"He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles."
--C.S. Lewis
The Screwtape Letters
Just Jump
13 hours ago
On the eve of our 5th anniversary, I wanted to share 5 things that still amaze me about my beautiful bride.
1. The feel of her hand in mine.
2. The fact that my day is usually pretty gray until she calls just to see how it's going.
3. That she loves to sing...a lot (but only her favorite songs and just for me and the kids).
4. That her favorite verb in the world just might be cuddling.
5. That smile. Trust me. If you've ever met her, you know what I'm talking about.
There is a show you’ve never heard of…that airs on a day you don’t know…on a cable channel you probably can’t find…that’s about some people you couldn’t care less about…that has almost certainly effected your daily life in a way you’ve noticed, but not correctly attributed to its influence.The channel…AMC
The night…Sunday
The show…Mad Men
Its viewer ship is paltry, roughly 1.6 million weekly. That may seem like a lot but keep in mind iCarly can pull 7.9 million viewers. Heck, even a terrible reality show on during primetime on a major network will get over 3 million before it’s canceled. 1.6 is barely scraping by.
And yet it has become this lexical ziggurat of pop culture influence; by not kowtowing to the masses but by delivering a program so rich with minutia it can only be appreciated by a select few.
The rub…the select few who watch Mad Men with keen intensity, the few it does dazzle and woo on a weekly basis, are the precious minority who decide what the rest of us will consume, purchase, and crave.
How so?
An example.
You may want to purchase a new pair of pants. Sure you have the power to decide where you will buy those pants from, what size you will buy them in, and even their ultimate color. What you don’t have control over is what pants the store will offer for you to purchase. But guess who does?
The guy parked on his Eames lounge on Sunday night who happens to love the way Donald Draper’s 1960 suit pant is cut.
Who else is tuned in?
The guy who designs the car you drive.
The girl who decides what hairstyles every model will have and thusly you will desire.
And the other 1.6 million designers, artists, influencers, decision makers, and cool cats who create everything from the products you’ll find at your favorite neighborhood Target to the horn-rimmed glasses you slip over you ears to get a crisper view of America’s Got Talented Dancing Singing Stars (coming soon to ABC).
I’m not trying to make us as consumers seem like mindless slaves to the elitist whims of Nova watching art snobs, but the reality is, we only have so many options. Most of us lack the time (and know how) to create the things (like clothes) that will determine whether we lead the pack or gently blend in.
So just get comfortable with the fact that, yes, you can pick out your own pair of pants. But your choice was really made by a guy or gal watching a show you’ve never heard of…that airs on a day you don’t know…on a cable channel you probably can’t find…that’s about some people you couldn’t care less about.
I've heard this story several times over the years. Seen this father and son featured on quite a few news shows. And yet their story still tears my guts out every time I see it. I just watched this video at Panera and I wept like a baby in the corner. There are so many quotes in it that make me feel like such a whiner in life. What a jolt of reality. If this doesn't have an effect on you, you may not be human.
I found this on my computer this morning. A coworker asked a bunch of us to write some advice for a friend of hers who was graduating and going into the creative/advertising business. This is what I wrote to her, but stumbling across it this morning, it was actually affirming to read it to myself.
You are already a creative person.
You already have the ability to create. The skill that you are going to learn to hone is the ability to recognize which ideas are your best ideas earlier in the creative process.
You are already a creative person.
I knew I was getting better at my job when I realized I wasn’t chasing dead end ideas any more. I didn’t have to sit and develop out every aspect of a script or ad before I realized it wasn’t going to work. That is when I learned that the creative process is actually that – a process.
You are already a creative person.
I don’t think I ever got exponentially better at having ideas. The ideas would always come. When I grew the most is when I could look objectively at my own work and not get emotionally attached to something I created. When I wasn’t afraid to throw something away just because I had spent time on it. Your best tool may become your eraser and that’s not a bad thing.
You are already a creative person.
Think of yourself as a dull pencil. Yeah…you can write and you can draw with a dull pencil, but over time, if you sharpen that pencil more and more, your lines will get crisper, your drawings will become clearer. Your creations will have more detail and ultimately connect on a deeper level. The good news is…
You are already a creative person.
You just have to start sharpening.
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You are already a creative person.
You already have the ability to create. The skill that you are going to learn to hone is the ability to recognize which ideas are your best ideas earlier in the creative process.
You are already a creative person.
I knew I was getting better at my job when I realized I wasn’t chasing dead end ideas any more. I didn’t have to sit and develop out every aspect of a script or ad before I realized it wasn’t going to work. That is when I learned that the creative process is actually that – a process.
You are already a creative person.
I don’t think I ever got exponentially better at having ideas. The ideas would always come. When I grew the most is when I could look objectively at my own work and not get emotionally attached to something I created. When I wasn’t afraid to throw something away just because I had spent time on it. Your best tool may become your eraser and that’s not a bad thing.
You are already a creative person.
Think of yourself as a dull pencil. Yeah…you can write and you can draw with a dull pencil, but over time, if you sharpen that pencil more and more, your lines will get crisper, your drawings will become clearer. Your creations will have more detail and ultimately connect on a deeper level. The good news is…
You are already a creative person.
You just have to start sharpening.
Last weekend I got to rake out my flowerbeds since the weather decided to cooperate. I’m always amazed how no matter how much you try and clean your yard before winter after the snow melts there always seems to be a mess. (I’m sure there’s a metaphor in there somewhere.) As I was reaching to rake under a large, low bush that we have in the backyard, my mind flashed to a time a few years back when I was performing the same task and I lifted the same branch and there it was…a tiny snake. Probably just a gardener snake or whatever we called them as kids, nothing to big, but a snake none the less.Now, I wouldn’t say I’m exactly deathly afraid of snakes. I don’t get Indiana Jones tremors when I see them. But let’s just say one time while golfing and almost stepping on one while looking for a ball (I know it’s hard to believe I was off the fairway. Must have been an off day.) upon seeing my jumpy reaction my friend Jim made it his personal goal to find another snake and try and throw it on me. So I guess, I’m a little afraid of snakes.
Back to last weekend. As my hand moved toward the branch. I hesitated. Not really stopping; just thinking. “What if there’s another snake?” Of course, there wasn’t. Just leaves. But this little hesitation made me wonder how often we’re afraid to go somewhere, talk to someone, look a person in eye, because of something that happened in the past. It made me think about how gripping fear can be. Fear of little stupid snake. Fear of a person who rejected you. Fear of a past failure at work or with a friend. And sometimes we push through fear. We lift the branch and move on. But it’s that hesitation. Why do we have to hesitate?
The answer of course...is that we don't have to hesitate. A pure heart and clean hands move without hesitation. Remember that the next time you need to lift a branch.
One of my favorite sections of Vanity Fair magazine is a section called "My Stuff," where celebrities or culturally relevant individuals share their personal selections for...well...their stuff. It's kind of the earlier, classier version of all those facebook surveys that get passed around. I figured I'd do one just so you could no way too much about me.
INSPIRATIONS
Who inspires you: My daughter. My wife. My son.
Favorite discovery: DVR
Necessary extravagance: Colorful socks
Favorite hotel: Fairmont Chicago
Favorite late-night spot: Bedroom, Casa de Bunk
Favorite place in the world: Southern California
Who inspires you: My daughter. My wife. My son.
Favorite discovery: DVR
Necessary extravagance: Colorful socks
Favorite hotel: Fairmont Chicago
Favorite late-night spot: Bedroom, Casa de Bunk
Favorite place in the world: Southern California
CLOTHES
Jeans: Converse One Star
Jeans: Converse One Star
Boxers or Briefs: Depends on the day
Sneakers: Vans, Jack Purcells
Watch: Tag Heuer Monaco
T-shirt: Levis, H&M
Cuff links: Burberry
Sneakers: Vans, Jack Purcells
Watch: Tag Heuer Monaco
T-shirt: Levis, H&M
Cuff links: Burberry
GROOMING PRODUCTS
Shampoo: Whatever Nina buys
Moisturizer: Burberry Touch
Cologne: Caroline Herrera Chic
Razor: Mach 3
Toothpaste: Crest
Soap: Irish Springs
Moisturizer: Burberry Touch
Cologne: Caroline Herrera Chic
Razor: Mach 3
Toothpaste: Crest
Soap: Irish Springs
Where do you get your hair cut: Joel Johnson at JJs Barbershop
HOME
Where do you live: Sterling Heights, MI
Favorite art: Van Gogh, Chihuly
Sheets: Bed, Bath and Beyond
Coffee-maker: n/a
Stationery: Field Notes
Where do you live: Sterling Heights, MI
Favorite art: Van Gogh, Chihuly
Sheets: Bed, Bath and Beyond
Coffee-maker: n/a
Stationery: Field Notes
Car: Jeep
Gadget: Nike+
Dessert: Brownie with ice cream
Snack: Nina's oatmeal cookies, Bettermade BBQ chips
Favorite neighborhood restaurant: The Flytrap, Redcoat Tavern
Favorite cocktail: Coke Zero
Gadget: Nike+
Dessert: Brownie with ice cream
Snack: Nina's oatmeal cookies, Bettermade BBQ chips
Favorite neighborhood restaurant: The Flytrap, Redcoat Tavern
Favorite cocktail: Coke Zero
My Dad only rides Harleys My brother only drives Fords
And now my son is taking after his daddy with his love of the finest musical instrument on the planet.
I wonder if Taylor would endorse this kid?
I know you're probably getting sick of these stop-motion videos, but when I'm in a room for hours alone, it some how makes it less tedious knowing I'm going to get 40 seconds of video out of it. This video was taken over about 4 hours of an 11 hour proofing job. Enjoy.
"In the wild, there is no health care. In the wild, health care is, 'Ow, I hurt my leg. I can't run. A lion eats me. I'm dead.' Well, I'm not dead. I'm the lion. You're dead."
Don't visit this site at like 10:30 a.m. You won't make it to lunch. Awesome idea. Scanwiches.
This is the future of advertising. Believe me. This type of thing will be everywhere. It's called augmented reality. I've been seeing it for few months on industry sites, but GE has given everyone a do-it-yourself home version. You only need a few things. A printer, a web cam, and brain so it can be blown. You can even tell your friends that you found it, so that they think you're cool.
Life is full of tough decisions.We got these awesome bouquets this week from some people who really love us and since Christopher isn't yet on to solid foods, we've decided to devour them for him. The question is which one first. Hmmm.
Trick question: That cookie bouquet was twice as big. Notice the empty sticks. We tore into that bad boy.
"Hi"
I put up the first half of Day 1 photos HERE. This is the delivery and just after. I'll put up more soon. Thanks for all the prayers and congratulations. Nina is doing really well after delivery. And yes the baby is big, but not toddler big and he compensates for his football player stature with skin that may be the softest ever on earth. He's perfect.
CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY BUNK
9 lbs. 14 oz.
20.5"
1:58 p.m.
He's perfect
I know I've been posting a lot about weight loss but I realize many of you may not be looking to lose weight and perhaps are even looking to add some weight. My friend Caleb pointed me to what might be the fattest website ever. This thing is cringeworthy and yet at times utterly delectable. Like the 30 layer Oreo. Enjoy.Click this link. You won't be dissappointed.
1. She prefers her Coke from a can.
2. She has the best laugh. I love to watch Kings of Queens and 30 Rock with her, just to hear her laugh.
3. She grows great babies.
4. She is a french fry connoisseur.
5. She cheats at online Scrabble and I'm fine with that.
6. She doesn't like Chicken on the bone for some reason. Never has.
7. She has no problem throwing things away, like stuff from high school that I want to save.
8. She sits upright when we watch TV in bed. and not with her back up against the head board. Just upright in the middle of the bed.
9. I think she types faster than me.
10. She wore Calvin Klein Eternity when we started dating. My hands still get sweaty when I smell it today.
11. She loves California and would move there if she could just convince the rest of her family to go with us.
12. She continually thinks my truck is going to leave me stranded on the side of the rode.
13. If you asked 100 people about her, you would probably get 99 or 100 positive comments. That's rare. Think about it. If you asked 100 people about me you'd probably get 65 positive comments.
14. She loves hydrangeas and tulips.
15. She really likes winter vests with fur trim.
16. She defines patience.
17. I still remember holding her hand for the first time. It was at the end of The Truman Show at the Star Gratiot, July 16, 1998. I have a lot of dates I'll never forget because of her.
18. She is my 80's music encyclopedia.
19. She is my favorite Pop Culture Trivial Pursuit or SceneIt partner. We are a force to be reckoned with.
20. Her cookies clear up gray skies.
21. She runs the dishwasher 1/4 full almost every night.
22. She won't see a chick flick without me, because she knows she's my excuse to go.
23. I love to watch her love Maddy.
24. She's the best wife, mother, and friend, I could ever imagine.
25. Today is her birthday.
Quote of the weekend.
In response to the question "if you could sit down and drink a Coke with any person alive or dead who would it be," my brother drops this brilliant response.
"I'd pick Jesus and then ask Him 'what do you think of Coke?'"
Probably the single greatest thing I've ever heard. I'm still laughing. I love my family.
Same question to you. Who would you share a soda with?
How did Levi's swing this? Don't get me wrong. I don't think it's a terrible ad. I would struggle to find something more American than Levi's and no arguing that the President is very American. So they seem like a natural fit (pun intended). I was just unaware you could claim photos of the President to promote your product at whim. And I haven't heard anything about Obama signing an endorsement deal. It got me thinking: maybe this is how we get this country out of debt. We sell off the sponsorship of the president. So what are other presidential endorsements you could imagine? Bush's are probably obvious: Cowboy boots, pretzels, etc. Clinton's are way too obvious. So what else?