The Wolff's Tale

Snowy Day at Home

2012-01-02T17:22:00.001-05:00

This was the first real snow of this winter. Thankfully I was off work today and didn't have to drive. Amy and I actually haven't left the apartment all day. I've heard that there have been several accidents on local highways.

You can see below that there hasn't been much accumulation. Amy has been quite enjoying seeing the snow fall. I'm sure also that it will look nice tomorrow on the drive into work, but the roads will be clear.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

Foggy Morning

2011-12-27T12:17:00.001-05:00

Heavy fog rolled in this morning. Occasionally it cleared just enough to get some good shots of the hills. This picture was taken with the HDR app on my iPhone.

~Matt

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T15:52:00.001-05:00

It has been a nice relaxing day thus far, just spending time with family, and opening a few presents.

Stockings were the first thing.

We got a nativity set from Peru! :-) We didn't have a set yet, so this will be nice to put out next year.

I got my wife's old "ID" which was cool to see.

And I got LEGO! :-D

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Wilderness Plateau,Pigeon Forge,United States

Immediate Accident

2011-12-20T11:59:00.001-05:00

I saw this accident at the end of my street today. Thankfully the fire/police station is right there.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Wal-Mart Confusion

2011-11-28T12:21:00.001-05:00

Last night as Amy and walked into Wal-Mart I saw this table.

I assume that someone forgot to take down the sign...

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Big Underground

2011-11-25T07:58:00.000-05:00

After we visited Abraham Lincoln's birthplace Amy and I continued on to Nashville. However, since we'd had such an early start I figured that we could make one more stop at Mammoth Cave. I'd been there years ago with my folks, but hadn't been back since, despite all the times I'd driven past on the way to and from Nashville. It wasn't that long of a drive from Lincoln's birthplace, but it was a nice break to be able to stop and walk around for a while. The roads were also nice on the drive to the Visitor's Center with quite a bit of forest on either side.

I made sure to stop at a couple of pull-offs to take pictures of the signs and enjoy the views a bit. It reminded me of driving along the Colonial Parkway.

Once we got to the Visitor's Center we looked around for a bit, but there wasn't that much to see inside.

I did make sure that we both took pictures next to the sign, ;-). Amy doesn't care for them, but I like to occasionally take stereotypical pictures like these.

All of the building area devoted to exhibits was under construction. I'm sure it will look nice when it is finished, but it meant that the only thing to look at in the building was the gift shop.

Though I have to admit that I did enjoy the central section of the Visitor's Center as it looked quite a bit like some of the National Park architecture out west.

After a bit we did decide to take one of the tours. Years ago we took a tour, but I'm not really sure which one we went on all those years ago. We missed the New Entrance tour (which seemed to focus on the natural aspects of the cave--including Frozen Niagara, which are the best formations in the cave), but took the Historic Tour. I really enjoyed the historical aspects, learning about the different things that have been done in the cave over the years. We gathered at Shelter A where our guide started telling us about the tour and then lead us down to the main cave entrance. The below right picture is part of the roof of the shelter that I thought looked quite interesting.

I'm sure that he's used the same jokes frequently, but it was still fun to hear our guide explain the tour.

The walk down to the cave entrance was nice, even though the rain was drizzling.

I also took a video of the walk down the path.

The entrance of the cave looked quite pretty. Our guide said that the water falling down is only that heavy a few times a year, but there had been plenty of rain recently.

During the War of 1812 the cave's owners rented a large number of slaves and used them to mine saltpeter--an essential component of gunpowder. Ruins of some of the equipment can still be found in the cave since the environment (temperature and lack of life) discourages decay.

I took a video of our guide explaining about some of the saltpeter mining. Just look at the darkness of the video and imagine being underground, surrounded by the darkness, as you listen (though you can see a few things in the light).

After walking back the main passageway for a bit (and seeing some more leftover equipment from mining operations) our guide stopped us at another point. He had a lantern which he employed after his college turned off all the electric lights.

I'm used to the dark when outside looking at the stars, but the complete dark of the cave is something different--the lantern also looked beautiful. He told us about several of the early cave guides, many of which were slaves of the cave owners. One of the most famous was Stephen Bishop who discovered several of the passages that we used.

"Stephen Bishop was unquestionably one of the greatest explorers Mammoth Cave has ever known. He was in his late teens when he was brought to Mammoth Cave in 1838. He learned the toured routes from white guides Joe Shackelford and Archibald Miller Jr. However, Stephen Bishop ventured beyond the toured areas and discovered many miles of the Mammoth Cave no eye had ever seen."You can read more about him at this site.

This video has slightly more light than the last because I pointed my camera at the lantern--so imagine you're in the cave and that tiny bit of light is all you can see.

After our next stop we turned down a side passage behind the Giant's Coffin. This was where we started seeing graffiti from the 1800s. Anything from before 1941 is historic, anything after that is illegal since it is now a National Park. Click here for a historic stereoscopic image of the formation.

One of the areas that we went through was called Fat Man's Misery. You needed to walk through with your legs close together and occasionally turn your body sideways. Then at the end you had to squat down a bit as you went through the "Tall Man's Misery" section. We kept hearing kids behind us convinced they'd come to the sections (we hadn't) or at least that we were in T-Rex Misery.

Did you know that there are restrooms in the cave? I think I remembered from years ago that there is a lunchroom (they don't serve food, but there are picnic tables) deep in the cave, but there are also several restrooms. I believe that they have drilled down for water and septic lines, but it is still interesting to see a bathroom in the middle of the cave. The right hand picture shows one of the light panels that our guide used to turn on the lights in each new section that we walked into.

I thought the smoke lettering was even more interesting than what was carved in the walls. It was apparently formed by taking candles and making the letters out of tiny circles of soot that collected on the rock when you stood underneath and raised the candles up. Think of it as early dot-matrix printing, ;-).

Nearby part of the ceiling was made out of harder rock (chert) that Native Americans use to turn into arrowheads.

When we reached the lowest area of the cave that we were going to visit (level four) we came to an area full of benches. Our guide explained that there had been wooden benches, but in a flood from the underground river earlier in the year they'd all been washed away and replaced with the current metal benches. I did take a picture of both of us so I could say that I had an underground shot of us:

Our guide then proceeded to show us the high water mark from that flood and other floods--though some of the historic ones had definitely filled the chamber. Then we headed into the next chamber where a large staircase had been constructed to take us back to the level that we started on so that we could go back outside.

When we came out into the area we could see that water was falling (in the shot below my flash reflected off of the falling drops).

The upper levels of Mammoth Cave are largely dry, as there is a layer of harder stone above that prevents water from leaking into most parts of the cave. This is why there are not many formations like stalagmites and stalactites as there are in other caves (like Carlsbad Caverns). However, there was some beautiful flowstone in this area that I managed to photograph.

The entrance of the cave appeared to be quite bright after coming from the dimly illuminated cave.

This video shows the trip out through the entrance and up the steps.

I had to take a picture of the equipment that the NPS used to create lines--it is the same brand that we use at the Creation Museum, ;-).

On the way out I took pictures of the ferns and other plants alongside the path that were really beautiful.

There were also some small waterfalls that I had time to photograph because it wasn't raining and we weren't trying to keep up with a guide. The bridge that we walked under (right picture) went from the Visitor's Center to the historic Mammoth Cave Hotel.

We're planning another trip back at some point where we'll take the New Entrance tour to see things like Frozen Niagara and other formations.

This album contains all of the above pictures, and a few more:

~Matt

Thanksgiving Prep

2011-11-24T11:54:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving preparations are coming along nicely. The main table is set.

Each place setting arranged with care.

The kids table even looks nice.

Perhaps some will be thankful if they remember to read their napkins.

The dressing is mixed.

The turkey has been fed (more charcoal added to keep the heat going).

The cranberry-orange relish made (kept in the jar last night),

And dished out.

And getting the plain cranberry relish ready.

The apple pies are even ready.

When will it be time to eat? ;-)

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Waldron Rd,La Vergne,United States

Birth(place) of a Legend

2011-11-24T06:13:00.000-05:00

On Monday, on our way down to Tennessee Amy and I got up quite early. We intended to go to Abraham Lincoln's birthplace, but wanted to be there when it opened so that we couldn't get to Nashville too late in the day. We did get there shortly after eight, its official opening time. There were virtually no other guests there, so it was nice to see things and not have to worry about crowds. One of the employees told us that they were expecting a couple large school groups late in the day.

The grounds were pretty after rain that morning, and I guess the past few days. Inside we watched a short movie and then walked around looking at the exhibits. There was a reconstruction of a cabin that likely showed what the Lincoln's family cabin was like. And of course there were Lincoln Logs, which Amy enjoyed playing with.

I thought a display showing Lincoln's family tree was quite interesting. It looked like half a circle and showed as many ancestors as are known.

After I got my passport stamp and we bought a couple postcards we walked outside towards the memorial building. It looks quite impressive. It was built in the early 1900s (the cornerstone was laid during Teddy Roosevelt's administration and President Taft came to the dedication). One of the rangers said that people often expect to find a statue inside because they think it looks like the Lincoln Memorial (which was completed a couple years later). I like this shot where it looks hidden amongst the trees. I thought it a good idea to use evergreens alongside the stairs since they'd look nice in the summer and winter.

There are fifty-six stairs leading up to the building, which represent the fifty-six years of Lincoln's life.

The building itself has many interesting features that were fun to photograph. Above the pillars you can read a quote from his second inauguration address: "with malice toward none, with charity for all" that was directed towards the southern states that were still in rebellion, though he was thinking ahead towards the reunification of the country.

There was an incredibly long walkway for wheelchair access that led from the Visitor's Center to the back of the building. We didn't walk along it, but there were some signs at the head of the walkway.

The cabin inside the building was recently discovered to definitely not be the Lincoln's original cabin, thought it was thought to be for many years. The logs were dated to the 1840s, which was several decades too young. It is now called the "symbolic cabin" since it is definitely the same type of cabin that Thomas and Sarah Lincoln would have lived in with their young family.

The farm where the Lincoln's lived was called Sinking Spring Farm, because of a spring that fell into a nearby cave. It was a reputedly a good farm and unfortunately the Lincolns were forced off because of a confusion over the title. They rented a nearby farm until 1816 when Thomas Lincoln finally lost his court battle and they decided to move to Indiana where Lincoln spent the rest of his youth.

We walked down to the spring and I took a video of the walk back up to the surface:

There was apparently also a historic inn nearby that was fun to read about, though we didn't go into its store.

You can see a gallery of all the pictures here:

~Matt

Pretzels

2011-11-23T14:06:00.001-05:00

Amy and my dad are making soft pretzels.

They all look quite good.

Rolling them out:

YouTube Video

Rolling out more:

Boiling them:

YouTube Video

Almost ready to be baked (Laurie is brushing egg on them).

Salted:

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Waldron Rd,La Vergne,United States

Jamestowne (yes with an "e")

2011-11-23T07:25:00.000-05:00

After visiting Yorktown Battlefield Amy and I went to Historic Jamestowne, and the other end of the Colonial National History Park (we'd visited the Glasshouse the day before). As mentioned previously, it was a fee free weekend, so we didn't have to pay the regular entrance fee. This was quite nice, but it also meant a very full parking lot. We saw at least one car illegally parked that had been ticketed, and we ourselves parked in the RV lot.

There was quite a bit to Jamestowne, perhaps more than I expected. I didn't take pictures inside the Visitor Center since that was all something that we'd seen last year, so I didn't think about going through it or documenting it this time around. Thankfully it was a beautiful day to walk around outside and see things. There was an interesting mixture of historic buildings and new buildings.

There was a very large monument that was quite hard to miss, I don't remember reading about it specifically, but I'm sure it was likely built around the 300th anniversary, when several other things were built.

The church was rebuilt in the early 1900s (around the 300th anniversary) and sits right next to where the reconstructed fort stands.

Of course there was a statue of Pocahontas, ;-). Of course it was much better than the crazy Disney "history" that most kids are familiar with.

I really enjoyed walking around the fort and the entire area actually. Amy is quite familiar with all of this and used to seeing things from the 1600s and 1700s, but I'm not quite accustomed to it. I grew up in California, so while there was some old Spanish History, much stuff was from the 1800s and later. I traveled around the country, but again, most things were from the 1800s and later, or perhaps the later part of the 1700s (e.g. the settlement of Kentucky and Cincinnati).

I can't believe it, but I just realized that I didn't take any pictures showing the whole fort. :( Thankfully the image above does show you what the fort looks like. Several places inside had informative signs next to stretches of dirt. Apparently since there isn't enough money to enclose excavated areas the researchers dig up areas, study the contents, make cool looking signs, and bury everything back up. This meant that there wasn't much to see inside the fort, but I can understand that they want to protect things. And the issue is that people stayed in the area for many years, continuing to build things until the capitol moved to Williamsburg.

These next couple pictures show one of the excavation areas that lies underneath where one of the walls of the fort was located. Obviously to continue the excavation they had to remove the fort walls, which detracts somewhat from that presentation, but allows the researchers to explore more of the history. By the time this building was constructed the original fort was long gone--but people want to see the walls of the original fort since that is the period people find most interesting. In fact if I remember correctly the excavation concerns a Civil War fort that was constructed long after all of the original structures (except for the church bell tower) were long gone:

The fort looked quite old, but the signs were very new and most of them had QR codes on them. We were too busy walking around, so I didn't take the time to scan any of them, but I figure that I should be able to scan the pictures later if I want to see what they link to.

Just outside the fort walls, towards the area that became the later settlement (where more houses were constructed once the settlement was well established) was a partial reconstruction of a barracks building.

After looking at this and a couple other areas we headed over to the Archaearium, a museum built over the ruins of the statehouse. It was really fascinating to look at the artifacts, and even look down to where some of the exposed foundations were preserved under the building. As I mentioned previously we actually had to leave while we were only partway through the Archaearium. Staff told us that the property was in lockdown mode and we had to go back to the visitor's center.

You can see all of the pictures (those above and more!) that I took at Jamestowne in a Picasa album here:

~Matt

Strange Pilot

2011-11-22T16:58:00.001-05:00

We filled up at a Pilot station yesterday, right across the street from another Pilot station.

YouTube Video

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Jamestowne Glasshouse

2011-11-20T21:41:00.001-05:00

The day before we visited Yorktown, Jamestowne, and Williamsburg we stopped by the glass house with Amy's family, the first area of Jamestown that you come to. You can walk by the ruins of the historic glasshouse first. I didn't take pictures of that since I had when we'd visited it last year. We headed to the new glasshouse first thing. Once there we looked in the giftshop and at the people blowing glass. They are fascinating to watch. One of the guys (the long-haired one) is an apprentice who is a student at a nearby college.

The picture on the right shows a guy working on a square shaped bottle. I guess I'd seen them, but didn't ever think about how they were made. In the video below you can see that he put the glob of molten glass into what appears to be a wet rectangular mold and blew it into the proper shape.

It was really fun to watch. Their methods are fairly traditional, except that they use natural gas flames to heat up the glass instead of fires as the original colonists would have done.

~Matt

Overnight

2011-11-19T07:46:00.001-05:00

I'm wrapping up the last Overnight of the year. It has been an interesting group (more adults--parents--than kids), but quite well behaved.

When coming in last night I realized that I had forgotten my sleeping bag. My amazing wife drove home got the stuff you brought it back to me later in the evening. She was wonderful, and it was good to see her a bit more than normal.

When walking through one of the exhibit areas I found a ceiling panel that had fallen down. Our Art Department director was still around, so I called him to come and take a look. We both held it up and tried to move it back into place, but it just didn't seem to fit. Finally he managed to move it slightly and it was back in place.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Deck Ln,Burlington,United States

Colonial Parkway

2011-11-18T11:45:00.016-05:00

NPS Image

On our way between Yorktown and Jamestown we passed by Williamsburg on the Colonial Parkway. This road actually connects the two National Park sites as part of the Colonial National Historical Park:

The Colonial Parkway is a twenty-three mile scenic roadway stretching from the York River at Yorktown to the James River at Jamestown. It connects Virginia's historic triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Several million travelers a year use this route to enjoy the natural and cultural beauty of Virginia.

Free of any "modern" commercial development, the parkway was designed to provide continuity to the visitor experience of motoring through nearly 400 years of American colonial history. Traversing a diverse environment, the parkway provides visitors with dramatic open vistas of rivers and tidal estuaries as well as shady passageways through pine and hardwood forests.

It was a nice drive, though a bit strange without lane markings. But it was nice to drive without seeing signs of modern development along most of the route. Sadly we didn't have the time (nor my wife the patience) to stop and photograph all of the sights and signs at the route's innumerable turnoffs, but I did photograph a few.

Origin of the York River

Cheatham Annex:

Confusing Bacons

All the pictures are in this album.
~Matt

Battle of Yorktown

2011-11-17T11:41:00.000-05:00

On Saturday Amy and I headed east on I-64. For veterans day weekend all National Parks that normally charge admission were free to enter. Incidentally I think it is a wonderful program. The National Park system in this country is amazing, and I don't really begrudge them entrance fees (it should mean lower taxes, ;-)), but encouraging people to visit with free days is a wonderful idea. I think it will encourage many local people to visit parks they might otherwise normally ignore due to their closeness.

We started off the day at the Yorktown Battlefield. It had been many years since I'd been to a battlefield, and all those I've been to were from the Civil War (or as those who grew up in my wife's state might say, the War of Northern Aggression, ;-)). I was quite eager to explore the battlefield, and we ended up spending more time there than Amy thought we would. We started out with a tour through the visitor's center and its exhibits. They have several artifacts from Washington's campaign tent and a 1/4 scale replica of part the HMS Charon, one of Cornwallis' ships that was sunk during the battle.

We bought an indispensable guide before we started out on the driving tour:

An audio tour of the 7-mile Battlefield Auto Tour Road is available for purchase in the sales shop. The cost of the audio tour is $4.95 for CD. It takes one hour and 15 minutes to complete.

If you're going to Yorktown then this is definitely worth the investment. It was informative and filled in much information about each stop on the tour (despite a few annoying "come to a complete stop at the stop sign" instructions). It also let you know every turn that you needed to take along the route. Along with this, the map, and the signs (left) it would have been quite difficult to get lost.

We started out learning about the first allied siege lines, which were started under cover of rain clouds--which also made the digging much easier.

The "Grand French Battery" stood at one end of the line and ended up being one of the chief sources of the shells that pounded the British over the ensuing siege.

Soon after these first lines were established the troops started working on getting more trenches dug and earthworks erected even closer to the British Lines.

One of the crucial steps involved in setting up this second set of defenses were the taking of two outlying British fortifications, redoubts 9 and 10. One was taken by a group of 400 crack French troops and the other by 400 veteran Americans.

The tour next took us into the woods where we saw the former location of the American supply depot, the Deposit.

Terrain was a key component of the battle.

I thought it was fascinating that this pond was in existence when the battle was fought:

We next took a slight detour (not from the tour, but from the fairly direct path up to this point) to drive to the Moore House. This was where the surrender negotiations took place. Apparently it is open some of the time, but wasn't the day we visited. The Americans insisted on rather strict terms, that the British weren't allowed full military honors. This was largely in retaliation for an American surrender earlier in the year at Charleston where they weren't accorded full honors by the British.

The fall scenery was really beautiful along the route.

And I enjoyed the plethora of signs, :-).

Though the visitor's center does provide a nice brochure, and we had the audio tour, I think we would have gotten a good amount of information even if we had only read the signs.

Over the course of the day we learned about how the fortifications were constructed, using wooden supports of various types to keep the earthenworks in position. I imagine that it must have been difficult to move each gun into position, especially those siege guns that weren't on wheeled carriages.

As the sign at the left indicates, "Washington described in his diary the work done behind the scenes prior to the construction fo the First Allied Siege Line: 'Much diligence was used in debarking and transporting the Stores, Cannon, & Ca. from Trebells Landing (distant 6 Miles) on James River. To camp; which for want of Teams went on heavily and in preparing Fascines, GAbions & ca. for the Siege...' "

Surrender Field was the last stop. We could have continued onto a wider tour of the allied fortifications, but while some sources indicated there was an audio tour for this section, I never saw it. We also knew that we wanted to see the rest of Jamestowne and a bit of Williamsburg before the end of the day. Therefore it seemed as though this was the best place to end the tour before we drove off. There was a a structure overlooking the field, where we could push a button to listen to a narration that explained about that day so many years ago.

Here is a video of the end of that narration and some views of the field itself:

~Matt

Williamsburg Again

2011-11-16T15:20:00.066-05:00

Last November I visited Colonial Williamsburg for the first time with Amy and her family. This trip we got to visit again and it was quite fun. Amy's family went to visit on Veterans Day since former military and families got free admission. We stopped by a Presbyterian meeting house first, a place that I don't remember going into before.

Besides pictures like these that help me re-read (or read for the first time when I'm rushed touring) signs and remember general locations I also enjoy taking pictures that are fun. The first main place we stopped was the capitol building where we went along on the next tour (starting just a couple minutes after we arrived).

The building is one of the many reasons to love Colonial Williamsburg. I really enjoy seeing the reconstructed buildings and being able to walk through them. Some buildings are original (with just some features restored), whereas others are completely rebuilt. Many historic sights only have buildings that are left and don't rebuild.

During the tour we came into one room where the House of Burgess met and the guide told people to sit anywhere but the Speaker's chair (which is actually on loan from the current House in Richmond), so my father-in-law sat down in the chair where the guide sits (knowing full well what he was doing--he has a great sense of humour). The guide then said that she and he would be "getting very close, very soon" at which point he moved to another seat. You can watch part of her presentation in this video.

I also really enjoyed taking pictures of one of the maps. I'd already listened to the presentation on another tour, so I listened to it out of one ear while I concentrated on taking pictures of the map at fun angles.

We also went into the coffee house, which Amy's family had never visited before. The reconstruction had just finished last spring and we visited in the fall when they must have just started to figure out how it would work. We had drink samples (tea, coffee, and historic-type hot chocolate) downstairs in the basement from paper cups while they now serve them in one of the main rooms out of actual china cups. The main point of the coffee house wasn't to serve drinks (like Starbucks or other modern coffee shops), it was rather a place where much business was conducted. One of the costumed people also talked to us for several minutes and was quite interesting to listen to.

Sadly we didn't see any fires, but we did see plenty of piles of wood. They must be getting ready for actual colder weather to hit, at which point (just like last Thanksgiving when we visited) they will have fires burning up and down the street.

Amy at one point also spotted a sign that she really liked. I have to admit that it is pretty good. It is a restroom sign that not only indicated the restrooms located a bit off the street as well as the next restroom down the road in either direction.

Amy's Favourite Sign.

Next we visited the blacksmith shop and enjoyed some time by the fire that was burning next to the construction site. While at the post office we discovered that there was someone there giving people a chance to write with a quill pen. He wrote each person's name at the top of a card and then gave them a chance to write their own name at the bottom with the quill. Amy did quite a bit better than I did in copying his style.

I had to get a picture of the sheep.

The fences and their old wood look wonderful.

The windmill was recently moved and is being reconstructed. Once they're finished it will be more visible and I'm guessing that people will be able to go through it or at least see it operating.

We left Williamsburg early this day so that we could go by the Glasshouse at Jamestown and then head back to Richmond. Amy and I headed back on Saturday evening to see a bit more of the city. We started out at the Governor's Palace gardens.

We've enjoyed the kitchen both times that we visited. It is fun to see what different dishes the cooks can come up with.

We took some pictures of a reading of the Declaration of Independence from the capitol building before heading over to one of the taverns for dinner.

Here is the album of the pictures from Colonial Williamsburg:

~Matt

PS Last, but not least is a picture of a "rat beer" trench. This is where the colonists would pour beer into a trench around warehouses, taverns, and their dwellings. Rats would come towards the building and instead of coming inside they would drink the beer and drown in it when they couldn't drink it fast enough. Just ask my wife about these architectural artifacts--she knows all about them.

Blacksmith Relocation

2011-11-16T07:38:00.003-05:00

While we did visit the blacksmith shop while in Williamsburg it wasn't the regular location. At the present time the blacksmith is located next to the wheelwright's shop. See a nail being made in this video.

I remember seeing the old blacksmith shop last November. But apparently Colonial Williamsburg researchers realized that the prior blacksmith shop wasn't completely accurate so they tore it down and are currently working on the replacement. One of the guys there told us that they'll be tearing down the building next door and rebuilding a tinsmith's building after the blacksmith is finished. Several pictures below illustrate the current construction efforts and the signage explaining it.

The kitchen was located very close to the blacksmith shop, which looks strange to modern eyes, but they discovered that the foundations were very close to each other, so they rebuilt the buildings that close.

Front of the blacksmith shop.

Blacksmith shop and kitchen (red)

Blacksmith shop (side view)

Apparently there is a webcam where you can watch the construction of the blacksmith shop. I noticed the camera itself when we were standing by the fire.

The building design will incorporate several modern features, like roofing material under the shingles and copper plating around the doorways that will help with weathering but won't be visible to guests.

They expected to start completing this side soon.

~Matt

Hong Kong Economics

2011-11-15T21:09:00.001-05:00

I just read an excellent article about the development of Hong Kong. Here is a favourite quote from Sir John Cowperthwaite who controlled the government's finances from 1961-1971:

When businessmen in the 1960s asked for special treatment for their industries, which they claimed were crucial to the colony’s well-being, Sir John Cowperthwaite replied that “I should have thought that a desirable industry was, almost by definition, one which could establish itself and thrive without special assistance in ordinary market conditions.”

“I believe government should not presume to tell any businessman or industrialist what he should or should not do, far less what he may or may not do—and no matter how it may be dressed up, that is what planning is.”

“In the long run, the aggregate of decisions of individual businessmen, exercising individual judgment in a free economy, even if often mistaken, is less likely to do harm than the centralized decisions of a government, and certainly the harm is likely to be counteracted faster. . . Over a wide field of our economy it is still the better course to rely on the 19th century’s ‘hidden hand’ than to thrust clumsy bureaucratic fingers into its sensitive mechanism.”

THE CHAMPION OF HONG KONG’ S FREEDOM.
A talk given to the Civil Society, University of Santa Clara, January 2005

By Christian Wignall
http://www.capstanglobal.com/id12.html

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

New phone

2011-11-15T07:33:00.001-05:00

Last night I switched phones. For two years I've had an AT&T iPhone 3GS. I upgraded to a 4S with Verizon. I didn't dislike AT&T, they just didn't get reception at work. Of course Verizon has repeaters throughout the Creation Museum, hence it's great service there. It has been a good switch, with only a couple issues. My text messages transferred over, but the name on each one shows the phone number instead of the person's name. I searched on-line and apparently others have had the issue. I tried several fixes and none have worked completely.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

Videos around Williamsburg

2011-11-15T07:25:00.002-05:00

Now of course there aren't videos directly in Colonial Williamsburg, but I took several videos while we were going through Colonial Williamsburg recently.

We took a tour of the capitol building and I recorded part of the presentation.

I saw a nail being made in the blacksmith's shop.

Amy and I always like going into the kitchen next to the Governor's Palace. The cooks make food and then leave it out on display for a while so that people can see the different dishes. It is always fun if you can see them when they are actually making the various dishes.

The three historical 18th century oyster shells contain three dozen modern oysters!

In the evening we saw the tail end of a Revolutionary City presentation. I've always enjoyed the sounds of the fife and drums, so I recorded two different segments:

~Matt

Leaving West Virginia

2011-11-14T14:42:00.001-05:00

We just stopped at a rest area, I think the last one in West Virginia. Any is driving for a bit...

It felt good to jog up the stairs two at a time after sitting for so long:

There were not one but at least TWO pay phones!

The wooded picnic area looked nice, but I never want to spend that much time in West Virginia. I want to get to Richmond or home.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Interstate 64,Hurricane,United States

The Cheese Shop

2011-11-14T10:33:00.001-05:00

We just stopped at The Cheese Shop, a wonderful store in Virginia that is happily on the way home.

Silver decorating balls (fun for Christmas cookies):

Nice wooden bowls (and a cool sign):

Scripture verse outside:

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Indian Ridge Rd,Stuarts Draft,United States

Smokies Sights and Sounds

2011-11-14T09:49:00.003-05:00

While we were the Smokies I also took several videos with my camera. It takes high-resolution video and as long as I remember to not jerk the camera around too much they seem to turn out okay.

I enjoy driving through tunnels. I remember driving through the Eisenhower tunnel several times with my parents. So we took this video while on one Smoky Mountain road.

We also visited the grist mill in Cade's Cove and I took video of both the interior machinery and the waterworks outside.

~Matt

Smoky Mountains in One Day

2011-11-13T13:45:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday we drove into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I'd been there the first time a couple years ago with my folks. I really enjoy national parks and the Smokies are truly beautiful. When I visited before we barely saw anything in North Carolina, so this time I was determined to explore the North Carolina side of the park. The first thing we did in the morning was to drive past everything on the Tennessee side.

We drove on Newfound Gap Road (the only road to cross the park) until we came to the Mingus Mill. The mill wasn't operating. Apparently it broke down over a year ago. Just the week before we arrived they'd turned everything back on (sending the water flowing to the mill, but the trough sprang another leak). They were hoping that it would be truly fixed soon, but they were making no promises.

After the mill we headed on to the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center. I wanted to be sure to get the stamp from there in my passport. The passport books are great because you can get it stamped at National Parks, Monuments, and Historic Sites. I now have all six stamps from the Smokies in my passport book (well I just read there is a visitor's center in Townsend that I missed). We saw more information about how the CCC contributed to the creation of the park as well as the origins of the park itself. Behind the Visitor's Center is a Mountain Farm Museum--which consists of relocated buildings from elsewhere in the park illustrating what a farm may have looked like at the time the park was formed.

After exploring these areas fully we drove back to Clingman's Dome. There is an observation tower on top of this, the highest point in the park. It is a hike of about half a mile, all steeply uphill. The view is beautiful, but apparently not as nice as it used to be. Many of the evergreens are dying due to a beetle introduced into the park years ago. We actually also saw snow on the drive up and when we got to the tower itself we saw a good bit of snow right at the base of the ramp. After enjoying the view, and taking some pictures (including several with my camera since I had cell signal and knew that they would be geo-tagged), we headed back down. Our next stop was only a short distance later once we got back to the main road. Newfound Gap is the pass that the road goes through when going over the mountains that run through the middle of the park. It was here that FDR had the ceremony to inaugurate the park. You can also see the border between Tennessee and North Carolina, so I had both Amy and I pose for pictures at the sign:

Next we drove to Cade's Cove. I'd honestly forgotten how far of a drive it was. (You can see the park map at this link.) It is a beautiful loop drive past several old houses and churches that were abandoned after the park was formed in the 30s. Because of the time we only stopped at a couple places--one of the churches and then at the Visitor's Center and Cable's Mill. Because it was late we got to see several animals. Deer were visible feeding at several spots along the road and we even saw wild turkeys. Then as we went to leave the park we saw many cars and people at the side of the road. They were out of their cars looking at a bear and cubs up on the slope. We didn't get out of the car, figuring it wasn't that smart to get too close to bears. The light wasn't great either, so I didn't figure that zoomed in pictures would turn out too well.

All of the pictures I've posted are in an album here (along with others):

~Matt

Faith, Facts, and Feelings

2011-11-13T12:18:00.002-05:00

Today's sermon in Virginia:

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Pump Rd,Richmond,United States

Jamestowne Evacuation

2011-11-13T10:16:00.000-05:00

I am planning on blogging more this afternoon about the past few days (I have plenty of pictures), but I thought that I'd post a quick update. We visited Jamestowne yesterday. We were in one of the museum areas when the staff came through and told us that everything was being locked down and we needed to go to the Visitor's Center. All over the property people were being directed back to the main building. Once we came up to the building we heard an announcement over a PA. Apparently someone had made a bomb threat. Since we'd seen most things we bought a couple things from the gift shop and headed over to Williamsburg, figuring it wasn't worth the wait until things were cleared.

~Matt

Loading Up

2011-11-09T07:15:00.001-05:00

We're about to head out. We have a few places to see in town, then we'll be heading to Virginia!

Where we've been staying:

Packing:

Area map:

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Collier Dr,Sevierville,United States

Weary Hiking

2011-11-08T19:47:00.001-05:00

Amy was tired after hiking along the trail, ;-)

Wandering Gatlinburg

2011-11-08T19:46:00.001-05:00

After visiting Wonder Works Amy and I drove to Gatlinburg, parked in a parking garage and then walked around for a couple hours.

Great kids book:

Doesn't this look like burning trees?

We didn't park on 1B!

We didn't break anything:

The stained glass was lovely:

For all the wrong-handed folks:

Flowers still bloom:

Cool phone booth:

Nice mossy roof:

Tervis store:

The Village (no monsters around):

Awesome fair-like food:

Cool "mall" area:

The first area mall:

Double decker Subway:

Traffic:

It was a fun evening and we enjoyed looking around at the sights.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Ridge Rd,Sevierville,United States

Wonderful

2011-11-08T08:15:00.001-05:00

Amy and I visited Wonder Works for free via an employee admission exchange with the Creation Museum.

The upside down building:

Amy playing a game:

A mist projection screen:

A staircase:

A wire display:

Turns into a shadow map of the US:

Amy plays the virtual harp:

A huge hand:

The lobby:

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Collier Dr,Sevierville,United States

Tennessee Humour

2011-11-07T19:38:00.001-05:00

My wife and I spent part of the afternoon walking around Gatlinburg. I found several good things to photograph. I especially enjoy humorous signs.

Tires...

2011-09-16T16:20:00.001-04:00

I was running some errands earlier this week when I noticed a gold Corolla missing a hubcap. I found this amusing as my gold Corolla is also missing one hubcap as is the car belonging to a coworker. Are gold Corolla's doomed to lose one hubcap? ;-)

Reflections

2011-06-25T09:40:00.003-04:00

God is good. It seems simple, it seems obvious, but it is so very true. Today is a wonderful day, an amazing day, a day I never thought would come. But today is here, and today is a good day. Today is the day I marry the most beautiful woman I know.

Many things have led to this day. I have often reflected on what led me to Kentucky and the job I enjoy at the Creation Museum. It is a turn of events that I could have never planned myself. I clearly see the hand of God orchestrating my steps to bring about His plan. And then I think of how he brought me to meet Amy. If you believe in luck what are the odds that I would find my future spouse hundreds of miles away during a weekend in June? But i don't believe in luck--God is sovereign. (you can read the story on our wedding website) There have been hard days since I proposed in late December. I remember thinking several times that this day would never come. Several times I was tempted to despair. Yet Amy was always there for me. However, she did not simply reassure or comfort me--she always reminded me of God's faithfulness, of His perfect character, and His promises to us. And I stove to remind her of the same during her difficult days.

But the day is finally here. I know God is good. The weather looked iffy for several days (we gave outside pictures planned), but the day has dawned with a predicted 0% chance of rain. Both of our families (mine a tad larger, ;-)) have gathered together to enjoy this day with us. The rehearsal last night went well (carrots notwithstanding :-P). I trust that today will continue to be s good day. No matter what happens I know that at the end of the day Amy and I will be wed. And God will be on His throne, where He always has been, is, and will be: the great I Am! I cannot ask for a better day. :-D

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Midway Rd,Henrico,United States

Amazing Prices

2011-06-08T19:04:00.000-04:00

I'm in the market for a new SD card for my camera. Currently I only have a 4GB card I got from a friend--but I'd like to get a new one before our honeymoon, a bigger one so that I don't have to spend time downloading pictures while we're on vacation (and no, I'm not saying where we're going--it is a surprise to Amy and so I'm not telling other people). I just searched Best Buy for 16GB cards and discovered that they're priced in the twenties. *sigh* I must be getting old. I remember when cards measured in megabytes were more than that!

~Matt

Mobile Version

2011-06-08T17:04:00.001-04:00

I know I haven't blogged much lately, but I just added an interesting feature. Blogger rolled out a mobile version for smartphones and I decided to turn it on. It isn't bad, even for my antiquated and modified template. This might inspire me to edit the format of this blog... ;-)

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

Ark

2011-05-25T20:29:00.000-04:00

I'm always on the lookout for new sci-fi...and believe me, it is hard to find. I was on Hulu watching some episodes when I came across something. I'd been watching Warehouse 13...it is cheesy, but not horrible. I lost track of Eureka a while ago and a couple other shows looked too far along to pick up (e.g. Sanctuary). Currently only Doctor Who is fulfilling my sci-fi fix (though it is doing a good job it isn't quite enough). I found Ark, a web series apparently published last year on Hulu. I can't find much about it on the web (apart from some articles written in 2010, but it was a fun watch. Apparently it was filmed on a shoestring budget and each "episode" is only a few minutes long--the shortest is three minutes and the longest a bit over nine minutes). If you like sci-fi give it a try. I might be repeating what others have said, but with the mystery it reminds me a bit of Lost--in the good old days (when the show was still enjoyable, long before the final season). But it is good sci-fi also.

You can watch all of the episodes for free on Hulu, so give it a look. I certainly hope that more of it pops up someday...

~Matt

"Repatriation" of Artifacts

2011-05-11T20:40:00.000-04:00

I found an excellent article on ancient artifacts (thanks to the Bible Places Blog).

Archaeological Views: A Case Against the Repatriation of Archaeological Artifacts

By Rachel Hallote
When I proposed a column to BAR editor Hershel Shanks on the issue of repatriation of artifacts to the country of origin, he said it was not something that engaged him. It didn’t matter to him, he said, where an artifact was located as long as it was available to scholars to examine and study, and was available to the public to see and appreciate. But Hershel is wrong. There is more to it than this. The real problem with repatriating artifacts is the sacrifice of one country’s history for the sake of another.

It is well worth the short read. Today many "Eastern" countries are demanding the "return" of artifacts from Western museums. But where is the best place for these? Is it right to deprive everyone in the US and Europe a view of these usually legitimately obtained artifacts? Also modern governments aren't the same as ancient ones or the ones in place when the artifacts moved to the west. But read the article, it is far more eloquent than I am.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

The End of a Circle

2011-04-20T21:22:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading Ted Dekker's Circle books...and it was an interesting trip. I won't deny that they were a thrilling read--I was glued from the first few pages of Black. However, I have some thoughts...and I'm not sure what I think of everything right now. If you haven't read the books then I have two warnings: 1) this might not make much sense and 2) there might be spoilers. I'll try to avoid the first, but not as hard to avoid the second.

The Circle is a series of books involving Thomas Hunter, the central character, who travels between two worlds--a version of the present day, and what appears to be the far future, where spiritual realities appear to have taken on physical form.

The original version of the books circle around, or form a loop. Its interesting, and something that I've seen before in sci-fi circles. I thought how it might be possible when reading through. However, the further on that the books go the clearer it is that they're not just fantastic, or some form of science-fiction. They're allegorical--talking about Christianity in some sense. So I found the following interesting in light of that connection to reality and true history:

Excerpt from an interview with Dekker, printed in the back of the omnibus edition of The Circle (ISBN 978-1-59554-792-7)
8) Black is a redo of history. Do you think history will be redone in the far future?
Ted: I'll answer with a question. Do you believe that humans will retain their humanity in the next life? That is, will they still have a free will? If so, they would still have a choice for evil, yes? Remove that choice and we essentially become like robots in the future.
So if evil exists in the next life, will anyone choose it, the way Lucifer first did? I suppose so. And if so, would the event involve another fall so to speak? We don't know. Perhaps this allegory I've penned is closer to the truth than one might think. Then again, probably not.

He isn't stating anything absolutely here, and to be fair this is the first of his books (and the only interview with him) that I've read, so I might be taking things out of context. If I am, then I'm more than willing to be corrected or advised of the truth. However, I find this slightly worrisome. We'll leave aside the issue of predestination versus free will for now. But he essentially asks if evil will exist in "the next life." I don't see how that can be read from scripture. I would say that the Bible is clear that Hell, sickness, death, disease, and everything that has to do with the curse will be cast into the Lake of Fire, forever.

All quotations from the New American Standard Bible
Revelation 20:14
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Revelation 21:4
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away

Revelation 22:3-4
And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.

These aren't the only verses, but the ones easiest to find when I flipped to the end of my Bible. I find the Circle an interesting story...but in the end it is only that. I don't see how you can read Scripture and seriously postulate that there will be another opportunity to sin, to fall, to disobey God. The reality of Heaven is that we will forever be in the presence of God and will forever worship Him. To me the possibility of another fall sounds like reincarnation or a yin-yang cycle. Frankly it isn't an appealing future at all. I look forward to heaven where I will be without the failings of my mortal flesh, where I will not sin, where I will be in the presence of God forever instead of a world full of temptation.

If God is truly omnipotent then why does evil get "another chance" to tempt mankind? Does it mean that the second death mentioned in Revelation above is only the second of an endless cycle?

Are we to be pitied if our hope doesn't rest in Christ and in eternal life, but instead has the possibility of an eternal cycle of "re-do?" The original ending of Green involves Thomas Hunter going back to the start of Black with the "God" character Elyon sending him there so that he can "do things over" in an effort to save his son (an apostate who doesn't enter heaven--like the dwarves in the stable in The Last Battle). My interpretation of the implication of the "circle" that Thomas keeps repeating his life in the same way, unable to save his son.

This was typed a bit quickly, and as I said I haven't read more of Dekker's writing. I'm not trying to condemn the man, not at all. I just noted the theme of the book and the interview question above and was slightly concerned. If you've read his books and see something different then please enlighten me--I'd love to learn more.

~Matt

Flowers Blooming

2011-04-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

Spring weather is definitely here--the days are nice and the flowers are starting to bloom.

The dinosaurs are begging to be let out of their cages.

And the gardens are starting to look like the wonderful, colorful display they will be for several months.

~Matt

Snakes Alive

2011-04-16T11:42:00.000-04:00

Today is another day of the Creation Museum's most popular workshop: Snakes Alive.

I've been coordinating this program for several years now. Unfortunately I'm usually to busy to watch any shows, but I've seen a few over the years. My fiancée likes snakes as much as my sister Erin (i.e. not at all) and she even sat through a show.

I do like walking past the presenters when they're advertising out in the museum and holding one of the snakes every now and then. I figure I might as well enjoy them at work as we'll never have one as a pet. (But I'm definitely okay with that. I love Amy far more than any animal.)

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Eve

2011-04-15T11:50:00.000-04:00

If you're near the Creation Museum today you should come see the presentation Eve Remembered at 3:00. It should be a great presentation (Geri is a wonderful actress), well worth your time.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Beautiful

2011-04-15T11:39:00.000-04:00

One week from today I'll be spending the day with my beautiful fiancée, several days actually. I can't wait. :-)

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Self-Sharpening Pencil

2011-04-14T22:00:00.001-04:00

Okay, I'd really like one of these!

Finally a Self-Sharpening Pencil
The Kuru Toga works by continually rotating a piece of "nano diamond lead" thanks to a rotating gear system inside the pencil. The rotation and sharpening ensures that the piece of lead will remain at a point giving you the same precise pencil marks you would get from a newly sharpened pencil.

I don't use pencils that often, but I prefer mechanical pencils because they do stay sharper than regular pencils--but even they only stay nice so long. It looks like this pencil has solved that issue. I wonder where I can buy one (and if it is affordable)!

HT: Isaac Schrödinger

PS I found one on Amazon, it doesn't seem too unreasonable for such a cool product...

Absurd...or is it?

2011-04-14T11:37:00.002-04:00

I thought this news story was absurd at first.

Chicago school bans some lunches brought from home
To encourage healthful eating, Chicago school doesn't allow kids to bring lunches or certain snacks from home — and some parents, and many students, aren't fans of the policy.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-04-11/news/ct-met-school-lunch-restrictions-041120110410_1_lunch-food-provider-public-school

But in reality it is worse than that. This is the government trying to take over more parental responsibilities. It only gets worse from here. Food, healthcare, education--totalitarian states control them all. Are we headed down that road slowly or quickly?

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

An Amusing Card

2011-04-13T14:50:00.000-04:00

I found this card while cleaning.

My grandparents sent it to me years ago.

I thought it would be fun to scan the barcode. When I did this product came up! ;-)

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

God is Present

2011-04-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

I found something that I'm pretty sure I didn't write, but I have no idea of the source. I must have copied it from somewhere.

I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly My Lord was speaking.

"My name is I am."
He paused.
I waited. He continued.
"When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I WAS.
When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I WILL BE.
When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here. My name is I AM."

Its an interesting piece. I've always liked the name "I AM." So much is contained within those two words that so well describe God.

Old quote

2011-04-11T10:06:00.000-04:00

I just found an old quote I'd written down in college. I'm not sure if it originated with one of my professors or if he was quoting someone else.

"It is God's responsibility to judge Osama bin Laden. It is our responsibility to arrange the meeting."

I thought it was interesting to remember this. A little more than nine years (I don't know exactly when the quote is from ) ago the world was a different place. 9/11 was fresh in our minds and most people who didn't know geography weren't thinking about Iraq, Iran, Libya, North Korea, etc...

~Matt

Strange Headline

2011-03-31T19:44:00.001-04:00

Out of context this headline sounds very, very strange...

From the BBC: "Liverpool told to buy Asian stars"

~Matt

Signs of Spring

2011-03-22T11:32:00.000-04:00

I snapped this shot as I was leaving work yesterday evening. It has been nice to leave while it is still light outside, and I'm definitely enjoying the warmer weather that comes along with the start of spring. I can't wait for the Creation Museum's gardens to be full of flowers and other summer plants. Of course the more things are growing the closer it is to June 25... ;-)

~Matt

Post Office Failure (again)

2011-03-16T14:04:00.001-04:00

A few days ago I was checking the mail in my apartment building (since there are only four apartments it all comes into one spot) when I found this letter:

I live in Kentucky. This letter was mailed from an address in Colorado to an address in Colorado. I obscured the address details but I live on Highland Avenue at the same number this letter was mailed to--but of course it was sent to Highland Drive, in Colorado.

I have no idea how this letter made it all the way to Kentucky, but I couldn't resist snapping a picture of it before putting it back out in the mail.

Oh, and the title of this post includes the word (again) because this is at least the second time this has happened. Read about the first adventure here.

~Matt

Idea for Google

2011-02-08T20:48:00.002-05:00

Fridges today look quite fancy. This is the control panel from my sister's new fridge. Will Google have Android powered fridges soon? ;-)

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

UFO Truck?

2011-02-04T10:20:00.001-05:00

I saw this truck on the way into work. From the right angle/distance it looked like it was carrying a UFO.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Cleaning Discoveries

2011-01-24T17:59:00.000-05:00

I've been cleaning things out recently and have found some interesting things that I'd long ago forgotten about.

Have you ever heard the line ignorance is bliss? A while ago I wrote a twist on that: "Yea verily I walk through the valley of the shadow of ignorance, but I know no bliss."

I also found a bookmark from a place called "The Bookstore" with an amusing tagline that they have been "serving the community since last Tuesday."

And lastly (well it isn't the last thing I found, but the last I'll post about) I found a letter from Mark Baker. Mark works for the accounting department at The Master's College. One day he had to send me a letter saying that the college records showed a check to me hadn't been cashed and he slightly tweaked the form letter:
"Please respond on the bottom of this letter and return to me at Box #35 or stop by my office in Vider Hall. Or talk to me at dinner. Or at my apartment. Or on the way to my apartment. Or on the way back to the dorm from my apartment. Or in your dorm room."

Ah, memories... :-)

~Matt

Dated Technology

2011-01-24T12:28:00.001-05:00

I'm cleaning today and found this old document. Technology sure dates itself. This brochure is from a 100MB zip drive! Infinite storage? ;-) It did seem big at the time...

~Matt

PS Here is the receipt from that purchase back in March 2000...

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

Amusing Advertisement

2011-01-23T01:47:00.002-05:00

I just saw an amusing ad on Facebook. I liked their phrasing:

We made a faster Internet

We created High Speed Internet in our lab, raised it, trained it, and then fed it vitamins.

It almost makes me want to click on the ad just because of its cleverness.

~Matt

Is it cold?

2011-01-22T07:30:00.001-05:00

I'll even admit that this is cold, coat wearing weather.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Snowy Traffic

2011-01-07T23:20:00.001-05:00

It started snowing this afternoon. It wasn't too much, just enough to make the roads dangerous. I ended up leaving work late, around 6:45. I didn't get home until 8:15!

The drive normally takes me 20 minutes. You can see how bad traffic was on this screenshot above. The interstate wasn't actually that bad, whereas I'd heard that other roads were nasty. The problem was people heading in other directions. I was quite glad to get home and heat up something for dinner.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

House Reads Constitution

2011-01-06T11:11:00.001-05:00

I hope this turns out to be far more than a "political stunt." I think it may be good for some people to hear the text of the Constitution. I remember reading some time ago that many lawyers and others had never even read it.

I'll admit that as a history and political studies major I read more historical documents than most--but I think the Constitution should be required reading for all students before they leave high school so they can understand more about where our government comes from. There is little chance most people can understand things like the tax code or food regulations...but the Constitution, the "supreme law of the land" isn't hard to understand.

Bread upon the Waters: House Reads Constitution This Morning, About 10:30 a.m.

~Matt

Attempted Hijacking Foiled by Fellow Passengers

2011-01-06T09:45:00.001-05:00

Turkish Man Overpowered by Passengers After Attempting to Hijack Plane | The Gateway Pundit

A Turkish man was overpowered by passengers after he attempted to hijack a plane from Oslo, Norway to Istanbul. He said he had a bomb and attempted to storm the cockpit.

I've said for a while that I think things like this would happen if terrorists tried to hijack planes again. I don't think people want another 9/11, so they'll be willing to protect the plane from attempted hijackers.

~Matt

Website music

2011-01-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

Have you ever visited a website that immediately started playing a song? I strongly dislike websites that do that--especially when I have to hunt around and figure out how to turn it off. Sometimes when I can't find the switch right away I just leave the website, ignoring whatever it was I came to see. This morning I visited a site that had a wonderful, prominent link to turn the music off! It wasn't bad music, and I might even listen if I go back, but I really appreciated the link.

Last night I visited City Barbecue with my friends Kyle and Amanda...and it was good food. As I'm off today I decided to poke around their website and see if I could learn more about the store (yes, I'm slightly bored as I've read most of the blogs I keep up on and Facebook posts). As I said the page loaded with music, and then I saw a link at the top of the page: Stop the music!. It was a wonderful sight. :-)

~Matt

PS Apparently the restaurants are local to the Tri-State (Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky). But if you like barbecue and are in the area they're well worth visiting!

December 22, 2010

2010-12-22T00:58:00.001-05:00

Good morning my beautiful fiancée,

I like the sound of that word, but I like the idea of using wife someday even better. I pray that work really is not too long of a day for you. I'll be there to pick you up at the end of the day and to pray for you as you need. Please let me know. :-)

Psalms 94:22

But the LORD is my refuge; my God is the rock of my protection.

He will shelter and protect us--far better than anything man-made. I thank Him for this goodness all the time.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Michaux Ln,Tuckahoe,United States

Taiwan

2010-09-28T10:16:00.001-04:00

We're in Taipei, waiting to board our flight to San Francisco.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:HángZhàn North Rd,Dayuan Township,Taiwan

Leaving Thailand

2010-09-27T19:22:00.001-04:00

We're leaving Thailand a bit later this morning. Is is currently 06:30 Tuesday morning in Chiang Mai.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Charoen Prathet,Chang Khlan,Thailand

Eight?

2010-08-15T11:11:00.000-04:00

Since when do hot dogs and hot dog buns come in packages of eight? I'm so confused...

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

No Signal?

2010-07-21T11:20:00.000-04:00

I saw this interesting signal information on my iPhone this morning shortly after I left the break room (at the Museum Center) and entered an area that had a cell signal. I'm not sure how I can be on 3G and have no signal, ;-).

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:U.S. 27,Cincinnati,United States

Temporary Tags

2010-07-19T21:12:00.000-04:00

I've never seen a tag like this before.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Starcraft II

2010-07-18T20:25:00.000-04:00

I can't believe this game is almost out. I doubt I have a computer that could play it, but if there was one video game I'd buy these days this would be it.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Future Risk

2010-07-07T20:47:00.000-04:00

The other guys are playing Axis and Allies, but I'm part of the group playing Risk 2210.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Hummingbird Ln,Hebron,United States

I like Folders

2010-07-07T12:35:00.000-04:00

One if the nicest features of upgrading to iOS 4 on my phone has been organizing apps into folders. I consolidated several screens into my home screen.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Busy Camel Rides

2010-07-05T23:14:00.000-04:00

Today was a busy day working with camel rides. It was the biggest day thus far (the third day), but as it was a holiday the museum also had large crowds. I need to ride the camel again to get my picture taken, but several other staff members have also had the chance to ride.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Goodbye Time Clock

2010-07-04T22:16:00.000-04:00

I won't miss seeing you.

No, I'm not leaving work, but I'm now on salary so I don't have to use this machine any more. I'm free! ;-) This a great Independence Day!

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Forty Nine

2010-07-02T23:14:00.000-04:00

I just noticed my car has 49,000 miles on the odometer. It had less than 11,000 when I bought it in early 2008.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Slow Night in Cincy

2010-06-30T23:39:00.000-04:00

Tonight was a slow night at the Museum Center! All three museums (as well as the Omnimax and special exhibit) were open for a member's night. Unfortunately very few people showed up. I spent most of the time standing around in the History Museum reading or talking to other staff members. We actually ended up shutting things down early... I hope that tomorrow evening is busier!

Thunder and Rain

2010-06-28T00:05:00.000-04:00

I just drove home through pouring rain. If I hadn't been seeing lightning on a very regular basis I'd go for a short walk.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Is a storm coming?

2010-06-27T13:01:00.000-04:00

When I look to the south east I see this view:

But to the west dark clouds are rolling in.

The temperature is 91, so some rain would be welcome.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:U.S. 42,Florence,United States

Family Fun

2010-06-26T23:20:00.000-04:00

I had a great time when The Pest & Co. (as I fondly call my California sister and her family, :-)) visited a short time ago. I got to spend one day with them touring the Creation Museum--that was great. Before they left we did make sure to grab some pictures--this one was of most of the family members that were around, except for those that didn't want to be in the picture for some reason. The kids are getting too tall! I remember when they were so young and I'd babysit them when I was in college. *sigh*

~Matt

History Report

2010-06-25T23:17:00.000-04:00

So I know I haven't yet posted many pictures from Virginia. I've been wanting to do that, but I've been a bit busy with work (I know, nothing new there). I did just start burning DVDs of these pictures for a few people, so I'm going to try and carve out enough time to post more pictures with commentary. Feel free to bug me if you don't see it soon.

~Matt

Unbroken

2010-06-24T13:08:00.000-04:00

It isn't polished by any means, simply heartfelt yet perhaps not blunt enough.

Unbroken

Why can I find no rest,
As my weary bones ache?
Where has peace fled,
Amidst troubled musings?

Shall worries ever increase,
Amidst lingering troubles?
Will my clinging to doubt,
Give weight to uncertainty?

I strive to move forward,
Ever pushing myself onward.
New challenges I seek out,
As old follies seek to ensnare.

May I never rest peacefully,
Under the shadow of Your wings?
Can I learn to trust Your Word,
And dwell upon Your promises?

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Deck Ln,Burlington,United States

Summer Fair #1: Dearborn County

2010-06-24T12:04:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to the first fair of the summer with Kyle and Amanda, the Dearborn County Fair just over the river in Indiana.
Amanda wanted to try frog legs. She offered me some and they weren't bad. They tasted fishy but weren't bad.

We watched the goats for a little while--I think this was the intermediate level.

We saw this hand washing station and Kyle thought about playing Frisbee, but we couldn't find one (and Edana wasn't along either, :( ).

There were a few cows, but the area was dark and my picture didn't turn out too well. This one was even a combination of two shots.

When we came up to this pen the older goat was eating out of the food dish, right around the small one.

I thought this drawing was pretty cool--it is quite intricate.

Ah, old things, they can look so cool when you repurpose them.

This was a Tide goat! Quite a creative reusing of parts.

I'd love to figure out what wood this was made of. I liked how it transitions from light to dark tones.

I took this picture to show Amanda how the camera worked, but it is a neat LEGO creation.

I'm not sure what the significance of this was,but Amanda wanted a picture of it.

Can you read the text? It claims that a serving of peanut butter should be the size as the tip of your thumb!! Who can just eat that small of an amount of peanut butter? Even if I'm just getting some as a quick snack I always eat more than that.

When I first read this I thought it said Live (as in alive, not dead) Tobacco, free!

We saw the Williams brothers and talked for a bit.

We had to visit the small critters.

Some of the rabbit breeds were familiar, though Kyle just kept calling them dinner.

Amanda and I both had to drag Kyle over for this shot.

This was in the same area as the above piece--a chainsaw carver. I remember seeing this same setup the past couple years. The designs are pretty cool.

I had to take at least one picture of a tent stake--it is in my photography contract, ;-).

The sheep were pretty cool.

This little goat seemed so tiny.

This makes for an even better size comparison.

We didn't stop here, but I had to get a picture of books!

I saw this sign on the way out. There wasn't anyone around for me to make sure that my car was authorized and okay to drive around outside of the fair...

I plan to visit more fairs over the summer and hopefully I'll post about them also.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Creative Ad

2010-06-21T09:07:00.001-04:00

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

Amusement

2010-06-21T06:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, after church I went to Kings Island with Edana and Brion. They both have passes and it was bring a friend for $10 day.

This log ride was the first one we rode. It sure felt good to get wet.

Brion's shirt turns colors in the sunlight.

We only ended up going on three rides. I got my one time ride on Diamondback (fun, but it made me nauseated quickly). It was worth it for a fun afternoon.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Trust in the Lord

2010-06-20T10:54:00.001-04:00

I need to remember this more often and trust God even when I am uncertain.

Psalm 25 (HCSB)

1 LORD, I turn my hope to You. 2 My God, I trust in You. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me. 3 Not one person who waits for You will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced. 4 Make Your ways known to me, LORD; teach me Your paths. 5 Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long. 6 Remember, LORD, Your compassion and Your faithful love, for they have existed from antiquity. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with Your faithful love, remember me because of Your goodness, LORD. 8 The LORD is good and upright; therefore He shows sinners the way. 9 He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. 10 All the LORD's ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep His covenant and decrees. 11 Because of Your name, LORD, forgive my sin, for it is great. 12 Who is the person who fears the LORD? He will show him the way he should choose. 13 He will live a good life, and his descendants will inherit the land. 14 The secret counsel of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He reveals His covenant to them. 15 My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will pull my feet out of the net. 16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am alone and afflicted. 17 The distresses of my heart increase; bring me out of my sufferings. 18 Consider my affliction and trouble, and take away all my sins. 19 Consider my enemies; they are numerous, and they hate me violently. 20 Guard me and deliver me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in You. 21 May integrity and uprightness keep me, for I wait for You. 22 God, redeem Israel, from all its distresses.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Cheviot Rd,Colerain,United States

Patches

2010-06-19T08:37:00.000-04:00

My youngest California nephew wears an eyepatch for a short time each day to help the vision in one eye. My sister typically decorates the patch each day, or asks someone else to help. Seeing as I can't draw and the day before the Dodgers had beat the Reds I drew this design when she asked me.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Pond

2010-06-19T08:04:00.000-04:00

I didn't realize the word pond could be a verb. I opened my Weather Channel app this morning and clicked on the severe weather alert. At the bottom I spotted these lines.

Interesting.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Millions of Dollars

2010-06-18T22:52:00.000-04:00

I just recieved an e-mail that must be the Iraq war version of the Nigerian banker scam. It is interesting how poor grammar is such an obvious giveaway.

I guess I'm going to lose out on my chance for millions. :'-(

Hello,

My name is Jason McCain, a Staff Sergeant in the US Army presently
serving in Afghanistan as a combat instructor,Some money in various
currencies where discovered in barrels at a farm house in Iraq during a
rescue operation early 2009 and it was agreed by Staff Sergent Kenneth
Buff and myself that some part of this money be shared between both of us
before informing anybody about it since both of us saw the money
first,$8Million Dollars (Eight Million Dollars)was given to me as my own
share,but I tell you what! No compensation can makeup for the risk we are
taken with our lives.

So I'm seeking your kind assistance to move the sum of US$8M to you as far
as I can be assured hat my share will be safe in your care until I
complete my service here in (AFGHANISTAN).This is my second letter to
you,i had contacted you before through this email, but, yet no reply from
you am contacting you again because of the urgent nature of this
transaction so that i can start with the arrangement to ensure that your
receive the funds in your care as soon as possible.you will be rewarded
with 20% of this funds for your help, all that I required is your trust
til the money get to you,If you are willing to help please
reply:EMAIL:(jmccain1975@live.com)for further details.

Sincerely,
SSgt.Jason McCain

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Chocolate and Fruit

2010-06-18T18:33:00.000-04:00

They don't mix. This piece of yogurt pie had chocolate shavings as well as raspberries. I took the chocolate off and gave it to my sisters before enjoying the rest.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Home from Virginia

2010-06-17T18:28:00.000-04:00

On Sunday I traveled back from Virginia--it was a long day, but a good time nonetheless.

While in Richmond there was no chance to visit a historical site. Therefore on the way home we stopped of at Monticello. I haven't been there since I was a kid. I did forget to pay cash for something--I remember getting two dollar bills as change. No pictures were allowed inside, but I did grab many outside shots including these two on my iPhone.

We stopped at Wendy's for lunch--but it turned out to be 2.7 miles off the interstate. Needless to say it wasn't quite as quick as we'd hoped.

Somewhere in West Virginia the rain started pouring down. Of course it was a downpour just as we drove into a rest area because some people needed to use the restrooms.

YouTube Video

We did make it to the restrooms, and I ducked into the welcome center area to get a state map. The rain did stop for a while.

I always like taking pictures after a rain shower--the water seems to make greens really pop.

Ever since I visited the Smokies I've really appreciated "smoky hills"

Once we were back on the road the rain started back up.

When we stopped at a truck stop our pickup and trailer seemed so small.

I thought this was a cool penny machine with eight different designs, until I tried to make a second design. The descriptions were labeled incorrectly! I got two "Lucky West Virginia" pennies, and I didn't even want one of them. *sigh*

I did think these spoons were pretty cool. I've bought ones like this before at the Appalachian Culture Fest at the Museum Center.

One of the people driving with us wondered why I took this picture, but I have to take pictures of strange signs. :-)

We drove over several bridges of this type.

We were about thirty minutes from Winchester, KY, but Dan and I still tried to find Ale-8. It was too expensive.

This vending machine was inside the Wal-Mart located at the exit where the Ale-8 bottling plant is located.

Awesome selection!

And we all thought this bus was strange with no signs or distinguishing markings.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Electrical Storm

2010-06-14T22:48:00.000-04:00

YouTube Video

Most of the family is on the front porch enjoying a thunder storm.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

Lexington

2010-06-13T17:04:00.000-04:00

We're going through Lexington on the way home instead of small Ohio highways.

Hopefully we'll be home before too late. We left earlyish, but stopped by Monticello! I'll post more pictures when I have a better signal.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Interstate 64,1,United States

Crocs, Hippos, and Scarabs

2010-06-11T22:34:00.005-04:00

I've fallen a bit behind blogging, but I have a good excuse. I've been eyeball deep in registration details for the conference that I'm assisting with. I was working for many hours yesterday to get ready for this morning. Then this morning I assisted with the organized chaos that was the parent check-in process. Now I'm working on re-doing things for the morrow. Let me just say that I don't plan to get a massive amount of sleep until I return home, ;-). Saturday is the last day of the conference--but we have to pack up everything that evening after it all ends. I am hoping that we can stop by a point of historical interest on the way home. I'm not sure where, but our driver (Dan) is also quite interested. :-) I'd better get back to work at this point through.

~Matt

PS The title of the post references various group names we're using since we adapted the Answers in Genesis VBS program The Egypt File. It is a pretty cool program. Consider trying it out with your church VBS. AiG materials aren't all "science-based" (though they have solid science in them) or all "Creation vs. Evolution" (though those components are there). The key feature of an AiG product is its emphasis on biblical authority.

Virginia

2010-06-09T06:52:00.000-04:00

Today I leave for Virginia. Along with several other people I'm going to help with the running of a children's program at a convention in Richmond. I've never done anything like this before, so I'm looking forward to it.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Hebron,United States

Back on-line!

2010-06-07T23:31:00.002-04:00

Well apparently Blogger is back on-line! I don't know exactly how many hours my access was gone, but it was over half a day (starting last night sometime).

I have a longer post I want to type up (Tolkien lovers will appreciate it), but I don't have time right now because of a few work related things I need to finish. Look for it soon... I hope.

~Matt

Unavailable?

2010-06-07T08:25:00.000-04:00

[Update: I just found this in my drafts. Im still not sure what happened to Blogger, ot was down for over a day.]

I was going to type up a post on my computer, but that doesn't appear to be possible at present.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Wizard's Tower

2010-06-05T21:53:00.000-04:00

I have been working on my medieval LEGO layout some over the past few days. It definitely got some attention when I was home sick on Tuesday.

Recently I finished the installation of a smithy beneath a tavern and turned my attentions to the building's roof. It has a flat roof as I made the structure out of the bottom half of one of the buildings from the Medieval Marketplace set. I was just adding simple crenelations when I decided to build further. Before I knew it I'd made a small room out of brown bricks.

I decided to install the wizard I'd bought recently. He and his dragons fit well even before I made a telescope. Below you can see him and his assistant working.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

I might have a cold fridge

2010-06-04T22:58:00.000-04:00

I mixed up some powdered drink this morning (I added peach to some pink lemonade I already had in a pitcher) before leaving for work. I put in the powder, cold water, and some ice cubes. I just poured myself a glass and there were still a couple of ice cubes rattling around in the pitcher...

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Home at Last

2010-06-03T23:50:00.000-04:00

I just got home. I had a good deal of printing to get done, and most has been completed. Tomorrow should be a busy day at work. We haven't quite hit summer crowds, but it is coming soon.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

Day Three

2010-06-03T08:04:00.000-04:00

I just took my pill for day three. There are only two left. Hopefully it won't be too many days before I'm completely well. I'm not sure where I got strep from, but I'd be quite happy if I didn't encounter it again!

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

Amazing Drink

2010-06-02T19:01:00.001-04:00

A frosty glass of milk is simply amazing. I put a glass glass in the freezer for a while before pouring. And no, Erin, ice cubes don't make it better. :-P

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

Construction

2010-06-01T11:21:00.001-04:00

The neighborhood Kroger was torn down a while ago as part of a massive renovation.

I just found out today that two components are still open (in the neighboring strip mall).

The pharmacy and the liquor store!
I had to visit the pharmacy to drop off a prescription for strep throat.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Highland Ave,Fort Mitchell,United States

Another Band

2010-05-30T09:31:00.001-04:00

AiG has produced yet another armband so I now have four on my wrist.

The black one is the new one, for the miniatry's new campaign. Iamnotashamed.org has more information.

Here they all are:
1. Creation Museum (prepare to believe)
2. I Am Not Ashamed
3. The Seven C's of History (Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, and Consummation)--made for AiG's first VBS program.
4. Answers in Genesis (Genesis 1:1)

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.