leadership interview

i was recently interviewed about my thoughts on leadership for a student's class project. here's what came from that discussion.

2nd day at the park

i went to the park of melbourne which is an indoor skatepark, built by team pain. high noon was the perfect time. i had the bowl all to my self. now at 32 years old, and on my second trip i started get a little feel for it again, while carving the bowl and pulling off some 50-50's. i may have to fit this into my routine.

reflections for christmas

with christmas coming so quickly this year, i have been reminded at a few different times to experience christmas this year. yet, as i say that tonya and i have only dinner together at home once since december 3rd. as i look at the calendar today, it will be that way until we return home after christmas, even on our anniversary. i truly value the time that she and i have together at home. i enjoy a quiet evening and as i look at my calendar, it has not been fair to her to have had some much happening during this season. i will need to make some changes next year.

often the celebration of the season is lost in the busyness of the season. i want to be able to just be at home for christmas and enjoy that time together. at the same time i have had some quiet reminders of what the holiday is about. giving because of what was given. it makes think of all the ways others have given to me throughout this past year. tonya gives to me in some great ways. she is patient with me. she adjusts for me. she takes care of things, so that i don't have to be concerned about it. she protects me and watches out for me. and she loves me in ways that make me feel great in all the little things she does.

she reminds me of what christmas is about. it's not about the busyness and going to all the parties. it's not about giving gifts because that person gave you a gift and you just have to reciprocate. it's giving freely because of the love you have for others. it's giving without expecting a return. it's giving of that surprise gift that was never expected. it's thinking of what makes others happy and spending time doing those things. it's giving not just of things but of yourself. it's giving because of what was given.

tekzilla daily talks of vista sp1

Merry Christmas

in the spirit of Christmas, this song and dance was made special for you.

why so serious?

the dark knight trailer is now available for viewing. it is also available to download in HD. looks great.

Cool Stuff: 30 Years of LucasFilm Christmas Cards

For the last 30 years, Lucasfilm has created special holiday Star Wars greeting cards for its employees and business partners. Check 'em out!

read more | digg story

many faces of the castle.

these were all taken on the eve of december 3rd, 2007.

illusion portrait made in halo 3

here's the link to the flickr page. this was made using the forge editor in halo 3. it took me quite a while to finally see it. there is a face in the pic. do you see it?

don't forget what the season is all about.

xbox 360 #4 & 5

as you may remember from my earlier posts that xbox #2 died back in february. well, to resolve that situation, i bought xbox #3 with the extended warranty plan at best buy. this would allow me to replace the xbox 360 on the same day that it breaks. notice i didn't say if it breaks. xbox #2 was sitting on a shelf in a closet still broken.

this summer microsoft, generously decided to extend their warranties on the hardware to two years. seemed reasonable and expected. with this news i called the service center and recieved a shipping box in the mail to have it repaired again. on the original machine that is the second repair. when i received it back, i was actually sent a new xbox completely. i discovered this by the manufacture date on the rear of the machine. we will call this one xbox #4.

now, yesterday, december 1st, 2007 xbox 360 #3 also died. this time, i took it back to best buy and it was replaced with no hassle, same day, for xbox #5.

i would definitely recommend buying the extended warranty on this product. it is highly likely that it will die at some point. the extended warrant cost $38 at best buy for two years and save you the convenience on sending it out to be sent back - about a 2 week process. eliminates the down time. to me, it was worth it.

here's what it looks like:

you can read about it through microsoft's support page. their support phone number is 1-800-4MY-XBOX.

so xbox #4 (the repair by microsoft) is now being used. how long will it last? no idea. however #5 is in waiting, sitting quietly in its box, prepared to fill in as soon as it is needed.

tin man trailer

good, bad? we'll see. looks like it could be a really good retelling of the original "wizard of oz."

now this is a speedbump

i believe that this is in german. i don't know what is being said, but the video is pretty funny.

your computer randomly plays "fur elise"

i can't believe this is real. but if your machine ever just randomly plays "fur elise" the truth of the matter is that your CPU fan has failed. you should get it serviced. here's the actual microsoft help and support page on the issue.

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Now playing: DL.TV - dl.tv 205 Nov 22, 2007: OBDII Scanner, Mass Effect and More!
via FoxyTunes

all of star wars in one pic

this is just awesome. now, if it would come as a poster i would have to buy it. for now, it will do as my desktop background.

5 Best Things to Say When Caught Sleeping at Your Desk:

submitted by Liz Kroll

5. "They told me at the Blood Bank this might happen."

4. "This is just a 15 minute power nap they raved about in the time management course you sent me to."

3. "Whew! Guess I left the top off the Whiteout. You probably got here just in time."

2. "Did you ever notice sound coming out of these keyboards when you put your ear down real close?" And the NUMBER ONE best thing to say if you get caught sleeping at your desk...

1. Raise your head slowly and say, "...in Jesus' name, Amen."

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

i have now finished book 7 in the series. first let me say this is greatest set of books i have read. i haven't read many novels, but this was amazing! i began with the first book in june and finished the final chapter this week.

prior to beginning the i made a couple of predictions. 2 came out right and the one completely wrong. i did share these with others before i started reading the book.

SPOILER ALERT! as if you haven't read this book yet.

the first was that harry potter would have to sacrifice himself to die for others to live. TRUE. this was easy to guess. i had heard that j.k. rowling was religious and the themes in the book illustrated her beliefs. the only magic harry knew the voldemort didn't was love. the greatest love is this, that one would lay down his life for another. it had already happened with his mom and now it was his turn. while he was resurrected, he died to save others. his heart was full of sacrifice.

number 2. severus snape was good and killing dumbledore was a part of the plan. TRUE. i wasn't sure of the details, but i knew it had to be true. dumbledore trusted snape and we as the reader were supposed to, too, even if we didn't know what was happening. i just felt like there had to be a reason. he wouldn't just kill dumbledore. however, it is our nature to see the worst in things and not the good. a friend who was reading this at the same time, told me i was crazy for thinking this.

finally, number 3. dumbledore would come back to life. FALSE. i just knew he would return. he couldn't be gone that easily. now, at the end of the series his death didn't seem to abrupt. we did see him in the picture frame and harry talked with him while he was dead. but, dumbledore did not come back to life like i thought he might.

purple and brown

one of the simple pleasures of life. purple and brown.

fast food and nutrition

those are two thing we know don't go together. but how bad is it for you? the overwhelming truth is the more of what you don't want in your food than what you do want. but take a look through the charts and see just how bad it is for you. i guess we shouldn't be surprised.

Strike Chart

wondering how long your favorite show will remain on the air in the midst of the writer's guild strike. today, i came across the strike chart. the most interesting or depressing is that the office season will end with the next show aired. ouch! the chart gives you a list of sows that are on and how long you can expect to see new shows. it's easiest to say that within the next 2-3 weeks this season will end for all of your favorite shows.

about me

this email was going around our church staff and contemporary worship team so i thought i would join in and see if anyone else responds. here are my responses.

A) Four jobs I have had in my life*

1. frozen food stockboy (stockperson to be pc)
2. juvenile counselor charlotte county sheriff’s office
3. head lifeguard
4. youthdirector

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:

1. star wars
2. gladiator
3. good will hunting
4. legend of bagger vance

C) Four Places I have lived:
1. tampa
2. Englewood (up to no good)
3. plant city – land of the strawberries, they are so good stay away from the festival
4. madison

D) Four TV shows that I watch

1. the office – writer’s guild strike = fired a bunch of people
2. the unit
3. chuck
4. heroes – season ends abruptly on December 11th

E) Four places I have been on vacation
1. st maarten
2. grand canyon – it’s big
3. paris
4, Ashville, nc

F) Four People who e-mail me regularly:
1. spammers
2. phishers
3. advertisers
4. jay

G) Four favorite foods:
1. pizza – even bad pizza is pretty good
2. blackened chicken pasta (made by yours truly)
3. moe’s joey bag of doughnuts – it’s a burrito
4. grilled pastrami and swiss on rye

H Four places I would rather be right now:
1. mountain biking again at Alafia state park
2. on a cruise with tonya sitting in the hot tub on the back of the boat watching the sunset
3. playing halo 3, anyone else?
4. eating lunch

I) Four friends I think will respond:*
1. no one, likely
2. someone, unlikely
3. everyone, least likely
4. someone who asks what phishing is, most likely

Mass Effect Video Preview

The video describes the story of what will be one of the greatest Xbox 360 games this year.

read more | digg story

more thriller

Final Fantasy: Thriller

Posted Nov 23, 2006

The Cast of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within get their groove on to Michael Jackson's epic pop masterpiece.

good speech from former president bill clinton

read more about the speech and find about empower change.

starbucks keyword search

using google analytics, anyone can track usage on their website, blog, etc. after posting about having an extra starbuck's "song of the day" there was a plethora of searches that brought people by here. the searches contain similar words but in all kinds of forms. here's a few.

• free starbucks song of the day codes
• starbucks song of the day codes, blog
• starbucks song of the day
• free starbucks song of the day code
• starbucks song of the day code
• starbucks song of the day codes
• free starbucks song codes
• starbucks song code
• starbucks song codes
• starbucks song of the day
• free starbucks code
• free starbucks songs
• starbucks song day
• "starbucks song of the day" code
• starbucks songs codes
• "free song of the day" itunes starbucks
• "song of the day" mp3
• "song of the day" code
• "starbucks" and "song of the day"
• codes for free starbucks songs
• codes from starbucks song of the day
• free song of the day at starbucks
• free starbucks card
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• starbucks "song of the day"
• starbucks code song
• starbucks itunes "song of the day" code list
• starbucks song of the day blog
• the code for free starbucks song
• what is code for free starbucks song of the day

there were a few more, too. i couldn't believe that all of this traffic was driven here after a single post. it's also amazing to see all the variations of the same search. i don't think i could come up with so many on my own.

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Now playing: Starfield - Obsession
via FoxyTunes

the writers guild strike

i was wondering what kind of impact the writers guild strike would have would have.

"There is a lot of tension in Hollywood right now.

It’s been discussed for the past few months, but it looks like it just may become a reality. The Writer’s Guild of America very well may begin to strike as early as Monday. They voted by more than a 90% margin to allow their leaders to launch a walk-out. Sure, this sounds like it’s a bad thing, but I don’t think many people actually understand what is going on and how this will effect entertainment in their daily lives."

for the entire article and to begin to understand what is going on, check this article out at filmonic.com

24 season 7 trailer

vanity search

i decided to do a search for bryant johnson on facebook and see what came up. while i first on the search results, i found that there are 59 additional "bryant johnson" profiles on facebook. crazy! i have never met another "bryant johnson", however i did know of one in plant city who went to the same doctor. we got mixed up on paperwork one time but he was in his early 50's with heart disease. definitely not me.

dance trooper

sunrise, san diego, october 23rd, 2007

You know you're a Floridian if...

Socks are only for bowling.

You never use an umbrella because you know the rain will be over in five minutes.

A good parking place has nothing to do with distance from the store, but everything to do with shade.

Your winter coat is made of denim.

You can tell the difference between fire ant bites and mosquito bites.

You're younger than thirty but some of your friends are over 65.

Anything under 70 is chilly.

You pass on the right and honk at the elderly, but p! ull ove r for a funeral.

You've driven through Yeehaw Junction.

You could swim before you could read.

You have to drive north to get to The South.

You know that no other grocery store can compare to Publix.

Every other house in your neighborhood had blue roofs in 2004-2005.

You've gotten out of school early on Halloween to trick or treat before it got dark.

You know that anything under a Category 3 just isn't worth waking up for.

You dread lovebug season.

You are on a first name basis with the Hurricane list. They aren't Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances...but Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne.

You know what a snowbird is and you don't like them.

You know why flamingos are pink.

You think a! six-foot alligator is actually pretty small.

You were twelve before you ever saw snow, or you still haven't.

"Down South" means Key West

"Panhandling" means going to Pensacola

Flip-flops are everyday wear. Shoes are for business meetings and church.
No, wait, flip flops are good for church too, unless it's Easter or Christmas.

Sweet tea can be served at any meal.

An alligator once walked through your neighborhood.

You smirk when a game show's "Grand Prize" is a trip or cruise to Florida.

You measure distance in minutes.

You have a drawer full of bathing suits, and one sweatshirt.

You get annoyed at the tourists who feed seagulls.

All the local festivals are named after a fruit.

A mountain is any hill 100 feet above sea level.

You think everyone from a bigger city has a northern accent.

You know the four seasons really are: almost summer, summer, not summer but really hot, and February.

It's not soda, cola, or pop. it's coke, regardless of brand or flavor,
"What kinda coke you want?"

Anything under 95 is just warm.

You've hosted a hurricane party.

You go to a theme park for an afternoon, and know when to get on the best rides. (Space Mountain during the Electric Light Parade!)

You understand the futility of exterminating cockroaches.

You can pronounce Okeechobee, Kissimmee, Ichnatucknee and Withlacoochee

You understand why it's better to have a friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.

Bumper stickers on the pickup in front of you include: various fish, N! RA, Nas car, Go Gators, and a confederate flag.

You were 5 before you realized they made houses without pools.

You were 25 when you first met someone who couldn't swim.

You get angry when people say "Florida isn't really part of the SOUTH."

You've worn shorts and used the A/C on Christmas.

You know what the "stingray shuffle" is, and why it's important!

14,000 points

i know this is pretty geeky, but i just reached 14000 point gamerscore playing halo. my xbox was even talking about it. it would have been my largest daily increase in gamerscore, but two achievements were logged in just after midnight. and yes, i could play halo 3 all night long.

cirque du soleil

seeing cirque du soleil in person is simply amazing. la nouba in orlando was simply breathtaking. i would to watch all their shows at some point. in the meantime, we can settle for what's online.



onemansblog has more for your viewing pleasure.

einstein or harry potter

read the story about this optical illusion here.

halo 3 and the church

just read this post by Josh Griffin about Halo 3 and the church. he was referring to an article posted in the new york times regarding halo being used in youth ministry programs. it's an interesting read. after reading through the comments, i felt compelled to share, too. here's what i posted.

"for me. i have halo 3 and love it. i have some youth in our program who play regularly and i will meet up with them online to play. and the co-op is awesome. we sit, we talk, we hang out. and many of the kids are talking about it, their stats, and their achievements. a few want to help me beat legendary. i grew up with games. at 5 years old, my dad came home with an atari 2600 and together we played asteroids for hours.

anyways, i have always thought that if you are ok doing "X" anywhere else, then you should be ok doing it in the church. if that wouldn't be ok, then we should really think about what it is we are doing. maybe we shouldn't be doing it all.

the culture changes and will always change. just as soon as we think we have it figured out, it will change again. we need to be culturally relevant. in but not of the culture. i think games are ok.

for us in our church, i'm not sure it would fit with what we are currently doing. i wouldn't be opposed, but it doesn't fit our events and activities. for some it might be right and others it's not. i think that's ok. what i don't think is ok is that we miss the message of the gospel. jesus has called us to become more like him; full of love, grace, mercy and compassion. not matter what your are doing, if we leave this component out of what we are doing we have failed.

and for outreach, you need to be involved in that culture that you are reaching out to. i don't think we need to do an outreach expecting youth to know the words to the latest chris tomlin song. it may just not be an outreach if it is filled with youth ready to worship.

to sum it all up - go with God, sensing His presence, experiencing His love, and sharing with all that you come in contact with."

josh will be posting his thoughts tomorrow.

6 Things 'Star Wars' Teaches Us About Our Money

i found this on digg. it's great. anything that we can take from star wars or has anything to do with star wars is simply awesome.

read more | digg story

balloon bowl

awesome video of a guy skating in a bowl full of baloons. looks like it was a blast.

free starbucks song of the day

starbucks is giving away a free song of the day from october 2nd through november 2nd. read more about that through the starbucks press release if you please.

here's the reason for the post. i received two cards today for keith urban's song, "i told you so." so, it's first come first serve. copy this code and paste it into the itunes/starbucks song of the day and it's yours.

FRGJWHPCGPTG

book 5 finished

i finished book 5 of the Harry Potter series this morning. The Order of the Phoenix. it is the longest book in the series and it took me the longest to finish. now you may be thinking, "he's quite behind," now that many people have finished book 7. i just started reading the series mid june with book 1 with the encouragement of my wife and a few friends.

i had thought that there was a lot of fluff in this book, things that just made it longer, rather than actually adding to the story. but as i finished it this morning, as with each book so far, most of the fluff came together in the end and made since.

funny thing about this is, that i was late for staff meeting. i go so into finishing the book this morning that i completely forgot i had a meeting at noon. an hour later i made it to the meeting with the confession of my tardiness.

more from dove

the new dove campaign video.

Samurai Sword in Halo 3

Several people down at the High Impact Halo Forums have noticed that there is a player online who has a samurai sword attached to his back as if it were a secondary...

read more | digg story

130.7 MPH on a mountain bike....Dang

Video.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYrd5qwzPrA



read more | digg story

www.creedthoughts.gov.www\creedthoughts

in preparation for the office season four premiere, be sure to catch up by reading creeds blog at www.creedthoughts.gov.www\creedthoughts

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Now playing: U2 - New Year's Day
via FoxyTunes

tv premieres this week

so far have watched:
chuck - enjoyed it a lot
heroes - left with more questions than answers, normal
journeyman - good, we'll see if it stays on the dvr
the unit - great, again
my name is earl - anticipating, hopefully it will bring back the funny
the office - can't wait, it will be awesome

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Now playing: Relient K - My Girl's Ex-Boyfriend
via FoxyTunes

travel expenses

i am working on travel expenses for next summer's mission trip with the methodist habitat in the bahamas. i contact AAA today to see if they could help. they said the best way was to call the airlines directly and to start with delta because they had good group rates. after talking with them on the phone, the cost appeared to be the same i could order online for everyone individually. the group rate was the same as the individual rate... i don't understand that. she also said that they would not accept tax exempt status and that we need to file those expenses later. i will be checking with american airlines next. we'll see.

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Now playing: The Anchor Fellowship - Burn In Me
via FoxyTunes

7 Tips for Resolving Conflicts Quickly and Peacefully

Everyone has to deal with difficult people, whether they are argumentative, abusive, stubborn, or combative. The question is, how can you assert your own rights without creating an unnecessary incident?

read more | digg story

3:10 to yuma starring dallas roberts, reviewed

just went an watched 3:10 to yuma. we decided to go see this film while watching the preview. about half way through i realized, "oh my gosh, that's dallas roberts!" my wife said, "who?" "dallas," i said. now don't get me wrong, i have not seen or talked to dallas for about 16 years, since my sister's wedding i guess. hmm... when i was just a young tyke our families were great friends while we lived in sarasota and they have kept in touch regularly since. in fact, my father still keeps in touch with his father on a regular basis.

he and my sister were the same age. when i was in jr high and high school i skated for about eight years. i fondly remember my first ride on a skateboard was down the hill in front of the robert's home. dallas' brother had a skateboard and showed me how to ride it, while we were visiting.

anyways, dallas, if you ever see this - excellent film and excellent work! this truly was a great western film. both russell crowe and christian bale gave great performances. this reminded me of older westerns exploring the inner good of a man. go see this film.

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Now playing: Pearl Jam - Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
via FoxyTunes

nice.

for the star wars open source community.

Chick-fil-A Giving Away Free Chicken Sandwich and a Free Coke

Get yours today, by filling out there survey. Do it quick. Don't know how long it lasts.

read more | digg story

Amazing Slalom on Rollerblades

impressive. fluid. beautiful.

Amazing Freestyle Slalom On Rollerblades - Watch more free videos

an old dog, new tricks

over the past two months we have discovered that our dog loves to play Frisbee. he's always liked it, but now is in love with it. he always been able to catch the ball, but never the Frisbee. he would run after it and sometimes bring it back. most of the time not actually to you.

somewhat out of the blue in august he began catching the Frisbee and bringing it right to my feet. i would throw it and he would bring it back, nudging it with his nose. it was like he was saying, "come on, already. put it in the air." he has also begun jumping in the air to pull it down. and his best catch would rival any Frisbee dog of any time. i had tossed the Frisbee into the air and as he ran across the back yard, he jumped with his body contorted, missing the catch, he tipped it up, and as soon as his paws hit the ground he jumped again, catching the Frisbee. he gets so excited about catching it.

when he misses, he kicks at it with his paws until it flips over so he can pick it up. he's a boxer. short snout. underbite. you get the picture. his paws get filthy. somehow, he fills the Frisbee with dirt, when he picks it up it goes all over his face. he's just dirty. yet he returns ready to try again.

i want to live like this. i want to live in such a way that even when i am covered in the dirt of my mistakes that i seek, with excitement, the opportunity to get it right. knowing that there is a god who is excited to watch it all happen and is eager to help and assist and is ready to celebrate with the successes.

we currently are using earthlink. it's been a great service and i have used them for about 5 years now. normally problem free. above you see my speed test results when everything is working fine. however, after about 30 minutes or so, my connection dies. it simply dies. i can reset the modem and bring it back up. i can force our router to pull a new ip address and it comes back up.

this all started after the lightning storm that happened about 4 weeks ago now. if you remember there were (according to news reports) over 17,000 lightning strikes in that one day across the state. so we first replaced our modem, now it's very inconsistent.

we have tech support coming out today to check the lines. hopefully we will be back up and running, soon.

An open letter to iPhone owners from Steve Jobs

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!We have decided to offer every iPhone customer who purchased an iPhone from either Apple or AT&T, and who is not receiving a rebate or any other consideration, a $100 store credit towards the purchase of any product at an Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store.

read more | digg story

NBC leaving iTunes makes no since

if you haven't heard already. NBC will no longer be providing it's shows through itunes for $1.99 an episode. which ok, i understand paying for the digital copy of. but i think NBC is wrong to go into another realm to sell their episodes for more money with more extensive digital rights or which Mac users will not even be able to purchase their shows for. i would expect them to lose sales by doing this and as a result people will likely turn back to bit torrent to get their shows.

anyways, if you would like to read into this further, here's a great article from iLounge discussing this issue in detail.

dealing with telemarketers

searches that led here

got this idea from josh griffin. simply a list of searches that led to this site. here we go.


1. turn yourself into a transformer
2. "bryant johnson"
3. "glue boys"
4. 30th anniversary lego starwars
5. create yourself as a simpsons character for myspace
6. funraiser pumpkins
7. how do you make your photos into a simpsons character?
8. lego star wars 20 anniversary
9. lost marbles design group
10. make urself into a transformer character
11. nice cake
12. outpouring 2006 first united methodist church melbourne
13. photos of new lego star wars 30 th aniversery
14. tony nolan
15. xbox 360 failure blog

cruise photos

check them out here. and here are a few of my favorites.

Reviewed: Demos from the Marketplace

here are a few demos on xbox live's marketplace that are worth checking out. there's no fluff in these, just what i thought and a "try it" or a "buy it."

beautiful katamari - for all audiences. easy and simple to pick up and play. full game might be difficult to master. push your katamari (a big ball) around and pick up stuff within a specified amount of time. the bigger it gets the better you've done. the camera was difficult to control and was at times looking the wrong direction. might be corrected by the release. depending on the price point, just try it.

bio shock -definitely geared for an adult audience. simply put amazing. graphics are great. storytelling drew me in quickly. a lot of first person shooters are just replicas of each other in a new setting. this game sets a new standard that others will have a hard time replicating. it goes above and beyond all others. easy to recommend. buy it. it will be in my hands as soon as i get done with forza 2.

call of duty 4 - coming soon. expecting my token for the beta today. we'll see.

medal of honor: airborne - good game. new concept. you are an airborne soldier you can drop in anywhere on the map when it begins. there are safe zones to aim for. the level starts where ever you land. really cool concept. the AI appears to be pretty smart. they move around. they hide. fight smart in the game. however, it is still set in wolrd war II. how many of these games can we possibly play? great idea and twist on the gameplay, but i think the demo will hold me over just fine. just try it.

skate - skate has been promising a new gameplay mechanic that makes this skateboarding game more realistic. the demo is good be learning the controls was not simple. i think the good thing about a game is the learning curve. for me a good game, you can jump into and enjoy as you learn. this one wasn't doing it for me. the sterring controls were really touchy. the kick controls slow to respond. however, i did like the way the ollies worked with the right thumbstick. it might take some getting used to. try it and if you like it buy it. it is refreshing to see against the tony hawk series.

stranglehold - again for adult audiences. this demo took me by surprise. no article or review had sold me on it and i almost passed on the demo. for some reason i downloaded it anyway. i was blown away. fully destructive and interactive environments. you can use just about anything on the screen in gameplay. there were some really cool "bullet time" gaming sequences. as you jump the action goes into slow-mo which makes for some really fun gameplay. if you haven't already, give this demo a shot. it will take you by suprise. then when it arrives on shelves, buy it.

Which Transformer Are You?

For centuries, two races of robotic aliens - the Autobots and the Decepticons - have waged a war, with the fate of the universe at stake. Now it ’s your turn to engage in this epic battle. Will you Protect or Destroy? Take the quiz and see how you do.

Digg It

I AM
77%
OPTIMUS PRIMETake the Transformers Quiz

outpouring '07 worship

the glorious unseen led us in worship and it was great. here's a couple of vids from the worship time. they truly led us into a deep state of worship. we were reminded that we were there to give of ourselves back to God. if you want to see more, chem them out here.

book 4 complete: a journey through hogwarts

i began reading the harry potter series this summer. after some encouragement from friends and my wife, on june 25th of 2007 i began reading through the series. this week i completed book four, the goblet of fire.

for me, i have never been a big reader. i will read if i am interested but have never been into reading novels. it has always felt like work to me. these books have set me on a journey. i can't put the book down until it is done. it draws me. captures my attention. i feel as though i know and understand every piece of architecture and design. it is relaxing and easy to read. i don't find my mind wondering. and when i do put it down, i am planning for when i will have time to read again.

now, i am off to begin working on book 5...

the finale

outpouring finished in big ways. it truly was great! worship was great! involvement was amazing. God did some huge things in our lives. and jad brought us the message in a new, real, and relevant way. and jared hall - what!? what did he do? i am still trying to figure out some of the tricks. his slight of hand was so quick.

saturday we went to busch gardens. all day. sheikra. what more can be said?

then to follow that up with some of our student leaders on sunday, speaking and sharing about all of our summer events was amazing. it was a great experience and challenging to some. but each of them did an amazing job sharing and talking with the congregation.

this was a great end to a wonderful summer. you can find all of the outpouring pics here.

Earth From Space - Amazing Photos

Earth is the third planet from the Sun and is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System... Here is some amazing photos of Earth from Space...

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day 2 - outpouring

day 2 was great. how far are you willing to go to let God shape you to be the servant God calls us to be? jad did a great job along with the band, the glorious unseen. not to mention my acting debut in the "change your ways" video. i think i will use it for my audition tape.

and pictures are up. we will be taking more and adding more today and at the end of the week. keep checking back to see all the new shots.

my lovely wife, tonya...


and who is that on the back left?

day 1 - outpouring '07

today was great! registration ran smooth. certainly people continued to stroll in, but that's normal especially on the first day. and we were so glad to hear that more and more were coming. games and door prizes went off. i heard that the young lady who won the big prize tonight was stoked about it.

small group and games feedback was also good. sounds like the games went exceptionally well and that the groups all had good discussion. it is amazing to see God at work.

the glorious unseen was great. i think there was a true atmosphere of worship tonight. something great to be a part of. jad also did a great job at bringing the message to us. helping to understand Jesus on a deeper level.

finally, i can't thank our student leaders enough. thank you. thank you. thank you. and everyone else who helped. you guys did a great preparing, setting up and serving tonight.

friends

just noticed a good friend of mine, jason gant, had started a blog. give it a read when you get a chance.

found this out through google's analytics which is an website tracker, basically. under traffic sources, i noticed his name blog's web address as one of the sources. great tool to find a great friend.

he moved to Kansas about 2 years ago or so to work at the church of the resurrection. keep up the good work, man.

MaximumPC Magazine -- FREE!!

"W00t!! MaximumPC is published FREE digital copies of their magazine."This is sweet!

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summer sales

the wife and i hit up pacsun this weekend for some sales. great timing. and if you need some clothes - go now. guys shorts $14 right now. got 'em. shirts on sale were another 70%. girls stuff was the same including bathing suits. crazy sales, i tell ya. crazy sales.

oh, and before i forget, it's tax free week!

taken through forza 2. cool picture. my car is in the back. his bumper and fin is in the air. a little reckless i know... umm... and no i don't drive the church bus this way.

the wait before

outpouring '07 will be here before i know it and yet the wait is driving me crazy. so much already done, so much more still to do. every time i am involved in a big event, i always wonder will it come together? it always does.

usually not without a fiasco, and this time is no different. all i will say is SHIRTS. not going to go into it, but it is stressing and a little bit funny at the same time.

student leaders are working hard on this. vids are almost ready. worship schedules is set. Blake did a great job with it. art work is all good. small group curriculum is all set and the jengas are coming in. still got to finish games and decorate.

then, just wait for the people to come in. and whoever you are, wherever you are. if you are coming we've been praying for you. every week on Wednesday, a group has been praying for you.

next week at this time, we will be preparing for the final day. can't wait.

Woman Caught Faking 'Slip and Fall' in Grocery Store

Images captured by a surveillance camera inside the store show the woman lose her footing in one of the aisles and take a nasty fall. A store worker comes to her aid and helps her up. The woman then loses her footing again and falls to the floor.

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....

sometimes i get very angry

life under the antarctic

time has posted a photo essay titled, "life beneath the antarctic." beautiful shots.

Today iPhone Gets Bejeweled by PopCap For Free!

Many folks waited in line, in the United States, to get their fingerprints on an iPhone. Today, it all becomes worth while for casual gamers and their sleak black Apple designed mobile phone product. PopCap Games announces Bejeweled for the iPhone...

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LucasArts Unveils Lego Indiana Jones

At Comic-con, during a panel celebrating the 30 years of Star Wars, Lucas Arts announced a new game in it popular Lego adaptations of its movies, but this time not from the Star Wars universe. Lego Indiana Jones gives the plastic block treatment to the first three Indy movies. The story includes a video preview of what to expect.

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Star Wars vs. Harry Potter - Death Match

Who would triumph in a fight to the death? If these Star Wars characters were pitted against the corresponding characters in Harry Potter in a no-holds-barred tournament of magical galactic combat, who would prevail?

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outpouring promo

i knew there was a connection

old has benefits

as you get older there are certainly some benefits to come. there's voting at 18, lower insurance at 25, thought of as an actual adult around 28 or so, three steps at 32 and aarp some time coming within the next 30 years.

let's take a look at the three steps. i have been playing in a basketball league all summer. at 32 i am the oldest guy on the court. there are a few around 25 and 26 and most at around 18-20 years old. generally speaking i am slower, less skilled now, and can't breathe as long as most everyone else. however, i do receive a few extra calls.

in the second half, on a fast break, i was just ahead of our guy bringing down the middle. i received the pass, driving to the hoop, and suddenly realized i was about to take an extra step. i had stuttered at the beginning. i could already hear the whistle, but i followed through and made the layup. looked at the ref. no whistle the bucket counted. i thought to myself, he must have seen the extra step... but I'll take it.

after the game i went up to the ref and said, "thanks for giving me the extra step." he laughed and said, "i do that for the oldest man on the court, besides they are always beating you up down there."

so there you have it. just another benefit of getting older.

Turn Yourself Into a Simpsons Character

Absolutely brilliant! Good fun to Simpsonize (potentially former) friends, family, and colleagues - And create your very own unreal-life Simpsons episode...

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most recent sighting of indiana jones

Peter Moore discusses new three year Xbox 360 warranty

Peter Moore discusses the new plans for Microsoft to extend the warranty for all Xbox 360 consoles from one year to three years, and discusses reimbursement for all who've had to pay for warranty repair due to the the three red lights error.

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iphone = amazing

at the 32 hour mark my phone was finally activated. props to apple. what an amazing piece of hardware. sure there are limitations (ringtones is one) but in light of what they created, who cares. this is an amazing phone and i can't stay off of it.

iphone woes

well, it has now been 24 hours. i have been on two separate calls with at&t. the first pushed me through to a hardware tech with apple, who without placing blame, agreed that that at&t was not ready and all the hold up is on their end. not surprised.

at 10:30pm, after being on hold for 30 minutes, i spoke with a customer service rep from at&t at 877-800-3701. she should she expedited my issue and that within three hours i would receive an email saying it was activated.

iphone? still waiting...

10 hours later still waiting.............................

my iphone hype

it's wearing off a little now. i took some time out to go pick one up this evening. while i did get the phone, a real short line in lady lake, fl, it's still not activated. i got through the activation process pretty quick in itunes. my other phone's sim was unregistered in about 5 minutes. however, i received a message that said "you're activation requires additional time to complete." so here i sit a couple of hours later. still waiting. and until it is activated, it can't be used at all. argh...

New Indy Begins Shooting

June 18, 2007Today director Steven Spielberg will shout "Action!" marking the return of the character who redefined cinematic action as cameras roll on the first day of principal photography on the new Indiana Jones adventure.



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High Power Job

This job HAS to be in the top 10 dangerous jobs in the world. Good video of a lineman in his office...



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What's Your Personality?

here's mine. phlegmatic/melancholy. sounds more like hacking something up than a personality.

great! just great!

[Photo] One of the tallest hotel lobbys in the world

Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel occupies floors 53 to 87 of China's tallest building - and standing at the reception desk, you can look up approximately 115 meters to the top floor. The hotel also happens to have the worlds longest laundry shute.



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New “Gears of War” Multiplayer achievements and title update

It has just been announced that Gears of War will be getting a title update tomorrow, June 14th after 0200 GMT. Inside the Title Update, you’ll find eight new Achievements for the "Annex" gametype and the "Hidden Fronts" Multiplayer Map Pack on Xbox LIVE.



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i met darth maul and boba fett

at star wars weekends at mgm i got to meet ray park (on the left), who played darth maul in star wars episode I: the phantom menace, and daniel logan (in the middle) who played the young boba fett in episode II: attack of the clones.

Student Life Camp

well, now that student life camp is over and i have had some time to think about the week and all that it did and did not have to offer i'll share my thoughts.

since it was my first experience with student life i had an unadulterated perspective. my thought is that i will compare it waith a camp i am very familiar with and the pros and cons, etc. that camp is the United Methodist Summer Camp in Leesburg, FL. We attended Student Life at Covenant College on Lookout Mtn, Ga. After the first day and really after the week, i would consider this type of camp much more of a conference than a camp. I felt that it lacked a true "camp" experience, like what takes place in Leesburg. However, as a good conference it's worship times were excellently put together, especially to include it's audience, 700 teenagers. While there were some technological failures (of which the learning comes from expereince)such as batteries dying on mics while they are in use, missing video cues from the speaker, and forgetting to advance slides early enough during the msuic; the services were complete. They contained video, annoucnements, transitional video between different worship acts, live drama, the speaker Tony Nolan, worship leaders Spur 58, lighting, props, the times were fluid, they included games, and each service in some way get the crowd involved in the worship expereince. While the quality of speakers and musicians is just as good in Leesburg, they are not the big names, but they are just as good. Howver, the camp in Leesburg could learn from what ttok place in this area. Not that what they do is bad, but in some ways it could be more complete.

SL (used from now on) also handed out a magazine (or handbook) to each camper. This handbook contained the curriculum notes for the week for worship, family groups, and quiet times. It also contained othe rinteresting facts about teenage life, interviews with bands and speakers, and ads for teen bibles and other SL events. There is deffinitely some self-promo stuff going on there. However the handbook was a really neat tool for the campers to have and it gives them a way to bring what they recieved back home with them once they left camp. Another good thing.

The cmap also was in great support of the youth pastors that were there with their groups. The youth pastors were not given any responsibility other than to be present and hang out with their students. It truly gave me an oportunity to get to know some of our students on a depper level and develop some relationships i hadn't had a chane to with others. We had a meeting each day with the other youth pastors to share and pray together including one afternoon in which we prayed over the worship space, prior to the students coming in.

Alongside of those things there were a few things i didn't like or wished would have been different. The first and the biggest things was the lack of interaction between campers and the SL Camp Staff. The only times the staff interacted was during worship and at recreation. Now of course with worship they are on stage and at the sound booth. it was more of you saw them there. at rec they were running the show and the family group leaders (adults from the churches) were the ones actually involved with the students. The Staff did not lead family groups either. At meals you saw them, but rarely saw them with people other than different Staff members. To me this was disappointing and it is an area i feel that the camp in Leesburg does an excellent job at. The counselors in Leesburg are given the primary responsibility of spending time with campers. If they are not, unless they have other responisbilities, they have not fulfilled their duties. It is what makes the camp so sucessfull. The relationships that the students build with the counselors is primary to the communicating the gospel message to the campers that come. But, what do my students know about the SL staff? I asked some of them. their relationships were limited to names an what color team they were on that week.

While registration went very smoothly the day we arrived at SL with a group of 54, there were a few things we needed to return for the next day. One of these were key cards to get into the buildings after 11pm. We were supposed to pick these up fromt he college staff (not camp staff) and they were not aware they we were supposed to recieve one, much less two. After returning to the SL office, the two young ladies that I spoke with, while polite, were not sure what to do about it.

I was also disappointed with SL not having any medical assistance on staff. Now, i have been in youth minstry for 11 years, and with any other trip i would be prepared to take care of medical issues. But when each student is paying top dollar to attend a camp, you would expect for the camp to have some sort of medical assistance. However, there isn't. When one of girls got hurt and we needed to go to the hospital, there was no one available to help. The college had a nurse on staff, but she was not allowed to work with SL and SL was not allowed to provide any transportation. With the help of another youth pastor there, we did get her to the hospital. Now, what if this happened during Rec or during another time that i wasn't available. Who would be responsible to help? Now, yes, i did know about this issue ahead of time and in fact commented to our summer intern that it concerned me.

So, there are some immediate thoughts about the camp after my first expereince. All in all it was a good week. I did disagree with some of Tony's approaches in worship, but not with what he was sharing. There were certainly some good things that happened in the life of our students; lives change, relationships started, prayer for each other, new walks with Christ. God will always be working in us not matter what is going on.

Apple Releases iTunes 7.2, Launches iTunes Plus (DRM Free)

Apple released iTunes 7.2 updated in the Mac OS X Software Update tonight, which offers "iTunes Plus", Apple's new DRM-free $1.29 offeringsWith iTunes 7.2, preview and purchase iTunes Plus music—new higher-quality, DRM-free music downloads from participating music labels.



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The Vader Project and Celebrations IV

Celebration is a convention by fans for fans of the Star Wars Universe, including stars of the movies and sneak peeks at the coming television shows.

This year also included The Vader Project, in which artists were invited to paint a Darth Vader helmet. You can check out some of the pictures from the display here.

While i would have loved to attend, I will make it to Star Wars Weekends at MGM for the 30th Anniversary Celebration.

Shrute Bucks

Get yours today!!! Get 1000 and get an extra 5 minutes for lunch. Not too mention that is also worth $1.

Wiki? What About A Wookie?

Wookieepedia. The Star Wars encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Wookieepedia contains detailed information about the Star Wars movies, and the spin-offs from those, including books and video games. Find out everything you wanted to know and more about the Star Wars Universe.



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Free Gift for the 360: Aegis Wing

This Wednesday, team up with up to three of your friends and prepare yourselves for intense side-scrolling, sci-fi shooting action in “Aegis Wing.” Originally conceived by three Microsoft interns, “Aegis Wing” will be available for free to all Xbox LIVE® Silver and Gold members in North America for a limited time beginning May 16th, at 2am PDT.



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google's free 411 service

i am so excited about this new service from google. free and i mean totally free 411 calls from your cell phone. free.

"To try this service, just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) from any phone.

Using this service, you can:

* search for a local business by name or category.
You can say "Giovanni's Pizzeria" or just "pizza".

* get connected to the business, free of charge.

* get the details by SMS if you’re using a mobile phone.
Just say "text message".

And it's free. Google doesn’t charge you a thing for the call or for connecting you to the business. Regular phone charges may apply, based on your telephone service provider."

taken straight from google's page. it really doesn't get better than this. i am so tired of 411 on my cell, listening to ads for the other free service or paying way too much. this has just made it's own entry in my cell phone. and it will text you the number. now that's awesome.

"Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed" to air May 28th on The History Channel

"Through interviews with politicians, academics, journalists and critics –all of whom weigh in on the enduring appeal of George Lucas’s creations– the special demonstrates that Star Wars isn’t just a high-action adventure in space. It’s a remarkably complex and sophisticated story about power, politics, sin, spirituality and redemption..."



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2 More Star Wars Films for TV Coming says George Lucas

Josh Griffin posted today a story about 2 new star wars films for tv are coming.

George Lucas was in New York for a dinner for Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. While sharing about the Clone Wars animated series, he shared that two hour long live action films are coming, too, to TV.



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todays tasks

each day seems to greet me with a task list. some times these things get done, other times other unexpected things take precedence and then sometimes i just throw some other things into the mix myself.

things completed today:
1. plan weekly teaching
2. setup powerpoint for it
3. lunch with my wife
4. went to the beach to see the waves with the storm rolling in, 8ft consistently
5. downloaded xbox360 update vids
6. begin creating scholarship application and student leadership application
7. contact our mission trip representative
8. jr high program is coming up
9. edit youth ministry manual

then tonight more to do at home:
1. wash the dog and kill fleas

How Lightsabers Work

Chances are that you have seen a lightsaber at one time or another, whether on the evening news or down at the local cantina. Therefore you know that a lightsaber is an amazing and versatile device that is able to cut through nearly anything in a matter of milliseconds.



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time to answer the questions

these things get passed on all the time and i guess it is time to answer one.

1. What Is your natural hair color?
light brown

2. Where was your default pic taken?
in a garden of all places

3. What's your middle name?
harvey

4. Your current relationship status?
married!!!

5. Honestly, does your crush like you back?
well, i hope so. at least she says she does

6. What is your current mood?
hmm... good, not sure why i decided to do this though

7. What color underwear are you wearing?
well, if you must know, blue

8. What makes you happy?
tonya, people, succeeding, games

9. What makes you sad?
pain and hurt in others lives

10. If you could change your past, would you?
not a bit of it

11. If you MUST be an animal for 1 day- what would you be?
a dog to know what my dog is thinking or a dolphin i think

12. Ever had a near death experience?
not near death necessarily, but near possible events leading to death... ahh no.

13. Somethings you do a lot?
game, work, hang out with tonya

14. What's the name of the song stuck in your head right now?
how wonderful by leeland

15. What is something you are looking forward to?
our cruise this fall

16. Name someone with the same b-day as you.
joe pesci

17. When was the last time you cried?
not sure

18. Have you ever sang in front of a large audience?
yes, depending on what large is, those kindergarten musicals were awesome

19. If you could have one super power what would it be?
oh gosh, i can't believe this questions is on here, but i always thought it would be great to have the power to make people fart. any volume, any level of stink. you could clear a room if you needed to spy on something. so many options with this not to even mention how hilarious it would be.

20. What's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
that they are female

21. What do you usually order from Starbucks?
grande cafe' mocha on ice

22. What's your biggest secret?
hmm... don't have many and if i share it won't be a secret any more, so let's go with the fact that i have ninja like speed and skills

23. What's your favorite color?
blue

24. When was the last time you lied?
not too sure

25. Do you still watch kiddy movies or TV shows?
is shrek kiddie?

26. Do you enjoy scary movies?
not really. what's the point?

27. What are you eating or drinking at the moment?
coffee and lots of it

28. Do you speak any other language?
sure

29. What's your favorite smell?
any fresh baked goods

30. What 1 word to describes your life?
alive

31. When was the last time you gave/received a hug?
about 30 minutes ago

32. Have you ever been kissed in the rain?
yes

33. What are you thinking about right now?
silly questions

34. Are you worried about global warming?
worried - no. concerned a little. will it cause major problems? i believe that it might.

35. What was the last thing that made you upset/angry?
lack of follow through

36. How often do you pray?
constantly

37. Do you like working in the yard?
its possible

38. If you could have any last name in the world, what would you?
johnson, of course

39. Do you act differently around your crush?
no

40. Who is your crush?
tonya, my wife, the greatest woman in the world, and who actually does have superpowers

New Gears Maps "Hidden Fronts" REVIEWED

Epic wanted to release these maps for free. Microsoft won't allow it until September. However, IGN said that even if you are thinking about it to go ahead and buy. They are that good. Thought about waiting to download them until the are free just to support Epic. I haven't decided whether or not to purchase them yet. I understand selling content for games. I don't understand ripping people off with it, like EA. However if a company like Epic wants to give content away for free. Shouldn't they be allowed to?



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The Might of Mother Nature

Two of the most feared elements in nature, side by side, beautifully captured.



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the glorious unseen

on august 8th, 9th, and 10th, the glorious unseen will be joining us for outpouring. i am so excited to have this group come down. their album with tooth and nail will just be coming out. it will be a very exciting time for them and i am glad that our youth ministry will get to share in that.

however, the thing i am most excited about is the fact that, ben, had asked if they could hang out with the group in our first communications together. in my opinion that speaks very loudly to me. the willingness that they have to be a part of the ministry that will be taking place outside of their opportunities to lead us in worship is amazing.

Dealzmodo: Sam's Club Xbox 360 HD DVD Drives for $72

If you're looking for a great deal on HD DVD drives for the Xbox 360, now's the perfect time to hit up Sam's Club.

UPDATE: Just looked at Sam's for this purchase and they were all sold out. This deal went quick. I also noticed that they had almost sold out completely of all Xbox 360 items.



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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Full-Length Domestic Trailer Now

The full-length theatrical trailer for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is now online. Running 2:28 minutes, it will run in front of "Spider-Man 3" in theaters.



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XBOX Live on the PC, Now A Reality

it seems that major nelson had a good experience using xbox live on his Vista machine. By playing Halo 2, he earned some new achievements and added to his gamer score. Based on his experience it appears to be quite successful. Has anyone else tried this yet?



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nice cake

"may the force be with you so you don't get indigestion."

henkel products

what will you support? here is henkel's website for their products. click through and see what all they make. then decide for yourself if you will continue to buy their products and seek out a more consumer friendly product.

Indiana Jones 4 : TITLE REVEALED

josh griffin of theforce.net has just revealed the title for the 4 story in the Indiana Jones series.



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XBOX 360 The Daily Show and The Colbert Report now on VMP

Starting today, you’ll be able to download the latest ‘The Daily Show’ and ‘The Colbert Report’ on the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace.



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Lifeguard saves camper

this story involves a very close friend of mine. please keep all those involved in your prayers. especially the young girl as she is still recovering from this tragic event.

werid, strange, and funny

with this last one. start looking at it close, then slowly back away and see what happens.