Daily Grit by Wes Thorp

Link to del.icio.us to Jacob S. Lodwick for chance at $100 and to prove point

Jacob Lodwick is trying to see how many del.icio.us links he can get for this post.  On July 14, he will randomly select a linker for a $100 prize. 

He's making a great point about the power of the web and of programs like del.icio.us .  If you don't know what it is, you owe it to yourself to become familiar.

Technorati Tags: jacob lodwick, del.icio.us, web, viral marketing, womma

Tylenol ad at New York Times online gets attention as I near 60th birthday

I can't believe that I'm publicly admitting this, but the first thing that got my attention this morning on the New York Times homepage was the Tylenol ad.  Yes, I did click it and the site seems to have useful info for those days when you need a pain reliever.

Arthritis has become a daily reality for me, especially in my knees and one ankle.  They can hurt.

My other strategy to deal with this is something I'm using right now:  Nikken's Kenkowave with infrared waves.  It has helped.

Technorati Tags: arthritis, New York Times, Tylenol, Nikken, pain relievers

Part #3: First talk at Grace Place-Aspen by Dr. John Eckrich, M.D.

Hey, I don't want anybody to get defensive here.  I am trying to do two things after my experience with my wife, Gladys--a Lutheran school teacher--at the Grace Place retreat in Aspen, CO that we just got back from:

• First, we were given this opportunity because of this gifts of others and I want to firm up in my mind what I learned and what I can use and pass on in my local situation.
• Second,  I want to share what I learned with those in the blogosphere who are interested.

Part #2: Some background about Lutheran schools

The Grace Place retreat we just returned from in Aspen, CO was aimed at Lutheran school teachers.  The goal was to prevent burnout for teachers and their spouses. 

To understand the retreat and its content, it's important to  have some background about Lutheran schools. 

First, don't let the stereotypes of Catholic schools and discipline happy nuns shape your view about Lutheran schools.  I speak from a perspective of almost 60 years.  I went to a Lutheran school for eight years. 

My wife went for all of her elementary school and so did our two kids.  My wife is a third grade teacher in a Lutheran school.  I'm very much a layperson who is not enamored with denominational orthodoxy.  What am I saying?  I'm not a lap dog for our denomination.

Turninng 60 this year: President Bush, Cher, others and myself

I still can't fully wrap my head around the fact that I will be turning 60 years-old in about two months.  Yes, I'm a member of the first-class of baby-boomers.  I was born right after the end of World War II when my dad-Claude Thorp-got out of the U.S. Navy.

Mortality has begun to take on a whole new meaning for me.  I can see it.  Hopefully, it won't be right away, but I know that I have an end date.  President Bush turns 60.  Here are some news stories about he and others reaching this milestone:

• A Washington Post story about how GW has been dealing with getting older and about what this milestone means for baby boomers.
• From England's Guardian, get an British perspective on our president who mountain bikes while wearing his Apple iPod and about baby boomers reaching six decades of age.
• The Los Angeles Times writes about how Bush uses wisecracks to deal with his upcoming 60th birthday.

Technorati Tags: baby boomer, George W. Bush, Cher, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, aging, senior citizens, AARP,

Part #1: Retreat for Lutheran school teachers -Was it worth it?

My wife, Gladys and I, were sitting in Beaners on the westside of Lansing today talking about our trip to Aspen for a special retreat for teachers in Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) Schools. 

Without notes, we ticked off the different speakers and their main points, at least those we could remember.  Considering that it was held in Aspen and on the side of Buttermilk Mountain, you could have a retreat where the phonebook is read and probably still have a positive experience.  But:

• What did we learn that can benefit Lutheran school teachers, their spouses and their congregations?
• Was it worth it?
• What can we give back or how can we pay the benefit forward?