Well, where do you stand?
Where do you see yourself? On the Enterprise or the Millenium Falcon?
I grew up during the age of Star Trek. But I don't remember watching it as a kid. I don't think my parents allowed me to watch it. When it appeared in reruns, I watched it whenever I could.
But, I vividly remember sitting Star Wars in an almost empty theater opening week. And then sitting through a second showing!
If I had to choose one over the other I guess it would be Star Trek. I don't consider myself a Trekkie, but I find the Star Trek universe more complete.
Again I ask the question. Where do you stand?
Italian Cream Cake
One of my favorite cakes made by my paternal grandmother was the Italian Cream cake. It's a cake I don't see much anymore. So I present it here.
Cake Layers
1 stick butter
1/2 C of shortening
2 C sugar
2 C flour
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 C coconut (packed)
5 eggs, separated
1 C pecans, chopped
Cream butter, shortening, and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks, flour, soda, salt, and buttermilk and cream well. Add nuts, coconut, and flavorings. Fold in beaten egg whites. Bake in 3 layers at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1/2 stick margarine
1 1/2 boxes 10 X sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C pecans, chopped
Cream the cream cheese and margarine. Add sugar and vanilla. Cream well. Added pecans and mix well.
Frost the cake layers and the top.
Source: Taste and See that the Lord is Good, "ABC" Senior Adults, First Baptist Chruch, Sylvester, GA. 2008 Morris Press Cookbooks.
Cake Layers
1 stick butter
1/2 C of shortening
2 C sugar
2 C flour
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 C coconut (packed)
5 eggs, separated
1 C pecans, chopped
Cream butter, shortening, and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks, flour, soda, salt, and buttermilk and cream well. Add nuts, coconut, and flavorings. Fold in beaten egg whites. Bake in 3 layers at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1/2 stick margarine
1 1/2 boxes 10 X sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C pecans, chopped
Cream the cream cheese and margarine. Add sugar and vanilla. Cream well. Added pecans and mix well.
Frost the cake layers and the top.
Source: Taste and See that the Lord is Good, "ABC" Senior Adults, First Baptist Chruch, Sylvester, GA. 2008 Morris Press Cookbooks.
My Two Cents - Boycotting the Companies that do Business with the NRA
If I understand correctly, these companies were providing discounts on products or services that were offered to the NRA membership.
Did the NRA membership attack a school? Have they harmed schoolchildren? What has the NRA membership done to harm others? Nothing. But if these companies feel that they cannot be associated in any way with the NRA, that is their right.
The anti-gun movement must "do" something. Even if what they are doing has no effect on gun violence or the safety of schools.
Now I see that some retailers are refusing to sell non-firearm products from companies that have subsidiaries that manufacture firearms. This I can understand. If these retailers feel that they will be better served by forgoing the possible profits to be made from these products, that is their right.
I hear that Dick's Sporting Goods has decided to stop selling AR-15 pattern rifles (for the second time). Dick's stopped selling AR-15 pattern rifles in 2012. But, it seems that their subsidiary Field and Stream was still selling these rifles. That seems rather hypocritical.
I can respect those companies that try to live up to their values. Even if I don't agree with them. But the flip-flop nature of Dick's and its subsidiary upset me.
Cats and their antics
When growing up my family always had either cats, dogs, or both. I have had occasion to curse at them, play with them, and be loved by them. They are both a burden and a joy. Thankfully the balance has always fallen on the side of joy.
Meet Flash and Tuffy. They are the current feline residents of the Bear's Den. The energy they bestow to our home takes some of the stings out of life.
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| Flash and Tuffy in a quiet moment |
A Blast from the Past
Many years ago, when I was just beginning my career in Information Technology, I was introduced to The Bastard Operator from Hell. This minion of the devil has tortured computer users for years. (Thankfully it's fiction!) Enjoy the schadenfreude.
Uncle DF's BBQ Sauce
I recently shared my grandmother's BBQ sauce recipe. Her brother also had a good one. In the name of variety and equal time here it is.
Add 6 oz of horseradish for cocktail sauce.
- 1 large lemon
- ½ C water
- ½ C Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tbls Hot Sauce (I use Marie Sharp's Fiery Hot)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbls A1 Steak Sauce
- 2 C ketchup
Add 6 oz of horseradish for cocktail sauce.
SpaceX's new project Starlink
On February 22, 2018, Elon Musk's SpaceX launched two communications satellites to test the company's proposed internet access from low earth orbit. The service will be known as Starlink. As a former satellite internet user, this really gets me excited.
Once upon a time, there was a young high tech redneck fed up with the limitations of his dial-up internet access. (Guess who?) He found that there weren't many options available. One service he remembers used the satellite to download data, but still needed a dial-up modem to upload data. This seemed less than desirable. He persevered in his search and finally found a service called StarBand.
The service worked as advertised! It gave him downloads of over 500Kbps which was over 10 times the speed he had previously. The only drawback was the horrible latency. Ping response was >1500 ms. Imagine the path the signal had to trace. First 22,000 miles from his dish to the satellite. It was actually 22,236 miles, but who's counting? Then 22,000 miles to the ground station. Then out across the internet to the destination and back to the ground station. 22,000 miles back up to the satellite and then the final 22,000 miles back to his dish. Just the 88,000 miles is a significant portion of a light second. 88000 miles /186000 miles per second is approximately 0.473 seconds or 473 ms.
StarBand gave this high tech redneck the speed he wanted. However, the latency made using some applications difficult or impossible. Online games were in the impossible category, but most applications worked.
Starlink plans to address this latency. With the satellites in low earth orbit at between 684 and 823 miles, which should only take 8ms rather than the previously mentioned 473 ms.
In addition, there will be more than one satellite. This launch included the first two of a planned 800 satellites in the first phase of the project. Assuming all goes well there could be as many as 7,000 launched into very low earth orbit at about 211 miles.
If Starlink can deliver on its promises of 1 Gbps download speed at a competitive price, this could be a big change. Many people live, whether by choice or circumstance, where there is little or no internet access. Two such areas that I have experience with are rural Alaska and small islands off the mainland. This could give such areas a much-desired link to the rest of the world.
Good luck to Starlink, SpaceX, and Elon Musk!
Once upon a time, there was a young high tech redneck fed up with the limitations of his dial-up internet access. (Guess who?) He found that there weren't many options available. One service he remembers used the satellite to download data, but still needed a dial-up modem to upload data. This seemed less than desirable. He persevered in his search and finally found a service called StarBand.
The service worked as advertised! It gave him downloads of over 500Kbps which was over 10 times the speed he had previously. The only drawback was the horrible latency. Ping response was >1500 ms. Imagine the path the signal had to trace. First 22,000 miles from his dish to the satellite. It was actually 22,236 miles, but who's counting? Then 22,000 miles to the ground station. Then out across the internet to the destination and back to the ground station. 22,000 miles back up to the satellite and then the final 22,000 miles back to his dish. Just the 88,000 miles is a significant portion of a light second. 88000 miles /186000 miles per second is approximately 0.473 seconds or 473 ms.
StarBand gave this high tech redneck the speed he wanted. However, the latency made using some applications difficult or impossible. Online games were in the impossible category, but most applications worked.
Starlink plans to address this latency. With the satellites in low earth orbit at between 684 and 823 miles, which should only take 8ms rather than the previously mentioned 473 ms.
In addition, there will be more than one satellite. This launch included the first two of a planned 800 satellites in the first phase of the project. Assuming all goes well there could be as many as 7,000 launched into very low earth orbit at about 211 miles.
If Starlink can deliver on its promises of 1 Gbps download speed at a competitive price, this could be a big change. Many people live, whether by choice or circumstance, where there is little or no internet access. Two such areas that I have experience with are rural Alaska and small islands off the mainland. This could give such areas a much-desired link to the rest of the world.
Good luck to Starlink, SpaceX, and Elon Musk!
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