You know you're from Pennsylvania when:

- You think the roads in any other state are smooth.

- Hearing horses clopping down a paved street doesn't bring you to the window to see what's going on outside.

- You can stop along the road to buy fruits, vegetables, or crafts on the "honor system."

- You consider Pittsburgh to be "out west," and you know the fastest way to Philly is the Turnpike.

- When it snows they put cinders on the roads instead of sand.

- You can give directions to Intercourse with a straight face.

- Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

- You measure distance in minutes.

The 3 rules of tech support

1. Easy does it.
2. If it hurts don't do it.
3. Always keep a backup.

Story one comes from supporting a mainframe software product called TPX owned at that time (late 1980s) by Duquesne Systems in Pgh.  It is of the class "session manager" which can be thought of as "Windows for mainframes using a green screen interface".  The product had only been in the field a few years and was wildly popular.  It was #1 in its field in sales and installed base.

Customer tech support person calls our "help line" and says here system has crashed.  The first question in cases like this is always "What changed?  What did you change?"The answer was she increased a certain kind of system resource used by TPX (VTAM virtual terminals) by several orders of magnitude (in this case by several thousands).  But she failed to make corresponding parameter adjustments.  The manual does not tell you exactly what those adjustments are because they system is so complex and flexible, because it can be used in wildly different environments, it is difficult to predict what adjustments to make.  So she was told "easy does it!"  Make changes slowly.  Observe what the results are, especially in storage usage, and adjust parameters (in this case slot pool percentages) accordingly.  When system comes up and is usable, add more resources.  Iterate until you have reached your goal.

Story two has same source and scenario.  What was happening was that the system was slow and frustrated users at the customer site would repeatedly hit a certain key (the ATTN key) trying to disconnect. Instead the system crashed.  Yes we had a bug.  When we got the documentation of the bug (IBM mainframes have this wonderful thing called "a dump" which lets you perform a post-mortem autopsy on the system), we fixed the bug.  But until then we told customers to tell their users: "If it hurts, don't do it!"

As for Story three, this is obvious.  Always keep at least one backup.  If some data is very important, keep more than one and keep them in different places.

For a computer solution when the data is stored in a physically secure location, see RAID.

Screwtape and Christmas

I do think that some of the people who visit places of worship at great celebratory times do so for the spectacle.

On the other hand, in the "ScrewTape letters" CSLewis has a great chapter on this.

For those not knowing the book, it is the best humor as theology or is that theology as humor, I know of.

In the chapter I am thinking of, the little devil writes to the great devil that he has encouraged a woman to sin against pride by spending time and money dressing up to go to church.  She sits in front to show off. The great devil replies angrily that the last place to encourage people to go to is the area closest to the altar.  They might be affected by the presence of God there.

This link to an article entitled The Jingle Bell Mass A PASTORAL OPPORTUNITY LIKE NO OTHER makes the same point:

Almost every parish I know has a Jingle Bell Mass. It’s the one celebrated late in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. It might also be referred to as the Christmas Vigil, the Family Friendly Mass, or in some places, the Children’s Mass. However, I’ve called it the Jingle Bell Mass ever since the time I walked over to the church and caught a lady (whom I had never seen before) roping off two entire pews with festive red ribbon, all the while grinning and humming Jingle Bells. When I asked her what she was doing, she matter-of-factly explained that she was saving seats for her family. It was three hours before Mass time.

This is the Mass where you try to cram eight hundred people into a church that seats four hundred and pray that the Fire Department doesn’t close you down. This is the Mass where you politely ask people to finish their cups of hot chocolate and cans of Redbull outside. This is the Mass filled with children who are sugar-high with excitement and adults who are dazed from holiday prep work, where teens are text-ing their friends who are sitting on the other side of the church—while on their way to Communion. This is the Mass attended by the famous bi-annually faithful. Most of all, this is the Mass that presents a pastoral opportunity like no other all year.

On this occasion the church is like an untouched field of snow. We have a chance to make an impression at this liturgy, a chance to either offer a reason to come back, or (at the very least) not feed anyone’s determination to stay away. Presbyters, cut your homilies. This isn’t the time to break out your seminary-trained brilliance but a chance to make a simple, clear point with a minimum of words. Trust that people have watched enough Hallmark specials to understand symbol. And please address yourself to the adults, not the kids. If you’ve done your job, both will understand you, but only those carrying a valid driver’s license will make the choice to return to your parish some other Sunday. Be sensitive, too, to the many faiths embraced by those who are sitting in front of you. Remember that some folks are there out of love for their families, not the church. Finally, do not say how you wish attendance could be this good every Sunday. You don’t. Plus, it won’t be guilt that brings people back.

Liturgy committees, hold off on the schmaltz. Leave the “Happy Birthday Cakes for Jesus” in the second-grade religious-education classrooms. Be careful with secular symbols. A hundred years ago, I was in a parish where a certain “visual meditation” would set my teeth on edge. After Communion, in dead silence, Santa Claus would slowly walk down the main aisle, carrying a huge sack. He would stop at the crêche, kneel for a moment, and then walk out the side door of the church. No matter what you’re thinking right now, trust me: it’s creepier in person. Plus, it confuses the kids. “What’s he doing here? Why isn’t he delivering toys somewhere in the world? My iPhone app says that Norad is tracking him over Australia right now.”

Congregations, give welcome to the strangers. I know that you occupy Pew 35 Left Side every week of the year and, at this Mass, an entire family from outside the parish has taken up residence there. Be gracious with your real estate, generous with your hospitality. Look for a seat somewhere else or slip into the sacristy (no one ever thinks of sitting there). Also, refrain from casting dirty looks at the mother of the crying baby. That small act of asceticism will go a long way toward establishing world peace. Try to do your part. When Mass is over, if you should see a candy cane stuck to a hymnal or a bulletin folded into an origami hat, please help to put things back in order. That would be most appreciated and, after all, you’re a “regular.” You own the place.

Not every parish can turn Christmas Mass at Midnight into an exquisite production, featuring a choir singing carols in four-part harmony and five languages. Not every parish can highlight Christmas Day with a trio of strings playing Mendelssohn as people gather. But every parish can turn their Jingle Bell Mass into an extraordinary opportunity for hospitality, where there is room for everyone, even Jesus.

Festivus - humbug

I learned of Festivus on facebook yesterday.  so I looked it up on Wikipedia.  How depressing!

It is said that satire does not look pretty on a tombstone.  The same is true of sarcasm.  Neither does either look good as a holiday.

People celebrate holidays because of history and tradition.  They throw themselves in them as a method of fulfillment.  Festivus appears to be a way of venting about how others celebrate.

Generating positive energy for one's self by trying to suck energy out of others does not seem to be in the spirit of being an American - or at least in the traditional spirit.

For Festivus the greeting should be shooting the bird.

prayer request

these are accumulated posts from facebook gathered together

I will update this page as I find more posts

my daughter describing my son-in-law

I hate crying.. It makes your head hurt:(

Jason has become really sick... and in the long run.. he's not getting better.. The psoriatic arthritis has eaten a hole in the bone in his shoulder and will continue to do that all over his body. Every joint hurts, the herniated disc in his back ..... The meds have caused non cancerous tumors in his lungs about 5 mm. He wants to work so bad, but can't, he can't do much of anything with the girls. When he does anything around the apt he ends up being laid up in bed for days and sometimes weeks.

I could go on and on for hours about all of the things wrong with him.. To make matters worse, he can't get approved for SS disability. i mean damn, his doctors wrote up the paper work for a permanent handicap license plate. ***, he was crying...


Trying to get a hold of Dr. Kim for Jason.. He's having bad reactions to the Enbril.... I wish I worked for him as well as is supposedly worked for Phil Mickelson

Doctors are admitting Jason to the hospital. I have no idea why.... Except he was having seizures and loosing consciousness. The girls and I are hanging out in the family room.

I think he's having a reaction to the Enbril... Or it's the myositis or psoriatic arthritis attacking his body

He's having seizures and when he's out, he stops breathing.

They are sending him to ICU... We are at *** INOVA. His blood pressure is critically low.

I'm in his room right now... But I can't tell you anything bc I don't know anything. His biggest problem is they can't get his blood pressure up. And the monitor says no breath a lot... Everyones waiting for all of the cultures and test to come back. They won't give him pain medication bc his blood pressure is so low...

{her brother}, my assistant from last year, ***, came and took the girls. They may or may not stay there tonight. The girls do have school on Monday.

Forgot to mention, he cant pee so now they have to cath him... He is not happy

So what do you want to bet that I'm sick before he gets out of this place

He filled an entire bag and it was so dark... He said he feels like a new man and his blood pressure went up.., so he can get his pain meds now

Jason is stable for now... He gets an EEG on Monday.. They close the ICU for an hour so Tiffany offered to take us to dinner.

Thank you T for taking us to dinner

Sunday

I don't have anything new to report. I'm hoping they will let Jason sit in a wheel chair so he can be pushed right outside ICU to the family room.. THe girls are too young to go in.. :( We are just finishing up a late breakfast, going to clean up a little, shower, then go to the hospital.. Thank you for all of the prayers and keep them up. I will post more when I know more.. However, some results won't be available until after further testing on Monday.

They are moving him out of ICU so now they will be able to see him. He's immuno suppressed because of the Enbril so they want to keep him away from everything.

left-brain vs right-brain revisited

I had posted this and didn't know enough to find comments.

so I am revisiting my answers - doesn't change the result - I am still terminally left-brained.

1. Are you better at math and science than art and literature? Yes but love both
2. Do you love playing sports outdoors over reading indoors? No but have done both
3. Do you prefer verbal communication over physical communication? Yes and it helps me to think
4. Would you rather draw pictures freehand instead of putting together a model airplane? neither - I don't draw but do handyman stuff around the house
5. Do you like being in groups more than being alone? lean to No but find a need for both in my life - I have been a leader of men's groups @ church
6. When given instructions, are lots of pictures easier to understand than lots of text? lean to No but I as I have gotten older I handle abstractions less well
7. Have you noticed that you're better at providing the details and necessary information for a project than coming up with the initial idea? lean to Yes
8. Do you need a quiet environment when you are working? absolutely yes
9. Would you enjoy helping someone solve a relationship problem more than a math problem? lean to No
10. Are you better at helping someone solve a relationship problem more than a math problem? absolutely No
11. If you were a writer, would you prefer to write nonfiction books instead of fiction? lean to Yes
12. If you were a writer, would you be better at writing nonfiction books instead of fiction? absolutely Yes - fiction never wants to leave my head - it's shy :-)

and the bottom line - my training is in physics but my career going back to college is in Information Technology

comments on comments

My favorite blog http://www.patheos.com/community/deaconsbench/ has closed comments for a while.  This post has comments on the closing.

Since I can't find his email address, I'm going to post here my thoughts.

First, though, as I typed the previous sentence, I started to use the word feelings instead of the word thoughts.  That identifies part of the problem.  This is a hot, immediate medium.  Words go directly to the screen w/o passing through the brain for very long.  Sometimes called blogorrhea.

Second, there is ignorance.  Too many people pontificating without know what they are saying.  Funny word pontificate - it has come a long way.  It began life meaning a bridge builder from that fashioable language Latin: pons - bridge and facere - to make.  Pontiff (or a member of the same word family) was a title for Roman leaders.  With seven hills and many valleys, there was a need for bridges everywhere.  Since the Pope has this title, it can be inferred that bridge-building is somewhere in his job description.  Although it has secular roots, many would say it has a basis in faith.  Cf the writing of Paul the Apostle.

The root cause of problems is the lack of consensus on what it means to be a Christian.  For that matter, there are a number of terms that, as we say in information technology, are overloaded.  They have been given multiple meanings.  Computer languages have evolved ways of handling that situation.  It does not appear humans have done so with human languages.

Try to come up with a commonly acceptable definition for Christian or Jew or Muslim,  In the first case, wars were fought over the definition; in the last case, those wars are going on even as I write.

There have always been apologists.  They were critical in the early church as people trained in Greek philosophy tried to get their heads around the Semite sayings and ideas of Jesus of Nazareth.  They wrestled with the notion of who is God?  who is Jesus? what are their relationship?  those ideas that were boiled down to form the heady potion that is the Nicene Creed.

People like G K Chesterton and Hillaire Belloc were called controversalists.  They seem to relish a verbal spat.  But they did so with a flourish and good humor that belied the seriousness of their discourse.

What we have today are trolls.  I am reminded of a scene from the movie "Good Morning Vietnam."  The General at the radio station is telling the Sergeant Major why he is being banished to a backwater post from the front lines. "At first I thought you were tough, but now I know you are just plain mean."

Perhaps, a good start would be a conversation, if that is possible, on what it means to be Christian.  Part of the root cause as regularly identified on the above mentioned blog, stem from a radical (from the Latin word radix for root) difference of opinion on that issue.  While the study of that issue would be theology, the practice of the issue is just living as a committed Catholic Christian.

btw the technique could also be used as a party game - do those still exist?  Gather the players into small groups and give them one or two related words for which they are to come up with a mutually agreed defintion.  Then bring the groups together for sharing.  Start with the pairs conservative/liberal and Democrat/Republican before moving on to the more tendentious Christian or Jew or Muslim.

Let the games begin!

Dear facebook

I think you need to see a doctor.  You have been looping lately a lot.  My machine has to be rebooted.  Not a pretty sight.

Go see the doctor.  Discuss your diet, meds and exercise pattern.

Have the doctor discuss the debilitating effects of stress.  Have heard your growth patterns are slowing down.  Yes you are not that old in calendar years, but in app years you are ancient.  Take better care of yourself so you can take good care of us.

concerned user

Dear blogspot

Have you been getting enough of the right things to eat? Are you taking your meds on time? Are you getting enough sleep? You seem to be sluggish lately.

concerned user

Lemon picker wanted

The woman applying for a job in a Florida lemon grove seemed to be far too qualified for the job; given her liberal arts degree from the University of Michigan and her jobs as a social worker and school teacher. The foreman frowned and said,

I have to ask you this: Have you had any actual experience in picking lemons?

Well, as a matter of fact, I have! I've been divorced three times, owned 2 Chryslers, and I voted for Obama.

Wounded Warrior

On Monday, I played the Disney, Lake Buena Vista course. As usual the starters matched me with three other players. After a few holes we began to get to know each other a bit. One fellow was rather young and had his wife riding along in the golf cart with him. I noticed that his golf bag had his name on it and after closer inspection, it also said "wounded war veterans". When I had my first chance to chat with him I asked him about the bag. His response was simply that it was a gift. I then asked if he was wounded and he said yes. When I asked more about his injury, his response was "I'd rather not talk about it, sir".

Over a few holes I learned that he had spent the last 15 months in an army rehabilitation hospital in San Antonio TX. His wife moved there to be with him and he was released from the hospital in September. He was a rather quiet fellow; however, he did say that he wanted to get good at golf. We had a nice round and as we became a bit more familiar I asked him about the a brand new set of Ping woods and irons he was playing. Some looked like they had never been hit. His response was simple. He said that this round was the first full round he had played with these clubs.

Later in the round he told me the following. As part of the discharge process from the rehabilitation hospital, Ping comes in and provides three days of golf instruction, followed by club fitting. Upon discharge from the hospital, Ping gives each of the discharged veterans, generally about 40 soldiers, a brand new set of custom fitted clubs along with the impressive golf bags.

The fellow I met was named Ben Woods and he looked me in the eye and said that being fitted for those clubs was one of the best things that ever happened to him and he was determined to learn to play golf well enough to deserve the gift Ping had given him. Ben is now out of the service, medically discharged just a month ago. He is as fine a young man as you would ever want to meet.

Ping has the good judgment not to advertise this program. God Bless America and the game of golf.

- q.Beliefnet - America in Uniform

today is not ordinary time

Today is the second Sunday of Easter.

Today is the octave of the first Sunday of Easter, usually called itself, Easter.

In the past today has been called Low Sunday in contrast to the celebration of the first Sunday of Easter.

Is has also been called Missa in Albis, Mass in White. The neophytes would join the assembly in their baptismal garments, in remembrance of their baptism at the Vigil. In England, that was spoken as Whitsun, and the time as Whitsuntide.

bad theology

Kennesaw First Baptist Church sent out classy-looking postcards announcing on the front, along with the traditional three crosses

He is Risen Indeed!

Please join us in celebrating the Resurrection of Our Lord

Easter
Sunday, April 24

Worship with us at 8:15am 9:30am 11:00am
Community sunrise service 6:45am

Sunday School during each service for ages 6 weeks-preK
Older children are encouraged to attend worship services with parents

Then on the back, along with the postal area, are 5 colored eggs in some stylized grass and the words

He's Alive!
Eggstravganza
Saturday, April 23
3:00-5:00pm

For ages 2yrs-6^th grade
Fun! Fun! Fun! & it's Free! Free! Free!

Egg hunts! Pony rides! Crafts! Inflatables!

• First, what is the season?
  
  
  
• What is the reason for the season?
  
  
  
• He is Risen Indeed! on Sunday but He's Alive! on Saturday afternoon. Mixed message? End justifies the means?
  
  
  
• Do crafts include "Roll away the stone"?
  
  
  
• Is the pony left over from Palm Sunday?

An inquiring public wants to know!

communication

My husband, an Army drill sergeant, was on a training exercise in the California desert. "The nights are cold and lonely," he wrote to me. "All I can think about is how much I miss you and how cold my feet are. Could you please send me something to make the nights more tolerable?" Determined to boost his morale, I sent him a picture of myself posing in a revealing negligee. Two weeks later, I received this note: "Honey, you look great! Now can you send me some wool socks?" - Genny Conley q._Humor In Uniform_

I am left-brained

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/01/26/are-you-a-right-or-left-brain-thinker/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl11%7Csec1_lnk3%7C207578

1. Are you better at math and science than art and literature? Yes
2. Do you love playing sports outdoors over reading indoors? No
3. Do you prefer verbal communication over physical communication? Yes
4. Would you rather draw pictures freehand instead of putting together a model airplane? neither
5. Do you like being in groups more than being alone? lean to No
6. When given instructions, are lots of pictures easier to understand than lots of text? lean to No
7. Have you noticed that you're better at providing the details and necessary information for a project than coming up with the initial idea? lean to Yes
8. Do you need a quiet environment when you are working? absolutely yes
9. Would you enjoy helping someone solve a relationship problem more than a math problem? lean to No
   Are you better at helping someone solve a relationship problem more than a math problem? absolutely No
10. If you were a writer, would you prefer to write nonfiction books instead of fiction? lean to Yes
    If you were a writer, would you be better at writing nonfiction books instead of fiction? absolutely Yes

CVG news

always wondered if this ever happened

the literary pup

I just finished reading the beautiful "Fitting Service" (Cw2011Jan28) for the third time. This time I picked up on the echo in Bp Zauner's comment "... tria millia hominum ..." translated very reasonably into English from the context as "... three thousand people...".

One of the most dramatic Latin phrases in the Vulgate account of Jesus' encounter w/Pontius Pilatus is "Ecce homo" translated into English as best as is possible "Behold the man".

In this time of concern of the translation of Latin into English appropriately, would that the lessons of the differences in the two above phrases and their translation were more widely appreciated. And their implications also. We will never know why Jerome did not write "Ecce vir". Perhaps someone with the Greek original in front of them might comment. Jerome might say to us what he has PP saying in re the inscription on the cross "Quod scriptsi, scriptsi." (What I have written, I have written.)

ego boost

While doing one of those "projects from hell", I offered to resign.

• They didn't take me up on the offer.


• I am getting slightly less s... than before

Is this a sign of respect or indolence?

scientists w/balls

from my brother, yet another wild and crazy physicist

history of vitriol in politics in US

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/01/10/history-lesson-political-rhetoric/

and more

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703667904576071913818696964.html?mod=rss_opinion_main

and more

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703667904576072840602094576.html

when did the political stuff hit the fan

The sheriff mentioned at the link seems to think political vitriol started recently. I think not. I remember the 1960s esp. the 1964 presidential campaign. I also remember the 1950s and the black list.

I just spreads faster due to the proliferation of channels of communication.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/09/pima-county-sheriff-sets-debate-price-free-speech/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fpolitics+%28Internal+-+Politics+-+Text%29