Tonight Jason and I got a chance to watch ”The Exorcism of Emily Rose” with some friends. It’ll get your heart beating. It’s based off a true story and it is definitely one of those movies that will get you talking. If you're looking to get into a deep conversation about good versus evil, demons, God, heaven, hell, etc., this is your movie! One of the things we talked about afterward was heaven. What were our childhood thoughts on heaven? Had our thoughts changed now that we were all “grown-up?” Our friend said that he asked his mom when he was little if there would be a Nintendo in heaven. …
Archives for July 2006
Tremendous
Kim and I got in late last night from Orlando and the National Speakers Association convention. Our bodies are tired and our minds are swimming. What a privilege it was to be in the company of so many great individuals. Among the highlights was seeing Charlie "Tremendous" Jones receive the coveted Cavett Award (sort of like the MVP award for professional speakers). What a genuinely great man. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from Charlie: "You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read." …
Soundtrack of Life
The other day I had the privilege of seeing three individuals using music to Escape Adulthood. I saw the first person on the highway during the morning commute. She was driving along in her cute VW Beetle, with her flowers popping up over the dash. Even though I couldn’t hear her, she was obviously enjoying singing her tunes as she drove along. It was cute! The next person I saw twice in one week at the local grocery store. I think he works for one of the bread companies and he's there early in the morning stocking the shelves with fresh loaves. Both days I saw him he was sporting his …
Goodbye Rockford, Hello Orlando
Sometimes as a speaker, you just wish you could take a specific audience with you on the road everywhere you go. Last night in Rockford was one of those occasions. The crowd was energetic, attentive, involved, and they even laughed at many of my jokes. Thank you to everyone who was in attendance, especially for your welcoming attitude and kind comments afterwards. You made it extra fun. My grandma was also in the audience -- it was the first time she's heard me speak. That was pretty cool. I'm sure she had the hardest time believing that the guy giving the presentation was the same grandson …
Superman Returns
Kim and I finally had a chance to see Superman Returns this past weekend. (Tip: matinees are a great way to cool off when your apartment's thermostat has melted.) I hadn't heard too many reviews or read too many articles before the viewing -- I didn't want to spoil my own experience -- other than hearing that its box office take dropped off the second weekend. Well, I for one thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought director Bryan Singer did a nice job of sticking to the main points of the Superman legend. (I actually read that one of the cast aside scripts involving Tim Burton floated the idea of …
I Wish to Meet…
What a great connection. They have both been around for about 25 years. While SportsCenter has managed to change the way people view sports, Make-A-Wish has also been busy bringing hope, strength, and joy to children living with life-threatening medical conditions. You may wonder what one has to do with the other. Well, ESPN is featuring a summer series called 'My Wish,' working collaboratively with the Make-A-Wish Foundation as they chronicle unique sports-related wishes of 10 children. They are sharing the stories of one child each day from July 9th to July 23rd. If you don’t have ESPN or …
18 Checks
I was chatting over e-mail with my Uncle recently (you may have heard his interview in our latest podcast), and the subject of following one's dreams came up. He expressed how sad it is that so many people wait until they retire before they pursue their dreams and goals. Unfortunately for many, he noted, that day never comes. This is coming from a guy in his mid-fifties coming off a quadruple bypass operation. He mentioned that when people actually do retire, the average number of Social Security checks they are able to cash before they die is... eighteen. I'm not sure what his source …
A Motley Crew
We finished up the latest Cartooning Bootcamp on Thursday. Fortunately, the classroom we rented had air conditioning this year. Good thing, too, because we were at full capacity -- twenty-six kids. As always, the final day -- the day we distribute the pre-printed comic strip grids and non-photo blue pencils -- was the most exciting. And, as always, I continue to be impressed by the creativity and enthusiasm of the kids. Plus I now have a handful of good jokes to steal. (Just kidding.) Check out the kids' work and some photos here. …
EA #11: Staying Childlike in Serious Situations
In this podcast, brought to you from Madison, Wisconsin, we talk about the importance of staying childlike in serious situations. Also, we discuss the comeback of kickball, the health benefits of lemonade, and really cool ice cubes. Listen now by clicking play below. …
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Staples is a Stupid Doo Doo Head
A childish title, I'll admit. But not nearly as ridiculous as the experience I just had at the local Staples office supply store. I patronized the store this afternoon to purchase Post-It Notes and some paper folders for this week's Cartooning Boot Camp. Figured it would be kind of nice for the kids to have a handy place to store all of their handouts and drawings. I looked all over the store for paper folders. Finally, I find them on an end cap for a penny each. Sweet. I am a happy customer. So I proceed to the checkout. The girl at the register begins ringing up my items, and then informs …