’s thinnest building and other points of interest. Walked through the Gastown district, past the steam powered clock and the spot where they named the city. Stopped into a souvenir stand and asked about the Olympic cauldron. The guy behind the counter replied he didn’t have any for sale.

We kept walking. We passed the Japadog stand, which had been featured on the Travel Channel. We kept walking toward Canada Place; we wanted to see what the cruise ship was blocking. Stopping in the RCMP Post store (where I purchased a postcard and a RCMP collar pin) I asked the whereabouts of the cauldron.

God bless the RCMP!

They told us we were just a few blocks away. I told the gents behind the counter about the directions given us by the casino people, and one rolled his eyes and the other simply scowled. I suspect this is not a new issue.

Continuing the walk, we got to Canada Place and walked around that. Hiked might be a better term as it is rather good sized. (They park cruise ships there, after all.) We then hiked over to the cauldron. It’s not as large as I thought it would be, but you certainly can’t miss it.

Finally, it was time to get on a train and sit for a few miles. We rode the Canada Line to the end quite literally; just past the Richmond station about 36.5 metres-- roughly 40 yards or so if that much--the track simply ends. Portland’s Tri-Met should use the signs in the station: “Way Out” instead of “exit.” (If you’ve been to Portland, you’ll understand. If you haven’t...there’s no way to explain it.)

It is now dinner time, and a great deal was found at a White Spot: a small salad, a White Spot burger, and homemade blueberry pie...$9.99 CDN. After that, down to The Bay where I purchased a blue shirt and an Olympic shirt as well, and got credited points for my purchase in Victoria.

Back on the train, off at Olympic Station, and back in the car for the trip over to Richmond for the Richmond Night Market. 300 booths, 50 food vendors, and a capacity to hold some 15,000 bargain hunters. Deena got a nice Alpaca jacket/sweater thing for $60; I got three t-shirts for $10.

Once the crowd got to be a bit much, and since there were lasers and uneven lighting which is not good when you’re light sensitive, we finally left. Heading down BC-99, our last stop in Canada was at the duty free store. A small purchase there to shed some Canadian paper currency (I don’t mind keeping change--I repatriated enough of it this trip--but having $10 CDN in paper was not really in my plans), we crossed at the Peace Arch crossing and back into the US for the final time this trip. We returned to camp about 11:30PM, tired but content and ready for bed.

Pictures:
Nitobi Memorial Japanese Garden, UBC
Vancouver, BC

Saturday, August 21:

They say that all good things must come to an end.

Today was a travel day, as we finally had to head home. We got up, broke and cleared camp, and drove into Lynden for breakfast at Dutch Mothers. If you walk out from here hungry, it’s your own fault. Wandered around Lynden a bit, then into the car and south on the I-5. Stopped for a stretch at City Blocks in Tacoma (a major LEGO studio; Dan Parker makes his living with little toy bricks), and then dinner at Country Cousins in Centralia. Took another stretch break at Fry’s Electronics (and got a slush from Sonic afterwards), then dropped Dan off at his place...

...and finally returned home ourselves. The cats were glad to see us, and after unloading the car and checking mail, we called it a trip and a night.

On the one hand, I could have used one or two more days. On the other, it was about the right length to be gone. Lots of pleasant memories, and plenty of pictures to boot. Like 755 pictures. Perhaps digital cameras are too much of A Good Thing.

Enough for now.

2010 Vacation, part two

2010-08-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, August 17:

This morning was the only morning we set an alarm. We had to- we needed to board the ferry not later than 7:45ish, passports in hand. The ferry took us from Port Angeles to Victoria, BC. I haven’t been to Victoria since I was in high school. But I had been there, so I got to play tour guide today.

Crossing the Straits of Juan de Fuca was quite the journey. The Straits were a little rough; and as this was a smaller craft (no cars, just people) we had quite a ride. Once in Victoria, however, we actually saw quite a bit.

We started off with a tour of the Parliament building. It’s rather nice as government buildings go. From there, a block or so over and a walkthrough of the Fairmont Empress hotel. It is lovely, and if you have the opportunity (and deep enough pockets) to do a high teas there, you really should. The Empress is also home to the Victoria Convention Center, which we walked through and then out to Douglas Street then back around to Government Street.

We continued up Government to the site of the former Fort Victoria, part of which is now a wonderful little Irish pub called Irish Times. The special today was Irish stew with Rosemary dumplings and it was a winner.

After lunch, we continued up Government street to Chinatown, then doubled back down Broad Street, stopping in a few interesting little shops and a Starbucks to cool off for a bit as it was getting quite warm) and then taking some time to check out the Bay Centre.

The Bay Centre is anchored by The Bay, as in The Hudson’s Bay Company (“since 1670”), and I did some shopping there. It’s a cross between a Macy’s and a Kohl’s: A lot of high end stuff, and some clothes that those of us on a budget can afford. I bought a t-shirt. It doesn’t have anything on the front or back; I can wear it wherever and whenever I want.

From the Bay Center, we walked over to Munro’s bookstore and Murchie’s Tea shop. Munro’s has a lot of good books; if you like books this is a must stop and explore. Murchie’s has some wonderful teas there, and a lot of very nice looking goodies. We decided that a gelato was in order, however, so we wandered back down Government street to a gelato place and enjoyed some of that as the day continued to get warmer and muggier. (It was only about 78 degrees F--I was quoted 26 C by a mall rep in The Bay Center--but it was also 60 percent humidity.) We all did a little more souvenir shopping, then wandered around the back of the Parliament building and took some pictures there. Wandered into the Queen’s printer’s, then over to Confederation Square to take some pictures.

Something to drink was now in order, so we wandered into Jonathan’s restaurant in the Royal Scot hotel. After cooling down a bit, we walked down Quebec street and found the Harbour Towers--where I stayed last time I was here--and then finished the day by strolling around Laurel Point Park.

Finally, though, we had to board the ferry to return us to the States. (A much smoother trip than this morning, I might add.) Once back, we dined at the Hiway 101 cafe in Sequim then returned to camp.

Pictures:
Victoria, BC

Wednesday, August 18:

Today was a travel day, so not too much exciting stuff. We packed up camp and said goodbye to Port Angeles. It was time to leave the land where “Twilight” was set and move our base of operations to Lynden, WA. After a stop at Fort Worden State Park, some wandering around Port Townsend, and lunch at the Bayview, we boarded a much larger ferry than the one we rode yesterday over to Victoria, and headed over toward Keystone. A leisurely drive across Whidbey Island, and finally hitting the I-5 North.

Today also marked the easiest boarder crossing I think I have ever had. No questions, nobody bugging me for a passport...just walked across the border. And back. And over again to take some pictures, then back again. And nobody stopping me and playing 20 questions.

You can do it yourself at Peace Arch Park. There is this little island of relative calm where you can park just short of the border, and walk around and cross the international border. (In all fairness, though, you can’t get too far before you hit customs. I recommend you have your passport on you just in case.) Washington State maintains Peace Arch State Park on the US side, and BC maintains Peace Arch Provincial Park on the Canadian side. It is this lovely little chunk of calm in the middle of a lot of traffic. I did have one good laugh there: in the Peace Arch itself, there is a set of gates with the wording “May these gates never be closed.”

I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much about that...they’re bolted to the inside of the arch.

After wrapping up there, it was off to the Lynden, WA. KOA to unpack and set up camp. A drive through Lynden was next on the list, then dinner was at Jake’s BBQ. There is some good steak here and you should take advantage of it.

Pictures:
Peace Arch Park

Enough for now.

2010 Vacation, part one

2010-08-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

Over the next few days, I’m going to post our vacation itinerary online. Pictures will be up toward the end of the week, and I’ll link each day as appropriate.

Friday, August 13:

We took off today, for parts north. It was hot, we got the car packed and hoped we had everything. Picked up Dan, and headed north. Had dinner at Marinepolis Sushiland, picked up a few things at Whole Foods, and stopped for the night at the Quality Inn in the Longview area.

You were looking for something exciting here?

Saturday, August 14:

No rushing today: Got up, had breakfast, reloaded the car, and headed toward Port Angeles. Stopped so I could stretch at Cabela’s, and enjoyed lunch at the Ram brewpub and restaurant. Got a recommendation on a place to eat in Port Angeles called the Okasan. Sounds intriguing.

After a leisurely drive north--a drive where Deena drove and I napped--we arrive at the Port Angeles/Sequim KOA, unpacked a bit as we are here for a few days, then headed into town to get the lay of the land. Took some pictures from the port area, then headed back to camp to get dinner and s’mores going. We also enjoyed the ice cream social the camp put on.

Sunday, August 15:

Olympic National Park is a very pretty place, and not really for the weak of knees. You have to hike anyplace worth seeing...but that hike is worth every minute of the trip. I highly recommend if you come here with a full water bottle, a sturdy pair of hiking boots (preferably well broken in), and appropriate hiking socks. I don’t think waltzing around in your tennis shoes or flip-flops is a wise idea. I also recommend good hiking clothes, as there are a number of microclimates in the park.

Today we “conquered” Hurricane Hill and Sol Duc Falls. Sol Duc Falls is a relatively easy hike at .8 miles each way, and has some pretty scenery. It’s a bit out from Port Angeles--about half an hour--but really should not be missed.

Hurricane Hill is another story. 1.6 miles each way, and it’s a steep climb in parts. Don’t be in a hurry unless you are in prime shape...and on this hike, “round” does not qualify as a shape. We ran into an 89 year old woman, hiking and taking her time doing it. She made, I am sure. We did too. Allow 90 minutes each way; if you’re in a hurry this is not a hike you want to undertake. Also in summer, do it in the morning...less crowded, less bugs, and cooler temps work in your favor. We did Hurricane Hill first, had lunch, then went on to Sol Duc Falls. Lunch was out of the cooler, and dinner was at a place called the Bushwhacker. There’s a nice place to eat. We did the all you can eat salad bar--they had homemade chicken gumbo and clam chowder on the bar as well as homemade bread.

Pictures:
Hurricane Hill
Sol Duc Falls

Monday, August 16:

Today we went for a hike in the Hoh Rainforest. This is more like an hour or so out of Port Angeles. Got there, had lunch out of the cooler, and proceeded to hike 3.3 miles into the rainforest, along the Hoh River trail.

Note: rainforest does not equal cool/damp. It was another hot day, and there are bugs here, too. Everything I have said about hiking gear goes double here. Don’t let the sign fool you: The elevation looks like it only rises about fifty feet over 3.3 miles.

The sign lies. What it doesn’t tell you is that there is a lot of upping and downing, especially near the riverbank. You have been duly warned.

We were in search of one square inch of silence. Rather than explaining it myself, I’ll simply link to it and let you read about it: http://onesquareinch.org/. We found the spot, and found the rock, but did not find the jar of thoughts.

We made it back out, and went into town for dinner. We had dinner at Okasan. There is some really good food here, and the waitstaff is as honest as the day is long. Go there and eat, if you like good Asian cuisine. Don’t let the exterior fool you; it may look like a dump but it really isn’t.

We returned to camp, and partook of the hot tub this evening. It was much needed!

Pictures:
Hoh Rainforest

Enough for now.

On Camping

2010-07-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

I have returned-intact, yet-from a weekend of camping fun over at Baker Bay with the missus, her Sweet Adelines quartet “Diamonds in the Rough”, and their husbands (one of whom sings in my quartet, “It’s About Time”).

Now before I say another word, let me tell you that I really did have a good time. I got to know the other ladies (and their husbands) a bit better, and with the exceptions of a brief return to civilization to direct the chorus I belong to at a funeral and some sort of minor gastric issue, I really did have a good time.

Getting to that good time, however, is another story.

Here’s all I’m going to share of the Friday we left: I knew that it was supposed to be the hottest weekend to date up here; I wasn’t looking forward to attending that funeral that I was to direct the chorus in (the gentleman in question was a long time member of the chapter and a good man to one and all--he will be missed!), I was not having any success in rounding up the man-cat so I could take him to grammy and grampy cat’s for the weekend (he’s diabetic, and needs shots twice a day--the man-cat, not grampy cat). I had to load the trunk carefully while the missus was at work, get quarters for the freaking showers (fifty cents to a buck in quarters to shower is obscene), and once I got back from that little side trip had to inflate four bicycle tires so I could go choke on dust at some point in this little back to nature thing.

Needless to say that when we left, I was not a happy camper.

I thought all along that most Sweet Adelines were all into things like shopping, bling, massages, spa treatments, and fancy meals. I found out that isn’t always the case, but I’m not going there today, kids. (Remember, I’ve seen their Harmony Bazaar and thus know a bit better than that.)

Now camping to me is a bit like playing in the snow. I’ll do it, but there are things I prefer doing. At least camping is a summer event so that makes it a lot easier for me to deal with. And it’s not like I have never been camping; as a kid I went to Camp Pinecrest, Loma Mar, Hot Sulphur Springs and Silver Spur--in addition to band and drum corps camps and tours. (I won’t count boot camp in there...that’s a whole different world.) My folks had a 1972 Dodge Commander motor home, and on rare occasions we actually used it to camp in.

In addition, the missus and I have been members of KOA since 2007, and I’ve had an REI card since 1984. I still have my original card, too. I keep getting told I really should get a new one, but I love to see people have to manually enter my membership number with no barcode and no magnetic stripes--the older cards never had them. Almost all our camping gear is from either REI or Coleman. (There’s some folks who have figured out the camping thing as well.)

But as an adult, I find I like certain creature comforts...you know, clean beds, electricity, low dirt, no bugs or other vermin, and a restroom that is clean, doesn’t stink, and doesn’t need wiping down every time I walk into it. Internet connections, breakfast on the property, and good food nearby are considered plusses. I have said in the past that my idea of getting back to nature is staying at a Doubletree Inn, roughing it means there's no hot tub, and foraging for food means there's no restaurant on site.

And yet, I truly do enjoy camping if it’s done right. This is why we typically stay in Kamping Kabins at KOA’s; one other thing I like is a real bed for my back. I have Dad Crandall’s back: shoulder and low back issues have been nothing new since intermediate school. (We do have inflatable camp pads and a widget that plugs into the car’s cigarette lighter that inflates or deflates them in a minute or less, which helps that out a great deal.)

However...this isn’t a defense of my lack of camping desire; I’ll go because I do like seeing some spectacular views and hanging out with folks also suffering under the delusion that their motor home with the king bed, microwave oven, mini fireplace, carpeting, and satellite dish is roughing it. (Ever notice they call those apartments on wheels the “Wilderness” model?) No, this blog really is about the great weekend we had.

And we did have fun. The ladies took turns providing some awesome meals; they worked on their music (and drew audiences both nights, I might add); we all got to know each other a bit better; the gent who sings in my quartet made up some rockin’ ice cream Saturday night; I rediscovered why I don’t play dice games after getting creamed in Yahtzee not once but twice (I can’t roll fives or sixes if my life depended on it); and the fruit the missus packed in was out of this world. We had a chance to go floating in Dorena Lake; cracked bad puns; laughed much; ate more. I even learned how to clean a fish...which I why I greatly prefer catch and release, and buying my fish pre-cleaned and filleted. Seeing a plate of fish guts prior to breakfast is, shall we say, less than appetizing. Deena and I even rode the bikes a little in the campground, there is a biking trail around the lake but it was more milage than we had time or desire for.

Sadly, the heat and all that wonderful food took a toll on me: late Saturday night I wasn’t feeling too well gastrically, and in fact as I wrote most of this am still not 100%. Several naps in the air conditioning once home and light meals all day Sunday--combined with much liquid that isn’t Coca-Cola (one of my few real vices, I’m afraid)--and a good night’s rest and I’m doing better but still not at 100%. Let’s just say that eating a Whopper Jr. with cheese--without a gall bladder--in 95 degree heat is probably something I shouldn’t do terribly often. Saturday night was a very long night for me, and thus Sunday breakfast didn’t sound good at all, even though it looked wonderful.

The missus and I have decided one thing: when we have to camp outside of a KOA, we actually prefer doing the tent thing to a trailer. We were packed up and loaded in 45 minutes or less. I still prefer Kabins...but you can’t win them all.

Enough for now.

On Google, Chrome, and Being Paranoid

2010-07-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

Basic info: everyone, in order to access the internet, has to have a browser. There are five real contenders: Safari (Apple), Internet Explorer (Microsoft), Firefox (Mozilla), Opera (Opera), and Chrome (Google). Most of you, I would guess, are using Internet Explorer, as that’s pretty much the default browser on most Windows-based computers. (Which is too bad, really.) I use Safari; it’s faster, less buggier, and was designed to run on a Mac, because Apple designed it. Firefox and Opera are pretty good; I had Firefox as a backup browser but finally deleted it because I rarely used it.

Google wants to change your mind. Their browser-called Chrome-is fairly new, and I spent a few days some time back playing with it. It’s okay, I guess. Since I haven’t seen any major speed improvements, nor have I seen anything that makes it any better than Safari to me, I finally removed it from the Mac. It’s different, but really not any better than Safari to and/or for me.

Now, I am not really an Apple snob. I like to joke with family and friends, but as I have said before you need to have a computer that works well for you. Just because I think a Mac is a better deal, has less bugs, far less security issues, works better, looks cleaner, weighs a bit less and is a better machine than any Windows-based PC--ever--doesn’t mean you should run right out and get one right now. After dinner or even tomorrow will be soon enough. (Hmmm...maybe I am a bit of an Apple snob.)

But Chrome didn’t really impress me. You there--you with the Windows PC-- you might like it, however. It’s an improvement over IE 8. (So is IE 6, however.)

Google hasn’t taken over the Earth...yet. They’re getting close, but I will continue to not go there. I will keep using Safari, iWork and iLife, and not allow Google to totally take over my so-called online life.

Should the fact that Google has a large amount of information on you bother you? Maybe. It sort of bothered me for a bit.

I’ve spent a lot of time not creating a big digital footprint. This is partially because I work online, and partially by choice: there was a time in my life where I figured out the less people knew about me, the less they could tease, torment, and make my life miserable with. That has kind of stayed with me, and while I’ve gotten much better about this kind of thing, I like to keep a somewhat low profile.

Now...Blogspot is owned by Google; therefore, they host this blog. I have a gmail account I am using for dissertation purposes and a few other things. Picasa (owned by Google) is where I have pictures for the blog stored. (I generally as a rule do not put my personal pics online; I do not want them harvested by a picture bot and used somewhere else without my knowledge.) Since I have all the above, I also have an iGoogle page, with widgets for everything from comics to the CBC newsreader. (I deleted the Google Latitude widget however, as I decided I don’t want the world to know where I am at all times. It’s none of the world’s business to know where I am 24/7.) I have a YouTube account, which is also owned by Google. And, of course, I use Google to find things; it’s the usually the default search engine for Safari but you can also use Yahoo search or Bing. I do not have Google Earth on the Mac, though it is on the iPod for now. (It’s one of those apps that “seemed like a good idea at the time.”)

So, Google now knows what I like to watch, what kind of news I like, some of my hobbies, that I have boring email, etc. All of which can be targeted to advertisers, to sell me on a trip to Honolulu, Billund, Toronto, Cupertino, San Francisco, Nashville, or Vancouver. Or to sell me more stuff for the Mac. Or to let me know that there’s a new animated series that’s just been uploaded. Or to try and convince me that I really need whatever it is that is being touted. I also get ads trying to convince me of other things I allegedly need as well. (I can’t think of a reason I need--or want--bust enhancement creams, for example.)

It smells like Big Brother to me, in a sense. I could get really paranoid about this constant monitoring of my online stuff.

But it doesn’t smell like Big Brother at the same time, because it is not all centrally located, and no single person could possibly keep track of one person by attempting to sift through all that data. And in my case, there just isn’t anything to hide, really. (So maybe it’s more like kid sister than Big Brother.)

Now, I could move this blog to another blog site, move the pictures to flickr, close the gmail account, and reduce Google’s hold to simply YouTube for now. I won’t; it all works pretty well together. Why reinvent the wheel? Besides, I can change some things to Yahoo!...and I find I’d still have the same issue. So, I allow Google access to all this information knowingly, knowing that any info I use will be stored somewhere. There has to be a certain level of trust.

Still...it never hurts to be careful, because you never know who’s minding the store.

Enough for now.

On Facebook, Revisited

2010-06-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

If you look down at the lower right hand corner of the blog, you’ll notice something new. No, somebody hasn’t hacked into my blog account...that’s really my mug in that box that says “Facebook.”

You read that correctly. I have joined the 21st century and now have a Facebook page.

The story behind this, however, is not too surprising.

At the outset, let me state that while I am not anti-social, I am a bit of a recluse. I like my music, my books and lead a somewhat quiet and contemplative life. (I’ve said before that I am my father’s child.) I dislike being in huge crowds for long periods of time. (Attending Barbershop Internationals and most LEGO conventions are the exceptions, however.) By and large, working online has been fairly healthy for me. In fact, working online as I do is one of the reasons I didn’t want a Facebook page. I spend enough time behind the keyboard of my trusty Mac, between work and school. (Just ask Deena.) In fact, I get more information and entertainment off the web and my trusty Mac and iPod than I do off the radio and TV.

As a result, I like to keep my private life...well, private. I know who my friends are, and generally where and how they are. If I want or need to talk to them (or they to me), there’s a thing called a phone. We can call and talk to each other.

However, because I have moved a lot over the last 30 odd years or so, I have friends all over creation, some of whom have vanished, others have moved and just not caught up to me yet.

It was two of those friends-one, a friend from high school, and the other a gent who figures rather prominently in my spiritual growth as a Christian-that finally pushed me over the brink. They have Facebook pages, and the only way to reach them was to get one myself and let them know where I am.

So now I had a choice. Either keep hiding, or get my buns on Facebook. Since I really wanted to reconnect with these people, I broke down and signed up. (Deena never thought I’d have a Mac and an iPod either, so I guess that’s a fair trade.)

I do want my friends to remain my friends, so I do have the thing locked down pretty tight. And yes, you’ll discover just how reclusive and geeky I can be. I’m okay with that.

And I can see why people spend a lot of time on their pages, and why people get fired for writing bad things about their employers. Fortunately, I like my employer, I love what I do, and have books to read.

Which I think I’m going to go do after posting this.

Enough for now.

On Bible Bookstores

2010-05-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

Since we’re coming up on Memorial Day, take time to say thanks to a vet for being willing to keep America free. Freedom isn’t free by any stretch. Also take time to thank God Almighty for living in a free country, and pray for America. She needs all the prayers she can get right now.

I’m not going to comment on the idiocy regarding “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” at this point in time. Suffice it to say that I’m hideously disappointed, as a Vet, that this is even being rammed through-and down-the throats of America’s fighting men and women.

No, today I’m remembering something else.

This morning, I was wandering around one of the last remaining Christian bookstores in the local area. (I went to where one had been in West Eugene yesterday, only to discover it was long gone.) I was looking for a few books that might help me in my dissertation work.

No such luck. (I’m not surprised. I suspected this would be the case as I’m looking for some pretty specialized, denominational type books, not just general stuff.)

But it also got me to thinking about the demise of bookstores in general, and the Bible Bookstore in particular. You remember Bible Bookstores, don’t you?

When I first became a Christian, they were somewhat more numerous. They carried a little music (the bigger ones actually had a music section), reference tools, some rather predictable novels and books by well known preachers, church supplies, gospel tracts, VBS materials, hymnals for general use, Bible studies, and Bibles. In those days, your choice was the King James, the Revised Standard Version, the New American Standard, and maybe the New International Version. (They also carried the most amazing amount of junk with a Jesus sticker slapped on it.)

Then there was a sort of Christian publishing revolution. Christian self-help, Christian novels and fiction, and so forth sprung forth. Reference tools started disappearing. The music sections got larger (and the music got better). Study Bibles started exploding out of nowhere. VHS tapes started showing up, and even the junk with Jesus stickers got better. Christian publishers got bought by mainstream publishers, as did Christian recording labels. And that’s when they became a bigger business, quit being Bible Bookstores, and became Christian bookstores.

Then something odd happened. Bible studies started going the way of the reference tools. The same can be said of gospel tracts. The music started changing, keeping more “modern” sounds. (Some of which I like, some I don’t.) VHS tapes were replaced by DVD’s, and the stories keep getting better, as do the production values. (Actually, that’s A Good Thing.) There are Christian computer programs that have reference and study helps. Christian Fiction has taken over, most of it geared to women. Christian self help is pretty good sized, too. Some stores even look like Christian gift boutiques. This is no great surprise; I asked the young lady behind the counter about a year ago about this and her reply was “basically, women do most of the reading and shopping in these stores anymore.” Of course they do...most men aren’t comfortable going into a place with a more feminine touch.

Here’s a clue, kids--most men I know don’t wear scarves (Christian or otherwise), and would like a t-shirt that fits them. You know, like in sizes XL or bigger. Even I take an XL, and “tall” or “stout” are not terms used to describe me terribly often. And when all the books for men are clumped together with books on finances, on one rack (one rack=four shelves), you kind of get the picture that men have become something of an afterthought.

You want study Bibles? They have them in very flavor going, in more translations than I think is safe. In fact, I saw two Bibles today that made me feel like I can die now because I’ve seen it all: The “American Patriot’s Bible” and a waterproof NIV. (“Perfect for beach/pool, bathtub, missions, vacations, sports.”) Somehow, spending time in the shower with the Word of God seems wrong to me. I understand His Word cleanses us...but I don’t think that’s quite what He meant. (On the other hand, I can see a use for this in a baptismal service.)

Now I know that there’s lots of reference tools online. (Studylight.org is a great example of that.) And I know that a lot of books can be bought online from places like eBay, Amazon, CBD and Cokesbury. Ultimately, I will end up going that route.

But there was something...different...about those stores. Not that they were holy, but there was a sense of being about the Father’s business (or at least, being in His Presence) when you walked in. These places were calm, almost tranquil. (I remember one in Concord; it felt like God had His Presence there. Since it was two doors down from the local porn theatre, He probably did.)

Enough for Now.

On Spring Football and why it's odd to me

2010-05-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

I went to the Spring football game for Oregon today. Since they were honoring vets, and since the barbershop chorus I sing in was singing the “Armed Forces Medley” at the half, I actually needed to go. A class touch: at the end of the game, the players gave their game jerseys to some deserving vets. I felt that much was classy, as was honoring the vets at the half.

But there’s something I don’t get: Why is there a football game in the spring?

Now, I’m not that dumb. I understand why there are spring college football games. I understand that the NCAA allows so many practice sessions in the spring, under the thinly veiled guise of the players being “student-athletes.” I understand the concept of having a simulated game, to see how players are progressing. And I understand opening said game to the throngs of football fans (25,000 plus turned out today!), even for just a few cans of food for Food of Lane County, is a PR thing.

I even understand that it’s a big marketing thing. People will be buying season tickets soon, if they aren’t already.

But that doesn’t really answer my question: Why is there a football game in the spring? The way they do this, is that it is a “medium contact” game, with limited hits to the QB, no sacks, shorter quarters (although I understand that was for the ESPN folks), and a chance to see that Oregon’s kickers need some work. (Actually, they need a lot of work.)

So why bother? It’s not that I’m not in favor of the Ducks; I am. It’s not that I don’t like football; although I have been heard to utter the immortal words of Dr. Harry L. Dinkle, The World’s Greatest Band Director: “Football fields are for band practice!” It’s not even that I think it’s silly to play a football game in the middle of baseball season--although to me it is, really.

I guess it’s that, if they are going to make this like a real game, then let’s really do it right. Let ‘em play like they were playing a real opponent, like say, OSU or UW. Play 15 minute quarters. Get real refs on the field, and not an ESPN commentator in a zebra suit. Sell tickets for $5 or $10. (Food donations should still be allowed, and in fact, made mandatory.) Let them sack the QB at least once a quarter. Heck, make them play at night under the lights. In short: Let ‘em play under real life conditions, and quit wasting their time.

Otherwise, this is just a glorified practice, and really doesn't prove much at all.

Enough for now.

On the iPad

2010-04-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

So I had five minutes to play with an iPad on the day of release, and another ten minutes to play today. It’s an interesting piece of work, and will doubtless continue to have a throttlehold on the news over the next week or so. You’re not sure if this thing is worth the money and effort.

That’s a good question.

Now, my electrogeekness can tell you the same things that you can read online. It’s a pound and a half, sleek, fast, and in a fairly short period of time will have apps out the wazoo. (Technically it does already, as it will run all the apps that my iPod does, and that an iPhone does if you wait for the 3g model.)

That’s not what you want to know.

I can tell you that it doesn’t run Flash (and if you don’t know what that does, that’s okay), it does have a productivity suite, and watching movies will be fun, along with all those books you said you wanted to read. The iPad is designed to be a media center. Books, music, games, a little letter writing or note taking, and checking your e-mail is what this is designed for.

You knew that already, I suspect.

I should tell you about prices, add-ons, and a hundred other things--all designed to protect and enhance your using experience.

I won’t, because you can look that up yourself.

No, the real question you want an answer to is “Do you think I should get one?” The simple answer to that is that there isn’t a simple answer. If you have a laptop...maybe not. You with laptops will want to pause and think about it.

But if you have a desktop computer, such as an HP or iMac, the answer is yes, you want one. If you’re thinking about a netbook, get this instead as I think you’ll be much happier with it. If you’re under 30, a tech person or Apple fanboy (or fangirl), and need to be on the leading edge, yes, and you may already have yours in hand. (If so, congratulations.)

If you’re over 65 and travel a bit, you might like it as well. Plane flights are long boring things anymore, and this will be a fun thing to have to play solitaire, read a book, watch a movie, and compose a letter to Aunt May. (Wi-fi is limited on many flights, even now, so you may not be able to surf the web or check e-mail from 15.25 KM, or 50,000 feet-whichever comes first.) The iPad is easy to use, lightweight, easy to maintain, and will serve you in good stead.

For those of us between 30-65, however, it might be a different story. Many of us have laptops we like. Money is a bit tight, especially for those of us with families to deal with. (Although you might want one for the slightly older child to use while on a long road trip.) I won’t be getting one, at least for now. Part of it is cost; the one I want is nearly $900. It has 64 GB memory and 3G capability. (Anything less then 32 GB of memory is a joke to me.) Here’s the other part.

I have a MacBook that I have updated to Snow Leopard, the most recent iWork and iLife suites, and dropped 2GB more RAM into it, for a total of 4GB RAM. (It is indeed like having a new MacBook.) It goes many places I do, because I work online. If I were able to go to Director’s College this year I would want my MacBook, as I can use my iPod to record the lectures and classes-and then simply transfer those to the MacBook at day’s end. However...an iPad would have been nice to have in Hawai’i last summer, as opposed to the MacBook, as it weighs less and eats less room in a carry-on. I was on vacation and thus only checking work e-mail once daily. (It was during an enrollment period for a program I help oversee.) Plus, since weight is at a premium on any flight, not having the MacBook allows me to pack stuff in my carryon I might actually need to bring.

That’s my take on the iPad. Right now I can see all kinds of potential. Several years down the road I can see a number of students getting one, downloading their books for courses, taking notes in lectures, and even writing papers with it. In three to six months from now as more apps are made specifically for the iPad, it becomes a better piece of gear. If you can wait until, say, summer--or better yet, Christmas--you will have a nifty tablet that you’ll be able to customize and really make worth the purchase.

Enough for now.

On Visiting the Mothership

2010-03-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip home to Concord, I had the opportunity to go to Cupertino, where the Apple campus is located.

Well, okay. In all fairness, I had to talk my beautiful and charming bride into stopping as we went to visit her aunt in Half Moon Bay. But as I was going with her to work on a few items on her aunt’s Mac, I figured this was as good a chance as any. And after being left on my own for better than five hours there with what seemed like little to do at the time, she bought me dinner as well as my lunch expense. Not bad for a day’s semi-work.

Now it’s no secret that I am working on becoming Apple Certified in a number of things. I have already been certified in iLife, and am working on both iWork and Mac OS X support. While I will never write a lot of code or build new hardware, it will be a good backup in case the economy tanks again or further. But it isn’t something I can pursue in earnest; quite frankly it isn’t cheap and it takes time and I am short of both of those kinds of resources. On the other hand, I can earn much of it back in a few repair and update jobs, if and when that time comes.

Now you need to understand that from Concord, Cupertino is a good hour plus away and wasn’t exactly on our way. But we had plenty of time, and Deena really was a good sport about this. When we got there, we drove around a bit the campus, which is huge. We walked in the front entry, looked around, and walked out as we would need an ID badge to go any further. (You can see some pictures here. I can't say I took them, however.) The only thing that we could determine that was open to the public was the Company Store. There, along with all the usual suspects of Macdom that I could just as easily get at my local Mac Store, were the t-shirts, hats, water bottles, pens, keyrings, etc. all with the Apple logo on them that one simply can’t get anywhere else. Of course I bought stuff; don’t be silly. (I even got the t-shirt that says “I visited the Mothership,” from which I took the name for this post.) But that isn’t really the point.

The point is, I guess, that I actually got to see some of the place where things like Macs, iPods, Safari, and most of the stuff I use day to day got brainstormed. And while it really won’t change my life all that much (if any), it was neat to simply go and look. I can say “I’ve been there. I’ve seen the Apple campus.” (To which many of you will yawn and say “who cares.”)

But beyond that, there actually was a deeper meaning. It’s called a working vacation. Another poorly kept secret is that we both are in real need of a true vacation (which won’t happen until August), and that we both needed to do things. I work online and really couldn’t take much time off right now. Stuff is backed up rather nastily. Deena had school stuff that had to be done. We both were ragged, dog-tired, and in need of a break from the same-old. Mom needed some help with a few things down south, and so off we went to help her out.

This qualified as a day off from a busy schedule of helping mom out. My regular work sat mostly undoable (no wi-fi connection, which in hindsight was a blessing). This allowed a logjam of pent-up mental stuff to drain-along with some fatigue, some frustration, and a few other buggered emotions. While I was waiting for Deena and her aunt to return, I took a few phone calls, logged some long overdue paperwork, and caught up on some reading. (I also did the few things to her aunt’s Mac that needed doing.) This downtime-which started off by visiting 1 Infinite Loop-was what this doctor needed to do a little brainstorming of his own to help rectify a nasty set of issues. Realistic, workable plans got made and have already been implemented. This has lowered my stress level, and thus will make me more productive.

The only thing that really got changed was perspective. Issues and problems I faced when I left are still there, but now I have some personal resources to deal with them. I’m not totally drained, and if I take care of myself and follow my planning, things should lighten up in roughly two to three weeks.

That change started by taking some down time and visiting “the Mothership.”

Enough for now.

On Shortwave Radio

2010-03-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

Shortwave radio listening (or DX’ing) is another hobby, somewhat like stamp collecting, that seems to have fallen on hard times. You can sort of blame this on the internet, I suppose; with stamps, e-mail is the method of choice for sending letters all over. Many nations have figured this out and either reduced their shortwave radio broadcasts, or cut them outright.

As a hobby, it’s not like baseball or football cards in that you can collect a set of them relatively easily as there is a card shop or two in every city, it seems like. The same can be said of comic books; and with both not only is condition a factor, but then, you have to put them somewhere. You try storing ten years of comic books; if you take ten titles a month, that’s 120 issues a year...and that doesn't count back issues!

Nor is is like collecting coins in which you really need to quit looking at your change and start with things like proof sets in order to have a collection worth something. Trust me on this one. You might have a complete set of old wheat ear pennies, but if they look like they went through the mill, they won’t be worth more than about 14 cents each, if that. Better you should collect proof sets.

For openers, to listen to DX programming...you need to have a shortwave radio. They are not cheap; in fact, a really good one will set you back over a hundred and fifty bucks or more. I actually have two: A DAK model DMR-3000 (which is small and digital) and an older Realistic DX-150A (which is a large boxy thing and analog). Both are in really good shape.

You will also need a good antenna; the best one I ever had was about 100 feet of copper wire that ran the length on my folks attic, and out to a tree in the backyard. Currently, I use a small powered antenna with a core made from all that old wire. Not as good, but serviceable.

Then there’s trying to get a signal here. As alluded to before, many nations have cut their DX signals to North America, making it a little harder than before to get a signal worth listening to. With the DMR-3000, I can punch in the frequency and hopefully get something. With the DX-150A, it’s fiddling with the dials and hope it pulls in a signal.

Once you have a signal, you log in your log book the frequency, the time, what you heard, the broadcaster, and several other bits of info. Then you send off to the broadcaster for verification, using your own cash to do so (unless they have an e-submission form). They often will require you, if you want a response, to enclose some sort of remuneration. (It used to be a International Postal Money Order. Today, it may well be PayPal.)

What do you get once you’ve actually logged something and sent off a reception report? If you’re lucky, something called a QSL card. And if you’re really lucky, a few other goodies such as pennants, pins, buttons, patches, etc. (You can click here to see a number of my QSL cards.) Oh, yes--you’ll also be added to the their mailing list for a year or two. Or three.

It sounds easy, but it’s not. Sunspots, weather conditions, time of day, antenna length, signal strength, the number of trees in your way, power lines, and a host of other factors can keep you from getting anything fit to log in.

So, why bother at all?

Well, it can also be fun and somewhat educational. Granted, with the internet you can just go to a country and and see if they have a podcast in English, but that does not teach you things like patience. Fiddling with the knobs on the radio, waiting on the mail, and waiting sometimes for the station ID (especially if you just missed it) teaches one patience. It does not teach you several other things. (True enough, however, listening to a podcast does teach you some about the host nation.)

It also teaches you perseverance. Because every year or so, these QSL cards change designs, many of them. So for some of your favorites, you have to go back and mail a new report, to get a new QSL card. (Of course, some never change. I have several from a DX station that essentially hadn’t changed in ten plus years.)

Every once in awhile, I’ll pull out the DX radio and see what I can catch. Even Canada-which is only 360 miles or so from where I live-isn’t really easy anymore, but I figured I’d start there and see where I could go to after that.

Hmm-makes me wonder where I can get some stamps for an old album I have....

Enough for now.

On Canada and the Winter Olympics

2010-02-21T10:48:00.000-08:00

The spectacle that is the Winter Olympics is currently going on in our neighbor’s back yard. (Vancouver is a tad far to be considered our back yard.) Canada so far has been a great host; the US is way ahead in the overall medal count. Though the Canadians haven’t fared too poorly, either. They finally won a gold medal at home, enshrining Alexandre Bilodeau’s name securely in their sporting history forever.

The Olympics are an interesting spectacle. We place all our hopes and dreams on people who represent our country, celebrating their triumphs and mourning their losses as if we were there. We call them our medals, but really...they belong to those who actively participated. We just get to share in their fun, without sacrificing anything except a little money. Well, okay. That and two weeks of our lives where suddenly, we absolutely must win medals in sports we almost never see here outside the Olympics and normally could care less about.

Be honest...when was the last time you saw a Bobsleigh race on the tube here? Or curling? When was the last time you saw anything on ice other than a hockey game or a drink of some extraction?

I didn’t think so.

Time to fess up--I know you don’t follow Ice Dancing at any other time outside of once every four years, and only then if we have a shot at a medal.

Speaking of medals...the US has, in the first week, taken advantage of our neighbors in The Great White North. This comes as a bit of a surprise to me, certainly, as normally we don’t do as well in winter sports. Canada had a program in place to own the podium, and it appears that we beat them to the property so far.

Understand-I am cheering for both countries. I am not ashamed to admit this. I am a bit sick and tired of the Europeans thinking they can just walk in and own the place. (And, as a Cold War Vet, don’t even start me on Russia. Or Korea, for all that.) I’d like to see many more medals coming here, and if not here, to Canada. They deserve any and all medals they get, and more. Bring them home to North America, kids.

About my relationship to the host country: While I do have a sister that was born in Newfoundland, she is and I am American citizens. Make no mistake about that. However...if I had to move to any other country in the world, I think Canada is where I’d want to go. I have friends there (and a shout out to my friends and readers in the Ontario District of the BHS; you know who you are and I thank you for your friendship-especially at Director’s College). I know that every time I have been to Canada, I have been treated well-except for one meal at La Cage Aux Sport at Centre Bell in Montreal.

I have undertaken several trips to Canada, but my last trip to British Columbia was in 1983 on a marching band tour. (I didn’t make it to Vancouver then; I hope to finally rectify that this summer.) The band went to Victoria, located on Vancouver Island. Victoria is every bit as nice as Vancouver (from what I’ve seen of Vancouver on the TV), and maybe just a bit nicer. We were there for the Victoria Day parade, and the Harbour Days festival. I’ve never forgotten that trip.

(Side note: if any of my readers know of anyone who marched in 1980 with Pacific Blue from Surrey, BC please drop me a line. I was virtually adopted into their corps, and have wondered from time to time how people are doing. Not that many would remember my name, and honestly, I don’t remember many of theirs. But I digress.)

Back to the Olympics-I am so mad at NBC. It's bad enough, Boris, that they are keeping America up till all hours (and don’t lecture me about things like DVR’s and TiVo, buster, or you’re staying after class and clapping the erasers). This means I can’t get live Olympic feeds from CTV (who, as part of a consortium, won the rights to the Olympics in Canada) online, because NBC has exclusive rights here in the US. In turn, this also means that, until the games are over, I can’t get a live straight news feed from Canada on either CTV or the CBC online. That is called censorship, and is a topic I’ll blog on later. I hope somebody else gets the contract for the next games; or at least NBC starts them an hour earlier next time. It reeks that I’m in the same time zone as Vancouver, and there’s what-a two to three hour time delay? What’s up with that? It’s just wrong.

Meantime, I’m trying to keep up with the fun sports, like bobsleigh, skeleton, luge, speed skating-and yes, curling-and it’s been made...difficult, shall we say...because most Americans either don’t understand some of these sports, or don’t care to learn. If there's little interest, there's no ratings. No ratings means that they'll show something like Ice Dancing that does draw ratings.

Enough for now.

On the Haitian Earthquake

2010-01-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

Wow.

Let me say this again. Wow.

I am so totally stunned by the devastation, by the amount of damage this earthquake laid out on Haiti. This is a chunk of property that runs over 10,000 square miles.

The damage is incredible.

I saw some satellite pictures this morning of the before and after. Things before looked decent in Port-Au-Prince.

And now…gone. It looks like a globebuster bomb hit it.

Just like that. Eradicated. Blessedly little's standing there right now.

Kids, I grew up in earthquake country. I know what it's like to have the earth move under you like that. I remember being in Chicago during the Loma Prieta and Northridge quakes. I know how hard it can be to reach family and friends. I remember seeing the pictures of San Francisco...the chunk of the Bay Bridge down, the Cypress Structure pancaked, the Marina District on fire. Buildings collapsing and rubble all over, from Oakland to Santa Cruz.

That doesn't even cover the Northridge quake.

This is worse, actually, because of the years of kleptocratic government that dates back to when I was in high school. Here in the States, we have gross incompetence and mismanagement in government, but not outright theft.

I don't always ask folks to help-money's tight all over, I understand that. We are all recovering from 2009's stinkin' economy, yours truly included. But find a way to give money, or to do what you can.

Because this goes past bad.

Check out the Red Cross website for donations. Here's the link: www.redcross.org.

If you are a person of prayer, pray for the survivors.

Enough for now.

On Christmas 2009

2009-12-21T20:28:00.000-08:00

So it’s Christmas week. The Christmas performances are done, the last of the gifts are (thankfully) purchased, wrapped, and ready for their big day, the cards are all mailed, and I finally have a moment to sit and reflect on Christmas.

I could go through all the commercialization gyrations that I’ve written in many places in years past. But I’m not going there this year.

I could also write about how tired I am of 24/7 Christmas music, and Santa being everywhere I go. Somebody buy that kid’s shoes, get that girl a hippo, and fix that other kid’s front dental work. Sorry, Bing--I don’t want a white Christmas, either. (I’d have to shovel all that snow.) Nope...not writing that up, either.

I could write up the argument about how it’s Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays. While I have issue with how far both sides go with this argument, I’m saving that for next year, maybe. (For the record, there are six major holidays in December, some of which overlap. Seven if you count my birthday. Hence I don’t have as big a deal with “Happy Holidays” as others do.)

I could definitely write about family, and how important that is. It is important, especially to me. But...I’m not writing about that right now. Maybe later.

Instead, I have chosen to quote from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2:

1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (NASB)

That’s what Christmas is all about.

It’s the day we celebrate the birthday of Jesus of Nazareth. No decorated trees, no fat guy sliding down chimneys with a bag of holding, no flying reindeer (including the one with the 12-volt nose), not even a turkey. Just another night during tax season, with one exception: the figure that came to save us from our sins, the man who split time from BC to AD was born in humble estate and laid in a feeding trough. He was born to die for our sins, so that we, who are dead in sin, might be born into new life in Christ.

That hardly seems like a fair trade to me. But I’m not arguing it. I’ve accepted His gift of life, and believe He came here for the very reason stated above.

Contemplate this over the next few days: Why do you celebrate Christmas, if not for the birth of Jesus?

Grace and Peace to you and yours. Have a Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year.

Enough for now.

On Facebook, Twitter, and Seppuku

2009-12-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

It’s funny, in a bizarre sort of way. Given how much I like working with technology, one would think I keep up with all the latest trends.

Except that I don’t.

I don’t have (at the time I write this) a Facebook or MySpace page, mainly because I don’t feel I’m all that important or interesting. I see no reason to put a bunch of stuff that will bore people to tears out on the web. You don’t really want to know that the one thing I am consuming right now is a box of Sugar Frosted Flakes. I don’t want to tell you all about my friends; I want them to remain my friends. You certainly don’t want to know what I’m listening to on the radio because I don’t listen much to radio anymore. I use my iPod in place thereof...less commercials that way. I don’t need a bunch of “friends” I’ve never met but expect me to list as my friends so we can move up the food chain or however they rank these things. I certainly don’t want people writing all over my walls as I have enough stuff to clean, thank you.

If you’re looking for me on Twitter you might as well stop because I don’t tweet, either. If I want to reach out and touch someone, I can call or e-mail them. You don’t want a pithy message from me telling you I’ve eaten Corn Pops for breakfast, or that I’m standing in the deodorant aisle at Wal-Mart trying to decide what Fresh, Pure Sport, Game Day, Swagger or Smooth Blast smell like. (Those are all scents from Old Spice, by the way, lest you think I’m making them up.) You sure don’t want to know that I’m balancing my checkbook or going flat at quartet rehearsal.

Now, I know there’s folks out there that love and use these things, and I’m happy you do. As far as I’m concerned, however, once the corporations started asking me to “follow” them, or become their “friend”, I got the rather crazy idea that this was nothing more than an advertising gimmick anymore. I certainly do not want to be friends with corporations that have never met me, and I do not need ads being tweeted to me.

What prompted to me write about this was a mildly disturbing story of a new service that allows you to commit “virtual suicide.” Read part of Frank Carnevale’s article:

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - Feeling overwhelmed by your Facebook profile? Having trouble dealing with social anxiety? A new Web site will help you kill your virtual self.

Seppukoo.com offers to help you disconnect yourself from Facebook and "have a really cool, radical, chic experience."

The site is named after "Seppuku," the ritual suicide that samurai practiced. The site explains that rather than fall into the hands of their enemies, ancient Japanese samurai preferred to die with honor, voluntarily plunging a sword into the abdomen moving the sword left to right in a slicing motion.

Today the enemy, according to the site, is not another warrior but corporate media who use viral marketing to make huge profits by connecting people across the globe.

Is this what we have come to? Committing virtual suicide? The really dumb thing is that people can then write you virtual memorials!

But some life is everlasting. Even after committing seppuku, users can read all the comments left by your friends on the memorial page.

And your Facebook profile is not actually deleted - you can easily reactivate your account. Just log into your Facebook profile and your account is reactivated.

Whatever happened to simply deleting things? Granted, once on the web it’s always there...but this is ridiculous. Getting rid of your online profile by creating another online profile is just silly, and a waste of time and bandwidth.

So, don’t look for me using this stuff any too soon. I have better things to do with my time, like playing Nine on the iPod, organizing all my cereal prizes by company then cereal, or dusting the man-cat because he’s been sleeping all day in the same spot.

Enough for now.

On Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

Ah, Thanksgiving. That wonderful respite between Halloween and Christmas, where everyone except the retailers slow down and takes stock of their blessings. (The retailers are simply trying to move their stock.)

We have a lot to be thankful for in the Crandall household. Deena and I are in reasonable health, and we’re both employed. Sure, we’d like a little more in our bank accounts--who doesn’t, right now?--but we have enough. We have friends and family who love us. Life is good, really, when you stop and count your blessings.

We are also thankful that we serve a Risen Lord who loves us as well. He loves us so much He died for us, then rose again. Now that’s something to be thankful for!

Which is really what Thanksgiving is all about. The modern Thanksgiving holiday can trace its origins from a 1621 celebration at the Plymouth Plantation, where the Plymouth settlers held a harvest feast after a highly successful growing season. This is the event that is generally referred to as the "First Thanksgiving." God blessed the fruits of their labor with enough food to survive the winter. The tradition of giving thanks to God is continued today in various forms. Various religious and spiritual organizations offer services and events on Thanksgiving themes the weekend before, the day of, or the weekend after Thanksgiving. During Thanksgiving Day families and friends usually gather for a large meal or dinner. At home, it is a holiday tradition in many families to begin the Thanksgiving dinner by saying grace; ours (Mine and Deena’s) as well as at both sets of parent’s observes this. Then we eat.

In typically American fashion, we as Americans have managed to turn it into a feast day. (As if we needed an excuse to overeat.) And it’s kind of forgotten by too many people, as it’s hard to sell thankfulness.

What are you thankful for? Look past all the stuff, the large amount of food, the excessive amounts of sports on the tube, the overly fast computer you’re reading this from, and take some time to really think about how God Almighty has blessed you and yours this year. Then take some time to give thanks to God for all your blessings (and not just the food in front of you).

Enjoy your time with your families. We will enjoy the time with ours.

Enough for now.

What is this Blog of which I hear?

2009-11-16T09:49:00.000-08:00

I’m taking some time to address some new readers today. Greetings to all my students! Since many of you will have found this by clicking the link next to my name on the MISD Faculty and Staff webpage, a brief introduction to my blog is in order.

This is a personal blog, and not one sponsored by MISD. What that means is what you will find here is mostly random thoughts on things that interest me. These may be Theological, technical, humorous (an example of that is here), geeky, or merely off the wall. (An example of that is here, by the way.)

I update this as I see fit. That means I will update it when I have something to say. Which may be weekly, every couple of days, or there might be a month with nothing new here. (I doubt that, but one never knows.)

If you are expecting this to be deeply religious and devotional... you’re in for a shock. You will learn about my personal life here. Amazing as it may seem to some of you, I don’t simply go to bed after work and sleep all weekend (though I admit It’d be fun to try, sleeping until noon on a Saturday.) I have the same problems you do, and some of the same interests. Much of what I write relates to technology; it stems from being an electrogeek (a title I’ve well earned, by the way) with Christian overtones.

A few of you may wonder why I write what I do. I could say just about anything here, but the truth is (as more than a few of you have found out) I am slightly no...let’s try mildly--no, that’s not right either...hmmm....how about...somewhat...opinionated. That works.

There are plenty of thought provoking, devotional blogs out there. Dr. Frey, President of MISD, writes a really good one; I’ve linked to that off to the right. Skip Moen--our Academic Dean--writes a good one as well, and you’ll find a link to that off to the right too. You really should read those; there’s some deep thoughts there.

I’m not even in their league when it comes to that kind of writing. I am my Father’s son--both my earthly and heavenly fathers--and thus, I write the way I do because of that. My Dad was an Electrical Engineer who taught me to teach myself, and he taught me a lot about electronics and computers. (You can read my eulogy to him here.) Outside of Theology and some music, that’s what I know best. So that’s what I write a lot about.

So enjoy the reading. Take a few minutes and read some of the back posts here. Feel free to post replies to anything you read here.

Just remember who grades your homework.

Enough for now.

MacBook and iPod Update: One Year Out

2009-11-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

Well, okay. Not quite a year out; The iPod won’t hit a year until November 13, and the MacBook won’t be a year until November 26.

Background refresher: As has been mentioned before, I’m no stranger to Apple products. My “Intro to the PC” course at LMC was based on the Apple II+ Bell and Howell model, based on the pic in my LMC catalog from the time. I used a Mac while at (what was then called) First Collateral Services from mid 1991 until the end of April 1993, which was thick with them. I survived the transfer from System Six to System Seven. This was a Big Thing. I took two Mac Academy courses on Word and Excel while there. One of my temp jobs for the U of O had me using a Mac for a day.

In real life, however, I had bought into Microsoft bigtime. They had all the programs that I needed to be productive. I used MS Office, MS Money, Windows, MSN Music (the store), MS Picture it!, the whole enchilada. I even had a Hotmail account. I used these for many years (except for the Hotmail account).

But as time went by, I got tired of the constant security issues. MSN Music became Zune.net. MS Money is no longer. I wanted Frontpage...well, it’s gone, too. Vista came out, and everyone I talked to hated the thing. Memory hog, buggy, etc. I had started using Safari about this time last year, as I found it far better (and more stable) than Internet Explorer.

Then came the need for a PDA-like gadget. I was directing one chorus, assistant directing another, juggling two part-time jobs, plus Deena was in a big chorus. There’s a lot of dates I needed to keep track of for various meetings, rehearsals, extra office hours, etc. Plus I needed a calculator that worked. And I wanted another device that had music playing capabilities. Thus, the iPod touch.

The one person I could have used some computer advice from--Dad--sadly was no longer available to ask questions. So I did my homework, and checked everything out. And bought the MacBook. And then discovered that the nice folks from Microsoft had, shall we say nicely, led me astray. My next comment will undoubtedly frost the true Mac believers: Apple isn’t perfect...far from it. There have been a few glitches. But compared to Microsoft...those have been negligible. For example, security is tighter. I don’t have to upload a patch every seven to ten days.

Today: I can do as much on my Mac as I could on my Dell, and I have far less trouble doing it. Pages is actually better than Word, Numbers is slightly better than Excel, and I haven’t played enough with Keynote to compare it adequately to Powerpoint. I still think Safari is a better browser than Internet Explorer, and you can download a Windows version. (I have made it the default browser on my father-in-law’s new HP.) iPhoto is at least equal to Picture It!, and in some cases, better. And since I leave my e-mail on the web, I don’t really know if Mail is any better than Outlook Express (or whatever has replaced it).

The one downside is that I finally did have to get a new wireless printer router. I am now the happy owner of an AirPort Express, acquired May 1. It reads both the PC and the Mac and thus we can both use the printer wirelessly again. (Well, we will when I can figure out the Bonjour/Windows 7 issue.)

So...should everyone go the route I did? Again, I undoubtedly will frost the true Mac believers...but the answer is no. For example, Deena didn’t; she spends too much time in Windows at her job and needs it for her schooling. And since she really likes her mp3 player and it works well for her, why replace it? My mom and my in-laws probably shouldn’t go Mac either; they like what they have, they like what they understand, and who am I to argue? Andy, my very best friend since dirt was young, wants to build his own PC. He has the smarts to do it, too. (I’m actually a bit jealous of that.) I’m guessing that’ll be a Windows job, unless he goes Unix.

**grins**

Everyone else, however, is fair game.

Enough for now.

On Windows 7

2009-11-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

So my beautiful and charming bride took advantage of a Best Buy promo: HP Netbook, Laptop, PC, Netgear G-Band router, and Geek Squad install, for $1199. She now has a new laptop AND the new netbook (her dad got the new PC part of it, as well as the new router). All this sounded like a good idea at the time.

My opinion of the netbook is simple: it’s a cute little doorstop. I have textbooks bigger than this. For what it’ll be used for, it’s just fine. And if I’m playing softball and need something to be the first base, we can always use the netbook.

The other units themselves are okay enough, but after having spent the better part of my free time this last two weeks trying to fix the goofs with Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 I am, shall we say, less than impressed. I can see that Windows 7 is better than Vista.

That’s not saying much!

And IE8 is worse than worthless. Of course, since IE8 is built into Windows 7, I don’t really want to try and remove it. Which means I finally had to install Safari on her dad’s computer, as his IE8 crashed more than it ran. Installed Safari, made it the default browser, loaded Adobe Reader, Java, Shockwave, Quicktime, and Flash on it, then took away the IE8 icons from his desktop.

The other major issue is that Deena’s laptop is refusing to print. I have had to delete, then reinstall Bonjour for Windows far too many times (I have an AirPort Express connected to the Printer) so she can print. And even at that, so far I’ve only been successful enough to get two thirds of a page to print before the printer gets fouled up.

This is easy? This is the great Windows upgrade, with “none of the problems that Vista had.” Yeah, right.

Give me a break!

There’s an ad with a four and a half year old child playing with Windows 7. Maybe that’s what I need: a four and a half year old child, because if this is all great and wonderful, I’m just not getting it. The cute child had some “pretty words” for Windows 7. I’m not as cute, and have a few choice words of my own right now--none of which are reprintable, much less fit to say in front of that small child.

Now I admit I like my Mac--that’s a blog that’ll be out soon. Stuff just works with it, and I like that. However, I went into this Windows 7 thing with an open mind. I wanted to believe that this was going to be a better experience. But as I said before, I’m less than impressed. If this was the Windows that was supposed to make me want to come “back to the fold”, it has failed wildly.

So if you’re reading this, and you decide to “upgrade”, save yourself before it’s too late.

Enough for now.

On Halloween

2009-10-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

Halloween used to be different.

It used to be a time where we put some really ugly cardboard stuff on our windows, got dressed in ridiculous outfits with bad plastic masks held on with elastic string, and went out trick or treating. Adults had costume parties, and did whatever it was adults did; we were kids and we didn’t care. The big question was “What are you going to go out as?” We had “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” to watch on TV, and maybe some old movies with Bela Lugosi. The older kids went out and kind of kept an eye on the younger kids, and sometimes they got some candy out of the deal.

It’s becoming increasingly dark. It’s not fun anymore. It’s gone from a fun kind of scary to flat out evil. I can’t tell you the last costume party I attended; it’s been at least ten years and probably longer. In fact, too many people are afraid to have parties anymore; the liability issues aren’t worth it. Kids don’t go out at night on halloween, twilight is about the best they get anymore and they have to have all the candy inspected to make sure it’s safe to eat because you just know some sicko has poisoned it, or added bugs or razor blades to it. That’s if they can get it home without some teenager mugging the kid for it.

In a sense, it’s too bad. Kids today have lost out on yet another childhood ritual, because we adults have held onto things too long. Some of us have made our lives like that of the undead.

I admit don’t get all the goth scene. I’m not into vampires, were-anythings, zombies, or monsters. A Zombie was a cheese filled yeast bun when I was in school, most bloodsucking is best left to the IRS, and with cloning we are creating our own monsters.

When you run in the circles I do, you only die once. Then you face judgement, and if you are not right with God you go straight to hell, do not pass go, do not collect $200. (See Hebrews 9:27.)

And Hell is not a party place. The devil is evil incarnate, and Hell is a place where you are in torment for eternity. (Eternity, by the way, means forever.) It’s dark, you are tormented all the time, there is no rest, and it is a lake of fire.

Not exactly my idea of a vacation destination, kids!

So I won’t be dressing up this year, though I have a nice Star Trek Next Generation tunic with chirping commbadge and can make my iPod a tricorder. (Yes, Virginia, there’s an App for that.) I’m not even sure I want to be home; the U of O is playing USC in an early evening kickoff, ESPN’s College Gameday will be here, and it’s Halloween. Which means the party will start about 4:30 the day before, and is likely to go well into November 1st.

Now that’s scary. In fact, the only thing scarier to me is Nancy Pelosi’s healthcare plan.

Enough for now.

On The Big Windows 7 Party

2009-10-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

I’ve spent the last few days flat on my back. Acute impacted sinusitis does that to you--you get dizzy and can’t sit up for too long at a clip, until your eustation tubes drain and the pressure equalizes in your head. As I write this, I can sit upright for about an hour. Yesterday, it was 35-45 minutes. The day before that, 30 minutes tops--and walking unassisted was a real experience. To top it off, my vocal folds have been hamburger for four days now. If all goes well, I should be okay by the start of the workweek.

While I’ve been recovering, I’ve noticed that Windows 7 has finally been released for those of you who have PC’s. This is indeed a grand milestone for those of you who went with Vista, and is light years ahead of same, if all the reports I’ve read are even half true. However, If you still have XP, seriously consider buying a Mac or a new PC. You’ll have a lot less headaches as far as I can tell, and trust me, I’ve had a few real winning headaches of my own this week.

Now, I love a good party. I like certain celebrations; that’s why I attend things like Barbershop and Sweet Adeline Internationals, BrickCons, and so forth. I like getting together with friends and having a good time. But since I have a Mac, I’ve felt a little left out of this party. I mean, I kind of wanted in on the fun that PC users seemed to be having. I’ve read about the launch parties, and all the other attendant hoopla. And I really felt like I should join in on all the fun and games.

So I decided to celebrate this fantastic milestone by removing Win XP from my Mac.

Here’s the fun and games part: I’m not replacing it with Windows anything.

That’s right--I have finally cut the Windows cord. See, I only installed XP because I thought I’d need it for a few things, like for work. Turns out there’s a Mac version, and our IT person was kind enough to send me the link for it. The other two programs I had it for...I don’t need the one anymore, and the other refused to transfer to the Mac. (When they said one copy to one computer, they weren’t kidding around.)

Gone is the Open Office I installed. If I really want it back, I can get it as it runs on Mac. Also gone is the last Norton product I’m paying for. I didn’t really need it for the Mac side, but did for the Win XP side. When Deena’s Norton subscription runs out, I think I’m going to download Avast or AVG for her, unless she wants to pay for Norton herself. (I have been suspicious that part of her HP’s issues stem from her Norton, however.)

I don’t mind cutting Win XP; it’s been good but is now two versions back and the support for it will dry up soon enough. I also don’t mind losing Norton, mostly because I didn’t mind gaining 100 GB of memory back for the whole Win partition.

Have fun with Windows 7. Me...I’m saving some of what I would have spent on upgrades for Windows, MS Office and Norton and be getting Snow Leopard, iWork and iLife 2010 (if there will be such a thing). I’ll also be doubling my RAM from 2GHz to 4GHz. It’ll be like having a whole new computer, for about the cost of a PC netbook.

And I’ll have enough left over to throw my own party, if I want.

Enough for now.

Faith and technology

2009-10-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

Theology and computers are my stock in trade. I work online, and while that allows for certain perks, there are certain drawbacks as well. It also makes for some trying times. This week has had a few of those in my life, mostly good people who do not understand how things like cutting and pasting something into a browser works. (Not all links in an e-mail are live ones, mind you. Nor should they be.)

Now I could very easily go off into a blog about how, as Christians, we should not be afraid to use the technology and yet need to not make it more than it is. It would certainly be easy enough to write.

I’ll get to part of that in a minute.

It just surprises me that, in this day and age, there are those people my age and slightly older by a year or three who really don’t understand technology, people of faith not withstanding. Worse, they’re afraid of it, and I don’t understand why. Granted, I grew up in a home where technology was embraced. We learned by doing, and doing meant having the tools to work with, or at least going to where there were tools to work with in order to learn.

But technology didn’t replace hard work as such. For example, calculators were used to check math, not to do it. A spellcheck would have been helpful (and is today), but we had a big dictionary. Encyclopedias were available at home as well.

I’ve written enough of late to give most of you the idea that I know a little about computers. But in a sense, I’ve had a lifetime of learning about them. BASIC in summer school, plus TRS-DOS in high school. AppleSoft in college. More software programs over the years than I want to list or admit to, never mind the hardware that ran them all.

Now you can see why I wonder why people don’t understand how things like the Internet works.

Now, moving forward, we add faith into the mix. As Christians, we need to use whatever tools we can to advance the Gospel of Christ, and use them well. And while I admit to a fondness for “dead tree editions” (read: books), I am not against using Keynote or PowerPoint for worship services as opposed to hymnals and Bibles. (I still think we should have both in the seats or pews, however. Some folks like to have the book in their hands.) We cannot allow ourselves the luxury of being afraid of computers or the Internet. We must learn to use these tools, not to keep up with the world (or worse--become worldly), but because the world uses these tools and has come to expect their use on a daily basis. If we want to reach the world, we need to take the tools (which are neutral, in and of themselves) and put them to work for the Kingdom, just like we did with radio, television, and music. (Notice I haven’t mentioned movies. There are better Christian movies being made--Left Behind, Facing the Giants and Fireproof among them--but Christian movies still have a long way to go in terms of writing and production values.)

And this isn’t just for large churches, or well-to-do Christians, either. This is for all churches, and honestly, given the cost of computers these days, any Christian.

I understand that I am preaching to the choir, as it were. If you’re reading this, you’re online unless someone printed it out. (If so, I’d like to know, okay?) I guess I feel so strongly about this because it used to be that the Christians were well educated. Now we are perceived as being backwards, a little slow perhaps. We react, and we need to be proactive in its place. We put our faith in front of our brains, and it needs to be that our faith molds our education. We need to be the educated people God called us to be, and that means being able to use a computer for more than an expensive doorstop.

So...go learn how your computer works. Figure out some of those programs you don’t know much about. There are books that you can get that will help, and online tools as well. You can’t really break your computer, anyway, unless you mess with the registry or you drop it. (I do not recommend you do either. Both become very expensive.)

If nothing else, at least learn to cut and paste a link into your web browser.

Enough for now.

This Whole Green Mess

2009-10-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it. I’m sick of everything having to be green.

Don’t take it wrong. I’ve long been a supporter of nature, starting with several years of being in the Nature Club at Mt. Diablo Elementary. I got Ranger Rick magazine from the National Wildlife Federation for years, and a few years of National Geographic World. (I also had a subscription recently to National Geographic, but have since let it lapse.) I recycle my plastics, cardboard, and glass here at the apartment complex, take newspaper to my Barbershop chorus for recycling, and take recyclable bottles back to the store. (That nickel a pop for pop cans and bottles starts adding up for a Coca-Cola addict. Not to mention that Oregon duns the same amount for water in those 20 oz. bottles.) I just recycled the old Dell laptop, a Toshiba laptop, an old clock radio and both my old electronic PDA type devices at NextStep Electronic recycling. I have long been a supporter of “recycled” (read: used) books: both Tsunami and Smith Family Bookstores here in Eugene, as well Powell’s Books in Portland are current favorites. Growing up in Concord, the late, lamented Book Nook at Park and Shop, and both Moe’s and the late Cody’s in Berkeley were favorites. (I’ll really miss Cody’s. That’s a tragic loss.) I’ve long said the government has underfunded our National Parks, and state parks are not much better. I’ve even replaced many of the incandescent light bulbs in our apartment with CFL’s, even though I don’t like them as well. I’ll even recycle myself when I go: I’m an organ donor. They can have whatever they can use from an aging epileptic that’s been on seizure meds since the Ford Administration.

But since being green has been shown to make money for business, all of a sudden it’s being rammed down my throat. As a result, it seems to be the cause du jour for everyone, and everyone just must do more. Plastics, styrofoams and chemicals are evil, natural, sustainable and organic is in. The world is warming at an alarming rate. (Yeah, right. I’m sitting at 42 degrees as I write this. A bit chilly for October 5th in these parts.) We must cut emissions, reduce plastics, and eat organically, and if we eat meat at all, it must be organic, free-range, and so forth.

Just hold on there, partner. Explain to me--with a straight face--why it is that I’m getting hit in the Big Mac with all this?

Kids, my body is a product of modern science! As mentioned above, my body is riddled with seizure meds and caffeine. I make a living (such as it is) by working online. (In fact, I probably spend more time in front of my Mac than is good for me.) I use cell phones (but turn in my old ones for reuse). I use a microwave to heat and cook things. Electricity, electronics, computers, and so forth are modern marvels, even now. This also means I am absorbing microwaves, radio waves, wi-fi waves, bluetooth waves, and UVA and UVB waves. (All those waves, and I can’t surf on any of them. Bummer.)

And, I eat meat because I grew up in a world where protein was A Good Thing. We ate beef and chicken and were not afraid to go outside and play; sunscreen was almost unheard of when I was ten or so and your choice was Coppertone. In fact, a good tan was a sign you were healthy! We ate meat, drank cow’s milk and put it on our presweetened cereals, and went outside and played. I spent summers in little more than a t-shirt, swimsuit and zoris, and swam daily. Rode my bike and/or my skateboard, went roller skating, and was in (generally) good health, except from the bruises where other kids beat on me, or from where I fell (or was pushed) off my bike. And was skinny like a rail until I was in the care of the US Naval Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, when I had my final growth spurt. (Civilians, you might know this better as Navy boot camp.)

All well and good. I’m a married adult now, and we’re not paying an extra $40 a pay period to buy organic food. We ask for the plastic bags at Walmart, so we can use them for cat dump. I personally am only willing to buy a certain amount of clothing from places like St. Vincent dePaul’s or the Salvation Army. Shoes and underwear are not among those items. (Some things should be bought new.) We are not turning the heater controls in the apartment to 65 degrees, and colder at night. (Granted, right now they’re set at 60 degrees. Winter is coming, however.) I am not riding my bike in the rain or at night.

Should we do what we can to reduce, reuse, and recycle? Sure, we should. There is only a finite amount of resources we have, and yes, Virginia, the globe really is warming. They have proven a certain amount of that is man’s fault. (The rest of it, however, is cyclical in Nature. It happens. Deal with it.)

Should we be less dependent on chemicals? Probably. Too many chemicals have or are leaching into our water, and if you really knew how they clean and retreat the water you drink you’d never drink a drop again. Sure, I drink tap water from time to time. (I run it through a Brita filter first, though.)

Can we go back and live like we did 200 years ago, before the Industrial Revolution? I don’t think so. If you want to try, go ahead. Leave all your technology behind. Walk everywhere, make your own clothes, grow your own food without chemicals and store it for the winter, and make candles. No computers, iPods, microwaves, etc.

Me, I’ll stay here and enjoy the nice modern technology. I am, after all, a product of the age.

Enough for now.

(published 10/9/09)

My Life with Computers

2009-10-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

Computers have changed over the years, mainly for the better. The sleek, speedy MacBook I now enjoy is light years ahead of the IBM Thinkpad that I had prior to the Dell that died about a year ago. (Come to think of it, the MacBook is light years ahead of the Dell.)

I got to thinking the other day about my very first computer. I’m talking about the unit I got when I first went to Moody. The backstory: I had gotten a bit spoiled when I came home from the Navy; I had used Dad’s computer for various homework assignments, and LMC had a computer lab. So when I arrived at Moody and discovered that these things called typewriters were still in play, I panicked. One of the worst kept secrets in the world is that I can use a word processor such as Pages or MS Word with speed and grace, but I can’t type well enough to make a difference, even on an IBM Selectric 2.

Now, we didn’t have the TRS-80 Level 2 that Dad got while I was in high school. That unit had been replaced, and really, would not have helped me much at all. PC’s were king, and still pretty expensive. However, Dad found a neat little unit for me. The Epson PX-8, otherwise known as the Geneva, graced my desk for the three years I was in Chicago. I also had the TF-20 hard drive, the additional battery wedge/Ram upgrade, a Seikosha dot-matrix printer, and a modem that would connect me to Compuserve, at a rate of $6/hour. In essence, it was “the whole ball of wax.” Dad got it for me through the DAK catalog, and it was a lifesaver.

The Geneva, right out of the box.

The Geneva’s OS was a little something called CP/M, instead of DOS. The programs that came with it were on chips you installed as needed (WordStar, Portable Calc, and Portable Scheduler), and the memory was pretty limited, but I had something very few people did on my floor: A functional computer setup that allowed me to type and print from my room. Nice in those Chicago winters, let me tell you! And while I couldn’t type fast enough to take notes, I could do assignments quickly (and neatly, I might add) enough. Add a few dust covers and a printer stand from Egghead Software--when it was a brick and mortar store at the time--and I was in business.

Once I graduated and returned home, it wasn’t long before I got married, and we got a new/used computer from Dad, and another while I was in Seminary. In fact, the next truly “new” computer we had for our own use wasn’t acquired until 2000, when I was looking for work and using this “internet” thing to assist me. We got an HP workhorse desktop that survived some five years, and was replaced by another HP desktop that I ended up selling to by Father-In-Law to finance the move to the wireless setup the included by then the Dell and the HP laptop Deena has.

The Epson sat, well loved but unused, in its component boxes until 2004 when we moved. I ended up donating the thing, sadly, but at that time we had something like four computers, two of which were in use--the HP desktop, and the IBM Thinkpad. Someone got a true collectable, and I unloaded a piece of gear that I just couldn’t see holding on to, especially as we were moving out west.

Unlike the DX-150A I replaced, however, I don’t think I’ll be buying another Geneva. Some things are better left as pleasant memories.

Enough for now.

Moving day has come...

2009-10-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

My blog, take two.

You’ll notice that this blog starts on October 2, 2009.

That’s not entirely true. It actually started January 11, 2008 over on (what was then) Yahoo 360.

But times change, and Yahoo 360 has morphed into some sort of social networking site. And while I like being social, what I really wanted was a place to write about what I thought. I know it’s hard to believe, but I have been accused of being slightly opinionated from time to time. (You have been duly warned.)

Plus, since it became some sort of social networking site, a number of readers have complained that they can’t read the Heaping Pile o’ Blog without first signing out of Yahoo. They also made it more labor intensive to write on the thing.

In short, it was becoming a pain in the lower half of my anatomy. (I’ll let you choose whatever part you wish.)

That’s why I moved here to Blogspot. Nice, neat, simple, and I can actually use some HTML to liven it up a bit. I know just enough HTML to be dangerous, having done a little website building in my time. I can add pictures, such as one of my Man-Cat, for example.

About the URL: Cpromptpoke is an old Applesoft command. Way back when, in those days where you actually programmed a computer, I learned a lot of programming in BASIC. (We all did, as kids.) There were programming languages called COBOL, PASCAL, and FORTRAN, but BASIC was what we learned first.

Then came the home PC revolution.

All you kids out there, who are are so used to having everything computerized, have I got a news flash for you: It wasn’t always this way! Instead of going online to play games or talk, we actually went outside to play and/or talk. Sometimes to talk, we used a little something called a telephone. It hung on a wall or sat on a table, was connected to the wall by a wire, and didn’t take pictures or have fancy ringtones. It used a bell to get our attention, and you dialed a number by using...a dial. When we did get to play a video game, it was a little something called Pong.

And once the Atari 2600 came out, we could play Missile Command and Space Invaders. Pac Man was a big deal. There was something called IntelliVision, Nintendo was a huge advance, and TRS-80’s, Commodore 64’s, (with a whole 64 KB of memory...not GB, not MB, but KB as in Kilobyte) and Apple I’s were on the landscape. We were lucky if we had a disk drive; most of us backed things up with tape. You know...a cassette tape. And in those days, you programmed a computer. Not just load a new program onto the hard drive. You wrote and debugged the program yourself.

Then came the Apple II. This was a great improvement over those Commodore 64’s and Apple I’s. (For some odd reason, I still have a soft spot for the TRS-80, tape drives and all.)

Applesoft was what I learned by taking a college course in PC on an Apple II of some extraction. It was designed to set memory location address to x. (You programming geeks might recognize the command better as C:\Poke addr,x.)

What is a blog, but one’s memories online? Hence, Cpromptpoke. A place to send my online memories.

Enough for now.

(Posted 10/3/09)

On Sorting Through Stuff

2009-10-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

This last week I spent at my boyhood home, sorting through a bunch of stuff that represents a lot of Mom’s life. (Mom is fine, so no worries there.) There was stuff in the upstairs attic, garage rafters, and the back of the shed (and no, 99.97 percent of it wasn’t mine). It’s my Dad’s stuff, mostly, some of it Mom’s, a little each of both my sisters, and oddly enough, some stuff from the missus that she didn’t even know was up there. It was quite a lot--we filled 10 yards of a 20 yard dumpster, and the Salvation Army wound up filling what appeared to be a quarter of a truckload. Not bad for three days work.

A bit o’ ancient history: way back when I was in high school, back in the early 1980’s, I was called by several names (most of which are unprintable; I’d like to keep this blog somewhat family friendly). One of those was “Packrat.” I earned that because I carried a backpack to all my classes. In those days, you could and nobody cared. Nowadays, they search them for things. My, how times have changed...but, I digress. I carried my ‘pack because my locker was smack in the middle of “D” wing (D1214, to be precise), and I knew I couldn’t get to it, into and out of it, and to my classes on time. You just can’t stretch five minutes into eight, no matter how good you are.

The fact I collected all manner of junk...excuse me, really cool stuff...was a secondary issue. Or, so I thought.

So, why bring up ancient history? Because of what was unearthed.

Thongs like old magazines. Stuff from Blue Devils (Yes, all three of us kids were in the Concord Blue Devils. My two sisters were both in the “A” Corps, and I was in both Cadets (now “C” corps) and “B” Corps) and the CVHS marching band. More old magazines. Office stuff from what appears to be Dad’s last five offices. Computer stuff that dates backs to our first few home computers. (I found some tapes from the TRS-80 we had when I was still called Packrat, as well as a template for planning programs, plus about two years of 80Micro. If you had a TRS-80, you know what that is.) Even more old magazines. Stuff that was from my Mom’s mother. And her Aunt. And her Cousin. Stuff my one sister created in college. (Both my sisters are disgustingly artistically talented.) Effects from when I was in Y-Indian guides. (Told you this stuff was old!) Styrofoam that fit monitors long gone. Foam peanuts. Newspapers that discuss Kennedy’s assassination AND the 1976 US Bicentennial. Yet more old magazines. Engineering books, and a fair number of them.

Now, to be fair, I have my own share of junk in storage. (George Carlin was right--Dad had some real junk, but I have some really cool stuff.) Roughly forty percent of my library is in small-sized cedar tubs. I have several boxes of stuff that frankly needs sorting and either pitching, donating, or putting aside until I can file it, use it, or put it on a wall. The vast majority of the LEGO, Star Trek items, and a lot of my Barbershop stuff is also in tubs. More back issues of Discipleship Journal, The Harmonizer, Animerica Magazine (and Animerica Plus as well), and Star Trek: The Magazine than is possibly safe to admit to. (Plus some old Manga, in issue form.) So you know I come by this honestly, and it seems to have come from from my Great-Grandmother, through Grandfather Crandall, to Dad...and thus, to me.

The biggest difference, however, is that I have already gotten rid of a lot of stuff. (Don’t believe me? Ask the missus.) And, as I have time (probably in the waiting times for each of my dissertation components) I am going to have go through and get rid of more of it. It’s not that it’s junk (although some of it is).

It’s because I don’t want the missus to have to sort through it all later on.

Enough for now.

(Posted 6/8/09)