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September 19,2019
FAA chief says he won’t certify the 737 Max until he flies the plane himself
I’m the final signoff authority in the U.S., and I’m not going to sign off on the aircraft until I would fly it myself
Nice to have an Administrator who’s a licensed pilot.
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Haiku
September 18,2019Private Planetarium Show
Only ones at show,
Private lesson, full control.
My preferred method.
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Reading
Book Review: Church of Spies 📚
September 18,2019This is my second time reading this title. I love WWII/Cold War espionage, and Mark Riebling tells a riveting tale. There’s a common misconception that Pope Pius XII’s public silence during the Holocaust was somehow a tacit approval, or at the very least, a moral failure. With the benefit of hindsight and extensive archives, we’re now able to see just how active Pius was in moving against Hitler.
There were many conspiracies to kill Hitler from within Germany. Church of Spies tells the story of German Catholics and their attempts to secure a peace for Germany with the Allies through Pope Pius. As it turns out, the Catholic characters that the book follows, laid the groundwork for what has become the European Union. They recognized that killing Hitler would only solve part of the problem. They must then implement a government and system that would prevent people like him from gaining power again. A deep pan-European economic union, with strong rights for the individual, would make it more difficult for nations to war against one another.
Several notable Protestants feature prominently in the story, as do the plotters from the July 20th attempt. The narrative shows how these people came together, as people of faith and decent Germans, to fight for a common cause.
The book is engaging and thorough.
As we know, the assassination attempts against Hitler all failed. Almost every German character in the book was discovered, tortured, and put to death. Many of them were executed in the final days of the war. Riebling goes to great effort to describe in gruesome detail the horrors that these men underwent.
I walk way from this book with a deeper appreciation for the true depravity of the Nazi regime. I also have renewed hope that even in the darkest of times, brave men and women will fight for their beliefs, no matter the price.
Would I recommend: YES
ISBN: 978-0465022298
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September 18,2019
“Bigotry is getting harder and harder to find,” Bridges said, “but I will find it. That’s how much I care.”
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Reading
September 18,2019
Currently reading: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish 📚
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September 18,2019
After my positive experience with the Beats Solo 3, I decide to replace my dying first gen AirPods with a pair of Powerbeats Pro.
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September 18,2019
The Postal Service changed their routes and I now have a letter carrier with a personality. And she comes four hours earlier than before. Awesome! 📬
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September 18,2019
Paralyzed Man Lowered Through Hole In Roof Of Chick-Fil-A In Hopes Of Being Healed - The Babylon Bee
he had his friends cut a hole in the roof of the restaurant and lower him down, allowing him to bypass the massive crowds and lengthy line so that he might be healed.
- September 18,2019
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Haiku
September 17,2019Unsweetened Coffee
New experience,
Coffee, with no sweetener.
Bitter, then quite smooth!
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September 17,2019
📦 FedEx SmartPost Delivery Times:
Origin 2 hours from my house: 4 days
Origin 3 hours from my house: 8 days
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September 17,2019
Apple Arcade looks soooooo good! 🕹
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September 17,2019
After three months of trials, I’ve determined that coffee has little to no impact on my migraines. So, cheers! ☕️
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September 17,2019
It’s always disappointing when an app’s website doesn’t list pricing.
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September 17,2019
It’s hard to buy shoe polish these days.
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September 17,2019
I found a vulnerability in Apple’s iCloud spam filters. The technique uses a deprecated Python parser and the spam is sent directly to the inbox.
I asked Apple Support if they wanted me to send it to the engineers for analysis. Their response, “Naw.”
Nice work, team!
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September 17,2019
Grandpa Asks Server If They Can Break A Two - The Onion
This is me. I love the $2 note.
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Haiku
September 16,2019Cardboard Rocket
Just a few days left,
All three played inside all day.
A nice toy for them.
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120 Days of Keto
September 16,2019Keto diets are all the rage this year. At least they were back in December when I was shopping for a new diet. I needed to lose weight and get healthier, but that’s not why I went with Keto. I was looking for a clearly defined diet that would guide my menu planning and snacking. I was looking for a long term lifestyle change. Keto has very clear boundaries, and it’s list of allowable foods is fairly long. I love meat and seafood, so it was a good fit. I also liked how it virtually eliminated all dietary sugar.
I’ve done two rounds of intensive Keto. The first was from late December 2018 - end of February 2019. I’ve just completed my second round, four solid months of strict Keto. During both rounds, I set my daily goal at 20 net carbs. In total, I’ve done Keto for six out of the past nine months.
It’s not an easy diet, that’s for sure. The first two or three weeks are challenging and there are plenty of bumps along the way. Now that I’m in deep, I have no problem saying no to sweets and treats. I don’t really crave them.
Here are my stats from this round:
- 120 Days
- 31 lbs lost
- 89% of days I was under my net carbs goal
- I was 26% under my net carbs goal for the entire period
- I averaged 7 grams of dietary sugar per day
Now that I’m through the intensive period, I’m backing off a bit. I’ve set my daily limit at 50 net carbs and am still trying to lose another 10 lbs. Overall, I feel great. For the first time in five years, my BMI is back in the normal/healthy range, as opposed to overweight.
I don’t mind taking a bit more time on these last few pounds to my goal. I’m going to continue daily weigh-ins to monitor my progress and watch for any back-sliding.
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Reading
September 16,2019
Finished reading: Church of Spies: The Pope’s Secret War Against Hitler by Mark Riebling 📚
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September 16,2019
Can’t wait to see who ends up buying this house. That’s about a 9’ drop on a grade that’s going to be a nightmare to mow.
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September 16,2019
For some reason, iCloud sending spam to my inbox that has a random string attached to my correct email address. So, it looks like this:
svra43?johnnyappleseed@icloud.com
Not sure why iCloud would deliver that in the first place. Also, hard to write a Rule against it.
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September 16,2019
‘Sign In With Apple’ Is Way Better Than Passwords—If You Can Find It - WSJ
I’m taking Joanna’s advice and creating an alias to use on the web. Not much use for current services, but will be when I sign up for new ones using the Apple relay.
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ChetCast
Episode 112: Cactus Puzzle
September 16,2019The laundry is running and the folding is done, for now. I took a break from my Cleaning Day chores to see what the kids are playing with.
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September 16,2019
The Apple Support chat is great, but if you don’t respond in five minutes, it ends.
Not very customer friendly to make me wait on Support to take their sweet time responding but if I don’t reply right away, I’ve got to start all over.

