The King's Library

Windows 7 Phone App Idea: Blue Wave

2010-07-02T19:54:00.001-07:00

Hey Windows Phone, I Need This App!

Sponsored by Windows Phone

Nicholas Bourgeois: My Brother in Christ

2010-06-09T18:09:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was an extremely painful day. I learned that a good friend of our family, Nick, was killed in a car accident on his way to his new post in California. Tears have been shed, questions asked, but…there has been no doubt. My brother has gone home to his heavenly Father. Nick was an awesome example of…well everything. Father, soldier, husband, Christian, guitarist, ultimate Frisbee player.

Going ahead of the rest of his friends and family, he has reached the place we all dream of going to. Left here to carry on God’s will for their lives, are his wife Miranda, and two sons, Schriever and David.

Nick has left a legacy that none of friends will ever forget. Humble, quiet, sincere, strong, passionate (oh, how many times I have yearned for passion like his). He was such a godly young man, who, no doubt, fulfilled his earthly duties for the Kingdom. He will be sorely missed, as we wait our turn to join him. Please keep his family in your prayers.

Memories of Nick:

View Full Album

Read: News Article, my Sister’s post | Love Song by Jason Morant

There are weird similarities between Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.

2010-05-20T10:30:00.001-07:00

This is one of those too-funny-not-to-post articles that I saw today, and just had to share:

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846. John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860. John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
Both were shot in the back of the head in the presence of their wives.
Lincoln was shot in the Ford Theatre. Kennedy was shot in a Lincoln, made by Ford
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808. Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.' Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln' made by 'Ford.'
Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse. Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

Tech Review: Mock Mac Menu

2010-04-26T12:49:00.001-07:00

(This is for all my fellow tech-geeks out there). My personal battle between Mac and Windows has been raging since the beginning of the year. I am a traditional Windows user mainly because I grew up with it (what regular Joe in the nineties wanted a Mac anyway?). My family started out with a Windows 95, and boy the excitement when we bought a Windows XP in 2002! Now, I own my own Windows 7 laptop, which is sooo amazing (be quiet Mac-lovers). The thing is, I’ve never really played around with a Mac, so I couldn’t bring myself to call judgment. Well two weeks ago, I was able to play around with my friend’s Mac laptop (no- I don’t know what edition). I had the hardest time! First off it was backwards (or is Windows backwards?). Who knows! Anyway, it seemed, well, foreign. Now if I played around with it more would I like it? More than likely not. I have had way too many bad experiences with Apple software, mainly iTunes. However I really like the menu, and the gadget window~thingy. I couldn’t stop thinking about how amazing those features were and wondering how I could get a similar one fro my Windows 7. Then last week, my mom replaced our 2002 Windows XP (it had a whole 256mb RAM and 40gb hard drive!), with a Windows 7 desktop by Dell. On it was a dock menu. It was perfect! The kicker? You have to have a Dell computer to run it (what?!?). So I went in search for a replacement. After several bad menus, I found ObjectDock. This was it! Exactly what I’ve been waiting for. It’s a great replacement for the taskbar…only you have to move the taskbar from the bottom to the top (or the sides) check the ‘auto-hide’ button. It takes a little while to set up, but once it’s finished, it’s worth every minute spent on it. The only difference between ObjectDock (picture) and the Dell dock is that OD does not have a submenu. But overall is a great menu. I would totally recommend that you download it it and try it out. Let me know if you like it or what your thoughts are.

In the Spotlight: TobyMac

2010-04-10T05:51:00.001-07:00

It has been two or three years since TobyMac’s release of Portable Sounds, and I waited patiently for his new release. Okay, maybe ‘patiently’ doesn’t quite describe how I waited. But I waited, nonetheless. Some call me obsessed, but I like to think of myself as- dedicated. I am dedicated to listening to an artist’s music, I am dedicated to seeing that artist in concert, and I am dedicated to promoting the artist (i.e. a blog post). So when I heard about it’s release date, I was even more excited. So my sister picked it up for me when she saw it, and I immediately popped it into the cd player. Let me tell you something: some people get worse as they go (in my opinion), and some stay consistant, but TobyMac just gets better and better and better. He is able to transition his style to make keep it modern for the ‘modern’ crowd, but he also keeps some of his personal style, which is mainly found in the lyrics. In a way he is similar to the Newsboys who have been around for how long? Being able to change your style in little ways, I think, will keep you floating longer. Tonight is by far the best of TobyMac’s works. While some songs are mirror images of previous one (“Showstopper” is very much like “The Slam”), there are still some really good songs on the cd. Some of my favorites are ‘Tonight’, ‘City on our Knees’, ‘Hold On’, and ‘Get Back Up. And there are the so-so songs ‘Showstopper’ and ‘Funky Jesus Music’. But all in all this is an awesome cd. TobyMac’s Tonight gets a five star rating from me, hands down.

Sweetness of Success

2010-04-04T12:57:00.001-07:00

It is so nice to succeed at something. You get the feeling of “Yeah. I did it!”, but it is really God that gets us where we need to go. And, oh, the Lord blessed me with some wisdom, yesterday, that led to (drum roll, please): THE INSTALLATION OF DOTNETNUKE ON WINDOWS 7. I was so happy! After a lot of technical errors (that I will not get into for the sanity of my readers), it finally installed. So, I will be working on my first two websites this summer, and hopefully be working with the Do Hard Things Documentary team in designing the graphics. Please check the ‘DHT Friends’ sidebar regularly, as I will be making a list of friends/acquaintances from my area and on the DHT Forum.

Resurrection Day 2010

2010-04-04T12:43:00.001-07:00

How beautiful the hands that served
the wine and the bread
and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful the feet that walked
the long dusty roads
and the hills to the cross.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.
How beautiful the heart that bled
that took all my sin
and bore it instead.
How beautiful the tender eyes
that chose to forgive
and never despise.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.
And as He laid down His life
we offer this sacrifice
that we will live just as He died:
willing to pay the price,
willing to pay the price.
How beautiful the radient Bride
who waits for her Groom
with His light in her eyes.
How beautiful when humble hearts give
the fruit of pure lives
so that others may live.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.
How beautiful the feet that bring
the sound of good news
and the love of the King.
How beautifull the hands that serve
the wine and the bread
and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful,
how beautiful,
how beautiful is the body of Christ.

Define: Google

2010-04-04T12:22:00.001-07:00

Google: v. to search the internet via the Google search engine. ex- He googled the person he had met at the party.

Oh, yes. We hear it all the time, “I don’t know. Let me google it”. Everyone recognizes the word, uses the word, hears the word, and writes the word (even though spell check doesn’t see it as a word…there added to the dictionary). I am a Google freak to put it mildly. I google anything I don’t know. Wikipedia is usually my second option, but I usually reach it by Google. I am not limited by it’s search engine, though. I use Blogger.com, Google Docs, Gmail, Chrome, Desktop, Earth, Sketchup, News, Reader, YouTube, Analytics, Maps, Dictionary, Video, and Squared. Wow, I didn’t even realize how much I really use it.

This being said, maybe you can understand my utter disappointment. The other morning (April 1st), I saw the headline on my homepage (surprisingly its Google.com). Google was no longer, instead it was Topeka. Now, I can google something, but I refuse to topeka something. It doesn’t ring, it was the worst business move ever, and I will be saying google for the rest of my life! I was almost in tears trying to come to the realization of this life changing name switch. I was determined to find out Google’s reason for this. So what did I do? *Ahem*. I googled it. And who knew! It was an April Fool’s prank!

Oh, I was exceedingly happy over this discovery. I don’t know what I would do without Google. I just hope there are no real name changes in store for the future.

Learn more about Google | Google Something! | Join the Googlers

iRETURN

2010-04-04T12:19:00.001-07:00

Yes. I have returned. A lot has been going on since my last post, like always. I have been pretty productive, though (ahem…not as far as my reading list, however). I have become very busy with some website stuff just now. I have also been struggling to install DotNetNuke on my Windows 7 machine. SQL has been the biggest problem with it. Someone said they think it is because I am using Windows 7, but I have seen a few people who have installed it with no problems. So while my own DotNetNuke problems have been lingering in the background, I am working with a fellow rebelutionary in building a website for his organization. We had a little trouble with that installation, too, but we got it to work. Right now we’re working on getting a skin together, and after that we should be able to start getting modules and pages together. So things have really picked up really fast. I am still in school and will graduate in May this year, and I have been planning and planting my family’s garden, and preparing for our farm business this summer. Oh, yes. My reading list for this spring…has gotten nowhere. I have not finished one book! I am a failure when it comes to a reading list. I mean, last year I read two books, Peace Like a River, and Rebecca. The kicker: none were on my list to read. Right now, I am starting to work my way through Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are. My summer list will probably not be completed either, because of working the farm, interning, and building the website. So this is the first of a few post I need to get out of my system. More will follow.

Revamping & a Book Bomb

2010-02-21T06:35:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been very busy recently revamping this blog. Not only does it have a new look with a new search box, but it now has pages! One of the first things I did was move 'My Jukebox' onto it's own separate page so now music does not immediately play when you enter my site. I also put a brief profile on a page, and a 'My Bookshelf' page to remove some of the clutter off the side bar. (Just as a quick note: if you have not noticed, the menu for the pages is located at the very top of this page directly under the Blogger navbar). Something else I did was create two Rebelution pages. iRebelution will house some projects of mine, but currently it has 'Start Here' promo material on there. Also, a temporary page, Rebelution Email Blast, is a page you can email to let friends and family know all about the Rebelution's new book. So, just in case you have not heard, there will be a Book Bomb on Amazon.com, February 23rd. So make sure you order on that day. To find out more about 'Start Here' visit the Rebelution. Other than that, not much else has been going on. I finally picked up my guitar for the first time in a over a month! And you can really tell I haven't picked it up in awhile. At least, that's what my fingers tell me.

The Day the Music Died: February 3, 1959

2010-02-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

Buddy Holly: September 7, 1936 - February 3, 1959

Fifty-one years ago today, Buddy Holly was killed in a plane crash. The inspiration for the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Don McLeon, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones, he was the pioneer of Rock-n-Roll.

Read *Listen*Misc.

American Idol: Maddy Curtis

2010-01-31T15:21:00.000-08:00

To start off: I am not normal, and I have never claimed to be. So 'normal people' hold on to your seats: I have never watched an episode of American Idol. Whew, I'm glad to get that off my chest:) Brett and Alex, you are not alone. But it is from these guys that I heard about Maddy Curtis. The ninth of twelve kids (three of whom who have down-syndrom), she not only has a big heart filled with love for those three brothers, but an incredible voice, too. Check out her audition on American Idol:

Also, check out what the Harris brothers have to say about Maddy.

Masterpiece: Emma

2010-01-31T15:07:00.000-08:00

After a better-than-most sequel to last year's Cranford (Cranford Returns), Masterpeice presented Emma. I was pretty doubtful going in to it, especially after I saw Mr. Knightly (a very young Mr. Knightly). However, after last weeks's first episode, I thought it better than I anticicipated. Compared to the 1995 version of Emma, this one seems to be more comedic and modern. I just can't quite get used to the 'modern'. The rest are just little things I can forgive, but overall (so FAR), I can say this new version of Emma can slide by. My full review will come in two weeks, after it ends. To find out more about Emma, visit the Masterpiece Website.

Discovery: The Beatles

2010-01-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

The Beatles are a band that everyone knows about. I knew their name and their popularity, but not much else. Like, what made them so great or even what their music style was. Some of you might think I am deprived for having never listened to the Beatles until now (It’s okay. I get that a lot). I really had no interest in finding out more about them until I saw a spoof of one of their songs (Hey Jude sung by Hugh Laurie). Why did I listen to a spoof before I listened to the original song? I don’t know, probably the same reason I watched Chicken Run before I watched The Great Escape, I didn’t know there was an original. So, the past week I have been hanging out with Grooveshark listening to the Beatles, and I have to say that they have/had something. With a great rock/pop/original style and cryptic lyrics, they quickly made my ‘Favorites’ list, topping it is ‘Blackbird’. Anyway, they will be getting some attention from me for awhile. Have you listened to any of the Beatles? If so, what is your favorite song? If you have not listened to them*, here is your chance. This play list features some of their songs, that will hopefully give you an idea about what they are like. Enjoy!

*Even if you have listened to them feel free to listen some more!

Digitizing Our World

2010-01-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine showed me this really cool video about putting physical objects into the digital world. I found it interesting, not only how it was invented, but how it would totally affect daily tasks.

Watch PART 2

What do you think of this new technology? Is it overly ridiculous or just ingenious? A lot comes to mind about sci-fi movies with computer take-over plots. Should Sixth-Sense technology scare us to a certain degree? Will this give computers a bigger part in everyday life, or will they just become more accessible?

Happy New Year, and a Year in Review

2010-01-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

While it seems like this year just flew by, it also seems like it drug. It sounds crazy, but this is exactly how I feel. I have better hopes for completing more goals this year than in 2009. Writing a full list of most of the things I did last year is, to put it quite bluntly: embarrassing. I say it every year “I am going to create a list of goals, and I will complete those goals/projects before I pick up any more”. HA! Not only did I not stick to that plan, but I never wrote down that ‘list of goals’ in the first place. I hope, though, that this year, I will be more dedicated to completing my set goals (Don’t we all?). However, I did do some things in 2009 that were not goals at the beginning of the year. So, here are some highlights of 2009:

Created The King’s Library
Composed 5 instrumental pieces on guitar
Saw Downhere in concert
Read Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
Read Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Traveled to Washington DC to the Rebelution Conference
Began interning at my county’s Information Technology Services division

See what I mean by embarrassing? I mean, it looks like I was busy doing, well, nothing. But mind you, I was heavily involved in my county 4H program until September of this year. So between items on this list I was milking my dairy project cow, giving a presentation at three different levels, milking, planning some county fundraisers, milking, helping sew a 4H Centennial quilt, taking rabbits to the State Fair, milking, volunteering at the county fair, and…I’m missing something. Oh! Milking. Other than the holidays, things have quieted down quite a bit. Giving me some down time to actually make that list =)

Now looking ahead to 2010. Yikes. I have a lot more planned than I did last year, I think. So here are some things I will be doing and HOPE to be doing this year:

Books to Read (Jan-June):

Team of Rivals by Dorris Kearns Goodwin
Heart of the West by O’Henry
So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger
Captain Blood, Captain Blood Returns, and The Fortunes of Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Machine Stops by E M Forester

**Summer and Fall Reading to be announced**

Music Goals:

Compose more instrumental pieces
Write at LEAST 1 original song
Record at least 2 songs by other authors/bands

Web and Graphics goals:

Design my Family’s Farm Website
Design 1-2 webpages
Spice up this drab-of-a-blog
Design some cool pics

MISC.:

Graduate from high school
Get more involved in the Rebelution movement
Update this blog better

Well, easier said than done, unfortunately. But I am doing a lot of hoping. I’ll just need to keep to the grindstone to get it done. Any big plans for you this year? Do you have any secrets to completing some tough goals? I hope that whatever you have going on, you’ll have a good new year.

Christmas Countdown #2

2009-12-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas is most likely the busiest cooking time of the year. Most of you, like me, have lots of memories about Grandma's jello salad, Aunt Jane's chocolate meringue pie, and Mom's turkey (or ham). Not only do these things bring back good memories, but they also make me hungry.All of us have a favorite Christmas treat. Mine is...uh (this is a toughie)...probably Peanut Butter Blossoms. Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

So what is/are your favorite Christmas dish(es) or treat(s)?

Christmas Countdown #1

2009-12-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

When I think of Christmas, I immediately think of the music. It is one of my favorite things about the holiday. It brings back a lot of memories from when I was little. The most memorable songs being from one of Alabama's Christmas tapes (cassette). When I hear those songs, it reminds me of driving to town to go Christmas shopping, going down to visit my grandparents in Georgia, and the excitement on Christmas eve. Not only do I like listening to old favorites, but new ones too. I have grown to like Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas', Downhere's 'How Many Kings', and many more new classics (I think that's an oxymoron). Does Christmas music bring back memories for you? What is your all-time favorite Christmas song?

A Quick Update

2009-11-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

Finally : DC Pics

2009-10-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

D.C. here I come!

2009-09-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

I will be attending the Rebelution Conference in Washington D.C. this week. Be on the lookout for pictures of the trip after the 24th. Here is the promo video for the conference. Be sure to visit the blog to learn more about the conference and how you can attend one near you. God bless.

Sunny Sundown's Ride

2009-08-07T13:40:00.001-07:00

This is my first chord composition.

Inspired by Leif Enger's book: Peace Like a River

Movie Awards

2009-08-03T11:42:00.001-07:00

Recently I have been thinking about movies. I was inspired by a recent post I saw to give out awards to my favorite movies. So here is a list of categories and their winners:

Heart and Spirit:
This award goes to a movie based on a book and is judged on the capture of the heart and true spirit of the book.

BBC Chronicles of Narnia

Capture of Character:
This also awards a book to screen adaptation.
This is judged by the best character portrayals

(Did the characters walk out of the book on
to the screen?)

2007 Jane Eyre

Take Me There:
This award goes to the movie with the best represented land or main area (or house) a book takes place at.

Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca

Music to my Ears:
This need not be based on a book. The best musical
in coordination with: dance, lyrics, and story.

Fiddler on the Roof

So, what movies would you nominate in these categories,
or other categories? What are some of you favorite movies?

**Disclaimer: The movies above are based on my opinion, they are not necessarily my recommendation for everyone.**

Weekly Geek: 2009-26

2009-07-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

Alright. I know I have been slim on posts (non-weeklygeeky???) lately, but I have been very busy! I told my mom today "Do you know tomorrow will be my first full day at home since last Monday (the 6th)?". That's pretty crazy, even for me. Anyway, this Weekly Geek looked pretty cool. Here it is:

This week's Weekly Geeks asks you to tell us about your globe trotting via books. Are you a global reader? How many countries have you "visited" in your reading? What are your favorite places or cultures to read about? Can you recommend particularly good books about certain regions, countries or continents? How do you find out about books from other countries? What countries would you like to read that you haven't yet?

Use your own criteria about what you consider to be "visiting" -- whether a book is written about the country or by a native or resident of the country.

For fun, create one of these maps at this website ticking off the countries you've read books from - you might be surprised how many (or how few!) countries you've read. Include the map in your blog post if you're so inclined.

Feel free to tell us about any actual world traveling you've done in addition to your literary travels.

When you're done with your post, come back here and sign Mr. Linky with the post address. Then be sure to visit your fellow Geeksters to see where in the world they've been. Happy traveling!

After spending a lot of time racking my brain over all the countries I have visited in novels, I finally finished and here it is:

How many countries have you visited? Please feel free to leave a comment.

Independence Day!

2009-07-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

Let Tyrants Shake Their Iron Rod (Chester)
by William Billing

Let tyrants shake their iron rod,

And Slav'ry clank her galling chains,

We fear them not, we trust in God,

New England's God forever reigns.

Howe and Burgoyne and Clinton too,

With Prescot and Cornwallis join'd,

Together plot our Overthrow,

In one Infernal league combin'd.

When God inspir'd us for the fight,

Their ranks were broke, their lines were forc'd,

Their ships were Shatter'd in our sight,

Or swiftly driven from our Coast.

The Foe comes on with haughty Stride;

Our troops advance with martial noise,

Their Vet'rans flee before our Youth,

And Gen'rals yield to beardless Boys.

What grateful Off'ring shall we bring?

What shall we render to the Lord?

Loud Halleluiahs let us Sing,

And praise his name on ev'ry Chord.

Weekly Geek: 2009- 24

2009-06-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

Though I'm really not very good at it, I love trivia. Put books and trivia together and you've got a perfect match. So I thought it would be a fun Weekly Geek activity for us to come up with some book trivia questions to ask each other.

So take a moment, don't stress about it all, and write down five to ten questions that pop into your mind. You could center all your questions around a particular theme or genre, maybe something in which you specialize. Or ask questions about one certain book. Or teach us about your favorite author through your questions.

You could do really easy ones that you know we'll all get or really hard ones that will challenge even the best of us.

Once you post your questions and add your link here, be sure to go around and answer the questions posted by everyone else. Remember, no fair Googling! At the end of the week, don't forget to do another post with the answers to your questions.

And most importantly, have fun!

Alright, since my summer reading is C.S. Lewis I am going to do The Chronicles of Narnia questions. I will ask 'name that land', 'whose line is it?', and 'name the book'. Please remember there is no googling here! Answer as many as you can in a comment. Here they are:

Name that Land:

"The trees grew close together and were so leafy that he could get no glimpse of the sky. All the light was green light that came through the leaves: but there must have been a very strong sun overhead, for this green daylight was bright and warm."
"[For] when they had crossed the sandy beach they found all silent and empty as if it were an uninhabited land, but before them there were level lawns in which the grass was as smooth and short as it used to be in the grounds of a great English house where ten gardeners were kept. The trees, of which there were many, all stood well apart from one another, and there were no broken branches and no leaves lying on the ground. Pigeons sometimes cooed but there was no other noise."

Whose Line is It?:

"'Thats the worst of girls,' said Edmund...'They never can carry a map in their heads.' 'Thats because our heads have something inside them,' said ___"
"Lie there, vile engine of sorcery...lest your mistress should ever use you for another victim."
"Now attend to me. I want-I mean Aslan wants- more nuts. These you've brought aren't nearanything near enough. You must bring some more, do you hear? Twice as many. And they got to be here by sunset tomorrow, and there musn't be any bad ones or any small ones among them."

Name that Book:

Slave, Tash, Twins
White, Hope, Evil

Now, leave your answers in a comment. I will post the answers Friday. Good luck!

Weekly Geek: 2009-22

2009-06-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

This week, I'm going back to a classic Dewey topic--#12 to be exact. I chose this for several reasons--one, it's one of my favorite weekly geeks topics--but more importantly I saw it would work well with two very important bloggy events going on this week.

1. In your blog, list any books you’ve read but haven’t reviewed yet. If you’re all caught up on reviews, maybe you could try this with whatever book(s) you hope to finish this week. (Be sure to leave a link to this post either in the comments of this post, or in the Mister Linky below.)

2. Ask your readers to ask you questions about any of the books they want. In your comments, not in their blogs. (Most likely, people who will ask you questions will be people who have read one of the books or know something about it because they want to read it.)

3. Later, take whichever questions you like from your comments and use them in a post about each book. Link to each blogger next to that blogger’s question(s).

4. Visit other Weekly Geeks and ask them some questions!

This topic was very timely considering I am behind in my posts. I do have a pile of books to review, and I hope to catch up very soon. So here is the list of books I have read, and hope to review. Please feel free to ask questions about the books, and I will answer them in a post next week.

The Tale of Despereaux
God's Smuggler
Peace Like a River
O'Henry: The Four Million
Jane Eyre
The Space Trilogy (along with my summer reading reviews)

Rebecca

2009-06-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Rebecca was written by Daphne du Maurier, and was first published in 1938. It was an instant seller, and du Maurier became a celebrated author of her time.

Plot:
A young woman, who's name is never revealed throughout the story, is working as a companion for a wealthy American, Mrs. Vanhopper, vacationing in Monte Carlo. There she meets Maxim de Winter, and after two weeks of car rides, dinners, and activities, he asks her to marry him. She accepts, and after their honeymoon, goes to live at his family mansion: Manderly.
When she arrives, she realizes how difficult it will be to forget his previous wife, Rebecca, who she has heard so much about. No one seems to be able to forget the young women, who had died in a sailing accident. Especially Mrs. Danvers, the house keeper and Rebecca's personal maid, who tells the newly-wed that she could never replace Rebecca, and that Maxim does not love her. The new Mrs. de Winter is beside herself. She is uncomfortable in every room, she has no control over the house, and Rebecca's shadow stands between her and Maxim. Then, something shocking is revealed about Rebecca's death.

My Review: (Caution:Spoilers)
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. One of the things I found interesting, was du Maurier's unique writing style. The character's emotions were clearly portrayed, and I was able to feel some of those emotions as I read: shyness, excitement, uneasiness, frustration, and fear. Second, I absolutely loved Maxim and (what's her name:). I also didn't notice until the end, that she and Maxim were so much alike. She is terrified of strangers and new people and is constantly thinking about what other people say about her. Maxim also is the same way: dreading attention from the inquiry, and worrying about the damage of his family's good name. All in all, this is a very good book, and it earns a spot on my 'Top Ten' favorite books list.

Note: This book contains mild language.

The Movie:
There are several adaptations of this book.

The first was by Alfred Hitchcock, as his first American film. I have seen this version, and it is pretty good. Hitchcock dwells more on the suspenseful side of the story, so I did miss some of the relationship of Maxim and Mrs. de Winter. Other than that, it was really good! I do recommend that you read the book before you watch the movie.
The second starred *sigh* Jeremy Brett as Maxim. Unfortunately only bits and pieces of this film are available on the internet, because of copyright issues. I do think I would like it better than the first, because Jeremy Brett would be able to play the compassionate side of Maxim and the eccentric (crazy) side of him also.
The third was made in the 90's and starred Charles Dance as Maxim. From what I understand this was more about Maxim and Mrs. de Winter, and Rebecca was not as big a part as in the other adaptations. And, Rebecca was shown in flashbacks, a small mistake, because you don't have to see her to know she is there. Hitchcock had the camera move as if someone (unseen) was walking. This was just brilliant on Hitchcock's part.

Weekly Geek: 2009-19

2009-05-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

This Weekly Geek was a Summer Reading post. I thought this would be a good opportunity to share my planned summer reading which is: 'The Imaginary World of C.S. Lewis'. I plan to read all of his fictional novels, and write my reviews here. Books I have read before, will be reviewed (i.e. The Chronicles of Narnia), except for 'Til We have Faces, which demands a re-read. Here is the complete list below:

The Pilgrim's Regress (1933)
Space Trilogy
- Out of the Silent Planet (1938)
- Perelandra (aka Voyage to Venus) (1943)
- That Hideous Strength (1946)
The Screwtape Letters (1942)
The Great Divorce (1945)
The Chronicles of Narnia
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
- Prince Caspian (1951)
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
- The Silver Chair (1953)
- The Horse and His Boy (1954)
- The Magician's Nephew (1955)
- The Last Battle (1956)
Till We Have Faces (1956)
Screwtape Proposes a Toast (1961) (an addition to The Screwtape Letters)
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer (1964)
The Dark Tower (1977)
Boxen: The Imaginary World of the Young C. S. Lewis (ed. Walter Hooper, 1985)

I will keep this list of books in the sidebar on my Goodread's 'to read' shelf. I hope some of you will join me in this challenge this summer. I also encourage you to check out some of these cool C.S. Lewis blogs also. Further Up and Further In, C.S. Lewis, and The Window in the Garden Wall. So what will you be reading this summer? Please share!

Masterpiece Classis: 2009

2009-05-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

Well, once again another successful year of Masterpiece Classic has come to a close. Although not as good as last year's, there were several good episodes. This year's adaptations were easy to rate:

#6. The Old Curiosity Shop: I was very disappointed in this last episode! There was little plot, little character development, and not enough time was spent on developing the story. When it went off, I said "Whatever" and went to bed. A very pitiful way to end the season compared to last year's Cranford.

#5 Wuthering Heights: To me, this story was pretty confusing. If you haven't read the books, you'll probably have the same results. Now Tom Hardy was pretty good as Heathcliff, but better in Oliver Twist. Also, this story didn't grip me as much as the others did. My biggest problem with this movie was probably because...I don't like Katherine. Moving on.

#4 Oliver Twist: Of the few adaptations of this story I have seen, this is my favorite. First of all the cast was great. Beginning with William Miller as Oliver Twist, who met every expectation as the character and who demonstrated very fine acting abilities. Then Adam Arnold as The Artful Dodger was absolutely excellent, and portrayed his character well. Sophie Okonedo as the compassionate Nancy, Timothy Spall as eccentric Fagin, and Sarah Lancashire as the corny Mrs. Corney were also good. However my favorite actor in this movie was Tom Hardy as Bill Sykes, who is currently one of the best actors of this time. As far as everything else, the story was complete, the cinematography was good, and the music was...well, interesting.

#3 David Copperfield: This Dicken's classic starring Daniel Radcliff, is definitely a favorite. The screenplay was good, and the actors were brilliant! Daniel Radcliff and Ciaran McMenamin as David Copperfield, Maggie Smith as Betsey Trotwood, Pauline Quirke as Peggoty, and Zoë Wanamaker as Jane Murdstone were my favorites. My favorite scenes in this movie are when Betsey Trotwood tells Mr. Murdstone off, and when Uriah Heep is banished to Australia. (That's what I call sweet revenge!).

#2 Little Dorrit: Runner up in this list is Little Dorrit. This was very good, and most of it is due to my sudden love for the characters. Above all, my favorite is Mr. Dorrit, followed by Arthur Clennam, John Chivery, Amy Dorrit, Flora Finching, and Pancks. In this movie, I think the characters kept the story going, because there seemed to be some inconsistencies. Here is a comment I left about this film, on my sister's blog:

I was disappointed in some of the plot, though.

First, Tattycoram's part, secondly the hidden relationship of Mr.Cadsby and Miss Wade, and third how the Gowans were left hanging.
I really think the best and strongest characters in the story were Mr. Dorrit, Amy Dorrit, Arthur Clennam, and John Chivery.
I also thought that Pancks, Mrs Plornish, and Affrey added a little bit of comic relief.
As the for the villain, Rigaud, I thought he was great. He would suddenly appear in, (what seemed like), the weirdest or most confusing times, adding to the suspense.
Overall, it was good, but definitely lacking in areas.

#1 Tess of the d'Urbervilles: This was the most outstanding movie this season! Gemma Arterton, was excellent as Tess. First, she did not portray Tess as pathetic, but unlucky, and she played her character so strongly, that if I see her in anything else, she will still be Tess. Secondly, this movie gripped me. And third, the screenplay was great. Watching it, made me feel so many things. Not many movies you watch give you a 'feeling', but this one did. I was frustrated, happy, sad, and angry all at the same time. This was such a good movie that it is ranked #1 for this season, hands down.

If you watched this year's Masterpiece Theatre Classic, please vote on my sister's poll for your favorite episode this year.

Still Breathing...I Think

2009-05-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

Things have certainly picked up speed here. I was thinking the other day: "I feel like Dickens is writing my life story, because everything is confusing and nothing is coming together. Thankfully, though, he is not. God has everything planned out, from start to finish, and in the end everything will come together. For His glory!"

So much has happened this week. I finished Rebecca (the review will follow shortly), I watched the last installment of Masterpiece Classic, and I have started Peace Like a River (which is really good, so far). I hope to get some posts up, this week. No need to fear dedicated readers!

Also, thanks to Matt&Beth, I have gone around with this song stuck in my head all week long. A funny video for LOTR fans. (Ok. It might have been that I watched it at ten o'clock at night, too). See it here. I will post soon.

-Selah

Eureka!

2009-04-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

For awhile now, I have been trying to learn how to play Cathedrals on my guitar. The hardest thing about this song is the beat and the strumming pattern. Yesterday, I watched this video of Jump Little Children's live performance to look at the strumming pattern and... I found it! There is actually a quick upstroke at the end of each line (with the chords I am using, that would be C* and E). Get the chords here. Anyway, it is a pretty neat song. I think I might record it soon, so keep an eye out for it. Here is Cathedrals by Jump Little Children:

This player has been removed for technical purposes

note: Sometimes there is a conflict between the two music players, so this song will only be available to listen to for a short time. Go here to listen to it from another source.

My First Composition

2009-04-15T06:51:00.001-07:00

Earlier this year I started playing around with some tunes on my guitar. I have composed a few small things, but nothing major.

For my birthday, my mom and dad gave me a Platronics .Audio 10 Microphone. It's really nice, considering it was under twenty dollars. The sound quality is very good, also.

I have had a hard time trying to find a nice recording program that was free. I found one called Power Sound Editor (Free). It works fairly easily, especially for the beginner, and had an easy-to-navigate interface. This program has alot of effects to edit your tracks with and it allows you to record from a microphone, stereo mix(records from computer speakers), cds, and import mp3 audio tracks. You can also save your audio as a project and an mp3. However, there are quite a few downsides. First of all, it does not let you work with multiple tracks. This causes a problem when you sing to a track, and when you mix other tracks. Second, the screen does not have a horizontal scroll, so it crams the audio (Is it 'spectrum'?) into a small screen, making it hard to find specific areas in the track, which is hard to deal with when it comes to adding effects. Then a friend told me about another program called Audacity that has all the same features as Power Sound Editor. I downloaded the 1.3.7Beta version and gave it a try. It was better, even though it didn't have as many effects. The screen has a horizontal scroll, and you can mix multiple tracks. This comes in handy when you sing. As, you record the singing part (put on headphones), the first audio track will play, allowing you to sing with the instrumental track.

So, this recording was made with Audacity. I had a hard time naming it, but I will take suggestions. I hope you enjoy it!

Mark Your Calendars!

2009-04-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

Calling all christian film supporters! April 13th-18th The Widow's Might is coming to a theater near you. The Widow's Might was the winner of the 2009 San Antonio Christian Film Festival. This movie was written and directed by 19 year-old John Moore from Kaufman, Texas. I had the chance to view this movie with some friends a while ago and I thought it was very well done. If you do go see this movie, (and I encourage you to), do not do what I have a tendency to do: Expect Hollywood technology and acting. Don't get me wrong! The movie was fantastic! But if you don't go in with really high expectations, you will like it even more.

Plot:
Let me explain...no, there is too much...let me sum up(I can't remember all of the movie). A young man is trying to enter a prize-winning movie into a film-maker's contest. He is inspired by a widow, and the (unfair)taxation of her land. When he decides to base the movie around her situation, a young news reporter, in direct competition with him, is out to hurt his name and give him a bad reputation. Despite being talked bad about and accused of leading a religious sect, he rallies his community's support and conquers his own doubt, to make the movie a success.

My Review:
While this is not flashy, in-your-face, high technology (which I don't like), it is very well made. The sets are beautiful, the cinematography is great, the acting is better than normal(for low-budget films), and the plots are original.

So, if you believe in supporting encouraging young, christian film makers, to give us the family-friendly movies you want, go and support this movie!

Links:
The Widow's Might Website
John Moore's blog
Find where this movie will be playing near you (this make take a few moments)

Spring Time is Here

2009-04-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

I sincerely apologize for the lack of posts recently. Things have been really busy on the farm lately. My mini rex rabbit had given birth to six kits in mid-march, I planted lettuce and onions in our garden, my sister's goat kidded last week, and the grass grew 2 feet (just a small exaggeration). With this in addition to web design classes (which I just finished), school, 4H, and (of course) guitar, I have had very little time to blog. But I am planning on spending the next week catching up on new posts.

Next to autumn, spring is my favorite time. So, here is a video I made with a poem by Emily Dickinson. The field in this video is actually behind my house (for better quality, it may be necessary for the video to load). To view the poem, go here.

I am currently reading...

2009-03-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Rebecca
by Daphne du Maurier

Great Post

2009-03-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

My sister, bookwormans, joined 'Weekly Geek' (haha) and published a post on "Worst Movie Adaptations". I am in total agreement with her. You can see her post, here.

Here I Am

2009-03-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

Here I Am
from the Downhere album “Ending Is Beginning”
Germain/Martel

Sometimes your calling, comes in dream
Sometimes it comes in the Spirit's breeze
You reach for the deepest hope in me
And call out for the things of eternity
But I'm a man of dust and stains
You move in me so I can say…

Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life I make an offering
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of your plan
Here I am

When setbacks and failures and upset plans
Test my faith and leave me with empty hands
Are You not the closest when it's hardest to stand?
I know that You will finish what You began
And these broken parts You redeem
Become the song that I can sing…

Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness
And the fear that I'll fail You in the end
In this mess, I'm just one of the pieces
I can't put this together but You can

(Guitar chords for this song)

www.downhere.com

Downhere

2009-03-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

I recently went to see the Christian band Downhere in concert. The music was great! Some of the songs sounded better live than on CD. Downhere is currently on their Ending is Beginning tour. Their tempo has slowed down a little bit in their songs since their first CD, but they have very thought-provoking lyrics. Listening to the songs, you get the idea that a lot of thought and time has been put into the lyrics and music (RockStars Need Money is the exception). Marc Martel is my favorite member of the band. He has a great voice, not to mention range. He is also the guitarist, electric and acoustic. So, here are some of the songs they sang at the concert, but not all of them. One of their newest songs I have grown to love is How Many Kings. Here they are performing it live on radio (below).

If you are interested in checking out the band more or listening to their music, go here.

Sherlock Holmes- The Resident Patient

2009-02-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

"Come, Watson, come," said Holmes,"the game is afoot."

Sherlock Holmes is my all time favorite literary detective. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's first published work that featured the character Sherlock Holmes was A Study in Scarlet, which you can read here. I absolutely love the stories and especially the television series with Jeremy Brett. Starting this week, I will begin posting a monthly Sherlock Holmes story. The first story will be The Resident Patient.

The Plot

A distressed doctor, Percy Trevelyan, comes to Mr. Sherlock Holmes to solve a puzzling case. A man had approached the doctor and told him that he would fund the opening of a private practice for Dr. Trevelyan. On one condition: that he would live upstairs as a patient. Everything went well until the patient began acting peculiarly. He became agitated or frightened over many things, although the doctor had no idea of what these things were. He continued acting like this until he finally begged Dr. Trevelyan to fetch Mr. Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street. If you are interested in reading The Resident Patient go here.

Radio

I like listening to old radio programs. I have listened to The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, and Sherlock Holmes programs. While they are not the best quality and don't have the best actors, it is still fun to listen to.

The Television Series

My favorite series of Sherlock Holmes is the 1984-1994
version with Jeremy Brett. To me, Jeremy Brett captures
THE Sherlock Holmes. I enjoy watching him, as well
David Burke as Doctor Watson. Now, here is how I
have always pictured Dr. Watson. Most of the time
he is portrayed as old, fat, and dumb. In this version,
he is Holmes' age, and smart (he is a doctor).
Overall, this is the BEST version
of Sherlock Holmes there is.

The Resident Patient
Caution: Mild Violence.

Recap of 2008

2009-01-30T17:34:00.000-08:00

I was going to start this blog at the beginning of January, and here we are at the end. Even though it is a little late, here is a recap of 2008. First, here are the Top 40 Christian Songs of 2008 (some of my favorite songs are on here). In December, Patrol Mag released a list of the 50 best faith-inspired albums of 2008. This list is a good place to check out some new artists. You can then look up the artist's names, here, and listen to their songs. Now in 2009, you can stay up to date with your favorite artists, and their most popular songs, here. If you are interested in listening to some of my favorite songs, just scroll down to my jukebox.
In addition to listening to music, I also play guitar. So in 2005, I bought an "Epiphone" guitar, played around with it, and kept it in a corner in my room. Last January, I picked it up to start learning some songs. With some help from some friends, I was soon playing at my church. Now, I can play 22 songs, 3 at church, and the rest at home. Here is the list of songs I play at church:

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." - Marcus Tullius Cicero.

If my guitar is not in hand, then a book is. I love reading classic literature. Probably my favorite author is C.S. Lewis. In fact, two of his works (The Space Trilogy and 'Till We Have Faces) are in my top 5 favorite books list. If you are interested in what I have read, just visit my Good Reads shelf, (in the right side bar).