Date Night

by Erica

Saturday night Jason and I went on a date night. It was nice to get out and do something out of the ordinary. First we went to downtown Denver to The Chop House. The Chop House is an excellent restaurant with a 1940's feel to it. After eating more than we should have, we drove up to Longmont to watch the musical Guys and Dolls. Jason's co-worker, Erik, plays the electric bass and was a member in the orchestra pit. I was quite impressed that a four member orchestra could create such a full sound.

I admire anyone who can get on a stage and act. I think that acting is the number one activity that puts me out of my comfort zone. I am not sure why this is. I was in plenty of church plays when I was little. The irony is that I roleplay and act silly in front of my students all the time. I guess the difference is they think I am cool.

Categories: Life Fun

Audiophile

by Jason

As a warning, this is about to get a little weird... You may change your opinion of me.

As some may know, I'm a type-A audiophile. My latest venture has been the complete reorganization (and re-ripping) of our music library. It is not a huge collection, probably about 400 or so albums.

[edit]
I have been made aware that I do not entirely qualify for full audiophile status. While I am annoyed by the loss of sound quality in lossy codecs, I am content to use my Bose headphones without an amplifier, rather than these puppies, or even these. And even though I'm a nut about having proper organization of my music collection, that has much more to do with my type-A personallity than being an audiophile. Perhaps I merely am going a little crazy, or maybe I just have some more growing to do.
[/edit]

Now, you would think that this would be easy and just a matter of doing some alphabetizing and copying to the computer. Perhaps it should be, but I have made it increasingly complex. Allow me to elaborate...

• My iPod - This requires the use of certain audio file formats that I don't agree with for a variety of reasons. These reasons cause much of the complication, and are described a little more below.
• iTunes Music Store - I have 874 (153 of which have been obtained for free) songs from iTMS to date. This requires the use of iTunes. If Apple decides to increase the price of songs, they will certainly loose this customer (and that will be a new posting). This also means that I don't want to be tied to iTunes for my music.
• Highest Audio Quality - This is the reason I do not agree with the iPod supported formats, but makes the whole thing quite complicated. The bottom line is that regardless of the solution, I want the closest-to-the-original sound. This will vary based on the source.
• Flexible - I have a tendency to change my mind quickly. The solution must adapt if I change my mind regarding the audio format, music player, etc. I've already ripped my CD collection 4 times. With the addition of Erica's music into our collection, this is a two week process. I don't want to do it any more.
  

I have spent nights worrying about this stuff. Just ask Erica. It is a sickness. People make fun of me at work. Never fear, however, for I have reached a solution: FLAC. So, here's how the new system works:

• FLAC - All CD's are ripped to FLAC. CD's by nature are lossy audio compressions. FLAC is the best way I have found to preserve what's left. Use Easy CD-DA Extractor for this (easilly the best ripper out there).
  
• iTMS - All purchases from the iTunes Music Store are scrubbed and burned to CD as an audio track. iTunes even makes it easy to print nice covers for the CD's.
  
• Transcode - Since the iPod and iTunes don't recognize FLAC (and this level of quality is not necessary or efficient for portable players), all FLAC audio is transcoded to AAC, the format most recognized by the iPod. This is done using a combination of dbPowerAmp Music Convertor and a custom shell script I have written to handle synchronizing the source FLAC files with whatever output format I choose. This part is pretty sweet.
• Synchronize - Nightly, after the files are transcoded, my laptop synchronizes itself with the server to get the latest in music. This is fully automated, and come morning, I automagically have all the latest and greatest to take with me to work.
• iTunes - This is the part that still stinks. Now that I have the music in the right format, I have to import everything into my iPod. For whatever reason, iTunes has decided not to provide useful features (namely that of Watch Folders) and so I must do this manually. I have tried to get some feedback to them, and while others agree, they don't seem likely to budge. I have tried using ml_ipod to perform this step with Winamp, but I have not had much success. I'll keep at it, though.
• Bose - This is what makes all the effort worth it. The Quiet Comfort 2 headphones are unreal. Not to mention the customer service I have received from them in the past. Listening to music 6-8 hours a day requires high quality & comfortable headphones. These are the best of both.
  

I told you it was complicated. And weird. But, now I can rest at night knowing that my music will be organized, easilly accessible, and high quality anytime I want it.

Categories: Music Geek

Harry Connick, Jr.

by Erica

Listening to Harry Connick, Jr. puts me in such a happy mood. He is definitely in my top three of favorite artists. But who could argue? Not only does he sing, but he acts, and now is honorary chair of Habitat for Humanity’s hurricane relief effort in New Orleans.

I have been searching the internet to see if he is going to be in Colorado soon. A few years ago, he was in Cincinnati performing his Christmas concert. I am still kicking myself for not going. Perhaps, this Christmas he will be in town.

Categories: Music

Vegging

by Erica

It is 10:00 on a Friday night. I am beat from the work week. Jason has been busy working in his office on his computer. I have been doing well, nothing. After talking non-stop from 7:45 AM until 5:00 PM, I just don't have a lot of energy left. Thankfully, my husband is understanding and doesn't mind when all I want to do is veg in front of the tv. Tonight I watched, "Still Brady After All These Years," a Brady Bunch special hosted by Jenny McCarthy. Brady Bunch and Jenny McCarthy don't seem to go together. Then I watched a Dateline special. I now feel refreshed and sick of the TV. Soon, we will be off to bed.

Categories: Misc

Sunsets & Sushi

by Jason

Sunsets & Sushi
(Experiments In
Spectral Deconstruction)

David Crowder Band




Well described as a retooling of the band's music rather than a simple remix. Worship meets electronica.

This CD by David Crowder band is a masterful companion to David's book Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi. Although the CD stands well on its own, the book provides the motivation behind the new music.

My recommendation: listen to the originals, read the book, close your eyes and invite the noise.

PS: David's new CD is coming out this month. Check it out.

Categories: Music God

Praise Habit

by Jason

I don't read many books anymore. I have shelves of fiction that has been reread (and the cracked bindings will testify), but the collection has stopped growing. I wouldn't have considered reading this one if I didn't listen to the CD first. I don't have anything against them, I just don't take the time to read them anymore.

I wasn't going to write about the book. I had only planned to read it and include it in my post on the CD. Perhaps to appease those who consider reading a virtue, and the lack thereof a sin. For whatever reason I had in mind, the book did something I had not expected: I enjoyed it.

The first words of the book: "I used to think I knew where to find God. He always seemed to be where I put Him last." I am a big fan of David Crowder's music. Not because of the talent (albeit impressive), but because when the music starts, the band dissappears and the undiluted praise begins.

Chick-fil-A, the Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel, detailed morning rituals, pointing out his own humanness. He has cleverly captured ordinairy things (as most good writers will) in a way that makes you laugh and think.

While reading I chuckled, pondered, reread, laughed, stared off in the distance... Maybe reading a book from time to time isn't such a bad thing.

Some quotes that intrigued me:

"...the bad was never intended"

"And we slowly chip away at each other's protective coatings of innocence until one day we wake up and notice we are naked and people are pointing"

"Habits involve no concious choice among alternatives."

"I had fallen in love with my spirituallity rather than with the one whom I sought, and in the end it left me void and wanting."

The remainder of the book goes through 23 of the Psalms. I'm not through them all yet, but it is still enjoyable to read.

Categories: Books God

Crockpots

by Erica

I have come to appreciate the value of a crockpot. This morning I stuck some salsa and chicken in the crockpot and when we got home from church, dinner was ready. I have decided that Sunday is our day to use the crockpot. I found a great site that provides a lot of crockpot recipes here.

If you have any crockpot recipes you enjoy, please leave them here. I will put them up on the Heddings' Recipe Book.

Categories: Food

Happy Birthdays

by Erica

Happy birthday to our wonderful friends Angela and Pauline.




These two ladies, mature for their age, seperated by many miles, and only linked to each other by being friends of ours, share the same birthday and anniversary. Isn't that strange!

Categories: Birthday

The Blame Game

by Jason

We all played this when we were kids. "He hit me first" or "she called me a bad name." Sometimes, we still do this as adults. Who would have thought that as a society, all we can do is point blame at each other in the wake of such destruction as came from Hurricane Katrina?

Even before the winds died down, everyone who might get hit was creating their alibi. While people are suffering daily, politicians and public officials on all sides are trying to keep from getting pinned with the fault. As if it is one person or agency that is responsible. This has turned a national tragedy into a political war.

And the media doesn't help. Whether it is the war in Iraq or Hurricane Katrina. Even though I admit that I use media for getting my news, the media as a whole causes far more political problems than any single human being. My only recommendation: don't watch/read only Fox or CNN; get your news from multiple sources to help sort out the slant.

To those media agencies and news reporters reading this (because we are just that popular): Tragedies and war are dramatic enough; just report the news, don't bloat it.

I am very amazed and touched at the record amounts of giving from the American people (and thanks to those other countires that are offering aid as well). I wish that we could do that without all the media frenzy and hype that ensues.

Instead of ambulance-chasing lawyers, we are creating tragedy-chasing reporters, both of which I despise.

Categories: Musings Rants

Labor Day

by Jason

I suppose with a name like "Labor Day" I should not expect to relax. We didn't.

We started off with a camping trip. We went back to the same area as before, but a different site. It was only one night, again, but we were able get up there early Saturday and leave late Sunday, so it was a good trip. No off-roading stories, this time. We just bought a new topper for the Pathfinder, so it was a great way to test it out. We came back late Sunday, relaxed and went to bed a little early, because....

We didn't make it through our list for Monday. It is so great to have an extra day to take advantage of, but it is also so easy to fill it up with chores and such. We ended up working most the whole day until about 7:00. This involved buying a new power washer, so the day was not all work... Man that thing is powerful. I'm glad I didn't spring for the gas-powered Honda sitting next to it.

Categories: Fun Outdoors Adventure

"Did you know my sister plays the trumpet?"

by Erica

"Mrs. Heddings, Mrs. Heddings, did you know...?"I have never heard my name so many times in one day. These sweet little voices call out to me to tell me anything and everything. It is actually scary how much I know about their lives after two days of school.

I have a great class of 22 first graders. They are so little and so innocent. They bring me apples, and give me many hugs. They are at the age where they can't wait to learn to read and want to please their teacher. I think this is going to be a great year.

Categories: Teaching Life

Martial Law

by Jason

My morning coffee was met with anger this morning. People firing gunshots at the helicopters trying to evacuate refugees? My cheeks are quite hot at the moment.

Erica and I have been talking the past few days, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, about the people who are still in New Orleans. What could have possibly kept them there when imminent devistation was headed their way? Arrogance? Being uninformed? Too many "boy-who-cried-wolf" stories? I may be ignorant of their reasons, but the both of us are astounded by the number of people who were in New Orleans when Katrina hit.

And in the midst of all of this, looters and idiots firing guns at medical helicopters are hindering operations. Instead of focusing on helping people the police are pulled off rescue detail and must babysit. Perhaps this is a time when martial law should be enstated. I'm all for it. There are too many people who need help right now and too many others who are risking life and limb by simply being in the aftermath. Take these bullies out of the picture. Thankfully, it sounds like President Bush agrees (maybe not the martial law part).

It occurs to me that these people who stayed behind did not believe that the threat was so great, or did not do all that they could to leave the city. If you knew that your town would be wiped out, wouldn't you get out of there any way possible? Isn't it worth the risk of walking for 3 days if you had to? While still remembering that I don't know each story, I am left with an upsetting feeling that many of these people are causing others to risk their lives now when it could have been avoided, or at least mitigated. But this begs a question: How do you convince people that it is worth leaving everything they know behind when there's no way to prove precisely what will happen?

This morning as we were talking about it, we agreed that it is not too different than the promise of salvation. God promises sheilding from impending doom and death, yet so many refuse to take it. My hot cheeks are being cooled by my tears for them and those who now must try to rebuild their lives in the Gulf. Regardless of the reason, many people decided to stay at home this past weekend, and now they need help. Our prayers are with you all.

Pictures from FOXNews.com

Categories: Musings Rants