Wiki, Fast in Hawaii

Must be fast, as this one’s about wiki, which means “fast” or “quick” in Hawaiian.  That is according to Wikipedia, “The encyclopedia project, [which] is the most popular wiki on the public web in terms of page views.  …  A wiki is usually a web application which allows people to add, modify, or delete content in a collaboration with others.”  
– en.wikipedia.org

The FamilySearch instructor in the Family History conference at Weber State University 9/14/2013, briefly mentioned the Hawaiian origin of “wiki”, so I Googled, found, and copied it:

History

WikiWikiWeb was the first wiki.  Ward Cunningham started developing WikiWikiWeb in Portland, Oregon, in 1994, and installed it on the Internet domain c2.com on March 25, 1995. It was named by Cunningham, who remembered a Honolulu International Airport counter employee telling him to take the "Wiki Wiki Shuttle" bus that runs between the airport's terminals. According to Cunningham, "I chose wiki-wiki as an alliterative substitute for 'quick' and thereby avoided naming this stuff quick-web.”  
– en.wikipedia.org

The FamilySearch.org home page top menu: SEARCH gives you sub menu including WIKI.

“Get research advice, or learn where to find record collections in our 75,534 articles."  [This number is constantly increasing.]

"Search by place or topic (not individual)”: [type in search field.]  

– familysearch.org/learn/wiki/...

The FamilySearch expert told us at the WSU conference, "Never use [FS] Wiki to search individuals or families."

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Smart Gratitude

Suggested reading (as background for this) is my April 2012 post titled: EMC Pioneer “Blogger”.  “Our friend and neighbor for 15 years, Rowland Smart, was a legend in his own time, and we loved him dearly.  …  'Rowly' was nearly 90 years old, a WWII (Europe) and Korean War veteran, good Christian, never married ..."  In a heavy old envelope I had labeled “SMART PHILOSOPHY” was his monthly message for November 1988, teaching us and other friends to take the season seriously.  The two-page transcription of “Count Your Many Blessings One by One” is not a fast read.  So I share excerpts to set the table for this month, leaving the rest to your imagination.

“Because it is November, we all think of Thanksgiving and look forward to that feast we hope to have …  We all feel gratitude to God for the bountiful year He has made possible for us, and give thanks for our health and for life in this beautiful world He created for us.”

“I can’t help thinking of a poor old raggedy man I once saw who lived up Price Canyon just out of Castle Gate [a mining ghost town in eastern Utah].  I was patrolling one of the Utah Power & Light high-voltage transmission lines.  This line went through a dense thicket of willow brush.  …  I heard a man talking.  I looked up and saw this old, sad, downtrodden man.  He was using an explosive powder box for a chair, and had made himself a crude table … between two cottonwood trees.  There he had some garbage he had gathered during the night at Helper, Utah.  He had it set on this table on an old tin plate with a sheet of newspaper for a table cloth.  …  He had a bushy grey beard hanging down nearly to the table.  Then I stopped as I realized he was praying and thanking his Father in Heaven for this food he was about to eat.  I waited till he had finished his prayer.  I went back up the trail, then started to whistle a tune as I came back around the path, so as not to startle him.  He had merry twinkling eyes that showed thankfulness and contentment.  …  He said, “I ain’t got much, Son, but you’re welcome to share it with me.”  I thanked him and sat chatting with him for quite a while. [Rowly was always good at that.]  I know he was well educated, for he used better English and better manners than most of us do.  He was just down on his luck, an old man with no one wanting him around.  …  I told him I must go, for I was to meet the man who would be waiting for me where the line crossed the road.  He put out his big hard-working hand of yester years to say goodbye.  …  in his struggle for one more day as a free man …  He smiled …”

“It was then as I walked along that lonely trail that I felt gratitude for what an easy life God had made possible for me to have.  I thought as I walked along this stony rough mountain path that life is like a trail.  Some places along this trail are smooth; others are rough and steep, and hard to climb.  …  I guess it is God’s way to test us.  He loves us all and we are His children, and I know He expects us to be good to one another …”

“Remember this Thanksgiving how blessed and lucky you are; and when you pray to God over the feast you’re going to eat, pause for a moment and think of the people in the world …”

Frightful Films, a Nightmare

Has someone or something reminded you lately to write your personal history?  If you haven’t finished it (meaning you’re not walking dead yet), here’s an idea: make a list of Halloween/scary memories you can flesh-out later (oooh, gross!)  I find writing my history by topic works better than writing chronologically.  It’s like the “swiss-cheese method” that makes a project look like bites taken here and there; (think rats, not vampires.)  As I recall from reading the book many years ago, “swiss cheese” is my favorite part of How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life, a little paperback book by Alan Lakein; (he deserves thumbs-up credit here.)  (OK, I’m trying to control myself.)

(A little chronology here:) <(No, MS-Word, I don’t want a smiley face!  Undo!)

My earliest scary memory is a nightmare – the worst ever.  A huge, menacing black bear in the stormy night sky was reaching down to grab me.  I barely escaped, in spite of my agonizing, slow-motion run across our big backyard on Second Avenue. (Why couldn't I move my legs faster?!  I tried so hard!  Aaaagh!!)  I may have had this dream more than once, never to be forgotten.

“1954 [attraction opened as] Spook House”  This must be the ride I remember at Lagoon (amusement park in Farmington, Utah) – very scary for me at the time!  A classic, shocking, jerky-ride spook alley, totally out of my control.  – lagoonpark.com/pdf/...  (page 8 of 42)

Late one night, three days ago, I heard a Halloween special broadcast of Exploring Music on Classical 89 (BYU) radio that told a story of a banshee.  "Demons, Spooks and Other Things That Go Bump In The Night” was presented by the host, Bill McGlaughlin.  This reminded me of a film I saw when I was young, that scared me so much when the banshee appeared, as my younger brother crawled under the theater seat, I wanted to go with him!  “Darby O'Gill and the Little People, a 1959 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery and Jimmy O'Dea …”  – en.wikipedia.org

Google defines banshee: “(in Irish legend) a female spirit whose wailing warns of an impending death in a house.”  Urbandictionary.com morphs it eerily: “A mythological, female, magical creature that flies all night looking for prey. They feed on people's sadness. They kill by screaming in such a high …”  (Sorry -- this is too scary.)

Naturally (spookily), like everything now, you can watch the scariest part on YouTube:  “The Appearance of the Banshee” with Connery and the old man calling, looking for young Katie, and finally the banshee appearing as the elder found her fallen on the mountain.  “Keep away!  Keep away from her!!”  Imagine it using today’s computer graphics!  Old is “bad” (good and scary) here.  
– youtube.com/watch?v=rhxC_1wuo3E

Another movie, about a dark, scary mansion at night, makes me shudder to this day.  As a tender young boy, I walked with a friend to an old theater in downtown Salt Lake.  I distinctly remember entering late, just as a small box was opened ... with a human head inside!  I was ready to turn around and go home right then!  "House on Haunted Hill is a 1959 American horror film … and stars Vincent Price as eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren.  …"  – en.wikipedia.org

Get the picture?  Jot down some of yours on a scratch paper or whatever.  For fun! (I could insert a picture here, but it might frighten the little ones.)

Getting Better With Age

It seemed so far away … when I was young – getting old, that is.  Over the last 18 months it crept up on me sooner than I expected.  Twelve months ago, I never wanted to do yard work again, except to help elders (older folks, not the Church office) with their yard next door.  After last summer’s work, I’m convinced.

This month as I researched senior living, I realized something amazing: I have graduated to feeling “old at heart” and loving it.  The benefits are more than just discounts at movie theaters and my favorite all-you-care-to-eat buffets.  I am better able to empathize with elders who struggle with unemployment, loneliness, depression, physical aches and pains.  I am a better man for having newfound patience with young people who ignore us and misunderstand us.  I rejoice in being an empty nester with greater freedom and motivation to help others; (my wife Kay and I look forward to serving another mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)  The 55+ communities are looking better to us – maybe they have improved with age (jk). Facebook? – we can take it or leave it.  More time and freedom to travel; (and more ease with freestyle writing of incomplete sentences without a verb.)

First opened in 1911, the famous Hotel Utah in Salt Lake City began its expansion in 1974.  The publicity theme for the project was “Getting better with age."  In 1993 it was rechristened the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, “in honor of the Mormon church founder …”  -- deseretnews.com (June 7 2011, “100 years” article by Ray Boren)  It continues to get better with age; (check it out by Temple Square, next time you’re in town!)

This quote we’ve all read is one of my favorites: "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."  -- Mark Twain  (from brainyquote.com)

I missed my blog’s third anniversary a week ago – still pretty young (the blog, not I.) This post is done … for today; it will get better with age.  Expect expansion. And exciting discoveries in this new old world.  Any ideas?
Downsizing?  Lightening our load?  
Renting a cottage for next summer (three months) in the Isle of Man?  Now that's getting better!

Short (Quick) Anecdotes

Last Saturday I Googled (searched Internet): define anecdote

Result: “a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.”

(Google’s definition instantly appeared at the top of 1.1 million results!  Amazing.)  As examples, several stories quickly fit in here.

I have listened to KSL NewsRadio traffic reports since 2007, when I started a job that took me out on the road a lot.  Rikki Meece, a superb young reporter, has always made me smile with her crystal-ball traffic forecasts – typically, "the crash is GOING TO BE ..."; (makes me wonder WHEN.  Of course if I’m headed away from the predicted trouble site, the time doesn’t matter.)  To be fair, her fine reports have helped me avoid some bad traffic over the years, making KSL’s annoying background sound effect worth enduring; (mercy!)  I often hear similar predictions – without the ominous consequences – in retail stores, where a product I’m searching for “is GOING TO BE on aisle 9” or wherever; (without asking the worker "WHEN?", I trust that it WILL be there by the time I arrive.)  By the way, I predict many retailers are going to be disappointed at Christmas time, due to the US government shutdown; but we are going to enjoy the true holiday spirit regardless of the economy.

Part of my second post is worth repeating:

Fast Food, Coupon Drive                        October 22, 2010

When my wife and I had young children to feed, we had a favorite activity and fun family tradition called the "coupon drive".  We collected fast-food coupons, then drove around town ordering, dividing, and eating one or two of a single item at each drive-thru.  The workers often felt sorry for us buying so little to feed the six or seven of us.  After about eight stops, we were stuffed!  This enduring tradition would not be possible without fast food.  Our youngest actually wrote a report on it for school (using fast-food language, of course).  Since then, the words "coupon drive" always bring back fond memories.  I can hardly wait for the next one!

May you enjoy the drive, however you do it.

And a little healthy fast food.

Primary Lessons 1934

For this last day of General Conference, I found the Lesson Bulletin for the Primary Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints / Autumn Quarter 1934, owned by Kay’s mother, Erma Taysom in Portland, Oregon (Sister Taysom’s first mission.)  Primary is the Church's organization for children under the age of 12.  In addition to singing and other fun activities, Primary has a different set of lessons for each age group.

The first October 1934 lesson for Larks and Blazers was “Houses of Worship / Objective: To promote better habits of behavior in places of worship.”  It gave examples of sacred places, including the tabernacle built by the children of Israel as a temple in the wilderness (Exodus 40), our own meetinghouses today, and the Sacred Grove [Palmyra, New York -- lds.org/locations/sacred-grove].

The lesson ends (p. 70) with this simple instruction which applies to children (and adults) today, even while listening at home to Conference talks; (it reminds me of Conference activities children have been doing since ours were little):  “If you are in church and can’t understand the speaker, what do you think is the best thing to do?  What do you think about reading or drawing [or playing video games] in church? Why is it better to sit and listen?  Very often boys and girls do not try to understand.  Nearly every speaker says a few things boys and girls of your age can understand.  If you only get one idea to remember from each speaker – that’s worthwhile.  The best way to do after you go to church is tell your parents what the speaker said.  Soon you will find it quite interesting, and you will discover how much more you can understand than you did at first.  Try it next Sunday – and the next.”

Seasonal Shorts

The weather here turned downright cold this week, so I'm bundled up while other guys are still wearing shorts as if it were summer; reminds me of one or two of our sons doing that every day of high school -- even in winter … can’t understand it.

Yesterday at Walmart (gotta love it) … lots of shorts wandering around … in the garden department I saw trees lined up with pretty lights shining on them  … what?!   Out in the cold section where I looked for garden clearance deals, there were a few basic items, but no prices, like there’s no demand to justify paying people to price-tag out of season.  (Walmart is so smart, not wasting space with clearance like other stores do.)  Instead, I saw endless stacks of unopened boxes of Christmas decorations from … (you know where) … waiting to be emptied by eager workers wielding box cutters.  Of course the Halloween merchandise is still going strong because September isn’t over yet; it will probably peak during "Conference weekend” Oct. 5-6 (includes Sunday, even though that’s actually the first day of the week – not the week end.)
Later at DI, shorts were my desire, to wear at home while the furnace runs; but I guess the few were snatched up the minute they hit the racks.  Disappointed, I understood why guys aren't donating more, as shorts are never out of style.

The other day I ran across my swim shorts on my closet floor; wish I’d found them last June before our vacation.  My motto: “A place for everything, and everything in its place.”  Imagine that.

Looking forward to skiing, I can picture a sunny day at Powder Mountain, my favorite (cheaper) resort.  Others will be snowboarding in shorts, taking in the high-altitude sun.  “Powder Mountain has over 7000 acres of the epic terrain covered in 500 inches of ..."

-- powdermountain.com  (Check out the death-defying snowboarder here.)

Enjoy the season, and Happy Holidays, whatever it is you’re preparing to celebrate!