Check out my new blog!
I’m currently posting at Face it … Fight it … Beat it . Come join the conversation.
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going dark for a while
Check out my previous posts.
Enjoy!
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by Rocky VanBrimmer
Seriously, I love @Jason_WCMH for many reasons. He has allowed me to sit in the “Big Boy Chair,” humored me late at nights with his “Beat Calls,” allowed me to guest co-host his podcast “Mind Bleach” and shared many a conversations in the late of the night.
I love Jason even MORE since he removed the pesky little underscore “_” from his Twitter handle to JasonNBC4. Ahhhhhhh that is BEAUTIFUL!
So what is the “big deal” about having an “_” in your ID one may ask? Many things, first things first:
1. People are lazy (myself included): It must be admitted, I am not a “hunt and peck” typer, I actually took typing classes (on a typewriter) back in high school (and did FANTASTICAL!) so I know where the “_ ” is. Being one of these “lazy” people, I hate reaching over with my right pinkie finger to hit the shift key, while I reach up to hit the “_” button with my left pinkie finger. I can only imagine what the “hunt & pecker” goes through when typing!
2. Mobile Tweeter: Another reason to drop the underscore from your Twitter handle is for mobile tweeters. I use an HTC Touch Diamond cell phone by Sprint. This phone does not have a keypad but a screen. I use a stylus to hit numbers and letters, which turns me in to a “hunt & pecker.” Once again, because I am lazy… I am now forced to hit a “shift” button and hunt for the “_.” If you can not walk and chew gum at the same time, imagine the difficulty doing this while tweeting. Running in to someone can be most embarrassing, even worse the pole.
3. The Retweet: Dropping the “_” makes great practice for those going for the coveted retweet. There have been times I have not been able to forward a good tweet from where it has been chopped, slashed, and mangled to get it in the space.
4. Aesthetics: The last reason to drop the “_” (this is my opinion only), it looks T-A-C-K-Y. Seriously, what looks better as a Twitter ID: @MyTwitterID or @My_Twitter_ID? I will let the examples speak for itself. Personally I like the former vs. the latter.
To quote the Pioneering Godfather of Columbus news using social media Ryan Squire “Please for the love of God, @WSYX_abc6 and @wtte_fox28 lose the underscore… Please. Pls???”
For some reason, this just makes sense!
What are your thoughts do you have to make Twitter a better place?
Rocky VanBrimmer CO Net Founder
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All You Need is Love
Guest Blogger: Felicia H. Swinford
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned but do not have love, it profits me nothing. (Emphasis mine)
–I Corinthians 13:1-3–
Now I don’t know about you but to:
Speak with the tongues of men and angels
Have the gift of prophecy
Know all mysteries and all knowledge
Have all faith so as to remove mountains
Give all I possess to feed the poor
Deliver my body to be burned,
And then realize I’m:
A noisy gong or clanging cymbal
Nothing
Profiting nothing.
These are some of the most sobering words that I can read. You mean to tell me that God is serious about all of this? I can do ALL of those things and yet be essentially nothing without love? Why don’t any of these things mean anything without love? Why is love the ingredient that puts value into all of these wonderful abilities, giftings and offerings? I wrote in last week’s blog that David Stern writes in The Jewish New Testament Commentary:
* “The word for “love” is “agape,” defined in the New Testament as giving of and from oneself; love expresses itself in acts of benevolence, kindness and mercy in which heart, mind and will are united because they are motivated and empowered by God. Such love goes beyond what one can generate of oneself, because it has its origin in God. When such love is experienced by one person from another, the experience is of God’s love channeled through that other.” (Emphasis mine.)
While the abilities, giftings and offerings seem powerful and even supernatural, if the motive behind it is not love (expressing itself with heart, mind and will and empowered by God) it doesn’t profit one thing. Nothing. In fact, it drives the knife deeper and says that I’m just a clanging cymbal or a noisy gong. I am nothing. Nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada.
I’m thankful for this. Really. God, in His infinite wisdom, knows exactly what we’re made of. He knows that if we, on our own, sacrificed our bodies, had giftings, great faith, etc., we would be so full of pride no one could stand us! Our pride would get in the way of anything we would try to accomplish. With the love of God as our motivator our eyes are not looking at ourselves but at Him – Love Himself. He doesn’t just love; He IS love
(I John 4:8). Love isn’t just an attribute of God; it is His very essence. We need this kind of love to operate and make the things we do useful.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Most of us will be covered up in preparations for the day. Can we take some time out to use this season of thanksgiving to thank God for giving us Himself in the form of love? By knowing Him we can know what love is and what it looks like. By knowing Him we can exhibit true love.
I’m thankful that He loves me and never gives up on me.
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November 24, 2009
by Don Swinford @ 5:50 pm Edit This
One of my favorite coaches is now retired NFL Head Coach Tony Dungy. Coach Dungy’s life has been well documented over the years. Here’s a great video of Coach Dungy sharing what is really important in life. I AM SECOND
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Evian Roller Babies US
Remember the original dancing baby on Ally McBeal?
Well, the most recent ones have just entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the most watched online advertisement in history.
RT from Tim Stevens http://www.leadingsmart.com
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Creating a Life Plan
By Michael Hyatt
I have met very few people who have a plan for their lives. Most are passive spectators, watching their lives unfold a day at a time. They may plan their careers, the building of a new home, or even a vacation. But it never occurs to them to plan their life. As a result, many end up discouraged and disillusioned, wondering where they went wrong.
Read the rest of this post at: http://bit.ly/5isWxH
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The Divine Measurement |
By Guest Blogger: Felicia Swinford
Just as Hebrews 11 is the “faith chapter” and I Corinthians 15 is the “resurrection chapter” so I Corinthians 13 is the “love chapter.” I want to give a definition of love because we might not be aware of the intensity of this word when it’s used in this context in the scriptures. Here is what David Stern writes in The Jewish New Testament Commentary: “The word for “love” is “agape,” defined in the New Testament as giving of and from oneself; love expresses itself in acts of benevolence, kindness and mercy in which heart, mind and will are united because they are motivated and empowered by God. Such love goes beyond what one can generate of oneself, because it has its origin in God. When such love is experienced by one person from another, the experience is of God’s love channeled through that other.” (Emphasis mine.)
Is that the way you love? This is not your typical “warm fuzzy!” It’s a love that “goes beyond what one can generate of oneself, because it has its origin in God.” This is what it looks like.
“Love is patient,
love is kind and
is not jealous;
love does not brag and
is not arrogant,
does not act unbecomingly;
it does not seek its own,
is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails . . .”
–I Corinthians 13:4-8–
I want to crawl under a rock when I read this! There is no way humanly possible to love like this. And that is precisely the point. We so need God’s power. How do you measure up? I want to encourage you to keep on trying to love the way God says it should be. As soon as you come to the end of your striving you’ll see just how desperate we are for the life and power of God to accomplish this in us. Or you could just believe what He says and yield to His life and love and power. It sure beats the futility of striving.
The Divine Measurement. How are you doing?
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Post by Michael Hyatt from his blog
In How the Mighty Fall, author Jim Collins answers the question, “How can large successful companies fail after decades of growth and stability?” Tim Irwin asks a similar question about leaders in his new book, Derailed: Five Lessons Learned from Catastrophic Failures of Leadership (Thomas Nelson, 2009). In a moment, I will tell you how to get a free copy.
In his Preface (p. xiii), Patrick Lencioni, author or The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, writes,
In my work as a consultant, I can honestly say I have never discovered a company I thought was just too dumb to succeed. Nor have I yet found a CEO whom I felt would have been great if only he or she were smarter.”
Irwin goes on to develop the case that the real issue is character, the lack of which is why otherwise talented leaders ultimately fail.
As I mentioned in my post, “Five Characteristics of Weak Leaders,” you often learn more from negative examples that positive ones. This is certainly true here.
This is a sobering, often disturbing, book. I found it thoroughly compelling—so much so that I read it through in two sittings. It led me to ask some very tough questions about my own leadership.
Irwin begins by profiling six leaders of well-known, public companies. These leaders were all smart, tough, and accomplished. Nevertheless, they all succumbed to serious character flaws, which ultimately resulted in them either stepping down or being ousted by their boards. These leaders include:
* Bob Nardelli, former CEO of Home Depot
* Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard
* Durk Jager, former CEO of Proctor & Gamble
* Steven Heyer, former CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
* Frank Raines, former CEO of Fannie Mae
* Dick Fuld, former CEO of Lehman Brothers
“Though expressed in a variety of behaviors,” Irwin writes, “they are all tied to a lack of failure of one of these four critical qualities” (p. 17):
1. Authenticity
2. Self-management
3. Humility
4. Courage
Irwin’s goal in profiling these leaders is to show how derailment occurs. If that were all that he did, this book would be incredibly instructive and helpful. However, he doesn’t stop there. The second half of the book is designed to help leaders avoid a cataclysmic train wreck in their our own lives.
In this section of the book, Irwin explains that derailment doesn’t happen overnight. It is a long process. He argues that “derailed leaders progress through five stages as they head toward their demise.” Each of these become the subject of a single chapter:
1. Stage One: A Failure of Self/Other-Awareness
2. Stage Two: Hubris: Pride Before the Fall
3. Stage Three: Missed Early Warning Signals
4. Stage Four: Rationalizing
5. Stage Five: Derailment
The good news is that if you can detect these attitudes and behaviors in your own life, you have a fighting chance of staying on track and leaving a positive leadership legacy. If you want to know how vulnerable you are to the behaviors that lead to derailment, take the free Derailed Online Assessment.
This is not just a book for CEOs. It is for anyone who serves in a leadership capacity—pastors, teachers, government officials, and even mid-level managers in corporations. Not only is this a book you should read; in my opinion, it’s a book you can’t afford not to read. There is simply too much at stake.
Although I loved the whole book, my favorite chapter is the next to the last, where Irwin summarizes the “lessons learned.” These hit me the hardest. The chapter summarizes the succinct yet gritty realities that make us fail or thrive as leaders. I know I will refer to these often.
In order to “seed the market for this book,” I am going to give away 100 copies free. To get a chance at snagging one, you must take the following three actions:
1. Leave a comment below. Tell me why you want this book. Be creative. I really do read these comments and base my decisions on them.
2. Fill out the special form. I have set up a separate contact form to make it convenient for you to provide your mailing address. Please do not put your shipping address in your comment. This will automatically disqualify you.
3. Twitter a link to this post. You can do so automatically by clicking here. If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can use Facebook.
On Friday, November 13, I will select 100 people, based solely on my arbitrary and subjective evaluation of their comments. If you are one of those selected, Lindsey Nobles on my team will notify you via email. If you don’t hear from her, you can assume you didn’t make the cut.
Also, we are making this book available as a NelsonFree title. This means that if you buy the book—or even get one free—you can also download all three electronic versions of the book: a PDF of the book, the Amazon Kindle version, and the audio version. There is no additional charge for these.
Question: Why do you want a copy of this book?
Getting an agent or publisher interested in your book idea is easier if you have the inside scoop. In Writing a Winning Book Proposal I share what I have learned in more than 25 years in the book publishing industry. Click here now to find out more!
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Love |
Love
Image via Wikipedia “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind . . .”
–Luke 10:27–
Do I love Him? I would quickly say, “Yes” but then I read,
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; . . .He who does not love Me does not keep My words; . . .”
–John 14:23a, 24a
Obedience to His word is an indication of my love for Him. This isn’t the legalistic, rule-keeping obedience but obedience because I can’t help it! Obedience because my heart, soul, mind, and strength are involved in loving Him. If my life shows up attitudes and actions that are contrary to His word then Jesus clearly says that I don’t love Him. There is some area in my heart that isn’t His; isn’t devoted to loving Him and it shows.
What we love is always exposed. Just be around anyone long enough and it will come through. Everyone might see it – except me. If I’m the one that isn’t loving God I’m also the one who is involved in some pretty amazing self-delusion and justification for my lack of obedience and love. And I can do a great job of justifying my sin/lack of love. All kinds of mental gymnastics to rationalize it. All for who/what else we love.
Ask yourself the question, “What do I love?” and “Who do I love?” Really. Now be humble and honest enough with yourself to answer truthfully. If you really want to get serious about this ask God to show you what/who you love. Be ready though because He will answer and you will probably be shocked. Then simply say, “Yes.” Yes, Lord, You’re right, now help me to walk in Your ways and not mine.
That’s all. No one needs a theological degree to have relationship with God. Deep and sustaining relationship. We just need spiritual integrity to see ourselves as we really are and agree with God when He sends His light. “Yes, Lord, I see that area where I don’t love you.” Now go and walk in His ways.
November 11th, 2009 | 
Author: 
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In honor of Veterans Day 2009, here’s a list of 25 quotes to live by:
1. We make war that we may live in peace. -Aristotle
2. Nobody ever drowned in sweat. -US Marines
3. Those who cannot bravely face danger are the slaves of their attackers. -Aristotle
4. More powerful than the will to win is the courage to begin. -Unknown
5. Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him. -Dwight D. Eisenhower
6. Many become brave when brought to bay. -Norwegian proverb
7. Courage is fear holding on a minute longer. -George S. Patton
8. It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. -Unknown
9. Either war is obsolete or men are. -Buckminster Fuller
10. There never was a good war or a bad peace. -Benjamin Franklin
11. Unless one says goodbye to what one loves, and unless one travels to completely new territories, one can expect merely a long wearing away of oneself. -Jean Dubuffet
12. This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. -Elmer Davis
13. Freedom is never free. -Author Unknown
14. Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul. -Michel de Montaigne
15. The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war. -Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
16. In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. -Mark Twain
17. Peace is not only better than war, but infinitely more arduous. -George Bernard Shaw
18. It is not only the living who are killed in war. -Isaac Asimov
19. Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it. -Irving Berlin
20. History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap. -Ronald Reagan
21. Soldiers generally win battles; generals get credit for them. -Napoleon Bonaparte
22. “Where there are too many policemen, there is no liberty. Where there are too many soldiers, there is no peace. Where there are too many lawyers, there is no justice.” -Lyn Yutang
23. Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men. -George Patton
24. I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot. -Gary Hart
25. Have the courage to act instead of react. -Earlene Larson Jenks
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Bionic Athlete Aimee Mullins
After displaying her collection of prosthetic legs at this year’s TED conference, bionic actress, athlete and model Aimee Mullins recently announced that she will speak at the TEDMED convention this fall.
Mullins has been instrumental in changing the public perception of prosthetics. After setting multiple world records at the 1996 Paralympic games, she has used her modeling, athletic and film careers to end the idea that prosthetics are a mark of disability. Instead, she’s shown the world that bionic limbs can enable some amazing things. As a guy who’s barely 5’8″ on a good day, listening to Mullins talk about how easy and fun it is to change her height on a whim does sound like a pretty incredible ability to have.
TEDMED annually explores a wide range of issues in health care. Topics this year range from ethical questions in the face of medical advancement to the theoretical capabilities of medicine. The fifth TEDMED conference will be held October 27-30 in San Diego. Be sure to keep an eye on the conference come fall. [TEDMED, image via Women's Sports Foundation]
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Untitled
Largest hamburger commercially available
The largest commercially available hamburger is 74.75 kilograms (164.8 pounds) and is available for $399 on the menu at Mallie’s Sports Grill & Bar in Southgate, Mich.
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Makes Me Think . . . THE Way |
Read the rest of this post at dogwoodradiance.com
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To grow money, you have to know money. And to know money, you need to study it: Its movements, who’s making it (and why), who takes it away, how to keep it, and how to grow your personal stash.
Unless you’re a child prodigy like Warren Buffett, or you have a trust fund, this stuff doesn’t come on its own. It takes years of learning and experience. And what better way to learn than to throw on a podcast in the car, at the gym, or in another convenient setting?
We compiled this list of audio resources to make you richer. Even a weekly listen will boost your moneymaking IQ. See which of these valuable podcasts suits you best:
http://www.businesspundit.com/15-podcasts-that-will-make-you-richer/
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by Don Swinford
If you know me, you know that I hate Marriage Retreats – with a passion! Marriage Retreats sole purpose is to destroy men. As you sit in a circle or around a camp fire the retreat leader will ask the guys, “Tell the group how you feel?”, “Share with the group how you have failed your wife (family)”, “Why do you put your job ahead of your wife (family)”, and on and on.
The leader will not stop badgering until at least one man cries. There are always tears and then some of the weaker men will begin hugging each other. The retreat will end with the men saying their wedding vows again to their wives. They make commitments they will never keep. And finally, the criers and huggers are so embarrassed and ashamed of their wimpy behavior that they go undercover until the memory of that dreaded weekend dies.
Not this guy and not his wife – we won’t fall into the Marriage Retreat trap. She’s so cool. She hates them too! Thank you Lord!
My wife (@feliciaswinford) is so innovative and creative; she designed the perfect Marriage Retreat for us. We tried it out his past weekend. It’s called A Marriage Retreat that ROCK! (aka The Five Commandments of a Marriage Retreat).
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city running tours
Share your love of running with us as we share our city with you! City Running Tours offers guided running tours of New York City, Chicago, Washington, DC and Charleston and soon many more. Whether you are a recreational runner continuing your daily routine or training for a marathon and need to get your miles in, City Running Tours is here to accommodate your needs as a runner and a tourist. Choose your distance and the sights you want to see, then let us share the history, urban myths and the unofficial landmarks that make these cities unique.
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TEN26 Four Years Ago
Four years ago today I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. That’s the day I discovered a few things about my life: the true meaning of friendship, the love and support of my family, and the strength and peace that only God can give. It’s the day I became a cancer survivor!
God gave me the courage to face it, the knowledge and wisdom to fight it, and His grace to beat it.
Read about my cancer journey at http://bit.ly/4CKAMx
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The Chick-fil-a Leadercast
A few weeks ago, while attending the Catalyst Conference, I had the opportunity to have breakfast with Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-fil-a, and Mark Miller, VP of Training and Development for Chick-fil-a. I experienced first-hand their passion for leadership and for enriching the lives of the people in the the communities where their stores are located.
Now they are partnering with leadership development company GIANT Impact to bring their passion to a wider audience in the form of the Chick-fil-a Leadercast, a one-day leadership event that will take place in Atlanta and will be broadcast to 500 host locations throughout the country via satellite or internet downlink. (In a moment, I will tell you how your church can become a host site.) This event will be held on May 7, 2010. They are expecting nearly 70,000 attendees, between the live site in Atlanta and the rest North America.
This is the 10th anniversary of the event, which was initially founded by Thomas Nelson author John Maxwell in 2000 as the “Maximum Impact Simulcast.” What started out as a half-day, classroom style event with John has since become a full-day, experiential conference featuring many renowned speakers. This year’s lineup includes:
* Jim Collins: Author of Good to Great, How the Mighty Fall, and co-author of Built to Last
* John C. Maxwell: Leadership expert and best-selling author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and Put Your Dream to the Test
* Steve Uzzell: Award-winning corporate photographer and former staff member of National Geographic
* Mark Sanborn: Best-selling author of The Fred Factor and popular corporate speaker
* Connie Podesta: Expert in the psychology of human behavior and leadership development
* Jim Goodnight: CEO of SAS Institute, Inc.
* Ed Bastian: President of Delta Air Lines
* Ben Carson: Neurosurgeon and Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
What makes this event different? Three things:
1. The diversity and experience of the speakers
2. Leadership content that deals with both the head and the heart
3. Experiential elements including humor, videos, book signings (at the in-person location), audience interaction, creative programming
You can read some of the testimonials of previous attendees here.
The Chick-fil-a Leadercast is currently looking for host churches to participate in this event. If you are a pastor, church staff member, or lay leader, this is a great way for your church to reach the business leaders in your community. Specifically, it will enable you to:
* Invite people into your church that might otherwise never darken the door
* Build relationships that will create opportunities for significant, spiritual conversations after the event
* Become the church known for speaking to the needs of the local business community
* Offer relevant leadership training for business leaders in your city
* Generate alternative revenue
You can find out more about becoming a host site by clicking here. If you mention that you read about this event on my blog, Chick-fil-a Leadercast will give you 10 free tickets when you register as a host site.
If you want to attend the event, you can find out more by clicking here. Trust me, these kinds of events are even better when you can bring your leadership team with you.
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Guest Blogger: Felicia H. Swinford
They’re rocks. Really. Just rocks, I know, but when my stepfather told me that my mother, who is having trouble remembering things, lost all of her diamond rings it made me sad. Really sad cause that’s probably the only tangible thing that I’ll have from my parents; diamonds that my dad had given my mother 56 years ago when they were married. There were 3 rings in all. Gone. I was actually looking forward to giving them to my daughters. Their inheritance. My inheritance. Gone. Oh, well. Just rocks.
Makes me think of . . . Click here to read the rest of the post
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Soul City Church
My daughter, @bethanyswinford, is traveling to Chicago this weekend with the core team of Soul City Church. Pray for the team as they prepare to impact the City for Christ.
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Sunday, October 18, 2009
DETROIT — A half-marathoner and two other runners died during the Detroit marathon on Sunday, organizers said.
Daniel Langdon, 36, of Laingsburg, collapsed at about 9:02 a.m. between the 11- and 12-mile markers, said Rich Harshbarger, vice president of consumer marketing for the Detroit Media Partnership.
Rick Brown, 65, of Marietta, Ohio, collapsed at 9:17 a.m., near where Langdon went down, and 26-year-old Jon Fenlon of Waterford collapsed at about 9:18 a.m., just after finishing the half-marathon in 1:53:37, Harshbarger said.
It was unclear whether Brown and Langdon were participating in the 13.1-mile half marathon or the full race.
Harshbarger told the Free Press that there were at least six medical stations on the race course and that emergency personnel were on the scene within seconds.
Every runner must sign a medical release form, and they are encouraged to talk to their doctors before they run the race, Harshbarger said.
“On a day when so many people bring such energy and challenge themselves to do their utmost, this news is very difficult to hear,” said Free Press editor and publisher Paul Anger said. “Our deepest sympathies are with the families.”
The temperature was about 28 degrees when the marathon started and had risen to 41 degrees by 10 a.m. Running coach Keith Hanson said he doubted that the weather had anything to do with the deaths.
“The wind never kicked up,” Hanson said. “In my mind, the conditions were perfect.”
Deaths at marathons are relatively rare. The last death at the Detroit event was in 1994 when a 42-year-old man died of a heart attack after running more than 20 miles.
More than 19,000 people were registered to participate in the 32nd Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon on Sunday.
Nicholas Stanko, of Haslett, Mich., took first place in the marathon with a time of 2:20:24. He said he was inspired by members of the track and cross country teams at Haslett High who came out to cheer him on. Stanko and his wife, Theresa, both teach and coach at the school.
“I just tried to give them the best I could,” he said. “I ended up just holding on. You always just hold on by a thread at the end, and my thread didn’t break today so I lucked out.”
Sarah Plaxton, of Highland, Mich., was the top female finisher in the marathon with a time of 2:57:09. The 41-year-old mother of three said she didn’t realize how close she was to the lead runner until supporters lining the streets told her she was reeling in the leader with less than a quarter-mile to go.
“I was in shock, actually,” said Plaxton, who sprinted across the line for the win. “I didn’t even see her until I turned the corner, and then I gave it everything I had.”
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Hall of Fame basketball player and legendary coach John Wooden turns 99 today. Best known for coaching the UCLA Bruins through 27 winning seasons, Wooden mastered the tenets of leading successfully. Below are 12 John Wooden quotes that will inspire leadership success, regardless of field:
1. Never mistake activity for achievement.
2. A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.
3. Ability is a poor man’s wealth.
4. Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.
5. Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
6. I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.
7. Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.
8. It’s not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.
9. It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.
10. It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.
11. Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.
12. Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.
(Source: BrainyQuote)
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Makes Me Think of . . . Life! |
Guest Blogger: Felicia Swinford
I went to a funeral this week. Funny thing funerals. While there is incredible sadness, grief and loss they have a way of making me think of . . . life. It kind of puts everything into perspective. Trivializes the things that before might have seemed irksome. Brings clarity. Helps us to see in Technicolor . . . again. Cause somehow along the path of life we tend to loose sight of what’s really important and how beautiful life really is. Then BAM! and we’re hit with the brevity of life – even our life – and it shocks us back into a state of thankfulness and appreciation for this one short life that God has blessed us with.
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If you’re Palm you’re hoping that Pre owners love their phones so much that they cherish and protect them for always. So when a guy who owns a Palm Pre drops it in his beer just to see what happens, you can’t be too happy. It just doesn’t say a whole lot about how much a person values a phone when they drop it into a mug of beer.
On the upside, it stays on for about a minute before giving up the ghost. Compare that to the possibly real video directly below it of an iPhone 3GS that was dropped in a pool and kept recording video.
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Homecoming
Last Friday night (10/2) was Homecoming at Landmark Christian School. Lots of people return to reconnect and catch up on what has happened in the years since they were in high school together. There was sharing about college, marriage, careers, kids, travel adventures and everything in between. It was a night of hugs, laughs and lots of fun. It’s great to come “home” and be received by those who love you.
Makes me think of another Homecoming. It’s in the future if you’re reading this! The ultimate Homecoming. Heaven. Just think of all of the catching up there’ll be to do! We’ll see people that lived thousands of years ago. Listening to stories that span millennia. Personally I want to pull Daniel aside. He’s one of my favorite OT personalities with his no compromise attitude. My daddy is another that I’m looking forward to reuniting with. We will know and be known; love and be loved. Completed. Settled. Finally home. But just like any Homecoming there is always one person who holds a special interest – that one that our heart longs for. Perhaps this is why the song I Can Only Imagine was such a hit. It strikes a chord in us. How will we react when we are finally at the Homecoming of all Homecomings and our eyes take in the very longing of our entire being? The answer to our every question? The Lord Jesus in all of His glory. When I think of this I’m sure that I’ll dance and sing Hallelujah with joy unimaginable. But then I realize in Whose presence I’ll be in and know that I’ll be speechless, on my face in absolute worship. My mind really can’t take in how this scene might play out.
Homecoming. It begs the question, Where is your eventual, eternal “home?” Trust Jesus. Do it today and settle that question forever! Delay in this crucial area just might prove to be the most costly procrastination you’ve ever chosen.
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
–John 14:2-3–
Check out Felicia’s series…Makes Me Think
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Senior Night
LCS Volleyball
SENIOR NIGHT
Tonight you were honored, along with Sarah and Taylor, as the only seniors on the LCS varsity volleyball team. This was supposed to be a transition year or rebuilding year for your team. Expectations were not high looking from the outside in; however, you seniors never listened to the nay-sayers. You gave it your all each and every match. You encouraged your teammates and you were leaders on and off the court. You should be proud of the season you have had.
Sarah and Taylor are amazing teammates, peers, and friends of yours and you’re fortunate to know them. They will be friends for life. Playing sports does that – it creates a bond that can’t be broken. When you go to battle with someone, you’re linked to that person forever. A volleyball court is not a battlefield, but it’s a place where you work together for a common cause – to win, to do your best, to support and encourage your teammates. In that regard, you have fought hard and are a winner.
Becca, it has been amazing watching you play volleyball over the years. Your hustle was outstanding. Diving for balls and giving your all is your normal. You obviously have athletic abilities, but what we will always remember is your ability to play hurt. Over the years you have had an assortment of injuries, but none greater than your ankle injury. No one really knows the pain you have played with this year. The doctor wanted to do surgery before the season started but you would have no part of it. You were determined to be with your teammates, even if you had to play on one leg. Your grit and determination is mind-blowing.
In closing, you have brought so much joy to our lives by your volleyball endeavors. You have reflected Christ in the way you have played hard and supported your teammates.
We are proud of you and love you.
October 6, 2009
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Samurai pictured above with Great1 and Speirit who he took under his wing at the SGM in 2007. Both men also achieved PR’s in the race thanks to Samurai’s influence.
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Yesterday, on the anniversary weekend of the St. George marathon, our own Samurai (a.k.a. i2i) stormed to the top of the world rankings with a 70 mile week. It was 2 years ago this weekend that Samurai joined his Team FURY teammate, Sensei, in St. George where they both ran sub 4 hour marathons. This makes the third time that Sam has been World #1. He called the rise to the top his personal Quest. The “Quest” began last Monday as a gift to his father. Sam ran the 70 miles for his dad, retired Georgia Power Company founder, Lee Gravitt who turns 70 today.
i2i was quoted as saying: “Happy Birthday Dad! You have lived like a Samurai warrior for 70 years. Now you are given the gift of a 70 mile week and Samurai dominance on the leader board.”
Samurai was also pleased to hear that Team FURY partner Sensei ran a 1:53 half marathon yesterday in the inaugural 13.1 in Atlanta. Sensei’s performance was also a tribute to Father SAMURAI, Lee Gravitt. Sensei, current lunch specialist for Georgia Power, has special appreciation for Lee and his history with the company.
With these two monster performances, there is speculation that Samurai and Sensei are about to unleash the FURY in a big way. Stay tuned to see what the Team does next.
On 10/5/09 7:47 AM:
Runners (Male – Ages 40-49) who have run the most miles over the last 7 days:
1. Samurai (70.0)
2. Lance Logan (48.0)
3. russwyd (47.0)
4. cgrecco (38.5)
5. jimdandy (33.2)
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Homecoming 09
Becca recovered from her bloody lips from the Powder Puff Football Game. She does look good with a football in her hand!
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And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became captain over them. 1 Samuel 22:2
David attracted desperate men, men who were passionate for change, men who longed for a better future. The empowered and the privileged did not gather to him. They had too much to lose. But the distressed, the debtors and the fed-up rallied to him. And under his leadership, this rabble launched a new era in the history of God’s people.
If your heart is at rest with the state of the world, the state of the church, you have little incentive for all-out commitment to Jesus. You will probably just get in the way. But if you are in distress, if you are in debt, if you are bitter in soul, there is a mighty Captain who is not ashamed to have you in his army. He turns no one away, no one who is desperate for change on his terms.
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For the 2nd consecutive year Randy Gravitt (aka Samurai, Sam, i2ileadership, i2i) has achieved the Number 1 ranking in the world. Let’s congratulate @i2ileadership for this significant accomplishment.
Runners (Male – Ages 40-49) who have run the most miles over the last 7 days
1. Samurai (65.6)
2. cgrecco (58.5)
3. Lance Logan (46.0)
4. russwyd (39.0)
5. Hutchison (37.4)
Compiled 10/3/2009 3:01 AM
Randy has run several marathons over the years such as the St. George, ING Georgia, Chicago, and The Flying Pig. He achieved this ranking not because he’s training for an event, but in honor of his dad’s Birthday on Monday!
Check out Randy’s blog at: www.i2ileadership.org
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@rebeccaswinford has Homecoming in 2 days. You think her lips will be back to normal? The girls played harder than the HS boy’s team.
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Not a Resurface |
Blogger: Felicia Swinford
As I was on my way to Bible study Tuesday morning I got stuck on Dogwood Trail. They are resurfacing the entire stretch of road and so it becomes a one-lane where you have to wait in a line for the oncoming traffic to pass and then the man with the sign turns the STOP sign to SLOW. You’re then permitted to proceed. I didn’t know that Dogwood Trail needed a facelift. It seemed OK to me. No potholes or rough places but the powers-that-be must have seen something I didn’t.
Resurfacing. Paving over the original. Makes me think of the work that Jesus accomplished. Stay with me here. Jesus didn’t die a brutal death and conquer the grave to cover our sin or make us better. It wasn’t just to resurface it or put something over it so it’s not seen. He actually cut a new road. “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor. 5:17) The old things are gone (unless we bring them back). In fact, they’re gone as far as the east is from the west. (Ps. 103:12) Never to be remembered again by God. There is a new road, a new journey in Christ, not the old one that’s just patched up or resurfaced.
So next time you’re in a line of traffic awaiting your turn to go on the one-way lane remember this: You were not resurfaced! You were made new. It might help talk you down from the frenzy we get in when we have to wait anywhere much less at road resurfacing.
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Who has read this book?
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
Reviewed by Laura Clark
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or gazelle – when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” – Unknown Just substitute your own problem body part for Christopher McDougall’s simple question, “Why does my foot hurt?” and you can instantly identify with his dilemma. McDougall does not want to win a race or qualify for Boston – all he wants is his daily five-mile fix. As an adventure writer and former war correspondent, his body seems remarkably indestructible. That is, until he turns forty, laces up a pair of running shoes and begins to jog through the placid Pennsylvania countryside.
In a desperate effort to feel whole again, McDougall’s journalistic mind, followed by his hobbled body and financed by Runner’s World and Men’s Health, leads him on a byzantine quest through cutting-edge science all the way back to our hunter-gatherer beginnings. Refusing to accept his doctor’s injunction that the human body is not designed for running, his investigations pit him against drug runners, Mexico’s desolate Copper Canyon and firmly entrenched scientific myths. Somewhere along the trail he not only finds the answer to our perennial question/complaint, but learns about so much more than mere bio-mechanics. McDougall’s attempt to insert running man into the gazelle/lion scenario leads him to the desolate Copper Canyon of Mexico, the last stand of the Tarahumara Indians, an almost mythical tribe of Stone Age super-athletes who call themselves the Rarámuri, or the Running People. And no wonder. They think nothing of running sixty miles or so across rough desert terrain just to get to the site of a forty-eight hour race. After a cops-and-robbers scene worthy of Laurel and Hardy, McDougall finally locates the elusive Caballo Blanco, a former prizefighter with a broken-down body who has lived restoratively among the Tarahumara for ten years. Caballo takes him for an eye-opening run, explaining the basics, “Think Easy, Light, Smooth, and Fast. You start with easy, because if that’s all you get, that’s not so bad. Then work on light. Make it effortless… When you’ve practiced that so long that you forget you’re practicing, you work on making it smooooooth. You won’t have to worry about the last one – you get those three, and you’ll be fast.” Caballo’s mantra is surprisingly similar to the techniques espoused by Chi Running, the Pose Method and the cult of barefoot running. The price for these lessons? McDougall becomes the point man for Caballo’s dream: a 50-mile race between Americans, Mexicans and Tarahumara on Rarámuri stomping grounds, billed as “The Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.”
Reading Born to Run is like deciphering those layered novels that shift back and forth across time and character subplots. Coincidental to McDougall’s quest for unhindered running and Caballo’s race director mishaps, we visit the Western States and Leadville 100 Mile races, sample a persistence-running hunt with Bushmen and visit Bill Bowerman’s waffle iron. We learn that less is more when it comes to shoe price but more trumps less when you are toting wilderness supplies. McDougall does fictionalize or exaggerate some of his encounters but on the whole, the book makes for a quite enjoyable read.
As the 50-mile contest of body over mind nears completion, what shines through is the sheer joie de vivre of the event. It seems the secret to running like the Tarahumara has to do more with pure delight and community spirit than with training tables or VO2 max. The spectators, basically the entire town of Urique, and the runners have themselves become the event. Although the race features a hard-fought photo finish, it is a finish that unites rather than divides. Small, unheralded acts of kindness feature just as much in the final outcome as leg turnover. Those who get the most applause are those who have struggled the most just to make it to the finish line.
While I have read many books on running and written many reviews, I am always somewhat surprised and disappointed when a fellow runner comments, “Now that I have read your review, I don’t have to read the book.” Not so with Born to Run. Although geared to trail runners and ultra aficionados, it strikes an everyman chord with runners of all persuasions. McDougall’s investigative forays are seamlessly interwoven with his personal journey so that readers never feel ping-ponged back and forth between time and place. Look for Born to Run to assume its place alongside such cult classics as John Parker’s Once A Runner.
I keep hearing great reports on this book. Tell me about it in 2-3 sentences if you have read it.
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Economist “Did you know?”
Another great “did you know” video.
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Here’s an except from a John Piper message made into a neat little video.
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Meet Butch Lumpkin
Inspiring video of an amazing man.
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Great post on God’s Word being a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
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Finishing Well
Guest Blogger: Felicia
We either bow or rebel to the authority of Christ. There is no other way. No third option. What about you? Will you bow? In bowing you enter into true righteousness and the kingdom.
via Finishing Well.
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The food pantry at the Real Life Center is getting desperately low. There are a lot of people living right here in Fayette County who are struggling to put food on their tables.
The Real Life Center is a ministry aimed at providing food for these families. On October 3rd, the Bridge Community Center in Peachtree City will be hosting the First Bridge Anniversary 5K Run/Walk.
The race starts at 9:00AM at the Bridge Community Center; 225 Willowbend Road. All race profits will go to benefit the Real Life Center! Please help us to get the word out about this new run.
Link to entry form: The Bridge Run
Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
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A diet low in fat and red meat and high in fruits and vegetables can be beneficial
By Dr. Joseph Motta, Staten Island Advance | 09.08.2009
More than 70 percent of prostate cancer cases occur in men over age 65. Rates of prostate cancer have been decreasing since the 1990s, but it is still high in the United States, especially among African American males.
Prostate cancer is much more common here, than in Asia where it is rare. Although age, ethnicity and family history of prostate cancer are well-known risk factors for the disease, diet and lifestyle changes can help minimize that risk. Some studies have estimated that up to 75 percent of all prostate cancers can be eliminated through changes in diet.
So what can you do? Well, summarizing a number of very important scientific studies has shown us that one can take 10 steps to a healthy prostate.
1. Decrease the amount of dietary fat. Many studies have shown that high-fat diets (especially saturated fats) are associated with higher rates of prostate cancers. Limit the intake of butter, margarine, fried foods, cakes, potato chips, etc., to a bare minimum. However, some fats are good, such as extra virgin olive oil (not fried) and grape seed oil.
2. Eat more fish. Fish can be a great substitute to meat and other fatty foods. Omega 3 containing fish oil (in capsules as well as from Wild Alaska salmon, sardines, mackerel) are healthy not only to your prostate but also the heart. Eat fish at least twice a week.
3. Eat less meat and high-fat dairy. These are loaded with saturated fats, which can increase your risks of prostate cancer and heart disease, as well as a stroke. Try low-fat milk, yogurt and cheeses and develop a taste for soy, which is very healthy.
4. Eat more tomatoes. Who doesn’t love tomatoes? Tomatoes are high in lycopene, which gives it red color. Lycopene is a powerful anti-oxidant and has been shown to reduce the incidence of prostate cancer. Cooked tomatoes are best. Most of the lycopene is in the tomato skin, so don’t peel them. Pink grapefruit, raspberries and watermelon are also good sources of lycopene.
5. Eat more soy. Soybeans contain phytoestrogens, which help prevent prostate cancer development and growth. This may explain why Asian cultures that use lots of soy products have a very low incidence of prostate cancer. They are widely available today in all supermarkets as soy milk, soy cheese and soy beans.
6. Eat more fruits, cereals, whole grains and vegetables, especially beans, lentils. These foods are packed with fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrates (good carbs), low in fats and a good source of vitamins and minerals. Avoid white bread and choose whole grain instead.
7. Drink green tea. Everyone knows the benefits of green tea, but not too many people I talk to drink it. It is packed with catechin polyphenols, which can help prevent some cancers, regulate cholesterol and weight control. Three to four cups a day is best. Caffeinated green tea is better because it maintains more of the polyphenols and has only 10 to 20 percent of the caffeine of coffee.
8. Weight control. Very important across the board for overall good health. Following tips 1 to 7 should help.
9. Exercise regularly. In addition to a healthy diet, exercise prevents the body from “rusting” and disease. It releases tension, decreases stress, improves immune function and decreases heart disease. Any exercise is better than none, but a dose of 20 minutes, three times a week is suggested. Walking at a brisk pace is great exercise.
10. Manage stress. I leave the most difficult for last. We’re told numerous times to “relax and improve your health.” Meditation yoga and deep breathing exercises are very helpful in helping prevent disease and improve immune function.
These 10 tips, as you can appreciate, are very useful in not only helping prevent prostate disease, especially prostate cancer, but may also benefit people who are currently being treated and battling prostate cancer. As always this advice should not be a substitute for your doctor’s recommendation regarding your specific issues, but it should help improve your overall health.
To your good health!
***
This column is provided by the Richmond County Medical Society. Dr. Motta is immediate past-president of the society and director of Richmond University Medical Center’s division of urology and urologic surgery. He maintains a private urology practice in Bloomfield. Questions may be sent to the column in care of the Advance.
Copyright Staten Island Advance 2009
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Naps Are Exercise for the Brain
It seems I’ve been talking a lot about naps lately. And the New York Times must have heard me, as it reported on a survey about napping. The findings:
• 1 in 3 adults admit to napping on a typical day.
• Napping is high among adults who have trouble sleeping a night or who have worked out in the last 24 hours.
• Unemployed people were more likely to nap during the week.
• Women, those who make less than $20,000 a year, and people dissatisfied with their financial situation were also likely to report having trouble sleeping at night.
Unfortunately, the survey didn’t define exactly what constitute a nap. But I think most people can do that for themselves, even if those definitions vary slightly from person to person. Does nodding off for a few seconds on a commuter bus or subway count? How about putting your head down on your desk for a few minutes while reading? Or do you have to be fully engaged in the sleep-like position on a couch or bed?
Anyone who gets a boost from a brief micro-sleep could be napping. You don’t have to be lying down necessarily or in a bedroom with the lights out (though that would be ideal). I know plenty of people who have mastered the art of napping while sitting up or reclined in an office chair.
As the article points out, it’s too bad that napping is still bashed by society. Some sleep experts think naps should have the status of exercise and I agree! They make us feel stronger, happier, and able to perform better.
What I don’t like about this recent survey is that its results somehow imply that you have to have trouble sleeping at night or be dissatisfied about work to embrace naps and see them as positive contributors to health. That’s clearly not so. Whether you are:
• happy or sad,
• financially fit or troubled,
• employed or out of work,
• an insomniac or sound sleeper, or
• a man or a woman
all of us can learn how to nap and reap its many rewards!
After all, naps were recently proven to be more effective than a cup of joe at tackling that afternoon lull. Sleep up, don’t drink up.
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Cash for Clunkers
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Guest: Swinsei’s Wife
Hey, Look at Me!!
“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:20
This statement of Christ’s is the summary statement of Matthew 5-7. I blogged on this verse on July 15th. The reason I bring it back up is because the rest of the Sermon on the Mount is showing what having a righteousness that “surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees” looks like. We’re now in chapter 6 and I want you to keep in mind that the original writings of scripture didn’t have chapter and verse designations. I’m grateful that someone put them in so that finding a passage is easy but we need to keep in mind the flow of this sermon as a whole.
In Matthew 5, Jesus is talking about entrance into the Kingdom and the character of true believers. He then challenges the religious teachings of the day. He gets to the heart of the matter of righteousness showing that it’s not just a ritual of doing right things. He continues in this same vein in chapter 6 of speaking about true righteousness in everyday life. There are four areas that He focuses on: giving, praying, fasting, and wealth.
What Jesus is conveying to these people is that yes, you are to give and pray and fast (we’ll deal with wealth next week). The Pharisees did these things and He called them hypocrites. He made the contrast between their motives and what God actually wants. You see, they made a big deal out of giving to the poor. They prayed long and loud in public places to be seen by men. When they fasted they made a spectacle out of themselves by neglecting their appearance so that everyone knew. Ugh! I hate this. Have you seen it even today? Someone makes a production out of their religious activities to be sure that all know what they’re doing for God. Jesus is very clear in His pronouncement: They have their reward in full and it’s not from God! If we want men to take notice of us in our religious activities to be praised we can be sure that that is all the reward we’ll ever get.
The contrast is a pure heart. Pure motives. When we give, pray and fast it is to please God and bring Him glory. If this is our only goal we won’t parade our righteousness before men. We won’t be congratulating ourselves for how spiritual we are. We’ll walk humbly with God, thanking Him for His grace and mercy.
Have you done a heart check lately? What are your motives?
Other posts in this series on The Sermon on the Mount by Felicia
See Felicia’s other posts in the series on the Sermon on the Mount.
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Bill Gates confessed at an event in New Delhi today that he gave up on Facebook because he couldn’t keep up with the friend requests. Gates remarked that there were “10,000 people wanting to be my friends” after he tried out the service, and it was time consuming to decide if he “knew this person, did I not know this person”.
Gates was speaking at a gathering to accept the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development on behalf of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition to saying that Facebook “was just way too much trouble so I gave it up”, the AFP story on the event quotes Gates as saying he’s “not that big at text messaging”. The Microsoft co-founder also mentioned that he doesn’t spend all day using technology and that “All these tools of tech waste our time if we’re not careful.”
And while Gates insists that he’s “not a 24-hour-a-day tech person”, it’s clear that a growing number of Facebook users are – it’s the very reason why Microsoft has a stake in the networking giant, as users’ time and attention are increasingly consumed by these somewhat addictive services.
We have no idea what Bill Gates’ Facebook page looks like, but we’d like to imagine it’s similar to this hilarious mockup:
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Out to help those looking for a quick relaxation fix, a new drink from Canada offers ‘an acupuncture session’ in every can. An antidote to energy drinks like Red Bull, Slow Cow was developed to help people de-stress.
Under the premise that caffeine-packed drinks tend to increase anxiety, Slow Cow contains theanine, chamomile, valerian, passiflora and other ingredients known for their calming effects. The beverage is meant to increase mental awareness while improving relaxation, without the post-hit dip that caffeine and other stimulants cause.
Slow Cow, whose tongue-in-cheek logo apparently did not amuse Red Bull, might have found a gap in a market saturated with energy drinks of every possible variety. It’s not the only beverage to position itself as a relaxation drink, mind you, (Drank is another), but Slow Cow gets our vote for best branding. Seems like a natural fit for spas, hotels, airlines—or anywhere else consumers could use a serving of relaxation.
Website: www.slowcowdrink.com
Contact: www.slowcowdrink.com/english.asp?no=116
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Swinsei and Fam on the River!
Since one of my daughters was out of the country on Father’s Day we decided to postpone celebrating it until she returned home. Here are pics of my gift.
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They say the best things in life are free, and McDonald’s appears to be taking that maxim to heart. No sooner did we post our story about the free car charging available at the new McDonald’s restaurant in North Carolina than we saw the chain launch yet another free love initiative: Free Mocha Mondays.
As part of a campaign to promote its new McCafé line, McDonald’s is now offering US consumers the chance to sample a free Hot Mocha or Iced Mocha at any participating McDonald’s restaurant. The offer is available on any Monday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Aug. 3, and the complimentary drinks come in special, promotional sizes: 7 oz. for the iced version, or 8 oz. for the hot variety. (Normally, a small McDonald’s McCafé beverage is 12 oz.) McCafé espresso-based drinks are made with Arabica coffee beans—harvested by hand in Central America, South America and Indonesia—along with real milk, rich chocolate syrup and fresh whipped cream. All are fully customizable, the company says. McDonald’s anticipates that it will likely give away some 10 million samples during its Free Mocha Mondays campaign, making it “one of the largest sampling initiatives we’ve taken on as a company,” said Neil Golden, chief marketing officer for McDonald’s USA.
Whether it’s coffee, ice cream or charged batteries, there’s nothing like letting consumers try before they buy, and it’s almost impossible to go wrong with free love. (Related: Free Obama-themed coffee love for UK consumers — Free Starbucks ice cream for Facebook users.)
Website: www.mcdonalds.com/mccafe
Contact: www.mcdonalds.com/contact/contact_us.html
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The CURE ….
I got this quote from Mark Batterson: THE CURE
The cure for the fear of failure is not success. It’s failure.
The cure for the fear of rejection is not acceptance. It’s rejection.
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Have you discovered Woot?
Woot is ….
- What is Woot and who’s behind it?
- Woot.com is an online store and community that focuses on selling cool stuff cheap. It started as an employee-store slash market-testing type of place for an electronics distributor, but it’s taken on a life of its own. We anticipate profitability by 2043 – by then we should be retired; someone smarter might take over and jack up the prices. Until then, we’re still the lovable scamps we’ve always been. But don’t take our word for it: see what the online community has to say at this Wikipedia article.
- I see only one item, do you sell anything else?
- No. We sell one item per day until it is sold out or until 11:59pm central time when it is replaced. However, each item we sell is in stock and typically ships within 2-3 business days.
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YouVersion ….
Here’s a great online Bible (mobile too), commentaries, and social networking site: YouVersion ….
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RunPee
Two years ago, we covered a few mobile services that help users find the nearest public restroom. Focusing instead on when to go, RunPee is a web-based service and soon-to-be mobile app that maps out loo-break moments for popular movies.
Users can choose from an extensive list of movies currently in theatres, and a few classics like Aliens and Star Wars. A time graph of the film indicates when it’s safe to disappear for a minute or two. The website lists a cue line to listen for, and the approximate amount of time before something important happens. For those who want to find out what they missed, a box of scrambled text can be clicked on to reveal what was missed. The site will also note if there’s a scene after the credits, so movie-goers don’t run out of the cinema before the film is actually over.
Anyone can contribute suggested break times to the listed films, which as they say, makes RunPee a Wiki-pee-dia of sorts. (Sorry…) An iPhone application is currently awaiting approval from Apple, meaning weak-bladdered users will soon be able to check in from the theatre. Which is, of course, where the concept shines. One for drinks manufacturers to sponsor, encouraging sales of 48-ounce colas?
Website: www.runpee.com
Contact: polygeek@runpee.com
Spotted by: Susanna Haynie
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How to be a great googler ….
Google tips ….
So how can you maximize your search and avoid wading through pages of results? Below are some tips on how to get exactly what you’re looking for – pronto!
Use Quotes
When searching for a specific phrase, simply include quotes around your search words.
Take Advantage of Or
Google will search for pages that contain all of the words you have typed in the search box. If you want pages that have one term or another, include the word “or” in your search.
Wildcards Help
The * symbol indicates a wildcard, or placeholder for a word you don’t know. This can be helpful when searching for a quote that you can’t fully remember. For example, “Four * and seven years ago.” The * tells Google to find pages containing a phrase that starts with “Four” followed by one or more words, followed by “and seven years ago.”
Get the local time anywhere
Need to know the time in Moscow? Simply type “What time is it in Moscow” in the search box to get the time. Do the same for most world major cities and the current time for the desired location will appear.
Quick Calculator
Type a math problem using the +, -, *, / symbols and parentheses into the search box and get an instant answer.
Movie Times
To find show times at local theaters type “movie title:” along with the city or zip code. For example, type “Birmingham: Star Trek” to find out show times.
Find more search tips, including an instructional video, provided by Google, here. And remember to always look carefully at the results of the Google search for legitimate sources of information.
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The 7-Ups
1. Wake Up
Decide to have a good day. “Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice & be glad in it” Psalms 118:24
2. Dress Up
The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart” I Sam 16:7
3. Shut Up
Say nice things & learn to listen. God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. “He who guards his lips guards his soul“ Proverbs 13:3 “Gossip betrays confidence, avoid men who talk too much” Proverbs 20:19 “Listen to advice, accept instruction and in the end, you will be wise” Proverbs 19:20
4. Stand Up
For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. “Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good…” Galatians 6:9-10
5. Look Up – To the Lord
“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13
6. Reach Up
For something higher. As Jiminy Cricket sings “High Hopes“ Always try to better yourself.
7. Lift Up – Your Prayers
“Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING” Philippians 4:6
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The Prepared Mind of a Leader
I don’t know what book or article I learned this stuff from, but I thought it was good information. If you know the source, please let me know.
Observing — search out confirming and non-confirming information about your world view
Reasoning — clearly explain why you are following a course of action
Imagining — visualize new ideas for your company’s policies and practices
Challenging — question your organization’s assumptions and test their validity
Deciding — make or influence decisions that will propel action to progress
Learning — master the information you need to keep you moving forward
Enabling — offer the people around you the knowledge, means, and opportunities to progress
Reflecting — invest time thinking about trade-offs and the consequences of those trade-offs that result from our decisions
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A couple of great tools for posting URLs in your blogs, emails, and tweets are: bit.ly URL and try this one to Tinyurl .
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Care for Aids ….
A couple of socially-minded college students started Care for Aids. It’s well worth your support and prayers. Check out their website.
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Global Partners in Life ….
Global Partners In Life is one of the organizations I respect and support. Check them out ….
Mission
The mission of Global Partners in Life is to enhance the lives of others.
Vision
To meet the needs of children through college age people by assisting
with their humanitarian, educational and medical needs, while also
facilitating cultural and business exchanges and building relationships.
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North Point Online, live at Buckhead Church launches August 16th.
Every Sunday evening, at 6pm, North Point will be providing an amazing online church experience with live worship and teaching by Andy Stanley.
Keep up with all the details on the NorthPoint.tv blog and by following the twitter handle @np_online
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New Posts are Coming …..
I’ll be back on the grid on July 1st. Be ready for some really good posts. Go ahead and subscribe to this site.
Swinsei
http://twitter.com/DonSwinford
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Going Dark
I’m going DARK for a little while on this blog. I’m finding it difficult to maintain 3 blogs, plus a couple of social networks. If you are interested, you can keep up with me on these sites:
http://ten26.wordpress.com
http://runclubusa.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/DonSwinford
Dark
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Fatherhood
This is why I love being a dad. Below is an email from my daughter who is spending the summer in a study aboard program (Greece and Italy) with Georgia Tech. I miss her a bunch, but I’m so glad she can have this life experience.
From: Bethany
Date: Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 3:46 PM
To: Dad
Hey dad!
It kind of is a combo of being really busy and not having a computer (computer died), but I have not been on line much at all lately. I am loving Rome – it is amazing! But Ryan is right, it is very expensive here. That is the main downfall. That, and having class for 9-12 hours everyday.
We are getting our first weekend today and tomorrow! It was VERY needed. I am having a good time and we are all getting along really well which makes things easier. I am still homesick though. Which is weird, because I have never been homesick in my life ha ha. But I am really missing you guys and America. It will be so good to come home. I know that I will be back here some time though. I really do love it here. You should bring mom. It is amazing, I KNOW she would have a fit to be here.
So did you read through the apartment email that I forwarded you? What do you think? Does that sound ok to you? If so we need to figure this out soon. Like, how I am going to sign the lease, utilities, etc. I don’t even know where to start ha. So let me know what you think!
Thanks for being the best dad in the world! I love you tons and I miss you just as much. Hope all is well at home…
LOVE YOU
B
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Father’s Day Gift Ideas
Will someone send this link to my family!!!!!
http://bit.ly/ANXmR
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Received this in my email inbox today:
12. CEO’s are now playing miniature golf.
11. I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.
10. I went to buy a toaster oven and they gave me a bank.
9. Hotwheels and Matchbox car companies are now trading higher than GM in the stock market.
8. Obama met with small businesses – GE, Pfizer, Chrysler, Citigroup and GM, to discuss the Stimulus Package.
7. McDonalds is selling the 1/4 ouncer.
6 People in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and are learning their children’s names.
5. The most highly-paid job is now jury duty.
4. People in Africa are donating money to Americans.
3. Motel Six won’t leave the lights on.
2. The Mafia is laying off judges.
1. If the bank returns your check marked as “insufficient funds,” you have to call them and ask if they meant you or them.
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Reading ….. RANT
Review
“One of the most feverish imaginations in American letters. . . . More than your weekly prescribed dose of humor and humanity, cleverness and outrage.”
—The Washington Post
“Brilliant. . . extremely fun. . . . With his love of contemporary fairytales that are gritty and dirty rather than pretty, Palahniuk is the likeliest inheritor of Vonnegut’s place in American writing.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“Mr. Palahniuk doesn’t write for tourists. He writes for hard-core devotees drawn to the wild, angry imagination on display and the taboo-busting humor.”
—The New York Times
“Unpredictably hilarious. . . . The writing is vivid, raw, and mordantly knowing.”
—Chicago Sun-Times
“Truly unique. He writes at the edge of crazy, and you can feel his desperate urge to get at the truth of things.”
—The Seattle Times
“Twisted? Come on, it’s Palahniuk. Impossible to put down? Same answer.”
—Men’s Journal
“It’s a rare novel that’s as funny and as brain-bending as this one. Buckle up.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
“A white-knuckled what-if, Rant is the author’s most idiosyncratic work to date.”
—The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“A strong dose of gore and sinewy prose.”
—Time Out New York
“So funny that your facial muscles soon tire.”
—The Guardian
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Becca can do inside work too!
Here’s Boo washing dishes — she’s the inside / outside girl! Is she threating me with that knife?
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Child Labor — NOT!
Becca is 17 and doesn’t fall under the laws relating to Child Labor . It does my heart good to see her doing work I should be doing. Becca is an awesome young lady!
"The Look"
"Old School Mowing"
Boo is getting it done!
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Do you Tweet?
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that Google Reader was a great way to keep up with your blogs, especially Run Club and Ten26 ! 
But another option is to follow me on Twitter or Facebook . Generally when I have a new blog post, I will put it on Twitter which will also post it on Facebook. As soon as you get the Tweet you can go visit the blog.
Give it a try …. sign up today!!!!
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FROM BUSINESS PUNDIT
What was the worst job interview question you were ever asked? Good interview questions can help employers judge the technical qualifications, people skills, problem solving approach, and team fit of prospective employees. Bad interview questions do none of those. Instead, they confuse, irk, or offend the applicant (often in combination). Our ten worst job interview questions exhibit one or more of the following characteristics:
 Illegal – Ask about certain topics and it’s “Do not pass Go; do not collect your next paycheck.” Your employer has been advised to reduce its liabilities, and that means you. |
 Useless – questions test trivial knowledge that has no bearing on aptitude or generate pseudopsychological responses that Dr. Phil could bloviate on for an entire episode. |
 Hackneyed - There’s an old saying: “If you’re one in a million, you have 1,000 clones in the People’s Republic of China.” These questions were once original, but they’ve been asked so many times that everyone has memorized ‘pat’ answers to them. |
Here are BusinessPundit’s ten worst job interview questions, along with the characteristics that got them on the list, and some possible rejoinders. Please note that being asked any of these questions should make you seriously consider whether you want to entrust your livelihood and sanity to this organization.
#10 – What interests you about our company?
“Um, I heard you were hiring?”
#9 – Have you ever brought a lawsuit against an employer?
You can’t ask about this or age, race, health/marital/personal/family issues, and arrests, among other things. You have a choice of responses to this one. You can use the old, boring “I don’t think that’s an appropriate question” line, or you can allow the interviewer to save face with something like “No, but I’m always open to new experiences”.
#8 – Why did you take the pen from me?
In this one, the interviewer picks up a pen and holds it out halfway between herself and the applicant, and then silently waits for a response. Eventually the person will ask “what are you doing”, or, more often, take the pen. I would recommend: “When I saw you holding out the pen, I knew what you were doing. Taking it was the fastest way to get the heck out of here. Good day!” If you want to stick around, you can always grab the pen with your thumb and forefinger just above the interviewer’s (ala the old sandlot baseball method for deciding who gets to bat first) and wait for her next move.
#7 – Can you work under pressure?
Who is going to say no? You could answer “I’ve been tested to 12 ft-lbs per square inch”, or if you can completely change the tenor of the conversation with “If I don’t get this job I’ll lose my house, my wife, and the eight third-world children I’ve been supporting will be doomed to starvation. How’m I doing so far?”
#6 – If you were a ‘Lost’ character, which one would you be?
Applicant: “Jack” Interviewer: (Raises eyebrow) “Jack?” Applicant: (Pauses and gazes upward as if in deep thought, and then looks interviewer directly in the eye) “Definitely. Jack. But what does that have to do with being an Accounts Payable Clerk 1?” This is a variant of the old “If you were an animal, which one would you be?” question. If asked that question, you might want to go with Sasquatch, noting that “I read that they are telepathic, and that would make this interview go a lot easier!”
#5 – How do you define sexual harrassment?
“You nailed it! Nice one.” Or if you’re ready to leave “Come closer and I’ll show you.”
#4 – What is the airspeed of an unladen swallow?
Upon further consideration, this could be a valid “team fit” question in certain technical disciplines.
#3 – Do you ever abuse alcohol or drugs?
“I didn’t realize I had to choose”, or the more tactful “You do realize that the people who test body fluid samples are part of the Teamster’s union? They don’t like people cutting in on their territory.”
#2 – What is your biggest weakness?
This question got serious consideration for the top spot, but it’s only the second most likely question to pop up in an interview. All the interviewing tactics books tell you to develop a response that actually demonstrates a strength. Don’t dignify an awful question with a thoughtful response. First, startle the interviewer by saying “I have two”, and then continue with “one, I have an aversion to kryptonite but it doesn’t normally affect my work, and two, you really don’t want me to work overtime during a full moon. Seriously.” You’ll be doing the parting handshake in no time.
#1 – Where do you see yourself in five years?
Possibly a Trifecta if family issues will effect your career planning! Undoubtedly you have either already heard it or you will in an upcoming interview. Depending upon how fast you want to get out of there you can go with: “In mirrors and on YouTube. Unless I’m undead; then only on YouTube.” Or the ever-popular: “Asking you this question as you ‘reinterview for your position’ “ (don’t forget the menacing air quotes). Rubbing your hands together and cackling works nicely, too.
Do you have a worse interview question? A better answer to one of these? Come on! Everyone has a job interview horror story. Let us hear it in the comments section!
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UP
Watched a good movie today with my 17 year old daughter. You never get too old for a good G-rated movie!
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Bethany’s Adventure
Bethany is now in Rome ….. Check out her Adventure at http://tiny.cc/rqwsp
From: Bethany
Date: Sun, Jun 7, 2009 at 5:26 PM
Subject: Crisis
So yesterday my computer screen officially died. So I am having to use other people’s computers. It is not the end of the world, it just makes life more difficult. Now I am going to have a good bit more work to do when I get home because I am not going to be able to get as much done here as I would like, and I am not going to be able to talk to you all as much. Besides that it will not be too bad. I think that it can easily be fixed (I hope!!!)
Other then that, I am now in ROME!!!
I am obsessed with it.
It is so beautiful!
We have to pay for internet by the hour at this hotel so besides my computer being dead, I will not be on line very much 
Sorry this is a pain.
LOVE YOU!
Beth
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Pandora Rocks!
Pandora Internet Radio is a great way to listen to the music you want to listen to. Listen on your computer or mobile device. Check it out.
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National Donut Day!
Yesterday was a big day for me — National Donut Day!
National Donut Day, which happens the first Friday of every June, offers people the chance to pick up–you guessed it–a free donut. Head to your local Krispy Kreme for one free glazed donut, or buy a drink at Dunkin Donuts and get a free donut for your troubles.
Most donut shops around the country celebrated this holiday, which originated during WWI when Salvation Army volunteers fed donuts to front line soldiers. According to Newsday, donuts were often fried inside of soldiers’ helmets.
I had Dunkin Donut for Breakfast and Krispy Kreme at lunch! I love this holiday!
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Miss Swinsei’s Adventures
My daughter is study abroad this summer and her adventures started on Thursday. Check out her blog.
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4:50 pm May 18, 2009, by jgumbrecht
Ann Price serves up a “Ghetto Burger” to customers at her Kirkwood Restaurant, Ann’s Snack Bar.
Ann’s Snack Bar, the Kirkwood home of the “World Famous Ghetto Burger,” might not be around much longer — at least not with Ann herself. Ann Price, known to her customers and the world at large as “Miss Ann,” told Buzz on Monday that she’s ready to sell after 37 years of hand-shaping patties for hungry customers.
“You got a buyer?” she shot into the phone.
Miss Ann won’t be locking the doors just yet. She plans to talk with a real estate agent in a couple weeks, and doesn’t yet know the price, but wants it on the market at the end of the month. It’s not clear if the restaurant will remain open once it’s out of Miss Ann’s hands.
“I don’t care what they do with it,” Miss Ann said of the building at 1615 Memorial Drive. “Once they pay me for it, they can do whatever the want with it.”
The “World Famous Ghetto Burger” at Ann’s Snack Bar in Kirkwood.
That news will be hard to swallow for regulars who got comfortable on the bar stools at Ann’s. It was already a local institution when its “World Famous Ghetto Burger,” was named the best burger in America in a Wall Street Journal story two years ago. The crowds have been flowing even steadier since then.
So why now? “I’m tired. Isn’t that a good enough reason?”
What next? “Sleep. I’m planning to sleep when I leave here.”
Miss Ann did say she’ll stay in Atlanta, but didn’t elaborate: “I can’t talk now. I’ve got customers.”
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Recent Entries
- Check out my new blog!
- going dark for a while
- Big Is The New Small – The ROI Of Social Media
- Thanksgiving 2009
- Score More by Dropping The Underscore!
- a man’s answer to “black friday” « Run Club USA
- All You Need is Love
- Tony Dungy – I AM SECOND « RUN CLUB
- Deep Fried Stand | Business Pundit
- Evian Roller Babies US
- Creating a Life Plan
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