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>Poetry
>In the tree outside my room, there is a bird.
He wakes up at 5:33, that’s absurd.
I’m awake as he sings in the shower.
I wish he’d just give me one more hour.
His singing just can’t be unheard:)
>The last act of a desperate advertiser
>What happens when nothing works in advertising? For one reason or another you can’t say 3 out of 4 doctors recommend (or whatever affinity group there is for you product), or someone else owns ‘cool’, then what are you left with? KIDS.
Now you see this in the cigarette industry, science shows smoking is bad for you, and Marlboro owns cool with the Marlboro Man, so what is Camel to do? Joe Camel. Now you see something similar with Microsoft’s most recent advertising. Cute, smart articulate kids.
This is part critique but also just an observation. I am the type of person who loves to watch, “Kid’s say the darn’est things.” Actually in college I would watch it on Friday night before going out, so I really am dorky for cute kids. The commercials are cute and they send a few good messages. First computers are easy to use, and second kids are creative and should be encouraged in creativity.
If you haven’t seen them yet check the out:
http://images.video.msn.com/flash/soapbox1_1.swfVideo: The Rookies: Alexa, Age 7
>The other April fools Jokes…
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The ol’ for sale sign in your car. One of my co-workers in SFO is regularly teased about his car, two other co-workers took it one more step:
The part I find funny is he only got four calls and all were for less than $100. Amazing.
>Sweet April Fools Joke
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We used to tease our “The Administrator” about the number of sticky notes she uses. So this is what she did to our VPs office for April Fools:
>Register for Seattle Rock & Roll
>My training has suffered through the winter. I feel it when it comes to my stress level and overall sense of personal health. Now the goal is set and the plan is in place to achieving it. Fourteen weeks until the race and I got out in the freezing $@% cold this morning. Additionally for this race I’ve begun tracking what I eat. I added a very cool widget to my iGoogle page that is a form where I type in what I eat during the meal. I then have to look up the estimate calorie count, but it automatically adds it to a Google Spreadsheet. Overall pretty cool. And just for the record today I did great, ha we’ll see how long that lasts.
This will be my ninth marathon. This race for some reason has created a hump for me to get over, work, family, and winter have all been factors. But nothing replaces overall laziness. Discipline in my life is lacking, and that often make me feel out of control in other areas. Recently I have even had the thought that I’m getting a ulcer. Don’t get me wrong, life is nuts right now and there are good reasons to be stressed, looking for a house, having a 17 month old, the economy, and a wild work travel schedule.
Discipline is not the overall answer, anyone who has an understanding of the gospel knows what I am talking about. Yet, God has given us disciplines and there is nothing wrong with setting a goal, making a plan, and trying to accomplishing something. This winter has pushed me hard and in many ways I caved. Sometimes God allows that in our life to make us realize how little we really can handle. After my eighth marathon I almost did a quick turn for my ninth. I was riding high it was my PR and I really thought I could at least match it quickly. Instead I fell off the wagon and haven’t really wanted to get back on until now. It was humbling, and now I’d like to get back to some very simple basics. One foot in front the other, and start building up the miles.
>Chaotic in all circumstances
>The last week I have been focused on Philippians. To me it is a book about unity and care, the workplace needs both of those. The passage I’ve come back to personally is the statement, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, i have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” The last part of that was sent to me on an encouragement card as I kid, I thought it was that anything I wanted God could give me.
These day that is not my take, really it hasn’t been for awhile. The catch is practically, day-in-and-day-out I have no idea how Paul did it. Content in all circumstances, I tend to be chaotic in all circumstances. On both sides of the poverty line there is an wild nature to my life, and I’m longing for that peace that Paul is talking about.
The cynical side of me says Paul is the ultimate fundraiser and is just letting his supporters know he is okay, but I don’t know that works with the previous verses written. He has a connection, he was a small business owner, missionary, fundraiser, etc. I don’t know that he ever had a desire to own a house (or if he did own one), he didn’t raise a family, no 401K, falling stock market, or many of the concerns that mess with us now. The challenge for me is not to ‘remove’ all these things in my life, that is not a option for me, but rather find a way (the connect Paul had) to be content in them.
Perhaps some of this is just having an 16 month old around that makes everything seem chaotic. Work is what is it, church life is what it is, but I do have a longing for more peace at home. Maybe two or three years, haha? I’m focusing on this at the moment, seeking and asking that God would show up in it.
>My Banking customer service story…
>I have been a member of a credit union back in MD since I was about twelve years old, maybe earlier. While living there had a great experience and therefore thought that credit unions were great. After I began moving around the country it was not as good of service, but I understood because 95% of their customers were local and that is what they needed to focus on. So over the years I’ve open accounts but never closed my credit union account.
Just the other week I started using new personal finance software, and I wanted to like this account to my overall profile. It had been ages since I used their online banking and of course I got locked out because I couldn’t remember my member number or password correctly.
So that got me to call them today. I had found an statement with my member number, after I finally got through they told me the account was closed because of inactivity and when that happens all the funds go directly to the state of Maryland. Nice, thankfully it was only $10. I asked about if they normally notified people they were doing this and they said yes, but I had not been notified and they had no excuse.
The really fun part came when I said. Look if you all don’t want me to have an account no problem, please just provide me the information I need to link the credit card associated with the account. This was the card we used for our trip to FL last month. I wanted an exact number so we could pay off that trip. That got them very interested. “Every credit card must be linked to an open account, how do you have a credit card?” I thought okay this is how they are going to settle this because of credit they are suddenly interested in me as a client.
It get better. Okay Mr. Stevens, even though we closed your account without notifying you, and we have allowed you to keep a credit card which is not standard practice of our bank, SEND US A CHECK SO THAT WE CAN REOPEN YOUR ACCOUNT. I laughed and asked them to say it three times, laughing more each time though she wasn’t getting the joke. I said you made a mistake, you don’t have any answers as to why the mistake was made, and now you solution is for me to send you more money, does that seem reasonable to you? Anyway, I said there is no way I am sending you money unless you reopen my account, they told me they will look into other solutions and contact me back on monday.
Banking doesn’t make sense the way we do it. The service sucks. This case is even worse because it is a small bank on the east coast therefore I can never remember to call them during working hours during the week, and then on Saturday they don’t have qualified people working and or I have to wake up early to call.
I wonder how my clients would respond to, “Yes, I made a mistake and I don’t know why. Can you send me a check so I can correct it.” Classic.
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