An American Carol

My wife and I watched a humorous movie last night. Well, actually, my wife slept through much of it. She was tired. She's been working hard, as usual.

The movie is called An American Carol. It's a funny flick that slams hard on left-wing lunacy.

At the heart of the story is a character by the name of Michael Malone (a parody of wackjob documentary filmmaker Michael Moore) who believes in everything anti-American. He even wants to abolish the fourth of July. Much like Scrooge from A Christmas Carol, Malone is visited by a few spirits (former U.S. greats like JFK, and George Washington) who attempt to save Malone's poor wacked-out leftist soul.

This movie has its comedic moments, no doubt about it. And I love the way it deftly illustrates the utter insanity of extreme leftist ideology and the way it correctly depicts the majority of Americans as flag-wavin', God-fearin', decent human beings. On the downside though, it's just not funny enough for my taste. It too often gets downright silly, crude, and egregiously irreverent. Yet still, all in all, I recommend this show for its overall commonsense message.

The Forbidden Kingdom

The Forbidden Kingdom is a terrific film starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li. It's about a kid named Jason who loves kung fu movies. He rents them from a Chinatown pawnshop, and while there he is mystically transported back in time to ancient China. It becomes Jason's job to free the Monkey King, a fabled warrior who has been imprisoned by a wicked man, the Jade Warlord. To help him achieve his task, Jason is taught the art of kung fu by Chan's and Li's characters.

This movie is a joy to watch. The story is entertaining, the action is spectacular, and the cinematography is simply gorgeous.

Price Pfister WK1-100C

As if replacing the bathroom faucet yesterday wasn't enough, today I went and replaced the kitchen faucet to boot. I must be feeling ambitious or something. Perhaps it's just the Christmas vacation. I mean, I've got to do something with this time off, right?

As with the bathroom, for the kitchen my wife and I went with an inexpensive Price Pfister, the WK1-100C. Seems decent enough. Let's hope it is.

The installation process went fine except for one complication. While working under the sink I accidentally bumped into or pulled on the drain pipe (the one coming down from the strainer), and it cracked as if it were made of egg shells. That pipe was so old and corroded that its time had finally come. Anyway, putting the new drain pipe in was rather a snap. Definitely easier than the faucet installation.

Price Pfister WL2-20NC

Yesterday I replaced our bathroom faucet. The old one had been drip, drip, dripping for a long time, and it was surely in need of a burial. The replacement faucet is an inexpensive Price Pfister, the WL2-20NC model. Adequate for our needs, as long as it lasts a good long time. Here are its features:

• 4" Centerset Lavatory Faucet
• Acrylic Handles
• Washerless Valves
• For 3-Hole Sink Installation
• Lifetime Warranty (not sure what that entails exactly, but it sounds nice)

Installation was fairly simple, even for one (such as I) who has limited plumbing experience.

Honesty and Human Decency

This is the kind of honesty and human decency I like to hear about. Generally, the news has a negative slant, but this story is a breath of fresh air.

Follow the link below...

Calif. family finds $10,000 in box of crackers - Yahoo! News

Hmm, What Next?

Spotz is contemplating what he should chew on next.

Annual Luminarias

Once again, the annual luminarias have been placed along the snowy curbside of the street on which I live. When the dark of night descends these luminarias are an evocative sight. Quite beautiful. Sadly, I don't believe I have photos good enough to properly illustrate the scene. Here are a few weak attempts just the same.

Christmas Eve, 2006	Christmas Eve, 2008
Christmas Eve, 2008

Champion Sprinkler Head

Here's a photo I took today of a Champion sprinkler head sticking out of the snow in my yard.

Click picture to enlarge.

The Greatest Cause and Organization to be Found Anywhere on Earth

Are you Looking for a cause? Are you looking for an organization to belong to? Do you get the feeling there is something out there greater than yourself? Have you ever asked yourself these questions:

• Who am I?
• Why am I here?
• Where did I come from?
• What will happen to me at death?

If so, there is no greater cause than The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is what it claims to be - God's true church, restored upon the earth in these last days, never again to be removed. Learn more about it, and your life will be changed forever.

It is the greatest cause and organization to be found anywhere on earth.

Egad! - A Hefty Price for Hot Water

I just forked out $871 to have a new hot water heater installed. That's going to set me back. Sadly, I found out too late that a gentleman in my area would have done it for much less. Fortunately, however, some kind people in my neighborhood have recently given my wife and I needed funds. Some of the money was given before we knew our hot water heater was bad; some of it came afterwards. Either way, it's a Godsend. It helped pay yesterday's vet bill as well. Praise be to our glorious Father in Heaven! He does watch out for us, I've no doubt of that. I admit, there have been times when I've questioned whether God cares, but deep down I know He truly does. Recently, He has been working through others to show us His inexhaustible mercy. For that I am deeply grateful. It all reminds me that I need to do better as person, to be more aware of how I can help others, and to be more willing to help when I am able.

Kennel Cough and a Bad Water Heater

Part one of this troublesome day: Our brand new puppy, Spotz, has kennel cough, and most likely pneumonia. Poor little guy.

Kennel cough, also known as infectious tracheobronchitis, is the most common upper respiratory problem occurring in dogs. It is very contagious among canines. Worldwide, a large percentage of dogs will acquire this disease at some point during their lives.

There are various viral agents that can cause kennel cough, the most common being the parainfluenza virus.

Symptoms of kennel cough include a dry, hacking cough (many describe the cough as having a honking sound). Sometimes the cough is followed by retching. In some cases, as with Spotz, another symptom is a watery nasal discharge. In many cases the affected dog will continue to be alert and active with no real loss of appetite. In more serious cases a dog with kennel cough can become lethargic, show signs of fever, and lose the desire to eat. It is possible for this disease to progress toward pneumonia and possibly even death.

My wife and I took Spotz to the vet today, and the vet said Spotz's lungs sounded like they had signs of pneumonia.

A couple of treatment options exist for kennel cough. In mild cases of the disease, antibiotics may or may not be used. Bronchodilators and cough suppressants may also be used, but only in mild cases. In more severe cases, antibiotics (doxycycline, for example, which is what the vet prescribed for Spotz) are often employed, but the use of cough suppressants and steroids is not recommended because of the possibility of immunosuppression.

For a long time it was thought that human contact with infectious tracheobronchitis posed no health risks. However, it has recently been shown that disease may occur in humans who have compromised immune systems. This means that precautions should be taken to keep young children away from dogs suffering from kennel cough. Generally, though, there seems to be no health risk to humans.

The vet seemed to think that Spotz will be just fine and that he'll show signs of improvement within two or three days. I sure hope he's right.

Part two of this troublesome day: When we returned home from the vet we discovered that our water heater had sprung a leak. Bummer. I spent some time draining it, but when I turned off the valve for the water flowing into the tank, the valve handle broke off. Therefore, I'm not sure if it got completely shut off before breaking. If not, it'll be leaking throughout the evening.

Even though I can't afford a new water heater at this time, I may have to purchase one on credit. The ox is kinda in the ditch, as they say. My wife and I currently have no debt (other than the house), and I hate the idea of taking on any debt now.

My First Official Vlog Entry

This is a real quick vlog entry I slapped together today. In some respects it's not much more than a test allowing me to evaluate how well I like using Internet Archive and Ourmedia to store and manage some of my files. I used these two Web sites in conjunction with one another to store and handle the video I've included in this entry.

Click here for Windows Media Video

Caroline Kennedy to seek Clinton's Senate seat - Yahoo! News

Huh? I thought Caroline Kennedy was this shy little thing that cherishes privacy. She won't get much privacy as part of that band of scoundrels. Hey, whatever floats her boat, I suppose.

Caroline Kennedy to seek Clinton's Senate seat - Yahoo! News

A Snowy Dog Day

What a day! I woke up to lots of snow on the ground, and it was still coming down when I first saw it. My poor Kawasaki Vulcan was covered in a blanket of cold whiteness.

I got to bed late last night because Jeanine, Benjamin, and I were watching The Dark Knight. We weren't able to start the movie till very late in the evening, and it ended up being close to 3:00 A.M. before we were able to hit the sack. The show was good, the Joker even better. The bad thing about the whole deal was that I was quite tired, and so I missed a few things in the movie. I want to watch it again when I'm more alert. Tonight, maybe?

We did it! As unbelievable as it may sound, we actually did it. We've added a new member to our family. Jeanine and I went to PetSmart and happened to fall in love with a six-week-old brown and white puppy. He's most likely a cross between a border collie and an Australian shepherd. A new dog is what Davis has been wanting for Christmas more than anything. When Jeanine and I got home with the puppy she quickly put him in a box and covered it with wrapping paper. Davis unwrapped the package and got a nice early-Christmas surprise. I know he'll take good care of it. Right now, the little doggy's sleeping in a portable kennel in Freeman's and Davis's bedroom.  He's been rather tired since we brought him to his new home. No doubt it will take some time for him to adjust to his new life.

Coming up with a name for this new addition wasn't super easy. Initially, I suggested to Jeanine that we name the mutt Pirate because "he stole our hearts." Sappy, I know. Then I thought maybe Buddy would be an apropos appellation. Davis didn't like either name. He wanted to call him Brownie. Jeanine told him to think about it for awhile. Later on Davis came up with the name Spots. The puppy does have three or four big spots on his back and little spots on his nose and legs. I then suggested to Davis that we should spell Spots with a Z at the end instead of an S, thinking that would give the name a cool zing. He agreed, as did the other kids. So Spotz it is. We're all excited about having this new pet dog, and we welcome him with open arms.

A New Dog...Already?

My family members have been stating their case for getting a new dog ever since our last dog, Sebastian, passed away (not even a month ago yet). My youngest son, Davis, is especially thrilled about the idea of a new K-9. That's all he really wants for Christmas. It's true that he would take exceptional care of a new four-legged friend. He sure did a good job caring for Sebastian. The question is am I ready for a new dog? We still have two cats and a snake in our stinky household. I was sort of hoping that as the pets lived out their lives, then passed on, that we would eventually be down to just one pet. I don't think the idea of just one pet is unreasonable. It makes a lot of sense to me. Less mess. Less expense. Less chance of stepping on a critter hanging under my feet. But I appear to be outvoted on this issue, so much so that now I'm actually being convinced that it would be cool to have another dog around the place. Oh, boy. So, as fate would have it, my wife and I are going to visit an animal shelter or two tomorrow in search of a possible candidate. Help us all.

Movable Type and Wordpress

I've been toying around with two very powerful blog publishers - Movable Type and Wordpress. Very cool software. Both programs make publishing a blog to your own domain a breeze.

Movable Type 4.23 comes in a few varieties, depending on whether you're a personal blogger or a business enterprise. The cost ranges from FREE to $1,500 or more. MT 4 is an excellent tool. I highly recommend it.

Wordpress 2.7 is a superb open source blogging tool. It has state-of-the-art features that will have you running your own blog in no time. Extremely powerful. Certainly more than adequate for most blogging needs. As with Movable Type, I give Wordpress a solid recommendation.

Locked Out of House and Home

Before I touch on the main subject of this entry, let me just say that I have lost 35 pounds since May 7, 2008. My efforts at the gym are paying off. I do believe I'll continue on the path of health and fitness. My workout today consisted of some chest presses, triceps exercises, abdominal exercises, obliques, and just over 40 minutes on the treadmill. Sweat was flowing, and that, my friends, is a good thing.

When I got home from the rec center, my lovely wife presented our family of six with a splendid meal which included chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin (cooked like squash - man, was it good). Oh, the meal was ever so delicious. Bless her 44 year old heart. Gosh, I do love her.

After dinner, we went to the local library for a puppet-show. The kids seemed to enjoy it. Jeanine, too.  As for myself, I was too busy fiddling with Jeanine's Canon S2 IS to follow along. I remember there were dinosaurs, a cow, a giraffe, and a time machine. Make of that what you will.

Upon our arrival home, Jeanine and I realized neither of us had our house key. We do keep a spare hidden in a secret location, and Freeman rushed to retrieve said spare. Here's the sad thing. He dropped it. In the snow. It was dark, and we couldn't find it. We looked and looked and searched and dug and felt and fretted. To no avail. But wait, a ray of hope came shining through the darkness. Jeanine recalled giving a spare key to her mom years ago, so we drove to her parents house. Parenthetically, while there, I helped Jeanine's dad with an email problem he was experiencing. Jeanine's mom gave us two keys, not certain which one was for our house. It looked to me like neither one would work. Sure enough, when Jeanine tried them in the lock at home they failed to yield positive results. It turns out that the key Jeanine had given her mom so many years ago was for our old lock. I had since changed the locks, so it appeared we were out of luck. Yet fortune was smiling upon us. Jeanine mentioned we should check the bathroom window. We would have been dead in the snowy cold had the bathroom window been locked. So checking it was definitely worth a try. I pulled the ladder from the shed. Jeanine climbed it and removed the window screen. And, praise the good Lord, it happened to be unlocked at this most dire time. So up the ladder went Benjamin. And fortunately, he was able to get his way through the window and thus into the house. Hurray! Just one more instance of a tragedy ending as a comedy.

Life's an adventure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Must Be That Global Warming

Maybe Al Gore's right. Could it be? Not that he's the guy who first came up with the idea of global warming any more than he's the cat who invented the Internet. In fact, the Bible came up with the idea of global warming long before Mr. Gore hit the scene. Here's a verse from Malachi, chapter 4, that illustrates what I'm saying:

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

See what I mean? Anyway, it's December, and the weather around here has been unseasonably warm and dry. Just two days ago I was able to ride my motorcycle down to the recreation center. Sweet! It was certainly brisk, maybe high 30s (yeah, that's real warm, isn't it?), but the sky was blue and no snow is anywhere to be found, except in the mountains of course.

Son of a ... !

Well, I went and did it this time. Actually, someone else did it, but the end result sucks just the same. On my way home from the gym, while driving through the parking lot as a matter of fact, I got T-boned by a Toyota Prius, driven by a gal I assume is in her twenties. She had a passenger, whether husband, boyfriend, brother, or what I know not. My vehicle had no passengers. Just me. She smashed into the passenger side, hitting the front tire and door. Dang! As a result, the van is inoperable. Busted front wheel. Son of a ... ! An officer of the law came and got our report, and a tow truck came to haul the van off to Collision Centerz on Redwood Road. I went with the tow truck guy, and he even gave me a ride home after we dropped the van off at the repair center. It turns out that the tow truck guy lives not too far from my house. The Prius had slight damage on its front bumper, but it didn't look to be significant. The Prius's license plate frame broke into pieces. Big whoop! Man, not a good way to end the day. On the bright side, when I got home I had ham and bean soup, mini sausages, and chocolate pudding waiting for me. I called my brother, Scott, to ask him if he'd mind picking me up for work tomorrow. He said he'd be glad to. I'll probably need his services for the rest of the week.

Gotta Go To Bed

I'm tired and I've got to get to bed. No work today, so I used much of my time dinkin' around on Facebook and editing photos. I used Windows Live Photo Gallery to enhance and upload some pictures to Windows Live Spaces. Also, I downloaded Picasa 3 which is a darn handy photo tool, especially for a freebie.

I went to the local library tonight with the family to hear the telling of a Christmas story. Of course, it was geared to very young children, so I spent my time there reading from a book I checked out while at the library. The book is about photo blogging. Perhaps I can glean some useful information from it.

Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus made an appearance at tonight's story time. Alina, Davis, and Freeman sat on either Mr. or Mrs. Claus's lap to tell them what they want for Christmas. Davis and Freeman said they want a dog. Alina presented her case for some Barbie (Diamond Castle) product. Too big for the lap, Benjamin simply shrugged his shoulders when asked what he wants for Christmas. Each child received a candy cane and a small baggy of treats.

Not much of an entry, I know, but it's time for our family prayer. I have to wake up at 4:10 A.M., so I am, therefore, getting my buttocks to bed.