What I've Been Working On

I've been rather busy at work. Here's one of the things I've worked on lately.




In case you stumbled across this and want to find out more, go here.

American Idol Top 3

I don't know what the judges were drinking in their Coca-Cola cups, but they were wild tonight. Paula and Simon grabbing each other--and whatever else they were doing, AI cameras didn't show us. Kara putting her hands over Simon's mouth.

Judges Choice Songs:
Danny - "Dance Little Sister," by Terrence Trent Darby chosen by Paula. I've never heard the song. Danny did a good job singing, but to me, it was forgettable.

Kris - Kara and Randy chose "Apologize," by One Republic. Did an OK job. According to Paula he was off on one note. To me, also forgettable.

Adam - "One," by U2 chosen by Simon. There's something about Adam that is engaging. He really feels the music.

Contestant Choices:
Danny - "You Are So Beautiful," by Joe Cocker. Very moving and he really did the Gokey magic to it. Simon called it a "vocal masterclass."

Kris - "Hearless," by Kanye West. He took the song and made it his own. Redeemed himself after his first song.

Adam - "Cryin," by Aerosmith. I like Steven Tyler's version better. He did his usual scream with his tongue out. Of course, the judges loved him.

Who can say how America will vote. But, I'd love to see Danny and Kris as the final two.

My Favorite Practical Joke from College

The alumni magazine from my college, Cedarville University, recently asked for submissions of our favorite practical joke at college. Here's what I submitted:

I used to play lots of practical jokes, but my favorite took place in Maddox Hall my junior year. I always took my stereo with me each year to college and this particular year, I took a sound effects record. One of the effects on the album was an emergency with lots of sirens and fire truck sounds. It occurred to me that it might be pretty funny to put my stereo speakers in the room window (the one facing the courtyard) and blast the emergency sound effect as loud as I could.

I never dreamed of the response I would get. Almost immediately, girls came running out from their rooms looking for the tragedy. They ran out in their night gowns and robes. A crowd ran down one hall and when they got to the end, someone yelled, "It must coming from the other end!" The mob turned and ran down the hall towards the open end facing Lawlor (the guy's dorm). As more and more girls poured out of their dorm units, it became clear we should silence the sounds and put the stereo speakers back in their place before getting caught. It stirred up quite the commotion. Ma Printy (the resident dorm mom) never made an appearance that night, but she did send out a few student RAs to see if they could find the culprits. A friend of mine was the RA in the unit next to mine. She had a sneaky suspicion it was me, but she never turned me in. We laughed for weeks.

American Idol Top 4

It was Rock night on Idol. They had an incident on the stage where a set piece collapsed before air time, so the idols didn't get a dress rehearsal.

Adam - Rocked the house with a Zeppelin tune. But can America handle this extreme performer?

Allison - Of all the rock songs to pick, she decides to choose something obscure from Janis Joplin. Hmmm, I wonder if she'll be back next week. Way to go giving it back to Simon. You go girl!

Danny & Kris Duet - nice harmonies. Danny seemed "different" as in out of it. Judges didn't like Kris, but I did.

Kris - Not too comfortable with singing this Beatles' tune, "Come Together," but he still did good.

Danny - "Dream On" by Aerosmith. It was OK. OMGosh, the scream at the end was, well, it was pitiful. Nice try, though.

Allison & Adam Duet - "Slow Ride" by Foghat. These two were in their element tonight.

I have no idea who'll go home on Wed., but maybe Kris. Daughtry and Paula take the stage tomorrow night.

This is a test blog entry from my mobile phone.

Meat Jewelry

Is this not bizarre? It's meat jewelry. The designer, Stephanie Hensle, creates jewelry by making resin casts of animal and human fat, bone, organs, muscle, and tendon. For fasteners and chains she uses meat hooks and sausage netting.

"I think today I'll wear the bone marrow brooch and sausage necklace."

Below are more photos of her fascinating collection. Available soon, I'm sure, at Macy's and Dillard's.

(notice the meat trays that she displays her brooches on)

[Dwell via Fast Company]
Photos by Petra Jaschke.

Flight of the Bumblebee

According to the laws of physics and aerodynamics, there is absolutely no reason or possibility for a bumblebee to be able to fly. Their bodily structure should make it impossible. Yet, they do fly.

If you care to read in detail about Bumblebees check this out from Wikipedia. If not, skip down the bottom. According to 20th century folklore, the laws of aerodynamics prove that the bumblebee should be incapable of flight, as it does not have the capacity (in terms of wing size or beats per second) to achieve flight with the degree of wing loading necessary. Not being aware of scientists 'proving' it cannot fly, the bumblebee succeeds under "the power of its own ignorance". The origin of this myth has been difficult to pin down with any certainty. John McMasters recounted an anecdote about an unnamed Swiss aerodynamicist at a dinner party who performed some rough calculations and concluded, presumably in jest, that according to the equations, bumblebees cannot fly. In later years McMasters has backed away from this origin, suggesting that there could be multiple sources, and that the earliest he has found was a reference in the 1934 French book Le vol des insectes, they had applied the equations of air resistance to insects and found that their flight was impossible, but that "One shouldn't be surprised that the results of the calculations don't square with reality".

Some credit physicist Ludwig Prandtl (1875–1953) of the University of Göttingen in Germany with popularizing the myth. Others say it was Swiss gas dynamicist Jacob Ackeret (1898–1981) who did the calculations.

In 1934, French entomologist Antoine Magnan included the following passage in the introduction to his book Le Vol des Insectes:

Tout d'abord poussé par ce qui fait en aviation, j'ai appliqué aux insectes les lois de la résistance de l'air, et je suis arrivé avec M. SAINTE-LAGUE a cette conclusion que leur vol est impossible.

This means:

First prompted by the fact of aviation, I have applied the laws of the resistance of air to insects, and I arrived, with Mister Sainte-Lague, at the conclusion that their flight is impossible.

Magnan refers to his assistant André Saint-Lagué, who was apparently an engineer.

It is believed that the calculations which purported to show that bumblebees cannot fly are based upon a simplified linear treatment of oscillating aerofoils. The method assumes small amplitude oscillations without flow separation. This ignores the effect of dynamic stall, an airflow separation inducing a large vortex above the wing, which briefly produces several times the lift of the aerofoil in regular flight. More sophisticated aerodynamic analysis shows that the bumblebee can fly because its wings encounter dynamic stall in every oscillation cycle.

Another description of a bee's wing function is that the wings work similarly to helicopter blades, "reverse-pitch semirotary helicopter blades".

Why is it possible for bumblebees to fly? The answer is simple. That’s what God created them to do.

Idol Rat Pack Night

The original Rat Pack: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr.,
Peter Lawford, & Joey Bishop

The remaining five didn't sing anything obvious from the Rat Pack. No, "I Did It My Way," "New York, New York," or "That's Amore." I thought they all had nice song choices tonight. At this point, I'd be happy if Kris, Adam, or Danny won Idol this year. I'd say, Matt G. and Allison will be the bottom two tomorrow with Matt going home.

Song Card:
Kris: "Some Day"
Allison: "Someone to Watch Over Me"
Danny: "Come Rain, Come Shine"
Matt G: "My Funny Valentine"
Adam: "Feeling Good"

Tips for Sorting Facebook News Feed

I don't know about you, but I have friends on Facebook that I know better than others. Many times, I miss updates from the people I really know because the News Feed is cluttered with a lot of traffic--especially from overly active Tweeters. I was about ready to delete some people or start a new Facebook account when I came across this information from CIO.com. With the new Facebook, you can filter your News Feed! I have it set up now to filter family and close friends so I don't miss their important updates. Click here to read more and learn how to create custom friend lists. The article also includes a tip for how to deal with annoyingly frequent posters. Yeah, now we're talking!

Sharpie Art

Check out this really cool artwork that people are creating using Sharpies.

Artist Justine Ashbee, with just a Sharpie and paper, is able to create the illusion of movement and depth. She says, "I begin with a curve, from which lines and forms begin to emerge, evolve, morph, and grow organically, in an intuitive flow, while maintaining delicate, elegant precision." In other words, she starts drawing and whatever mood she's in, she creates her art.





This surrealist artwork done by "Sharpie King" Immy Mellin, who works exclusively with Sharpie markers, goes for $150 to $20,000.



It took Prestige Imports in Miami more than a 1,000 hours to cover this $200,000 Lamborghini with hand-drawn Sharpie designs and a clear coating. Click here to see more photos. The Lambo was eventually sold on eBay for $289,950.





Charles Kratzer wanted to spruce up his cream-colored basement walls. So instead of spending big bucks on artwork, he drew his own masterpieces with $10 worth of Sharpie markers. Click here to see a 360 degree view of his basement.

American Idol - Two Go Down

Here's my take from last night's Idol:

Lil - poor Lil. She can't seem to find her way, but no wonder with the confusing signals the judges give her--she never seems to pick the right song according to them.

Kris - We could actually hear his guitar playing. I was beginning to think that he was like Elvis--hold the guitar, but never really play it. Surprising spin on a Donna Summer hit.

Danny - I love this guy. He's my fav. Not his best performance last night, but still good.

Allison - you go girl. Good job! How does she stand up in those shoes?

Adam - This guy can sing. To me he seems like he's been doing this professionally for years.

Matt - personally, not one of my favorites. I think he might stay one more week.

Anoop - with his beautiful teeth and pink vest looked good, but didn't sound so hot. Who were the judges listening to last night 'cuz he was not good.

Sorry Anoop fans, but I think he along with Lil will be packing their bags tonight.

iPill

Imagine this: a pill with tiny sensors, a microprocessor, a fluid pump, a wireless transmitter, and medication. It can be swallowed like any other pill, but will allow doctors to deliver drugs directly to a specific area of the gastrointestinal tract, which could help treat illnesses like Crohn's disease or colitis.

The R&D group at Philip's is working on what they call the "iPill." As the iPill moves through the body, its wireless transmitter sends information to doctors with internal information about the patient. It's still a prototype but Philips hopes to move to clinical trials soon. Very cool! I wonder if insurance will cover the prescription?

Funny Video

Here's another great video that was shown today at the conference. This is funny!

The Purple Cow

I'm at a conference this week for Baptist Communicators Association. In this morning's workshop by David LaMar from West End Studios he talked about making your stuff stand out. In a book by Seth Godin, The Purple Cow, Godin talks about having your product stand out--don't be boring.

Since I'm into video, here's a funny video example he showed.

UNFry Day

Hey, have you heard the news? KFC is grilling up chicken. The national rollout happens on April 27 when KFC will offer a free taste of grilled chicken--they've declared the day, "National UNFry Day". I have to admit, I enjoy some good ol' KFC every now and then. Remember a few years ago when they tried rotisserie-style chicken and tender roast? They didn't do well, but I'd be willing to give the new grilled chicken a try.

5-Second Rule

The 5-Second Rule: Does It Work?

You know the rule: If food falls on the floor, pick it up within five seconds and you can eat it. Whatever germs are on the floor don't have time to adhere to the food that quickly. Or do they? A recent national survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by Kelton Research found that nearly 60 percent of Americans admit to eating food that has fallen on the floor. Would they continue doing that if they knew a typical home carpet has up to 4,000 times more bacteria particles--even after vacuuming--than toilet seats?

This is disgusting--and scary. Find out the top three hotbeds for germs in your home.

This is the total number of bacteria particles found on one-inch square samples of different household surfaces. The independent tests were conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona:
-- Toilet seat: 49
-- Kitchen counter: 1,686
-- Kitchen tile: 2,546
-- Bathroom floor: 18,025
-- Carpet: more than 200,000

Ew! Look what is on grocery carts.

Why is the floor--the kitchen tile, the living room hardwood and the family room carpet--so dirty? Blame your shoes. Gerba found more than 400,000 units of bacteria inside and outside shoes, including the worst kind of all: E. coli. "If you think about the places you walk, this makes sense," Gerba told Babies Today. "Public restrooms, for example, are a prime source for fecal matter. You also pick up viruses on your shoes, and so when you walk around you leave a trail of virus and bacteria. You're also probably picking up food as well, making your shoe a Happy Meal for germs." He warns that kids can definitely get sick from the germs tracked into the house, although being exposed to germs is a natural part of living.

Gross! Find out the dirtiest part of your car. This is so disgusting you might want to wipe it down before you drive it again.

Does the 5-second rule work? No. Eat that cookie that falls on the floor, and you could also be ingesting a frosting of E. coli.

(Reprinted from AOL News)

Spring Break 2009

Panama City Beach

We hadn't been to the beach in a few years and I had promised my daughter that we would go this year to Florida for Spring Break. Despite the poor economy, we went anyway. We took a few days and headed to Panama City Beach. The prices were better there. Now I know why, it's PARTY CITY for spring breakers. Despite the noise and commotion, we had a terrific vacation. My brother went with us and it was great to be able to spend time with him. He also drove and did all the heavy lifting. We spent a couple of days on the beach, went shopping at the outlets, and toured Seaside, Watercolor, and discovered this neat place called, Rosemary Beach. We laughed--ALOT, got aggravated with each other, shared suntan lotion, and lived by no schedule. The memories we made are priceless.

Rebecca

My brother, Keith

view from our condo

Seaside

@ a cafe in Seaside

Rosemary Beach

Rosemary Beach

Rosemary Beach

Rosemary Beach

Town Hall @ Rosemary Beach

Wild Times in Panama City

We weren't having the wild time--every teen from Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia were! I've never seen (or heard) anything quite like it. This is a video we took one night. And you know, those kids were back out on the beach the next day and still screaming!

Vacation Bound

You won't be hearing from me for a few days--headed to the beach. It's Spring Break and looking forward to a little R&R.

Mistaken Identity

We had just arrived home tonight after doing a little shopping at Barnes and Noble (love that place). If you must know, Glenn got some paperbacks, I got a magazine and Stephanie Plum book by Janet Evanovich, and Rebecca got a teen paperback. We also picked up burgers at Five Guys Burgers and Fries (love that place, too).

When I walk in the door, I see Rebecca looking at a piece of paper on the kitchen table. It's a printout of the Web site that has the crest pads for $5. If you remember, crest pads are small pads that go under your toes.
She's laughing. I don't see what could be so funny about toe pads--until she tells me why she's laughing. It seems she mistook the toe pads for cosmetic pads and has been using them to comb her eyebrows! Now we're ALL laughing! I had wondered why there was makeup on them. Now it all makes sense.

My New Shades

Picked up my new prescription sunglasses and am ready for the beach. It's my first pair of prescription shades--guess that's bound to happen when approaching 50. Unveiling of the new glasses will be in a week. I know you can hardly wait.

The Case of the Crest Pad Rip Off! Part 2

Here's the text of the letter that's going in the mail tomorrow to the company that's overcharging for medical equipment:

DJO, LLC
Privacy Office
1430 Decision St.
Vista, California 92081

Dear Privacy Office:

I am writing to dispute the charges on a recent bill that I received from your company. My account # is XXXXXXX. The charges are for two metatarsal pads at a cost of $40 per pad.

The pads that I received from my doctor are crest pads—not metatarsal pads. I feel that charging $40 per pad is unreasonable. When searching for these same pads on the Internet, I found them for approximately $5 each and they appear to be the same pad.

I am not refusing to pay for the items I received. However, I feel that $80 for two small 2-inch pads is exorbitant and unreasonable; therefore, I am requesting a reduction in the charges. If I need to purse this further, I will contact the Better Business Bureau and file a report on your company. I have also posted on my blog, www.susanchildre.blogspot.com regarding this dispute. I’m sure other unsuspecting consumers and medical practitioners would like to be warned about the practices of your company.

Thank you for your consideration and I hope we can reach a reasonable agreement.

Sincerely,

Susan E. Childress

Easter on Steriods

There's a house not far from where I work. Every year they go all out with decorating their yard for Easter. There are things hanging in trees, blowing machines, bunnies everywhere, Winnie the Pooh, a rabbit riding a motorcycle, and decorations in the windows. It's very colorful and this video doesn't do it justice. I used my Flip Video camera.

The Case of the Crest Pad Rip Off!

$40 Crest Pad

$5 Crest Pad

What you see pictured above is called a crest pad. It gives relief for hammer toes. I recently saw my foot doctor and he "gave" me two of them. The pad is very comfortable and is giving me relief so that I don't need surgery just yet to correct the problem. When the doc gave me the pads, he said that I would be billed directly from the medical company that supplies the pads.

We got the bill about a month later--a bill for $80! That's right, 80 bucks! My husband freaked out. Well, maybe not freaked out, but was really peeved. I did a search on the Internet and found the same pad for $5. Yep, five bucks.

I called the doc's office and complained about the price. They were understanding and said they had just received another complaint that same week. I was told that DJ Orthopedics (DJO) sends the medical supplies to them, but bills the patient directly. The doctor receives no money for the pads. They called to complain to DJO. DJO told them that Medicare allows them to charge $40 for each pad. That's our government at work! Somebody better wake up! Rip off alert!

I called DJO and had to speak with a supervisor. She offered a 10 percent discount. I declined in favor of sending a letter of dispute. That's where things stand now. I'll let you know how things turn out. Look out DJO, a hot letter is coming your way--momma's not happy!

iTunes Theme Night on Idol

OK, top nine and here's my rundown of the night. My thoughts are live as I'm watching.

Anoop - Sang an Usher song. Seemed a little off pitch in places to me. It was OK, didn't blow me away tonight.

Megan - Whew, started off rocky singing a Bob Marley tune. I think I just don't care for her style. Not liking it. Yuk. She needs to go home, soon--very soon.

Danny - Doing Rascal Flatts. Whoa. Simon thinks it's his best performance, yet. The judges were all blown away, but I wasn't. He'll be back next week.

Allison - Lovin her on the guitar. What a voice for a kid. She does need wardrobe help. Should be back next week. Maybe the guitar was a bit of a distraction for her this week.

Scott - new "do" tonight--not sure if I like it--kind of a Sheena Easton look from the 80's. Billy Joel, eh? Expecting the same ol' Scott. Yep, he'd do well at a Holiday Inn lounge. Paula is the most proud of him--interesting. What are the judges hearing? Randy thinks he's one of the best of the night.

Matt - I'm not feelin' it this week. Because he was in the bottom three last week and undeserving of being there, I think he'll be safe this week--maybe.

Lil - OK, here we go--Celine Dion. Whoa, watch that shot from the rear. I see David Spade in the audience. Sounded heavy. It was OK.

Adam - Singing Wild Cherry. I'm expecting great things. Wasn't expecting the combed back hair. You've got to admit the guy can entertain. Lots of energy. Hot ending. Yeah, Play that Funky Music White Boy!

Kris - Ain't No Sunshine, but you were shining tonight. Played the keyboard and we could hear it. Liked it.

Well, well, well. Bottom three. Tough choice. I'm just going to guess. Megan, Lil, Allison. Megan should go home tomorrow night.

Gokey's Glasses

I've noticed that on Idol, Danny Gokey dons a different pair of glasses every week. I've just been to the optical shop and let me tell you--they ain't cheap! My husband has a coronary every two years when I get new glasses. Then I saw this article in USA Today about Danny's specs. He has 18 pairs! Each pair of frames costs at least $230. How does a worship leader at church afford to own 18 pairs of glasses? Maybe I should look into the music business.