Josh's Project

I have a friend. His name is Josh. If I recommend something, he will do it. Quickly.

For example, I recently pointed to Collagr, an online collage-making site which creates interesting collages with your own photos. He went to work and, within seven minutes, sent me this photo of his work computer:

I happened to take a closer look at his post-it notes along the bottom of the screen (click to enlarge) ...

Hmm. That's sad.

Babysitting

Last night we babysat Anja Tjernagel while her parents indulged in a Bloomin' Onion, etc. She slept like a baby while I learned how not to make people think.

The Trials of Ted Haggard

Ted Haggard has been making the rounds in the media recently in promotion of his HBO documentary "The Trials of Ted Haggard," which chronicles the pastor's life following his fall from stardom. I happened to catch him on Nightline the other day, and came away incredibly disappointed in the man. If you aren't familiar with his story, go here. A former staff member at Haggard's church watched the documentary and responded with a letter that was featured in Christianity Today. Here's an excerpt:

"I was hoping — against hope — that The Trials of Ted Haggard would document his walking into the light. It doesn't. It captures his attempt to reenter the limelight."

Read the rest here.

5 Things: You Need ...

1. You've had a story in your head for years. You think it would make a great book. You have no idea how to get it published. You need Blurb.
2. You have a Mac. You need to clean the keyboard. You want to do it without typing on the keys. You need Keyboard Cleaner.
3. You have lots of photos. You like those fancy-looking collages that you see everywhere. You think you'd like to make one of your own. You need Collagr.
4. You like money. You have some of it. You need to get a better handle on it. You need Mint.
5. You are bored. You need something to learn. You like the thought of being taught by a professor from a big-time university. You need Academic Earth.
   

Is This Really a Wise Course of Action?

I hesitated in posting this, but thought you might benefit from some reflection on the issue. Last week, President Obama repealed the Mexico City Policy, in effect allowing hundreds of millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to be allocated for abortions in other countries. This week, Nancy Pelosi affirmed her committment to direct a large portion of the new stimulus package toward "family planning" (largely, abortion).

Now forget, for a moment, about which side you take on the issue. Set your moral and religious caps aside (if that's possible), and securely affix your economic beret. Given the current state of the economy, is this a wise use of our tax money? To put it another way, if you lost your job and were struggling to stay afloat, and you wrote to Speaker Pelosi asking her how she's going to help get us out of this mess, and she wrote back stating that a large part of her solution involved cutting costs by providing abortions to, primarily, poor minorities, would you be fine with that? Would you believe that a measure like that would move the economy forward?

Denny Burk puts it this way,

"Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is defending the fact that hundreds of millions of dollars of the forthcoming stimulus package are to be spent on “family planning.” Her argument is very simple. The economy is bad. Having babies costs money. Would-be parents need to save their money by not having babies."

Here is the video of Pelosi:

Finally, I would strongly commend Matt Perman's thoughts to you. He concludes the following:

1. First, the values embodied in this perspective are completely backwards. Quite simply, it fails to recognize that people — human life — is the most valuable reality in creation.
2. Second, the economic perspective in her comments is also wrong.
3. Third, the children that are born today are not simply the solutions to the problem of tomorrow. They make society better today.

Read his entire post for more.

Cousins

Ella & Anna

Sleepy Girl

Slingshot Sniper

This guy is impressive. One of my favorite moments is when he spots a pair of (mating) beetles on a leaf and then blasts them into oblivion. Enjoy.

All Present

Last weekend our connection group met for dinner.
Everyone was there, including all of the kids.

Anniversary of Roe v. Wade: Around the Web

Thanks to Justin for compiling this list ...

John Piper, Lincoln's Logic on Slavery Applied to Abortion

R.C. Spoul, Video series on abortion (streamed on the web for free)

Robert P. George, Our Struggle for the Soul of Our Nation

Ed Whelan, Senate Testimony on Roe v. Wade (2005)

Michael New, The Case for Pro-Life Optimism

Star Parker and Gary Bauer, A Dream Unfulfilled: Roe v. Wade has Played a Big Role in the Devastation of the African-American Community.

Jason French's seven-minute "musical and picturesque portrayal of the God-wrought miracle of human life":

Volition

Volition: the faculty or power of using one's will.
Click the photo below to watch a powerful short film.

Best Audio from 2008

If you haven't yet visited Faith by Hearing, I would highly recommend that you do. They have posted their most memorable audio from 2008, including the best stuff from Mahaney, Piper, Ferguson, Carson, Mohler, and more. Go here to fill that iPod with some nourishing audio.

Fireproof in 60

If you've seen the movie Fireproof, you'll get a kick out of this. The producers of the movie put together a light-hearted 60 second version of the film. Check it out here.

My Sister is Having a....

Girl!!

That makes three.

She is due June 2nd.

A Visit from Chris

Chris stayed with us yesterday and was able to get Ella up from her nap. Not her cutest moment.

Winner of the Great Duck Giveaway

Thanks to those of you who contributed your ideas on how to cook the duck. I enjoyed each submission, but no one impressed me more than Eric Crawford. While I didn't follow his recipe exactly, I used his preparation suggestions and other generally made-up ideas.

Congratulations, Eric, you win the free duck. Let me know when you return from Iraq and I'll send the little quacker to you.

You can check out Eric's ideas in the comment sections of this post and this one, too.

Duck Duck Grey Duck

I gave the duck a shot last night.

Ducks are a fatty bird.
Makes sense ... always floating around on the water.

Ella enjoyed helping out.

Result:

Menu:

• Mixed spring green salad
• Crispy Roast Duckling with a port wine glaze
• Jicama, julienned and sauteed
• Snap Peas
• Twice-baked sweet potato
  
• Apple Harvest bread
• Blush wine and chocolate milk
  

Snuggles With Grandpa Mattern

Happy Birthday Sarah

One year ago today, we strapped a funny hat on Ella and wished Aunt Sarah a happy birthday.

I don't think we could sit her still long enough to do this again.
Happy birthday Sarah!

Blog 101: Google Analytics

If you want to get a better handle on who is visiting your blog, how long they stay, and how they found you, you need Google Analytics. There are lots of tools on the interweb designed to help track site stats, but none do it better, smoother, or freer than this one. Get it. Use it. Enjoy it.

So let's explore just a few of the tool's features. We use it to primarily keep tabs on general site traffic. Here's a screenshot of the summary page:

Here's the basic layout of the visitor stats:

For each stat, you can investigate to greater detail. Here's a shot of the visitor loyalty stat, showing that many people visit our blog once and then head somewhere else. These people are not inpressed with Ella's cuteness or my video editing skills. Most people, though, visit frequently.

Finally, you can see how people came to your site. Redirected from another blog, found through Google Search, etc.

Keep in mind, we're just scratching the surface. You can create goals, benchmarks, and more. With Google Analytics, you can stop wondering if anyone is visiting your blog and begin to have a more advanced understanding over what's going on in the background.

Music Recommendations

Need to freshen up your music library?
Grab this Coldplay album on the cheap.


Ever wanted to have a classical music library?
Here's a good start ... 99 songs for $7.99.
Mozart or Beethoven, take your pick.

5 Things: Friends/Family Blogs

1. Ah ... Sarah loves armadillos and wants to move (again).
2. Mark pulls some sick tricks (my favorite: the Christ Air)
3. Willis snapped some photos of our visit.
4. Putneys are back from their blog vacation. Welcome back.
5. Josh & Co. use their webcam to say hello, start a fight.

Bath Time

How Are These Guys Not Dead?

Amazing.

(HT: Zach)

For Baby #2

We want these, obviously. Get them here.

Duck, revisited

Yesterday I asked for your help in preparing the duck Ella and I bought. So far, the responses have been interesting. Here are the best so far:

• A link to a page with lots of unusual duck recipes (Drunk Duck, Bomb Diggity Duck Soup) and two cute, defenseless, animated ducks on the site's header
• A multi-step, detailed recipe using the words "carcass," "rustic," and "score." Eric even applies his recipes to cooking Buffalo. Unbelievable. One point of concern, though, is that he completes his impressive comment with "I've never actually tried anything above, and pulled a lot of the ideas out of thin air. So you may want to do a little bit of research before following my suggestions. But I don't see why this wouldn't work out." Sounds about right.
• Finally, and predictably, Josh offers this recipe for BBQ Duck:

Please keep the (specific) ideas coming. If I chose yours, you'll receive a congratulatory shout-out and I'll buy you your very own duck. Go ahead. Drop a comment below.

Sobering Thought on Parenting Young Children

From Michael Spencer's Reflections on Being the Parent of Adult Children:

When you have small children, you can simply never realize what it is going to be like to one day face them, as adults, with the realization that YOU have shaped them into the persons they will be for all of their lives. If we realized what it really means to create, nurture and shape another person in the deepest of human ways, we’d be frozen with fear. So much of what they are comes from us in ways that were unintended, or unknown or unplanned. Your children are truly a legacy of the kind of person you really are, and of how you’ve lived, how you’ve loved and what you’ve considered most important.

(HT: Zach)

No We Didn't Call Each Other

My third grade teaching partner (Emily) and I showed up to school today with matching outfits and water bottles.

Duck, Anyone?

So Ellie & I bought a duck.

We froze it.
And now we need to impress Mommy.
Any suggestions on how to cook this thing?

Links to recipes?
Help us out ... we're counting on you.

Today, in 1956, Jim Elliot Was Killed

From Fred Sanders (Scriptorium):

Today in 1956, five missionaries to the Auca indians in Ecuador were killed. Their deaths brought a sudden end to the project they called “Operation Auca,” but the tragedy became a defining moment in the history of evangelical missions. Hundreds of young people were inspired to take up missionary work, thousands were moved to deeper commitment to Christ, and millions of dollars in resources were mobilized. And the work with the Aucas went on, too.

Read more here.

It's one of the most fascinating stories ever told. Tragedy, redemption, forgiveness. In my opinion, there is no other story - including fiction - that comes close to rivaling this one. Hit the links below to learn more.

Moving in the Right Direction, Unfortunately

From WORLDmag:

"Recent data reveals that after decades of elevated spending, Americans are finally cutting back in order to save more. In the third quarter of 2008, U.S. consumer spending growth declined for the first time in 17 years, while U.S. household debt also declined for the first time since the Federal Reserve began tracking it in 1952.

Normally such figures would be heralded as good news, but not necessarily in a poor economy where thriftiness may only fuel a downturn. With increased saving comes decreased spending, which leads to a trickle down effect (i.e., store closings, job cutbacks, etc.) that further exacerbates the nation’s financial woes.

Dubbed the “paradox of thrift,” some economists believe spending will continue to decrease and lead to the biggest drop in the gross domestic product in a quarter-century."

So do us all a favor and start throwing your cash around again. May I suggest a fantastic pocket camcorder? The article continues,

"According to Elizabeth Warren, who is involved with overseeing the distribution of the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program funds, 'The idea that the American family will quickly spend us out of this recession is a fantasy. It won’t happen.'"

Crap.

5 Things: How To ...

1. Take great photographs of fire
2. Shave like your grandpa
3. Learn basic sign language
4. Get organized with online calendars
5. Top 10 How-to videos

One Year Ago

Things I Learned About My Wife on Vacation

1. Her beauty increases with each passing year.
2. Her geographical knowledge could use some work (On our way to Chicago, when asked what she'd like to do, she replied, "I'd like to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower." No problem.)
3. She loves her daughter tremendously, but she loves me more.
4. She is so grateful that our children have such loving and helpful grandparents (and so am I).
5. She is fun, fun, FUN!
6. She handles the inconveniences and discomforts of pregnancy with patience and grace. Her anticipation for our son's birth is exciting.
7. It's difficult to find a good pair of maternity pants.
   
8. Be very careful not to stand in the way of her getting breakfast.
   
9. Few things in life are better than sitting across a table of delicious food, staring into the eyes of my soulmate, discussing topics that really matter, affirming and strengthening our commitment to one another.

For Sale: Kodak Zi6

I thought I would throw this out there. We have been researching camcorders for about a year. The more research we did, the less impressed we were. Although improving, they weren't convenient, inexpensive, or simple.

Enter the pocket camcorders. Flip and Kodak are the big names in this class. We recently bought the Kodak Zi6, after reading many reviews praising its more robust feature set compared to the Flip models. It shoots in HD, connects directly to a television, can begin shooting just seconds after pulling it out of a pocket, and is ridiculously simple to use. It runs on AA batteries, and records to a SD/SDHC card, so you can shoot as long as you wish.

I recently learned that Kodak is coming out with another model, which has mostly the same features, but is more weather-resistant. I immediately thought of shooting through the mist at Victoria Falls. We like weather-resistant.

So ... we will probably sell it at a discount, and buy the new one when it ships in April. If you are interested in purchasing the Zi6 or if you would like to see it, please let us know. I thought I would offer it here first, in case any of you were looking for a quick, easy, enjoyable camcorder.

Leave a comment if you're interested. Thanks!

Kodak zi6 info
Kodak zi6 review/video (MacWorld)
Kodak zi6 review (Uncrate)

The MacBook Wheel

MacWorld is happening today. It's the yearly conference anticipated by millions of Mac fans, where Apple typically announces it's latest gadgetry and everyone else begins to copy it. Check the video below for the (fake) news. My favorite line:

"I'll buy almost anything if it's shiny and made by Apple."

WARNING: slang term used at the end.

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

What I'm Thinking About

This quote from Mike Elgan:

"A person who works six hours a day but with total focus has an enormous advantage over a 12-hour-per-day workaholic who's "multi-tasking" all day, answering every phone call, constantly checking Facebook and Twitter, and indulging every interruption. It's time we upgraded our work ethic for the age we're living in, not our grandparents' age. Hard work is still a virtue, but now takes a distant second place to the new determinant of success or failure in the age of Internet distractions: Control of attention. Hard work is dead. Are you paying attention?"

Read the entire (short) article here.

(HT: Zach)

Waiting for Cookies

Returning to Ella

The following photos are stills from the video we shot with our zi6 of Ella seeing us after our first vacation without her. We were hoping for a little more excitement (and a little less confusion!). I think she was sad to see her time with the grandparents come to an end.