When artists do good...

In my post yesterday, I mentioned the folk artist Ingrid Michaelson and my review of her debut CD. I have just posted a review of her latest CD Be OK. This will not be the greatest CD that you've ever owned, but it is what the CD benefits that is significant. A portion of the proceeds from each sale go to support Stand Up To Cancer. Most of you know the significance the cancer has had for many in my family. It meant a lot to me that an artist that I like did something to support cancer research. When we hear of so many celebs in the news for all the wrong reasons (Britney anyone?), you have to acknowledge someone for doing something positive. I thought was something nice to share with you during the holidays. Enjoy.

Until next time...
PH

Scattershooting Sunday

In other words, it's time to play some catchup. Christmas has come and gone, and it was a nice one this year. We had a nice music program Christmas Eve at 4:15 followed by services at 5:00 and 7:00. Christy wrangled the music program, and it turned out really well - especially considering that it was the first time Holy Shepherd had done one. Pastor Bramich then had a good sermon Christmas sermon at the 5:00 service.

Afterward, we headed over to Brother Robert's house for food and the traditional gift exchange. It was great to see everyone again, and we had a great time. Here are some pictures from the gift exchange.

Granny got Damon's handmade tank piggy-bank

Brother Robert is bummed that his B&N gift card got swiped on the final play

Then, we celebrated Christmas Day with Christy's parents. We started by exchanging gifts, but then the focus quickly turned to food. While we didn't have Christmas Dinner, Christy and Jeri were busy in the kitchen most of the day with other goodies - pie and cookies, of course! We then had a nice steak dinner that Okey and I enjoyed with a glass of red wine. Here are a couple of pictures from Christmas morning.

Christy and her new earrings from Damon

There's a new Clone Trooper in our house

I've also reviewed a couple of Vine items over the break. Check out my write ups on Ethics for the Real World and Back to Nature's Summer Berry Blend Cereal. I used to think that food items would be difficult to review, but they are actually pretty easy. I've got quite a backlog of books going so look for a few more reviews to come in the weeks ahead. In addition, I've written up a couple of folk CDs as well. Check out Ingrid Michaelson's CD Girls And Boys and Melody Gardot's CD Worrisome Heart. They are quite different, but I liked them both.

In other news, I am now on Facebook as you may notice by the link to the right. It's a social networking site more focused on quick updates and keeping in touch than the longer posts that you will see on Philip's Corner. I plan to keep both active so don't feel obligated to register for Facebook if that is not your thing.

Until next time...
PH

More Fun...

If you've been watching NBC this fall, you have no doubt seen various cast members "chime in". Here's my favorite from a couple of guys from my favorite show:



Enjoy!

Until next time...
PH

Better Late Than Never...

Since last night's Cowboys' game was such a downer, let's rewind a week to the game against the Giants. Dad took me to the game (Thanks!), and it was great to be there. First, I can certify for you that the cold front moved through Irving at about 9:30 p.m. that night. It was about half way through the third quarter, and it was then that I noticed that I went from about to break a sweat to thinking a jacket would be nice. When I got back to my car to head home at about 12:00 a.m., the thermometer read 34 degrees! Only in Texas...

Besides the great game and the weather, the other thing that I will remember from that night is drunk people. We had a row of them in front of us. While they did not cause problems, they were interesting to watch. But wait there's more. Our shuttle had finally come to pick us up, and we were safely on board pulling out of the parking lot when this guy flagged our shuttle to stop. He was not supposed to be on our shuttle, but then neither were the majority of the other people. This guy, however, was stinking drunk. After asking a few times if we were going to Dallas, he finally asked to be left off at a gas station since we were headed to the north side of Irving. Oddly enough, the rest of the stowaways decided not to press their luck any more either. It's like Jim Morrison said, "People are strange..."

I took a lot of pictures this time on my Canon rather than my cell phone. As you might imagine, they turned out a lot better. Here's a sampling...

T.O. during warm up

Offensive Huddle

A bit fuzzy, but yes, that's Madden and Michaels

What we now know to be the final victory at Texas Stadium

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Reward Systems

Isn't it a great time of year? I just finished my last work day for the year, and I'm looking forward to spending some time catching up on things so stay tuned for a variety of topics in the days to come.

For today, submitted for your approval is my review of Reward Systems: Does Yours Measure Up?. It has been another good book from Vine that has direct application for me at work. While I enjoy the fiction books, getting additional work resources is a real bonus.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Coosh Headphones

Howdy, folks! If you're in the market for a decent pair of headphones that isn't going to break the bank, you might be interested in the Coosh Headphones that I got from Vine last month. Check here for details.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Roundup

I have a backlog of Vine items that I have reviewed over the last couple of weeks, but I haven't had a chance to let you know about them. Here's the lowdown:

1. Audio Book - The Dog Says How by Kevin Kling. This is a collection of stories narrated by the author that I really enjoyed. Follow the link for details.
2. You've already heard about Plugged In. Click here for the scoop.
3. Finally, I got around to reading the legal drama, A Cure For Night by Justin Peacock. I read it during our trip this week, and posted my review at the hotel last night.

I'm caught up now for about a day, but I have three more books and a set of headphones on the way that will start arriving Monday. More on these later.

Until next time...
PH

Saturday on the road...

Here's a little moblie blogging for your Saturday reading. We've just crossed into Oklahoma after driving the entire stretch on I44 from St. Louis. If the businesses along the highway are any indication, Missouri's economy is fueled by fireworks and porn. Missouri's founding fathers must be proud.

Until next time...
PH

A Thanksgiving to Remember

This Thanksgiving has been one that will stand out in my memory for many years to come.  Last Thursday, Mom called after 10 p.m.  As you may expect, it was not a call of good news.  Granny had fallen and broken her hip about a week prior.  She had had surgery on Tuesday the 18th, and she had just returned to the nursing home in Winamac, IN earlier the evening of the 20th.  However, her lungs had taken on fluid, and she passed later that night just under a month after her 98th birthday.

With the funeral set for the 26th and the viewing on the 25th, we made our travel plans.  We set out on the 22nd for Hot Springs Village to break up the drive from DFW and to spend a couple of days with Christy's parents.  We had a quick, but nice two day visit with them before leaving for Winamac the morning of the 24th.

We arrived at Mom's around 9:30 that night.  Weary from the road, we did little more than walk the dogs and go to bed.

Many of you know that Christy plays the clarinet, but she did not bring hers with us on the trip.  Mom had forgotten to mention it before we left, but it was obvious to Christy that having some special music at the funeral would mean a lot to Mom.  She made a few calls, and found a place to rent a clarinet a couple of towns away.  We made a 45 minute drive through the snow covered countryside to Plymouth where we rented a clarinet from a friend of my stepfather, Bill.  Christy played three pieces at the funeral, and she played in top form.  I was glad that she was able to do something special for Mom.  You only hold a funeral for someone once.

The Pastor from the Lutheran Church in Rochester officiated the funeral services, and he gave a fine sermon.  It centered on the question, "What happens when you die?"  He used many passages of comfort from the gospel to assure the family that Granny was now in heaven.  However, he also made it clear that unbelievers have no such comfort.  It was an excellent balance of law and gospel.

Later that afternoon, Christy planned Thanksgiving dinner with Mom.  While she and Mom went to the store, Bill and I took the clarinet back to Plymouth.  Many thanks to Bill and Janice Wagoner of Wagoner's Music Shop.  Although they had stopped doing rentals years ago, they made an exception for us.

The next day, Christy cooked a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner for us as Mom was ill and fairly worn down from the events of the past week.  We had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and many other great dishes.  For two days in a row, Christy made Mom's day (and mine).

Today, we left after lunch, and we've stopped in St. Louis for the night.  We'll make the rest of the trip tomorrow.  Kassie and Rocket (our dogs for those who don't know them) are spending their first night in a "people hotel".  It will have been quite a week, but it is one that we will all remember for a long time to come.

Granny had lived what all would consider to be a full life.  She had just celebrated her 98th birthday on October 27.  We will miss her greatly, but we also take comfort in knowing that we will see her again in heaven.

Until next time...

PH

Amazon Review: KT Tunstall's CDs

I realize that I am a bit late to the game on this one, but KT Tunstall is an artist that I learned about through Amazon's "recommendations" feature based on other music that I own. She has released three CDs so far, and all I've been listening to them for about a month and a half now. Her first CD Eye To The Telescope (review here) is folk with additional layers while her Acoustic Extravaganza (review here) is a more stripped down pure folk recording. I liked both of these a lot. Her most recent effort Drastic Fantastic (review here) takes a slightly different path. I still liked it, but people who like artists to be more consistent in their sound will probably not. A lot of her music is catchy, but she also has some lyrics that are more abstract and make you think. If you like female singer songwriters, her CDs are worth a listen.

Until next time...
PH

A step forward in car maintenance

Most of you know that I have been driving a Honda Civic for a few months now, and it continues to be a real performer on gas mileage (and that was the goal!). Even though the price of gas is half of what it was, that just means it is that much more economical.

However, Honda has done something that makes your overall cost of ownership even better. As long as car manufacturers have had computers in cars, I'm surprised that it is in 2008 that I've first seen this feature. Honda has what they call a "Maintenance Minder". In essence, the computer monitors the major components of the car, and it calculates when it is time for maintenance and what exactly needs to be done.

In contrast, every other car I've had came with a preset schedule of what to do when. While based on averages, how many cars are truly due for an oil change at exactly 3000 (or whatever magic number) miles? The Civic keeps track of oil life and tracks down from 100%. When it reaches 15%, the "Maintenance Minder" alerted me that it was time for an "A1" service - oil change and tire rotation. Based on my driving pattern (lots of highway commuting) this happened at about 7200 miles! Most other maintenance schedules would have called for two oil changes by this point.

It's just one of those things that just "makes sense". Why haven't cars been telling us when they need maintenance and what type sooner? Hopefully other car makers will follow suit because I see this as a way to save money and get optimal performance out of a car.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: The Impulse Factor

Greetings one and all! Forgive the recent lack of posts, but between work and a backlog of reading I haven't had a lot of free time (although I do have three weeks off between now and the end of the year). However, I've completed one of my recent Vine books, The Impulse Factor, and my review is now up. October was a good month as I was able to pick up three books that will be helpful at work. Yesterday I started on Plugged In: The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work. I am scheduled to have a college grad start on my Team in January, and Y's are going to be joining the workforce in great numbers in the years to come. So far it seems like a good read.

Until next time...
PH

October Vine Leftovers

This month I opted for a couple of work related books when the leftovers came out about a week and a half ago. After finishing The Dracula Dossier, I have turned my attention to The Impulse Factor. It is a book about decision making and the benefits and drawbacks of impulsive tendencies. So far it has been pretty interesting.

My other selection was Plugged In: The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work. Though I am not in Generation Y, I do work with (and will soon manage) people in this age group. The book also makes comparisons to X-er's and Boomers so I thought it would be a good all around reference on generational differences in the work place.

Until next time...
PH

More Bicycle Strangeness

I mentioned earlier that I had begun seeing kids talking on cellphones while riding their bikes. Today I saw something completely different, but I still found myself shaking my head. While you may think of bikes and fitness going together, this couldn't have been more the opposite. As I was leaving Target this afternoon, her comes an older guy riding his bike. I wouldn't have thought anything of it except for the cigarette hanging from his mouth. This just seems like a recipe for falling over dead between the exertion of riding and the added strain of smoking. It brought back images of the Saturday Night Live skit from long ago where John Belushi was running while smoking and eating donuts. It just goes to show that you never know what you'll see when you step out your front door each day.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: The Dracula Dossier

I have just finished reading The Dracula Dossier by James Reese, and my review is hot off the press. It is not for everyone, but if you like the thriller/horror genre it's worth a look. However, don't be misled by the title. There is no mention of Dracula or vampires in the novel at all. Reese's writing suggests in footnotes how Jack the Ripper might have influenced Bram Stoker's writing of Dracula, but that's the extent of the tie in.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Logitech Squeezebox Boom

In the year plus that I've been in Amazon Vine, I've come across so pretty cool stuff. However, the Logitech Squeezebox Boom is truly a WOW product. You have probably gathered that music is a pretty big deal to me based on all of the CD reviews that I've posted about, and both of the Squeezebox products that I've used have made it easier to enjoy. I would expect that many teens will have this on their Christmas list this year.

Until next time...
PH

October on the Vine

The first offering from Vine for October presented a couple of vary different treats. I will be expanding my wireless music system to include the Logitech Squeezebox Boom. You may remember seeing my review of the Logitech Squeezebox Duet earlier this year, and the "boom" will complement this system nicely. It's due to arrive by UPS tomorrow so stay tuned (pun intended) for more in the days to come.

From the category of night and day different comes The Work From Home Handbook. This was a nice, quick read, and my review is up for your viewing pleasure. If you are curious about telecommuting (part time or full time), this is a good place to start for more information.

Until next time...
PH

Tire Pressure and the Weather

Yesterday morning was the first extra cool morning this fall, and I didn't really think much of it at first.  However, as I was leaving for church yesterday morning, I noticed that I had a warning light on my dashboard as I was heading out of the neighborhood.  It was from the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) on the Civic.  I was fairly certain that the drop in temperature was the culprit so I dropped by the local QT station to check the tire and make use of their free air pump.  

I was rather surprised at what I discovered.  Rather than one of the tires being low, all four were 6-8 lbs. below the 32 lbs. that they should have held.  I was in effect driving on about 2 1/2 tires worth of air pressure.  However 10 minutes at the QT put things back in order quickly.  No big deal.

Well, the big deal to me was that in the past I would have never known that the tires were low.  They didn't visibly "look" low.  This is the value of having a TPMS.  Our Nissan Quest also has one, and I would guess that it is a pretty common feature on newer vehicles.  However, if your vehicle does not have one of these, it would be a good idea to check your tires after a drop in temperature.  It's just one of those many things that is easy to forget about.

Until next time...

PH

Amazon Vine Review: Sea of Poppies

Just a quick entry this evening. It took the better part of three weeks, but I finished Sea of Poppies yesterday at lunch. I found it to be a challenging book, but ultimately one that I was hooked (no pun intended) on by the time I finished it. See my review for the details.

Until next time...
PH

Kids, Bikes, and Cellphones

I have noticed something recently that I find troubling.  Saturday morning, I was leaving my neighborhood, and I noticed a kid (about 12 or 13) riding his bike while talking on his cellphone.  It made me think back to something that I had considered a fluke a few weeks ago.  That time, I was coming into my neighborhood, and I was almost home.  Then I had to honk at a kid who was flying down his driveway and pulled out right in front of me.  It was to my dismay that I noticed that he was staring at the ground talking on his cellphone.  If I had been a few seconds earlier, I would be talking about hitting the kid on his bike rather than just scaring him with a honk of the horn!

Much has been made about the dangers of talking on your cellphone while driving.  I would say that it is just as dangerous for kids to be doing so on their bikes.  Are your kids doing this?  Are you sure?  Make sure they know the dangers.

Until next time...

PH

Amazon Review: iPod Shuffle and More...

I had mentioned earlier that I had recently picked up an iPod Shuffle.  I've been using it for a couple of weeks ago, and I've posted a review on Amazon with the results.  I had also been in the market for a set of in-ear earbuds because the ones that come with mp3 players tend to fall out when jogging.  To remedy that, I've been using a pair of Skullcandy Buds Ink'd Earbuds, and I also have a review of these up as well.  Enjoy.

Until next time...

PH

Alarm System Scam

Today's topic is not a lot of fun, but I need to let you know about an attempted scam that came our way earlier this week. Someone from Northstar Alarm came by, and they did almost verbatim what you can read here. The guy was only going to be in our neighborhood that day, and he wanted me to sign up on the spot. I was shocked by the boldness of this ploy.

The best advice I can give you is to trust your instincts. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If something doesn't seem right, there's probably something wrong. I know I just recently wrote about getting something for nothing, but in my experience this is the rare exception.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Review: Meat Glen Campbell

Continuing with yesterday's thoughts about enjoying the simple things, I received a few CDs and books for my birthday that I will be reviewing weeks to come.  The first one is a gem of a CD that I got from Dad (thanks again!) by Glen Campbell called Meet Glen Campbell.  I heard about this on the radio about a month or so ago, and I had been really interested in it.  It certainly did not disappoint.  See my review for the details.

Until next time...

PH

Changing Demographics

As many of you know, last Sunday was my birthday.  They say that time stops for no man, and that includes me.  In addition to everything else that birthdays imply, this one had another element to it.  If you have ever filled out a survey, one of the things they typcially ask is for you to select which age group you are in.  Saturday marked the last day that I was eligible for the 25-34 bracket (*gasp*).  Perhaps the move into the 35-44 bracket is an attempt to lessen the blow of reaching 40, but I'm not sure if I like it just yet.  I guess I'll let you know in five years!

I did enjoy a few birthday celebrations over the past few days.  We had a party to kick off the choir season last Friday, and Christy arranged for a cake (chocolate with chocolate icing of course) and singing of "Happy Birthday".  Saturday we went to one of my favorite restaurants BJ's Brewhouse.  They have good pizza and beer, and what more could you ask for?  In short I'll steal a line from Bilbo Baggins from The Fellowship of the Ring, "But today of all days, it is brought home to me: it is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life."

Until next time...

PH

When Junk Mail Isn't Junk

I'm sure a lot if not most of you are in a similar situation when you go to the mailbox.  If you are lucky you have at most one piece of junk mail for every item you actually need to look at.  With our schedules as hectic as they are, you probably give it a quick glance and toss it in the recycling - you do recycle, right?

Perhaps a second glance is in order.  The other day I had what looked like a flyer from the electronics store Conns.  I was about to throw it away when I realized that there was something in it.  Curiosity got the better of me, and I found a $50 promotional gift card.  I looked it over for the catch, but I didn't find anything.

So I stuck it in my wallet and went to our local Conns a few days later.  Thinking I knew what "the catch" was, I asked a sales clerk if there was a minimum purchase required to use the gift card.  I was shocked to find that the only stipulation was that it was a one use card.  That is if your purchase only amounted to $5, you lost the remaining $45.

I thought that was a pretty good deal so I looked around to see what they had close to $50.  The answer was not much; however, for $49.99 I saw a 1 Gb iPod Shuffle.  After finding nothing else I decided that was a good way to take advantage of their gift card.  I was prepared to pay the taxes, but much to my surprise I didn't have to.  Not bad at all.

I don't know how my of these things Conns sent out, but I can't believe that they have any iPod Shuffles left in their case.

So, the next time you get a load of junk mail, make sure it's really junk before you throw it away.  You never know what's going to be in there.

Until next time...

PH

September Vine Leftovers

Yesterday was "leftovers" day for the September Vine items.  Unlike the last couple of months, there wasn't a lot of music to choose from.  So I am going to be well stocked in books as I selected a couple of new ones to read in addition to Sea of Poppies.  The first is a legal procedural called A Cure for Night by Justin Peacock.  I'm hoping it winds up being like a Grisham novel.  The second is probably the more interesting.  It is a suspense novel by James Reese titled The Dracula Dossier.  It is actually about Bram Stoker and Jack the Ripper.  It sounded pretty interesting.  Now all I need is some cold weather, a fire, and a pot of coffee!

Until next time...

PH

Fall TV Has Begun

This week has completed the end of the summer lull. The beginning of the end was the start of, what else, football season. We got around to watching the double episode premiere of Heroes last night, and I think we are in for a doozy. I won't go into specifics since you can watch both full episodes online. However, this year they are not wasting any time with slowly developing plots. Many questions from the first two (one and a half really) seasons are answered. If you like super heroes or sci-fi, you don't want to miss the boat on this one.

Until next time...
PH

What Do You Like In A Book?

An interesting question for your Wednesday morning.  For the purpose of our discussion, I am specifically referring to fiction.  Between the book stores and the libraries, there is more available to read than we could possibly hope to consume in multiple lifetimes.  What tips the scale for you to make a book move into the select group of books that you have read?

I have a few different things that grab my interest.  While there are different types of fiction that I read, the ones that I like best are the ones that have some sort of adventure to them.  I am currently reading a book about the Opium Wars of the Nineteenth Century called Sea of Poppies.  It was my other Vine selection last week, and I was drawn to it because of the travels on the sea and assortment of characters that it advertised.  It is a book that "takes you somewhere".  In this case that somewhere is different in both location and time.  Another book I read earlier this year that fit this description was So Brave, Young, and Handsome.  While it didn't go as far away in distance or time, it was still a change.

It's not always about escape.  I also like books that have strong character development.  A couple of books that I read earlier this year had good plots, but the characters were what made the books come alive.  The witty, but often salty, social commentary A Fraction of the Whole was driven by the dysfunctional father and son relationship.  The other character driven book was the dark character study Now You See Him.  Some of the content of this one might be a bit much for some, but there was a strong psychological component to it.

A final category that I'd like to mention is the mystery/suspense/thriller genre.  I haven't read as many of these, but I like books that range from Sherlock Holmes to more modern styles that track closer to Law & Order.  The most recent book of this type that I've read is Takeover.  These are the types of books that are hard to put down because they keep you wanting to know "what happens next?".

Those are the main types of fiction that I enjoy.  What about you?  What makes you choose a book to enter into the select category of books that you have read?

Until next time...

Amazon Vine Review: Rambling Boy

Last Thursday was the first round of Vine for September, and one of my selections was a CD from long time jazz bassist, Charlie Haden, called Rambling Boy.  Though a jazz musician, Charlie's early roots are in country music as his family had a radio show long ago.  He has introduced his family to the musically tradition of that era with Rambling Boy, and my review is up with the details.  It's definitley for fans of the music from O' Brother, Where Art Thou?.

Until next time...

PH

Amazon Review: One Cell In The Sea

While this won't fit the description of "breaking news", it may still be something you aren't already familiar with.  A little over a year ago a new artist, A Fine Frenzy, released a CD titled One Cell In The Sea.  I picked it up after it showed up in my "recommendations" on Amazon, and I've been listening to it for a little while now.  In what is becoming a vast sea of female singer/songwriters, this CD is pretty good.  See my review for the scoop.

Until next time...

PH

Surprising Positive Experience

When was the last time you heard someone say something good about Walmart?  Regardless of what you can remember this post will soon fill that slot in your memory. 

Our VCR (yes, we are still in the stone ages) croaked a little over a week ago, and it was time to find an alternative.  It seems that you cannot by VCRs anymore that have tuners - required if you want to do programmed recording and/or watch one show while recording another.  It seems that I was able to get in on the tail end of DVD recorders that have a tuner.

I found what I thought was a great deal at Walmart for a Magnavox DVD recorder with a tuner, but it was anything but.  (No, this isn't the positive part yet.)  I hooked everything up, and tried to take the recorder for a spin.  However it wouldn't read any of the DVD +RW discs that I bought for recording.  I thought I had a bad batch of DVD +RWs.  Before returning those, I tried to play a movie that we had on DVD.  Ah, the DVD recorder could not read this either, and so it turned out to be a bad recorder.

This is where the good part comes in.  I went back to Walmart on Saturday, and I had the easiest return experience ever.  I walked right up to the return counter and explained that this player did not work.  Within a few minutes, I had a refund, and I was free of the Magnavox piece of junk.

I was shocked at how easy it was.  I figured I'd have to stand in line for 30 minutes then I'd have a big hassle with the return.  Not so.  While I wasn't please with my purchase, I can't argue with the customer service on the return.  Customer service.  I didn't know that still existed.  Who knew?

For the curious, I wound up with a Panasonic model from Circuit City that works like a charm.  The guy at Circuit City said that Panasonic is the only manufacturer who makes DVD recorders with tuners anymore because the cable and satellite companies have put on a lot of pressure in order to force people into buying/renting their DVR systems.  Sounds like the makings of a rant, but that's for another day...

Until next time...

About The Upcoming Election

I mentioned in my last post that I had some concerns about the upcoming election.  John McCain took almost everyone by surprise when he selected Sarah Palin as his running mate.  Most people were further surprised at how well she did with her address at the Republican Convention.  Obama and the Democrats have been scrambling trying to figure out how to respond, and so far they haven't been able to do more than look silly.

So what's the problem?  For me personally, not much.  I think Palin is probably more conservative than McCain although that isn't really saying much.  If people agree with Palin's politics, I think that's a great reason to vote for the Republican ticket.  However, I think that there might be a number of people who will vote for McCain and Palin for the wrong reasons.


I see a lot of Fox News while I'm at the gym, and one of the analysts relayed a discussion he had with a woman at the gym that morning.  She was going to vote for Palin because she had been a working mother running her own business for the last 19 years, and she identified with Palin.  That's great, but does that mean that she and Palin are aligned politically?

I also think that McCain made an attempt to play off of the disappointment among women that Obama did not choose Hillary Clinton for his running mate.  Most hardcore Hillary supporters know the difference between Clinton and Palin, but these are not the people McCain was after.  The indecisive middle is where the election will be won.  I think that what we are left with now is more of a popularity contest.

If you are a Republican, the silver lining is that it is likely to work.  McCain shored up his support in the Republican Party by choosing someone more conservative than he is to balance out his ticket.  Palin is also going to generate a lot of interest from the casual voter who would have likely stayed home in November.  Finally, Obama and crew still seem to be scratching their heads about how to go after Palin.

Please understand that I have every intention of casting my vote for McCain and Palin, and I think that they will be the winners.  My concern comes from the fact that they will not have won for the right reasons.  I encourage each of you to vote by your principles rather than the hype (or even marketing) that the race has become.

Until next time...

PH

Amazon Vine Review: Lucky Billy

Well, I've completed my round of Vine reviews for Augusts products. As my previous posts indicated, I did OK on CDs going 2 for 3 on finding winners. However I hit rock bottom with my book selection Lucky Billy. Check out my full review for details.

By way of announcements, I intend to put out a few posts in the coming weeks that deal with the upcoming presidential election. There's much to discuss in this arena, and I actually have some concerns about where things are headed. Stay tuned...

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Amparo

Have you ever had a pleasant surprise?  Of course, that is a silly question as even the biggest curmudgeon could answer with an affirmative.  My latest CD from Vine turned out to be a pleasant surprise.  Check out my review of Amparo to see why.

Until next time...

PH

August Vine Leftovers

Yesterday I had the chance to pick up a couple of additional selections from the August Vine newsletter. Continuing with my strong preference toward new music, I went for my biggest stretch selection to date. Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin are known as jazz and classical musicians and composers. Grusin's piano work can be found in the movie scores of On Golden Pond, Tootsie, and The Firm. Their new collaboration, Amparo, is supposed to have South American and classical influences.

In addition to the CD, I picked up what sounds like a very interesting book. I have been interested in Billy the Kid ever since the Young Guns movies back when I was in high school. The historical fiction novel Lucky Billy sounded too interesting for me to pass up.

On a final note, my review of This Storm from Sonya Kitchell is now up. I thought this was a really good CD. Follow the link for why...

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Red Cadillac

My Vine CDs from last week showed up, and I've been putting them through the paces in preparation for writing my reviews. I just finished one for Red Cadillac by Johnny Rawls. Follow the link to get the skinny... I'm still forming my opinions on This Storm from Sonya Kitchell, but I should have it reviewed in the next day or so.

Until next time...
PH

August on the Vine

Today is Vine day for August, and I was delighted to find a couple of new CDs to give a spin. The first is the sophomore release from indie folk singer Sonya Kitchell titled This Storm. Head over to her MySpace page for a few full length songs from this upcoming CD. The second is from bluesman Johnny Rawls. Red Cadillac has been out for a few weeks, but I had not heard of it prior to today. It is a bit different than what makes up the majority of my collection, but a few of my previous Vine CDs have been too. Johnny's home page has three full length tracks on the "listen to music" page. I think both of these are going to be really good. Stay tuned for my reviews in the next couple of weeks.

Until next time...
PH

Amy Macdonald - Primed for Stardom

A few weeks ago I mentioned a CD that I had gotten through the Amazon Vine program from Amy Macdonald. Her debut CD, This Is the Life, officially came out today, and it has been met with much fanfare. Here's what the Star Telegram had to say about it. Based on my memory over the last year, this is the only selection to be met with this much publicity. It has been hovering between to 20 and top 10 in sales on Amazon for the last few days. Remember, you heard about her here first!

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Geekspeak

I've just finished reading Geekspeak, and my review is up on Amazon for your edification. You may find it interesting at times and funny at others, but don't expect it to be everything it's cracked up to be. Follow the link for the gory details.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Reivew: Two Men With The Blues

Last month a couple of legends in the music industry released a true masterpiece. Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis collaborated for a live performance that someone was smart enough to roll tape on. The result is Two Men With The Blues, and you can learn more about it in my review on Amazon.

Until next time...
PH

July Vine Leftovers

I'm a bit behind with posts so this is already a little stale. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to pick up a couple of additional items from the July Vine newsletter from Amazon. I have already posted my review of Brendan James' debut CD The Day Is Brave. It's different than the typical music I listen to, but it might be right up your alley. I hesitate a bit to mention my other selection, but here goes. They had a math related book, and I thought it sounded interesting. So I took a flier on the book Geekspeak: How Life + Mathematics = Happiness. I'm about half way through, but I have a long way to go as to what I might actually say about it. Stay tuned.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Takeover

Wow! I just finished reading Takeover during lunch today, and it was a great mystery novel. My review is now up for your enjoyment. Follow the link for details on this great debut novel from Lisa Black.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: A Larum

The music reviews just keep coming... When Christy first heard Johnny Flynn's A Larum, she said it sounded like music from O' Brother, Where Art Thou? For some of the songs on this CD, I would have to agree, but it's much more than that. To find out more, check out my review now up on Amazon.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: This Is The Life

My review of Amy MacDonald's debut CD This Is The Life is hot off the press. This was not the typical kind of music that I listen to, but I found it enjoyable nonetheless. I should be getting something up from Johnny Flynn's A Larum in the next few days.

Until next time...
PH

More New Music

I discovered a new artist a while back called The New Frontiers. They are a Dallas based band that just put out their debut CD, Mending about three months ago. I found them to be a cross between Coldplay and Better Than Ezra. For more details, check out my review available on Amazon.

Until next time...
PH

July on the Vine

Amazon released the regular Vine newsletter on Thursday, and I choose a couple of CDs to review for new artists both from the other side of the Atlantic. The first is probably the best of the ones they offered. Scottish singer/songwriter Amy Macdonald's debut is titled This Is The Life. The other one is also a debut CD from Britain's Johnny Flynn called A Larum. Both of these probably best fit in the folk genre. I should receive these early next week so look for my reviews to be up in a week or so.

Until next time...
PH

Fun Music Web Site

I got a tip recently about a music web site called Pandora - radio from the Music Genome Project. It is free to create an account, and the site will allow you to create stations based on artists that you like. Once you create a station for say, Jackie Greene, it will play a song from the artist you entered. Then it chooses similar artists and plays a song from from each one allowing you to rate the song with thumbs up or thumbs down. The more songs you rate the more it can tailor what it chooses to your tastes. I found a new artist, Kris Delmhorst, on my Sarah Harmer station. Both are singer/songwriter types. Delmhorst has a few mp3s on her site that you can download from each of her albums. Enjoy!

Until next time...
PH

Bonus Vine Selection

If you've been keeping track, June wasn't the best month of selections that I've from Vine. However, they gave us a nice surprise yesterday. Publisher Harper Collins teamed up with Amazon to give us one selection from 17 of their upcoming books. The book selection in general had not been that great since around the first of the year, but they had some interesting things to choose from. I strongly considered The Black Tower, but ultimately decided to go with first time author Lisa Black's debut novel Takeover. I hope it lives up to its description, but being from a major publisher I think it will.

Until next time...
PH

Honda Civic: Early Returns

After a week of driving the new Civic, it was time to refuel this morning. Being the first tank of gas for the car, I had fairly low expectations (for a Civic anyway) of somewhere around 30 mpg. Much to my surprise it clocked in like a champ at 35 mpg right off the bat. This is really good considering that the first week included being stuck in a construction induced traffic jam. At any rate, it is living up to expectations so far.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: The Grand

The leftovers for June turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment. I've already let you know about Martin Misunderstood. The poker themed movie, The Grand, didn't turn out to be strikingly better. Click here for the details.

On a positive note, Amazon is going to be giving us a special selection of books tomorrow from Harper Collins. I'm hoping to find something of interest there.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Martin Misunderstood

I have completed my listening of the audio book, Martin Misunderstood, and my review is up for your edification. While I like the idea of audio books, I cannot recommend this one. Follow the link to find out why.

Here's hoping that The Grand turns out to have been a better choice.

Until next time...
PH

Ooo That Smell...

Pardon the Lynyrd Skynyrd reference, but it fits well in the context of a new car. As I mentioned in a previous post, the time had come to find something a little more gas friendly than the Altima. The Honda Civic was winner of the bake-off that we did last month, and we went in last Saturday to pull the trigger on purchasing. The experience at Huggins Honda was so good that we went back there in search of a 4-door EX model in Royal Blue Pearl. While they didn't have one in stock, they did have one coming in between July 3 and July 6 so of course we said, "We'll take it."

Now in these times of $4 gas, the Civic has become a quite popular car. It's in such high demand that they can't keep them on the lot. That doesn't bode well for negotiating the price, and without a lot of discussion we settled on full sticker price. While this isn't what anyone would hope for, it's a simple matter of supply and demand. At the end of the day, 35+ mpg made it worth it. After I get past the break-in period, I'll give an update on how it does with hypermiling compared to the Altima.

I have to say that the Huggins experience was unlike any other car buying experience I've had. The salesman never gave us the hard sell, and he actually never contacted us after our first visit. Between the three visits, we spent about 3 hours total at the dealership from initial test drive to driving off the lot yesterday.

I could probably go at great length about the features of the car, but most of it is available on the Honda web site. If anyone has specific questions, please leave them in a comment.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Review: Parador

Much like Jackie Greene, Wisely was an artist that I learned about through Vine. You seen my review for his self titled CD on Vine earlier this year, but I recently picked up his previous CD, Parador. I have posted the lone review for it on Amazon. As I mentioned in a previous post, I think a lot of him because he seems like a regular guy who happens to be a musician living. Perhaps I biased, but I think he's a good artist. He and Jackie Greene are different enough that it is difficult to place one higher than the other. What I can say is that you can usually find at least one CD from one of these two in my car at all times. I'd love to hear your thoughts on these guys if they pass muster with you.

Until next time...
PH

Second June Vine Offering

The "leftovers" Vine selections for June came out last Thursday, and I thought I'd give you the lowdown on my next Vine items. For the first time, they have offered an audio book, Martin Misunderstood. I haven't listened to a narrated book like this before, and the story sounded interesting. My other selection was a comedy DVD called The Grand. The preview on the product page looked pretty funny. We'll probably watch this over the weekend.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Emerald Sea Salt & Pepper Cashews

My review of the Emerald Sea Salt & Pepper Cashews is now up on Amazon for your reading pleasure. As with the O.N.E. Coffee Berry Juice, these turned out to be rather unique. If you had an ice cold beer to go with them, I could see it being very easy to eat the entire canister of these cashews.

In other news, the June Vine leftovers become available later this afternoon. I'll keep you posted as to what my next review items will be.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: O.N.E. Coffee Berry Juice

My review of the O.N.E. Coffee Berry Juice is hot off the press. It was an interesting drink, but I wasn't able to draw good conclusions based on one sample. I didn't hate it, but I'm not sure if it is something I would pay $2.40 a pop for either.

Until next time...
PH

June on the Vine

Thursday brought the first newsletter from Vine for the month of June. As always I never know quite what to expect. My initial list was limited this month so my selections are both in the grocery category. Be on the lookout for reviews of Emerald Sea Salt & Pepper Cashews and O.N.E. Coffee Berry Juice. I expect to have both of these reviewed by around the end of the week. This Thursday we'll see what additional items they are going to make available.

Until next time...
PH

Hypermiling

Is anyone else feeling the pain from almost $4 a gallon at the pump? It does make me cringe to think back to the summer of 1997 after I graduated from college. I was paying $0.94 per gallon at the Phillips station just up the road from my apartment. Ah, the good ol' days!

While few things can offset an increase by a factor of 4 in an essential commodity, every little bit helps. I recently read an article in the Star Telegram about hypermiling. There are some pretty lofty numbers thrown about, but some of these things made sense.

I've been doing a limited hypermiling test for two weeks now, and the results are not bad. I have made two adjustments. The first was the hardest, but it probably also had the bigger impact. I have cut my speed back to 60 mph on the highway. This has added less than five minutes to my commute each way - hardly noticeable. The second change that I've made is trying to coast as much as possible. The place that I can always do this is turning into my neighborhood. It is 0.3 of a mile from the neighborhood entrance to our house. After turning in I am able to coast the remainder of the way into the driveway with minimal breaking. The other place that lends itself well to this is highway exit ramps - especially the long ones. Coasting also has the side benefits of being easier on your breaks.

So the real question is this, is it worth it? My results are modest but real. I have increased my mpg from 27.5 to 30.5 over the last two weeks. At $3.88 per gallon traveling 750 miles in that span I've saved a little over $10. I could probably go even higher, but some of the recommendations seem more risky. Turning off the engine in a regular car seems like it would be hard on the starter. I'd love to hear from anyone who's been trying hypermiling.

Until next time...
PH

Free MP3 Songs

The "f" word (no, not that one) tends to get people's attention. I stumbled across some songs that were available for free on Amazon's MP3 Downloads section. The majority of them were from artists that I had not heard of. You can usually find one on the front page on the previous link. Once you find one, got to it's page where you can listen to a 30 second preview. I have to admit that some of the ones I found didn't get past the preview. That says something if a 30 second preview turns away people who would be getting the song for free!

The key to finding the second, third, and so on, is the " Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" section. It turns out that people who "bought" one free song "bought" a lot of other free songs too.

Here's a rundown of what I downloaded a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, some of these are no longer free.

Recommended:

That's What Love Will Make You Do by Janiva Magness (Great female blues artist that I was already familiar with)
Asking For Flowers by Kathleen Edwards (Alt country singer/songwriter that I was already familiar with)
Hypnotized by Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater (Really good blues)

Still on my MP3 Player:

Paralyzed by Bob Mould (Rock singer, I'm on the fence on keeping this one)
Black Winged Bird by Nina Persson (Mellow alternative rock song)
Lay Back Down by Eric Lyndell (More blues, but a little more mellow)
To Be Loved by Joan As Police Woman (Kind of a sappy ballad, but I don't hate it)
Snow Day by Lisa Loeb (She's pretty well known)
You Cheated Me by Martha Wainwright (Pop song, probably on the way out...)
Alice by Torben Waldorff (Jazz instrumental piece)

Already deleted from my MP3 Player:

It Must Be Me by The Whitsundays (Stinky bad pop - what was I thinking?)
Soul On Fire by Spiritualized (Ditto)
Dead Sound by The Raveonettes (Bad punk rock)

Happy hunting!

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Review: American Myth

A couple of months ago, I was able to select the CD Giving Up The Ghost by Jackie Greene. Unlike many of the artists who participate in Vine, Greene had recorded previous CDs. I recently picked up his previous CD American Myth, and I've published my review. Jackie Greene has quickly become one of my favorite artists, and I'm hoping to catch him in concert if he ever makes his way through DFW. Enjoy!

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Vexille

Well folks, my review of the DVD Vexille is hot off the press. I found this to be a pleasant surprise as it is not just simply a cartoon. Actually it is anything but your typical cartoon. I wouldn't recommend it for younger viewers. June's newsletter comes out next Thursday so we'll see what the next items up for bid will be.

Until next time...
PH

Waiting...

Have you ever noticed how much of your life you spend waiting for something? I'm sitting in the lobby at 24 Hour Fitness waiting to sign up for a Pilates Reformer class. There are only 10 slots, and this is the only evening class all week. The sign up sheet goes out at 6:30, but you have to come early and get in line prior to that. It's a worthwhile class, so I don't mind doing it once a week.

However it made me think about waiting in general, and I've found that I do a lot of it. I wait - as many of you do - in traffic or at stop lights. I wait for meetings to start at work - they never start on time.

While patience is a virtue, most waiting seems wasteful. Do you ever encounter the "hurry up and wait"?

Until next time...
PH

Blogging on the Road

I'm trying blogging on the go this afternoon. I didn't bring any reading material to Starbucks this afternoon so I thought I'd give this a shot.

Yesterday I was at Target, and I saw something sad. Many people my age had a sock monkey stuffed animal that our mother or someone we knew made for us. While passing the toys, I saw a sock monkey. To me this ranks up there with premade rice krispy treats. Are we not able to do even the simplest things for ourselves anymore? As a kid these things were special because someone close to you made them for you. Perhaps I'm just being old fashioned. What do you think? What other common things are available for sale these days that used to be special because they were homemade?

Until next time...
PH

Scattershooting Sunday

Fasten your seat belts, folks. It's time for another whirlwind edition of "Scattershooting Sunday".

Last night we gathered with the Paslay clan at the Islamorada Fish Company in Mesquite to celebrate Dad's 66th Birthday. We had a nice meal and visit at a very leisurely pace. We were in a side room at one end of the giant fish tank, and we dined at our own pace allowing the conversation to drive the pace.

My Elbow CD from Vine came in last Tuesday, and my review is hot off the press. This won't be a CD for everyone, but I liked it for the most part. It's yet another one to add to the list of CDs that I never would have found on my own, but that's the thing I like the most about Vine. I love music, and I'm always game for giving a new artist a spin in the CD player (and moving them over to my MP3 player if they pass muster).

Speaking of music I discovered on Vine, William Wisely is gentleman and a scholar (or maybe it should be artist in this case). After finishing my review of his CD, I dropped him a note on his web page thinking him for participating in the Vine program and letting him know that I had enjoyed his CD. I also offered to put up a poster in my office to promote his CD. He agreed and asked for my address. I checked the mail when I got home Friday, and I found an envelope from him in the mailbox. Much to my surprise, he set two posters, a couple of stickers, and a copy of his EP "Between the X's and the O's" that he recorded on the side while recording his major release. It is a stripped down, mostly acoustic CD that has four songs from his CD and, according to his web site, "some brand new songs destined for future albums". It was refreshing to come across a very down-to-earth person in the entertainment industry. If he ever makes it big, I hope that it doesn't change him.

Is the price of gas giving anyone else the blues? We have started looking for a replacement for the Altima, and this has proved an interesting experience. I started with research through Consumer Reports and Vehix. I narrowed it down to three candidates: the Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla, and Honda Civic. This was the first time that I have gone into it with more than one car under serious consideration. Friday afternoon I hit a couple of dealers on the way home, and I drove a Sentra and a Corolla. The Corolla had plenty of legroom, but the center console sticks out to far into the driver's side, and it cut right across my right leg in an uncomfortable way. I was undecided on the Sentra.

Yesterday Christy and I went to a Honda dealership and a different Nissan location to drive the Civic and to revisit the Sentra. We went to Huggins Honda, and that was one of the most pleasant experiences I've had at a dealership when I wasn't buying. The salesman was very thorough, and he was understanding that we were comparing cars and not ready to make a decision yesterday. He never put on the classic "hard sell" that you expect. Don't worry. The two Nissan dealerships and Toyota dealership more than made up for his share. Even after telling the Toyota salesman that the Corolla was a nonstarter, he still made a hard sell including financing options. He also called and left a message on our answering machine later that same evening! Both Nissan places had similar unknowledgeable salesmen. The one on Saturday didn't even know that the Sentra came in an SL model, but that didn't stop him from making the hardest sales pitch in the history of ever. Two minutes into the test drive, he asked me if I was ready to buy it. It went downhill from there.

Since I had no intention of actually buying this weekend, the salesmen didn't impact my decision. I have to tell you that the Civic is a nice car. Honda seems to be where Nissan was about six or seven years ago, and they are actually trying to make their cars more visually appealing. Combine that with the best gas mileage, best maintenance schedule, and the best driving car of the three, it made for a pretty easy decision. Now it's just a matter of when the right time will be. Stay tuned for a future blog entry with an update after purchase.

Well, that's all the news that's fit to print along with some that probably isn't.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: WordPerfect Office X4

Wow, this took more work than I expect, but I've got my review of Corel's WordPerfect Office X4 posted on Amazon. It's really a nice product if you don't have to work with MS Office documents. However, right or wrong, the business world still revolves around MS Office. While I'd rather use something else, I don't get to make that decision at work. On the bright side, WordPerfect is a cheaper alternative if you just need something to use at home.

Until next time...
PH

Wedding Weekend Revisited

As we are in the home stretch of Memorial Day weekend, I'd like to turn the calendar back one week. Christy, Damon, and I went to Hot Springs for my brother-in-law's wedding. Brandon and Mandy had their rehearsal dinner last Friday at a little Mexican restaurant called Jose's. Everyone had a good time as we crammed 30+ people into the space that they had set aside for us. Here's a shot I snapped of the happy couple.


The actual ceremony was that Saturday at the Hamilton House Estate. The setting was nice out on the back patio overlooking Lake Hamilton. About 100 people came to witness the event and wish Brandon and Mandy well as they begin their life together as husband and wife. The reception was immediately after the ceremony also at the Hamilton House. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures that evening. Here's a shot from the actual wedding pictures.



The reason I didn't get any pictures was because I wasn't feeling well that day. Toward the end of the reception, I wound up making a trip to the emergency room for what turned out to be a urinary track infection. I was relieved that it was nothing serious. After a quick lab test and diagnosis, we left the ER to pick up a couple of prescriptions. The worst thing that actually came out of it was that we didn't get back to Okey and Jeri's house until about 1 a.m. This put a damper on our travel plans for Sunday, and we wound up extending our stay by a day so that we could drive back to Hurst after resting up a bit.

I've since finished my prescriptions, and I've been "back to normal" - whatever that means - for a few days now. At the end of the day, it just made our trip (and the wedding reception) much more interesting than planned.

A Weekend of Movies

Christy and I went to see Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull this afternoon. I was a bit concerned because it only got two stars in the paper yesterday, and they trashed it on the radio. However, I'm happy to report that it is a decent flick. While I doubt you will mistake it for the best movie ever made, I also doubt you'll be sorry that you saw it. Harrison Ford still has it, and it made me wonder what Han Solo would be like 25 years later. While the characters are different in a lot of ways, the common thread is Ford. I've been enjoying his movies for my entire movie going life, and I hope that he keeps making movies for years to come.

Another actor that I've liked in a number of movies is Johnny Depp. We rented Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street last night. While it is a little on the gory side, it is done in a way that won't be mistaken for reality. If you aren't familiar with this movie, it is actually a musical. Yes, Depp does his own singing, and he does quite well. Viewer beware. This is a Tim Burton movie. If you haven't been fond his work in the past, you are unlikely to find this pleasurable either.

Until next time...
PH

May on the Vine

Wow! This month has really gotten away from me, but there's a three day weekend coming up. Hopefully that will give me a chance to catch up on blogging. The two Vine cycles have come and gone, so here are the items up for bid this month:

1. Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds. That's right, folks. There are usually some food and drink items, but I rarely go for them preferring CDs, DVDs, books, and electronics. These actually came in Monday, and my review is up.

2. Corel WordPerfect Office X4. This also came on Monday, but it is going to take some time to put it through the paces and evaluate it.

3. The CD The Seldom Seen Kid by that juggernaut supergroup Elbow. OK so I'd never heard of them either. However I'm willing to try a pretty wide variety of music if you've been following along over the last few months. A lot of the time it works out nicely.

4. The Anime DVD Vexille. Definitely exploring new territory here, but I'm hoping to be able to let Damon watch it. It's PG-13 so I'm going to screen it first.

There you have it. I promise some posts that don't have anything to do with Vine over the weekend.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: All That Road Going

My reading of All That Road Going mercifully came to an end today, and my review is hot off the press. This book is worse than bad. Stay very, very far away. I'm not even going to apply the Literature label to this post for fear of offending all of the legitimate works that deserve to be in that category.

Until next time...
PH

Scattershooting Sunday

Hello one and all. So much to cover, so little time. Without further ado, here is a brain dump of what's been going on.

Today is my sixth wedding anniversary to my lovely wife, Christy. We have had an enjoyable weekend. Friday I came home to a nice home cooked steak dinner with a dessert of sweet potato pie - yum! Saturday we went out for dinner at JR's Steakhouse. While we enjoyed our dinner together, it had more to do with the company than the establishment. My steak was very unevenly cooked which is unacceptable at $32.99. At Chili's or the like you might overlook it, but not at a "fine dining" establishment. Today we put six pennies in the "chapel piggy bank" during Sunday School and had "Happy Anniversary" sung to us by the remainder of the Sunday School group. Overall it was a very nice weekend. Can you believe it has been six years since that hot Saturday afternoon at Faith Lutheran Church in Plano?

Today was also Confirmation Sunday at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church. I absolutely love being in a small congregation. This year's confirmation class totaled one young lady. Someday Rachel will appreciate the fact that she had a sermon preached largely for her - that day may actually be today. The sermon was based on Rachel's confirmation verse, 1 John 5:13. I thought it was very special. It made me remember my own confirmation some 20 years ago. While there were seven in my confirmation class, I found it easy to relate to being a class of one. Much like Rachel, I could picture myself up there alone with the Pastor reciting the responses as quickly as possible during the Rite of Confirmation. Let me say again that this is a special congregation. If you are looking for a Church home in the north Fort Worth area, give it a shot.

Christy will attest to the fact that I am a spontaneous - read unplanned - person. However, even the post take it as it comes person enjoys some stability. For about a year now, Marcus has been the coffee man at work - that was until about 2 weeks ago. Monday Marcus was there, and Tuesday he had accepted a promotion at another location. I saw Marcus between 7:00 and 7:15 a.m. everyday for at least a year, and for I can't remember how long he greeted me each morning with, "What's up, bro?" He had worked at Starbucks prior to working our Starbucks Cafe at Southwest Airlines. He explained a lot to me about coffee and the Starbucks way of preparing and serving coffee. We also talked about Cowboys, Mavericks, cars, and many other things that you might talk about with a bartender. Now he is gone, and I can say that I miss him. There hasn't been a consistent replacement for him yet, but no one will ever truly replace Marcus. He understood customer service. He knew me, and he knew what I wanted when I walked up. While he had a different mild, medium, and bold coffee each morning, he knew what I wanted. It wasn't always the same each day. It would be easy to remember that someone always gets the bold, but I don't like Sumatra. On Sumatra Friday, he knew that I wanted House Blend - the medium. So far the random face of coffee neither has a consistent rotation of brews nor do they know what I want. This doesn't even consider the small talk about life. Wherever you are Marcus, I hope that you are enjoying your promotion.

Vine leftovers day was the Thursday before last. Since then I've been reading All That Road Going and Christy and I have watched The Best of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on DVD. My review of the comedy DVD is hot off the press while I'm a little less than half way through the book. The next Vine newsletter is scheduled for May 15, and I'm hoping for another good selection of music. While it is fun to get the electronics stuff, the music is what I wind up getting the most out of on a consistent basis. I enjoy most of the books, but I have never read a fiction book a second time. I'll refer to a good work related book for years to come, but there haven't been many of these. Plus my music tastes are pretty diverse, and I love finding new artists. (BTW, Christy got me three CDs for our anniversary, and one of them was by a trumpet player, Chris Botti, that I had not heard of before.)

There might be more, but I've been writing for a while now. It's after 10:00 p.m., and that means it is time to get some sleep. I know that I haven't been the best at responding to e-mail or making phone calls of late. Rest assured, I am not mad at anyone or anything else bad that you might think of - beyond having an insane amount of things going on. (I didn't even mention the garage sale that the Church youth group had last weekend. Ask Christy about her "tan".)

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Chameleon

I'm on a roll! My review of Tim O'Brien's Chameleon is now up for your edification on Amazon. I really enjoyed reviewing this CD because it is something that I would have never come across otherwise. It's not going to be something that I constantly listen to, nor will it receive much radio play. However, if you like old-timey or bluegrass music, it's worth a listen.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Giving Up the Ghost

My review of Jackie Greene's Giving Up the Ghost is hot of the press! This is easily the best CD that Amazon has offered on Vine to this date. I also don't expect any future Jackie Greene CDs to be available through Vine. This CD is full of radio friendly tracks, and it is really easy to listen to. Between his home page and his My Space page seven of the twelve songs are currently available for full length preview so check it out. You'll be hearing from him sooner or later so why not join the early crowd how liked Jackie Greene before liking Jackie Greene was cool?

Until next time...
PH

Weekend Getaway

Christy and I just got back from spending the weekend at Fall Farm, a bed and breakfast, in Mineola, TX. It was quiet and relaxing out there, and the breakfast was great! The food in the surrounding areas was so so, but we also enjoyed a trek up to Lou Viney in Winnsboro. We both tasted four wines, and we each chose a bottle to bring home. I opted for the Chenin Blanc while Christy went for Miranda Lambert Private Label "Belle", a sweet red wine. I told her it didn't even taste like wine, and she said that that was probably why she liked it! Here are a few pictures of Fall Farm to enjoy. I'll send a full photo album on dotPhoto later on.

A view of the property from the road

Our room included the upstairs porch and the wall to the left of it

A covered porch swing on the back of the property

The ever important coffee

Until next time...
PH

April on the Vine

It's that time of the month again, and Vine had some nice offerings yesterday. I choose a couple of CDs from the early newsletter. One is by an artist that is definitely out of my usual genre. Tim O'Brien's latest CD, Chameleon, is on the edge between country and bluegrass. I played some clips for Christy last night, and she said, "He sounds like he belongs on O' Brother, Where Art Thou." I can't really argue with that assessment. I guess it's up to you whether or not that is a good thing.

The other CD I choose was by a more mainstream sounding artist, Jackie Greene. Amazon has started to personalize they Vine newsletter using the same "Recommendations" feature on the main site, and I think that I was offered Giving Up the Ghost because I gave the Wisely CD five stars a couple of months ago. Christy was amused by Greene's home page because he is smoking in most of the pictures and as you move your mouse around on the page a trail of smoke follows it. However she did think his music was pretty good.

There was also some really bad music on the list too. The band MGMT's latest CD, Oracular Spectacular, was another option that I had. I wasn't too excited about it because of the parental advisory label. I decided to check out their site and see if it was worth a try anyway. If you've gone over and pressed play, then you know the answer I came to. I think the advisory label is on the CD because the music is so bad that you will be inclined to cuss after listening to it! Wow, is that awful, or what?

I should be getting both of these next week so my reviews should be up in about 7-10 days.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: So Brave, Young, and Handsome

While trying the new coffee at Starbucks, I was also finishing my last novel from the Amazon Vine program, So Brave, Young, and Handsome. I have now posted my review, and of all of the books that I have read through Vine I expect this one to have the broadest appeal. While adults will enjoy it, I think it could also make a great choice for the junior high or high school boy looking for the subject of his next book report. The book is under 300 pages and has fairly short chapters as well.

Until next time...
PH

Followup on Starbucks' New Coffee

As I mentioned in my last post, Starbucks has rolled out their new Pike Place Roast coffee. I think most newspapers had some mention of it along with a coupon for a free 12 oz cup. Since Tuesday I've also noticed a new drink in addition - a Cafe Misto (first on the list, at least as of this posting). It compares pretty well to a Cafe Latte, but the coffee gives a smoother flavor than the Espresso of a Latte. It's not a bad drink, and it is almost a dollar cheaper for a Venti by comparison. The Pike Place Roast is also selling cheaper than the regular coffees. I think that this is an attempt to combat Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's both of whom have added their own spin on "premium" coffee and coffee drinks. Whatever the reason, it's worth a try if you usually get a Latte.

Until next time...
PH

Starbucks' New Coffee

You may have heard that Starbucks has launched their new Pike Place Roast coffee. I had seen a billboard for it recently, but I actually got to try it this evening. Courtesy of an offer in an insert in the newspaper (check yours if you haven't thrown it out already), I had a tall decaf on their dime. In the spirit of reviewing, here are my thoughts. It doesn't taste like Starbucks coffee - regardless of whether you are a Verona, Breakfast, House, or Sumatra fan, this is a major departure. As noted in the link above, this blend is made from arabica beans which account for a sweet, nutty flavor that is rather uncommon from Starbucks. It was pleasant for what it is, but it made me wonder, "Who is going to drink this day in and day out?" Most of the people I know who go to Starbucks want a bold, rich flavor which this is not. I came across an article from a Houston TV station that has some similar questions. Perhaps they are trying to reach out to a new customer base, but it seems that they are tampering with their formula of success. If you get a chance to try it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: P2 DVD

This was an interesting change of pace. I had not selected a DVD from the Vine program yet, but they only had one book and no music this month. So as I mentioned in my last post I decided to give P2 a shot, and as you will see in my review, it was worth a watch. I had a great headline for a negative review if it had been a real clunker. On the front cover the subheading is "A New Level of Terror", and I was set use "It should have said A New Level of Terrible!". Oh well, someone else who thinks less of it may come up with that. I have to admit that it's not terribly original.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: A Fraction of the Whole

I had mentioned previously that I was reading A Fraction of the Whole through Amazon's Vine program. Well I've finished the 500+ pages, and just posted my review. It was an interesting read. Much of the content goes against what I believe, but I think that you grow when you understand opposing views without losing your own.

In addition Vine now has a secondary offering each month a week after the initial batch. I took a couple of additional selections that I will be reviewing over the next couple of weeks. One is a shorter book called So Brave, Young and Handsome and the other is a DVD for a thriller called P2. I initially dismissed the novel because I thought the title sounded like it was targeted for women. However, the synopsis actually sounded pretty interesting. On the DVD, the trailer looked like it would be worth a watch on Amazon's dime. I guess we'll find out.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Logitech Squeezebox Music System

Hot off the press is my review of the Logitech Squeezebox Duet Network Music System. For me this is pretty close to the coolest gadget I've come across. I love music, and this product brings the music worlds of the PC and stereo together - even if they are in different rooms! Enjoy.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Philips Sonicare Toothbrush

My review of the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush is now available on Amazon - just follow the link. Of the now two toothbrushes that I've gotten from Vine, this is definitely the winner. Stay tuned for my other reviews coming to a web browser near you.

Until next time...
PH

Scattershooting Sunday

Happy Easter! I hope that you all have found joy in the celebration of Christ's resurrection. We had a put lock breakfast at Church this morning followed by service at 9:30. We did not go to sunrise service this year. Christy played a few songs for service, and the choir sang one.

Yesterday was just about a perfect day as far as weather goes. After my morning workout, I spent the afternoon in Arlington. Part of the time, I was at the new Arlington Heights outdoor shopping center. These have become the new trend with Southlake Town Square being one of the "older" ones. However, Arlington did not follow Southlake's formula. It is clear that Southlake Town Square was meant to be walked. In Arlington, you do this at your own risk as the heavy traffic flow plays chicken at the four way stop signs - and that's before you add pedestrians into the mix! Luckily, I was paying attention and patient...

When did the world yield become equivalent with "pay no attention to the triangle shaped sign or the traffic to which it refers"? If you driven in at all in DFW, you know what I mean. Perhaps photo enforcement of these is next. Not likely...

Thursday was Vine day for March. I'm excited to be trying out the Logitech Squeezebox Duet Network Music System and the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush. Both are still en route so stay tuned around the end of the month or early in April...

What's new on my mp3 player? I've just added Moment of Forever by Willie Nelson and Warpaint by The Black Crowes. How's that for eclectic?

Until next time...
PH