Concert Katie

the same song over and over again

Random

ifoundyourcamera.net/

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Another cool website I’ve come across is http://www.ifoundyourcamera.net/ Where people who find cameras, film, memory cards, etc can post a couple of the photos and hopefully reunite them back with their owners.

A couple of years ago I found a memory card at a concert and proceeded to channel my inner Nancy Drew until I found the owner.  Fortunately for me, the owner had uploaded some of the videos to youtube, but had not yet deleted them off the memory card so I was able to find the owner fairly quickly.  I emailed her everything off the memory card and she let me keep the card for my troubles!

But this leads me to the question – Should your first photo be some sort of identifying information?  Maybe a photo of your email address written on a piece of paper? Back in highschool in photo class we often took a photo first of our name so that we knew which negative strip was ours when they were being developed.  It wouldn’t be as easy to identify someone from their name over the internet (unless the name was very uncommon) but a link to a facebook page or an email address should do the trick.

Book Review

Book Review: Love Each Day by Gail Bernice Holland

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About the Book

We are used to psychologists, psychiatrists, and other “experts” offering advice about how to be happy and how to live a fulfilling life. Even though the books by these experts can be helpful, sometimes the best way to learn about life is from true stories. Although “Love Each Day” doesn’t specifically tell people how to live a wonderful life, the authentic true stories nevertheless offer timeless lessons about enjoying life. The tapestry of true stories in our lives will always be invaluable. From these stories we not only learn how people from different walks of life live, but also what is important to these individuals. Ultimately, this book inspires readers to spend time treasuring what really matters.

About the Author

Gail Bernice Holland is an author and award-winning journalist who has worked on newspapers and magazines in Britain and the United States. As a staff writer and interior designer for “Home” magazine in London, England, Holland furnished a four-bedroom house for the Ideal Home Exhibition visited by Princess Alexandra, a member of the British Royal Family. After immigrating to the United States, Holland was a feature writer for the “San Francisco Examiner” newspaper, editor of “Connections” magazine published by the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and a staff copywriter for the stores Joseph Magnin and Gump’s, California. She has also worked in the movie industry and written radio commentaries, including winning awards for her writing and editorial work. Read more about Gail at http://www.authorgbr.com/bio.html.  You can listen to an interview with Gail at http://www.insidescooplive.com/author-pages/Holland-Gail-interview_Love_Each_Day.html

My Thoughts

Love Each Day: Live each day so you would want to live it again by Gail Bernice Holland and inspirational and uplifting.  The book has 40 true inspiration stories.  Each are short, about 3 pages each. The way the book is set up – you have a couple of options on how you want to read it.  I opted to read it straight through over the course of a day (taking breaks in between each story to work on other things).  But you could easily leave this on your bedside table and read a story when you wake up or before bed to try and get you in the right mindset to live your day like you’d want to live it again.  The stories also come from people in all walks of life and all occupations.  On the front cover it lists some of the occupations who have stories included in this book: doctor, bartender, bus driver, Olympic athlete, business person, astronaut, baseball player, etc.  It will be hard for anyone to not be able to find at least one story they relate to, and all of the stories are uplifting and sure to put a smile on your face.  After reading the book, I thought about my life – am I living each day so I would want to live it again?  Well, no, not every day.  I have been taking the time to re-evaluate how I live my life and what changes can I make so that I would want to live each day again.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in order to write my review.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine and I was not otherwise compensated.
Concert Media Photos

Warped Tour July 17th!

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Sunday Vans Warped Tour rolled in to Hartford, CT.  I went only because I wanted to see Simple Plan (it had been 8 years since I last saw them!) and fortunately they were playing on one of the stages in the ampitheatre so I was able to sit in there all day and be out of the sun and madness elsewhere.

From 12:00 – 6:40 or so I sat in the same seat and watched bands alternate on the AP/Tilly’s Stage and the Nintendo 3DS Stage.  I have to say I strongly preferred the bands that were on the AP stage – they were a bit more “my style” while the bands on the Nintendo stage were a bit too… screamy for me.

4pm Simple Plan took the stage for their 30 minute set.  They played Shut Up, Can’t Keep My Hands Off Of You, Jump, Thank You, Welcome To My Life, You Suck At Love, Addicted & I’d Do Anything.  I was glad they did a decent amount of older songs because I haven’t had the chance to listen to their most recent album yet.  But that performance definitely made me remember why I love them (and their lyrics).  Pierre said they’d be going on a fall tour so hopefully they will hit up CT and it will be at a venue I am cool with.  (Read: Webster Theater)

After nearly every song, Pierre was thanking the crowd.  15 minutes in the woman behind me thought he was saying a “thank you and goodnight!” type of speech and was like “THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ON 15 MORE MINUTES” haha.  The American bands didn’t say thank you quite as much (though most bands did at least once!)

We left after Relient K did 1 song – fortunately it was one that I knew.  (Although the name escapes me now) I would have liked to stay for the rest of Relient K’s set and some of The Ready Set – but my brother wasn’t feeling well.  He got caught in the middle of a pit  and got elbowed in the stomach.  He ended up getting sick all over the kid that elbowed him.

I also would have liked to gone to Simple Plan’s signing, but the bands my brother wanted to see were playing at the same time and I wasn’t sure I could handle a large line on ground that was made up of rocks (unstable).  Warped Tour is really not designed for those who are disabled. I’m not really sure how they could modify it though.  But at least I saw SP’s set and hopefully I can catch them when they tour in the fall.

The bands I ended up seeing were:

Unwritten Law
Moving Mountains
Lionize
The Dangerous Summer
The Expendables
I Set My Friends On Fire
The Aggrolites
Go Radio
Simple Plan
Dance Gavin Dance
Lucero
The Wonder Years
Street Dogs
Relient K

If you are attending Warped Tour, I have a few tips.

1. Bring Water.  Most of the venues allow 1 UNOPENED bottle of water to be brought inside per person.  They also have a Klean Kanteen set up where you can refill your water bottle for free.

2. If you did not bring water – buy a bottle.  They have made a deal with the venues so water will be $3 instead of the usual $5.  Once you have the bottle, you can refill it for free. The important thing is to stay hydrated and start hydrating before you feel thirsty.

3. Buy a schedule – or at the very least, write down who you want to see and where they are playing.  The perk of the schedule is that it has a map on the back of it.  A lot of kids were coming in the ampitheatre thinking it was the main stage.  The mainstage is outside so there is more room for people.  Schedules are $2, which is pricey for a sheet of paper, but I find it worth it.  Keep in mind there might be last minute schedule changes as well.

4. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes.  I wouldn’t recommend flip flops!  Light colors are probably best too.  Black shirts will make you that much hotter.

5. Wear sunscreen!  Put it on while you wait to be let inside and reapply it throughout the day.  Even if it says it lasts even if you are sweating, reapplying it every couple of hours will help make sure you’re protected at all times.

6. Bring or buy ear plugs.  The music is LOUD.  You can still hear it with the earplugs in, but you’ll protect your hearing.  Trust me – later on down the line you’ll be grateful you don’t have a constant buzzing in your ear.  Earplugs are sold at various tents for various prices ($1-$3 was what I saw) but you can also pick up 4 pairs at a dollar store before you go and share with friends.

And don’t bring your baby!!! There was a couple there who had a baby who could not have been more than one.  The poor thing had nothing protecting his ears.

Television

Platinum Hit – Episode 7

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This week on Platinum Hit we were down to 6 contestants.  All the writers were paired up and had to write as many hooks as they could to pitch.  The teams were Sonyae and Brian, Jes and Scotty and Nick and Johnny.

While 2 of the teams seem to hit it of quite well, Nick and Johnny did not.  What Nick and Johnny did not realize was that when they went to pitch their song (to Gavin DeGraw no less) only 1 hook would be pitched – not one from each of them.  Therefore, Nick letting Johnny go first (so that he could blow him out of the water by going second) came back to bite him in the ass when they had to expand on Johnny’s song.  The two of them could not work together at all and we saw sides of both of them that were less than stellar.

Jes and Scotty’s song was considered a good fit for Justin Bieber, so they had to expand on it as if it was going to be pitched to JB.  Sonyae and Brian’s song had to be worked on to be something that could be pitched to Beyonce.

It was no surprise when Johnny’s song (that Nick had next to no involvement with) lost.  Johnny was hopeful that since Nick didn’t help out, Nick would be the one to go home and was almost partying over that before they heard the results.  However, that ended up biting Johnny in the but when shockingly it was Johnny who was sent home!  Even the judges were a bit shocked with their own decision because they were all “team johnny” for a while in the competition, but this other side to him that we saw this week was terrible.

Word on Twitter is that we shouldn’t judge the songs based on the edited versions and that if you are interested in the full songs they can be bought on iTunes or watched on the Bravo website.

Brian, Sonyae, Scotty, Jes and Nick all have made it to the Final 5 – it will be interesting to see how things play out, especially since Nick says he is going to “change”. (I am not sure he can)  With one of my favorites, Johnny, leaving the show now – I am rooting for Scotty.  I also think Sonyae will do well in the remaining competitions even though I do not like her singing voice. (But it is a writing competition and not a singing competition!)

Platinum Hit airs on Friday nights at 8pm EST on Bravo.

Book Review

Book Review: Christian Encounters J.R.R Tolkien

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J.R.R. Tolkien by Mark Horne is the 4th book in the Christian Encounter Series that I have read and I have to say it was by far my favorite.  What I like about these books is that they are tiny – size wise and page wise and can easily be carried around in my purse.

This book was much easier for me to read than some of the others – only 10 chapters and everything flowed and told the story of Tolkien’s life with a bit of his Christian lifestyle stuck in there as well. (Though this didn’t have as much mention of his Christianity as some of the other books in the series)  Other books in this series I struggled to get through, this one I found myself wanting to read all in one sitting (though unfortunately I started it a bit too late at night for that!)

It told about how some of the stories in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings mirrored what had happened in his life, how after writing The Hobbit the publisher’s wanted him to expand on it but instead he wrote The Simirilian, which was more of an “adult” book to the Hobbit’s “children’s” book.  And how he did not get “celebrity status” until much later in his life.

While I have not read any of Tolkien’s books (I had to read The Hobbit for school but just couldn’t get in to it and never finished it) I have seen The Lord of the Rings movies several times, so it was interesting to find out about the author and his upbringing before writing the books.

About the Book

Christian Encounters, a series of biographies from Thomas Nelson Publishers, highlights important lives from all ages and areas of the Church. Some are familiar faces. Others are unexpected guests. But all, through their relationships, struggles, prayers, and desires, uniquely illuminate our shared experience.

J.R.R. Tolkien famously penned The Hobbit and the 3-volume novel The Lord of the Rings. Known as “the father of modern fantasy literature,” his writings have inspired many other works of fantasy and have had a lasting effect on the entire genre. In this Christian Encounters biography, learn how Tolkien’s faith was an intrinsic element of his creative imagination, one that played out in the pages of his writings and his life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Random

Thoughts: Ticketmaster Dynamic Pricing

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In April, Ticketmaster announced a partnership with Market Share to offer dynamic pricing for their events. (See Press Release here: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ticketmaster-partners-with-marketshare-to-deliver-dynamic-pricing-tool-120080789.html)

The New York Times article in relation to this press release says that purchasing concert tickets will be more like airline tickets – what you pay will be determined by when you order tickets.  (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/business/19pricing.html)

Personally, I would not mind having to pay more for good seats and less for crappy seats.  It would of course all depend on how much more expensive those high end seats were going to end up being.  And if the crappier seats were really cheap – I could see people going to more events.  $20 for nose bleed would probably entice some people to go.  The pricing they have in place now – when lower level and upper level of arenas are often the same price, does turn me off from buying upper level seats.  If I am paying lower level pricing, I want lower level seats.

Although I am not too into this idea if there will be a ‘fire sale’ a week or so before a show and people can get seats equal to or better than mine for cheaper amounts.  It may lead people to wait until closer to the show to get cheaper tickets and would end up being a bit of a gamble.

It will be interesting to see how this all ends up working out.

Television

Platinum Hit – Episode 6

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I thought Platinum Hit changed days/times due to the holiday on Monday, but apparently I missed the announcement that beginning July 8 it is now on Fridays at 8pm. Fortunately, my DVR was paying attention and recorded the episode for me 🙂

7 songwriters remain.  Sonyae has immunity.  They meet at the 3rd Street Promenade and are told by Kara they are going to write about risk… and perform the hook AT the promenade!  The 3 songwriters who end up with the most money from performing will win the challenge!

It was interesting to see the plans that each of the contestants had to try and get the passer-bys to give them money.  Nick was swearing at people and I am thinking that didn’t really go over well with people.  I know I wouldn’t give someone money who was begging/swearing for it no matter how good they were…

3rd place went to Jes with 14% of the money, 2nd place was Johnny with 27% of the money and the winner was Jackie with 43% of the total!

Jackie chose Scotty, Johnny chose Brian, Jes had to chose between Sonyae and Nick and went with Nick due to Sonyae’s immunity.  Scotty convinced Jackie to take Sonyae because she is great lyrically.

Then came an extra challenge – the song had to be written for a different genre than intended.  Jackie went with country, Johnny chose reggae and Jes took pop.

This weeks guest judge was Bonnie McKee who helped write Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream and California Gurls.

During Jes’ song they showed Johnny bopping along smiling, and then during Johnny’s song they edited Jes in watching it.  Gag me.

Johnny and Jackie’s teams were singled out to the stage and we found out that Johnny’s song won. (I would have to say, of the 3 that is the one I would be most likely to buy / listen to)  Of the other two songs, they had trouble trying to decide which was the worst – but ultimately decided it was Jackie’s.

Since Sonyae had immunity – Jackie or Scotty would be going home.

I am glad with who they picked. While she consistently seemed to win hook challenges, she was almost always in the bottom.  While I was rooting for her since I knew her from Idol, she definitely deserved to go over Scotty (another one I am rooting for)

Book Review

Book Review: The boy who came back from heaven by Kevin & Alex Malarkey

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I was drawn to this book because I had thought that I saw the boy this book is about on the news.  However, when the book arrived I realized that it was actually a different story that I had seen on the news and the fact that there are now (at least) 2 boys who are claiming to have met God… is pretty fascinating in and of itself.

This book was a quick and easy read and was incredibly interesting.  It is roughly 200 pages and I finished it in 1 sitting in about 2 hours.

The book tells the story from the perspectives of Kevin and Alex Malarkey.  When Alex was 6, he and his father get in to a terrible auto accident and many believed that Alex had died.  However, paramedics heard a slight heartbeat and he was helicoptered away to a Children’s Hospital while Kevin was taken to a nearby hospital to be checked out.

Kevin was actually on the phone with his wife at the time of the crash, who was home with their 3 children – one of which who had been born just 2 days previous!  Fortunately, she assumed that he was just in an area without much reception and did not hear the crash occurring.

Each chapter we hear Kevin’s perspective and at the end, Alex tells what he was going through at the time.  He tells about how he went to Heaven but could not see God’s face because if you see his face, you die.  He tells about Jesus being with him as he watched what was going on at the accident scene.  He tells about how angels removed Kevin from the car during the accident and how the devil told him that the accident was his fault. Alex tries to describe Heaven to the best of his abilities – but it seems like it is more of a “you have to see it to believe it” type of place.  All of this time, Alex’s Army were praying for him as Alex was in a coma and was internally decapitated.

The story is truly captivating and amazing. Inserted in to each chapter are also a few paragraphs from people who were at the scene of the accident, who were praying for Alex or attended his church,etc with their thoughts on everything that was going on.

(For anyone interested – the other boy has also written a book which is called “Heaven Is For Real” I have not read it yet but it would be interesting to see how his descriptions of Heaven are similar/different to Alex’s!)

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale Publisher’s in order to write this review.

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