Opus 2025-375: Divine Warranties

I was meditating early in the morning on the attributes of God.  One of those is immutability.  That has to do with the fact that God’s character does not change.  It’s sometimes stretched to the point where some claim that God can’t even have the flexibility to change His mind, which is non-biblical nonsense.  We know God changes his mind.  The Bible says so.

As I was thinking about this, I got to thinking about the chair I was sitting in made by La-Z-Boy.  The original La-Z-Boy I bought 40 years ago was an awesome piece of work.  It lasted seemingly forever and the warranty was honored without question.  I lived in that chair.  I am now on my third, and it may be my last because the quality has gone down seriously and the warranty is not near what it was on the first one.  Yes, they will still fix them, but it becomes a major issue.  In addition to that, the feature that I like the most with the extended legs is being phased out.

I thought of other products that I’ve bought in the past that had great warranties along with quality.  I don’t know if you’ve ever had a Tilly hat.  I loved them because I could wash them and get rid of the sweat smell.  They also replaced them for free if they wore out.  They were expensive but the warranty made it a great deal.  Then they changed the warranty.  Think of batteries that used to resist corroding and now they start developing that ash on them while they’re still in storage.  Think of things you used to eat that now have all kinds of weird additives that have changed the texture and taste.  My wife used to stop at Jack-in-the-Box for their tacos on a regular basis.  Then some brilliant mid-level executive decided to change the oil they cook things in.  Hasta la vista, Jack-in-the-Box.

God‘s warranties, however, never change.  His personality never changes.  His promises never go away.  I think investing my life in him was a wise decision.  I rejoice in the fact that he will never wear out and I won’t have to buy a second unit.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-066: Anchors a Way

I’m thinking of those clever devices we see used as advertising and attention getters on the side of the road.  They are long tubes a very light material, sometimes with legs and arms and extensions, and they are powered by a big fan in the base, blowing air up and out the top.  They wave around.  They go back-and-forth.  Sometimes they fall almost to where they hit the ground.  What never changes is the anchor they have at the bottom.  They can appear to be blown over.  They can have moments where they lose their air and almost collapse.  Through all this, the anchor is stable and doesn’t change.  Through this that fan keeps blowing a new supply of air up and through them.

This is where worship songs come in.  They talk about being anchored in Jesus.  They point out that our feet are set on the solid rock.  They remind us that our hope and our confidence is in Almighty God.  They remind us of our anchor.  And of course there is a harbor.

An anchor does no good unless it is planted firmly and attached to the boat.  Keep in mind that God would love to supply an anchor for your life but you need to attach yourself to Him.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-008: Click Bait: Be Careful What You Wish For

We’re hearing a lot of criticism of the FBI.  I personally feel like most of it is deserved, and the rest probably doesn’t go far enough.  One of the bits of click bait that I just saw, but I’ve chosen to ignore, is something to the effect that the FBI knew about the Louisiana shooter 20 hours before the terrorist attack occurred.  I think the inference was that they should’ve done something about it.

Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.  Do you really want an agency like the FBI to have even more power to look into your personal life and mess with you.  Think of all the abuse we see.  Think of the raid on Mar-a-Lago.  Think of the swat teams that have attacked folks in their homes early in the morning because they offended the Biden ministration.  Think of the blank stares when it comes to Hunter’s laptop or the Epstein guest list.

Giving the FBI more power to snoop and to ignore the due process clause of the constitution is in the same category of having qualifications for the right to vote.  In principle, in the right hands, administered with restraint and good will it might be fine.  Unfortunately, none of those qualifications exist.  Just as the Jim Crow South took the idea of qualifications and begin giving literacy test in Chinese sharecroppers, so the FBI would use their nose under the tent to persecute people protected by the First Amendment.

In fact, if you are into conspiracy theories, a good one to come up with would be that the Cabal controlling the country is planning these attacks on hopes that you will be willing to give up more of your liberty so that they will have more control. After all, don’t we all want to be safe?

homo unius libri

Opus 2024-272: Questions Welcomed

I just got through writing about God and feelings, specifically his feelings.  I wondered if I had crossed over into heresy.  That brought to mind another thought.  I think God enjoys our asking difficult questions.

Some people are afraid to ask questions.  Some people quake at the idea of having a contrary opinion.  It’s not that way with God.  He is very secure in who He is, and created us to be curious and creative ourselves, a reflection of Him.

I think God really enjoys when we ask genuine, sincere questions.  They don’t even need to be well thought out.  It could be just shooting from the hip, or off the shelf, or off the top of our head.  I think God loves it, that we are free to interact with Him.

If I am wrong you might want to invest in a lightening rod.

homo unius libri

Opus 2024-231: Bird Brains

As I was out walking a bird landed on the road maybe 50 yards ahead of me. It puttered around  as I approached to maybe 10 yards, and then as I turned to cross the road to make an about face it took off.

I’ve noticed it some birds or animals allow you to get much closer than others do.  Is that a mark of intelligence of the breed or possibly the intelligence of that particular bird.  Have you noticed that some cats run when they see you and others wait to be kicked or petted?  Which is more intelligent, the quick flyer or the one who waits?  It isn’t because they can read my mind because I am the same person both times.

We do well to be cautious.  Proverbs expresses this several ways.  Here is one of them.

(Pro 3:7 KJV)  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Be alert.  If there is any doubt, keep your distance.  Recently I mentioned a man walking around the motel parking lot at 6:00 A.M.  He was up to no good but he saw that I was watching him.  If he had moved in my direction I would have gone back inside but a large part of avoiding problems is to be alert and keep your eyes open.

May the shelter of Providence surround you.

homo unius libri

Opus 2024-118: American Midden

If I lived in another country, I think I would be terrified when I see what is going on in the United States.  We have the most powerful country in the world with a large atomic arsenal, being run by a crazy man who can’t even walk up some stairs without stumbling or share a complete sentence.  He seems incapable of making a true, factual, accurate statement.

It certainly gives something to worry about.  As much as everybody has enjoyed hating America there was always a sense of security knowing that we were here and were still on our white horses ready to rescue the fair damsels of the world.

The horse has gone to the glue factory and the lance has been recycled.  I am not sure we can defend ourselves any more.  What is happening on the southern border makes you think that the elites don’t even want to.

I don’t need to live in another country.  I live here and am terrified at what I see going on in the United States.  Well, not really.  I have a faith that ultimately God will prevail.  I am just concerned that we may not have ten righteous left and so we will join Sodom on the midden of history.

homo unius libri

Opus 2021-233: A Business Opportunity

In spy novels they will occasionally have a team come in and sweep a room for bugs.  Or you may have read the scenario where they go in the bathroom, turn on all the water and whisper their secrets.  In science fiction they will have little devices that project a screen around them that nothing can penetrate.  Security.  We don’t have it any more.

In case you have been living in a cave you need to know that if you brought your cell phone with you then Uncle Sugar can still hear every breath you take.  The devices are everywhere.  I remember when it was a big shocker to the general population to find out that their smart TV had a microphone in it.  It would have been a bigger shocker if anyone was paying attention.  They keep buying the TV’s.  At this point I doubt if you can get a TV that doesn’t have the technology to watch you change your underwear and listen to you yell at your dog.  Take a moment and look around.  I see my lap top, my cell phone, a stereo system, clock radio and an I-pad.  Those should be obvious.  What you don’t think about are the light fixtures, lamps, plugs in the walls and I even notice my guitar tuners.  And keep in mind that just about every square foot of any city has multiple cameras focused on it.

Not that I have anything to hide.  I am not sure that I do anything worthy of the attention of the police state and the identity thieves of the world.  At this time in my life it is the principle of the thing.  The day may come when it is more but that is for another day.

The government and big business spend a lot of money on security.  It may be time to start a company that will do this for common folk.  Maybe they are already out there, but it seems to me that it would be enlightening for a team to come into a private home and identify all the live microphones and cameras that the owners are not aware of.  Enlightening?  It might be terrifying.  What if your wife has paid someone to find out what you are mumbling about all the time?

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-165: Terror Wins a Round

My wife shared that she would not be found at any large gathering over the 4th of July.  I think she extended it to life in general.  She is worried about terror attacks my Muslims and liberals.  What this tells me is that they are winning.

The whole point of terrorism is that they put fear, terror, in our minds to the point that we change how we live.  When we put off going out to eat or shopping it is more than just us trying to be safe.  It takes a big stick and drives it through the spokes of the economy.  The enemies of America win without having to do anything.

This works many ways.  I find that I am reluctant to fly.  It has nothing to do with fear of being blown out of the sky.  It has to do with convenience and comfort.  The comfort I am forced to live with.  The airlines keep making the seats narrower and knee knocking.  I am getting too old for that environment.  The one that is more crippling is the TSA.  Knee jerk reactions to shoe bombers and underwear bombers has made it quicker to drive to some locations than to take the airplane.  This came through to me recently when I was reading an old action novel.  The hero walking into an airport at the last minute, paid cash for a ticket with no ID and immediately boarded the plane.  Can you remember those days?  I have vague memories of it but my children can’t picture such liberty.

I will not be going to any big event either but my motivation is different.  I don’t like big crowds.  I think it is part of becoming old and cranky.  I went to one concert forty years ago.  It was enough.  I went to a Tea Party rally.  It was enough.  I prefer to schedule my life so that if I must dine out or go shopping I go when the masses are somewhere else.  I really don’t want to be forced to go to things to show the terrorists that I value liberty over security.

Don’t let Muslim suicide bombers keep you from the mall.  Don’t let Communist Antifa thugs keep you from a parade.  Don’t let government attempts to keep from traveling just because they want to keep you safe.  Liberty is a state of mind that guides our actions.

I hope you enjoyed Independence Day.  Continue to apply that independence.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-043: Drugs and Guns Don’t Mix

Recently I was stuck in a waiting room without a book.  It is a situation I try to avoid but it happens.  In desperation I picked up a magazine I would never buy, read or normally even see.  I think it was the one that Oprah puts outs.  It was an interesting look into the world of the masses.  It was like being at a snowflake convention.  It was an out of body experience.

In light of the recent school shooting and the press coverage, or lack of coverage, I remember some of the advertisements I looked at.  What sparked this was an article in WND about the elephant in the room:  Mind altering prescription drugs. 

When I came to the quotes off the label of one of the drugs, which read like this (toward the end of the article),

“...known “adverse drug reactions” – according to the drug’s FDA-approved label – include “mania,” “insomnia,” “anxiety,” “agitation,” “confusion,” “amnesia,” “depression,” “paranoid reaction,” “psychosis,” “hostility,” “delirium,” “hallucinations,” “abnormal thinking,” “depersonalization” and “lack of emotion,” among others.”

my mind went back to the ads in the magazine.  I don’t remember what the drug was but in the list of side effects I saw a lot of things like that.  I remember joking with my wife about why anyone would take something like that.

Evidently many people do. 

What might be useful to look at is the long list of shootings in which the killers were on some sort of heavy psychiatric drugs.  The list starts with the Columbine killings and reaching up to the one this week.  The point of the article is that the connection is being ignored. 

The drug used by the Columbine killers was a real read flag.

“Luvox manufacturer Solvay Pharmaceuticals concedes that during short-term controlled clinical trials, 4 percent of children and youth taking Luvox – that’s one in 25 – developed mania, a dangerous and violence-prone mental derangement characterized by extreme excitement and delusion.”

How does this kind of stuff get approved by the FDA?

When I was teaching I rarely had a class smaller than 25.  What that means is that I had a good chance of facing someone who was literally drugged out of their mind in every class.  I don’t find that scary but it does give you a perspective of the numbers we are talking about.

We need to look at a lot of government agencies.  We should not stop at the FBI and CIA.  We need to also look at the FDA.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-006: Headlines: Whoops

For those of you who are panicked over the North Korean development of nuclear weapons and threats to hit the U.S. mainland you might want to check out this report.  I have seen it several places but you can check The New York Post.  It seems that one of the missiles went wrong and crashed into a North Korean town. 

Reports say that Kim Jong Un’s program has the distance to reach our west coast.  That stirs up the fear.  What we need to understand is that if he could reach Seattle and launched a missile at that city, it might be the inhabitants to Honolulu or Anchorage that need to worry.  We have this report.  How many other missiles crashed that we don’t know about?

Someday?  Yes, maybe.  The biggest current danger of the crazy from North Korea is what he will cause by mistake rather than what he wants to do.

I think Texas is still beyond his range.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-352: Koreaphobia

Should we worry about Korea?  Yes and no.  A lot of it depends on certain circumstances.

How close are you to Korea?  If I lived in Seoul I would be concerned.  If I lived around Seoul I would definitely worry because I am not sure that Rocket Man can hit what he aims for.  He is kind of like a new recruit into Napoleon’s army, armed with a cheap musket that had not been cleaned.  It would fire but once the ball left the muzzle there were no guarantees.  Since I live in the middle of America I, personally, have no fear.  I do have some concern for family members in Japan.

Are you of draft age?  If the curtain goes up it could well mean China would come into the fray.  If that happens we are on the road to another world war.  Assuming that the nuclear option is avoided it would mean a major call up of troops.  It is still the law that young men must register for the draft when they turn 18.  Rocket Man might show a generation of snowflakes just what it means to need a safe space.  At my age I am too old to draft and my son might also be out of range.

Do you drive a KIA or Hyundai?  Parts might run short.

On a more serious note, and here is where the theology comes in, I am afraid because of Korea.  I am not afraid because I am worried about the evil in Korea.  My concern comes because of the evil in America.  Our common culture is in the process of spitting in the face of God, often and with great enthusiasm.  Take any moral issue from telling lies to killing the innocent and you find the media, education, courts and government are leading the spray.  Eventually God will say, “Enough”.  When that happens all bets are off.

The only thing that keeps the wrath of God coming down on this nation is that there is still a faithful remnant.  There are still a few who have not bowed their knee to Baal.  If you are a grain of salt then stay salty.  If you are living for the joy of the moment then thank a Christian for their influence.

Remember Sodom.  Coming to a neighborhood near you.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-128: On the Street: Security

I am not paranoid.  I know they are out to get me.  I just don’t know who “they” are or when they will show up.  With that in mind there are certain precautions I take.

I don’t give out my e-mail or SSN unless I have to.

I never open attachments from untrusted sources.  My definition of “trusted” is narrow.  Not all my friends are considered trusted when it comes to attachments.  I usually don’t open unsolicited e-mails.  If I have a password I never put it on automatic recall.  What is the point of a password if it does not engage?

I lock my doors as soon as I get in the car and I lock my car as soon as I get out.

I lock the door to my home and check the doors each night before I go to sleep.

I look in dark corners when I leave home for work.

Stairs are starting to be a warning to “wake up”.  I don’t have trouble getting up and down.  What happens is that my automatics don’t work as well as they used to.  I just need to focus a little bit and I will be okay.  I have gone down hard several times and so far have not major injuries.  It has always been because I am in a hurry and not thinking.  Sooner or later God is going to get tired of catching me.

What am I missing?  The list is too long, you say?

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-255: Welcome Back 2015: Be Safe

As I walked onto the campus for our “Welcome Back” meeting I noticed a couple of little signs in the planter of the High School.  They informed me that this location was protected by armed security and gave the name and telephone number of a private security company.  I am not sure if that gave me a good feeling or not.

Does this mean that if we have a threat on campus we are supposed to call this private company instead of the police?  Does this mean that a private company is more trustworthy than the local police department?

I have no answer to that but I saw what I saw.  Maybe we could call them to deal with ISIS.

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-252: Welcome Back: The Babysitters Have Returned

Yes, teachers are returning to their Romper Rooms.

As I begin writing I am waiting for the first meeting of the year on our district.  All employees are gathering for a time of inspiration, smoke and mirrors.  I have been “invited” to attend.  Of course they will have sign in sheets and if I don’t show up I will be docked.  I will take my Kindle and hope all the back seats are not taken.

Our superintendent sent a long e-mail and it contained a list of goals for the year.  Not one of the goals was objectively measurable.  They sounded good.  They were inspiring.  They are also not measurable so you have the best of both worlds:  Noble words and no accountability. 

At our first “professional development” session I was reminded of how naive educators are about the world they live in.  In an atmosphere of identity theft and security breaches they not only used my full name in public but included the need for me to publicize my birthday as I access their computers.  It is so much easier to use that for a password than actually generate safe access.  Understand that makes my password eight characters long and all numbers.  At the hackers convention I attended this summer a speaker announced a piece of security hardware that has six digit passwords, all numbers and the hackers fell out of their seats laughing.  It took him about 15 seconds to find out what the password was on the site he was trying to hack.  If it had been eight characters it probably would have take a lot longer, say 20 seconds.

So if you wonder how the government, Target, Home Depot and so many other large organizations have been hacked and given up all your personal information keep one thing in mind:  They all probably went to public school.

Welcome Back.

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-248: DEFCON: A Useful Reminder

DEFCON is over for the year.  I hate Las Vegas but I enjoy the time with my son and the opportunity to rub elbows with a part of the world that is usually below my radar.  Both keep me alert.

I wish that the public could attend some of these sessions.  One lesson that we need to broadcast is that you are not secure, even in your home.  The invasive nature of electronics and the nasty need of politicians and corporate executives to control others is a very real threat to liberty.  It is a real threat to your privacy.  It is a real threat to your financial security.

We hear about the loss of personal, private information that happened at the government level.  If you have ever been used as a reference by anyone in that database the chances are that all of your personal information is now in the hands of someone who wants to do you harm.  Don’t forget all the major businesses that have also had the same experience recently.

As I look at the screen on my laptop I notice one of the great gadgets I came across at DEFCON.  It is a little sliding aperture that goes over the camera on my laptop.  It slides open easily but more important it slides closed so that the camera is blocked.  I am sure that you are aware than any good hacker can access your computer if you are connected to the internet and activate the camera and microphone without you knowing it.  Oh, you didn’t know that?  Now you do.  At least at this point they cannot see me.

I watched the hackers show how to start a car that is not theirs.  I watched them open doors in security areas without a key.  You have reason to worry.  Make sure that you are not an easy target.  Make sure your computer has a firewall.  Make sure you change passwords.

Be careful.  DEFCON is over but the real world is still there.

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-230: On the Street: 99 Cent Protection

Would you trust a condom purchased at the 99 Cent Store?

Just asking.  I was in line buying some brown rice and saltine crackers.  As I waited I was looking over all of the items they had by the cash register for last minute purchase.  There they were.  I forgot to look and see how many you got for 99 cents.  It looked like more than one.

Maybe they are surplus from the local middle school.

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-175: New Terms: TANSTAAFA

You are all familiar with TANSTAAFL (There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch) which I think originated with Robert Heinlein.  Notice that my acronym ends with an “A” not a “L”.  This stands for No Such Thing As a Free App. 

What brings this to mind is an Archie comic that a student left laying around.  On the back it says “Free Archie App”.  Not really.  You may not pay with your credit card but you will pay with your personal information.  When you sign up for an app it asks you for permission to access information on the phone you are using.  This could open up all kinds of areas you don’t want opened.  It could reveal things that you would be outraged about if the NSA were mining your device.  And you give it away free.  And then they will sell it and the world knows all about you.

So, go ahead.  Sign up for that App.  Sometimes they don’t ask for all the access when you sign up.  You might even check it out the first time but have you noticed how often they want you to update?  Sooner or later they sneak it in when they think you are not looking.  Either way, the price is too high for me to pay.

You can keep your free App, Archie.

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-93: Shredding

I get tired of emptying the shredder.  I never shred anything but I don’t live alone.  I had a wake up call today.

I have always questioned the fanatic need to sherd.  I just came across a solid reason for shredding at The Preparedness Pro:  Don’t give them your name and address on a form.  They can use it to establish an account, or as she put it,

“An identity thief can simply establish identity with a piece of mail that has ‘their’ name and address on it.”

It is easy to do.  Once established, it may be harmless or it may lead to severe consequences.  I don’t want to be the one to find out which it is.

homo unius libri