An interesting #book: EPIC – An Around-The-World Journey Through Christian History by Tim Challies

Posted By on January 10, 2021

Thanks to my daughter Katelyn and her family, I’m in the process of reading the Tim Challies book, “EPIC – An Around-The-World Journey Through Christian History.” It is the new book I mentioned in my 2020 Christmas wrap-up post and it has been challenging to put down. BUT … I’m sort of using it as aChristmas2020Book devotional book and reading one “object” at a time so am purposely not rushing through it.

There are 33 stories in all and I’m on #4, so it should last the month if I’m disciplined … unfortunately I already read ahead about Nate’s Saint’s Piper Aircraft (#31) and YouVersion Bible app (#33)). I couldn’t resist.P52_fragment

So far I found the “Augusta of Prima Porta” (#1) story very interesting although I wish I would have read it before going to Rome and the Vatican. Number #2 was equaling interesting and having just watched a movie about knights and the crusades, it had me thinking about just how old John Rylands Manuscript P52 fragment really is? (see image to the right) 

If you need a great book for yourself or a gift, this is a good one.

Bold and accomplished leaders often lack diplomatic tact

Posted By on January 9, 2021

As a “very” amateur military history buff who is currently reading the book “I Marched With Patton,” I came away from Frank Sisson’s memoir in thinking about other leaders who earned the respect of their men, General_George_S_Pattonbut offended others and were seen as abrasive. Accomplishing a goal and “winning” was for the most part their personal measure for success. The two “military” names that came to mind are General George S. Patton and General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur_ManilaLikely we all know of leaders who either choose not to bother or lack prioritizing the effort it takes to operate under the constrains of diplomacy.

By now, I suspect those with an open-mind know I’m thinking about another present day leader who has displayed similar characteristics for the past 4 years … yes, President Donald Trump. This is not to endorse or criticize these leadership traits, but just as recognition that people are appointed or elected PresDonaldTrumpPortraitto positions of leadership with different styles, personalities and skillsets.

There are those who can handle the brash or even harsh leadership traits and recognize the end goal is to achieve results the in the quickest time, with the least harm and most positive outcome. Others prefer the less abrasive, polite diplomacy, and are willing to settle for a longer timeframe before achieving results  (I’ve often referred to the later as “soft-selling” and “covert” persuasion … and am accused of using it on my kids!) Again, neither leadership style has universal acceptance, but in the big picture, both types of leaders may be necessary at different times.

Most historians recognized Patton as essential to ending World War II in Europe. He inspired nearly every soldier who served under him. MacArthur was devoted to his troops and victory in the Pacific and was seen as the overseer. During the Korean War his commitment to defeating the communist threat in Asia, saw him lose his command as politicians fear that under MacArthur’s leadership the U.S. would be in full-scale conflict with the Chinese Communists … not all that dissimilar to how Patton perceived Russia as WW2 was ending. On a side note, Gen. MacArthur’s letter critical of President Truman is as pertinent today as it was 70 years ago:

“It seems strangely difficult for some to realize that here in Asia is where the communist conspirators have elected to make their play for global conquest, and that we have joined the issue thus raised on the battlefield; that here we fight Europe’s war with arms while the diplomats there still fight it with words; that if we lose the war to communism in Asia the fall of Europe is inevitable, win it and Europe most probably would avoid war and yet preserve freedom. As you pointed out, we must win. There is no substitute for victory.

Book:  The years of MacArthur – Vol III, Triumph and disaster, 1945-1964) – D. Clayton James

As the U.S. reverts to a less brash and perhaps more “diplomatic” president in Joe Biden, only time will tell if citizens will prefer a more goal focused – results oriented outsider to lead our country again in the future?

Tech Friday: New audio player for blog with CSS tweaks

Posted By on January 8, 2021

A simple blog upgrade project that I’ve been contemplating for a while now was one of my 2021 New Year’s resolutions … so I’m worked on it this past week’s Music Monday post. I’m not sure how long the new button and player will remain unchanged since I seem to keep testing and tweaking it;  we’ll see?

OldVsNewPlayer
The look on Chromium-based CSS accepting browsers

The reason: I’ve had a couple of people comment over the years that they enjoy the video and audio content, but that with only the simple play/pause button made it impossible to “scrub” through audio or even download. I agreed with needing a way to fast forward or rewind, but resisted the download for some content. Ever since the early days of Napster .mp3 music sharing, it didn’t seem CSSAudioCodeGlobalappropriate to include downloadable music? I don’t think times have changed from the legal perspective, but still want to talk about songs and artists that I appreciate and enjoy … and that is difficult to do without having an audio sampling.

As for a few tweaks … WordPress supports audio pretty well and offers a variety of ways to include content. I’ve married myself to mp3 and have used a variety of plugins for WordPress in the past. They are always changing and often support from the author disappears. This latest use of <audio> along with a few CSS tweaks to change the display properties (shadow, spacing controls, outline and “focus around buttons”) seems to best fit the flavor I’ve grown used to, yet include the features which triggered comments/complaints.

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The 2020 Election, the Georgia Runoff and changing America

Posted By on January 7, 2021

For red, white and blue flag waving, National Anthem honoring, military respecting patriots … who believed in the traditional values that founded this country … January 6, 2021 was a tough day. The election in Georgia for control of the U.S. Senate, the last line of defense for Republicans, went to the two Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, although the vote was close.

GeorgiaRunoffResults210106

Democrats, progressives (and socialists) who prefer more centralized control, increased regulations, higher taxes and a bigger Federal government, can now operate nearly unchecked as they control both the House and the Senate in Congress, and the White House after the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden. Years ago, we would say “there’s really not much different between the parties or politicians when they get to Washington DC …  as both like to spend the taxpayers money and bring something home to their district.” Nowadays, it seems like there is a much wider philosophical and ideological difference.  As the 2021 Democrats want to make some radical changes to the country and as Sen Chuck Schumer says, “First we take Georgia, then we change America.”

In my lifetime, the country has changed (for the good and bad, IMHO) but shifted steadily left on the political scale. The difference recently is that we haven’t seen or heard many moderate Democrats who fought for and love our country and history; they once kept their “liberal” party in check. After the President Trump lost the presidency in November 2020 and Republicans the Senate, there is no check to the progressives’ ambitions? Never before have I heard politicians speak of socialism as a plan FOR the United States … or expanding and packing the Supreme Court … or making new states to gain so much control that the Republicans could never again control the Senate. 

Don’t get me wrong, change is often good, but almost always when it is agreed on by a large majority in our country .. not barely 50% (or 40-some percent plus some corruption). Pushing radical changes aggressively ahead is a sure way to elevate the anger already spilling over. Of course it is not all one-sided. I recognize President Trump did not go out of his way to befriend those who disagreed with him (although the olive branch was never extended by the left either). Ramming change through “because you are in control and can and does” divide the country. When this happens, expect fireworks just as we’ve seen in our history … or like today at the Capitol (sad day in America). As my father would often say when my brother and I would fight, “it usually takes two to tango” (or something to that affect). 

As a patriotic American, I wish President-Elect Joe Biden well for the health of our nation, but do not envy him. Hopefully the rhetoric on both sides will die down, our leaders will contemplate their decisions and lookout for the best interest of a “UNIITED” States of America … although am not sure what that looks like or how it is currently going to be possible?

Sad, but still enjoying the final season of Last Man Standing

Posted By on January 6, 2021

Now that the final season of Last Man Standing has started (Jan 3, 2021), Brenda and I are finally catching up on the previous season that I recorded on the DVR. We had forgotten just how much we enjoyed this sitcom. It is hard to remember the last time both of us laughed at the same comedy, or political jokes that fit our political views, but it may have been a couple of years ago when we watch the same Tim Allen sitcom?

LastManStandingFinalSeason

For us, it was enjoyable to watch several episodes back to back “together” since most of our “together TV” lately has been a weekend recorded, Netflix or Amazon Prime movie or a FoxNews or FoxBusiness show (most of which has been pretty depressing lately). I’ve been mostly avoiding television (no baseball, basketball or football this year) and Brenda semi-focused on Christmas movies or series rerun (again and again again – she says she just has it on for the mindless background noise, like I do for music). Anyway, it has been fun this week to laugh together and smile at the same things. We need to do more of it … “laugh and smile together” that is. 

Last-Man-Standing-Home-Improvement

Unfortunately after 9 season and nearly 200 episodes, we’ll need to find another show to watch together as “Last Man Standing is coming to an end, again.”

The Fox comedy will end with its upcoming ninth season, which will premiere on the network in January.

The move means that the Tim Allen-fronted series will have run for 194 episodes when it ends with its ninth season being ordered for 21 episodes.

It marks the second time that the sitcom has come to an end; the show, which is produced by 20th Television, ran for six seasons on ABC and was axed in 2017. Fox, which at the time was part of the same corporation as the studio that made it, picked it up for a seventh season that premiered in September 2018.

DEADLINE

The vote in Georgia could be the turning point for America

Posted By on January 5, 2021

I’ve watched the political divide and ideology between the right and left grow wider during the past decade … and probably longer, but the voices and actions haven’t seemed this divided since the 1960s. The debate is no longer on a hot-topic or two … or between the traditional bigger government. liberal GeorgiaRedBlueDemocrats and smaller government conservative Republicans. Even during my early days of following politics, debating and voting, I never really worried about losing liberty, our individual independence or the American way of life. I trusted that even liberal Democrats, who may have held different social views, still wanted to live free from others telling them how they had to live, etc … as in so many other dictatorial countries. I even understood their passion for a bigger government safety, better opportunities so as to improve income inequality and paying for it with a more progressive tax code. Back then, I concluded we were looking for the same outcome, but just disagreed over how much of a role we wanted government to take and how much should be handled by individuals themselves, charities and private industry.

Now it no long seems as if Democrat voters want to keep this 200+ year old American experiment going. I’m not sure they value two parties governing in three branches in order to check and balance our governing system? Our founding principles seem to be under attack, as is the capitalism economic system that has made America the envy of  the world. I’d like to believe that I’m over-thinking my concern, but it everything seems to be changing rapidly (which is always the plan when it comes to progressivism). This past year there has been a silencing of conservative views, a distain for laws and those who enforce them, lack of deterrents for criminal behavior, disagreements with our country’s’ founding principles and bureaucrats overstepping the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Journalists and news media organizations have almost all become opinion propogandists and our educational system is brainwashing student and teaching and supporting Marxist and Socialist views, rather than creating critical independent thinkers. How have we gone so wrong in what seems a short time in the annals of history?

VotingLinesGeorgia201231

Now it has come to one state that will decide just how one-sided and powerful we will permit one party to become. “The times they are a changin’” when even a traditionally conservative state like Georgia is too close to call (even if there are voting issues) … I’m sensing the America I once knew is changing, and in my opinion, for the worse. Thankfully I’m not alone … in fact, I suspect 74 million voters in 2020  think like me … but that means a significant number of citizens either truly believe the left’s message … or just really hated President Donald Trump (I’m hoping it is the latter).

What’s next if Georgia gives Democrats the Senate?

Music Monday: Like Kenny Chesney, I have a yearning to be free

Posted By on January 4, 2021

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Filler #video: We don’t have groomed hedges, but ..

Posted By on January 3, 2021

Looking at the tool for tools sake, but also the technique is nice!

A cigar box for sewing clips and NE Ohio drugstore memories

Posted By on January 2, 2021

Adam Savage, from Mythbusters claim-to-fame, has been regularly posting a few of his shop ideas online. A few months ago he triggered me into improving my portable Sailrite Sewing machine set-up (well my wife’s sewing machine that I use .. cough, cough). SewingCartSailriteLSZ1_200927Anyway, a few weeks after he built his table for his impressive Sailrite stitcher (his is not portable), I decided to improved ours with a little added on, but still wanted to keep it portable.

A few weeks later, he added a small tuperware drawer add-on which made it convenient to drop the small pinch-clips that hold piece together similar to the way most use sewing pins. As one stitches along, each clip is removed and dropped in the tuperware, can or box one as a time. A month or so ago, I added a wooden holder for the small lidded can, but it was a bit small and “in my opinion” feminine for my tastes.

So as I was cleaning up the workbench and tossing my testing piece for the brass screwed miter corners (used for the Pie – Pi – Boxes), I split it into two “L” pieces and attached to an old cigar box that was salvaged from the days I helped Brenda stack newspapers at the drugstore she managed. This was in the early 1980s when Brenda managed a small drugstore in Shaker Heights, Ohio. In those days, the pharmacist was often also the store manager, especially when it was a tiny corner neighborhood store.

Only click more if you want to head down a rabbit hole Idiom

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Tech Friday: A “Groovy Gorilla” Linux 20.10 server update

Posted By on January 1, 2021

After the previous challenging server update from years on Ubuntu Linux 12, 14 and 16 to a questionable 18 upgrade … I’ve been hesitant to upgrade the server to  “Focal Fossa” 20.04 in the spring and summer … so I didn’t. LinuxTuxMascotBut now that we are at the end of the year (actually by the time this posts it will be January 1, 2021!), and  facing a Tech Friday need … it is time to deal with it … besides the MySQL database has been restarting too often. On the plus side,  I’m running 20.10 “Groovy Gorilla” on a Raspberry Pi successfully and figured it was time to start upgrading production servers to Linux 20.10. Hold on .. gulp!

Ubuntu’s version numbering scheme is based on year (YY), a period, and the month (MM). For instance, the previous stable version was released this past April and it is numbered as 20.04. In addition, Canonical (the operating system’s owner) assigns names — sequentially and alphabetically. The alphanumeric code name is always based on two words

If you are reading this, the update to this server must have worked,
so Happy New Year.

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog