Thursday, November 02, 2006

Love This Time of Year

So, there never seems to be enough time in Texas where the weather is like it is right now. I woke up this morning a little chilly, but not freezing, and as I went to work, I really enjoyed the coolness. It reminded me of early September in Maine. The good news - it won't be followed by October and November in Maine...

Other than the weather, there are some great things happening right now. First, NHL Hockey is underway and teams are starting to show who they really are. The Stars have shoved poor expectations from analysts straight down their throats with a 10-2 record so far. And that has come with only one win in the shootout. The Eric Lindros experiment seems to be paying off and Modano looks like he is enjoying a carefree season of not having to be the Captain, top scoring option, and go-to guy for everything. The ironic thing is now that he has a lot of help, he's leading the team in scoring... crazy.

The NBA just started back up and the Mavericks tip off tonight. I'm pretty sure I said that I would never watch another NBA game on this blog before, and to be honest, something crazy would have to happen for me to watch again, but it's nice that it is rolling again. Makes it seem more like fall to me.

My son recently turned one so technically, I'm the father of two toddlers.. I remember how I used to think having one kid changed my life, and then the second rolled around. I'm sure those with more than two are thinking that I've not yet begun to experience change... but alas, I think our family is complete (unless of course that is not God's plan).

I was driving into work this morning and almost had to pull over when a song came on my iPod that I had not heard in a long time. It was "Why" by Nichole Nordeman and if you have not heard it, it is truly amazing. Essentially, it is a story of a little girl who is witnessing the events before the crucifixion of Christ, listening to Him call out for help, and hearing God's reply. It's been a while since a song hit me as much as that one did this morning. I held it together and continued into work, but those last words have stuck with me today and just wanted to share that.

Well, that's it for now.
PJ

Friday, September 22, 2006

The Best Game Ever and stuff

So, Not too long ago, I traded in my Xbox (and all the games I had) for a PSP. I had basically stopped playing the Xbox because I never had the time and it was a pain to switch over the TV (OK, not really a pain, but an extra step). A friend showed me his PSP and some of the emulators he had running on it, etc. (He was playing Super Mario Brothers) and I was hooked. I got the PSP and it is great. While some of the games I've played have been so-so, they've mostly been very good, and there have been a few that have been great. Burnout Legends is a fantasic game. They really captured the speed of the other console versions.

But, as the title insinuates, there is one game that I consider the best one ever. It just came out a little over a week ago, and it is Lego Star Wars II, The Original Trilogy. Wow, I really liked the first Lego Star Wars even though the game was based on the new trilogy (which I think is better than a lot of people let on). But, since this new one is based on the original, it instantly makes the game better. Some of the scenes that are shown show off the humor and style that this series has been known for. The PSP version has some changes in it that let you play the bosses from the first game, so that is cool. It is like they designed this game just for me.

Also recently released was the original trilogy DVDs with bonus original theatrical releases as special features. I bought a version of A New Hope at Wal-Mart that included a very dated graphic novel of the movie. I think I now have like six versions of this movie in my collection. It's ok, if they released another version in three years, I'd probably buy it again.

That's all for today,
PJ

Oh yea, Happy Birthday, Hal!

Thursday, May 11, 2006

A Plethora of Freebies

So, this week on iTunes, we are treated to a lot of free stuff. I'm a fan of free stuff, especially when it's good. How did we do this week?

The first free offering is "Satisfied" by Ashley Monroe. I thought I was mistaken at first because the picture looks a lot like Ashlee Simpson and if this was her, I was going to have to skip it. It wasn't. This is definitely not A.S. The song is country, and the singer actually has talent. While country is not my favorite genre at all, I decided to give this a listen with an open mind. The song is a pretty straight-forward Country-pop type song. Ashley sounds good and it's pretty easy to listen to except, my head keeps telling me that I'm listening to country which throws me. But this effect dwindled the more times I listened. By the latest, I was able to appreciate the song and give it a solid 3 of 5. Nothing spectacular, but a good offering. (Any country fans who want to weigh in on this, let me know)

Next is the discovery download of the week, which is Yo Solo Se Que Solo No Se Nada by Jeremias. The first thing I thought when I saw this was that's a really long title... The song is obviously Spanish and as I really have no experience in that genre, I again decided to listen with an open mind. To be honest, it sounded to me like something I'd hear on an elevator. Sorry Jeremias. Just didn't dig it. 2 of 5 (I reserve 1's for really bad songs).

Next is a Making of scene from Prison Break. I like this show a lot, so I was excited to see this. Turns out it explains how they shoot in an actual prison that has been closed only a little while. It's going through a scene when Scofield meets his new cell-mate "Haywire" It was pretty cool, and also interesting to see how some people sound nothing like their character (Haywire), and others sound exactly like it (Scofield). Pretty cool thing. 4 of 5.

Another free video offering is a Casting session from the show Black. White. If you haven't heard about it, it involves two families, one black and one white who trade races via makeup. It is pretty interesting to see how each side feels when the tables are turned. I watched a few of these shows and I felt that the white family (the parents, not the daughter) did not represent the typical white family. They seemed very hippie-ish... Anyway... The documentary was pretty good. But, didn't offer anything extraordinary, so I'll just give it a 3 of 5.

Finally is the video for the Theme to Black.White. It's called Race.Card. It's performed by Ice Cube and there were a few funny things in there. Basically, the point of the song is that you can't judge a book by its cover or a man by the color of his skin. A little cliche, but then again, we still have to deal with this issue today. One funny line "I've been to jail just like Martha Stewart, and we both told the judge that we didn't do it.." It's an interesting take but probably not something I'd watch too many more times if at all. 3 of 5.

That's it for this week. Later.

PJ

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

A little bummed out and free stuff

So, I'm still a little shocked and bummer about the Stars' early departure from the NHL playoffs. I guess I'll be cheering for Ottawa now. I don't think I can talk about it anymore...

Well, in an effort to cheer myself up, I'll talk about some free stuff from iTunes. First is the free single of the week. The Raconteurs - Steady, As She Goes (Acoustic Version). I'm not really familiar with this band, but it does include Jack White from the White Stripes. I'm not sure if this is his new venture or a side venture, but this song is very cool to listen to. It's got a nice groove, and it sounds like they were having a lot of fun in recording it (As evidenced by the laughing on the last verse). It also sounds very stripped down and something out of the past when you didn't need over-producing to create a good song. I'm not sure what the "regular" version will sound like, but hopefully it won't stray too far from this. Definitely going on my iPod. 5 out of 5. I really enjoyed it.

Next, is the Discovery Download of the week. Ciaccona by Rolf Lislevand. It is a classical piece that is guitar-centered but has some great string work in the middle and overall, it is a really nice piece to listen to. It flows well from beginning to end and sounds like something that is familiar, but new if that makes any sense at all. I really enjoyed this piece. I'll probably put it on my iPod. 4 of 5.

A great week from iTunes (for me any way). It's almost enough to get me out of my NHL funk...

Until next time,
PJ

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

This week on iTunes

Before I start, there is just something I need to say. I can't stand the Colorado Avalanche. I can't believe the Stars are down 2-0 in this series. Hopefully they will come together, but they will have to do it on the road. Watching has been frustrating

Seems like I decided to do this at the right time. This week, iTunes is celebrating the free songs they've given away the last two years. They talk about all the ones that went on to be big. It's an impressive list.

This week there are three free selections from which to choose.
The first is Dimension by Wolfmother. If you like Black Sabbath, you'll probably dig this. It sounds good. The music transitions from sounding very familiar to something that sounds like a new twist on the genre, but overall, it is pretty formulaic. The problem for me was that I felt like I was listening to a song that was playing in the background of That 70's show. While the song was well put together, I just didn't enjoy it enough to put it on my iPod so I give it a 2 of 5. (Note: Metal fans will likely enjoy this)

The next track is Zambra by Willie & Lobo. It is the Discovery Download of the week. The talent is evident on this track, and I think this would be right at home as part of a movie soundtrack. The quote from iTunes is (..puts a Middle Eastern spin on their full-bodied, tasteful Latin Jazz and funk). If that sounds confusing, you'[re not alone, but surprisingly, it fits in pretty well. When the track began, I figured I would not be keeping it, but as it went on, I actually enjoyed it and think this would make great background music. It's not something I would jam in the car to, but that's not really the point. All in all, pretty enjoyable. 4 out of 5.

Finally, there is the Preface and Chapter 1 of Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick. The book is about how America began going beyond the simple story of the Pilgrims. This audiobook clip is about an hour and 18 minutes long, so I have not had the chance to listen to it yet and as such, will not be reviewing it. This is more of an FYI.

Last week I mentioned the Clip Show from The Apprentice. It turned out to be great. It went through all the tasks that have gone on so far and showed a lot of un-aired footage as well. If you are a fan of the show, you'll love it. If you're curious about this season, you should check this out. If "Reality TV" doesn't do it for you, then you'll probably stay away. 4 of 5.

Well, that's it for this week.

PJ

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

iPod/MP3 Reviews - 4/18/2006

Welcome to this week's iPod/MP3 Review.
In deciding to do this, I mentioned my favorite media player Media Monkey. This program will do just about anything you want it to. Ripping CD's (limited unless you buy the application), converting audio formats(MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, FLAC), playlists, and tag editing are pretty much standards when it comes to media players these days and MM handles them like a dream. Where it distinguishes itself is in the organizational aspects of audio. The media library can be sorted in a number of different ways (again standard), but provides the ability to auto-tag songs based on data from Amazon.com. This includes album art which can be stored inside the MP3 file if that is available. Once you've got your tag data down, you can instantly rename the track based on whatever configuration you specify. The ability to do this with your entire library at once makes this program great. In fact my only want is that it would play AAC audio. The app will sync with your iPod, but I don't recommend this as the iPod is a very tempermental gadget. I really love mine, but the fact I've had to reload it twice based on lock-ups really irks me. I give Media Monkey a 4.5 out of 5.

Freebies:
So, iTunes is treating us to three free downloads this week although one is not available at the moment (More on that in a moment).

The first is Damone - Out Here All Night. I really enjoy this song. It's got a great rock-beat, good guitar licks without any hair-metal band solos, and the vocals aren't screaming like a ton of bands seem to do. I've always been a fan of bands with female lead singers especially in rock bands. The band sounds polished but not so much in a way that makes you feel like they would sound really bad live. The song is a lot of fun actually. The fact that they released their album on my birthday this year bodes well for them too. All in all, I'm planning on keeping this song on my iPod and would give it a 4 out of 5.

The next is MSTRKRFT - Easy Love. It is iTunes' Discovery Download of the week (Pronounced Master Craft). All in all, I'm not much for techno. It's great if you're at a club, but if you're not, it feels a little like you're stuck in a Night at the Roxbury skit. I know it takes a lot of skill to put together something like this especially with the digitized voice not sounding like a voice prompt in a call center. I'm sure this fits right into some people's style, but it's just not mine. Repetition is only good if you like what you're repeating. Therefore, I'm giving this a 2 of 5. It's probably not that bad for the style, but I don't enjoy the style. Sorry guys.

Finally, the last freebie of the week is a "Clip Show" from the Apprentice. I'd love to tell you about this one, but when you click it right now, it says "This item is being modified. Please try again later." So, I'll review it later.

Well, that's it for this week,
PJ

My idea for a new feature

So, I'm horrible at staying updated on this and on our home website. It's not that I'm lazy exactly, it's mostly that I'm forgetful. I constantly think that I should update the blog and also the website, but something comes up before I actually do it, so Karen and I have scheduled time to do a website update even if it is just to write what has happened this week. I decided that I would do something that I have been looking for and couldn't find.

I love my iPod. It hardly leaves my side and saved me on my last business trip when I wanted to zone out of business and concentrate on anything else. It has brought many an album back into my life which for a music junkie like me is great! iTunes is even growing on me. While it's not my favorite media player (that would be Media Monkey), it is very efficient in ripping cds, burning cd's, purchasing music, etc. One of the musical highlights of my week is looking at iTunes every Tuesday to see what the new free song of the week is. I have recently started doing this as I kept noticing in reviews of songs or albums that I like someone commenting, "I got this when it was the free download". So, I thought I need to start checking these out. This brings me to my idea for the new feature of my blog that will ensure that I update at least once a week. I'm going to review the free content that is provided on iTunes. So, look for a review of Damone - Out Here All Night (Note, the link only works if you have iTunes installed.) coming later today. I need to listen to it a few more times before I offer my thoughts.

Later,
PJ

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Ohh... so Blogs are supposed to be updated regularly...

Well, It's been forever. No excuses, just a new update

First things first. My daughter is a genius and that will be the end of me. She is amazing me lately with how fast she picks things up. She is putting two and three word sentences together and is really becoming more communicative. It's really neat to watch all this develop.

Carter is really coming into his own as well. He just had his first cereal and is doing pretty well with that, but he's very much like his daddy in that he hates to sit still for any amount of time.

So, is it weird that I'm a big sports fan, but I don't really care about the NCAA tournament? I'm just not that interested. Every article I read tells me how wide open this tournament is and all I really care about is the same every year. Who is the highest seed that will get bumped by the lowest seed. I'm just waiting for the day a 16 knocks off a 1. I think that would be great!

I turned 31 a couple of days ago and it was very non-eventful. There's nothing of note that happens when you turn 31 unless you play in the NHL (under the old CBA). I did buy a new car stereo (This one). I just installed it today after a fiasco with the wiring harness. It sounds great and lets me use my iPod without the FM transmitter I was using.

So, the Stars are doing pretty well. Jokinen finally didn't score in a shootout, but Modano sealed the win so that is good. I only wonder what they'll do in the playoffs when there is no shootout. Should be interesting. Well, not much else so I'm off for now.

PJ

Monday, January 30, 2006

Too Long Since the Last Time

So, seeing a good friend's blog this week reminded me that I actually have one and if I updated it every once in a while, that might be better than letting it lay still for close to three months. Here I am. So, what is new with me? Well, Carter finally slept through the night for ten straight days... and then followed that up with six straight of waking up between 3 and 5 am... So, I'm tired. Karen and I have a couple of ideas of how to remind him how good sleep is at night. I'll let you know if they work. Carter developed RSV just before the holidays and it was sad. He was wheezing and coughing a lot. Here is what RSV is according to WebMD. He got better and we were able to keep anyone else from getting it. Things were great health-wise until Karen and I both caught a stomach virus last week. Luckily, we were somehow able to keep the kids from getting it.

Annabelle is in love with the Wiggles. Her favorite songs are "Hot Potato", "Bear is now Asleep", and "Do the Monkey". She loves to dance and when they are on the TV, it's almost impossible to get her attention. (hmm.. kinda like her daddy).

Karen got to go away for a weekend to scrapbook and that was a great time for her and I did pretty well with the kids while she was gone. I always knew what a great Mom she was, and how much work she put into them, but I have a whole new level of appreciation.

I got a new iPod for Christmas (after selling some stuff on eBay to make up the cost.) It was expensive, but it definitely the best MP3 player on the market. I got the one with video and 60 GB of storage which means my MP3 player has more available stoage than my computer... Well, I guess that means it's time to upgrade my computer! The video is a cool gimick, but man, they drain the battery like it's going out of style.

The NHL is half-way through and while I thought the shootout would be a good addition, I had no idea how cool it would be. These days, if the game is tied going into overtime, I am hoping for a scoreless 5 minutes so I can see the shootout. I guess it helps that the Stars are 8-0 in the shootout thanks to Jussi Jokinen. He's a rookie, but so far he has yet to enter a shootout and not score. 8 shots, 8 goals. It's really amazing to see. 6 of his shots have been the same move and the goalies seem to know it's coming, but it still beats them. The other two goals have come on moves that just make the goalie look silly.

Well, I'm off,
Talk to you soon.

PJ