Tag / Recommendations

by Greg

A Few More Thoughts on William Wilberforce

I finally officially completed the book I wrote about previously, Amazing Grace, which tells the story of the life of William Wilberforce. I said it before, but I feel like I can’t say it enough: this man was an incredible human being. His life, so affected by what he called the “Great Change”—his awakening to a real, life-changing relationship with God—was not only completely dedicated to just treatment and equality for all his fellow man (and just and kind treatment of animals, actually) but the effectiveness of that life given to this cause was simply astounding. He was relentless, never tiring of doing the right, good thing… and the world is better for it.

In his lifetime he not only took on and defeated the African slave trade, he also saw slavery abolished altogether, Africans were emancipated and the British citizenry was brought along to view them as fellow men and women (rather than some sub-human species), and he also just in general turned the entire culture of his nation (and likely others) toward a more thoughtful, and in reality, a more Christian people.

The affect of true, life-changing “Christianity” was an interesting thread to follow throughout the narrative. In a time when religion had sullied the name of Jesus and the Kingdom of which he spoke, to the point that anything bearing his name had become completely irrelevant, Wilberforce’s life righted the ship, so to speak, and set Britain’s course for the next century or more on improving (or at least being concerned with) the plight of the oppressed around the world. One of the things he tackled following the victory he’d won for abolition was the condition of life in the British colony of India. He endeavored to bring the truth of the Gospel to that nation, educating her people, and in so doing, hoped to set them free: both spiritually, and socially… and otherwise.

It is a misunderstanding (often brought on by those who would presume to promulgate it) that Christianity is in any way the cause of suffering in our world. There are certainly those (previously mentioned) who would distort the teachings of Jesus, usually to their own gain, but sometimes just out of a sheer ignorance of the grandness of God’s grace. When properly understood, however, there is no greater “force” for change than a true understanding of the Good News that Jesus taught and lived.

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Sadly, we under the banner of his name, too often judge the world (though even God himself through Jesus did/does not) … and end up pushing our fellow creatures away, and/or elevating ourselves above others, where we should not. The truth is, we are all the same. And when we know that truth, when we see the world in that way, and when we live in the world in that way … the world is a much, much better place.

William Wilberforce did that. And, as much as one man with such a view of his world can change and affect it for the better, he most certainly did.

by Greg

“That’s alright, I have a Mac.”

Today I stopped at Staples to pick up a couple ink cartridges for my printer. I noticed a banner as I walked in advertising “Free PC Tune-Ups” but thought nothing of it, since I don’t have the “PC”s to which they refer.

Upon further entering the store however, I saw the giant Genius-Bar-like construct that now replaced more than half of where the ink cartridges previously resided. Impressive (however unoriginal) as it was, I really only needed to get my ink and leave. I did however, read the various signage as I slowly walked past … curiously pondering in my head why people put up with Windows and it’s numerous susceptibilities to viruses, spyware, and all forms of malware.

Having located and procured said ink cartridges, I proceeded to the checkout lane. After a speedy checkout process, the friendly sales associate asked me if I’d be interested in their free PC Tune-Up service, “to eliminate viruses, spyware, and help your computer run faster.”

Almost without thinking, I cordially replied, “That’s alright, I have a Mac.” I then, almost sheepishly added, “See?” and pointed her to the tiny Apple logo on my sleeve. 🙂

The best part was, she, being apparently aware of the commonly known immunity that Macs have to such things, rejoined, “Oh, great. Well, it’s a good service for those of us who don’t have Macs…”

I’m not quoting her exactly, I wish I could. But it wasn’t really her words that were so fitting, so telling. It was the way she said them. Without thinking, both of us had summed up one of the most clear distinctions between the two operating systems (Mac and Windows) and simultaneously revealed a strange enigma within our technological society: For some reason, we’re all OK with some people having computers that work, and a great number of us not having computers that work… even if they are the same price!*

That is just so very, very strange to me.

So, if you’re going to buy a computer … would you at least consider a Mac? And if not, well… sorry.

* Note… this price comparison was from 2006. I don’t have the time to re-do it, but I know from very recent experience that friends who buy (comparable) computers running Windows OS are spending as much or more than what they’d spend on a Mac. But why?

by Greg

PopTarts Rewards

PopTarts Rewards

Ahh, PopTarts… the great American breakfast treat! 🙂

Jen purchased a box of Apple Strudel PopTarts for me last night, and this morning when we looked at the box, we noticed a little promotion they have going currently called PopTarts Rewards. Apparently they are wanting (needing?) people to try all of their flavors. The incentive towards this end is a little code on each box. When you collect five codes, you get one prize. You can do that up to five times. (But you can only get one code per flavor…)

The prizes you can choose from include 5 music downloads, a free movie ticket… AND… 2 FREE BOXES of POPTARTS! Who doesn’t want free PopTarts!?? 🙂

So head on over to their PopTarts Rewards site and check it out. Then head to your grocer and try out some new flavors.

(And no, I was not paid to write this… I’m just a fan.) 😉

by Greg

Economic Turnaround? Eliminate Fuel Taxes.

US Gas Taxes by StateThis weekend, as I was pumping fuel into our family’s minivan, I had an idea.

I know that our economy is not great. (In fact, I realize that there’s absolutely no way we can actually “recover” from our debt without a seriously radical change in thinking regarding cashflow, in and out… but that’s a different story entirely.) People all across our nation are concerned about their jobs (or lack of jobs), concerned about higher costs, and the ever-present uncertainty of things like the stock market and other financial fixtures.

Well I had an idea that would most assuredly boost our entire economy. And though, as I mentioned, it wouldn’t eliminate the iunsurmoutable debt we have accumulated—and continue to add to—it would provide, in my estimation, a considerable “boost.”

Without delay, federal and all state fuel taxes (gasoline and diesel) should be completely eliminated. Period.

According to the American Petroleum Institute (API), in April 2010, the Federal tax on gasoline is $0.184/per gallon, and State taxes then range from ~8¢/gallon to around 49¢/gallon!. (My state, New York, comes in at a whopping 44.9¢/gallon (on TOP of the Federal tax).

Rather than continuing to tax US citizens, to generate funds that likely could come from other sources, why not allow the economy to thrive by reducing the cost of the “fuel” that runs it. (Pun intended, of course.)

If gas prices were reduced in NY by $0.63/gallon, that would be a savings of roughly $15.00 per tank of gas for our vehicle. $15 per tank full. So, $15 per week, sometimes more. Let’s say we fill up slightly more than once per week, that’s about $900/year that we are getting back, just for our family.

Now, think about how the reduced fuel cost will affect every other part of our economy.

First, consumers have more money to invest in the economy. Buying more things that they need. That’s good. AND, the governments (at least state governments) will make some of the lost fuel tax revenue back from the increased sales tax revenue, right?

Then, added to that, would be the lower cost of goods. The main way we get stuff to where it needs to go—and to the consumers—in our country is the trucking industry. If the cost of fuel was dramatically reduced by eliminating tax, it would have a “ripple” effect on the prices of every other good that was being transported. Food prices would go down, clothing, and whatever other materials are being shipped, and this would allow for more commerce: more buying.

Travel prices would go down, allowing more people to spend their saved money in the travel industries. Companies who use shipping companies to move their products would be able to invest their savings from fuel costs into other areas, which might include providing more jobs.

I can not see how this is not an absolute “win” for everyone involved. Can you? What am I missing here? As I said, there are plenty of other sources of funding that governments could pull from, and some of those would likely be increased by the true “stimulus package” of eliminating this one tax.

Really, this needs to be done in so many areas, but I think if our governments would take this first step, it would be a huge step toward a stronger, healthier American economy.

by Greg

Free Preview of Glenn Beck’s Insider Extreme

Glenn Beck Insider Extreme Free PreviewGlenn Beck announced today that his paid content will be available for free as a two-day trial. This is a great chance to see the short documentaries that he has been making covering subjects like US history, biographies on the Founding Fathers (Samuel Adams, George Washington).

We in the Campbell home have really enjoyed watching them and been inspired to look deeper into the history of our country from the topics covered in these documentaries.

Usually, the “Insider” access is a paid service (roughly $75/year) but, as I said, this is a good chance to see what Glenn Beck is really saying, for free. 🙂

(Also included are access to his magazine, the video cast of his daily radio show, and/or audio podcast of the show, sans commercials, and I think some more stuff. Check out the link for more information.)

We recommend. I think lots of people have the wrong idea about Glenn Beck. He’s discovering for himself, and sharing what most people in our country want: the real values of character, integrity, honest, courage… and not any party affiliation. For too long, discussions of policy and politics for our nation have been politically driven, played according to party-line rules. Blah. There are so many problems with our country … it’s not just politics, and political solutions are not the answer. The only thing that will fix the brokenness of our people is to change who we are. To fix ourselves, to educate ourselves, and to live out those values.

Glenn Beck is not the answer, but he’s become a great resource and inspiration toward that end. Don’t just believe what you’ve “heard” about the man… check it out for yourself.

by Greg

Sabres Exit Early, Here’s Why

Buffalo Sabres exit the playoffs in the first roundThe Buffalo Sabres 2009-2010 season ended tonight in Boston. They were the losers of Game 6 of the best of seven first round series, and that loss closed the doors on only the sixth season where Buffalo were the champions of their division.

In many ways, this team had everything going for it. Third seed in the Eastern conference. Worked hard all year long to get there. They were 30-0-0 in the regular season with a lead going into the third period. (That means they were dominant.) They had the best goalie in the league for much of the year. (He was overtaken late in the year by the goalie who manned the pipes at the opposite end of the rink in this series, Tuukka Rask.)

But they came up short. Very short.

Now, usually when that happens to one of the higher seeds, it’s cause for tongue lashings and many calls by the fans for the heads of this player or that, or even the coaches and GM. But this series was really, very close. They were essentially all one goal games, with the only exceptions being Boston’s 5-3 victory (thanks to an empty net goal) and Buffalo’s 4-1 win—the only game where there was a 2-goal lead at the end of the game.

The goalies played great. The teams gave tons of effort. And each game was a battle throughout.

The Sabres wish they had a couple of second periods back. They wish they hadn’t given up two 2-goal leads. And, well, they wish they were playing in round two.

They are not. And here’s why.

0-22.

The Sabres were zero for twenty-two on the power play. ZERO. You can not win with those numbers. In contrast, the Bruins were something like 6 for 22 for the series. By far, that was the advantage the Bruins were able to turn into a series win.

Add to that the inability of some of the Sabres’ key players to “step up” to the playoff level—really, to even regular season level—and help push their team to the next level. Players like Tim Connolly, and Derek Roy, and Drew Stafford, and even Raffi Torres. Players who had scored a good number of goals in the regular season, but who contributed next to nothing (or, actually, nothing) in the post season.

That’s also going to kill you, every time.

Players who did impress include, of course, Ryan Miller. He is the real deal, and will be for years to come. That’s awesome. Mike Grier was clearly the missing piece as he returned to the Sabres after two years in San Jose—two years that the Sabres did not make the playoffs. Of course, it apparently wasn’t quite enough. But he was fantastic.

The two Tylers were very impressive. Myers and Ennis both will be fixtures on this team, as well as perhaps Nathan Gerbe, who despite his (super) diminutive stature, was winning puck battles, hitting guys all over the ice—including 6’9″ Zdeno Chara!—and was rewarded with a goal in the final game.

Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman played well. Thomas Vanek even played really well while he was in there. (Was out for three and a half games.)

Overall, the Sabres really don’t need to be disappointed with their effort this series. Of course they wish they were still playing, but they, as a team, really did compete hard, and this season, they had grown accustomed to Ryan Miller being spectacular enough to pull out such close games in the end.

Sadly, his counterpart was equally (if not more) amazing.

Bruins advance 4-2. They’ll face either Pittsburgh or Montreal in the next series. (If Montreal beats Washington.)

As the Sabres advance to the offseason, it’s time to move on from a few experiments. Please, Sabres GM Darcy Regier, start moving these guys off the team. If you can find a willing partner, trade Tim Connolly, Derek Roy, and Drew Stafford immediately. If no one will trade, then cut them. Now.

Similarly (but oppositely) it’s time to re-sign Henrik Tallinder, Toni Lydman, Adam Mair, and Mike Grier. Bring in more scoring, and guys who know how to play in the playoffs like Boston’s Mark Recchi.

After all, isn’t that all that matters?

Where did our #3 seed season get us? An early offseason. That’s where.

The Sabres have a good team. They’re fun to watch. Cut away the dead wood. Prune the branches. And next year we won’t have to shave our playoff beards so early!!!

by Greg

Genius

Greatness isn’t the work of a few geniuses, it is the purpose of each of us. It is why we were born. Every person you have ever met is a genius. Every one. Some of us have chosen not to develop it, but it’s there. It is in us. All of us. It is in your spouse. It is in all of your children. You live in a world of geniuses. How can we settle for anything less than the best education? How can we tell our children that mediocre education will do, when greatness is available?

The above quote (with my emphases added) is from A Thomas Jefferson Education, by Oliver DeMille. Jen has read through it, and some companion books, and I have become familiar with it via an audio CD we have that presents some of the principles from this “leadership education” philosophy.

We really like it, and I really liked that paragraph you just read above.

I think this all the time, and it’s why we home school. That doesn’t mean we school at home. We don’t. It means that born into everyone—which includes all of my children—is the unbounded potential for greatness. All we have to do is love, observe, and help steer toward that greatness. Some think that approach to be idealistic, and perhaps too simplistic. But it seems to be working so far.

My goal as Ian, Alex, Kirsten, Julia, Emma and Cameron’s Dad is to help them see their greatness (AND the greatness of everyone else around them) and to help them know the foundational truths of life, the most important things which will be their character, their anchor… then the rest is up to them realizing the greatness that God has built into each of them. The “sky” is truly the limit.

(Although, that may be too limiting…)

Looking forward to finishing this book, and sharing more thoughts from Mr. DeMille.

by Greg

(A Very Brief) iPad Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwCUXbL2LwI

Last week we went up to our local Apple Retail Store and got to actually touch the new iPad!

And, yes… it was fantastic, as advertised.

I thought it might be fun to highlight a couple of things that I noticed and would say make the iPad worth the purchase. Certainly you may have a different list, or just disagree completely. But, without actually taking one home, here were my initial impressions/thoughts.

It’s Fast!
OK, I kept hearing everyone say this, but didn’t fully understand the hullabaloo as there aren’t really any Apple products that are slow. However, when you get into it and see how quickly everything launches, and that there is zero latency in how the stuff on the screen reacts to your contact with it … you understand. Apple took this part into their own hands by developing the 1 Ghz A4 chip to run their OS. They understand that what makes their stuff unique and great is that it, “just works.”

How It Felt
Clearly, it’s just an impressive device. When you see it, you can’t help but say, “Oooo.” That’s impressive to begin with, but then when you pick it up, it impresses further. Nice and thin, just about the perfect size for an handheld device (that doesn’t have a tiny screen or keyboard.) It was a tad heavier than I expected, actually, so that was a bit confusing to my brain. It was about the right size (height and width) and weight for a big hardcover book, but it was too thin to be a hardcover book!

Which leads me to the thing I liked best…

iBooks
iPad with iBooksI went in really wanting to see what books looked like and felt like on the iPad. I love the idea of digital books, but haven’t ever found a way that makes them enjoyable to see, read, and feel/touch. The iPad promised it would do that, and, I do believe it does. (Again, I have not actually used one, as I don’t own one yet. My opinion on this could change if I were to read a book or two on the iPad.)

The interface is just great. When you launch the iBooks app, you see a nice bookshelf with all your books there for you to choose from. Tap a book cover and you’re instantly in it, reading right where you left off. Check out the video at the top of this post (if you didn’t already) to see some of the other cool features.

The iBook store was very much like the iTunes store. Found some books fairly quickly, downloaded a sample of one, and was reading it within seconds. (Even on the store’s notoriously slow internet connection.)

I really think this is a big feature of the iPad and will perhaps do for (at least digital) books what iTunes/iPod did for music.

Camera?
The funniest thing I noticed was the spot for the camera, which is not currently a feature of the iPad. 🙂 Yes, there was a tiny hole/space right where a camera would go on the top of the front of the device. So, perhaps they are already in there? But, likely they are just saving the spot for a future (maybe near future) upgrade of the hardware. Thought that was interesting.

Final thoughts
I didn’t play with iWork, movies, games, maps, web browsing (ok, did that a bit… even updated the software that runs this blog!) … so there is much more to explore, but, from what I did see, it’s certainly a device that will be used—and used often.

Think of the iPad as another device. It’s not going to replace the laptop, which has much more expandability (including the use of more pro-level apps like Photoshop and Final Cut, and even consumer apps like iPhoto). It’s not going to replace your iPhone (or other “smart phone”) because, well… it’s not a phone!

(Note, however, that after playing with the iPad, we remained in the store for a bit, and while waiting to talk with a friend there, both my wife and I saw the iPhones and snickered at the thought of doing what we were just doing on the iPad on the iPhone’s (now) super tiny screen…)

The iPad is a perfect computer for what we use computers for at home. And you can even bring it with you, if you want. It’s great for kids. It’s great for students (think of the possibilities for the iBookstore and textbooks, plus the whole iWork productivity suite for only $9.99). And it’s great for Mom/Dad, Grandma/Grandpa who aren’t comfortable with a computer, but might be with this multi-touch interface device.

I think it’s certainly a great first release. With Apple’s track record, there’s no doubt it will only get better. (Speaking of which, don’t forget that this is only the Wi-Fi model. The Wi-Fi + 3G models ship in a couple weeks.)

Final conclusion… if you have the extra $499-$829 to spend, you will not be disappointed!

Your thoughts are welcome… Do you have an iPad? Let me know what you think!

DISCLAIMER: Though I was previously employed and otherwise officially affiliated with Apple, Inc., I am currently in no way affiliated with Apple, nor compensated for this glowing endorsement. I just like their stuff! 🙂

by Greg

StumbleUpon: Discover Great Stuff

stumbleupon.com toolbar

I have a recommendation for you today. A long while ago, I was introduced to a website/technology called StumbleUpon. You may have noticed the little icon down in the “Share this post” bar below… StumbleUpon icon. Well, that’s for StumbleUpon.

How it works is, you set up your free account with them, and then bring up their site in your browser, and click on that “Stumble” button in the toolbar above. (The toolbar will automatically show up under your normal browser toolbars.) As you start visiting sites that other StumbleUpon users have recommended, you can click the “like” or “don’t like” buttons, or just “stumble” to the next site.

As you click on the like or don’t like options, you start to build a list of “favorites.” These are also grouped by category, which will help you fine tune your “stumbling,” focusing on a particular type of website.

It really does work quite well. Head on over and give it a spin today. You’ll discover some really great and probably very useful websites. (I know I have. Check out some of the ones I have liked in the past at my stumbleupon page.)

And, if you’re so inclined, you can bump up GregsHead.net in the StumbleUpon rankings by just “liking” it, or you can even leave a review if you’re feeling wordy!

by Greg

Mastering Money or Money Is Master?

Dave Ramsey - Total Money MakeoverA couple conversations of late have reminded me of a book I read a while back (at the recommendation of a friend who had really loved it) regarding the management of money.

It was (and is) particularly relevant as we are facing mountainous debt (accumulated over many years, and some the result of “questionable” business practice by others…) and God convinced us that trusting him even more—by only spending money when we actually have it—that life would go even better for us. Or perhaps better stated, that life would continue to get harder if we didn’t do that.

(If you like reading, see this post, and this one, too. Good historical accounts of God’s direction for us.)

So in recent conversations, I’ve been very encouraged that people are getting smarter about money. Maybe not everyone. And maybe the people I’ve been talking with recently have always been smart. But either way, it’s so nice to see the results of diligence and wisdom in money management.

A friend of mine told me today that their house would be completely paid off this year, and both of their cars by next year. Debt free. All by the age of 35. That’s awesome. Other friends tell similar stories, and almost always it is a result of being smart with the money you have.

Our culture has for too long thought that you could spend money you’d make later. (Just look at how our government, from federal down to local, handles money and budgets!) That just doesn’t really work. In a way, it seems there’s no other way to purchase something as large as a house, but we’ve heard stories of young adults who have saved up to purchase their first home with cash (and did!) so we’re already starting Ian (our oldest) on such a savings path. Rather than instant gratification—enjoy now, pay later—Ian is learning the value of saving, which in the end means you keep much more of your money, and usually get to enjoy the things you wanted to anyway. And more!

We are coming up on three years of not adding any debt to our existing debt. That means that the overall amount is coming down. That’s fantastic. And it’s fun to hear real-life examples along the way.

Do you have one? Feel free to share it here. Hope you, too, are your money’s master, rather than the reverse.