Bag of Randomness

There is so much wrong with this world. But at least football season is back in full swing. That game last night between Baltimore and Buffalo was a great way to end the first official Sunday of football.

If you spent any of your teen years in the Eighties or Nineties, seeing the MTV Video Music Awards air on CBS was a weird feeling. I mean, I didn’t watch it; football was on, but the idea for an antique like me is a little bewildering.

UNLV has a slot machine on the sidelines. My, how times have changed.

Speaking of bewildering, War.gov is a thing. That’s right, with the renaming of the  Department of Defense, Defense.gov now redirects you to the ominous War.gov. As a lover of American and presidential history, I thought you’d enjoy a little history lesson.

The War Department was founded in 1789 and was led by a civilian leader, Henry Knox. After independence, he became the last Secretary at War under the Articles of Confederation (1785–1789). When the Constitution kicked in and Washington took office in 1789, Knox was reappointed as the first Secretary of War under the new government. It’s worth noting that in 1798, Congress created a separate Department of the Navy, establishing the Secretary of the Navy. Why did the young nation make the Navy separate and independent? The War Department handled the Army and naval affairs. But the Army and Navy were vastly different. You have land forces vs seaborne forces, funding needs, and even officer corps culture and ranking systems. Congress at that time didn’t think one secretary could manage both. The catalyst was the Quasi-War with France in 1798. The U.S. suddenly needed a fleet to fight privateers, and Congress wanted a Cabinet secretary who was 100% focused on ships. And to a lesser extent, having an established Navy had a sense of prestige over the Army. Sail-powered ships projecting power abroad felt different than frontier forts. Congress loved the Navy’s independence. So, in 1798, they carved out a Department of the Navy. That’s how we ended up with two coequal Cabinet secretaries — one for land, one for sea.

Up until 1947, the Secretary of War (Army, Army Air Corps) and the Secretary of the Navy were on equal footing in the Cabinet. Both directly reported to the president. That fragmentation led to turf wars, budget disputes, and competition for influence, which wasn’t ideal for coordinating the war effort. Some argue it’s one of the things that led to Pearl Harbor, as it exposed the dangers of siloed commands.

Some of you may be surprised to learn that the Secretary of War/Defense is a civilian. Why is that? The U.S. has always been hypersensitive to military power. Civilian bosses over the services were meant to ensure the armed forces never operated as an independent political machine. It ensures democratic oversight, avoids military autonomy in policy, and prevents the armed services from becoming their own political blocs. That’s the U.S. design. Generals fight wars, civilians direct wars. Contrast that with, say, Germany in WWII, where generals were often running policy themselves.

And yes, that also means POTUS is also a civilian. The framers wanted civilian supremacy over the military, with no Caesars, juntas, or oligarchy. Article II makes the President commander-in-chief, but he’s elected and accountable to the people, not a uniformed officer. In fact, if a sitting general wanted to be President, he’d have to resign his commission first. That’s why Eisenhower gave up his five-star general status before taking office.

So, the Constitution designates the POTUS to give broad strategic direction (go to war, peace treaties, nuclear posture). The generals and admirals run the operational details. The Secretary of War/Defense, another civilian, acts as the in-between boss to make sure the brass stays in line with civilian leadership.

What led up to the name change in 1949, and how did the Army and Navy end up with equal footing in the Cabinet? As a senator in 1944, Truman was already calling for unification. He became Vice-President in January of 1945 and President in April 1945. As president, he pushed for and signed the National Security Act of 1947. The Department of War was renamed the Department of the Army. The Army, Navy, and newly independent Air Force are all folded into the National Military Establishment (NME). The NME didn’t last for long, as he then pushed the 1949 amendments that officially renamed it the Department of Defense and cemented the modern Pentagon system. That act created the first Secretary of Defense and placed him above the separate civilian service secretaries. And, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is also established to advise the President and SecDef, but not command forces. Additional reforms, such as the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, further centralized authority and emphasized joint operations across the services.

And here’s where the Truman reorg mattered. JFK was able to gather advice from a unified Joint Chiefs of Staff, filter it through Secretary of Defense McNamara, and weigh civilian versus military options. Without that streamlined Pentagon chain, the Chiefs might have freelanced harder. Instead, Kennedy had a clear picture of what “the military” wanted (air strikes/invasion) and could consciously reject it. Truman’s reorg made it so that the Pentagon would speak with one voice. That didn’t stop bad ideas, but it stopped generals and warmongers from running around Congress lobbying (like MacArthur tried).

Why was the word “Defense” deliberately chosen over “War?” In a world where nuclear weapons loomed and Cold War tensions ruled, Truman and his advisers wanted a posture of deterrence, not aggression. “War” is a far more measured term, reflecting Cold War sensibilities and deterrence over aggression. It wasn’t just PR, but also bureaucratic reform. It was about projecting unity and deterrence to the Soviets. One voice, one chain of command, with Truman saying, “We’re organized for peace through strength.”

So, what exactly did Trump do last week? Trump signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War, officially becoming a secondary title, with the Pentagon’s website switching from defense.gov to war.gov. He also styled Pete Hegseth as the “Secretary of War.”  It’s symbolic. Trump framed it as a return to raw strength, rejecting the “woke” vibe of “defense.” Critics, like myself, see it as militaristic posturing, while supporters call it a nod to historic American power. However, it didn’t undo the legal cement of the 1949 act. For a full reversal, actually eliminating the Department of Defense and restoring separate Cabinet-level War and Navy departments would require Congress to pass legislation. Trump basically slapped a new label on the building. The underlying wiring, the Pentagon structure, and the SecDef/War over the services haven’t been broken up.

I’m curious what else Trump might do. When it comes to the Pentagon seal, branding on DoD press releases, and ceremonial flag designs can be tweaked by executive order. This also makes me wonder if Trump is tempted to change the Presidential Seal. In 1945, Truman issued Executive Order 9646, altering the Presidential Seal so the eagle faced toward the olive branch of peace instead of the arrows of war. That change signaled a nation “on the march” yet seeking peace, not wanting to flex warlike claws. FDR kicked off the concept before his death, but it was Harry Truman who formally enacted it. There’s an urban myth that at times of war, the head of the eagle switches sides, but that’s pure B.S. 

This is the 1948 Presidential Seal with 48 stars. The second is the updated 1960 Presidential Seal with 50 stars. I guess it will change when/if Greenland and Canada are admitted as states.

I’m okay with any Cabinet member complimenting the First Lady, but to say “She of course is wiser than all of us” is just too much butt-kissing.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright: “I’m working every day on using AI to figure out how to cure cancer or launch fusion energy or understand dark matter. Our Defense Department is trying to figure out how to keep America safe. God bless the First Lady. She of course is wiser than all of us.”

[image or embed]

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) September 4, 2025 at 7:24 AM

I now want to root for Vanderbilt.

Posted in Personal | Comments Off on Bag of Randomness

Bag of Nothing

I wish I had something positive to report regarding the job hunt. Just keeping my head up and putting one foot in front of the other.

Do you remember the second child killed by the shark in Jaws? You shouldn’t; it was nothing special as he wasn’t even on the screen for a full minute. However, that minute has allowed him to retire on his earnings as an extra. He is regularly flown around the world to appear at fan conventions, for which he is paid $10,000 a pop.

It’s crazy how much we are devolving as a society, especially when it comes to science and health, specifically, vaccines. I got a letter from the school my children attend informing me of a chickenpox outbreak. And earlier on that day, I ran across this article:

Who are you? Dude, you are the friggin surgeon general of your state; your job is to literally protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of your state. If it weren’t for the health and safety of innocent children, I would follow the advice from the great documentary Airplane!.

The newest college football program in Texas is at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. And for a first-year program, the facilities sure look nice.

I don’t care if Michael Jordan attended UNC Chapal Hill or if it’s part of the Nike brand, placing a basketball player outline on a football is stupid.

It was nice to see an article on Axios Dallas about a forgotten part of Dallas Cowboys heritage, Crazy Ray. Though he was never on the payroll, the Cowboys gave him a parking spot and all-access credentials at Texas Stadium.

Wiser than all of us?

Energy Secretary Chris Wright: “I’m working every day on using AI to figure out how to cure cancer or launch fusion energy or understand dark matter. Our Defense Department is trying to figure out how to keep America safe. God bless the First Lady. She of course is wiser than all of us.”

[image or embed]

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) September 4, 2025 at 7:24 AM

I forgot how Jezebel died in the Bible.

In short, Jehu, who takes over as king, has Jezebel thrown from a window, and upon her fall, she is trampled by horses. Her blood spatters the wall, and dogs eat her body before she is able to be buried.

And people wonder why some individuals are hesitant to seek medical help.

Sutter Health fired multiple employees at its Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara after a TikTok video showed them mocking patients’ bodily fluids from gynecological exams.

Posted in Personal | Comments Off on Bag of Nothing

Bag of Randomness

The job hunt remains arduous. I’ve had a few interviews, and thought I’d update y’all on how times have changed, at least in my industry as a business analyst.

It seems that every interview involves some component of interacting with AI, and I’m not just referring to AI scanning a resume for keywords. For instance, earlier this week, a recruiter called me to ask me about an employment opportunity. Since I agreed to look at it, he sent me an email with the actual job description.

Since I agreed to move forward, I was asked to take a Feenyx assessment, which is basically an AI tool used by employers. This is how they describe their tool:

The recruiter went on to explain that they get a lot of fake candidates who create AI-generated profiles and then hire cheap labor overseas, so this is their way of preventing that. So, I thoroughly researched Feenyx to gauge others’ opinions about it. Perhaps it appears great from an employer’s perspective, but from a candidate’s perspective, many people have justifiable concerns.

First of all, they want a candidate to install an extension to their browser so that it can track their browser tabs and flags where they may have been using AI. This was a hard no for many people, stating, “Absolutely do not install anything on your personal computer from a potential or actual employer. It’s basically spyware.”

That’s a fair point. For instance, when I installed the plugin, it required permission not only to record audio and video, keystrokes, and the computer screen, but also to access my browser history. There’s no reason why a potential or actual employer should review my personal browsing habits, even if I have nothing to hide. It’s a huge violation of privacy. And if you’re thinking that using Incognito mode or Private Browsing is the answer, note that the tool was designed not to work in those modes. However, I found a decent workaround. I downloaded the Microsoft Edge browser and created a new profile. I then installed the extension only in that new browser, and once I finished the assessment, I deleted the extension, profile, and browser.

Now that I can access the assessment with their extension, I found more privacy issues. It asked me to scan a QR code with my phone, then use my phone to take a picture of both the front and back of my government ID (driver’s license), and scan the barcode on the back of my license. That’s a huge red flag for a lot of people, one person said, “These people are trying to steal PII (Personally Identifiable Information). In no shape or form is doing an initial assessment where you need to show your government ID, which can be stored and copied for a basic assessment.” That’s another fair point, but I went through with it because I’m desperate to find a job after being unemployed for two months. So, I’m at their mercy. After that, it asked me to take a selfie so it could analyze my face and compare it to the photo on my driver’s license.

Finally, it was time to take the assessment. I was asked to answer the following questions while looking into my webcam, as it was recording me and my voice. They were challenging, especially when compared to the BA job description. I showed these to other peers, and the consensus was that they’re more geared toward a senior product manager or DevOps strategist. Here they are:

1. You inherit a C2P backlog where Sales is pushing for a high-visibility feature, while Compliance is pushing a remediation item with unclear scope. In 3 minutes, explain how you would (a) prioritize these items, (b) make the trade-offs transparent to stakeholders, and (c) prepare the next two sprints.

2. You’re asked to introduce secrets scanning and SAST in CI without derailing release velocity. In 3 minutes, outline your rollout plan: pipeline integration points, gating/thresholds, exception handling, stakeholder engagement, and how you’ll measure impact.

3. Product wants CRM “screen pop” and call-disposition sync with a cloud contact center. In 3 minutes, walk through the functional and non-functional requirements you’d capture, the data flows/interfaces, and how you’d validate the solution.

4. The day before production cutover, a critical vulnerability is found in a core dependency. In 3 minutes, explain your decision process to ship, mitigate, or halt using the C2P framework. Include risk assessment, comms, rollback/canary strategy, and prevention steps.

One colleague told me this is designed to stress-test how a person thinks under pressure in real engineering/product situations. That they are essentially executive-level scenario drills, and they’re tough in the sense that:

  • They assume experience in Agile prioritization, DevSecOps practices, product integration, and incident response.
  • Each question is basically: “Show me how you think strategically, balance trade-offs, and communicate under pressure in 3 minutes.”
  • They were dropping you off in the deep end of the pool to see how you react.

He went on to say that most hiring teams know these are incredibly tough questions. They’re watching for:

  • Do you show structured thinking (step 1, step 2, step 3)?
  • Do you acknowledge trade-offs and risks rather than rambling?
  • Do you communicate like a partner to business, not just a coder/tester?

That’s enough to get a “green light” to move forward, even if the technical depth wasn’t perfect.

Oh, and if you are wondering how I did, the recruiter told me my score was “standard,” whatever that means.

Most of the world dials 112 for emergencies. So why did the U.S. end up with 911 instead?

Back in the late 1960s, when rotary phones were still the norm, “1” was the shortest pulse signal on the line — literally one click. Put two of those back-to-back (112) and you risked misdials or interference. That was something I had totally forgotten about – the occasional misdial on the rotary phone. The “9” took real effort to spin, which made it less likely you’d hit it by accident, and the “11” finished things off quickly.

That middle “1” also mattered. In U.S. phone systems, it signaled a special number (think 4-1-1 for information or 6-1-1 for repair). So 911 fit perfectly: fast, distinct, and easy to program.

Fun fact: Most U.S. cell phones will still recognize 112 today and reroute you to 911. And if you want a little telecom trivia, ask someone from Alabama or Alaska who was first to implement 911; both states still claim the crown.

I can’t tell if this is real or AI generated.

Sometimes, The Onion cracks me up with what they can come up with.

Death Of Chopped-Up Woman Ruled A Suicide

[image or embed]

— The Onion (@theonion.com) August 28, 2025 at 12:00 PM

How bad was the Micah Parsons trade? Here’s how one Packer fan reacted. First Luka, now Micah. This sports town is cursed with bad ideas; it’s like they are wearing Bad Idea Jeans.

But hey, here’s the Cowboys uniform schedule for the season.

Posted in Personal | Comments Off on Bag of Randomness

Bag of Randomness

I ran across something the other day that encouraged me to watch the 1986 movie Manhunter. It amused me while watching to realize it was one of the prequels to The Silence of the Lambs. Brian Cox, who is probably most famous for being the lead in HBO’s Succession, portrayed Dr. Hannibal Lecktor. And in case you were wondering, in that film, for whatever reason, Lecktor is spelled with a “K”.

I watched it on Amazon Prime. When the film was over, I just let the credits roll and got preoccupied online with something. To my surprise, Red Dragon from 2002 started to play. I wasn’t familiar with it, but noticed it was eerily similar to Manhunter. Well, that’s because after the success of The Silence of the Lambs, the studio decided to remake Manhunter with Anthony Hopkins reprising Hannibal Lecter. The title was chosen as it was the same one used as the book the film is based on. This time, Ed Norton played Agent Will Graham instead of the dude from CBS’s CSI. This film had a different approach to horror. It was less psychological and relied more on gore. There’s one scene with Ray Liotta that will “stick in my mind.” Phillip Seymore Hoffman also had a strong performance. Of course, it wasn’t as good as Lambs, but I was still highly entertained and appreciated seeing what else Hopkins could do with the iconic character. The film helped me realize something I didn’t catch from Lambs. Lecter used to help the FBI for years, tricking them into thinking he was a good guy.

At that point, I figured after watching those, I might as well rewatch The Silence of the Lambs since I was now very well versed with the backstory. And, like I do with every movie, I had to check out the trivia section on IMDB for all those films. Fun fact, in the iconic movie poster, what you think is a skull on the moth is really seven naked women mimicking a Salvador Dali artpiece (bare breast warning).

Here’s another one: The Silence of the Lambs won the “Big Five” Academy Awards at the 64th Academy Awards in 1992, a feat accomplished by only two other films in history: It Happened One Night (1934) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975). The film won for Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Demme), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Tally).

After that rewatch, I figured I might as well watch the sequel, Hannibal from 2001, to wrap up the movie franchise. Jodi Foster didn’t want to reprise her role as Clarice Starling for various reasons, so Juliane Moore did her best to fill in those big shoes. Gary Oldman contributed in a very unrecognizable role.

At this point, there was only one film left in the Hannibal Lecter franchise, 2007’s Hannible Rising. As you can guess from the title, it’s about how a young Hannibal Lecter became the monster he was, so no Anthony Hopkins. Good, not great, but it was nice to get a back story. Sadly, Gaspard Ulliel, the actor who played the young adult Lecter, died in 2022 in a skiiing accident.

Well, all that’s left to watch is the NBC series Hannible. It lasted three seasons, and there are 39 total episodes. It explores the relationship between Hannibal and Agent Will Graham in a unique way, before he was exposed as a serial killer, with storylines that intersect with and expand upon the events of the novels. For a show on NBC, it is surprisingly graphic and gory. Mads Mikkelsen plays Lecter, and Lawrence Fishborn plays the head of the FBI unit. He and the rest of the cast create their own unique version, which I think is a smart move. There’s no reason to try to imitate those Oscar-winning roles. They would never live up to it, so it’s better to make a different variation.

I continue to adjust to the Anglican church. Church members who will have a birthday or anniversary in the week ahead are printed in the bulletin or order of worship. After the homily (a short sermon compared to what I’m used to), they are asked to come to the altar for an individual blessing. Well, that was a first for me. Of course, I’m familiar with “a blessing” from what I’ve seen on TV and film, but not in the Anglican or Catholic way. It was “interesting” to have someone do the sign of the cross on my forehead, I think with either holy water or anointing oil. Just something different. And, I guess if I were looking for something different to do for my 50th, receiving my first birthday blessing would be unique. It’s nothing like climbing my first mountain on like I did on my fortieth, but it’s still something. When I walked into Sunday school, the whole class stopped what they were doing and sang me Happy Birthday. It was a good way to start my birthday week. Hopefully, I can find a job this week and won’t have to experience my birthday as an unemployed man going through a midlife crisis.

When I was part of the Baptist, Bible, and Presbyterian churches, people often brought their Bibles. Less so during my Presbyterian days, because of technology, I assume. But in the Episcopal church, it’s very rare for anyone to bring their own Bible. They either use what’s printed in the order of worship or what’s in the pews. In Sunday school, there’s a stack of them, and they are passed out. The priest teaching the class also spent his formative years in the Baptist church, and we both kind of laughed at how out of place we felt when we brought a Bible, and felt that we had to leave it at home. I don’t want to imply anyone was pointing out someone bringing a Bible; it was just us who felt out of place.

Well, the priest has a PhD in biblical languages, and he works full-time in Bible translation. He asked that we bring our Bibles as we go through this new series that’s focused on Luke, but he also wants to take the time to teach and discuss various translations. I’m familiar with most, as I once taught a Sunday school class many moons ago about what the difference is between the King James Version (KJV), the New International Version (NIV), the English Standard Version (ESV), the New Living Translation (NLT), and a few others. He showed us his version of the NET Bible. I was aware of that Bible from a friend in seminary about 20 years ago, but I thought it only existed online, as it’s full of translators’ notes. The priest informed us that it was intended to be an online only Bible, but many people pushed for a physical version. How full of notes is the NET Bible? Here’s an example. The green squares you see below contain Scripture; everything else you see is translators’ notes. Talk about lost in translation!

I thought this was a joke or an article posted on April 1st, but no. It’s almost heartbreaking for his fans.

John Williams finally admits he “never liked film music much” – The 93-year-old composer, who penned the themes to Star Wars, Jaws, and Harry Potter, doesn’t think much of film music.

Just ask 93-year-old John Williams, widely considered the greatest composer of film scores who ever lived, and who admits in a new biography, “I never liked film music very much.” Imagine how good the score to Harry Potter or Schindler’s List would be if he did. “Film music, however good it can be—and it usually isn’t, other than an eight-minute stretch here and there,” the five-time Oscar-winning composer of the theme to Jaws continues. “I just think the music isn’t there.”

Per The Guardian, biographer Tim Greiving, whose John Williams: A Composer’s Life will be published in September, was shocked to find out that Williams considered his life’s work “just a job.” However, he tempers that by saying we shouldn’t take Williams’ words at face value. Williams, he says, took the job of composing film music “as seriously as anyone in history ever has.”

 

Posted in Personal | Comments Off on Bag of Randomness