The Book of Ten Sayings 1

Introduction This "book" was intended to be an entire book when first conceived, consisting on an elaboration of the ten most important sayings of all time. But life circumstances have held it back into a very incomplete form. But perhaps there is a kernel of wisdom somewhere here that will resonate with you and help you to grow into a better person and friend. 

 The First Saying 

 1. Put God First .

Some have accused God of being self-centered and even egotistical for wanting to be worshipped and at the center of humans' attention. But the truth is, the fallen creature known as man has been so corrupted by Satan (who IS the egotist) that the only way to get man from being self-centered is to shift his focus onto something more powerfully attractive. Focus on God, knowing him, serving him, loving him, and you will find a better opportunity for happiness than through any other activity. Putting ourselves first results in unhappiness, to ourselves and others. 

Take a look at those who can theoretically buy anything, including happiness. Often they embark on a trajectory that traces the meteoric path across the sky, running on alcohol, sex, drugs, and wild behavior. But even ordinary teenagers can find misery--or death--by putting themselves ahead of everyone and everything else.

 I probably sound preachy, so I will just close with an anecdote. One year my friend Phil and I were driving on the way home from a computer conference in Las Vegas. Suddenly a small red sedan raced up behind us, swerved onto the median to avoid hitting us, and raced out of sight. Perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes later, we drove into a traffic jam. It soon cleared up. It was caused by the little red car, which was lying upside down in the ditch that separated the two sets of lanes. We read later that the car contained four teens. They died either by having their skulls crushed when the the top of the car collapsed on them, or else they drowned in the shallow--but deep enough--ditch water in the median. 

 The most serious and damaging of the "Seven Deadly Sins" is Pride because it not only does harm by its own misguided and misleading attitude, but it also stimulates some of the other of the sins, such as greed (or avarice) and anger (aka wrath). Finally, Pride affects and damages both the prideful person and everyone he comes into contact with. Some of the Seven Deadly Sins can be limited, generally speaking, to their owner. Sloth, for example, harms only the slothful one directly, although the damage done by shirking duty and by a attempting to skate by with shortcuts has negative effects on others, also.

Cox Cable remote pairing issues--can't get remote to work

Are you trying to set up a Cox Communications cable remote and box, such as the Contour 2 HD BOx, but you just can't get it wor work right? Take a minute to read this over. It might save you hours of frustration. Do you have more than one Cox Contour or other cable box in your house? Think a minute and you will probably see the problem. Suppose you have a 40-inch smart TV in your kitchen and a new, 50-inch in your bedroom. WHen you follow the instructions for pairing your new tv, the remote dowsn't work right. Volume up anddown or Channel up and down don't work. Or when the instructions tell you to enter the three-digit code on the screen, there is no such three-digit code. Now here is the final clue. When you walk into the kitchen to get a drink of water, you notice that there is a three digit code on your old, 40-inch TV. Yes, your new remote is goofing up the setup codes on your old TV and not doing its job on your new TV. (Don't tell me you are stuck in the past when remotes sent out blasts of coded infrared signals to the TV. Oh, come on. THe Cox remotes talk to the boxes with RF (radio frequency) signals that can PENETRATE WALLS and talk to every TV you own. (So, if in an attempt to "clear the remote," you sent code 9-8-1 to clear your new TV from the new remote, what you likely did is to clear all your devices. Okay, you have been in pain and doubt long enough. THe (in hindsight) obvious solution is to unplug all the other TVs and cable boxes and remove the batteries from the other remotes. Plug in one TV, one cable box, and batteries in one remote. Turn on the box and the TV and follow the ordinanry setup instructions. If you neeed to unpair, do so with all the other equipment off. TVs are like people. THey often hear someting different from what you think you are saying. It's a case of "Are you talking to me?" And your answer is, "Oops. Sorry."

One and Only Chili (Also Known As "Loser Chili")

One and Only Chili was painstakingly created to include every ingredient measured in a 1, as you will see by the recipe. The third iteration of the chili was so good that we foolhardily entered it in a Chili Cook Off contest, which resulted in the additional epiithet, "Loser Chili." Any, this chili is really good, is only mildly spicey, has a smooth feel on the palate, and happily is welcomed for leftovers.
Ingredients for Step 1 1 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 tbsp minced garlic Ingredients for Step 2 1 pound ground beef, crumbled Ingredients for Step 3 1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes 1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce 1 6 ounce can tomato paste 1 cup beef broth 1 tbsp chili powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp coriander 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp cocoa powder 1 tsp granulated sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground pepper 1 tsp hot pepper sauce 1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed Step 1 Put olive oil, diced onion, and minced garlic into InstantPot and sauté. Step 2 Add ground beef to InstantPot and sauté, mixing with onions and garlic Step 3 Add all ingredients to InstantPot and stir together thoroughly. Close the lid on the InstantPot, make sure pressure relief valve is closed. Press the Beans/Chili button, setting the cooker to cook on High for 20 minutes. When cooking is completed, allow the steam pressure to go down on its own. SERVE, garnished with green, red, and yellow bell pepper pieces, and a dollop of sour cream. Robert Harris November 11, 2021

Tonor TC30 USB Condenser Microphone

 The Tonor TC30 USB condenser microphone has finally met all of my requirements for a good computer microphone. In the past I have purchased half a dozen microphones for use with my software--headset with mic, phantom power condenser, Webcam mic, and so on. My requirements were:

1. It must be easy to hook up and not require a bunch of elaborate equipment such as a phantom power supply. The TC 30 USB mic is, as its name says, connected to a USB port. Simple plug-and-play.

2. It should be quiet and  not include a bunch of background noise on recordings. The TC30 comes with a shock mounting and a pop filter, and the signal to noise ratio is 68dB. Frequency response is 50Hz to 20kHz. If you wonder how adequate that is, do a sound test (there are lots them on  YouTube) and see how  good your frequency range is. I can hear from about 69Hz to 7500 kHz.  

3. It should include a pop filter because I tend to pop my Ps into the microphone all the time. The Tonor TC30 has a very sturdy pop filter, approximately 3.5 by 3.5 inches. The mounting to the mic is very sturdy, eliminating the possibility of slipping during use. (Yes, I've had more than one droopy pop  filter.)

4. It must be compatible with and work well with the software I use most. My programs are Audacity, Zoom, and Dragon NaturallySpeaking 15. Working with Audacity is excellent, with Zoom is very good, and with Dragon is functional (I think my PC, even though new, is running slow.)

5. It must be reasonably priced. I'm rather stingy, so I looked for a new mic in the $30 range, and found the Tonor30 USB.

6. It should come with good documentation, related to performance specs. Yes, it does.

Things I like about the TC 30

1. If you like to make unboxing videos for YouTube, The TC30 is a great choice. The microphone is packaged in a beautiful box using high density foam like an expensive camera would be.

2. There is a web site and an email address right on the box--and on the instruction manual--if you need customer support.

3. There is a two-year warranty.

4. Included at no extra charge are the pop filter and desktop tripod.

5. The microphone includes a shock mounting that attaches to the tripod, keeping out much extraneous noise. 

6. The Tonor TC30 is rugged looking and appears to be solidly built. If you are looking for a mic for podcasts, this one has very impressive gravitas (it looks great). 

Bottom  Line: If  you want a very nice mic for $30 or so, check this one out.  I am very pleased with it.

Clean  Hands Declaration: I have not received any payment or incentive to write this review or to express favorable opinions about  the product. If you click on the ad for this product and purchase it from Amazon, I will be paid a small fee.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Get Real

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas Get Real

 

Hearing the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song recently, I thought at once that it is a bit dated. No modern young woman will agree to marry an established young man who offers her only a few animals and some fruit as a dowry. Here is the song upgraded to match the needs and expectations of the 21^st century young woman.          

 

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

An island in the South Seas.

 

On the second day  of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Two private jets,,

And an island in the South Seas.

 

On the third day  of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Three large yachts,

Two private jets,

And an island in the South Seas.

 

On the fourth day  of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Four fancy cars,

Three large yachts,

Two private jets,

And an island in the South Seas.

 

On the fifth day  of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Five tons of gold,

Four fancy cars,

Three large yachts,

Two private jets,

And an island in the South Seas.

 

On the sixth day  of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Six sprawling mansions,

Five tons of gold,

Four fancy cars,

Three large yachts,

Two private jets,

And an island in the South Seas.

 

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Seven New York banks,,

Six sprawling mansions,

Five tons of gold,

Four fancy cars,

Three large yachts,

Two private jets,

And an island in the South Seas.

 

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Eight Eastern Kingdoms,

Seven New York banks,

Six sprawling mansions,

Five tons of gold,

Four fancy cars,

Three large yachts,

Two private jets,

And an island in the South Seas.

      On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Nine diamond mines,

Eight Eastern Kingdoms,

Seven New York banks,

Six sprawling mansions,

Five tons of gold,

Four fancy cars,

Three large yachts,

Two private jets,

And an island in the South Seas.

 

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Ten forest castles,

Nine diamond mines,

Eight Eastern Kingdoms,

Seven New York banks,

Six sprawling mansions,

Five tons of gold,

Four fancy cars,

Three large yachts,

Two private jets,

And an island in the South Seas.

 

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Eleven oil leases,

Ten forest castles,

Nine diamond mines,

Eight Eastern Kingdoms,

Seven New York banks,

Six sprawling mansions,

Five tons of gold,

Four fancy cars,

Three large yachts,

Two private jets,

And an island in the South Seas.

 

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Twelve billion dollars,

Eleven oil leases,

Ten forest castles,

Nine diamond mines,

Eight Eastern Kingdoms,

Seven New York banks,

Six sprawling mansions,

Five tons of gold,

Four fancy cars,

Three large yachts,

Two private jets,

And an island in the South Seas.

 

—© 2020 Robert Harris. Copy, share, and use freely, but don’t steal, alter, or charge for it.

Waterdrop Plus DA29-00020B Refrigerator Water Filter, Replacement for Samsung DA29-00020B

 I have been using Waterdrop Plus filters in my Samsung refrigerator for about three years now, and they have always been reliable. I am impressed by the solid feel of the cartridges and by the ease of installation. (Some instructions on other feathered tell the user to disconnect the water supply to the refrigerator before installing the new cartridge. This is not necessary with the Waterdrop Plus DA29-00020B Refrigerator Water Filter, Replacement for Samsung DA29-00020B. The refrigerator has a spring loaded valve which keeps any water from leaking out with your removing or installing the new filter.)

What really impresses me about the water pump plus is the number of pollutants the filter removes or reduces and the degree to which it  reduces them. According to the company's product description, the Waterdrop Plus is 

+NSF 401 certified, reducing 99.2% of BPA, 96.6% of estrone, 95.2% of phenytoin, 94.4% of ibuprofen, 96.2% of naproxen, 97.2% of nonyl phenol.

+NSF 53 certified, reducing 99.6% of lead, 99.99% of cysts, 96.6% of benzene, 98.4% of carbofuran, 96.6% of endrin.

+NSF 42 certified, reducing 97% of chlorine taste and odor.

+NSF 372 certified for lead-free material.

Installation instructions tell the user to run many gallons of water to rinse away loose carbon particles on filter before using the water. On all my Waterdrop Plus filters I found this to be unnecessary, because I never seen any loose carbon particle and the water tastes great from the first squirt out of the refrigerator water dispenser down to the end of the life of the filter.

You might be able to go cheaper for a water filter replacement, but I don't think you'll get a better one than this.

The company warns you to select the right replacement filter carefully, matching the part number of the original. Would you have done that, you can relax and enjoy the satisfying piece of high-technology makes your life better safer.

Beware of Verizon Cellular Exploit

 About a month ago, I decided my old smart phone needed to be replaced. Because I was already a Verizon customer with my phone connected to a family plan, I steered around those tempting "free phone" offers that have (almost) hidden requirements to upgrade to new services at prices that help Verizon offer such "good deals."

I was looking through the phone offers and found one that included a very cheap phone and something like only $24 a month service. Well, of course, that turned out to mean "$24 a month PER PHONE for 4 phones." I should have suspected that Verizon might pull a fast one on me, but I decided to ask a sales rep to sort things out and give me my options. 

So, I clicked on "Chat" and talked to a rep for a few minutes. She couldn't answer some of my questions (Verizon's plans are fairly complex--the Web site at one point said my old phone could be traded in for $300, then the chat person later said $150, then finally $15.)

Okay, long to short. I picked a phone and added it to our service plan, and deleted my old phone. In a day or two the new phone arrived and all seemed well.

THEN, a month later, my credit card showed a charge for VERIZON*DIGITAL CHAT for $49.45. I searched all over the Web site to find a customer service link, but all the contacts had phone trees  with no option relevant.

FINALLY, I called the 800 number on the bill and asked what was going on. The answer is that VERIZON CH ARGES YOU TO CHAT WITH A SALESMAN TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR PHONES AND PLANS.

There was no warning or statement that Chat cost money. I've never paid for Chat for any company before. So be forewarned. 

To Verizon I say, "Start being honest about doing this before someone sues you."