Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
I’m sure I wrote about dating last year. It was 2025 and I was 46 years old. To sum up the twelve months, and I’m barely not too embarrassed to record it here: I had three dates last year.
Three first dates.
If you ever hear that dating is a dumpster fire, believe it. I’m not saying that I’m the perfect date. I have my share of goof-ups and whatnot but only three first dates is pretty pathetic. I’m determined to have better romance in 2026. Mostly what that means is that I’d really enjoy having a second date. Or even a 4th first date. I mean, is that too much to ask? I bet when my stalker reads this, they’ll be eating this up with a spoon.
But for the rest of you… any advice you’d like to share, I’m all ears! Add your words of wisdom in the comments below.
OpenAI has a series of ChatGPT ads (here’s one with a guy and a girl on a date) that I can’t decide if I love or hate. They’re simple and show pretty plainly what ChatGPT can do, always using pleasant music and a colorful backdrop for the scrolling text. I guess I love them for their simplicity, proving that effectiveness doesn’t have to be complicated. I sort of compare it to Taylor Swift. Check out the latest ad and then I’ll explain below…
I’ve never (it can’t be proven, at least) been to a Taylor show but I’ve heard there’s been pyrotechnics, elaborate stage decor, dancers, etc., which has fed into a theory I have. The theory is this: When you play good music, you don’t need fancy window dressing. Of course Taylor is a world-class entertainer and her level of popularity only comes along a few times in any particular generation, but as far as pure singing goes, she’s just above average. That’s fine because she makes up for it with all kinds of other engaging and entertaining business tactics. But I’m so much more drawn in by a singer/songwriter who can be on stage with the bare minimum behind them and still command all of my attention. Maybe it’s their voice and maybe it’s the lyrics, but when you’re ultra talented, you don’t need anything else but your voice and your talent. That’s sort of the case with the ChatGPT ads. It’s not so much a “bare minimum” situation as it is a utilitarian display of what the service does. I go back again to the idea that it doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. A case of “what you see is what you get”in commercial form.
The Music. The song used as the soundtrack for this ad is Minnie Riperton “Les Fleurs” from 1970. Fun fact: Minnie Riperton is the mother of actress Maya Rudolph. Here’s the full track from the album “Come to My Garden.”
The Location. Although there’s a Laurel Street in Nashville, it’s definitely not Nashville. The location for this commercial shoot is Stillwater, Minnesota. More specifically, the corner of Laurel Street & 2nd Street by Pioneer Park.
I like this ad for its simplicity, the music, and the runners getting out there even when it’s hard.
“Latte for Jan?” How many times have I inserted myself into situations where I should just… chill. That’s the sentiment behind most Progressive commercials but especially this recent one featuring young homeowners becoming their parents. Take a look then scroll down for more…
Fun fact, I’ve also been a bag boy. My first job ever was a bag boy at Winn-Dixie and I’ve got some stories from that place, let me tell ya. The guy in the commercial is right, though. Heavy stuff on the bottom. Also, don’t slip stuff from someone’s order out of sight so when they leave, it’s yours. That’s called stealing. And yes that happened… allegedly… at the 152nd Avenue Winn-Dixie and no, it wasn’t me!
I wrote a few days ago about pickleball being a serious sport, as measured by the amount of brands making pickleball-specific shoes. In the beginning of the sports popularity, I only remember Skechers making a shoe. After I did research, there are probably at least a dozen brands with good pickleball shoes… so naturally I ordered 7 pairs to see which I liked best.
Yes, it’s actually a tennis shoe but I tried on Asics, Wilson, Skechers, and Fila. The K-Swiss shoe is SO comfortable while still offering solid side-to-side support. The shoe in second place was the Wilson Rush Pro Ace Pickler. Great support just like the K-Swiss but the exterior design wasn’t my favorite. Simply an aesthetic thing, I guess. The other pairs were either two wide (Skechers), not enough support (Fila and Asics), or too rigid in the insole (Asics). If you’re on the fence about a shoe to try, go with the K-Swiss or Wilson. Great shoes for narrow to mid-width feet.
My second tournament with the K-Swiss is this afternoon. Updates to come!
I’ve really enjoyed practicing design work ever since Affinity released a new version of their vector software. It’s awakened part of my personality that was dormant for a long time so I’m grateful for that very, very much! It’s been fun to create things again and take on a new challenge – designing images for hats. More about that is in previous posts but I’d recently heard about a new competition for a t-shirt design (thanks cousin Lauren!). I love the idea of using a theme to design something and this particular theme is “Becoming.” Lots of ideas came and went, a few I really liked. But then I settled on the one below. I think most of us have been affected by cancer in one way or another. It’s a beast but a thing of beauty when someone overcomes it, isn’t it? This design is simple, I know I’m not the best artist so I just went with the strongest urge. I think it would look good on a dark shirt with that nod to the neon colors of the late 1980s. I hope the message of overcoming, change, growth, becoming, translates through the design. Either way, it was fun to stretch my thinking even more. If I can, I’ll add a link once voting begins. How has cancer related to your life journey? Chat with me by leaving a comment below.
Out of the Wilderness 