Low Tech vs Slow Tech

It turns out that I'm both!
I have to admit that even though I see the great advantages of today's technology and can't begin to imagine what is in our future I am still far behind the curve when it comes to adapting my life to the available technologies. I am aware that some of my hesitancy is due to intimidation and ignorance. 
Not knowing is one thing. Not knowing what I don't know can be crippling. 

Friday morning I had a couple of notifications for verification of somebody wanting to access my Amazon account from another device. I did the recommended sign out of all devices and changed the password, but then I couldn't get my Kindle to reconnect properly. It showed connected to my account but wouldn't show my library or bring up the books I am currently reading. I have spent the past two days signing out, signing in, resetting factory defaults and starting over.
And over,
And over.

Honestly, I don't think I did anything differently today than I've been doing, but I am finally properly connected to my account.
Yay!
This makes me happy.

And while I am ranting about technology -- WTF is up with Google and its bullsh!t relabeling of Lake Ontario? 
Google Maps now has Lake America in the north to go with the Gulf of America in the south. 
What a bunch of ball-less cocks! 
All of the information and influence that they have as a tech giant and this is how they want to be known. 
smh

Maybe being low tech, and even being slow at being low isn't so bad.
I think I'll read my book on my recently reconnected Kindle.

John

Coffee time

I decided that a morning ride and a coffee shop stop would be a fine way to begin my Sunday morning. It will be hot again this week, so a little riding before it becomes uncomfortably hot seemed like a good idea.
I didn't go very far, just to the Mudhouse at the north end of Ozark. The single origin Guatemalan drip for a bottomless cup and the blueberry muffin make a good backdrop to typing away on my blog while observing the many others that are stopping in for their morning fix.

If you are in the SWMO area and would like to meet for coffee sometime, drop me a message. Whether by bike or truck, I'd be happy to meet you for a well brewed cup of coffee and a conservation. It crossed my mind that I could make it to church at The Venues this morning, but I decided that a solo ride and a cup of coffee while sitting solo at a coffee shop was much more aligned with my people coping tolerance today. 

A few short rides on the bike have been good. I don't feel the same about riding as I once did. There isn't the same feeling of freedom or stress relieving therapy that there used to be. Maybe I no longer need that kind of get-away-from-it-all experience. 
I have a pretty chill kind of life.

I will say that it is still enjoyable, but I would not say that the compulsion to ride still exists for me. I will likely use the bike for errands when it is appropriate, but don't see myself just going out for a ride like I used to do. On hot afternoons (like today) a more appropriate non-productive activity would be to lounge in the pool for an hour or two. 
I might know a few things about being non-productive!

I hope that you have a week with a balanced amount of non-productive time. 

John

Riding again

I finally did it!
After more than two years of sitting idle, my motorcycle has current tags and is ready to ride. 
I wasn't thinking about yesterday being the last business day of the month when I went to the licensing bureau, but soon realized why the wait was so long. It was hard to be too frustrated. Those procrastinators are my people.
I thought about leaving and waiting until Monday, but figured I was already there and waiting in line would be shorter than waiting until Monday. Besides -- I'm retired. Waiting is really no big deal.

I need to spend a little time getting reacquainted with riding. Yesterday's short ride felt good, but a little refresher riding on turns and overall awareness is definitely needed. I may take a ride today before the hot weather sets in again for a few days.

I don't think that extended trips are something that I'll be doing again. Even if I wanted to ride the 400+ miles to see Mom, she no longer has a car to use while there so I wouldn't be able to take her anywhere or pick up much in the way of groceries or anything. Besides, my hybrid Ford Maverick truck gets about the same mileage as the Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle!
But riding is enjoyable, so I'm sure I'll be out and about a bit. 
Having such an option is a simple privilege for which I am grateful.

Enjoy your weekend and keep an eye out for old guys on motorcycles.

John

Getting the bug or just getting bugged?

Every now and then I get the bug to renew my old habit of doing magic. 
The problem is that I would have to re-invent myself as a magician since I would no longer be doing church programs and I really have no idea how to go about getting regular stand-up gigs.

Close up magic as always been my favorite genre to watch, but I never really practiced it much because that wasn't the magic I performed and it takes a great deal of practice to make it look -- well, magical.

The process is:
Practice until what is difficult becomes easy
              until what is easy becomes second nature (natural)
              until what is natural becomes magical

Done right, it is so much more than doing tricks. It's performing an art, exhibiting a craft, providing entertainment and escape for an audience. Being a good magician isn't something you do. It is someone you are. And while I love the wonder and enjoyment that magic creates, I'm really not certain that I want to spend the time and energy (and money $$) to work on something that few people would ever get to see or appreciate. 

Work on the old stuff and find new gigs?
Work on new stuff and find new gigs?
Work on stuff for personal enjoyment until the itch is satisfied and move on?
Find another shiny thing to distract me from the pull of an old habit?

Magus, mage (plural magi)  -- Priests of the ancient Persians.

Today we would call them magicians, sorcerers, or wise men. 
Maybe I should skip the magic stuff and just work on the part of being a wise man. 

John

Remembering

In the short time since the death of Dolly Parton there has been a steady stream of tributes, life summaries, quotes, stories, and long lists of her accomplishments and stories. Though small in stature, everything about the woman was big.

I'm not going to recall her deeds here, but I have to say that remembering Dolly makes me wonder how I might be remembered.
And is it really all that important?

Remembering the accomplishments and deeds of one that has died is just recalling and appreciating what they did when they were living. Most of us will never have the money nor influence of a Dolly Parton, but that doesn't mean that we can't be kind, loving, and generous with what we have. I doubt that Dolly thought about being remembered as she lived her extraordinary life. She just lived life in an unforgettable way. 

I'm not likely to do anything extraordinary today. 
In fact, it is quite possible that sharing these words will be the most interaction with other people that I have today.
There is no kindness attached to sharing these thoughts. 
There is nothing inspirational about just existing for another day.
I won't be creating anything, nor discovering anything, nor making any contributions to my neighborhood or to the world around me.

I'll read a little, clean up my outdoor living area (deck), maybe take some recycling in -- nothing that will generate a memory for anybody.
And honestly, I'm okay with that.

I won't be putting up statues, building monuments, nor slapping my name in public areas to force people to remember me. I'll just live my life and allow you to live yours. If we're lucky, maybe a few people will remember something good about us when we are no longer here.

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 

I am learning this contentment.
I have more than I need, certainly more than I deserve.
I am sitting in a wonderful home, sipping good coffee.
Though mostly far away, I have an incredible family.
Although I have few close friends, I have had a good life with seasonal friendships.
My life is peaceful.
I am content.
Life has been, and is still -- very good.

John

Screen-time

I am spending less time on my phone -- at least, according to my phone.
I haven't actually checked, but I suspect that the phone app is likely one of the least used apps on my phone. Perhaps it would be better if I referred to it as my cellular device or my distraction from living or as something other than my phone.

Since I generally have one book that I read on the Kindle app, some of my daily time is spent there.
There are a few game apps that I play everyday, plus a few of the NYT games like Wordle, Connections, and Letter Boxed.
I have been spending less time on Facebook and Instagram and a little more time on Substack.

I think that deciding to wear a watch has reduced my screen time a bit. I don't really know why I ever need to know what time it is. I suppose it is an ingrained life habit. And I don't believe we really check to see what time it is, but we check to see how much time we have until ... whatever thing we expect to do next in life. How long until dinner, how long before we leave, how long until the game starts, etc.
By not checking my phone for the time, I am not distracted to check on messages or notifications or other updates that I would have just skipped or waited until later to read.
Opening anything is inviting the cellular black hole to suck you into the inescapable virtual void where you lose minutes, or even hours, of your day and life.

Having a smart phone does give me access to so much information. I use it for gardening info, recipe ideas, weather information, GPS guidance, updated news, and plenty of other things. I definitely don't want to go back to not having one. 
However, I also see that these ubiquitous devices can be a major distraction from actually living our lives and can be very isolating for people that truly need an actual community of people around them.

I am going to continue to limit and reduce my dependence on my phone and the distraction that it often creates. I have a few educational apps that I'll continue to use, plus my reading (Kindle) app. Using social apps to connect me to people that I couldn't connect with otherwise are good things. Using those same social apps as a substitute for connecting with people that I can have actual connections with might not be so great.
Less screen time.
More life.

John

Fall Gardening

It's about that time.
It is at least time to begin thinking about how I am going to approach re-working my fence line flowerbed. 
After learning (the hard way) that I replanted my irises wrong last fall, I am going to have to dig the road side of the fence up and replant them correctly. Even though they didn't produce flowers this year, they did multiply greatly. I will have an abundance of tubers to share if you are in the area and want some.

For the house side of the fence, I think I will try solarizing the bed to kill off the weeds that grew this year, as I neglected to keep up with it. 
My plan is to solarize this fall, cardboard and compost in March, sow zinnias in April.

My front yard bed is going to need some work also. 
I have a large Rugosa rose bush that needs to come out. I'm afraid the runners it leaves behind will be a nuisance for a long time. I think I will try to find a way to contain it and replant it where its thorny stems won't pose a problem and it can thrive. The flowers have a very pleasant aroma and other than its aggressive spreading, I really do like it.
I expect I could have a few plants available if anyone wants one. Just be aware -- it is an aggressive spreader and the runners can tunnel quite a distance before popping up unexpectedly (ask me how I know)!

I will wait until spring to thin my hostas, but should have some available. Maybe I need to get a boot at a local farmer's market and sell some plants. 
Ha! that sounds too much like a job! I'd much rather just share them with friends.

I'm going to save some seed pods from the moon flowers, but I haven't decided on where I want to plant them. I'm thinking about the backyard flowerbed so that I can enjoy them from the deck where I spend most evenings.

It will be a lot of work. 
However, I have found that gardening produces patience. So much of gardening is work now, reward later -- and often it's much later.

Today is going to be cooler with occasional rain, so I probably won't get much outside work done today. The thunder has been rolling through the clouds as I drink my coffee and plan the upcoming project. It is hard to believe that this week is already the end of August. 

Where has summer gone?
sigh

John

Sunday Self-assessment

I've been doing a lot of thinking about Christianity -- Christian Nationalism, Christianity as understood by, well -- Christians, and simply being a follower of Jesus.

The way I see it:

I don't believe that Christian Nationalism is anything like Christ -- not in name, not in morality, not in any way. In fact, it is generally in direct opposition to the teachings of the Christ, Jesus.

Christianity as understood by Christians isn't really too far removed from the crusaders or colonist of the past. While today's Christian churches and people may not go to the same extremes as the church of history, there is still both social and spiritual condemnation and isolation instead of the physical torture and execution of the infidels that refuse conversion. 

Followers of Jesus should be about caring for the marginalized of our society, taking care of people in need, speaking out against injustice, and doing that love your neighbor/love God thing.

I honestly don't really fit into any of these definitions.
While I certainly agree with the teachings of Jesus that expect us to love one another, I seldom even want to be around people, much less show them any sort of attention or care.
I don't know how monks or cloistered nuns can claim to be Christians without interacting with people, but I like that they've found a way that seems to work for them. I know that I am not ready for that extreme degree of isolation, but it would be nice to find some sort of middle ground where I can be a Christ follower and not have to deal with people.

Maybe it's time to admit that I am not really a Jesus follower, after all. I certainly can't claim any Christ-like qualities or regular practices. You can ask any mainline Christian today and they will tell you that doing good deeds isn't enough to call yourself a Christian.
In fact, according to most, you don't have to do any good deeds. Just call Jesus Lord, trust him as your Savior, and you are good to go! Maybe I should go back to believing that. 

Again, it would be nice to find some middle ground.

I know there doesn't seem to be any real point to this -- not for myself, nor for anyone else. It is just stuff I've been contemplating and felt like writing down. I know there are others that may have found themselves in a similar place. Maybe you'd share some insights for those of us still trying to figure things out.

John

Live Long and Prosper

I heard an NPR story (yes, I listen to NPR) yesterday about a woman in England that celebrated her 117th birthday!
If I live another 50 years I still won't be 117 years old!

My current state of mind is that I would like to stick around for a few decades, but I definitely need to make some changes if I want to enjoy that time. 
It's weird how a person can intellectually know what needs to be done and actually do things that are quite the opposite. 

I know I need to lose weight, but it's easier to indulge in foods that I don't need and even to overindulge in foods that are otherwise healthy choices.

I know that there are zero healthy benefits from smoking cigars and some definite downsides to it, but I do enjoy the subtle flavors and aromas of cigars and appreciate the relaxing that occurs while smoking.
Enjoying an occasional alcoholic beverage is pretty much the same as cigar smoking -- zero health benefit, definite downsides.

I know I should be more active and get regular exercise, but it is too easy to stay sedentary.

It's easy to say that moderation is the key, but is making moderately poor health choices really the key to living a long, healthy life?

Family, social connections, and community also seem to play a role in longevity. 
I don't know. Maybe occasionally enjoying a good cigar, a nice drink, and the peacefulness of being alone isn't so bad if the opposite is having to spend time with people for additional years.
And you can do everything right and still die from something other than old age.

Finding the balance between what I want to do to be happy now and how long I want to be able to do it has always been the trick. Unfortunately, like many people, I haven't been paying much attention to the second part of that equation.
Both my cigar smoking and alcohol consumption are pretty low. I don't do either all that often and have postponed my standing cigar order twice now since I have cut back quite a bit recently. Diet and exercise are the real challenges for me. These are on the opposite side of moderation.

The odds of me living another 50 years are extremely low. Even half of that is unlikely. But making better choices for today is something I can do -- at least for today.

What choices will you make today?

John

Wednesday Wisdom

It's not too late.
Unless, perhaps, we haven't learned.

John

God is Good -- Oh, Really?

It is unsettling how often we can look at the God of the Bible and see that God is not very good at all.
That God seems to relish in killing off entire nations or punishing individuals by some slow, torturous means like stoning.
Even the New Testament God would offer a human sacrifice (his own son) to save people from his own condemnation!

Are these the hallmarks of a good God?
Sorry, but I don't think so.

I'm going to go with a lot of "I don't know"s when it comes to religious matters. I am very distrustful of religious people. Sorting out what to keep from my religious past is challenging. It is very discouraging to think that it has all been a lie.
Was there any truth in it?
Is there anything worth keeping?

Here's my answer -- I don't know.

I am trying to find answers. 
But I am changing the first question from -- Was there any truth in it? to -- Was there any good in it?
If I do that, I can tell you the answer to the second question is -- Yes! There is much worth keeping.
And there is much worth studying further.

I think Jesus is worth studying and following. I think he taught some good stuff. I am not greatly concerned that you follow his teachings, although I do believe that many could benefit from doing the things he taught. I don't believe that choosing to follow him will determine if you go to heaven or hell. I don't even know if the heaven and hell of my religious upbringing exists. 
For now, I'm filing it under "I don't know," but I strongly doubt its existence.

God is Good
But not that God.

For what it's worth...
I actually believe that God is Good.
I believe that God loves you (and me, too).
And even if I'm wrong, at least it makes a good bumper sticker.*

John

*It was a God is Good bumper sticker that got me started on this post.

Old Guys and Friendships

Admittedly, 66 isn't all that old.
However, it does put me at an age where physical changes sometimes surprise me. 
There are also social changes that become issues for a lot of guys entering retirement. I've been retired 11+ years now and didn't really feel the isolation that many feel.

For whatever reason, older guys don't seem to have the one on one friendships that most women seem to have. It often seems to be that guys maintain an identity that encompasses what they do for a living --what they are -- more so than who they are. When work is over and those people connections are lost they feel isolated, alone, and without a purpose.

That part wasn't really an issue for me for a few reasons.
First of all -- ATC was what I did. It was never who I was.
Secondly -- I didn't really do much with co-workers outside of work.
Thirdly -- I kept busy with church stuff and magic ministry for a few years before that came to an end.

When the church gig came to an end, admittedly, I was a little lost. It wasn't a big deal since so many people relationships within the church are superficial and conditional at best.
And besides, being alone and being lonely are very different things.
I greatly enjoy being alone.

However, as I age, I can see that having a close guy friend or two would be nice. I don't know if it is too late to really work on that or not, but I also need to feel right about the people that are close to me. I don't want somebody that drains my energy or has a contradictory view on life. 
We don't have to be completely like-minded, but (in my head) contradictory is not the same as different. Contradictory says -- You're wrong and I'm right, and rarely leaves room for discussion or conversation.

I have started meeting with a couple of guys -- breakfast every other week with a guy a few years older and lunches every now and then with a guy a few years younger. It's been good for me. One guy is a shelter volunteer; the other I met through The Venues church and have kept in touch with even though I rarely go anymore.
I have a couple of cherished high school classmates that I really look forward to connecting with on each trip back to central Illinois, as well as a couple of same age friends when we visit the kids in Puerto Vallarta.

I am quite fortunate to have these guys that are a part of my life. 
I do not have a great following in general, even less of a following by retired guys. If you see yourself in this post, feel free to chime in with your thoughts. I consider my old guy fellow bloggers to be included in my list of friends, as well.

John

Audio books

I'm not much of an audio book fan. Yesterday I listened to my fourth book (1st this year). Like the previous three, this one was on a long, traveling solo road trip. The first was actually an accidental download from the Libby app. I thought I was getting an e-book, but got an audio book instead.

Typically, I listen to music while on the road. Yesterday I decided to find a book to listen to.
I am going to say that listening to books has its place and has definitely helped pass the time on an all day drive, but I am going to stick to reading for the most part. 

Two of the four books have been read by the author; two have been read by other people. How does a person get paid to read a book out loud? That seems like a decent gig if you don't mind the sound of your own voice and sitting still for hours on end.

How do you feel about audio books?
I think I would use them more often if I spent a lot of time in the car. 

John

Saturday

I am not much of a tech guy, but I have recently upgraded in a couple of areas. I have been used to owning the cheapest available cell phone and that has worked out well since even the cheap smart phones are smarter than I am.  A recent switch in providers netted me an upgrade to a Samsung Galaxy 26+ that I am certain to under utilize. 

One feature I have recently discovered tracks my daily screen time.
Damn. I use it much more than I thought I did. 
I guess it is a nice-to-know kind of thing and I am going to have to pay closer attention to how I am using my time. I do spend time with several games -- Star Battle, Arrows, and a few of the NYT games.
I'd like to be able to claim that my time is spent reading on the Kindle app (and some of it is), but most of my reading is actually done on my Kindle paperwhite. 
The tracking shows which apps are the great time suckers and while I do spend time reading worthwhile articles, I am also wasting plenty of time with nonsense.
Sacrebleu!

I've also just added a smartwatch to my tech stuff. I know I am late to the party and even feel that my Fitbit Versa 4 is an older, scaled down model to what is actually available in the smartwatch market. However, it was something I could get through my Medicare Advantage plan and didn't actually cost me anything. I've had a couple of cheap versions in the past, but this is definitely more functional than my previous smart watches. 
I am still figuring it out, getting it set-up, and trying to decide if I really want a watch that tells me I'm fat and lazy and need to get up and move my ass. 
Technology!

My watch talks to my phone.
My phone talks to my truck.
I can stream Netflix to my phone, Chromebook, or TV. 
Meta, Google, and Amazon sell my travel, shopping, and browsing data to the world.
And the centers that store and broker all of that data are using up resources and destroying the earth.

Technology!
It's a wonderful thing 
...until it isn't.
It is definitely something to be monitored.

John

Election Day!

It is election day in Missouri and although it is a primary election for our congressional and state representatives, there are also some important ballot initiatives to be decided. 
Vote!

John

Dog Days

The "Dog days of summer" are coming to an end and one might expect that would mean that cooler temperatures will be coming quickly. However, although the dog days are associated with summer time heat, they are associated more by correlation than by causation. 
The time from early July until mid August is often the hottest time of year in the northern hemisphere. It is also the time of year that the constellation Canis Major (the big dog) and Sirius, the night's brightest star, are emerging from being behind the sun.
Sirius, (the Dog Star) is just now visible in the early morning sky, rising just before sunrise. By winter it will be visible nearly the entire night, rising at around 7:30 PM on the solstice. 

I mention this because our temps are heading upwards again and will be nearing 100 (38 C) degrees in just a few days. The couple of cooler days were welcome, but today starts another warm up. I'm okay with that.  The continuing March towards shorter days and cooler temps makes me a little sad. 
I am a summer boy.

August is motivating me to get ready for the coming winter. And by "getting ready for winter" I mean planning a trip to a warmer climate! I hope that airfare remains affordable for trips to Mexico. Or maybe we can plan something along the southern coast of Texas or Florida. That would work, too.

Happy Monday.
Enjoy the sun and the summer. 
Summer days are going quickly.

John

August

It is going to be an unusually cool and overcast day for this time of year.
Overall, it has been a pretty decent summer. Although we have had our hot days, they have been bearable and we have only reached 100 degrees (38 C) one time -- so far.

I'm basically a summer person and the hot days don't really bother me that much. In fact, we managed almost all of June with the windows open and no A/C. It will be nice to turn the A/C off for the day and let the fresh air flow through the house today.

The night sky in August is a good one. The so called star of the show is generally the Perseids meteor shower which peaks on the night of the 12th and early morning of the 13th. For those in Iceland or Spain, a total solar eclipse happens during the daylight hours of the 12th. This means that there is a new moon phase and dark sky for the nighttime meteor shower. 
North American sky watchers can catch the partial lunar eclipse later in the month on the evening of the 27th.

Additionally, there will be an early morning planetary alignment that coincides with the solar eclipse and meteor shower. Venus will still be in the evening sky, but the rest of the planets will line up nicely just before dawn in the eastern sky on the morning of the 12th.
It should be noted that Neptune and Uranus are not visible without a small telescope and Mercury, never very far from the sun, will not be visible until just before sunrise.

Tuesday, August 4, is Primary day in Missouri with several important ballot items. 
Missouri voters are weird. They will vote for progressive ballot initiatives and also vote for the conservative representatives that oppose them and often try to overturn the will of the people through other legislative measures. 
smh

The calendar page turns and life moves on.

Happy August!
John