adam.riggins

Last night, some tragic news came across my Titter feed. 5-year old daughter of singer Steven Curtis Chapman passed away after being struck by a vehicle in the family’s driveway.  I won’t go into any more detail, but you can read about it here.

The thing to remember in this situation is that life is so fragile and unexpected.  In a split second, someone that is very close to you can be taken from you so unexpectedly.  My heart goes out to the Chapman family because they have lost their little girl.  Sure, they’ll see her again one day, but until then, it’s going to be pretty hard for them.

So please, if you love someone, let them know today.  In the event that there isn’t a tomorrow, you will be glad you did.

And please be in prayer for the Chapman family!

For anyone out there that used the self-hosted WordPress blogging platform, LISTEN UP!  As you know, the way you install a plugin to your blog is to FTP the files manually.   That really stinks for those of us that can’t FTP from work (where we might just happen to do most of our blogging).  Well, there is a VERY easy cure.

There is a plugin called Plugin Central.  You have to install it the old fashioned way via FTP, but it will be the last time you have to do that.  Once installed and avtivated, you can simply get to it via the Dashboard, give it a link to a plugin .zip file, and it will automatically install it.  It has a very clean interface.  Here is a screenshot:

So, there you have it.  The most useful plugin ever.  Enjoy!

Plugin Central

Here is my cover of the Foo Fighters’ song “Everlong”. This is actually one of my favorite songs of all time. Enjoy!

Before I get into this, I want you to know that Harrison Ford is easily the best choice for Indiana Jones.  His look and personality made those movies.  So please don’t think that I wish someone else got the role.  I’m thankful he got it.

That being said, I’m going to spare you from most of this list, since only one person (in my opinion) could have pulled it off. From the article:

Tom Selleck

Selleck is the most likely of all the casting choices on this list. He’d supposedly been picked to play Indy in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but couldn’t make it work with his Magnum P.I. schedule and had to decline. I can see him as Indiana Jones, but I think his performance would have dated the first film even more than it is now (which arguably isn’t much). Selleck always strikes me as being a product of the 1980s. His later attempts at action-adventure movies provided us with fare like High Road to China and Quigley Down Under. For bonus points, imagine if Spielberg had succeeded in not only getting Selleck in the lead but also convincing Danny DeVito to play Sallah, and hey, let’s throw Debra Winger in the mix as Marion Ravenwood. Raiders would have been less of a hit and more of a cult movie, dripping with extra cheesiness, on a double-bill with Big Trouble in Little China.

I’m not sure if I agree with the authors opinion of how he would have done.  I think he would have made an awesome Indiana Jones, secong only to Mr. Ford himself.  Selleck’s look has not changed that much since Magnum PI, and seriously, picture him in the leather jacket and hat with a whip.  It works!

Thoughts?

Cinematical article

Here is a song that I have been listening to over and over again. It’s called Somewhere North by a band called Caedmon’s Call. Click the little play button next to the link below to hear it. Also, the lyrics are below to follow along. I see this as one of those songs that can speak to different people on several levels. Enjoy!

Somewhere North

It’s a muggy night in Houston
And all the intersections are like full service stations
I’m on my way to a familiar place
It’s cold in Kansas City
And you can no more hear me than I can see your face
How I wish it was just you and me

We wouldn’t have to talk above the crowd
We wouldn’t have to talk so loud

I give you my life and all I am
But what I have to give
So I hand you a candid photograph of this little boy
‘Cause I have nothing to my name
But I can give you that

I don’t miss the driving
Seems like forever
And I’m always driving in my mind
And wearing out the road that gets me there

And I’m driving till my eyes just can’t see straight
But I suppose that it’s getting late

I may never find the sleep
I’ve lost all feeling in my hands and
Feet may touch the ground but
My mind’s somewhere north of here

That is, if it happens. But according to filmindustry.biz, there’s a good chance it might:

“I’d really like to do it, the last one was great,” Jack Black said at Cannes. “We are seriously thinking about it, there’s already a script. In a few weeks we have to decide if we go through with the project or not.“

I LOVED the first one, and I think if done right, a sequel would be good.

Read the article

In my group of friends, you have two types. First off, there are the sports fans. In some cases, sports fanatics. Every game is watched. Every games is talked about when together. Life is sometimes scheduled around “the game”, whatever game that might be. They go to websites, follow the draft live, post on message boards, and have ESPN.com as their homepage. Basically, die-hard sports fans.

The other group is me. I couldn’t care less about sports. I don’t dislike them, and I enjoy going to see games live. But if I was to get together with my friends to watch the super bowl, I would be there for the commercials.

I am really into music (both listening and creating), technology, and entertainment (movies and tv). With certain things, I get really excited about them. If Apple is having a press conference to announce a new iPod, you better believe that I am following it live online. In fact, when Apple opened a store at a local mall here in Atlanta, I got there 2 hours early for the grand opening. I didn’t even buy anything, I just wanted to be there for the excitement. You might be saying “Really Adam? An Apple store?” Exactly.

Because of those interests, I get a lot of crap. It’s usually in jest, but I am the “geek” of the group, always have been. But it got me thinking. What really is the difference? Let’s take the tv show LOST for example. With LOST, I will change my schedule to make sure I get to watch it. I go to websites that discuss the show, it’s mysteries, theories, and related stuff. So how is this different than being a die-hard sports fan. Not that much.

• BOTH do not effect one’s life directly
• BOTH are entertaining to watch and get involved in
• BOTH have off-seasons
• BOTH have people who devote a lot of time on the side to following what’s going on
• BOTH will cause people to rearrange their schedules to make sure they get to see them.
• BOTH are really fun to take part in with others that are interested.

The main difference is that society tells me that if I talk to much about LOST, Apple, my Xbox, or whatever else I am into, it’s overboard, and on the geeky side. If I talk a lot about sports, then I am “just being a guy”.

Personally, I don’t think there is that much of a difference. If you wear an Atlanta Braves shirt, it’s because you support the team. If someone wears a “Think Different” Apple shirt, he will quickly be labeled.

What do you think? Why is there such a difference to most of society in these two things?

I came across this and though it was pretty funny…

• trying out Mint http://www.mint.com #
• watching some trailers on the Apple TV #
• “Somewhere North” by Caedmon’s Call = one amazing song #
• Need to sell an iPod or iPhone? http://ping.fm/NuyrF #
• I’m not sure if it’s my socks today, but I think my feet stink. Sorry if that’s more than you wanted to know. #
• sorry about that last Tweet, how about something a little better… It’s a beautiful day outside! #
• @jas_on not sure about the smell outside. I will be able to answer that in just over 2 hours though! I’m going to the park after work. #
• 2/3 of my meetings canceled today. So now I just sit and wait on 5:00. #
• @dwpatrick just smear some motor oil on the side and you are set #
• Going for a walk with a friend, then trivia. Its so nice outside! #

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I posted a few weeks back about my current favorite energy drink called Crunk!!!. Well, they are having a contest for their Facebook and Myspace friends. They’re giving away a “CRUNK!!! Trunk”, which consists of the following

• an exclusive CRUNK!!! cooler
• 4 cases of CRUNK!!!
• hats and T-shirts

Both contests end on Wednesday, May 28. Get all the details for each contest here:

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