The next Dad's Fireside Chat is scheduled for Friday at 10:30 PM Central!
FamTeam Today! - (By John @ 7:46 PM) Now there's a big Chicago ball game taking place on the back of the property. It looks like they have about nine on each team.
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 By John Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 7:46 PM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest Now there's a big Chicago ball game taking place on the back of the property. It looks like they have about nine on each team.


 By Luke Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 6:45 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest The largest fish caught today was a catfish that weighed just over 10 pounds! That's a record for our pond.


 By John Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 4:54 PM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest We're hosting a party for family and friends. The first two hours were set aside for the fishing rodeo. It's a few minutes until 5:00, when the final horn will sound and the prizes will be distributed.


 By Mark Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 4:49 PM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest
Luke said:
Mark said: (These tips are brought to you courtesy of Arndt Photography, which provides quality, affordable wedding coverage for a wide geographical area. http://www.arndtphotography.com.)
Arndt Photography -- what a coincidence! Any relation??
A coincidence indeed! I wonder if they're related to Arndt Video, which provides quality video and digital conversion services from coast to coast (www.arndtvideo.com).


 By Dad Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 3:46 PM CST
Location: Dad's Office Room

Rick Arndt, Dad I will be on the air Friday at 10:30 PM Central with another edition of the Dad's Fireside Chats webcast!

In order to hear a webcast, please click here.

(As always, e-mails can be sent to webcasts@famteam.com.)


 By Luke Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 2:34 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest
Mark said: (These tips are brought to you courtesy of Arndt Photography, which provides quality, affordable wedding coverage for a wide geographical area. http://www.arndtphotography.com.)
Arndt Photography -- what a coincidence! Any relation??


 By Dad Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 1:28 PM CST
Location: Dad's Office Room

Rick Arndt, Dad I will be on the air Friday at 10:00 PM Central with another edition of the Dad's Fireside Chats webcast!

In order to hear a webcast, please click here.

(As always, e-mails can be sent to webcasts@famteam.com.)


 By Mark Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 1:20 PM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest Jude
Jude Arndt, Fifth Oldest and I were just talking in his office, and he mentioned that he'd like to have a three-camera set-up to videotape tonight's fireworks display. As we got talking about the ideal camera settings for fireworks, it occurred to me that our readers may appreciate a few pointers for taking fireworks photos.

- Use a tripod. The camera has to be very steady, or else you'll likely have blurry photos due to the camera shaking. In fact, if you have a remote control for your camera, this would be a great time to use it.

- If you can, set your camera to manual focus rather than auto focus, and then focus on the most distant object in view. I often look for a faraway streetlight to focus on.

- If you can adjust your camera's shutter speed, set it to 1-3 seconds. That way, you don't need perfect timing to capture a firework exploding.

- If you can adjust your camera's other settings, you might want to try an ISO of 400 and set the aperture to something in the f5 range. I usually review the photos after I've taken a few to make sure they're not coming out too bright or too dark.

- Wear bug spray! Last time, I got chomped to pieces.

(These tips are brought to you courtesy of Arndt Photography, which provides quality, affordable wedding coverage for a wide geographical area. http://www.arndtphotography.com.)


 By Luke Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 12:50 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest We just released a new version of the FamTeam Video Player, which is used to display the FamTeam Footage episodes.

The latest version is 1.0.9. To find out if you have the latest version, just right-click on the video in FamTeam Footage. The little menu that pops up should say "FamTeam Video Player v1.0.9" at the top. If it doesn't, try holding in the shift key and clicking "Refresh" in your browser.

The major change in this version is the new folder button in the bottom left-hand corner of the player. Click on that, and Family Roomers have instant access to the past videos.

As always, please report any bugs and send feature requests to luke@famteam.com!


 By Luke Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 12:02 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest I stepped outside for the first time today, and it is a gorgeous day! The high temperature is only supposed to reach 81 degrees, so if it doesn't storm, then we should be good to go for today's celebration.


 By Mark Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 1:17 AM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest Happy Fourth of July! Here's anudda puzzle for you all. If you solve it, send in the answer to today@famteam.com.

-----

Below is a coded message (a cipher). Each letter of this code means a different letter. (An example would be A equals N, B equals R, C equals Y, and so on...) Can you crack the message below?

GCJ WSCJLSW WSM UKASMZ OCJNB SQRM FCDMWSKEL WC BC OKWS WSM ICJZWS CI TJNG, BKBE'W GCJ? OMNN, KW BCMFE'W; KE IQUW, KW'F QNN QVCJW TMNNG VMQEF. BCE'W GCJ TJFW NCRM WSMD? FC UCNCZIJN, FC DQEG INQRCZF, FOMMW VJW ECW WCC FOMMW.


 By Mark Friday, July 04, 2008 @ 1:07 AM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest Here's the answer to the latest puzzle:

1.) Joseph
2.) Joshua
3.) Delilah
4.) David
5.) Peter
6.) Abraham
7.) Jethro
8.) The men on the ship with Jonah during the storm


 By Jude Thursday, July 03, 2008 @ 10:36 PM CST
Jude Arndt, Fifth Oldest
John said: We were shut out in tonight's softball game. 13-0 was the final score.
That was a rough one. We just couldn't get anything going, really. However, we've been doing well this season overall, and thankfully these types of games are becoming more and more rare.


 By John Thursday, July 03, 2008 @ 8:37 PM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest We were shut out in tonight's softball game. 13-0 was the final score.


 By John Thursday, July 03, 2008 @ 5:09 PM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest
Mark said: I just read that the Seattle Supersonics basketball team is relocating to Oklahoma City. They're going to have a new look and a new name. Any thoughts on what their new name should be? Personally, I'd love it if they were called the Dokies. That way, they'd be the "O.K. Dokies."


Or maybe the "O.K. Corrals" or the "Oklahoma Cities."


 By John Thursday, July 03, 2008 @ 5:05 PM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest My deposition yesterday was on the third floor of a four-story office building in downtown Belleville. The exterior windows were being cleaned that day, and as we were sitting in the room, we saw a guy rappelling down the side of the building and washing the windows. He would repeatedly bump into the windows, and was also attaching and detaching a handle with a suction cup, which he would then hold on to so he could push and pull himself from side to side. All of the noise and movement was somewhat distracting, but it was interesting to watch.


 By Luke Thursday, July 03, 2008 @ 3:45 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest I just got back from picking up some prizes for the fishing rodeo we're going to have during tomorrow's party.

I believe there are going to be rewards handed out for the first fish caught, the largest fish, the most fish, and the last fish.


 By Mark Thursday, July 03, 2008 @ 11:39 AM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest I just read that the Seattle Supersonics basketball team is relocating to Oklahoma City. They're going to have a new look and a new name. Any thoughts on what their new name should be? Personally, I'd love it if they were called the Dokies. That way, they'd be the "O.K. Dokies."


 By Mark Thursday, July 03, 2008 @ 12:08 AM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest
John said: I gave my answers for today's quiz. I had to take a guess on the last question.
I believe the last one was the only one you missed. Not bad!


 By John Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 10:49 PM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest I gave my answers for today's quiz. I had to take a guess on the last question.


 By Luke  Entry made via cell phone Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 6:49 PM CST
Location: Dining room

Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest \"Click

Five-year-old David
David Arndt, 14th Oldest is helping Mom
Cathy Arndt, Mom decorate the house for the upcoming 4th of July party.


 By John Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 5:26 PM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest I'll try to take a crack at the puzzle later on.


 By Mark Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 4:57 PM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest Here's a little quiz for our readers. If you know the answer, send it in to today@famteam.com.

-----

Who spoke the following lines in the Bible?

1.) "Listen to this dream. The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!"

2.) "Are you with us or with our enemy?"

3.) "How can you say you love me when you don't confide in me? You've made fun of me three times now..."

4.) "Where are the king's spear and the jug of water that were beside his head?"

5.) "So now we must choose another man to take Judas's place. It must be someone who has been with us all the time that we were with the Lord Jesus -- from the time he was baptized by John
John Arndt, Second Oldest until the day he was taken from us into heaven."

6.) "This arguing between our herdsmen has got to stop. After all, we are close relatives. I'll tell you what we'll do. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate."

7.) "Find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as judges over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. These men can serve the people, resolving all the ordinary cases."

8.) "Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?"


 By Mark Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 4:39 PM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest That's a great episode! I really guffawed with Jacob
Jacob Arndt, Ninth Oldest and the bee.


 By Luke Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 3:35 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest And it's up now!


 By Jude Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 2:20 PM CST
Jude Arndt, Fifth Oldest The newest edition of FamTeam Footage will be going up within the next little while, so stay tuned! Also, you can now see thumbnails of previous videos towards the bottom of the FamTeam Footage page.


 By Mark  Entry made via cell phone Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 12:53 PM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest
Luke said: The corn in our neighboring field is about a foot high at the moment. It's growing fast, though.
It better get moving, though, if it wants to be knee-high by the Fourth of July!


 By Luke  Entry made via cell phone Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 12:24 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest \"Click

The corn in our neighboring field is about a foot high at the moment. It's growing fast, though.


 By Mark Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 8:53 AM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest Before I forget, here are the answers to yesterday's crossword puzzle:


 By John Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 1:08 AM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest
Luke said: I just realized that I had 67 Firefox tabs opened at the same time. I think that's a new record for me.


I don't think I've ever gotten that high, but I know I've been in the 30s.

We prevailed in another high-scoring game tonight. Our offense exploded and helped cover for our defense, and I think the final score was 20-17.


 By Luke  Entry made via cell phone Tuesday, July 01, 2008 @ 8:47 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest \"Click

I just ran up to the laundry room, and I found that my jersey was the only one that remained.
I guess everybody else is ready for tonight's game.


 By Luke Tuesday, July 01, 2008 @ 7:12 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest I just realized that I had 67 Firefox tabs opened at the same time. I think that's a new record for me.


 By Luke  Entry made via cell phone Tuesday, July 01, 2008 @ 2:35 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest
John said: There are seven light switches lined up on this wall. I wonder what they all do.
Only one way to find out... =)


 By John  Entry made via cell phone Tuesday, July 01, 2008 @ 2:17 PM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest \"Click

We're taking a break between depositions here at a downtown Belleville law office. There are seven light switches lined up on this wall. I wonder what they all do.


 By Luke Tuesday, July 01, 2008 @ 1:39 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest Ah, I see.

Last night, I was privileged to have a sneak-preview of the next FamTeam Footage clip, which is set to be released tomorrow.

This one is all about a softball practice we recently had. It turned out really well!


 By Mark Tuesday, July 01, 2008 @ 12:47 PM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest
Luke said: Is this the first time we've had a crossword puzzle up here? I know we have had a bunch of different types of puzzles or trivia questions, but I don't remember any other crossword puzzles.
This is the first one we've posted in FamTeam Today, I believe. I've shied away from doing too many because they take a while to create!


 By Luke Tuesday, July 01, 2008 @ 11:34 AM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest Is this the first time we've had a crossword puzzle up here? I know we have had a bunch of different types of puzzles or trivia questions, but I don't remember any other crossword puzzles.


 By Mark Tuesday, July 01, 2008 @ 9:42 AM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest Here's a crossword puzzle for our readers. If you solve it, send it on in to today@famteam.com.



DOWN
2. Old and faithful U.S. national park
5. Something you eat with elbows
6. A game involving a dog, a hat, a shoe...
7. Colonial village
8. Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take you. Bermuda, Bahama...
9. Super Bowl loser
11. Yellow on the outside, white on the inside
12. They roam where the deer and the antelope play
14. Small, eastern state
17. Last name of Curly, Moe, and Shemp
18. Stands high and proud along the Mississippi River

ACROSS
1. The art of stuffing animal skins
3. Most honored bird in the United States (2 words - include space in puzzle)
4. Mark
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest Arndt's least favorite food
10. Ohio city that sees red
13. Smelly animal
15. Blue and purple professional monster
16. A thick drink popular at Christmastime
19. Large, famous ox
20. Big man in California


 By Mark Tuesday, July 01, 2008 @ 9:33 AM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest
John said: I probably would have guessed Mario, but I'm not surprised that Pacman is up there.
I'm not surprised that Pacman is one of the more well-known characters, but it just seems like you see Mario everywhere. There are so many versions, sequels, and spin-offs of the Mario games on all sorts of Nintendo systems, whereas Pacman seems to be confined mainly to arcades.


 By John Tuesday, July 01, 2008 @ 9:24 AM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest I probably would have guessed Mario, but I'm not surprised that Pacman is up there.


 By Mark Tuesday, July 01, 2008 @ 8:49 AM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest By the way, here's the answer to the latest puzzle:

According to one study, Pacman is actually the most recognized video game character in the United States, surpassing even Mario! Personally, I find that hard to believe. Granted, Pacman does have a more distinct shape than Mario does, but it seems like everyone everywhere knows who Mario is.


 By John Monday, June 30, 2008 @ 11:02 PM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest That was one of the higher-scoring softball games that we've played this year. We actually were within striking distance after we scored seven runs in the sixth inning to make the score 22-17, but they pulled away in the seventh inning.


 By Jude Monday, June 30, 2008 @ 10:45 PM CST
Jude Arndt, Fifth Oldest I see that "Kids By The Dozen" is airing again on TLC, so I wanted to say welcome to all of you TV viewers who stumbled onto our website!


 By Luke Monday, June 30, 2008 @ 9:43 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest Yeah, we lost in a game that turned out to be quite a slugfest. Jude knocked two home runs out, and I hit one myself. We ended up losing, though, as the other team put up 26 runs.


 By John  Entry made via cell phone Monday, June 30, 2008 @ 9:03 PM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest Our softball game ran late, so Dad
Rick Arndt, Dad's webcast has been pushed back to 9:45.


 By Luke  Entry made via cell phone Monday, June 30, 2008 @ 7:15 PM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest \"Click

We've got an early softball game tonight.


 By John Monday, June 30, 2008 @ 6:08 PM CST
John Arndt, Second Oldest Luke
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest and Philip
Philip Arndt, Seventh Oldest were driving into town to visit the YMCA before the game, and I was on my way back home, so we met at a point in between so Luke could retrieve his softball bag from the minivan.


 By Jude Monday, June 30, 2008 @ 10:26 AM CST
Jude Arndt, Fifth Oldest I've been working on a new layout for the FamTeam Footage page that will make it easier to choose a video from the archives, so that should be up some time soon.
Mark said: Here's another FamTeam-original puzzle for our readers. Send in your answers to today@famteam.com

Below is a coded message (a cipher). Each letter of this code means a different letter. (An example would be A equals N, B equals R, C equals Y, and so on...) Can you crack the message below?

BHHDLZAFV WD DFU XWOZG, QBHPBF AX BHWOBSSG WNU PDXW LUHDVFAYUZ JAZUD VBPU HNBLBHWUL AF WNU OFAWUZ XWBWUX, XOLQBXXAFV UJUF PBLAD! QULXDFBSSG, A RAFZ WNBW NBLZ WD MUSAUJU. VLBFWUZ, QBHPBF ZDUX NBJU B PDLU ZAXWAFHW XNBQU WNBF PBLAD ZDUX, MOW AW XUUPX SAEU UJULGDFU UJULGTNULU EFDTX TND PBLAD AX.
These ciphers are always fun to do. I usually start out by looking for common words in the message such as "the" or "and" or other short words that come up a lot.


 By Luke Monday, June 30, 2008 @ 9:41 AM CST
Luke Arndt, Fourth Oldest
John said: After today, we'll be halfway through 2008. For me, it's flown by.
Same here. I wonder why that is exactly. To think that we're only a couple months away from the Softball Classic, and that our family trip was already eight months ago.

Whatever the cause, it definitely seems like everybody in the house is wondering just where in the world the first half of 2008 has gone.


 By Mark Monday, June 30, 2008 @ 9:41 AM CST
Mark Arndt, Third Oldest Here's another FamTeam-original puzzle for our readers. Send in your answers to today@famteam.com

Below is a coded message (a cipher). Each letter of this code means a different letter. (An example would be A equals N, B equals R, C equals Y, and so on...) Can you crack the message below?

BHHDLZAFV WD DFU XWOZG, QBHPBF AX BHWOBSSG WNU PDXW LUHDVFAYUZ JAZUD VBPU HNBLBHWUL AF WNU OFAWUZ XWBWUX, XOLQBXXAFV UJUF PBLAD! QULXDFBSSG, A RAFZ WNBW NBLZ WD MUSAUJU. VLBFWUZ, QBHPBF ZDUX NBJU B PDLU ZAXWAFHW XNBQU WNBF PBLAD ZDUX, MOW AW XUUPX SAEU UJULGDFU UJULGTNULU EFDTX TND PBLAD AX.