Taking a Break from the Writing and Podcast

Besides a love of the written word, one of the central reasons I have continued investing in the writing and podcast efforts over the years was to create a significant wealth of communication-related experience with which to leverage a career switch from tax compliance to state or federal government communications.  When I graduated in 2018 from Marylhurst University with a BA in English Literature and New Media, I thought things would change for the better.  While they have most definitely done so, it wasn't quite in the way I expected.  For one thing, I've learned that communications is not a field easily entered by the older worker; fresh out of school is the way to embark on that career path.  The departments are generally seeking young people for these positions.

I expected when I graduated from college that I'd be a much better writer.  While I may be a stronger writer today, I have also found the desire to write is rarely as strong as it once was.  Perhaps it was the act of writing and re-writing my university thesis that burned me out for a while on the act of writing.  The whole process seemed less artistic or creative than simply a sort of "writing by the numbers" approach to essay structure.  That, combined perhaps with lackluster sales of my books, has led me to where I am today--subtly redirecting my time and energies into more fruitful areas.

Anyway, we all have plenty on our plates these days, and I frankly think my time is better placed in serving God and enjoying my family than investing hours in creating fresh content for the web or books.  I have offered my services to one company, and I remain available as needed to a local Catholic publication too.  I am still interested in being involved in photography and voice work projects, but I suspect they're going to take more of a backseat to simply living than they have in the past.  When I retire in less than a decade, I hope to hit the writing harder than ever; we will see.

I will continue to add to the blog as time allows.

SEIU 503 Troubles Podcast

As discussed in several previous posts, I have had some issues over the years with SEIU 503.  Past posts have documented my frustrations with their positions, but they crossed a new line with their online planning to further disrupt Portland by getting involved in the BLM riots.  In posting their plans to get between protesters and police...it was the last straw for me.  Unfortunately, it's not an easy process to exit the union once you're a member.  This podcast talks about the associated challenges, and it also offers the perspective of a representative from Freedom Foundation named Rebekah Milliard.  This is a critically important First Amendment issue.

You can access this latest podcast HERE. 

Sing a New Church Karaoke Night! (Humorous Aside)

In honor of The Babylon Bee's  regular body slamming of traditional news outlets through the art of satire, I give you my little contribution to this important literary...genre.  Hope you enjoy!  (For my real take on this hymn, go to page 53 or here too.)


The 5th annual “Sing a New Church” Karaoke Festival is scheduled to start directly after the 11am Mass on Sunday, August 23rd in Minot’s Saint Cecilia Catholic Church. The excitement is quickly building for this fun-filled event for the entire family. As done in past years, winners will have an opportunity to win valuable prizes from two of the following five categories: Social Justice, Multiculturalism, Gender Discovery, Diving for Diversity, and (the wildcard) Ecumenical Experiences!

Parish staff encourage attendees to recall that the event follows Mass. This means, for instance, that the Boykin and Smith families would want to actually stay in the nave AFTER the recessional hymn begins (and finishes too). Please contact staff with questions.

The first-place winner will progress to the second round with an opportunity to capture the National Karaoke Pennant! Round 2’s music has just been announced as the angelic and inspiring “Earth and All Stars.”  Of course, we're all stars when we sing together!!

Don’t be left out in the cold, join us in Minot on Sunday! This is a great time to bring friends along, so that they can learn more about important things-- such social justice and ecumenical diversity.

Let’s hit last year’s winners where it hurts the most and take the much-prized Karaoke Pennant of the Greater Minot Diocese (conveniently shortened to the KPGMD).

PS.  In this strange time of long lines for sanitizer and social distancing from the Boykin family, let's remember to get things right on Sunday.  Washing your hands at least once on August 23rd would be a super fabulous start!

An Open Letter to SEIU Re: BLM

Writing a letter the day following hand surgery ranks right up there with having a root canal, but some things need to be said--sooner rather than later.

Before getting to the meat of this letter, I'd like to preface it by saying that some years back SEIU did provide some (uncoordinated and clumsy) assistance regarding some office issues.  This led to my return to the union under the rationale that they were a necessary evil.  (You can read a little about my union ambivalence at the following links: BEFORE, AFTER and a little concerning the EVENTS themselves.)  I should further disclose that I have even served briefly as a union steward--working to help ensure state employees were treated (and represented) with fairness rather than a disdainful bias.  Let's face it, state supervisors and Human Resource departments have a great deal of power, and sometimes the worker needs someone in their corner.  With SEIU, however, it's their actions outside the office that truly make it more difficult with each passing day to support them--particularly regarding BLM.

The other part of my background is that I almost pursued a police career before I changed professional directions in my late 20's towards state government.  Over the preceding years, I attended countless training sessions and ridden-beside police officers as a volunteer observer from Yakima to Seattle.  I understand police officers (usually), and I've seen many really good ones along with a few that probably shouldn't have been wearing that badge.  

While, of course, "all lives matter, black lives now," the problem with BLM as an organization has a lot to do with the people it draws and its stated beliefs.  This is an organization that supports the fairy tale of subjective vs objective sexual identities, opposes the nuclear family, and stands in stark opposition to law and order--e.g. defunding of police.  Whatever nonsense its supporters believe at any given moment, they demand those in positions of power--from mayors to police chiefs--show BLM unearned respect and honor, kowtowing to the organization by taking a knee, for instance.  This isn't an organization aimed at racial justice, but an enterprise aimed at reweaving the social fabric in its own image and taking power away from the people.

When SEIU members posted on social media today about forming a barrier between rioters and city police and federal law enforcement, I voiced my opinion that this was foolish.  My voice was met, of course, with profane responses from SEIU members who must believe that their role as union members is to help BLM damage our cities and injure or kill our police officers.  I thought the days of stereotypical union thugs were long gone?  This is nothing short of a power grab, and BLM should be recognized as something akin to a fascist organization, since it relies upon force and intimidation to silence those who oppose its siren call for "justice."  

I've witnessed injustice, and when I do I take constructive action.  This is something we can all do.  Tearing down buildings and destroying the property of others, however, is not how we achieve justice...but anarchy.  I also wholeheartedly support our men in women who form that critical blue line between order and chaos.  

For these reasons, then, I've decided to opt out as a union member,  diverting my precious resources away from an organization that no longer represents my values.

A Conversation with William Snyder

Today's INTERVIEW on Sounds and Words features William Snyder, the producer of EWTN Radio's Bear Woznick Adventure as well as the founder of Patchwork Heart Ministry, a non-profit 501(c)(3) Catholic youth and young adult ministry. He shares a faith journey we can all learn from as we strive to live more for Christ each day. While in many ways his own life is an account of offering up suffering, he shares his personal story to better connect and engage with the suffering world around us for Christ and His Church. The interview concludes with a short discussion of this strange COVID-19 time in our history, and its implications for our spiritual lives and journey home.

Information Security for Dummies

We all know the importance of keeping our passwords safe, changing them regularly, and using a password complexity that is commensurate with the information being secured, but are there other considerations worth keeping in mind in terms of password security in particular? 

As a way to illustrate the inherent dangers of the “weakest link” in terms of security, let’s look at how we might skip trace a particular individual. Suppose we are seeking to take collection action against a John Smith, but we’re not immediately able to locate him. What are some techniques or methods to use from the office? Assuming the phone number is bad, have we nonetheless done an internet search of the phone? Just because the phone may be disconnected, doesn’t mean that it’s totally useless information. The person, for example, might have used the phone number in conjunction with a CraigsList posting in which he also used his e-mail address. By searching for the phone number (within quotes) in Google, you might track down his e-mail address. By repeating this search technique on the e-mail, you might find additional information—from want adds to message boards. Each piece of information can be taken and utilized to drill down further in the specificity of the particular search. This brings you closer to your goal. 

Likewise with password security, it’s entirely possible to take one set of information or data points and drill down, extrapolate to a wider potential field. Why should we be concerned about this kind of thing? Well, suppose we have an accounting firm executive with login credentials on his business phone for one particularly important client, and he has relied upon an obscenely simple login to safeguard a large online treasure trove of confidential payroll information. 

Not believing he’ll ever lose his phone, he has also referenced the names of other clients on his business phone.  

After an exciting auditor calculator unveiling party, the inebriated executive manages to leave behind his phone in the bar, and someone snatches it. The phone is successfully hacked and the login information for the payroll database is soon found and utilized. Using the other cookie crumbs of  information, it occurs to the hacker that their other client accounts may also be relying upon insanely stupid password security measures.  With a little trial and error and creativity, the hacker might be able to access other databases by using the executive’s stolen information as a kind of template or guidepost for his attack. In other words, one piece of information can suggest another, and so on.

This is why password security needs to be more than a linear concern. One piece of compromised information becomes a potential roadmap to other improperly secured data. All it takes is for one weak link to be shattered, and the security of a larger cache of confidential data is potentially placed at much greater risk--especially if the business is sloppy in safeguarding client information.

Lastly, whether you use GoogleDocs at the office or not, it’s suggested you pay particularly close attention to accessing GoogleDocs sent to you from customers and clients.  In a related vein, it’s highly advised that you avoid using your personal Google profile at the office.  Worst case scenario, you could inadvertently grant access to individuals outside your organization to view your (office) GoogleDoc collection or you could accidentally merge office and personal documents in the same account.  Not good.  One way to make GoogleDocs safer is to enable two factor authentication.

Returning to Blogger -- Singing the News!

WordPress was interesting, but you know what?  It wasn't worth the effort.  Compared to Blogger, WordPress was invisible online, and particular bugs could not be easily addressed.  So...I'm back!