What About Bob

Introducing Microsoft Surface

Microsoft Surface debuts today at a Wall Street conference.  Surface is a table that integrates a 30-inch display allowing one or more simultaneous users to interact directly with images on the screen. Users can paint with their fingers, move and resize items like photographs, and manipulate content—all without touching a mouse or a keyboard.  Check out this demo.

Microsoft says this new technology can create new situations, such as ordering a beverage during a meal with just the tap of a finger or quickly browsing through music and dragging favorite songs onto a personal play list by moving a finger across the screen.

Surface also features the ability to recognize physical objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes.
A customer can set a CD on the surface and it would recognize the item, give you all the info plus suggestions on additional accompanying purchases.  The example on the demo was really cool.  In a restaurant setting, the menu comes to life allowing patrons to drag and drop whatever they want by pressing the images displayed on Surface. 

Price points will be high and will be a road block for most people.  Just keep my 5 year old away from Surface.  From the way he likes to beat on things, the restaurant check could be higher than the technology.

Memory Almost Full - Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney has debuted his new song 'Dance Tonight' on YouTube. The video is the first sample of his forthcoming album 'Memory Almost Full'.  McCarthy plays a Mandolin on this song.  The story is that he actually just learned how to play the instrument after an impromptu visit to his favorite guitar shop - he's a left-handed player and always looking for instruments that will work his way. 

The video stars Pirates of the Caribbean star McKenzie Crook as a pushy postie who delivers a parcel to McCartney's house in the country and invites himself in for a cup of tea. Natalie Portman from Star Wars fame lends a ghostly presence.

Creativity

I was cleaning off my desk and found this article from Dan Reiland.  Here is an excerpt.

Creativity.

When it comes to creativity, there are few that compare with Andy
Stanley, Senior Pastor of North Point Church in Alpharetta,
Georgia.  He truly is a master communicator.  I had the privilege
of listening to his messages every Sunday morning for several
years while on the INJOY staff.  And without fail, on passages of
Scripture that I had either taught myself dozens of times or
heard others exposit, Andy would put a fresh twist on it that
made it seem like I had never even read that passage before!

From storytelling to unique platform art, Andy delivers a touch
of creativity that is truly amazing.

Let me be clear on something: As gifted as Andy is, creativity is
not reserved for the highly intelligent and gifted.  It is not
even reserved for those with a creative and artsy bent.
Creativity is available to any communicator who is willing to ask
God, The Creator, The Creative One to help.

If you don't sense that this is your strength, the good news is
that while you make feel like you are out of fresh ideas, God
isn't.  He won't let you down if you ask.  The challenge is that
God doesn't perform creative tricks for us on Saturday night.
Creativity comes from a lifestyle of soaking and saturating
yourself in the Holy Spirit's presence.

Creativity is not a mystical thing.  God can give you great ideas
by exposing yourself to great books, creative people and creative
sermons that other pastors have delivered.  I'm not suggesting
that you copy someone else's sermon, but if another sermon sparks
an idea for you, thank God for the idea (because they all belong
to Him) and go for it.

Enthusiastic charismatic man worries relatives

I found this a funny but telling article at Lark News.

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Frank Harrison, a lifelong Lutheran, began attending a charismatic church last month and now has his family worried.
    "He’s scaring the wits out of us," says his mother. "All this praying he’s doing and the crazy talk about healing and spiritual warfare. He’s de-stabilizing the family."
    Frank says he decided to change churches when he sat through an entire Lutheran service one Saturday evening before realizing it was a funeral service.  LOL
    Out of curiosity he went to the liveliest charismatic church in town "to see the other extreme," he says. He loved it and now he greets people with "Praise the Lord!" and a big hug. He’s at church three times a week.
    But his relatives became concerned when he invited them to an all-night Prayer-athon, participated in a Jericho March around the city and tried to lay hands on and heal several people at a recent family picnic. The family met recently to discuss Frank’s "disturbing religious fervor" and to plan an intervention.
    "One day he was normal Frank, my fishing buddy, and then, bam, he was in this nutso church, speaking in tongues, fasting all the time and reading his Bible," says a cousin. "It's unnatural."
    The family intends to tell Frank they are gathering for prayer, so they know he’ll come, and then they will spring their true purpose on him. They have hired an intervention expert for the occasion.
    "We want the old Frank back," says his mother. "It feels good to be rescuing him."

John 1:10
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
John 15:19
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Family Friday - Turtle Talk with Crush

One last Disney momento...  In Epcot, they have a nice exhibit for Nemo; one of Eli's favorite movies. Once you finish the Nemo ride you can then see "Turtle Talk With Crush"    
This latest milestone in Disney's legacy brings characters to life in an incredible way. Crush, the sea turtle from "Finding Nemo," chats, plays and jokes with guests in a unique, personalized way. The 152-year-old turtle recognizes guests and asks them questions about themselves and the human world in the first-of-its-kind live, real-time animated show.

Crush had a little conversation with Eli and Brandi.  Here is a snipet of our experience.

Quotable Quotes

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
Bill Cosby

Ninety percent of the art of living consists of getting along with people you cannot stand.
Samuel Goldwyn

Natural talent, intelligence, a wonderful education -- none of these guarantees success.  Something else is needed: The sensitivity to understand what other people want and the willingness to give it to them.
John Luther

People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
John Maxwell

There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being -- to help someone succeed.  Alan Loy McGinnis

My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.
Winston Churchill

People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.
Joseph F. Newton

Between friends there is no need of justice.
Aristotle

Do to others as you would have them do to you
Jesus (Luke 6:31)

American Idol Finals

It is the most lop-sided American Idol ever.  This is a SINGING competition but it has been made a culture competition.  When you compare the vocals, there is NO competition between Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis. 

Blake is the teen favorite.  I predicted his strong showing based on his unique beat-box talent and teenage female appeal.  The simple facts are that he has tuning problems.  He is very pitchy on all of his songs-- a flaw that is typically weeded out in early rounds of American Idol.  Beat-box is not a new or difficult talent.  Can you base a music career on it?  I think not.  Whether Blake wins or not, I don't think he will be on the radar after a year has passed.

Jordin has a tremendous voice. Great range and perfect pitch.  She sings through the song; makes it her own.  You believe that she believes what she sings.  With Blake, at times, he's just going through the motions.  But Jordin can sell the song and you can connect emotionally.  No matter the decision tonight, Jordin WILL have a career in music and Blake will not. 

Why is it so lop-sided?  Automatic dailing software.  Teens are clever and have figured out how to make their vote count much much larger than a single vote.  It's no secret that youth call in more than once.  But now there is free downloadable software that allows anyone to automatically dail a number over and over again in the voting process.  In one minute, software phone dialers can cast an average of 10 votes.  That is 1200 votes for one person in the time alloted for vote casting.  One of many variations is called SpeedyVote and is sub-titled "The original American Idol Voting Software Tool." There is only one way to fix the problem.  Allow one vote per phone number.

Fisherman's Wharf in Hot Springs

Although our trip to Hot Springs kept us in and around the downtown area, we couldn't pass up an opportunity to have lunch on Lake Hamilton at The Fisherman's Wharf.

This restaurant has one of the best picturesque views of Lake.  The food is very reasonable and freshly flown in.  If you eat on the dock, the service is slow but at least you can take in the lake and mountains while you wait.

After a long hiatus, Brandi and I finally got back on the raw oyster bandwagon.  After the bad oysters in Sea Side, Florida, we just could not get near the things.  We both were deathly sick over the bad ones.  It's taken us 3 years to finally take the step. 

Outcome:  Thumbs up!  Although, I could only eat 4 of the dozen. I'm wadin' in on this one.  Next time - more Tabasco.

The Arlington in Hot Springs

It's been a crazy two weeks with our trip to Disneyworld and another trip immediately after. We had time to re-pack and head out last week.  Blogging has been a little splotchy. 

Part of this past Sunday and Monday was spent in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  This is our 3rd trip to the Spa City.  On past trips we rented a boat and had a great time on Lake Hamilton and Lake Ouachita.  On this trip we stayed at the Arlington Hotel which was built in 1875 on Bath House Row in dowtown Hot Springs. 

It's noted that the notorious Al Capone frequented this Hot Springs landmark.  Hot Springs is America's First Resort.

The Arlington was a wonderful retreat.  It's an older hotel but is continually updated and maintained.  This is a nice hotel by any standard of today but there is also an aura of elegance of days gone by as you walk through the lobby and dining halls.   

When you stay at the Arlington, you must visit the pool / spa area.  It's a little Heaven on the 7th Floor right against the Hot Springs National Park.  The deck is sandwiched in between the hotel and the mountain.  The view is awesome and the two tiered pool with waterfall has a nice touch.  But the best attraction about this hotel is the access to the hot springs mineral water throughout the hotel.  Not only could you use the hot tub located on the 3rd tier of the pool area, but in our room we had it on tap....  literally.

We enjoyed the relaxed feel of Hot Springs.  But most importantly, Brandi really enjoyed it.  It was our 12th wedding anniversary this past week-end and we needed a restful moment before it gets hectic in June. 

Happy Anniversary, Brandi.  God has blessed me with a wonderful wife who is my partner and friend.
Check out her take on our trip HERE.

Eli Meets Disney

Here's a little montage of Disney Characters from our visit last week-end.