SQL Server 2008 Administration, by Ross Mistry

This book is more of a reference book than a teaching book, but that didn't keep me from reading it! My company paid for it so that I could study for my certification exam coming up.

SQL Server 2008 has a lot of sweet features.

• Resource Governor. Create limits for the amount of CPU that user connections can use.
• Policy Based Management - set constraints on "Facets", such as names of objects. This would have been useful when I was obsessed about prefixes on tables at my last job!
• High availability options, which were also on SQL Server 2005!
  Clustering - On failure, the server automatically fails over to a different server. The disk space is shared between the two servers, and a virtual server manages the name of the server.
  Mirroring - Each database transaction is also sent to a different server to be recorded to its database as well. A high safety mode can be enabled, where the first database can't commit any additional transactions until the second one has reported back with success
  Log Shipping - similar to Mirroring, except the transactions are sent in chunks (called logs) at scheduled times.
  Replication - a publisher sends updates on objects to subscribers

Some very nice things about the book are the "What's New with SQL Server 2008" at the beginning of every chapter, and the bullet point summary at the end of every chapter.

It will be good to have this book around as a reference.

Movie Review: Invictus (2009)

In a rare occasion, we saw a movie in the theater. The last one we saw was Prince Caspian on June 19, 2008. So if I had SQL open, I could do my datediff function to see the number of days we went between theater visits. But roughly that's about a year and a half.

Haven't missed it that much. The theater was nearly empty, but a perfumed lady sat down two seats away from us. But we got used to the smell or it was just an initial waft.

Anyway, Invictus appealed to us because two of our pastors are from South Africa, and this movie is situated in South Africa. It is about Nelson Mandela and his efforts concerning the rugby team after his election to the Presidency. To the many Black people, the official rugby team was a symbol of apartheid, and wanted to dismantle it. But Mandela convinced them to keep the team around. And they ended up winning against all odds, and both races of South Africans were unusually united around the event. So the point is that Mandela saw something that many others didn't. The movie portrays Mandela as really distracted while doing official duties, because he was so concerned about the rugby team.



Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela, and Matt Damon plays the captain of the rugby team. I didn't think Damon was great for the role, but they obviously wanted two stars in the movie, so that is ok. It was directed by Clint Eastwood.

I thought it was a nice movie to see, but not a must see.

blogging?

With the new year, I haven't been able to document the 3 movies I've watched, and other things I've been doing. The new year might be a good opportunity to turn my blog into something different. But I don't know what.

Happy Birthday Courtney!

In honor of Courtney's 29th birthday, here are some January/winter pics

Late 2002 (SBU graduation)


Late 2004 (in Israel)


2006


2007




2008



2009

Best of December 2009

Pic of the month: This frosty picture is on our desktop, and it islike we are looking through a window.

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: Gandhi

Best Book I Read: TrueFaced

Best online video I watched for the First time: The Jesus Christ Lizard

Happy New Year!

I really enjoyed my New Years weekend. Mostly because we paid someone to take care of a few home renovations . I didn't have them "hanging over my head", figuratively or literally. So we went out and did things that people tell us to "do before you have kids", such as eating out and seeing a movie in the theater.

We saw Invictus. We didn't see a movie in the theater all of 2008. But we are poised to see at least two in 2009, as we are planning to see Avatar in 3D.



We ate at Stone Canyon pizza in Parkville, MO, and saw Devin do some magic there.


And we hung out with my friends from India. Continuing my grandparents legacy of being friends with international students, (but not for that reason, I haven't even talked to them about it - I just wanted to help people in need), I became a partner with ISI (International Students Inc). These guys are the most fun people from India imaginable, it seems. They also bought us a toy for our baby coming up. I will post a picture of all of us.

Non-feature film review: Bela Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart.

I have heard of Bela Fleck, my bro-in-law is a big fan of his jazz/folk band. It's hard to categorize the music, but it's good. So I picked up this DVD at the library.

Bela Fleck, a banjo player, goes to Africa to bring the banjo back to its roots. It is commonly only seen by Americans as a Southern bluegrass instrument. And I admit that is how I've viewed it as well.

This film features many African musicians and native instruments. Also, this will sound obvious, but the music is very non-Western. My ear is not trained to be able to follow the melody or harmony of the songs. But of course Bela Fleck was able to improvise and play great music on top of the traditional tunes.

I think it's pretty interesting overall, and it's educational, and it's not too long.

Here is the web site for the documentary: http://www.throwdownyourheart.com

Movie Review: Terms of Endearment (1983)

This won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1983!

Funny story - I make it my policy to not read anything about the Best Picture winner that I'm about to see. This includes the back cover or anything on the Internet. So the cover shows a picture of two women smiling. I said I was in the mood for a light-hearted movie, and it seemed to fit the description.
And it kind of started out that way. It set the stage by introducing two stubborn women, mother (Shirley MacLaine) and daughter (Debra Winger). Then there is a lot of family angst, with the daughter having children, and then moving away from her mother in Texas to Des Moines, Iowa. The husband (Jeff Daniels!) starts cheating on his wife even when they have 3 kids, and then the wife starts cheating on the husband with a guy who would later be on the TV show Third Rock from the Sun. Meanwhile, the mother is attracted to a wild next door neighbor (Jack Nicholson!) who is a former cosmonaut. The story with the mother and neighbor is really fun, and is the best part of the movie for me. I was smiling quite widely and laughed out loud.

But I never really got into the story of the daughter, maybe not identifying with her very well, so it was not really a tear jerker for me at the end, which everyone else seems to think it should be. And since this was a huge part of the 2.5 hour movie, that is why I felt like I was enduring the movie at some spots.

But overall it's a compelling movie. If you are a fan of these actors that I mentioned, you should see it.

Restaurant Review: Sweet Tomatoes

Sweet Tomatoes is a salad bar restaurant about a mile from my new workplace. So Courtney wanted to go there with me. And we went.

I was not too happy about paying $8+ for a salad bar, because I knew that the higher price was due to all of the breads and glutenous desserts that are made available. However, it was the freshest and tastiest salad I've had. So I would go again.

The clientele was made up of many middle aged women that I imagined were taking a break from Christmas shopping, but also some professionals from the area like myself. It was pretty well decorated - the carpet was a red tomatoes design, which Courtney said must be especially made for the restaurant, since no one else would want carpet with tomatoes on them.

We left a small tip as well since they had a person very actively taking the dishes and trays.

I felt that the salad bar was lacking in the fruit area. The only fruit there was freshly cut pineapple. So I'm not sure I understand that.

Restaurant Review: Macaroni Grill

My company took my department out to lunch, and it was about 20 people. I find it pretty funny that my new company is only slightly bigger than my last one. I love small companies! My company is really a combination of two companies, so if you add them in, and then you add the administrative and management, and you have a total of around 50 employees. My previous company has ranged from 15-35.

Anyway, they took us to Macaroni Grill, which is one of the nicest restaurants I've been to in a while. They brought me a nutritional facts booklet, but the gluten free sheet had no entrees on it. It was really weird. It listed the salad dressings and side salads, and ice cream basically. That is pretty annoying. I actually have a coworker that also doesn't eat wheat, and he recommended the Simple Salmon. It was decent.

I drank about three glasses of lemonade, which was really good. The service was great. The restaurant was packed, but the food still came out decently on time and was warm.

I had previously gone there on my first ever "date", when a girl asked me to WPA (Women Pay All) Dance during my freshman year of high school. That evening was also my first kiss, which was on the cheek as I was dropped off at my house. After a couple years of WPA's I got the courage to ask someone out to Homecoming dance on my junior year.

An interesting side note is that I'm Facebook friends with almost every possible date or love interest I have ever had.

This has been the strangest restaurant review ever, hasn't it?

Best of 2009: Books

Unfortunately, I only read 12 books this year, about a third of the number of complete books that I usually read. I did read almost as many pages probably, but have either read longer books, or haven't completed them. Next year I will focus on the top 12 books that I really want to read, instead of random books.

So...DISCLAIMERS ASIDE

Here is my take on the books I read in 2009. Click on the titles for my original reviews

BEST BOOKS OF 2009

The winner:

The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas

A captivating tale in the historical context of Christ crucifixion and the years afterward in the Roman Empire.


Runner up:

The Count of Monte Cristo (Unabridged)

This lengthy book drags in the middle and end, but the beginning is really awesome! It seems a bit crazy to not name this book as the winner of my award, but it's just my gut feeling.


Third:

A New Kind of Christian, by Brian McLaren

It's interesting to have fiction and nonfiction all in one book. Through fictional characters and situations, the author teaches us about changes in the culture and how that affects Christianity.

Fourth:

The Obama Nation

I don't know if it's because I wasn't paying attention, but I didn't know a thing about Obama until I read this book. A still widely unknown fact is that he was a friend and follower of communist teachers. It's not just scare tactics out there, folks - there is a lot of historical truth to the things people are saying.

Fifth:

True Faced

About learning to live out your life in grace. It was good, but I liked the four I just listed better.


SO-SO BOOKS OF 2009

Tortured for Christ, by Richard Wurmbrand

He was a great man, and had a powerful testimony. It's an interesting read.

The Inner Game of Work

I kind of liked it when I read it, but I haven't applied any of the ideas in the past year. The methods are overall unhelpful.

48 Days to the Work You Love, by Dan Miller

This has nothing to do with 48 days of anything, so I'm not sure why they called it that. It just has some thoughts about work and finding work. It's difficult for career books to apply to my situation. They write the books to be able to apply to any career.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Middle East Conflict, by Mitchell Bard

I'm all for the cause of Israel, but this book is very biased for Israel, and is all about Israel. My point is that I was disappointed that this wasn't reflected in the title or back cover of the book when I bought it. Also, it has nothing to do with being a complete idiot, because this is a smart person book!


BAD BOOKS OF 2009:

Experiencing Prayer With Jesus, Henry and Norman blackaby

The most egotistic, "I have it all together" book I've ever read, teaching you formulas on how to pray as well as the authors can.


BOOKLETS THAT WEREN'T REALLY BOOKS:

2 contents, 2 realities, by Francis Schaeffer

Didn't make a ton of sense.

The Little Brown Book of Corporate Advancement

My guide to brown-nosing in office sports and cubicle land!

BOOKS I FLIPPED THROUGH

I only include books if I read them completely, but I read most chapters of the following books:

No More Mondays, by Dan Miller
Your Pregnancy for the Expectant Father
The Meaning of Life, Readings in Philosphy
Eat to Live

Book Review: True Faced

This book was recommended to me, and really reflects what I've been learning about myself. This book is about the two paths that we can take in our lives - one leads to the room of Good Intentions, where people try to please God and reach perfection by our actions. The other path leads to the Room of Grace, where people are free to share their weaknesses and know that they are already pleasing God.

Now this subject is a little to personal for the Internet, but let's just say I've spent a lot of time in the room of Good Intentions, but am now learning to live in the Room of Grace.

If you are curious to hear more, just ask!

Restaurant Review: Granite City Brewery

I went here for work for a client lunch. And it was the first time I met any of the employees at the client I've been working on for a couple of months. We met halfway between their Leavenworth office and our Overland Park office, and Granite City Brewery is in the Legends area in Kansas City KS.

I had a salad that was absolutely awful. It was a Chop Salad with Chicken tossed in Italian Vinaigrette. Actually, it was just the Italian Vinaigrette that was the bad part. I didn't know "tossed" would be "soaked and saturated".

The salad was presented in the most creative possible fashion. It was a tower, which reminded me of the sculpture in Close Encounters.

But yeah, an awful salad.

Tis the Season to Eat

I have three restaurant reviews to write

Granite City Brewery
Macaroni Grill ( I went when I was 15, enough time has elapsed to make it "new"!)
Sweet Tomatoes

The first two were for corporate holiday lunches.

Best of November 2009

Pic of the month:

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time:None

Best Book I Read: None

Best online video I watched for the First time: Distraxion


Bobby Mcferrin improvisation with Richard Bona

Movie Review: Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

At first, I had trouble accepting this musical, because it was very unusual. But in the end, it gets my respect, and it can't be compared to other musicals. The ending in Fiddler is very sad, as the Jews are forced from their homes. The other sad ending in musicals is West Side Story, but that is not as sad. The Sound of Music has some sadness to it, but is overall happy. Other than that, most musicals are happy.

In Fiddler, a family with five daughters lives in poverty. And the three oldest fall in love and get married all in the wrong way, breaking with tradition, in increasing measure. That is interesting, although somewhat repetitive. I was actually thankful that the father rejected the last engagement (which was to a Gentile), because it broke the repetition of the movie, where he would give in and bless the marriages. Although it was sad that he treated his daughter as though she was dead.

The music is catchy, although there are a few bad songs, which is normal for musicals. There are a few gems of songs - Matchmaker, If I Were a Rich Man, and "Tradition". The acting was good.

And I appreciate the emotion of the movie. In some areas, it failed to seem real, with the fake snow, or acting/dancing, or whatever. But at some points I was deeply touched by what was happening. I think film is the best way to communicate injustice, because characters are developed and I love them, and then when injustice happens to them, it affects me. Wheras, if injustice happens in a newspaper in real life, I am disconnected from the people, and not affected emotionally. I feel ashamed to live in a world where people treat each other in the way depicted in Fiddler on the Roof. And these are events that really happened, and these types of things still happen.

Restaurant Review: Five Guys Burgers

Went here with some work guys. An official Friday lunch with my coworkers will be an opportunity to experience new restaurants.

Many signs in the place tell about the health precautions that the restaurant has taken. I copied them from the web site:

Did you know...

* Zero Artificial Trans Fats
* Zero Gluten, except for our buns
* Two Mystery Shops are done each week at every location
* 38,409,200 lbs. of potatoes were used in our stores in 2008
* Millions of dollars given back to store level employees every year!



I appreciate the GF mention.

And it's one of those places where patrons learn to share the "small" fries, because there are too many for one person. Another quirk is that the "junior" hamburger is really a normal hamburger. And the"normal" hamburger has two beef patties. The only items on the menu are burgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and fries. It makes it easy to decide what to order.

It was really tasty. About as good as a bunless burger gets. I am definitely going there again!

Movie Review: Gandhi (1982)

Gandhi won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1982. It took a while to get the motivation watch this, because it is over 3 hours long. We split it between two nights. Thankfully there was a nice clean break with the word "Intermission" displayed on the screen.

I thought it would be boring, because it was going to be about a foreign, old, frail, softspoken man. But in reality, Gandhi was portrayed as very bold, wise, witty, and loving, and also well versed in culture outside of India. He was very able to be a Westerner, and wear suits, as were the rest of India's leaders, and he did this for a while. But he chose to identify with India, and that's why we wore the loin cloth and traditional Indian garb.

The nonviolent resistance that he led was actually very bold. It directly attacked injustice, not with weapons, but with noncompliance. Gandhi got thrown in jail several times, and it made the persecutors look very immoral and very bad. The fact that England massacred many nonviolent protestors made England look even more bad. In the end, an England that thought they were good, were proved to be bad, and that is why they gave India her independence.

I hadn't previously known about the Muslim vs. Hindu divisions that continued even after India got her independence. And this made Gandhi really upset.

The movie powerfully portrays the assassination of Gandhi.

There is a funeral scene that shows 400,000 people, and this is a record. This is the day before CGI (computer generated imagery), and it is predicted that this many people will not show up in a movie scene ever again. Gandhi beat out E.T. for Best Picture.

Ben Kingsley won an Oscar for Best Actor, and it is well deserved. He is half-Indian, and a British citizen.

The movie was set into motion in the 60's when Richard Atteborough was asked to direct it. But no studio would produce the movie, and they had to raise money for 20 years to make it. Richard Atteborough appears as the old professor on Jurassic Park, and is Santa Claus in the Miracle on 34th Street. He won Best Director for Gandhi.

Also features Martin Sheen and Candace Bergen.

In short, this is an amazing movie. Even though it is over 3 hours long, it was interesting the entire time, and that is an accomplishment.

Happy Day!

Four days after I was informed that I lost my job, I finally worked my last day, and left the building with my picture of Courtney as the last item. I am not saying this for dramatic effect, or to harp on the issue, but it is a powerful part of this story. I left the building with a lot of gratitude for my wonderful job at S1, and I was proud of the way I went out, with a lot of respect, hard work, and love. So when I arrived at home, I was not depressed, but I was emotionally tired. Also, I had evening activities the previous 4 days, so I was really ready to stay at home.

After dinner Courtney suddenly said, "Hey, let's go to Liberty Memorial, we can play bocce ball, and walk around." That spot in KC is our favorite place. But I eventually accepted to go only because she really wanted to.

So we drove there, and there was an event on the top of the Liberty Memorial, but there is still a long lawn. So we parked on the side, and climbed up the steep side hill and played bocce ball on the lawn. After that, Courtney had me sit down on the lawn and wait while she went and got me something out of the car to "cheer me up", about my recent job loss.

Then she came back up, and said "Dan come here". She had her hands behind her back, as if she was hiding something. So I was chasing her trying to find out what this gift was. She was standing on the edge of the hill. When I looked over the crest of the hill, I saw the most amazing message I will ever see.



It took my breath away and it was really mind blowing. We had been trying for a few months, and even though it was a short time, I had fears that maybe we wouldn't be able to get pregnant. I was taken completely by surprise. And then Courtney and I embraced, and it was an amazing moment.

Courtney had found out the previous day. She had always viewed this as her version of the engagement, that is, the amazing event that she got to plan and surprise me with! She did an amazing job!

Here are some more pictures we took:


Proud future parents!


Amazing view to complement the event!

We are made to shine

God created us to shine. Sometimes I have, and sometimes I haven't. I believe we aren't supposed to shine on our own effort. But God has given us life, and we reflect him. Just be ourselves.


Daniel 12:3-4

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens,
and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end.

Philippians 2:14-15

Do everything without complaining or arguing,
so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

2 Corinthians 3:18

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory,
are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Psalm 37:5-6

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

Trees

God says we are like trees...or in some cases, branches.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches

Jer 17:7-8

But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.

Col 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him

Isaiah 61:3 They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

I have noticed the following things about trees that relate to our lives, and hopefully I've been helped by the Spirit:

• They/we are dependent on outside resources for our growth.
  
• By claiming to be self-sufficient, they/we wither and become useless
• Need to be rooted in a good location (not in shallow soil) - the soil in our life represents a good view of God, or rather an accurate view of how God views us.
• Even after death, can leave a legacy. When strong trees are cut down they can be used to build strong structures. When we are gone, we can leave a strong legacy.
• Trees/we start out small and weak but can become strong. You don't see us growing, but as the years pass, you notice that we've grown quite a bit.
• We give back by blessing the world - providing a place for shade/grace environments.
  

Any other Scriptures or insights that you have?

And to put my own intentions in positive light..not trying to earn anyone's approval here or make some sort of impact. This comes out of my own yearning to know what God really thinks of me. I believe that God showed me that we are like trees. It makes sense. I just wanted to share my thoughts.

Best of October 2009

I'm excited that we are once again approaching The Best of the Year post!

Pic of the month: In absence of a good October pic, I am posting a now declassified picture from the day in August when Courtney told me she was pregnant

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Best Book I Read: didn't read any. Has a lot to do with having a new job, and also because I got into this big heavy philosophy book from my dad's college class in 1965. I also took on a couple of other activities. I may also have to foray into baby books.

Best online video I watched for the First time: James May from Top Gear rides in a U-2 spy plane

Making its Lostlifefound debut...Baby Gras

On August 28th, Courtney told me she was pregnant, in a very creative way. More on that later.

It's worth mentioning that on August 24th, 4 days earlier, I was informed by the owner of my company that "we have to make some changes to keep the company afloat and these changes are going to affect you". After a minute or so, I realized that "affecting me" meant that I was being let go along with four other people. I finished out the week, transitioning my knowledge, and August 28th was my last day. I just wanted to sit at home. But Courtney REALLY wanted to go to the Liberty Memorial, where we have gone before to relax. Anyway, more on that later.

Right now I am emptying the guest bed room of stuff, since it will be a baby room. Here are the guests we have had in the room:

1. B.J. Anderson - Aug 15th, 2006
   
2. B.J. Anderson - May 19th, 2007
3. Brandi Knouse - October 6th, 2007
4. Hayley and Arlen Redden - March 22, 2008
5. Hayley and Arlen Redden -April 26, 2008
6. Suzette Runyan - June 29th, 2008
7. Alan Boyles - October 5, 2008
8. Cara Gentry - Jan 25, 2009
9. B.J. AND Natosha Anderson - April 14, 2009
10. Dale Lusk - May 15, 2009
11. Emily AND Alan Boyles - October 23, 2009

B.J. is the winner! This blog will now show up on Google searches of your names, sorry!

The Beej after his 2nd stay

Anyway, I may start a new blog for baby stuff, and keep this as it is. But I'm not sure yet.

Due date is May 7. The mother is tired often, but not too sick.

How we told Courtney's parents

Movie Review: On Golden Pond (1981)

Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, and Katharine Hepburn appear in this Hallmark-y movie about old couple at a summer home at a lake, and it's especially about the old man who is grouchy and thinking about death all the time. And he has a strained relationship with his daughter, who comes to visit with her boyfriend (Bill), and the boyfriend's 13 year old son (Billy).

Then there's the mailman, who delivers mail by boat. And those are all the six characters in the movie.

The old man is a depressing character, but we come to find out that he is very sharp and funny. The daughter and boyfriend go off to Europe and leave the boy at the lake. The boy is not happy to be there initially, but the old man becomes like a father to him (overcoming the grouchiness).

The old man does old guy stuff like almost set the house on fire, and gets lost, and then he gets ashamed and afraid. Then the old man and boy have a boat accident, and that apparently knocks something loose, because the daughter comes back, and then the old man is better, and it ends happily. Then the old man almost dies, but then lives. Whew! I hope you didn't want to know the plot.

It was kind of a neat movie. I'm glad we watched it. It's not like really exciting or anything. It was based on a play.

The part of the old man is acted by Henry Fonda, who was the star of 12 Angry Men, so I appreciated watching this one. Also I have obviously heard of Jane Fonda, but have never seen her in a movie before. And Katharine Hepburn is apparently a well known actress, but I didn't know much about her before.

Restaurant Review: Kokopelli's Mexican

When we told the hostess we were 6 people and 2 kids, she seemed really stressed about it, and treated us like we were a nuisance. The place was really busy for a Monday, and there were a few other large groups, and I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. It's pretty amazing how often people eat out, you know?

I think I had flautas again. Thank God for flautas. I think it's a misconception that Mexican food is good for the wheat allergy, because most places only have about 2 entrees with corn. And one of them is flautas. Pretty much, I could ask them to substitute a corn tortilla on any entree, but I can't tell the difference easily, and they could forget. That is why I don't do that.

The chips were not that crisp. But our friends did say that it was one of their favorite places. I actually went there straight from work, my 2nd week at my new job. So that was almost 3 weeks ago!

Restaurant Review: Golden Corral

My cousin had her rehearsal dinner here. All the family was invited, and it was convenient for everyone to get what they wanted at the buffet. But, there happened to be some kind of sports team that also came by. And then there were the regular diners. So everyone was crowding around the buffet. It couldn't have been much busier.

The BBQ ribs were really good, and they were the featured item. I also had mashed potatoes, other vegetables, and maybe a couple of other gluten free dishes. I didn't have to pay for it, so I have no idea how much it costed. I tend to not like buffets because I don't eat a lot, so I overpay.

The service was good - they have waiters that refill drinks and take the plates.

In a way, it was like entering a different world, like I was visiting a small Kansas town. There was smooth jazz playing over the speakers, which didn't seem to match the decor or style of the place.

Restaurant Review: Spin! Pizza

I thought I remembered writing about this place. Courtney and I took Mom for her birthday. I also benefited, since they have gluten free pizza.

The menu is in the line, so if you take any time to order, you are holding up the line. I think that's a little annoying. But the pizza was really good, and it came out in good time. They have several locations in KC, and hopefully I can go back sometime.

Future posts

Movie reviews:
On Golden Pond

Restaurant reviews:
Kokopelli's
Golden Corral - think I have been there before, but don't remember when
Spin Pizza

Restaurant Review: Pei Wei

My new coworkers took me to Pei Wei (119th & Black Bob) on my first day of the job. You walk in and there is a computerized menu on the wall, and a special Windows error message, that my coworkers claim has been there for months.

I noticed Pad Thai, and decided to get it. Since the menu was on the wall, and if Ilooked at the menu a while, I would have held up the line, I decided pretty quickly. It was kind of like my menu experience at Spin Pizza, which sadly, I forgot to review. I will get on that. Which other restaurants have I forgotten to review???

Anyway, they didn't ask me how spicy the Pad Thai should be....I thought that was odd. It wasn't spicy, it just tasted kind of funny. It was actually the worst Pad Thai I've ever had.

But I'd go back and try some other item. Pad Thai isn't really a Chinese food specialty.

Best of September 2009

Pic of the month: Us and our new nephew, Miles

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: Chariots of Fire (Academy Award for Best Picture - Year of our birth 1981)

Best Book I Read: The Robe

Best online video I watched for the First time: Validation (Worth watching the 16 minutes)"

Movie Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

I had heard of this movie, but didn't know anything about it. I probably would have gone through life without seeing it, but Courtney wanted to watch it.

The special features were some of the best I've seen, with interviews of Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss, John Williams, and everyone else involved.

It's amazing how much creativity goes into something like this. Steven Speilberg wrote the movie and directed it, and it is about extra-terrestrials that visit Earth.

The government learns about the alien visitors,and tries to keep it under wraps, but several "normal Americans" have "close encounters". These encounters involve space ships, kidnappings, control over matter - especially lights and electricity, strange weather patterns. Those who have close encounters are then obsessed with a certain mountain shape, which they find out is Devil's Tower. The government is there at Devil's Tower waiting for the aliens to arrive.

The humans and aliens communicate with each other using music, lights, and colors.

Even though it's a good movie, it feels dated. Modern movies like Independence Day (1996) kind of crowd this out in the alien movie space. But this is a work of art worth seeing.

BBQ Post

My post about a Kentucky BBQ has gained some comments from completely random people. One commenter even took the time to insult me, and I tried to respond by pointing out that if my blog shows up in the top 5 google search for the restaurant, that means the restaurant is not that great.

check it out:
Kentucky BBQ

October 4, 2008

Courtney with my cousin Sarah who will be married October 24, 2009!


I wonder if I can photoshop out that little guy on Courtney's shoulder.

Just for fun, here is a picture of me from October 4, 2008, with my cousin Ben.

Job Search advice so far....

Let me know what you think of these job tips. I'm hoping that when people ask me how I got a job, that I have something to tell them. I am not an expert, and a lot of my success is attributed to things out of my control, but I did pick up some wisdom along the way.

• Use the time to be emotional. Buy a journal. Go to a park, and write down whatever thoughts come to your head. After losing your job there is a time of grieving. Reconnect with nature and with God. Reconnect with whatever you like to do (if that’s not your job), for me it was playing music.
• Try to see where God has led you in your career so far, and how he has been there for you in the past. For me it gave me reassurance about the career path that I was on.
• Have an accountability group, preferably with seasoned career experts. They taught me to write thank you notes, to look at interviewers in the eye, how to network.
• Initiate informational interviews with business friends in the city. If you meet with business owners or workers, you will gain a lot of insight into your career. And you will get practice for real interviews.
• Get professional resume help. As a technical person, I failed to see how my sentences were worded awkwardly. I wasn’t selling my skills in a grammatically convincing way. I also needed major help on the formatting and outline.
  
• Have people praying for you. I didn’t have to ask, because I’m part of a tight knit community, and the word spread around.
• Listen to the concerns of the interviewers. Address their concerns directly, and explain why you are a good fit for the job. I’m not sure that I’m a great interviewer, but I did my best to prove that I was a good fit, and it worked. Let friends know the time of the interview so that they can pray.
• Write personal handwritten thank you notes to every person you interview with, instead of stuffy formal ones that you can find online or in books. A personal letter can address the concerns or needs that you just learned about in the interview. It’s risky because you are putting your true vulnerable self out there without many guard rails, but I have a feeling that this worked in my favor.
• If you are currently working, work hard. Because I worked well in my previous job, my former coworker wanted to help me by referring me to this company. And I got a good reference letter from a previous supervisor.

Book Review: The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas

This book was recommended by Vince. I went to the library and expected to see maybe a 10-20 year old book. It was actually written in 1942! I later found out that my mom had read it as a teenager.

The book is the fictional story about what happened to Christ's robe. In the well known story of the crucifixion, as written in the Bible, the Roman soldiers gambled to win his robe, as Jesus hung on the cross.

I thought the book was going to lead up slowly toward that moment. But that moment is toward the beginning, and is not really a primary focus of the book. The book focuses on one of the Roman soldiers who crucifies Jesus and wins the Robe, and of his faithful Corinthian slave. Then in the rest of the book, we hear more about who Jesus was, and find out how that affects people a year after the crucifixion.



For me, it was educational about the Roman culture and dominance of the day, and about Jewish culture. It was good to read about how possibly the message of Jesus spread across the world. These are things that I have not reflected on in depth. Honestly, I wish many of those hours I spent in Sunday School or in Christian teaching were spent on historical subjects rather than only theology or Christian living.

This is a really great book, and I recommend it. Learning more (fictionally, but maybe also realistically) about how people who knew Jesus reacted to him, and to his death and resurrection helps me to connect with Jesus as well.

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I had wondered why it hadn't been a movie, and I just looked this up and it was made into a movie in 1953. It was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture, which I wasn't aware of. I'm not sure I would want to ruin my remembrance of the book by watching the movie. But I do like movies from the 50s.

Also, I read that it was one of the best selling books of the 1940s.

Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

I was surprised to find out that I hadn't seen this movie yet. I guess that makes sense, since it was filmed in the year that we were born - 1981. And by the time we were of movie watching age, the popularity had died down somewhat. I remember seeing the third movie, The Last Crusade, several times growing up, and it was filmed in 1989.

I enjoyed the action and chase scenes. And the concept of an archeologist competing with Nazis to find the greatest religious artifact, the Lost Ark, is a winner. I love Harrison Ford in the role. The special features said that Tom Selleck was the first choice, but obligations with Magnum P.I.

The movie is not at all realistic in the action scenes, and it's not meant to be. Most of the time, comedic elements are added into everything. There is some supernatural things when the Nazis attempt to perform a religious ceremony with the Ark. It was a good movie.

Five Year Anniversary

As of September 24, Courtney and I have been officially a couple for five years!

2004 (official for a month in this picture)

September 24, 2005 (engagement)

2006 (married for four months)

2007

2008

Best of the Month: August 2009

Pic of the month: Omelette

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: Ordinary People

Best Book I Read: Tortured for Christ

Best online video I watched for the First time: The amazing "Mathmagician"

Movie Review: Chariots of Fire

I have an easier time remembering the theme song to this movie than the movie title itself. I was blanking on the name if when I sat down to write my review! But the theme song is etched into my brain. I was disappointed that the theme song only appeared at the very beginning and at the very end. But the music was good in between too, and it gained an Academy Award.

Chariots of Fire also won Best Picture in 1981. Courtney and I had been looking forward to watching it, because it is from the year of our birth.


Somehow I was under the impression that the movie was about a guy named Prefontaine who was a famous runner. Maybe that is what someone mistakenly told me once. But it was about runners in England in the 1920s.

Now this movie is quite peculiar and impressive.

1. It is about runners, so there are a lot of running scenes. I was impressed how the runners were genuinely exhausted from running fast. I don't think there's any way you can "act" like people feel after a sprint. We wondered how often they had to run, and the complexity of having different takes.
2. There are instances where the tape is slowed down, or running scenes are repeated. Kind of like instant replay. That way the movie can maximize those scenes.
3. The movie is about people from different religious backgrounds, and how they overcome the challenges surrounding that. For the Jew, he is discriminated against, and wants to prove himself. For the Christian, he is asked to compromise, and has to choose between honoring God and running in the Olympics.
   

The Christian runner (Eric Liddell) causes a stir when he refuses to run time trials on the Sabbath. My view of the Sabbath is subject for a separate blog post. My views are not that extreme, but I do have some ways that I honor it. Anyway, my favorite part was when an American runner gave him a note that read "Those who honor me, I will honor", says the Lord. And he clenches that note in his hand the entire race.

Another quote that has been often quoted in Christian literature and sermons is when the Christian runner (Eric Liddell) says to his anti-running sister, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel his pleasure". And the usual application is that religious activities are not the only activities that honor God.

It was tougher for me to relate to the Jewish runner (Abrahams), because I'm not an ultra competitive person, and the things that motivated him aren't the things that motivate me. He eventually gained the respect he sought, and he was treated like a true Englishman.

Anyway, it's hard to know where to rank this movie, but it's toward the top. I didn't ever get bored with it, and it is an epic story, which are is favorite kind.

Here's a video with the theme song:

Restaurant Review: Samurai Teriyaki

I had seen this place for a while, and teriyaki bowls sounded really appealing to me. Having my gluten allergy, you don't understand how cool it is to have a restaurant where I can eat most things. I can eat rice and meat. Teriyaki bowl. I'm not sure if the sauce is gluten free, but I can live with not knowing.

We dropped by on a Wednesday evening, and it was shocking to me how there were no customers. And only one employee, who took the order and cooked. Then when I wanted to ask her a question, she was back cooking behind some curtains, and there was no way to get her attention. Besides yelling and screaming, which are not my thing.

The environment was pleasant. Although I wouldn't have a private conversation there, because it's one of those places where you can hear everything.

The food was tasty. It was expensive. I think I ended up paying around $20. But we had leftovers, so it was like two meals. Still, I don't blame them for high prices, because you have to pay bills. But I may not go there often, and we don't eat out a lot anyway.

It is located at 87th and Gillette, next to the YMCA.

Unemployment update

I know that many are interested in how I'm doing. Unemployment is kind of a slow process. And it isn't a process that I've done before, so I'm learning as I go along.

My first reaction was to sign on with an IT staffing company that was going to place me into a 6 month contract. Even though it was a contract, I was excited because it was the exact type of work I'd like to continue doing, and it was relatively close to my house, and I think salary was going to be decent. My contact said that I needed to improve my resume, which I was going to do anyway.

So I decided to have a resume work day. An old college friend saw my Facebook status, which said "resume work day", and offered to help. She had recently read a 500+ page book on resumes and had become an expert on it. She said that she felt God was calling her to help me out. She worked on it really hard, in the midst of homeschooling several children and having a trip to the beach on Labor Day weekend. And I love the final result.

By the time I got this ready, some people were already interviewing for that 6 month contract, and the IT staffing company didn't want to send any additional candidates. So this is when my "get a job quick" mentality was killed. And I started to set in for more of a longer term job search.

I met with a friend my parents' age who had helped me to find my first job. He reminded me of the power of networking, and advised me to spend most of my time on that, because it is the most effective way of finding a job.

There are a few other things I need to focus on before jumping into networking. That is, I need to sign up for some health insurance. And I need to make a variety of resumes for the different opportunities that come up. I also need to prepare some answers to standard interview questions such as "Tell me about yourself". So it's really an exercise in preparation, and I can't wait to get to the point where I'm pursuing the actual opportunities.

Movie Review: Uncle Buck (1989)

Somehow this made it on my list of movies to watch, and we watched it Labor Day weekend. There's something about 80s comedies that I don't like - I prefer movies that make fun of the 80s like Wedding Singer.

That being said, this was one of the better 80s comedies that I've seen. John Candy is a spectacular actor. I was a bit disappointed that John Candy's character (Uncle Buck), quickly proved to be a completely responsible guardian. It kind of defeated the purpose that it was supposed to be about a bumbling idiot that couldn't do anything right, and finally pulls through in the end. There was a funny scene where he broke an antique plate, but I don't remember him screwing up much more often than that. At the end, in a moment of desperation, he almost took the kids to his gambling venue, since that was his only source of income, and had them in the car, but before leaving, he realized what he was doing wasn't right.

The only other actor I recognized in the film was MacCaulay Culkin, and he did a great job. This movie takes place a year or two before Home Alone.

Movie Review: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

We watched this 1963 movie a few weeks ago, but blogging hasn't been on my mind. The movie title maybe even reflects my life right now!

This movie was funny for about half of it, but for me, there is no way I can be on the edge of my seat for two and half hours, so I kind of get tired of it.

Anyway, it has a bunch of famous actors, the list of which you can find here. The ones I had heard of were Sid Caesar and Mickey Rooney and Don Knotts and Carl Reiner and The Three Stooges. But the fact that I don't know the others probably shows my lack of knowledge about film stars from the 40s and 50s.

A few of them find out about a hidden treasure from a dying motorist, and then they try to beat each other to the place. The police are following them. And the police chief wants the money too because of his own troubles. Hilarity ensues.