Bump.

Bump.

New Commercials

New MCC commercials have hit the airwaves.

Of course, unless you are sitting at home during the day watching TV, then you probably have not seen them. I think I am starting to get the hang of this voiceover stuff. Watch out Billy West!

Support STRIPES and mock me in the same night!

My wife has said on several occasion that she is glad she did not know me in college. I made a lot of ... questionable decisions that I can now look at as learning experiences. You know, the hidden curriculum of higher education.

Despite what The Wife might think, not all of my time in college was spent in some bizarre Hunter S. Thompson-esq haze while I struggled to keep my grades at a respectable "barely passing."

For four years I was heavily involved with the STRIPES sober-driver program. A lot of my Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights were spent working at the STRIPES house or driving students home. Volunteering for this program, and eventually being elected its director, was probably one of the most rewarding things I did while in college.

There is so much about the program that I know still has an influence on the professional work I do today.

Recently, I was asked to give the keynote speech at the annual STRIPES Gala fundraiser and I have to say I am both pumped and terrified to do this.

Team, just let it sink in, I have been invited by an organization to give a speech... like an adult... for a fundraiser.

Now, it's not the actual speech part that has me scared. I have given speeches and spoken publicly. I just have NO IDEA what to say to this group.

I could talk about my time at STRIPES and wax poetically about the good times and the way things used to be... but that is not really very inspiring to a group of college students who have probably changed and grown this program since I left.

I could talk about how important STRIPES is to the community and how as volunteers they are building valuable leadership skills that will help them when they gradua.....zzzzzzzzzz....

Maybe I could just do 30 minutes of celebrity impressions?

Aw hell! I have got to figure this out...

If you are free the weekend of April 13, I would really appreciate you coming. Yes, YOU are invited. You can request to be at my table and make sure that I don't drink too much before heading to the lectern.

Download the invitation and send it in or make a donation to this amazing program.

DO IT!

I am going to have a daughter

I keep having these moments where I say to myself, "Holy shit. I am going to have a daughter."

You might recognize that voice.

The old Metropolitan Community College has released a series of awesome ads for the Business and Technology campus and its Career Exploration Nights.

Now, I will say up front, I had nothing to do with the creation, shooting and editing of the ads - aside from the voice over work at the end. Still, I wanted to feature them here because I think they are pretty damn cool.

We always try to feature students, but those can come off as canned or stilted... Matt, our new-ish video producer did a great job keeping the interviews authentic and interesting. Not to mention the video just looks stunning with the lighting and camera work.

Anyway, we released a whole series of these that you can find here.

Can playing Sim City Social make you more productive at work?

No, no it cannot.

A moment that sums up so much

I had stopped at our neighborhood grocery store on my way home from work. While I walked through the parking lot with a bag full of fruit, ice cream and pickles for the pregnant wife at home when I ran into the local newspaper publisher.

I have known John since 2006 when I took my first newspaper job and he has popped in and out of my life ever since. We talked snow, city council and the new Walmart development in town.

We then shook hand and said we need to catch up over lunch soon. I hopped into my car and headed home wife.

So much going on in that one moment.

Snow day pictures 2013

SNOW-M-G!

Indiana was loving the foot of snow that fell in our backyard. The little black dog with a brown butt shows up quite well against the snow.




Bounding, bounding, bounding in the snow.



The snow itself was up to her chest, which means she is bouncing to move around in the yard. This also means she has decided to pee and poop on my deck. Damnit.



The (MU?) birdhouse left over from the previous owners has been a nice measure of how much snow we received in the last couple of days.

Winter Weather Prep

THE END IS NEAR! Repent and all will be save!



Pray to Costco for our protection, amen.

Avenge me!

I shared this over on my pet project 40 Weeks to Fatherhood, a blog for my unborn kid due in August. Still, I thought it was worth sharing in both places; especially since I am going to be on the lookout for someone in KC with killer kung fu moves or a Batcave...

We were sitting the parking lot of the local library during your Mom's lunch hour eating burgers and talking about our future with you.

Mom: You know we really need to put together a will once the baby is born.

Me: Yeah, we should.

Mom: What would happen to us if, god forbid, we were both killed. I want our kid to be taken care of.

Me: Me too.

Mom: Who do you think we should ask to take care of our kid? I know it is such a remote possibility, but I just want to know and have something in place just in case, you know?

Me: Sure.

Mom: I think any of our brothers would be a great parent to our children if we were gone.

Me: Yeah, but the key here is understanding that, if we both really are killed, I would expect my kid to avenge our deaths. So, which ever uncle would best send our kid down that path would make the best god-parent.

Mom: And here I thought you were actually going to contribute something to this conversation.

Truth.