One of the things I liked about living in Central Kentucky for several years was hearing the colloquialisms. "Happier than a pig in mud" was one of those sayings. I learned from my grandmother that pigs really did like mud because it kept them cool and comfortable in the hot summer heat.
Unfortunately, humans can be just like pigs. LOL When the heat is on, we can feel cool and comfortable in our mud. You know what I mean -- the things in our lives or behavior patterns that we know we need to put behind us. Falling back into the mud seems too familiar to give up even when we know the mud isn't good for us.
Let us ask God to create in us a CLEAN heart and mind. Let us not fall back into the mud even when it seems to call us seductively. We can do this!
Gonna wash that mud right out of my life...and send its on its way..." Loosely adapted from South Pacific
Technology Thursday
After waitng a couple of months to receive an "invitation" and then waiting another few months for the product to arrive, I finally received my Amazon Echo yesterday. Click on this link to view Amazon's description.
Because I was a patient bear (and an Amazon Prime member), I bought the Echo for half price, $99 instead of the $199 list price. It looks like the next group of Prime members to purchase will only get $50 off. Hmmmm. You still have to request an invitation. My boss has still not received his invitation even though we requested them about the same time.
The Echo was packaged in a flat black box that just looked like it contained something special. The box contained the Echo device, a remote, batteries for the remote and an adapter for the Echo device. It cannot run on batteries alone. It must be plugged in.
I downloaded the Echo app on my iPhone. Echo (her name is Alexa) and the app walked me through the login and setup. It was very simple. I was asking Alexa questions in j ust a few minutes. "Alexa" is the "wake up word" for the device. You say that name and then the command, like "Alexa, did the Cavaliers win last night?" or "Alexa, play some Amy Grant music". Very cool.
The device also includes Bluetooth so you can use it as a Bluetooth speaker system. Being the music geek I am, I had to try it. Playing music from my iPhone was pleasant and had a nice sound as long as I didn't turn it up too loud. Jacking up the volume also jacked up the distortion.
Some of the voice-command features I will use Alexa for are:
- Setting alarms when I am cooking
- Having her add items to my shopping list
- Set reminders
- Asking simple questions when my hands are full or dirty while cooking
I also plan to use the app to schedule things and pick up the things I told Alexa about my shopping list, reminders, etc. Very cool.
I tried this because it is a new, inexpensive, interesting technology. Amazon plans to expand the functionality as they go. All I know is that this saves me from writing some thing like it from scratch!
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We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives
Its time for us to more than just survive
We were made to thrive
- Thrive by Casting Crowns
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