I have often watched short video clips of people trying to do simple things and thought, “Can people really be that clueless?” Now that I have a few years under my belt, I understand what my dad meant when he would say, “Be smarter than what you’re working with”. Now, my wife would correct me and tell me that my sentence form is incorrect. It should be, “Be smarter that that with which you are working”. Nope. It just doesn’t sound the same. Sometimes it’s worth ending with a preposition. So in honor of our untrained Gen Zers (or whatever generation we are in) this week I thought I would give some pointers about commonly used tools.

I need to clear up one issue though. Being the “MacGyver” type guy that I am, you may see me using tools in unconventional ways. Why just today, I used a screwdriver as a lever.  Mostly because I was already on the floor under a desk and didn’t want to get up, but also because I knew it would work. The main thing it to know the limits of your tools. I’m not above buying tools at the discount places, but I also realize they may not be top quality and need to be treated that way. So let’s get too it. Here are basic hints for some commonly used tools.

The Adjustable Spanner – It is also called an adjustable wrench or a “crescent wrench”. Crescent made the wrench popular and now has its name associated with the product, much like how tissues are also called Kleenexes.  Tip: Once you have adjusted it to size always face the smaller jaw (the adjustable one) facing the direction of the turn. If the bolt or nut is very tight, use a box end wrench.

Box End/Open End Combination – These wrenches usually come in basic sets like US standard or metric. One end is closed in, the other has an open slot. Tip: Use the box end to break it loose or finish tighten and the slot to turn it when it is freely moving.

Claw Hammer – The claw hammer is a tool used to hammer nails on the blunt side and remove them using lever action on the claw side. They can have wood. Metal or fiberglass handles. Tip: When hammering, hold the hammer as far back on the handle as possible. You get more swing that way. It wouldn’t hurt to practice your aim either. Get and old piece of wood and a handful of nails. Practice until you can hit the nail square on the head with the hammer most of the time. You can even practice removing them. If a nail is sticking out to far for the claw to remove it, place a piece of wood in between the board and the hammer to increase you leverage. 

Ratchet & Sockets – If you do any shade tree car mechanic work, you had better make friends with your socket set. Now this one can be a rabbit hole. You see, one can never have enough sockets. Again, they come in metric and standard. Biggest Tip: Your ratchet is not a hammer. Don’t do it. You’ll thank me later. Keep in mind, “Righty tighty; Lefty loosey”. I guess I shouldn’t leave that without an explanation. Turning to the right normally tightens; turning to the left normally loosens. Oh, and wear a set of mechanic gloves. Your knuckles will be thanking you.

Measuring Tape – The retractable measuring tape is a life saver. Buy a quality one so that you know the markings are correct. Tip: The wider the tape the farther it and reach without falling over. I recommend a 20 feet/ ¾ inch tape for most projects. Always recheck your measurements in several places to be accurate. Remember, measure 3 times, cut once.

Screw Divers – Screw drivers come in many different kinds and sizes. The most common are Philips (+ head) Flat-blade, torx (looks like a star) and one that is gaining in popularity, the square drive. Tips: Find the right kind and the right size. Push down and turn. Remember: “Righty tighty; Lefty loosey”.  In a pinch Flat-blade screwdrivers can be used to pry things open, and even as a chisel. Again, if you are not sure, proceed cautiously.

One last very important tip. Always use proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) what working with tools. These include: Safety glasses or goggles, gloves, hearing protection, proper shoes and a hard hat if required. You can always replace a tool, but spare eyes, ears or fingers aren’t readily available. I hope this helps!

How Did We Get Our American Flag?

Since I did a post about Memorial Day last year, I thought I would post about the flag this time. Our current flag of the United States is the twenty-seventh version since its original design in 1777. It is composed of thirteen alternating stripes, seven red and six white, with a blue rectangle and stars in the top left hand corner. The star alternate in six rows of six and four rows of five. The fifty star flag that was adopted after Alaska and Hawaii joined the union is the longest running version of the flag.

The first flag was call the Continental Colors and looked like this.  It was the first official flag of the thirteen colonies. it was also called the Grand Union Flag. There we other flags used in the colonies during this time including Gadsden Flag, Don’t Tread On Me and the Moultrie Flag that was a field of blue with a blue and white circle with the word Liberty in it.

The first flag to have the stripes and stars, often referred to as the Betsy Ross flag, was commissioned in 1776 by George Washington. From there the design changed as states were added. Sometimes the stars were in rows, other times in a circle or star shape. Many of these had fifteen stripes. In 1818 the flag had twenty stars and thirteen stripes.

At some point we may add other states, possibly Puerto Rico, Guam, and/or the Virgin Islands, current US Territories, which would necessitate a redesign. They have been talked about, but are still currently just territories.

Since Monday is Memorial Day and you may see several flags during the day, I thought I might review proper flag etiquette. These can be found in The Federal Flag Code.

Displaying the Flag

·        Hours: Display the flag from sunrise to sunset. It may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated.

·        Weather: Do not display the flag during bad weather unless it is an all-weather flag.

·        Hanging Vertically: When hanging the flag on a wall or window, the blue starfield (union) must be positioned at the top and to the flag's own right (the observer's top left).

·        With Other Flags: When flown on the same halyard, the U.S. flag must always be at the peak. When displayed in a group, it must be at the center and at the highest point. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Respect & Usage Constraints

·        Never as Decoration: Do not use the flag for draping, festooning, or as bedding. Use red, white, and blue patriotic bunting for decoration instead.

·        Clothing & Merchandise: The flag should not be used as apparel. However, lapel pins and uniform patches (for military, police, and patriotic organizations) are acceptable.

·        Condition: The flag should be kept clean and mended. If it becomes too worn to serve as a symbol, it should be disposed of in a dignified manner, such as burning.

 

Salute & Pledging

·        Civilians: Stand at attention facing the flag with your right hand over your heart.

·        Military: Uniformed personnel render a hand salute. Veterans may render a hand salute or place their right hand over the heart.

 This not the whole code but does cover the basics. I hope you enjoy this Memorial Day and Always remember what it stands represents.

Many facts taken from: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/short-history-united-states-flag

 

Hydrangeas by the doorway…

Last summer my wife bought a small hydrangea plant as a decoration. We decided to plant it outside by the back door. I t did almost nothing all winter. At one point she was afraid it was going to die. Then as it warmed up in spring, it finally started sprouting a few branches. Things got busy and I almost forgot about it. A couple weeks ago I noticed it had a few flower buds. Cool, it didn’t die. My wife said something about it, but I never got out there to check. This week I was catching up on some backyard gardening, and low and behold, that little plant was sporting the cutest purple flowers! I was glad they were purple. That’s my wife’s favorite color.  I was about to take credit for that. You see, hydrangeas often change color ranging from blue to pink in response to the soil pH. Ya, turns out she bought it as purple on purpose. (I still think I helped it stay purple.)

It got me wondering about where it originally comes from so I decided to jump down the rabbit hole. The scientific name for hydrangeas is Hydrangea macrophylla, AKA Big Leaf Hydrangea. According to the North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hydrangea-macrophylla/) hydrangeas are native to Japan, China, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Flower colors range from white to pink, blue, or purple flowers, depending on the soil's acidity (pH). Acid soil produces blue flowers; Soil that is alkaline produces pink flowers. The flowers are a cluster of small flat flowers surrounded by a larger ring of more showy flowers called “lacecaps”. They usually flower in the spring, but some cultivars can have a second blooming cycle, especially in warmer climates. It is a perennial and will come back year after year if properly cared for. It can grow to a bush of about 6 feet tall. In cold winter areas it will need to be covered to shelter it from the freezing winds. Here in California it may keep its leaves all winter. They can be trimmed after they finish blooming, but remember to keep it light. New buds form on the old wood. Be sure to do any trimming before August, because it will start forming buds for spring starting in the fall.

One interesting thing I learned is that the dead hollow stalks from the previous year can often give native bees a nesting sight. Since most native bees either can’t sting are rarely choose to sting, and they are great pollinators, hydrangeas can help your other garden plants.

If you decide to plant hydrangea (or a few) there are many online sites and lots of videos to help you on your adventure. Plant flower – color your world! 

AI: How Far Is Too Far?

This week one of my friends decided I needed an upgrade. He took a picture of me manning the soundboard at Hst Ministries, the place where we feed the homeless and under resourced in Modesto. in just a few seconds I looked like one of the bandits from the movie Home Alone. I love using parts of AI, but this? Hmm, I'm not a fan. I mean, a good head of hair for 65 but still, nope. It brings up one of the main drawbacks/issues with new technology. How do we tell real from fake? If something that never happed can look so real, how can we be sure what is real and what is not?

Now don't get me wrong. I love using Siri for road directions, even when she can
sometimes make mistakes. It sure beats trying to navigate with a map. I have enjoyed using AI to help correct Chemistry equations quickly. I even get some entertainment listening to Alexa throw the other AI entities under the bus. (She can sometime be a little arrogant.) In many ways Ai has made our lives easier. CGI has gotten so much better using AI. Fantasy can now look seamlessly real. 

Like any technology, it is only as good as its users. AI can be instructed to create false narratives or pictures that have never happened that can then be used to deceive and humiliate. Kids have used it for cyber bullying. Students are trying to short cut the actual writing of assignments without doing the work. A simple video that would have been evidence of an event is now brought into question. It's getting hard to tell what is real and what is not. 

So how can we filter through all of the fake stuff?  (some ideas from https://www.popai.pro/)

• Unnatural Movements - Check the background details. Do all the people respond accordingly? Do items just magically appear or transform? Are there things out of place?
• Check for an AI Generated mark - Honest people will normally show it is done with AI
• Textual Clues - Are there strange spelling errors in the text or the closed captioning?
• Perfect but Unrealistic Graphics - Does it look to perfect or violate the laws of physics?
• Unusual Voiceovers or Lip Syncing
• Inconsistent Lighting and Shadows - AI often struggles with shadows and shading
• Repetitive Content Patterns 
• Check the content - Does the writing seem too well polished for the grade level?

The take away is that we are now at a point where we have to be very careful to check the source and content before we react.  What we see may not be the truth. It reminds me of what John said in I John4:4, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

Was I a Blessing to Someone Today?

One of my personal growth goals a few years back was to leave anyone whose path I cross doing a litter better for having met me. I t might be just a kind word or a simple smile, but it would be something it elevate their existence. On the way to working at the State Park this weekend I was praying, “Lord help me to be a blessing to someone”. Simple enough. As I rounded the last curve before going into the park I saw some sparrows flitting along the roadside as the often do. This time one of them got to close and ended up smacking into the front corner of my car. Not a good start I thought. I saw him on the road still fluttering but I do not know if he made it. I was kinda sad about it, a then thought, “Maybe there’s a very hungry hawk who just needed a meal”. At least I could be a blessing to him? Not how I was planning to start the day though.

We spent the morning weed eating a large berm area that cannot be mowed with a mower due to Native American burial remains being in the area. It took a while but at least we got it out of the way. One of other aide decided to take a picture of us and send it to our supervisors. We got a nice kudos email of thanks for our hard work. Ok, I was being blessed, but I really hadn’t been able to help anyone else (except maybe the hawk). Later one of the camping groups came over and gave each of us something to drink. I ended up being given a couple sparkling sodas – something I really enjoy. I continued through my day. Yes, I helped a family with directions and made the park a little cleaner. But It still wasn’t what I was expecting. I guess I was fixated on being a big blessing to someone.

On the way home, I noticed that since I was given an extra soda I had not used the one that came in my lunch. I decided to take it with me in the car for the ride home. As I got to the exit on the freeway I noticed a man standing with a sign that said “Old Man Needs Help”. I usually try to keep a few dollars in my wallet for just such occasions.  This time, I was fresh out. I saw the flavored soda water that was still cold and held it out to him. “It’s all I’ve got”, I said. His face broke out in a smile and he said “thanks” as I handed it to him. The lady in front of me handed him a couple dollars. I made me think: None of the things I did today was grand or spectacular. But maybe, just maybe, they were all that was needed. Baby step, add up. Tomorrow’s another day. Who can I help next? If we all help, It can add up to big change.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4 NIV

Do You Want a Little Cheese With That Whine?

 

Ok, let’s face it. Most of us Americans are whiners. Maybe not all the time, but we all have something that easily comes to the surface. With teenagers we often tease them that we will call the “Wambulance” if they don’t stop. “Why can’t we…”, The temperature is too…” ‘Pizza again?’ These classes are too long.” I’m bored.” I have nothing to wear.’

We have so much that we have forgotten what it was like to do without. If we really look around, we have it pretty good.

·         Instead of an outhouse, we have indoor plumbing. (Ya, ask grandma.) Oh, and add toilet paper instead of leaves or corncobs. (That I don’t even want to think about.)

·         We have cars, bikes, Scooter, & skateboards to get around instead of “walking uphill, in the snow, both ways’. We can cover great distances in a short time.

·         We have hot and cold running water in our houses. We don’t have to go to a well or a pump every day.

·         We have sealed houses with good roofs and central heat and air. We may use a fireplace for ambiance, but it is usually a choice.

·         We have personal cell phones with free long distance. I remember having a party line that we shared with neighbors! Now we can find anyone anytime 24/7.

·         We have talking GPS. It used to be maps and compasses.

·         We have carpeted floors to keep our feet warm in the morning.

·         We have modern HEPA filter vacuum cleaners. No more endless sweeping and beating out rugs.

·         Teacher have white boards, smart boards, tablets, and TVs. No more beating the chalk dusk out of the erasers.

·         We have FaceTime and other video calling. As a grandparent, that’s huge!

·         We can email around the world in seconds. No more waiting weeks for a precious letter.

·         We have record high life expectancy & more free time than any other generation.

·         We have superstores that have everything we can think of, and will often bring it to your car.

·         We have free schools for learning. Education is there if you want it.

·         We have movie choices 24/7. I remember when television stations had a signoff time and just showed a test pattern. (no old jokes please.)

·         We have microwave ovens so even kids can cook for themselves without burning down the house. Popcorn was never the same…

Next time you feel the urge to whine, think about some of these and thank God for the creative minds that He has given humanity to make our lives easier. A little cheese wouldn’t hurt either.

What Are You Leaving?

The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation. Numbers 14:18

But showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.   Exodus 20:6:

I have often thought that these verses just talked about what children learn and the influences they receive growing up. Kids grow up to be criminals because they learned it. But what if there was more? What if we can pass our trauma, our fears, the hints of major life altering events, though our DNA? Could we also pass things like cultural preferences also? We used to think it was fantasy, but recent research might be saying otherwise.

A couple years ago I ran across an article about an emerging science field called Epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of cellular variations that are caused by external, environmental causes that switch genes “on” or “off,” thus making changes in “phenotype” or genetic expression without concomitant changes in the DNA sequence. (Krippner) Turns out, there is good evidence that trauma can actually change our genetic makeup, turning genes off or on. It has been documented in holocaust survivor families. This could lead to offspring having a built in response to what happened before they were even born. Could this be what God was talking about? Conversely, there have been studies that parental nurturing can help erase these responses. One of the most interesting studies was with mice who were taught to fear and passed it down to their offspring. Here is an excerpt from the article.

 

Of more direct relevance to transgenerational effects of trauma, is a mouse experiment conducted by Dias and Ressler (2014) examining how the olfactory (smell) experience of male parent mice might influence their offspring. The parent mice were conditioned to manifest fear when they smelled cherry blossoms. This was accomplished by pairing the odor with a shock to the foot. This fear changed the organization of the animal’s nose, leading to more cells that were sensitive to that particular smell. This structural alteration was also found in future generations as was a fear-generated “startle” when the mice were exposed to the odor. The reaction to other odors was not affected. Their pups were found to be afraid of the odor and passed that fear down to their pups. The results suggest that the experiences of a parent, before conceiving offspring, markedly influence both structure and function in the nervous system of subsequent generations. The authors hypothesized that micro-RNA involved in gene expression enter the bloodstream and deliver odor information to sperm cells. … Dias and Kessler maintained that these behavioral and olfactory effects “were inherited and were not socially transmitted from generation to generation” (p. 89). They reached this conclusion after conducting in vitro fertilization so that there would be no contact between parent mice and their offspring. Micro-RNA maintains the activity of the gene and it is possible that these activities can be inherited, even when the original stimulus for their expression is no longer present (Mattick et al., 2009).

Stanley Krippner, Ph.D.  https://cttjournal.org/transgenerational-trauma-effects-the-role-of-epigenetics/

 

I know that as far back as I can find, my family, especially on my dad’s side, has a trail of Godly men. My great, great ,great, grandfather, Jacob Cross, had written in his obituary that “he died true to his God and true to his church.” I no longer take for granted the Godly heritage in my past. It very well may have made things easier for the rest of us – a generational blessing if you will. It makes me happy to pass that on to my children and grandchildren. We are still responsible for our own choices, but an extra blessing can’t hurt. And if you come from a troubled past? You can still be the one to break the chain of fear and judgement and start your own generational blessing. I don’t think we even know the half of it. It will be interesting to see where these studies go.

A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:22