Five Awesome Alarm Clocks

Before diving into some awesome alarm clocks, here's a word of explanation about how this topic came up. I'm currently working at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, doing a CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) internship, and we're getting towards the end of the summer. We're all getting a little tired from how busy the summer has been. Somehow at work today the topic of alarm clocks came up, and, since we're working at the hospital, somehow the hospital's helicopter got mixed in too, getting us talking about unique novelty alarm clock ideas.

Well, apparently there's such a thing as a helicopter flying alarm clock. So, without further ado, here's some other awesome alarm clocks.

Five Awesome Alarm Clocks

5. Coin Deactivated Alarm Clock

This is one of the more brilliant alarm clocks I've seen, and unlike the ones listed below, it's potentially profitable too! The concept of the Banclock is that you have to insert a coin to get it to stop going off. Obviously, you're not going to make much money from yourself by putting in a coin a day, but still, it's a brilliant idea. It could even be a good tool for teaching your kids to save a little money each day. Or, maybe it could work as a tax for your older child who won't get out of bed...think if it required money to press snooze!

Unfortunately, the Banbox looks really difficult to get. It's available on Amazon, but only for a lot of money and from sketchy looking sellers. Ah well. Cool concept.

 

4. Helicopter Flying Alarm Clock

The concept here is simple. When the alarm goes off, the "helicopter" is launched into the air, and you have to find it and return it back to the base station. It's a cool idea, but it doesn't sound like it's implemented all that well. The flying part is basically a cheap plastic propeller, and I don't think (although I'm not 100% sure) that it's powered at all. It's basically like those plastic helicopter toys that you pull a string to launch into the air. This would be a much more awesome alarm clock if it was actually a powered helicopter. Still, it's quite cheap on Amazon, so check it out if you want. Like most of these, I imagine it'd make a great gift. Oh, and it also makes a fake takeoff sound, and a horrible alarm beeping noise that I'm sure would get me out of bed! Here's a video:

 

3. Silent Vibrating Personal Alarm Clock

This vibrating wearable alarm clock concept has some advantages, but like the others, there definitely seem to be some flaws here too. My wife hates being woken up in the morning, and I hate waking her up when I have to get up first, so the idea of a silent device that could wake up just one person would be great. Of course, if it's like a phone set on vibrate, just the noise might be enough to wake up a light sleeper. Personally, I think a wearable alarm clock that delivered a small electric shock to the sleeping wearer would be great, but I can't find that. Maybe it'd be dangerous to people with pacemakers? Hmm...I can tell I'm working on a cardiac unit at the hospital!

Of course, the other flaw with this one is that it'd be really easy to turn off. You don't have to get out of bed to find it. Heck, you don't even have to roll over and reach for it! Check it out here on Amazon.

 

2. Shootable Alarm Clock Target

How could you not want an alarm clock you could shoot? That's pretty much how I feel about my alarm clock every time it goes off! The idea here of course is that you put the clock across the room and have to hit it with your "gun shot" to silence it, and by the time you are able to aim well enough to hit it, you'll be awake. Of course, if I was disciplined enough to put my alarm clock across the room, the mere act of getting up and walking over to turn it off would be enough to wake me up. But then, what fun is that? I want to shoot my appliances! Check out the gun and target alarm clock here. Unfortunately, from glancing through the Amazon reviews, it doesn't look like this clock is all that durable, which decreases its awesomeness somewhat. Someone else suggested setting up a series of mirrors to make shooting the target with your laser gun more difficult. Either way, it's still an awesome concept for an alarm clock!

 

1. Clocky Rolling Alarm Clock

Finally, of course, there's the Clocky Rolling Alarm Clock. This one I'd heard of before today, and I think it's the original of the awesome alarm clocks. Unlike all the others, this one actually seems somewhat durable and practical. It rolls away beeping when it's time to get up, and it's advertised as being capable of jumping/falling off of a three foot high dresser and surviving to go hide from you. This one combines being both fun and practical, since you do have to get up out of bed to turn it off. Obviously, since it rolls around, it's battery powered, which isn't really my favorite thing, but still, this seems like a great alarm clock! Too bad it doesn't have a radio.

 

My Alarm Clock

Of course, I don't actually own any of these. Here's the alarm clock I actually own and use. It's about as boringly common as you can get, but it wakes me up, and I trust it more than I trust my frequently malfunctioning cell phone. So, you know, if anyone wants to buy me a more interesting alarm clock, feel free!

Have other awesome alarm clocks? Share in the comments!

WinterJam Rocks - Deer Do Not

"I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night
That tonight’s gonna be a good night"
-Michael Tait, starting off Newsboys' set.

So, Saturday night, about 10:00, my girlfriend Christin and I are sitting in Marty's (Luther College's on-campus cafe), listening to a bunch of students performing at open mic night. I had my laptop, and I was, being a college student, naturally on Facebook. I saw a post from Duncan Philips, drummer for my favorite band, Newsboys, that he was leaving Urbana, Illinois, for an overnight bus trip to Des Moines, Iowa, for the next show on the Winterjam Tour. I looked up the driving distance to Des Moines, and jokingly said to Christin, we could totally do that…four hour drive, 6:00 show, done by 9:45…If we just had a car, we could leave Luther before noon, drive to Des Moines, go to Winterjam tour, and be back by about 2:30 am. Only problem was, neither of us has a car.

Not really expecting anyone to just loan us a car to drive 400 miles for a concert, especially on a few hours notice, Christin went ahead and asked her roommate, Marybeth, if we could borrow her car. Rather to our surprise, she said yes. So, Sunday morning, we ate an early brunch, and left for Des Moines. The trip there was flawless…made good time, found the venue. Still being earlier than we wanted, we went on a rather extensive search for a fast food restaurant for dinner, found an Arby's, and, after a brief not really incident involving a very badly marked one way street and a quick turnaround, found parking at the venue and went in.

The show itself was quite good overall. We were pretty early getting there, so we had decent seats (all general admission). The opening acts were all good, although they played 2 or 3 songs each, so it all felt a little rushed. I had never heard of Revive, or Robert Pierre, so they were both nice surprises. I particularly liked a drum-off thing that Revive did, and it's cool to hear a 17 year old singer with a great voice and some pretty decent songs. Sidewalk Prophets are best described as the sound of Michael Jackson, from the body of Drew Carey. Not what I expected, but sounded good, and very clearly passionate hearts for what they do. Fireflight…not my favorite, and she sounded somewhat like she was losing her voice.

Tony Nolan's talk was a jam packed 10 minutes that was obviously quite effective. I really appreciated that he was willing to make the hard evangelistic statements about heaven and hell that I so rarely seem to hear as a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). His message seemed like a pretty straightforward evangelization talk that I'd heard before (and I think I may have actually heard him before). He did make a point of talking about how scaring someone into Christianity is not really right, but he also sort of used that tactic, I felt. Regardless, everything he said was true. I'm a touch theologically queasy with an illustration he did comparing God's gift of salvation to trading a penny for a $50 bill, just because absolutely nothing can be traded for God's free, undeserved grace, but he also mentioned trading our sins for God's forgiveness, and if that's what the penny represented, then I'm certainly ok with that.

Newsong definitely impressed me. I knew a few of their songs, but they were never a band I would have made an effort to go see. But…they were really really good. Wonderful vocals, deep songs, energetic, passionate…they were great! Reminded me a little of Phillips, Craig, and Dean at Lifest 2009, but Newsong was much better.

On a side note, one somewhat annoying theme throughout the evening was texting…it started to seem like every group wanted you to text something to some number to donate, enter to win, get more information, or something…the only one I did was to try to win a Winterjam prize pack, which I did not win. Oh, and I tried the Newsboys' text "Go" to a number, which I'd tried before, and once again didn't get any response. There were also many opportunities to donate, particularly to Holt International, an orphan sponsorship group that I'd never heard of. Sort of like Compassion International (who I expected to be sponsoring the tour), but a shorter term commitment, and a different approach.

Newsboys were the reason I drove for hours to see the tour. Tonight was my 10th (!!!) time seeing them live, and probably the most different. This was the first show I'd seen with Michael Tait. Having seen him, I think Newsboys are in good shape for the future. His energy is excellent, his stage presence incredible, and he's actually easier to understand on songs like "Something Beautiful" than Peter was. I still miss Peter…hearing Tait do "He Reigns" (possibly my all-time favorite song) just wasn't the same…and I liked how it was before. Still, Tait did a great job…swinging down from a cable after riding the ascending B Stage was great… Biggest disappointment was that "Shine" and "Breakfast" were mashed into a medley of their choruses, and we never got the verses of Newsboys' best known songs. I'm hoping that was because of the really short 45 minute set they were playing, and that at Lifest this summer, they'll do the whole song. Ending song was "Jesus Freak", by DC Talk, and I love how, 15 years later, that song still gets a huge crowd reaction. Great song. Also, I love the release strategy for "Born Again." The CD doesn't come out until June 8, 2009, but if you preorder at a show for $7, they will give you a CD with 5 songs on it (same songs as on their MySpace/Facebook/etc), and mail you the CD when it comes out…here's hoping that this prerelease goes better than the GO preorder did, when I had to make repeated phone calls to actually get the CD...

After Newsboys (by the way, the order of bands for the night confused me…Newsboys definitely should have been second last, or last), Tenth Avenue North played a set, which was good, as expected. I hadn't seen them before, so that was cool. Love the song "By Your Side"!

Finally, Third Day was, of course, awesome. No real surprises there after seeing them at least 4 times before. Always a good show. No encore.

So, after the show. Christin and I get to Marybeth's car, and were actually out of the parking lot by 9:46. We stopped at McDonald's to grab hamburgers, and set off to follow our Google map backwards in the dark. Did pretty well…missed two different turns, but realized both times right away that we'd missed them. Also discovered that Marybeth has a GPS, so that helped on the way home. It started snowing right as we were leaving, so the slippery (very very slippery in some places) road added another element to the drive.

We were within 45 minutes of Luther, on little 2 lane Highway 24, when a deer ran out and hit our car. At 1:30 in the morning. In a borrowed car. In the middle of nowhere. Yeah. We were fine…I had been going about 40 in the 55 mph zone because of the weather, but the weather wasn't a factor at all. There was really nothing I could do…I braked, but just couldn't have seen it in time. The front end of the car was rather damaged…one light broken, front grill basically destroyed…and of course, it's a borrowed car…(a 2000 Kia light SUV). Called my dad at home in Fond du Lac, WI, waking him up. He said to call 911, so I did, and a nice deputy came out within about 8 minutes, and took my information…said I could drive back. So, we made it (driving incredibly cautiously!) back to Luther, and then had one of the most awkward conversations of my life waking Marybeth up to tell her that her car was back…but looked different than it had when we left. Fortunately, she seems ok about it, and understands (thanks!)…at least, she understands when she's mostly still asleep…we'll see when she sees it tomorrow…Anyway, it has indeed been "A good night"...just with some not so good moments.

Humans Vs. Zombies

Humans Versus Zombies 2009 at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. Humans Versus Zombies is an intense game played all over campus. This was the first mission, on the 2nd day of the horde's attack. The mission: escort Pastor Mike from his house just off campus into the CFL building. See www.humansvszombies.org for more information on the game, and www.luther.edu for information on the school. At the beginning of this mission, there were approximately 105 humans in the game, and 32 zombies. The zombies are attempting to tag the human players, and the humans only defense is to stun them for 20 seconds by hitting them with socks. Buildings are safe zones. Humans have bandanas around their arms, zombies have bandanas on as headbands. Video recorded by Daniel Flucke and Matt Kalsow. Edited by Daniel Flucke (www.jugglingnebulafilms.com). Music from Command And Conquer game series. Not intended for profit in any way.

What is a Camp Staff Person?

The following was blatantly stolen from a recruiting handout of Lutheran Lakeside Camp, located in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

Who is a Camp Staff Person??

Somewhere between adolescence and adulthood, there occurs a stage in human development that at first glance may seem highly unlikely to exist and impossible to occur. Yet it is constantly occurring - an unfathomable period known as (cue dramatic music now)... the CAMP STAFF STAGE! This camp staff creature is undefined by psychologists, misunderstood by camp directors, worshiped by campers, admired by parents, gawked at by strangers, and unknown to the rest of the world.

A camp staff person possesses a rare combination of peacemaking and teaching skills. She is a competent child psychologist with her textbook from last fall to prove it. He is an underpaid guardian with neither a television nor a refrigerator. She is a disciplinarian with a twinkle in her eye; a minister to all faiths with questions about her own. He is a referee, a coach, an advisor, and a friend. She is a role model with her head in a cloud of campfire smoke and her sandals in a puddle of mud. He is a song leader, an entertainer, and a play director. She is the example of adulthood in her worn out flip-flops, random bracelets, bandanna, and college sweatshirt that reeks of campfire. He is a comforter on a stormy night and a pal who just loaned out his last pair of dry socks.

Camp staff people dislike the wake-up bell, high-powered flashlights, waiting in line for supper, and consecutive rainy days. They are fond of new songs, dry socks, theme nights, Golden Grahams, snail mail, starry nights, sunsets, and hugs. They are excellent at finding lost towels, starting fires, grunging, and looking out for each other. Who but camp staff people can cure homesickness, air out wet bedding, play endless games of lightning and star wars, ride the pony for hours, make up verses to the Oscar Meyer Weiner theme song, find complete joy in completing resource recovery runs, and jump in the pool every morning knowing full well that there isn't a polar bear hiding in the deep end?

A camp staff person is expected to repair ten years of damage to Billy in five days, make Amanda a new girl, rehabilitate Tyler, allow Johnny to be an individual, and help Leah adjust to the group. He is expected to lead campers in fun and adventure - even when his head aches. She is expected to teach them to live in the great outdoors - even though she lives in a dorm room for nine months out of the year. They must teach campers ingenious activities, lead them in social adjustment, and ensure safety and health while he has a sunburn, she has lake itch, and they both have blisters on their feet.

You wonder how we can stand the pace and how she can take the pressure. You wonder if they'll ever know how truly valuable and needed they are. You wonder if they will ever get to see the impact they have made. You realize that when they leave in August you could never have paid them enough. You hope they will understand that they are called to be a part of theses young people's lives... and the lives of their peers. However, for a brief moment on Friday afternoon when the camper walks to the car, and just before disappearing turns with a smile and says, "See you next year!" - You stop wondering.

If we are to sum up what is expected of staff members at a camp, we could not do better than quote these words by Mother Teresa:

"God loves us so much. He gave His son Jesus. Now He gives us that love, and you must let Him have a free hand with you. Not giving up everything...that's not important. What is important is compassion and presence. The world has never needed you so much as today. Give Him a free hand so He can use you. It's not how much you spend or how much you give, but how much you love Him. It isn't big plans, but just letting Him use you today - not tomorrow, maybe just today.

"Your business is to give Him a free hand so He can use you. It does not matter how small, even if you shake someone's hand, touch someone, or give a glass of water in His name, it is enough. Jesus said, "If you feed the hungry, you feed me." Maybe you do not see the hungry in America, but I see the hungry everywhere. There is not only hunger for food, but I see a big hunger for love. That is the greatest hunger, to be loved. Why did God choose you? He wants you to be real missionaries. Look at this great gift of God to you. Listen to the voice of God. God is always speaking to us. God wants from us deep love, compassion, and forgiveness. God wants from you love and compassion in your own country. Open your eyes.

"If you are afraid, offer that fear to God. Do not force yourself. If you force yourself, you may be more preoccupied with the forcing than with the loving."

Photosynth

I have a feeling Photosynth got a LOT of views today, because cnn.com featured it on their front page. That's how I found it. cnn.com did a really cool project where people could submit their digital photos of the Presidential Inauguration to cnn and the photos were assembled into an interactive 3D view thing. This really cool technology was powered by Photosynth, a project of Microsoft Live Labs, and is viewable at CNN's The Moment. After I saw and played with this for a while, I tried my own Synth, as Microsoft calls it. Sadly, the program only runs in Windows, but it works great using Parallels. Here's a tour of my dorm room...sorry for not having a more original topic, but it was available. Enjoy. Silverlight is required for viewing it on a Mac, or a PC without the software.

It's really easy to make these. All that's involved is taking a lot of pictures that overlap, then you just select the folder with the pictures, and tell the program to do its magic. Very neat technology. In addition to being very cool, I could easily see it being used to sell homes, etc. My results weren't quite what I was hoping for, with the photos I took of the chair in the middle of the room and some detail shots, especially of the Muse poster, but the basic circling the room worked pretty well.