Zi6: Test Run. (Lesson learned)

High definition videos are huge.  Huge videos take forever to upload.  That little 10 second clip took 45 minutes to send to Blogger, and then another 30 some to "process" which means, "reduce quality."  So in other words, I spent one hour and 15 minutes in frustration so Blogger could take my beautiful 720p video and make it smaller.  A little counterproductive, don't you think?

Zi6: Test Run.

Sam hanging out on the bed.

Jack and Sam's Place: Now With Video.

I bought a Kodak Zi6 since our tape-based video camera doesn't hold a charge for more than about 2 minutes.  That's just a tad bit annoying when you want to take video of kids doing crazy things.  

The Zi6 is neat because it shoots in 720p "high def" at 30 and 60 frames per second.  It's not cinema quality, but it'll get the job done and that's what's important.  Plus, it was very inexpensive, and beat out higher priced competitors.  

I hope to finally have a reason to put iMovie to good use.  

Cutest Baby Picture Ever.

 

But we're biased. 

Sam is sitting up.

We're making progress!  Sam is now sitting up on his own.  Oddly enough, he still cannot fully roll over, so the order of things is a bit odd, but we're happy that he can entertain himself for short periods of time.  That's great news for the overworked parents.  Video to follow.

Much Ado About Chickens

What's the deal with chickens? Within the past days, I've become aware of two fellow "mommy bloggers" who have decided that the world is sufficiently lost (at least Alan Keyes thinks so*) and investing in baby chickens is sound advice in these trying times. I surmise that the investment is made in hopes that they (the adolescent ground-peckers) grow into egg-output vehicles, yeilding eggs for family use and consumption. When I first learned of one family's foray into urban chicken farming, I chuckled and resolved that clearly this family had too much free time on their hands. (The husband brews his own beer, but that's clearly a worthwhile and necessary enterprise, with which I take no issue and support wholeheartedly.) Shortly, more chicken-related posts followed, here and here.

But within days thereafter, I learned of another, venturing into this "fowl" territory: my overachieving-law-school-colleague/smartypants-turned-mommy-blogger. Now they had my full attention.

So I pose the question: Really? Chickens? What you buy prepackaged from Fry's or Safeway just aren't satisfactory? Even PETA has weighed in on this issue.

[* No, I do not endorse Alan Keyes. It was just a funny segue and something that popped into mind while writing that sentence. I guess I could have simply linked a graph of the Dow since the election, but that's a little too painful for many of you readers.]

[3/15/09 - I was told not to call myself a "mommy blogger."  Isn't that self evident?  I am the MOTHER OF ALL BLOGGERS.  Just kidding.]

It's My Party And I'll Blog If I Want To

Today's my birthday (zzzzzzzzzz 32 zzzzzzzzzzzz) and so in honor of this momentous occasion, here are some factoids:

Birthdays on Feb. 24:

Steve Jobs (of Apple fame)

Joseph Lieberman [sarcasm] I couldn’t be more proud to share this birthday with Joe. [/sarcasm]

Winslow Homer (American landscape, marine and genre painter. He was a battlefront correspondent for Harpers Weekly in the Civil War.)

Chester William Nimitz (A graduate of Annapolis and chief of staff to the commander of the submarine force of the Atlantic fleet in WWI. Commanded the Pacific Fleet in WWII.)

Unsung hero of the silver screen, Billy Zane. Starred in Memphis Belle, among other [sarcasm] blockbusters. [/sarcasm]

Franz Courtens, a Flemish painter who created the masterpiece, Golden Rain.

Edward James Olmos, better known as Admiral William “Bill” Adama, of Battlestar Galactica fame. [For you folks who watched Miami Vice, he was in that too.]

Sammy Kershaw, country music “star” and artist, whose son was a fraternity brother of mine at Baylor U.

Exciting Happenings on Feb. 24:

1803 Supreme Court 1st rules a law unconstitutional (Marbury v Madison) [Probably the most boring case ever, it is mandatory 1st year law school reading, but among the thousands which are never again cited (because it goes without saying that the judiciary has the power to overrule legislation on the basis of unconstitutionality). Nonetheless, its a case that the mere mention of which makes the loins of many a constitutional law professor tingle.]

1836 3,000 Mexicans attack 182 Texans at Alamo, lasts 13 days. (At the same time, Davey Crockett brings dead animal skin headwear into fashion.)

1857 1st perforated US postage stamps delivered to government.

1863 Arizona Territory created.

1868 House of Reps vote 126 to 47, to impeach President Andrew Johnson.

1917 German plan to get Mexican help in WW I exposed (Zimmerman telegram).

1965 Beatles begin filming "Help" in Bahamas.

1979 Highest price ever paid for a pig, $42,500, Stamford, Texas.

See? Much more important things happened today than just my birthday.

Theft is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

So lately, we've been juggling a few things around here, mostly trying (in vain) to potty train Jack (with very little success), trying to get Jack to bed before 9:30pm (aiming for 8:00, mind you) trying to figure out why Sam sleeps only 30 minutes at a time during the day and maybe 4-5 hour stretches at night (at best), and all the while dealing with the standard accouterment which accompanies living life (paying bills, for example). So sleep has been a luxury lately. Ashley regales me with stories of naps, as she gets them, and we giggle with glee as we discuss how we're going to catch up on sleep when we send these boys to college in 18 years. Ha. Ha. Ha.

I was idly scrolling through friends-of-friends blogs and ran across this little gem. The writer is somewhat of a local celebrity, to the extent that someone who appeared for a short stint on radio as the third party to a morning show can be considered a local celebrity. Nonetheless, It'd be cool to meet her, as she seems really hilarious and her blog is wildly creative. For that she earns my respect.

Back to the point: I read this post and almost fell out of my chair laughing. Pictures do indeed say a thousand words. So I'm stealing her post and putting it here since it sums our our lives right now.

Sam Writes His Own Blog Post

 qeje a  d  lxc kkd hn kmiu,l nmboijlojob //  m, mp io   h jj   n igo o8 nmi ,ig un v

[You can tell I've run dry of publishable content when I start letting the 6 month old write.  But as far as I can tell, only Kelly L. and Julianne M. read this so it's really only for us three to laugh about.]

This Is Why You're Fat.

This is why you're fat. (For the technologically impaired, put your mouse cursor over the last sentence and press down and release. You only need to press once. The "double-click" isn't required on the web, folks.)

Even thought it has nothing to do with Jack or Sam, it's worth the post. I guess if I had to draw some type of link between Sam and this, it'd be constipation.

Here's on receipe I'd actually try: The Romellete.