Ground ---> UP!

Are you ready to begin this journey called building a house with me?  If you're not, feel free to tune out; if you are, welcome aboard!
  I'm going to give you all a little sneak-behind-the-scenes peek at how it's done!  Pictures don't really capture the intricacies, and definitely downplay the true size and scale of the project, but they'll have to suffice for now! 

TAKE 1: FIRST PHASE OF FOUNDATION  

(Btw, a few steps have been skipped purely out of lack of interest on my part... figured if it was boring to me, it would be to you too.)

 A side profile view of the basement (left) and the front of the house/first level (right)

View of the front (L) corner of the house looking across and back at basement

At this point, you are looking at the block walls of the foundation.  The land had to be cleared and excavated, and footings were then dug.  Rebar reinforcements were placed in the footings, and the footings were then poured solid with cement.  What you see in the above photos is the phase that followed.  Cement block (rebar reinforced) walls and piers (those gray columns sticking up in the basement) were installed along and within the footings, and cement was poured into each opening in the top of the block walls for support.  The foundation was then "water proofed", inspected, and back-filled.

Coming Soon: TAKE 2: Framing... the house will LOOK like a house. :)

The Ultimate Power Shift

Media Convergence...

media n.

     1.  (Electronics & Computer Science / Communications & Information) the means of communication that reach large numbers of people, such as television, newspapers, and radio.  

con·ver·gence  (kn-vûrjns) n.

1.  Defined (according to the The Free Dictionary Online) as: the act, condition, quality, or fact of converging (to tend toward or achieve union or a common conclusion or result).

OR...

2.  Physiologically speaking; defined as: the coordinated turning of the eyes inward to focus on an object at close range.

cross-eyed, maybe?

I've had a front row seat from which I've been able to witness The. Big. Revolution.  I've watched the evolution of media as it were.  I've lived through the technological advancements, economic convergence/consolidation, and convergence of cultures over the last 30+ years.  The biggest and most in-your-face changes taking place in the form of technological advancements.

My first years of television were spent adjusting 'rabbit ear' antennas and finding the 'right click' in the control knob.  If you didn't get the control knob set in the right groove, and the antenna wasn't in the right position, your picture looked like this:

I think you get the picture!  Imagine the joy of better quality as technology advanced.  Now, imagine how badly men in this world suffered prior to the invention of the remote control?!

And, along came this!  The trusty VCR.  Delayed gratification -- shows on demand... or so we thought!

For all of you 80s and 90s babies... man, this is depressing... I didn't own one of the first two cellular devices, but yes, my Dad did.  He had to carry the big console to and from his car in one hand, briefcase in the other.  Imagine the distraction of trying to make a call while driving with that?

Or, how about, "excuse me while I take this call... " while bending down to retrieve the device from it's secure place in it's suitcase case.

And... fast forward, or ff (as few ppl/people have time for anything more than an acronym these days!) -- VOILA!  2012, and the soon-to-be obsolete iPhone 4S.

I am a proud member of the convergent generation.  While living through the technological evolution of every digital device known to man, I have lived to experience the benefits.  The conveniences of such are difficult to verbalize, but given the short timeline via pictures, I'm sure you understand.  How many of you would like to revert back to 3 major televisions networks: CBS, NBC, and ABC?  Better yet, how many of you would like to tune in, and contend with a picture of any lesser quality than High Definition companied with internet connectivity? 

My mind cannot fathom that which lies ahead.  It seems as though the passing of time allows for the expedition of technological advancement.  What was once a 5-6 year lifespan on a device, has now been reduced to 2 years at the most; not to mention the fact that everything we could ever need or want is now offered in ONE SINGLE DEVICE.  Convergence.  The Ultimate Power Shift.  A topic for discussion in a future post!  

  

media -n- me

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See Above: this is what my One Day Media Log revealed.  Sad.  But, true.  I spent the entire day (with exception to a one hour break to shower and pick my children up from school, and a one hour break for dinner and clean-up) on my iPhone and MacBook Pro.  If I wasn't making a phone call, I was receiving a call or sending/reading a text message.  The majority of my phone calls were business related, and the majority of my text messages  involved friends and family.  The time I spent on my MacBook involved schoolwork and business work.

Wow.  What an eye-opening experience.  I wonder what my One Day Media Log would reveal if we were to have a national power outage?  My iPhone and MacBook would eventually run out of battery power.  Hmmm... 

RE-AL-I-TY... or not.

Below you will find 3 pictures representative of my 'vice'... my outlet... my unwind and no-think zone:

Satisfies my adventurous nature... the risk-taker, competitor in me...

Satisfies my need for a good love story... mixed with serious adversity, glamour, and gossip...

Satisfies my competitive urges and cooking knowledge... drama included!

The popularity of Reality TV has surged over the past decade.  I've been an avid Survivor fan since it began airing in 2000, and base my timeline of the existence of Reality TV on Survivor's history.  Maybe it doesn't technically hold first place in the historic lineup, but it's the first Reality TV I ever experienced.  

The rise in Reality TV popularity speaks volumes as to the media literacy of our culture.  Our culture is demanding more 'here and now', and has tired of the contrived and manufactured story lines of old.  It's also a reflection of the fact that Americans love getting a fishbowl view of others' lives.  Call it curiosity maybe.  I like the fact that stories unfold within the show.  Many times the reality of the show defies that which a script could ever depict.  

Yes, I know these shows are edited and clipped - sliced and diced.  The opening seasons for both The Bachelor and Survivor were perfect examples of the need for stealthy edit.  If you watched the season preview of The Bachelor closely you could determine the winner based upon the color of the dress or a feature of jewelry worn in the season finale.  Survivor competition previews in the early seasons included actual clips of competitors raising winning flags - again, if you watched closely, you knew who the winner was going to be.  

Careful editing is a must, but given the media-literate culture of today, so is editing integrity.  I believe our culture wants to see the REAL in reality.  When producers start to meddle with the cast, and story lines become contrived or manufactured viewers tune out.

Has the evolution of Reality TV been a good change?  Is it beneficial to our culture?  That's a topic for my next discussion!  I've enjoyed the change, but I won't be quick in telling you I believe the change has been beneficial to our culture. 

“Media Literacy” You Tube Style

Enter the words “media literacy” in the You Tube search engine, and you’ll find plenty of viewing material.  I purposely chose to bypass the first page of my search results, and randomly selected two clips: one from page 7, and one from page 9. 

What did I learn from watching both clips?  Nothing.  Well, let me rephrase that – what I already know was reinforced.  Both clips share a common thread: we should be selective, critical, and informed as consumer/viewers.  We shouldn’t believe everything we see, hear, and read; but instead, we should be skeptical and discerning of that which we’re taking in (watching, listening to, reading).

Caleb Young states in "Looking Deeper", “the movie-goer should become more critical and selective – refusing to be pandered to”.  Harold Ramis on Media Literacy Vs. Delivering A Story For An Audience suggests asking yourself, “what are they trying to sell me here – what idea are they selling?”  I completely agree with both Caleb and Harold.  We need to cautious and aware of that which is ‘sold’ to us; we need to be educated – literate. 

Technology will continue to become more advanced, cultures will experience change, and social trends will evolve, but one thing will never change: the end goal of media.  Media will always seek to sell the idea.

Houzz… that?

Houzz is definitely helpful if you need a little kick-start for your creative juices and hidden DIY talents.  Professionals also share their insight and expertise – free of charge!  It’s a resource with fresh perspective; a place where dust is given little time to settle, as new updates surface weekly!

This piece offers advice on selecting the ‘right’ home remodeler for your project; the “Houzz To” in selecting your contractor.   My husband is a general contractor, so I understand the value in selecting wisely.  The alternative to a good contractor is a costly fix.  Unfortunately, not everyone in the field offers quality craftsmanship. 

Here are a few of my own tips in preparing to find the right contractor for your project:

• Talk to friends – word of mouth is the best place to start.  Firsthand experience is priceless!
• Ask the professionals.  Home Depot, Lowes, your local hardware store – these are businesses that work with contractors daily, and reputation and quality work are hard to hide.
• Stay away from NARI and Angie’s List – strictly my opinion!  These are services paid for by the contractor: they are able to market themselves for a fee. 

 

“Bounty, The Quicker Picker-Upper”…

How many of you recognize that slogan?  Dare I admit to the fact that I can remember the voice and accent in which it was spoken too?   Have you ever seen a McDonald’s commercial featuring the real Ronald McDonald?  If so, do you remember where he loved to hang out?  How about FrankenBerries – remember those, and “Count Chocula?”  Oh, how I loved Saturday morning cartoons, and the few commercials of old!  My parents limited my television consumption to Saturday mornings from 9:00ish until maybe 11:00, and a Sunday family evening of the Wonderful World of Disney at 7:00pm.  Hee-Haw, Howdy Doody, and The Lawrence Welk shows were considered an added treat.  Clean, family-friendly entertainment at it’s best.  The media world slid its innuendoes under the noses of many unsuspecting protective parents, but the damages that resulted were maybe that of a cavity… or two!  After all, getting my Mom to buy “junk” cereal took a near miracle… in 1972. 

As a teenager, media played an expanded role in my world.  Magazines with foldout posters of Shaun Cassidy were a temptation on the newsstand, but again, protective Mama Bear limited my ability to indulge.  Sadly enough, Tiger Beat was comparable to Playboy in our house!  Television also proved to include a more mature menu in the form of Soap Operas.  General Hospital was the ‘forbidden evil’, and up until my first year of college, remained a mystery to me.  Media had the difficult job of getting past the Barricade of Protective Parents in our home!  The biggest source of advertisement was word of mouth.  Love’sBaby Soft, watermelon flavored Lip Smacker, and rainbow shoelaces were the rage – by means of peer popularity.

I wish my life were still virtually media-free.  Digital media has penetrated my world, and I would be virtually lost (no pun intended!) if I were to lose my iPhone.  The newest and greatest are only a click away; advertising streams through my email, daily.  Media surrounds me