Elderly couple playing piano

Posted on 04. Mar, 2010 by kchristieh in inspirational people, music, videos

When I’m 90, I want to be able to do this. I guess I better start learning piano soon! Here’s a video of Marlow and Frances Cowan playing piano at the Mayo Clinic:

According to the WishTV8 website, this is no hoax: the Cowans were at the Mayo Clinic for five days, and enjoyed playing the piano there between appointments.

“I saw that piano and it said ‘if you’d like to play it’ and I touched the key and I thought, WOW, now THAT’s a piano,” said Marlow.

They’ve played the piano in nursing homes, prisons and hospitals for years, but have never had the audience they’ve achieved on YouTube. They don’t have a computer at home, so they’re surprised by all the attention.

Maybe when I’m 90 I’ll shock people with my up-to-date technical skills instead of playing piano.  :)

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″ invades our home

Posted on 11. Nov, 2009 by kchristieh in parenting, politics, videos

Yesterday I braved the line at Gamestop to pick up the copy of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″ that I’d reserved for my son. I’m not completely comfortable with this purchase: it’s rated “M” and is completely violent. But the graphics are amazing, and at 16, my son’s not much younger than many of our real-life soldiers. Besides, he has a broken leg and all his friends got the game too, so he’d wind up playing anyway.

Here’s the trailer for Modern Warfare 2 to give you an idea of how amazing this game is. It’s eerily realistic. The most disturbing scenes I’ve witnessed so far involve battles inside the White House and in a leafy suburb called “Arcadia.” It reminds me a lot of “24.”

I’m not the only one who’s uncomfortable with this game: The Week has a summary of views that question the timing of the release and a few scenes in the game. After all the hype, it would have been difficult to change the release date, and there probably wouldn’t have ever been a perfect date. As for the airport scene the article mentions, my son says the game warns players that it’s disturbing and gives them a few chances to skip it.

I used to think that violent video games would have more of an effect on a person’s propensity for violence, but I definitely don’t see that happening with my son. I don’t think he’s violent at all, and my biggest concern with him playing this is that he could be doing other more productive things, like reading SAT study guides or classic works of literature.

I wonder if Modern Warfare 2 will encourage anyone to sign up for the military? If so, they might want to take a look at The Onion’s preview of Modern Warfare 3. It portrays a different side of military life, where soldiers repair trucks and fight boredom, depression, and poor cell phone signals, and anxiously await care packages from home.

War stinks for everyone. I’m so grateful for the men and women who have served our country, and dream of a day when they can all come home safely.

One in six adults has mental illness

Posted on 21. Oct, 2009 by kchristieh in health, startling statistics, videos

According to BringChange2Mind.org,

1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness.

It sounds high, but when I think about it, it rings true. Think of how many adults you know who take anti-depressants, and how many children you know who have ADD or autism. It’s very sad that so many people suffer from mental illness.

The goal of BringChange2Mind is to destigmatize mental illness. They’ve made a great series of ads that shows teams of people who care about each other, where one person has mental illness and the other doesn’t. Some are famous, like BringChange2Mind co-founder Glenn Close, who’s featured with her sister, who has a bipolar disorder. BringChange2Mind is also a resource for people with mental illness to find resources and support.

I hope these videos get lots of airplay. There are lots of misconceptions about and biases against people with mental illness. Everyone deserves love and respect.

Why is it so surprising that Susan Boyle has an awesome voice?

Posted on 15. Apr, 2009 by kchristieh in inspirational people, music, tv, videos

In just four days, on “Britain’s Got Talent” has had over 10 million hits.

She’s got a lovely operatic voice, and lots of spirit. I hope she wins.

Here’s what Wikipedia says about her:

Boyle is the youngest of nine children and lives in Blackburn with her ten-year-old cat, Pebbles. Boyle suffered oxygen deprivation during birth, resulting in learning disabilities. Her classmates teased her because of this and because of her appearance. She stopped her pursuit of singing to look after her sick mother who died in 2007, at the age of 91. Her performance on Britain’s Got Talent was the first time Boyle had sung after her mother’s death. She is unmarried and presently unemployed.

^{It’s too bad the judges, the audience, and so many on the internet seem to be surprised that she can actually sing.}

^{Is it because she’s 47? If so, then I wonder what people think of me at 45. Also, why judge her so harshly when American Idol judge Paula Abdul is nearly 47? Is it because of her appearance? Or her learning disability?}

^{Whatever the case, I hope that people learn a lesson from Susan Boyle about not judging people by their outward appearances, and instead giving them a chance to perform.}

^{As Susan says,}

^{Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances. … There is not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example.}

^{My #2 favorite sound: capiz wind chimes}

^{Posted on 20. Feb, 2009 by kchristieh in my life, shopping, videos}

^{When I was little, my grandparents lived in one of the coolest houses in the world. It was an old stone house that was three stories high (plus an attic, I think) on a beautiful suburban lake. They had a tiny canoe, a sailboat, and fishing poles. There was a public beach a few houses away, so we’d sometimes swim there. The town would launch fireworks from the beach on the 4th of July, and we’d all gather in my grandparent’s backyard to watch them.}

^{My second most favorite sound in the world is the sound that their wind chimes made. (Click here to go to a page where you can hear the sound.) They were made of capiz shells, and looked something like the ones to the right. They’re not too loud, or too soft, so they’re the perfect accompaniment to a spring, summer or fall day with a soft breeze blowing. I can’t have them where I live now because it’s too windy. I’ve tried replicating the joy of wind chimes over the years with heavier-duty metal ones, but they’re just too loud for me. These days I keep my windows closed since I’m near a freeway, but I miss that soft sound.}

^{For Etsy Friday, I’ve chosen some cool wind chimes I’ve found on the Etsy site. If the links don’t work, it means these have sold since I created this post, so click on the seller’s name to see other wind chimes they make.}

^{I love this sea glass wind chime from tskDesign’s shop. I bet the thin metal pipes aren’t too loud.}

^{My sister used to make things out of sea glass, but she never thought of making wind chimes.}

^{I like how the artist combined the glass, wood and metal.}

^{I bet the glass chimes on this one from windechoes’ shop sound somewhat like the capiz shells.}

^{It probably wouldn’t hold up to our intense winds, however.}

^{I like the clean, geometric design, and how the delicate, organic shape of the glass contrasts with the industrial look of the metal circle.}

This one

^{I wish I knew what it sounded like! I bet it’d be neat in a pond.}

^{And if you’ve read this far and are wondering what my #1 favorite sound is, it’s . It’s the sound of hope and joy all wrapped up in one.  :)}

^{Where would you wish to wake up tomorrow?}

^{Posted on 26. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in cool websites, travel, videos}

^{The site “Fifty People One Question” features videos of fifty people at a single location being asked the same question.}

^{The question currently featured on the site is, “Where would you wish to wake up tomorrow?” There are two videos: one for Brooklyn and one for London. Responses range from a person’s own bed to Paris to a beach in Kenya. The response at 3:28 min. in the Brooklyn video was the most touching. Visitors to the site can add their own responses and comments. As of this posting, the site has received 975 responses from 538 cities.}

^{I love this concept. I think it shows our common human desire for safety, comfort, love, fun and adventure. Some of the ideas are very creative, and yet I wonder if there’s a deeper story behind some of them. I also enjoyed seeing normal-looking people, being honest and appreciating the fact that someone cared enough to ask them something.}

^{Where would YOU wish to wake up tomorrow?}

^{I’d love to wake up in a really nice hotel in Paris, with my family by my side. I got engaged there, so I’d love to be back with my husband. And I really want to show it to my kids and practice my French! I’ve only stayed in fleabag (literally) hotels in Paris, so it’d be fun to stay somewhere that’s clean and has amenities.}

^{A new President who doesn’t look like our other Presidents}

^{Posted on 19. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in politics, videos}

^{Over two years ago, I blogged about how I wished that Barack Obama would run for President. Even then, I was confident that he’d make a great President, and would provide the intelligent, balanced leadership that our country needs.}

^{I can’t wait until tomorrow!!}

^{Until then, please enjoy this into one another. It’s pretty cool, and it’s amazing how some morph easily but it’s a stretch for others.}

^{I’m proud to live in a nation that can think outside the box and elect the man they think is the best one for the job, not just one who looks like the others who came before him.}

^{Why my husband’s not banished to the doghouse}

^{Posted on 09. Dec, 2008 by kchristieh in advertising, my life, videos}

^{When I told my friend Deirdre that on our 20th anniversary, my husband and I got a cushy La-Z-Boy sectional sofa, she said she’d have to talk to my husband about this. I insisted that it was truly what I wanted, and to this day I love sitting on that couch. (although I’m usually at my computer!)}

^{Here’s a funny video/ad about husbands who wind up in the doghouse because they don’t understand their wives’ desires:}

^{I read one review of the video that called it sexist. They have a point. I found it funny anyway, because I’ve seen similar situations. But I’ve learned to make it easy for my husband and tell him what I want. It’s much easier that way. Or I just treat myself and take the pressure off him. We started going out over 23 years ago, and got married over 21 years ago…so I guess it works.}

^{I wonder what the video would look like from the guy’s perspective? Perhaps he’d bring home 10 choices of diamonds, and none would be good enough. Personally, I’ve told my husband never to get me a diamond anything. My wedding ring is enough for me.}

^{Video of my grandparents’ 1936 wedding}

^{Posted on 04. Dec, 2008 by kchristieh in my life, videos}

^{I FINALLY put the four-minute video of my ! My uncle had transferred the movie to a VHS tape for me many years ago, and my stepfather recently transferred the VHS tape to a DVD. I had to import that file to ArcSoft to then export it to the correct format for YouTube. You get the point: this was a long time coming!}

^{May I introduce to you the newly-married couple: Marjorie Dorothea Rose Jaeger and Harold Frederick Christie. They were married at the First Congregational Church in Brooklyn, NY on June 26, 1936. I think they’d only met that February, so it’s a pretty impressive event given that it was pulled together so quickly. I think my grandfather asked my grandmother to marry him after knowing her for only two weeks. Maybe that’s where I get my quick decision-making from. They were married until my grandmother died in the beginning of 1994.}

^{I wish I knew who all the other people in the video were, and what they’re saying. Both of their fathers had passed away by this point, but I can’t figure out which ones are their mothers. It’s so neat to see everyone looking so happy. I wish I could have known them.NOTE: It gets blurry for a few seconds as they walk down the aisle, but it re-emerges at the reception.}

^{Small plane spotted in Temple City}

^{Posted on 15. Nov, 2008 by kchristieh in technical, videos}

^{I watched an airshow today on the Temple City High School athletic field. As my son chugged water in preparation for his hydration test, I watched a man fly a 15-oz. plane against clear blue skies with the San Gabriel mountains as a backdrop.}

^{The plane was made of a material that was a lot like foamcore, but stronger. It ran on a lithium battery that lasts 10 minutes. The man flying the plane said it was very sensitive, and therefore tough to fly. It cost about $250, and his controller cost about $180. Here’s what the underbelly looked like:}

^{The man operating the plane was very good at it. He could make it stall out, spiral to the earth, and then recover just in time to avoid crashing. He did loop-the-loops, and could fly it like a helicopter. (see right) He was also expert at flying the plane upside down. He agreed that it was like driving on the wrong side of the road, since you had to do the opposite of what you’d normally do.}

^{One of the best parts about this plane was that it was extremely quiet. Just listen to the video below: at most, you’ll hear something that sounds like a loud mosquito buzzing. I’m sure this didn’t bother any of the neighbors, unlike some model planes.}

^{I think my father-in-law would love this, since he used to be an airline mechanic.}

^{On our way home, we could see both the Sylmar fire and the one out in Chino, and within hours, the sky darkened and we could smell smoke. Hopefully they’ll put them out soon.}

^{Barack Obama loses by one vote: mine}

^{Posted on 23. Oct, 2008 by kchristieh in politics, technical, videos}

^{Just kidding. I’d laugh if this brilliant video from MoveOn.org weren’t so scary. I received a link to a video about McCain winning by one vote that was personalized so that the one person who didn’t vote was…ME!}

^{Oversleeping. Getting the car fixed. Having to pick up the second-cousin’s stepkids on the other side of town. These are just a few of the reasons millions of Americans won’t vote on November 4th.}

^{It’s not like they hate voting. They want to do it. They know they should. And mostly, they intend to. But some of your friends won’t get around to actually voting because they haven’t been reminded vividly enough.}

^{That’s why we developed this funny, scary video. It shows people what it might look like if we lose the election by a single vote: theirs.}

^{Here’s a version we prepared for you. You’re in it—seriously, you, Kathryn. Check it out—and if you like it, send it to your friends:}

^{This has motivated me to finish filling out my absentee ballot right now!}

^{Don’t forget to check the List of Non-Partisan California Voter Guides to the right. I’m going to refer to it when I decide how to vote.}

^{Paris outshines John McCain in counterattack to campaign ad}

^{Posted on 06. Aug, 2008 by kchristieh in politics, videos}

^{“He’s the biggest celebrity in the world. But is he ready to lead?”}

^{So begins the latest lowball . It shows overlays of pictures of both Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, and crowds of people cheering Barack Obama.}

^{It’s very silly. Who greenlighted this? McCain himself: he says so at the end of the ad.}

^{I never thought I’d say this in my blog, but Vive Paris (Hilton)! She wasn’t about to take this lying down, so instead she sat on a lounge chair in a leopard-patterned bathing suit. If you haven’t already seen her response, check out her video on Funny or Die. She’s pretty darn impressive, and definitely wins this round! She’s thoughtful, articulate, and confident. Snaps for Paris!}

^{I think Britney Spears should respond, too!}

^Links:

• ^{Hilt-Owned — Paris Responds to McCain’s Ad. Great analysis of the ads on The Huffington Post.}
• ^{. Associated Press.}

^{Where the Hell is Matt?}

^{Posted on 11. Jul, 2008 by kchristieh in international, travel, videos}

^{He’s dancing on YouTube in his “” video. This 31-year-old self-described deadbeat can be found dancing his goofy dance everywhere from Alhambra to Zambia, with everyone from crabs to Bollywood dancers to African children.}

^{It’s silly, but I bet it will make you smile. I’ve watched it twice now, and it was even better the second time. I love seeing people from all over the world having fun, and seeing how as different as we are, we’re also very similar. I also love seeing the exotic scenery.}

^{If someone were to ask, “Where the Hell is Kathy?”, the answer would probably be at my desk. I hardly ever go anywhere. Matt notes on his website that Americans need to travel more. He’s right. If only we got more vacation and the dollar were stronger. Also, I’ve never been a self-described deadbeat. I’m not complaining, however: there are advantages either way.}

^{PS – Don’t miss the . They show more cool places he visited. I would NEVER dance on that rock in Norway! Also, see the where he dances alone in lots of places. It inspired a gum company to sponsor him for the big trip.}

^{PPS – I found out about this from today’s NY Times article, A Private Dance? Four Million Web Fans Say No. They’re going to have to change that headline, as he’s at over 16 million views at this point.}

^{If you still don’t like Obama, I challenge you to listen to this}

^{Posted on 19. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in politics, videos}

^{Do you think he’s a racist? Do you think he’s divisive? Do you think he’s a Muslim? Do you think he doesn’t talk about issues?}

^{Then I challenge you to listen to Barack Obama’s speech at Constitution Hall in Philadelphia and keep an open mind. Don’t let someone else tell you what to believe: decide for yourself.}

^{Here are a few quotes from the speech:}

• ^{“Reverend Wright’s comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity…”}
• ^{“But I have asserted a firm conviction – a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people – that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances – for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs – to the larger aspirations of all Americans — the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives – by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.”}
• ^{“In the end, then, what is called for is nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the world’s great religions demand – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us be our brother’s keeper, Scripture tells us. Let us be our sister’s keeper. Let us find that common stake we all have in one another, and let our politics reflect that spirit as well.”}

^{Click here to see the full text of the speech.}

^{Irreverent “Hail Stanford, Hail” commercials}

^{Posted on 17. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in advertising, animals, education, videos}

^{These irreverent yet innovative commercials actually appear to be real. They make me so proud. Click on each image to see the commercial on YouTube.}

^{And on a different note, here’s another Stanford-related commercial. It’s for Sony HD, and revolves around “The Play” with Cal. I was there that day, so I didn’t need to rely upon any non-existent technologies to have the highest high and the lowest low of any sporting event in history.}

^{The video camera that launched 100,000 views}

^{Posted on 14. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in music, my life, politics, startling statistics, videos}

^{I love my little Flip Ultra video camera. I carry it wherever I go, and since I received it in December, I’ve posted nearly to YouTube.}

^{Last night I determined that people have viewed my videos over 104,000 times. The most viewed video is one I took of the , with over 35,000 views and 289 comments. The second most popular was the one I took of rally at UCLA in early February. It had over 10,000 views.}

^{It’s been quite the experience having so many people view the videos. I monitor the comments somewhat, and only mark them as spam if they’re crude or way off-topic. I try to keep a positive view of humanity, but that’s difficult when people leave hateful remarks. I don’t speak Spanish, so I don’t understand many of the comments on the El Salvadoran band video. Hopefully they’re all ok!}

^{Twenty-two strangers have subscribed to my videos. I’m not sure what they’re expecting, since my subjects are quite diverse. Whenever I want to post a video of my kids playing sports that I only want my family to see, I post it on Google to be safe. People can only view private YouTube videos if they’re YouTube members, and most of my kids’ grandparents and great-grandparents aren’t members. Google doesn’t require membership to view private videos.}

^{I wonder what my next video will be? I doubt it’ll garner 30,000 views, but you never know!}

^{New Barack Obama video brings me to tears}

^{Posted on 01. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in music, politics, videos}

^{I’m such a sentimental softie sometimes. This new pro-Barack Obama video called “” by will.i.am brings me to tears.}

^{Some of the YouTube comments are pretty nasty. I’m glad I’m not aligned with people with so much hatred in their souls. I’ve seen many similar comments on the I posted from the Obama rally at UCLA early last month. I let the comments stay (unless they’re profane) and figure that their ugly venom speaks for itself.}

^{“Yes We Can”: Obama video sums up a campaign of hope}

^{Posted on 03. Feb, 2008 by kchristieh in music, politics, videos}

^{A bunch of famous singers, actors and athletes got together and produced this amazing campaign video for Barack Obama.}

^{I’m no expert on celebrity recognition, but here’s who I recognize in the video: Scarlett Johannsen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Amaury Nolasco. Wikipedia says the following are also in it: Tatyana Ali, Eric Balfour. Natasha Bedingfield, Fonzworth Bentley, Nick Cannon, Common, Esthero, Bryan Greenberg (featured on guitar), Herbie Hancock (featured on piano), Kelly Hu, Ed Kowalczyk (featured on guitar), John Legend, Taryn Manning, Yael Naim, Harold Perrineau, Jr., Adam Rodríguez, Nicole Scherzinger, Shoshannah Stern, Aisha Tyler, Amber Valletta, Kate Walsh, and will.i.am.}

^{Mysterious Traveler Entrances Town With Utopian Vision Of The Future}

^{Posted on 30. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in politics, videos}

^{Here’s one visitor who won’t be returning. From The Onion News:}

^{Mysterious Traveler Entrances Town With Utopian Vision Of The Future
An enigmatic man appeared in Hastings, NY, beckoning people to join his quest for a world free of despair as he shook hands and kissed newborns.}

^{“He warned us that others would come to town after him, but that they would weave webs of lies and break their promises.”}

^{“The traveller left suddenly, but people expect him to return soon, given the interest he showed in their little town.”}

^{YouTube video shows inspirational El Salvadoran Rose Parade band}

^{Posted on 03. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in inspirational people, international, local news, music, my life, videos}

^{On New Year’s Day my family enjoyed watching the Rose Parade from the balcony of my husband’s law office. We had a bird’s eye view from nine stories up, so it was a different perspective than most spectators had. I took with my new Flip Video Ultra and posted them on YouTube that afternoon.}

^{The results from one of the videos in particular have been astounding. As of this blog posting, my has had nearly 6,000 views, has 124 comments, has been favorited 77 times and has received 11 honors. I uploaded the original video files to my server to accommodate the many people who asked me for them, and I hope that the guy who’s making the documentary about the band finds funding and uses my video. I’ve had many comments thanking me, and even fielded a phone call from a very nice person who thanked me profusely for posting the video. My daughter has helped me translate some of the comments, as about half of them are in Spanish.}

^{It’s no surprise that the Nuestros Angeles de El Salvador band has inspired so many people. The LA Times story, , tells about how the band’s airfare funding fell through, so they took a five-day bus ride to get here.}

^{Saul Perez, one of the band’s directors, said it would have been a crushing defeat if the group had not made it to Pasadena. The youth members practiced for more than a year, went through a rigorous selection process and were poised to represent their country on the world’s stage at Tuesday’s parade.}

^{But problems began when 30 members of the group could not even begin the journey because they didn’t receive visas. Then the band canceled their flights because their budget was still short $200,000. They set out instead in a caravan of five buses on Christmas Day.}

^{“When we left, we thought the trip would take three days,” Perez said. “It was a tale of many difficulties.”}

^{When the band played at the corner of Lake and Colorado, the crowd went wild. No other band or float evoked such an enthusiastic reaction. Many of the spectators waved Salvadoran flags, and it was clear that they were inspired not just by the tough journey the band made to get here, but by the positive image the band was reflecting for El Salvador and Latinos everywhere.}

^{My grandfather’s brother, Corbett, married a woman from Colonia Las Mercedes, San Salvador long, long ago. I used to send her Christmas cards, but after not hearing from her for many years I assumed she’d passed away. I wonder if she did? If any one of you El Salvador folks knows Maria Zuniga de Long, please let me know!}

^{My cool new Flip Video Ultra}

^{Posted on 26. Dec, 2007 by kchristieh in my life, shopping, videos}

^{Is it ok to love a thing? If so, may I love my new ? It’s about the size of a pack of cards, but lighter. It fits easily into my purse, takes 60 minutes of good-quality video, runs on AA batteries and is incredibly easy to use. When I want to upload videos to my computer, I just flip out the USB plug and pop it in the computer. All this for only $149.54!}

^{I’m already taking more videos than ever. My teens would die of embarrassment if I brought a camcorder everywhere we go, but they seem to be fine with me whipping the Flip out of my purse and taking a short video here and there. I’d be remiss if I put a video of my kids up on this blog, but I took of my new nephew this weekend.}

^{I wish I’d had this a few years ago!}

^{The Queen broadcasts her Christmas message on YouTube}

^{Posted on 25. Dec, 2007 by kchristieh in politics, videos}

^{I’m no Anglophile, but I enjoyed listening to . Do any American leaders do this? If so, would I listen anyway?}

^{Queen Elizabeth’s pretty cool, IMHO. Anyone who’s watched the amazing Helen Mirren depict her in The Queen knows she’s not perfect, but I still think it’s great that she’s maintained such a strong public presence for so long, and has managed to adapt so much to the times that she’s making YouTube videos. On December 20th, the Queen became the oldest-ever monarch in British history. She’s the only monarch ever to reach a 60th wedding anniversary. Poor Charles. It means that soon he’ll become the .}

^{Read this before you take your behind-the-wheel driver’s license test}

^{Posted on 14. Dec, 2007 by kchristieh in education, videos}

^{Before you take your behind-the-wheel test, check out from the California DMV. In the Driving Test series, there’s a video for each of the top 10 mistakes people make during their behind-the-wheel exams. I’ve listed the videos below to make it easier to view them in order.
Driving Test Series:}

^{Sharing the Road Series:}

^{Additional links:}

^{I saw Barack Obama in Los Angeles last night}

^{Posted on 11. Dec, 2007 by kchristieh in music, my life, politics, videos}

^{I was so impressed with Barack Obama last night that I’ll be completely disappointed if he doesn’t win. Completely. He was articulate, funny, wise and honest. He’s a breath of fresh air, and what our country needs at this point. IMHO.}

^{I saw him speak at the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. I brought Lisa F. along, and we somehow managed to get seats in the second row. Go figure! The pictures I took with my compact camera turned out pretty well. You can see one to the right, and see the rest .}

^{The Obama campaign continues to impress me. Everyone who entered the amphitheatre was given a sheet of paper with first names and phone numbers on it and a script of what to say in a phone call. Before Obama came out, we were asked to whip out our cell phones and call the people on the paper, and ask them if they’d be supporting Obama. We then marked their response down, and handed the papers back in. Most people around me participated, and organizers estimated that approximately 20,000 phone calls were made in about 10 minutes. Amazing. I still have to admit that I don’t like cold calling.}

^{We heard speeches from James Whitmore, Kal Penn and Giselle Fernandez, and music from Ne-Yo and the Goo Goo Dolls. (I keep saying “Google Dolls.” Yikes!) I’d never heard of Ne-Yo, even though he’s been nominated for four Grammy Awards. Hopefully he’ll win some, as he is quite an amazing performer. I was impressed that when I looked up Ne-Yo in Wikipedia when I got home, it already mentioned that he’d performed that night. I was also impressed at the wide range of ethnicities and ages at the event. Obama is clearly appealing to a broad cross-section of the electorate.}

^{Sarah Jessica Parker was sitting near us. Or at least, we’re 99% sure of it, since we spotted her early on and later there were lots of photographers taking pictures of her. I felt sorry for her, since she was somewhat disguised and clearly wanted to spend the evening unnoticed. I also had a spark of envy of the photographers with the ultra-long lenses on the ultra-riche cameras who sat in the aisle by my side and took perfect pictures. I consoled myself that they couldn’t fit their cameras in their pockets like I could. I turned around at one point and took the picture to the right.}

^Links:

• ^{of the portion of Obama’s speech where he describes being related to Dick Cheney.}
• ^{about Obama being an 8th cousin to Cheney.}
• ^{Summary of Obama’s positions.}
• ^{“Obama’s American Idea” in NYTimes. Tough, humble, diplomatic & hopeful.}
• ^{. This is part 1 of 4.}
• ^{LA Times blog posting about the event. Read the comments.}

^{Miss Stephen Colbert? Tune in to Uncle Jay.}

^{Posted on 06. Dec, 2007 by kchristieh in politics, videos}

^{The Writer’s Guild strike knocked Stephen Colbert off the airwaves, but , ready to explain the news to us each week. Somehow he manages to cover most major news events in about 3 minutes, providing a fresh alternative to the spin doctors of Hollywood and Washington, DC.}

^{If you like his videos, you can even subscribe via YouTube and you’ll get an email whenever a new video is posted.}

^{If you enjoyed this post, get free updates via email or RSS.}

^{I’m not kidding: Chuck Norris endorses Mike Huckabee}

^{Posted on 28. Nov, 2007 by kchristieh in politics, videos}

<sup>“My plan to secure the border? Two words: Chuck Norris.”
- Mike Huckabee, in his most recent ad</sup>

^{I’m not kidding you. Chuck Norris has endorsed Mike Huckabee for President, and the two made a campaign ad together. Here’s :}

^{“Chuck Norris doesn’t endorse. He tells America how it’s gonna be.”}

^{I can’t wait to share this with my kids. They’re obsessed with Chuck Norris jokes.}

^{Maybe Huckabee should endorse Norris? One Christmas many years ago, my then-step-uncle, Wayne LaPierre, told us he was helping manage the political careers of Charlton Heston and (my current Governor) Arnold Schwarzenegger. We laughed out loud. Guess Wayne got the last laugh.}

^{That said, I’m still more impressed that .}

^{Animoto made me a slideshow set to music}

^{Posted on 15. Sep, 2007 by kchristieh in art, my life, videos}

^{Here’s an amazing slideshow set to music that Animoto made for me for $3.00. It would have been longer if I’d entered more pictures or used a slower song. There’s a free version of Animoto you can use which makes a 30-second long video, but I’m not sure you can embed it on a webpage or blog. This video took almost no time on my part to make other than choosing the pictures and the music.}

^{Britain’s Got Talent, and her name is Connie}

^{Posted on 04. Sep, 2007 by kchristieh in music, tv, videos}

^{I’m a sucker for a talented kid, and I’m REALLY a sucker for one who sings, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Click to see an amazing 6-year-old named Connie Talbot as she competes in “Britain’s Got Talent” for a chance to sing for the Queen.}

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^{How do you advertise a youth group home?}

^{Posted on 20. Aug, 2007 by kchristieh in art, non-profits, videos}

^{How would you advertise a youth group home? Because of privacy considerations, you probably can’t picture the kids that live there. Also, it’s a pretty heavy topic, but you don’t want the ad to be negative.}

^{A recent Santa Cruz Sentinel article mentioned talented illustrator Benjamin Arthur, and his breakout animation “.” When I clicked on “More from this user,” I found for Youth Homes, located in Missoula, Montana. It was made using a technique called rotoscoping, a “technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films.”}

^{The ad depicts some of the kids that Youth Homes has helped, and you can hear them telling their compelling stories. It’s very poignant, but upbeat. This sounds like a great organization!}

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^{“It’s time for me to tell you what you’ve done wrong since I last saw you.”}

^{Posted on 18. Aug, 2007 by kchristieh in religion, videos}

^{Is your church like ?}

^{Thankfully, mine isn’t. But there were a fair number of people in the audience at Terry McGonigal’s talk at the LCPC church camp who said they grew up in churches or households like this. We should always try to do the right thing and live godly lives, but since we’re sinners, we’ll always fall short. Better to do our best and concentrate on showing God’s love than to get hung up on judging others.}

^{I love it when Christians have a sense of humor – I think laughter is one of God’s greatest gifts. Too bad non-Christians generally have an impression of Christianity as being a humorless, judgmental religion.}

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