ABC’s Superstars – Joanna Krupa is Not Nice

Wow, I just watched 2 episodes of ABC’s new show Superstars online.  It’s a remake of show they’ve done in the past where athletes are paired up with celebrities and have to compete in various competitions.  I was blown away in the first episode by Joanna Krupa.  Yes, she is a beauty, but she showed the world that she is a bitch.  Wow.  Ok, T.O. had a bad day kayaking and in the obstacle course, but she was relentless with him.  She was a horrible loser and would not talk to any of the TV show’s hosts.  Seriously?  I mean, I realize you want to compete and all, but do you not realize that you are on a family show.  In stark contrast, you had someone like David Charvet who said, “having fun is the most important thing”.

I’m not going to lie, having Ali Landry and Joanna on the show make it much more interesting to watch, but I’d rather take a Gurkha Beauty over that stuck up supermodel.  A nice cigar would go down much smoother.  In the second day of competition, she wore goggles for a jump into the ocean because she didn’t want to mess up her eye makeup.  Really?  I mean, is it that hard to go reapply some Dermablend makeup?  They got kicked off the show on the first night, but ABC brought them back because Jennifer Capriati had an “injury”.  I wonder if that was true or if they just had to have Terrell Owens and Joanna come back.  I can just see here yelling at all of the Bahama workers to carry her bags back and forth from her car to the room.  I mean, wow, I was really taken back by how mean she was.  What’s worse about all of this is that I’m standing up for Terrell Owens.  Seriously, if you are making TO look like a decent human being, there is something seriously wrong with you.

Joanna Krupa and Terrell Owens on Superstars

The Hammer

I’m delivering a gift for a newborn for a friend.  No, it’s not a security blanket.  He has enough of those already.  Although, the new parents have been surprised at how quickly they go through dirty blankets.  Instead, I’m delivering a hammer.  Well, it’s more like a mallet.  This is not a toy.  It’s a real hammer.  Let me try to explain why.

My friends named their son Ajax.  Correction, Henry Ajax Knoechel.  His middle name is Ajax, which for those of you who don’t know, he was a bad ass warrior in Greek mythology.  This gives you a pretty good idea. On top of that, my friend, Dave, who gave the gift lives in a warrior mentality.  Has he ever been to war?  No.  Is he much of a fighter, no.  But more so than any other imagery in the Bible, he’s always been able to relate to war and that God is his King.  So, he gave a great gift.  It wasn’t about to be a personalized Goofy CD.  A hammer is much better.

It looks like this, but red.  Be blessed, Ajax.

Fallen World

Is there any doubt our world is Fallen?  Last week, I midrashed with about 30 other people Genesis 3, and we dove in deep into the story of the Fall that we read there and the tragedy that fell upon the human race.  The path is so clear between Adam and us today.  Temptation comes.  Eve was deceived.  Adam was passive.  They sin.  Their eyes are opened.  They feel shame.  They try to cover their shame.  They hide.  They are found out.  They blame others.  Sound familiar?  Is this not exactly our process of sin even today?  We are definitely a part of Adam’s fallen race.  Praise God for Jesus who was the last Adam and of a new creation!

I have some friends who work in social services and deal with the tragedies of the Fall face on every day.  They work with the Ohio MRDD in the Ohio autism services department.  It’s cool that they get to help people every day.  For instance, they have a 5k run coming up to help raise money, but it’s so clear that our human race is stricken with disease from the fall.  We lost so much!  We had communion with God and access to the tree of life!  And we lost it all.  Now, our bodies cripple up and die.  We grow old and broken, and need services like these just so we don’t pass on early.

So many people live without a belief in the fall.  It amazes me.  How do you respond to life always fight back at you?  How do you explain thistles and thorns?  I know two things very well from observing my life.  I am fallen, and I need grace.  Praise Jesus that he is merciful.  Praise our Father that he cares for the sick, the needy, the orphaned, and the abused.

Amazing Shot by Middle Schooler

Aaron Shutway makes a spectacular shot.  Had to share.

Babies Everywhere

It seems that all my friends now are having babies.  Everywhere I turn, another child is making its way out of the womb and into the world.  My best friends just had their first, and he came home from the hospital the other day.  He was a bit jaundiced, which apparently is pretty common for a lot of babies.  He only weighed 5 lbs 9 oz when born, and thankfully, he’s regained that weight.  The first couple of days, he lost a few ounces, which is normal as well.  He looks like the spitting image of his father, and it’s amazing how their gestures are so similar already.

With all the babies being born comes an overflow of baby gifts.  Its amazing how people go nuts over a little newborn and want to give their input on everything.  They just want to help, but sometimes it can be overwhelming.  Fortunately, they can express their appreciation through gifts.  I’ve fallen in love with a new website that sells baby blankets, called BlanketMyBaby.com.  They have a great selection and some of the best brands all in one place.  The site is also easy to navigate as there are filters on the left hand navigation to guide you to the right product.  I bought the Marquisette Mod Circles for my friends, which is a great blanket to wrap a little guy in when little.

Pretty soon, all these little babies will be getting bigger and they won’t need blankets any more.  They’ll be running around inside and outside the house, jamming out with their Wiggles guitar and making tons of noise.  They grow up so fast, or at least that’s what they say.

Where Is My Hope?

As a disciple of Christ, I often times have to check what I am placing my hope in.  I also have to hold my Christian brothers and sisters accountable to the things they are putting their hope in.  Ever since the Fall, our hope has been in things that are so temporary.  We worship idols so easily now.  Granted, it may not be Baal or Ashterah poles, but we have our gods.  Lebron James, Tom Cruise, Hannah Montana, Tiger Woods, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie – we worship these people, and we have the merchandise to prove it.  

Some don’t put hope in other people, but in themselves.  This is equally if not more dangerous.  We are fallen, therefore the hope will ultimately disappoint.  In times of danger, we often times turn to the Lord.  We ask for protection.  Although, I know some people who stock up on self defense products who do not rely on God for this.  They have tasers and guns in their home, which is so dangerous.  It’s scarier to think that when things are good, we hardly ever turn to the Lord.  We need failure and heartache to call on him. 

We don’t have any neon atm signs blinking with the right steps or guiding us on the path.  Seeking the Lord is hard, but then again how does, “seek me with all your heart” sound easy?  We can’t give up.  Our hope must lie in him, and he will be faithful.

Marketing in Down Times

Times are tough right now.  There is no doubt about it.  But it’s those business minds who keep their cool and have a bit of foresight in times like these who usually end up on top.  With budget buts, personnel cuts and any other kind of cut that companies are sustaining, it’s natural to think of slicing the marketing budget as well.  Savvy business owners know, however, that this is the perfect time to strike.  If your company can shine in down times, just think of how it will look when the upswing hits!

So, just how should you market?  Well, use your best channel you have going for you.  For many people, that may be their online store.  SEO continues to shine in this down economy.  Whether ecommerce stores are selling wallets, bedding, vitamins or even nice jewelry, with a solid SEO partner, there is money to be made.

Other marketing channels include traditional print media and television or radio.  Creating a video to promote your business is a rising trend. This Portland corporate video company is a perfect example of how you can get the word out about your business.  They do great work and allow your video to spread virally on the internet.

Still, other channels include the old faithful of cold calling.  Some companies even are getting creative by selling raffle tickets.  You see these ads in the mail a lot.  With the right prize, you can draw in a lot of business, and there are plenty of companies who can make you custom raffle tickets.

So be smart, don’t neglect marketing in these tough times.  Fight for it, because it will pay dividends in the end.

Step Back

With all the madness that is happening with the economy, I think it’s good to step back every now and then and reevaluate priorities.  As you watch the markets tank and predictions only are worse, you can feel hope deflate out of you like a balloon.  So stop, adjust, fix your eyes on something heavenly.  If my trust is in the wealth of America and the politicians of our country, I’m screwed.  Fortunately, I trust in a higher power.

One of the day to day things that helps me refocus is to be around kids.  Kids have a great perspective on life.  Why?  They don’t worry!  There is a reason our Lord told us to be like them.  Why should we fear?  If we serve a God who parted the Red Sea, caused manna to feed a nation of thousands for 40 straight years, brought water from a rock in the middle of a desert, are we really worried about the Dow?  We could take a lesson from kids who care more about Curious George than the evening news.  They dress up as their favorite heroes instead of losing faith in them.  They listen to their personalized Wiggles CD, not the doom and gloom of talk radio.  And they find comfort in their baby blankets, not in their bank accounts.

We could all gain a bit of wisdom from our younger friends.

Pneumonia? Seriously?

Last Friday night, my wife and I were hanging out some friends, and I noticed that I started to feel achy.  I thought, “shoot, I’m about to have the flu.”  You know you get that feeling when you are going to be sick.  That night, I had cold chills and a fever set in that lasted for the next 6 days.  I didn’t go to the doctor because with the flu, they just say to rest and drink lots of fluids.  Well, 6 days in, after significant doses of Dayquil and Niquil, I told my wife to take me to the doctor.  Turns out I have pneumonia!

Seriously?  Who get pneumonia anymore?  So, the short of things is that the people wearing Cherokee scrubs told me my lungs were filling with liquid, and it was a good thing I came in.  People with pneumonia can die by drowning, not a good way to go.  So, I’m on antibiotics now and in recovery mode.

People have been stopping by and trying to cheer me up, but when you feel miserable, you feel miserable.  I told my wife to plan a vacation for us because my body is revolting against me.  It is a cage.  Not even some cheap New York Giants tickets or these could fill me up.  I wasn’t too interested in sports or updating my aquarium.  I just would like to take a deep breath again.

So, if you get the flu and the fever doesn’t break and you develop a bad cough – get to the doctor!  Just don’t go to my doctor.  She’s a jerk.  Never going back.

Favorite Bag Store

I thought I’d take a minute and give a plug to my favorite bag store.  It’s bagyou.com, and they have a huge selection of my favorite bags.  Since I am an avid laptop user, I go through laptop backpacks quickly.  Fortunately, they have a wide selection to choose from, including High Sierra, Crumpler, Baggallini, Kata, Booq and more.  I’m currently on a High Sierra, but have been shopping.  Also, if you are a woman and can never find a good looking laptop case, they have a great selection for you.

Speaking of Crumpler, if you are into photography, one of the most popular bags is the  Crumpler Million Dollar Bag.  Bag You carries the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 Million Dollar Bag from Crumpler.  So, you can’t argue about that selection.  There is also a coupon code for Crumpler and free shipping on orders over $65, so be sure to take advantage.

So, if you are in need of a quality bag at a good price, check out bagyou.  I recommend their services.  It’ll make you happier than this.