Kristin's Comments

Evolution of Dance

2006-06-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

Everyone will find some part of this dance video that resonates with some timeframe of their life. It is entertaining, trust me! It's 6 minutes long and turn up your speakers to fully appreciate.

Flying Car

2006-06-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

I'll take two. My birthday is coming up, you know.

Is "ET" really out there?

2006-06-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Interesting article on a scientist who claims that he's discovered some mysterious cells to be of an extraterrestrial nature.

If you are seriously interested in the search for aliens, you can participate in the SETI@home study.

I guess I consider myself to be an "interested skeptic".

The Chicken or The Egg?

2006-05-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

I knew it all along!!! Well, maybe I didn't have the whole scientific analysis to back up my choice, but I was still right in the end:-) Here's an interesting hypothesis to the age-old question "Which came first; the chicken or the egg?".

My 8 yr old concludes that the chicken came first, stating that "God put two of everything on the earth". It's hard to debate that with an 8 yr old without quickly getting into the discussion of "Darwinism vs Creationism". I'll leave that for a rainy day.

Could it really be that the mystery has been solved? Now, what about the "Meaning of Life"? I'd really like to be able to answer that one, too!

American Idol - And the winner is....

2006-05-26T14:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm a bit late, but wanted to share some quick thoughts on the finale on Wednesday night. It's no secret that I've wanted Taylor to win since very early on. So, you guessed it, I'm quite satisfied with the outcome. I just really enjoy watching Taylor perform and I can see his future album fitting in nicely with our CD collection.

Overall, I felt that the finale was a good show. Lots of superstars performed with the idols. Above that, clearly, they were reaching for material to fill the 2 hours. I was bored with the awards with the exception of the one that went to Elliott's mom. That was kind of nice. It should have been just one hour. Then, I wouldn't have taped the last hour to watch the finale of "Lost"!

To all of the Katharine fans. She will be fine, I'm sure. She's talented and now has huge exposure to launch her career.

I hope that Elliott is not forgotten and that he is given some opportunities. I feel badly that I didn't develop an appreciation for him until he was voted off. On a side note, I heard on talk radio the other day that they had posted a link on their website for dentists/orthodontists, etc. to volunteer to fix Elliott's teeth. Remember, one thing that Elliott wanted to get out of this experience was to get his teeth done! Looks like that may happen for him.

I still have trouble understanding what the heck happened when Chris was voted off. I need to get over it. Still a HUGE fan of his. However, I didn't really like the song that he sang with that band that I'd never heard of.

Kelly Pickler...what can I say. There's nothing not to like about her. She's clearly not a fan of seafood! Not the best singer, but could show up on a sitcom, don't you think?

And, oh, yes. How could I have forgotten about the guy who was trying to be like Clay Aiken and then was surprised by Clay on stage. The look on his face was priceless. What was the deal with Clay's new look? Talk about a makeover.

Anyway, another season gone. And, we'll probably be sick of the Taylor Hicks single after the first week. I'm looking forward to next season. Till then...

American Idol - And, then there were two.

2006-05-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

Well, it wasn't a huge shocker that Elliott was the latest casualty on American Idol. Actually, I must admit that Elliott's "likability" factor had increased with me a bit over the past couple of weeks. He seems like a really nice, down-to-earth kind of guy. Regrettably for Elliott, that's not what this competition is about. It can help, though. Clearly, he can sing. The R&B genre is definitely his niche. However, he needs to work on his stage presence. I honestly don't want to watch him perform. I guess the same could have been said for Clay Aiken, but there was still something about Clay that kept me routing for him. Probably his geeky (in a nice way) underdog status.

What was surprising (to me), was the distribution of the +50M votes. First of all...let's try to phathom 50M votes. Clearly, it's not 50M people voting. It's <50M people casting mutliple votes. I wonder what those stats are. Imagine how much $$ the phone companies are raking in because of the text messaging. And, what about the revenue from ad sponsorship. Anyway, I digress.

Taylor, Katherine, and Elliott were all within <1% of the votes from one another. That was pretty crazy. I was nervous because any one of the three could have left that night. And, we all know now that I really want Taylor to win!

Work-Life Balance

2006-05-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

With a full time career, two kids, a husband, a house, a dog (no picket fence, just plain old chain-link), it is safe to say that our lives are pretty darned crazy. Between homework, community service organization meetings, sports activities, after-school concerts, birthday parties, doctor appointments, play-dates, the list goes on...we are lucky to have time to watch the 20-minute American Idol (taped, minus commercials) after the kids are asleep before passing out from exhaustion.

I realize that my life is no crazier than anyone elses. As much as I would like to say that I have it harder than others, I'm fairly confident that I do not. We all live in the same world with the same family, social and economic stressers. Finding a healthy work-life balance has always been a challenge. Until an alternate time continuum is discovered which allows for more than 24 hours in a day, I don't see this changing within my lifetime. So, I will continue to "press-on" every day like everyone else. A lot of years from now, when I am no longer gracing the earth with my presence, I hope that I will be remembered for being a good mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend, rather than for the lucrative business deal that I closed last week or last month. Off to check my email and office messages...

"Can you raed tihs?"

2006-05-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

I received the following in an email a few days ago and found it to be interesting. I've never taken a speed reading class, so I don't know if this is true, but it's kind of fun and interesting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is one of the many tricks to speed reading. They teach you to look at the frsit & lsat letetr of a word and your brain will fill in the rest. Pretty cool.

If you can read this, you have a strange mind too. Read it out loud!

Can you raed tihs?

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs
is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

The Da Vinci Code

2006-05-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

Amazingly, I just finished reading The "Da Vinci Code", by Dan Brown. I say amazingly, because I rarely have time to read for pleasure. At least, this is my excuse (and I am sticking to it).

Anyway, I loved The Da Vinci Code. Somehow, I was able to find the time to read it. I couldn't put it down. If you are a conspiracy theorist, you'll love this one. I found the story to be rivoting with lots of characters and plotlines coming from every direction requiring flashbacks and historical explanations, slowly threading all of the patches together like an intricate family quilt from generations back. (Yikes, that was a long sentence)

I also found that the reason that I enjoyed the story was also the reason that kept me curious and, honestly, somewhat confused. There were endless references to historical and modern religion. So many, that it was somewhat overwhelming at times to keep it all straight. Not having a Ph.D. in Religious Studies (nor anything close to that), I continually wondered where the historical truth ended and the ficticious story began. I still wonder and suspect that there could be a fine line. But, I realize that this is a novel, a story. It is fiction.

I heard a caller on Bill O'Reilly's radio show as I ran out for lunch this afternoon. There was a caller who identified herself as "Margaret, from St. Louis". She was convinced that Dan Brown was taking "a clear jab" at the Catholic religion. She went on to say that her minister believes that "some people" who read this book could "change their minds" about their faith. Give me a break. Anybody who is so weak in their faith that they would actually change their fundamental belief system based on a novel is just ridiculous. It's no different than someone who makes medical decisions and life choices based on what Tom Cruise spews during a television interview. Yuck, it makes me feel sick to my stomach.

I, for one, enjoyed the book and I can't wait to see the movie!

American Idol - Chris gone?!?!

2006-05-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

I think that Chris was just as shocked as I was that he was be voted off tonight! I'm so disappointed. Chris was one of my favorites from the beginning. I really thought that Chris and Taylor would be the final two, with either one of them equally deserving of the #1 slot. I agree that Elliott performed well last night, but I still do not have any kind of attachment to Elliott. Obviously, enough callers wanted to see Elliott make it through, at least to the next round (probably because of Simon's comment). Simon knows what he's doing. I'm sure that we'll see Chris again. Some band will pick him up and he'll do great.

Now, I'm routing for Taylor to take it all the way! Katharine had better step it up for next week if she has any chance of beating Taylor.

American Idol

2006-05-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

Unless you live under a rock, you are surely familiar with American Idol or at least recognize the names, Simon, Paula, and Randy. You may not be an avid fan or watch every week, like myself. I must admit that I have seen every episode of every season (with the exception of the beginning shows exploiting the "bad" auditions - these are too painful for even myself to endure). Or, maybe you are just as addicted as I am, but refuse to admit it. That's ok, you can stay in your closet and miss out on the fun water-cooler conversation. It's a great distraction from the "Real World" (which, by the way, I have never seen). There are countless more unhealthy addictions than being an Idol fan, so I am at peace with my addiction.

Let's face it, the majority of us have at one time in our lives entertained the idea of being a rock star, sports player, movie star or having some other celebrity status. As we age past about 12 years old, most of us realize that there are only a few lucky ones who have that opportunity (if they are "lucky" or not is debatable and can probably justify its own post). Idol gives regular people the chance at their dream. A very few will make it and only one will be crowned the American Idol (every season, that is), but it's fun to follow the journey with some really likable contestents.

The very interesting thing about American Idol is that it is advertised as a "singing competition" as Simon tirelessly reminds us every week. However, it is much more than that. That was definitely evidenced by the unexpected ousting of ManDiva (Mandisa), who, in my opinion, should have easily won this competition if it were purely based on singing talent. But, it is not. The American public gets to play judge every week by calling in and voting for their "favorite". For whatever reason, Mandisa lost the "popular" vote which sent her packing. I can speculate any number of reasons why, but there's no point - that's the beauty of the show. I was so disappointed when she was voted off. Of course, I haven't mentioned I have yet to place a phone call to vote for anyone. So, I have no room to whine, but I do anyway! That's the fun part of the show - talking about it afterward.

At this point in the competition, there are 4 contestants remaining (in no particular order or preference): Chris, Katharine, Taylor, and Elliott. I believe that Elliott will be the next casualty just because he hasn't really found his comfort-zone on the stage, yet (IMO). With the three remaining, I will be sad to see any of them go. They are all great, in their own, very unique ways. Katharine is probably the "typical" American Idol (attractive, young, female, with a great voice for ballads and soft rock), Chris belongs singing on a stage. He is very comfortable and brings that rocker flavor to the show. If Chris doesn't win, he'll certainly be picked up by some band as their front-runner, at the very least. Taylor is nothing like any previous contestent. He is a good singer, but an even better performer. He is a joy to watch because you can feel his passion with each performance. His movements on stage are so unique that I won't even try to describe them - I couldn't do them justice.

I'm not sure who is going to win, but I will continue watching!

Jersey Style Pizza

2006-04-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

I grew up in NJ and, therefore, on boardwalk pizza. I've not lived on the east coast since 1988 and one of the things that I sincerely miss is the pizza. There has been nothing like it here in the mid-west...until now. We were turned on to Feraro's Jersey Style Pizza. Ironically, the owner is an old friend of my sister's (from NJ, of course). Talk about a small world!

Anyway, if you are not familiar with NJ style pizza, let me tell you about it.

Jersey style pizza can be bought by the "slice" or by the "pie". This is important terminology. An individual slice is huge. All 3 corners of the triangular- shaped slice is expected to drape over any standard-sized paper plate. You will only need one slice to satisfy an average appetite, but you will want two. Or, if you are anything like my husband, you will go for four!

As suspected, the pies are much larger than anything delivered from any national chain and are always round in shape. The crust is not too thick, not too thin and always hand-tossed. If you hail from St. Louis, it is about twice as thick as an Imo's pizza crust. You can even watch the owner perform the well-known dough-toss in the air. Yes, they actually do that.

Jersey style pizza is meant to be eaten with your hands and folded in half, length-wise (like a taco). The use of utensils will impede any authentic NJ style pizza dining experience.

The cheese stretches with every bite, sometimes requiring you to break the strands with your fingers. And, you should expect the oil to soak through the paper plate. My guess is that one slice is the approximate equivalent of 2-3 days worth of allotted carbs, calories, fat grams, or whatever it is that folks are counting these days.

The sauce is a touch sweeter and slightly thicker in consistency as compared to the national chains. The cheese-to-sauce ratio is closer to an appropriate 60/40 rather than the disappointingly off-balance ratio of 80/20 to which I have unfortunately become accustomed. Finally, the addition of garlic powder and/or red pepper flakes adds a custom touch at the table.

I can now get boardwalk style pizza without traveling 1000 miles to get it. I enjoy sharing this little piece of boardwalk culture with my family. I am happy.

My first comment!

2006-04-21T05:22:00.000-07:00

I received my first comment to one of my posts last evening! Strange to think that people actually read these things. Though, I do, so I'm not sure what that means.

I thought that I had turned off the comments option when I created my initial blog. However, I realize now that this option needs to be set with every individual post. I guess that's a good thing. I thought that I would leave this option turned off because I wasn't sure of the kind of comments I might receive. I have been warned about possible SPAM and other unsolicited comments. I am still learning.

My motivation for creating this blog was initially to see how easy it is to create and maintain. And, not for increasing traffic or solicting comments, necessarily. If people stumble upon this and find it interesting, they are certainly welcome!

Anyway, this comment was very nice and genuine. Nothing bad happened:-) So, I guess that I will leave the comments option on and see what transpires.

To-Blog or Not-To-Blog?

2006-04-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I've decided that creating a blog is extremely quick and easy (and, better, yet...free!). No wonder it is catching on. Actually, it's probably already caught on and I'm just far behind the curve. Anyway, I'm certain that I will spearhead an initiative to create a blog for my company.

I think "to-blog".

My first blog posting

2006-04-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is my first post to my brand new blog. I am very proud of myself even though I do realize that blogging probably started with 13 year old girls talking to their many best friends. I first heard the word "blog" from a co-worker about a year (maybe two) ago, I would say. Not being a "technical" person, I must say that I enjoyed a quick giggle from hearing the term for the first time. However, working at a software engineering firm, surrounded by the highly technically inclined, I am no stranger to exposure to what I would consider "interesting" terminology (Ant, Hibernate, Spring, Struts, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, Maven, Eclipse, Boost, etc.) - the Java world is famous for it! So, as quickly as I giggled, I was over it just as fast.

What has prompted my blog? We'll, I am investigating the possibility of starting a blog for the company for which I work. I attended an AMA lunch seminar on using blogs for the use of marketing products, services, etc. Seemed interesting and nothing like what we've done before. So, I decided to see how easy it would be to create a blog and, more importantly, maintain it. So, here goes...