2020-12-31 Thursday - Three words for 2021

Improvise.

Adapt.

Overcome.

 

If I should die from illness or accident - know this

 

If I should die from illness or accident - know this:

I lived the life I wanted.

I loved, and was loved.Though those two did not always happily coincide at the same time.

I happily exchanged the "Coins of Life" (time)  for (mostly) meaningful adventures.

I have only a few regrets.

There were good times, and there were hard times. There were high points, and there were low points.

I was not rich in material things - but in friendships, experiences, and in the number of things that tickled my curiosity and intellect.

My path has not been the usual one - but one that I chose.

I have valued experiences, learning, and knowledge - far more than material things.

The ocean. Sailing. Travel. Words. Music. Books. Community service. The bonds of friendship. These were the things I enjoyed the most.

No single place could ever contain my heart, or my wanderlust - so I made the world my home.

Favorite Christmas Films

Photo by Tyler Delgado on Unsplash

 

Backlog, need to watch:

• Noelle 

 

 I'm going to break this down into three categories:

 1) Modern

1. Love Actually (2003)
2. Scrooged (1988)  
3. Groundhog Day (1993)
4. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) 
5. The Santa Clause (1994)
   
6. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
7. Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol (2010)
8. Doctor Who - Last Christmas (2014) 
9. Doctor Who - The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe (2011)
10. Doctor Who - Voyage of the Damned (2008) 
11. Doctor Who - The Time of the Doctor (2013)
12. Get Santa (2014) 
13. Die Hard (1988)  
14. Bad Santa (2003)
15. Elf (2003)
16. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) 
17. The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020)  
18. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
19. Red One (2024)
    
20. Violent Night (2022)
21. The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) 
    

 

 2) Classics

1. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
   
3. A Christmas Carol (1999)
   
4. A Christmas Carol (1984)  
5.  Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
6. The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)  
7. White Christmas (1954)
   

 

3) Animated 

1. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (1970)
   
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
3. The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)
   
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
6. Frosty the Snowman (1969)
7. The Little Drummer Boy (1968)  
8. A Wish For Wings That Work 

 

Films That Sucked

1. Candy Cane Lane (2023) - Eddie Murphy
   
2. Fatman (2020)   
   

Democracy Defeats Fascism Again

 

 

The Constitution matters.

The Rule of Law matters.

Justice matters. 

Character matters. 

Decency matters. 

Honesty matters.

Representation matters. 

Kindness matters. 

Equal opportunity for all matters. 

Science matters. 

Service matters. 

The planet matters. 

Voting matters. 

Access to healthcare matters. 

The dignity of all human beings matters.

 

 

 

 

 

America 2020 - Endgame - A New Day, Dawn of Justice

 

 

  

 

This Christmas, Santa is coming to kick-ass and hang tinsel on the tree. 

 

And he's all out of tinsel.

2020-10-20 Tuesday - Do One Good Thing - Before The Sun Sets Tomorrow

Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash

 

 A meditation for tomorrow:

Do one good thing before the sun sets tomorrow - for someone else - without any expectation of reward.

Plant a seed.
Offer a suggestion.
Make a recommendation.
Send a thank you.
Remind someone of the impact they had on your life, your career.
Reach out to someone and offer your help.
Volunteer.
Speak words of encouragement.
Offer praise for a job that was truly well done.
Pause for a moment and find something in another - for which you are grateful.

Be the thread of inspiration.

Be The Light For Others.

 

Book: D.H. Lawrence - Sea and Sardina

I will leave this earth far too soon, before I have a chance to devour even a tenth of the words that I long to spend endless days reading.

I must find time to explore more of the writings of D.H. Lawrence.

Just a brief taste of his book, "Sea and Sardinia" awakens the desire to feast upon the morsels that he throws down on the page with abandon.

While a writer must need to write - a writer's first love is to read.

Fahrenheit 11/9 - Donald Trump - Crimes in Plain Sight

 

The Complete Harvard Classics - ALL 71 Volumes: The Five Foot Shelf & The Shelf of Fiction - Kindle Edition

 

The Complete Harvard Classics - ALL 71 Volumes: The Five Foot Shelf & The Shelf of Fiction: The Famous Anthology of the Greatest Works of World Literature Kindle Edition

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VWGHR6J

 

The Harvard Classics:

V. 1: Franklin, Woolman & Penn
V. 2: Plato, Epictetus & Marcus Aurelius
V. 3: Bacon, Milton, Browne
V. 4: John Milton
V. 5: R. W. Emerson
V. 6: Robert Burns
V. 7: St Augustine & Thomas á Kempis
V. 8: Nine Greek Dramas
V. 9: Cicero and Pliny
V. 10: The Wealth of Nations
V. 11: The Origin of Species
V. 12: Plutarchs
V. 13: Æneid
V. 14: Don Quixote
V. 15: Bunyan & Walton
V. 16: 1001 Nights
V. 17: Folklore & Fable
V. 18: Modern English Drama
V. 19: Goethe & Marlowe
V. 20: The Divine Comedy
V. 21: I Promessi Sposi
V. 22: The Odyssey
V. 23: Two Years Before the Mast
V. 24: Edmund Burke
V. 25: J. S. Mill & T. Carlyle
V. 26: Continental Drama
V. 27 & 28: English & American Essays
V. 29: The Voyage of the Beagle
V. 30: Scientific Papers
V. 31: The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini
V. 32: Literary and Philosophical Essays
V. 33: Voyages & Travels
V. 34: French & English Philosophers
V. 35: Chronicle and Romance
V. 36: Machiavelli, Roper, More, Luther
V. 37: Locke, Berkeley, Hume
V. 38: Harvey, Jenner, Lister, Pasteur
V. 39: Prologues
V. 40–42: English Poetry
V. 43: American Historical Documents
V. 44 & 45: Sacred Writings
V. 46 & 47: Elizabethan Drama
V. 48: Blaise Pascal
V. 49: Saga
V. 50: Reader's Guide
V. 51: Lectures

The Shelf of Fiction:

V. 1 & 2: The History of Tom Jones
V. 3: A Sentimental Journey & Pride and Prejudice
V. 4: Guy Mannering
V. 5 & 6: Vanity Fair
V. 7 & 8: David Copperfield
V. 9: The Mill on the Floss
V. 10: Irving, Poe, Harte, Twain, Hale
V.11: The Portrait of a Lady
V. 12: Notre Dame de Paris
V. 13: Balzac, Sand, de Musset, Daudet, de Maupassant
V. 14 & 15: Goethe, Keller, Storm, Fontane
V. 16–19: Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Turgenev
V. 20: Valera, Bjørnson, Kielland 

Ralph Waldo Emerson Quote

 

Antichance

 

For the last few weeks, this passage from a favorite novel ("Shibumi") has been on my mind...

 

"There is a certain amount of antichance in my work. No matter how well-trained one is, how careful,how coolheaded, the odds regularly build up over the years; and there comes a time when luck and antichance weigh heavily against you. It's not that I've been lucky in my work—I mistrust luck—but I have never been greatly hampered by bad luck. So there's a lot of bad luck out there waiting for its turn. I've tossed up the coin many times, and it has come down heads. There are more than twenty years' worth of tails waiting their turn."

Criteria For Places I Choose To Live

Photo by Jackson Eaves on Unsplash

 

 These are ordered (somewhat) - with a view to priority/importance

1. Proximity to the ocean
   
2. Moderate weather patterns/seasons (i.e. no hurricanes, no blizzards) 
3. Availability of reasonable-cost, high-speed (1gb/s), no-limit, internet
4. Reasonably priced housing/homes
   
5. Safe neighborhoods
6. No major ecological threats (toxic dumps, contaminated water sources, air pollution, etc.) 
7. Not in a flood zone
8. No outrageous property tax rates (i.e. Texas, New York)
   
9. Within reasonable (30-45 minutes) driving distance to:
1. UPS or Fedex service centers
   
2. A major metropolitan center
3. An international airport - or a  major connecting airport hub
   
4. A well-funded public university library
5. Well funded County/City libraries
6. Sources/events of broad cultural diversity
7. Used book stores
8. Thrift stores
9. A Walmart store
10. A Target store
11. Pharmacies
12. Hospital
13. Dental care
    
14. A Hope Depot or Lowes
15. Outdoor Recreation: Parks, National Forest, Hiking, Trails, Rivers, Lakes, Ocean
    

Virtual “The Princess Bride” Reunion - Table Read

Tao Te Ching - Favorite Translation

 

One of my favorite translations of the Tao Te Ching is the 1974 publication by Gia-Fu Feng & Jane English

• https://genius.com/Laozi-tao-te-ching-gia-fu-feng-and-jane-english-translation-annotated
• https://www.amazon.com/Lao-Tsu-Tao-Te-Ching/dp/B000IVINGE/ 
• A newer (2011) edition, with over 100 black & white photos by Jane English
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Te-Ching-Updated-Photographs/dp/0307949303/

I've had a copy of this edition since I was 14 or 15 years old (almost 45 years)

 

Google's Certificate Program vs. College Degrees

Photo by Robert Bye on Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/CyvK_Z2pYXg

 

Google's plan to disrupt the college degree (6-month certificates)

• https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/google-plan-disrupt-college-degree-university-higher-education-certificate-project-management-data-analyst.html

Is college a worthwhile investment?

For me, it was. 

 

If I had a son or daughter - would I recommend that they get a degree?

Yes, probably. But I would consider their personality, temperament, learning style, interests, and their fit for learning via traditional academic environments vs. non-traditional strategies. 

 

Costs would be my overriding concern. 

 

If a student has not / will not / can not qualify for sufficient funding via grants or scholarships - this would be a major factor into any guidance suggested. 

 

If a student's only option was to take out loans - I would suggest getting a 2-year Associates degree first - and then seek to gain some practical work experience in their chosen field - before deciding to take on more debt obligations. Frequently, companies will provide reimbursement for courses taken that are applicable to their job - and this can be a significant benefit and cost mitigation strategy.

 

Alternatively, I would consider suggesting a 4-year service commitment with one of the branches of the U.S. military - as a possible path to obtain practical training and experience - in their chosen field (primarily if they would be able to secure an MOS specialization that aligned with their career interests). The Coast Guard, being my first suggestion.

 

Choice of degree, career field - important decisions. 

 

If someone's goal is to get a PhD in Sociology - I would recommend that they skip that and pursue a career as the manager of a McDonald's - then they can enjoy direct observation of the many nuanced layers of interaction, across multiple layers of social/class/economic strata - in their natural environment - while working during their shift. And, they can enjoy reading all of the sociology academic papers and textbooks - to their heart's content - in their free time.  

 

Would you like fries with that?

 

Photo by Joiarib Morales Uc on Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/7Pq7h_RLCU8

 

Zengetsu's Advice To His Pupils

 

 

Zengetsu, a Chinese master of the T’ang dynasty, wrote the following advice for his pupils:

Living in the world yet not forming attachments to the dust of the world is the way of a true Zen student.

When witnessing the good action of another encourage yourself to follow his example. Hearing of the mistaken action of another, advise yourself not to emulate it.

Even though alone in a dark room, be as if you were facing a noble guest. Express your feelings, but become no more expressive than your true nature.

Poverty is your treasure. Never exchange it for an easy life.

A person may appear a fool and yet not be one. He may only be guarding his wisdom carefully.

Virtues are the fruit of self-discipline and do not drop from heaven of themselves as does rain or snow.

Modesty is the foundation of all virtues. Let your neighbors discover you before you make yourself known to them.

A noble heart never forces itself forward. Its words are as rare gems, seldom displayed and of great value.

To a sincere student, every day is a fortunate day. Time passes but he never lags behind. Neither glory nor shame can move him.

Censure yourself, never another. Do not discuss right and wrong.

Some things, though right, were considered wrong for generations. Since the value of righteousness may only be recognized after centuries, there is no need to crave immediate appreciation.

Live with cause and leave results to the great law of the universe. Pass each day in peaceful contemplation.

Source: 101 Zen Stories

 

Today's Meditation

 

Today's Medtiation: "The Star Thrower"

Photo by Pedro Lastra on Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/br-Xdb9KE0Q

 

 "The Star Thrower" is part of a 16-page essay of the same name by Loren Eiseley, published in 1969 in The Unexpected Universe.

“Once, on ancient Earth, there was a human boy walking along a beach. There had just been a storm, and starfish had been scattered along the sands. The boy knew the fish would die, so he began to fling the fish to the sea. But every time he threw a starfish, another would wash ashore. "An old Earth man happened along and saw what the child was doing. He called out, 'Boy, what are you doing?' " 'Saving the starfish!' replied the boy. " 'But your attempts are useless, child! Every time you save one, another one returns, often the same one! You can't save them all, so why bother trying? Why does it matter, anyway?' called the old man. "The boy thought about this for a while, a starfish in his hand; he answered, "Well, it matters to this one." And then he flung the starfish into the welcoming sea.”
― Loren Eiseley, The Star Thrower

 

A good and needful thing for a meditation today - and every day. 

Robin Williams YouTube Channel - Rx for the Soul

Photo by Reno Laithienne on Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/DsquaRPU_tA

 

Rx for the Soul

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Nf3FQwK9-vU03Q8r3Ag0w

 

Qualities and Characteristics - Much Desired In The Next President of The U.S.A.

This was my response to a post by Dan Rather, on Facebook. It has garnered a non-trivial number of reactions.

Qualities and Characteristics I would most like to see in the next President of the United States:

truth, intelligence, diligence, integrity, self-sacrifice, honor, commitment, duty, rectitude, valor, grit, determination, righteousness, idealism, altruism, honesty, dedication, fealty, loyalty, fortitude, resolution, prudence, temperance, gallantry, sagacity, devotion, service, benevolence, excellence, empathy, bravery, courage, justice, mercy, charity, piety, courtesy, thoughtfulness, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, hope, purity, nobility, ...and most of all, love.

For I have found these to be wholly lacking in the character of the charlatan currently occupying The White House.

In short, a person that would be welcomed at King Arthur's Round Table.

2020-10-20 

• https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/opinion/todaysdebate/2020/10/20/elect-joe-biden-reject-donald-trump-editorials-debates/5919435002/

Film: Radioactive (2019)

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_(film)

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_(film)
• https://www.amazon.com/Radioactive-Rosamund-Pike/dp/B08CMTQF2S
• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6017756/

All Things End

Photo by Melani Sosa on Unsplash

Life is filled with beginnings...and endings.

Once broken, some things cannot be made whole again.

Some things can be mended - others cannot.

Some things - though treasured - can be stolen away, or may yet be broken beyond all repair.

T.S. Eliot once wrote:

"What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from."

Into the twilight I peer - and as the darkness gathers, I stand alone on the bow of my ship - sailing into the deepening gloom.

Hell, as depicted in the film "What Dreams May Come"

To suffer loss - is an unavoidable part of the human condition.

To attempt to grasp something forever - our strength will eventually fail us.

Nature's natural course is to teach us that we must learn to let go - for nothing lasts forever.

To cherish the time that is given - whether for an hour, a day, or a season - is wisdom.

To demand that people must stay the same - is madness.

The cure for bitterness and despair - is to be found in gratitude. To be thankful for that which has been given and received. Sometimes that may be love, friendship, kindness - or a lesson that needed to be learned (although, not all lessons may be pleasant).

"Thank you for every kindness"

"Nothing you love is lost. Not really. Things, people—they always go away, sooner or later. You can’t hold them, any more than you can hold moonlight. But if they’ve touched you, if they’re inside you, then they’re still yours. The only things you ever really have are the ones you hold inside your heart."
~ Bruce Coville

Try. Fail. Try Again.

Photo by Sushobhan Badhai on Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/LrPKL7jOldI

Even when you try to help others - It is easy for your intention to be misunderstood.

Try anyway.

Most people will ignore your attempts to engage with them - on behalf of helping others.

Try anyway.

Many people will not acknowledge your efforts to help them.

Try anyway.

There is merit in trying to help others.
You may fail in the attempt.
But others may see you trying - and do likewise.
That is why you must not stop trying.

From such actions - although through your personal lens your every attempt may seem to result in failure - it is in the unseen seeds of your actions - that hope may yet spring eternal.

Be The Light For Others.

W. Somerset Maugham - Of Human Bondage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Of_Human_Bondage

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/351

I have enjoyed several of the works of William Somerset Maugham that I have read.

There is a deliciousness in the oft found simple pleasures of his turn-of-phrase that one finds in his writing. Not always. Not everywhere - but they occur with a randomness that they are like surprise treats for a hungry soul - on a long  journey.

For a writer - to read the work of such a master of prose - is one of the great joys of this life.

The crafting of story, character, plot - the intricate weaving of purpose, motivation, faults, and strengths - creating a tension that ensnares the attention of the mind from the realities of your daily life. This is the mark of true mastery in the craft of writing.

I have only read some of the chapters in this book so far - but will enjoy coming back to it to read it more fully.

"a 1934 American drama film directed by John Cromwell and is widely regarded by critics as the film that made Bette Davis a star. The screenplay by Lester Cohen is based on the 1915 novel of the same title by W. Somerset Maugham."

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025586/

A Zero Tolerance Policy for Nazis

Current Status

Photo by David Brooke Martin on Unsplash

President George W. Bush's chief speechwriter, Michael Gerson - on tRump's Racism

President George W. Bush's chief speechwriter, Michael Gerson, has a message for people who are excusing President Trump's racism:

"I had fully intended to ignore President Trump’s latest round of racially charged taunts against an African American elected official, and an African American activist, and an African American journalist and a whole city with a lot of African Americans in it. I had every intention of walking past Trump’s latest outrages and writing about the self-destructive squabbling of the Democratic presidential field, which has chosen to shame former vice president Joe Biden for the sin of being an electable, moderate liberal.

But I made the mistake of pulling James Cone’s 'The Cross and the Lynching Tree' off my shelf — a book designed to shatter convenient complacency. Cone recounts the case of a white mob in Valdosta, Ga., in 1918 that lynched an innocent man named Haynes Turner. Turner’s enraged wife, Mary, promised justice for the killers. The sheriff responded by arresting her and then turning her over to the mob, which included women and children. According to one source, Mary was 'stripped, hung upside down by the ankles, soaked with gasoline, and roasted to death. In the midst of this torment, a white man opened her swollen belly with a hunting knife and her infant fell to the ground and was stomped to death.'

God help us. It is hard to write the words. This evil — the evil of white supremacy, resulting in dehumanization, inhumanity and murder — is the worst stain, the greatest crime, of U.S. history. It is the thing that nearly broke the nation. It is the thing that proved generations of Christians to be vicious hypocrites. It is the thing that turned normal people into moral monsters, capable of burning a grieving widow to death and killing her child.

When the president of the United States plays with that fire or takes that beast out for a walk, it is not just another political event, not just a normal day in campaign 2020. It is a cause for shame. It is the violation of martyrs’ graves. It is obscene graffiti on the Lincoln Memorial. It is, in the eyes of history, the betrayal — the re-betrayal — of Haynes and Mary Turner and their child. And all of this is being done by an ignorant and arrogant narcissist reviving racist tropes for political gain, indifferent to the wreckage he is leaving, the wounds he is ripping open.

Like, I suspect, many others, I am finding it hard to look at resurgent racism as just one in a series of presidential offenses or another in a series of Republican errors. Racism is not just another wrong. The Antietam battlefield is not just another plot of ground. The Edmund Pettus Bridge is not just another bridge. The balcony outside Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel is not just another balcony. As U.S. history hallows some causes, it magnifies some crimes.

What does all this mean politically? It means that Trump’s divisiveness is getting worse, not better. He makes racist comments, appeals to racist sentiments and inflames racist passions. The rationalization that he is not, deep down in his heart, really a racist is meaningless. Trump’s continued offenses mean that a large portion of his political base is energized by racist tropes and the language of white grievance. And it means — whatever their intent — that those who play down, or excuse, or try to walk past these offenses are enablers.

Some political choices are not just stupid or crude. They represent the return of our country’s cruelest, most dangerous passion. Such racism indicts Trump. Treating racism as a typical or minor matter indicts us."

— Michael Gerson

Movie Recommendation: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

I watched this movie last night on Netflix

I usually do not find Will Ferrell's movies to be that good - especially when he is in a lead role.

But, even though this movie is a bit sappy, a bit corny - there is a gentle sweetness to it.

A wholesome goodness.

And, it does not have any glorified violence.

Well, if you exclude that one moment, allegedly, with the elves...but, he had it coming.






Anyway - I highly recommend this movie - it is a goodness for your soul.

And, the singing (features appearances from many past Eurovision contestants winners) - is actually quite good.

Loved Graham Norton's bit in this movie (see his actual, real-life bits from the real Eurovision Song Contest in 2015).

And, the scene on the boat, between father and son - priceless.
















Some more information that might be of interest:

• https://www.vulture.com/2020/06/every-real-reference-in-eurovision-the-story-of-fire-saga.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%BAsav%C3%ADk
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest 

Revenue Stream Ideas: Craigslist Arbitrage

I've been thinking about some additional revenue streams that might be worth developing.

"Craigslist Arbitrage" is one of them.

Does anyone remember...

the story about the guy that started with a big red paperclip - and through successive trades - obtained a house?

 

I want to be like that guy.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_Millionaire

 "The legend of the Straw Millionaire (わらしべ長者, Warashibe Chōja), also known as Daietsu or the Daikokumai, is a Japanese Buddhist folk tale about a poor man who becomes wealthy through a series of successive trades, starting with a single piece of straw.^[1] The story was likely written during the Heian period and was later collected into Konjaku Monogatarishū and Uji Shūi Monogatari.^[2][3] It became popular during the Muromachi period.^[4] The legend has become a common anecdote in Japanese popular culture.

"

These Are Dark Times We Are Going Through

Photo by Evgeni Tcherkasski on Unsplash

These are dark times we are going through.

Fear of losing what you have can paralyze you. The natural tendency is for each to focus on their own needs. But, there are many who are in far greater need than we can probably imagine.

Against this tide of fear - it is in the acts of kindness of each person - that the foundations of our collective humanity are tested - and reaffirmed. The positive actions of a single person ripple out in threads that reach far beyond a single act of kindness. Those threads combine - in ways that we cannot see - and give rise to something that many are greatly in need of: Hope.

Wouldn't the world be a much better place, if we each paused for 5 minutes every day - and looked for some way we might offer to help someone in our respective networks? Unasked. Unsought.

"Oft the unbidden guest proves the best company."
"Hope oft deceives. ... Yet twice blessed is help unlooked for."
~ LOTR, J.R.R. Tolkien

"Be The Light For Others"

Global Deaths Due to Various Causes and COVID-19

A powerful visualization:
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/2634167

What Matters

Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

Ideas are cheap. Execution is everything.

Attention to detail differentiates the professional from the dilettante.

"Do what you say you will do" - the secret to true, long-term, success.

Character matters. First. Last. Always.

Chromebook Direct Connect Printing

I recently ordered a Chromebook for an elderly family member...

My product selection rationale included the following factors:

• This person will only use a laptop for very limited internet usage - to primarily access her bank accounts.
• This person's ability to access the internet is severally limited - and may only be possible by tethering to her mobile phone.
• She is on a fixed income - and I am worried about the impact of Windows' massive updates getting pushed - and consuming her limited data plan.
• I'm concerned about her ability to remember to update her OS - and keeping her firewall and anti-virus software up-to-date.   
• She will not need to install much (any?) additional software application for personal use.
• She will not need to store much data on the device.
• She may wish/need to do some local printing (e.g. bank statements)

 Acer Chromebook 14, Intel Celeron N3160, 14" Full HD Display, 4GB LPDDR3, 32GB eMMC, 802.11ac WiFi, Protective Sleeve, Wireless Mouse, CB3-431-C539

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Chromebook-802-11ac-Protective-CB3-431-C539/dp/B0858C258N/

• Chromebook runs on Chrome OS - an operating system by Google that is built for the way we live today. It comes with built-in virus protection, updates automatically*, boots up in seconds and continues to stay fast over time. (*Internet connection is required).
• All the Google apps you know and love come standard on every Chromebook, which means you can edit, download, and convert Microsoft Office files in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.
• Get access to more than 2 million Android apps from Google Play to learn and do more.
• Chromebooks come with built-in storage for offline access to your most important files and an additional 100GB of Google Drive space to ensure that all of your files are backed up automatically.
• CB3-431-C539 comes with 14” Full HD IPS Display, Intel Celeron N3160, 4GB LPDDR3 Memory, 32GB eMMC, Google Chrome, Protective Sleeve, Wireless Mouse and Up to 12-hours Battery Life.

I noted this bit of recent news on this Wikipedia article:

"Google Cloud Print will be deprecated in December 2020."

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/9633006

 The following articles may be of interest to others, re: printing:

• 2020
• https://9to5google.com/2020/03/11/chrome-os-native-printing-scanning-app/
• https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ipp-cups-printing-for-chr/lkhfeoafdgbaecajkdbioenncjopbpmk?hl=en-GB
• https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/7276100?hl=en 

• 2019
• https://support.google.com/chromebook/thread/14283851?hl=en 
• https://directprint.io/2019/05/12/chromebook-printing-explained/
•  Chrome OS CUPS (native printing)
• If your printer is not supported you can’t install a new driver.
• Software is built into Chrome OS – nothing to install.
• Works with some USB printers.

• 2018
• https://support.google.com/chromebook/thread/552326?hl=en 
• https://www.pusd.us/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx

• 2017
•  Issue 742487: Refactor CUPS printer management to handle discovery gracefully
• https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=742487
• https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src.git/+/62.0.3178.1/chrome/browser/chromeos/printing/doc/cups_printer_management.md 

• 2016 
• https://www.reddit.com/r/chromeos/comments/4j23h9/cups_in_chrome_os/

The Silent Majority - Destroyers of Peace

Photo by Jackson Simmer on Unsplash

"The Silent Majority - Destroyers of Peace"

by Kelvin D. Meeks, June 10, 2020

There are those that think that by their silence
 - they have helped maintain the peace. 

But, their peace was a fractured simulacrum 
- and its costs far exceeded the fool's gold it procured.

For, it is by their silence, for far too long

- that the peace was broken.

Today's Meditation: Ikigai - Your Life Purpose

Photo by Jordan Madrid on Unsplash

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai

"Ikigai (生き甲斐, pronounced [ikiɡai]) is a Japanese concept that means "a reason for being". The word refers to having a direction or purpose in life, that which makes one's life worthwhile, and towards which an individual takes spontaneous and willing actions giving them satisfaction and a sense of meaning to life."

"This is from Martha Graham a world-renown dancer who basically didn't do dancing like anyone else."

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others”

~ source

Tip: Retrobright - for removing yellowing from electronics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retr0bright

Retrobright (stylized as Retr0bright) is a chemical mixture used to remove yellowing from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic computer and electronics cases, including computers that were manufactured by Commodore and Apple in the 1980s and 1990s, and various video game consoles and cartridges

My LinkedIn Reply To Maria Shcherbakova

Today I received an email from:

Maria Shcherbakova
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-shcherbakova-b0a535199/

Hey Kelvin, hope you're doing well. Do you need any help with software or web development? We have a team in Ukraine, and can build a dedicated engineering team from 0 to 20 people within 2 months. Happy to tell you more King Regards, Maria

My reply:

No.

I'm going to do you a favor, though. I'm going to give you some advice.

You mention Ukraine - but your profile shows that you are in Seattle. You do not explain this discrepancy - nor does your current position clearly indicate what company you are representing - or, whether you are an independent developer.

Your profile does not have any recommendations - which is an immediate red flag for anyone considering your pitch.

Your profile does not include a link to any web site that might educate and inform me about your prior work, your portfolio of clients, etc. This is a significant red flag for anyone considering your pitch.

Your profile does not include a link to your github profile/account. This is a significant red flag for anyone considering your pitch.

You are approaching a prospect, asking for work - but you have not, in any way, substantiated your credentials, skills, capabilities, capacity, or your previous work.  This is a significant red flag for anyone considering your pitch.

You do not mention rates for your services - so that means that a prospect must expend more effort to tease out important details. This is a significant red flag for anyone considering your pitch. 

A quick google search does not find any social media profiles associated with your name - in the Seattle area. Given your apparent age range - and the prevalence of abundant social media usage for folks in that demographic/region - this is an immediate red flag. 

Based on my experience and intuition -I would surmise that you do not, in fact, live in Seattle - and that you are most likely outside the U.S. - however, putting Seattle on your profile implies that you may not be an honest person - and therefore, an immediate red flag for anyone considering your pitch.