Montage Mania

I found an interesting site just now. Just type in a word. It grabs 20 images from Google and then creates a montage out of those images. Kinda cool. No way to export the montage so you need to do a screen capture if you wanna save it, but... Check out Grant Robinson's Montage-a-Google site. There are other cool projects on Grant's site as well.

Stay on top of it...

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Nature has a sense of humor

Last month we finally had a couple of days where we had snow on the ground and it was warm enough for the kids to go outside and play. Each of the snowfalls before that, even last year, were accompanied by bitter cold and winds that made it unbearable (for us as parents, anyway) to be out playing in the snow. This time the weather was warm (high 30's). The snow was heavy and sticky -- perfect for building.

My older two went to work immediately on building their snowmen. The snow was sticking so well that it was like rolling up carpet (or sod) as they rolled their balls across the yard. It took off the entire snow blanket -- right down to the grass. When my youngest saw how easy it was he decided that he wanted a snowman too. He built with a little ball in his mittens and then started rolling. He was ecstatic! He was making a snowman!

The bigger base was first. Followed by the big white belly. I helped lift the belly up on top of the first snowball. As I did this, he started to roll out the head. While he worked on his own snowman head, his siblings were working on "decorating" theirs with sticks and other paraphernalia. As I turned to lift the now-finished head on my son's first snowman, my wife started chuckling. I thought I had some snow stuck to my backside or something. Then she pointed to the now-finished head I was about to lift. From her angle, on the other side of the ball, she was seeing something a little different than I was on the back side. As I came around to see what she saw, I realized that Mother Nature had already decorated the face on this ball -- complete with two eyes, a nose and a mouth! The picture on this post is exactly what she left for us! As my son had been rolling the ball, he had picked up a couple of leaves and sticks that Mother Nature had laid in just the right spot on the ground this past fall -- just waiting for a snowman to personify!

That Mother Nature... always planning...

TRASH!

There's a slogan used by many nature-themed companies that is some derivative of: "tread softly, leave only footprints." They are reminding their customers, and all of us, that we should protect the Earth we live on and the environment that we live in. That's all well and good, but there are very few of us that can leave ONLY footprints. As a product of the modern world that we live in, there are other byproducts. But, with a little effort, we can minimize the impact we are making on the world.

I think that if we start small, we've at least started, and we can build on that as we are able. With that in mind, my family and I have been a big recyclers for quite a while. We recycle as much as we can curbside (plastic, metal, etc). We recycle paper at my son's school just down the road so that they get a small stipend in return (we have a large paper recycle bin that I take every couple of weeks). We use other odds and ends for craft projects ourselves and/or donate items to the schools for them to use in their crafts. We even collect recycling from my church and parents in areas that don't have strong enough recycling efforts.

It didn't hit me until the other day, though, how much this recycling has helped though.

As a family of 5, according to some researchers, we'd be expected to generate nearly 200 pounds on average a week. I'm proud to say that at least from home, we're contributing only about 1-1/2 bags of trash a week -- in total! All the rest is recycled!

We collect cardboard in the kitchen compactor, glass, metal, plastic and batteries in the utility room containers, paper in the big container in the living room. We recycle the pop bottles and use rechargeable batteries. And the best part is that it's second nature. It doesn't take any more time or effort really. It makes us feel a little better that we're minimizing our impact.

There's still a lot more that we can do. We need to be better at buying recycled products. We need to educate some of our neighbors. We need to reduce our use. We need to encourage our cities and employers to do more to make it more convenient for people to participate in recycling. The more that we can do as individuals, the more individuals we can get to participate, the greater the impact we can have on making a lessor impact on our Big Blue Planet.

Are you doing your part?

Radio Disney Detroit Events Calendar

The family and I have been attending the Radio Disney events in our area for less than a year now. Seems like a LOT longer then that. They've become so much a part of our weekend activities. The kids really enjoy them and they're not only FREE, but you win stuff too!

The kids (and my wife and I) often hear about events on the radio itself, but Radio Disney has an events page on their site as well. Unfortunately, it's not been easy for them to keep it updated. We often hear about stuff the day before the event.

I know that I'm diluting the possibility for my kids to win prizes by doing this (and I hope that Radio Disney doesn't mind), but I really think it's a good, fun, free activity that a lot of families would enjoy if they knew about it... So... I created a public Google Calendar that you can check in on and add to your own Google Calendar to see where Radio Disney Detroit will be. I've setup alerts on the official Radio Disney events calendar to let me know when they add new events and I'll add them to this calendar as well.

No guarantees of completeness given the issues stated above, but I'll add things to my calendar as soon as we hear about them. One more source of information to keep you on top of things.

If you're not in the Detroit Area, check out Radio Disney to find a station in your area. If you are in the Detroit area, click on the link below to see where Radio Disney Detroit is gonna be.

Parenting Refresher Course

My wife has a friend who's about to have her first baby in July (I think). Congratulations to her and her husband! Parenting is hard work. They'll come to know that soon enough, but even those of us with a few under our belts already could use a refresher course once in a while. The guys over at C00lstuff have compiled a graphic list of Do's and Don't with babies. I now understand some of the issues that I had raising my kids. I was doing all the Don't and not doing enough of the Do's.

Bit by the bug

Whatever is going around here is nasty!

My wife was sick a couple of weeks ago -- knocked her out completely for a day, and kicked her pretty good for several days around that one. Then my son got sick. He got something completely different I think. Symptoms for him were mostly congestion and coughing...lots of coughing. On a couple of nights, I sat with him on the recliner downstairs at night so he'd get a little relief by being upright. Helped him, hurt me. I lost some sleep, making me more susceptible to the coughing all around me. It finally grabbed hold of me this past weekend. I spent the weekend in daze, and Tuesday and Wednesday on the couch. I thought I was good enough to go to work today, but only made it a half day before heading home, light-headed.

I feel like a sissy going to the doctor for a cough and congestion, but if this keeps up, I might cede.

My daughter's school principal sent an email home on Tuesday saying that 77 kids called in sick that day -- a little more than 25% if I did my math right. Maybe this is what all the hype's about in Cloverfield.

There are three kinds of lies...

"This well-known saying is part of a phrase attributed to Benjamin Disraeli and popularized in the U.S. by Mark Twain: There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics" according to Wikipedia. Based on my recent experiences I'd like to amend this a little bit.

There are four kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, statistics, and political polls.

In the US, the political campaigns are in full swing as presidential hopefuls try to convince us citizens that they are the best ones to guide us as a nation into the future. With so many candidates to choose from, and the primaries and caucuses going on, the field is pretty crowded still. That will change in the coming months as the two primary parties select their delegates.

Trying to keep up with all of the candidates is still pretty tough. A number of them have something of interest. A number of them have things on their platform that really scare me. Sometimes, unfortunately it comes down to a lesser-of-two-(or more)-evils. Trying to see how the candidates stack up against the issues most important to me, I decided to take a few on-line polls. The polls asked my feelings on several issues and how strongly I felt about those issues. Pretty standard polling method. But what the polls revealed was a lot more than I was expecting. According to the polls, I'm a "Demo-Inde-Publican."

I'm a what?!

Each poll I answered had ideal candidate different. On one poll, I was very much entrenched in the Democratic camp. The next one had me on the exact other end of the spectrum. Still a third had me off the two-party system completely saying that one of the potential independent candidates most matched my presidential objectives. I knew that there would be some differences (OK, a lot of differences) between the candidates, but I didn't expect as much in polling. These weren't "Joe's Political Polls" questionnaires. These were national, and international, well-known sites offering to help me find the best person to lead this country.

True, the sites asked slightly different sets of questions, so that might skew the results a little based on my answers, but skew so much that I ended up at opposite ends of the spectrum? It made me think a little more about the motives of the pollsters. And in questioning their motives for the polls, I started to question their motives for the content of their other publication's content (newspapers, web sites, etc).

I admit that I am swayed by the public presentation of the candidates. That's the first step in rehabilitation. I've done some research, and I know that if I don't participate I can't complain after the fact if things don't turn out as I would like. That won't stop anyone from complaining no matter who wins, but... I can't stand to watch the debates live. I can't stand to see everyone in defense mode. I'd rather see them when they can present their views and plans without the "distraction" of everyone else. I've watched several candidates being interviewed alone. In each of those interviews, I caught something that made me think that the candidate really knew what they were talking about, or made it readily apparent that they were only saying what their handlers had told them to say -- that they really didn't know how to react when the interviewer went off script.

I can't say that I have a favorite candidate yet. I have several that scare me, but thankfully, they're dropping in the polls enough that my fear is subsiding. But, the election polls aren't closed yet -- not by a long shot -- so anything can happen.

Regardless of who wins in November, they will have an uphill battle in front of them. A battle to convince all of the people, not just those who didn't vote for them, that they really do know what needs to be done and can make it happen. They need to do it for all of US, and for the rest of the world that depends on us or despises, or just puts up with US.

I hope they can do it.

More Google StreetView Voyeur photos

You can find a lot more photos here if you're a closet voyeur looking for StreetView photos. Street View Gallery has thumb shots of the image as well as links directly to the Google captured image on Google Map's Streetview.

Tired of cubicle life?

Just take a vcation...

Oh, yeah. It helps to work with a certain type of person, too... Revenge sometimes IS sweet.

Bathroom etiquette

Is it just me or is it wrong to carry on a conversation on your cell phone while in the stall in the bathroom? And doesn't everyone know to wash their hands after using the facilities by now? I experienced each of these atrocities in one trip to the bathroom today.

When someone is on the phone, I make an effort to flush an extra toilet or two for emphasis (hoping that the embarrassment will come from the person on the other end of the phone as opposed to me confronting the one in the bathroom). And to see someone leave without washing their hands is like seeing someone smoking nowadays. Both filthy habits -- not good for you or the ones around you. Come on people!

This ain't no beach sand...

Found this artist again today -- Ilana Yahav - The Sand Artist. There are several more examples of her work on the her site, but here's a sampling. Quite amazing...

Erase this!

I had the opportunity to hear a couple of very dynamic speakers this past weekend. Each told stories in their own style and I connected with their voices in different ways. The second speaker left something with me that I wanted to share here though.

The story was a quick little one-off in the hour-long talk. It occurred at the end. It was part of the overall story she was telling, but somehow seemed disconnected. There was something about this 60 seconds that hit home though.

Forgive my paraphrasing. It's not nearly as engrossing when I try to tell it.

There was a student who was working on a school project and had to write the answer to a problem on a piece of paper. His teacher was standing over him while he was working this problem and after he had written his answer, the teacher told him that he was wrong and made him erase his response and re-work the problem. He did so and came up with another answer that he proceeded to write down. Again the teacher told him that the answer was not correct. He dutifully picked up his big pink eraser and erased the second answer as he had done before. A third time he tried and a third time he was told he was incorrect. When he erased the answer this time the paper began to fall apart. Too much abrasion from the eraser had taken its toll on the paper and it ripped where the previous answers had been written.

All too often we correct someone to the point of tearing the paper. Once that paper is torn, you can't put it back together. You can tape it. You can write elsewhere on it. But it's never the same. Never as strong. Never as pretty or as pristine. The same can be said of relationships. If you are constantly trying to "correct" someone else, constantly trying to "change the answer", eventually the paper is going to rip and the relationship will never be the same. Instead of erasing and changing, how about appreciating the effort and working together to a common goal or answer so that the eraser leaves but dust that is blown away and forgotten instead of a path of destruction in its wake.

I need to remember this while helping my kids with their homework. I think that this ties into a post I've been waiting to write about the difference between common sense and domain sense. I'll work on that one soon.

Hannah Montana Concert

My daughter (and my wife) had a great time at the concert last night. They both commented on Miley's (aka Hannah) stage presence and energy. The number (and speed) of the outfit changes was also something that amazed them.

My daughter sat with the other Radio Disney winners, most of which we had seen at other D-Tours so they already knew each other. I can't even imagine the decibels that were released that night from the tween screams alone, let alone the concert itself. I picture the movie Monsters where they turned the screams of frightened kids into energy to run their city. Hmmm... Maybe that's something worth looking into -- (c) established by this post if I take it anywhere! :-)

They got a few really good pictures from the concert, but most unfortunately turned out rather blurry. We did get a GREAT one of my daughter with Miley at the Meet-and-Greet. That one will be framed on her wall. She's almost back to normal, but this will definitely be an experience that she talks about for quite a while. She's now seen Corbin Bleu and Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, the two people she's been most enamoured with, both thanks to Radio Disney.

I can't imagine a 14-year-old with the energy and wits to maintain the schedule that she does. I just hope that she doesn't flame out like so many other young stars have. Her Disney support system while still in place and the experience of her father should help.

Back stage too!

We got a call from Radio Disney earlier today to let us know that we'd won the back stage meet-and-greet passes for tonight as well!

They're on the way home right now. Can't wait to see the pix!

SHE WON! SHE WON! SHE WON!

THANKS RADIO DISNEY!

We went to another Radio Disney D-Tour tonight and my daughter won tickets to tomorrow's Hannah Montana concert! She is still freaking out after more than an hour. She keeps wanting me to pinch her to wake her up. "This must be a dream," she keeps saying.

We go for the fun and the exercise and something to do, but the prizes keep the interest up. I think that the interest will be there for quite a while after a win like this!

My wife and daughter will be enjoying the show tomorrow night and I'll take the boys for a guy's night out. We'll probably go see Alvin and the Chipmunks. They are both really looking forward to that.

THANKS RADIO DISNEY! YOU ROCK!

Double Bonus Days!

We take the kids to Home Depot for Free Crafts the first Saturday of every month. They get to hammer, glue, sand and screw together projects. They get a sense for craftsmanship, hard work and attention to detail. They get to feel more comfortable building things with tools. They get to have something to do away from the television. They get something to show for their work. They get a project pin to put on their overflowing "Home Depot Orange" apron. We get time with the kids doing fun projects. We get time away from the house. We get to see the kids progress in their abilities and independence. Home Depot gets to instill brand recognition and project enthusiasm to the kids at a young age that they're count on will bring them back for purchases later in life. Home Depot gets to express an appreciation for their customers and their community. All in all, it's a good thing. This month, it was extra fun!

Each night before bed, we try to talk to the kids about what is in store for the next day. Last Friday night, we mentioned that it was Home Depot Craft day on Saturday. In addition to their excitement, my daughter mentioned that Radio Disney was going to be there as well. BONUS! We've been taking the kids to the Radio Disney D-Tour shows for a year or so now since they came to our market. The high-energy shows are very entertaining and the kids often walk away with free stuff as well (CDs, DVDs, t-shirts, posters, etc). With all of the hype over the Hannah Montana concerts going on again (she announced a second show in our area a little bit ago), they were looking forward to having another chance to win tickets. With about 50 or less kids at the shows we've been to, the odds are pretty good -- even better when we take all three kids and triple our chances!

This time, the D-Tour had a balloon artist, an animal clown and face painting in addition to their normal show, AND the kids craft. By now my kids all know the Disney cast members at the show and greet them as soon as we get there. Each of the kids loves to participate in the show (though to differing degrees) and has a great time. We didn't win Hannah tickets that time, but we went to another show on Sunday...then Monday. Still no tickets :-( But tomorrow's another day. Literally. The last chance to win tickets from Radio Disney's Local D-Tour before Friday's show. Cross your fingers...

Toast and Spam

Clever presentation of the history of the real Spam:



How they made it:

It's a numbers game

Found this one looking through an old TV guide. It's being marketed as a spin off of the CBS TV show Numb3rs. It's Chain Factor. Essentially, you need to match the numbers on the falling balls with a series of balls that form a chain of the same number of balls as the number on the ball that's falling... Confused yet? The site describes it as "Whenever the number on a disc matches the size of the row or column that disc is in, it will disappear. "

There are several games out there with this similar concept that have formed an addiction for me lately. Wellgames and OneMoreLevel have several like this. My wife has been playing a couple on "MyFaceBookSpace" lately as well :-)

It's a simple thing to just clear the board (well in the short term anyway), but it's a completely different game when you try to apply strategy to get higher points...

Have fun, but don't let the boss catch you...

Be forewarned -- they're additive.

Count 'em up!

None of us can afford to leave loose change lying around anymore given today's economy, but if YOU feel you can though, feel free to send it to me :-)

I came across a gallon-sized penny bank I had stuffed to the hilt the other day and decided it was time to cash in the coinage. Coinstar, those big green machines that count your coins for a fee, has been offering free coin counting if you convert the coins into gift certificates. We'd been using the one at our local Farmer Jack to get Amazon certificates until Farmer Jack shut down all of their stores several months ago. (you can also get gift cards for a lot of other sites including Starbucks, Circuit City, JCPenney, iTunes, Borders, Pier 1, Eddie Bauer, Cabela's, KB Toys, Old Navy, Timberland, Disney, Hollywood Video, AMC Theaters and Linens 'n Things).

I spent a while dumping and digging the pennies out of the bank and then decided to weigh them -- a whopping 74 pounds of pennies had been sitting in my closet for several years. My wife asked me how much I thought that would yield and I guessed about $50-$60.

We grabbed the paper bags we'd off loaded the copper into and headed off for the big green monster. It took quite a while to process them all, but in the end we traded 74 pounds of cents for about $75 in Amazon credit. We ended up using it for a new printer since ours had recently gone kaput.

AFTER I had made my guess on value, and AFTER we turned them in, I found a site that could have helped estimate the worth a little better than my pull-it-out-of-thin-air method. At Coincalc you tell it how many pounds of loose change you have and how many of each coin are in a small representative handful and it'll estimate the value of the whole lot. For my after-the-fact exercise, it was pretty close!

Now go gather all those piggy banks and put that money to use.

PS. Don't forget that if you do choose Amazon credit, come back to this site and search for your item by using the link on the right side -- then we both win. You get a great deal on a great product from Amazon and I get a little of your change back to keep my kids fed :-)

OMG!

For many years now I've stayed up until midnight on New Year's Eve and taken pictures of each of my kids and wife (each usually sleeping snugly in their beds) right at midnight. This year, for some strange reason, the kids (the older two at least) made it all the way to midnight with me. Not sure how, but I really hope that they sleep in tomorrow... They've tried in the past, but only made it until 10 o'clock or so. My youngest made it until 10:30 tonight (without a nap) and my wife until almost 11 before she gave into the Sandman and headed up to bed.

The kids and I kept each other awake by watching reruns of America's Funniest Videos and Myth Busters and playing a no-scoring version of their new Christmas game - Uno Attack.

I joked with my wife as she headed up to bed that it won't be too long before the kids will be sneaking in to catch both her and I in bed at midnight. I'm not sure how many more years I can make it.

Happy New Year! Hope it's a great one (and that some really good things happen in the world to help at least balance the devastation inflicted this past year).