Archive for the ‘Current Events’ Category

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Not Banned Books

Feb

22

2024

It’s not band books week, but there was a news story – or whatever substitutes for one in these social media days – about some people getting upset at certain schools for banning some books.

And I got to thinking that they’re overreacting.

Sure, the schools aren’t allowing some books in the school, but how is that different from any other category?

Our schools in the area have a dress code. Certain types of outfits are not allowed at school. Are groups protesting the fact that the school has banned those?

Our schools in the area also have a movie policy. Teachers are not allowed to show anything over PG-13 (or PG for the lower grades). It’s the same for the charter buses used for long field trips. So certain types of movies are not allowed at school. Are groups protesting the fact that the school has banned those?

The people who are mad at the schools for “banning books” are approaching it from the wrong angle. The angle should be that the content of any media is restricted to what’s appropriate for the age.

Part of the problem is that there is not a rating system for books like there is for movies. If there were, then it would be easy for the school to have a policy of “School library books are to be rated PG-13 or lower” or something like that.

The other part of the problem is that books are synonymous with knowledge, so the people opposed to restricting books are decrying that as banning knowledge. On one hand, I suppose you could learn a lesson from just about any books, but on the other hand some books are meant just for entertainment. Not all books are equal when it comes to their educational merits, and thus their place in school.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8

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Happy Thanksgiving

Nov

22

2023

I’m not posting anything today – I’m too busy doing Thanksgivingy stuff.

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

1 Chronicles 16:34

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Pumpkin Fun

Nov

3

2021

To celebrate Reformation Day, we carved pumpkins and put their innards to good use as a tasty snack (and the rest as compost (not shown)).

Not much commentary for this, as it’s mostly self-explanatory.

image of some carved pumpkin jack-o-lanterns during the day

image of some carved pumpkin jack-o-lanterns during the night

image of some carved pumpkin jack-o-lanterns during the day

image of some carved pumpkin jack-o-lanterns during the night

image of some carved pumpkin jack-o-lanterns during the day

image of some carved pumpkin jack-o-lanterns during the night

image of some carved pumpkin jack-o-lanterns during the day

image of some carved pumpkin jack-o-lanterns during the night

image of some pumpkin seeds being cooked

image of some baked pumpkin seeds in a bowl

I find I like the pumpkin seeds better if they’re overcooked slightly.

Now then, reform your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will relent of the disaster which He has pronounced against you.

Jeremiah 26:13

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Thanks, Pixar

Aug

5

2021

We watched the recently-released movie “Luca”.

Now my kids yell “Silencio Bruno!” at me whenever I tell them not to do something.

Thanks a lot, Pixar.

Shall your boasts silence people? And will you scoff, and no one rebuke?

Job 11:3

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Independence Day

Jul

2

2021

This post is a repeat – I’m phoning it in today because I’m enjoying the holiday. A little early, perhaps, but I’m still going for it anyway.

Happy Birthday

A M E R I C AA M E R I C AA M E R I C A!

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

Psalm 33:12

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Technical Difficulties

Mar

17

2021

I had a blogging emergency last week. I went to write the blog post and WordPress wasn’t working. The page I normally use to sign in to write things was broken – it just said “Error establishing a database connection”

I had gone through a similar problem a few weeks before when a client requested a PHP update, which I did and then her WordPress blog stopped working so I had to revert PHP back to 5.x that we were using.

So I went into my hosting configuration and saw that they had updated everyone’s PHP to 7.3.

Ugh.

No choice to remain at 5.x.

I do not like automatic upgrades. I do not like updates in general. I keep an old phone and I decline any updates – my phone’s performance never slows down and I never have any problems with things not working like they used to.

Anyway, I got updated and now I had to deal with it. Because reverting PHP was not an option, I figured I must have to update my WordPress version. Since, you know, I turned off automatic updates and kept it at the version I liked. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well, now it’s broken so now I have to fix it.

Most of the “how to update WordPress” sites let me know that I can login to my blog and then click the Update button. Those were not helpful because I couldn’t get into my blog. But one of sites was actually helpful and I followed their instructions to download the WordPress install zip file, remove the wp-content directory, then upload that modified zip file into the website and it would be good.

I did that, and tried again. I know the update worked because now the error message had a new font. But it was the same error message. My new WordPress version is now 5.7, and I think the old one was 4.something.

So all that investigating and updating did nothing for me.

I found a handy thingy that let me check what the connection problem was. It involved making a test PHP file that returns mysqli_error, and that told me “The server requested authentication method unknown to the client”

So more Google-fu and the main thread seemed to be with the username and password. A suggested fix was to either alter the current username’s authentication method or create a new username with a different authentication method than the old username.

I created a new username in my host server’s MySQL setup, but I didn’t see anywhere to modify the authentication method. But it kind of worked. Now when I went to the login page I got a notice from WordPress that my site crashed and I’d get an email with some help.

So I checked my email and, sure enough, there was a helpful email that gave me a link to log into my WordPress with safe mode. I guess that was one advantage of upgrading my WordPress version.

I logged in using safe mode and I disabled the offending WP plugin and then everything was magically working again.

Moral of the story: if your WordPress installation stops working, don’t just upgrade things. Check what the problem is with mysqli_error and go from there. New MySQL usernames are free – accidentally overwriting files or losing settings during an update is not free.

You were tired out by the length of your road, Yet you did not say, ‘It is hopeless!’ You found renewed strength, Therefore you did not faint.

Isaiah 57:10

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On Holiday

Feb

4

2021

No blog post this week. I’m busy preparing for the Super Bowl.

Not really much for me to prepare though. Really this week has been about battening down the hatches for the bitter winter weather moving in, plus getting started on taxes (CARES act stuff plus some unemployment is making this a fun year for taxes), plus lack of inspiration (I have ideas, just not able to get them together). Everything’s conspiring together to make this a week without what I consider a real blog post.

And I will say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!”

Luke 12:19

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