Thompson Reviews

Android App: Out of Milk

admin — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:04:07 +0000

This application seems to be suited for people who want a very simple listing of items that need to be purchased or a basic “to do” list. What I did not like about the app is that it doesn’t have any way to organize shopping lists by stores or locations. I don’t know that many people who do all of their shopping at one store, no matter how big it is.

If the creators add some functionality, the app shows promise.

Kodak Playsport Zx3 Battery Charge Issues

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:15:22 +0000

UPDATED August 25, 2011: If you have a Zx3 with the charging issue, read through the article, but be sure to see the notes at the VERY bottom about how you MAY be able to work around the problem if you are out of warranty.

UPDATED August 24, 2011: Beth LaPierre, Chief Listening Office at Kodak, was responsive to my comments about our experience with the Zx3 and worked with me to find an agreeable solution. After shipping back camera #4, we will be receiving the newer model Zx5 with its own one year warranty. I believe that is a fair handling of our issue. Still, there was no “official” word from Kodak that this is as widespread of a problem as the hits on this site would indicate. Just in August, there have been over 740 hits on THIS article alone. I still believe it would be a chance to Kodak to turn lemons into lemonade for everyone (including overall consumer relations) to possibly issue a recall or at least make public their acknowledgment of this issue.

UPDATED August 12, 2011: The charging issue has cropped up again, this time on the FOURTH camera in a year. That means that, under the warranty, we will have needed at least five Zx3 units to make it through twelve months. The problem started a couple of weeks ago, but I’ve been too busy to sit down and begin contacting Kodak about it again. It gets a bit discouraging to have to do this over and over for a simple consumer product. Does anyone have any experience with the newer Kodak Zx5?

UPDATED April 18, 2011: See notes at the bottom to read an update on this from other users experience charging issues with this model. We’ve gotten a surprising number of hits from Google and other search engines from people searching for terms like this:

kodak playsport charging light doesn’t come on
playsport zx3 does not charge (or won’t charge)
kodak playsport troubleshoot charge
kodak playsport battery not charging
kodak playsport charging problem
kodak playsport stopped working after charging
my kodak camera will not charge

These are all individual search terms people put in search engines just in the month of April. Houston, we have a problem. Kodak, will you acknowledge it?

UPDATE FROM MARCH 2011: After having the third camera for half a year, the problem started happening again. In speaking with a tech support rep through chat, he indicated that this was a firmware issue (!!!???). Firmware? He had me to pull the battery out and the memory card and try plugging the charger into the camera. The camera wouldn’t charge or come on. I got it to flicker for just a fraction of a second by adjusting the charging cable where it enters the camera. That was it.

Again, this rep would not answer a direct question as to whether or not this is a known issue with these cameras. The recourse was to send in the camera for RMA/replacement while it is still under warranty. I’m thinking, “So are you going to send me another defective unit which will have the same problem???”

Kodak needs to fix this problem and redesign the charging port to be tighter, stay tighter, not loosen up over common, every day usage and KEEP CHARGING the camera like it is supposed to. Otherwise, they are telling consumers that they are out of luck dealing with Kodak. (What DO you do when the warranty runs out on what might be termed a shoddy product?) Kodak, time to weigh in.

ORIGINAL POST FROM AUGUST 30, 2010

I thought it might be helpful to someone else to post the results of a recent CHAT session with Kodak “support.” The issue is that the supposedly waterproof camera Kodak makes wasn’t charging the battery after only a few days of use. While I have mixed feelings at this point about the camera and Kodak’s “support,” I must say that Best Buy was very easy to deal with on the returns. Items marked in RED indicate an inordinate amount of wait time for a response from the Kodak “support” representative.

CUSTOMER (15:56:58): I bought my daughter a Zx3 camera for her birthday from Best Buy. It is advertised as waterproof up to 10 ft. After using the first one in the pool the day of her birthday, it wouldn’t charge. We returned it to Best Buy for a replacement. She charged and used the second one and then took it into the pool. It now doesn’t charge. This is ridiculous. Does this product actually work as advertised, and why will it not charge? The side doors WERE closed which should have made it “waterproof.”
KODAK (15:56:58)[All of our specialists are assisting other customers. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience. Please continue to hold and your chat will be answered by the next available specialist.]
KODAK (16:02:49 PM)[You are now chatting with .]
KODAK (16:02:57 PM): Welcome to Kodak, my name is Axxxxxx . Please wait while I review your question.
KODAK (16:10:10 PM): I understand that your Kodak Playsport video camera Zx3 is not charging after using it into the pool. Is that correct?
CUSTOMER (16:10:16 PM): correct
CUSTOMER (16:10:32 PM): two different units
CUSTOMER (16:10:36 PM): both new from Best Buy
CUSTOMER (16:10:43 PM): before returning THIS one, and getting our money back
CUSTOMER (16:10:53 PM): I wanted to see what Kodak has to say abou tit
CUSTOMER (16:10:56 PM): about it
KODAK (16:12:39 PM): I see. May I have the serial number of your camera? It is located at the bottom part of your camera and it starts with a letter “K”.
CUSTOMER (16:12:45 PM): just a sec
CUSTOMER (16:13:47 PM): (gave serial # at this point)
KODAK (16:15:22 PM): Thank you. I will be providing you a case id number for your future reference, 6577XXX.
CUSTOMER (16:15:59 PM): why is this happening?
CUSTOMER (16:16:01 PM): is it common?
CUSTOMER (16:16:13 PM): is this really waterproof to 10 feet (more than once)?
CUSTOMER (16:16:22 PM): were there a bad batch of these with this problem?
KODAK (16:17:23 PM): What is the ft of the pool when daughter is using your camera?
CUSTOMER (16:17:42 PM): deepest at the very BOTTOM of the deep end is 8.5
CUSTOMER (16:17:46 PM): but she’s not down there
CUSTOMER (16:18:03 PM): mainly shallow end, the bottom of which is 3.5 – 4 feet
KODAK (16:18:26 PM): I see.
KODAK (16:18:52 PM): Have you tried to use a new set of battery?
CUSTOMER (16:19:19 PM): no
CUSTOMER (16:19:26 PM): we returned the first unit (as noted)
CUSTOMER (16:19:36 PM): and tried a completely NEW second unit
CUSTOMER (16:19:39 PM): they both did the same thing
CUSTOMER (16:19:53 PM): as if, say, the whole waterproof thing were false advertising or something
CUSTOMER (16:20:26 PM): you really haven’t answered any of my questions i’ve answered so far
CUSTOMER (16:20:36 PM): is this common in these models?
CUSTOMER (16:20:41 PM): let’s start with that question
CUSTOMER (16:22:18 PM): .
CUSTOMER (16:23:35 PM): .
KODAK (16:23:52 PM): I see. Let me check on that first.
KODAK (16:27:04 PM): No, it’s not common.
CUSTOMER (16:27:24 PM): ok
CUSTOMER (16:27:29 PM): so if it’s not common
CUSTOMER (16:27:37 PM): and it’s happened twice in a row with brand new units…
CUSTOMER (16:27:51 PM): what am I as the consumer supposed to come away from my experience with this Kodak product?
CUSTOMER (16:27:57 PM): right now, it’s a negative experience
CUSTOMER (16:28:04 PM): driving 20 miles to best buy 1 way
KODAK (16:28:04 PM): What we can do is to send you camera for repair, but we’ll give you a prepaid label for free shipping of the camera going to the repair center.
CUSTOMER (16:28:07 PM): doing that twice
CUSTOMER (16:28:16 PM): i’m not sure i want to do that yet
CUSTOMER (16:28:24 PM): i’m still in my 14 days with best buy
CUSTOMER (16:28:27 PM): and CAN return it there
CUSTOMER (16:28:31 PM): but why i’m contacting you today
CUSTOMER (16:28:38 PM): is to find out WHY this is happening
CUSTOMER (16:28:43 PM): if it is common (you say it isn’t)
CUSTOMER (16:28:53 PM): and whether or not i just need to get another brand or camera
CUSTOMER (16:29:02 PM): i really WANTED to get this camera and be able to use it underwater
CUSTOMER (16:29:08 PM): but we’re 0 for 2 here
CUSTOMER (16:29:18 PM): using it AS the book describes
KODAK (16:29:33 PM): Alright. I understand how you feel right now.
KODAK (16:30:43 PM): Can we try the last troubleshooting to determine if the problem is with the camera or the battery?
CUSTOMER (16:31:42 PM): glad to
CUSTOMER (16:31:58 PM): i have the camera, charger and battery in the charger
CUSTOMER (16:32:02 PM): what should we do?
KODAK (16:33:33 PM): Try to charge it without the battery inside.
CUSTOMER (16:34:38 PM): battery is out
CUSTOMER (16:34:42 PM): charger is in working wall outlet
CUSTOMER (16:34:46 PM): charger is in camera
CUSTOMER (16:34:47 PM): nothing
CUSTOMER (16:34:50 PM): no light on side
CUSTOMER (16:35:11 PM): i’ve also noticed
CUSTOMER (16:35:19 PM): that the charger port on BOTH of these cameras was “wiggly”
CUSTOMER (16:35:34 PM): much looser than comparable ports on past and present digital cameras we own
KODAK (16:37:00 PM): Alright. It appears that your camera requires service.
CUSTOMER (16:37:29 PM): heh
CUSTOMER (16:37:31 PM): yeah
CUSTOMER (16:37:34 PM): i’d guess that
CUSTOMER (16:37:46 PM): i’m no closer to the answer i came looking for
CUSTOMER (16:37:51 PM): do i try this one more time
KODAK (16:38:02 PM): I will provide a prepaid label for you for the free shipping of the camera going to the repair center.
CUSTOMER (16:38:10 PM): or just skip kodak altogether and tell anyone who asks “don’t buy it – it isn’t waterproof no matter what they say”
CUSTOMER (16:38:16 PM): right
CUSTOMER (16:38:23 PM): but as noted above (are you reading?)
CUSTOMER (16:38:26 PM): i’m in my 14 days
CUSTOMER (16:38:29 PM): with best buy
CUSTOMER (16:38:31 PM): if i send it to you
CUSTOMER (16:38:40 PM): i get stuck (perhaps) in an endless loop of
CUSTOMER (16:38:44 PM): “send it back to us”
CUSTOMER (16:38:50 PM): until who knows what happens
CUSTOMER (16:39:01 PM): you haven’t said anything to convince me that these really ARE waterproof
CUSTOMER (16:39:07 PM): or explained to any degree WHY this happened
CUSTOMER (16:39:15 PM): or why it happened TWICE in a row with brand new models
CUSTOMER (16:39:31 PM): and that after 30 minutes of my time on this chat
CUSTOMER (16:42:26 PM): .
CUSTOMER (16:42:30 PM): 3 minutes…
CUSTOMER (16:43:31 PM): .
CUSTOMER (16:44:17 PM): .
CUSTOMER (16:44:27 PM): 5 min no response
CUSTOMER (16:44:39 PM): you’re being paid to wait
CUSTOMER (16:44:40 PM): i’m not
CUSTOMER (16:44:41 PM): bye
KODAK (16:44:41 PM): Yes, still here.
KODAK (16:44:57 PM): Sorry for the late reply. I need to refresh my tools.
CUSTOMER (16:45:18 PM): i’ve got an appt to get ready for
CUSTOMER (16:45:24 PM): do you have anything to add to the discussion
CUSTOMER (16:45:44 PM): as noted, the only thing you’ve answered so far of all my questions is you don’t believe this is a common problem
CUSTOMER (16:46:02 PM): i’m still not convinced i need to give a 3rd unit a try or just get another brand
CUSTOMER (16:46:16 PM): you’ve got about 2 min before i have to go
KODAK (16:46:34 PM): Yes, I understand the frustration. The camera is waterproof. However, we usually suggest that if the camera came from charging. You need to wait for a few minutes before you will use it underwater. If you take the camera from a hot place, let it wait for a few minutes before you will use it underwater. Right now, what we can do is to set the camera for repair so that the repair center can check if it is a manufacturer’s defect or not.
CUSTOMER (16:47:12 PM): if i were out of my 14 days, i would have to do that
CUSTOMER (16:47:20 PM): as it is, i’m going to take it back to best buy
CUSTOMER (16:48:08 PM): you can add to your notes that this 2nd camera was NOT taken straight off the charger
CUSTOMER (16:48:24 PM): my daughter had been invited to a friends house which is 20 min away at the least
CUSTOMER (16:48:44 PM): they met together for an hour or more after that before she took it into their pool
CUSTOMER (16:48:49 PM): two different units
CUSTOMER (16:48:52 PM): two different pools
CUSTOMER (16:48:55 PM): same result
CUSTOMER (16:48:57 PM): won’t charge
CUSTOMER (16:49:01 PM): add that to your notes
CUSTOMER (16:49:06 PM): i’m keeping a copy of the chat log
CUSTOMER (16:49:08 PM): with the case #
CUSTOMER (16:49:22 PM): in case this happens again (still not sure whether to even TRY another kodak)

So, let’s see: I spent about 40 minutes on the chat just to be told that, yes, the camera IS broken and needs to be replaced. No real indicator as to whether or not Kodak has seen a LOT of this or whether or not a person could go through 10 or 20 of the units before finding one which actually works as advertised.

POSSIBLE WORKAROUND:

This may not work for you. While I was waiting for Kodak to respond on camera #4, I spent some time wiggling the USB cable back and forth in the charging port. My contention has always been that this is a design issue. What I found is that holding the USB cable a certain way would SOMETIMES allow the camera to charge. If you’re like me, you don’t have several hours to nurse a consumer product. So I rigged up a moderate solution with a rubber band. If you pay attention to the way it is set up, you will see that I have stretched the bands on the FRONT of the camera to add extra tension to the USB cable one certain direction. The other end is secured around the door/cover of the USB port. (You can see it.) If this works for you, great. If not, I don’t know what to tell you other than to try Kodak customer service. Remember: there are a LOT of people searching for terms related to this problem, and hundreds of them per month are reading this article. Let your voice be heard.

Draw and Write Through History

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:19:41 +0000

Carylee Gressman has developed some really neat books for homeschoolers or parents who wish to further their child’s art education. Her method uses the natural progression of history and includes simple step-by-step drawings which most children will find easy enough to follow. I hesitate to give an age limit on this, as some children’s motor skills are more advanced than others at various ages.

Along with the drawings are simple lessons on history and the object being drawn. For instance, in the Greece and Rome: c.600 B.C. TO A.D. 395, there are snippets of information on the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Parthenon and other time specific places, people and animals.

Geared toward the homeschool market, the books unabashedly take a creationist approach (Creation Through Jonah is one title).

We can recommend these books both for their educational value as well as their overall content.

Draw and Write Through History (Creation through Jonah, Volume 1)

Draw and Write Through History Greece and Rome (2)

Draw and Write: The Vikings, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance

The Runaway Jury, Grisham

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:05:10 +0000

John Grisham is a well known fiction author whose specialty is riveting mysteries, usually involving some aspect of the legal profession. The Runaway Jury has much to be said for the storytelling part, but there are issues as with most Grisham novels. This review is written as a bit of an open letter to John Grisham as well as to our readers.

The Runaway Jury

John Grisham, 1996

ISBN 0-440-22147-1

The essence of the plot is that Big Tobacco is facing yet another lawsuit. However, because of the location of the trial, there is some fear of the unknown on the part of the conglomerate and their behind-the-scenes attack dog, Fitch. When Fitch is contacted by someone outside the jury who seems to be able to predict and possibly control the actions of the jurors, the action heats up, as Fitch anticipates an opportunity to make a big money deal which sends a verdict the way that the industry needs. The ending is, of course, a bit of a twist on what one might expect to occur, although it is foreshadowed.

I've read a handful of Grisham novels. John, you've done a great job of writing books which keep the reader tied into the story line. You have a handy way of turning phrases and developing characters. But I have to say I'm sorely disappointed that you find it necessary to use cursing and swearing in your novels.

I have a friend who has read all of your books. He told me, "At some point, John became a Christian." So I tried to look at books with later dates than the first couple I read thinking that perhaps I was reading the "unsanctified" John Grisham versus the "clean minded" John Grisham. (I've read The Client, The Broker, The Last Juror, The Runaway Jury, and A Painted House.)

I haven't seen a major difference.

A little more research indicates that you have been a believer the whole time.

So my question is, "Why?" Why use your incredible talent for telling stories and sully it by interlacing the story with swearing, profanity and abuse of the name of Jesus? (Did they really approve of taking the name of the Lord in vain in the church you grew up in?) Why interject nudity and casual sex into what are already compelling works of fiction based on the character development alone?

After reading a handful scattered across several years, I lost hope that John would write a book which was clean. It's not enough to use a gift which is given to you by God. The key is to use that gift in a way which honors the name of the One who gave it.

If I've missed one of your novels which fits that criteria, please let me know. You really are a great storyteller.

Until then, I can't really recommend them to others to read as "Family Friendly."

Professional Xen Virtualization, von Hagen

admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:31:37 +0000

For the computer professional who has considered consolidating server load using any of the popular server virtualization technologies available, William von Hagen’s book is a must read. We give the book a solid review in the full article.

Professional Xen Virtualization
William von Hagen, 2008
ISBN 978-0-470-13811-3

My purchase of this book was driven by the fact that I was in the middle of trying to learn about Xen, the open source server virtualization platform. I had read reviews on other books related to Xen and had look at sample chapters or tables of contents. Most of the other books appeared to be weak on content, or they were out of date (not difficult in the computer industry).

This is not the case with von Hagen’s work. In a systematic fashion, he begins with the general and works to the specific. The book opens with an overview of the topic of server virtualization. This is good material for the IT manager or bean counter who wants the fiscal reasons for moving to this technology. He also includes a solid review of the many other products and projects available to use for your virtualization platform. I personally appreciated the sterile, clinical approach von Hagen used in giving the pros and cons of each of the items while ultimately listing the good reasons for choosing Xen as the best alternative.

Professional Xen Virtualization gives good step-by-step examples for building your own virtual servers with Xen, including the very basic levels of understanding the Linux boot process and how to obtain and install the Xen software itself. My use of Xen is currently limited to hardware virtual machines (HVM) running on newer Intel processors which support virtualization technology. I ran into a couple of questions with building paravirtualized machines (PVM) and discontinued my exploration since I needed to accelerate my learning of Xen itself related to HVMs.

What I liked about the book was the heart of the content. As a new user to Xen, I had numerous questions related to configuration, what type of filesystem to use, and (very importantly) how networking functions. The author gives good examples, clear definitions of configuration file options and easy to understand overviews of how the various parts of Xen and virtual servers function and interoperate. Furthermore, there are plenty of screenshots, illustrations and other graphics which help to support the text without turning it into a picture book.

I have already used the two appendices repeatedly, as they provide a quick reference to configuration file options and the all-important xm command. Also, I have incorporated several of the tips von Hagen offers which help make managing a virtual server deployment much easier. These include naming conventions, filesystem labeling, virtual interface naming and more.

How could the book be improved? I would like to have seen a more detailed example and overview of routed networking even though the default bridged networking is what most people will use with Xen. Even though von Hagen gives a respectable treatment to various reasons why a virtual server install may fail or have problems, the next edition of this book should expand on this. In my case, an apparent bug or default configuration in my operating system of choice resulted in a hard to fix and find networking error which delayed my progress.

That being said, I made tremendous headway in my Xen installation project by the use of this timely book. I heartily recommend it to anyone considering virtualization in general and Xen in particular. If you would like to purchase this book, please use our link to Amazon, as it benefits our review site.

A Review of Whitelisting Technology for Spam Prevention

admin — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:26:31 +0000

As someone who has been involved in Internet technology for over a decade, I have seen a lot of different tools which are effective in making life online easier. Everyone who has e-mail is aware that spam is a major problem. How to control it is a question which industry heavyweights are grappling with daily. There is, however, a simple and effective way to curb the spam in your inbox. The cost can be free to inexpensive depending upon whether you run your own mail server or pay someone else to manage your e-mail.

About five years ago we began experimenting with whitelisting as a spam prevention method and eventually began offering this service to our users. For those who are unfamiliar with the way it works, here is an overview. Your friend “X” sends you an e-mail. Before it is allowed into your inbox, the whitelist software examines a list of known, good addresses. If “X” is not on that list, he receives a brief message asking him to confirm that his e-mail address is genuine. Once X simply responds to that message (usually by hitting “Reply” or clicking on an URL), his original message is delivered to your inbox immediately. The beauty of this approach is that it prevents about 99% of the spam from ever reaching your inbox. How? Read on under the Pros and Cons.

Pros:
1) It works. Spammers generally do not use real From: or Reply-To: addresses. Therefore, they never see the confirmation e-mail and cannot reply to it. We advertise our service as being 99% effective for most customers because, well, it is.

2) It is more prevalent than it used to be. I say this because when we first used the technology, it created a fair amount of confusion — regardless of how we wrote the response e-mail to the remote sender. Now people have seen enough of them to be aware of what it is.

Cons:
1) Spammers have begun to use mailboxes which they have found to have autoresponders in them. Often these semi-hijacked mailboxes will send back a reply to the confirmation e-mail which results in letting the original spam through.

2) “Let my confirmation e-mail talk to your confirmation e-mail and do lunch.” Yes, it happens. “You didn’t respond to my confirmation e-mail.” “I never got it.” “Why?” “Well, I’m on a whitelisting system, too.” Sure, people who regularly check their sandbox or pending queue will often see these — unless they get hundreds of spams per day. And spammers WILL occasionally send e-mails with something which looks like a confirmation request in the subject line just to get you to look.

3) Occasionally spammers will use a real mailbox. When they get a confirmation request from you, they apparently mark you as a real box, and you get added to more lists. We have had instances where people signed up for our Zero Spam Tolerance service (ZST for short) who are getting just a few spams per day. Within a month, their pending queue is chock full of hundreds of messages per day. Which brings me to my next point. There is little if anything which you can do to prevent this from happening.

4) Server load can be out of line with whitelisting. Your mail server is going to want to send a confirmation to each sender. Given that some of these are real (hijacked) boxes, the server will run into a fair amount of timeouts, deferrals and delays in sending to boxes that may already be full. That impacts server performance.

5) There are still some people who don’t know what a confirmation message is. I’ve had some genuinely important e-mail which was delayed because the remote user didn’t check their inbox after sending me something urgent, and I didn’t check my pending queue during that window of time.

With the con list outnumbering the pro list, some might be inclined to bypass this technology. I still use it. On the front end, we utilize a Barracuda spam appliance which catches a lot. For the spam which does get through, I have a whitelist on my mailbox. It catches the rest very effectively. (If Barracuda would get a clue, they would add this functionality on an “optional” basis to all levels of their appliances and sew up more of the anti-spam market than they already have.)

That leaves me with a Barracuda quarantine box which very rarely has a real message in it and a ZST pending queue which occasionally will have a real message in it.

The cost for this wonderful service? Free, if you run your own server. Visit http://tmda.org/ and download the software for your own mail server. If you use an ISP for hosting or outsourcing your mail, they will have to provide this service. Or you can outsource your boxes to a company like ours. We also resell Barracuda if you are interested in a spam appliance solution.

A Review of Oakley Thump 256MB MP3 Sunglasses

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 04:23:06 +0000

The Oakley Thump is touted as a lightweight, durable set of sunglasses with a great added feature: the MP3 player. After wearing these sunglasses with their polarized lenses, that flip up when not needed, I have several opinions.

First, ease of use. All you have to do is plug them in on a Windows machine, and no driver is needed. I am currently using Windows XP Media Edition on my personal and XP Pro on my work laptop. The product worked on both. The system identified the player as a mass storage device, assigned a drive letter, and named it THUMP256. I then transferred my files over in the Windows Explorer pane with no issues. Also, they are compatible with several other sync programs, such as Windows Media Player 9 and 10. I also tried it on Windows Media Player 9 and 10 with the same ease of use results.

Second, ease of adjustment. These glasses have several adjustments for the earbuds. Horizontal, vertical, and rotating in and out. The buttons for on, pause, off, volume up and volume down are easy to handle while being worn, and the glasses fit snug on my head. I have run with them and they are very durably constructed out of high impact polymer.

Third, Flip up lenses. This is one of the great features, if you are wearing them and go through a darkened area such as a tunnel or woods, then you just flip up the lenses and you have clear view.

Fourth, Amazing sound: I have researched the acoustical equipment on Oakley’s web-site www.oakley.com, and this MP3 player must have been designed by someone who knew how great music should sound. I can’t max the volume, due to the sound being too loud on high. The stereo quality is amazing, including the change from left to right speaker and blend that some songs have is very discernable, i.e. the name THUMP. Also, when you turn on the player or turn it off, it lets you know it has received the command by letting out a thump, thump sound.

Drawback: The only issue I have is that the earbuds can be a little painful to the outer ear. Since I have small ears, the earbuds tend to scratch the skin a little, a condition made even worse when sweat is involved.

Overall Rating: A 4 out of 5. I got these glasses used so I didn’t pay full price. There are several models and styles: 256MB, 512MB, 1GB. If you are a serious music lover and enjoy a vast variety, go with the 1GB due to total song storage capacity. If you just want these for running, cycling, walking, or just to wear around the yard on the mower, go with the 256MB. The 512MB is a better overall value than the 256MB though, at just about 30 dollars more. The 1GB will set you back around $400 US. They are very durable, and there are other models that have replaceable lenses. I wish I could have found this deal sooner, because I do love the glasses, and I intend to place a bud cover over the ear buds to help with discomfort.

Philip Stewart
Tennessee

Dusty Mole Private Eye, Davoll

admin — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 07:07:21 +0000

Barbara Davoll is an author best known for her Christopher Churchmouse series. However, she has written other works. One of the lesser known series is the Molehole Mysteries. We review the first book in the collection, Dusty Mole Private Eye.

Dust Mole Private Eye
Barbara Davoll, 1992
ISBN 0-8024-2700-6

This children’s book follows the adventures of Dusty Mole as he begins his career as a private detective. Dusty is a growing mole in a family of four. His twin sister Musty is every bit as eager to be involved in whatever adventures lie ahead.

Together they work to locate their missing uncle, an associate of the great detective Squirrelock Holmes. In the process they encounter villains who are determined to bring a new danger to the underground community: drugs. Along the way, Dusty and Musty both learn some life lessons which help to shape their character.

Overall, the book fits the age bracket of 6-10 pretty well. The author points out danger points through the thoughts and feelings of the main characters. While older readers might find this pedantic, it fits the younger children well, especially for parents who are looking for teachable moments and opportunities to explain about some of the facts of life in a fallen society.

The Molehole Mysteries series was published in the early 1990s. Used copies of most of the series are available on Amazon’s site. Alas, Moody Publishing no longer even carries a reference to the works on their site.

Pyramid, Macaulay

admin — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 02:54:54 +0000

David Macaulay is well known among educators for his books which educate the reader on the intricacies of subjects such as Medieval fortresses, New England mills and cathedrals. One of his early works is his classic book on the pyramids.

Pyramid
David Macaulay, 1975
ISBN 0-395-32121-2 (PB)
ISBN 0-395-21407-6 (HB)

For those unfamiliar with Macaulay’s work, he is an excellent artist. He has been described by Time magazine as being the best in the world at what he draws. Thus, his books are filled with high quality pen and ink illustrations.

The Pyramid book covers one of the main theories of the construction of the pyramids by following a fictional character, Mahnud Hotep, an architect who is charged with the construction of a great pyramid for the reigning pharaoh. The time period is 2400-2500 B.C.

Macaulay follows the steps that the architect takes all the way from drawing the plans, to clearing and preparation of the building site to determining true North, through the actual construction process.

Although each double page spread is filled with illustrations, the reader is not left short on actual written descriptions. The story line is well written, and the reader is made to feel a part of the process that the architect underwent during the project.

Parents might find objectionable an illustration on pg 74 depicting the funeral scene of the pharaoh in which two Egyptian women are viewed from the back and side without tops. Other than that, the book serves as a well written and illustrated insight into the development of one of the world’s great wonders: the pyramid.

If you would like to purchase this or other books books by David Macaulay, follow this link.

Jesus Camp Movie Review

admin — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 05:18:06 +0000

What do Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Republicans, Air America Radio, anti-abortion protests and pre-teen children all have in common? They are central to the focus of Jesus Camp, the new movie produced by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. In early October, I was able to see Jesus Camp playing in Knoxville. Here are my thoughts on the movie and its impact.

In its details, the film gives an overview of the work being done by Becky Fischer who is a Pentecostal children’s minister. She has run a camp (Kids on Fire) during the past several summers in which children are taught about the spiritual side of life. (For more information on Becky Fischer, visit her website.) As such, the film shows children worshiping God, participating in drama, preaching, praying in English and praying in tongues, repenting and learning about the principles of sin and grace. This is a movement of its own, but it not a new thing. The Kids inf Ministry website gives historical precedent for this.

In the larger perspective, the film focuses on one aspect of the work being done by Pastor Fischer, and that is the serious attention given by Christian leaders in training their children to influence the world around them, particularly in the political arena. It is in the light of this that more emphasis is given to the political aspect of the work than the broader spiritual spectrum. They could have chosen to focus on Christian children and their understanding of culture or how their faith affects their morality among their peers. Yet, they brought the attention to Becky Fischer’s work in the context of politics. I have a problem with that, because as a follower of Christ raised in a Pentecostal church, I realize that very little of our time was spent focusing on politics.

According to Ewing and Grady, in order to bring about some conflict in the movie, they introduced occasional commentary by liberal Air America host Mike Papantonio. His commentary comes across as somewhat alarmist and high strung in the movie, although it is clear that he is passionately against much of what Pastor Fischer is doing.

Evangelical leader and recently defrocked minister Ted Haggard is brought into the picture to complete Ewing and Grady’s portrayal of this movement as a politically-oriented one. There is little to argue with, at least from this segment of the movie, as Haggard smiles at the camera and states (brags?) about the Evangelical political movement, “It’s got enough growth to essentially sway every election. If the evangelicals vote, they determine the election.”

From a general perspective, then, I would say that Ewing and Grady were pretty fair in their coverage of Pastor Fischer and the children they cover. There is no attempt to mock Christianity or Pentecostals in particular. The footage of children in worship is not obtrusive or tabloidish. They give Pastor Fischer ample coverage in one-on-one interviews.

The problem comes from attempting to tie Christianity or Pentecostalism directly to political influence. Have Evangelicals been more organized in the past twenty years of elections? No doubt. Do all Christians (Pentecostal or Evangelical) vote the same? Hardly. In a local Pentecostal seminary, there were people who voted for Bill Clinton during his campaigns for President.

After seeing the movie, I asked for feedback from others in attendance. One group of young people with various church backgrounds or affiliations generally disagreed with what Pastor Fischer is doing. “Abraham,” a young man with Jewish background, stated that he thought people like that are “absolutely insane.” A couple of others with Christian background said that they thought this type of movement was “scary” based on the idea that children should be allowed to think whatever they want without being so indoctrinated.

A local chemist had a different take on it. He strongly questioned the motives behind Ewing and Grady in producing the film. According to him, the filmmakers are attempting to do an expose on something that they perhaps consider to be dangerous.

Donnie Stewart, a visiting Pentecostal pastor from Scotland, thought that the overall coverage in the film was fair. He was encouraged to see what Pastor Fischer is working to accomplish from the aspect of spiritual training for the young people she reaches.

My recommendation is that this is a movie worth seeing, for several reasons. It does present an accurate view of how seriously many Pentecostals understand the next generation to be. It gives an accurate view of at least one side of American Christianity which has become somewhat obsessed with politics. And it gives an insight into the lives of children who are growing up in this country without the same influences of culture that define many of their peers.

The negative aspect of this film is that the Kids on Fire Camp has been shut down due to vandalism at the campground. Perhaps the people who don’t like this film because of the supposed intolerance of Pastor Fischer should show some themselves by not vandalizing property.

Feel free to leave your own comments or thoughts, but only if you have seen the movie.