Tuesday, January 31, 2012

David Boreanaz Tweeted me!

You all will forgive me for geeking out a bit, but I just found out that David Boreanaz tweeted my article on Six Couples Who Didn't Kill Their Show. This is kind of a big deal.

I've had my articles make the rounds on the internet before, usually thanks to links on Fark and Reddit. That couples article got linked to Fark back in December and I thought I'd heard the end of it. Apparently the website wetpaint.com found it, linked it, and the Bones fans quickly took notice, including Mr. Seeley Booth himself. How cool is that?

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

This Relationship Corner: The Best Kind of Opposite

Everyone's no doubt heard it: opposites attract. That's true to a certain extent. We are fascinated by people opposite us in lifestyle and personality. It's that exotic other, the greener grass, the road not taken that intrigues us. There's a poetry to it all, being so completely different that the only thing holding us together is our love. It's exciting and keeps things interesting. It's also not likely to last long.

Let me add an addendum: opposites attract but rarely sustain. If they're just looking for a short-term relationship, then being with an opposite can make it a time to remember. However, when two opposites start thinking about the long-term, the most likely result is that their relationship ends. True, it is possible for two people who are completely opposite to forge a relationship and work through all their differences, but it's an incredibly hard, uphill battle and not everyone is ready for it.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

This Relationship Corner: Abusive Relationships

Very few people plan to be in an abusive relationship. You don't go out looking for someone who treats you like garbage and makes you feel like you deserve it. Likewise, abusers usually don't advertise themselves. The sad truth is that most abusive relationships start out normal, even great, but them slowly turn into a nightmare.

My plan this week's column is to shed some light on what makes a relationship abusive, talk about some red flags everyone should watch out for, and even offer some advice on how to get out. It is my hope that someone reads this and recognizes the signs before it is too late, either for themselves or someone they care about. This isn't going to be a fun article, but it might save your life, or the life of someone you know.

Monday, January 16, 2012

How I Met Your Mother: "46 Minutes"




Friday, January 13, 2012

Still More 80's Movies Your Kids Need to See



Wednesday, January 11, 2012

This Relationship Corner: Debug Yourself

Microsoft launched Windows Vista with great fanfare. Based on the general reviews, it was too much fanfare. Users complained that the new operating system had issues, from taking too much memory to general compatibility issues with all their old programs. What was supposed to be revolutionary turned into a big mess.

Microsoft responded by releasing patch after patch for Vista. They didn't change Vista into another operating system all together, but rather they worked to make Vista the best version of itself possible. It wasn't Windows XP. It wasn't Windows 7. It was still Vista, but a version of Vista that people actually wanted.

What if Microsoft hadn't responded so well. What if their response was "Vista isn't going to change and you all need to accept it for what it is." What if they decided to stick with Vista forever and never update or improve again? That would be a terrible example of customer service. You'd see a lot of people defect from using any Microsoft product, opting for a company open to improving their product for the best experience possible.

Yet when it comes to problems in our relationships, we often have the "I'm not going to change and you have to live with it" attitude, and just as it wouldn't work for a major company, it doesn't work for us. Like Vista, we've all got our share of glitches and bugs, and if we want our relationships to have the best user experience, we need to learn how to debug ourselves.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Free Christian Scripts

I know how hard it can be to find a decent Christian script. That's why I started writing my own.

These scripts are just a small sampling of my more complete collection and represent many different types. Some are funny, other more serious. I even have a few holiday readings for Advent and Easter services. There's also one full-length script about Lazarus and his friendship with Jesus.

I hope you enjoy these scripts, and check back often because I'm going to be adding more as I go.

If you do use any of these, drop me a line and let me know how it goes. Enjoy.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Christians and the Zombie Apocalypse

If there's one thing that Christians and Geeks have in common, it's that each group can't wait for the end of the world. Christians await the Rapture, which precedes Armageddon. Geeks eagerly prepare for the upcoming zombie apocalypse. While it might not seem like these two world-ending scenarios have a lot on common, there's actually a lot of overlap.

For example, either scenario is a quick escape from the realities of this world. Suddenly we no longer have to worry about little things like bills, school, mowing the lawn, completing our court-mandated community service, or any of the other annoyances of the real world. Instead, we are freed from our humdrum lives and either whisked away in to Heaven, Jesus comes down to earth and rules, or we get to grab shotguns equipped with chainsaws and kill hordes of the undead.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Eight More 80's Movies Your Children Need to See

It’s hard for us to believe that the 1980′s began over thirty years go. At least, it’s hard for me to accept that notion. Back then, a lot of us were kids, and these days, a lot of you have children. As parents, it is your job to make sure that your child has the best nourishment, and that includes both food and media consumption. You can’t let your children watch any old crap, which is why its important to pick and choose carefully.

I've addressed this topic before, giving you all eight movies from the 80's your children must see. Obviously, I'd left a few off the list so I'm offering eight more essential movies that you, as a parent, have an obligation to show your kids.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

This Relationship Corner: A History of Bad Relationships

I'm a big believer that your first bad relationship should be considered a mulligan. It shouldn't be held against you, because we're all entitled to a relationship mistake. When we're starting out in life, we don't have a lot of direct experience that tells us whether this friend, girlfriend, boyfriend, is actually a horrible person who we need to keep the hell away from. Sometimes we don't even realize that we're in a bad relationship until we get out of it, or when we catch a glimpse of someone else's good relationship and see what we're missing. It can be an eye-opening experience and might make us more cautious or wary about future relationships.

That's why this first bad relationship shouldn't be held against us. We had no idea what was going on. However, when we have a second, third, or a long string of bad relationships, that's another matter entirely. Then, I hate to say it, we don't get off the hook so easily. We bear a lot of responsibility for these bad relationships for one simple reason: we are the common denominator in all our bad relationships.

Today, I'm going to address this history of bad relationships. We're going to explore what we need to understand about what's going on and how we can right the course of our relationship history.

Monday, January 2, 2012

How I Met Your Mother: "Tailgate"

Quick Review: A funny and sentimental start to 2012 

Episode Synopsis: Marshall visits his father's grave to carry on their tailgating tradition. Meanwhile, Barney and Ted open a bar; and Robin fills in for an inebriated news anchor. -tvguide
