"Flip" Over Extreme Makeover Home Edition

When I was in Erie, PA earlier this summer I found out that, none other than, Extreme Makeover Home Edition had chosen a local home with which to perform their magic. I was VERY excited about this as I often spend Sunday evenings cozied up on the couch with my dog curled up in my legs (and some kleenex) to watch this heartwarming show. My hubby never concedes to watching, but I think that's because he minds the crying a little more than I:)

I did a little research and found that Ty and the crew were helping out a local "angel" named Clara Ward. She is the founder of the Youth Development Center in Erie, PA where she teaches children who have been abused and neglected. She often uses her own money to provide for the needs of these children. Clara is wheelchair bound due to a rare degenerative muscular disease and lives with her daughter.

It just so happened that my dear friends the "Hubbles" had gone to see the site a few days earlier and thought it was so neat that they kindly took me back to the site when they heard my relentless enthusiasm about it. This is what it looked like during their earlier visit:

The day they took me, the builders had completed building the house and the moving trucks were unloading furniture and medical technology. "Little Hubbet" took pics of the celebs and I was faced with the perfect opportunity to try out my new video technology called a Flip.

As you can see below, Paige is walking out from the house to meet the truck. She is just as beautiful in real life as she is on TV. I LOVE her pink construction attire!!

"Little Hubbet" caught Ty and Pauly jumping from the truck in this pic. I just happened to see Pauly downtown that evening while dancing my feet off to the M-80's (a fabulous band if you're into 80s music like me:)

The following is the movie I made with my new toy:

We were told that this episode will be second in the new season this fall. I know I'm going to be looking for it!

I tell you I LOVE MY FLIP!! It's compact, it's easy to use, you can create movies lickety split and you can pick one up for only about $145 at your local Walmart. You simply turn it on and push the red button: then you're recording. Push it again when you're done. Once you've created all your footage, you click the switch on the side and out "flips" a usb connection that, once plugged into your computer, automatically launches its own movie maker program.

First you save your raw footage into albums, second you make your movie and third you share them.

Upgrade to FlipShare and you have even more options. What a great little invention!

International Celebrations

Man, do I enjoy fireworks! I am a fortunate person in that I usually get to celebrate Canada Day, then head over to our "home across the pond" and celebrate Independence Day with our fantastic friends using their various methods and means. I tell you, I love my homeland, but those Americans sure do know how to put on some fireworks displays! This year we hit the jackpot and were invited to the exclusive "pyro-mortician's" home party, where I witnessed a display that compared to none other than Disney itself. It was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!

It was not only the best I've seen, but after this work of art, we got a chance to talk to the "pyro-mortician" and his team. They explained, with great enthusiasm, all the "behind the scenes" physics- and chemistry-like details and the preparation for the event. I had no idea what was involved. They actually have pyrotechnician licenses! They sit and sift through catalogues, plan colours and reactions, then make their order. The day of the event they go out onto the vast amount of front lawn and set up each and every piece. (I'm still kicking myself that I didn't bring my camera!) Then once the sun has set and darkness falls upon their party, they gear up in their pyro-uniforms and work like "mad dogs", knowing just how each rocket is going to lift off and what it is going to do, for the duration of the event. It was just as interesting for me to watch them perform, in rhythm, a dance of fire like I've never witnessed. I don't know if they realize how amazing they looked as they worked in perfect sync with each other to create such a thing of beauty! I now understand the origin of the word "pyrotechnician": a performer capable of dazzling virtuosity; ...in the art of fire. They truly were artists in my mind.

What does this have to do with technology in education? Well I am on vacation...and it is my blog:) But if I had to make a educational connection I would definitely see a place for the art of fireworks in Grade 4 Light and Sound. And one could link it to art, physics and chemistry courses alike. And of course I need to say that I definitely would NOT promote pyrotechnic creation in schools:) There are some pretty neat websites surrounding the history of pyrotechnics. Here are a couple:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/

http://cc.oulu.fi/~kempmp/pyro.html


This blog post is dedicated to my Friends from Across the Pond. You are a wonderful bunch and we truly value your friendship and all the things you do for us to make us feel at home.

Thank you for your endless and thoughtful hospitality. There is nothing like it. Here's to homemade strawberry jam, lobster cookouts, fresh out of the oven brownies doused with homemade - yes, again, homemade - vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce (to hell with Brewsters!), driving here, driving there, putting up with a wet dog, loaned cars, boat tune-ups, doggie ladder fix-ups, the best wings in the world, driving here, driving there, putting up with a wet dog, boat ride invitations, block parties, sloppy duck eighties bands, Extreme Home Makeover sightings, deck parties, driving here, driving there, putting up with a wet dog, elk ears and most of all the stories told and made.
Love ya!
Lynda, Will and the Keela-Monster