Bag of Randomness for Thursday, April 25, 2024

  • I’m still not over the loss of Google Reader. She’s been gone for over 11 years now.
  • I wish the time of day I’m most alert and have the most energy wasn’t from 9-11 PM.
  • I decided to check out the discount meat section at the grocery market. There was a Tyson pork roast package with vegetables and seasoning marked at $2.99. Other than the expiration date being the next day, the only thing wrong with the package was a puncture in the wrapping. But the thing is, each item inside the package was package-wrapped themselves. I easily pulled the trigger on that one.
  • I cooked that roast in my InstantPot using the slow-cooking crockpot setting. When I’m finished, I put a lid on top, take the pot out, and place it in the fridge. Sometimes I’ll warm up the leftovers in the microwave using another dish, but this time I thought I’d just put the entire pot back in and warm it up by slow cooking it an hour or two. After being really focused for three hours on my computer working, I got hungry. I totally forgot I was warming up the roast. So, after being disappointed in not finding anything in the fridge, I placed an order for some takeout Chinese food. When I got home and walked in the door, I could smell the aroma of the roast and took the time to laugh at myself.
  • Despite my frequent use of it, I think “pull the trigger” is lazy writing.
  • Here’s a random tip for anyone using a Windows keyboard
    • To use the emoji keyboard on Windows, you can simply press the Windows key and the period (.) or semicolon (;) keys. This shortcut makes it easy to add a bit of personality to your messages with emojis, GIFs, and symbols. Here’s how you can do it:
      1. During text entry, press the Windows logo key + . (period) or Windows logo key + ; (semicolon).
      2. The emoji keyboard will pop up, allowing you to select an emoji with the mouse or continue typing to search for the emoji you want.
  • An interesting quote from old and retired Republican Senator and former presidential candidate Barry Goldwater in 1994:
    • “Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise. I know, I’ve tried to deal with them.“
  • I ran across an interesting dating profile. Count the .

    Wouldn’t it be funny if one of the people she matched with was some guy’s brother who was swiping for him? That would make for a good Hallmark or Lifetime movie. Ah, but here’s the plot twist: the brother and sister doing all the swiping and vetting are the ones who fall in love with each other.
  • Why did the scarecrow win an award?
    Because he was outstanding in his field!
  • I ran across a long TwitterX thread about a son justifiably boasting about how his father is his hero. Here’s one piece of it:
    • Growing up, these lessons were often taught and they left an impression on me. I’d reflect on how fortunate I was that my father was always there for me and for all my events, from theater to sports. I didn’t want to look back at life and have regrets that I wasn’t there for my kids and I didn’t put family first. You can guess where this is going. From a very young age, my goal in life was to be a man who put love of family first. For the most part, I didn’t know what kind of profession or career I wanted. All I wanted was to find something in which I could protect and provide for my family financially without going into debt and spend time with them daily and be present for any special events. I didn’t care if I hated my job, I could deal with that, my focus was family time. As you know, I lost both my parents early in my adult life. That only encouraged me to make TIME my currency, not the dollar. That’s why divorce hits so hard. My currency, time, was taken away. And when you lose BOTH your parents, you really learn just how precious a commodity time is. With the loss of time comes loss of influence. And if you sacrificed career happiness for a job you were willing to put up with because it gave you time with your family, you’re stuck in Lake Unhappy in a boat without oars or an engine. That’s why my heart aches for friends like Tony, whose life is eerily similar to mine. Years later, post-divorce, fathers like him still have to retain a lawyer to keep the kids in their lives because of vindictive mothers. As a matter of fact, he’ll be in court later this month to try to remain in his children’s lives. Y’all have no idea how much power the mother has in all this and how the system favors them. Other than love, the system is set up to incentivize the mother to split the family apart. Think about it. Money is no longer a concern when they make this choice because the court ensures the children are cared for financially. Most of the time, they keep the house and aren’t responsible for providing health insurance; the father is. On top of that, they only have to parent part-time. When the children are not in their possession, they have complete freedom to date, party, travel, take up any hobby, and do whatever they want. Tony pointed out to me that when a woman decides to divorce and does little to try to keep the family unit together, like leaving abruptly and declining any form of counseling, it makes one wonder why a woman would remain in a marriage if there’s even a slight bit of unhappiness.
  • Really awesome to hear Reggie Bush is getting Vince Young’s 2005 Heisman Trophy back.
  • I’d like to ask the senator about this remark. Huh, it just occurred to me how easy that would be via TwitterX, but it’s not like he will notice it.

Posted in Personal | Comments Off on Bag of Randomness for Thursday, April 25, 2024

Bag of Randomness for Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Posted in Personal | Comments Off on Bag of Randomness for Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, April 23, 2024

  • My grandmother died on this day. I think it was 38 years ago. Don’t pass along any condolences; I’m no longer sad or really have any emotion tied to it. But it was the first death I experienced. And, at the time, I was very sad about it. But as time went by, little by little, I became less attached to it. Granted, I still remember the day every year. I don’t have it marked on the calendar, but it’s always noticeable. But there’s absolutely no more pain. I wonder when I’ll treat that traumatic life event I had several years ago the same way. While I don’t want to wish my time away, it can’t get here soon enough.
  • I had no idea – Yes, There Are Badgers in Texas (and No, They Aren’t Friendly)
  • How someone stacked the odds in their favor to win a $95 million Texas Lottery jackpot
    • Unbeknownst to the millions of players who’d invested their hopes and dreams into the game and its life-changing jackpot, the winner had already been decided. Rook TX appears to have engineered a nearly risk-free — and completely legal — multimillion-dollar payday. And the state of Texas helped.
  • Fast food restaurants are now testing AI in the drive-thru. The evolution of the drive-thru is a bit interesting when you look back at it. It started by ordering at the window, then a speaker box, experimenting with the driver speaking to a worker not on location (often off-shore) via the internet, and now a computer.
  • I’ve been meaning to write about how I’ve been using AI more and more in my life. For instance, I read a short scripture devotional about Simon, who picked up the cross for Jesus, and asked ChatGPT some questions for more insight. It was as if I was speaking to a real person.
    • Keith: Why did Simon of Cyrene carry the cross for Jesus?ChatGPT: According to Christian tradition, Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry the cross for Jesus as Jesus was struggling to carry it himself on the way to his crucifixion. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all mention Simon of Cyrene assisting Jesus with the cross. In the context of the story, Jesus was likely physically weakened and exhausted from the beatings and torture he endured prior to his crucifixion, making it difficult for him to carry the cross alone. Simon’s assistance symbolizes the concept of bearing one another’s burdens and acts of kindness towards those in need.

      Keith: Did he feel pressured by the crowd or did it out of the kindness of his heart?

      ChatGPT: The Gospels don’t explicitly mention Simon’s motivation for helping Jesus carry the cross. However, it’s commonly interpreted that Simon was compelled by the Roman soldiers to assist Jesus, likely due to Jesus’s physical weakness and inability to carry the cross on his own. It’s possible that Simon initially felt pressured or forced to help. Still, many interpretations suggest that Simon’s act of carrying the cross ultimately became an act of kindness and compassion, as he willingly took on the burden to assist Jesus in his time of need.

      Keith: What do you mean by compelled?

      ChatGPT: When I say “compelled,” I mean that Simon of Cyrene was likely forced or coerced by the Roman soldiers to help Jesus carry the cross. In the context of the crucifixion scene, it’s commonly understood that Jesus was physically weakened and unable to bear the weight of the cross on his own due to the beatings and torture he endured. As a result, the soldiers likely selected Simon from the crowd and compelled him to assist Jesus in carrying the cross to the site of crucifixion.

      Keith: Why him and not anyone else standing near him or Jesus?

      ChatGPT: The Gospels do not provide explicit reasons why Simon of Cyrene was chosen to help Jesus carry the cross, but there are several possibilities:

      1. Physical Ability: Simon may have appeared physically capable of helping Jesus carry the cross. The soldiers may have observed his strength or stature and selected him based on their perception of his ability to assist.
      2. Proximity: Simon may have been standing near Jesus when the soldiers needed someone to help carry the cross. The soldiers might have chosen the nearest person available to expedite the process.
      3. Roman Authority: The soldiers had the authority to compel individuals to perform tasks, such as carrying burdens, as part of their duties. They likely selected Simon without regard to his personal choice.
      4. Divine Purpose: Some interpretations suggest that Simon’s involvement in carrying the cross may have had symbolic or theological significance, perhaps illustrating the concept of sharing in Jesus’s suffering or fulfilling a prophetic role.

      Overall, while the exact reason for choosing Simon of Cyrene is not explicitly stated in the Gospels, these are some possible factors that may have influenced the soldiers’ decision.

      Keith: Did Simon have a relationship with Jesus prior to this event?

      ChatGPT: The Gospels do not provide explicit information about whether Simon of Cyrene had a preexisting relationship with Jesus prior to assisting him with the cross. It’s possible that Simon was just a bystander or a pilgrim who happened to be in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’s crucifixion. However, some traditions and interpretations suggest that Simon may have later become a follower of Jesus or had a deeper spiritual connection as a result of his involvement in this significant event. Still, such details are not provided in the biblical accounts.

  • Australia news – Hospital staff plead with bite victims to stop bringing snakes to emergency departments
    • I was surprised to learn that the snake identity is not needed for treatment.
  • Probably a bad idea – RFK Jr.: ‘I’m gonna put the entire US budget on blockchain’
    • Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he wants to put the “U.S. budget on blockchain,” a ledger of transactions typically associated with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
  • Non-Florida news – Man who won primary election while charged with murder convicted on lesser charge
    • A central Indiana man who won a primary election for a township board position while charged with killing his estranged wife has been found guilty of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter.
  • Most in the West wouldn’t think the hermit nation would be intelligent or technically advanced enough to do such stuff – U.S. Studios May Have Unwittingly Used North Korean Animators: Report
    • According to a report, U.S. animation studios may have unknowingly had work on their projects outsourced to illustrators and graphic designers in North Korea. Drawings for an upcoming season of Invincible, an Amazon Prime Video show, and other work that appears to be for the forthcoming Max series Iyanu: Child of Wonder were found in a trove of documents found by American researchers on a computer server located in North Korea
  • This was an interesting Twitter thread. I included a pic of some of his results.

Posted in Personal | Comments Off on Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Bag of Randomness for Monday, April 22, 2024

  • I like this photo of Elvis because it looks like he’s tweeting or sending a text. Here’s a thought. A hundred, heck, maybe fifty years from now, if texting is still a thing, people will probably mistakenly think Elvis lived during the time when smartphones were common. For instance, can you tell me if P.T. Barnum ever used the telephone? Most of you probably couldn’t without a little research, but Barnum died in 1891, just a few years before the widespread adoption of the telephone. But here’s another funny thought. Fifty years from now, someone may write a book report about Elvis and the Beatles. That student may think that Elvis and Paul McCartney exchanged text messages at some point. Yet, only McCartney lived long enough for text messaging to be commonplace in society.
  • Taylor Swift continues to impress, but I’m looking at it from another angle. She released a 31-song album. That’s enough for new music for three separate albums. She could have easily released them separately at different times and raked in triple the profits. But she didn’t. She really did a nice thing for her fans. It’s just about as nice as when U2 gave away a free album. Blame Apple for not making it easy to remove the album from their devices.
  • Supporters of former President Trump are upset that he’s on trial and it’s entirely politically motivated. But it looks like it will do nothing but put him back in the White House, so they’ll look back at it as a mixed blessing.
  • Russia’s War Against Evangelicals
    • After they beat Azat Azatyan so bad blood came out of his ears; after they sent electric shocks up his genitals; after they wacked him with pipes and truncheons, the Russians began to interrogate him about his faith. “When did you become a Baptist? When did you become an American spy?” Azat tried to explain that in Ukraine there was freedom of religion, you could just choose your faith. But his torturers saw the world the same way as their predecessors at the KGB did: an American church is just a front for the American state.
  • The biggest problem with college football is that the length of games is too long; this will make them longer, but at least they aren’t going to squeeze in more commercials. – College Football Adds Two-Minute Warning, Helmet Communication for 2024 Season
    • The two-minute warnings will come at the end of the second and fourth quarters just like in NFL games. Unlike the pro game, those stoppages will not add additional TV timeouts. It will be an open spot for a media timeout if necessary, but will not add another slot for a break.
  • I can understand a comedy club adding gratuity if food or drinks were ordered, but for apparral, 20% at $36? That’s nuts.
  • This is cute and all, but why did Bally choose not to tag the player, Jarrett Allen? He’s in every shot, and if he didn’t instigate it, this pregame routine would have never happened.
    https://twitter.com/BallySportsCLE/status/1781699751164920207

Posted in Personal | Comments Off on Bag of Randomness for Monday, April 22, 2024