My desk cat appears to have become a turntable cat:
All posts in February 2022
“The Post says: Stand with Ukraine”
“Rick Ross buys metro Atlanta police officer lunch”
Kudos to Elon Musk
Elon Musk says SpaceX’s Starlink satellites active over Ukraine after request from embattled country’s leaders
Elon Musk says SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are now active over Ukraine after a request from the embattled country’s leadership to replace internet services destroyed by the Russian attack. Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion has left parts of the country without internet, while SpaceX has launche…
Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 26, 2022
Update:
You are most welcome
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 28, 2022
Update:
Success!
SpaceX Starlink is working in Kyiv, Ukraine!
The Dishy was placed just outside my window, even without adjustments.Thanks, @SpaceX team, for your support 🙂
cc @FedorovMykhailo pic.twitter.com/oX09RL5wBh
— Oleg Kutkov (@olegkutkov) February 28, 2022
Couldn’t Have Happened to a Nicer Government
Think About It
Kudos to The Simpsons
#TheSimpsons #Simpsons #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/aWvgTUGJKP
— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) February 26, 2022
What to Do?
You’ll see previous posts of support for the Ukraine and its people.
And I do support them.
But, I’ll be honest. I don’t know what we should do.
I can tell you things we have done wrong, and might be able to identify a couple things we definitely shouldn’t do…
But I can only suggest one thing we should definitely do: Pray.
Well, that implicitly means we should care too.
And pray for the Russians too. They are also losing husbands, mothers, sons, and daughters due to the evil of war.
P.S. One thing we shouldn’t do is trust those who don’t have skin in the game or benefit from armed conflict.
Restream and the Ukraine
About 5PM tonight, I got this in an e-mail from Restream (with a subject of “ Restream stands in solidarity with Ukraine”:
Dear Restreamer,
My name is Alex, and I’m the co-founder and CEO of Restream. I’m also a father, husband, and above all today, a proud Ukrainian.
As you likely already know, yesterday Russian forces conducted airstrikes all across Ukraine, including Vinnytsia, my hometown, and where Andrew Surzhynskyi and I founded Restream in 2015.
In the last 24 hours, we’ve received an outpouring of support from friends and colleagues, many inquiring about the safety of our team and ways they can help. Here’s an update on the two things Restream is doing today to support our employees and the people of Ukraine.
Employee safety
The safety of our teammates is always a top priority. Last month, we offered and arranged the relocation of our Ukraine-based employees and their families. Through the dedicated efforts of many teammates, this group, representing one-third of our workforce, is now relocated to safety.
Solidarity with Ukraine
To assist with humanitarian efforts, Restream is making a donation of $100K to Red Cross Ukraine. In addition, we’ve compiled a list of Ukraine-based and international organizations that are assisting those affected. I encourage you to check it out and make a contribution.
We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue doing what we can to work towards peace and safety.
Thank you for being part of the Restream family.
All the best,
Alex Khuda
Co-Founder and CEO
Restream.io
If you visit Restream’s “About” page, you’ll see this at the bottom:
As you pray for the Ukraine, pray for the “Tech heart” of Restream too.
Stand with the Ukraine… Read More
Is Jetpack Blocking the Ukrainian Flag?
Update (and this belongs at the top, so you read it first):
Hi Alan. We don't have any way to block images based on their content, so no, we're not doing this. If an image on your site isn't loading via the CDN, please contact our support team at https://t.co/ANGtVS4PDJ with more details so they can take a look.
— Jetpack (@jetpack) February 26, 2022
Glad to hear that Jetpack is not blocking anything with their CDN and kudos to them for their response! Read More
I Stand with Ukraine (with the Ukrainian People)
Update (video from earlier today): Read More
An Awesome CD Arrived Yesterday!
This came in last night and it made my workday a lot more positive. I had to order it from Germany to get the song that first introduced me to Sofi Tukker. Can you guess which track it is?
P.S. That is Sunny, my desk cat, in the background.
My Initial Thoughts About the War in the Ukraine
Update:
Pray for the Ukrainian people. Nothing excuses what is happening.
Also, Pray for the Russian people. Their fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters are dying too.
— Alan Fahrner (@JegErAlan) February 25, 2022
Unknown Knowns
One of the precepts of Aletheia Quest with Alan Fahrner is that “you can know truth.” However, part of doing that successfully (and honestly, is understanding its limits). This famous quote from former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is worthy of pondering:
Because, as we know, there are known knowns. These are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say, we know there are some things we know we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns. The ones we don’t know we don’t know.
(Originally from my Aletheia Quest blog.)
It Is Evil When They Do It, but…
My attention span, sadly, is pretty short, so when I read an entire long article, that says a lot. I read all of this one by Glenn Greenwald:
The Neoliberal War on Dissent in the West
Those who most flamboyantly proclaim that they are fighting fascists continue to embrace and wield the defining weapons of despotism.
Please read the whole thing, but a key quote (in my opinion):
But when these weapons are wielded by Western governments, the precise opposite framework is imposed: describing them as despotic is no longer obligatory but virtually prohibited. That tyranny exists only in Western adversaries but never in the West itself is treated as a permanent axiom of international affairs, as if Western democracies are divinely shielded from the temptations of genuine repression. Indeed, to suggest that a Western democracy has descended to the same level of authoritarian repression as the West’s official enemies is to assert a proposition deemed intrinsically absurd or even vaguely treasonous.
The implicit guarantor of this comforting framework is democracy. Western countries, according to this mythology, can never be as repressive as their enemies because Western governments are at least elected democratically. This assurance, superficially appealing though it may be, completely collapses with the slightest critical scrutiny.
To quote Pogo: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
P.S. I don’t alway agree with Glenn, but he is a committed friend of truth and freedom. Please consider subscribing to him on Substack.
What will you do to support truth and freedom, especially of those whose views you find loathsome? Remember, the true test of our character is not how we treat our friends, it is how we treat our enemies.
Clip: “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas
I was pretty excited when this album came in as part of yesterday’s mail:
I only new the one novelty song, but the whole album is great. I suspect the single’s massive, and longstanding, popularilty has overshadowed all his other great tracks. As for me, I may go start searching for additional releases.
Well, Maybe…
After hearing Jesse Watters talk about how politicians want to hold social media companies responsible for the negative stuff they cause with teens, I saw this:
‘She Is Genuinely Afraid For Her Safety’: Teenage TikTok Star Goes To Court For Protection Against Another Alleged Stalker | The Daily Wire
Teenage TikTok star Ava Majury, 15, whose ex-cop father shot and killed an 18-year-old stalker who showed up at their Naples, Florida home last July with a shotgun and blew a hole through their front door, is scheduled to appear in court next Monday to testify against another stalker, a juvenile fro…
Notice: “Teenage TikTok start Ava Majury, 15…” (emphasis mine).
Although I suspect there are some mental health issues involved, her stalkers are responsible for their actions, not Ava.
However, how about this…?:
Parents, you shouldn’t allow your 15 year-old daughter (or son) post on TikTok (at least not to develop a large following). And, if this is accurate:
“Ava’s parents allowed her to sell Mr. Justin a couple of selfies that she had already posted to Snapchat,” The Times noted…
What?!
No, I am not blaming the victim. I am questioning the wisdom of the victim’s parents.
Social media is dangerous in many different ways, even for adults. I am not saying that no kid should get access until they are 18, but if you are going to allow your child to access it, it should be controlled. Constantly.
Children deserve a period of innocence. Innocence does not last long. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Becoming an influencer before you’ve even graduated high school should be a low priority.
Finally, it is us parents, not the government, who should be protecting the young ones under our care from social media.
There Is One You Can Trust
If you are someone who has ever experienced the fickleness of human friends or family, there is someone you can trust.
Balak (king of Moab) was trying to get Balaam to curse the Israelites. Since Balaam would only speak the words God put in his mouth, Balak learned that the Lord would not turn His back on his promises to Israel:
God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
(Numbers 23:19-20, NIV)
There is One who cannot be tempted to betray you. Trust in Him.
(Cross-posted on my Aletheia Quest with Alan Fahrner blog.)
A “Lot” of Steve Camp
My favorite Christian artist has long been Steve Camp, and I tagged him with this post on Facebook:
What do you think Steve Camp? As I continue to return to “old school,” I wanted to get the first tape on the left. (It is the first release of yours I ever heard, and meant a bit later I saw you perform in a high school gym in Seattle). I believe I also had the next two (and “Justice,” which is coming).
Either way, when looking for “One on One,” an eBay seller had this lot of cassettes for a great price.
Score! 🙂
P.S. My youngest son is getting a kick out of using the boombox.
BTW, Steve has been a pastor in Florida for a long time. Inspiring, faithful man of God.
The Revolt of the Canadian Truckers
Saturday Breakfast with Augie
Best. Guitar. Solo. Ever.
I miss Prince.
“2021 Remaster ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ with Prince, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Steve Winwood”
“We had gone nowhere at all”
Listening to Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life this morning (while exercising), I was hit by the punchline of an experience he shared. As a teenager, he convinced small-town friends to travel with him to Edmonton, 800 miles away.
We spent the weekend drinking in the hotel room. Although we had travelled a long distance, we had gone nowhere at all.
(Emphasis mine.)
How sad. How true in our own lives?
The Lord Bless You
Is there a better blessing you could get than this?:
Awesome Release Today: David Britt’s “Not the End”
If you want to hear a genuinely great album from a genuinely great guy, please take a listen today’s release by my good friend, David Britt:
Save My Soul
When We Get Our Good Time On
If It Can't Be Me
This Perfect Love
The Last Shot
Say That You Love Me (feat. Tori Snyder)
The Simple Life
If You Got Love (feat. Stephanie Massey Streater)
Yeah, I’m prejudiced :-)…but it is truly an awesome album. It lifted my spirits today; it will yours too.
P.S. Okay, I do have one complaint. It’s too short!!! 🙂