Browsing through Newsday and this caught my eye:

really Newsday? thats your angle? that Long Islanders would rather read your paper than commit to marital monogamy?

Its a new marketing technique, we’ll call it
“making comparisons to things that aren’t related at all”
(but if they were that’d be great because they sound awesome)

Here’s one for Stop & Shop: “More people save money every week at Stop & Shop than all the salmonella related ilnesses in 1992″

Priceline.com: “name your own price, just like in slavery”

Geico: “A 15 minute phone call could save you 15% or more on car insurance, which is way better than contracting pleurisy”

I know I’m probably just hyper-sensitive to issue because I want marriage to work for everyone. There are certainly people who have no business being together but for those that do, don’t you want it to work? In the age of pre-nups how can anyone be expected to work hard in a relationship when one foot can be kept outside the door.

I’ve never heard anyone say marriage is “easy”, my fiance’s grandparents are both in their 90’s, have 17 children, and they still argue. I think the question you need to ask is are you prepared to deal with whatever comes your way for better or worse?

I’ll be a hubby. But who’s counting?

update: emoticons are lame. I apologize.

Getting good ideas when putting a service together can be a lot of work. Still other times, we’re subject to divine intervention. I’m convinced that this is one of those times.

Such was the case with our “Real World Ecclesiastes” series at True North. A 4 week look at a king who had it all and still found that life was meaningless.

This was my favorite series this year second only to “I Love the 80’s” in January.

Nick Zarzana painted an amazing mural that was hung in the lobby and auctioned off for $750 at the end of the series (all profits going to Love146). I’ll be sure to post pictures of that as well.

The music was a huge WIN. In week 2 we covered Coldplay’s “Lost!” and “Viva La Vida” in week 4.

At Elevate (our Sunday eve service) I commissioned Rob Merkle, our SPD to play a makeshift timpani we had created (a kick drum gaff taped to a keyboard stand).

I could not have predicted what happened next…

Please forgive the audio / video quality. The purpose of filming this was to be utilized as “game tape” and was not intended to be broadcast or published in any way.

I don’t. I will eventually, as for how many we’re still unsure.

I always hear parents say that everything changes (emotionally) when you have kids. That its this unreal experience, like a paradigm shift. I hope that when the day comes all of that is true, but I hope it lasts as well.

There’s a nursing home for kids really close to the hospital. These are kids who need direct medical care 24/7. Most can’t walk or speak, many of them have contracted limbs, traches, and feeding tubes.  Many times when the kids get sick, they come right here. I always wonder what they can process, can they hear me or understand me now? will they forget it in 5 seconds?

This picture was taken in November, this little guy was brought to the hospital for a high fever. For a kid needing medical care he was a rowdy one. So much so that the staff had me sit with him just to keep him distracted, the iPhone kept his attention for a bit but a few seconds later he be squirming and pulling at his trache. In fact the only thing that really kept him sedate was my beard. He would touch it and pull at it, completley fascinated by it. When his care nurse came into the room she explained his story a little better.

His family lives in Brooklyn and wanted a place for him stay that was cleaner then NYC facilities so they brought him to Long Island. His father is orthodox Jew and comes to visit about once every 2 weeks. This explained his obsession with facial hair, it reminded him of Dad.

I can’t imagine what it must be like to have a child and then send them away because you are unable to properly care or provide for them. Even though I don’t have kids and maybe I can’t “understand” just yet, I would still want my child to know who I am and that I care deeply for them.

I want to live as the example set by God, accepting, faithful, and true regardless of my kid’s situation.

Enough of my rambling, go home and hug your kids.

… drafting posts and never using them.

Rachelle and I had our engagement party last week. It was a lot of fun and really encouraging; people were super generous. I guess folks around here know what a NY wedding costs these days. I still wish we could an outdoor wedding with Hibachi chefs.

The pics are available courtesy of Keith Wick & Tyler Cordaro, these guys do a phenomal job AND they’re fun to work with.

I’ve been having so much fun with the 80’s series at True North, we ran “footloose” about 10 times last night. Its also the first time I’ve worked with Joe and Josh Morin from Edison Glass, I just hope they can last a 5 service sunday.

keep shredding.

My lovelylovahlips & I are engaged.

We spent a great day together on the east end and on top of the Montauk lighthouse I asked Rachelle to be my wife.

since then everything has been falling into place.

We have a wedding hall and honeymoon destination (courtesy of some great friends) all planned. Thank God for so many blessings in such a short amount of time.

I have to confess something. I LOVE scaring people.

I can’t say for sure why, maybe its because in that moment their reaction is so unnatural its humorous. Knowing that you have the drop on someone is definitely half the fun.

Its kind of like that feeling when you play hide and seek (or now the more fashionable “manhunt”) and you find that perfect hiding spot. People are so close you could reach out and touch them, yet they don’t suspect a thing and suddenly you get the overwhelming urge to pee.

Of course some react differently than others. For example….

I’m curious if a reaction like that is based on temperament, fortunately I’ve never been assaulted while scaring someone. Though I have gotten the urge to throw a punch on more than one occasion after being spooked. Most recently while entering through the back door of my church, a friend of mine was waiting for me in the kitchen. He leapt out from behind the partition and screamed “BALLS” right in my face. I didn’t make a sound, the only words I could get out were “you suck”.

Considering all the times I’ve startled people I’m probably lucky I don’t get pranked more often. My girlfriend knows me best, If I’m ever at her house before she gets there, she’ll approach the house (expecting me to be crouched in the bushes) shouting “where are you dopey”.

I have one friend in particular who spooks easily. Probably because he just never expects it. I’ve waited around corners for him, sneaked up on him in public, and even hidden in the back of his truck.

this is Dan…

So how about it? Any good scare stories? videos?

I had a great afternoon at Robert Moses beach. I also took Rachelle out into some rough surf. After a good 3 minutes of panic she finally got used to it.

I’m grilling up some steaks for dinner while my Lovah is preparing some delicious guacamole.

Astroland closed yesterday. Bummer.

Some funny things can happen when you enter peoples names into search engines. For instance, my friend bears the namesake of Germany’s current president. There is however the element of utterly weird.

I don’t know who this kid is. But he creeps me out.

So whats your story? anyone else out there found a stranger bearing your moniker?

I’ve always been happy living on Long Island, but it goes beyond that mere suburban charm. There aren’t too many places to live where you can be so close to so much. I’m 5 minutes from closest port with Ferry service, 20-30 minutes from the ocean, and about an hour from the city.

In the summer, there are plenty of things to do locally, but ever so often I get in the mood for a change of pace. Coney Island is certainly the place for that.

When I was a kid, I used to see commericals on TV for Astroland and Coney Island. I would beg my parents to go and they always said the same thing “Its too dangerous, people get stabbed there” etc. My grandmother would tell stories of how she and her friends would ditch school and take the train to Coney Island for a nickel but how things were different now. I came to find out that most of Coney Islands attractions were closed in the 50’s due to gang violence, and a drop in business due to movie theatres with a/c, and the development of Long Island state parks.

I just couldn’t process how a place that looked like so much fun on TV could be dangerous but nevertheless I wrote it off as a place I’d never want to go. I suppose that’s why I didn’t make it there until my 20’s.

I find the clash of atmospheres so interesting. Here’s this amusement park, in the southern most part of Brooklyn, surrounded by subsidized apartments for low income residents. The rides are far from spectacular, the boardwalk is rickety, and the major attractions include shoot the freak. Still the place is hopping with people, mostly black and hispanic locals and european tourists looking for a NY experience.

This was def one of the WORST haunted houses I’ve been in. The best part was on the way out, a howling scream generated from an 8″ peavy guitar amp. Hysterical.

There is some great food to be found around this place, one of my favorites is a small taco stand on Bowery & Stillwell ave.

I don’t know what makes this spicy pork taco so good. But I eat a lot of mexican and there is NOTHING like this.

The cyclone was built in 1927 and still holds up as awesome coaster.

and of course the original…

Developers have been trying to close Coney Island for years and it looks like they’ve won. I would hate to see the shore look like every other coastline in Miami, South Carolina, and (sadly) some parts of southern Califonia; beaches lined with insipid, pretentious luxury apartments. But its all about the cashish these days and my guess is we’ll be seeing buildings that appear to made from glass legos popping up everywhere. Until that happens, get yourself down there and have a hot dog, ride the cyclone, do something before this place becomes just a memory.