Cameras for RESI - HDMI or SDI?

 What would Chemnitz do?

We have two choices:

1. Use a HDMI/USB camera, at $299. That would need a converter (about $70) from HDMI to the RESI encoder.

2. SDI connects directly to the encoder and they cost more. I need to talk to RESI a bit about that.

"This is easily connected via USB or HDMI to your computer. Then you would use the included IR remote for control." (A vendor wrote that about the camera mentioned above.)

Alec says this place is very reliable - 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/

eBay is reliable

https://www.ebay.com/b/Hd-Sdi-Camera/48638/bn_7023322844

Another eBay bay -

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283705963495

I welcome responses from the vast majority who know more about this than I do. I am not buying a camera until I have more understanding about what we need and what will work. 

"WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY." 

And we have the money, ranging from the $300 to the $900 price. I am emailing this to various members and participants. Feel to offer an opinion, especially if you have experience in this area.

More Hymnal Blog Advances

 Norma Boeckler is providing hymn graphics for The Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog.

I am trying to polish the data in the The Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog, without introducing errors.

Tonight I was struck by the well known hymns written by Thomas Kelly, as many included in The Lutheran Hymnal as Newton (8).

I enjoy linking writers with all their hymns, if there are reasons to do so. For instance, Zinzendorf has only two hymns included, but he was very influential in the formation of The Missouri Synod since the Perryville kidnappers began in the Dresden church, which was connected directly to Zinzendorf and Pietism.

I am trying to link good musical performances or those excellent piano renditions with the music - for each hymn. Sometimes the hymn is hung to two different but interesting tunes.

The blog is also a good vehicle for promoting Lutheran hymns, because Lutheran hymns were especially important in the Reformation and subsequent eras.

Some Hymns by Thomas Kelly

Thomas Kelly

Thomas Kelly wrote -

Look Ye Saints, the Sight Is Glorious.

Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted.

We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died.

Who Is This Who Comes From Edom.

The Head That Once Was Crowned with Thorns.

Hark! Ten Thousand Harps.

Look, Ye Saints, the Sight Is Glorious.

Zion Stands by Hills Surrounded.

A Beautiful Ascension Hymn - "Lo, God to heaven ascendeth!"

Norma Boeckler's Christian Art

"Lo, God to Heaven Ascendeth"
by Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer, 1635-1699
Translated by Frances Elizabeth Cox, 1812-1897

Tune - Aus meines Herzens Grunde - linked here

1. Lo, God to heaven ascendeth!
Throughout its regions vast
With shouts triumphant blendeth
The trumpet's thrilling blast:
Sing praise to Christ the Lord;
Sing priase with exultation,
King of each heathen nation,
The God of hosts adored!

2. With joy is heaven resounding
Chirst's glad return to see;
Behold the saints surrounding
The Lord who set them free.
Bright myriads, thronging, come;
The cherub band rejoices,
And loud seraphic voices
All welcome Jesus home.

3. From cross to throne ascending,
We follow Chirst on high
And know the pathway wending
To mansions in the sky.
Our Lord is gone before;
Yet here He will not leave us,
But soon in heaven receive us
And open wide the door.

4. Our place He is preparing;
To heaven we, too, shall rise,
With Him His glory sharing,
Be where our Treasure lies.
Bestir thyself, my soul!
Where Jesus Christ has entered,
There let thy hope be centered;
Press onward toward the goal.

5. Let all our thoughts be winging
To where Thou didst ascend,
And let our hearts be singing:
"We seek Thee, Christ, our Friend,
Thee, God's exalted Son,
Our Life, and Way to heaven,
To whom all power is given,
Our Joy and Hope and Crown."

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #214
Text: Psalm 47:5-7
Author: Gottfried W. Sacer, 1661, cento
Translated by: Frances E. Cox, 1841, alt.
Titled: "Gott faehret auf gen Himmel"
Tune: "Aus meines Herzens Grunde"
1st Published in: Neu Catechismus-Gesangbuechlein
Town: Hamburg, 1598

"Jesus Thy Church with Longing Eyes" - Bathurst

Norma Boeckler's Christian Art

"Jesus, Thy Church with Longing Eyes"
by William H. Bathurst, 1796-1877

Bathurst also wrote "O For a Faith That Will Not Shrink"

Tune - O Jesu Christ, mein's - linked here

1. Jesus, Thy Church with longing eyes
For Thine expected coming waits.
When will the promised light arise
And glory beam from Zion's gates?
2. E'en now, when tempests round us fall
And wintry clouds o'ercast the sky,
Thy words with pleasure we recall
And deem that our redemption's nigh.

3. Come, gracious Lord, our hearts renew,
Our foes repel, our wrongs redress,
Man's rooted enmity subdue,
And crown Thy Gospel with success.

4. Oh, come and reign o'er every land;
Let Satan from his throne be hurled,
All nations bow to Thy command,
And grace revive a dying world.

5. Teach us in watchfulness and prayer
To wait for the appointed hour
And fit us by Thy grace to share
The triumphs of Thy conquering power.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #64
Text: Revelation 1:7
Author: William H. Bathurst, 1831, ab.
Tune: "O Jesu Christ, mein's"
1st Published in: Nuernbergisches Gesangbuch, 1676

Isaac Watts - "Jesus Shall Reign Where'er the Sun"

 Norma Boeckler's Christian Art

"Jesus Shall Reign Where'er the Sun"
by Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Tune - Duke Street - linked here

1. Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
Does his successive journeys run,
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2. For Him shall endless prayer be made,
And endless praises crown His head;
His name, like sweet perfume, shall rise
With ev'ry morning sacrifice.

3. People and realms of ev'ry tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.

4. Blessings abound where'er He reigns;
The pris'ner leaps, unloosed his chains,
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blest.

5. Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more;
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.

6. Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud Amen.

Hymn #511
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 72
Author: Isaac Watts, 1719, cento
Composer: John Hatton, 1793
Tune: "Duke Street"

Zinzendorf's "Jesus Lead Thou On" - Was Stephan and the Walther Circle Pietistic?

 Norma Boeckler's Christian Art

"Jesus, Lead Thou On" - Nicholaus von Zinzendorf
Cento by Christian Gregor, 1723-1801
Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897

Nicholaus von Zinzendorf was a leader of Pietism, had a close connection with Martin Stephan, and was the author of two hymns in The Lutheran Hymnal.

Tune - Seelenbraeutigam - linked here

1. Jesus, lead Thou on
Till our rest is won;
And although the way be cheerless,
We will follow calm and fearless.
Guide us by Thy hand
To our fatherland.

2. If the way be drear,
If the foe be near,
Let not faithless fears o'ertake us;
Let not faith and hope forsake us;
For through many a woe
To our home we go.

3. When we seek relief
From a long-felt grief;
When temptations come alluring,
Make us patient and enduring;
Show us that bright shore
Where we weep no more.

4. Jesus, lead Thou on
Till our rest is won.
Heavenly Leader, still direct us,
Still support, control, protect us,
Till we safely stand
In our fatherland.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #410
Text: Luke 5:11
Author: Ludwig von Zinzendorf, Cento by Christian Gregor, 1778
Translated by: Jane Borthwick, 1854, alt.
Titled: "Jesu, geh voran"
Composer: Adam Drese, 1697
Tune: "Seelenbraeutigam"

Plants Build Soil - Look at the Driveway and Sidewalk

 The Three Gorges Dam is proof that man can only put a dent in Creation, which is far more powerful than we can imagine.

After a gloomy and grumpy morning post, Sassy and I went outside to discover proof of serious raining overnight. Ranger Bob, the crew, and I have new roses that start leafing out in the summer rain. They were on clearance, so do not judge me.

I looked at the driveway and sidewalk, where all kinds of plant material was gathered, stuck to the concrete by moisture. I have fenced the Rose Garden in, to hold back water and mulch, but some escapes to feed sidewalk weeds, the hardiest plants I grow.

Someone told me about a family member, "He hates crabgrass." I reminded the messenger that crabgrass was brought over for its grain. It is very productive and a real pig for sunshine. My solution for knee-high crabgrass was to cover it with cardboard and wood mulch. That area, a virtual DMZ - where weeds and slugs crept in and defeated my plans, is now prolific for butterfly plants (Joe Pye, Butterfly Weed, Comfrey, and Hidden Lily).

Everything growing contributes to the soil, because the soil turns organic material into soil amendments and plant roots add the most of all.

It is not a zero sum game, unless the gardener removes all dead leaves, debris, sticks, twigs, and manure. Some gather those items, compost them, and return them as Red Bull for the soil. That is also good and reason enough to cancel the gym membership - a lot of physical work.

But remember - as the Carbon Cowboys teach - the plant roots are the most effective part of soil improvement. All plant roots matter, the deeper the better. They can prevent drought and flooding.

If roots do most of the work, I am going to be especially respectful of them. They are the Major Donors, for those who work on once-in-a-lifetime giving campaigns for their synods.

In contrast - listen up - chemical fertilizers diminish the work of the soil. The most they can do is spark some life and then pollute the water table. If you think manure smells bad, just visit the chemical fertilizer aisle of the hardware store and inhale. When the hacking cough and tears subside, go outside for some fresh air.

Back to Our Roots

Birds and squirrels spread weeds, and some - like maple seeds - twirl into the ground.

Rather than rage about weeds and threaten good plants with herbicides, it is better to allow weed growth and cut it down when they are too ambitious. The idea is to let them draw water down, fertilize the soil, and then stop or slow them down.

Everything left on top of the soil becomes part of it. I had one rugged looking clump of maple that fell from the tree. I kept it near the water faucet, to accelerate its change into soil products. Meanwhile, Wild Strawberries (planted by birds) sprouted on the wood and began to flower. Many life forms gather around rotting wood, so birds and toads come to the banquet to get their share.

Morning coffee, the Goldfinches will be told again and feeding on the thistles and Sunflowers.

Neglected Fungus

Until recently, no one gave fungus credit for connecting with all plants and exchanging its benefits for carbon credits. Fungus cannot grow without carbon, and plants have the carbon to swap for nutrition and water.

Fungus is a good reason to dig as little as possible in the garden. Blending the soil, with a 10 hp roto-tiller, means turning soil improvement upside-down. The fungus networks are destroyed and so are many earthworms. The soil begins to recover and Mr. Gardener says, "Look at my garden!"

The Cloud Burst That Didn't

 Every case of tea in this Chinese warehouse is soaked by the flooding.

I used my A+ methods to induce rain, went inside, and almost went to the mailbox. The street was dark with a waterfall of rain that I could not believe. I went back for my umbrella. When I opened the door, the rain was gone. I was holding an umbrella for naught.

Meanwhile, the Borage is knee-high, no longer the petite little herb with bees crawling over the blooms.

The densest part of the garden looks well watered, but the most open part needs watering. Why?

The dense part practices water storage underground. Clay soil is quite absorbent but also lets water run off the top. Our sidewalks burst with greenery. However, the deeply rooted Joe Pyes and the dense Bee Balms open up channels to the lower soil levers, where the soil easily traps the rainwater, aided by the thirsty microbes and greedy soil creatures.

Bully plants - like Bee Balm and Joe Pye - shade the ground for themselves, which reduces evaporation. It almost looked planned, if you know what I mean.

Sassy can tell time. It is 7 AM, and that is her limit for walks. She taps the mattress to remind me I spent too much time reading about the Three Gorges Dam.

 The TGD must expel water to survive. One engineer said about his craft, "Always bet on the water." I think the photographer is standing too close.