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I hate traveling.

Don't get me wrong; I love going places. I just don't like the getting there part of things. I don't like driving long distances. I don't like riding for any length of time, especially since I don't trust 90% of the drivers out there. I don't like flying either.

I realize the old statistic says that you're more likely to die in a car accident than you are to die in a plane crash, but in a car it's a surprise. BOOM! Out of nowhere. With a plane, if something goes wrong, you're going to have at least 3 minutes of anguish and panic before you FINALLY explode on the ground. I'd rather never see it coming.

Shari and I drove back from Crestview, Florida this Monday. Crestview is about 45 minutes east of Pensacola, so the trip normally takes about 8 hours. It took over 10 hours Monday. 10...long...hours...

For some reason, between Pensacola and Biloxi, people decided to drive much, much slower. I'm not talking about slowing down from 70 mph to 60. I was going as slow as 0 mph at times. We came to complete stops on the interstate at least 15 times! This shouldn't happen. There wasn't a wreck. There wasn't construction. It was just a mass of people coming home after a Labor Day weekend spent out of town, getting congested in traffic and handling the wrong way. Therefore, I drove between 25-30 mph for well over half the distance to Biloxi.

When we finally got out, I went as fast as I could without setting myself up for a ticket. I refused to stop for stupid reasons; I was ready to get home.

Well, I was under the impression that I could make it from Alexandria to Natchitoches with less than a quarter tank of gas. I thought that I had done it before, so I decided to make it again. I spent the last 20 miles to Natchitoches with the air conditioner off and the gas light on. We rolled into the gas station safely, but the gas meter in my Element had dipped below the red line.

So we're full of gas and making the last stretch home. About 15 minutes away from the house, Apple starts shaking. Apple is mine and Shari's little puppy that we've had for about 2 weeks now. She had done well on the trip to Florida, and was looking fine on the way back too. Well, when Apple starts shaking, that usually means that she needs to use the restroom, and she's scared because she's not outdoors and she knows she'll get in trouble if she can't hold it. If she's shaking, then she's barely holding it.

Well, Apple had been trying to get over to me on the driver's side, so Shari sits her on my lap...

...and I feel a warm sensation...

As you can probably guess, Apple couldn't hold it anymore, so I spent the last 15 minutes of the trip with dog urine soaking my lap and a scowl on my face. It wasn't really the dog's fault. I just hadn't stopped in too long, and we didn't read the sign. Shaking dog = stop NOW!

So I hate trips. I'm glad to be home.

I just got my camera back today. I can't believe how much I missed the thing. I was literally getting semi-depressed about not having it, but now that I've been swapping lens back and forth, taking pictures of the dog, and generally snapping away at everything, life finally feels complete again.

Thank GOD that Canon got the repairs done quicker than expected!

Shari's picking up Apple tomorrow. I'm going to be a dad!

...if puppies are kind of like children.

This is from my trip to Tampico, Mexico 2 weeks ago...

Friday, August 3, 2007

A few observations from Tampico, Mexico…

This is my second trip to Mexico. Shari and I spent our honeymoon in Mazatlan, on the Pacific coast. A little more than a year later, I agreed to accompany my dad in his trip to speak at the Mexican General Conference. Some things I had forgotten from Mazatlan have become fresh again. Some of my opinions have changed. I’m finding more things to observe; sometimes to laugh at, others to worry about.

When we arrived, I noticed the airport is much smaller than Mazatlan’s. Then plane was forced to brake much harder than usual to compensate for the significantly shorter runway. After we got out of the airport, Bro. Daniel Drost picked us up in a very nice SUV.

Driving along the road, we started laughing at the different businesses we saw—Sam’s Club, Applebee’s, Domino’s Pizza, Popeye’s, Subway, and so on. Most don’t even have Spanish writing on their outside walls. Applebee’s, for instance, has “Neighborhood Grill and Bar” plastered across its side. Inside, it’s a different story. Unlike Mazatlan, the employees don’t know English at all. This truly made us feel like outsiders—it made me wonder about all of the tourists that have come to America that I’ve snickered at.

Dad and I had Subway last night at about 9:45. When we walked in, the employees immediately bombarded us with requests to take our order…in Spanish. Dad and I just stared blankly ahead; we must’ve looked like morons. Finally I managed to shrug and say, “No habla espanol.” The young guy behind the counter looked at his friend and tried to suppress a grin. Dad didn’t appreciate that, I don’t think. I wish I were done with Spanish classes by now. I could’ve used a bit more familiarity with the language.

Since I didn’t know how to order my typical turkey/shredded cheese/and bacon, toasted, I just nodded when they put turkey, ham, and American cheese on the wrong kind of bread. When he asked for vegetables, I made what I thought was the universal sign for “close it up, we’re finished.” Evidently, closing one’s hands together in a folding motion isn’t as universal as I thought. I hope it wasn’t some kind of obscene gesture. I ate the sandwich. It was still good, but not as good as a toasted TCB.

The hotel has a few English subtitles here and there. The clock is actually totally in English. Are there no Spanish clock makers? Unfortunately the only English-language channel is an international version of CNN. It’s strange getting the weather forecast for Argentina right before you get the forecast for France.

This is not a U.S. tourist destination. This is authentic Mexico. It’s still a very nice city, from everything I can tell, but it is not a tourist haven. If you cannot speak Spanish, then you should probably not think of Tampico as a lovely vacation spot. You will be lost and confused.

Nooooooooo!!!

I just found out that my Canon XTi is going to have to be sent in for repairs, and it's going to take FOUR TO SIX WEEKS to get it back!

I'm going into a cave...

I had the privilege of driving to the hotel this morning before church and picking up our visiting minister, an experienced gentleman named C.R. Free. He'll be speaking at church for Heritage Night.

We're dedicating a Sunday Night service to our older members, some of whom have been going to our church for over 50 years. The music will be geared more towards the older demographic; they rarely get to hear the songs they love anymore. We've been slowly getting more progressive with our music selection and volume, so hopefully they'll enjoy tonight's music.

Brother Free, however, is clearly more than an experienced elder who has come to preach Heritage Night at The Pentecostals. He is a sharp-minded man of God who immediately revealed his intellect on the drive to the church. His eyes bear a sparkle of wisdom when he speaks--a far off look of understanding and wisdom comes across his face when he begins talking about God.

I've only spent a few minutes thus far with Bro. Free, but I already respect him greatly, and not only because of the respect his age and experience commands. I'm looking forward to tonight.

Feeling beyond tired but knowing rest is still days away...is a bad, bad feeling.

Having fun on ESCAPE 2007

"Spin it with Beckham"

Yes, yes, I know! It's "bend it like Beckham." But the MLS and Los Angeles Galaxy are heralding David Beckham as the savior of soccer in America. The question is whether or not the excitement is warranted.

Beckham received the obligatory panic attacks (or applause, perhaps) every time he would simply receive the ball last Saturday night. The media covered the mess out of the game. Hollywood was watching. America, believe it or not, seemed to be watching as well. It was the first time I had ever seen a soccer game actually playing on the large screens at Buffalo Wild Wings at the Louisiana Boardwalk in Bossier City.

Sure, people are crazy about Beckham. But are they crazy about soccer?

I have news for you; if you didn't like soccer before (or don't know if you like it or not), David Beckham is not the one to make you a believer. He has traditionally played as a right midfielder. In other words, he is a passer. He is not a scorer. Yeah, he BENDS ONE IN every now and then with his spectacular free kicks, but he only scored 15 goals in 4 years of club play with Spanish giants Real Madrid. He's a setup man.

He's not fast. He's not particularly skilled with his dribbling. He's not flashy...except for his hair. He can't really use his left foot (understatement). He's NOT going to score a ton of mesmerizing goals. David Beckham is a passer. He is a REALLY good passer. He is one of the best set-piece players in the world, if not the best ever. But he's not awe-inspiring to an untrained eye.

Simply stated: David Beckham is not going to draw that many brand spankin' new LEGITIMATE fans to the sport. Giggling girls will line up to see him, but serious sports fans who have thus far been oblivious to the fact that the rest of the world is in love with the beautiful game are not going to be swooned by Beckham's metrosexual appearance and teeeeny weeny high-pitched voice.

So what can Becks bring to America? OTHER STARS!

If Beckham can increase attendance and revenues, not just for the LA Galaxy, but for the rest of the country, then the MLS just might be able to allure some other big-name stars. MLS needed Beckham, but he might be best used as the biggest lure in the sport. MLS needs a Thierry Henry or a Ronaldinho. Beckham might help bring someone like that across the pond.

Okay, that might be a bit unrealistic. Fine. MLS needs a Brazilian maestro, who does with a Soccer ball what Steve Nash does with a basketball. MLS needs FLAIR and refined talent, not just the methodical American players who permeate the league. MLS doesn't need hand-me-down Europeans and sub-par South Americans. MLS needs some big guns, much like the NASL had with Pele, Best, and Beckenbauer. The NASL handled everything wrong, of course, but it might have worked if managed properly.

The Galaxy is a below-average team (second from last in their conference). Beckham is a great, but businesslike player. MLS is short on style and deep in delusions of grandeur. The All Star team beating Celtic in a friendly isn't going to prove anything to anyone. The SuperLiga is a good way to gain respect. However, MLS isn't going to do it with its current crop of players.

I'm excited about the potential Beckham brings, but I'm still not sure if America is ready to understand, appreciate, and fall in love with soccer.

But one can wish...

1 Corinthians 4:9-13 (NLT)

But sometimes I think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor's parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world-to people and angels alike. Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you are so wise! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are well thought of, but we are laughed at. To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, without enough clothes to keep us warm. We have endured many beatings, and we have no homes of our own. We have worked wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. We respond gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world's garbage, like everybody's trash-right up to the present moment.

Okay, I have to add this. Check out this slideshow of Steve Bloom in action...

A Photographer's Life

Brave little fella!

For those of you who aren't around me often, you might not be aware that my latest addiction is photography. I've always loved photography, but I've never had a good enough camera to take shots that I would consider anything more than sentimental. That is, until I picked up my Canon XTi a few weeks ago. It's not the top-of-the-line camera by ANY means at all, but it's worlds beyond my old stuff.

I like all kinds of photography. I'm the Discovery Channel type of guy, so I really like scenic and wildlife photography. I'm also a fan of portrait photography, as long as it's of the photojournalistic style. I'm not the biggest fan of traditional studio photography.

With all that being said, I'd like to direct your attention to a few links of photographers whose work I enjoy and admire...

Mark Eric - Mark's Blog

Mark was the photographer at me and Shari's wedding on April 7, 2007. Shari knew Mark from POA in Alexandria, and evidently had heard he was pretty darn good. Come to think of it, I can't remember how we go hooked up to have Mark shoot our wedding.

The day of our engagement shoot, we roamed around downtown Shreveport, and Mark talked about how he didn't care for the traditional wedding photography style, with poses that were talked through in detail. He liked the natural look, with real emotions. We were totally sold on it even before seeing our engagement shots.

Mark's business has exploded. He's been featured in the New York Times, interviewed by Good Morning America and other nationally-broadcast shows, and all of the attention he's getting is well deserved. Go check his stuff out.

Steven Myers - Steven's Blog

Steven's another great photographer of the photojournalistic ilk. He's from West Monroe, and does some of the best portrait photography you can find, along with his wedding/bridal/engagement/etc. stuff. His latest stuff has had this really sweet textured, gritty look that I'm really impressed with.

Simply stated: he's gooood.

Steven shot Kris and Sarah's wedding (friends of mine) a few months ago, and really milked everything he good out of the beautiful plantation setting. He's a great, humble guy, and really knows what he's doing behind the lens.

Daily Dose of Imagery

This is the site of Sam Javanrouh, an Iranian-born Canadian living in Toronto. Apparently the pictures he posts on this site are taken for his personal enjoyment. He just happens to have a really good eye, along with some great equipment to capture the beautiful shots he comes across, mostly in the Toronto area. I check his site every single day, and I just wanted to share the love.

Steve Bloom - Some Wildlife Shots by Steve

Baron sent me the second link the other day, and this guy takes some REEEEALLY cool wildlife pictures. I'm all about the monkeys, so those were particularly cool. I don't know a lot about Steve Bloom's work, but everything I have seen, I like. A lot.

I check Mark, Steven, and Sam's sites every single day to check for new material. I really like the stuff I find there, and it's very helpful for getting new ideas, even for everyday amateur photography of a personal nature. Check 'em out.

Anger is a funny thing. Even when you think it doesn't exist inside of yourself, it lies dormant and waiting, even for months.

Burying things within and neglecting to address them for long periods of time will inevitably result in a reaction that is an exaggerated caricature of the pain and frustration that has finally come to light. Apologies and apparent resolution does little to quell the deeply-rooted discomfort that instigated the reaction in the first place.

Long story short: the result of unrestricted anger does little to solve the problem. It only settles it a bit deeper.

Hotel water.

For years I've been baffled when trying to take showers at hotels. I'm using soap, shampoo, and what appears to be water, but there's something peculiar happening...nothing washes off.

You can soap up and stand under the water, but THE SOAP JUST STICKS TO YOU! You can try to wash the shampoo out of your hair for 10 minutes, but with one rub of the hands through your hair, you'll feel the slippery Suave elixir taunting you in the strands of your hair.

My wife and I bring our own soap and shampoo, which washes off just fine at home. My conclusion: hotels are using quasi-water!

That's right. You heard me La Quinta, Holiday Inn, and Best Western! You're using sub-par quasi-water! Sure, it looks like water. It feels like water. It might even taste like water, but it is not water!

This startling revelation led me to conclude that hotels must be using water that has been artificially manufactured in Hong Kong or China. There is little doubt that they must also be using young children to sweat in factories for hours a day manufacturing this "water." It's like the t-shirt that you wear that begins unraveling only months after an average bit of usage. Cotton? Perhaps, but undoubtedly it is not very well put together.

Well, this water is not properly put together! I demand a federal investigation into this "water" that hotels supply to their unwitting customers! I demand American-made water! AND I DEMAND IT NOW!!!

Wrong!

Okay, I lied. I'm still going to use this page, simply because the Mac one takes a bit too long to make one stupid little post. It's incredibly annoying.

MOVED!

For the 3 of you that are out there, I am moving my blog to RYAN AUSTIN DEAN, and it will stay there as long as I have a .mac account (presumably forever).

So go there, bookmark it, and spread the good news.

I knew this was going to happen...

I've been smitten with serious iPhone envy. I want one. I don't just want one...I looooong for one. Sound creepy yet? Good, because it is getting very weird. I watch the videos on Apple's site. I'm not talking about the commercials. I'm talking about the "this is how you turn the iPhone on" videos...the simple stuff!

Last night I saw one in person for the very first time. A friend of mine, Derek, is the early adopter kind of guy, so he whipped his out after the church service (I'm at camp meeting in Alexandria, LA). I was smitten. He had complaints about push calendar syncing, but the Apple fanboy in me longed for one of my own. Now one of my oldest friends, Brad, has one. Another ancient friend, Josh, is looking for one.

Me? I'm just trying to figure out some way to get my hands on one. No ideas are coming. I'll just suffer in near-silence.

Hysteria.

That's the only word that fits. People camped out for days, sweating out the intense summer heat with umbrellas and smiles. The release of one of the most-desired products of all time was accompanied by mass hysteria. Even if some of the hottest places in the United States, people camped out overnight, fighting other tech fans, blistering weather, and a roll of the eyes from Apple haters.

You didn't have to look far to be touched by the iPhone. Not an Apple fan? No big deal! If you turned on a television...iPhone. If you read a newspaper or magazine...iPhone. If you looked anywhere, it seems...iPhone!

It started with a keynote presentation by Apple's CEO and perennial mind-blower, Steve Jobs. I watched this presentation the day of the iPhone's unveiling - January 9, 2007. The iPhone had been rumored for years. Apple fans speculated on what kind of advancements it would bring to the market, but even the best guesses weren't quite accurate. Touch screen, no stylus, and patented out the wazoo, the iPhone blew minds as soon as Apple fans worldwide saw it.

But it wasn't only the Apple fans that nearly blew a gasket; it was everyone. The iPhone is that beautiful, that simple, and in many ways, as revolutionary as Steve Jobs made it seem. Tech geeks and journalists have often referred to the effect that Jobs has upon those who listen to his voice as his "reality distortion field." Jobs can make ANYTHING seem cool. The amazing part is that the things Apple puts out are almost universally beautiful and intuitive. The iPhone is no different.

There are already complaints with the iPhone. Many of them can be addressed through future software updates (lack of IM). Others will require hardware changes (8 GB is NOT enough for several movies or TV shows). But one thing is certain: the iPhone is off to a blazing start. If it can ride the media wave it's currently on, it will continue to sell throughout 2007. If it proves to be as much fun to use as it appears, then it will revolutionize the industry forever.

That's not hyperbole. That's the iPhone.

I love podcasts. I mean, I really, REALLY love podcasts. I have a black 30GB iPod that has over 2,500 songs on it, but lately 60% of my iPod time consists of me listening to podcasts. I don't have a lot of friends who share my exact interests, so it's my way of listening in on conversations that I normally don't have the opportunity to be involved in. I can't talk back, of course, but it's cool nonetheless.

Anyways, I was listening to a podcast called "Windows Weekly with Paul Thurrott." Now, I know what you're thinking--Ryan is a die-hard Mac fanboy. I understand that, and you know me well. I like to listen to this podcast because, first of all, Leo (the host) and Paul talk about Macs, iPods, or the iPhone in almost every podcast. Leo is a Mac user, and Paul usually has some pretty good things to say. Plus, I like to keep up with Windows, even though using a Windows PC (from time to time) has degenerated into torture for me personally.

Paul said something interesting on the latest podcast. I'm paraphrasing, but he said that he often has to remind Windows users of what their relationship is: they are paying Microsoft money, and Microsoft is supposed to be serving them. The focus should be on making the customer happy. Paul's comments got me thinking about Microsoft's relationship with its customers, and inevitably I had to consider Apple's relationship with its own customers. I started comparing the two, and eventually the rabid devotion which Mac users develop to all things Apple began to make even more sense.

Microsoft users don't care what Microsoft puts out. They are going to use whatever Microsoft forces them to use, and it doesn't matter if they like it or not...they have to use it. When 90% of the market is Windows-based (especially the business end), then people are going to just swallow the bitter pill of mediocrity that Microsoft has forced them to take in regular doses. They don't realize there's a viable alternative that might actually make sense to them. Microsoft is not going to improvise; they're not going to dazzle anyone with the latest and greatest idea. They're followers, not leaders. Now, they're VERY good imitators, and that helps them put a thin coat of luster on their dull ideas.

Mac users laughed when Vista's "revolutionary" features like Sidebar, Windows Search, and Windows Flip 3D were unveiled. When Vista hit the market, we had been using most of Vista's most-hyped features for over a year and a half in Mac OSX 10.4 "Tiger." Watching Bill Gates squirm in his chair and get visibly upset when probed about Vista's similarity to Mac OSX was one of the funniest things I've seen on YouTube.

Microsoft does what is has to, while Apple goes above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that its products LOOK better, FEEL better, and most importantly, OPERATE better. They like to make it easy for the user. Microsoft doesn't. They love to blow their fan's minds during Steve's keynotes. Bill Gates succeeds at putting CES to sleep every year. Apple provides simplicity, aesthetic beauty, and security. Microsoft provides complexity, ugly design, and vulnerability.

Apple tries its best to make its users excited to user their products. Microsoft simply knows their users are required to use their products, so they put only their half-hearted efforts into their OS and other devices. I don't know if Microsoft just doesn't have any capable artists working for them, but everything they touch has ugly and outdated written all over it (when compared to every beautiful Apple product). It seems the only branch of Microsoft where any innovation is going on is the XBox department.

Apple knows what you want. Microsoft knows what you have. Apple wants you to give them a try. Microsoft wants nothing more than to keep you from ever dabbling in another OS, especially Apple. They know very well what's at stake, and it's only a matter of time before their wells dry up. If it's not because of Apple, it will be because of web-based programs from Google and such. Microsoft is the Titanic of the technology industry: apparently unsinkable...but...

I can't sleep.

It's 3:39 AM at the moment. I want to sleep. I need to sleep. But I just cannot even get myself to the point where I can sleep.

I blame it on Senior Camp. I was up until 4 and 5 in the morning for 3 nights in a row. It's not like we were doing anything particularly hilarious or memorable. The guys weren't sneaking out and causing damage to the campgrounds (thank God). They weren't blowing air horns deep into the night in efforts to hack off the monitors (that story is legendary). They were just talking. I talked with them. In theory, it should've been mundane enough to doze off at about midnight...but that just wasn't the case.

So now, having been home for over three days, I'm still feeling the effects. Sure, I'm no longer suffering from the problems brought on by the mold in the boys' dorm. And my stomach problem seems to be doing better (not upset stomach; something weird). I just can't sleep.

So instead of sleeping, I read up on Thierry Henry's move away from Arsenal. I watched YouTube videos of babies laughing hysterically. I kept up with the latest Drudge Report headlines. I even did some studying up on my future fantasy football draft, which is 2 months away. And of course, I posted a blog.

I would have taken some Tylenol PM or Nyquil (spell check), but those things conk me out for 12 hours at a time. I can't do it.

So instead I'll sit here on the couch, waste time, read a bit, play DS a bit, and finally drift away into blissful rest.

At least that's the plan.