Category: Stuff (Page 23 of 65)

Tagged by Rick!

Seven things to do before I die:
1) Snow Ski at Whistler/Blackcomb
2) See my grandchildren graduate
3) Get season tickets for MSU’s football, basketball, baseball
4) Go on a one year mission trip
5) Hear God speak daily
6) Visit England and New Zealand
7) Have a swimming pool

Seven Things I Cannot Do:
1) Touch my toes
2) Keep a straight face when I get in trouble
3) Eat Coconut
4) Go to sleep on time
5) Be an Ole Miss fan
6) Skip Breakfast
7) Sleep Late

Seven Things That Attract Me to My Mate:
1) She loves me even when I’m grumpy
2) She is the best snuggler ever
3) She is a fantastic mom
4) She loves to pray for me
5) The glimmer in her eyes
6) Her laugh when she makes fun of me
7) Really listens when I really talk

Seven Things I Say:
1) …and what not.
2) Have you heard of podcasting?
3) Right on!
4) Later.
5) I’ve only read the first half of it.
6) Have I told you this already?
7) I’ll get to it tomorrow.

Seven People Tagged:
1) Brad
2) Jeremy
3) Kevin
4) Chris
5) Tim
6) Russ
7) Lyle

It came in the mail on Saturday. I charged then loaded the thing up using Windows Media Player 10. Played with it some. Then decided to unload it all and reload it with the software that came with it. To be honest, I’ve not had tons of time with it. But I think I’m liking it quite well. Seems to have a great screen, good controls, nice sound, and easy to manage.

If there is any one thing that I’m not so sure about yet is that there’s no ALL menu option when looking at an artist. I’d gotten used to it on the Zen Micro and know that the iPods have it too. It’s where when you look up a particular band or artist you get a list of their albums and also an option for ALL. So I can look at the David Crowder Band and either pick a particular CD, or select ALL and get everyone of the songs from each disc in one big list.

Not a big deal, and one I expect they’ll fix in a latter firmware release. But I’m about to crawl in bed and listen to me a sermon from Mark Batterson of National Community Church in D.C.

One of the things our pastor wanted the staff to do was submit to him goals for 2006. That way next October or November he can sit down with us to either pat us on the back or wag his finger at us. Not really, but he wanted some measurable things to look at and aim for.

It’s sort of humbling. You know if you give your pastor, your boss, a list of goals, then you’d better try to stick to them. It’s not like making a list and putting it in a journal or blog or whatever. But he’ll keep you accountable. I don’t have the list w/ me on this computer, but maybe I’ll post it for you soon. But I’m looking forward to hopefully keeping the goals. They’re both ministry related and personaly related. And a lot seem to overlap. I think that’s the nature of youth ministry, or any ministry really. A whold lot of things you do are related to both ministry and personal lives.

Has anyone else had to do this?

But here’s to the Goals of 06!

Well, I have been planning to go back and swap my no good (but brand new) video iPod for a good one and get to listening to it. I even spend a bit of time working with iTunes to get my music/podcast library in order. But just before I left to go to Circuit City for the swap, I looked on Amazon.com again…and there was a change.

All weekend there’d been an “Out Of Stock” notice for the Zen Vision:M. So it could be 2-3 weeks before they’d be able to ship one of those puppies. But now they say they are in stock and would ship out in about 24 hours! That means I could have it by the weekend if mail works right for me. Oh the drama.

So I actually get up to the counter and give my receipt and everything w/o knowing my final decision. But I hear the words “refund” come out of my mouth. So I got home and ordered a Zen Vision:M. So instead of listening to podcasts of a sermon on my new, sleek, black Video iPod while I fall asleep, I am waiting for Mr. Postman (or Mr. UPS) to bring me a different kind of player. One that supposedly has better sound, better video, better selection of file formats, and not as “sexy” and popular of a choice.
I’m either going to be elated or slightly disappointed. I went with the “maybe better than” instead of the “definatly good“.  I only hope the reviews were correct and not fluff…

Well, Friday night I’d decided to get the iPod. The vast availability of accessories and integration with iTunes was the clincher. But by the time I get up Saturday I’d decided to get the Zen Vision:M. I figured I’d give it a shot and I had 30 days w/ the return policy at Circuit City. So I go to Circuit City w/ my gift card and a little extra money and can’t find the Zen Vision:M. So I get online there in the store and find out that they don’t carry it. And neither does Best Buy, CompUSA, or just about anywhere else…except Wal-Mart!

But a quick call lets me know that they’ve never even heard of it in the store. So I end up getting the iPod. Come home and after a quick trip to see Clinton win the 5A State Championship in soccer and then a supper with guests, I begin to load up my iTunes library.

I use iTunes for podcasts, but never had imported all my other songs before. So this takes forever and then it has to convert all my WMA files. So I go to bed. Wake up with over 2000 songs, sermons, podcasts, and a few random videos. So I do the big drag and drop and hop in the shower.

And I get out to a stupid error message. Now the whole blasted thing is locked up. And I have to go back to Circuit City to exchange it for another iPod (unless I end up asking for $$ back and trying to get the Zen online.)

So after Wednesday’s big event (I had a birthday) I was able to accumulate a little bit of money. So now I have a decision to make. Do I want to go with the masses and grab a nice Video iPod or the new Zen Vision:M.

I think they’re both good choices, actually. The Zen has a better screen and better battery life. Has an FM Radio and voice recorder with it. And supports many more audio/video formats. But the iPod is king of the heap. Many, many more accessories, tight integration with iTunes for both audio and video content, and takes out the middle man for podcasts from iTunes.

I think the iPod is a win/win situation most likely. But the Zen could have a higher upside eventually, or could be a bust. I went with the Zen Micro for my smaller player. I didn’t regret it much. Now and then I did wish for iPod accessories and iTunes integration though.

Might make a trip to Circuit City tomorrow. But I’ve been missing my music in the car and podcasts I’d listen to in bed at night….

Feast Seventy-Nine

Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 (10=highest), how sociable are you?
Sociable, as in able to socialize and make friends and get along with different people? I’d say I’m about an 8.5Soup
Name 3 DVDs you currently own.
Braveheart, Knight’s Tale, and Gladiator

Salad
If you were to win a superlative award now (such as most talented, class clown, most likely to succeed), what would it be?
Best Procastinator!

Main Course
What is your favorite radio station?
I really don’t have one. I guess it’d be one of the sports talk radio stations.
Dessert
Complete this sentence: I believe __________ because __________.
I believe that God has great things in store for my life with Him because he promised that He came to bring life to the fullest!

Wow, on Friday I dug around on my computer and found all the old posts from my previous blog. Actually I just found the one file that had them all in it. I think I got all but the first one or two. Funny thing is that all of those were while at StateDOG.com. Still trying to decide over whether to move everything there, or just chill here at AST.

I saw this the night it originally aired. Thought it was one of the funniest things I’d seen in a while. Then I found it online earlier this month. It’s quite funny. It does have a *bleeped* word in it though. But something funny about 2 white bread men acting thugged and rapping about The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.