Mozart was inspired by a bird's chirping for one of his masterpieces? That man was such a genius he probably could have created a symphony from the sound of someone passing gas! Seriously, the devotion today made me rethink something coming up at my church. We have a service the last Sunday of this morning called the Blessing of the Animals. Since I do not have a pet, I don't usually participate in that service. I think I need to expand my thinking to include ALL of nature around me, including the birds at the park where we hold the service. Who knows? I could be inspired by a bird song!
The devotion also uses a psalm for the scripture passage. I need to read through the book of Psalms a few times per year. I always forget how the psalmist has the same ups and downs that I seem to have in life. It is encouraging, refreshing and challenging to read them.
Technology Thursday
Last week I talked about Bluray vs standard DVDs for video. One of the things I mentioned is that you need a nice television to get the full glory of Bluray disks. There are an astounding number of models out there now since some new technologies became feasible the past few years. There are models that are less than 3/4" thick! Wow! Here is a quick summary of TVs and what you should look for.
Ratio
16:9 is the standard screen ratio for widescreen TVs or computer monitors. Look for that ratio. A standard TV is 4:3.
LCD vs Plasma
Plasma TVs were on their way out of the stores two years ago, but they are still hanging around (pun intended!). They are heavier and use more electricity, but have a tradition of having a better picture for fast moving sports and action. Plasma TVs also wash out in bright light. You usually need a somewhat dark room to watch one. There used to be an issue with "burn in" where images could burn in to the screen permanently. That is not as much of an issue now.
LCD TVs have since caught up with plasma TV picture quality with the introduction of 120mhz and 240mhz models. I switched from a plasma to a 120mhz LCD two years ago. I like it a lot. The flat panel is also much lighter than my old plasma. The picture is amazing. I love watching my Bluray movies on it.
There is a new type of TV called an LED or OLED or ANOLED TV that is ridiculously thin. They have a brighter picture than LCDs. I haven't researched these too much yet. I remember the first one that showed up in stores was 24" in size and cost $2400! Yikes! There prices are much lower now.
Screen resolution:
To get the most out of your Bluray player, you need a TV with 1080P resolution. That is currently the best you can get in a TV (at least that is generally available and if you aren't doing medical imaging!). You need to remember the "P" part, because there are a lot of sets that can display 720P and 1080I. "P" stands for progressive scan. "I" stands for interlaced scan. The progressive scan offers a better picture that is more seamless to the eye.
If you know these few things, you can find a nice TV for your Bluray player. I got my Bluray player free with my TV purchase. I noticed a similar deal or two in the local paper on Sunday.
Next week -- complete your home theater experience with a home theater system for surround sound audio. You may also get a Bluray player as part of a home theater sound system!
Other Stuff
I had a fun evening at Club Diversity last night. It was the first time I attended an event with the Prime Timers. Very nice group of guys. I met some friends there and hung out longer than what I planned! I also remembered why I don't go to bars very often. I am not very shy! My apologies for embarrassing a handsome Hispanic man sitting next to me. I hope he is not scarred (or scared) for life from my teasing!
My walking buddy and her husband are having me over for dinner tonight. Always a good time!
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