Post Super Bowl Thoughts

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Post Super Bowl Thoughts

The big game is over, and fans of the Indianapolis Colts are experiencing emotions that range from disappointment to anger, embarrassment to frustration, and just about everything in between. I am one of the very few people living in Indianapolis who is not a Colts fan. I'm originally from Cincinnati, which makes me a Reds fan. Yeah, that's my point exactly -- baseball, not football.

But I went to a Super Bowl party and watched the game, and like every red-blooded American male, I cheered and jeered at the plays and calls by the officials (and the lack of several penalties that should have been imposed against New Orleans). But that's not what I'm writing about, believe it or not. I'm writing about people.

My wife and I were invited to a Super Bowl party by some friends of hers. I've met some of these people, but really barely know them. The women all belong to a group which is supported by one of the local churches. Most of the people in this group go to this church. My wife and I do not -- we attend a different church.

Now maybe I shouldn't be writing about this, because there will certainly be a certain type of person who takes great satisfaction in what I'm going to write. But, here I go.

LANGUAGE ALERT

This group of people who attend the same church and get together quite frequently for similar events has some strange characters in it. One in particular was sitting next to my son and I during the game. At one point in the game he had the same reaction that probably millions of Colts fans had: he began cursing. He used words like -- pardon me while I censor myself -- PU&@%*S and PI$&@D, and at one point just barely stopped himself from using the grand-daddy of all four letter words, well, you know which one. But not soon enough for others to be fooled.

The problem is, his language was wholly inappropriate for the company he was in (not that there is ever an appropriate time to use such language). I was shocked. Others in the group who probaboy know him better just ignored him. I don't know how. If I knew him better, I would have chastised him for using such language period, much less at a gathering of a small church group with very young children in the room.

I guess I really don't have much to say about it. And certainly someone somewhere is saying that it's not at all surprising because all Christians are hypocrates. Well, we aren't, and it is.

I'm not a big fan of Super Bowl parties. Or other similar gatherings. It wasn't what I would call a great time. And, deep inside, I feel a nagging sense of guilt for exposing my six year old son to the foul mouth of the one bad apple in the group. If my boy heard those words, and I can't imagine how he wouldn't, that's something I can never undo.

Send me your thoughts.

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Happy Birthday, Gipper!

Today is Ronald Reagan's birthday. Oh for another President as great as he.

FREE C. Layne Download Today Only!

Magnatune Song of the Day for Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Genre: Rock Album: South by Southwest Compilation Artist: Magnatune Compilation Song: 7. I Don't Care If You Lie (C Layne) Listen to the album: hifi lofi (only available today, Wednesday)
Today's free song is from the album: Magnatune Compilation South by Southwest Compilation Total time: 59:35 Release date: 4/15/2006 Location of artist: CA, USA This artist has 15 other albums

Book Review: God's Little Princess Devotional Bible by Sheila Walsh

One of the most difficult things for parents who are trying to raise their children to serve God can be finding a Biblical text that young ones can understand. Having children aged six and three, this has been a challenge -- until recently.

God's Little Princess Devotional Bible: Bible Storybook, though not the Bible word for word, verse for verse, is Biblical in context. With every couple of pages focusing on one key lesson from the Bible and highlighting key "Heroes" and "Bible Princesses," God's Little Princess Devotional Bible: Bible Storybook has proven to be exactly what we needed for our three-year-old daughter who is obsessed with Princesses.

God's Little Princess Devotional Bible: Bible Storybook includes such things as memory verses, tips on how to be truly beautiful (on the inside, not just the surface), and the all-important (for little girls) focus on girls and women of the Bible who made a difference. There are activities for a parent to do with the child, including singing and role plays, and special sections that focus on how God wants us to love one another (the most important commandment of all).

Each book of the Bible is broken down into two to four pages of insight and activity, making it the perfect bedtime devotional for every little Princess. It has truly been an answer to prayer, as our little Princess looks forward to her devotional every night so much that if she misses it she is disappointed. And best of all: it gives Daddy a little special time with his little girl!

There will be that time when every child needs his or her first "real" Bible, but there's no need to wait until then to start teaching them the Bible. With God's Little Princess Devotional Bible: Bible Storybook, you can get a head start on setting your little Princess on the right path right now.

Send me your comments. Joe

AJA Press

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nacho's First Leash Walk

We took our Chihuahua Nacho for his first walk on the leash today. Here is some video:

Just starting off, he hates the idea of the leash...

He starts to get a little better as we go...

Before long, he becomes the little expert...

But, like all Chihuahuas, he wants to be carried home.

Send me your comments. Joe

AJA Press

The Bride Collector - Early Thoughts

Trying to figure out Ted Dekker's latest villain in "The Bride Collector." He has woven an intricate web of suspense this time, though that comes as no real surprise.

The book is due out April 13, and the folks at Hachette Book Group have been kind enough to furnish me an Advance Reading Copy. I'll be kicking off the pre-pub blog tour with a review and more on February 12 at http://www.averagejoeamerican.us.

You won't want to miss this one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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FREE Greg Annussek Download TODAY ONLY

Magnatune Song of the Day for Sunday, January 17, 2010 Genre: Rock Album: Little Palaces Artist: Greg Annussek Song: 2. In the Movies Listen to the album: hifi lofi (only available today, Sunday)
Today's free song is from the album: Greg Annussek Little Palaces Total time: 29:11 Release date: 1/9/2009 Location of artist: NY, USA

Domino's New Pizza

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Domino's New Pizza

Domino's has been making quite a production about their all-new pizza recipe. Can you imagine a company actually reinventing it's main product line from the ground up because of "customer feedback" they received? The last time I can remember a company undergoing such a major product overhaul was when New Coke rolled out. The only thing that accomplished was to tack the word "Classic" onto the end of a drink that didn't really need a name change.

Now Dominos goes the route of Coca-Cola, reinventing their pizza "from the crust up." The cheese is now 100% real mozzarella with just a hint of provalone "for flavor." The sauce is all-new and spiced with red peppers. The crust is new and buttery and sprinkled with garlic and parmesan. Dominos calls it "perfectitude." So is it?

Tonight we tried Dominos new pizza for the first time. We have always shied away from Dominos because, well, it just didn't taste good. In a family of widely varying tastes, our options were severely limited. And, of course, our order was influenced by a coupon for two large one-topping pizzas for $9.99.

My wife, who is best described as a carniphobe, is very hesitant to eat meat from any animal (no, that's not redundant -- she actually thinks of veggie burgers as meat). She's not a vegetarian or a vegan or some bleeding heart animal rights nut. She's just afraid of meat.

I, on the other hand, never met a pig that I didn't like . . . the taste of. There aren't many animals I don't eat, except for those who swim in their own waste. But while I love meats of all varieties on my pizza, you can keep the veggies and crazy stuff like pineapple and anchovies.

My kids are pretty easy to please when it comes to pizza: cheese and pepperoni.

So we ordered two large one-topping pizzas for $9.99: a pepperoni and a cheese pizza with half green olives. Everyone can at least be satisfied.

My expectations weren't very high. We eat a lot of pizza and we are pretty picky about where we order from. We all have our favorites, and they're all very good. But none of us have ever considered Dominos a favorite.

So, then, how was it?

Pretty good, actually. The cheese was definitely better than their old recipe (as well as I can remember -- it's been quite some time since we've had Dominos). I felt they could have been just a little more generous with the cheese, as the sauce showed through in some areas on the cheese pizza.

The sauce, well, it is quite amazing that it was visible beneath the cheese, because it was barely even there. I'm not one who can tolerate the spiciness of red peppers very well, and I couldn't even taste them in this sauce. In fact, this was the first time in a long time that we haven't had to mop the sauce off our children's faces when they were done eating. Yes, it could definitely use some more sauce.

As for the new crust, well, at least they've done something right. The crust was actually quite tasty. It seems that the outside edge of the pizza crust is brushed with butter then sprinkled with garlic and parmesan. Crunchy and delicious. My kids, who rarely eat any of the edge crust on a pizza, ate every bite tonight. My son said he puts it second to Pizza Hut's Stuffed Crust pizza. My wife simply said, "Yummy crust."

Dominos has done their homework this time, and the preparation has paid off. On a scale of 1 to 10, my wife gave it a six. On a standard A to F grading scale, I would say B minus. Dominos used to be on my Do Not Order list along with Little Caesars. Now, I'd put them above Little Caesars and Papa Johns, right beside Pizza Hut and just a fraction behind Donatos. They still have a long way to go to catch my favorites:

1. Sweet Lous in Terre Haute
2. More Than Just Pizza in Indy
3. Chicago's Pizza in Greenfield and McCordsville

Of course, Unos would be on that favorites list, too, if we had it a little more often. Overall, Dominos has definitely improved. I probably won't order it again any time soon, but I wouldn't turn it down if you were buying.

What pizza do you prefer?

Joe

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Book Review: Living Life In The Zone by Kyle Rote Jr. and Dr. Joe Pettigrew

It's a New Year, and time for New Years Resolutions. Right? Well, no. Normally, I don't make resolutions. It prevents me from failing to keep them. Instead, I make commitments. Not resolutions. Not things that I will do EVERYDAY, but rather things that I hope to get done during the year. Last year, I committed to read through the Bible, and I did. Sure I missed some days, but I actually finished the reading nearly a week early.

This year, I have committed to expand my Bible study beyond just reading the Bible, into doing something a little more -- involved. Enter Kyle Rote Jr. and Dr. Joe Pettigrew with their 40-day devotional, Living Life in the Zone: A 40-Day Spiritual Gameplan for Men. I received the book from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Bloggers Program and began it immediately. Like many Christian devotional books, Living Life in the Zone: A 40-Day Spiritual Gameplan for Men follows a 40-day plan, calling on the Biblical significance of a forty day period (see Noah, et. al.). But Rote and Pettigrew do something that I haven't found in many of the devotional guides and Bibles that I've researched -- they tailor their devotional to the life of a man.

Calling on their vast experience of working with the men of professional sports as part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Rote and Pettigrew present the life of a man in terms that men can understand. They cover topics such as living a healthy Christian life at work, loving an imperfect woman, dealing with daily stress, and even the oft-taboo topic of improving your sex life from the perspective of a Christian man. I have tried to carve time out of my day every day to spend a little time in the Word under the tutelage of Rote and Pettigrew, and found deep insight into things that I have just taken for granted for years. By spending just fifteen minutes a day pondering the thoughts and words of such pro sports greats as Roger Staubach, Joe Gibbs, John Wooden, and Coach Tony Dungy, I've found myself trying to live more like the man God wants me to be.

It's only a 40-day devotional, and won't require a major commitment on your part to get through this little book. But it just might cause you to make some major commitments you hadn't considered before.

Send me your comments. Joe

AJA Press

Disclosure(s) of Material Connection:

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Vacation: Day Four

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Vacation: Day Four

Today was a calm and uneventful day as my vacation is now two-thirds over. After church this morning we stopped at Lowes to look at some flooring and cabinetry samples and sinks. We'll be doing some updating in the house this year that includes hardwood laminate flooring, new countertops, and more.

After returning home, we did very much of nothing. My wife and I got in some good relaxation time while the kids played games on theWii and Nintendo DS.

As boring as this content might be for you, the reader, it's exactly that quality of boredom that made today such a peaceful day and has made this such a successful vacation. Two days left....

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Attempted Home Invasion - Thwarted

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Attempted Home Invasion - Thwarted

I was just sitting in my family room, playing games on the Wii with my son, when my wife said, "Some guy just walked through our yard. He looked in the window." At first I just kept playing, then she said, "What's he doing?"

So I quit playing the game, said, "Is he still out there?" and walked to the patio doors. There at the house behind ours stood a 20-something black male trying to open the patio doors of our neighbor's house. He was wearing a black coat, gray pants, and a dark winter hat. I opened the door and yelled, "Hey!" Of course, he didn't look -- wanted to make sure I couldn't identify his face -- he just turned and started to walk away. I told my wife to call the Police and headed out the door after him, trudging through the snow in house slippers with no coat on.

I called 911 on my cell phone as I followed him down the street, talking on speakerphone. The man walked slowly around the house as I followed, and started running when he rounded the corner. I ran after him, and when he slowed to a walk so did I, staying close enough for him to hear me talking to the 911 dispatcher but far enough away to maintain safety. Not knowing if he was armed I wasn't about to try to tackle a man half my age and five inches taller who has nothing to lose and his freedom to gain.

Half a block down the road his friend was waiting: another tall black male wearing a tan Carharrt coat and dark blue jeans so low that as he turned to flee he tripped over his own crotch and fell in the snow. Having given descriptions of both creeps to the 911 operator I continued to follow the one who had walked through my yard and tried to walk in to my neighbor's house.

I updated 911 as the creep ran through another yard and vaulted a fence. "He just jumped the fence," I said as I ran along the fence. "He's hiding between two sheds now where he thinks I can't see him."

I heard him jump over something and saw him come back between the sheds. "He just jumped the fence again," I said as I followed him around the house where he jumped the fence a third time and fled. In my slippers, which were now soaked with snow, I wasn't prepared to jump the fence and go after him.

I waited for the Police to arrive at the street corner with a nearby resident who had seen his buddy flee in the opposite direction. Two Cumberland, Indiana, officers responded and began searching the area while an IMPD officer was at my house taking a report from my wife.

--------

Shortly after I began writing this, the phone rang, and the IMPD officer informed me that they had a suspect in custody nearby. He asked me if I would like to come by and identify him.

I drove the short distance (less than a quarter mile) to a house in the 900 block of Woodlark between Tenth and Washington Streets on Indy's east side, where the officer met me on the street. As I waited in the car he brought the suspect out onto the porch in handcuffs. Standing there before me was creep number two, the buddy with the baggy pants who had taken off running when he saw me chasing his friend down the street. I confirmed his identity and told the officer which one he was.

Moments later, the officer asked me to stick around and get a look at a second person. This one was brought to the porch sans handcuffs. He had ditched the black coat and changed out of his gray pants, but was wearing the same dark winter hat I had chased down the street moments earlier.

The officer thanked me for getting involved, informed me that both the creeps had a record, but said they would probably not be able to arrest them since they hadn't actually entered the home.

It's great to see the authorities respond so quickly and successfully, but a little disappointing to know the creeps got away this time. My wife is concerned that they might come back for revenge. I suspect that they're just cowardly enough to stay away from the house where a crazy man in house slippers chased them a block and half and later returned to identify them.

Maybe I'll start looking into security systems, anyway.

Below this post are pictures and a Google Maps link of the house where the creeps were found by the Police. Got any similar stories you'd care to share?

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Ga. Rep. Deal Challenges Obama’s Eligibility | The Post & Email

Deal Challenges Obama’s Eligibility | The Post & Email:

"(Jan. 5, 2010) — The Post & Email can publicly confirm that on the first of December, last, U.S. Congressman Nathan Deal (GA-R) challenged the eligibility of Barack Hussein Obama to hold the office of the U.S. presidency."

To show support for Representative Deal, you may contact him here:

The Honorable Nathan Deal
2133 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-1009
DC Phone: 202-225-5211
DC Fax: 202-225-8272
Email Address: http://www.house.gov/deal/contact.shtml
WWW Homepage: http://www.house.gov/deal/

Need some suggested text for your letter to Representative Deal? Feel free to copy and paste below:

Representative Deal:

I want to applaud you for having the courage to stand up for country above all else in calling for Mr. Obama to settle the eligibility issue once and for all. This is clearly a matter that Chief Justice Roberts and his team may never get to decide -- whether by their own choice or not -- and a matter that must be settled. What this country needs is more Representatives who are willing to stand up for that which matters most -- the sovereignty of this great nation.

This is not a matter of getting Mr. Obama out of office. It is a matter of ensuring that he is eligible to hold the office.

Thank You, sir.

Send me your comments. Joe

AJA Press