Category Archives: Uncategorized

Define Coincidence

Posted in Uncategorized by

I saw a sign that defined a coincidence as God working undercover. It is a thought. Many times we mark things up as coincidence that might be miracles. On the other hand, I suspect there are things we claim God did that were really simple coincidence. Just because God foreknows a thing does not mean he caused it. To be sure, sometimes when things happen, I become convinced that it is because God is punishing me. The truth is, mostly I don’t know.

I am very fascinated by the concept of coincidence, both in my personal life and in history. The D-Day invasion, if you closely study it, is a long list of coincidences. Or, perhaps they are caused by the hand of God, beginning with the weather. Had it not cleared on 6 June, the whole thing might have been a total disaster. I suspect Gen Ike would be one of the first to call it an act of God. On the other hand, most of the German leaders would fuss it was a horrible coincidence.

Certainly, I have had my experience with coincidence. I guess, for the most part, they were to my benefit. Some were perhaps to my benefit though I thought not at the time. must admit that God has been very good to me.

I guess there was one weird time that made me seem like the smartest computer field engineer on earth. They had been working on the thing 4 days and the customer was threatening to tell our company to just take it out.

As I was in route on the plane, there all sorts of things going through my mind, wondering what the problem might be. I was not told in advance of the symptoms so I suspected I would not do any better than the 4 previous engineers.

It is a long technical story, however, the sort story is, I told the engineers on sight to use a screwdriver to tighten some screws instead of hand tight. They objected. They logical, I had to admit, to this day.

They tightened the screws snug and 3 minutes later the computer came to life. The truth is, I’m not a genius, though I certainly appeared to be. The truth was, coincidentally, I saw the same problem a couple of weeks earlier. I knew how to fix the problem because I had fought for hours with the same problem for many frustrating .

The hitch, as I think back over the situation, I should have faked having a bunch of trouble fixing it. A. It would have made me look smarter, because I made the problem look too simple. I never even picked up a tool or a piece of test equipment. I mean, if it was that easy to fix. I didn’t need to be so smart. B. It made my predecessors look bad. I fixed the problem in three minutes. Why were they unable in four days. Actually, the bunch of them were likely better engineers than me and quickly they had egg on their faces, which, in a way, made my company look bad. C. I really wish they would have described the problem to me on the phone. I could have given them the solution more quickly and they would have been the heroes.

As mentioned before, I do have a curiosity about coincidences. The Bible speaks of many that I will like to discuss firsthand when I get the opportunity. And also there are the ones that occurred during the Revolutionary War, and WWII. It has increased my curiosity over the years.

Because of this curiosity, I have written a book that explores the idea of coincidence. It is called, “The Coincidence Theory,” in which a pair of Los Angeles detectives try to solve crimes while dealing with seemingly impossible coincidences.

If you would like, you can order the book from Amazon.com. Just look up Ben Rhodes and The Coincidence Theory. I won’t mind if you look at a few more of my books too, more than 35.

Daily writing prompt
What’s the weirdest coincidence you’ve ever experienced?
View all responses

Knowledge

Posted in Uncategorized by

Today, I heard a non answer to a very critical question during a debate for South Carolina senate. Quite frankly I was stunned. Right up at the top of requirements are knowledge and honesty. It would appear that Sen Darling Graham lacks this intelligence by her own admission. “I’m not that informed.”

When asked about Taiwan, she replied in essence that she was qualified for Senate because of her brother. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. Sorry. Her brother sadly is no longer around around to advise her. She clearly did not absorb his knowledge through any form of proximity. As I mentioned, she admitted it.

As a citizen of Mississippi and a former citizen of California, I must admit, I know very little about her opponent, but he would have to be pretty bad for me to now suggest voting for Graham after an answer like this.

Perhaps this reveals a different, worse problem. Maybe someone should have take MS Graham aside and asked her just a few questions to see if she had some basic knowledge of world events. It just might have avoided the embarrassment of the Republican Party.

Better yet. Maybe it would be a good idea to have someone groomed and ready to step in, sort of a unofficial vice senator. Another good practice for good leaders is to prepare for the unexpected. Unfortunately, the unexpected sometimes does happen.

My Prediction of the Year

Posted in Uncategorized by

I seldom predict things, mostly because I am not that good at telling the future. However, occasionally something will come along that is just almost obvious.

Ever since they went to digital broadcast TV, it has continued to drift that way ever more strongly. Today, few people in this country watch radio frequency transmissions. I perceive the only reason they Will continue to produce TVs that pick up RF is that there is likely some kind of rules requiring it. If a TV did not need the radio signal circuits, it would significantly decrease the cost of modern TVs.

If you observe, as I have, most TVs only begrudgingly include the radio signal circuits on their TVs that they sell. Give them the option to stop including them, and it would immediately happen. The TVs would cost less and they would still make more profit.

And so, it is only a matter of time, they gradually decrease the percentage of units that have tuners built into them. The tuners would be sold separately, as an option. Then as the number of tuners being sold decrease, they would stop offering them for sell at all. Then, with no tuners, why build, maintain or operate lesstransmitters.

I am predicting in fifteen years, the number of transmitters will begin decreasing. The number of broadcasters will continue to grow. They just won’t need the radio transmission. That decreases operation costs and likely a lot of government regulations as well.

Those frequencies currently reserved for TV can be relinquished to other things, maybe cell phones. That way, it makes it easier for people to watch our favorite tv show on our car phone while our self driven cars take us wherever we want to go.

The world of TV will be totally different. That part is easy to predict. What I’m not so sure about is, is it all going to be so good?

The Nature of the Media

Posted in Uncategorized by

I came across an article a short time ago about the House Ethics Committee investigation of Rep Jimmy Gomez by Heart Radio.

Just what he is being invested for, I could care less. I have observed that the article tells more about Heart Radio than Gomez. You see, nowhere in the article did it say that Gomez is a Democrat. Invariably, if he was a Republican, it would have been made obvious his particle affiliation repeatedly.

Because Gomez is Democratic, they made sure that fact was hidden from us. NOW, is that honest reporting? You decide. I already made up my mind. Though I took a few minutes to do a search, I knew he should have had a D after his name. I knew, even though I never heard of the guy before. I knew this because I know the nature of the media.

Just now, maybe you do too. On the other hand, maybe you already knew. Maybe this is just a confirmation.

Incidentally, the internet page I found his affiliation on, the word Democrat appeared once on a Washington Examiner headline. Look it up yourself. Look up US Rep Jimmy Gomez. I wonder if that was an accident. The Examiner likely will be chastised for that little mistake.

Being Smart

Posted in Uncategorized by

Frequently people believe they are smart concerning a subject when they really aren’t. It makes them appear twice as inadequate on the subject, making them appear far more dumb in general. There was a radio station that frequently repeated a saying that summed it very well. We all should reconsider it freely.

Ninety percent of being smart is knowing where you’re dumb at.

Or, in other words, if it is not a something you have a strong understanding, your better off keeping quiet.

In other words, unless you are something of a gun expert, you might refrain from trying to define an assault weapon.

Which Way?

Posted in Uncategorized by

My wife’s grandfather told a story on himself that I suppose we can all learn from. He was an Arkansas State Trooper traveled most of the state, though he grew up and was most familiar with the western part and particularly Fort Smith.

One day he had some private business in Fort Smith, on one of the one way streets. Noting a car going the other way he pulled it over. He had no intention of ticketing her but did give her a firm warning, which took a while.

When done, the woman said nothing but pointed at a sign. After looking at the sign, he tipped his hat to the woman and said, good day. It seems they changed the street direction and, he was likely the only one unaware of it.

It does remind me of something I heard Lady Margaret Thatcher say. No matter how slow a train is going, if it is going the wrong way, don’t get on it. My words: sounds like good advice to me. Why would anyone want to get on a train going the wrong way, regardless of its speed.

Junk Mail

Posted in Uncategorized by

Today is a new record for me. Sixty junk mail calls. Alexander Graham Bell would be proud of himself; or maybe turning over in his grave. I really can’t make up my mind which.

At the most, I rarely ever got more than five or six ads on a single day in the postal mail. I don’t ever getting more than ten. Moreover, all I needed to do was toss it in the trash unread.

I am open to reports, people getting more calls than me. Somehow, I wouldn’t at all be surprised if there are reports of over one hundred a day, or maybe even a couple of hours.

I am very seriously considering disconnecting the phone but sometimes I actually need it.

There is, of course, A way to bring it to a stop. Everyone stop paying them any attention. I’m not saying decrease it. I mean stop it. If one call in a thousand works, it won’t stop it. We must totally remove all hope of them succeeding.

Actually, I am not sure that will work

Perhaps what we need is special phone numbers for old people like me. Then put heavy fines on people who call them with junk calls.

It, of course, won’t work. They would find a way, A method to get around it. The fact of the matter is, there are those people, by the thousands, who, without hesitation, irritate others with their junk call. It won’t bother them one iota, regardless of how dishonest those calls are.

Seeing Is Knowing

Posted in Uncategorized by

I have often thought, wrongfully, that if only the people would see and know. If they know they would never choose the way of the Democrats.

Clearly, I was wrong. The people see. They have seen what the Democrats have done to virtually every major city in this country. They have seen what the socialist have done to one nation after the next.

It makes no difference. They have seen and they know and they still choose socialism and the destruction it results in. They cannot claim ignorance. It has become plain that the one thing surely follows the other.

I know not why. During the last election, the Memphians saw and knew the problems, the debts, the crimes, the turmoil and the government corruption… And they still primarily voted Democrat.

Namely, after what the previous county clerk, they decided they wanted another Democrat county clerk. Why should they expect anything different than what they got.

It has gotten so bad that even some of the Democrats are starting to take note and saying so publicly. Worse, I see no evidence it will change. Seeing, they know. Knowing, they keep going in the same direction. Why should the result change. More corruption. More crime. More problems.

Protection Rackets

Posted in Uncategorized by

Whenever I hear certain advertising on TV/radio, it does remind me of the depicted rackets. If I pay their protection fee, they provide a guarantee that no one will steal my identity.

I don’t know about you, but I remember seeing movies, shows, about organized crime outfits referred to as protection rackets that would insist that businesses pay “protection.” The plain promise was that if they paid, no one would hurt them. The implications were that if they didn’t pay, bad things very well might happen to them.

I’m sorry, but it does cause me to wonder. I have to consider, does the one thing have anything to do with the other? Of course not. No reputable business would do something like that, right?

Regardless, kind of works the same way. If I don’t pay the company, I pay the crooks. Only, truth of the matter is, I could end up paying both. That is to say, if the company is unable to recover my losses, all I have is the guarantee, which is what. Perhaps I get my money back, if that much. Honestly, I know not.

The better solution is to put teeth with the law. You steal my money, regardless of your methods, you go to prison, a long time. Hopefully, you return my money too.

Some would suggest it is senseless and impractical. So which is worse. Someone uses a knife to steal that dollar ninety-eight from me… Or the hacker who uses that computer to steal that million from my bank account. (I only wish I had that much in my account)

Nonetheless, I do believe it is to the benefit of one and all to prevent any kind of crime rather than attempting to recover it after it’s gone. The best way to prevent it is the threat of twenty years in a prison, without TV, radio, or anything resembling a computer.

If you don’t believe it will work, let’s just try it for a little while and see. I say it’s better to pay law enforcement instead of protection rackets.