A First: Thursday Thirteen

So, this idea comes from Pat J. of Pat J (at least in my mind) knows it all fame. Every week or so on Thursday he does a list of thirteen...something's. It can be thirteen of anything at all.

So this week, his was about 13 dates that he remembers as being big days for him. So, I thought I'd list thirteen of my own.

1) 8-19-1985: The day I came into this world, and was diagnosed with spina bifida.
2) 10-1-2000: The first of two near-death experiences.
3) 4-30-2000: The day I was baptized, becoming a born-again Christian.
4) 4-27-2004: The first time I was ever involved in a serious accident. (I might detail this in a later blog.)
5) 5-7-2004: My senior prom. Never forget it.
6) 5-27-2004: Graduation night! Nuff said.
7) 6-2-2008: The first of two days of severe thunderstorms, packing hail, high winds, and several tornadoes. It was two days of severe weather tracking that I will NEVER forget!
8) 7-20-2008: Another severe weather day across my hometown. This time, a funnel cloud was spotted six miles west of my house, incredibly it a) didn't touch down and b) weakened before hitting the city of Florence, albeit slightly.
9) 9-14-2008: Two reasons this day is memorable. 1) My longtime best friend from high school, Krista Simpson, had her baby late the previous night. 2) HURRICANE IKE. The strongest winds I have ever experienced live and in person. 50 mile per hour sustained winds, with gusts pushing into the 75 to 80 mile per hour range! It was destruction everywhere!
10) 3-8-2009: My church moves into its new building. Again...nuff said.
11) 7-1-2009: The day I was inspired by the late Billy Mays to create a device to help millions.
12) 8-23-2006: My niece was born on this date.
13)(tie) 8-18-07/6-8-07/1-7-07: The days I found out my aunt, grandpa Moses and papa Mitch had died.

Courage + Belief = LIFE

Shuffle Blog That Almost Isn't.

Gonna start this with Bon Jovi - Have a Nice Day.

So I hope everybody is doing well. Me...meh, I could be better, after today's debacle with trying to get a wheelchair cushion replaced. Which apparently, even if I do express delivery, will take TWO DAYS. My mom thinks I need to shut myself down for two days...but, I already know no matter how I do everything, if I shut down for two days, we'll have to work that much harder to get back on track with the project Mikey and I are doing. And besides this... I don't HAVE two days to wait for what I need! So I would really like to NOT have to shut down for two days. As it is, taking today off, while good for the body, won't throw us off too far. Taking more than a day off...that will.

So, as "Live For The Moment" by Monster Magnet comes on the speakers...what else? Well as I said, I'm working on a serious project to help make life better for millions. There's about 20 million people who could use what I'm working on. I just hope beyond hope that it all works out! Yes I'll release details at some point here on this blog - but, I would be risking someone stealing our idea. I will say this - it will make carrying some things easier!

"I ain't buyin no future/When the past is so far away!" - lyric from "Live For The Moment". YEAH!

What next? Well, as "Are You Real" by KJ-52 comes blasting in...I turn my attention to de-compression. How many of us stress so much over the little stuff...and then when the big things come along, are completely and totally PARALYZED by it as if we don't know what to do? And we probably don't. I have had those moments. "Now that I've seen you, I've been through a major change..." If we're gonna make changes in our lives, they are these:

1) Don't lay your head down tonight if you're reading this, without coming to know God if you don't.
2) Let Him worry about everything. Big, small, whatever.

That's what I plan to do tonight. "Pocketful of Sunshine" by Natasha Bedingfield now. NICE! I picked this one. I'm trying to get my mind right tonight - so I don't go to bed stressed. That's what writing this blog is about too. Just to release all this stuff on my mind.

It's almost 2 years since my aunt Kathy died. (J's Note: It was August 14, 2007 that she took her own life.) I sometimes wonder what she would say if I told her what I am doing now. I'm sure she would smile on me and say, "Good job, Jeremy."

I think my brain is empty now, so I'm gonna go - I need sleep before I cross the river tomorrow to work on the big invention. I'm taking the laptop tomorrow - so I will talk to everybody from Mikey's.

Courage + Belief = LIFE

Classic Post: I Like Cliff Because...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I originally posted this back on March 12. Following the passing of Cliff's brother Allen yesterday, I felt it was a good time for this to be posted again.

I was first introduced to Cliff via Ohio Media Watch, which was the inspiration for my initial blog at Tri-State Media Watch. He put up a post introducing me to the blog-o-sphere, to which of course I reciprocated and prominently featured him (and still do) in my links on that blog.

A short time afterwards, I launched this blog for those who aren't media geeks like myself. And again, Cliff was very good about promoting the new blog space, doing a post specifically about it. And a short time later, several people began floating over, in fact much of my reader base for this blog, came from Cliff's which I am very grateful for.

Every day, I receive an email from Cliff with a devotional attached to it. I take time every day and read this, and it has helped inspire me for my day. Earlier this week, you'll recall, I asked the others who receive these devotionals for prayers in dealing with this latest bout with depression. Cliff has some great friends who read these devotionals, too...because the response was overwhelming. Cliff surrounds himself with nothing but the best, most positive, caring people in the world.

Cliff also writes poetry, much like I have been known to. His blog Whattville is on the Other Side of the Tracks is a blog in which Cliff expresses his creativity. This is writing the likes of which I could only hope to match.

And of course, there's the other Christ-like qualities Cliff has. His blog Seek Him First is full of good, inspirational stuff for the Christian soul. Whenever I see he's written something new there (which, I need to put both the latter of his blogs in my follow list, before I get scatterbrained), I look to see what he might have for me.

All of this, and more, is why I like Cliff. If you have never read his blogs, go read them. If you came here from his blog, be sure you remind him just how great of a man he really is.

Courage + Belief = LIFE

Prayers For Cliff

Cliff's brother Allen has passed away as of 0600 this morning.

Please pray for him and his entire family.

Courage + Belief = LIFE

Happy Fourth Of July!

Cliff posted it, so I will now repost it.



Courage + Belief = LIFE

Friday Freestyle the Fifth

NOTE: As always, this is NEVER pre-written and has come to me on the fly, so here we go!

We're back again after a week of stuff
From colds to peeps dying to all manner of things
And as we always do, let's take it back
And crank ourselves through the week that was

Ya boy started out flat on his rear
From a seriously bad cough and cold
But I'm back to 100 percent
So bozos better be watchin out

We paid tribute to a pitchman
And saw a 15 hour marathon
And it's inspired some ideas
Which you'll hear bout soon enough

When things go down in a hurry
You bet Supertwit and Twitterman are involved
And sometimes those things that go down
Are just too stupid to not be funny

So that be the week that was
For the two Brothers Redneck
I'll get back at ya next week
Till then, keep chill, and remember, WE GOT THIS!

Courage + Belief = LIFE

What Are You Thinking - Next Installment Later Today!

The next installment of my "What Are You Thinking, Cincinnati?" series is coming today (7/2). This time, it's another roadway-related pet peeve of mine...chiefly, RUSH HOUR ROADWORK on a 3 lane street! UGH...getting my blood boiling THINKING about the 15 extra minutes I sat on a bus, cramping thanks to said 3 lane street, yesterday afternoon coming home from my buddy Mikey's house...

More later, I PROMISE...

Courage + Belief = LIFE