Lincoln, Luther, and King

Yes, I'm the nerd of the family. Perhaps that's why I was able to retire at the end of 2017 after working 25 years as a civilian for the Army. We had learned to plug the holes in our budget in 2005 after going through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, so we started to really budget well. And the debt got paid down quickly after that... Too quickly.

Have you taken a DNA test? Have you looked at the results and wondered what they mean?  What is a centimorgan? Why do you and relatives share them? Is a DNA match your great aunt or your evil twin brother? The calculator chart at the end of this article will help you narrow down the possibilities. Is a DNA match your 2nd cousin, or your 4th cousin twice removed? What does twice removed even mean? The calculator chart will help you visualize the relationship. Simply type in the shared centimorgans (cM) of a DNA match, and the calculator will show you how you're likely related. Here's a picture of the chart with no relationships highlighted. To use this solely as a reference chart, you can download it as a pdf at this link . But to use this chart as a dynamically-highlighted calculator, keep reading... The calculator is based on the Shared cM Project data, version 3.0 dated Aug 2017. This data is a compilation of data from volunteers who input their shared centimorgans ind...

Are you dealing with a chronically dry and bleeding nose, and not just during the dryness of winter? Do you have recurring sores inside your nose? Do you have whiteheads on the outside of your nose that seem to correspond to sore areas inside your nose? That was me. Let me tell you a story of how I found a cure that worked for me. I share this in case it may help you. Please note that I am not recommending a course of self-treatment. You must take responsibility for the results or complications if your following this or any other course of self-treatment. I am offering it only as a consideration for those out there who, like me, could not be even slightly helped by a medical professional (ENT), even after paying almost $350 of my hard-earned after-tax money. You see, medical professionals are not God. They do not know everything, and they may not know what will work for you. Consult with God before trying this. I am not responsible for you, your treatment, or any complications you ma...

People quote Ephesians 2:8-9 all the time yet they gloss over what it literally says. Ephesians 2:8-9 says: "by grace you have been saved THROUGH FAITH . And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. "   [Yes, I left out the first word "For" at the beginning of Ephesians 2:8. I left it out because after hearing these two verses ripped out of their context and presented as a stand-alone statement perhaps 100 times before, we are probably not too concerned that "For" means there were preceding arguments that led to the conclusion being quoted. Therefore there is no compelling reason to quote the word "For" at the beginning of Ephesians 2:8. It would be like walking up to an acquaintance and saying, "That's why you'll never have any real long-lasting friendships" and then walking off. It makes no sense to start with "For", just for the sake of starting the quot...

UPDATE: As of Dec 2018, Google has released an update to Chrome OS that includes the native ability to connect to SMB file shares like a network hard drive. However, this feature is wholly undocumented  and so it's up to you to figure out how to get your network hard drive set up. I had mixed results. No longer do we need to install the Chrome extension "Network File Share for Chrome OS" and put up with its frequent time-outs. We can use Google Chrome OS' new built-in "SMB File Share" service. Set up To mount a network-accessible SMB file share on a Chromebook, do this: 1. Go to the Files app and click on the three dots in the upper right-hand corner, and select "Add New Service". 2. Select "SMB File Share" 3. Fill in the 4 fields, which are "File share URL", "Display Name (Optional)", "Username", and "Password". Filling in the fields Let's break down all 4 of these f...

Injustice in America takes many forms. Often it takes the form of when justice is not administered by the legal system. "Don't be corrupt when administering justice. Never give special favors to poor people, and never show preference to important people. Judge your neighbor fairly." - The Bible Sometimes crime pays handsome dividends due to ridiculously light court sentencing. This is the story of how Anthony (Tony) Shaw, an Army acquisition manager at the US Army Tank Automotive Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM LCMC) in Michigan, used kickbacks from an Army contractor to bail himself out of personal debt. Tony ends up being the winner, despite being ordered to pay restitution and serve almost 4 years in prison. In an episode that reminds us of the government bailout of AIG, Shaw personally benefited from taxpayer funds that bailed him out of over-leveraged real estate investments in the aftermath of the 2008 recession. Thanks to Tony's light court sentence, ...