Harbor Freight Item Not Completely Trash

I found a fairly accurate description on a Harbor Freight item.  According to their own description, the item pictured above is only "Semi-Trash" and not completely trash.  Unlike my drill press from Harbor Freight, which refuses to spin when powered on until I manually start the wheels turning (right out of the box), and which completely broke the chuck the first time I tried to drill through some steel (with a quality titanium drill bit).  Unlike the many other disappointing pieces of total trash I have been saddled with from Harbor Freight (and from China in general), this tool is advertised as only "Semi-Trash."  So you save $550 for going with this item instead of something that is is completely not trash.

VM

The Day I Found AIN'T In the Dictionary

    "If you eat that now, it will ruin your supper later," I was told.  I went ahead and ate it anyway.  And it did, in fact, ruin my supper just a short while later.  I could not eat my entire meal, and what I did eat did not taste as good as it should have.  What I was told was proven true, and I should heed more of the wisdom that others try to impart.

    "Two plus two is four."  That was patently obvious.  I had never known anyone to question it - not even the biggest class clowns or the smarty pants skeptics that raised objections to everything else in class.  The facts of "two plus two" worked out in every equation combination I ever tried.

    "Ain't ain't a word, because ain't ain't in the dictionary."  Okay.  I will try to stop saying it.  Even if the fact that you used the word multiple times to prove it isn't a word does not make any sense to me, except in some sort of stupidly ironic way, I still understand what you're telling me.  I should not use the word, because it is not really a word.  And the proof that it is not really a word is that the established authority on what is or is not a word has been studiously consulted.  The dictionary has spoken - or rather, remained silent.

    And then one day, quite by accident, I found the entry to for "AIN'T" in the dictionary.  I was looking up an unrelated word when I stumbled across it.  "It has to be a mistake," so I consulted another dictionary, and another.  Different editions of dictionaries, from different publishers, all listed "AIN'T" in plain black and white as a word.

    It was an "informal" word, a "nonstandard" word, even "a vulgar contraction" according to an older reference.  But it was a word, and it was in the dictionary.  And my thoughts were all over the place.

    In complete transparency, the first reaction of my seven-year-old mind was a smug self-satisfaction.  I had to learn to fight that - it will never get me anywhere in life, and it is not attractive when I see it in others.

    But I also felt a sense of freedom, of liberation, of empowerment.  As a child, I could not have put it to these words, but I look back now and recognize what I was feeling.  One simple dictionary entry reinforced to me what I'd always known, what I'd always been raised to believe: that I can think for myself, I can decide for myself, I can gather the facts for myself, evaluate them for myself, choose for myself a course of action, and then experience for myself the consequences of that choice, good or bad.  In fact, I have a responsibility before God to think for myself, gather the facts for myself, and then decide for myself.  I have a responsibility to "be fully persuaded in my own mind" about things.

    Maybe I should not say "ain't."  Maybe it makes me sound like an uncouth hillbilly.  I understand the motive behind what I was told was a pure and good motive; but the fact remains that what I was told was not correct.  It was little more nuanced, a little more in-depth, a little more complicated than the black and white it was made out to be.  It's a word, it's just not an appropriate word in many situations.  It's a lot easier to just tell a second-grader that "ain't ain't a word...."

    In short, the day I found "AIN'T" in the dictionary was the day I realized that I am an autonomous being, not only capable of making my own choices, but responsible to do so.  Responsible to investigate what I've been told by other fallible humans and not simply accept it on face value.

    Today they say, "Trust the science."  I do trust real science.  But I don't have to trust what you tell me the science says.  There is a difference.  I can look into it for myself.  In fact, I have a duty to look into it for myself and not simply blindly follow.  Only infallible God can pronounce His Word and expect me to take it on face value.

    You may be entirely correct.  Or you may be incorrect, but have pure motives.  Or you may have nefarious motives for telling me what you're telling me.  I can't judge that, but I can look into the facts for myself.

    What we see happening today is outrage at people who want to open the dictionary and see if what they're being told is correct, people who want to look into the facts for their own self.  "You're not qualified to evaluate the information."  I may not be a linguist, but I own a dictionary.  And ain't is a word, and is found in the dictionary, and whatever else you're telling me is probably a little more nuanced than the black and white you're making it out to be.  Quit condescending and treating grown adults like second-graders.

VM - 11-21-2021

Two Left and Two Returned - A Poem

Jacob and Naomi both left the Promised Land and both returned years later:  Jacob left on the run from his twin brother Esau's murderous wrath; Naomi with her family in search of greener pastures.  The Promised Land of course is a picture of God's will for the believer -- living the victorious Christian life of overcoming the world by faith.  An interesting comparison and contrast can be found in their two stories.

(For those unfamiliar, you can read of Jacob's departure in Genesis 27 and 28, his return in Genesis 32 and 33.  Naomi's departure and return are in Ruth 1.)

Two Left and Two Returned

Jacob left the Promised Land with nothing to lose.

Naomi left the Promised Land and lost everything.

Jacob left the Promised Land with his father's blessing.

Naomi left the Promised Land despite the Father's blessing.

Jacob left the Promised Land before it was yet promised him.

Naomi left the Promised Land forgetting what was already promised her.

Jacob left the Promised Land and met God along the way.

Naomi left the Promised Land and left God a long way away.

Jacob left as just unsaved.

Naomi left just as the unsaved.

Jacob left empty and returned full.

Naomi left full and returned empty.

Jacob compelled others to return with him to his God.

Naomi compelled others to turn back to their old gods.

Jacob returned with the family he hadn't had when he left.

Naomi returned with the only family she had left.

Naomi returned seeking redemption after all those years.

Jacob returned thankfully redeemed all those years ago.

Naomi returned longing for rest.

Jacob returned offering restitution.

Jacob returned and was given a new name by God.

Naomi returned and took a new name for herself.

Jacob the schemer left.  Israel the prevailer returned.

Naomi the pleasant left.  Marah the sour returned.

Jacob returned better.

Naomi returned bitter.

Jacob returned and found God faithful.

Naomi returned and found God faithful.

God is always faithful.

God never left.

VM

04-24-2021

Johnny Cash Family Again Outraged at President Trump

November 13, 2020 - WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump, speaking publicly for the first time since his apparent election loss, took to the podium this morning with a song, declaring in a deep baritone voice, "I won everywhere, Man!  I won everywhere, Man!"  His denial of election results went further, naming in a rapid-fire, monotone voice all of the polling places he believed he'd won.  "I won in Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota, Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma..." the president trailed on for several minutes.  It did not appear that he was aware certain places he named are not part of the United States and do not vote for President.  In all, the president named ninety-one locations where he believed he had prevailed in the election, some perhaps large enough cities to sway the results, others tiny hamlets with insubstantial vote totals.  Several Canadian locations and foreign countries made his list; it was not clear if the president was referring to absentee ballots mailed from those locations or if he truly believed there were US elections held there, which he had won.

On the heels of Trump's press conference, members of Johnny Cash's family spoke out claiming the president had plagiarized the late entertainer's words.  "Just look at the list of places where Trump claims he won," said Johnny's son Green Cash on Twitter.  "He lifted all those right from my father's famous song, word for word!  La Paloma?  Opelika?  Is he serious?  Did he really think we wouldn't notice?"

The singer's daughter Outta Cash threatened a lawsuit.  In a Twitter reply to her brother, she stated, "You know, I've been out of cash my entire life.  So if I could sue a rich man like Donald Trump and win, I might be able to change my name to Lotsa Cash."  She said she did not inherit any riches from her father, as Johnny Cash donated his entire fortune to his foundation, Understand Your Man, which "helps women in struggling relationships learn to keep their big mouths shut," according to the organization's mission statement.

The president's defenders quickly pointed out that the election results have not yet been certified in Joe Biden's favor in the places where Trump is claiming victory.  Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) stated, "You know, in Costa Rica they just found a bunch of ballots that were never counted.  So until this all gets sorted out, President Trump has every right to continue his challenge."  When it was pointed out that Costa Rica is not in the United States, Cornyn responded, "Costa Rica?  Puerta Rica?  What's the difference?"  When it was also pointed out that Puerto Rico does not vote for President, Cornyn frustratedly threw up his hands and said, "Well there you have it.  If their votes were counted, Trump would have won."

As reported here, the Cash family has previously expressed outrage at Donald Trump over his claims that his super powers to change the weather and the course of rivers were unique to him.  Johnny's mother remarked today, "That bum!  Once again he's riding on the coat-tails of my good boy.  I bet when nobody else is looking, he probably plays with guns.  What a loser!"

After his statement, the president took questions from the assembled press corps, but only responded to each question with a chorus of "I won everywhere, Man!  I won everywhere, Man!"  Among the questions: "What does 'breathing the mountain air' or 'crossing the deserts bare' have to do with the election results?"  After multiple repeated choruses in response to each question, the gathered reporters seemed to give up delving any deeper into the president's claims of victory in specific locations.  "Mr. Trump, as awesome as he is in almost every other way, is not a very good singer," admitted Fox News correspondent John Roberts rather sheepishly.  "I don't know how much more we could take.  So we just stopped asking."

Legal challenges in several states have revealed some evidence of several fraudulent ballots.   The president's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, echoed the president's words that a handful of dead people had voted in "Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake, Grand Lake, Devil's Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete's sake."  The small number of disputed ballots falls very short of the 5 million votes by which Joe Biden carried the election.  Nevertheless, the Trump team holds out hope of victory.

One victory the president can claim which is not in dispute is his success at making lifelong Democrats out of millions of American voters who have been turned off to the entire Republican party, due to Trump's demeanor and GOP leaders' appeasement of him.  Only time will tell if the Republican party can recover from the four-year Trump experiment and ever again regain the White House or solid congressional majorities.  It may be a very long wait.  Fiscal conservatives fear their message of lower spending and a balanced budget falls on deaf ears, since their party was bullied by the White House in recent years to increase debt levels beyond all prior records.  Moral and religious conservatives have long been aware that "family values" is a dead message as long as they support the most pro-gay US President in history.  With true conservatives struggling for any defining message other than "Trump!" it will be difficult to change undecided minds that the Republican party deserves their vote.  The real impact of Trumpism on America is sure to last much longer than the four or eight years of a presidential tenure.

(C) Copyright 2020.  Reporting by Victor E. Mowery, Vaugan E. McAllory and Virgil E. Melanoma.

Book Review: American Gun: A History of the US in Ten Firearms, by Chris Kyle

I just posted this review over at my LibraryThing account, where I catalog all the books in my library.  I bought this book at the thrift store on Saturday afternoon and finished reading it on Monday morning, with two church services and chores in between.  That fact in itself is a positive review for a 320 page hardback.

Excellent.  I paid 75 cents for it used; I would have paid more than full price for it new if I had known it would be well worth it.

This is more of a history book than it is a technical treatise on arms.  Any technical discussion of gun details is on a level of explanation for the layman while brief enough to not tire a seasoned aficionado.  Where the book really shines is the historical story-telling.  Chief Kyle is able to seamlessly weave the advancement of our republic and its ideals together with advancements in firearms design, along with the tactics and histories behind them of military, law enforcement and even the bad guys.  One is left with the strong impression that our great nation and the values we hold dear would have been shaped quite differently without men like Colt, Browning and even the unnamed smith working a frontier forge beside a winding creek.

Nearly every chapter starts with vibrant story-telling of an event that could be a simple historical footnote, a mere Trivial Pursuit question, but turns out to be a pivotal moment showcasing the weapon that soon comes under discussion.  Each gun in the list of ten is treated as a springboard for discussion of other guns - advancements along the way and competitors - as well as relevant social, military and economic history that surrounds the gun's development and need.  For example, the story of the .38 Special police revolver would not be told without a brief history of American police departments and their weapons needs, and even the later guns that replaced the .38, like the Glock 17 and others.  That is one example of how each chapter delves into telling the story of America, centered on the gun.  The gun is not the point - the American way of life that the gun helped secure is.  Hence, I recommend this book to anyone interested in what it means to be an American, whether or not they are familiar with or even interested in guns.

The book could be slighted by some for the author occasionally (and especially in the latter chapters) interjecting himself and his experience into the story.  I do not find this a detriment.  Rather, it gives the book an authentic feel, more like stories told by a warm veteran uncle than a cold historian academic.  And after all, who would read a book by a celebrated warrior and expect him not to share his experience?

My only minor (very minor) complaint is a matter of personal preference.  I wish the references, footnotes and explanatory remarks were at the bottom of each page or at the least, at the end of each chapter.  I prefer to read them along with the text, and in a way easy to cross-reference with the text.  Instead, they are relegated to a back page without a really decent system of reference to the text.  There are no superscript numerals, asterisks or other referencing to make reading the footnotes easy.  But alas, maybe that book would read more like the cold academic in the musty library and less like the fun uncle telling stories on the back porch.

VM
05-25-2020

Coronavirus Fake News

Here are some fake news headlines and snippets I totally made up about Coronavirus.  You can rest assured that all of these are completely false.

TRUMP DECLARES NATIONAL DAY OF FASTING, PRAYER AND REPENTANCE TO STEM TIDE OF COVID-19
In response to the Coronavirus crisis, as other great US presidents have done through history, the greatest president Evangelical Christians ever supported has declared next Monday as a day for Americans to fast, pray, repent and seek Almighty God's favor once again.  Said Mr. Trump, "Our hopes must never rest in any government bail-outs, or what the government can do to help.  This problem is beyond the reach of government.  This problem may even be the result of the sins of government, provoking God as American Christians have done by relying on me to solve their problems."  The President's modesty was on quiet display once again as he knelt behind his podium and began to invoke God's mercy upon the nation that he leads by such pious example.

TRUMP PROVES HIS COMMITMENT TO CONSTITUTION
In a time that has tried no US president as intensely as since perhaps Lincoln, Donald Trump proved once again he is as much a Constitutionalist as those who voted for him.  Resisting the urge to spend, to give away money blindly to people who may or may not need it, and to generally act like the Democrat he used to be, the President stood his ground.  "Times of crisis," he said, "are exactly the times to stand firm on principle.  It is in those times that we truly see how well our Founders designed our system, and how wise they were in providing a resilient Constitution that works in any situation government may face.  I am amazed at how much wiser and smarter those guys were than me.  Aw, shucks!"  Mr. Trump can count on sturdy support for his position against unnecessary spending from the Republican-controlled Senate and a sizable caucus of principled conservatives in the House of Representatives.  Even this crisis will not increase the national debt one penny beyond the record level it has already soared to under Trump's first term, despite his stance.

CHRISTIAN LEADERS ADMIT THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN WRONG TO SUPPORT TRUMP
"Well, all the Trump gains in the stock market have now completely tanked due to the virus.  Crud.  We thought he was going to make America great again.  I guess we briefly forgot that God is in control, after all."  Speaking alongside many evangelical leaders, these words of Jerry Falwell, Jr. were sheepishly agreed upon by the silent nods of others in attendance.  "Look, we knew what we were getting with Trump.  We knew he was a rascal, down to his core.  It just didn't matter to us because he agreed with our politics.  At least he claimed to, anyway.  But we totally forgot some of those Bible verses about not exalting men of vile character, and stuff like that.  I even have some of those highlighted in an old Bible... I usually just read the Bible on my smart phone app nowadays, so I miss my old notes."  The mood was somber as the gathered preachers and radio hosts discussed what other kinds of gains under the Trump administration might be rolled back if the nation has truly lost the blessings of God.  "Our position in the world as a superpower, our military readiness against invasion, even our food and crop production might take a turn for the worse.  Or worst."  So went a lot of the talk.  Continuing his sad screed, Falwell said, "We thought we had it figured out.  Trump was doing a fantastic job, just like we hoped for when we held our noses and pulled the levers at the ballot box.  But wham!  Along comes a stupid virus pandemic!  Almost as if God was saying, 'Not so fast, Buddy!'  Almost as if it was another Tower of Babel we were trying to build!"  A few fundamentalist preachers (very few) stood by with silent "I tried to tell you" looks, but still nobody wanted to hear from them.  The prophet Jeremiah had a better reception in his day.

-VM, 3/27/2020

Will You Keep Supporting a Maniac Right to the Brink?

Read article here.

This guy is capable of anything.  Anything!  There are no boundaries he will not cross.  There are no self-imposed limitations he will stick to.  There are no standards of behavior he feels bound by.  There is no limit to the number and class of people he will use, misuse and abuse to get what he wants.

If he has been accused (by Democrats or Congress or others) of something he did not actually do, it is only because he never thought of doing it, or did not find a way to make it work to his ends.

A man that has the full weight and power of the United States at his disposal, and is willing to misuse it simply to try to save face or recover from embarrassment is a man that is capable of any crime.

That's not even the worst part.  That's not even the saddest part.  That's not even the heartbreaking part.

The worst part is that the vast majority of people who should be speaking up the loudest against this are going to continue to keep silent, or even support it.  They are going to rationalize for "the greater good" or some such.  But the real reason they are going to continue to support Trump's deeds and even vote for him again is this:  They want to save face and avoid embarrassment as much as he does.  They made their decision and they won't admit they were wrong.  Just like him!

Too many voters bought non-refundable tickets on the Trump train well before they ever considered the long-term effects of taking such a ride.  So now they are going to stay on the train regardless of whether they like the scenery out the window right now.  Is there a bridge out up ahead?  Is a fiery crash in the works?  Do the train tracks even lead where you were promised to end up?

Check the map here.  We're not headed where you thought.  And the continuing silence or even tacit approval of Trump supporters only makes him more bold; only makes him more committed to the direction he's headed.

The train is picking up even more speed.  How far are you willing to ride it?

VM