January 2007

Monthly Archive

pretty cool

Posted by on 31 Jan 2007 | Tagged as: churches on the ball.

So i went to high school with a guy who is now a pastor.

This month, his church in Fort Myers, Fla. got some attention after posting a billboard. the billboard’s copy consisted entirely of: ‘www.MyCrappySexLife.com’

Seriously pretty cool to see a news clip from Fort Myers Channel 2 with my friend being interviewed. Check this out!

check out the church’s new site, too. it’s pretty slick (you’ll be sent to it after you watch the flash animation)

proper powerpoint.

Posted by on 30 Jan 2007 | Tagged as: random., Tech Stuff.

Do you know what an effective powerpoint presentation is? How about a really horrible one? i think we’ve all had to sit through a horrible powerpoint presentation at some point.

Recently, Seth Godin blogged about proper use of power point.

i wanted to highlight a few things he had to say:

  • No more than six words on a slide. EVER. There is no presentation so complex that this rule needs to be broken.
  • No cheesy images. Use professional stock photo images.
  • No dissolves, spins or other transitions.

there is a lot more stuff he suggests, and i recommend reading the full article for the ‘big picture’ of what he’s saying, but thought i’d list a few of the tangibles…

What do you think about what he has to say about proper use of power point?

is coffee my drug addiction?

Posted by on 30 Jan 2007 | Tagged as: coffee, my life., thoughts on life.

About a week ago, my great friend Todd said something to me that has made me think, and rethink, my coffee habits.

Am i using coffee as a drug? Is coffee my drug addition? Am i a drug addict?

I have been asking this question over and over in my mind. would i be okay if i didn’t have coffee in the morning? why do i drink coffee? these and other questions i have mulled over and over in my mind.

My wife and i went to the new Starbucks in Auburn Friday night, (because BrewDaily’s closes at 6 p.m.), and i had my usual: ‘grande extra hot two-pump caramel latte’, and sat for a while, talking–one of Emily’s childhood friends, Justin, works there and we talked with him for about 15 minutes after he got off work. (cool guy with a really cool computer and editing software (Final Cut HD)!)

Anyway, after i finished that drink, i got a short (8 oz.) coffee, of variety Yukon. I figured that would keep me up for a while. So after our date, Emily and i went home, and i crashed. i mean, literally, i crashed. i couldn’t keep my eyes open.

Last night, we swung by Starbucks about 8 p.m., and i had a tall americano (1 shot espresso plus hot water, making a very good tasting coffee!) I again crashed. i couldn’t keep my eyes open.

So, I still am not positive about the answer to the question, ‘am i drinking coffee as a drug?’, but i can tell you, it puts me to sleep at night!

super bowl facts for non-football fans.

Posted by on 29 Jan 2007 | Tagged as: Uncategorized

First, let me just say, Go Colts! I love my Indianapolis Colts. My beloved (second to Emily, anyway).

Second, If you don’t care much for football, perhaps you would find it interesting that the Colts coach, Tony Dungy, as well as (the soon-to-be Super Bowl losers) Bears Coach Lovie Smith, are both Christians, and are not quiet about it. They are pretty vocal about their faith. They are also close friends.

Following the Colts victory last week over the Patriots, Dungy said, “The Lord tested us a lot this year, but He set this up to get all the glory.”

Reference: BPNews.

The Five Rules of Coffee: Rule 5

Posted by on 28 Jan 2007 | Tagged as: coffee

never leave a pot on a burner more than 20 minutes.
after 20 minutes on a burner, coffee begins to ‘burn,’ and changes considerably. the extra heat below it is nice to keep it hot, but reeks havoc on the quality. If you need to keep coffee hot for extended periods of time, it is best to look into an air-lined carafe (pronounced ka-raf), which is pretty much a glorified thermos.

The Five Rules of Coffee: Rule 4

Posted by on 27 Jan 2007 | Tagged as: coffee

never boil coffee.
coffee is best served just below the boiling point (about 195°). you can go slightly cooler if you prefer, but don’t go any hotter. boiled coffee just doesn’t taste right–and is chemically altered when it’s boiled!
And a bonus rule, say, 4.a: never microwave coffee.

this weekend is the weekend.

Posted by on 26 Jan 2007 | Tagged as: random., thoughts on god., thoughts on life.

So i regularly read (and enjoy it) Perry Noble‘s blog.
Today he shared a link to a video one of his members made. It is 9-minutes long, so be aware of that if you want to watch this cool video now.
The video follows a guy (who i guess is 35 years old) who takes his dad (who is like 65 or 70?) to church. His dad hadn’t been to church for like 15 years.
This was a touching, real video of real people using a typical camera. nothing special. just real.

This really hit home with me–this is the weekend for someone like that to come to my church. Not a single weekend goes by that we don’t see guests in our services–not one. There is always someone here who isn’t ‘connected’ like i am. Is this the weekend they decide to give God a second chance? I believe very strongly that we must prepare (through God’s guidance) diligently and purposefully for each weekend as if it is the most important weekend. Because, to someone, it just may be.

The Five Rules of Coffee: Rule 3

Posted by on 26 Jan 2007 | Tagged as: coffee

use only fresh, pure water.
considering coffee is 98% water, it only makes sense that using fresh, pure water helps improve the taste. Emily and i buy water by the gallon to use. we can’t stand to drink our town water (even after going through the Brita), so why would we want it in our coffee?

Windows ME. no…I mean, Vista.

Posted by on 25 Jan 2007 | Tagged as: Tech Stuff.

Microsoft, which doesn’t have a track record of producing high-quality Operating Systems the first time around (this is certainly my opinion), is planning to release Windows Vista, their newest OS, next week.

The funny thing is, even before they have released it, they apparently are finalizing on Service Pack 1, due out later this year. This is no joke, folks. I recommend you consider putting off that new purchase for at least a month, and wait for them to hash out some more of their problems.

(Reference: APC Magazine, Jan. 23, 07))

The Five Rules of Coffee: Rule 2

Posted by on 25 Jan 2007 | Tagged as: coffee

always use freshly ground beans.
the moment you grind beans, they begin to lose their strength. i know it’s more convenient to buy ground beans, or to grind your beans the morning before, but there is a significant loss of flavor when not using freshly ground beans.

The Five Rules of Coffee: Rule 1

Posted by on 24 Jan 2007 | Tagged as: coffee

Always use fresh beans.
Once opened, a bag of beans should be used within 10 days. Starbucks says it is eight days, but i notice little change between days 8-10, but notice a pretty quick loss of taste from day 10 on. By day 14 i can hardly stand drinking it.

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