Become a YES MAN

I recently watched YES MAN for the zillionth time the other day and I have to say - that movie inspires me like none other. Basically, the premise of the movie is a guy (Jim Carrey) who is going through life with no joy comes across a guru who makes a covenant with him to say YES to everything. While it is hysterically funny, it holds a valuable lesson.

We lose ourselves in everyday life. Everyday becomes the same as the last and we lose our joy. We have been given this incredible thing called life and it all gets muddied by mortgages, petty problems and boredom. We ALL need to become "yes men" in some regard - we need to go out on a limb and do things we normally wouldn't do. We get "settled" in our lives and no longer take risks or leave our comfort zones which cause us to miss out on some cool opportunities and experiences.

I am going to make a conscious effort to say "YES" to some things I wouldn't think of saying yes to normally and just see what happens. Look out world. Who is with me?!!!

You've changed, man.

Someone said two words to me today that I have been pondering all day. "YOU'VE CHANGED." We've all probably either said this to someone or have heard it from someone. After thinking about when I've used this statement and the places I've heard it used, I've come to the conclusion that it's usually said with a negative connotation and is meant as 'you used to be better.'

I really don't know why these two words became my subconscious' favorite snack today. (wrap your mind around the hilarious things hiding in my subconscious mind) For whatever reason it stuck with me. I guess mostly I have been pondering questions like:

Have I changed?
How have I changed?
What exactly prompted these changes?
What exactly has changed?

I've come to the realization, that he was right. I have changed. Now I could have you pull up a chair and explain to you some of the major reasons I feel I have, but I fear losing at least half of my five readers.

My favorite Tony Horton quote...

"We stumble. We fall. But we move."

I'm GLAD I've changed and continue to change every day. Change almost always seem to have a negative connotation and certainly can be bad. However, change at least means I'm growing.

Maybe I did used to be better at some things in my past years. (no, wii tennis is not one of those things) But ya know what - in some other things I'm better. I'm growing everyday and am smiling alot while I enjoy this fabulous life God has given me to live.

A Challenger (what was he thinking) for the WII Tennis Champion of the World

You heard that right. A crazy fool has challenged Maddog to a tennis match. The showdown will be Thursday, 22 at9pm. The foolish challenger calls himself the "Sunscreen Kid" and boasts that he is able to bring Maddog down off the throne.

Sunscreen Kids says, "If you screw things up in tennis, it's 15-love. If you screw up in boxing, it's your ass. So I chose tennis."

Maddog is confident that she will make him eat the tennis ball before it's all said and done. First challenger to win ten games wins.

Tickets are available, and if you would like to place a bet let me know.

Time to get back to blogging

I recently heard the story of a young lady from Pakistan that touched me so much I had to spread the word about her. Women are undoubtedly the strongest creatures ever made by God, but this lady takes the cake.

Mukhtaran Bibi was sentenced by a tribal council in Pakistan to be gang-raped for an alleged offense of her younger brother. Now...first off, if I had to be sentenced for the transgressions of my younger brothers, I would be in T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Imagine what it feels like to be before a judge and be sentenced to a GANG RAPE. I wonder if I would've been as mouthy as I am if I were born in the middle east....

Anyway, several of her neighbors were "kind enough" to carry out her sentence and brutally raped her, forcing her to walk naked through her village. (never complain about your neighbors fence again)

She was supposed to be so shamed that she would commit suicide, but instead she decided to instead try a different method. She took her case to Pakistani authorities, and her story drew international attention and press attention. Basically, she started telling this disgusting story as loud as she could and it worked.

The press attention shamed the government into prosecuting her attackers. Mukhtaran received $8300 in compensation, a substantial sum in her remote region of Pakistan. Instead of using the funds to move somewhere else, she decided to start a school for girls in her village.

Yep - that same village. Are all you women reading this standing up and shouting with me!?!

With additional contributions from many who learned of her efforts through the media, the school now provides elementary education and literacy training to 130 poor and orphan girls. Mai and her friends operate the school themselves, and until now they have been supplying books, uniforms, and shoes to the girls without assistance from the Pakistani government or any non-profit organizations.

Amazingly, on March 3, 2005 a Pakistani court overturned the death sentences of all six men who raped her and ordered five of them freed. The case has become an embarrassment for the Pakistani government as her story became more widely known, forcing the courts to yet again reverse themselves.

The exploitation of women, particularly in poor countries, is the most serious abuse of human rights in the world today...yet this woman had the courage to stand up no matter what the cost. I SALUTE HER.

Psychological Warfare

I've been having some trouble with my kid and REBELLIOUS BEHAVIOR. I've tried everything "traditional" to curb this behavior without much success. Grounding...er... doesn't work and it grounds ME just as much as it does her...So, Keith and I discussed a new way of doing things last night and I think I may try it out and write a book about it so other parents of crazy teenagers can use it to keep their sanity.

Here's how it works. CHANGE EVERYTHING that is normally very "comfortable" for the child into the "uncomfortable." Don't say a word. Just change it little by little and if nothing else, you'll get some satisfaction of playing a little mind game of your own. It's kinda like turning the tables on them - give them a dose of their own medicine so they just won't know what to expect and hopefully if all goes well - she'll be begging for things to go back to 'normal.'

If nothing else, I got so much enjoyment just THINKING about doing some of the things below to freak her little mind out. Here's some of what we thought about doing.....

• She hates spicy food, so I figured each night I would learn to cook something new with varied hot peppers. Now normally, I would make her a special dish without the zip.
  
  
• Get rid of her nice comfy california king bed and replace it with a few sets of bunk beds
  
  
• Why a few sets of bunkbeds? ohhh forgot to mention that i'll be adopting about 6 kids - all who don't speak english and she'll have to share her room. I'm sure she'll enjoy siblings.
  
  
• I think i may 'surprise her' with a couple of pet guinea pigs
  
  
• I may redecorate her room in a My Little Pony theme
  
  
• I'm thinking of throwing a couple of wild card parties at about 2am. hope i don't keep her up
  
  
• Next time parent teacher conferences come around, i'm gonna wear my jammies and some big fluffy slippers
  
  
• I think I may catch some syndrome that makes me slur my words and drool alot around large groups of teenagers.
  
  
• I'm thinking of removing all doors in the house so we can all be closer
  
  
• I think i'll register her name as a domain name and post some of my favorite pics and stories of her so if you google her name - voila.
  

What do you guys think about this new strategy?

Humorfeed Announce Winners for Annual Satire Competition

My dear web forum buddy Watley gave me some cool news today about the fourth annual HumorFeed Award. I thought I'd share the love.

"Baristas Claim Obama's Coffee Not Black Enough!"

That was the story deemed 'best of 2008' in the fourth annual HumorFeed Satire News Awards. The event, which relies on a panel of journalists and comedy writers to rank the best of the best,
is a mainstay for the satire news sites that pepper the web (excepting the Onion, of course).

To cap things off, the winner, writer G. Xavier Robillard - a regular contributor to such
publications as Cracked, McSweeny's, and Comedy Central online - is coming out with a brand-new book in just two weeks.

The book, Captain Freedom: A Superhero's Quest for Truth, Justice, and the Celebrity He So Richly Deserves, is being published by Harper Collins, no less. Robillard is clearly off to a great start in 2009. (Probably the other writers all hate him right now.
First place and a book deal? Seems a bit much!)

But Robillard's winning story is just the tip of the iceberg. Click here for the top ten stories of the year (they include gems such as "Atheist Sees Image of Big Bang in Piece of Toast" and
"Dyslexic Student Expelled Over Toy Gnu"), or if you're really feeling bored at work, try
the whole list of 46 entrants. Some are better than others, of course, but HumorFeed is the gold standard wire service for this kind of thing: you'll be glad you stopped by.

Reconnect

I just received the best gift I could ever receive right in time for Christmas. Years and years ago, there was a wonderful lady who was my neighbor. She had children the same ages as mine and we became the best of friends. We raised our little ones together and shared some wonderful memories together.

Life has a funny way of allowing you to lose touch with people and that is exactly what happened to us. I've searched for her every once in awhile because I've never forgotten what a wonderful friend she was to me....but never found her.

Recently, I started keeping up with my facebook account and thought of her. I couldn't find her on facebook, but I found her little girl who is all grown up now. I've had the best time going through pictures of her beautiful family and reconnecting.

I so regret losing time with her and am so grateful for another chance to make up for time. I challenge all of you to RECONNECT with people who have made a positive impact in your life this Christmas. This reconnection will undoubtedly bring more smiles than a high dollar gift could ever bring.

Christmas DEstressed.

Oddly enough, I've found I have an uncanny calmness preparing for Christmas this year. I've decided to not spend much money and I honestly think that took alot of the maddness away from this typical maddening holiday. I even went to the mall with my kid today just for fun! (i know weird.)

By lowering the spending amount, I spend much more time thinking about what gift would be best for each person and why....making the gift extra special and man it's a lot quicker to get done with a list this way too!

I read about the dude who worked at walmart getting trampled to death from crazed shoppers on "black Friday" and just shook my head in disbelief. It's amazing to me how insane people get each year during this time....you know...the time when we celebrate baby Jesus and peace 'n all that stuff.

I think America has the chance to remember some of the good things in lif now...Yeah the economy taking a nose dive sucks no matter how you look at it, but life is so much more than a paycheck. We need to enjoy it more.

You may be wondering why I have the HOFF pic with this post. No real connection really - it just made me giggle. Merry Christmas to all my many fans ... I'll try to write more next year.

Guilt

I heard the most amazing teaching on GUILT. It so "clicked" with me that I felt the need to share it with all of you. This will surely help anyone who has ever struggled with guilt - and if nothing else it's entertaining. It's audio - so just click and let it play while you are doing whatever you do.

Click to hear

Change has come to America.

Last night, we all got the chance to witness history in the making. I don't care who you supported in this election, or how you feel about Obama's policies - America (as a whole) proved they have PROGRESSED. The American people have changed for the better - in that a black man or a woman is a viable option for the presidency.

I got goosebumps last night while watching this happen - can you even imagine what feelings the elderly black men and women felt who witnessed the segregated US - now watching a black man become elected to the highest office.

Incredible. Exciting.

Slander in the Name of Jesus

I cannot WAIT for this election to be over. Every day, I receive forwarded emails from Christians that contain slander and gossip about Obama. Sometimes, I click on links contained or actually READ and check the "facts" contained in these emails and I'm amazed that this garbage is actually being PASSED AROUND by Christians through the church...and all "in the name of Jesus."

Jesus did not waste even one moment of his time discussing the politics of His day. He fed the poor and invited the "sinners" over for dinner so He could build relationships with them.

I challenge all Christians to at least READ and verify the facts in the political emails you forward to your Christian email ring.

Wii Tennis Champion of the World

Recently, Keith purchased a Nintendo Wii console. The Wii was packaged with a sports game that included the game of tennis. We both found it very fun to play and found it was very accurate with swings etc. Of course, it shortly became a competition to the death. : )

We argued frequently 'who was better,' until Keith had a fabulous idea. He sat down on the couch with a pen and paper and wrote out a contract. Yep - he decided that he would prove he was the master tennis player once and for all. His contract stated that the first person to win 100 games would be proclaimed the Wii Tennis Champion of the World and the loser must call the winner that title at least two times a day for the rest of his/her life. He gloated as he wrote the contract and gave me the pen to sign my signature. I signed my name.

Just last night, the Wii Tennis Champion of the World was proclaimed. My friend, Josh writes it best:

--

Here Ye! Here Ye!

I hereby declare on this day, August the fifth in the year of our Lord 2008 let it be known that on the glorious digital landscapes of the ferocious battlefield of Wii Tennis, Christy has been found privy to a swift and decisive victory over Keith. No mercy to be had, no solace, and no pride left to call his own, Keith has succumbed to the superior wii-waggling abilities of an insidious foe and has found himself weighed, measured, and wanting. Today truly is a day that shall live in infamy. All hail Christy! Let these halls ring out with the tales of her unerring conquest and pray mercy on any soul who dare oppose her!

--

So - all of you who know Keith - please txt, call, email him and ask him ....WHO IS THE WII TENNIS CHAMPION OF THE WORLD! : )

I'm still alive

Ok so - it appears I've taken the summer off from blogging. I bet I've lost all my stalkers now....bummer. I've been working 24/7 on this product we've been working on for the past year. It's almost ready to launch and it's way exciting.

I need bloggers that would be willing to blog about our new product (it's a CMS geared toward churches) when it's ready. I'll fill you in more when I have a site to lead you to.

25 years later

If you knew me as a teenager, you would surely remember my obsession with Van Halen...specifically Eddie. My walls were completely covered with his images and my friends and I would hover around the television waiting for VH videos to come on memorizing every word of their songs so we could sing along with them.

How many times I pretended to be a rockstar myself. ; )

Last night was magical. I can't explain what it was like to see them on the stage again. Where has the time gone?! Short hair and in their 50's - amazing. It brought tears to my eyes to watch it. It was truly an incredible night. Thank you, Keith. xo