Bird watching at sunset on the Tennessee River (Lake Nickajack)

We are lucky to have friends who are avid bird watchers. Their favorite place to see eagles, double-crested cormorants and herons is on Pryors Island, near Bennett Lake on the Tennessee River (Daymark 433, just before the stretch of river known as the "Grand Canyon of the Tennessee." Amazing scenery and wildlife await as you navigate the twists and turns of the Tennessee River into Chattanooga. To learn more about the abundance of wildlife on the river, check out the TWRA website. 

We have had the pleasure to go bird watching with our friends many a time. Last Saturday was a perfect spring day, and after dinner, we went out for a sunset cruise. Armed with a new phone, I was able to get some good shots of the pretty sky and birds. 

Just passed Bennett Lake (from a previous cruise one summer)

I was very pleased with the results. Your thoughts?

This post is shared on Image-in-ing, My Corner of the World and Skywatch Friday.

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What do Apple and the Super Bowl have in common?

Commercials!

Remember the 1984 Apple Macintosh computer commercial? Directed by Ridley Scott (of Blade Runner, Alien, Gladiator fame), the Apple Macintosh ad was the commercial that changed Super Bowl ads forever. Thirty-one years later, Apple is not only alive and well, it still continues to innovate, and as of last Friday, is the biggest company in the U.S., with a market capitalization of $682.6 billion. Go Apple!

Living in the south for the past seven years, I have learned a thing or two about football. Even went to a college football game for the first time. I like the camaraderie, the parties, the half time shows and the TV commercials. At $4.5 million for a 30-second commercial, you would think they'd create something memorable!

I'm excited about today's Super Bowl game because the New England Patriots is playing, and Katy Perry is performing at the half time show. I've enjoyed a couple of her music videos - Roar and Dark Horse. On a miserable day - 49 degrees, cloudy and rainy - like today, there is nothing better than watching a football game at home.

Go Pats!

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YouTube and Korea's Got Talent

I love YouTube! I have been a fan ever since its early days. I hope Google is able to make it profitable so we can continue to enjoy the freebies the site provides. I use YouTube to share my videos, teach English pronounciation (there are some excellent video lessons) to my students, watch music videos, news, and foreign TV shows.

My latest craze is with the Korean TV shows. Thanks to their passionate fans, who must have spent countless hours editing these high definition videos with English subtitles, I can watch and understand the shows.

I am NOT a fan of reality shows. I did watch two seasons of American Idol, but when Simon Cowell left, I left with him. I do like the talent shows that showcase singing. Many countries have adopted their own versions of America's Got Talent. These shows give contestants the opportunity to tell their stories and show off their incredible voices and talents. Here's one from Korea's Got Talent that will astound and inspire you:

This video has gone viral. As of today, it has over 8 million views, so it may be a tad slow, but do watch it.

Do you have a favorite YouTube video you like to share?

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About blogging and Sandhill Cranes

When I left my IT job to go cruising end of year 2000, the tech bubble was beginning to burst. That was the same year I learned about Google as the upcoming search engine. How times have changed in nine years! Today, we are faced with another bubble, the housing bubble, that has almost brought the US economy to a standstill. Google is now a household name, the new standard for search and advertising. The internet has taken a new life of its own. From email to chat and Skype and now blogging and social networking, the world continues to get smaller and smaller. The last couple of years have seen the blogging scene exploded. I had kept my cruising log on Yahoo Geocities, but when it closed last year, I too jumped on the blogging band wagon. I am very late to the game, and there is much to learn.

What I didn't know is that there are so many bloggers out there, blogging about everything from food, writing, photography to career coaching and leadership. What's even more amazing is that many of these bloggers excel in their crafts. One such blogger whose work I highly admire is Jen Yu of Use Real Butter. In her own words, she is "an engineer, scientist, programmer, web designer, photographer, cook, outdoor enthusiast, smartass, and proficient noodler." Wow! After reading her blog, you'd be uttering the same. Not only is she a prolific writer, she is a fabulous cook (her husband is one lucky dude) and an incredible photographer. And I always learn something from her postings.

Recently, Jen posted about a trip she took to the San Luis Valley in Mosca, Co to see the Sandhill Cranes migration and The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. I knew about the Sandhill cranes, but never heard about The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. It sounds like an awesome place to visit! Jen's photography of both locations are absolutely stunning. It inspired me to post about the Florida Sandhill cranes that frequent our yard. Yep, even in overdeveloped Tampa, these gentle birds are often seen grazing our land. I believe they are permanent residents here. You can read more about Sandhill Cranes on Wikipedia.




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PC-centric traveling

Savvy travelers are increasingly planning their trips online. Many often travel with their notebooks. Which is why I decided to add this category (computers) to my blog. We may not be early adopters (no iphone or Windows 7 yet), but we love our computers (a desktop and a notebook) and we continue to be amazed by the internet. As ex-IT professionals, we have, over the years, provided technical support to friends and family, and fixed many a PC (personal computer).

We use our PC for everything. We listen to music, display pictures, edit videos, watch movies on DVDs, and surf the internet (emailing, blogging, social networking), in addition to all the regular PC Windows applications. We also use our PC to watch TV. Hauppauge Computer Work's WinTV-HVR-950Q USB Stick transforms our 22-inch monitor into a high definition TV and a digital recorder system. Recording our favorite programs has never been easier. The key is to have plenty of hard disk space.

Passport external drive, Roku, Samsung tablet

We keep an external hard disk drive as a back up for our personal data. Anyone taking videos and pictures with 10 megapixels will need plenty more hard disk space. Prices for storage have come down tremendously. Walmart is selling a 1 Terrabyte External Hard Drive anywhere from $90 (Western Digital) to $123 (Iomega). At Amazon, Seagate has the same for $99.99. With Black Friday approaching and retailers vying for your dollars, perhaps you can find an even better deal! Who knows?

Good luck, and happy Thanksgiving!

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updated 4/29/15