ZAMM (part 2) - Journey through Life

Part 2 of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM)

Remember board games? Long before computers, video games, etc. You may remember this one ...

The Game of Life

The Game of Life was invented in the 19th century by Milton Bradley.  A hundred years later, TV personality Art Linkletter became its spokesman in the 1960s and helped to make the game popular, again. (It was one of my favorites when I was a kid.)

In this 3 D board game, all the participants start out on a level playing field - one tiny plastic car inserted with one man (a blue peg) or woman (a pink peg). The car and its occupants (spouse, kids picked up along the way) jump along the wiggly line of squares on the board, following a path of twists and turns until you come to the end of road.

Along this Life's journey,the spin of the wheel and a few choices determines your career and salary, the inevitability of getting married, and possible expansion of the family. You go through good times with windfalls of cash. And there's the bad times of negative cash flow - taxes, payoffs to a fellow player who is wreaking revenge on you, helping a relative down on his luck.

Life reaches its climax at the Day of Reckoning. In the end, you will give an accounting of your worldly goods. Do you have enough cash to win? If not,you may opt to go for broke - putting all your assets on the wheel and giving it a spin. If fate has it and your number come up,you win the game. Hooray!  If not, you end up on the poor farm waiting for the others in the game to finish. In that case, the most fortunate - with piles of cash - retire to Millionaire's Acres.



End game?

In this version of Life, the end game is the one with the most money wins.  (That's if he/she doesn't get lucky at the spin of the wheel - kind of like winning the lottery.)  And I saw a bumper sticker expressing this world view once: The one who dies with the most toys wins.

But what does the Good Book say? To paraphrase Job - You can't take it with you. (reference Job 1:20-21)

The Journey of Life

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance describes a journey. The author, Robert Pirsig, with his son (and another couple who travel with them part of the way) embark on a trip riding motorcycles, starting in Minnesota. Their odyssey takes them through the badlands of the Dakotas, the varied landscapes of Montana and Idaho, and down the West Coast - many times on the road less traveled.

The experience of the motorcycle allows them to connect with their environment otherwise missed in the artificial bubble of a car. These travelers sense changes in the landscape and climate as well as the attitude of the people about them.

During this journey, the author has flashbacks of his old life, the one in which he went insane. His former self had been erased in a mental institution -- almost. From this background he tells his story - his journey and lessons he has learned and observed on the rocky road of his search for the meaning of values ... and even grasping for an attribute of the Divine perhaps?

Good News for our journey

Many philosophers describe life as a journey, like Robert Pirsig in his watershed book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.  Is the accumulation of material goods all there is?  Where are we?  Where have we been?  Where are we going? 

Yet, we are not totally left without a compass. The Real Game of Life comes with a Divine road map. Here is a sampling of the squares we may land on as mapped out by the Good Book.

Start of our journey:    We are all born into this imperfect world.

Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
Job 5:7 (King James Version)

First leg of the journey:    During childhood, the development of our talents may need guidance and encouragement.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 (King James Version)

New territory:    We need a GPS from above to guide us, especially when we are young and starting out life outside the home.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7 (King James Version)

Warnings:    We need to discern the dangers in the road, ahead.

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Proverbs 1:10 (King James Version)

Alternate route:    Some of us may choose to get married and not go through our journey alone.

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.
Proverbs 18:22 (King James Version)

End of the road:    Near the end of life, we need assurance.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4 (King James Version)

Exit sign and off-ramp:  The final exit comes when we leave the road of this life and step into eternity.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Psalm 23:6 (King James Version)


Travel log:  It is being written in our lives every second.  Many have shared their experiences to  guide others on their journey in the real game of life.  Many have blogged about it and offered wonderful advice.  May the travel logs of others, who have mapped their way, help us to make wise choices along our path and avoid the dangers in the road ahead.

Question:  Any words of wisdom learned from your life's journey?


Check out:  ZAMM (part 1) - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance


Photo: everystockphoto.com:  The Game of Life

eReaders (Part 3) - PDFs cute and EZ

 

Most anyone who regularly uses the computer and peruses various types of files must have encountered documents in the PDF format.

And you need a special reader, such as an Adobe Reader, to look at it.

The PDF contents - text, graphics, format - display much like a picture on your screen.

Compared with other formats - various word docs (PC or mac), rich texts, plain texts, xml, html, etc. - the PDF has its good points ... and also has its ... erm ... features.

The upside of PDFs

raison d'etre

PDFs - Portable Document Formats - were a standard created so that the content of a file could be displayed in a form that would look the same regardless of its medium.

This solution has worked for various platforms and browsers - which can seem fickle when they display non-PDF material on the monitor. Likewise, for printers that can go rogue, PDF inputs deliver the expected output on the printed page.   What you see is what you get.

One of the features of eReaders - such as Kindle and Nook, as well as others - is the ability to download and display documents in the ubiquitous PDF format.  I have downloaded many articles and books as PDFs and have enjoyed the convenience of reading them at my leisure on my Nook. But PDFs have not been without their problems.

The downside of PDFs

It's always something!

Generally, PDFs are not as easy to handle on my Nook as the ePub format. Especially if they are big files.  Some of my downloaded PDFs are downright nasty.   Though they display their goodies on my PC, these PDFs deliver nothing but big X's (instead of the text and pictures) when side loaded on my Nook.

What to do?

I did two things.  I googled the problem for answers, and I also called a friend with a Nook.

Googling

Google is so handy for picking the shared memory of the internet. Other have been there, done that. And they are more than happy to tell the cyber world all about it.  As a result of googling, I came to some forums of those who had the same PDF problem. They had a cute solution. Literally.

CutePDF

There really is a free program - CutePDF. (Here is one place I found it: CutePDF Writer.) What is required is a Windows application that is able to print.  Well, I had those things.  So I downloaded the freeware and gave this cute solution a try. 

After the installation of CutePDF on my windows based PC, here are the steps I did to convert my problem PDF files:

* Select the problem PDF file
* Print the file, but choose the printer output - CutePDF Writer, which will result in some messages during the conversion that the file is being flattened. (If it is a large file, the conversion may take some time.)
* A "Save As" dialog box pops up allowing to save the CutePDF output to a filename of choice and location on the desktop
* Use this CutePDF as the import to the Nook

When the deed was done, I side loaded the converted PDF to my Nook -  voila!

I could see the goods.  Best of all this cute solution was free.

As for my second solution ....

I called a friend

My friend said it was EZ - literally.

And there was an app for that :

ezPDF

(Here is some info: ezPDF Reader)

For my Nook, I purchased the ezPDF Reader through my Barnes and Noble account. The store delivered the app to my Nook, like any eBook I had purchased through them. The app cost at the time $.99, but was worth every 99 pennies - plus tax.

This video describes ezPDF app quite well:



Now, I can open any PDF on my Nook that I have tried so far, even the offending PDFs. The app works well and has a page turning feature among others described in the video above that are not provided by cutePDF.

Downside, it's not free (but close to it - a plus).  And I have to open up the ezPDF app first, then look for my specific PDF file to read the document with ezPDF.

Otherwise, the ezPDF app does provide tools, which are similar to those that work on ePubs.  And I'm sure future apps will get even better.

Question:  Any advice in managing your PDFs on your eReaders?

photo form everystockphoto.com: eReader Comparison

What a Ham I am (Part 3) - Hams make Contact

Since I was kid, I have loved science and was fascinated by good science fiction stories.

1960s
 
In early grade school, my first love was  Fireball XL5 during the age of the Space Race. Venus, the woman doctor and romantic interest of pilot Steve Zodiac, was my role model.

Then, as I approached junior high, along came Star Trek.  In the original series, the men were men (if they were not space aliens) and women wore very, very short skorts.  (Hey, this was the 1960s.)  And Mr. Spock was far-out, in many ways.

1970s .... 1980s
 
My college years, though, left little time for TV and little money for movies.  But during this time, the first of the Star Wars movies made its debut in 1977. And there were the endless reruns of the original Star Trek, followed by the first of many Star Trek movies.  And don't get me started on Star Trek - the Next Generation and its many other incarnations and movie sequels ....

1990s
 
Then came the 1990s, the other turn of the century.  The year 1997 was memorable in science fiction. Carl Sagan's book Contact was made into a movie. Though the movie deviated some from the book, the story on the big screen still told a good yarn and brought forth the long running discussion of science versus faith.

Hams make Contact?

The opening scene of Contact was awesome.   We (especially hams) never know where our electromagnetic emissions will end up as they spread out across the universe. In the final seconds of the clip below, ham radio sparked the love of science and exploration in a little girl.



Those familiar with the movie know that this little girl would grow up to become Dr. Ellie Arroway, the protagonist of the story.  And she was a ham.  Another role model,

21st Century?

Now, we live in an age dominated by the Internet, cell phones, and numerous gadgets that tap into cyberspace.  Ham radio may seem so last millennium. But as we have seen in the news, systems get hacked, systems go down.  Meanwhile, amateur radio communications still work in spite of attacks or disasters.  Ham radio is not only a fun hobby, but a skill that can be so important to communicate with each other during emergencies when our higher tech systems fail.

Hams - the Next Generation

Like in the story of Ellie Arroway, hams need to continue to inspire children to love science and explore.  Not only that, ham skills need to be passed on to -  Hams - the Next Generation.

Who knows?  Hams may be sorely needed during troubled days and the next big national emergency.

Question:  Any movies or shows inspire you to pursue your hobby?
 
Photo from Wiki Commons:  Very Large Array

ZAMM (part 1) - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Kulturbarer.

Robert Pirsig used this word to describe Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.  After 121 rejections, an editor was willing to take a chance on it.  Pirsig's book was first published in 1974 and it quickly and unexpectedly became a best seller - and it still is.

This Swedish word kulturbarer translates as "culture bearer."  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a culture-bearing book in the 20th century much in the way Uncle Tom's Cabin was a culture bearer for the 19th century.

 In my blogger profile, I have listed Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance  - next the Bible - as one of my favorite books of all time.   This book has given me the tools to see the universe through a different filter of the mind.  Pirsig relates some difficult philosophies in the form of a story - which makes these concepts easier for the reader to digest and ruminate upon.

Written in the 1970s, the book came out when our culture was in flux. The Vietnam War came to an ignoble end; the counter culture of the 1960s was giving way to disillusionment; the first of many energy crises hit the country; Watergate lead to the only resignation of one of our presidents.  The ugly Gotham of the 20th century left many - perhaps as expressed by the counter culture - feeling disconnected.  Our values as a society and the certainty of our vision of the universe had been shaken.

Like orthodox Christians believe God is a Trinity - Father, Son, Holy Ghost -  so we humans are also trinity - body, mind, spirit.   And the title of this book captures the essence of a trinity as well.

Zen - the spiritual aspect, the caring about what we are doing
Art - the romantic, the artistic, the craftsmanship
Motorcycle Maintenance - the technology, the logical, the hard science

All three are connected in the totality of our being - who we are, what we are doing, and how we are going about life.

Below is a book review uploaded by AtlasRider on YouTube - given while riding - most appropriately - a motorcycle.



But this short review does not do the work justice.


In following posts about Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (I'll call ZAMM for short), I plan to expand the discussion into the 21st century.

Question:  Have you read the book?  If so, any thoughts?

Photo from Barnes & Noble:   Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

eReaders (Part 2) - Calibre

Before I settled on a dedicated eReader, I had read eBooks exclusively from my laptop.

It was fine when I was home at my computer, but my laptop wasn't always easy or convenient to take with me, even in different parts of the house. (Which is why I bought the Nook.)

The 21st century has brought us many technological wonders, especially in the media and its various presentations of written material.

As for computer displays, its various software, browsers, operating systems, etc. dictate how the material looks to the consumer and it isn't always consistent.  This "feature" has prompted many clever solutions.

Formats, formats, formats ....

PDFs
 
PDFs (portable document formats) have been a solution for a long time.

Upsides:

* PDFs are totally consistent in displaying the format.
* Also, one of the positives it that many PDF readers are free - such as the Adobe Reader Xs - and the software can be easily downloaded.

Downsides: 

*  PDFs can be less flexible in resizing.
*  The material is difficult or impossible to reorganize to the reader's desires.

The consistency, the universal availability of readers makes for the popular PDF format.

 

Other eReader formats

Speaking of free stuff ...

Major eBook retailers allow free download of their software to entice you to read and hopefully buy their wares.

Here are some examples big ones:

* Amazon - Kindle for PC

* Barnes & Noble - nook for PC

* Mobipocket - Mobipocker Reader

And this does not begin to cover the many ePub (electronic publication) formats that are out there - some eReaders for sale, some for free.

With all these different formats, a librarian would be handy to manage this new media.
 
So enter ....

Calibre

A friend had recommended Calibre - a free software reading system - which allows me to manage, convert, and load files onto my eReader of choice (NOOK).  For its website and download information on Calibre - click here.
  
I've downloaded Calibre and used it many times for such tasks as ...
 
* Managing the PDFs and ePubs I've downloaded on my PC
* Converting various formats to ePub, PDF, or format of my choice, which it supports
* Using the Calibre eReader for easy viewing of various works
* Editing the metadata about the author(s), publisher(s), and related information of the works
* Side loading files to my Nook, while keeping the works on my PC
* Exercising the option to load eBooks I've purchased onto Calibre

The demo on the link explains it quite well: Demo

I am pleased at this solution, which allows me to read the books, articles, files of various formats and export them to Nook.

It's about choice.

And best of all ... it's free.

 
Question: Have you tried this? If so, what do you think?


Photo from: Calibre

There's Something about Lilacs ...

We have had crazy weather this year.  Spring was very wet - wetter than usual.  The river was high and flooded in some areas. 

As a result of the heavy rains, flowers and plants in the garden seemed to be a month behind their usual blooming or sprouting schedule.

Behind our house, lilac bushes line the irrigation ditch. They, too, were late bloomers, just opening up the first weeks of June.

The second week of June the lilacs peaked in their glory. And they were worth the wait. They were pleasantly fragrant and the purple hues were most intense, especially  in the light of the setting sun.

My elderly mother-in-law, also, anticipated the blooming of the lilacs after a rainy season.

Second Saturday in June, we picked mother up at her residence for many errands. Across the street from her in an alley was a luscious clump of lilac bushes. From her place in the front car seat, I was able to pull down the branches so she could touch the bouquet of purple lilacs, see them up close, and smell them without plucking them from the bush. They were wonderful and lifted her spirits.

As made our way home that afternoon, I saw a sign for a wedding in a our neighborhood. It was June. It was Saturday. Very popular time for weddings.

Then we saw an unfamiliar SUV was parked near our driveway. Some unexpected visitors?

Behind our house by the long row of blossoming lilacs was the newlywed couple - the groom in his three-piece suit, the bride in a lovely long white dress. The photographer was busily snapping pictures of the newlyweds in front of our gorgeous lilac greenery and blossoms of various purple shades and white blooms.

We waved and wished them well. They had been celebrating their wedding just up the block from us when the lilacs behind our house got their attention. And the photographer immortalized this great event in their lives with the backdrop of these late bloomers.

Whether newlywed or in your nineties ...


There's something about lilacs.






Can't you just smell them?

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Genesis 1:31 (NIV)


Photo from Wiki commons: Lilacs

Kittens in my bushes!

First week of May, I was finishing breakfast, sipping my coffee.  A lovely day.

The curtain was drawn to a view of the our mini-forest near the front door.

Three Douglas firs, one blue spruce, three juniper bushes all with low hanging branches - the perfect environs for the black birds to make their nests and for the bunnies to live.

Some fuzzy blobs on the ground near the low lying branches got my attention. Some birds bouncing around perhaps? No. I looked closer.

Kittens.

Three of the them. What were they doing there? They had just slipped out of my mini-forest. 

I hollered to my dear husband.

There's kittens in our bushes!

We watched them, wondering how they got there. The little ones looked lost. Two kittens stuck together and were off exploring the strange world out there. One was shy and lagged behind in the cover of the trees. Then the two brave ones wandered into the street. Not good.  These kittens knew nothing about the perils of cars.

The two made it across the road. It had little traffic since it was a dead end. At least the kittens did not try to cross the road in front. I have seen hockey moms driving their SUVs while talking on cell phones imperilling the pesky mule deer sassily meandering into the road.

Across the street, the kittens upset some of the birds, then they returned to their sibling and their familiar home in the bushes. We saw no momma cat around that day. Undoubtedly, the little ones were hungry and were looking for their next meal. So we left out some water and beat up an egg, setting the bowls near the bushes and low hanging branches.

A brave one came out sniffing.  What's this?  Food!

Her other two litter mates got the idea.  Later, that day we got them some wet cat food.  They took an instant liking to it. We had them hooked - on the path from feral to domesticated. Within a few days, the three little kittens were eating on the porch and moved their sleeping quarters from the bushes to the safety of our garage.

Their personalities were evident from the get go. 

The brave and most obnoxious one.  This one soon dashed into the house when I opened the door  as if it were some game.  She had no qualms seeing me as a tree - climbing up my leg (good thing I wore pants) and jumping onto my shoulder.

The cautious and sweet one. This one was wary, more polite, and would allow us to handle her, but never imposed herself on you.

The scaredy one.  This one did not like to be touched. When I did catch him, he growled and squirmed. But he came around - just out of reach - and joined his siblings in the eating and the sleeping.

Though different, the three stuck together. As they napped, they all piled on each other for warmth as well as giving each other moral support in this big strange world.

But we could not keep them.

My dear husband is quite allergic to cats. None of our neighbors wanted them. The local shelter was full. Yet, these kittens were so vulnerable and to turn them out into the street would be the death of them.

What to do with three little kittens? The answer came in a flyer from a drug store.

Our local spay and neuter task force and cat rescue sponsored an event at the county fairgrounds to fix pets, barn cats, and feral cats and help place them through adoption. So we took care of the tiny fur balls for two and half weeks before the event. They got used to humans, hooked on Kitten Chow, and began to learn the concept of a litter box.

The day came to roundup the kittens. It was tough, for I'm sure they felt betrayed as we had snatched them from the dinner bowl - only way we could get the scaredy one. They were all very quiet during our ride into town.  They entered the queue of many other kitties waiting in their carriers to be fixed. We filled out much paperwork, left a donation, and left the kittens in the hands of cat rescue.

The story had a happy ending.

Cat rescue followed up with a phone call. They found the three little kittens a home. A lady, who had just lost her cat, took in all three. May they live long and be spoiled rotten!

Thanks be to the kind hearted people who offered their helping hand and continue to do so in the rescue of God's creatures. You made a difference in the lives of these little ones.

I love these words from Francis of Assisi:

If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.


Photo from everystockphoto:  gray kittens