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