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
Gap has an ad out featuring the slick dance moves of Lil Buck and Miles Yachts. I guess wearing Gap clothes makes you a good dancer? If so, I need a major wardrobe overhaul. Check out the 30-second commercial below. The song is “Too Fast” by Sonder, a trio formed in the mid-2010s.
How about those clothes, though? Well, I’ll list each item for you and what they’re going for at your local Gap store. You’re welcome!
Thanks for stopping by!
-Out of the Wilderness
I recently had to set up a mouse trap and to be quite honest, it was so hard to do. Not physically, but emotionally. For years I’ve thought, “Who am I to decide if this creature has to die today?” I know it’s just a tiny animal, but it’s a living thing that is just trying to survive. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals, whether it’s the cutest puppy or the biggest possum you’ve ever seen. Take a scary one, for instance… alligators. Frightening. Deadly. Yet, fascinating. Remarkable. Same with sharks. Terrifying, yet amazing.
I have a neighbor that used to ask me to go hunting with him. It’s never going to happen. Can you imagine shooting and killing a deer!? Well, maybe you can. I have nothing against those who hunt, I just can’t do it. Again, who am I to decide when another living thing has to die? Especially creatures as beautiful as deer!
It even happens with insects like wasps, spiders, and moths, though. If I discover them in my house or somewhere nearby, I’ll diligently try to get them to a safe place outside… where they belong. Sometimes death is the only solution but not if I can help it.
I think this comes from my belief that all creatures have been created by God, and their (our) mere existence is an example of His beauty, creativity, and love for life. Why would I want to kill that? I can’t justify ending the life of something God has spent time creating and designing to contribute to the amazing, diverse environments of earth. I just can’t do it. Well, I CAN if it’s a wasp or bee stinging me, for example. Or a tick that’s trying to latch on to me or my dogs.
But you get my point, I hope. There’s just something to marvel at when a creature is out there doing what it was designed to do, and thriving in the world God created it in.
This post was originally going to wind itself around to human life, and my belief that people begin very early, like…. conception early… but I think I’ve said enough for now (haha). I suppose the post is more of a tribute to God, who’s creativity and imagination are qualities I can’t often comprehend. But when I see his creation in the form of animals and insects, I can thank him for it… and help those creatures live, even if it means strategically moving one from inside my house to outside my house. 🙂
-Out of the Wilderness
This post is going to wrap up my favorite U2 songs. Part 1 can be seen here. How do you feel about any of these songs?
“All I Want Is You” – For all you lovey dovey’s out there, this one is uber romantic. I can’t exactly remember the first time I heard it, but it has stuck with me ever since. Another version I enjoyed was performed by Jars of Clay (click here for that one)… not quite as earnest in its message of desperate love, Jars puts a rockabilly flair on it. But with a rock band like U2, you don’t often get a ballad of love laid out so bare. This shows that when it comes to U2, there are no rules, I guess.
Favorite line: “All the promises we break, from the cradle to the grave… When all I want is you.”
“Mysterious Ways” – This is a song that exemplifies the “rock” side of U2 perfectly. Crunchy guitar, heavy drums, it’s just great. One of my favorite bands growing up was DCTalk and I can definitely hear the influence of U2 in their music, especially U2’s style in this song.
Favorite Line: “If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel.”
“MLK” – The first time I heard this song was close to 20 years after it was released. It was on the 1984 album “The Unforgettable Fire” which is also a good description of the song, really. A tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., the instrumentation has a mystical feel to it and might very well stop you in your tracks, as it did me.
Favorite line: “Sleep, sleep tonight… and may your dreams be realized.”
“Running To Stand Still” – This song is new to me, although it was released in 1987 when I was just 9 years old. Now I’m 41 and I’m kind of glad I heard it for the first time as an adult. It’s sad but with an element of happiness somehow. Bono’s voice is really nice in this one.
“Jesus Christ” – This song was also new to me this year (2020). If you listen to it and think it sounds very, very old, you’d be right! It’s a cover of a song from the 1940s, U2 performing it in the late 80s. I love the upbeat tempo that is a reminder of country/folk music from the mid-19th century.
Favorite Line: “When Jesus came to town all the working folks around, believed what he did say.”
Thanks for stopping by. What are some of your favorite U2 songs? Comment below!
-Out of the Wilderness
A few weeks ago I was finding crickets inside my house somewhat regularly. Not more than one or two every few days, but in my life, that’s already more than I prefer. Something about them grosses me out like not many other bugs can do.
Also, around this time of year there is an increase in the number of wasps flying around, and some even getting inside my house, too. Do they have a secret plan with the crickets to take over my house or what?
My house has a crawl space where I know camel crickets like to hide out. It’s cool and dark down there, kind of like a cave and they love that. I grabbed a flashlight to find out more and once I stuck my head through the crawl space entry, it was quite the sight. Hundreds of those little boogers! It’s the stuff of nightmares, I tell ya!
I decided it was time to call the local pest control specialists so I started looking into an appointment for the upcoming week. I was this close to getting back with Cook’s Pest Control and then I thought, “Can I do this myself? Like, really take control?” I remember what they do when they come by and while I know anything I do won’t be as thorough as the pros, but I’m going to try this!
I went to Lowe’s to pick up a seed spreader and insect killer granules. The plan: spread the insect control around my the entire outside of my house; front, back, and sides. I thought this would help curb some insects, and hopefully the crickets, from gravitating towards my house.
What I thought was really funny is that a few days after I bought all the equipment and stuff, including a handheld seed spreader ($19 at Lowe’s), I went to an estate sale and they had 3 fancy seed spreaders. Of course that’s my luck that I had just bought a smaller one for more money at Lowe’s! The good news is that I hadn’t used the small one yet, so I returned it and bought the better one from the estate sale, for half as much as the new one cost from Lowe’s. Total score!
It’s been a couple weeks since I distributed the insect killer, and so far, it’s mostly working. All the camel crickets are gone from the crawl space. Now my focus will shift to the wasps. I think they are in the chimney, so for a few nights I used the fireplace for 2 reasons: it’s cozy to have a fire, and I want to smoke ’em out. Updates forthcoming.
Have you done your own pest control? What have you learned along the way?
Thanks for stopping by!
-Out of the Wilderness
I was watching the Bachelorette weightlifting (like real men do) and a commercial came on advertising a Dell laptop computer. Take a look at the ad here.
The product is the Dell XPS 13 shown in up-close detail with the soundtrack provided by a band called Danger Twins. The song is called “Thing of Beauty.” Here is the full track:
The song was released in 2019 on their “Say Ooh” EP, also debuting in 2019. The band also has a song used for a Nintendo Switch ad:
For more info on popular commercials, check out my commercials page. Thanks for stopping by!
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 