Stockpile
A Thinker's Dozen
When you order a dozen donuts at our local shop, they provide your dozen and then they throw a stack of donut holes on top. I think it's their version of the baker's dozen. In that vein, here is a Thinker's Dozen with 13
Brian Stucki
General
Elvis Has Fun in Acapulco.
It was 61 years ago this month that "Fun in Acapulco" was released. This was the last Elvis movie before Beatlemania really started to take over. It was peak Elvis and is my favorite movie with him. Join me for a recap (with spoilers because the movie is
General
Japanese Storytelling and Illegal Dump Trucks
When we travelled to Japan earlier this year, I learned about a type of story telling called Kishōtenketsu. It is a story told in four parts that doesn’t have to include conflict for interest. This structure is commonly used in short stories, movies, and anime from Japan. It can
General
See a Need, Fill a Need
When our boys were young, they enjoyed a movie called “Robots.” It was fun, uplifting, and didn’t have any annoying high-pitched voices so we didn’t mind that they watched it over and over in the car. One of the characters, voiced by Mel Brooks, is named Bigweld. He
Faith
An Invitation to Slow Down
The other day I learned some math that really made me think: The earth is rotating at 1,040 miles per hour. This means that even if you are standing still, you are still moving that fast. But also the earth itself is orbiting the sun at 66,600 mph.
General
Fishing for Pigeons
It's that time of year again. The sun is shining, the pool water is glistening, and those stinking pigeons are coming back to bathe in the pool. They bring the sounds, the feathers, and the other things that they leave behind. In the past I've tried
Notes From
Notes From: James Taylor at the Hollywood Bowl
In 1985, James Taylor released an album called "That's Why I'm Here." It's full of good songs and the title song is one of the best. James recalls that the song was inspired by the death of his friend John Belushi, a
General
Some Thoughts on Ignorance
I've been learning a lot about wisdom, knowledge, and ignorance. It's been fascinating to connect the three. Here is a small collection of thoughts on ignorance: Ignorance can be bliss I've always enjoyed creme brûlée. The crack of the crispy top. The chill of
Family
To Be Sure of You
A.A. Milne wrote that Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh?” he whispered. “Yes, Piglet?” “Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s hand. “I just wanted to be sure of you.” In an always changing world, how nice to have someone you can be “sure of” forever. Someone who
Family
Three ways we use Notes app as a family
The Notes app comes on every iOS and macOS device by default. In the early days, it wasn't very reliable or feature filled and that turned some people away from it. The current app is great though. You can easily scan text or full documents to a note.
Faith
The Heart and a Willing Mind
It was 25 years ago today that I entered the mission field to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I arrived with two suits, a heart, and a willing mind. I barely fit the suits. Luckily only the latter two are required. I am thankful for the friends, the mentors,
Tech
Switch from Eero to UniFi for Home Wifi
On a recent trip to Bolivia, our family enjoyed much of what this overlooked gem of South America had to offer. One thing we did not enjoy was the slow access to internet. The cellular was slow because of the terrain. This made it hard to get around. Even worse
Tech
Force an Apple TV to remain as the Home Hub for HomeKit
In order for HomeKit to work properly, you need a home hub in your house. This can be any HomePod or Apple TV on your network. (iPad no longer operates as a home hub...thank goodness.) Ideally, all of this operates flawlessly and "just works." In reality though,
Tech
Site Update: Move to Ghost
After 21 years of blogging on Wordpress, I decided to move to Ghost. It's strange to be using another platform. I installed my first wordpress blog in 2003 soon after the initial release. But things have changed a lot on the Wordpress front. I decided it was time
Tech
Some Thoughts on Dropcam, UniFi Protect, HomeKit, and Notifications
In a few days, Google is going to drop support for Dropcam and Dropcam Pro cameras. It’s understandable considering the age and history of these products. They also gave plenty of notice and offered a couple free current cameras so at least they did things the right way. But
Faith
Healing in His Wings
The tomb is empty. I knew it in my heart before I saw it with my eyes. “they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who