As many of you know, I'm a BIG Google fan. Besides the search feature, I love being able to click and drag a Google map and the local feature has become the new yellow pages. With all that said, I'm a bit surprised (and disappointed) by the following:Go to Google and type the word 'failure', and press the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button.You'll have to try it for yourself.

Rather than post several entries, I've decided to lump them all together in a Thursday night blogging buffet.Pineapple tip. Rather than buy the pre-sliced pineapples from the deli, I purchased my first-ever whole pineapple. I was all prepared to go home and begin chopping. Until one of the Von's employees said, "You know this won't be ready to cut for several days." What ensued was a primer on how to tell when pineapples are ready to be cut. I appreciated the tip.Flashing Kensington sign. Many of San Diego's older neighborhoods have their name on a street sign that spans the width of a city street. Tonight I went for coffee in Kensington and noticed something about the Kensington neon sign. The "sin" part was starting to flicker while the remaining letters were solid and bright. Message from God?Chicken Little. Save the Barenaked Ladies singing the opening song, Chicken Little was…

About six weeks ago I get this letter in the mail from the San Diego County Registrar's office. It's asking for volunteers to serve as poll workers for the November 8 vote. Why not! I've always been interested in the process and figure it would be a good way to meet people in the neighborhood -- at least those who vote and aren't deadbeats. Then last week I receive this 35 page booklet that I'm supposed to read before arriving at the poll. Let me tell you about arriving at the poll ... I'm supposed to be there at 6 AM and the poll doesn't close until 8 PM! That's 14 hours of civic duty and I'm not even paying for a petty crime. But, hey, I'm up at 5 AM anyway.It was an interesting experience. Not brain surgery. That's not to say that it was entirely easy. The local…

The rumors are all true: I turned 36 this past Sunday. Memorial donations can be sent to 6244 Lake Lomond ...If the statistics are true, then I just entered halftime. Halftime is another way of saying "middle-age." I prefer the concept of halftime. It's the idea that you've lived half of your life and have half of it left (Lord willing). What will I do with the second half of my life? That's an important question that requires more than a blog entry to fully explore. I imagine it will include much of what I've done during the first half of life.But I must confess to having a growing sense of urgency to do something signficant with my life. As a Christ-follower, my first priority is to make a kingdom difference ... in my family, among friends, and in the community God has placed me. It's all about investment: how…

Next Tuesday, California voters will have the opportunity to vote on several key propositions. One of those -- Proposition 73 -- has received little attention and yet may be one of the most important ones on the ballot. If passed, it would require parental notification for minors who are seeking abortions. Current law does not require a parent to know if their daughter is having an abortion.Other items which include either parental notification or consent is the right for a minor to get married or get a tattoo. We don't issue driver's licenses to those under the age of 16. We require a person to be 18 to join the armed services. We even prohibit our children from drinking until the age of 21.Apart from the pro-choice/pro-life issues, the lack of parental notification is another way of undermining the importance of family in our culture. Opponents will argue that it…