Faith like Jonathan

First Samuel is a great "guy" book. It's full of bloody action scenes. Not sure why it has never been made into a Sly Stallone or Bruce Willis action movie, because it would make a good one. I've been reading through it (again) the past few weeks. And as I get to 1 Sam. 14 I read it as I have always done. Except this time I don't keep going. I really start thinking about what is really happening in verses 4 through 23. I meditated on this passage for a couple days. I also did a little research on the actual location. And then I had an epiphany. Well, at least some people might consider it an epiphany. I consider it more divine inspiration.

Countless times I had read that story and thought that Jonathan had sort of wishy-washy faith. He believed God would deliver the Philistines into his hand. But not being 100% sure he asks God to give him a sign. If they say "Come up to us", God is with us. If they say "Wait until we come to you", then we stay put (implying God is not with us). Similar situation to Gideon in Judges 6, right? I've read through that countless times, and think to myself that he has a 50/50 chance of getting one answer or the other. I'd be willing to bet you've come to the same conclusion. But I had been wrong. Jonathan knew what the answer was going to be. He knew the Philistines we going to tell him and his armorbearer to "Come up to us". He knew God was going to work a miracle through him and his armorbearer. And he knew, and believed it so profoundly that the only way to keep him from taking this step of faith, would have been for God to perform a miracle to stop him. Why do I make such an assertion, you ask? Well let's think about a couple things for a minute. Who was Jonathan and where was this battle?

Jonathan was a military man. The Philistines were military men. Jonathan knew the Philistines were military men. As I reflected on this fact, I also recalled a number of things I was taught in bootcamp: 1) Never voluntarily give up any advantage you have over your enemy. 2) If you have the higher ground, you have the advantage. These are pretty basic principles. I mean they even teach them to lowly privates in the modern military, so it couldn't be too complicated. Jonathan knew this principle, and knew the Philistines would know this principle. When Jonathan says "if they say ‘Come up to us,’" he knows that that is exactly what the Philistines are going to say. Unless of course God intervenes on his behalf to cause the Philistines to go against their training, and pull one of the lamest strategic follies in history (OK, that may be an exaggeration, but you get the point). The miracle isn't that the Philistines say "Come up to us", that is the expected, trained response. And Jonathan knows this.

So exactly what sort of terrain are Jonathan and his armorbearer facing here anyway? We read that there are sharp rocks on either side. Yeah, OK, so what? Well, I did a little looking around the 'net and found this picture of the Michmash Gorge.

Courtesy of LIFE IN THE HOLY LAND.COM

Now, we may not be able to be 100% certain this is the exact terrain that Jonathan and his armorbearer faced. But it's pretty close. San Diego County and Israel are very similar in terrain and climate. And if you've every been out in East San Diego County you've seen terrain that looks remarkably like this photo. So I would be hard pressed to believe that this, or something very similar to this was not the terrain Jonathan and his armorbearer traversed to attack the Philistines.

Jonathan and his armorbearer were down in this ravine looking up at the Philistines positions. I'm sure you'll agree that anyone in their right mind (military trained or not) is going to look down from a perch like this and of course say "Come up to us". 1 Sam. 14:13 says that Jonathan and his armorbearer climbed up on their hands and knees. So often I've thought that was because they were trying to be sneaky. But after looking at this photo, I now know they were on their hands and knees because that was the only way to traverse the terrain. Fully exposed (no cover at all) and unable to defend themselves until they reached the top. And of course the Philistines would have to have done the opposite if they had voluntarily given up their position. They would have had to traverse down the steep slope, probably on their backsides, losing their footing and/or balance, unable to defend themselves as they approached Jonathan and his armorbearer. Of course the Philistines are going to say "Come up to us".

So now what do I think of Jonathan's faith? There are lots of men in the Bible that act on incredible faith, and because of it God is able to do incredible things. But I can not think of a single other man in the Bible that was so sure of God's direction that he required a miracle from God to stop him from acting on his faith. I know I am constantly requiring God to perform a miracle before I am willing to step out in faith. Maybe someday I will have such steadfast and solid faith that I require God to perform a miracle to stop me from acting on that faith.

Is your faith so solid that you require a miracle from God to keep you from the action He wants to use?

Apple, Inc. Support

I would say that for the most part I am an Apple Fanboy. I have purchased 2 Mac's, 2 Airport Extreme Base Station's, 2 Mighty Mice, an Apple Wireless keyboard, AppleTV, iPhone (on 6/29/07), 2 iWork Family Pack's, and other nifty Apple products. And when it's time to buy something new I almost always check the Apple Online Store before going to Amazon or Buy.com, just to see if they have what I need with the Apple spin on it. I've converted at least one family (including their family business) from PC to Apple (they now have 2 Mac's and 2 iPhone's), and likely others. Mac's are great when they work. But as with any technology there are times when it's going to have problems. It's going to happen at some point in time, and Apple's products, even with their use of the best quality available, are no exception. So what happens when an Apple product fails?

2 years ago this month, I finally committed to working my business full-time. I would no longer be relying on my employer to supply my computer. I would have to use my own personal computer to run my business. Since I was using a Mac for personal use, a Mac would now be the critical path of my business. For the last 2 years this has proved to be a decent decision. However, now I am putting Apple's Support of the small business to the test. And I am finding it to be wanting. Maybe I am holding Apple to an unreal expectation, but I doubt it.

Prior to going out on my own, I was using a company supplied Dell laptop. I despise Windows of all flavors, so I had installed Ubuntu Linux (or was it Fedora?). That computer worked great to development software as well as handle all other management related tasks. About 6 months before leaving the company I had an issue with the CD drive. So I called Dell Support. Talked with someone on the phone for a while and convinced them the CD drive had given up the ghost. Within 24 hours Dell had a technician at my desk repairing my laptop. 45 minutes after the technician arrived I was back up and running. That kind of support is what Small Business owner's need. Dell understands this and supplies the appropriate support by default on it's business class systems. I've perused Dell's site and all business computers, both laptops and desktops come with 3 years of onsite support.

Now, on to Apple. A couple months ago I started noticing problems with my Optical Drive. I finally took a couple hours out of my time to work with an Apple Expert from their support web site. After a while he determined that my drive was bad and that I would need to go to an Apple Retail Store to get it fixed. I then set an appointment (one of the nice features Apple's done) and arrived at the Store. When I do, do I pick up where I left off on the phone? Nope, had to start all over from the beginning, even after giving the Genius the case number. And when they finally conclude that the drive has failed, I hear the Apple party line: "Leave the computer with us and we'll have it back in 5 to 7 days". 5 to 7 days, are you freaking kidding me? I might as well start looking for a job now. None of my clients are going to wait 5 to 7 days for me to be able to do any work for them. None! So after some discussion I finally convince them to "help me out" by ordering the part now, and let me bring my computer back to have it installed. I want you to notice that this is helping me out. So a week and a half goes by and I get the call that the part is in. Please note: a week and a half! Had I left my computer there it would have been 10 days and not the 5 to 7 originally quoted. I surely would have been out of business by then. And likely not able to find a job since my resume is... you guessed it, on my computer.

So today I finally get some time to head over to the store. I figure I'll chat with the store's business Genius and see if he can get my computer repaired and back to me within a few hours. But after a lengthy discussion the best he can do for me is 24 hours. I'm suppose to leave my computer there for 24 hours to do what I know is a 30 minute repair. I offer to set an appointment for more that 24 hours from now. But can't do that either. I can't even put my name in the queue and show up just as it's getting to the top. No other options. I have not choice but to close my business for 24 hours and let them do their thing. The ironic thing is, the Apple Retail Stores are open 7 days a week. So even Apple knows that closing their doors for 24 hours is a bad business decision, but they are more than happy to force that decision on my business.

Now, 24 hours, as compared to the original 5 to 7 day quote is a decent improvement. And had I not had the experience I did with Dell, I'd likely be happy about having negotiated that time frame. But, unfortunately for Apple, Dell has set the bar much higher, and I have to hold Apple to the same standard. I know that it is possible to repair this drive in an hour, and to do so with minimal impact on my business.

I'll have trouble finding 24 hours which I can part with my computer. Especially right now with the work load I am under. And I'm sure I will find the time somewhere in the next week or so. But I am not very happy with the level of service I am receiving from Apple in this matter. And I keep having to ask myself, what if it was a catastrophic failure. What if it was the display or mother board. I wouldn't have any choice in the matter. With the optical drive I can do my best to make the inconvenient convenient. But if my computer was down completely, I would be out of business. Should my computer be holding my business hostage like that?

And quite frankly, if I was the only one, I could see someone telling me to stop whining and suck it up. But I've got a number of friends and colleagues in the same boat. They've had trouble with their Mac's and to get around the incredible lack of proper business support they've had to get very creative.

I do want to point out that Apple does offer a service called ProCare. This is supposed to be for professionals to get front of the line priviledges and some other nifty benifits. While interesting, and seemingly solves the problem on the surface. In practice it doesn't really do much good. If 29 of the 30 Mac's waiting to be repaired have ProCare, your ProCare just got you to position 30 instead of 31. And since Apple does not seem to do any management of the ProCare service, anyone willing to pay the $99 per year can get the service.

Don't get me wrong. I still like Apple products, and will not boycott them completely. But as a business owner, I have to ask myself the fundamental question: Do I really want a Mac in the critical path of my business operations?

Mac's are great. And I'll likely always have one in some capacity or another. But with Dell offering Linux on some of its computers you no longer have to choose Winodows if you want an alternative to Apple's poor business support. And I'm seriously beginnig to wonder if a Dell/Linux alternative would be better for my small business.

Corolla "S", huh?

OK, let me start this post off by saying that I am a car-guy. I love just about any car. I love to drive them. I love to look at them. And most of all, I love to talk about them. So when I drive around, no matter what else is going on in my life, I am usually observing cars around me. 

I also happen to own a pretty decent car, a 2002 Porsche (PORSH-uh) Boxster S. It's not as pretty as it once was (it's seen a lot of track wear), or as I would eventually like it to become, but it functions absolutely beautifully. Notice the "S" in the model name. I happen to know a little about what makes an "S" model, and "S" model. In Porsche land this means the car will likely have a few more horsepower and torque, as well as a sport suspension, better brakes, and a few other things. For my car specifically it meant more horsepower and torque, 6 speed transmission, "Big Red" brakes, a slightly stiffer suspension, and an extra radiator for more cooling. Substantial enough to make the car worth the extra money.

So back to the point. This whole thought process started a while back when I first saw a Corolla S in the wild. It's not like I expected to see one, but one day there it was. A Corolla with a body kit and this big red "S" on the trunk lid. At first I chuckled. But knowing what I know about "S" model designations (at least with-regard-to Porsche) I figured I'd give Toyota the benefit of the doubt. Probably something (other than the body kit) to make the car a better performer than the other Corolla models.

So now fast forward a year or so, and a friend and I are on our way to the 2008 ALMS race at the Long Beach Grand Prix. In this instance he is driving his slightly and tastefully improved Audi A6 (so yeah, another German Performance Auto snob). On our way we notice a Corolla S (or two) and for once I am not driving. So I decide I'm finally going to find out what makes a Corolla S an S. I go to my favorite car data site, edmunds.com to look for the technical specs of the S as compared to the Standard. Once there I see that the S has no more horsepower (132), no more torque (128), same size brakes, same transmission.... everything is the same... except the $2,000 body kit. My friend and I have a good laugh over that one. Can't believe someone would spend $2,000 to put a body kit on a Corolla. But there you have it they have. So OK, good for them it's their money.

And now fast forward again to bring us to today. I see a lot more Corolla S' on the road now than every before. In fact I probably see more S' than I do any other model of Corolla. So there are a lot of people spending that extra $2K on a body kit that does absolutely nothing to enhance the performance of the car. Nothing! If the car was unstable at 80, then some extra aerodynamic aids would make sense. But as other's are driving different models at freeway speeds and not winding up in bushes all over the place, I am left to believe that the car is not dangerous without the body kit. It's also not a particularly well done body kit, so it's not as if they car somehow becomes "cool" by adding the kit. After all it is a Corolla. But that's not the really funny part.

I think it's incredibly funny when someone with an "S" thinks their Corolla is now magically some kind of Sports Car. They wind up next to me at a stop light and appear to think that if they can get in front of me, and stay there, they have somehow bested a Porsche. Demonstrating that I, and everyone else who owns a Porsche has wasted their money. It is actually kind of funny to see their car lurch from the line, and scurry up to speed. Comical really. In most cases I let them have their fun and hang back. I imagine them going home and telling all their friends that they beat a race-prepped Porsche off the line. You laugh, but I bet that is exactly what they are doing. How can I be so sure? 

I have a friend who owns one of those Scion xB's. A few months ago he comes up to me bragging that he beat a 911 on the freeway. I asked him if he was sure. So he proceeds to tell me all about how he and this lady were next to each other on the freeway. And they both floored their cars and he won. I asked if he was sure the 911 driver knew they were racing. His response was "Oh yeah!". So here's a guy in a car that could not possibly hold a candle to even the slowest of Porsche's who thinks his car is so great that he can take on, and beat a 911. And nothing I have said has convinced him otherwise.

So the next time you see an "S" on the back of car, remember it may mean something Special, or it may mean something Special Educational.

Thoughts on California's Prop 8

I posted this in a Facebook discussion earlier and thought it might make a good blog entry. If you want to read the discussion you can find it here.

I do think it's mildly entertaining that all you guys and gals that are so against mixing Church and State are debating so hard to try and mix State with a Religious institution. Marriage is a religious institution whether you like it or not. Whether you believe the Bible or not, it has been established as an accurate historical document. The oldest documented marriage was performed by God. Establishing prior art. Religion wins.

What all you secularist really should be fighting for is the establishment of a legal institution with all the rights and benefits of marriage. Oh wait, doesn't that already exist with Domestic Partnerships?

So what is really going on here? If anyone can get the equal rights and privileges without the Religious institution of marriage, why must the religious institution of marriage be forced to adopt secular ideals?

One of the problems I see with the debate here is that most people against Prop 8 seem to think the Gov't will be reserved in it's interpretation of the law. However, anyone who has dealt with the Gov't knows that they do the exact opposite. They take a small foothold on something and expand it to the greatest extent possible.

I personally think that homosexuals should have the same legal rights and privileges as anyone else. My problem with the current law, and the reason I will be voting Yes on Prop 8 is that it gives the Gov't the ability to dictate and enforce religious doctrine. And that my friends goes dead set against the First Amendment.

Find a law that gives equal rights to some, while not impeding the rights of others and I will vote for it. Whether my values and moral agree with the ideal or not. You just can't give rights to one class of people by taking away the rights of another. That is just as, if not more, unfair as not being able to "marry" the one you love.

Objective-C programming

I think I may have found a decent online course to help me expand my languages. Not surprise it's from Standford, and titled "Mac OS X Cocoa Programming". So far I've completed the first assignment and it appears to be informative, but without a bunch of overhead that you usually see in programming tutorials.

Now all I need is a client that wants a Mac native application developed.

Blogging...

I've not really been into blogging in the past. But a friend of mine is blogging about her mission trip to Italy. And in order to follow her blog I had to sign in to blogger.com. And since I've created my Blogger account, I figured I might as well write stuff. 

So now I have a blog. Not sure how diligent I will be in writing on it. But I have it.

Displaying a series of FLV files with Flex.

I'm in the process of writing a nifty little Flex application. It's a training application that will display a series of clips to form a single movie. The clips that will be displayed are determined by a number of factors from the user who is viewing the training. Ideally, I'd like to load the first clip normally, with a buffer of course. But all the other clips I would like to download while the user is viewing the previous movie. Flex does not seem to provide a nice clean way of handling this scenario. The VideoDisplay object hides the content, so I can't just download the file with a URLLoader (or something else) and shove it into the VideoDisplay's content.

What I've done to work around this limitation is use two VideoDisplays. One load's the next file, while another displays the current file. Then swap the visible VideoDisplay when the viewing VideoDisplay has finished, and the loading VideoDisplay is loaded and ready to play. It's a headache to manage, but it seems to be working OK.

Flex does provide some really nice Rich Internet Application features. But I do not think it's the "silver bullet" that people seem to think it is.