Christmas Eve, 7am

I started snoring around 6am this morning, so my better half lets me know via her own version of morse code (which is actually her own series of nudges, pokes, and kicks). I decided that getting up and starting my day might be a wise use of my time, so at 6:30 I'm headed towards Tom Thumb to pick up some sweet potatoes and other items. On the way home, I came across a song I hadn't heard in quite awhile.

Let There Be Peace On Earth
Let There Be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me. Let There Be Peace on Earth, the peace that was meant to be! With God as our Father, brothers all are we. Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me. Let this be the moment now. With ev'ry breath I take, let this be my solemn vow; To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally! Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me!
Written by Sy Miller and Bill Jackson

Merry Christmas to us all!

MTC

-D

Just a quick note . . .

I had a pretty good update I started hacking out in MS Word at the beginning of the week; it had the makings of a first class rant (my ranting does get raves, I'm told). Anyhow, I got twisted up in my logic and ended up losing the head of steam I had carefully built up. It's saved, and will make an appearance at some point. Unfortunately it won't be the stream of consciousness work that I was hoping for.

Kudos to edieraye for reminding me of a wonderful memory from a few years back.

Take care, and if I don't post before we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
MTC
-D

Some Sound Advice

If you come to work on Monday, and your emailed word of the day is Eviscerate: turn around and go home. Things will only get worse.

MTC
-D

It's done!

I had my last class of the semester last night and submitted what is easily the most difficult paper I've ever written. It was 20 page body, 5 pages of references, and two appendices. I realize many of you out there have done more, but throw in a theoretical perspective that I wasn't completely familiar with, only two interviews (when I would have preferred 10-15) and the need to get as close to 20 pages as possible, it was a task. I had a ten pager that was submitted earlier for another class, but that one did seem a bit easy by comparison. I did learn a few things this time around:

Literature Reviews are a wonderful way to occupy space without having to resort to blatant padding, and

APA Style Helper, although is a little twitchy, makes handing your references a breeze.

Anyway, I can't completely relax until I get my grades, but I can say that I gave this one a good shot.

Now it's back to watching Good Eats reruns.

MTC
-D

Hope for the Holidays

Got through Thanksgiving with my dignity intact and no trips by me or my family to the drug store or emergency room.  I discovered a few things along the way, however:

• Gas stoves put out a LOT of heat.


• It’s a little scary making something that you normally wouldn’t eat yourself.


• A grill makes a fine heat source for warming something.


• An electric blanket is wonderful for making bread rise in a timely fashion.


• There really is no line between breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Thanksgiving.


• I can make a WONDERFUL caramel apple pie.


• I wish I had two stomachs. I hate cooking all this and not being able to try all of it.

Thanksgiving is still an underrated holiday in my book, with Halloween following a close second.

MTC
-D

Things that I think are cool:

Free software that’s actually good enough to pay for: Picasa, CutePDF, Tsunami Mpeg Encoder are some that come to mind.

Cast Iron Skillets

Halloween

Bugs Bunny and Road Runner cartoons

Triathlons and the fact that my wife runs in them

My wife. She’s attractive, smart, and can think like a guy – the triple threat.

Cornbread

Dad’s cornbread dressing

Mom’s chocolate sheet cake

Walt Disney World in general, especially the Gertie the Dinosaur Ice Cream stand at Disney MGM











MTC
-D

A Short Self Interview

So what is this blog for, and why the name?

Until I think of something cooler, I'll stick with this. Lots of good connotations with it. I had another idea but it was a little too weird.

This blog is set up for a few reasons:

To let me play with the interface so I can see how adaptable it is to areas of interest to me.

To let me vent about things that are on my mind and to get them out in the open – ergo the name.


Just who am I?

I’m late 30’s (I’m being vague so I don’t have to update this part that often), married, no kids. I’m head of the AV department at a local university, and am a Ph.D. student at another university in the area. Areas of research interest are: online education, assistive/adaptive technologies, and communication theory. Areas of interest are movies, naps, cooking, and bright shiny things.


Who are your heroes?

John Glenn, Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Moe Howard, Buster Keaton, Walt Disney, and Alton Brown.
Read in to this whatver you like. It's a free country.
MTC
-D

Hurrican Rita over Houston

Found this on the web and was playing around with Picasa. Very cool piece of software.
More to come!
-D