If you started a kickstarter, what would it be for? What do you dream of creating?
I was just talking to a good friend of mine about a website called Kickstarter. It's a place where people post projects that they need funding for and the general public can back their project like investors. The great part for the investor is that if the project doesn't make it's goal and doesn't get fully funded, they aren't charged any money. They are just pledging that they would pay a certain amount of money if the project was fully funded. So, there is almost no risk to the funders. This makes for great ideas because people aren't afraid to back a crazy project! So he was thinking that he should start a kickstarter project and I had been thinking about the same thing. Now I can't stop thinking about starting my own project. I want to start small, like with a short story or a card game or a craft or something. But it's just so scary to put yourself out there, what it people think my ideas are stupid? It's nerve racking. But it's so cool. We all need to live on the edge right? I think I'll start working on a card game to put up on kickstarter! Watch out world, here I come!
If you started a kickstarter, what would it be for? What do you dream of creating?
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Life's not always the way you want it to be. Life's doesn't follow your plan or listen to your complaints. Life keeps flowing on and on, regardless of your participation in it or your feelings towards it. Some people believe that God has an ultimate plan for everyone (as I do), and some people believe that life can just be fickle and odd. If I didn't believe in God I might become depressed at how life can just seem to hit you when you're down or never let up until you are just a pile of hurt. But I do believe that God has something in mind for me and that his plan is WAY better than mine could ever be. It's perfect, and mine is flawed in so many ways. Don't hope for life to follow your plan. Ask God what his plan is for your life and then hold on tight! I used to think that was an exxageration but it's real, it's life.
I like some pretty weird and crazy books, some historical, some sci-fi, some post-apocalyptic, some fantasy, some just crazy. You may not enjoy the books I like, but here are my favorite books/series and if they look interesting to you, give them a try! Belisarius Series (Eric Flint and David Drake): I hope I don't turn too many people off by this first suggestion. This is an alternate history series about two advanced races from the future that travel back in time to try to change the course of history to their liking. This series is very interesting, full of humor (much more than you would expect), strategy, history, and intrigue. This is my favorite series of all time and if you like alternate history, history, battle strategy, or just great writing you will enjoy this series. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams): This is the oddest book on my list. I have the one book that has all five books in one so I just refer to is as one book. It is a fantastic read, the most interesting, oddly fascinating, rambling, rabbit-trailing, off-topic, hard-to-describe book I have ever read! You will confused, surprised, and intrigued the entire time. Read it, now. Harry Potter Series (J.K. Rowling): You have all heard of Harry Potter, I read them in high school and have loved them ever since. My wife reads these books whenever she runs out of new books to read, so obviously she loves them more than I do, but this series is one of my favorites. And always will be. The Hunger Games Series (Suzanne Collins): I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys getting absolutely sucked into a series and never getting out! You will read these books until your brain figuratively stops working. You will lose sleep and you will lose your mind if you have to put them down to do anything else. They are good and addictive, the writing is great and the characters are deep. Ender's Game/Ender's Shadow (Orson Scott Card): Ender's Game is one of my favorite solitary books ever written. If I was just rating single books by themselves, Hitchhiker's Guide would be first and this one would be second. It is an amazing journey and you can't help but feel like you are Ender Wiggin and you have to beat all the insurmountable odds that assail you. Ender's Shadow is a parallel book that follows one of the other main characters, Bean, during the same exact time as Ender's Game. It is fascinating to read a novel that is the same story as one you just read, but from a different perspective. You know how it ends, you know what happens, but you are absolutely glued to the pages, because the difference in perspective is done phenomenally. I love these books, they are must reads for any Sci-Fi fan. Conqueror Series (Conn Iggulden): I have actually just finished this series recently and it has jumped into the most-loved section of my books. I love the story of Genghis Khan, for some reason the nomadic Mongol tribes that band together, form a nation, burn and pillage half the known world, and then create the largest contiguous empire the world has ever seen, is an amazingly attractive storyline. This series takes you from Genghis's childhood, through his life, death, the lives and rules of his kids and his grandkids, and their eventual death. Much of the dialogue and interaction of course are fabricated because the Mongols did not keep many written records of their lives until later. The history is accurate and real, the personalities are taken from fact and fiction, and the details are inserted to make a compelling story. It all fits together to make one of the most interesting series I have ever read. Percy Jackson Series (Rick Riordan) : This is a teen novel series that I did not think I was going to get into. My wife started reading the first book and she said it was good, so I tried it. I wasn't hooked like I was with Harry Potter or the Hunger Games, but it was good. The writing is of lower quality and lower education level than many on this list, and so I might suggest this series (or anything by Rick Riordan) for a younger reader or a reader who isn't scared to read some teen fiction. Dirk Pitt Novels (Clive Cussler): I have read more Clive Cussler novels than any other writer by far. I think to date I have completed about 23 Clive Cussler novels, with the majority of those being his Dirk Pitt books. I love his main character Dirk Pitt, he is strong of heart and mind, morally good, and the absolute hero every guy wants to be. I find myself trying to act like Dirk sometimes, try to be a gentleman in even the most abnormal situations. These books are packed with adventure and fun, humor and joy, fear and twists, they are well written and fast-paced action. If you love a roller-coaster ride where you will learn a lot, read these books. Three (Ted Dekker): Another rare solitary book on my list full of series. This is possibly the most mind-boggling book I have ever read, the story is normal, the book is good, but there are things that you would not ever imagine going on. I won't say more, but if you love having your mind turned inside out and put back in your brain, read this book. Love it. Maze Runner Series (James Dashner): I know I have a lot of series's on this list that are intense and nail-biters, but this is yet another series which is difficult to put down. You will be confused and conflicted almost the entire series. You will hate a character and then love them, you will think you have it all figured out and then you don't. You will not know what this one part of the book has to do with anything until it is semi-explained later, then you will still be confused until the end. Weird, fun, crazy, post-apocalyptic, and a must-read for those who love twists, cliff-hangers, and teen novels. Pathfinder Series (Orson Scott Card): This is one of the newest series's I have finished and it barely made this list because it isn't over yet. I have read Pathfinder and Ruins, but there are still so many more questions that I need answers to and so many more interesting twists that I know Orson Scott Card is going to throw at me in the final third book. This book has made me think about so many things related to science fiction, time travel, the development of civilizations, consequences of actions, and so on and so forth. I hope that the final book draws to a close in a dramatic, but realistic manner, ending the series with dignity and surprise. Thanks for reading, I hope this gave you some new options for books to read. There are words that have changed the world. They have created a lasting impact on not just one lifetime, but the history of the world. After the people who uttered these famous lines are dead and gone, their memory lives on through these phrases. "I have a dream...", "Et tu Brute?", "These truths we hold to be self-evident...", "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?". We all have people that have spoken boldly into our lives, that have said things that drive us to act in a certain way or believe something particular. Here are some quotes by people I know that have changed the way I live, have effected me, and left a lasting impact on my life. "Don't try to see how much you can get with what you've got, try to see how much you can give with what you've been given". "Faith is not the absence of doubt, but the courage to believe in spite of doubt" (I think this is a famous quote by a Reverend, but someone spoke it into my life and left the imprint on me). "The Bible is oxygen, if we only read it on Sundays, that's like taking a big breath one day and holding that breath for 7 days. We need to breath more than once a week." These quotes have inspired me in so many ways. I don't have the best memory and many things that I hear fly out of my head quickly, but these things have stuck with me. Why? I love to be challenged, I love setting goals and accomplishing them, I love to be inspired by others to achieve what I have always dreamed of. Don't allow yourself to fall short just because you weren't willing to try. Be inspired by those people that speak truth into your life, allow yourself to be lifted up to higher heights than you could ever achieve on your own. Don't be too proud to tell someone that they had a positive impact on your life. Sometimes all we need is a little boost with words! What words have impacted you? What people have impacted your life positively? The Well Community Church in Fresno, CA is my home church, it is also a fantastic church, but that is beside the point. This last Sunday (3.18.13) was Serve Dei. "Dei" is a reference to the Latin word "Deus" meaning God. So it is a day of service and it is also an opportunity to serve God. Clever. The day started out with a large gathering at Fresno State University where our head pastor, Brad Bell, gave us our commissioning and pump-up talk before we scattered around the city to help others. Do not leaders give hope and courage to their troops before battle? Then why would a church need anything different when fighting against the forces of evil and despair? We were sufficiently encouraged, ready to change the world. We went to our site where my wife and I, along with 3 others, were painting the outside of a huge building. I think it was the kitchen/dining area. We loved every minute of it. The day started out cold, but quickly became hot, especially at the top of the enormous ladders in the direct sunlight. In no time at all we were sweating bullets and I was getting a beautiful sunburn on the back of my neck! YAY. It was a rewarding and successful job and at the end of the day we could see our hard work had paid off. We had completed the south wall and it looked good if I do say so myself. :) Then my wife and I went home and crashed for a 2.5 hour nap! We were dead. But I would do it again in a heartbeat because serving others in practical, physical ways is, for me, the easiest and most worthwhile manner of serving others. If you participated in Serve Dei, what did you get out of the experience? If you didn't participate, what do you think about city-wide service projects, directed by churches, that spread the love of Christ through giving of our time and energy? I'm not exactly sure what hipster music is exactly. Mostly it is folk, old school-sounding, low recording quality, fun music that just makes me happy. I have just been trying to expand my music listening style to include music I never thought I would listen to. It's not just hipster music, it's a wide variety of fun stuff! I have a few people to thank for introducing me to some of my new favorite bands. My lovely wife Tia introduced me to Imagine Dragons, Steven Sanchez introduced me to Of Monsters and Men and Zak Waters, Aly Shackelford introduced me to The Lumineers, FPU introduced me to Tommy and the High Pilots, and Joel Wissner introduced me to Fun (the band, but also the activity). These are just some of the many amazing bands that in the last couple of years I have grown to love. I have also been super into dubstep music, yup, like Skrillex, Bassnectar, and Nero. I just love it. I could dance to it, just groove to it, drive to it, anything. Don't judge me until you check it out, listen to Sunlight by Modestep and then tell me that dubstep doesn't get your blood pumping. I'm just saying, I hated country music on principal for years just because everyone loved it and I thought it was obnoxious and twangy. Then I started listening to it because Tia loves it and guess what happened!?!?! I love country music. I love the stories the songs tell, I love the tunes, I love the silly humor, I love the TWANG. Yes even the twang. :) Just give some new music a try. As a side-note, we are all entitled to hate certain kinds of music. I have tried and failed to like ska and reggae music my entire life, I even bought a Supertones CD to fore myself to like it. Didn't work. I hate ska and reggae music. Couldn't tell you why, just hate them. What kind of music do you love? What music do you want to love? And what music do you hate? We have a new Pope, and by we I mean not me. Supposedly this pope is going to burn Rome and bring the end of world. Weird.
I was thinking the other day about the end of the world, like I usually do. When it occurred to me. Jesus said that his second coming will be like a theif in the night, so most Christians make the assumption that he won't come back when we predict that he will. But if he does come back when someone predicts he will, then Christians will be even more surprised. Wouldn't that serve the same purpose? Crazy to think about...we can't rule out those dates that fanatics say Jesus will come back because maybe our Lord has an awesome sense of humor! Also, there is this new petition on Facebook for Restorative Justice in the Fresno Unified School District and I am in love with it. I was actually part of the team that got that ball rolling and I have loved seeing it grow from a meeting with 4 people to something much bigger! So exiting. If you get a chance, go to change.org, search for "Fresno unified justice" and it should be the first petition, sign it! I think our schools and the Valley desperately need restorative discipline and justice. Tell me what you think. Toby, Tom, Shane, and I playing some Smash Up at Chipotle in Fresno, CA! :) Board and card games have long been apart of my house and American culture, but it seems to be inappropriate or frowned upon to play games while at a restaurant or eatery. I like to play games while I eat, not only is it something I enjoy, it's also good for us. First of all, it helps us all the eat slower, taking time in between scarfing it all down. Two, it allows us to digest our food between bites and possibly feel more full before we have over-eaten. And lastly, it helps us enjoy our eating time as not just another social encounter, but a memory-making, brain-stimulating, and fun-creating time. That is my small rant about playing games while eating at restaurants and fast-food eateries. I will continue to play and encourage others to do so as well, because if you pay for food, it shouldn't matter how long you are there for, as long as you are respectful and a paying customer. That's all for today. Let me know what you think about playing games in public places like restaurants, parks, bars, fast food joints, and bus stops? Spring is a difficult time for anyone who is still in school. I am finishing up my Masters and graduating in May! But that means that I have a lot of work to do between now and May 4th (may the fourth be with you). And now the sun is out, the grass is green, the park is beckoning me, the temperature is perfect, and I have to be self controlled enough to do my homework! Yes, I can go outside and write essays, but I'm never as effective, I'm so distractable. So there is my pity party about spring and still being in school. It sucks. But for those of you who have graduated, congrats and have an amazing spring! :)
I have been working a lot and finishing up my Masters at FPU so I haven't had much time to post. Although as we all know, that isn't much of an excuse. That just means I didn't think about recently. I have had enough time to watch Big Bang Theory, Whitney, and Sherlock recently, so why not post on my blog? I'm lazy. That's why.
So all in all it's been a pretty awesome couple of months. I've been working on a few new card games, perfected one and started some preliminary work on a couple others. That has been fun. I have also been disc golfing more recently. I had a drought for awhile where I hadn't gone in month or so and that was just weird. :( But now I'm back and I'm loving it. I realized that I will probably never be as good as I was when I was playing weekly, but I will always love it. :) During the winter I always seem to rack up more board gaming time since it's harder to go outside and play in the sun. This winter is no exception. I have been playing a lot of games! If you ever want to come over and play some board games with me, feel free to call me up or hit me up on Facebook. I love it. Just this week at my lifegroup we played "Game of Things", "Bohnanza", and "Family Business". So much fun and so much bonding going on. That's one of the easiest ways for men to bond, through games/sports. A smart man once told me, "Women tend to bond with each other face to face, through shared conversation, while men bond side by side, through shared experience. We have fought side by side in wars for millennia, and it is in our blood to do so, not because we love bloodshed, but because we bond with other men when we are by their side through adversity and trial. " Now I know what you are thinking, games do not equal adversity and trial?! Well, yes and no. They do include many of the same feelings as men at war: camaraderie, teamwork, betrayal, disappointment, hope, fear, and frustration. These characteristics of board-gaming make it much more like war than much of what we do during our day. So fight an imaginary war instead of a real one and play a board game! And that's the way the cookie crumbles...uh huh...uh huh....uh huh. BTW. |
Ben Weemes.Hi. My name is Ben Weemes, I love to dance and sing, I love Tia Weemes and my family, and I love games and books, I love Jesus and the San Antonio Spurs. Categories
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