Jan 31
family, videos basketball, family No Comments
I was blessed to see my son Nathan play basketball this morning and he was awesome! Below is some footage from the game:
[viddler id=950dbca3&w=437&h=370]
(after viewing it online, I apologize for the volume levels. I tried adding some background music but set the volume too high. I’m such a noob!)
and you can visit my smugmug account to see some photos!
number of view: 42
Jan 30
apple, tech apple, imac, macbook, price comparisons No Comments
Ever get that hankerin’ for a new toy? I’ve been feeling the urge for a new MacBook, but gracious, I just don’t have $1500 to throw around. Still, it is fun to jump on-line and do the internet equivalent of window shop. Here are some interesting facts I found.
A new MacBook and a new 20 inch iMac are just about the same price!
A lower end aluminum MacBook starts at $1299. To the left, you can see that it comes standard with 2 gigs of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. It’s actually not a bad deal. It’s portable and light, has built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The only drawback is the entire lack of firewire! I’m still trying to figure out why Apple removed this feature! (maybe they are getting ready for USB 3.0)
The MacBook would make an awesome addition to my Mac family.
But then the greedy, Tim The Tool Man Taylor “more power” part of me takes over so I think it would be nice to have a brand new iMac. My brother in law has a 24 inch model and it is super sexy beautiful. I practically drool everytime I s
ee it!
At first glance, the 20 inch iMac is actually cheaper than the 13 inch MacBook. But the oberservant observer will also note that the 20 inch iMac only comes with 1 gig of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. The graphics card is much beefier than the MacBook. Of course, you lose the mobility of a laptop.
Being the techno geek that I am, I of course, would have to upgrade if I were either one of these beautiful machines.
This is where the pricing really levels off. After upgrades, the two computers are just about $25 apart!
After upgrading the MacBook to 4 gigs of RAM and the hard drive to 250 gigs, the total cost is $1549. I guess that ain’t so bad. The only other two items I would like would be a Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter ($29) so I could connect a bigger monitor to it, and a notebook mouse so I could navigate the computer easier.
There is the obligatory RAM upgrade, to 4 gigs. Since the iMac is a desktop, I’d like to have a 500 gig hard drive too.
I hate Apple mice. I’d buy a nice Logitech or something.
So, if anyone has an extra $1500 they want to throw my way, feel free!
number of view: 25Jan 29
Lost Lost, recap, television No Comments
I’m so glad that Lost is back on! What other show on tv to give you answers, only to make you ask twice as many questions. Love it or hate it, Lost is at the top of its game as episode 3 of season 5 premeired last night.
Normally I would copy and paste the episode’s recap from Lostpedia.com (which you can still find here), but my wife thinks it is jut too much to read. So instead, I have read dozens of blogs today and will bring to you all the juicy tidbits I found.
Jan 27
audio, humor, music christian metal, metal, music, sodom and america, XL and DBD No Comments
So I’m pulling out some old music and I run across XL and DBD’s Sodom and America. XL and whosy-whatsie you say? Imagine putting a rapper with a bunch of heavy metal dudes and you have XL and DBD (Death Before Dishonor). They released an album called Sodom and America in 1993 and it is still a favorite to listen to.
This album is on my iPod and it started playing the other day. A song entitled “Woman” came on and it just brought a smile to my face. It chronicles a story of a woman who starts living a “loose” life and ends up in a very bad situation. Listen below:
[audio=https://dl-web.getdropbox.com/get/Music/08%20Woman.mp3?w=844dec09]
I know a beautiful woman in her early 20′s – she thinks she ain’t worth a red cent
She looks in the mirror, but it couldn’t be clearer that she’s pretty but isn’t contentBut the way she lives and is so she gives herself to any guy gets hurt(?)
so she is lifting up her skirt for a jerk who don’t work now he’s gone and she feels like dirtAlways trying to be accepted don’t wanna be rejected so she tags along with the clique
cuz today Bobby Jones(?) on Cosmopolitan it seems she aint ever gonna fitSo I try to break it down for the woman it doesn’t matter how good she looks anyway
cuz I was reading in the Bible that it says all of us are fearfully and wonderfully madeWoman – your beauty is fleeting
Girl – your charm’s misleading
Woman – your beauty is fleeting
Girl – your charm’s misleadingI saw a beatiful girl walking down the hall with her school books in her hand
all the guys know her in an intimate way cuz she gives herself up to any manAs time goes on her lust grows strong and her mind starting to get real sick
cuz now she likes women and she got cold busted in the corner giving Lisa a kissNow she’s out of high school playing the fool cuz she’s a centerfold in a magazine
Making 10 grand a year it doesn’t seem clear why she’s in the porno video sceneOnce to tease now she aims to please at magazines made only for adults
She used to go to church now she’s living like dirt the high priestess of a satanic cultWoman – your beauty is fleeting
Girl – your charm’s misleading
Woman – your beauty is fleeting
Girl – your charm’s misleadingWhy don’t you just renew your mind and stop acting like a stupid little kid
But that won’t happen no that’s never gonna happen until you find out who Jesus Christ isNow sick and tired of pretty young ladies feeling like that ain’t worth trash
Doing anything just to feel accepted but they’re losing their integrity fastQuit trying to be what other people want and realize who you finally are
Cuz God is the One who made you woman and to Him you’re nothing but a starWoman – your beauty is fleeting
Girl – your charm’s misleading
Woman – your beauty is fleeting
Girl – your charm’s misleadingWhy don’t you just renew your mind and stop acting like a stupid little kid
But that won’t happen no that’s never gonna happen until you find out who Jesus Christ isWoman
Woman
Woman
Woman
Yeah, they just don’t write songs like that any more boys and girls!
I love the content of the song and the message it is trying to get across. I love the humor and the seriousness as well. Plus the guitar work is pretty good too!
The last song on the album is entitled Afrock and it is awesomely awesome.
[audio=https://dl-web.getdropbox.com/get/Music/12%20Afrock.mp3?w=5f2819bf]
I’ll just give you the chorus to this song and you can see why it is so great!
I’m a hardcore-afro-wearing-hip-hop rocker
NO SELLOUT! (x3)
I’ll bet you can’t find that in any other song!
number of view: 45Jan 23
If you know me, then you know that I am mildly obsessed with the most awesome show on TV, Lost!
Now, you can just watch every week and be a casual observer of the show, but Lost takes on a total new dimension if you have the right tools.
There are many, many great blogs and writers who have many, many great thoughts deeper than mine and explain the intricacies of the show on an entirely new level.
The first and foremost authority on Lost would be Lostpedia.com. I can literally spend hours and hours on that website. 
Start with one topic, say The Smoke Monster, and from there, you can jump to the Black Rock, and then move to Danielle Rousseau’s distress signal.
Lostpedia fleshes out the Lost canon and is updated by faithful viewers every week.
Besides Lostpedia, I listen to some podcasts on my iPod to get the most of my Lost obsession. These podcasts are a great way to learn more about the Lost episodes, and a great way to find out what I missed as I viewed the show. My favorite Lost Podcasts are:
I have run across two very good theories that might explain the story behind Lost.
There are many websites dedicated to Lost. Some are better than most. Here is a list of the few that I visit regularly:
Jan 22
Lost is back on! Life just got a whole lot mo’ betta!
I absolutely loved the first two episodes of Season 5! Way to start with a bang! So, let’s recap the first two episodes and see what we missed.
At 8:15 a.m., Pierre Chang wakes up at his home in Barracks, gives his baby a bottle before getting ready for the day as the record he puts on starts skipping. As Chang walks through the Barracks, a pregnant woman passes behind him. Inside one of the buildings, he begins shooting the second take of the DHARMA Initiative orientation video for the Arrow station, but is interrupted by a worker concerned about a problem at the Orchid. The worker leads Chang to the Orchid where men working underground have destroyed 6 drill heads trying to drill a seemingly impenetrable wall. Another worker tells Chang that there is an open chamber behind the wall, showing him a print-out revealing an image of the frozen wheel behind the wall. At this moment Chang discloses that there is an incredible amount of energy on the other side of the wall, almost limitless, and enough to make space and time travel possible. Chang tells the worker to do nothing more to the wall because infinite harmful energy could be released by doing so. As Chang leaves he bumps into another worker who is revealed to be Daniel Faraday dressed in a construction worker outfit.
The results of the “Island moving” have immediate effects for all the survivors left behind. After the white flash, Locke finds that Richard and the Others have vanished, and that it is now raining. Meanwhile, Juliet and Sawyer notice that the burning freighter has mysteriously vanished, finding Bernard and Rose who frantically report that the camp itself has also disappeared. Daniel Faraday arrives with those from the Zodiac boat, including Neil Frogurt, and explains that “The camp isn’t gone, It hasn’t been built yet”. Faraday tells everyone that they must go to something that was man-made on the island, and Juliet points out that the Swan station is about a fifteen minutes hike from the beach. Meanwhile, Locke witnesses the Nigerian Beechcraft plane crash onto the Island. Investigating the wreckage, he is attacked by Ethan. Though Locke tries to tell him the truth, Ethan does not believe him and prepares to shoot him. However, a white light flashes, causing time to shift again. Locke looks to see that it is now night, and the Beechcraft has fallen from the cliff edge.
The other survivors also find themselves in night on their trek to the hatch. Sawyer demands that Faraday explain what is happening. Faraday says that it would be too hard to explain to a quantum physicist, much less Sawyer. However, he concedes and tells them to imagine the Island as a record, only now the record is skipping due to what Ben Linus did at the Orchid station. As a result, the Island is now dislodged in time, with either the island moving or the survivors. Faraday suggests that it is likely that they are the ones moving.
The group arrive at the Hatch, which is still a crater, prompting them to conclude that they are in a time after Flight 815 crashed. Sawyer argues that they could change the past by stopping Jack and the others from launching the helicopter (which they believe crashed in the ocean). Faraday, however, is adamant that the past is like thread – one can move back and forth but cannot under any circumstance begin a new one. Meanwhile, Locke encounters Richard Alpert, who gives him a compass which he must give to Richard again in a different timeframe. He also tells John that the only way to save the Island is to get those that left back. In order to do that, Locke is told that he will have to die.
Another flash occurs and the hiking group find themselves looking at an undiscovered hatch. Sawyer repeatedly knocks on the back door, but nobody responds. Faraday reiterates that Sawyer cannot get to Desmond. After everyone else leaves, however, Faraday himself knocks on the door and manages to speak with Desmond. Faraday tells Desmond that he is uniquely special, and that only he can help them. He instructs a confused Desmond to seek out his Daniel’s mother in Oxford if he escapes the Island.
In 2007, Ben and Jack discuss their plan to find the other members of the Oceanic Six. Meanwhile, Hurley and Sayid arrive at a safehouse after Sayid killed a man spying on Hurley at the mental institute he resides in. However, the safehouse has been compromised, and Sayid battles several men. Though he manages to kill them, Sayid is shot with a poison dart rendering him unconscious. Hurley rescues him, and the two escape.
At an airport, on her way back to Los Angeles, Sun is confronted by Charles Widmore. Sun reveals her desire to kill Ben, a trait they seem to share. Meanwhile in LA, Kate is approached at home by a pair of lawyers, working for an unknown client. They seek to conduct a test to determine if Aaron is actually Kate’s child. Kate refuses to allow the test, and when the lawyers leave to enlist the help of law enforcement, Kate frantically packs bag, grabs Aaron and runs.
Back at the funeral parlor Jack asks Ben how everything happened, to which Ben replies it was because they left. They leave the parlor with Locke’s body in tow, where they discover that Hurley has broken out, hindering Ben’s plan to reunite the Oceanic Six. Finally, on a sailing boat with Penny in an unknown location, Desmond wakes up, remembering what Faraday told him. While Penny brushes off the experience as a bad dream, Desmond realizes that it was actually a memory. He sets off for Oxford to find Daniel’s mother.
| Storyline analysis in Lost |
|---|
| A-Missions • Crimes • Economics • Leadership • O-Missions • Relationships • F-Missions • Rivalries |
| Cultural references in Lost (direct references only) |
|---|
| Art • Books • Cars • Games • Movies and TV • Music • Philosophy • Religion and ideologies • Science |
| Literary techniques in Lost |
|---|
| Comparative: Irony • Juxtaposition • Plotting: Cliffhanger • Plot twist • Stock Characters: Archetype • Redshirt • Unseen character• Story: Flashbacks • Flashforwards • Regularly spoken phrases • Symbolism • Unreliable narrator |
| Unanswered questions |
|---|
|
On the Searcher, the Oceanic 6, Penny, Desmond and Frank discuss what to tell the world when they return to the main-land. Hurley tells Jack that their lie will be found out, whilst Sayid admits that it is a risk, and a decision that will affect the rest of their lives. Jack remains adamant that they must lie, and asks if they are all OK with it. Reluctantly, everyone agrees, except Hurley who believes that people will listen if they tell the truth. Jack tells Hurley that lying will protect the people left on the island from Charles Widmore. Penny tells Hurley that there is no calling her father off, and Jack says that no one will believe him. Sayid agrees that they have no choice, much to Hurley’s dismay. Hurley tells Sayid that he will remember this and that when Sayid needs his help one day, he will not get it.
Neil and Rose argue over the current cirumstances.
At the beach, the survivors gather wood in order to start a fire. Whilst Rose and Bernard bicker, Neil “Frogurt” approaches and tells them that they have bigger issues right now. Sawyer and Juliet discuss the Zodiac raft still being with them at this point in time. Juliet mentions that whatever they had with them when they moved is “along for the ride”.
Daniel returns to the beach, and is confronted by Sawyer and Juliet. Daniel lies about what he was doing in the jungle, telling Sawyer that he left his pack in the jungle. Juliet says that they should take the raft and head to a shipping lane, which Daniel immediately disagrees with, saying he needs to calculate a new bearing, and that in order to do that, he needs to determine where they are in time. Miles claims that he’s going to find something for people to eat, whilst Juliet looks on skeptically.
The beach camp, after the unexpected attack.
At night, Bernard is still attempting to get a fire going, whilst the other survivors wait impatiently, especially Frogurt. Charlotte says she has a headache still and states that she forgot her mother’s maiden name earlier, a fact that Daniel doesn’t seem to find odd. Charlotte asks if he knows what’s happening to her. Miles strolls out the jungle with a dead boar, saying he found it. Frogurt begins to insult the survivors about their current predicament, and is shot with a flaming arrow. Suddenly, the camp is set upon by a rain of fiery arrows. The survivors begin to run for the trees, with both Miles and Sawyer narrowly escaping. As they escape, several other survivors are shot down.
Jones threatens Juliet
Later on, Sawyer and Juliet trek through the jungle to meet up with the others. They hide as they see figures walk by in front of them, figures they don’t recognize. As they debate their identity, they are grabbed by a group of men who want to know what they’re doing on “our island”. One of the men asks them about how many of them there are, and how they got there. He threatens to cut Juliet’s hand off whilst Sawyer attempts to reason with him. Suddenly, two of the men are knocked out, and Juliet grabs one of their guns. Just as Sawyer is about to be killed by one of the men, a knife flies through the air and kills the man. Locke reveals himself to the group.
Ana Lucia’s ghost instructs Hurley on his next moves.
Hurley drives an unconscious Sayid somewhere safe after the events at the safe-house. He attracts the attention of a police vehicle by hitting a trashcan on the curb and he anxiously pulls over. As the police officer approaches the window, Hurley opens it and realizes it is Ana Lucia. She scolds him for pulling over and driving like a maniac. She asks Hurley what he would have done had she been a real cop, especially because there are pictures of Hurley covered in blood with a gun in his hand. She instructs him to get some more clothes and then to take Sayid to someone he trusts. Advising him to stay away from cops and not get arrested she turns to leave, but pauses and nonchalantly tells him that Libby “says hi”. Hurley looks behind and realizes there is no sign of Ana Lucia, or a police car. Hurley starts the engine, and drives off.
Hurley is recognized as an Oceanic Six.
Later on, Hurley attempts to revive Sayid on his own, but to no avail. He takes some cash off Sayid and walks into a gas station where he buys some new clothes for himself. The girl at the cash register says she recognizes him, and Hurley sees a report on the TV screen behind her about him and the murdered people that Sayid killed at Santa Rosa and the safe-house. Hurley says that she’s got him mixed up with someone else, but she claims that he’s the guy who won the lottery and crashed in that plane. Hurley leaves quickly and drives off.
As Hurley pulls out of the gas station, Kate pulls in. Not knowing what to do, she contemplates phoning Jack, but thinks better of it. Her phone begins to ring however, and she answers it to a person we cannot hear. She expresses relief that the person is in LA, and they agree on a place to meet. When Aaron asks where they are going, Kate responds “to see a friend”.
Sun shows Kate a photo of Ji Yeon.
Kate takes Aaron to a penthouse of a large hotel where they meet Sun. Sun shows Kate pictures of Ji-Yeon and states that she’d like Aaron and Ji-Yeon to play together. Kate tells Sun about the lawyers who came to visit her asking about testing her and her “son”. Sun tells Kate that they weren’t interested in exposing their lie, they just wanted Aaron. Sun tells Kate that she needs to do what she must to take care of Aaron, and that she didn’t rescue Jin from the freighter like she said she would. Kate apologizes, but Sun says she doesn’t blame her for what she did. She asks Kate how Jack is.
Ben and Jill discuss Locke’s corpse.
In a hotel room, Ben is seen taking something out of a vent space, and placing it in his bag without Jack noticing. He tells Jack that he flushed his pills down the toilet, to which Jack responds that he was going to do the same thing. Ben tells Jack to go home and pack anything that he wants “in this life”, because he won’t ever be coming back. “Good” Jack replies. Ben says he’s going to keep Locke’s body safe. Jack asks Ben why he needs to keep Locke’s body “safe” if he’s dead. Later on, Ben arrives at a butchers and begins talking to a woman named Jill. She seems to know who he is, and seems to know that he has Locke’s coffin in his van. She comments that everything is moving “right on schedule”. Ben tells Jill to keep Locke’s body safe, or everything they’re about to do, won’t matter at all.
Hurley and David look at Sayid’s unconscious body.
David Reyes is at his mansion, watching an episode of Exposé, when Hurley arrives carrying Sayid on his back. David claims that Sayid is barely breathing. Hurley tells him what happened, but David believes he’s lying to him. The LAPD arrive at the mansion, and David tells them that he hasn’t seen Hurley. Hurley doesn’t give much away when question by his father, but tells him they can’t go to a hospital, and Hurley says he has an idea. Hurley notes that the police are staking out the mansion, and David asks his son if he in fact, is crazy. Hurley tells him he has a good reason to lie. Carmen Reyes returns home, and tells Hurley that Sayid is not breathing. As Carmen asks Hurley what is going on, David leaves the house in his car, nervously waving at the police as he drives past. Hurley tells his mother all about the island, the whole truth and breaks down. She comforts him and says she doesn’t understand it, but she believes him. David meets up with Jack and asks if he can trust him. David shows Jack that he has Sayid in the back of his jeep. Jack wants to know who’s with Hurley at the mansion, and takes Sayid to a hospital. David tells Jack to stay away from Hurley. At the hospital, Jack rings Ben and tells him that Sayid has shown up. Ben looks worried about this. Jack treats Sayid, who awakens and attacks Jack. When he realizes who it is, he calms down and expresses anxiety about where Hurley is and who is with him.
Ben shows up at Hurley’s house. much to Hurley’s surprise.
Back at the mansion, Ben scares Hurley by appearing at his house. Hurley doesn’t trust Ben, but Ben attempts to persuade him to come with him, saying that he’ll take Hurley to Sayid and Jack. He tells him that he can help him, and get him back to the island where he won’t have to lie anymore, where it’ll all be over. Hurley thinks about it for a moment, before running out the front door and turning himself in to the police outside, telling them to get him away from the house, where Ben stands and looks on as Hurley smiles.
Ms. Hawking writes out several equations on a chalkboard.
Ms. Hawking warns Ben
Later on, a hooded figure is seen in a strange room with computers and a large board on which she writes various equations. A pendulum can be seen in the background, tracing with a chalk on a large map. The figure appears to be working out the co-ordinates of the island. The figure goes up some stairs into a room where we see Ben lighting some candles, similarly to a church. Ben is told he only has 70 hours, to which he says he needs more. The figure is revealed to be Ms. Hawking. She states that if Ben can’t get all the Oceanic 6 back on the island, then “God help us all”.
| Storyline analysis in Lost |
|---|
| A-Missions • Crimes • Economics • Leadership • O-Missions • Relationships • F-Missions • Rivalries |
| Cultural references in Lost (direct references only) |
|---|
| Art • Books • Cars • Games • Movies and TV • Music • Philosophy • Religion and ideologies • Science |
| Literary techniques in Lost |
|---|
| Comparative: Irony • Juxtaposition • Plotting: Cliffhanger • Plot twist • Stock Characters: Archetype • Redshirt • Unseen character• Story: Flashbacks • Flashforwards • Regularly spoken phrases • Symbolism • Unreliable narrator |
| Unanswered questions |
|---|
|
Jan 18
family, humor, videos No Comments
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpw8fesZ_xM]
We spent the nice sunny afternoon outside shootin’ hoops and being pulled by our sled dog, er, wannabe sled dog! Lucy just has so much energy that I had to see if I could put it to good use. Doesn’t look like we are moving fast, but she was pulling me a good 10-12 mph! And of course, the kids were too chicken to try!
number of view: 30Jan 15
movies, videos appaloosa, dvd review, movies, westerns No Comments
I’ve never been a big fan of western movies. Sure, I loved the Young Guns movies of the 80′s but that was about it.
A few years ago a remake of 3:10 To Yuma was created and I absolutely loved it. Great story, great character development, great everything! I tried catching up on some western’s that I had missed, like Tombstone and The Unforgiven. I was so glad to find another genre of movies that I liked.
Ed Harris’ Appaloosa was released to DVD this week, and I bought it right away. I eagerly popped it in my laptop and fired it up…..
….and was still waiting for some action two hours later. There were about 3 gunfights and that was about it.
I know Harris strived for authenticity, and that is to be commended. Even when guns were fired, the sound wasn’t embellished and the fights were over very quickly. I can appreciate that. Absolutely everything looked authentic. (Except for Renée Zellweger. Is that a fat suit on her face? Her face looked uncomfortably swollen.)
This was a good movie, but not what I was expecting. Part of my problem might be that I will always have Ed Harris typecast as Robocop and will always have Viggo Mortensen typecast as Aragon from LOTR.
Check out the trailer below:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw1XFu-mFVk]
number of view: 29Jan 12
audio, music, videos christian metal, hair metal, murder by pride, stryper No Comments
[viddler id=c4508100&w=437&h=392]
Jan 08
tech, www blogs, google, google reader, greader, rss No Comments
I’ve been using Google Reader for a while now. I even wrote a blog entry about it a while ago. So I was surprised that I found a feature that has been there all along and I just never noticed!
I can make a web page displaying all the blogs I subscribe to. Pure and simple! I updated the *BBB page of my blog to show this coolness.
Read below:
I love to write blog entries. I love to read great blogs even more (Google Reader is my RSS reader of choice). Below are some blogs that I scan most everyday. This page will be a work in progress, so check back in to see the changes. [UPDATE as of Jan 8, 2009! I just realized that I can make all the blogs I subscribe to in Google Reader public! Got to the bottom of this page to see them!!]
Here is a complete list of all the blogs I read daily in Google Reader, grouped by topic:
Recent Listens:
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon
delicious
Digg
Last.fm
Youtube
![Why California Won't Legalize Pot [GRAPH]](http://cdn3.diggstatic.com/story/why_california_won_t_legalize_pot_graph/t.png)
![Navigating The Worst Type of Workplace Conversation [COMIC]](http://cdn2.diggstatic.com/story/navigating_the_worst_type_of_workplace_conversation_comic/t.png)
![Navigating The Worst Type of Workplace Conversation [COMIC]](http://cdn3.diggstatic.com/story/navigating_the_worst_type_of_workplace_conversation_comic_2/t.png)
![The Evolution of Fictional Characters by Medium [COMIC]](http://cdn2.diggstatic.com/story/the_evolution_of_fictional_characters_by_medium_comic/t.png)
![Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]](http://cdn1.diggstatic.com/story/top_10_twitter_trends_this_week_chart_13/t.png)
User