I've been meaning to revisit this for awhile now.
I was able to find something that worked for me. It was from [cough] Microsoft [/cough]. It's called SyncToy.
PC Magazine had it listed in their Best Free Software article earlier this year. I'm using version 1, but it has been upgraded to version 2. The software is nothing fancy, you just set up two folders to sync, and pick the type of sync you want, and that's it.
One caution: deleting or moving a folder can have disastrous consequences. Make sure you're careful, or you could inadvertently wipe out a ton of stuff. I always use the preview button, just to make sure of what I'm doing before I hit the final sync.
I mostly use it to sync specific work files to my thumbdrive, and sync that thumbdrive again on the home computer. That's what I was looking for, and SyncToy has worked great for that.
SyncToy is available for free from Microsoft.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Emergency Microsoft Patch
Windows Secrets - an online tech newsletter I subscribe to, just sent an e-mail regarding an emergency Microsoft patch for a virus that could be very damaging.
You can read the contents here. The article includes links to download the patch, and advice on how to install it.
You can read the contents here. The article includes links to download the patch, and advice on how to install it.
Useful Tools - TClockEx
I was looking for a small clock program that would also show the day and date (because I like to reference all of that when I'm leaving voicemail messages, but I hate having to think about it).
I found this: TClockEx. It actually sits right on top of the Windows clock, so it only takes up a small amount of additional toolbar space. You can customize the font. It offers some other options, like a pop-up calendar, the ability past dates, etc. But I just use it for the clock.
Freeware. You can download from here.
I found this: TClockEx. It actually sits right on top of the Windows clock, so it only takes up a small amount of additional toolbar space. You can customize the font. It offers some other options, like a pop-up calendar, the ability past dates, etc. But I just use it for the clock.
Freeware. You can download from here.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Doing My Part for the Environment - Who Knew?
I had no idea that just eating PB&J was helping the environment.
And oh, so tasty.
And oh, so tasty.
Friday, October 17, 2008
How to Change Firefox Settings for Bookmark Widths
One of the recent upgrades of Firefox seems to have shrunk the width of some of my bookmarks. It appears that there is a fixed column width which expands only when you have a subfolder that is longer than the default.
That's a pain, because most of my bookmarks are long. A simple (but crude) fix is to put a folder into each subfolder in order to widen the column. Anyone know of a better fix?
That's a pain, because most of my bookmarks are long. A simple (but crude) fix is to put a folder into each subfolder in order to widen the column. Anyone know of a better fix?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Off to Homecoming
Well, we're off early this morning for Homecoming at John Brown University. Not only is it my reunion year this year, but I will also be participating in what will almost assuredly be my last public singing performance with the JBU Cathedral Choir as part of the Cathedral Choir Reunion.
To top it all off, my folks and my brother and his family will be there. Should be fun.
To top it all off, my folks and my brother and his family will be there. Should be fun.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Fireproof: My Review
I have to admit something. I wasn't going to go see this movie until I saw that Phil Johnson had gone to the premiere and liked it. I can't remember Phil ever making any comments on movies before. I have no idea if we have the same taste in movies, but his was the first one I saw where I felt like there might be a chance I'd like it.
I wasn't disappointed.
I read Dan Phillips' review, after I saw the movie, and it was tempting simply to link to it and be done. But I decided I still wanted to go on record with my own thoughts.
The movie centers around Kirk Cameron's character, Caleb Holt, a captain and fireman whose marriage is quickly dissolving. The opening minutes make it apparent that he is the lion's share of the problem; he's emotionally abusive to his wife Catherine, and he spends his off-hours dreaming about a boat and looking at pornography.
When his wife tells him she's through and wants out, he tells his folks, and his dad challenges him with a book called The Love Dare. This is a 40 day program in the form of a journal.
Caleb reluctantly agrees to try it, and then the real challenges begin. His wife decides that she doesn't love him, starts flirting with a doctor at the hospital where she works as the PR person, and prepares to file for divorce.
I won't give away much of the rest, except to say that Caleb comes face-to-face with his real problem - his sin, and even after he makes peace with God he must face the consequences of his actions to that point.
One of the things I really appreciated about the movie was that it reflected reality. The characters, especially the supporting characters, were regular people. They acted like people would react in a comparable situation. The response to the Gospel is realistic, too; it shows a wide range of reactions to it, including open hostility.
My wife and I both loved the fact that the movie had the Gospel interwoven throughout and it was central to the plot, instead of the movie just being a morality tale with a altar call stuck in at the end.
I'm sure you'll hear many comments about the acting. I thought it was fine, though it reminded me more of TV than a movie. That may be an apt comparison, since in many ways, it is more like a made-for-TV movie rather than a feature film.
That's as much a commentary on what passes for entertainment in the theaters these days as it is on the quality of the acting. Movies have always been an outlet for things you can't see on TV, and when something comes along which doesn't offer filthy language, gratuitous sex, or gruesome violence, it may be impossible for many to view it as anything but a "saccharine-sweet Christian alternative." Ironically, as TV continues to push the envelope, the gap between it and movies keeps shrinking. This may be the best apologetic of any for Fireproof: despite its limitations, it's something you won't see elsewhere in the theaters or anywhere on TV.
There are some intense scenes, such as the one where a young child is rescued from a burning house, and another where the firemen have to move a car off the train track as the train bears down on them. These, along with Kirk's convincing performance as the angry husband, are probably OK for teens, but are too much for younger viewers.
But for everyone else, the movie offers a realistic view of marriage and relationships that don't always go as planned, of the consequences of sin and the difficulty of forgiveness, and it uses a nearly-hopeless marriage to illustrate how God's redeeming love works, both horizontally and vertically.
Go see it.
I wasn't disappointed.
I read Dan Phillips' review, after I saw the movie, and it was tempting simply to link to it and be done. But I decided I still wanted to go on record with my own thoughts.
The movie centers around Kirk Cameron's character, Caleb Holt, a captain and fireman whose marriage is quickly dissolving. The opening minutes make it apparent that he is the lion's share of the problem; he's emotionally abusive to his wife Catherine, and he spends his off-hours dreaming about a boat and looking at pornography.
When his wife tells him she's through and wants out, he tells his folks, and his dad challenges him with a book called The Love Dare. This is a 40 day program in the form of a journal.
Caleb reluctantly agrees to try it, and then the real challenges begin. His wife decides that she doesn't love him, starts flirting with a doctor at the hospital where she works as the PR person, and prepares to file for divorce.
I won't give away much of the rest, except to say that Caleb comes face-to-face with his real problem - his sin, and even after he makes peace with God he must face the consequences of his actions to that point.
One of the things I really appreciated about the movie was that it reflected reality. The characters, especially the supporting characters, were regular people. They acted like people would react in a comparable situation. The response to the Gospel is realistic, too; it shows a wide range of reactions to it, including open hostility.
My wife and I both loved the fact that the movie had the Gospel interwoven throughout and it was central to the plot, instead of the movie just being a morality tale with a altar call stuck in at the end.
I'm sure you'll hear many comments about the acting. I thought it was fine, though it reminded me more of TV than a movie. That may be an apt comparison, since in many ways, it is more like a made-for-TV movie rather than a feature film.
That's as much a commentary on what passes for entertainment in the theaters these days as it is on the quality of the acting. Movies have always been an outlet for things you can't see on TV, and when something comes along which doesn't offer filthy language, gratuitous sex, or gruesome violence, it may be impossible for many to view it as anything but a "saccharine-sweet Christian alternative." Ironically, as TV continues to push the envelope, the gap between it and movies keeps shrinking. This may be the best apologetic of any for Fireproof: despite its limitations, it's something you won't see elsewhere in the theaters or anywhere on TV.
There are some intense scenes, such as the one where a young child is rescued from a burning house, and another where the firemen have to move a car off the train track as the train bears down on them. These, along with Kirk's convincing performance as the angry husband, are probably OK for teens, but are too much for younger viewers.
But for everyone else, the movie offers a realistic view of marriage and relationships that don't always go as planned, of the consequences of sin and the difficulty of forgiveness, and it uses a nearly-hopeless marriage to illustrate how God's redeeming love works, both horizontally and vertically.
Go see it.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
"Bailout" No Longer
I wondered how long it would be before they tried to jettison the term "bailout." It's so negative. Now we have an "economic rescue plan."
Was it just me, or were we basically being extorted into supporting this $700 billion dollars of bailout last night?
If you don't do this, you'll lose your job, your house, your business; no one will be able to get loans for anything. Complete financial collapse is imminent, and will surely come upon us without passing this legislation.
It looks like we're going to be hosed. And we're helpless to do anything about it. Bad enough Social Security will soon be bankrupt. Now the government is going to be saddled with a bunch of debt that no one who trades the things thinks are worth buying.
If I trusted in horses, chariots, donkeys or elephants right now, I would be in complete despair. Instead, I trust the Lion of Judah, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
Was it just me, or were we basically being extorted into supporting this $700 billion dollars of bailout last night?
If you don't do this, you'll lose your job, your house, your business; no one will be able to get loans for anything. Complete financial collapse is imminent, and will surely come upon us without passing this legislation.
It looks like we're going to be hosed. And we're helpless to do anything about it. Bad enough Social Security will soon be bankrupt. Now the government is going to be saddled with a bunch of debt that no one who trades the things thinks are worth buying.
If I trusted in horses, chariots, donkeys or elephants right now, I would be in complete despair. Instead, I trust the Lion of Judah, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
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