Droid is the New Apple

It used to be that if you had an Apple product, you were in a select group on the outskirts of mainstream. With a firy passion, you bucked the idea of following the leader. You colored outside the lines. An Excel spreadsheet was for your dad and his friends. It’s no doubt that Apple’s introduced revolutionary products into the world, things like the iPod and the iPhone that are the benchmark of mobile connectivity. But just as Land Rover is produced for the masses and no longer for the fringes of offroad enthusiasts (don’t even get me started on that!), having an iPhone is like having a Facebook page. You have one, your teachers have one, your dad and his friends have one. No longer are you on the fringes. You are mainstream. And now you are not cool.

This is not a punch in the face, but yes Steve Jobs, you’ve just been Droided.

The Battle Is Won

Whether a song is about God, a recent break-up or scoring with a girl, we are all on the same journey. We’re looking for something. One fascinating thing to me is discovering spirituality in music. Recently I discovered many Biblical references for “All These Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers. Read on.

“All These Things That I’ve Done” The Killers

When there’s nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son?
One more son.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

If you can hold on.
If you can hold on, hold on.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  John 14:1-2

I wanna stand up, I wanna let go.

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  Luke 22:42

You know, you know – no you don’t, you don’t.
I wanna shine on in the hearts of men.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.  Ephesians 3:16-18

I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.  Isaiah 53:5

Another head aches, another heart breaks.

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?  Psalm 13:2

I am so much older than I can take
And my affection, well it comes and goes.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  James 1:6

I need direction to perfection, no no no no.
Help me out.
Yeah, you know you got to help me out.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

Yeah, oh don’t you put me on the backburner.
You know you got to help me out. Yeah.

Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.  Psalm 55:22

And when there’s nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son?
These changes ain’t changing me.
The cold-hearted boy I used to be.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  2 Corinthians 5:17

Yeah, you know you got to help me out.
Yeah, oh don’t you put me on the backburner.
You know you got to help me out, yeah,
You’re gonna bring yourself down.
Yeah, you’re gonna bring yourself down.
Yeah, you’re gonna bring yourself down.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  James 1:13-14

I got soul, but I’m not a soldier.

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.”  1 Samuel 17:45-46

Yeah, you know you got to help me out.
Yeah, oh don’t you put me on the backburner.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:36-40

You know you got to help me out.
You’re gonna bring yourself down.
You’re gonna bring yourself down.
Yeah, oh don’t you put me on the backburner.
Yeah, you’re gonna bring yourself down.
Yeah, you’re gonna bring yourself down.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
1 Corinthians 9:24

Over and in, last call for sin.
While everyone’s lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I’ve done.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

All these things that I’ve done.

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. John 21:25

If you can hold on,
If you can hold on.

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”  Revelation 22:12

Personalities: Indiana Jones of the South(west Airlines)

The friend that’s in town one weekend and out the next. This guy/girl is a bit mysterious, and is attractive to the opposite sex because of their adventurous nature and limited availability.

I live in a city with a higher percentage of IJSs (Indiana Jones of the Souths) than most cities in America. Other cities with higher than average numbers are Los Angeles, New York City, and possibly Chicago and Austin. These high rates are due in most part to the cities being a hub for the entertainment industry. I’d make an educated guess that cities with professional sports teams also have higher rates of IJSs if research includes professional athletes during their active seasons. If you know someone who is involved in music, television, or sports, you know what I mean when I say these characters can be both frustrating and attractive at the same time. The reason I don’t include the sales industry in this description is because often times those people travel because the have to, IJSs travel because they want to. That’s a gigantic difference, and Southwest Airlines thanks them. The meaning of the “Indiana Jones” label is simply because of the adventurous side of these people. Anyone who is willing to, and enjoys, being on the road more than being at home craves adventure at some level. The wild side of the IJSs is part of what makes them attractive. It was the adventurous, mystery of Indiana Jones in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” that solidified Harrison Ford as a star around the world and made that franchise one of the most successful.

Another key characteristic of an IJS is “limited availability.” Like the Nintendo Wii in 2006. When demand outpaced supply, it created a stronger desire to have one. People want what they can’t have. Like the single girl that lands a boyfriend and all of the sudden, other guys want her, too.

These people thrive on adventure. Words that are not in an IJSs vocabulary: suit, tie, desk job, routine, lazy, boring.

Ali Fedotowsky The Bachelorette, Episode 2.

Welcome back! Episode 2 of The Bachelorette was full of drama, laughter, smiles, some kissing, and oh yeah, a downpour of corny weather jokes. Ali is obviously the star of the show, but this episode featured a subplot: the mounting surge of dislike between Jonathan the Weatherman and Craig M. from Canada. After watching the episode back, Jonathan spoke more of Craig M. than he did of Ali! Even during the one-on-one time with Ali, the conversation revolved around Craig M. Sidenote #1: You don’t win a girl’s heart by talking about other guys. It’s like going to a job interview and talking about someone else’s resume. Or better yet, talking about someone else’s cloud cover, if you know what I mean! Get it? Get it??? Ok, moving on. In this episode we saw Ali go on one group date and two individual dates. She had a rose for each date, so three guys could get a rose before the final ceremony, in which three are also getting eliminated. First date card goes to Clark Kent, I mean Frank. I don’t know how, but he’s already head over heels for Ali. That should worry you. He’s already said he feels like they’re a couple, even calling her his girlfriend. He may be good, but too much of a good thing is bad and I can see him smothering her to death. His over-the-top and lightning-quick commitment to her is the perfect set up for a meltdown. Even the big fins on the 1959 Cadillac they rode in won’t save Frank from himself. And hey, those were big fins! Frank is involved in too many adventures to be committed to one. Highlight of their one-on-one date:
They drink wine on the hood of the car. Ali teases Frank with the rose.
They eat cupcakes.

Lots of drama at the house in this episode. Craig R. is still suspect of Justin’s intentions and calls him out on it. The date card arrives. A couple of Craigs, Chris’, and a few others head to the beach for a photo shoot with photographer Michael Grecco. Chris Harrison explained the reason for the photo shoot: a calendar! Proceeds of the calendar sales go to an unnamed charity. Sidenote #2: Christmas shopping, done.

The guys were happy to be with Ali at the beach, but the winner on this date was Kirk for quoting a line from Dumb & Dumber. Nice move. After a randomly placed tug-of-war clip, Ty had photos taken while he sang to Ali. None of the other guys liked this, of course. Later Ty revealed that he’s been married and divorced. If big surprised eyes mean anything, then Ali’s either disappointed, or thinking about the next hit country song. Jonathan also gets some one-on-one time and calls Craig M. dangerous for Ali. Cue Ali’s big surprised eyes. Either she’s shocked by the news, or she came up with a third verse for Ty’s hit country song. She finds Ty and gives him a rose.

A new date card arrives at the house. A few corny weather-related jokes later, Jesse is named as the invitee. This guy is emerging as a match for Ali. On the outside, he’s a tattooed tough guy, but Ali sees more. A soft-hearted, good-natured man. He was nervous on their date, but by the end, some walls came down and they connected. Her gamble paid off on their date in Vegas, Jesse got a rose.

Before the final rose ceremony, Chris L. told Ali about his family. He’s got two brothers and talked very highly of them and the rest of his family. He’s emerging as a strong family-oriented guy. He hasn’t revealed yet that his mom died recently. He comments about his family: “they are who I am.” I’m trusting him and his teeth a little more now. Roberto spends some time with Ali, assures her he’s doing fine even without seeing her much in the past week. She’s giddy over him. He tells her about his baseball past. He gets a couple of gloves and they toss the ball. To accept baseball is to accept Roberto. There’s a good connection between those two. Later, Kasey’s time with Ali was interrupted by Clark—I mean, Frank the Smotherer and in one-on-one time with Craig M., Ali calls him out on his intentions. His disoriented jumbled responses did him no good. Cut to a shot of Jonathan standing in the shadows as Craig M. walks by. Storms-a-brewin’. Both of these guys are forgetting the reason they are there, however, Jonathan wins the battle by getting the last rose in the ceremony.

Here’s how the roses were dealt:
Frank (from the one-on-one date)
Ty (from the group date)
Jesse (from the one-one date)
Kasey
Hunter
Roberto
Chris L.
Justin
Steve
Kirk
John C.
Craig R.
Chris N.
Jonathan

Elimated were Craig M., Tyler V., and Chris H.

Check back next week for a recap of episode 3!

(click here for Episode 1 recap)

 

Ghosts

Until a few weeks ago, I couldn’t claim I’ve had experiences with ghosts. In fact, I still may not can claim that. However, here’s the story.

I was home during the middle of the day. It was a cool, clear and sunny day, so after my dog finished her lunch, I let her out in the back yard. With a few spare minutes, I laid down on the couch for a short nap. It was a light sleep, waking up every few minutes, then dozing off again. About ten minutes into the nap, during one of the halfway awake moments, there was a figure standing with their back towards the couch, as if they were about to sit down where I was resting. I remember the figure being a pasty white, yet a bit translucent. Without regard to my occupation of the couch, the figure sat down right around where my chest was. Immediately I felt a tingling sensation throughout my whole body and was instantly fully awake. Was it a ghost or just my imagination? I’m more sure that it was all in my head, in a halfway dreamy state of slumber. But the house I live in does have an interesting history. It was built in 1957 but was empty for many years until more recently when it was remodeled, then sold (to me). And I’ve been told someone died inside the house. So this couch experience was strange, but not scary. Had it been dark outside when this happened, I probably wouldn’t have stayed at the house that night, though.

Do you have any experiences like this? Feel free to share or comment on mine!