Is this self-torture?

So, I just learned that Stephen A. Smith has a podcast.

That means you would actually choose to have nothing but Stephen A. Smith's voice coming through your sound system talking to you.

Does anyone choose to do this? Or is this the kind of thing you download onto a friend's MP3 player and then change the title of to trick them into listening to it?

Do You Ever Inspire Yourself?

I'm not trying to sound egotistical with that question. I'm seriously wondering: do you ever inspire yourself?

I ask because this morning I inspired myself. In my role as National Vice President for Sigma Theta Epsilon, I'm posting a discussional (my word for devotional that hopefully invites discussion and feedback) each day for Lent. That's going to be 46 of these discussionals in 46 days, counting one on each Sunday, as well. This has been a serious time of growth for me, as well as drawing close to the Lord. I'm really amazed at how much it's done that for me.

But, beyond that, the lastest discussional entry in the series inspired me to attempt a project. It's not that I hadn't had similar thoughts before, but they had never been as clear or as focused or as "I need to do this" as they were when I re-read what I had posted for discussional.

I'm just wondering how common this is. Do you ever do something that gives you inspiration to do something else? Do you ever inspire yourself?

(Of course I realize I may be giving myself too much credit in the inspiration side ... but I think I sound just as vain if I try to say "God prompted to me to write this", so there goes another question and conundrum ... )

Unfunny Funnies

Maybe I'm just getting old and crank-nostalgic, but I don't find much funny in the funny pages anymore. I'm not amused like I used to be. Gone are the wit and charm of Fox Trot and Calvin and Hobbes. And, while we still get a few beauties, like Agnes, we're more often stuck with tired "jokes" and running gags from the likes of BC, Hagar, Ziggy, and Garfield.

Well, finally, someone figured out how to make Garfield funny.

Take out Garfield. Either his thought balloons, or him entirely.

Case in point:



Maybe there's hope for humanity after all ...

Help?

Anyone wanna pitch in some money and help me win this eBay auction?

Anyone?

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Isn't it?


(or, better yet, anyone wanna help me come up with a similar scam idea to make some quick cash on eBay?)

Anything Redeeming?

So, I stumbled upon the Restored Church of God website tonight.

I read through two articles, and my head is ready to explode.

Anyone care to venture into the website or know any of their background to let me know if everything there will make my head explode?

(Seriously, it's worth a look, if only to help you refine what you believe in the face of some whacked-out takes)

A Cautionary Tale

Sometimes, you shouldn't be mean to your waiter/waitress, no matter how rude they are, how much they ignored you, or how incompetent they are.

Need proof? Find it here.

What do you want?

What do you want?

Seems a simple and innocent question. But think about it with me a little harder. What do you want? I'm not asking what would you like to see happen. What would you like to have. What are some things that would be nice.

What do you want?

I ask this because of something I just read in a book I'm reading by Frank Bettger. In the book, he says a man will move heaven and earth to get what he wants.

So, when you think about what you want, in this context, the question changes just a little bit. What are the things that you want to come about that you are willing to go through fatigue, embarrassment, suffering, pain, struggles, etc. for? What do you want? What do you really, really want.

I mean I'd like the Indians to win the World Series. I'd like my close friends and family to help me in accomplishing my goals, and to hold me accountable. I'd like the Cavs to make a miracle trade. I'd like CC Sabathia to sign a nice extension with the Tribe. I'd like to play through all the Zelda games back-to-back-to-back-... Etc. etc. etc.

But these are not things I want. Not as I've defined it. These aren't things I'll move heaven and earth to accomplish. They're not all things I have direct control over.

But there are a lot of things I want, as I've defined it above. And I have some-to-all direct control over those things. And, to help me get the things I want, I'm compiling a list.

I want to lose sixty pounds.
I want to be a homeowner.
I want to be a daddy.
I want Sigma Theta Epsilon to grow both in the refinement of men, and in the number of men we refine, and in the number of places we refine men.
I want jOURney to become a standard bearer of what a 21st century church can do.
I want to earn awards in Ohio West that no one else is earning.
I want my District and Regional Sales Coordinators to earn awards.

But I have a #1 on this list. Because lists like this need a #1. ANd it's something that will trigger some of the other wants.

I want to get a signed and completed M0138.5.


So, what do you want?

Great Idea

We went shopping today, in Columbus. On a whim we stopped in World Market. They let you piece together different imported and micro brews into a "build your own 6-pack".

What a great idea.

I'm Done Being Sick

No, really. I'm done.

I don't know if my body is done being sick and the virus (or whatever) has left me, but I'm done.

I mean, I'm ready to move on. I'm tired of not having energy, of coughing too much, and of shivering. And, more importantly. I'm tired of eating rice, chicken broth, and toast. I want a freaking cheeseburger. It's almost getting close to me breaking down and yelling "Click Click Bloody Click Cheeseburger".

Is there no more common sense?

I realize that's a rhetorical question

and I realize I probably don't want to know the depths of how true a "no" answer really is.

But, seriously, who writes stuff like assassination predictions for a presidential candidate

Seriously? Who doest that? And why?