$200 DVD Player/Recorder

DVD player/recorder? Look What $200 Can Buy You.
By Kevin Hunt Tribune Newspapers
The Hartford Courant Published July 31, 2005
Two years ago, a DVD recorder that did everything a VCR did, only in digital, cost $800. You may now congratulate yourself for fighting the temptation to buy one -- these machines now cost less than $200. So it'll take considerable more restraint to pass up Panasonic's DMR-ES10 ($199.95), among the first sub-$200, major-brand DVD recorders. After discounts, the DMR-ES10 costs little more than the combined price of a new DVD player and VCR. It plays movies like a DVD player and records your favorite TV shows like a VCR, only in digital. It also transfers all your old videotapes to handy, compact DVD discs. The DMR-ES10 is a no-frills deck built for DVD playback and television recording. It makes some concessions to price -- it omits a FireWire connection for owners of digital video cameras to make digital copies of home movies -- but preserves the superb recording quality of Panasonic's more expensive decks. "On low-end units," says Tony Jasionowski, group manager of strategic planning and development for Panasonic, "you generally don't find a DV [digital video] connector. You have to go to the step-up units. As prices come down, you'll get more features for the money."

Versatile player

The DMR-ES10 accepts every recordable DVD format except DVD+RW. (The "RW" formats are rewritable, so they can be used over and over, like a videotape. The "R" formats, like DVD+R, can be recorded only once.) The DMR-ES10 is at its best with a DVD-RAM disc, the only format that allows editing tricks like adding video playlists so home-movie segments can be played back in any order you want or playing back a show, TiVo-style, before it has finished recording. Best of all, you can remove commercials from a TV recording, then reuse the freed space. Unfortunately, a DVD-RAM disc won't play on most DVD players. If you're going to share a recording or play the disc on another DVD player in the house, make sure you're using an appropriate disc. (I used DVD-RW discs, for instance, so they would play on my Sony DVD player.) One look at the DMR-ES10's contoured front panel and you'll know this isn't an everyday DVD player. It has five recording-time modes, from one hour to eight hours per disc, and a useful Flexible Recording Mode that automatically determines the best recording quality for the remaining disc space. A 90-minute, made-for-TV movie is too long for premium-quality, one-hour mode. Recording it in two-hour mode will leave 30 minutes of free space. The Flexible Recording feature fills the entire disc with the best-possible picture quality. The DMR-ES10 makes excellent recordings, with its four-hour mode barely distinguishable from top-quality one-hour mode. I used an S-video connection to record directly from a digital cable box, then exposed the finished disc to the scrutiny of Dell's W4200HD, a 42-inch plasma. It made a flawless copy of a "Legends of Jazz" PBS special. In four-hour mode, I could not tell the difference between the original and a copy of Ken Burns' "Unforgivable Blackness" documentary on boxer Jack Johnson.

Annoying traits

Only in eight-hour mode did the DMR-ES10 show some annoying artifacts, such as during an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" ("The Shrimp Incident") when Julia Louis-Dreyfus' sweater suddenly turned red and Larry David's hair shifted in and out of focus. Even then, the DMR-ES10 was no worse than a VCR. And, like a VCR, it can schedule recordings and can even accept automatic recordings with the dated VCR Plus+ system. Because it does not work with either a cable box or satellite receiver, VCR Plus+ is becoming a technological footnote, just like the VCR. Of course, the DMR-ES10 plays CDs and all your DVD movies. It also plays DVD-Audio discs, a high-definition audio format that can include supplemental material like music video, photo galleries, lyrics and biographical information. For an entry-level machine, there's not much the DMR-ES10 can't do. "A lot people have DVD players," Jasionowski says. "But people still need to understand you can record." I did miss seeing recordings divided by chapters (as some recorders do automatically) when I called up the menu. If you want to skip to a specific scene in a movie, you're reduced to searching in fast-forward mode. The DMR-ES10, despite a confusing manual, isn't difficult to operate. With its versatility, picture quality and price, this DVD recorder is hard to resist.

I have to get one of these.

How To Convert VHS to DVD

DVD is a good media to preverse your moments on video. However sometimes your home videos maybe in VHS tapes because you are using camcorder or some other reasons. Here are some tips and how to convert the VHS to DVD, and also preserve its quality:

… If you transfer two hours of VHS to a DVD it can result in a significant loss of quality unless you have a high quality MPEG-2 encoder or use methods that encode the video at “half resolution.” The normal DVD video resolution is 720×480 for NTSC, but some encoders and DVD authoring programs allow you to use 352×480 resolution. When you convert VHS to DVD this smaller resolution can still deliver very good results at the low data rates (bitrates) required to fit two or more hours of video on one DVD, especially if you use an analog-to-MPEG2 encoder or a standalone VHS to DVD recorder that bypasses the analog-to-DV step…

How to Convert VHS to DVD - [SignVideo]

Sandberg Takes His Place In The Hall Of Fame

Associated Press Posted Sunday, July 31, 2005 COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.
Wade Boggs cried. Ryne Sandberg simply was Ryno — smooth as silk. Four decades after they once dreamed of baseball greatness, Boggs and Sandberg were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday to the raucous cheers of thousands of Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cub fans. Sandberg, a darling of Cubs fans because he excelled in every facet of the game as a star second baseman who shunned the spotlight, said he became a Hall of Famer because he respected the game. And the 48 Hall of Famers sitting behind seemed to nod in unison. “A lot of people say this honor validates my career,” said Sandberg, who wasn’t picked until the 20th round of the 1978 amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. “But I didn’t work hard for validation. I didn’t play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. I played it right because that’s what you’re supposed to do — play it right and with respect. Turning two is more important than knowing where to find the little red light on the dugout camera.” Although the 6-foot-2 Sandberg began at short, he eventually was switched to second and blossomed in 1984, two years after the Phils traded him to the Cubs. The trade gave Sandberg a chance to play every day, and he quickly quieted the skeptics who thought he was too tall to play second. He won the first of nine consecutive Gold Gloves, establishing a major league record of 123 consecutive errorless games over two seasons. Sandberg won MVP honors in 1984, hitting a career-high .314 with 19 homers, 84 RBIs, 114 runs, 32 stolen bases, and made only six errors in 156 games. “Baseball wasn’t easy for me. I struggled many times,” said Sandberg, who was elected in his third year of eligibility. “I had to work hard every day, and I didn’t leave many scraps for the writers. I hope you also understand why I would not campaign for this or help to sell this. It’s the best award in all of sports, and I think if I had expected anything, if I was thinking about it too much or crunching the numbers, it would have taken away from the prestige of this incredible honor.”

Never Fear Shadows

"Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby."
-Ruth E. Renkel

North

Last night I finished reading "North" by Frederick Busch. I first heard about this author when I read "Book Lust" last year. I will be reading more of his books. He really captures the reader and gets him in the story. Normal people and their extraordinary circumstances.

What Direction We Are Moving

"The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The Value Of Each Day

"Nothing should be prized more highly than the value of each day." - Goethe

Life Is Too Short

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”
There would have been more “I love you’s.” More “I’m sorry’s.”
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute… look at it and really see it… live it… and never give it back.
Stop sweating the small stuff.
Don’t worry about who doesn’t like you, who has more, or who’s doing what.
Instead, let’s cherish the relationships we have with those who Do love us.
Let’s think about what God has blessed us with.
And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually.
Life is too short to let it pass you by.
We only have one shot at this and then it’s gone.
I hope you all have a blessed day.

- Erma Bombeck

I met Erma Bombeck a long time ago at a department store and I have two books signed by her.

Dad's 70th

After Mass we picked up my Dad and Mom and took them to Arlington International Racetrackhttp://www.arlingtonpark.com/ to celebrate my Dad's 70th Birthday. My brother, his wife, my sister and niece met us there. We grabbed a table inside because of the heat. It was close to 100 degrees outside. My aunt and uncle also showed up. My Dad had a good day and won about $50.00. He likes to play the gimmick bets. I won about $15.00 and my youngest son won over $20 on $2.00 bets. Afterwards we went to Villa Nova Restaurant for pizza.

Happy Birthday Paz!

Best Things In Life

"The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you." - Robert Louis Stevenson

Carl A. Vuillaume

Lifelong Darien resident Carl A. Vuillaume, 16, died July 21, 2005, in Coon Rapids, Minnesota.
Mass was celebrated July 26 in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Darien. Interment was in Clarendon Hills Cemetery, Darien. A student at Hinsdale South High School, Carl was a member of the International Thespian Society and active in the theater group. He was a 2003 graduate of Eisenhower Junior High School in Darien, where he was a member of the symphonic and jazz bands. Carl was an honors caddy at Hinsdale Country Club, and played baseball in the Darien Youth Club league as well as Panther Football. He enjoyed playing video games. Survivors include his parents, Robert and Charleen; one brother, Daniel; one sister, Renee; and his grandparents, Marcia Vuillaume and Arthur and Julianna Commare. Arrangements were handled by Modell Funeral Home, Darien.

Carl was the son of a classmate of mine from high school. His dad and I played on the same little league team. His aunt is a very close friend or my wife's and was in our wedding. We were very sad to hear this sudden news and his family has our deepest sympathy. I cannot even imagine what it must be like for the family when something like this happens.

Will Rogers

Found this cool site...some of his choice quotes:

"You can't say civilization doesn't advance...in every war they kill you a new way."
"If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there."
"I would rather be the man who bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the man who sold it."
"The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket."
"There's two theories to arguin' with a woman. Neither one works."
"Never miss a good chance to shut up."
"A remark generally hurts in proportion to its truth."
"We can't all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by."

Chicken and the Egg

A chicken and an egg are lying in bed. The chicken is leaning against the headboard smoking a cigarette with a satisfied smile on its face. The egg, looking a bit pissed off, grabs the sheet, rolls over and says: "Well, I guess we finally answered THAT question!"

Enjoy The Sunshine

"If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine."
-Morris West

Sunshine

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow." - Helen Keller

Today Is Your Lucky Day

"Forget mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day."
-Will Durant

Spread The Light

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."
-Edith Wharton

Do It Now!

"Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows."
-Michael Landon

A Little Nonsense

"A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men." - Willy Wonka, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Navy Pier IMAX

I took the boys to Navy Pier to see the Chicago Premiere of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." We saw it on the big IMAX screen and it was great. It will be a big hit. Very creative. We saw Jim Tilmon the weatherman from Channel 5 at the theatre. He was with his family. I asked the boys if they wanted to walk to the end of the pier after the movie and they didn't.
I saw this article on www.beliefnet.com :

Paradise Is a Whole Lot of Chocolate
Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory heaven is part of a long history of palatable paradises.
By Ellen Leventry
In Tim Burton's re-imagining of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," Willy Wonka, played by Johnny Depp, is given a back story not found in previous versions of the tale, namely the original Roald Dahl story or the 1971 film. In this new version, the fantastic factory, with its sugary streams and candy contraptions, is for Wonka a haven from--and retaliation against--his father, a sweets-eschewing dentist. The factory is, of course, an edible Eden for everyone else. This connection between the factory and the idea of an earthly Elysium is made even clearer in the 1971 "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," where Wonka, played by Gene Wilder, sings, "If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it." While Wonka buffs will certainly debate which film better portrays Dahl's vision of paradise, what cannot be debated is that his sugary Shangri-La owes much to past descriptions of paradise. Throughout the long history of mythological depictions of paradise, many were associated with great wealth, such as El Dorado, the mythical South American country of gold and the lost island of Hy-Brasil. Others featured perfect health and an end to aging, like Shangri-La, the imaginary paradise depicted in the novel "Lost Horizon" by James Hilton. But one conceit that most visions of paradise seem to share is the abundance of food. This goes back long before Roald Dahl ever imagined a factory with chocolate flowing like water. Numerous medieval European tales, songs, and poems described a mythical paradise called Cockaigne, which offered ideal living conditions, at least ideal for those in the Middle Ages. The Christian paradise, the Garden of Eden, was already shut tight, man had to labor and toil to stay alive, but "Cockaigne was open to everyone," notes Herman Pleij, who lectures on Dutch historical literature at the University of Amsterdam. "Throughout the centuries," writes Pleij in his book "Dreaming of Cockaigne," "dreamlands and pleasure grounds have had a lot in common, especially as regards eating." "This is remarkable," continues Pleij, "since it can't be explained by mutual influence or borrowing, certainly not if one takes into account only written texts." In Cockaigne, for example, roasted pigs roamed about with knives already in their backs, and cooked fish would jump from the rivers right into your mouth. Even the architecture was edible, with dwellings being made of meat, fish, and pastry. One 13th-century French poem describes Cockaigne as having houses made of barley sugar and cakes and the streets lined with pastry. In more recent days, "The Wizard of Oz" depicted its own vision of paradise, as Dorothy steps out of her black-and-white world to a land of bright colors, singing munchkins, and lollipops so important they have their own guild. The food-paradise connection is not only prevalent in fiction and mythology, but also in a smorgasbord, so to speak, of religious faiths. In Aztec beliefs, the Western Paradise of heaven was known as the House of Corn, and it sheltered women who died in childbirth; those who went to the Southern Paradise, mainly the ill and disabled, were supplied with bountiful food. Similarly, in Pure Land Buddhism, those who merit rebirth in the Pure Land, a paradise for the highly worthy, are provided with ready-made food. In Muslim texts, we find the idea that heaven will be filled with rivers of milk and honey. The book of Matthew likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a wedding feast. And, of course, there's the original biblical paradise, the Garden of Eden, a place lush with abundant fruit, some so enticing that they were irresistible; Adam and Eve were tossed forth from a place where God willed all to grow, because they willed to eat an apple. Certainly, it is easy to understand why authors living in biblical and medieval times would conceive of a palatable paradise; food was scarce and the fear of hunger was dispelled by images of abundant food in multiple varieties. But, what about in modern times, when food--for most Americans, at least--is readily abundant and affordable? A quick survey of pop culture proves the point. Jimmy Buffet sings of a cheeseburger being paradise, while Homer Simpson is constantly envisioning heaven as a place full of beer and doughnuts or as a fantastic Land of Chocolate where everything is edible, including the dogs. Food, of course, is not the only earthly pleasure we may wish to see magnified in a vision of heaven. Sex would certainly be up there on most people's lists, and that's a part of pop-culture paradise, too: Think of Meat Loaf's 1977 hit "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." That also has medieval precedent in Cockaigne, where sexual pleasure was an important component. But in American media, which tends to the more puritanical side of things, sex as paradise doesn't really sell in the way food does. "The American tradition has identified sexual pleasure with sin, so eating is a safe way to describe ultimate pleasure. Gluttony is certainly a sin, but not one Americans put a lot of credence in," notes Thompson. Indeed, gluttony is embraced in Albert Brooks' "Defending Your Life," which takes the concept of food in paradise, or the afterlife, to its logical 20th-century conclusion: the no-calorie paradise. Newly departed souls sent to Judgment City enjoy the best food they've ever tasted, in the grandest amounts they've ever seen, and never gain a pound. A sort of Angelic Atkins diet. Similarly, "Groundhog Day" offers its own vision of paradise, a place where Bill Murray's character can keep trying until he gets things perfect--and he, too, can eat whatever he wants without consequence. So with scarcity of food no longer an issue for most people in America, empty-calorie edibles--foods eaten purely for enjoyment--have taken the place of the ripe fruit and protein-rich meats of paradises-past. Willy Wonka's factory would not have the same appeal for us, of course, if it made, say, brussel sprouts. But still, candy represents something even more primordial than latter-day gluttony. "Sweets are the memorials of our innocence," writes Tim Richards in "Sweets: A History of Candy." "The history of sweets goes back a long, long way, right back to the earliest human civilizations, and (until the late 20th century) mankind always associated this sweetness with goodness and pleasure." And what is "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" all about if not a return to innocence, a return to paradise? After the other children's greed gets them expelled from the tour of the Wonka factory, Charlie Bucket and his Grandpa Joe are the only pair left standing. But Willy Wonka knows that Charlie and his Grandpa have been up to no good as well, and refuses them the rest of the prize, a life-time supply of chocolate. Charlie ends up repenting, by returning a super-secret candy he planned to make off with, and is given the keys to the factory--to paradise--by Wonka. And there you have it--sin and repentance, reward and punishment, with lemondrops as the backdrop. Which makes Roald Dahl's confectionary conception of paradise just perfect.

Birthday Party

We had everyone over for my youngest son's birthday. We ordered 8 large pizzas from Pizza Hut. He loves their stuffed crust cheese pizza and we let him pick what he wanted. It was pretty hot outside but with the shade from the two big maples in the back yard it was bearable. While we were eating I had the video from his first party on. Where did the time go? He got some great presents and then we had cake and ice cream. At about 9:30 we started a fire in the fire pit that burned until about midnight. Everyone was gone by about 10:30. I sat out under the stars getting eaten by mosquitoes and watched the fire burn down. It was a great day.

More Swimming

It was another great night for swimming and I took the boys to Cypress Cove again. They swam from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. They came home and changed and then we went to Pizza Hut. After Pizza Hut we went to Barnes & Noble for about an hour. I'm in the middle of reading "1776" by David McCullough. I grabbed it off the shelf and picked up where I left off. It's very interesting what they had to go through to start our country.

Another Prize

I won another prize. It's perfect because it's on my youngest son's birthday.

You've won a pair of passes to The Loop's screening of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Monday, July 11 at 7:00pm at Navy Pier Imax theaters, located at 700 E. Grand Avenue in Chicago.
PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR GETTING INTO THE MOVIE.
Please do not respond to this email. You will be on a GUEST-LIST at the theater, and you MUST bring a PHOTO I.D. to gain admittance to this screening. Bring your I.D. to The Loop representative to receive a screening pass, which will be good for YOU PLUS ONE GUEST. You CAN NOT transfer your pass to anyone else, so please don't have someone else bring this email to the theater--they will not be admitted. Only you (and your guest) will be allowed into the theater. As always, please keep in mind that the theatre is overbooked to ensure capacity and we strongly recommend that you arrive early. At the theatre, seating is on a first come, first serve basis. Passes and R.S.V.P.'s DO NOT guarantee seating. No one will be admitted without a pass and no one will be admitted after the screening begins. Seating is not guaranteed. The Loop and the Theatre is not responsible for overbooking. No children under 6 years old will be admitted. Enjoy the film.

Cypress Cove

When I was driving home from work in my un-airconditioned car I thought it would be a good night for the boys to go swimming. We live so close to Cypress Cove and they can get in for a reasonable amount after 5:00 p.m. The pool has some great slides and a lazy river. I dropped them off and they swam until 7:00 p.m. They changed and then we went over to Hinsdale South to run their miles. I met them at the library after I finished my walk. They've been great about running and their times are improving. It was a cool night which helped.

The Broccoli Song

by Dana Carvey

There's a Lady I Know
If I didn't know her
She'd be the Lady I didn't know.
And my lady, she went downtown
She bought some broccoli
She brought it home.
She's chopping broccoli
Chopping broccoli
Chopping broccoli
Chopping broccoli
She's chopping broccoli
She's chopping broccoli
She's chop... ooh!
She's chopping broccola-ah-ie!
Chopping bocco-loco-lay-eaa-eaa-eaa-eeee.....

Everytime I eat broccoli I think of this song.

Lists You Should Keep

Some lists you should keep, which can be useful or fun:

Account and dollar amounts
Affirmations/Inspirations
Basic personal numbers (self and family members)
Birthdays
Book Ideas
Checklists
Gifts
Ideas I don’t know what to do with, now that I’ve had them…
Jokes
Might wanna buy with prices for comparisons
Might wanna do when…
Might wanna do with…
Previous addresses and employers
Quotes
Restaurants
Style or product numbers I may need when I’m buying things
Tips/Shortcuts
Vacation things to do

Found on http://www.lifehack.org/