What the heck is wrong with advertisers?

11. March 2009 by admin.

Has anyone noticed that Television commercials are sliding down hill?  It seems that advertisers have lost sight of the fundamentals.  In an effort to produce something “new” they are forgetting some basic principles.  First, you do not do anything to make your client look bad.  The sole exception to this is the occasion where the company is making fun of themselves.  A perfect example of this exception is the Smuckers commercials with the tag line “With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good!”  This is a very acceptible exception to the rule.

 Now, let’s take a look at one that is a mistake.  The current Arby’s commercial.  The scene is an Arby’s manager and three employees.  The manager is showing the differences between their new sandwich and a greasy unapealing hamburger.  First, the disgusting hamburger example does not make people want to eat.  Second, one of the employees takes the hamburger pattie and smears the grease in his hair.  Apparently the advertisers thought this would be funny.  Not only is it disgusting, and again not making me want to eat, but I have heard others voice the same thoughts I had.  “If that is the kind of employees they have, do I really want to buy food from them?”

Clearly the advertiser is breaking rule number one. 

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Memory Games…

23. January 2009 by admin.

Most of us were never taught how to memorize in school.  We simply plodded along doing repetitious acts of reading and hoping that the material would sink in.  I wish I knew then some of the things I know now.  Many years ago I began looking at various ways to improve this memorization process.  After all, you cannot stay current in today’s computer driven environments without having to learn new things constantly.  In my case I actually work with computers, but the issue applies to nearly everyone.  I have used many memory techniques for many different occasions, but what works best when you have a list of things to memorize is a simple pegging list.  I won’t explain how to do this because I don’t want any copyright issues and there are plenty of resources out there to learn the method.  Simple put the method has you create a list of familiar items and then assign numbers to it.  Then after working on the numbered items for a while you can begin adding the things you need to memorize onto the list of those items.   It takes effort to create the list, but once created it can be used over and over again.   You then simply need to make the effort to assign new items as needed.

 

The main key to this and other memory processes that I have read about and used is forcing your mind to make both a right brain and left brain connection.   Your left brain is basically about symbols and numbers and icons.  This is why many people can’t draw.  The left brain wants you to draw the symbol of a chair and not draw what you see.  You see, your left brain is always in a hurry.  The same thing happens with memorization of a list.  Simple list can be memorized through the normal process of simply “remembering” through reinforced reading or speaking.  If you are asked to pick up Milk, bread and cheese at the grocery store you might repeat the words in your mind or out loud a couple of times.   But if the last time you went to the store you forgot what it was you needed you may make a conscious effort to reinforce that repetition. Have you ever noticed that you turn your hand palm up and then tick off the list on your fingers? You touch your index finger with your thumb and say “Milk”.  Then you touch your middle finger with your thumb and say “bread” and then you touch your ring finger and say “cheese”.  Even so, you get to the store and you ask yourself  “was that Milk eggs and cheese or Milk, butter and bread?”

 

The simplest way to ensure that you don’t forget those three items is to get your right brain, the creative side, to link up the items your left brain has already tucked away in the “dark corner of whatever”.  So, how do you do that?  You use mental movies.  By applying graphic images, that move through a sequence you can memorize complex ideas or list simply by creating a mini movie.

 

I realize that most people could care less about what the default IRQ settings are on their computers, but that is a perfect example of what can be done with this simple method of memorization.  If you can use a mental movie to memorize this list you can use it to memorize anything.  Besides, I am preparing for some computer certification exams and I discovered that just reading and rereading this list of 16 interrupt default settings was not going to help me memorize them (yes selfishness).  For the sake of this topic I am only going to illustrate how to memorize IRQ’s 0 through 5.

 

 An IRQ is how a hardware device tells the processor that it needs attention.  What you would get from a book is a list like this: 

System Device    IRQ  

System timer              0

Keyboard                    1

Reserved                    2

COMs 2, 4                  3

COMs 1, 3                  4

LPT2 (usually available for other devices) 5 

There are 10 more that I lopped off for this exercise…

 Instead of trying to memorize that list in a traditional manner, try making an IRQ movie: Before you start this exercise, Make sure you are in a calm environment with no interruptions.  Close your eyes and take a few calming breaths.  Now, as you read the following concentrate on the individual pictures in the sequence. 

• Set a setting for the movie: 

•  
  • Picture a hill covered in a field of tall waving grass blowing in the wind.

• Now create the movie sequences for each item in the list:

•  
  • Picture an enormously large pocket watch floating above it. The watch face has the words “zero o’clock” written on it’s face.

•  
  • Now picture a computer keyboard floating in front of the watch. The keyboard flies towards the watch and smashes through it.

•  
  • The watch and keyboard dissolve and a sign floats up in it’s place.  The sign reads “No reservations for 2 .” The sign floats away to the right out of your vision.

•  
  • Three police officers advance up the hill from the left. They are speaking into shoulder mounted radios.  They are chanting “2, 4, 6, 8 who do we…”A mounted police officer confronts them from the right.  His horse has racing flags attached.  One has the number 1 on it and the other is number 3.  The four police officers argue, turn and walk away. 

•  
  • Two long straight poles drift in parallel in the air above the grassy hill.  They connect to a printer that drifts in from the right.  The printer has a large sheet of paper in it’s output tray that says “Fifth place” 

• Now close your eyes and take a few calming breaths.  Go through the scene again.

   You have just memorized the default settings for the first 5 IRQ’s on your computer. 

The clock represents the System Timer which is IRQ 0

The keyboard represents a keyboard IRQ 1. 

The no reservation sign signifies that number 2 IRQ  is reserved.

Com ports (communications ports) 2 and 4 are IRQ 3.

The 3 officers chant “2, 4 …”Com ports (communications ports) 1 and 3 are IRQ 4.

There are now 4 officers and the flags say 1 and 3.

LPT2 (second parallel printer port) is IRQ 5.    

System Device    IRQ  

System timer                 0

Keyboard                     1

Reserved                      2

COMs 2, 4                  3

COMs 1, 3                  4

LPT2 (usually available for other devices) 5

  

I recommend the following book:  Drawing on the right side of your brain by Dr. Betty Edwards (I read this book many years ago and it helped me to understand a lot of how the brain works.  There is a website dedicated to this book. http://www.drawright.com/ )  I would also recommend that people try to locate the Mega Memory kit that was sold by Kevin Trudeau.  Wikipedia has an entry stating that Trudeau  was prosecuted for fraud. over claims made in the advertising of this system, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MegaMemory, this may be the case since it does not give you a photographic memory, none the less the methods in this kit for creating a pegging list and memorizing list does work. This is from my own experience and the comments of others who have tried it.  Some of these comments can be found at http://www.thememorypage.net/mega.htm which is a website you should check out anyway.

Lee

     

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The cycle of spinning reality.

21. January 2009 by admin.

I do not want to give anyone the impression that I don’t think there are economical issues.  There are and some of them are very significant.  I do however want to address why they are getting worse and point my finger directly on the problem.  The media.

 

Winston Churchill addressed his country during World War II and made a profound and well known statement that both calmed and set a resolve for his citizens.  He said “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”

This statement said a lot and it applies to many things today just as it applied to the English long ago.

The biggest barrier to economic recovery is fear.  We as a nation allow this fear to effect everything.  I say allow, because we all stand by and let the television babble on and bombard us with the message that everything is going to hell.

 

The news media has gone over the edge before but now they have sensationalized the state of our economy into a realistic downward spiral.  By constantly bombarding us with messages of doom and gloom they are creating the very thing they claim they are showing concern for. Evidence of this can be found in an hour of any morning news program.  Nearly every story starts with “In these economical trying times…”, “With so many people losing their jobs…” and “If you need credit, but with the tightening of…”

 

The pretense is that they are trying to help us, by pointing out how to search for a job, how to save on ___________ (fill in the blank) or they promote concern for our mental stress during these trying times.  The reality is that they could care less.  These little “segments” are simply a way to easily fill air time and the message they deliver perpetuates the problem thus insuring that they can continue to fill more and more air time. In some cases this is reinforced with a sensationalized segment on will Wall Street spin out of control. These things of course are picked up by local news teams and the problem is reinforced in the local evening news.

 

There is an additional side effect.  Advertisers are using the same thing to draw in business.  These advertising pirates are jumping onto the same ship and announcing that it is sinking.  They use the same lines; “In these economical trying times…”, “With so many people losing their jobs…” and “If you need credit, but with the tightening of…”

 

The net effect of this is that the average person watching an early morning hour of television gets the message that the economy is collapsing on the average of about 8 or 9 times in that hour. [For those of you who fall into the motivational quadrant marked “exactness of process”, I apologize since this is a guess.]

This bombardment has to effect people.  Imagine that corporate officer that was going to expand his plant and hire 150 new people.  He now suddenly has doubts either because he himself was bombarded with “the sky is falling” or his wife passes it on to him over dinner. Worse, that Mom and Pop paper bag maker suddenly decides it is time to let a few people go just in case and suddenly Cathy and Bob are on the unemployment line. Have you noticed your the local gas station has started raising it’s prices to bank a little extra in preparation of doomsday?  Did your grocery chain store suddenly raise produce prices? Did you recently hear that a huge department store chain announced a hiring freeze to reassure the stock holders? All of this combines in creating the very problem discussed in that morning news program.

 

Now before someone points out that what I have just written here, in and of itself, is also promoting the problem, I would like to say that I am aware of it.  I don’t have a great answer to the problem or I would be screaming it now and splashing it across this page in a large flashy banner.  The truth is, that the only way to get the media to change tactics or correct what they are doing is to give them something else to fill up air time.  Right now there is some reprieve due to the medias coverage of the inauguration, but how long will that last?  Even ramping up to the event the twenty four hour news programs were filling up eight hour blocks in the coverage of a whistle stop train tour.

 So, what can you and I do.  I think for my part, I will let them know, nicely, that it is not appreciated.  I am starting with pointing out this problem here and continuing with my letting advertisers and news programs know that I don’t appreciate it.  Of course if you know Bob from the local appliance store you might mention to him that advertising “Yes, we offer great financing options.” Is just as effective and more appreciated than “With the sad state of the economy and when others are not offering credit, we at Billy Dan’s Big Appliance Emporium still offer terrific credit options.”  It also takes out the “world is ending” attitude.

Remember the biggest barrier to economic recovery is fear, so in a very real way “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.”

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Game developers should be screened…

8. January 2009 by admin.

A letter to Nintendo DS Developers

 

Please screen your game developers and programmers for the ability to add the simple function of PAUSING THE DANG GAME!

 

Clearly there is some kind of commercial advantage to leaving out certain features on some video games, but I cannot figure out what that advantage might be in this case.  Many Nintendo DS games do not have a pause function.  Most pause by closing the DS and placing it into sleep mode however many games do not “go to sleep”.

Parents are constantly having to deal with children who are surgically attached to a Nintendo DS.  This is bad enough, but having to deal with children who do not want to loose their hard earned accomplishments is enough to drive a person crazy.

“Just one more minute. I am almost to the next level.”

 

“I’ll turn it off as soon as I can save it.”

Not having a pause feature is going to hurt sales.  Many parents, like me, are simply going to bypass the purchase of any games lacking this feature.

As a matter of fact I may just start a list of “Games that you can’t pause” on my Tech site.

 Lee

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A Music Icon retires.

20. July 2008 by admin.

In April of this year a long standing Rock Icon quietly announced his retirement.  I, being a fan, did not even hear about it until weeks later.  Recently I was browsing the web and I discovered several press notices about the announcement.  It has been widely covered, but I would like to cover it myself because this particular person and some of his cohorts in music played a particular role in my life and even now I use different pieces of his music fondly as a ringtone when my wife calls me.

When I was a teenager I found myself without a band.  Every teenager of the time had a favorite band, but at age 15 I did not.  I liked the old Beatles stuff and I had a liking for Deep Purple and in later years many hard core rock bands were added.  But my first “Band” had a performer that is still one of my favorites today.  The problem was doubly perplexing for me when my parents moved me from a small Midwestern town to a much larger one.  It seemed like “Who’s your favorite band?” was the first question from every teenager I met.  This put me in a bad spot.  Trying to make new friends without an answer to that question was rough.   I desperately needed an answer. 

Then one day a neighbor who had recognized my problem handed me a set of headphones connected to a record player.  He handed me an a worn yellow album cover and he told me to read the lyrics while I listened. 

I was amazed at what I heard.  I listened intently to both sides of the album.  I read and re-read the lyrics and my favorite band was chosen.  The album I had been handed was called “A trick of the Tail” and it was made by a band called Genesis.

Unfortunately or fortunately it did not eliminate my problem. Now I had a favorite band, but nobody knew who they were.  While pop radio was playing idiotic songs like “Saturday Night” by the bay City Rollers I was listening to “Ripples” and “Squank”.  I was often confronted with “Genesis? Who is that?”  I believe my choice was fortunate.  It was fortunate for me, because it gave me something interesting to talk to them about.   Telling them about the music gave me a communications link that often led to good friendships.

I got my respect in later years.  When the band produced several songs that became popular.  Genesis and Phil Collins has recieved numerous awards and been nominated for many others since then. Including a Grammy for “Land of Confusion”.   I was further vidicated in my choice when the Band was inducted into the Rock and Role Hall of Fame last year. 

I am justified more and more every day. Just two nights ago the current members of Genesis (Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford)were awarded the MOJO award in London for Lifetime achievement.

Key to the Genesis band and one of my favorite performers was a musician of small stature with a big voice and a great mind for song writing. His name was Phil Collins.  I am often surprised at how many people have no idea what a volume of work Phil Collins has produced.  I am also surprised at how little many people know about his music history.  Given that he has done nothing new in the last three or four years it is not surprising that his fan base is waining, but still he did so many popular pieces you would think people would know.

 Promo picture from Testify

 I won’t bore you with a long dissertation on the work of Phil Collins, but there are some highlights I would like to mention. 

The Band Genesis was fully formed around 1974.  It had lots of roots and basically began with some early efforts long before then.  There is a good history of the band on a fan site at http://www.philcollinsfansite.com/genesis_history.html

Peter Gabriel left the band in 1975 to pursue a solo career. Phil stepped in to the lead singing role from being the drummer. There is a long story about how they searched and searched and could not find a replacement and then during a rehearsal they realized Phil was the right man.

Phil started his solo career while still being an active member of the band Genesis.  his first solo album did really well and despite this he and the other members of the band kept Genesis going.

While Phil was making a great solo career the band Genesis also produced several Multi Million Dollar albums.  Not bad for part time work.

He had numerous top ten songs and 7 number 1 hits in the US between 1984 and 1990.

In 1998 Phil stared in a movie called “Buster”.  My opinion was that it was a decent movie.

He produced 5 soundtrack albums and one of these, in my opinion, he had some of his best work overlooked.  Some of the lyrics in the songs on the Disney Tarzan soundtrack are heart wrenching.  The song “You’ll be in my heart” not only was a smash hit, it got Phil an Oscar!

In 1996 The band Genesis broke up.  Phil continued his solo career.

Phil did more than just the Genesis and solo work.  He has a session listing for music and or producing more than 85 additional albums with other performers.

I was greatly disappointed last year that I could not attend any of the Genesis tour concerts.  The band had done a tour after years of not playing together and I was unable to make the time to locate one of them. 

~  For what it is worth Phil, there is one guy out here who will not forget you or your music. 

Lee

If you want to hear Phil Collins at his best I  recommend either the soundtrack to Disney’s Tarzan or the Album “Serious Hits Live” (One of the few live albums I have ever liked.)

 Phil’s official website is http://www.philcollins.co.uk/index.htm

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Does anyone else name places along the road?

20. July 2008 by admin.

I have been wondering. Does anyone else name places along the road? 

You see I pass a large Sycamore tree standing in the niddle of a field and I have named it “the Tree of persistance” since it seems to remain there in defiance of the farm around it. 

I have named a lot on a curve in the highway “The Crying shame” because there is an abandoned trailer in the middle of waste high grass and because there is an early model Mustang Fastback hidden and rotting in that tall grass. 

There is also a  very tall gnarled and dead tree that seems to look as though it is pointing down a side road.   I have named it “the old man”.

There are others, but I think you get the idea.  Now, if you do this also, please let me know.

Lee

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Some new driving terms…

20. July 2008 by admin.

I have been doing a lot of driving lately and i would like to pass along some new terms I am using.

The Pusher - That Semi that runs just in front of you at the same speed you are and forces the drivers ahead to speed up or be run over.

The Blocker - That big truck running slower than you, but blocking all the people behind you who would have been tail gating.

LGG -  The little old lady who is a Local and lives on or near the highway.  Generally referred to as a Grocery Granny because when she pulls out in front of you doing 10 miles an hour it is on Grocery Day.

The Snagie - The hot shot who wanted to pass you and got frustrated when you kept speeding up before each of the clear passing areas.  He gets his name because in his anger after he actually does get past you he blows by the police officer doing 25 over the speed limit.

Lee

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Pop Music. Is it getting better?

20. July 2008 by admin.

Letting people have insight into your music preferences is a very strange thing.  We all do it, but it is an insight into a person that can tell you a lot about them.  I guess I’ll let my gaurd down here and give you some of my thoughts.

Is it just me or has the POP music industry gone completely over to the Girls?  I have been noticing this trend lately and after checking some top one hundred video sites I have noticed that women have the vast majority of videos listed.  I just checked the VH1 top 20 for this week and it is an even split.  10 women and 10 men. 

Of course this could indicate that the majority of viewers want to see women. 

And is it just me or is it getting better?

I am an old school rock fan. Seldom do I encounter a song outside of Pop Rock or hard rock that I have an appreciation for, but I did get hooked into country for brief time thanks to Cledus.  Yes, I said Cledus T Judd.  You see, he did a song about a new singer named Shania.  Then I read something about it somewhere and then I saw his video “If Shania was mine” (click here to see it on Youtube) and that let to me needing to find out more about who this Shania was.  Now I know that hard core country fans don’t consider her mainstream country and her style is a little off of the rock scene, but that’s what made her the most popular cross-over artist in recent history. She also did something else for country music.  Her music got guys like me to open their eyes and ears to country music.  I have listened to and liked several country music songs that I would never have known existed.

Having said all that I should point out that I do not like much Rap.  The Aerosmith/Run DMC “Walk this way” was pretty good.  After that Rap went down hill.  There was a few gimmic songs like “I like big butts” by Sir Mixalot and “Fight for your right to Party” by the Beastie boys.  I’ll even throw a kudoo’s to Eminem.  His movie “8 mile” was actually very good and I liked some of his music.  But if I had to say yes or not to Rap the answer would be a resounding “No”.  As a matter of fact I hate the majority of stuff they stick on MTV these days.  That’s a shame.  I use to like MTV in it’s early days.  Maybe my age is changing my taste, but I don’t think so.  I am still basically a rock fan, but now I keep an open ear and an open mind.  For example, “our song” by Taylor Swift is wonderful.  However I hate the video.  Listening with you own imagination works a lot better.  I like Rhianna’s “Shut up and Drive”, most of Fegies stuff and I have to give it to Christina agulera for “Candy Man”.  It completely has the authentic feel of a 1940’s pop song but with a modern zing and of course a twist on the lyrics. (And no, I am not old enough to remember the forties.  I just watch a lot of old War films.)  Did you notice that these are all women?

I like a lot of old school rock like Aerosmith, Electric Light Orchastra, Boston, Blue Oyster Cult, Sheap trick and dozens of others, but my favorite musician/singer/writer is Phil Collins.  Sadly a couple of weeks ago he announced his retirement.  No more tours, no more recordings just writing a few songs.  More on Phil in the next post to this section.

I guess the news has got me searching.  That would explain my recent venture back into current pop music.   Of course being a member of a generation that is not  currently in it’s teens I generally don’t follow popular music that much.  However, lately the “oldies” have been getting a little stale and I believe Phil’s recent announcment has caused me to wonder around searching for a new favorite performer or band.

I know in the past I just got sick of the new stuff.  It seemed to all be gangster wanna be’s promoting violence etc.  But in the last two years it seems that things have changed.  Perhaps Pop music is getting better.  I have actually found myself liking several new tunes lately.  Kid Rocks take on “Sweet home Alabama”  in his “All Summer Long” is one of the most interesting remakes I have ever heard. And all though I have never liked “boy bands” I have to admit that Summertime by the New Kids on the block is decent.  Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield is a great pick me up although I think the video lacks something. Nearly every popular song by Maroon 5 has an amazing distinct sound that I like.  Currently I am a big fan of Nickleback. I really like the song “photogragh.”  It takes me back to my high school days.  I like Daughty a lot, but of his three most popular songs there is no stand out.  They all three sound pretty much the same, like he made one really long song and chopped it into three peices.

 Anyway, I am either desperate for new music or it is getting better. Perhaps I am just a little lost.

Maybe soon I’ll post my all time top 20 favorites.

…I just looked at Stephen Kings top twenty on Entertainment Weekly.  He had Wild Wild West by the escape club as number 9 and Tube Snake boogy by ZZ Top as number one!  Maybe I shouldn’t be that revealing. 

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Calculating Travel Time. How fast do you need to drive?

20. July 2008 by admin.

   Have you ever needed to know how fast you would have to drive in order to get from point A to point B in X amount of time?  Well it’s something that most grade school of Junior high school children are taught.  The problem is that none of us remember it. If you are like me you probably become extremely frustrated with not being able to remember simple calculations.  After all, if you don’t use something a lot you forget about it.   For that reason my blog section on Gizmo’s and gadgets  is now going to contain peices on simply equations and everyday calculations. Gizmo’s for your mind. 

In case I have not mentioned it, I am an I.T. Specialist currently contracted through a technology firm to a large company as a Network Administrator.  Now I know this is off topic a little bit, but I mention it to explain why I spent time on this subject.  I had three different routes of generally the same distance to drive in order to get to my new assignment.  I started wondering about how fast i would have to drive to get there if I left at a certain time.  I dug up that old formula and played around with it a little.  Now given no outside influences like accidents, roaming deer or tornadoes I can calculate what speed I need to drive at.   

Calculating Travel Time.  

(Just naming this is a great exercise in communications caution.  What if I had said “Calculating Time travel”? Whole different topic aye?) 

 I decided to start with this one because it is a real life useful example. My drive to work each day is approximately 60 miles and most of it is on a two lane highway. Fourteen miles of it is Interstate.  Along the highway I have at least two sections of a mile or so where the speed limit drops to 40, so trying to figure exact driving time estimates would be rather cumbersome.  After all, calculating deceleration and acceleration would be a pain.  So for my estimates I am taking an average speed and using it.  

The simple formula is: (Rate) x (Time) = Distance 

So,  If you travel 60 miles at 65 miles per hour how long will it take? Simple.  Take the Distance (D) divide it by the Rate (R) to get the time. 

In this first example our distance is 60 miles and our Rate is 65 MPH

  (R) * (T) = (D) 

65 * T = 60 

T = 60/65 

T = 0.923 

Now to get the minutes multiply (T) by .60 

0.923 * .60 = .5538 

or basically 55 minutes.  

Now let’s drive the same distance at a faster Rate. 

Say 75 MPH 

(R) * (T) = (D) 

75 * T = 60 

T = 60/75 

T = 0.8 

0.8 * .60 = .48 

Basically 48 minutes.  

Now let’s look at what happens if I drive 55 most of the way and average in a 65 MPH interstate run. Getting an average speed is not to difficult. So,  I drive 14 miles on the interstate at 65 MPH and I drive 46 miles at 55 MPH.  To get an average speed let’s take Interstate (I) times 65 MPH and add it to Highway (H) times 55 MPH. 

We get the following:  (14 * 65) + (46 * 55)  = Total 

Total  = 910 + 2530  

Total = 3440 

Average Speed = 3440 / 60 

Average Speed (Rate) = 57.33 

Now let’s apply the formula to get the Time   

57.33 * T = 60 

T = 60/57.33 

T = 1.0465724751439037153322867608582 

1.0     * .60 (minutes) = 0.60  

Basically 60 minutes. 

Below are some shots of a spreadsheet layout I did for this.  If you want a copy of the spreadsheet you can download it by clicking the link below.  I do not guarantee it’s accuracy and I am not responsible or liable for any problems you encounter through its use. 

Click this sentence to download the spreadsheet. 

Spreadsheet  screens: 

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Tennessee Trip report….

20. July 2008 by admin.

That old saying is true. You just can’t go back, but every once in a while it’s good to share your favorite haunts from the past.

(This is a cut down version of a several page report sent to my family. )

I learned a lot on this trip.  I learned that I miss my childhood a lot more than I had ever thought.  I also learned that recording the past and reminissing on it can get in the way of the present. Fortunately I was smart enough to make this realization while I was on the trip and resolved to not let my past or my longing for it interfere with the here and now.  I also learned what a major strangle-hold McDonalds and Burger King have over my youngest children.  I had to make a two Mcky D’s stop promise to get them to agree to eat anywhere else on the trip. 

Sorry about the limited and poor pictures.  We were going to record things on video but we forgot the camera! We had planned this trip for years and actually locked it into our calendar over a month before.  Colleen and I were both giddy with anticipation that grew exponentially as the day approached.   

 We had two main goals on this trip.  To see some of our family members and and to visit Rutledge Falls.

The Twins meet the Falls.

We drove down on Friday and spent the night shooting fireworks at the Normandy Dam, watching the Manchester Fireworks display, swimming at the hotel pool and basically relaxing. 

 

Colleen and the boys eating at Davy Crockett.

Through the course of the Trip we managed to get the boys to eat at Davy Croketts, Jiffy Burger, Sonic, Jack in the box and a bad buffet that I won’t name here.

We spent most of Saturday visiting relatives in Winchester and McMinnville. This was something we enjoyed very much, and when asked it was actually Williams favorite part of the trip.  Out of respect to our relatives I won’t post pictures of them on this blog without permission, so the pictures were only included in my family trip report. 

We got lost several times.  This was due both to the long time periods between visits there and the bad Google Maps we were using.  Apparently The Google map we printed for driving to Winchester had  US 41 and ALT US 41 mixed up.  The illustration line was on the wrong one.  Travellers beware.

Sunday morning we had planned on hitting the Falls.  At breakfast we found out that Hanna Montana had recently visited the falls for a scene shot for a movie or something.  We are not fans, but apparently she had been signing autographs there.  After breakfast we headed straight for Rutledge

Falls.   

The boys loved the Falls.  Once they got down the rock steps of the trail far enough to see how big it was I could hear lots of “oh wow!”.  The water on the Falls was low, but it was still as wonderful as ever. We were not there five minutes and Chris was climbing it.  Chris was at the top in no time.  I warned him to stay back from the edge and to wait on William and I.  I offered to go up with William but warned him not to get behind me.  It was good advice.  I don’t know how far up I was or how far I fell/slid, but it hurt!  I am guessing that I was about twelve to fifteen feet up and slid a little more than half way down.  I frantically tried to get a grasp or a hold in the first nanoseconds but then just went with Issac Newton and let gravity take me. My ring flew off as rocks scrapped my hand.  Colleen said she saw me loose my footing and she turned away.  She was sure she would turn back and see me mangled.  Fortunately I was only bruised a little. I had stopped sliding before going over the edge.  I fished around for a moment or two and found my ring.  Living by the “Get Back on the Horse” rule I scaled the Falls again and helped William up it.   That’s us on top of the main falls.    I was actually more worried about going back down and had some difficulty with it.  I stopped in the middle so I could catch William if he fell, but we both made it down fine.  Chris had gone down first and had slipped twice.  Luckily he did not fall. He was at the bottom yelling something I could not hear over the rushing water.  Later I found out that what he was yelling was a suggestion from Colleen that I take off my shoes and socks.  It was sound advice, but I didn’t get it until I was down.

Great shot of Colleen!

We took the Boys on a mini tour. Right down from the falls Colleen took a spill in the stream and banged up her shins good.  I felt bad for her.  She banged her legs worse than I had.  One leg was bleeding and the other one had a big purple goose egg.  After letting her soak her wounds in the cold stream for a while we continued on.    I showed the boys where Brandi had gotten a black eye the time we had all stopped down there.  My two oldest children Amber, Michael and my nephew Brent had been with us that day (we were on our way back from Florida and Brandi and Brent are my niece and nephew).

Section just before the bend.  Falls in the background through the trees.

We took William and Christopher down to the fishing hole and the boys fed cracker crumbs to the fish that were abundant.  Colleen decide to stay there and I then took them on down past the rock ledge where the springs ran in from the cracks between the trail boulders.  We headed for the old swimming hole, but the water was too low.  I told the boys that it was not deep enough for us to swim there that day and they turned to head back up the path.I confess that I felt a little melancholy over my remembered childhood. We had often gone down there and jumped from the rock overhangs above the stream when the water was higher. On one of my past trips with our older children we had followed the stream all the way to it’s origin.  At it’s source the stream is just a gurgle of spring water coming out of the ground.  It’s amazing how that little bubble of spring water gets added to and becomes this huge creek.We had some free time Monday morning before we had to head back, so we decided we would watch for a museum on the way home.  After getting stuck in traffic on I-24 we eventually made it to the Stone River Battlefield site in

Murfreesboro.  It was very interesting.  We visited a couple of the tour sites and spent about an hour in the visitor center / museum. 

Keeping with our tradition of eating at new places we made our first visit to a fairly well known fast food restraunt that we had never been to before.Eventually we made it to Hendersonville and the all important McDonalds. A regular stop for us on these trips and a promised stop we made to the twins to get them to eat at all the other restraunts.

 Lee

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