todays tasks

each day seems to greet me with a task list. some times these things get done, other times other unexpected things take precedence and then sometimes i just throw some other things into the mix myself.

things completed today:
1. plan weekly teaching
2. setup powerpoint for it
3. lunch with my wife
4. went to the beach to see the waves with the storm rolling in, 8ft consistently
5. downloaded xbox360 update vids
6. begin creating scholarship application and student leadership application
7. contact our mission trip representative
8. jr high program is coming up
9. edit youth ministry manual

then tonight more to do at home:
1. wash the dog and kill fleas

How Lightsabers Work

Chances are that you have seen a lightsaber at one time or another, whether on the evening news or down at the local cantina. Therefore you know that a lightsaber is an amazing and versatile device that is able to cut through nearly anything in a matter of milliseconds.



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time to answer the questions

these things get passed on all the time and i guess it is time to answer one.

1. What Is your natural hair color?
light brown

2. Where was your default pic taken?
in a garden of all places

3. What's your middle name?
harvey

4. Your current relationship status?
married!!!

5. Honestly, does your crush like you back?
well, i hope so. at least she says she does

6. What is your current mood?
hmm... good, not sure why i decided to do this though

7. What color underwear are you wearing?
well, if you must know, blue

8. What makes you happy?
tonya, people, succeeding, games

9. What makes you sad?
pain and hurt in others lives

10. If you could change your past, would you?
not a bit of it

11. If you MUST be an animal for 1 day- what would you be?
a dog to know what my dog is thinking or a dolphin i think

12. Ever had a near death experience?
not near death necessarily, but near possible events leading to death... ahh no.

13. Somethings you do a lot?
game, work, hang out with tonya

14. What's the name of the song stuck in your head right now?
how wonderful by leeland

15. What is something you are looking forward to?
our cruise this fall

16. Name someone with the same b-day as you.
joe pesci

17. When was the last time you cried?
not sure

18. Have you ever sang in front of a large audience?
yes, depending on what large is, those kindergarten musicals were awesome

19. If you could have one super power what would it be?
oh gosh, i can't believe this questions is on here, but i always thought it would be great to have the power to make people fart. any volume, any level of stink. you could clear a room if you needed to spy on something. so many options with this not to even mention how hilarious it would be.

20. What's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
that they are female

21. What do you usually order from Starbucks?
grande cafe' mocha on ice

22. What's your biggest secret?
hmm... don't have many and if i share it won't be a secret any more, so let's go with the fact that i have ninja like speed and skills

23. What's your favorite color?
blue

24. When was the last time you lied?
not too sure

25. Do you still watch kiddy movies or TV shows?
is shrek kiddie?

26. Do you enjoy scary movies?
not really. what's the point?

27. What are you eating or drinking at the moment?
coffee and lots of it

28. Do you speak any other language?
sure

29. What's your favorite smell?
any fresh baked goods

30. What 1 word to describes your life?
alive

31. When was the last time you gave/received a hug?
about 30 minutes ago

32. Have you ever been kissed in the rain?
yes

33. What are you thinking about right now?
silly questions

34. Are you worried about global warming?
worried - no. concerned a little. will it cause major problems? i believe that it might.

35. What was the last thing that made you upset/angry?
lack of follow through

36. How often do you pray?
constantly

37. Do you like working in the yard?
its possible

38. If you could have any last name in the world, what would you?
johnson, of course

39. Do you act differently around your crush?
no

40. Who is your crush?
tonya, my wife, the greatest woman in the world, and who actually does have superpowers

New Gears Maps "Hidden Fronts" REVIEWED

Epic wanted to release these maps for free. Microsoft won't allow it until September. However, IGN said that even if you are thinking about it to go ahead and buy. They are that good. Thought about waiting to download them until the are free just to support Epic. I haven't decided whether or not to purchase them yet. I understand selling content for games. I don't understand ripping people off with it, like EA. However if a company like Epic wants to give content away for free. Shouldn't they be allowed to?



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The Might of Mother Nature

Two of the most feared elements in nature, side by side, beautifully captured.



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the glorious unseen

on august 8th, 9th, and 10th, the glorious unseen will be joining us for outpouring. i am so excited to have this group come down. their album with tooth and nail will just be coming out. it will be a very exciting time for them and i am glad that our youth ministry will get to share in that.

however, the thing i am most excited about is the fact that, ben, had asked if they could hang out with the group in our first communications together. in my opinion that speaks very loudly to me. the willingness that they have to be a part of the ministry that will be taking place outside of their opportunities to lead us in worship is amazing.

Dealzmodo: Sam's Club Xbox 360 HD DVD Drives for $72

If you're looking for a great deal on HD DVD drives for the Xbox 360, now's the perfect time to hit up Sam's Club.

UPDATE: Just looked at Sam's for this purchase and they were all sold out. This deal went quick. I also noticed that they had almost sold out completely of all Xbox 360 items.



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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Full-Length Domestic Trailer Now

The full-length theatrical trailer for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is now online. Running 2:28 minutes, it will run in front of "Spider-Man 3" in theaters.



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XBOX Live on the PC, Now A Reality

it seems that major nelson had a good experience using xbox live on his Vista machine. By playing Halo 2, he earned some new achievements and added to his gamer score. Based on his experience it appears to be quite successful. Has anyone else tried this yet?



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nice cake

"may the force be with you so you don't get indigestion."

henkel products

what will you support? here is henkel's website for their products. click through and see what all they make. then decide for yourself if you will continue to buy their products and seek out a more consumer friendly product.

Indiana Jones 4 : TITLE REVEALED

josh griffin of theforce.net has just revealed the title for the 4 story in the Indiana Jones series.



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XBOX 360 The Daily Show and The Colbert Report now on VMP

Starting today, you’ll be able to download the latest ‘The Daily Show’ and ‘The Colbert Report’ on the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace.



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Lifeguard saves camper

this story involves a very close friend of mine. please keep all those involved in your prayers. especially the young girl as she is still recovering from this tragic event.

werid, strange, and funny

with this last one. start looking at it close, then slowly back away and see what happens.

just a little fishin'

spent the day on the indian river. and that red... it tastes good with a little blacken spices.

Your Face in Tiger Woods '08

Certainly it's not the first time you can put your face in the game, using the xbox 360 cam. However, Tiger Woods '08 will take this feature a step further allowing your image to now have emotion, blink, and smile. There are other new features, too, however it seems this one will be the reason it will sell.



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glue boys

what a great resource! we are using this video tonight as we have begun a series on social justice. the video is eye opening and very revealing about what is happening to children in other lands and yet we have the ability to impact both positively and negatively. we are called to watch over and take care of those who are being oppressed in the world. education is the first step. what's your next?

find out more about the glue boys movie.

the largest oak

finally we visited the one of largest oaks in florida, so lake griffin state park claims. it is thought to be about 300 years old. it is a big tree. while the park is a nice place to pic nic and maybe a nice camping stop, there is little else to offer. but the peace of quiet may be worth it.

star wars stamps are coming

vote for yours today. the force is strong with this one.



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Collins: How a scientist can believe in God

"I am a scientist and a believer, and I find no conflict between those world views."



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Are Humans Hard-Wired to Believe in a Higher Being?

Some scientists are calling religion the great equalizer and point out that similar areas of the brain are affected during prayer and meditation. Newberg suggests that these brain scans may provide proof that our brains are built to believe in God.



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Gears of War Annex Details

"Official" word on the new multiplayer mode.



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Your Vote Counts. Help Pick New Menu Names.

Help rename the Moe’s menu items by voting for your favorites. Select the one that you feel embodies the spirit of Moe’s, or to put it another way, pick the one that, if you were saying it out loud anywhere but Moe’s, people might look at you like something's wrong with you. Choose wisely, have fun.



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100k Gamerscore barrier broken!

Legitimately this time...The pursuit of in-game Achievements has divided opinion, with purists insisting that gamers are falling into a trap by playing substandard titles merely for the points.



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two high school graduates delay college for missions

Molly McEntire and Ashley Oetinger delayed going to college in the fall of 2006 to answer their call into missions. from august 28th through november 26th they worked in Kenya serving at the norocco academy and a korean methodist mission there in Kenya. they also spent time at the new life orphange and the beacon of hope, which is a center for women infected or affected with HIV/AIDS.

working in youth ministry myself, i find it an amazing thing when high school students are ready, prepared, and take action based on the call God has placed in their life. as the article continues, they raised the own funding and support to make this happen.

too often teenagers feel and sometimes are led to believe that they don't have the ability to make a difference. sometimes we feel like Africa is so far away, what could we possibly do here to help.

yet, here is a story of two young women who were called to make a difference and were able to go share God's love with people world's away.

more and more stories like this need to come to forefront of todays news.

Amazing Photography: When Coffee Meets Milk

Some truly incredible shots.



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Rasheed Goes For the ESPY - 1.5 Seconds Left and a 60-ft Jumper

The man known as 'Sheed heaves up a prayer and the Pistons shock the Denver Nuggets.



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Harry Potter Book 7 Covert Art Released

The cover art for the final Harry Potter books in Hi-Definition for both UK and US versions.



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so, it begins. fin out more at uspsjedimaster.com

Sanjaya in 10 years, Believe it!

Shocking new technology has given us the ability to peer in to the future and we have been able to obtain a picture of American Idol contestant Sanjaya 10 years from now in rural Mexico!



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The Case for Teaching the Bible (in school!)

The day was Thursday, not Sunday. And the location was not Oakwood Baptist Church, but New Braunfels High School, a public school that began offering a Bible-literacy class last fall. Front-row center sat Rachel Williams, 18, whose mother does teach Sunday school at Oakwood. But not 20 ft. away sat a blond atheist....crazy!



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MIT responds over a humorous letter from a prospective student

Since my letter was published a number of people have written to me asking whether MIT ever responded. Many, many months after I mailed the original letter, the answer is finally yes. MIT didn't seem to see it fit to respond to the postal version of my letter, but apparently it's created enough of a stir on the Net that they decided to reply.



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Stream Orb content to your Xbox 360

Stream content to XBOX 360, Wii, or PS3 with Orb. Game consoles brings the internet–and your hard drive—to the big screen. You know that Orb running on your PC puts the internet and all your digital media at your fingertips. Allmedia is available and easily done.http://www.orb.com/gamers/current_users.htm - That's the direct link.



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10 of the Toughest Games to Beat

Across the history of gaming there have been numerous titles that have knocked players on their collective butts. Narrowing down the ten most difficult was a tricky task in itself, since the challenge of a game can be very subjective.Here are 10 that were difficult for most everyone who played them.



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Xbox Live Hacked, Accounts Stolen

Online gaming forums are buzzing with reports that Xbox Live accounts linked to Microsoft's Windows Live ID service are being hijacked by malicious hackers.



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XBOX 360 Arcade: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night AVAILABLE

Single Player, HD (High Definition). Uncover all the mysteries of Dracula’s castle with the full version including achievements, leaderboards, and multiple endings. Have you uncovered the true secret behind Dracula’s power?



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achievement unlocked

make your own here.

24 season 6: 7-8pm

some weeks just leave you with more questions than answers? what's up with the vice president? is nadia involved? is milo involved? what impact will the leaky bomb have? will president palmer come out of his coma? will sandra, his sister approve it? who killed audrey? is morris ok? what happened to president logan? he got stabbed last week, but did he live? will we see aaron anymore? will tom finally stand up for what's right? is fayed going to take control of the weapons? how long will doyle be around? was anyone in ctu helping with leak on the computer? is anything going to happen with russia now? will the usa go through with the nuclear attack?

that's just a list of the questions i was left with tonight after viewing this weeks episode.

1 of 2

amazing beatbox, including mario.

Awesome TIE Fighter Speakers Flew Right Out of Star Wars

These TIE Fighter speakers come from a company called Question Mark Entertainment, and as far as their specs go, that company name is just about right. We have no idea what sort of drivers are in these two, dare we say, satellite speakers and subwoofer, but if looks could kill, the Death Star would be completely exploding just about now.



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TMNT on Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday!

Yup, it’s true…the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will land on Xbox Live arcade this Wednesday. It will be posted at 0200 PT and can be yours for 400 points. Complete details here.



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R2D2 At A Post Office Near You!

For Star Wars' 30th anniversary, the US Postal Service is rolling out some custom mailboxes that look just like R2D2.



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Barenaked Ladies: New Album. Free. No DRM. Now.

techcrunch posted on monday of this week, that barenaked ladies' new album is now available for download for free, legally, from amie street. now the catch is that they are only free for a small time. as the downloads occur they will begin to charge until it reaches full price.

currently the site is being hammered. you will be lucky if the site even loads at all.

the stupid test

see how stupid you are... that just sounds strange.

NBC.COM EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW! Spider-Man 3 in HD Monday March 5th 10pm EST!!!

Spider-Man 3 Footage to Debut in QuickTime 7! New Spider-Man 3 footage that will air during NBC's "Heroes" tonight and the additional extended footage that will debut on NBC.com for 24 hours starting at 10pm ET. Make sure you have QuickTime 7, as the clip will be made available in High Definition QuickTime 7 format.



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now for the solution

after all of the problems with xbox customer service, i decided to cancel the repair. now when i called customer service and shared that i was cancelling the repair, because i felt that i was treated below standards, the made anew offer. after all of the confusion with them not sending a pre-paid shipping box, they told me that they would now be willing to send the box. what! why wait for me to cancel? they also offered a lower discount on the repair fee (the old one was out of warranty, argh...)

however, i decided to just go a buy a new core system and purchase a 2 year extended warranty with it. that guarantees that over the new couple of years, when it does break and i am sure it will, that i can exchange it for a new one that same day. it also means that i have the most up to date hardware, including a different and quieter dvd drive, and a different power supply. not sure what the latter is because of...

the best heroes yet

if you are not aware, heroes is a tv show on nbc that's story continues week to week and is unfolded with each episode, much like 24. the show is formed around the idea of, "what if we discovered humans who had superpowers?" it could be likened to a live action comic book. in fact stan lee creator of characters such as spider man, had a cameo last week.

last night's episode 17 has been the best of the season. most of the episodes leave you with many more questions than answers and you almost feel as though there is no climax. it is not your traditional cliffhanger ending, but you are left wanting more, just unsure that you know anything more than previously.

last night questions were answered, much of the backstory was told, we found out the truth about bennet, claire, the haitian, we found out more about primatech papers, and saw some well done special effects for a television show.

i applaud the efforts of this show. it took a risk entering the tv market this and has been successful at creating a world of superheroes.

how wide spread is the 360 problem?

according to gigagamez, highly. of course this report is due to a google search, as they discuss, but it does show a larger number of 360's needing repairs.

Search “defective 360″: 2810 returns
Search “defective PS3″: 1570 returns
Search “defective Wii”: 931 returns

with all of the problems being reported, we can assume that it is a larger problem than with the other consoles. it now after 1 and 1/2 years, is well known about. continually , we also hear about the problems with customer service. you can read about this from loyal fan who returned 7 machines,
and even at the xbox forums.

it is a shame that such a "good" product with xbox live, which is simply the best in the business, would have such a high failure rates with hardware. while Microsoft claims it is 3-5%, others have claimed that it is much higher between 30-50%.

further adventures of xbox 360 customer service

so, a week later, i still have not received a box to ship my 360 back. i have already paid the fee to have it repaired. so i call customer service to ask when my shipping box will arrive. although i was told one was on its way, today i was told it was my responsibility and they are waiting for it.

after requesting a supervisor, i asked if they would follow up with the previous representative, who was also a "supervisor" (requested because i couldn't understand the rep i was speaking with) on the mistake, because they told me i would receive the box in 3-5 days. the response was "our policy is that we do not send out boxes for repairs out of warranty." this was repeated when i asked again.

so not only was this mistake made and slowing the process, they refused to do any follow up with their employees who made the mistake.

Lord of the Rings Online : Stress Test Begins Friday, Feb. 23rd - PLAY FREE

Lord of the Rings Online Stress Test begins tomorrow, February 23rd! Get your free Stress Test account here -> http://www.gamespot.com/betas/lord_of_the_rings_online/index.php



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Google still seeks TV partner

The hunt is still on for Web giant Google to find a willing television partner, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The Journal said the company, which bought YouTube for $1.7 billion four months ago, has been aggressively courting various television networks in order to distribute their content on the popular online video site.



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Funny Excuses to Stay Home from School

All of these are real excuses that people have written to "excuse" their children from school. Some of them are pretty unbelievable.



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stan lee on heroes

stan lee, the creator of spiderman and other legendary comic book superheroes, made a cameo appearance on heroes last night. he played a bus driver who interacted with hiro nakamura. i wonder if something like this would happen at some point in the show.

xbox 360 failure; again

this is the second time my 360 will go in for repairs. i got mine pre-ordered originally. about 6 months down the line it failed. microsoft repaired it with no problem. now when i received it at about 4 weeks later, i called to buy the "extended warranty," but i was told that i couldn't because it had already been the 30 day time to purchase although i didn't even have it at that time. that was 6 months from the original purchase.

about 7 months now from that repair, it again is flashing the three red lights of death. oddly enough failing at about the same time frame as the first time. now, don't be confused by the recent news articles of xbox extending the warranties by a year. i must have misread this because it simply meant that you have a year from the original purchase date, not an extended year. this means that my console and moicrosoft's repairs 7 months ago have no coverage. this requires me to pay for repairs on a piece of hardware that's life span is currently no longer than 7 months.

to top it off, the woman i spoke with was very difficult to understand. she was also having trouble explaining anything to me, putting me on hold frequently. i began asking for a supervisor. every time, the same woman got on the phone with a new statement. i asked again. after the 5th request and now being offered a 25% discount a supervisor came on the phone. she suggested i schedule a call back with repairs, because there might be an outstanding issue. i asked if an "outstanding issue" would come with repairs then at no cost. one would think so. however, when she came back, i was told i would still need to pay for the repair even if there was an "outstanding issue" with my xbox. then, why would i wait for a call back? if i still have to pay...

from what you read online and even at the xbox forums, this is happening frequently. on two 360's the failure rate is 100%.

The 360's failure rates are bad enough

The games a system plays are only half the story of why we buy and love this console over that one. The very act of owning a console is made up of many things: everything from how well the stock controller works to how the company deals with us if/when the system has an issue. When it comes to customer service, Microsoft is failing miserably.



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14 Biggest Game Myths Debunked!

Pretty eye-opening. Common misconceptions about the game industry are debunked. Every video game consumer should read this!



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This Day In Tech: Kevin Mitnick Arrested

Feb. 15, 1995 - Perhaps the most celebrated cracking case in history begins with the arrest of Kevin Mitnick by the FBI on charges of wire fraud and breaking into the computer systems of several major corporations.



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360Zine Issue 3: Free Gaming Magazine - now available

the third issue of the 360Zine is now available for free download. As usual, there is a lot of great gaming content. Be sure to check out the Crackdown developer interview, as well as the audio interview on page 29.



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The Old Spice Challenge is Challenged

The Microsoft Rewards program went live with some bumps in the road yesterday, Feb 12th. It seems that some gamers were a bit annoyed when the site didn’t go live at midnight while others were annoyed after taking the day off to unlock achievements, they couldn’t register until around 5pm PST.



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No DRM Could Mean Cheaper Music

Even if Steve Jobs' essay last week -- in which the Apple chief questioned the wisdom of continuing to sell music wrapped in digital rights management -- was a negotiating tactic designed to give Apple an advantage during impending license renewal negotiations, as some have suggested, Jobs' proposal is still spurring lots of discussion.



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LEGO Star Wars: Photos of the Complete 30th Anniversary Collection

Straight from the Toy Fair in NYC, here's a gallery of every set from the LEGO Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collection.



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Music Sales Would Explode Without DRM

Without restrictions on entire catalogs, "Sales would explode," says David Pakman, CEO of eMusic, the No. 2 online music retailer behind Apple's iTunes. "DRM has been holding the market back." His company is the only legitimate digital music service selling unrestricted songs, in the MP3...



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The Biggest Lego Set Ever Made Does Point Five Past Lightspeed

Made of over 5,000 pieces, and almost 3 feet long, this $499 Millennium Falcon is the biggest LEGO set ever made or sold.



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more from heroes

Last file 4 a while. Go 2 primatechpaper.com, find helix. Same place as b4. Usrnme: bennet pwrd: claire. Matt's code: MPggtn75x Rembr: Usrnme always bennet

truly in the game

facial recognition. you've gotta love it. these are from rainbow six: vegas. using the xbox 360's camera, you can insert your face to be used as the character model in the game. truly amazing.

brevard zoo

visit our entire zoo photo collection.

3D Star Wars Cartoon News

"Pierre from Mintinbox.com send us word that they've posted a video interview with Rob Coleman online. It's from the recent Imagina 2007 event. In the video they discuss Lucasfilm's upcoming 3D animated Star Wars series. In the video Coleman divulges a few interesting details. Click here to check out the video now!"

More here.

february 9th in history

February 9th in History
1923: Soviet Aeroflot airlines established
1950: Senator Joseph McCarthy says the US State Department is infested with communists
1970: World's first nerve transplant, in Germany
1971: First British soldier killed in Northern Ireland
1989: Neo-Nazi groups outlawed in West Germany
1992: Fighting between government and guerrilla forces in Rwanda
1994: Israeli minister Shimon Perez signs accord with PLO's Yasser Arafat.


February 9th birthdays
1700: Daniel Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician
1909: Carmen Miranda, Brazilian actress.
1943: Joe Pesci, American actor.
1945: Mia Farrow, American film actress

Hershey's Chocolate Founded In 1894.

others born today

and norbit open february 9th, 2007. that's one for the record books, mr. murphy.

my wife. birthdays. friends. cake by my wife. and my dog who thinks he's a card shark.

6 months in melbourne = 20 pounds

couldn't believe it. stepped on the scale the other day and it was reporting 197 lbs. whne i moved here in august the same scale was nice enough to say 175. our jr high and high school groups eat out every tuesday and wednesday evening. i guess i could not eat at the mall, but i get hungry. i might also try eating like subway or something like that. supposedly you lose weight eating there, according to their commercials. don't think it's true.

Feb. 7, 2000: Mafiaboy's Moment

It is, at the time, one of the largest denial-of-service attacks ever staged. Several major commercial websites, including CNN.com, Amazon.com, eBay and Yahoo, are rendered inaccessible to their customers by the attack, which is later traced to a 16-year-old Canadian miscreant using the handle Mafiaboy.



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New site that ties in with Heroes is up

I have a special ability. If it's digital information, I can see it, hear it, navigate it, and manipulate it. I don't need to plug into a desktop of a PDA to do so either. It all just comes to me.



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primatech paper part 4

"Get to know Ted, too: Go to http://www.primatechpaper.com and find the helix. Same place as before. Username: bennet / password: claire. Ted's code: TSntz14b. Remember: Username is always bennet."

as before the helix is on the "About Us" page. it is up on the logo. when you click it the page will roll back. just so you know ted is the third file down the sheet.

Quick Tip: Make Windows Vista Look Like XP

If you aren't a fan of Windows' new look, learn how to turn your operating system's style back a few years. Just a few simple tweaks and you will have the same layout again.



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360 Splinter Cell to Get Female Characters

Independent PlayStation Magazine says one thing, Ubi says another. Looks like it will be available as downloadable content in the near future.



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overheard during the superbowl

"there's too much football and not enough commercials."

i knew people watched this just for the commercials. also, the bear were way overmatched.

kings of bling

this is the hottest new hip hop group to hit the airwaves. their styles are fresh, the rhymes dope, and the beats, oh the beats... original. straight from the 321 i give you "the kings of bling."

power tips to windows vista

"Disable UAC: Roast me over the hot, user-specific coals if you want for this one, but Vista's annoying "Windows needs your permission to continue" dialogs are nothing short of a total nuisance during your PC's initial setup, especially since they appear every time you try to install software. Here's how to disable User Account Control to install your favorite proggies in peace. Should you turn it back on when you're done? Well sure. It is a big part of Vista's new security strategy. But you know what you're doing, so I trust you'll make the right decision either way."

this along with many other tips i agree with fully. the uac is an annoying popup that continues to warn you about everything you do on a vista machine. now, it serves it's purpose, but it gets annoying to know that you are using your mouse.

24 season 6 online

in case you miss a show or want to go back, it's great to know you can find them online. fox orlando is offering quite a few shows online for free after they have aired. 24 is one of them. check it out.

primatech paper part 3

Want to try to get into his files too? Go to primatechpaper.com, find the helix hidden in the logo on the 'About us' page.

Enter the username bennet and password claire. The password to get into my file is HGghx11a. Get 2 know me.

new testament social network

every wonder how people are connected? how about jesus? here's social networking from the scriptures. in a visualization, you can see who is connected to who. it lights up the one who are connected to the name you click. make sure you follow the link to see it live, rather than just the picture.

primatech paper part 2

found this in my email today.

"Thank you for your interest in Primatech Paper and taking the time to complete our employee application.

We are always interested in unique individuals with special abilities to help us provide the best service to our many clients.

Please retain this email for your records. A Primatech Paper representative will be contacting you in a few weeks with the next steps. "

crazy nbc heroes show...

cancelling cable? maybe, but not yet

it won't be long before you can cancel cable altogether and just get what you want, when you want it. by using itunes, netflix, the soon-to-come joost, iptv, and there are other options in the works. it may be possible to get rid of everything you receive but don't watch on cable and purchase the things you do want to watch ala' carte.

a blogger at zdnet made a recent post about this. and it is something my wife and i were talking about just the other night.

while it is not completely new, the appletv will make it much easier and simpler for the consumer market to do something like this, while preserving the quality of the video for your HD tv. with all these options cable tv, just isn't working as well for me anymore. all i want are the HD channels. that's just not an option. with brighthouse networks, to receive the HD channels, you must order basic cable, the digital package, and pay for the dvr service in addition to receive the HD broadcasts.

WWJVF

primatech paper

if you watch heroes, you would have notice that primatech paper was the business they went into looking for silar. it is also the place where claire's father works. i called the phone number listed and received a code to insert into their job listings page at primatechpaper.com. you fill out some contact info and answer some questions, such as "if you see a turtle upside down in the road, what do you do?" help it of course. well, that was my answer.

anyways, i just received an email that said

"Thank you for your interest in Primatech Paper. We will be in contact once we evaluate your application."

i'll let you know when more comes.

what will 2020 look like?

at the camp ministries team, we were asked the question what will 2020 look like and what will the culture of this place be? as we answered the questions throwing out expectations for our world, culture, and technology, let me ask; what do you expect your world will look like in 2020?

become an m&m

create your own m&m. take pictures, star in a movie. truly a time waster, yet completely fun.

searching

it is a struggle to plan and organize a well rounded program in youth ministry as summer is coming up. we are currently trying to weigh cost, versus program opportunities. we have a summer camp opportunity and a missions trip that we want to plan, but the reality of the cost presents a problem. it is likely that to be involved in both trips might cost nearly $1000.

that's a lot.

the large consensus is to just do the camp, but we don't want to leave out missions. local missions are important and should be a priority. it is possible that the mission committee or others might help with the cost. fund raisers are another option, but sometimes don't really add the support needed for a lot work involved. a lot of the kids are connected to the camp and it is generally well attended. now, that of course isn't necessarily the right reason to go. but it does present a good message and it seems they take a lot out of it. as one volunteer has put it, "camp is self focused and missions are others focused."

it seems that there is no apparently right answer. each answer presents another problem.

iphone on SNL

no much longer

it will soon begin. can't wait for season 6.

24 theme and gamer pictures

some of the best new content available for free on xbox live. 24 season 6 theme and gamer pictures.

transformersyouth.org

the new youth site is now up. we are still adding to it, but there is more and more. check it out when you get a chance. i am still trying to figure out how to use the front page. what do you do? i am thinking prayers requests and maybe something like a news feed. not sure yet though.

the best yet

what more could you want this year? that's right an R2-D2 dvd projector. ign has the coverage. the little guy can play most dvd formats. it can play from your ipod, plays dobly digital and DTS, has a millennium falcon remote and can even move around the room by the remote. amazing, simply amazing.

Coming in 2007

at CES this year, microsoft has shown us IPTV through the xbox360. and apple has shown us the iphone during steve jobs keynote at macworld both look great. it will be near the end of the year for the 360 update. and who knows when the iphone is coming out, but that i want to get my hands on.

updates for gears of war

starting on january 9th, and update will be released for gears of war. the update will contain the following.

"Here is a list of what was addressed in this update:

• Fixed aspect ratio distortion when using VGA cable with 4:3 displays at resolutions higher than 640x480
• Fixed voice issue with new players joining Player Match games in progress
• Players can now get the Achievement for "Dish Best Served Cold" when using Troika turret to kill RAAM
• Fixed rare situation where host could loop countdown and never start match
• Fixed rare situation where players could get stuck after chainsawing in multiplayer
• Reduced Grenade Tag melee distance
• Enabled “Strict” NAT check on host to prevent possible connection issues
• Optimized server browser queries to return results more quickly and prevent scroll bars from hiding quality of service icons
• Reduced number of possible revives in Execution to match Warzone
• Removed host name from Ranked match server browser
• Disabled security cameras in Ranked matches
• Ranked matches now require balanced teams (3v3 or 4v4)
• Increased penalty for quitting a Ranked match to -50 points
• Added additional cheat detection code
• Additional housekeeping updates

This is from Mark Rein of Epic games."

as was posted on the xbox forums.

also on january 10th, to followup on the updates two new maps will be released.
raven dawn and
old bones.

and like a good game company should do, they are releasing the new content on xbox live for free. too many have been charging for things you have tradtionally already paid for.

more ski trip

the trips was great. poor cell service, which is a good thing. everyone came back free of injury. a few bumps and bruises, but that's expected with a group of 50 from florida. we have got a bunch a pictures to post. those will be up on the soon-to-be-live youth web page. it got a little warm on the last day and snow skiing became water skiing. however, we had a blast at snowshoe mountain in west virginia.

jack's out!

and hears a little read from eatertainment weekly: 24: so good it's scary!

first day

well we arrived safely to snowshoe this morning at about 10:30am. that's after picking up our equipment, and all was well. the first day was great. there was a good snow here monday night and the mountain was waiting for us. the conditions are not great, but for a group from florida, they were amazing. everyone has been safe and i feel like our worship time tonight, went really well. ryan shelly led our music and it, too was great. our schedule is pretty full, but has been fun. i need to take pictures and will get on that tomorrow.

more to come...

new year's

as with the holidays, posts are slim. and this coming week will be too. however, pastor john denmark spoke yesterday about resolutions. as we come into the new year, be thinking about resolving to let go of the baggage we carry around. resolve to forgive, not to make things right with the person who has hurt us, but to make things right in our relationship with god. if we harbor hurt, resentment, hate in our hearts, we are failing to love as we should. this new year's make it new. make it count. resolve to forgive.

see you on the flip side.