Happy New Year!!

Well, 2007 only has a few hours left, and what a year it has been. Christy and I just got back from spending a week with her parents in Hot Springs Village. We had a nice visit with her family, and we took a day in Little Rock to take care of some exchanges. While we were there, we ate at the Saddle Creek Woofired Grill. If you ever find yourself in North Little Rock, I highly recommend it. While we are on restaurants, Christy and I stopped at the Islamorada Fish Company in Garland on our way home this evening. They have pretty good fish, and we both thought it would be worth going back someday.

That's it for 2007 from Philip's Corner. Stay tuned for more fun filled action in 2008!

Until next time...
PH

Vine Review: HP iPAQ 310 Travel Companion

Well, the verdict is in on the HP iPAQ 310 GPS. I'll leave the details of the review on Amazon, but let me just say, "Wow!" This is a really nice unit. Happy reading!

Until next time...
PH

December on the Vine

Today we take a quick look at what I'm evaluating this month for Amazon as a part of the Vine Program. First up is a book that I thought was quite relevant for an election year. It is a book that evaluates how things have unfolded over the last eight years of the Bush presidency. It is called Daydream Believers. I don't usually spend time on books that are not relevant to my job, but this one seemed interesting to me. I should be getting it sometime next week so look for the review to come in mid to late January.

The second item is the HP iPAQ 310 GPS. I've been using this for a few days now, and I'm in the process of putting together my review. It will probably be up on Amazon within the next week.

I will link to both reviews in a future post.

Until next time...
PH

Christmas Memories

I will be sending out (at some undetermined point in the future) a link to a slide show with all of our family Christmas photos. However I thought I'd give a preview today. Enjoy.

Let's start with Christmas Eve.

Here is a very intense look at a budding cello player.

At Brother Robert's house we do a (I'm told this is the official term) Chinese gift exchange.

Neil got us started off with a lot of enthusiasm.

However Zach wound up with Neil's prize before the night was over.

Moving on the Christmas day...

(A quick side note. For anyone who has experienced the regrettable Christmas morning hair immortalized in pictures forever, you'll notice my strategy for avoiding that below.)

The joy of a child on Christmas morning speaks for itself.

Christy gets a relaxing gift.

Beer and Cowboys - it doesn't get any better than this.

Kassie likes Christmas

Foosball is always a winner.

Until next time...
PH

Friday Photos

During my time off, I have gotten in the habit of throwing my camera bag in the trunk when I'm going out and about. Today I was in Colleyville, and I found a couple of interesting buildings in their "town center" and a neat house that was nearby. Enjoy!








Until next time...
PH

Holiday Movie Mini-guide

As many of us enter the end of the year downtime for Christmas vacation, you may take part in one of my favorite past times - going to the movies. I've got two for the kids and two for grown ups to consider if you haven't seen them already.

First up is a movie that has been out for a while, but it is a good family movie if you haven't already see it. It amazes me that it has taken this long for Jerry Seinfeld to lend his voice to animated movies, but Bee Movie is flat out a hit. His over-exaggerated delivery is perfect for animation. This movie is a treat because many of the jokes are there for the adults, but there's enough silliness for the kids too. Everybody wins.

My other suggestion for a family flick is Alvin and the Chipmunks. While there is some modernization that I could have done without, this is an instant classic. I actually had a Chipmunk's Christmas on a 33 LP - for the kids, that's a record. Jason Lee would not have been my first choice for Dave. I had a hard time getting past the thought of, "This is the guy who plays Earl on that bad TV show." While it may be equally weird to have a star from Law and Order SVU, I would like to have seen Christopher Meloni take a crack at the role of Dave. He would be able to deliver the "ALVIN!" line in a much more convincing manner. The movie is really well done. For adults it will be a trip down memory lane while kids will enjoy it too.

For a grown up outing let's start with another movie that's been out for a little while - Beowulf. It is visually amazing, and it is an epic story for those who like adventure/action movies. I do recall sitting in the movie and thinking a couple of times, "I don't remember the story going like this." It has been over 10 years since I have read it so I tried to cheat and do some internet research. It seems that this movie version deviates a good bit from the original story, but I'm not really a purist when it comes to movie watching. Peter Jackson took a lot of liberties with his Lord of the Rings trilogy, but that did not make them any less good as movies. In some cases, it probably helped as it is truly rare for a book to translate verbatim to the screen. Whether you've read Beowulf or not, you can still enjoy a very well done show.

Finally I have something for those who like a little more suspense in their movies. The latest offering from the Coen Brothers is No Country for Old Men. Don't expect The Big Lebowski or The Ladykillers. There's not much humor, but there is also a noticeable lack of foul language which has become typical of Joel and Ethan's movies. There is a fair amount of cold blooded killing, but not on the level of Pulp Fiction. Tommy Lee Jones is good in his role Sheriff Ed Tom Bell although his is not one of the primary characters. I won't give it away, but the ending will not be what you expect - whatever that may be. I enjoyed the movie while I wished for a different ending. Christy didn't like it as much.

A bonus recommendation based on the previews alone is Charlie Wilson's War. It looks like a good mix of comedy and a compelling story. It is not a comedy, but there are some good one liners.

So there you have it. I'd love to hear what you think if you've seen any of these movies or any recommendations of your own.

Until next time...
PH

Money for Nothing?

Yesterday, I promised to tell you how I got my camera without any out of pocket expense. Today, I'm going to give you the lowdown. First and foremost this is predicated on the idea that you payoff your credit card in full every month. If this is not the case for you, it is probably better to stop reading now and tune back in for the next edition of Philip's Corner.

For those still reading I offer reward/incentive credit. We use an American Express card for our primary purchases that is tied to Hilton HHonors. Now you may be thinking how does a hotel program translate into a camera? I certainly am glad that you asked me that.

Loyalty programs such as Hilton HHonors initially let you earn points/miles/credits/etc. that could only be used toward what the sponsoring company offered - in this case a night at a Hilton Brand hotel. However people like me who earn at a faster rate than I redeem build up quite a balance - many of you have over a million air miles for example. For the companies this is a bad thing as they have to treat outstanding points/miles/etc. as liability from a financial standpoint.

To help with this dilemma, companies began to form partnerships for redemption. It was through this feature that I converted 200,000 Hilton HHonors points into $400 in Best Buy gift cards. That was enough for the Canon SX100 IS, a camera bag, a 1 Gb memory card, rechargeable AA batteries, and the Corel Paint Shop Photo Pro X2. I also took advantage of the fact that Best Buy is (at least currently) doing price matching. So the Office Depot add saved me an additional $60 - enough to pay for the software when it was on sale last week.

You may already have something similar that you use in terms of a loyalty program sponsored credit card. If not I would encourage you to look into it. I would only choose the ones that don't have an annual fee. The things to consider are how useful the program is to you, and what redemption options does the program provide outside of the sponsoring company.

I'll leave you with a picture that I took at a park over by the Fort Worth Zoo this afternoon. I thought it was interesting.



Until next time...
PH

Tradition Meets Hobby

I've mentioned before that I am generally a late adopter of new technology. Two weeks ago I bought my first digital camera. After sitting through the Cowboys/Redskins game last month with nothing more than the camera on my phone, I decided it was time to get with the other 99% of the world. I will tell you in post later on how I accomplished this without spending any money.

I have to admit that I am still very much a novice when it comes to digital photography, but that is where the hobby part comes in. I will be getting a little help from my new friend Corel Paint Shop Pro Phone X2.

I've enjoyed photography for as long as I can remember. I can't remember my first camera, but I know that I had a Polaroid at an early age. Both my mother and her mother took lots of pictures so I've been around cameras my whole life.

Now let's mix in some tradition. We have had our Christmas decorations up for a few weeks now, and you may have seen pictures on Christy's blog. Here is one of my favorites from that shoot.


I took one with flash without the light on in the dining room, but I think this one turned out better.

Additionally we went for a drive to Interlochen on Saturday to see the Christmas lights. I remember doing this after going to the Christmas Eve service growing up in Texarkana. I'll leave you with one of the better shots that I snapped during our trek.


Until next time...
PH

Forth Worth Star Telegram - Preliminary Report Card

As I mentioned last week, I terminated my subscription to the Dallas Morning News due to poor service. I decided to try the Fort Worth Star Telegram in place of it, and they have been delivering to our house since Tuesday. So I thought it would be worth giving an early report on how they are doing.

First, delivery (over a limited period of time of course) is way better. The paper was there before I left for work (~5:45 a.m.) during the week, and it was there when I went to retrieve it between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. on the weekend. It may have been there earlier than that, but I wasn't up to notice. This was my biggest (and really only) complaint with the DMN so the Star Telegram is a winner.

That's not to say it is an equal. Visually it is the worst looking newspaper that I've seen from a large city. DMN definitely had this nailed. Another area where DMN was better is in content. Let's face it. I'm mostly interested in the Sports page - isn't this true for most guys? While they have pretty good columnists, the Star Telegram does not have Rick Gosselin. He's one of the best football minds around. They rest of the sports page has the essentials, but there's just not quite as much there. Finally, DMN would use larger fonts and different layouts for the box scores for local teams while the Star Telegram gives the same small, run of the mill box score that you would see for the Atlanta Hawks/Utah Jazz game.

Don't get me wrong. The Star Telegram is a good newspaper. I just think that the DMN is more in the excellent category. It doesn't matter how good their product is, though, if they can't reliably get it to me. At the end of the day that's why I'm a satisfied Star Telegram subscriber.

Until next time...
PH

A sad tale of customer service

On Sunday I severed my relationship with a local business after over 13 years. I had logged problems with this company's service through their automated phone line for a number of months. Seeing that this wasn't resulting in change, I tried to speak to a customer service representative about a month ago. The uninterested response should have told me all that I needed to know, but I stuck with it a while longer because I actually like this company's product a lot.

Well, the problems continued, and I decided that I had had enough. I called on Saturday, December 1 to cancel my service. On this day I found what seems to be the only employee who had an interest in customer service. He promised to have a manager review the problems that I had reported if I would not cancel my service. I agreed to give them a week to fix the problem, but I let him know that it should not take a call to cancel my service in order to get them to do something about the problems I had reported.

So the week comes and goes, and nothing changes. I called at breakfast Sunday to cut them loose for good. This time I got another uninterested customer service agent who simply did what I asked.

There I sat knowing that for the first time in over 13 years I would not longer be doing business with a company who had a really good product. Who is this company? It is none other than the Dallas Morning News. They have arguably one of the best newspapers in the country, but they were not able to consistently deliver it to me on Saturday and Sunday.

I think that this is a sign of the times with Belo, the parent company of the DMN. It baffles me that a company can have an automated phone unit for reporting problems that never signals for a review when a customer repeatedly reports that their paper has not been delivered. That's just bad business. I think that the problem of uninterested customer service representatives goes well beyond the Dallas Morning News. You could make the case that customer service is a lost art.

There are a few companies that do an outstanding job in this area, and they really stand out. Two examples that come readily to mind are Starbucks and Sport Clips. If you frequent Starbucks, you know what I'm talking about. Sport Clips may not be as well known. It is a sports themed place for guys to get a hair cut. Having used chains like Super Cuts for all of my adult life, I was used to places where the entire staff might turnover between hair cuts. However, I've been going to Sport Clips in Hurst for about a year and half now, and the majority of the staff that is there now was there in June of 2006. They keep a database of notes so that if you get a different stylist the next time, they know at least how you got your hair cut the last time.

So, it is possible to find good customer service. I'm not going to find out if the Fort Worth Star Telegram can do a better job than the Dallas Morning News. The paper was there when I left for work today so they're off to a good start. Saturday and Sunday will tell the tale though.

Until next time...
PH

Vine Review: Fired Up or Burned Out

I finished reading Fired Up or Burned Out over the weekend, and I have to admit that it is a book that I would buy if I hadn't gotten it as a part of Vine. While the ideas are simple, this book gives one of the distinguishing marks of a successful organization. Here's my detailed review. Enjoy!

Until next time...
PH

Song of the Day

You know it happens. You come across a song that, no matter how many times you listen to it, it seems like you need to hear it at least one more time. It's happened since we had our first record/tape/CD/MP3 (did I leave anyone out?). Then you usually hit the wall with the song, and you reach the point that you never want to hear it again. I haven't reached that point with my latest fix yet.

Since I mentioned childhood experience, it is appropriate that my current favorite song comes from an artist who made it big during my youth - Bruce Springsteen. Yes, there's been a lot of water under the bridge since Born in the USA and Dancing in the Dark, and no I haven't exactly been a lifelong fan of his. However his new CD Magic has some appealing songs on it, and chief among them for me is You'll Be Comin' Down. It's not what you would call an uplifting song, but it is very catchy. The thing I take away from this song is that success from a shallow basis won't last forever - "You'll be fine long as your pretty face holds out/Then it's gonna get pretty cold out".

So give it a listen, but know that you might not be able to stop with just one.

Until next time...
PH

Bonus Amazon Review - Sandisk Sansa Clip 2 Gb

For those of you with an MP3 player to be used while working out on your gift list for someone special, you may find my review of the Sandisk Sansa Clip helpful.

Until next time...
PH

November on the Vine

This is a good time to check in on what is going on in Amazon Vine this month. I have selected a couple of different items from the program, and I have already published a review for one of them. First I have been evaluating the Ultreo Ultrasonic Toothbrush. This was an interesting experience for me because I had never used a power toothbrush before. I don't know that I honestly would have ever gotten this on my own given the cost, but it seems to be the going rate for other manufacturers too.

Meanwhile I am in the process of reading Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team's Passion, Creativity, and Productivity. As a manager this was a pretty natural fit because burnout and motivation are real issues that I deal with on a regular basis. Look for the review of this book to be up in about another week or two.

It's almost time for the cafeteria to open so I'm going to take my clean teeth and go get some coffee.

Until next time...
PH

Interesting Song Lyric

While you would never equate them with the works of Shakespeare or your other favorite poet, songs are at their essence poems set to music. While this may be very shaky ground, going out on a limb, (insert your favorite other cliché here), etc., one of the things we can do with poetry is interpret it.

Have you ever had a song that you've listened to for years, yet one day you notice a particular line that has been there all along that just went right by you until just now? I had this happen with a song that I've only been listening to for about 24 years! In the last verse of Cyndi Lauper's hit Time After Time we get the following last line: "The drum beats out of time".

For some reason when I heard this yesterday, I thought to myself, "I wonder what that means?" The obvious choice would be that the drum is not keeping rhythm with everything else. I continued in my inner monologue, "Well that's not very interesting." So I tried to see if I could see anything beyond that. Perhaps it is a reference to the end of time or life. If you prefer something less dramatic, maybe it is the end of a relationship or some other significant event. Considering that the song deals with a relationship, I think this is probably the intent.

Whew! Was that as scary for you as it was for me? Let's turn to Freud for our closing thought: "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." Pop music probably isn't intended for analysis anyway.

Until next time...
PH

New Jazz Artist Discovery

A couple of weeks ago Mom sent me a story about jazz singer Sophie Milman. I had not heard of her before so I looked up her web site, and I went over to her MySpace page to sample some of her songs. From there I listened to the 30 seconds clips available on Amazon, and I was impressed with what I heard. I love this kind of music when relaxing. Although a bit different in style, I am a big fan of Diana Krall too. I'm no jazz expert, but in my amateur opinion Krall is a more "traditional" jazz artist. In addition to singing she is also a wonderful pianist. If you aren't familiar with either of these artists, they are worth spending some time with. Enjoy!

Until next time...
PH

Fall TV Report - Part II

In a previous post we took a look at some of the new shows in the fall lineup. Now it's time to take a look at returning shows - at least the two that we watch regularly.

First we consider Smallville. In its seventh season, this is a show that has seen some change over the years. Clark (Tom Welling) is without either of his parents as Martha Kent (Annette O'Toole) was elected to the U.S. Senate last season has left Clark to run the family farm. O'Toole was a strong cast member who hasn't really been replaced. Overall the show has been steady if not showing a slight decline. I wondered how they would continue to have good material once Clark and Co. graduated from high school (end of season 4). I'm afraid that the well might be about to dry up.

The mainstay of our TV watching, however, is Heroes. Yes, you do have to get past the fact that the basic premise of the show comes from evolution. This would be a point to emphasize if watching with your children (which we do not). Once get past that fact, this is an incredible show. You may have read in various places that the show was experiencing a sophomore slump; however, I would disagree with these assertions. While it was disappointing that none of the characters that died at the end of last season actually stayed dead, the story has been compelling. Much like the first season it has taken a number of episodes to see how everything ties together. One thing I could do without is the Maya and Alejandro storyline; however, I'm sure that their purpose will become clear as the plot unfolds. The main draw of the show for me, though, is that the characters face difficult decisions. Sometimes they make bad choices and have to life with the consequences. Sometimes it is hard to tell the true motives of a character or where the line between the good guys and bad guys is. In other words it is a show that makes you think. So much of what is on these days is mindless drivel (read reality TV and/or terrible "game" shows). If you haven't been watching, it will be a chore to catch up at this point. I just checked, and only about half of the episodes are available online. It is worth the investment if you can get up to speed.

So there you have it. TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly, etc. can rest assured that we don't watch enough TV for Philip's Corner to become a threat to their loyal readers. However we will check in on these shows again later to see how they are doing. It will be interesting to see of the Writer's Guild strike has an impact on any of them.

Until next time...
PH

Cowboys/Redskins - 11/18/2007

My Dad took me to the Cowboys/Redskins game on Sunday (thanks, Dad!), and wow, did we have a good game to watch. In the slideshow below, you will see some pictures that I snapped with the camera on my phone. They're not bad at full size.

Here are some additional observations about the game experience.

The weather was almost perfect. Actually, the weather was perfect. The air just doesn't circulate in Texas Stadium.

We had some Redskins fans near us. This was no longer the case once the score reached 28-16.

After the sun went down, you could see a lot of flashes all around the stadium as people were taking pictures. It was like being on the inside of a giant Christmas tree that has chaser lights.

I guess the Redskins didn't get the memo about this receiver on the Cowboys roster who's pretty good. His name is T.O., and he was good for 8 catches, 173 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Ouch!

The perspective from the end zone is actually pretty good. You can see the play as either the quarterback or the safeties would (although a bit farther removed). One thing that is true regardless of where you sit is that you don't have the TV camera to find the ball for you. At times I would lock in on a particular player (usually Chris Cooley because he regularly smoked Roy Williams) and miss where the ball was.

My voice is still a few notches lower than normal from all of the yelling. Oh well. That's a small price to pay.

As promised, here is the slide show. Click on any picture to see it full sized.



Until next time...
PH

Fall TV Report - Part I

This is probably a bit of a stretch given that we don't watch a ton of TV to begin with, but I thought it might be fun to check in on how some of the new shows are doing.

Let's start with a new show Journeyman. We tried this one for a couple of weeks, but it is too similar to Quantum Leap. Granted there are not a lot of truly original ideas out there anymore. However if you are going to rehash something it should at least be good. The lead actor plays out his role in a rather dull and boring way. Thumbs down, and don't expect it to last the full year.

There is a good example of a retread show in Bionic Woman. Michelle Ryan is great is the 21st century version of Jamie Sommers. This is a show that has an edge to it (at least for NBC), and it also helps to have Crossing Jordan vet Miguel Ferrer on board. His Dr. Macy persona translates very well as Jonas Bledsoe head of the Burket Group - a black ops super secret security force. It is a well balanced show with promise to have a second season.

Following Bionic Woman on Wednesdays is Life. Of the new shows that we watch, this is the closest to original that we've got. Here we follow the, ahem, life, of Charlie Crews - a detective wrongfully imprisoned for a murder that he did not commit. While behind bars, he turned to Zen to help him through the hard times (Philip's Corner is not endorsing such action), and it gives Charlie a quirky, comical twist. On one episode, he lays out over a hundred photos on the floor, and he says, "It's all here - except for what isn't." Trust me; print doesn't do justice to the line. In addition to a weekly case that Crews and his partner Dani Reese work, there is an ongoing storyline that has Crews trying to solve the mystery of who really committed the crime he was convicted of and how he wound up on the hook for it. It is a similar concept to what The Pretender had where Jarod solving a problem of the week with the backdrop of searching for his family. Of the three new shows we are watching, this is the top of the class.

Coming up: we'll see how our returning favorites are doing.

Until next time...
PH

What ever happened to Dan Patrick?

I used to be a huge fan of Dan Patrick back when I was in college. Sports Center with him and Keith Olbermann was a stop down on a nightly basis. Of course Olbermann became disillusioned with success and left "The Big Show" not long after I graduated (1997 for those keeping score at home). Patrick stuck around and went on to have a successful radio show with ESPN for a number of years; however, he hung it up with ESPN altogether earlier this year. Now he has an independent radio show that in addition to an internet stream will air from 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. on Dallas' own Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket. The Ticket had Patrick on this morning to promo the show that starts airing on Monday.

Until next time...
PH

I hate the labels

What? I think that you are going to be with me on this one. Do any of you have a CD and/or DVD case that is nice and sticky? You know what I'm talking about. Those nice "security" labels across the top CDs and on all three edges of DVDs leave a sticky mess! Removing one completely is almost impossible, and I am left wondering what purpose these serve. It is almost like we have to pass a test to see how badly we want to listen to a new CD or watch a new DVD. The shrink wrap should be enough. Can you easily open even the shrink wrap without scissors or a knife? Once you get over that hurdle, your reward is the super glue laden label. That residue almost turns your case into fly paper only it attracts dirt, lint, and hair. While the label does usually have some sort of identifying information on it, there has to be a better way. Anyone with me?

Until next time...
PH

Enjoying the little things

In today's hustle and bustle life, it is easy to overlook the little things that bring pleasure. I noticed one of these yesterday, and I thought I'd post a list of a few that I could think of.

1. I was driving home from the gym yesterday with the window down, and the cool breeze was just about perfect.
2. Last winter I went to the gym on a chilly evening. When I arrived they gave me a towel that was fresh out of the dryer. When I put it around my neck, the warm feeling was very comforting.
3. Many of the recent days have had almost perfect weather. It's hard to beat a cool afternoon when the warmth of the sun feels just right.
4. If you like coffee, take a bite of dark chocolate and follow it up with a sip of rich coffee.
5. Or follow it up with a sip of bold red wine.
6. Can you beat the smell of a home cooked meal after a long day at work?
7. I barely get in the door of an evening before Kassie is there to greet me.
8. Sometimes it is just nice to finally lay down in bed after a demanding day.

I'm sure that you can think of your own list, and this is far from exhaustive for me. It's just some of the things that come to mind.

Until next time...
PH

Family Portraits

We went to have our family portraits made after dinner yesterday. This has to be one of the hardest things for which to find balance between cost and quality. A few years ago we tried to go to Target, but the proofs were about the worst that we had ever seen so it turned out to be waste of time. Last night we tried out luck with JC Penney. We actually had our engagement portraits done their, and we had an expectation that we would again get reasonable quality for a reasonable price.

Well, it didn't quite turn out that way. The photographer was nice enough, and the process itself was as about as enjoyable as this sort of thing can be. However we only had two good takes out of the 19 that we muddled through. So that's what we ordered from.

It was disappointing because portraits have changed a lot in recent years. The entire shoot was very casual, and a number of the shots were ones that you would never select. We had four where - by design - no one was looking at the camera. Does anyone ever buy these? Other shots had problems with smiles, hair, or clothing that rendered them useless.

I don't want this to come off as a slam our photographer. He was only eighteen, and he was running the studio by himself. All things considered he did a reasonable job. My beef is with the portrait studio for doing business this way. It seems like there has to be a better way, but who wants to pay for Olan Mills? It seems that you do get what you pay for, but there has to be balance between what we experienced and the high end. Very frustrating.

Until next time...
PH

Southwest Airlines News

I don't usually say a lot about work here because most of you would be bored by it. However today is an exception as Southwest made a big splash with some new changes. I will let Southwest speak for itself for the most part. Here are links to the major changes:

Changes to the gate area

Boarding process chagnes

Rapid Rewards A-List and Freedom Awards

New Pricing Options

While I no longer work on southwest.com, my team spent about the last 10 months working on varies pieces in support of these efforts. It has been a fast and furious couple of weeks as we have put the finishing touches on things. Of course, we already starting to plan the next projects so there's no resting on our laurels.

Until next time...
PH

Stupid Product Name

Disclaimer: The following is not an endorsement of the product mentioned.

Over the past few months I have heard a number of advertisements on the radio for Black and Mild Cigars. I have dismissed them because I have no interest, and the commercials are rather inane to boot. However I was checking out at Walgreen's this morning, and they have a wonderful tobacco display behind the cashier. I saw the afore mentioned Black and Mild Cigars, but I had trouble containing my laughter when next it them I saw Black and Mild Mild Cigars. No, that is not a typo. Black and Mild makes a mild version of their cigars! I hope they don't pay their Marketing Department very much.

Until next time...
PH

Cowboys/Eagles Observations

How 'bout them Cowboys? That was truly an enjoyable game last night, wasn't it? They destroyed the Eagles; however, that Eagles team is just not very good anymore. While they have dominated the NFC East for the last few years, we can put the proverbial fork in them.

I'm not a professional sports writer so I'm going to leave the in depth analysis to those that are. Here you will find some observations on a lighter note from the fan's perspective.

Have you ever noticed that Wade Phillips often looks like he has no idea what's going on? On multiple occasions last night they cut over to him, and he just looked confused. Either that or he smelled something. It seems like you either get this look or the punching air reaction after a big play. Don't get me wrong. I think he is doing a great job. The proof is in the 7-1 pudding.

Jason Witten is one tough dude. Did you see him take a shot to the head, have his helmet torn off, and then run for another 20+ yards? After the play was over, he kind of looked like the guy from the Snicker's commercial a few years ago who, after taking a major hit, sat on the bench and proclaimed, "I am Batman!" Given the blood coming from his nose after the play, we can forgive the expletive that he let fly on the way back to the bench. However, he was back in a couple of plays later. 'Nuff said.

Coming in a very close second on the tough dude scale is Marion "The Barbarian" Barber. Would anyone like to volunteer to try to tackle him just for kicks? I love to watch him run over the other team's defense. I think he might have a bit of a Sampson thing going with that hair. Doh! I hope no one from the other teams reads this.

Is anyone more polarizing in football than T.O. Owens? It's as if someone went to the lab and combined Dione Sanders and Michael Irvin into one personality. Like Dione, it's much better when he is on your team that when he isn't. Do you think he enjoyed himself at all last night?

Next up: the New York Football Giants.

Until next time...
PH

Scattershooting 11/4/2007

Today seems like a good day for scattershooting so here goes.

Did anyone else forget to "fall back" last night? We did, and it wasn't until we had been up and had breakfast before we figured it out. To top it off, we still managed to be running late this morning, and we got to church after the first hymn started.

If you live in DFW, you know that the weather the past couple of days has been almost perfect. It doesn't really feel like the first week in November, but who could argue with a low of 60 and a high of 85?

Can you believe it is time to start thinking about Christmas shopping? I like to be done before Thanksgiving so that I don't have to worry about all the madness between then and Christmas. Where did 2007 go?

I opened a bottle of wine this afternoon. It's a nice lite Chardonnay from my birthday party. I haven't really had much wine this year, but it just sounded good. I also prefer white wines during the warmer weather which can't be with us much longer. Is there anything better on a cool/cold evening that a nice bold red? Some may say a nice winter warmer ale, and I'd be hard pressed to argue.

I'm excited about the Cowboys game tonight, but I wish that I hadn't gotten up an hour earlier than usual. What will feel like 11:00 p.m. is awfully late for an early bird who's now 10 years out of college. That sounded really old, didn't it? Perhaps that's what I am.

Until next time...
PH

Take advantage of free programs

Marketing these days can be annoying - especially SPAM and telemarketing. However, there are some legitimate programs that you can take advantage of. Most of these are of the loyalty variety such as American's Advantage or Tom Thumb's Rewards Card. These typically cost you nothing, and they reward you for doing what you already do. So what's the catch?

While we do receive benefit from these programs, companies don't do it out of the goodness of their heart either. Every program that has a card has some sort of unique number associated with it, and the company has your personal information tied to that number - typically name, address, e-mail address, and maybe phone number. In order to earn program points, you have to present your card or give your number at purchase time. This allows the company to track your purchase behavior. Typically what you will see as a result is marketing that is targeted to you based on your purchase behavior, and you can usually control the frequency and delivery channel by which you receive it. With major, reputable companies it is usually a symbiotic relationship.

One of my favorite loyalty programs is Borders Rewards. If you know me very well, you know that reading is my major hobby. You essentially bingo every for every $150 you spend, and your prize is $5 in Borders Bucks. In addition, you can sign up for a weekly e-mail with discount coupons for sometimes up to 30% off a single item.

I think that this was really a survival strategy for Borders. Why would people stop by and pay full price for books when they can order them online from the convenience of their own home at a steep discount? I like to thumb through books before I buy them, but I would sometimes skip this to save money. Or other times I would look at the book at Borders and then go home to see how much it was online. Borders and other "brick and mortar" stores were in some ways becoming fancy libraries. However when I can slap down a 30% off coupon at the checkout, I am much less likely to shop at Borders and buy elsewhere.

Don't get me wrong. I still buy a fair amount of my books online at a greater discount. On most sites like Amazon, you still don't have to pay taxes so that is still an advantage. What Borders has done, though, is manage to take back about half of my spending on books. I would say that their program has been a success on me at least.

So look around, and make sure that you are not missing out on loyalty program benefits. For the major companies, all you are doing is helping them do a better job of giving you what you want.

Until next time...
PH

Homedics Massaging Chair Cushion

As I mentioned earlier, I selected the Homedics QRM-400H massaging chair cushion as my Vine product in November. My review is now up on Amazon, and this is the product that by far I use the most of all the items I've gotten so far. I fire it up first thing in the morning as I'm having breakfast at my desk and reading my e-mail. I also use it when I need to warm up - sometimes it's like my office is at the North Pole!

Until next time...
PH

On maturing...

I would like each of you to think back to that time in your life when you had everything figured out - when you knew everything there was to know. I'm talking about somewhere around age 19-20. It is amazing how in the 15 years since then I have realized just how little I really understood at that point. While this topic is rich enough to blog on for years, I have a specific topic in mind.

When I was in high school and college, I went to great lengths to avoid any course related to psychology or sociology. With a strong appreciation for math, physics, and chemistry, I shunned these "touchy-feely" subjects and wondered why anyone would want to waste their time on such matters.

After having been a manager for over five years now, I understand quite well why someone would want to "waste their time" on psychology. I spent the first five years of my career writing software, and I dealt with the very rational, consistent computer for the majority of my day. Computers are very predictable in the answers that they give you. However, I quickly discovered that people are not at all that way.

Much to my surprise, I also found the challenge of managing people to be far more stimulating than working with the computer full time because of the unpredictable nature of people. I've also found that people can be very difficult to understand at times, and it is not explainable through math, physics, chemistry, Java, UNIX, or any other of the exact sciences.

Since then, I have played catch up through self-study in acquiring some knowledge of psychology. I have read a number of books on leadership, management, and communication. Right now, I am reading a book directly tied to psychology called Toxic Coworkers: How to Deal with Dysfunctional People on the Job. It is a rather practical book that describes a series of personality disorders (narcissists, sociopaths, etc.) and gives types for dealing with bosses, coworkers, and subordinates who display these traits. While anyone could benefit from reading it, it should be required reading for managers.

Needless to say things I once thought "touchy-feely" are actually quite practical and necessary. Isn't it funny how time humbles us?

Until next time...
PH

Fun with "Uncle" Cody

When we were up at Mom's in Indiana last week, Kassie and Rocket got to play with Mom's dog Cody. Kassie gave up over 100 lbs to Cody, and she couldn't figure out why she wasn't able to easily take her toy away from him like she does with Rocket. See if you can figure out why...



Until next time...
PH

The long road back

Many things many come to mind when you think about today, October 31, but here's one that probably isn't at the top of the list. Tonight begins the new season for the Dallas Mavericks. Last season was one filled with great expectations and lots of ups and downs. Coming off the collapse against Miami in the Finals, they started the season 0-4. However, they went on to a 67-15 record - not too shabby! - only to follow that up with a first round exit in the playoffs. As such, it's been a little longer than we're used to since we've seen Dirk's tongue flash after sinking a big three.

And so tonight, the Mavericks embark on a new season with a tilt with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. I think that the Mavs will be quite good this year, but don't expect a repeat of 67 wins. Some speculate that they were out of gas by the time the playoffs came around, and Avery Johnson will not repeat past mistakes.

While I was at the gym last night, I saw the beginning of the San Antonio game where they raised the championship banner and gave rings to the players and coaches. Could we have this seen in Dallas a year from now? Possibly. It depends on how well the Mavs travel the long road between now and June. While I don't know how it will turn out, it should be fun to watch.

Until next time...
PH

Last visit with Grandma

Many of you already know that my grandma, Zelma Heath, passed away on October 23. There are many thoughts and themes to write about related to this subject, but I would like to start by recounting the last time that I saw her.

On Friday, October 19, I flew in to Indianapolis from Dallas so that I could visit Grandma. She had been battling stomach cancer for about 4 months at this point after the doctors determined that it was inoperable. After driving about an hour and a half from Indianapolis to Rensselaer, I arrived at the Rensselaer Care Center where she spent her final days. It was about 2 p.m. that afternoon when I met Dad and made my way back to her room. Upon entering, I saw a twinkle in her eyes, and we visited for about 20 minutes before she needed to rest some more. After she fell asleep, Dad told me that that was a long visit for Grandma these days. She was very weak from not being able to eat much, and Dad said that she slept about 90-95% of the time. We visited a couple of more times before leaving for the evening around 6 p.m.

The next morning, Dad and I arrived at 7:30 a.m., and Grandma visited with us for about an hour. Aunt Mary and Aunt Ruby came by around 9 a.m., and Grandma was awake for about another 30 minutes before we went to lunch. As we were leaving, Dad told her to push her button and the nurse would come if she needed something while we were gone. Grandma said, "You mean this one?" as she smiled and pointed to her bellybutton. It was good to see her in good spirits.

After lunch, I was able to visit for about another 30 minutes before I had to head back to Indianapolis for my return flight home. During our visits that day, we reminisced about different times that she and Grandpa and visited us in Texarkana and some of the things that we had done over the years. As I left, I thanked Grandma for everything that she had done over the years, and I told her goodbye. I had a feeling that it might be the last time that I saw her, and that turned out to be the case.

It was very difficult to see her so weak and sick. There is a part of me that would have liked to have had my last memory have been on May 3 when our family gathered in Arlington for her 94th birthday. However, as Dad, Aunt Mary, and Aunt Ruby have told me, Grandma perked up more during those two days than she had for quite some time. I could tell that it meant a lot to her that I came to see her, and it also meant a lot to the rest of the family that was there. I realized as I was driving back to the airport that the trip really wasn't about me. It was about what I was able to do for Grandma. I'm glad that I was able to give her something special during her final days. Now she is in peace in the joys of heaven where we will see her again. It may be difficult to read this and not be sad, but let us find joy in knowing that Grandma is now free of cancer and all other ailments as she sings with the choirs of heaven.

Until next time...
PH

October on the Vine

As I mentioned last month, I am participating the Vine program with Amazon. The Augie March CD wound up not being all that great. So that made the Logitech V220 cordless mouse my top pick from the items that I tried last month. My reviews are not on the main product pages any more, but here's where to find the ones that I did for the mouse and the CD.

This month, I am taking a look at a back massaging cushion by Homedics. I just opened it yesterday, and it is pretty good so far. Unlike some other massaging chairs or cushions that I've used in the past, this actually does a true massage. I want to use it for a few more days before publishing my review on Amazon. I'll let you know when it is there.

Until next time...
PH

Birthday Pictures

My dear wife has put up a post on her blog with pictures from my birthday activities. Before you ask, yes that is the same shirt on both days, and yes it was clean both times! As you will see in some of the pictures, I paid homage to some of my ancestry. Enjoy!

I know I have been a bit slow between posts lately. It is not from a lack of things to say, but a lack of time. I hope to be more regular in getting things out in the near future.

Until next time...
PH

Recap of My Birthday Weekend

The years continue to roll by, and last Friday marked the day that I turned (gasp!) 34. This had to have been one of the better birthdays in recent years. Christy took me to a nice restaurant/brewery in Ft. Worth called The Covey. It is a really nice place, and you could easily drop more Washingtons than you intend if you aren't careful. However, we were both drawn to the wood-fired oven pizzas. Don't think Cici's or Dominoe's. Wood-fired pizza is hard to beat, and the offering at The Covey is no exception. I also highly recommend their IPA if you are in the mood for good beer.

Christy picked out a nice present for me. We recently saw Jim Gaffigan on Comedy Central, and he is one of the better ones that I've seen in quite some time. His sketches are mostly on the PG side, and he doesn't cuss. Anyway, Christy got me the DVD/CD combo of "Beyond the Pale" which contains the Hot Pockets sketch. I could tell you about it, but it is available in the media section of Jim's web site. We listened to the CD on the way home from The Covey, and then watched the DVD.

And then, as if Friday evening wasn't enough, Christy cranked up her mad scientist lab Saturday. She booted me out of the house at 9 a.m., and gave me strict instructions not to be home until 6 p.m. Before this day, I really didn't have an appreciation for just how long nine hours really is. I went to just about every electronics store or store that sells electronics in the Metroplex, and it was only 10:05 a.m. - not really. However, I settled in at The Corner Bakery around 3 p.m. to take advantage of free coffee refills and free wifi. Actually, killing a day is pretty easy, and I was almost late getting home. I ran into a bit of a traffic jam, but I still made it back by 6:05 p.m.

Upon arrival, I had to close my eyes and be led back to the bedroom which was serving as a holding tank. About 15 minutes later, Christy comes back and leads me out (eyes shut) to the living room as I was greeted to a surprise party. So with a small group of family and friends, we enjoyed a night of junk food, beer and wine, games, a slideshow of my life so far, and karaoke. All the dogs in a 20 mile radius had to go for therapy after we butchered song after song that night.

And that, folks, is what I call a good birthday weekend.

Until next time...
PH

Update on September Vine Products

My latest review is now up on Amazon for the Bamboo Small Tablet. The results were mixed, but I will save the details for those who want to look on Amazon.

I've started listening to the Augie March CD this morning on my way in to work. I noticed that I had a different perspective than when I've bought CDs in the past. I was listening with more of a critical ear, and starting to formulate what I might say in my review. I think that this is what it must be like to be a music (or other) critic for a living. I think I'll need a few more listens before I can actually draw any conclusions. However, I will be glad to have the review behind me. Then, I can just enjoy listening to the CD. I am grateful to have gotten the chance to listen to something new that I otherwise would not have.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Program

In August, Amazon.com rolled out a new program called Vine. I'm not sure how they made their selections, but I have been participating in the program. In August, I read and advanced copy of the book Influencer. You can find my review here, but the link will probably not be valid for very long as the number of reviews and order that they are listed changes. Mine is the one listed "P. Heath (Hurst, TX United States)". If you go here, you can see all of the other customer reviews I have written for Amazon over the years. You will mostly find three kinds of things here: CDs, books, and electronics.

This month I will be reviewing the following products: the latest CD by Augie March, a cordless mouse from Logitech, and a pen tablet for use with PCs and laptops. I should have these around mid-week so my reviews will probably be up on Amazon starting next weekend.

I think this is a really fun program, but you would not believe some of the things that are said on the member section of the Vine program. There was one guy who was going to sue Amazon for what he perceived to be a breach of contract because he wasn't going to get to receive three items for review this month. Other folks were slow on the uptake and didn't make it to the site before the limited supplies ran out. Finally others were making selections and writing reviews before their items even shipped so that they could select additional items. It all reeks of greed and entitlement. People are forgetting that the program participation and the items are free and that the purpose is to have unbiased reviews up on the site prior to or right at product launch. Amazon fully disclosed that the items would be in limited supply. I would have hoped that people would be honored simply by being invited to participate. I guess this is really just a symptom of the larger problems that we face in today's world.

Until next time...
PH

Football, Football, Football!

We have officially come out of the summer sports drought. I love it when the temperatures start to taper off a little bit, and it's hard to turn on your TV over the weekend without finding football. It's even better when your team is good. However, let's not get too excited about the Cowboys yet. These are the Colts or the Chargers or the Saints that they have lit of up the last couple of weeks.

Even when it's not all rosy, there's still something special about football. Although they are 0-2 at this point, there is still a lot of optimism surrounding UNT. Todd Dodge's offense was in high gear in the 45-31 loss to SMU. When your quarterback throws for over 600 yards, you know you are doing something right. Were it not for a couple of very bad interceptions by said quarterback, we might be talking about a 2-0 record in the Safeway Bowl for UNT.

What is the Safeway Bowl? I'm glad you asked. Back in 1994 when UNT was in its final season in I-AA, Coach Matt Simon was disgusted at SMU's unwillingness to accept a game with UNT. He said that UNT would play SMU in a Safeway parking lot if they would only take the challenge. It took over 10 years to establish a two year series. After a 24-6 loss last year, and a 45-31 win that was harder to come by than expected, don't expect an extension of the Safeway Bowl series.

Are you ready for some football?

Until next time...
PH

Spam That Predates The Internet

I have had a couple of recent encounters with something that used to be much more prevalent in the world of mass marketing. Do you remember how it used to happen without fail at the mall, the grocery store, or other popular shopping venue that you would return to your vehicle only to find some ridiculous advertisement stuck under your windshield wiper? How was this ever an effective way of advertising?

Honestly, have you ever taken action as a result of these things? All that it inspires in me is displeasure toward the advertiser for the fact that I now have something to throw away. Each of you has probably also succumbed to the moment of laziness where you removed the flier from your own vehicle and stuck it with its kin on the car or truck next to you. I would also think that the owners of businesses would be irritated by this practice as well since these typically wind up on the ground without making it to the trashcan. Have you ever seen the uniform mass of papers blowing around in the parking lot on a windy day?

It seems to me like we should expand anti-spam regulations to include these annoyances too.

Until next time...
PH

Mall Kiosks

I have been thinking this for quite some time, and I had it confirmed for me again today. Mall kiosks are evil. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule, but by and large this is true. How many times have you been asked to let someone clean your ring or other jewelry? I actually had someone stop me and ask if she could look at my finger nails. Is this what most people are looking for when they go to the mall? I highly doubt it.

It seems that the middle sections of the mall are reserved for the pushiest of vendors. I'm not sure when this happened, but I don't remember it always being this way. I can remember a time about a year ago or so when a wireless vendor accosted me about who my current provider was. When I let him know that I was with Verizon, he snapped back that I must be rich! I'm not sure where they teach that sales technique, but I can't imagine many people being persuaded to change to wireless provider XYZ because they must be rich to be with their current provider.

Have a mall kiosk story? Let me hear from you.

Until next time...
PH

Unfinshed Tales - Part III

As I've posted previously, I am reading Tolkien's Unfinished Tales. I realize now that I have named the titles of my posts poorly as they do not correlate to the "Parts" of the actual book. For this post, I am going to combine three of the "tales" from the official "Part Two" which deals with the Second Age of Middle Earth. Without further ado, let us consider "A Description of the Island of Numenor", "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife", and "The Line of Elros: The Kings of Numenor".

I put tales in quotes because the first and third of these are hardly what you would consider tales in the since that they contain a plot. "A Description of the Island of Numenor" is exactly that. It was six of the hardest to get through pages of reading that I have recently taken on, and there was very little payoff. At best I have taken one for the team, and I can at best tell you that you can safely skip this.

Then there is "The Line of Elros: The Kings of Numenor". Again, there is nothing that is terribly insightful or memorable about anything contained in the pages of this "tale". Unless you are taking a college course on Tolkien, skip this one too.

That leaves us with "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife". While this actually qualifies as a tale, it falls considerably short of being compelling. Here's the story: mariners love the sea, and it is hard to be a Mariner's wife as a result. The only thing mildly interesting about this tale is that the first rise of Sauron is hinted at in a few places, but it is not at all developed. While Aldarion is an ancestor of Aragorn, reading this story will not really give you a deeper understanding of the great hero from The Lord of the Rings.

So far, that makes the Unfinished Tales of Part Two a bust. "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn" is the only one left so will see if it's a case of having saved the best for last.

Until next time...
PH

Final Fire Update

I realized the other day that I had been remiss in bringing the story of our house fire to a close. In my last post on this subject, I mentioned that the final piece of the puzzle was replacing the carpet. We finally got everything in place for this a couple of weeks ago, and we are more or less squared away. However, it can never really be that simple, can it? The carpet people caused some minor damage to the paint job that we had just had done. They will be sending someone out to touch that up, but it is relatively minor.

The thought that I want to leave you with on this topic relates to smoke detectors. We didn't realize the value of what we had until this fire. Our bedroom and the upstairs living room are about as far apart as two places in our house can be. The only reason we caught the fire early was because all of our smoke detectors are tied together. If one of them goes off, they go off in every room that has one. We would have probably been talking about loosing the house if this had not been the case. This is something that we will be looking for in our future houses, and I would advise you to do the same.

Until next time...
PH

Unimaginable Cruelty Followed By Stupidity

Many of you have heard the reports about Atlanta Falcons Quarterback, Michael Vick. For those who have not, here's the scoop. I really don't know where to begin. This is one of those stories that makes me sick, sad, and angry all at the same time. I don't understand the thought process that leads to anything like this being a good idea. However, I won't belabor the obvious. I think that we are in agreement on this point.

Most of the talk has now moved on to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and what he will do. To the dismay of many (including me), he is not going to take any action at this point. For a view with a bit more sanity that will likely be more satisfying to you, give this a try. I won't try to say what is already very well said.

Give your dogs (or other pets) an extra hug, and be thankful that they are with you and not someone like Michael Vick. As the CBS Sportsline story suggests, we can reasonably expect justice to be served. Take comfort in that as well.

Until next time...
PH

Minnie Driver - Singer?

In a word, yes. I'm not making this up. Today we actually are treated to Minnie Driver's second CD - Seastories. Add this one to the category of things that you wouldn't expect to be good that actually are. While I would not expect any Grammy nominations, it is very enjoyable - at least from the generous 1:30 samples of each song. And it is on the Zoe Records label who also distributes one of my favorite artists, Sarah Harmer. Enjoy.

Until next time...
PH

Know Thy Entertainment

I had a post earlier this month about the upcoming movie for The Golden Compass. Mark left a comment that I wanted to make sure everyone else saw:

"So, have you read anything about Pullman (Golden Compass author) and his intentional anti-Christian philosophy of storytelling? You can find stuff all over the internet, but here is just one link."

If you read the link above, it leaves little room for doubt about the author's intentions. However, I find it interesting that he waits until the third book in the trilogy to take on his overt anti-religious position. At that point, you have invested two entire books in what is otherwise a compelling story (both the accounts of others), and it is easy to feel cheated if you stop your investment. The same will be even more the case if you have taken your kids to see the first two movies so be advised and choose carefully.

Children want to identify with the characters in the books they read and shows/movies they watch. Do you want your children to identify with rebelling against "The Authority" - Pullman's figure of God?

Each of us must decide where we draw the line with regard to entertainment for ourselves and our children. We will likely choose different places, but that is OK. While some things are clearly not good (e.g. inciting rebellion against God), not everything is black and white. What's important is that we make conscious decisions about it.

Until next time...
PH

Amarillo By Morning?

Not exactly. I arrived at 2:10 p.m. yesterday. Christy's cousin is getting married at 7:00 this evening, and we are out for the weekend. Actually, Christy has been here since Wednesday. She and her mother have been having some extra "girl time". If you think it sounds expensive, you're probably right! ;-)

We have mostly been spending time with her grandmother (Memaw) since I arrived. She and her husband, Robert, live just south of the western part of town. I've only been through Amarillo once before, and that was while driving to and from Albuquerque. I have to say that you may find someplace that is as flat but probably not flatter.

In Amarillo, the mall is the epicenter of all activity. The girls had been there once before I arrived yesterday. We went back before dinner. Somehow, there was still more to do as they went back a third time after we took her Memaw home! I requested to be dropped at Barnes and Nobel on their third trip. Mind you, we are not talking about the Galleria here. It's about the same size as the malls in Denton or Texarkana. I suppose that's just what women do. Shopping seems to be as much of a bonding exercise as it is anything else.

We did have a good visit with Memaw and Robert after breakfast this morning out at their house. Robert showed us pictures of where his son and family live in Germany. Okey helped Memaw figure out how to access her address book in her new phone. AT&T finally forced her off of their old CDMA network which forced her to get a new phone. Change does not come easy at 85 so she needed a little help. After going for a nice lunch at Texas Roadhouse, we dropped Memaw back at her house for a nap. Christy and Jeri are doing something with their fingernails that takes a really long time and a long time to dry. It will be time to get ready for the wedding soon.

Until next time...
PH

Unfinished Tales - Part II

I have finished the next story in Tolkien's Unfinished Tales. As previously mentioned, this is the "Narn i Chîn Húrin (The Tale of the Children of Húrin)". It is also a very rough early version of the story in the recently published The Children of Hurin. As I previously promised, here is a brief comparison of the two.

The overall plot is the same in both versions, but as expected, the "Narn" version is significantly less polished. Many of the chapters in the Narn are shorter and less developed. There is actually a significant gap in the story from the time that Turin and the Outlaws begin their dwelling with Mim the Petty Dwarf until after the sack of Nargothrond. If I had read these versions in the opposite order, I could image being very frustrated as there is merely an appendix at the end of the story that tries to piece together the plot during this period of the story. It also shows just how much work Christopher Tolkien put in as editor to produce the more recent edition.

Otherwise, the characters are the same, and the geography is more or less identical. Beyond sitting down and doing a side by side comparison (which I did not nor do I intend to do) the differences are not troublesome. The one thing I did find troubling was the lack of a map of Beleriand as it was in the First Age of Middle-earth. I referred to the map in The Children of Hurin - which I also did in reading "Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin". Given the breadth of locations in Tolkien's works, it would be quite difficult to keep up without a map.

In short, it is a compelling, but rather frustrating version of the story. However, I believe this is what you are signing up for when embarking on a book that in its very title claims to be "Unfinished".

Until next time...
PH

Interesting Movie Coming In December

Christy and I went to see the new Fantastic 4 movie over the weekend. It was ok. Don't look for it to win any awards, but if you liked the first one the second keeps things going reasonably well.

What was really interesting, however, was one of the previews that we saw. New Line Cinema may live to regret the hype they are creating, but The Golden Compass looks to be worthwhile.

This the first movie in a trilogy based on the books written by Philip Pullman. I am not familiar with his work, but I do intend to read the book before The Golden Compass comes out.

These movies may be set up for failure though. The trailer implies that these movies will be on par with The Lord of the Rings trilogy that Peter Jackson directed earlier this decade. While they may turn out to be fine, successful movies, that is a tall order. We'll see.

Until next time...
PH

EDIT: Please see my follow up post regarding this movie.

TV On Your Phone?

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a market research study related to TV service delivered over cell phones. I've never done anything like this before, but I love gadgets. When you throw in the fact that they provided the phone and I got to keep it after the study was done, what was there to lose? That would be enough to get most people to do it, but they also paid a small fee to boot. It was almost too good to be true, but this company bought me a new phone and paid me to use it!

So for an eight week period, I was supposed to "use the service as much as possible" and log my viewing on their web site. This wasn't a big deal, but I did find myself some days thinking, "I haven't watched anything yet. I better take a quick peak and log it on the web site." I only missed one day in the eight weeks so I felt like I held up my end of the bargain.

However, based on these eight weeks, I have to ask, "Do we really need TV on our cell phones?" I settled on a pretty solid "no". Outside of the trial, it costs an extra $10 a month. That in of itself is a deal breaker. For $5 a month, I might consider it, but that's even iffy. However what they had to offer as "service" was really nothing to write home about. There were eight channels in all, but I was only interested in about half of them - Fox, NBC, ESPN, and Comedy Central. Yet, these were not the "real" channels that you would see on your TV at home. Occasionally they would show the same programming, but most of the time what I saw seemed to have no rhyme or reason to it. ESPN often showed the same program every hour - boring! I usually only watched for about 5 minutes most of the time anyway. Finally, the reception was average to poor. I watched a few minutes of a Stanly Cup Playoff game, but I never did find the puck.

Even though I didn't care for the service, it was still kind of fun to play with one of the latest and greatest toys. After it the study was over, I used the money they paid me to get a phone that was more to my liking. Now I'm going to try to figure out the best way to sell the "TV phone". The main thing I need to do is figure out how to wipe all of my information out of the phone and get it back to the factory default state. All in all, I say it was a good deal.

Until next time...
PH

Who's In Your Family Tree?

Christy has been working on our family tree, and this is something that the internet has really helped facilitate. She has made it all the way back to the third century in only a couple of weeks! There have been a few interesting finds in her research, but I want to share one of these in particular here today.

Many if not most of you know that I have developed a strong appreciation of craft brewed beer over the last 10 years or so. As it turns out, it's in my blood. My Dad's ancestors in the late sixth century find their way back to Saint Arnulf, Bishop of Metz. The name Arnulf translates to Arnold, and this Saint Arnold is the same one whose name is on beer from Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Ben and I have been down to Houston twice to tour the brewery over the years, but we had no idea.

Small world, huh? Now if I can just figure out how to parlay this into free beer somehow...

Until next time...
PH

Musical Maturation

As I have gotten older, it is interesting to look at how my taste in music has developed over the years. When I was in high school, I was pretty typical. I tended toward music that my parents really didn't relate to - hard rock and heavy metal for the most part. While this is still great music to listen to while at the gym, I don't seek it out as a matter of course. I've even found myself listening to and liking music that I proclaimed at one point in time or another, "I'll never be caught dead listening to that!"

One such genre is country music. No, I don't really care for what Nashville is touting as "country" these days. However, I have become a very big fan of Johnny Cash over the last ten years. His sessions with Rick Ruben distributed by American Records reached a new fan base that had never had much interest in "The Man in Black". Now some of these recordings - especially American II: Unchained - could be argued to be more rock 'n roll than country, but it I think it roused curiosity about Cash in people that had paid him very little prior attention. No one could argue that Cash had the best voice ever recorded, but he had something to say - and it was usually worth saying. That's one of the big differences I've noticed in what I choose to listen to now. The lyrics are very important. It's not that I completely ignored them in the past, but it was really more about crunching guitars and high energy drums.

Speaking of lyrics, my favorite song these days is one that most of you have probably not heard. Sarah Harmer's last CD has a song called The Ring. It's a very melodic song that is very heavily influenced by bluegrass (my former boss and good friend Mark is now in shock!), as is the entire CD. It's really a simple song about the people who have been there for you in tough times and helped you get through them. Can you read the lyrics and not think about your parents, spouse, or dear friends?

I'm sure there are plenty of other bold proclamations from my teenage years over which I could eat crow, but like all things we'll take this in moderation. :)

Until next time...
PH

Unfinished Tales - Part I

I've recently begun reading Tolkien's Unfinished Tales. Since this is a loose collection of semi-related stories, I am going to give my thoughts on them individually rather than comment on the book as a whole.

With that in mind, I finished the first story, "Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin" over the weekend. This story is closely related to the one that follows in this volume and has since been told in its own publication, The Children of Hurin. Tuor is the son of Hurin's brother, Huor. Unlike Turin, the tragic figure of The Children of Hurin, Tuor is a true heroic character with which readers will want to identify. He lacks the rash and brash nature of his kinsman Turin, and this is proved out in his journey that takes him to the hidden city of Gondolin - the secret fortress of Turgon the Elf, one of the lords of the Noldor of the Eldar. While at times the story reads like the King James Bible, I did not find it a major distraction. The only bad thing that I can say about this story is that it is, well, unfinished. The original title was, "Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin" which is accounted briefly in The Silmarillion. However as Christopher Tolkien indicates in his editorial notes, his father never returned to this story to complete it beyond Tuor's arrival at Gondolin.

The next story as previously mentioned is "Narn i Chîn Húrin (The Tale of the Children of Húrin)". My next post on Unfinished Tales will include a comparison of this to The Children of Hurin.

Until next time...
PH

Fire Update III

Well, things are slowly coming together in restoring order after the fire. We have had the sheet rock and baseboard replaced where the fire was, and Tuesday-Thursday this past week we had painters out to put fresh paint in the upstairs and downstairs living rooms. We sent Rocket and Kassie to the "doggie hotel" until they were done. They were glad to come home yesterday, and we were glad to have them back. The only thing that remains is replacing the carpet in the upstairs living room and on the stairs themselves. However, they are going to have to order the carpet so it is going to be one to three weeks before they have it to install for us. We are going to go ahead and put the house back on the market with an note that the carpet is on order and will be replaced by the end of this month or early next month. It is good to have most of it behind us and be getting back to normal.

Until next time...
PH

A New Game Of Tag

My friend Amy got me involved in a high tech game of tag where it is now my duty to give eight factoids of interest that you may or may not already know. Limiting this to eight might be a challenge...

1. After my freshman year in college, I spent eight weeks working at Camp Discovery Space Camp at Northwestern State University. Each week on Sunday afternoon, a new group of kids came in and spent the week through Thursday evening when we had "graduation". The Director, Mike Hawkins, started his address to the parents and family with the same phrase, "We are officially tired." This has since evolved into a much larger program.

2. Staying with this theme, after my first senior year in college, I spent a total of five weeks (one three week and one two week session) as a resident adviser for the Investigation of Talented Students at the University of North Texas. This was what you would call a different kind of summer camp. Highly intelligent and motivated middle school and high school students came for either a two or three week intensive match course that would advance them one year in their math studies. I can't imagine taking Algebra II in a three week period as a high school student, but there were about 40-50 students at each session. I was the RA for the Precalculus students, and it was one of the best experiences that I had up to that point. For five weeks being a math major made me a hero. This program has also progressed to a new form in the last eleven years.

3. As the previous two items imply, I split my undergraduate work between two universities. I also changed majors from physics to math during my five year journey. Unfortunately, I didn't decide to make the change until I had already invested enough hours in physics that I had to make it my minor. While graduating was a huge cause for celebration, there are few times that I've been as relieved as I was when I finished that last physics class - Statistical and Thermal Physics. Yuck!

4. When I started my career search during my fifth year of college, I only interviewed with three companies. I had what was probably the worst interview in the history of IBM. To say that I was ill-prepared would be an understatement. I tried to sell myself on problem solving abilities and good smile. It didn't work out.

5. My second interview was with Usability Sciences Corporation in Irving. I thought I had this one in the bag, and they even called me out for a second interview. The only problem was the "Dear John" letter that I got in the mail about a week later.

6. I guess you've figured out that the third interview went better than the other two. Raytheon was actually looking for math and physics majors to work on their high performance algorithm software. It's really nothing other than the providence of God that got me this job, truth be told. I can remember being in my apartment and getting a call from their recruiter after submitting my resume. I'm not sure if it was the way that she described it to me, but it just didn't really sound all that interesting to me. She offered (thankfully) to have the Director of my future department call me and give me a sales pitch. After talking to him, I decided to go in for an interview. I interviewed with three different groups, and I actually got offers from two of them. Most of you know that I joined the Software Algorithms Group, and that launched my career in the world of Information Technology.

7. I almost moved to Southern California toward the end of my time with Raytheon. I had been traveling to the Los Angeles Area to work on a project with one of our sister sites in El Segundo. My first trip out there was at the end of July. My boss had commandeered a convertible for our rental car, and it was great riding on the Pacific Coast Highway at 8 p.m. with temperatures in the mid 80s. I can remember my boss saying, "It's 10 p.m. in Dallas, and it's still 100 degrees!" Then he burst into an evil laughter that those of you that know him are too familiar with. Luckily, the cost of living difference was a deal breaker because...

8. Toward the very end of my time at Raytheon, I met my future wife, Christy. What you may or may not know is that we met through an online Christian singles web site. While bored at my apartment one night, I created a profile on this site on a whim. A couple of months had gone by, and I had forgotten about it. Then one day, I was checking my e-mail (in El Segundo) before my boss and I were going to dinner, and I noticed that I had a reply to my profile that I had posted. Pressed for time, I didn't respond right then, but I did so after getting back into town. However, the web site was not the best, and it took me three tries to get it to allow me to respond to Christy's inquiry. The third time's a charm, right? And the rest, as they say, is history.

Since I got tagged by one of the two other bloggers that I know, that leaves Mark as my one and only lucky victim.

Until next time...
PH