Morning… Night.

Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 20:00:18 EST Leave a comment

Time is in your hands.

Time is in your hands.


Morning… Night.

Morning Routine:
Wake up after a decent amount of sleep so you feel rested, recharging and reset.
Make your bed. You accomplished one thing today.
(“Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World” by Admiral William H. McCraven (Ret.) )
Make sure you brush your teeth.
Do some light exercise, yoga or stretch.
Get a shower.
Get dressed – your outfit is ready the night before. (Pet peeve: When I see adults wearing pajamas in public, that projects an I don’t care attitude.)
Meditate, pray, read something inspirational or motivating.
Eat breakfast.
Read your personal emails.
Check your calendar.
Get on the road.

Daytime:
Do what you do for the day.
Be consistent in what you do and what you say.
Eat a small lunch somewhere in there and drink plenty of water.
If you have the chance to walk, do it.
Run errands if necessary, but make it home quickly.

Night Routine:
After returning home, spend time with family.
Eat a balanced meal.
If you are involved in an organization or two, participate and don’t overdo it.
Enjoy some entertainment or learn something new (Genius Hour).
Get your outfit out for the next day.
Wind down. Try not to look at cellphones or computers right before going to bed.

There are 24 hours in a day. Use them wisely.

Repeat…

 

This is post 9 of my alphabet posts.

Filed under Alphabet Post, Health, Philosophy, Religion and Spirituality, Science

Love

Wednesday, February 14, 2018 at 12:00:34 EST Leave a comment

Animated heart outline with sparkles.

Love.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a New International Version (NIV)

This passage is usually heard at weddings, but can be applied to everyday life.
This page has a pretty good breakdown.
https://www.thoughtco.com/love-is-patient-love-is-kind-bible-verse-701342


Love in song:
A few classics, some of my favorites and some TV themes:
“Can’t Help Falling in Love” – Elvis Presley
“Love and Marriage” – Frank Sinatra (also TV theme for “Married with Children”)
“All You Need Is Love” – The Beatles
“The Power of Love” – Huey Lewis and the News
“Do You Believe in Love?” – Huey Lewis and the News [Edit 2/18]
“Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do” – Huey Lewis and the News [Edit 2/18]
“I Want To Know What Love Is” – Foreigner
“Love American Style” Theme
“The Love Boat” Theme

For a more comprehensive list, these two sites have lists of songs with love in the title.
http://www.bobborst.com/popculture/love-songs/
http://www.torontomike.com/2011/02/1714_songs_with_love_in_the_ti.html
There are at least 1500 more and that’s just in English. Love is international.

Love all:
If you love someone continue to love them.
Even if you do not agree with someone, love them.
If you are in their presence or not in their presence, love them.
Be joyful and treat them with respect and love them.

This is post 8 of my alphabet posts.

Filed under Alphabet Post, Health, Philosophy, Religion and Spirituality

Kids will be kids.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at 00:30:43 EST Leave a comment

Kids.

Years go by.
0: It’s all about you. You have the whole place to yourself, you’re fed, you’re changed, you go to sleep.
1: You learn to communicate with body language and actions.
2: You learn to communicate with words.
3: All bodily functions can be controlled. All fat cells form by this time.
4: Have fun and be curious. Use your imagination.
5: You will be learning without your parents by your side.
6: If you can’t do something, don’t throw a temper tantrum, but breathe deeply and collect your thoughts.
7: Think about your interests.
8: Act on your interests.
9: Be athletically active.
10: Believe in something.
11: You’re starting to feel like you’re growing up.
12: Don’t settle for mediocrity.
13: Peer pressure can be overwhelming. Continue spiritual growth.
14: You will be exposed to cultures not like your own. Some are good, bad or neither. Choose wisely.
15: You are bound to make mistakes. Learn from them. Drop the attitude.
16: Just because you have an urge, don’t just act on it.
17: You are bound to make mistakes. Learn from them and keep a level head.
18: You are legally liable for what you do. Look to your left, look to your right and take the initiative to do well. Vote.
I would stop here, because beyond 18 is adulthood. It has been artificially extended.
19: You are either in the workforce or being indoctrinated to radical ideas (it may take until 35 to unlearn that – some never do).
20: If the adults around you are acting less like adults than you, remove yourself from that situation.
21: You need to be responsible. Be an adult and, act like one. Save your money. Don’t spend most of it on frivolous things.
I would still stop here, but society has further extended when adulthood starts.
22: If you’re still in college, get a major that there is a need for and get done.
23: Find a good mentor or friend.
24: If you are in a dead end job with no possibility for advancement, get out, but know where you will land first.
25: According to Robert Kiyosaki, this is the beginning of the 1st quarter, financially. If you have been working before then that’s the pre-game show.
26: Continue to learn, either an additional trade, or skill.
27: Don’t be a snowflake. See 20.
28: Your metabolism is going to slow down soon. Don’t eat like you’re 14.
29: I good friend once told me, “Don’t get married before you are 30.”
30: If you are still on your parents’ health insurance, and you are able, stop being a leech.
If you are still in school at this point, you are likely a Doctor.

Keep on moving:

You are not a kid anymore. Life goes on with its ups and downs. Enjoy.

This is post 7 of my alphabet posts.

Filed under Alphabet Post, Career, Education, Health, Philosophy, Religion and Spirituality

Introspection, Inspiration and Inception.

Monday, January 1, 2018 at 00:00:55 EST Leave a comment

Introspection, Inspiration and Inception.

Introspection:
I have been reflecting on 2017 in numeric terms, on personal level and in overall society.
As for basic living, I have had 1,095+ meals, 2,600 hours of sleep, 375 showers (not 52), brushed my teeth 1,400+ times and had 17 Haircuts.
I have driven 11,107.8 miles in my car, and flown 5,380 direct (5,500 actual) air miles. As for the Internet: 6 blog posts, a few pages on my site, about 1000 Tweets and most of my Facebook posts.

I have also watched 227 episodes of “Jeopardy!” It should have been 230 episodes some were preempted by other events. That’s just about 14,000 clues.

I have been to the Levoy Theatre 15 times.

My computer has tested 19 tested Mersenne numbers (2^p – 1) to determine if prime – none so far, and double checked 10 more and those still were not prime numbers.

The Earth has traveled about 584 million miles along its orbit, with respect to the sun. Don’t ask me to count the Earth’s rotation in the mix.

Between “Dancing With The Stars” Seasons 24 and 25, and “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 14, I learned that I could possibly dance.

After watching “Property Brothers [all incarnations],” “Love It or List It,” “Fixer Upper,” “Good Bones,” and “Desert Flippers,” I reaffirmed that I could work on my own house projects within reason. Then you call a specialist if you can’t do it yourself.

January:
New Hope for 2017. A new type of President in Donald J. Trump. A new reason to complain for some. Advice: If you don’t get your way, don’t throw a temper tantrum, because you are an adult. Definition of adult: starts at 18, not delayed until 30.

February:
The Patriots won a big game and I think that was the last professional football game I watched. Valentine’s Day tends to be a week long celebration. Celebrate love and cooperation, not hate and resistance.
One morning a week later, I was watching what I thought was news. I determined it was “Fake News” or at least hysteria or hypnosis on a 15 minute repeating cycle. Normally two hours of a cable news morning show covers: a major event, politics, some cooking, entertainment, the weather and sports.

March:
I went to see “Most Likely to Succeed” and I changed a few habits. I attend much more professional development that’s free or out of my pocket. At the end of the month, I went to Google Bootcamp Level 1 at Stockton for 2 days. [Plug for Kiker Learning here.]

April:
A reality check on creep of privatization in education: maintenance, cafeteria, substitute teachers, teacher’s aides, ESP, teachers for 20% to 25% of salary through almost long-term assignments. Travel south: ironically 4 months early for 100% solar eclipse. “Doctor Who” Series 10 lasts for a few months. More requirements for so little.

May:
Genius hour activity: Mars Calendar MY34. The Kentucky Derby: remembering an old friend and knowing someone I should take to the races. Another year older, 47, another time to reflect. “The Shack” a perspective on God (not like “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier”). EdCamp Happy Camper was my first EdCamp and I won an electronic sock puppet. The closest to that was Bacon Bytes in 2015. I became a Google Certified Educator Level 1. The Preakness: more horses. I took the Jeopardy! online test: no word yet, if I was on there, I couldn’t tell you anyway.

June:
I drove 3 hours to Google Bootcamp Level 2 in Bergen County, then the next week went to Garden State Summit Google Apps for Education. The Belmont: even more horses. Graduations: some good speeches, some virtue signaling speeches. Apparently some feel that patriotism is hate speech and if you have a difference of opinion with someone, you can ignore their genuine greeting. Learn not to get involved in identity politics. Hate the action, not the person. I became a Google Certified Educator Level 2.

July:
Be a good host. Marriage is a great thing with the right person. Riding a tractor is exhilarating. Interviews are not meant to be a reality game show.

August:
New Start Career Network: validation of retraining yourself, meeting new people. Help others: be non-partisan. Check your power surge protectors, they’re dated. If there is no date on it, then it’s over 20 years old. I attended a 50th Anniversary: cooperation and compassion lasts. A Solar Eclipse on a summer day can create a cool breeze. Last minute help can save the day.

September:
Bridge out: Imagine, you get in your car drive the path you take every day and all of a sudden you’ve lost one of your major options. The path you travel sometimes needs to change and may take longer. “The Orville” on Fox (now Disney) vs. “Star Trek: Discovery” on CBS All Access. I need a good laugh not more virtue signaling. Apps get larger, delete an app, clear cache. After a while forced obsolescence occurs and you need to replace your phone. That applies to Apple and Android. EdCamp SoJersey at Stockton.

October:
Groundhog day in October. Goal to be healthier. You can make resolutions at anytime – even October 8th. After 3163 days 100,000 miles in my car. A name from the past makes me realize some nonsense is in the past.

Amazon could come to Millville, NJ with infrastructure enhancements. Some sand plants nearby could be converted to computer chip or solar panel manufacturing. Easy access to NJ-55. Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Rowan University, Stockton University and Rutgers University in Camden within 45 minutes to 1 hour. Traffic not that bad. Millville straight-line equidistant between New York City and Washington, DC ~115 miles.

November (Big Month):
Archives organization. Election Day: Balance in New Jersey. In 2008, Barack Obama (D) was elected as the 44th President, then in 2009 Chris Christie (R) elected Governor of New Jersey. In 2016, Donald J. Trump (R) was elected as the 45th President, then in 2017 Phil Murphy (D) elected Governor of New Jersey. Like I said in January, If you don’t get your way, don’t throw a temper tantrum, because you are an adult. Get back to blogging. EdCampNJ in New Brunswick. Winning hardware is fun. Know the odds. Facebook Marketplace: Get a Drafting Table and accessories. Create a Maker Space. Thanksgiving: be thankful for family and health. Continue to take care of the homefront. I closed the month with a lunch and tour at an exclusive place. It still feels surreal to me.

December:
I can’t really dance, but I can sing. Downsizing and organization. Christmas preparations. Christmas. I’ll close this section with a quote from Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor in the “Doctor Who” Christmas Special: “Twice Upon a Time” … [spoilers] … “Never be cruel, never be cowardly. And never ever eat pears! Remember – hate is always foolish… and love is always wise. Always try to be nice and never fail to be kind.”

Inspiration:
Inspiration can come from many places. It can come from people: family, old friends, mentors, teachers, coworkers, strangers, clergy, and even political figures. It can come from books, poems, photography, all other forms of media.

Inception:
Now that it is 2018, it is a time to begin again. Regenerate.

This is post 5 of my alphabet posts.

Act Boldly. Change Deliberately.
Educate Frequently.
GISday 2017
Happy, Healthy, Hiking.
Introspection, Inspiration and Inception.

Filed under Alphabet Post, Education, Entertainment, Health, News, Philosophy, Politics, Religion and Spirituality

Happy, Healthy, Hiking.

Saturday, November 25, 2017 at 07:00:01 EST 1 Comment

Happy, Healthy, Hiking:

As this post goes live, you have likely participated in Thanksgiving Dinner, watched some football, burned some calories during Black Friday shopping and attended a parade.
Here is an extra helping of advice.

Happy:

Enjoy the time you spend with family and friends. Thanksgiving Dinner, a birthday party, an anniversary are great times to meet in person. Make time at other times of the year.

The Internet has made it so much easier to keep in touch with family and friends. First email, then chat, now video via Skype, Hangouts or Duo and a few others. That regular contact helps.

Healthy:

Mens sana in corpore sano.
Translated from Latin to English: A sound mind in a healthy body.

Healthy Mind: In school you can learn many topics, but be cautious of a hidden curriculum or virtue signaling. This goes back to educating yourself. Learn how to do minor household repairs.

Healthy Body:

It’s simple.

Get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep is like not charging your cellphone and letting it go down to 5%. Take a nap if you need it. Don’t just lay on the sofa all day.

Eat the correct foods in the correct portions at regular times. Don’t overindulge. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean you need to eat it.

Breathe fresh air. My OSHA / environmental friends would have much more to say about this. Make sure your indoor is mold or mildew free. Lighting candles or spraying purfume or air freshener only masks those smells. Get outside to get natural fresh air. See hiking below.

Excercise. I can’t say enough about what walking does for you. Walk at least 2 miles per day. Stretch or do yoga. Get some cardiovascular work into your day. It could be running, push-ups, cutting wood, cycling (with bicycle), boxing, martial arts or climbing a rock “because it’s there.” It all comes down to self discipline.

Healthy Spirit:

Don’t hold onto grudges. Don’t intentionally agitate someone. Note: we don’t know a majority of what we say or do that offends someone. Speak your mind, but don’t speak behind someone’s back to try to tarnish their reputation.

Meditate or pray. When you wake up, ground yourself. It could be reflecting on a Bible passage, doing yoga or listening to soft music or sitting outside listening to the birds singing. Another note: in many religions there were and are specific times for prayer: waking at the first light of dawn, sunrise, mid-morning (usually coffee break), high noon, the mid-afternoon, sunset, about 60-90 minutes after sunset, and before sleeping. If you wake up in the middle of the night from a bad dream, reflect on that, then reflect on something positive.

Hiking:

There is something rejuvenating about a hike. I like the ones with some change in elevation. Not only do you get walking, you get cardiovascular. The scenery is amazing and great for photographic opportunities.

So if you have been sitting at your computer while reading this blog post, get up out of your seat and… “Go, take a hike.”

The end of Ice Box Canyon Trail in Red Rock Canyon. December 22, 2017 at 9:34 a.m. PST.

This is post 4 of my alphabet posts.

Act Boldly. Change Deliberately.
Educate Frequently.
GIS Day 2017.
Happy, Healthy, Hiking.

Filed under Alphabet Post, Education, Health, Philosophy

Educate Frequently.

Monday, November 13, 2017 at 07:23:14 EST 3 Comments

Educate Frequently:

Frog on hand

 

Educate Yourself:

“Curiosity killed the cat.”
That’s a proverb based on meddling in other people’s business.
It may have been about a cat that climbed on a really high roof.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
-Walt Disney

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
-Albert Einstein

If you think you know everything, that’s an arrogant assumption.
If you think you can’t learn or refuse to learn, change your attitude.
If you have difficulty learning, maybe because “school” was tough, but you’re still curious, you can still learn.

With all of the resources available at libraries or online, you can learn anything. Do you have a friend who works in a different field? Ask them about their job.

Make something. In 2011, I wanted to cut some plywood – problem – the saw horses were deteriorating – solution – make new saw horses.
Learn how to fix your own things, within reason. Know when you need to get a professional.

Learn how to sing. It doesn’t matter if it’s Gregorian Chants, Broadway Show Tunes, Hymns or Rock and Roll (1950’s – 1980’s preferably).

Be willing to listen to others. You may learn something.

Educate Others:

As parents, teachers or mentors, we need to encourage questions and curiosity in others.

At the age of 4, I saw a clock with Roman Numerals on it at my grandparents’ house. I asked my parents why was an “I … XII” where “1 … 12” should be. They told me with no hesitation.
Do the same for any child, adolescent or adult. Be that friend who is willing to help or give advice.

Set up a discovery area at home. That goes back to “Make Something”.
Make every trip or visit an adventure in learning.
“Are we there yet?” If you can calculate the ETA and you teach how to tell time (digital and analog), then that question will be asked less.

Be willing to speak to others. They may learn something. You may learn something as well.

This is post 2 of my alphabet posts. I will be editing this now and then. I’m getting ready for GIS Day November 15, 2017. My next post.

Act Boldly. Change Deliberately.
Educate Frequently.

Filed under Alphabet Post, Education, Philosophy

3.0: Act Boldly. Change Deliberately.

Saturday, July 1, 2017 at 17:05:38 EDT 4 Comments

Act Boldly. Change Deliberately.

When changing the theme for my website, I thought “make it simple like ABC.”
Well I added a “D” and thought of a phrase to go with it.

Act Boldly:
Whether you are at home, on your job or part of any organization… “Act.” – “Do.”
That’s just the first step. Expecting results from somewhere else while just sitting there doing nothing. You have talents and a lot to offer.
This made me think of “Don’t put your light under a bushel basket.”
That’s from Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) you can look at a different translation.

Change Deliberately:
“I’ve learned all that I can learn.”
“I have my view and [I’ll keep randomly spouting off that view]. If you don’t agree with me, I don’t want to hear your opinion.”
Those are cop outs.
There are times that you reach a point where something in your life is not working or producing. That’s when you need to “Change”.
That goes back to Blog 2.0 “Remember, Reflect, Change.”
Keep educating yourself. It could be technical manuals, online courses, professional development, genius hour activities, etc.
Ironically, I found a passage for “Change” right before the one for “Act.”
That’s Matthew 5:13 (NIV).

So change comes before acting…
Perhaps the phrase or slogan on my website should be read Right to Left.

Deliberately Change. Boldly Act.
Then the passage below makes more sense in order.
Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV).

Filed under Alphabet Post, Philosophy, Politics, Religion and Spirituality

Social Media Etiquette

Monday, October 26, 2015 at 21:31:08 EDT Leave a comment

To put this article in perspective, I have been on the Internet exactly for my adult life (defined at the time as starting at 18 years old).

I received 4 character alphanumeric for user ids: F4BN, F9F5 and GBB8. These were for my Fall 1988 computer course (Fortran77), for personal use and then Spring 1989 computer course (Sun Graphics) respectively. These accounts have been closed for 26 years and the server is probably in a museum.

I later learned about message boards. I remember someone posted the entire script for Star Trek: Generations. It was removed quickly (after a day or so). It has been re-posted many times since, sometimes in other countries.

Digression: That would have been the first Star Trek movie where you would see Kirk orbital skydiving. 1994 not 2009.

Originally, to post content to the Internet, you may have needed to know Unix, use an FTP program to upload files at 14,000 baud or you could post to a news group (text only).

Since that time, pictures and video have been added. There have been many browsers that made browsing the Internet easier and easier: NCSA Mosaic, Netscape, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome and others.

Now for the “Social Media Etiquette” part.

With use, there is responsibility. In 2005, I found an item on Nitcentral from November 1998 asking when Star Trek IV occurred according to the movie props. I was able to answer my own question a few months later, when I saw the glasses from Star Trek The Experience in Las Vegas, now closed. Ironically the page says that the archives are on Geocities.  I won’t link to it because they closed in 2009.  I posted observations and interests and I have had no regrets that I posted it.

I have had web pages since 1995. I have been on Twitter since 2011 with a personal / business account which is still up and running and a sarcastic account which has been deleted. I even decided to get on Facebook, however I have let it lay fallow (not planting anything) and for a time I deactivated it. In 2012, I bought a website and domain for personal and business purposes.

Some people go in a different direction.

Some are looking for an argument where none is necessary. They are trying to find an outlet for their bitterness or revenge.

Some share too much. Like every meal, personal hygiene activities, every activity while they’re on vacation – translation – we’re not home.

Remember, anything that is posted to the Internet is there forever, even if you delete it. Snapchat may be an exception.

There is some level of disconnect when posting to the Internet about someone. It goes back to this. If you have a disagreement with someone, speak to them directly. If you do not come to an agreement, bring someone with you.

If you go behind someone’s back on social media making an issue larger than it needs to be is immature. This goes back to my first line. I have been on the Internet my entire adult life.

Filed under Philosophy, Tech

Remember, reflect, change

Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 22:39:50 EDT Leave a comment

Remember:
There are events that occur in your life whether self created or external. They are past of your history.

Reflect:
Think about how those events impacted you as a part of your life. You can hold on to some of those events, but some you need to let go.

Change:
Each of those events creates a new path for you.

This is the beginning of version 2.0 of my blog. I hope to add observations and reflections at regular intervals.

Filed under Philosophy