I’ve been to several of these “reviews” lately, most of them opinion stories, but one thing that struck me was the amount of user comments on each story. I entertained myself by reading some of the comments, and I noticed a common thread: Zune Zealotry. As anticipated, there are a lot of iPod-haters out there, who accept the Zune simply because it is not an iPod. However, what was strange to read were the comments that lambasted the journalist for writing an opinion about published specifications without actually test-driving the Zune.

Many comments were suspiciously the same in tone:

I stopped reading at “haven’t played with a Zune yet (though I intend to).”

Many other respondents opined that Microsoft was trolling these articles and showering their own critizism or praise depending on the tone of the article. I’ll admit that the sheer volume of ditto-head responses like “I stopped reading…” left me to wonder the same thing and ask “if you stopped reading, why did you leave a comment in the first place?” The articles, regardless of their pro/anti-Zune slant all contained the same factual product information.

Let me put it another way. Almost every consumer makes point-of-purchase decisions based on a number of factors. Informed shoppers often look up the specs on an automobine, for example, before a test-drive is even necessary. How many seats does it have? Gas mileage? Manual or automatic transmission? Available colors? For many consumers, feature comparison is the first step in making a decision. Ironically, not all final purchase decisions are as mathematical as comparing features that seem to “make sense.” People will still buy gas-guzzling SUVs, or over-priced imports for reasons only they can understand.

For portable music, the process is similar. And now that digital music players have been out in the market for a while, feature comparison is usually the first step, although to compete, most manufacturers attempt to include the same basic features as is possible (e.g., disk space, audio fidelity, playback options). The issue with the Zune is that the published feature set has some limitations, and the drawbacks to some of the features are painfully obvious. For example, Microsoft has an accompanying online music store where you can shop for music download much like Apple’s iTunes Music Store. This “Zune Markeplace” is the only way to get music into your Zune player, much like the marriage between the iPod and iTunes. Unlike iTunes, however, Microsoft has chosen to use a point system for songs. You have to purchase points in bulk (e.g., $5 for a pack of points), and then you can buy individual songs. For 99¢ you can buy 79 points, which will buy you one song.

99¢ = 79 points = 1 song

Some people really like a point system, but the reality is that the point system hides the real dollar value purchase and lulls consumers into thinking they are paying less for a song when they really aren’t. The concept isn’t totally foreign. Think how many people turn their watches forward by five or 10 minutes so they won’t be late. The practice seems to work for some, but the truth is that they are always adjusting the time back in their heads—they always know that their watch is fast. For five or 10 minutes, the backwards math is pretty simple. However, trying to calculate 79 points of 99¢ each time you want to buy music is a little more complicated, especially when you are buying several songs or albums at once.

So, regardless of whether or not you’ve actually “played with a Zune” in hand or taken it apart, piece by piece, comparing between digital music players specifications is perfectly ligitimate, and something that journalists write about so consumers can get an idea on what is coming to market.

(Via Daring Fireball)

As children grow up, for example, so many things appear miraculous: electricity, light, and a slew of others. As we grow and understand, these amazing things become so common place they no longer hold our attention.

But there are still so many things that defy explaination, even with today’s understanding. In the scriptures, there are examples of people being “struck dumb” or unable to speak. One of the most dramatic is in the Book of Mormon when the anti-Christ Korihor faces off with the prophet Alma and asks for a sign:

49 Now Alma said unto him: This will I give unto thee for a sign, that thou shalt be astruck dumb, according to my words; and I say, that in the name of God, ye shall be struck dumb, that ye shall no more have utterance.

50 Now when Alma had said these words, Korihor was struck dumb, that he could not have utterance, according to the words of Alma.

—- Alma 30: 49-50

I’ve often thought about how this could take place so immediately. When I read about a certain miracle today, I cam across a disorder I’ve never heard of before: Spasmodic Dysphonia. This condition made it clear to me how so many things about our body could be easily and simply shut off or on again by modifying one thing: our brain. The answer is so simple and yet so powerful! Sight, hearing, movement, even healing and pain are all controlled by our brain. By simply knowing how to make or break connections in our brain, all kinds of “miracles” can happen.

While Alma may not have known how to break a brain connection “remotely” to stop Korihor from speaking, he did understand the law upon which it is predicated, and it all boils down to obedience. Alma was obedient to God’s law and could, through his faith, command in all things.

There are still so many things we do not yet understand how the brain works, and while I don’t know if spasmodic dysphonia had anything to do with Korihor’s condition, it doesn’t lessen the fact that it is still a miracle then, nor that miracles still happen today.

Origin mid 18th cent.: French, from Latin mihi in odio est ‘it is hateful to me.’

I’ll admit to a mild affliction of ennui. The symptoms came on slowly so I didn’t even realize it was happening. Not until I looked around and felt so tired of everything. Lack of emotion. Lackluster. Bored. Tired. The word ennui is perfectly suited because I’m not simply bored, rather, my listlessness comes from a long-period of droll work and painfully frustrating future. When the future looks grim and promises to be the exact same over and over, I started falling into a melancholy depression. A flat ennui coming over time, little by little.

The good news is that working in Scouting has really helped get me out of this “funk.” I attended the first of two training sessions for Scoutmasters and it was excellent. For the first time since I was asked to be the Scoutmaster I am feeling the lights turning on and I am feeling excited about what is coming up.

Right now, Scouting is the best tonic for overcoming ennui. There is always something exciting to do.

Update: Just to clarify, this ennui is referring to my work, not home life.

Pretty pathetic, I realize, but I know what I’m giong to work on so I can do better next time. The run wasn’t as bad and I actually was able to sprint the last lap, which shows how slow I was actually running. This is not a bad deal for me, for I usually sprint the first lap and spend the next four laps catching my breath. I really tried to pace myself and I feel good about the result.

We wish him our love!

The plan included dinner, which was an excellent excuse to pull out the Dutch oven and practice cooking outdoors. Our first plan was to cook everything Dutch style, but we didn’t have enough ovens. We were able to borrow one aluminum oven from the scouts and used the following recipes:

Dutch Oven Cobbler

12" Dutch oven
25 charcoal briquettes
2 cans sliced peaches, in syrup (29-30 oz. cans)
1 package white or yellow cake mix
Ground cinnamon to taste
1/3 stick butter or margarine

I pre-heated the Dutch and then poured both cans of peaches into the bottom. I then sprinkled some cinnamon over the peaches. Elise and Isaac helped pour the cake mix over the peaches and I lightly spread the batter over the peaches. I put a little more cinnamon on top of the cake mix. On top of everything, I cut up the butter into chunks all over to top. Cooked for about 45 minutes. Served with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Dutch Oven Veggies

12" Dutch oven
24 charcoal briquettes
2 large ziplock bags full of mixed vegetables (baby carrots, red potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower)
1 cube butter
salt and pepper
2 cups of water (more or less)

I should have put the water in the Dutch oven before I heated it, but like an idiot I heated the Dutch first. Thankfully the Dutch didn’t crack. Note to self: never put cool water in a hot Dutch oven. Isaac poured the ziplock bags of vegetables into the oven next and both Elise and Isaac helped season the veggies with lots of salt and pepper. I started cutting up the butter but ended up just throwing the whole cube in. It melted very easliy. I stirred the vegetables a few times and realized I had a little too much water. In about 45 minutes the veggies were nice and soft, and absolutely delicious.

Cleanup

The great miracle was that nothing burned! Cleanup was quick and easy. We had lots of leftovers, so we naturally saved it. Hot water washed out the ovens and then I rubbed them down with some Crisco shortening.

The outdoor training was an bivouc at Camp Wilson near Pohick Bay Regional Park. After work, I stopped by our scout shed and hand-picked a sleeping pad and tent, the only gear I lacked for the campout. Most of the scout tents are poorly taken care of, with missing or broken poles and dingy material. I thought myself lucky to see one tent hidden in the back labeled “Troop 1102 - SM.” I thought, “aah! the Scoutmaster’s tent. This one, surely, has been well taken care of.” The bag seemed much cleaner and even a little larger than the regular troop tents. I was feeling lucky.

My luck continued as I drove down Route 1 to the camp site. The traffic was mild and I was the first trainee to arrive at the camp area. After a brief introduction to the camp staff, I went off to select my camp area and set up my gear. My luck was about to change.

The poles were too short.

Indeed, my wonder-tent had a major flaw: wrong poles. Somehow, as the troop closet was being organized, the wrong poles were put into this bag, probably from one of the smaller tents. Whoever put things back together must have thought all the tents were the same size. Alas.

Dispite the crooked tent, the rest of the training and camping were excellent. We enjoyed a wonderful “cracker-barrell” dessert: Dutch oven peach cobbler. Training sessions covered all sorts of topics, including camping, hiking, backpacking, first aid, ropes and knots, ethical situations, cooking, camp cleaning, and more. It was really great to rub shoulders with some long-time scouters and learn from all their experience.

And, now I can share with others! Here are the recipies we used for our meals:

Dutch Oven Cobbler (a.k.a. “Dump Cake”)

2 Large cans of peaches in syrup 1 White or Yellow cake mix
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter

Pre-heat Dutch oven. Pour peach cans and juice into the bottom of the oven. Sprinkle cinnamon over fruit. Dump cake mix on top of fruit and spread around evenly. Drizzle melted butter over cake mix. Cover oven with lid and cook for ~45 minutes or until golden brown. Serves about six or eight, depending on how deliciously hungry everyone is.

Approx. 12 charcoals on top and bottom of Dutch oven.

Dutch Oven Mountain Man Breakfast++

1 Pack small sausages (~16-24 sausages)
1 Onion
1 Green bell pepper
1 lb. bag of diced potatoes
1 lb. bag of cheese
1 qt. Egg Beaters® (healthy!)
1 Pisbury flaky crust rolls (8 rolls)

Pre-heat Dutch oven. Brown sausage in bottom of oven. Dice onion and pepper and add to meat. Stir in potatoes. Pour eggs. Cook until eggs begin to firm up. Add cheese to top. Add rolls on top of cheese. Cook until rolls brown. Eight very large servings.

Backpacking Meal

1 chicken spice pack
1 spice pack (other)
1 spice pack (other)
1 cup 5-minute rice
1 can white beans
2 packages of Ramen noodles
1 large can of chicken
2 cups of water

In medium cooking pan, heat water and add spice/seasoning. Add Ramen noodles. Add rice. Add beans. Add chicken. Cook at medium heat until noodles are soft. Serves eight.

• Character development
• Citizenship training
• Physical and mental fitness

No, Scouting is not just about rank advancement and becoming an “Eagle Scout.” In fact, Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, felt that the most important skills were met as a First Class Scout:

“A boy does not really get the full value of Scout training until he is a First Class Scout. The tests for First Class Scouts were laid down with the idea that a boy, who proved himself equipped to that extent, might reasonably be considered as grounded in the qualities which go to make a good, manly citizen.”

—Lord Robert Baden-Powell, Aids to Scoutmastership, p. 31

The Nike+ system is awesome. By simply pushing the select button, a voice announced my current time, pace, and distance. And although I didn’t use it, the software also allowed me to select a “PowerSong” for when I need a little more motivation.

Back at home, the iPod synced back with iTunes and asked to go to the Nike+ site where my stats were displayed in a georgeous interface.

Cameron already has a Nano and has challenged me to a distance goal. The kids really were excited to see the race unfold on the website and want me to run again tonight so we can win first.

In otherwords, this is an excuse as to why we have no photos to share, and with the current budget crisis, it will be a while before we can afford a new one.

Cameron is the yearbook advisor where he teaches and we had fun playing around with cover designs mimicking the iPod commercials. It was a fun exercise.

• Backpack (Coleman Absoraka, 6lbs, 4,850 in³)
• Ditty-bags (6x13, 5x10, 4x9)
• Backpacking stove (Coleman XTreme, 14,000 BTUs, 11 oz.)
• Pocket Knife (Official Boy Scout Utility Knife - $17)
• Sierra Cup (the all-you-need cup - $4)
• Sleeping Bag Compression Sack
• Tent Fan (I’ve realized this is a MUST for the non-mountain camping: 48-hour run time)
• Tent Kit (pegs, wisk, and dust pan)
• Tent (3-season, 2-person, 5 lbs, 32 ft²)

[5]:

I should have written about this sooner, but with all the new things we’ve been involved with lately, I barely have time to check email messages. But anyway, as a recap, we had lots of fun: whitewater rafting, funyaking, horseback riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, and rappelling. For the Boy Scouts, it was a high adventure week, but for me, it was a very tiring week.