E-books ~

I have been reading e-books for a long time.

I remember in 1999 I had a Texas Instruments personal organizing device that had calendar and calculator and notepad and other things on it. It was one of those calculator sized devices that had a flip cover on it and was basically a personal organizer. And I would put e-books on it and read it as I rode the bus and train in the Washington DC area.

I graduated from that to my Handspring visor devices. They ran the PalmPilot operating system and allowed me to carry e-books on them. I used the graffiti text capture software so much that I can still to this day right on a notepad in graffiti style writing and read it even though it looks weird.

But I read e-books on my Handspring Visor devices. I bought them instead of the PalmPilot because Palm Pilots were way too expensive and Handspring Visor was bucking the system and offering devices that were more expandable at less cost. I remember getting a handful of plug-in devices for my Handspring visor. One of my favorites was the GPS plug-in. I would watch as we drove down the road and my GPS would calculate where we were even though I didn't have a map or anything. I would plug in coordinates and capture coordinates as we traveled. Which I still do today.

But I digress. E-books. Now I use Amazon Kindle e-books almost exclusively. I still purchase some PDF e-books and then read them on multiple devices. I take my e-books from Amazon and convert them to text so that I can do what I want with the text. I usually if I really want to read the book completely will run the text through text to speech software and listen to them. Or have started using a couple of e-book readers to read my text files and converted Amazon Kindle e-books. It all gets very complicated. And I love it!

But e-books have become my main way of consuming books. I have two Kindle paper white waterproof E-ink readers that I use. Why two? Because if one craps out I want to be able to keep reading on the other one. Even though I can read all my e-books on my phone using the Kindle app and on my iPad using the Kindle app there also. Or I can read them in text files on any device that I want to read on.

But I like the Kindle Paperwhite readers because they use e-ink, they're completely visible and easy to read in bright sunlight or in the dark with their backlight, and they're waterproof so I can take him in a pool or tub and not worry about them getting fried. Although I haven't tested that rigorously!

But I love e-books and I love the ability to be able to read electronically and carry a library with me wherever I go. It's bad enough that I can search the Internet and get any piece of information that I want almost instantly, but I prefer to carry lots of books with me so that if I want to read something or review something that I read a few years ago I can just pull it up anywhere.

I love modern technology!

Bible belief ~

One of the challenging parts about being a Christian is what I believe about the Bible. I believe that the Bible is God's word. That it was written by people guided by God. And that when we read the Bible we can learn more about God than we could ever learn any other way.

One of the hard things I experience is when people pick and choose from the Bible. Friends that are quick to quote scripture in certain subjects don't want to read other parts of the Bible or don't want to hear about other parts of the Bible that say what they're doing shouldn't be done. A lot of people say "that's in the Old Testament so it doesn't apply anymore" but then will quote from the Old Testament and say this is how you want to live your life this is what you should do. Same book in the Bible, just different chapters and verses that don't fit what they're doing with their lives.

Some people take to heart the law and the festivals and have a big time saying "we're becoming more like the Israelis". This is what the Jewish people did so we should do the same things!

But when I read the Bible and I read history I read that the Jewish people turn away from God over and over and over. And that Jesus freed us from those restrictive boundaries saying nobody could do all those things. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one gets to the father except through me.""

I just find it interesting that the same people that will claim freedom will also claim restriction so that they can justify what they feel think or believe.

I prefer to develop my personal relationship with God and to lean on what Jesus taught was the greatest commandment. To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Challenging!

Don_t get in my way ~

Our country the United States of America for many many years the motto identified with "don't tread on me". "Freedom, justice, and the American way" was an awesome statement that generated a lot of attention and income for marketing agencies.

But in the past several years I've noticed that the motto has changed. Now it seems to be more like "don't get in my way".

I see it in the abundance of mind-numbing activities and treatments. I see it in the constant search for distraction and activity to go and boast about. I see it even in the liberal movements that are getting so much attention lately like transgenderism and socialism and the like.

"Don't get in my way" says that any rule guidelines for decorum are to be ignored as we step past the safety tape saying "do not cross". You see people dying as they step out on a ledge or hang from a rock or get too close to the lion that they jumped the fence to get in the cage with.

"Don't get in my way" smacks of disrespect and we see that in day-to-day interactions and we see it amplified on social media.

I hope that we can teach more people about truth and true justice for all not just subgroups. And I hope we can get the American way back on what our founders hoped it would become.

Loved Johnny Carson ~

I remember Johnny Carson when I was growing up.

My parents would have me go to bed by 9 PM. I would fall asleep listening to the stories told and Hill Street blues and other mystery programs. Taxi was one of them.

But on nights when I couldn't fall asleep or I woke up for some reason I would listen to my parents watch and listen to the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

I loved it! I loved his delivery, I loved the way he would introduce guests, I loved it when I could stay up as I got older and watched him interview guests. It was amazing!

Now in our modern society I can pull up Johnny Carson shows on YouTube anytime I want. I tend not to until they show up in my suggestions. And when they show up enjoy watching and listening to him do his thing.

It's fun watching Johnny Carson introduce and then interview comedians that I have enjoyed over the years. All the big names, all will little names that became big names, it's amazing!

But Johnny Carson remains the center of the comedic universe that I grew up with. Ed McMahon sitting off to the side chuckling and encouraging. But Johnny was the main event.

It's fun watching Johnny Carson now! Sad that he's gone and nobody even comes close to the way he was, but fun.

Books I read in 2023 ~

When I was a manager it helped my bosses understand what I had done to improve myself over the year when I would share the business books I had read during that cycle. So I thought I'd share with you my accomplishment:

I read 24 books in 2023!

I wasn't as focused on learning about "self-improvement" this year so there was quite a bit of fiction involved. I varied some of it so I could learn about different parts of the world, which was fun.

I've gotten to where I try to only read ebooks now. This makes it easier for me to read wherever I go since I have them on my phone as well as the iPad and Kindles.

My Kindle app likes to give awards for my reading accomplishments. I'm over 280 weeks in a row of reading as well as over 300 days straight reading in the Kindle app. And at this point I've had over 13 weeks of "perfect weeks" by reading each day of the week. Woohoo!

So here is a list of the books I read in 2023:

- 21 Prayers of Thanksgiving by Rachel Larkin
Fun to do leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076W2S9L3/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor
I've wanted to learn more about India for several years, so I dove into this book. Interesting story of privelege and corruption across the country.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WZSLSX6/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Avenue of the Dead by Brian L Porter
Fun to learn more about Mexico City and the ancient civilizations in Mexico!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PE2XHBS/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott
Anne Lamott is an amazingly honest voice and I enjoy reading her open letters to the world about her life.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SEGI8Q/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Confess, Fletch by Gregory McDonald
Fletch is a fun charachter. This book was just as much fun!
https://www.amazon.com/Confess-Fletch-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B0C4C4HFHS/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=confess%2C+fletch&qid=1704044358&sr=8-3

- Controversial Essays by Thomas Sowell
One of my favorite thinkers. I actually bought this book for two of my sons and told them to put it in their bathroom as a reader for when they are sitting on the pot.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E52S96/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Forgiveness by Jeff Daws
Great book that we went through as a study of forgiveness.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CD2XDS9W/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- God, Improv, and the Art of Living by MaryAnn McKibben Dana
This was a very good book though it is funny to read about turning "living in the moment" into an approach to life. Fun!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091K7F21S/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Journey Back To Watooka by Steve Connolly
We are planning a mission trip to Guyana and I read this book to learn some history of the country. I learned a lot!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CCB5YJQ/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Letters of Advent by Klint Pleasant
A great way to work through the Advent season leading up to Christmas. I have enjoyed this book for the past two years.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09J1TZNVW/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Life In Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin
I've followed Gretchen Rubin's growth as an author for several years. This book expanded my thinking on how I experience life.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B6Z5LGYW/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Mexifornia by Victor Davis Hanson
A fascinating book about the impacts of illegal immigration in California and in the rest of the United States. I highly recommend it!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EB74DG4/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- No Plan B - A Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child and Andrew Child
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09PMZ93DT/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Rising Tiger by Brad Thor
I wanted to learn more about India and China and the friction over there. This was a fun ride to learn stuff on!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09JPJ4V8X/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Stop At Nothing by Michael Ledwidge
Good adventure-mystery. I enjoyed it!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RR9SXZV/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Swarm by Guy Morris
Fun continuation of an AI story I've been reading.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LCN41YV/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
Longevity stuff. I enjoyed the NetFlix show so I got the book.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BXBF7N4N/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Comfort Zone by Kristin Butler
Interesting take on how to accomplish things by staying in your comfort zone instead of becoming uncomfortable.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BCP2Y48Q/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike 1) by Robert Gailbraith
I bought this book in 2013 but finally read it. Great characters and story, though a bit tedious to work through.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AA20E5Y/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Drifter by Nick Petrie
Good mystery similar to the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SA5KHEG/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Escape Artist by Brad Meltzer
Fun ride!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VXWPQ1N/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Ultimate Bathroom Reader by Bill O'Neil
Fun book!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099ZL67WL/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Titanium Noir by Nick Harkawa
Good science fiction for near-future stuff. I enjoyed this book a lot!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9WPF9NQ/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Wild About You by John Eldridge
Great devotional for couples that I've enjoyed all year!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09L5WJK3H/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- You Will Be Made To Care by Erick Erickson
I bought this back in 2016 but finally read it in 2023. Still relevant and so informative!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AR541A2/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

My 12 Days of Christmas gifts ~

 

For the past couple of years I've celebrated Christmas by giving gifts of apps and online things I've used throughout the year on my social media accounts. I usually do it on the 12 days leading up to Christmas.

It's fun! It makes me feel rich and let's me share tools that have my life easier and more enjoyable.

Here are the things I gave as gifts this year:

• The Kinnu app

In the Bible in Proverbs 23 it says to "buy wisdom, buy knowledge, buy insight" a couple of times. But so many times I find myself just scrolling through social media or websites without feeling like I am gaining knowledge.

Kinnu is an app that changes that for me! It has a map of subjects that are available, and as I am working my way through different subjects in a couple of minutes a day I am learning plenty! I highly recommend it. Check it out at:

Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xyz.kinnu&hl=en_US&gl=US

Apple app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kinnu-superpower-learning/id1625333066

• Google Bard

With all the buzz about artificial intelligence taking over industries, writing books, and making some peoples' lives easier you can give AI a try for free with Google Bard. Early on I rolled some of those story dice and asked Google Bard to write a story based on the words for each picture on the dice; the story was actually pretty good!

Give Google Bard a try at
https://bard.google.com

• Notion

I've used several of the notebook/organizers/project managers out there like OneNote, Evernote, and Trello.. They all have their place and usefulness.

Notion is handy for me because it's easy, fast to start sharing links and ideas to, and free unless you want to pay. While I haven't gotten deep in customizing Notion I'm reading a lot of great reviews on how flexible it is.

If you're looking to try an online notebook I suggest you give Notion a try!

Site:
https://www.notion.so
(You can get the app link on their site)

• Duolingo

If you’ve wanted to learn a different language I highly recommend giving Duolingo a try! I’ve been using it for more than 5 years now and can finally understand Spanish. I can speak it a little but because I don’t practice with people enough I still feel like a child trying to speak but I’m coming along. I’m planning on using Duolingo to learn some Italian soon…

While Duolingo is free I pay for a subscription and think you’ll want to pay them, too. Enjoy!

https://www.duolingo.com/
(you can get the app on their site)

• Shazam

When I hear a song with a good beat but don’t who the artist I love to use Shazam. The app listens, searches, then tells me all about the song. And I learned recently that Shazam adds the song to a Spotify playlist automatically so I don’t have to fumble around to listen to it again. And even cooler is that it works on my watch!

You’ve probably used Shazam more than me, but if not I recommend you give it a try!

Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shazam.android

Apple app:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/shazam-music-discovery/id284993459

• SimpleMind

I am a nerd. When I really want to brainstorm and gather a whole lot of thoughts quickly so I can organize them into an outline, something I still do, I've found mindmapping to be useful. It's graphic, quick for me, and lets me wander around a bunch of ideas without getting stuck on one of them. SimpleMind is one of those mindmapping apps that helps me go that. If you've never tried mindmapping give it a try!

Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.modelmakertools.simplemindfree

Apple app:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplemind-mind-mapping/id305727658

• Wikipedia

Why in the world would I give you this? What I’ve found this year is that when I want to grab some info without having to wade through all the ads served up by almost every search engine Wikipedia has been very handy. I get information with links to other linked subjects. As with anything on the Internet I read more than just what I see on Wikipedia before I make a decision but it’s been a useful tool for me. If you haven’t tried it lately give it spin!

Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.wikipedia

Apple app:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wikipedia/id324715238

Site:
https://www.wikipedia.org/

• Google Tasks

I love to make lists of tasks and then cross them off, but I don’t enjoy doing it on paper. I love to use Google stuff and was using Google Reminders because I could tell Google Assistant “remind me” and then say the thing I want to be reminded about and a day and time and it would add my reminder to my list. This year they rolled Reminders into the Tasks app and it’s been great ever since. And Tasks doesn’t have a lot of the confusing flashy stuff that clutters so many of the other tasks “managers” out there. I use Google Tasks daily. Give it a try!

Site:
https://assistant.google.com/tasks

Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.tasks

Apple app:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-tasks-get-things-done/id1353634006

• The Abide meditation app

One of my hesitations about “meditation” has always been the New Age/ya ya woo woo aspect that seems to come when I try to learn about it. As a Christian I want to meditate on God and his word. The Abide app helps me do just that! The free side is good and they let you have the premium side for 7 days. If you want to learn to meditate on God and his word give this a try!

Abide site:
https://abide.com

Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=is.abide

Apple app:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/abide-bible-meditation-prayer/id726031617

• Christmas song playlist
  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVqI204q3ewnmz6vOHeRNXGEU5ZLDUPXl
  As I've gotten older Christmas starting sounding the same, so I started searching for new styles and different types of music that could help me celebrate this wonder-filled season. But I didn't want boring stuff to listen to :-)
  These songs are some of my favorites that I've found over the years assembled into a YouTube playlist. Different styles, different takes, all focused on the reason for the season. I hope you enjoy these!

• Fireplace playlist
  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVqI204q3ewnyGzrtTqyAyod54AcEjTcc
  I love to have a fire going, either in the fireplace or out in the firepit my son Stephen built for us. But often we're in a rush and can't spend the time needed to have a proper fire.
  These videos let me have a fire on the TV screen. Yes, it's corny and cheesy, but it's relaxing and fun for me :-) My mother always reminds me of when I was a boy of 7 or so and we sat in front of a fire when we were on the Big Island in Hawaii. No radio, no TV, just a fire. And I commented on how boring it was and why they liked watching the fire. I understand why a lot better now!
  Enjoy!

• The Christmas Story

I've been watching Bible Project videos over the past couple of years and really enjoy the way they capture the essence of the Bible stories and explain their relevance to our lives today. The whole idea of a "savior" coming in the form of a baby just doesn't make sense, and they explain that well in this video. I hope you watch and then meditate quietly on this for a few minutes. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/_OLezoUvOEQ?si=Pffa0fmiA7SmwRLt

Advent 2023 - Christmas ~

Christmas has such a different feel for me this year. No children in the house except our youngest who is a senior in college. Relaxed schedule as we ease through the holiday season. Looming major life change right around the corner.

And yet the traditions and colors and smells of the season draw memories up that make it a warm and fuzzy holiday. Good vibes everywhere! And when I feel a bad vibe instead of chasing it to figure out the source and try to modify my behavior to meet someone's unexpressed expectations I lightly smile and turn back to the good. Fascinating.

I finished my "12 Days of Christmas" giveaways with the Bible Project's video about the Christmas story in Luke 1-2. One of the most successful invasions of another kingdom by a creator that turned the kingdom on its head. I hope you review the story!

Merry Christmas!

https://youtu.be/_OLezoUvOEQ?si=sPSBfuzXt5PcC0_f