My Vim Cheatsheet

Posted on 25 February 2011 by Jonathan

A while ago I read some Vim tutorials that were written by Joe ‘Zonker’ Brockmeier and found them to be an excellent source of quick tips for a cheat sheet. So I set out to create a cheat sheet I could hang near my computer. I finally got around to finishing it. So I am making it publicly available.

My Vim Cheatsheet
My Vim Cheatsheet

Since I finished it I have found some other tidbits and had some other ideas for enhancing the sheet further. If I ever get around to it, I will update the link with the newer version.

Enjoy! I hope it is as useful for you as it is for me.

Long live Vim!

Update:
More helpful vim links.

Posted in Programming, Unix/Linux |

Is there a situation where democracy won’t work?

Posted on 22 February 2011 by Jonathan

This important question was asked and answered by Clayton M. Christensen on 16 May 2009 in a commencement speech given at Southern New Hampshire University.

I encourage everyone to read this speech. Here are a couple of quotes from it that caught my attention:

Too often, as a result, we overlook an obvious fact: finding the right answer is impossible unless we have asked the right question.

You just think that because democracy works for you that it will work everywhere. It only works where there is a strong foundation of this particular type of religion.

Those who seek to minimize the role that religions can play on the public stage are … seeking to minimize the very institutions that have given us our civil liberties in the first place.

The full speech can be found here: “The Importance of Asking the Right Questions”

(Thanks to Marie Norris for introducing me to this speech.)

Posted in Economics, Philosophic, Political, Religious |

AWS Free Tier Micro Instance 101

Posted on 17 February 2011 by Jonathan

I recently decided to hop on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Free Tier, and see what it was all about. I use regular AWS services at work quite a bit so I am not a newcomer to the AWS world. However, this was my first foray in to the Free Tier offering. I created this little tutorial based on my own experience as well as some other helpful pages I found about the web.
Continue reading →

Posted in Education, System Administration | Tagged , , , , , |

Why do I do what I do when I know what I know

Posted on 13 February 2011 by Jonathan

I consider myself to know and understand a lot about the principles of wealth and success. I have read plenty of books about success, attended presentations and conferences, and listened to many podcasts.

I understand all this theory yet apparently I have not yet gained the wisdom necessary to put it all into practice.

In fact, it is almost as if subconsciously I am sabotaging my own success. When I learn a new principle and have a great realization of something I should be doing in my life, I seem to actively avoid it, or rebel against doing it. It is as if I am trying to stick it to the man, to show him who is boss, except in this case, I am the man I am thumbing my nose at.

Why?

Why am I choosing to subvert my own progress toward my goals and dreams?

It does not make sense to me.

This post is me thinking out loud. I find that I think well through writing or talking to other people. I am analyzing myself. I enjoying analyzing things.

Feel free to add your own analysis.

Posted in Philosophic | Tagged , |

Z-Type

Posted on 17 January 2011 by Jonathan

If you have not seen this already, you have to try it out. It is a typing game. I know, I know, but this one is actually fun. Addicting even!

Z-Type by Dominic Szablewski
Z-Type

Posted in Education, Entertainment, Games |

TSA Rap Sheet

Posted on 15 November 2010 by Jonathan

I am angry that we have allowed the TSA to exist at all. It is an unnecessary waste of Tax Payer money and they do nothing but continue to harass American Citizens. It is my opinion that the TSA organization needs to be abolished.

I do not feel safer flying with TSA. In fact, I feel less safe and less like a citizen with them screening me. I would feel much safer if everyone on the plane had a weapon, because when a terrorist does decide to get on a plane, I have no doubt they will find a way to bypass TSA.

Help put the TSA out of our misery.  Abolish the TSA. Contact your elected officials and tell them to get rid of it.

Feel free to leave more testimonies in the comments.

Posted in Entropic |

Faith vs Works for Salvation

Posted on 19 September 2010 by Jonathan

Our family was reading recently about when God sent fiery serpents amongst the Israelites as a punishment because of their wickedness.

The part that I found interesting was that God told Moses to create a brass serpent and fasten it to the top of a pole. Then, when someone was bitten by one of the serpents, all they had to do was look at the brass serpent and they were healed.

This story is of course very familiar to me, as I have heard it retold since I was a child. However, when we read it through this time, I saw it from a different perspective.

I realized that this was an excellent analogy to help me better understand the age old arguments about faith versus works for salvation.

In the brass serpent story, God prepared the way to be saved, but there was still a task to be performed in order to RECEIVE that salvation.

Just as many symbols that were given to the Israelites, the brass serpent was in similitude of Jesus Christ.

We have all been bitten by the fiery serpents we call sin. Our Heavenly Father has prepared a way for us to be healed from those deadly bites. He raised up His Son, even Jesus Christ. He has prepared a way for us to be saved. And as free as it is for the taking, He still requires us to do something to RECEIVE that salvation. First, we need to have faith in Jesus Christ that He can actually save us. Second, we need to look unto him. Jesus Christ is our perfect example. They way He lived His life is the perfect example to us for how we should be living our lives.

Thus, faith leads to good works. Good works are fruit of faith. That is why James told us that faith with out works is dead. Because if you truly have faith in Jesus Christ then your actions will mirror His actions.

We certainly cannot save ourselves without Jesus, yet He also cannot save us without our acknowledging and accepting that salvation and performing the tasks that He requires of us (His commandments). He has made salvation freely available for us, but we still need to RECEIVE it. We need to have faith in Jesus Christ that He can save us, then look unto Him as an exemplar of how we should live our lives, and live accordingly.

Posted in Religious | Tagged , , , , , , |