Tag: change

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Faith family focus health Life life styles

Stores

Batman Says:

Click and “poof” whatever you want is delivered to your home, you don’t ever have to leave again. Some call it convenient, I call it the slow death of “Stores”.

Remember going to the store? It was a trip, a journey where you met people, said hello and actually conversed. It was a time away from the house, sometimes it wasn’t convenient to have to go, others it was just fun. I remember during the summers when I was young (again, none ya business when that was) we would sometimes ride our bicycles the 5 miles down our barren county road to the wooden country store in the middle of the ‘tater’ fields just to get a NeHi soda and sometimes even candy. We sometimes played the worn out pinball machine, sat in the shade and talked to the “old guys” that hung around and we just had fun. Then we rode back home down that lonesome road.

As we got older the trips were made in trucks and we somehow didn’t have time to sit around and talk. And the trips to the “store” became less important. We found more “important” things to do I suppose. Shame, I kinda miss it now that I’m “growed up” supposedly.

I think somewhere along the way from childhood to adulthood we lose a special part of ourselves that if we kept, we would never not want to always see, hear, and visit places and things, and “stores”. Now with modern tech, it’s all too simple to become a hermit and just have anything you wish, dropped outside your front door. I, for one think it’s sad, I’m not saying I don’t use these options here and there, I’m saying we should never stop totally, taking the trip to the store. Giving up the chance to see an old friend, or make a new one, is not worth missing just for convenience.

Take it from Batman, you’re never too old to make new friends and renew old friendships, chances are better for both if you’re out and about as opposed to being a hermit.

“No Peach this does not mean I go to town every time you do”

Categories
bible Faith family Fear focus health Life life styles Music Procrastination

Letting go

Batman Says:

Ever get one of those things you did or didn’t do stuck in your head? You know what I mean, the annoying kind, the should have done differently or completed or that was stupid kinda thing.

We all have them, we all hang onto them way longer than we should. I think it’s human nature to dwell on the coulda woulda shoulda’s (funny, I thought I was making those words up but apparently not) and sometimes we can’t help but do it. We let the things get in our head and we have a hard time getting them out.

I stopped doing it, hanging on to them like I used to. Once we did or didn’t do a thing, it’s over, it’s gone and we cannot change it, so there’s no sense letting it effect whatever we are doing now or are going to do. If it’s something you can redo better then by all means go for it, but if it’s unchangeable, then chuck it in the bucket and move on. I’ve come to the conclusion that wasting my time worrying over what might have been or what I didn’t do correctly, is just that, a waste of time. We are all only given so much time, so we should spend every moment living the life we were given, not dwelling on mistakes or misfortune.

Since I came to this conclusion, I have actually felt better and been less of a grumpy guss (technical term for pain in the a**), not that I am often but I did have more moments of grumpiness than normal. I like me better this way and it makes the job I do more tolerable. I prefer this way cause Peach deserves a not so grumpy me hehe and cast iron skillets hurt (just kidding good grief y’all don’t read nothin into it, joke, humor, funny).

There’s a verse that I found (stumbled on watching a youtube music video featuring Mercy Me singing “Bring the Rain”) that seemed to fit with this letting go problem, because if we are honest we don’t let go because we are silly and apparently like to suffer and stew over things we cannot control.

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” Romans 8:18 KJV

If you read this verse with your mind and heart open, these silly things we feel we must hang on to, reveal themselves to be of no consequence and therefore they are easy to let go.

Anywho, that’s how I see it, and I’m happier for it.

“Thanks for watching the video with me for the millionth time Peach”

Categories
family focus Life life styles

Ham again

Batman says:

Today Peach and I finally did it, we passed our test for General ham operators. We have been steadily plodding (means moving forward, slow but steadily) for a couple months as we study. We found out that we seem to study better together as opposed to each trying to alone. We picked times when we could sit together and put the flash cards up on the tv (mirrored on Apple TV is the technical term I do believe) and answered them together, did the same with practice exams, then we took practice exams separately. Seemed to work really well for us as the last few days it all clicked and we started getting passing scores in 99% of the practice exams.

So today at 1300hrs, at the local county EOC, 4 volunteer testers gave our tests, we thanked them when we were done and walked out of there upgraded.

Only one thing left to do and that’s maybe study and take the amateur extra exam…. maybe after a few days break eh Peach?

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bible Faith family Fear focus health Life

God’s Armor over Me?

Batman says:

Had an experience that just shows the Man upstairs (God you dorks, not your upstairs neighbor) has ways to protect us every day even though we have no idea he is doing so.

Here’s how the picture attached came about, Peach and I have a son (we have two sons to be precise, but since the other wasn’t involved, I only mentioned the one {if I didn’t clarify all God’s available armor couldn’t protect me from Peach reminding me we have two} as the conversation with him led to this.

I like to hunt, some find this horrible and that’s ok, most people have several opinions that don’t match mine. My son (the one I was originally talking about) and I were discussing the possibility of getting together and going hunting next December someplace we had never been. Research led us to decide a muzzle loader hunt would probably suit us best. Now those who are not gun knowledgeable are going “a what Hunt?” and that’s an appropriate question if you’re not gun savvy. So here is the easy version, a muzzle loading gun (black powder gun, smoke pole, musket, and a host of others) is loaded from the muzzle end (the end the bullet comes out) you put an appropriate amount of black powder (or in my case a pellet of synthetic gunpowder) in the muzzle, a projectile (sometimes wrapped in a patch sometimes in a plastic sleeve called a sabot) and push them down the barrel as far as they will go with a rod. The gun is then fitted with a percussion cap or a “shotgun” primer, cocked and fired (this is overly simplified but should give you an idea).

To unload my style muzzle loader, you can shoot it (which means cleaning it after) or you can take off the primer cap or shotgun primer, remove the breech plug, take the same rod u pushed the round and pellets in with and push them farther in till they fall out the open breech, thereby rendering the gun safe. If I plan to hunt later that day or the next morning I will sometimes just remover the primer cap, put the gun in the case until the next day, and so on and so on.

Anyways, this hunting decision being made convinced me to pull out the old “smoke pole” and give it the once over just because. Now I am pretty gun safe but even I do screw up from time to time and freely admit this fact. I haven’t hunted with the old muzzle loader in two years, and it’s been in a hard case in the safe nice and comfy. Once I get the gun out and dusted off I pull the breech plug out and look in the barrel (black powder and pyrodex synthetic pellets are highly corrosive) to see if there were signs of rust or corrosion. Imagine my surprise, I could not see a thing, it was pitch black. Point barrel at bright light coming in window, still black…hmmmm. Whip out ye old push rod and insert into muzzle and out pops two pellets and a bullet and sabot, Ha! just forgot to unload it I suppose, stupid but does happen, like I said I do make mistakes like all humans, and God keeps pushing us back on track. Now with that done I pull the rod out and look down the barrel, still black and I’m totally confused, I put the rod in, and push out two more pellets and another bullet in a sabot.

You could have pushed me over with a feather (not an easy feat I’m not a little guy) from the stunned sensation I had. Some how I had loaded one complete load on top of another during the last time I used it to hunt. Had no idea, but God did, his intervention then by not letting me see any animal worth shooting, and then in not letting me shoot it to unload it at the end of the season, and finally in making me want to give it a look when I did, all equaled to me not blowing the gun up in my face (Peach wouldn’t be happy with me coming home with a barrel stuck in my face).

You can say what you want, luck, fate, whatever, but to me it was only the hand of God and his Armor of protection that helped me avert a bad day.

…no worries Peach…

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bible Faith family focus health Life life styles Uncategorized

Outside

Batman says:

Outside, the place not inside, not in your house, car, office, tent, bus, camper…you get the idea (if not, leave now, you’ll be bored). God created us outside, we have always been apart of the outside world, and most people, if they are honest, will admit they are happier when outside enjoying Gods creations.

When I was young (go on, make the jokes, but I was actually young, of course that was before cell phones and more than 3 channels on the tele) I spent every waking moment outdoors, traipsing through the woods, running barefoot everywhere, doing fun stuff. I actually had working trap-line before the hunters with dogs whined and got steel leg hold traps outlawed (if u can’t kill a deer without chasing it with dogs till it’s exhausted, then shoot it, maybe you need to rethink your hunting prowess).We kids ran all day, outside and pitched a fit when it was dark and Mom called us home to get a bath and go to bed. Never in our wildest dreams could we imagine sitting in front of a television screen and ‘playing’ games all day (we had Clue, Sorry, Monopoly board games and others for rainy days). Video games, even had they been around back then, I’m willing to bet would not have done as well with us as this last couple generations. The problem is the parents, they allow the television to be a fix all baby sitter. Parents do not take responsibility for their kids (I’ll give you the few rare ones that do, but in my job I see it daily) actions, they don’t set firm limits and when their kids act out they blame everyone else but themselves. Read a quote from an actor, don’t remember who but it goes “Respect is taught at home,If a child is disrespectful, it’s your fault, It’s not societies fault or a video games fault, it’s Yours”We were taught respect or we got a belt period. Think we grew up ok getting a spanking that we deserved. Anyways I got off on another post for later, this was headed in the right direction then a squirrel ran by and I was distracted.Outside, anyways back to that, I cannot imagine a more harsh punishment to a child of my time than to be told he or she could not go outside and play. It was as if the world turned upside down. Today, and today’s parents, their punishment consists of repeatedly telling their kids over and over not to do the same thing they keep doing. When the punishment is much simpler. Make them go outside and play, not to a friends to play videos, but outside in your yard or park and actually spend time outside in God’s masterpiece creation. I’m willing to bet that if you do this enough, video games will become second fiddle to being outside and physically having fun with their friends. As for the adults, don’t care what you say or do, you to need to get outdoors as much as possible, to rejuvenate your soul. God made this planet not only to live on, he made it for us to enjoy being out on. I am a firm believer that every time I go outside, even for a short period, that it takes worry and stress off my mind and body. If this were Peach’s post she could find a scripture instantly to match this ramble, sorry if have to look for one it will take a week.I will leave you all with this thought, think back, when you were young, on a trip or walk with your parents. Then think where you were when you had the most exciting and interesting fun together, I’m betting you were outside someplace. Folks, God made it for us, don’t waste it by staying inside looking out, go Outside and experience it.

Categories
family Life life styles

Upgrade

Batman says:

Peach and I have decided to upgrade our ham licenses from Technician to General, which will like I explained in an earlier post, allow us more frequencies to converse on when we pass the test. “There’s a Test?? You know I stink at tests!!” to which Peach does as she always does, rolls her eyes and tells me to be serious, which kinda leads to the reason for this post (the test part not the me trying to be serious, which if you ask Peach, I rarely am).

I have often wondered what twisted personalities develop questions for Ham tests, I mean, if you look at them on the face they are a mixed jumble of technical jargon that the normal person has no clue what the meaning is (I’ll give a few examples in a bit). Now before all you Ham enthusiasts get all uppity, finish reading. There are two types of Ham operators, generally, I believe (leaving out the preppers, not because they don’t count but, because they mostly are using Ham for preparation for society collapse, good on ya for being prepared.) My two types are people that just want to turn on a radio, find some people talking and have a fun conversation, making new “contacts” and hopefully lifelong friendships. The other type also enjoys the same things, but these are the technical ones, the ones that desire to use computers, tinker with new equipment, find new ways to do things, which generally improves Ham radio for most others (except when it comes to tests).

The first user type is a young child or adult introduced to Ham at school or by a friend of the family or at a field day etc. They become excited to talk to people around the world (yes it’s possible to do) and enjoy doing so. This type does not care how the radio works, does not care how many volts equal a millivolt, kilovolt, volt cola or whatever. They just want to be able to talk and make friends. They will probably never open a radio up to fix a bad diode or bulb, won’t build or adjust antennas, will buy what’s best and use it based on what’s in the instruction manual. They want to know the rules, so they can follow them and be good Ham operators, and generally are happy with the knowledge they have.

Type two, the tinkerers, question everything, look for ways to talk farther, improve speed, make antennas easier to adjust (tune). These are the people that over the years, have improved Ham radio two-fold over what it was capable of doing in the early days, and they continue to question and try and improve each time they have a moment.

I believe both types have their place and both add something to Ham radio, and now the reason for the ramble:

Who writes these tests? I mean seriously??!! Why does a person need to know how many nanofarad’s equal a picofarad just to talk on a radio to someone?? Why do I care how the efficiency of a RF power amplifier is determined? Answer is “I don’t” except to upgrade my license, based on God knows who’s idea of what knowledge I need to be licensed to talk on Ham radio legally. This is where the two sides butt heads, the one side could care less, the other thinks everyone should know.

It’s my blog post (when Peach lets me call it that) so I’m gonna go out on a limb, why not make the test relevant to what you can and cannot do? Questions about the rules, would in my humble opinion, better serve the Ham community and teach what’s proper. By all means, if your type 2 then go forth and prosper, keep up the good work, but that’s no reason to expect the average person to learn how to calculate how long a wire antenna needs to be to be resonant on 80 meters (use the online calculators out there it’s easier).

Peach and I will wade through the technical crap that we will never use, and we will pass our tests (confidence is key) even though we believe it’s not relevant to why we are doing it. It has gotten “easier”, they took out the Morse code requirement (CW) which is weird because it would actually be relevant to a lot of people.

Anyways, I have to go learn what a discriminator, a mixer and other things I will never use are, the test is next month and my mind doesn’t like being crammed with useless knowledge, even if I only have to retain it till I pass the test.

Y’all take care

The pic above is all Peach and I use to talk on the air, it’s all we need.

Oh, when you write to give me heck, please use decent language, sometimes little kids read these posts to

73 y’all

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Uncategorized

At the Workplace

Batman says:

Ever had that boss or coworker that just has to be right, has to be done their way or it’s wrong or stupid? Welcome to adulthood, where EVERYONE thinks their way is the only way something can or should be done. Yep, I fall in this category to at times, but knowing this I try and see another’s point of view and if an idea is better, then I grudgingly acquiesce to that way, usually after huffing and puffing around a bit.

Now I admit it readily and I am working on doing better at fixing it, but there are some, who no matter what, cannot seem to admit they have the same issues. These individuals are usually in positions that have a direct and proximate effect on others. They are the top of the tier, and those directing and or planning how others will do things. Without fail, they are highly educated, both academically and job field related training, or they have absolutely no job related skills and are in their position do to management training or education.

The common worker, the one that goes out and actually performs the tasks are more often than not, left out of ANY discussions on how the job they do should be done. These ‘expert’ bosses, have forgotten how, or never really did know, how the job is done in real life. They go to academies, they go to conferences, they attend training seminars and come back full of ‘great ideas’ on how the common worker should not only do the job, but how they should act and feel while doing it.

The gist of this musing is hopefully to inspire those that are in the position to make changes, to ask the worker bee, and their line supervisors for input and actually CONSIDER what is said to see if it has merit and not just disregard it out of hand because some class or group meeting you attended said their way was best.

Sometimes the least academically educated person in the room has the most of what 99% of us need and that’s COMMON SENSE.