It was neat driving up to Ohio to visit some family there. I recently finished a book called "The Frontiersman" (http://shorturl.at/amzK9) that talked about early American history on the frontier of Ohio and Kentucky and Indiana. And as we drove through the northern part of Kentucky up into Ohio I saw a couple of things that I knew what they meant from that book!
I saw signs that pointed the way to Paris, Kentucky. In the book the frontiersman the author talked about a group of French families that had been duped in France into paying a lot of money for land in the American frontier. When those French people got to northern Kentucky no land had been set aside for them and they didn't have anything to live on. The guy that was the frontiersman, Simon Kenton, helped find them a huge plot of unclaimed land and set them up so that they could build their camp and then eventually town that became Paris, Kentucky.
The other fun sign that I saw was for Transylvania University. From the book they talked about this guy that wanted to start his own kingdom in the new world. And he came over with a bunch of families and claimed a bunch of land in what was then far western Virginia but what became Kentucky. He named his kingdom Transylvania, which everybody thought was odd but since he was going to be the leader in that country or kingdom they just went with it. It was funny to see a sign saying this way to Transylvania University and knowing that little bit of history and that it survives even today.
I love reading books! I love reading good historical fiction that brings history to life. I don't like it to be dry and boring facts and all that, but when it's something like the frontiersman or some of the other books that I read about Bible times and the late 1800s and all that it's a lot of fun to then see it re-created in movies and even run across tidbits in real life like these signs that point back to what actually happened. And to have some level of knowledge about what drives things today.
Cool!
Sunday, February 28, 2021
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Relaxing music ~
So over the past year or so I have grown to enjoy a different kind of music. I've been listening to hang drum and water drum and tableau exists when I do my lessons. Not always, but most of the time.
It's usually very relaxing music. It's got that otherworldly kind of sound that you hear and Star Wars movies in the bar scenes. It's usually very chill and relaxed, with repeating rhythms. The repeating car drives my wife crazy, but I enjoy it because it gives me the background noise to let my brain chew on while I think about stuff. Or while I try not to think about stuff as the case may be.
I like to listen to it when I'm doing my lessons and when I meditate for my 10 minutes a day. I like put it on as background music at times, but not all the time.
It's very enjoyable!
It's usually very relaxing music. It's got that otherworldly kind of sound that you hear and Star Wars movies in the bar scenes. It's usually very chill and relaxed, with repeating rhythms. The repeating car drives my wife crazy, but I enjoy it because it gives me the background noise to let my brain chew on while I think about stuff. Or while I try not to think about stuff as the case may be.
I like to listen to it when I'm doing my lessons and when I meditate for my 10 minutes a day. I like put it on as background music at times, but not all the time.
It's very enjoyable!
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Phrase corruption ~
One of my many pet peeves that I feed way too much is the way languages corrupted and misused. I found another one that another phrase that I feel like has been thoroughly corrupted and will never return to what it was which is very sad because it's such a harsh meaning now.
It used to be that when someone made the extra effort to help someone else, in a store setting or even in a person-to-person setting, they could be said to have the bent over backwards. To "bend over backwards" to help somebody was a good thing and a positive thing and you did everything that you could to the point of going way beyond just leaning down to do something you bent over backwards.
Sometime in the late 70s to early 80s when the term "suck" started to catch on when I was in middle school and high school I heard it for the first time that so-and-so had to bend over and take it. And it's grown in use to the point now that it's common vernacular that when somebody says "just bend over and take it" everybody in the room seems to understand what that means. But I don't think they realize how gross of phrase it is.
My understanding of the phrase "bend over and take it" is based on gay sex. A man is forced to drop his pants grab his ankles and then somebody another man typically stands behind him and shoves his penis into his butt hole to have animal sex with him. That's what I hear when I hear somebody say bend over and take it!
Penile sex on the level of rape and abuse has become a common phrase today. That fits with everything else that I'm seeing happening around me.
It used to be that when someone made the extra effort to help someone else, in a store setting or even in a person-to-person setting, they could be said to have the bent over backwards. To "bend over backwards" to help somebody was a good thing and a positive thing and you did everything that you could to the point of going way beyond just leaning down to do something you bent over backwards.
Sometime in the late 70s to early 80s when the term "suck" started to catch on when I was in middle school and high school I heard it for the first time that so-and-so had to bend over and take it. And it's grown in use to the point now that it's common vernacular that when somebody says "just bend over and take it" everybody in the room seems to understand what that means. But I don't think they realize how gross of phrase it is.
My understanding of the phrase "bend over and take it" is based on gay sex. A man is forced to drop his pants grab his ankles and then somebody another man typically stands behind him and shoves his penis into his butt hole to have animal sex with him. That's what I hear when I hear somebody say bend over and take it!
Penile sex on the level of rape and abuse has become a common phrase today. That fits with everything else that I'm seeing happening around me.
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Paul Harvey archive ~
One of my favorite people to listen to growing up from when I was in elementary school until I was an adult was Paul Harvey.
I imagine that's strange to hear because as an elementary and middle school student. Why would I enjoy listening to some guy on a newscast tell a story? But wow, could he tell a story! "The rest of the story" after the newscast and the weather was one of my favorite things. When I was young half the time I didn't understand what he was talking about. Sometimes there would be that flicker of recognition from what we had studied in school or something that I had read. But I would listen whenever I would hear his voice and learn.
I learned to enjoy storytelling. I enjoyed the mystery of what he was talking about. The twist at the end of the story. The different words that he would use. The clear enunciation and tone that was distinctively his. I love it!
Recently I happened upon an unofficial Paul Harvey archive of a bunch of the rest of the story recordings. I listened to some of them and they're actually pretty good quality and they're organized really well. So I spent an afternoon downloading over 3000 episodes of Paul Harvey's the rest of the story. I'm hoping to add them to what my phone randomly generates and plays for me when I ask for something to listen to. Not sure how to do that, but I have a couple of ideas. No, they will not be transmitted and no I will not violate anything when I do it.
You can find the unofficial Paul Harvey archive that I found at http://www.paulharveyarchives.com/. Enjoy!
I imagine that's strange to hear because as an elementary and middle school student. Why would I enjoy listening to some guy on a newscast tell a story? But wow, could he tell a story! "The rest of the story" after the newscast and the weather was one of my favorite things. When I was young half the time I didn't understand what he was talking about. Sometimes there would be that flicker of recognition from what we had studied in school or something that I had read. But I would listen whenever I would hear his voice and learn.
I learned to enjoy storytelling. I enjoyed the mystery of what he was talking about. The twist at the end of the story. The different words that he would use. The clear enunciation and tone that was distinctively his. I love it!
Recently I happened upon an unofficial Paul Harvey archive of a bunch of the rest of the story recordings. I listened to some of them and they're actually pretty good quality and they're organized really well. So I spent an afternoon downloading over 3000 episodes of Paul Harvey's the rest of the story. I'm hoping to add them to what my phone randomly generates and plays for me when I ask for something to listen to. Not sure how to do that, but I have a couple of ideas. No, they will not be transmitted and no I will not violate anything when I do it.
You can find the unofficial Paul Harvey archive that I found at http://www.paulharveyarchives.com/. Enjoy!
Friday, February 12, 2021
Old references still work ~
The other day I was talking to a friend of mine about trying to catch teenagers attention about Jesus and God and church and faith in all that. He talked about how they tried to spice up our pastors videos but they ended up just having the cut them out because they were too long and too boring and they wouldn't hold the attention.
I mentioned maybe editing them so that they were in the style of the Max Headroom character from the 80s. That guy that was a herky-jerky artificial intelligence that was actually just video edited to appear to be messed up and jumpy as a computer might be.
His comment to me was "nobody knows who that is anymore".
I was stunned by the comment but after thinking about it for a while I realize that nobody really knows who Jesus is anymore either. Nobody really knows what or who God is anymore, and even fewer know or understand or have heard of the Holy Spirit.
His whole emphasis was on developing a relationship with the teens so that they would get involved in church. I'm torn on the on to because the point of it is in a relationship with us it's a relationship with God.
I guess I need to start telling people more about Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit and how things work and all that stuff. My faith. Sharing my faith the way I'm supposed to. So that others can develop their faith and relationship with God.
I mentioned maybe editing them so that they were in the style of the Max Headroom character from the 80s. That guy that was a herky-jerky artificial intelligence that was actually just video edited to appear to be messed up and jumpy as a computer might be.
His comment to me was "nobody knows who that is anymore".
I was stunned by the comment but after thinking about it for a while I realize that nobody really knows who Jesus is anymore either. Nobody really knows what or who God is anymore, and even fewer know or understand or have heard of the Holy Spirit.
His whole emphasis was on developing a relationship with the teens so that they would get involved in church. I'm torn on the on to because the point of it is in a relationship with us it's a relationship with God.
I guess I need to start telling people more about Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit and how things work and all that stuff. My faith. Sharing my faith the way I'm supposed to. So that others can develop their faith and relationship with God.
Monday, February 8, 2021
Not becoming an angel ~
I have a friend on Facebook who lost her father to cancer. Very sad and something that has haunted my dreams for several nights.
One of the hard parts about watching her post on Facebook is to see her talk about how her father got his wings. And that heaven got another "angel".
When I read the Bible and I meditate on what it says it's very clear that when I die I will not be an angel. That I will sit in judgment of angels.
I don't know how to handle when other people think that their family members go on to be angels when the Bible clearly teaches something different.
But I empathize with her and I feel bad for what she is going through.
One of the hard parts about watching her post on Facebook is to see her talk about how her father got his wings. And that heaven got another "angel".
When I read the Bible and I meditate on what it says it's very clear that when I die I will not be an angel. That I will sit in judgment of angels.
I don't know how to handle when other people think that their family members go on to be angels when the Bible clearly teaches something different.
But I empathize with her and I feel bad for what she is going through.
Thursday, February 4, 2021
My lessons ~
Last year I really wanted to focus on morning Spanish and doing things to keep my brain active. Not that it's not active, I just wanted to do some things about using apps on my phone to be more dedicated to certain things and develop better habits.
When I just did the apps individually they became a chore and discounted by my family. "Oh, you have to go and do your Duolingo" was the comment that I will always get it.
When I grouped them as my "lessons" then it became something important and when I chose a specific place to sit when I did my lessons that became an appointment thing and the word got around to my wife and children that when I was sitting in that spot I needed to be left alone until I got up from that spot.
So it's been interesting developing this habit. I'm starting to deviate from a specific time between 5 and 6 PM a little bit now that it's become a habit. Sometimes I do a little bit earlier in the day, sometimes I'll do it later in the evening just because of life. But I tend to do my lessons between five and six in the afternoon.
Right now my lessons consist of:
I read today's chapter of Proverbs.
I do a Bible devotion in the Bible app.
I do lessons in dual lingo learning Spanish. Sometimes one lesson, often times three lessons. At this point I got over a thousand days in a row without missing a day, so I've become pretty consistent.
Memrise Spanish lessons. Another good app.
Shine check-in. I joined Shine and it's been an okay but not my highest priority.
Meditate for 10 minutes using the Calm app. I'm a lifetime member of Calm even though I feel some guilt about meditation I still do it daily because it seems to help me.
Then I play a couple of games. Hungry Shark and Wordscapes have been the ones that I've done for over a year. I recently added Hungry Dragon to the mix.
Those are my lessons. I tried to work in the brain exercise app called Luminosity, but for some reason that just hasn't stuck. I guess because a workout is five different games, and because the games go on and are pretty challenging even at the low level that I'm at I just don't gravitate to it at this point. I'm hoping that over the coming holiday weeks through the new year I cannot hone that habit a little bit and get into it. Because I like Luminosity, and I like the games, but it does make my brain sweat and make me have to think pretty hard when I'm doing it.
Those are my lessons right now. I'm thinking after the first of the year I may adjust them a little bit. I kinda like to learn some Hebrew and I would kinda like to change the games to something different, but I am enjoying them.
The biggest thing is I don't want is to lose the habit of doing my lessons every day. It helps me think better and do better. I like it!
When I just did the apps individually they became a chore and discounted by my family. "Oh, you have to go and do your Duolingo" was the comment that I will always get it.
When I grouped them as my "lessons" then it became something important and when I chose a specific place to sit when I did my lessons that became an appointment thing and the word got around to my wife and children that when I was sitting in that spot I needed to be left alone until I got up from that spot.
So it's been interesting developing this habit. I'm starting to deviate from a specific time between 5 and 6 PM a little bit now that it's become a habit. Sometimes I do a little bit earlier in the day, sometimes I'll do it later in the evening just because of life. But I tend to do my lessons between five and six in the afternoon.
Right now my lessons consist of:
I read today's chapter of Proverbs.
I do a Bible devotion in the Bible app.
I do lessons in dual lingo learning Spanish. Sometimes one lesson, often times three lessons. At this point I got over a thousand days in a row without missing a day, so I've become pretty consistent.
Memrise Spanish lessons. Another good app.
Shine check-in. I joined Shine and it's been an okay but not my highest priority.
Meditate for 10 minutes using the Calm app. I'm a lifetime member of Calm even though I feel some guilt about meditation I still do it daily because it seems to help me.
Then I play a couple of games. Hungry Shark and Wordscapes have been the ones that I've done for over a year. I recently added Hungry Dragon to the mix.
Those are my lessons. I tried to work in the brain exercise app called Luminosity, but for some reason that just hasn't stuck. I guess because a workout is five different games, and because the games go on and are pretty challenging even at the low level that I'm at I just don't gravitate to it at this point. I'm hoping that over the coming holiday weeks through the new year I cannot hone that habit a little bit and get into it. Because I like Luminosity, and I like the games, but it does make my brain sweat and make me have to think pretty hard when I'm doing it.
Those are my lessons right now. I'm thinking after the first of the year I may adjust them a little bit. I kinda like to learn some Hebrew and I would kinda like to change the games to something different, but I am enjoying them.
The biggest thing is I don't want is to lose the habit of doing my lessons every day. It helps me think better and do better. I like it!
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