Moving Day

Today is moving day.

I am closing up here on the free side of WordPress and moving over to my own hosted site.   I decided to host the blog myself in order to add a few more tools and features.  If you are currently blogging or thinking about blogging, I would highly recommend using WordPress as your platform.  It is very user friendly and offers many tools at the same time.  You can accomplish almost anything with this platform.  If you decide to host it yourself, you can move it with ease.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog and continue to follow at www.thesuperdave.com.   I will continue to blog about the things I enjoy in life and my passions with a focus on technology and how it applies and is implemented by those of us not in large, corporate environments.

Have a wonderful Independence Day.

New Blog site

Foursquare for the Rest of Us

The following is reposted from my technology blog which you can find here.

A few years ago I was introduced to geocaching. I had never heard of it but was told all about it by a friend of my sister at a Super Bowl party. This enthusiast and his family enjoy geocaching and plan weekend activities and vacations around it.
Late last year, I began seeing people checking in on Twitter and announcing mayorships by something called Foursquare. I decided to investigate. I loved the social networking aspects and it appealed to the competitive side as I quickly racked up points, badges, and mayorships.
I quickly hit the badge ceiling for a user such as myself. I live in a rural area with few local friends using Foursquare, and I am not a 20-something out until 3:00 am (although I did earn the School Night badge by traveling home after a business trip).
I was excited to learn about the use of Four Square at EMC World 2010 in Boston. Len Devana and his fellow EMC Social media friends had setup a charitable donation tied to Foursquare use. Plans were ruined quickly by a local superuser who began deleting our sites. Also Foursquare was not very cooperative about creating a badge for the conference.

Four Square, much like Facebook, did not start out with people like me in mind but here we are. Now what? Four Square is the most popular but there are other geo-tagging apps out there, most notably Gowalla. Gowalla adds some nice features like the ability to add photos. So far, not many of my friends have embraced it either and I have not seen it used with any businesses for specials. So where does this leave us? Will Four Square be bought by someone else? They have a long list of rumored suitors. Will they obtain financing and go it alone as was reported last week by TechCrunch (found here)? Will Gowalla or someone else step in and take over leaving Four Square in territory occupied by MySpace?

In light of all of this, here is my wish list for Foursquare, Gowalla, or anyone else.
First, I love the idea of making this a game. Keep the point system. Give points for each check-in, with bonuses for first time at locations. Add bonus for checking in at a place where you are the mayor. Add some incentive based bonuses like referring friends, having someone following your tip, or being tagged in a photo on site. Add points for badges earned. Make a few user levels based on points.
It would be nice to provide location/business owners a dashboard with some options for their business like placing ads that would function much like tips and would be targeted to people in the area or searching the area. Also a scoreboard for their business so they can identify star customers and offer treats to them. Obviously this could be a revenue stream for the owner of this app. Give them options for badges.
The infamous badges. I will probably never attend South-by-Southwest so there are a number of badges that will be off limits to me. Anyone who has been a Boy Scout or Girl Scout knows the thrill of earning a badge. I understand part of the thrill of the badge is exclusivity. If there are hundreds of thousands of badges, the thrill of earning them is diminished. If this segment of apps continues to grow, it would be helpful to allow users to identify themselves with groups and/or communities. I would segment badges based on these groups and communities. This would allow for numerous badges without losing the exclusivity. There could then be some corporate badges along with family oriented badges without diminishing the Playa Please badge. In technology, several leading companies have embraced social networking. They would be willing partners in this venture. Give me a badge for EMC World 2010 or Cisco Live. Give me a badge when I become certified.
Linking brings power. I would like the ability to find a restaurant in Four Square and click on a link in Urban Spoon or Open Table to find more info or make a reservation. If I check in at a Major League Ballpark, I would like to link to MLB.com or an app on my device to get info and share with others at the park. What if I could plan activities by searching places, tips, events, and offers in locations? Linking to other sites or apps would harness more info and more functionality.
Finally a sore subject to Facebook users. Data and linking to other sites. If I check in to my local Chick-Fil-A two days a week for lunch, would I care if the owner of this store or Chick-Fil-A corporate knows this? I would think that if they knew this, I may get an occasional coupon or free shake for being a good customer. Obviously the data this activity generates would quickly become valuable. Be open and honest about this from the beginning and offer me a little something in return for my info and participation and I am ok with this.

So there is my wish list for Four Square or anyone else in this space listening. Bring it on, I’ll embrace it.

What Is Truth?

One of the most profound questions in the Bible was asked by Pilot, before he washed his hands and sealed his fate. He asked this in a sarcastic, mocking way not really wanting an answer.
This is the scene at the beginning of The Truth Project, a 13 week study by Dr. Dale Tackett designed to develop a Christian, Biblical worldview.
In this scene from the Gospels (John 18:37) Jesus is being tried and he makes the statement of why he came to us, to bear witness to the truth.

Why is this important? It is one of the few times Jesus speaks so directly. He says “for this purpose I was born, for this purpose I came into the world.” I also found it interesting we are starting this study with this, the truth. Why not start with who is God, who is man?
Truth is being in accord with reality, according to the current Merriam-Webster dictionary. The first part of this foundation of our worldview is determine what is true, what is reality? It makes sense because nothing else would have meaning with understanding what is true or real. We’ve all heard the cartoonish depiction of a modern student of philosophy saying “what if none of this is real?”. We can discuss the other aspects once that question is answered.
From the Bible, we see the word truth is mentioned hundreds of times. One of the most profound is when Jesus says “I am the truth, the way, and the life”. We discover that God is truth and this understanding is the foundation of our way of looking at the world.

In the weeks to come, harder questions will come. More and more wholes (or lies) in our worldview will be exposed. I am looking forward to it but this question from the first week still haunts me; do you believe that what you believe is really real?
In other words, does your life, your actions, and your words align with what you believe? I a very good question to “recalibrate” yourself.

God Hates…

It has finally happened.  Westboro Baptist Church, who gained notoriety by picketing at soldiers’ funerals, are coming to my backyard.

They are coming to picket at a memorial service held for miners killed in the explosion at Upper Big Branch mine near Montcoal, WV.  This group has several sites listing things that God supposedly hates. (no links, you can Google if interested but lets not increase their traffic)  As a West Virginian and a son of a coal miner, I am infuriated.  However, as a Christian I am deeply saddened.

I read 2 Peter tonight looking for something to sooth the fire in my soul.  Peter explains that the wicked will perish.  He explains that God hates the unrepentant sinner and the sin.  He tells how God dealt with Sodom and Gomorrah.  The verse that sticks with me and these people miss is 2 Peter 3:9 which says “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance”

Also, Jesus speaks about leaving his 99 sheep to go after the 1 lost sheep and how all will rejoice over the one in Luke 15;4-7.  How are these people going after the lost sheep?

Again in Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus talks about separating the sheep and the goats.   I think He will find Westboro Baptist Church as goats.

God is just.  God is righteous.  God is love. Let’s pray Westboro Baptist Church finds the New Testament in their Bibles and finds God’s love through Jesus Christ.

The Real St. Patrick’s Day

Back in the day, I was a green beer drinking idiot for St. Patrick’s Day and thought it was a celebration of the Irish.  Almost all Caucasians in America lay claim to some Irish ancestry, especially on March 17th.  I later evolved into a Guinness drinking idiot.

Once, to honor my Irish ancestry, I bought the book on tape version of “How The Irish Saved Civilization” by Thomas Cahill.  I listened to it on a long weekend commute home to visit my dad.  In the darkness of that drive I hear Liam Nesson tell the story of a young English boy kidnapped by Irish marauders and taken to Ireland to be a slave sheep herder.  That boy became St. Patrick.  Liam read a prayer referred to as St. Patrick’s Breastplate and that stays with me today.

So I dedicate my blog post this St. Patrick’s Day to that prayer.  As I hoist my morning coffee and glass of water this day in his honor, I will recite this prayer and pay homage my Irish heritage and to the real St. Patrick.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

Chapman Mania

I read the article on MLB.com where Dusty is cautioning fans to not to get swept up in Chapman Mania.  He talks about playing during Fernando Mania.  It takes me back to the 1981 and seeing the Dodgers visit to Cincinnati that season.

My dad and I went to Cincinnati for a weekend series against the hated Dodgers.  I had never been much of an autograph hound.  I was a little too shy for it then.  I was also the boy who would put baseball cards in the spokes of my bike and kept my cards stored in a drill bit box from the mines.  I also had them sorted by team and wrapped in rubber bands.  (Years later, my older brother yelled at me about ruining my cards and how much money I “lost” on an Ozzie Smith rookie card.)

Anyway, my dad and I found ourselves outside of the Dodgers hotel as they were preparing to get on the bus to go to the stadium.  As much as I hated the Dodgers then, I did appreciate how good they were.  I was there with my stack of Reds and Dodgers cards and a ball point Bic from dad’s pocket.
The first player I saw was Ron Cey.  Although I was wearing a Reds cap, he was very nice, signed his card, and chatted with me.
Next up was Davey Lopes.  Again very nice and gracious.  I thought, “what is with these guys? They are the enemy!” Others on the street notice what is going on and a small crowd gathers. I spot Steve Garvey coming out the door.  He was mobbed quickly but I had positioned myself by the front corner of the bus beside its door.  He pushed through the crowd without signing.  I was prepared. As he approached I mutter “Mr. Garvey, would you sign my card?”.  The same question I had posed to Lopes and Cey.  “Out of my way kid!” he barked back.  Don’t worry Mr. Garvey, I have since forgiven you but it did take a few decades.
As I recovered from my shock, I came back to my senses and reaffirmed my hatred of the Dodgers.  That is when it happened; Fernando Mania!
Out of nowhere, what seemed like thousands of people come and swarm him.  He was trying to sign what he could but I remember seeing the look on his face.  It was a mix of terror, surprise, and confusion.  I felt sorry for him.  I did not get the autograph.  I was swept up in the crowd and those trying to help him get to the bus.  I guess as far as autographs go, he is the one that got away.  My brother was serving in the Marines at the time or he would have killed me.

I was pissed at Garvey, scared of Fernando Mania, and a little confused in my Dodger hatred because most of them were nice.  My dad took me to the “official” 580 Gift Shop to make it all better.  The nice lady working behind the counter told us that the next afternoon none other than George Foster would be there to sign autographs.  The plastic batting helmet he signed is long gone but the framed autographed picture still hangs in my house and is my trophy autograph to this day.

God Bless you George for saving the baseball fan in me.

Geroge Foster 1981

Bucket List

Ah, finally some warm weather.  My mind is drifting toward baseball.  I am making plans for a conference I am attending in Boston in May.
I found that I have Tuesday night free and the Red Sox are in town.  I jumped on and ordered tickets.  Cross Fenway off the bucket list!

Fenway Park

I have a sports bucket list as I am sure most sports fans do.  Some of the things on mine are to see a Duke basketball game at Cameron (done), Monday Night Football game (done in ’80 and twice in ’94), and a NFL Playoff game (done in ’95).
Baseball is special.  Like seeing Duke at Cameron, it is almost more about the park than the team.  My dad took me to several Reds games at Riverfront in the 70′s.  We went to see Tom Seaver’s debut with the Reds.  Other than dad having a few too many Hudy’s, those memories are magical.
I have never liked the Yankees but one of my biggest regrets is not seeing a game in Yankee Stadium.  I am very happy to add the Red Sox at Fenway to my list.  I didn’t really care which team they were playing, I simply wanted to go.  It is advantageous that they are not playing the Reds so I can safely wear my Reds cap to the game.
It also has me planning a trip to Chicago to see the friendly confines but I will plan this during a Reds visit.

So fans, what is your sports bucket list?