Author Archive
Getting Hit On :: What Does Real Love Look Like?
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It’s been a long time, but I do remember what it feels like to be single. I remember being overly concerned with my appearance at all times. I remember being on the lookout for attractive girls without rocks on their fingers. I remember what it felt like to be hit on.
At least, I thought I did.
Truth be told, I think being married, being 30, and being completely disassociated with the dating scene makes you forget some things; I forgot completely, I think.
This Saturday, the day before Valentine’s Day, I was out at the mall doing a routine spinal screening for work. It was early in the morning and we were setting up the booth when a couple girls (mid to late 20′s) walked by and saw the sign that read “Free 5 Minute Massage With Each Spinal Screening.” The reply that followed left me a bit red in the face.
“So, are you the one doing the massage?” I was asked.
“No.” I laughed it off and continued, “Our masseuse will be here in a little while.”
“Can I pay extra to get you?” the girl flirtatiously replied.
“Nah.” was my witty come-back as they went on, giggling a bit at their frankness, I suppose. Meanwhile, I was left standing there with a face as red as a tomato, a bit speechless. I just got hit on I thought to myself. I made a few comments to my boss and to a friend who was there witnessing the whole thing and then carried on with my job. I was really eager to tell Tricia, though. I’ve still got it! Read More→
The Best Valentine’s Gift Ever :: Your Life Laid Down
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Here we are, two days before the most convoluted of all holidays: Valentine’s Day. Shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, this day has become a bit of an aggravation to me over the years. It has been fully embraced by our consumer-driven economy and has become a driving force for sales in most commercial places of business. No one really knows where it came from, but we all know (especially we men) exactly where it’s headed…and it always takes us with it.
I’m not immune to it, either. Not getting something for my wife on this day seems callous, yet bowing down to the goofiness of this money trap is almost more than I can stand. I am among the lucky few who has a wife that honestly doesn’t want the egregiously overpriced flowers on Valentine’s Day, and for that I am so very thankful! But we still play along with cards and a small gift or two. Like I said before, I feel like a jerk if I don’t do something!
So today, I was in Hallmark browsing their card collection in hopes of finding either something really nice and mushy or something absolutely hilarious. I found something in between and settled on it. It was a good card that lacked a certain characteristic I found troubling in probably 85% of the other cards available.
Apology. Read More→
All the Buzz…or Not :: Google’s Feeble Attempt at Social Media
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Let me make something perfectly clear to start this post; I am a big fan of Google. Scratch that, I’m a huge fan. Other than getting booted unfairly from their AdSense program, I’ve been happily using many of Google’s free and useful web applications for a couple years, now. Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Contacts, Google Reader, Google Feedburner, Google’s Picasa and most important, Google’s peerless search engine have all been part of my daily routine for some time, now. I also own a Palm Pre, which takes advantage of all these, wirelessly updating and syncing my personal data for me while I’m on the go. Trust me, if there is a Google fan, it’s me! I even keep myself updated on what’s going on with their mobile operating system, Android, just because I love their innovative style.
I’m creating this post using Google Chrome, their most-impressive, sleek, and super-fast web browser.
I love Google. I really do.
Easily one of the largest and most profitable businesses in the world, Google has little to fret about. Their search engine dwarfs all others in usage numbers. Their web apps are used by millions. Their Google-branded phones are selling like hotcakes with thousands of developers writing apps for them. All said and done, Google is doing very well.
Enter Buzz, Google’s newest creation. ”Share updates, photos, videos, and more.
Start conversations about the things you find interesting.” This is the title statement at the top of the page at google.com/buzz. All the millions of Gmail users around the world will be redirected to this site on their very next trip to their inboxes and will be confronted with Google’s latest “innovation.” Read More→
Super Bowl Ads 2010 :: Should We Advertise Jesus?
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The Super Bowl has become something so much bigger than a great game, great rivalry and great football. It has become the de facto standard for big-ticket, big-money advertising. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you about the strangeness of watching a great football game and not being able to “check-out” during the commercials for fear of missing the next great ad. It is a unique television viewing experience, for sure! And after an evening of taking in an extraordinary amount of very pricey advertising, I lied down for bed in recollection of which ad campaigns actually stuck.
- Doritos – Their campaign focused on consumer-created hilarity…and all their ads were very funny and memorable.
- Bud Light – Their campaign was, no surprise, all about fun and partying. Many very funny ads.
- Hyundai Sonata – Nothing flashy or funny or cutting edge…just a good-looking vehicle from a company making the move from mediocre manufacturer to premium car builder. It made me turn my head more than once.
And that’s about it. That was my take-away from all the ad blitz. The first two companies were not offering any new product or pricing; they were simply attempting to get their product stuck in viewers’ minds, and it worked very well. The Sonata took a different approach, offering a new vehicle style and build at a shockingly low price. It really got my attention and made me think, “Maybe I’ll check that out sometime.” In both cases, they got what they were searching for. They made me, the consumer, give some of my precious brain time to their product…to the tune of millions of dollars.
All this made me think about those of us who follow Jesus. Read More→
My Reaction to Avatar :: Are You a Culture Traitor?
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Along with the vast majority of our culture, I can now count myself as one who has seen arguably the highest grossing movie of all time: Avatar. And it did not disappoint. Between the outlandish visual effects, seamless 3-D experience and stunning action sequences, I can easily say this is one of the most entertaining movies I’ve ever watched and hands-down the best movie theater experience I’ve ever had. This is a well-made, mind-blowing, special effects extravaganza with a good story and good dialogue. I can’t say great story or dialoge simply because they were good, not great. The entire package, though, is well worth the ticket price and the drive that may become necessary if you don’t have a proper, 3-D enabled theater near you.
All that being said, there are hundreds and thousands of critical, political and religious reviews about this movie floating around web, and I don’t plan to add to the noise. I read many of these reviews before seeing the movie and walked in fully expecting to have some pretty strong reactions to the film. And that didn’t disappoint, either. I had to fight back the blogger in me and simply sit back and enjoy the film for what it is: entertainment. And after all the tension, adventure and emotional reaction subsided, I found myself walking out of the theater with one word in mind. Read More→
