Introducing The Hannah Dance! Enjoy.
God Bless!
Ten Year Blogiversary Boot Camp
10 years ago
Monday, August 25, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Hey, Hey, Fay!
What a wonderful day! Fay is rolling across the Florida Panhandle and we are getting a much-needed steady rain. I expect it to last several days and keep most folks in for the weekend. That's OK, though, especially considered the recent simplification my life has undergone (check out my review of the Logitech Harmony remote). Now I have plenty of time inside to work on my Masters and start this new semester off right. Please pray for us as we continue to balance school, church, work, family, and extra-curricular activities. God Bless!
Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote Control
This review is way overdue, mainly because I waited so long before acquiring the coveted Harmony remote, the industry standard for unversal remotes. I didn't want to buy it myself due to the somewhat lofty pricetag, but I really wanted one nonetheless, so it wasn't until several years of pleading and my 31st birthday that "Harmony" finally made its way into our home.
To say it is great would be a grand understatement. A more precise description would be, "the single catalyst that caused me to reorganize a lot of our life at home and work." That may seem like too lofty a claim for any single device, yet I can point to empirical data as proof.
Yes, I replaced the five remotes it usually took to operate our entertainment center with this single, completely programmable, easy-to-setup and use device making the juggling act just to watch TV a thing of the past. With one press of a programmed button, my projector turns on and switches to the right setting, the A/V receiver does the same, and the DVD player turns on and begins playing the disc in the position last used. What followed was a surprise to me and Rachel. Now that we didn't have remotes scattered around and Harmony had secured a prominent home laying directly in front of my center surround speaker on the mantle, it seemed only appropriate to tidy up the rest of the family room. Bookshelves were straightened up and CD cases will soon be gone, considering each and every one now has a permanent home in another recent gift, a 400-disc Sony CD Jukebox. I ordered a third DVD album that will hold another 100 two-disc DVDs which will easily clear the rest of the stand-alone DVD cases into the attic where they belong.
The whirlwind of tidiness didn't stop with the family room. Rachel went on a normal trip to the commisary and returned to find that I had completely re-arranged our bedroom, cleaning it in the process. The re-arranged bedroom finally gave me the space to buy and put in place a cheap bookshelf for my grad work materials. Now that my books aren't lying all over the place, I have room on my ad hoc desk (a Lifetime plastic folding table) for the printer, laptop, speakers, electronic components, and a mouse! Even my office was effected. In the last week, I have successfully cleaned off, thrown away, and filed most of the mess that was on my desk - a feat that my co-workers would verify is way beyond my typical M.O.
What's next you may ask? Well, I can't be for sure, but I've had my eyes on several boxes in our garage for quite some time. It seems they may be happier in the attic and I'm sure the kids bedroom could use a quick glance by an efficiency expert.
Truly, this device has changed my life. Here's to Logitech, and their Harmony line of remotes. What is really bugging me though, is this: If this is the outcome from getting the entry-level model, what would happen were I to someday gain the top-of-the-line, all-color touchscreen, RF Harmony remote. I might discover a cheaper and safer way to travel to space and back. Perhaps I'll be given the secret to maintaining sock pair integrity (it's a technical term) through the laundry cycle. Or maybe I'll just be able to control all of my devices from anywhere in the house. Regardless, I recommend the Logitech Harmony 550 to anyone who is interested (at the very least) in finding the motivation to clean their bedroom.
God Bless!
To say it is great would be a grand understatement. A more precise description would be, "the single catalyst that caused me to reorganize a lot of our life at home and work." That may seem like too lofty a claim for any single device, yet I can point to empirical data as proof.
Yes, I replaced the five remotes it usually took to operate our entertainment center with this single, completely programmable, easy-to-setup and use device making the juggling act just to watch TV a thing of the past. With one press of a programmed button, my projector turns on and switches to the right setting, the A/V receiver does the same, and the DVD player turns on and begins playing the disc in the position last used. What followed was a surprise to me and Rachel. Now that we didn't have remotes scattered around and Harmony had secured a prominent home laying directly in front of my center surround speaker on the mantle, it seemed only appropriate to tidy up the rest of the family room. Bookshelves were straightened up and CD cases will soon be gone, considering each and every one now has a permanent home in another recent gift, a 400-disc Sony CD Jukebox. I ordered a third DVD album that will hold another 100 two-disc DVDs which will easily clear the rest of the stand-alone DVD cases into the attic where they belong.
The whirlwind of tidiness didn't stop with the family room. Rachel went on a normal trip to the commisary and returned to find that I had completely re-arranged our bedroom, cleaning it in the process. The re-arranged bedroom finally gave me the space to buy and put in place a cheap bookshelf for my grad work materials. Now that my books aren't lying all over the place, I have room on my ad hoc desk (a Lifetime plastic folding table) for the printer, laptop, speakers, electronic components, and a mouse! Even my office was effected. In the last week, I have successfully cleaned off, thrown away, and filed most of the mess that was on my desk - a feat that my co-workers would verify is way beyond my typical M.O.
What's next you may ask? Well, I can't be for sure, but I've had my eyes on several boxes in our garage for quite some time. It seems they may be happier in the attic and I'm sure the kids bedroom could use a quick glance by an efficiency expert.
Truly, this device has changed my life. Here's to Logitech, and their Harmony line of remotes. What is really bugging me though, is this: If this is the outcome from getting the entry-level model, what would happen were I to someday gain the top-of-the-line, all-color touchscreen, RF Harmony remote. I might discover a cheaper and safer way to travel to space and back. Perhaps I'll be given the secret to maintaining sock pair integrity (it's a technical term) through the laundry cycle. Or maybe I'll just be able to control all of my devices from anywhere in the house. Regardless, I recommend the Logitech Harmony 550 to anyone who is interested (at the very least) in finding the motivation to clean their bedroom.
God Bless!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Where were you tonight?
Yesterday, Michael Phelps' seventh gold medal arrived after arguably the most amazing finish of any race in history. Behind nearly an entire meter, he takes an extra stroke in the last second of the men's 100-meter butterfly to beat out Milorad Cavic from Serbia by .01 seconds - that's a hundreth of a second. To put it in perspective, the time in between Phelps' touch at the end of the pool and Cavic's is less than one-third the amount of time that a single frame is displayed in a typical movie. Wow. Phelps joined Mark Spitz as the only other Olympian to reach seven gold medals in a single olympic games.
Tonight's finish, although more "in the bank" - considering the Americans have never lost the 4x100m men's medley in 20+ years - was no less riveting. There was a short period during the second teammate's run performing the breastroke that it would be a photo finish - again, however Phelps built a terrific lead in the third leg, with his signature butterfly, to give Jason Lezak the steam and space he needed - clean water et al - to bring home an elite-eighth Beijing gold medal with 100 historic meters performing the freestyle. Yes, Phelps stands alone as the only Olympian ever to get 8 gold medals at a single Olympic games. He had already stood alone when he broke the 9-medal record for lifetime gold medals (he won 2 golds that day, by the way) and now he will only continue to push the bar higher and higher.
Rachel and I watched the finals on our older, 19" TV in the guest bedroom. In case you are wondering why I wasn't watching it on our 120" image from our projector, I have a good answer. Prior to picking up on the Olympics, I had been watching the very remarkable Saddleback Presidential Forum, hosted by Rick Warren, with Senators McCain and Obama. For some reason, the cable connection in my living room was not broadcasting CNN, so I was forced to watch this event on the smaller TV. Well, it didn't matter - my heart raced and somehow I felt the gravity of the event, just as much as if I had watched it on a Jumbotron. That seems to be the closest I've ever witnessed to "super-human". Certainly Phelps will somehow get his named turned into an adjective, adverb, verb, noun, etc referring to a feat beyond comprehension. Now wasn't that a phelpsian post?
In Him,
David
Tonight's finish, although more "in the bank" - considering the Americans have never lost the 4x100m men's medley in 20+ years - was no less riveting. There was a short period during the second teammate's run performing the breastroke that it would be a photo finish - again, however Phelps built a terrific lead in the third leg, with his signature butterfly, to give Jason Lezak the steam and space he needed - clean water et al - to bring home an elite-eighth Beijing gold medal with 100 historic meters performing the freestyle. Yes, Phelps stands alone as the only Olympian ever to get 8 gold medals at a single Olympic games. He had already stood alone when he broke the 9-medal record for lifetime gold medals (he won 2 golds that day, by the way) and now he will only continue to push the bar higher and higher.
Rachel and I watched the finals on our older, 19" TV in the guest bedroom. In case you are wondering why I wasn't watching it on our 120" image from our projector, I have a good answer. Prior to picking up on the Olympics, I had been watching the very remarkable Saddleback Presidential Forum, hosted by Rick Warren, with Senators McCain and Obama. For some reason, the cable connection in my living room was not broadcasting CNN, so I was forced to watch this event on the smaller TV. Well, it didn't matter - my heart raced and somehow I felt the gravity of the event, just as much as if I had watched it on a Jumbotron. That seems to be the closest I've ever witnessed to "super-human". Certainly Phelps will somehow get his named turned into an adjective, adverb, verb, noun, etc referring to a feat beyond comprehension. Now wasn't that a phelpsian post?
In Him,
David
Thursday, August 14, 2008
WATERMELON!!!
Well, it's DELICIOUS!!! Praise the Lord! We got something truly yummy from the garden! At least the first two picked were delicious. The larger two are still growing after the day of rain we had Tuesday and the vines seem healthy. They're going to be HUGE! The vines of the two we picked were failing to thrive, but the melon were the sweetest and yummiest I've had in a long time.
I've picked all of the red tomatoes, and as you can see, something else was interested in them, too! They also, have been very good! I am pleased!
Thank You, Lord!
My Baby Has Teeth!!!
I truly am in shock over it! She's just 6 months old. I know that's the average age babies get teeth and all, but I was 0 for 2 on the last two kids who didn't get their teeth till 9 1/2 and 11 1/2 months! I knew it was possible, just not probable. She's been pretty fussy and enjoys being held. She's not eating much baby food and her naps have left much to be desired. She's as cute as ever though!
Friday, August 8, 2008
As promised. . .
The Dark Knight review is posted. There is a spoiler alert appropriately placed - you've been warned!
God bless!
God bless!
The Dark Knight
I waited too long to see this film - and not just a few weeks. This is the presentation the public deserved in 1989. Yes, Tim Burton's Batman was an instant hit with terrific one-liners ("You ever dance with the devil in the pale moon light?" or "I'm Batman") and amazing visualization, however it did not deliver in the same way The Dark Knight delivered.
First off, I recommend anyone willing to review or critique this film start by disregarding the political undertones (thank you, Morgan Freeman) and realize the sheer gravity of the overall plot. There was a weightyness that pervaded every moment, constantly burdening me with a wierd sense of guilt - like there was something I did that brought about this devilry in Gotham! As citizens and principle characters got "off-ed" throughout the film I felt somewhat responsible. This is the true irony of the film in my mind and the thing that makes it unique to the very end.
(spoiler alert - do not continue if you have not seen the film and wish to do so)
In the end, the villain is no villain and the hero is no hero. Batman suffers from the guilt that his existence brought about the madness and I felt like I had to flee with him. As the plot unveiled its evil face, I knew, as did Batman, that it needed to get messy before it got better. I knew that some honest citizens would have to be killed. I knew that some who should have never seen the light of day would really need to survive. It's a twisted ploy by the writers and I almost feel sick that I had a part in it.
Perhaps, though, that is an indication of a truly amazing work of cinemetography. Suppose you left a movie and felt absolutely nothing from it - no joy, no sadness, no humor, no guilt - why did you go, then, in the first place? Certainly it wasn't to spend $20 on a baby-sitter, $15 on tickets, and $11 on some refreshments! No, you went because deep down inside you wanted to be moved - either because you wanted to be first, or because you wanted to be moved how everyone else was moved. If you spend all that money and have no desire for the inevitable emotional response, then I would recommend you spend your money a little more wisely! This movie will move you, whether you like it or not. The color will leave your face at times and breathless, you'll sit there wondering, "why do I really want to see this life ended?" If you don't want to be moved - don't see The Dark Knight or any other movie for that matter.
I guess that's it - that's all I'm feeling right now. I could go on about the special effects or the cast selection or Batman's new deep voice, but in the end, those things are superficial issues that we use to avoid discussing the real matters at hand. I strongly recommend this movie for anyone wishing to dissolve the previous Batman establishment from your memory (that is, those movies prior to Batman Begins yet following the Adam West Batman) and anyone else that wants to know where Christian Bale's line of the Caped Crusader leads.
First off, I recommend anyone willing to review or critique this film start by disregarding the political undertones (thank you, Morgan Freeman) and realize the sheer gravity of the overall plot. There was a weightyness that pervaded every moment, constantly burdening me with a wierd sense of guilt - like there was something I did that brought about this devilry in Gotham! As citizens and principle characters got "off-ed" throughout the film I felt somewhat responsible. This is the true irony of the film in my mind and the thing that makes it unique to the very end.
(spoiler alert - do not continue if you have not seen the film and wish to do so)
In the end, the villain is no villain and the hero is no hero. Batman suffers from the guilt that his existence brought about the madness and I felt like I had to flee with him. As the plot unveiled its evil face, I knew, as did Batman, that it needed to get messy before it got better. I knew that some honest citizens would have to be killed. I knew that some who should have never seen the light of day would really need to survive. It's a twisted ploy by the writers and I almost feel sick that I had a part in it.
Perhaps, though, that is an indication of a truly amazing work of cinemetography. Suppose you left a movie and felt absolutely nothing from it - no joy, no sadness, no humor, no guilt - why did you go, then, in the first place? Certainly it wasn't to spend $20 on a baby-sitter, $15 on tickets, and $11 on some refreshments! No, you went because deep down inside you wanted to be moved - either because you wanted to be first, or because you wanted to be moved how everyone else was moved. If you spend all that money and have no desire for the inevitable emotional response, then I would recommend you spend your money a little more wisely! This movie will move you, whether you like it or not. The color will leave your face at times and breathless, you'll sit there wondering, "why do I really want to see this life ended?" If you don't want to be moved - don't see The Dark Knight or any other movie for that matter.
I guess that's it - that's all I'm feeling right now. I could go on about the special effects or the cast selection or Batman's new deep voice, but in the end, those things are superficial issues that we use to avoid discussing the real matters at hand. I strongly recommend this movie for anyone wishing to dissolve the previous Batman establishment from your memory (that is, those movies prior to Batman Begins yet following the Adam West Batman) and anyone else that wants to know where Christian Bale's line of the Caped Crusader leads.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
With baited breathe
By this time tomorrow we will have seen The Dark Knight. It's been a few years since Christian Bale returned as Batman and I'm really looking forward to catching up with the caped crusader. Of course, there have been nothing but glowing reviews from just about everyone I know who's already seen it and just about every news source. I wonder how much of that is respect for the late Heath Ledger and how much is unbiased, critical analysis of yet another Hollywood attempt at re-molding the powerhouse cinema. I guess I will have to make up my own mind later tonight. I find it hard to believe Jack Nicholson's performance as Joker in Batman will be upstaged by any performance, yet everything I know so far seems to support that thought. We'll see and I'll be sure to share my thoughts in the "Reviews" portion of the website.
In other news, we've been thoroughly enjoying the produce from the garden. Last night I had some diced tomato and tonight I had the red bell peppers. Everything is wonderfully fresh and really a nice reward for the labor. Conversely, I'm a little saddened by the ease that my "lawn care specialist" had in eliminating 90% of my troubling dalisgrass (what I thought was crabgrass). After literally over a year of toiling on my own and buying every possible weed killer (including a too-effective stint with "Round-up") I get nowhere. After one treatment, my lawn is almost void of weeds and the grass is thicker than ever. Oh well. Some men were born great. Some do great things. And some give up and call Alabama Lawns to take care of it. I'm thinking about asking them to fix the CVs on my Jeep also.
God bless ya'll!
In other news, we've been thoroughly enjoying the produce from the garden. Last night I had some diced tomato and tonight I had the red bell peppers. Everything is wonderfully fresh and really a nice reward for the labor. Conversely, I'm a little saddened by the ease that my "lawn care specialist" had in eliminating 90% of my troubling dalisgrass (what I thought was crabgrass). After literally over a year of toiling on my own and buying every possible weed killer (including a too-effective stint with "Round-up") I get nowhere. After one treatment, my lawn is almost void of weeds and the grass is thicker than ever. Oh well. Some men were born great. Some do great things. And some give up and call Alabama Lawns to take care of it. I'm thinking about asking them to fix the CVs on my Jeep also.
God bless ya'll!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Burger King
Well, I would have certainly been the last person to believe that anything good could come from Burger King, but this time, I was wrong.
A few weeks ago, while David was waiting for his food (if you can call it that!), he decided to enter his name into the drawing they were having. Well, much to his surprise he won something! And a pretty cool something at that! He won an Ipod Nano. Well, since he already has a Sansa player for himself, and since the Nano was PINK, he graciously conceded his prize to his dear wife. (He might tell the story slightly differently, but nevermind that!) So, in his words I "looked funny" listening to my new pink ipod nano while I washed the dishes on Saturday after working in the garden in the hot Alabama sun! I'll let you be the judge.
Rachel
Hannah Day
She brings us so much Joy!!! I just wanted to share a little bit of her sweet spirit with you!
Love,
Rachel
There's a Baby in the Garden
Isn't she so sweet?!
Everything continues to grow. The tomatoes are beginning to turn from green to an orangy red, but something started eating the reddest one. So I have 5 just beginning to turn tomatoes in my windowsill, hoping they'll turn without getting eaten.
The peppers are just about done! They are turning a deep, brilliant red. I will post pictures when they are done. I think we'll have the corn for dinner this week. The silks are just beginning to turn brown.
After some vigorous weeding around the watermelon plants, they seem to still be doing well! I am inspecting the stems daily for signs of brownness, which means they're done, and am also thumping regularly. A couple "sound" done already, but I'm watching the stem to make sure.
Till next time!
Rachel
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