Kahunapule’s Journal

I was recently informed about the existence of a new freely downloadable Bible study program, called Bible Explorer. I’ve seen many of them, and some are rather amateurish, but this one is of professional quality. It reminds me of the old WordSearch software that I used to use a long time ago, except for the most annoying thing that made me stop using that software. Indeed, the same people wrote this program as wrote that program. (I stopped using WordSearch because it kept accusing me of being a thief and stopped working whenever I upgraded my computer, reformatted, changed hard drives, or any number of other normal things people do. I just deleted it and bought copies of the same Bibles for another program instead of tolerating the repeated phone call activation process.)

I found the user interface to be intuitive, and easy to use, except for the confusing Internet connection setup options. There is actually no setting that really fits my situation as a nomadic missionary. I periodically use wireless Internet hotspots, sometimes use dial-up, sometimes use wired Ethernet, and often operate totally off line. It turns out that if you configure for an always-on connection, then pull the connection at the wrong time, you can get a long series of divide-by-zero errors and crash the program. You pretty much need an Internet connection for a while to get it set up. As near as I can tell, you can’t pre-download the extra books and such from the web site, but you have to do it from the program after it is installed. You are encouraged to register online, and rewarded with a copy of God’s Word translation of the Holy Bible and 14 other books if you do. All of those have to be downloaded (unless you have a CD, which I didn’t).

I didn’t test the purchase and download of for-pay books (since I already own an electronic library of Bibles in another format, and the cost is too high for this missionary to pay just to play), but the free books seem to use the same process, except for asking for payment.

Good points:

• Free for the downloading and registration, including the God’s Word translation. (Thanks go to both the software developers and translators for this one.)
• Easy, intuitive user interface.
• Preserves poetry and prose formatting.
• Multiple windows scroll together or separately, depending on which you prefer.
• Lots of Bibles and other books are available.
• Devoid of software activation and DRM restrictions, at least for the program and free books.

Not-so-good points:

• Proprietary source code and format for books.
• Missing an import mechanism for minority-language Bibles.
• Requires Microsoft Windows (but runs OK on my MacBook running Parallels and Microsoft Windows XP).

Recommendation:  if you are running Microsoft Windows on your computer, and you have a reasonable Internet connection, by all means download it. Try it. You might love it.

The U. S. Postal Service could learn a valuable lesson in customer service from the Australians. In Australia, you can decline junk mail at your mailbox, and the letter carrier honours your request. Cool, huh?

Speaking of junk mail, I’d like to take this opportunity to answer some of it. This is most likely the only answer much of my mail will ever get. We really like getting good mail, especially personal notes of encouragement, personal news, and things that you actually write yourself. Thank you for sending those. Now for the rest:

First, to the Nigerians (and others) who have a very large sum of money they would like to transfer to me, in exchange for personal information and perhaps some preliminary “smaller” amounts of money: Just use some of that massive amount of money to cover the costs involved, and send a certified cheque or money order to my current address. If you can’t do that, then I’m sorry, but I have no reason to believe that you are telling the truth. I admire your persistence, creativity, and apparent large numbers, but I strongly recommend that you repent, turn from your dishonest ways, and ask Jesus Christ to take charge of your life.

Second, to those who write to me asking for free Bibles and other Christian literature or money for your ministry, especially those of you in African nations, please note that the only free Bibles I give away are those Bibles in electronic form only that can be freely downloaded from http://eBible.org and associated web sites and those that my wife and I hand out in person to people the Lord leads us to do so with. Since you obviously have Internet access, please make use of this opportunity. Ask the Lord about what honest ways you can get a printed Bible, too, and if you are sincere, I have no doubt that He will answer. As for money for your ministry, we are already committed to give in ways the Lord has directed us, so we don’t really have anything to give out to strangers who send unsolicited email. Unless the Lord specifically directs otherwise, we don’t even answer such email requests (especially when they are mass-mailed).

Third, to those who want to sell me drugs by email, but lie about who they are and break the law in making their offers, I’m truly amazed that there are enough people stupid enough to take you up on your offers that you haven’t stopped trying, yet. Also, if you are advertising ways to enhance experiences that used to be taboo to discuss in mixed company or enlarge anatomical parts that really don’t need it, please stop. You are perpetuating lies about what really matters in such areas, and someone might actually believe you and suffer for it. Check out what the Scriptures say about marriage and proper relationships, and you may also see the keys to better physical relations that flow from better spiritual relations.

Fourth, to the pump & dump stock tip givers: may the FTC and IRS visit you soon, unless you repent, make good any unjust gain, and turn to Jesus Christ.

Fifth, to the phishers, pharmers, and liars seeking information for the purpose of theft: repent. Jesus Christ is merciful, but He does ask that you repent. That means stop doing evil and start doing what is right. He’ll help you to do that, too, if you ask Him to.

Sixth, to those who forward chain letters to us: please don’t. We don’t forward them. If it has good content (which a few actually do), we have probably already seen it. If it warns of a virus or some other evil, it is probably a hoax; and if it isn’t, we will have already been warned by some other more reliable and reputable means. If it promises riches, it is probably false. Email chain letters are really hard to kill. They mutate in the wild and keep coming back. Some email hoax chain letters have been circulating for decades.

I wish this little note worked as well as the notes on mailboxes in Australia.

I got to read Tom Sholes’ book, Rocks in my Backpack, before leaving the USA. I found out that he did, indeed mention me in his book and its associated web site, http://rocksinmybackpack.com, both by name and by photo, as he did many of the hundreds of boys (and girls) who had participated in his BSA troops and Explorer post. It wasn’t my solo arrival the morning after I was due back from an afternoon group hike that merited the mention, though, as I wondered out loud in my previous post. Mr. Sholes was nicer than that, although he did report several other death-defying incidents involving other boys.

I rate this book as definite recommended reading for anyone who is involved in scouting, including both BSA and Royal Rangers. There is wisdom that can be mined from the pages of that book.

By the way, the guy in the red nylon windbreaker and bell bottoms in the picture isn’t Nate. That also isn’t a scout uniform, but it was a scouting outing. I still like enjoying God’s handiwork like that.

Thank you, Tom Sholes, for being an excellent scoutmaster.