Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Angie Harmon: Patriot
When you disagree with Obama people want to dismiss you as a racist. Its the liberals way of not being able to make an intelligent arguement. Its kind of like pulling out the, "Your Momma!" comment while argueing because you know you have lost and thats all you can say.
Actress Angie Harmon isnt afraid to speak out about this.
GM (Government Motors)
This is what happens when the Government steps in and tries to fix things.
CLICK HERE to read the full article. Obama should have just let GM go into bankruptcy.
CLICK HERE to read the full article. Obama should have just let GM go into bankruptcy.
Hope for America
Here is an article on Glen Beck. His radio tag is, "Where entertainment meets enlightenment." He is funny but I also believe he has his finger on the pulse of middle America. He is a family man who loves his country. And he will be the first to tell you that he is neither Republican nor Democrat. He is conservative, loves his country and believes in America. Check him out...he's about one of the only people who really shoots straight with the American people...and sometimes the only one on Fox News that tells it like it is, or like its going to be if we don't take action.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
One World Currency
For those of you who know what I am talking about...well, the talk has started. Lets see if it happens.
Ben Smith reports over at Politico about China proposing a one world currency. And Obamas Tax Man Geithner is open to the idea. Good bye green backs.
Ben Smith reports over at Politico about China proposing a one world currency. And Obamas Tax Man Geithner is open to the idea. Good bye green backs.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Lost in Dreams
Since I woke up at 5 this morning after a pretty vivid dream I thought I would blog about it. I love dreaming. I usually remember my dreams and I dont put too much stock in them. Such as the dream I had a few months ago: An old friend called me out of the blue and told me to look out my window. I went to my bedroom window where I could see down town Nashville. The whole city was in flames and parts of the sky scrapers were crumbling into the Cumberland river.
A few days ago I had a dream where a man had died and myself and some other people were allowed into this mans house to take what we needed. I remember being in his tool room and thinking, "What do I need?" "Ah, I need and axe to chop wood!"
For the last three weeks I have been catching up on LOST, Seasons 1-3. This morning I dreamt that my friend Mary and I were on the island and we found a cure for cancer. Locke was there and he said, "On this island you're either a Hunter or a Healer." Mary and I looked at each other and high-fived each other and we were yelling, "We've cured cancer!"
A few days ago I had a dream where a man had died and myself and some other people were allowed into this mans house to take what we needed. I remember being in his tool room and thinking, "What do I need?" "Ah, I need and axe to chop wood!"
For the last three weeks I have been catching up on LOST, Seasons 1-3. This morning I dreamt that my friend Mary and I were on the island and we found a cure for cancer. Locke was there and he said, "On this island you're either a Hunter or a Healer." Mary and I looked at each other and high-fived each other and we were yelling, "We've cured cancer!"
Monday, March 23, 2009
IMAGO FIDEI
Christianity Today is now accepting art from anyone to have featured on their blog. So, send in your work!
Friday, March 13, 2009
iPhone Flash
This just in from my friend Jonathan.
"If there’s been one thing iPhone users have griped to Apple for since the launch of the iPhone (well, aside from copy/paste), it’s been Flash. With a huge portion of the web relying on the technology to operate, (especially all the fun stuff: videos, games, etc.) the absence of the ubiquitous web technology on the iPhone is a major handicap. But not for much longer. If interviews are to be believed, Adobe has been developing Flash for the iPhone since June, and has been collaborating with Apple since late last year.
The iPhone presents a unique challenge because you can’t simply port a current version of Flash and expect it to work. The full-blown Flash player (supposedly) requires too much horsepower, while Flash Lite really doesn’t the features people are going to expect from the player (complex animation, etc.). So you have to code have a custom version of Flash Player—no big deal. Adobe’s had to deal with crazier things.
The real issue, and the reason many feel that Flash will never happen on the iPhone, is the power of Flash apps and the danger they pose to Apple’s iron grip on the App Store. If you’re too lazy to read the article, the basic argument is that Flash/Flex apps can do almost everything regular iPhone apps are capable of. With Flash on the iPhone, AS3 and Flex developers are basically given a free pass: no reason to learn the iPhone SDK, no reason to put up with all the crazy App Store guidelines. Just code and deploy on the web. This would allow for a wide variety of competing services that would inevitably divert money from App Store publishers and, in some cases, Apple itself.
Despite all this, rumors say that Flash is working in the Apple Labs just fine. And that’s no surprise. We’ve seen other devices with far less processing power run Flash Players with AS2, so anyone who argues that the iPhone can’t run Flash 9 with AS3 (sure it has more features, but AS3 is SO much faster) is deluded or lying. So when Steve Jobs announces a couple of days ago that Flash won’t be coming to the iPhone because it’s “too slow,” it’s obvious that Apple and Adobe are having some sort of power struggle behind the scenes. Though Apple wants the general public to believe it’s simply a technical hurdle that can’t be overcome, I think it’s a political move to put them in a better bargaining position. The link above details some interesting theories for the reasoning behind the announcement (including a very plausible conflict over which company’s PDF renderer to use).
Flash on the iPhone is a reality. It’s not a matter of if we’ll be getting it—it’s a matter of when. The real question is how much Adobe will have to concede to Apple (and how much they’ll have to cripple Flash’s functionality) before it will happen."
"If there’s been one thing iPhone users have griped to Apple for since the launch of the iPhone (well, aside from copy/paste), it’s been Flash. With a huge portion of the web relying on the technology to operate, (especially all the fun stuff: videos, games, etc.) the absence of the ubiquitous web technology on the iPhone is a major handicap. But not for much longer. If interviews are to be believed, Adobe has been developing Flash for the iPhone since June, and has been collaborating with Apple since late last year.
The iPhone presents a unique challenge because you can’t simply port a current version of Flash and expect it to work. The full-blown Flash player (supposedly) requires too much horsepower, while Flash Lite really doesn’t the features people are going to expect from the player (complex animation, etc.). So you have to code have a custom version of Flash Player—no big deal. Adobe’s had to deal with crazier things.
The real issue, and the reason many feel that Flash will never happen on the iPhone, is the power of Flash apps and the danger they pose to Apple’s iron grip on the App Store. If you’re too lazy to read the article, the basic argument is that Flash/Flex apps can do almost everything regular iPhone apps are capable of. With Flash on the iPhone, AS3 and Flex developers are basically given a free pass: no reason to learn the iPhone SDK, no reason to put up with all the crazy App Store guidelines. Just code and deploy on the web. This would allow for a wide variety of competing services that would inevitably divert money from App Store publishers and, in some cases, Apple itself.
Despite all this, rumors say that Flash is working in the Apple Labs just fine. And that’s no surprise. We’ve seen other devices with far less processing power run Flash Players with AS2, so anyone who argues that the iPhone can’t run Flash 9 with AS3 (sure it has more features, but AS3 is SO much faster) is deluded or lying. So when Steve Jobs announces a couple of days ago that Flash won’t be coming to the iPhone because it’s “too slow,” it’s obvious that Apple and Adobe are having some sort of power struggle behind the scenes. Though Apple wants the general public to believe it’s simply a technical hurdle that can’t be overcome, I think it’s a political move to put them in a better bargaining position. The link above details some interesting theories for the reasoning behind the announcement (including a very plausible conflict over which company’s PDF renderer to use).
Flash on the iPhone is a reality. It’s not a matter of if we’ll be getting it—it’s a matter of when. The real question is how much Adobe will have to concede to Apple (and how much they’ll have to cripple Flash’s functionality) before it will happen."
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Quiet
"He was just a normal person," Smith said Wednesday. "He was very quiet and, as far as I know, never got in trouble."
This was said about Michael McLendon yesterday. It always seems like the, "He was quiet and never bothered anyone," types that end up with the high powered rifles perched on a water tower, picking off kids in the play ground.
Why is it that we never hear this?
REPORTER: Was he a quiet kid? Did he keep to himself?
NEIGHBOR: Naw, he was a hell raiser, loud and into everybodys business. Talked all the time, couldnt get him to shut up. I guess he just finally did what he said he would always do...go out in a blaze of glory!"
My prayers are with everyone killed, injured or associated with this tragedy. We may never truly know what sets them off to a degree where they see no hope at all.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Dye Jesus
At first glance you may think this reads Dye Jesus, as in a certain color, or Die Jesus, as in a statment. When I am teaching my students Art I also teach them to write their name and teachers name on their papers. The teachers name in this case is Mrs. Dye. The students name is Jesus. This is what he wrote.
iPhone Apps
TWEETIE
After going through about three different Tweet apps I finally landed on Tweetie. It costs but well worth the price. There are so many different features with this app that other Tweet apps don't have.
AROUND ME
Updated and the app icon has a brand new look. Around me really helped me out in NYC recently. Now, you can just use Google Maps but if you need to do a specific search then it is great.
FRING
Fring links to all of your Instant Messaging apps and lets you chat via your iPhone. I was introduced to this recently while I was in Guatemala. There is a free version and a pay for version. Some friends of mine had the pay for version and they were able to connect to their Skype account through Fring and talk to their loved ones free of charge. I have the free version.
THINGS
This is the most expensive app I have purchased to date. It is mac based and is an organizer for your THINGS to do. It synchs with iCal and allows you to choose several different ways to organize your life. Definately a must have for those who need more organization in their life. The only thing it doesnt come with is the motivation to plug the info into your iPhone.
After going through about three different Tweet apps I finally landed on Tweetie. It costs but well worth the price. There are so many different features with this app that other Tweet apps don't have.
AROUND ME
Updated and the app icon has a brand new look. Around me really helped me out in NYC recently. Now, you can just use Google Maps but if you need to do a specific search then it is great.
FRING
Fring links to all of your Instant Messaging apps and lets you chat via your iPhone. I was introduced to this recently while I was in Guatemala. There is a free version and a pay for version. Some friends of mine had the pay for version and they were able to connect to their Skype account through Fring and talk to their loved ones free of charge. I have the free version.
THINGS
This is the most expensive app I have purchased to date. It is mac based and is an organizer for your THINGS to do. It synchs with iCal and allows you to choose several different ways to organize your life. Definately a must have for those who need more organization in their life. The only thing it doesnt come with is the motivation to plug the info into your iPhone.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Drawing Down on Political Correctness
Why do I have to have these conversations with my students? Is it because I am their legal guardian for eight hours of the day? Is it because no one has ever told them about these issues? Maybe its because someone has mis-informed them on life? Maybe its the political correctness that has seeped into the school system?
Begin rant now: I have my fourth graders keep a sketchbook. Sometimes I have them sketch for the first five to ten minutes when they come into my classroom. About once a week I will have someone come to my desk and tell me that "So and So" is drawing guns. The person in question is usually a boy. The drawings usually pertain to bad guys vs. good guys, the military or cops and robbers. They have never been anything questionable.
For some reason some students think its a bad thing to draw guns. Where did this come from? Thats a rhetorical question. I do explain to them appropriate uses for guns and appropriate drawings with guns. Never-the-less, I always have someone come to me and tattle on a student whose drawing a gun. Once it wasnt a gun at all, it was a hockey stick.
As an educator I am well aware of the school shootings and sensitive to the panic that can ensue if a student were to bring a gun to school. Had Columbine happened at my High School when we were there, those two hoodlums wouldnt have gotten very far. Every student who drove to school had a rifle or a shotgun clearly displayed in the rear window of their truck. In the ninth grade all students did a rotation of the specialty area classes. They were, as best as I can remember, Reading, Shop, Home Economics, and Computer. I remember in shop class they had some State Troopers come out and give us a gun safety course. At the end of the course we all got to shoot a 22 rifle. It was great. We went across the street, so we were not on school property, and each got to shoot at a target into the hillside.
I tell my students what ever they draw is safe with me. If a student had drawn something questionable then I would talk to the student. Then I would evaluate whether that conversation needed to be brought to the attention of their parents, teacher, or prinipals. I know as a kid I drew tons of crazy things that today would get me kicked out of school. I was just a kid with a highly imaginative imagination. But what I drew I usually hung up on my walls in my bedroom. So, my parents saw all the gross things I drew and I was never discouraged from drawing those things.
Then again...I grew up in Mississippi. And as of today...I still dont own a gun. Incase you were thinking I was some huge gun owner. Nope.
Begin rant now: I have my fourth graders keep a sketchbook. Sometimes I have them sketch for the first five to ten minutes when they come into my classroom. About once a week I will have someone come to my desk and tell me that "So and So" is drawing guns. The person in question is usually a boy. The drawings usually pertain to bad guys vs. good guys, the military or cops and robbers. They have never been anything questionable.
For some reason some students think its a bad thing to draw guns. Where did this come from? Thats a rhetorical question. I do explain to them appropriate uses for guns and appropriate drawings with guns. Never-the-less, I always have someone come to me and tattle on a student whose drawing a gun. Once it wasnt a gun at all, it was a hockey stick.
As an educator I am well aware of the school shootings and sensitive to the panic that can ensue if a student were to bring a gun to school. Had Columbine happened at my High School when we were there, those two hoodlums wouldnt have gotten very far. Every student who drove to school had a rifle or a shotgun clearly displayed in the rear window of their truck. In the ninth grade all students did a rotation of the specialty area classes. They were, as best as I can remember, Reading, Shop, Home Economics, and Computer. I remember in shop class they had some State Troopers come out and give us a gun safety course. At the end of the course we all got to shoot a 22 rifle. It was great. We went across the street, so we were not on school property, and each got to shoot at a target into the hillside.
I tell my students what ever they draw is safe with me. If a student had drawn something questionable then I would talk to the student. Then I would evaluate whether that conversation needed to be brought to the attention of their parents, teacher, or prinipals. I know as a kid I drew tons of crazy things that today would get me kicked out of school. I was just a kid with a highly imaginative imagination. But what I drew I usually hung up on my walls in my bedroom. So, my parents saw all the gross things I drew and I was never discouraged from drawing those things.
Then again...I grew up in Mississippi. And as of today...I still dont own a gun. Incase you were thinking I was some huge gun owner. Nope.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
IAM IN NYC
Since Wednesday I have been in New York City helping with the production work for the IAM Conference: Encounter 09. This is an amazing conference with great speakers, performers, and Artists in all generes. This was IAM's third year and they are honing the sword that is the IAM movement with each year.
If you get a chance to attend next year you really should. And if you are a visual artist you should submit work for the juried show.
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