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
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
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.
At Brother Robert's house we do a (I'm told this is the official term) Chinese gift exchange.
Until next time...
PH
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.)
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, December 21, 2007
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
Until next time...
PH
Thursday, December 20, 2007
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
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
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
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
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
Monday, December 17, 2007
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
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
Sunday, December 16, 2007
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
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
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