I’m proud to announce the winner of the “Crave” giveaway. Congratulations Scott, you’re the winner!

Here’s the comment Scott left:

I’ll answer the question by not answering it.

I don’t know that “crave” is an emotion that I’ve had towards school or anything else in life. The education portion of my life was just what I had to do at the time. It was never difficult, I always had an adequate amount of friends and it seemed fairly fun and enjoyable.

I guess I don’t desire things enough to “crave” them, as that seems like an emotion which requires disappointment if said goal isn’t reached. I try stuff, see what happens, and deal with it later when I fail. Rinse and repeat each day for new attempts and failings.

Thanks to everyone who entered! I’ll do another giveaway soon enough.

If you haven’t already, read my review of “Crave” by Chris Tomlinson (@christomlinson_).

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

This contest has ended. Thank you for your interest.

I recently read and wrote a book review for Crave by Chris Tomlinson. Harvest House gave me two copies of the book, one to review and one to give away to one of my blog readers. Here’s how to enter.

Leave a comment answering the following question: What is one thing you crave (or used to crave) at the start of a new school year? I don’t care if the craving was when you were in elementary school or grad school.

Personally I was always dying for a good game of kickball.

Also, if you retweet this post it’ll count as an extra entry.

I need your comment/retweet by 5PM EST on Friday, August 13, 2010. Also, only comments on the original giveaway blog post will count. [Complete rules]

Good luck!

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/5

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

Crave is a series of testimonies about how God has moved in Tomlinson’s life, revolving specifically around his desire for more than what is typically offered by American mainline Christendom. We watch him struggle to develop the habit of praying daily even after successfully developing the habit of flossing nightly mere weeks before. We follow him to a nearby outdoor mall where he and a few friends set up folding chairs and sit next to signs that say things like, “What is your prayer request?” and “Ask anything about God.” We experience his apprehension and anxiety as he internally debates whether to initiate a spiritual conversation with a young woman next to him on an airplane flight. Throughout his stories there is a strong sense of the conviction that has enveloped his heart and life, that God is not who he once thought He was.

God is different. He’s much more terrifying than I had imagined but also so much more glorious and beautiful than I thought possible. I’ve spent too many years glossing over hard truths about God in favor of pleasant ones in an attempt to make Him more palatable to my taste or softer to the touch of others’ ears. In the process, I have developed inch-deep beliefs about a mile-high God.

In many ways this book reminds me of Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Both books exhort their readers to desire more of God, to leave behind their mediocre spiritual life, to examine the words of the Bible and choose to live them out. But for all they have in common these books have one striking difference. Chan is a pastor and a trained Bible teacher, and his words are accompanied by a corresponding sense of authority. Tomlinson, on the other hand, is not a pastor, missionary, or theologian; he is a layman working in the traditional workplace. Whatever he lacks in pastoral authority he more than makes up for with his ability to empathize with the struggles of the “typical” Christian. His average Joe status makes this text extremely approachable and the idea of undertaking his challenges more fathomable.

Interested? Check Out These Links

• Purchase Crave on Amazon
• Read the first three chapters of Crave online
• Visit the Crave website
• Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter (@christomlinson_)
• “Like” Chris Tomlinson on Facebook

About This Review

I received two copies of this book complimentary of Harvest House, one to review and one to give away. In case you’re wondering, they did not require I write a glowing review.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/1 & http://cmp.ly/5

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

This is my friend Rob. You are witnessing the next big thing in pop music.

Here’s a fair representation of the type person with whom I choose to spend my free time. Such people invariably inspire my creative process. I find it ironic that if I inspire you, dear reader and viewer, with something I create somewhere down the line, you owe your thanks to moments like this one.

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

My friend Sam (@shelterwithfire) asked me if there was a way to remove Twitter’s new “Who to Follow” box found on the home page sidebar of the web interface. She remembered that I had once written about removing the Facebook “Reconnect” Box, another addition that not everyone cared to see each time they logged in, and figured I could show her how to do the same thing in this instance. It’s really easy. Let me walk you through it.

What You’ll Need

• Firefox + Adblock Plus; or
• Chrome + Adblock; or
• Safari + either Adblock or Follow Freely; or
• Internet Explorer + IE7Pro

Normally an ad blocking extension is used strictly to block advertisements, but it can actually be used to filter out all sorts of page elements.

Firefox

Step 1 – Add Filter

In Firefox, click the Tools pull down menu and select Add-ons. Find Adblock Plus and click Preferences. You should see a menu similar to the one in the image above. Click on Add filter… to enter in the custom block filter we’re going to use.

Step 2 – Insert Custom Filter

A text box should appear, prompting you to add in your new filter. Here you’re going to want to enter the following text:

twitter.com#*(recommended_users)

Click OK. You’re done! If you have Twitter open in your browser you may need to refresh the page before you see the changes.

Chrome/Chromium

Step 1 – Add Filter

In Chrome/Chromium, click the Tools icon and select Extensions. Find AdBlock and click Options. You should see a menu similar to the one in the image above. Click on the Blacklist tab, then click Hide a section of a webpage.

Step 2 – Insert Custom Filter

Two text boxes should appear, prompting you to add a domain and a filter. In the blank labeled Domain of page to apply on enter:

twitter.com

In the blank labeled CSS to match enter:

div[id="recommended_users"]

Click Block it! You’re done! If you have Twitter open in your browser you may need to refresh the page before you see the changes.

Safari

The Safari version of Adblock shares the same codebase as Adblock for Chrome. Everything looks and acts identical, so the Chrome instructions and screen shots should guide you perfectly. The only difference: to access the Adblock options panel, click on the Adblock menu bar icon.

The extension Follow Freely is designed specifically to block the Who to Follow section. There is no setup after installation.

Internet Explorer

Step 1 – Confirm Ad Blocker is Enabled

In Internet Explorer, click the Tools pull down menu and select IE7Pro Preferences. Under modules, makes sure Ad Blocker is checked. If it is, continue on without restarting Internet Explorer. If it’s not, check it, click OK, restart Internet Explorer, and reopen IE7Pro Preferences.

Step 2 – Insert Custom Filter

The list of services to the far left includes a menu called Ad Blocker. Select it. In the Filter type drop down list selected Div Filter. In the line above labeled Rule enter:

recommended_users

Click Add, then click OK. You’re done! If you have Twitter open in your browser you may need to refresh the page before you see the changes.

Note: Don’t let the name of the extension fool you. IE7Pro is compatible with Internet Explorer 8.

Here’s What You Just Did

The “recommended_users” part of what you entered is the ID name for the div that holds the code for the “Who to Follow” section. If you don’t speak geek, think of it like a section title in a book. Whenever your browser sees that particular ID on the domain you specified (in this case, twitter.com) it will block all the content found there.

Be aware of two things. Twitter could change the name of the ID whenever it wants, which would require you to change your filter to match. Also, Twitter could start including something you might actually want to see within the area of the page you’re blocking.

If you found this helpful, share it with someone else!

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

Alas, I fell short.

Just a couple weeks ago, sage blogger John Saddington (@human3rror) ran a contest on the website ChurchDrop in which he gave away his old iPhone 3GS. He had just bought the new iPhone 4 and decided against selling his old phone in favor of doing something more fun.

The giveaway was not done at random. John spelled out the specifics:

Drop a comment below telling us about someone that really needs an upgrade on their personal cell phone. This could be someone who’s got an old Nokia from the late 90′s or someone who’s recently lost their phone or damaged it but is unable to afford a replacement. … Our hope is to provide a handset for someone that seriously has a need instead of someone who’s just wanting to upgrade for upgrades’ sake.

Reading this made me think of one person: my old roommate Joe. (The alert reader will note that this is the same Joe from the Jumping Joe Meme.) I was one of the first to enter the contest:

My old roommate Joe just got married and he’s NEVER owned a cell phone. I promise, cross my heart. I know it’s hard to believe. His wife Mandi (who has an iPhone) has said she won’t force him to get one until she gets pregnant. But I have to believe his lack of cell phone annoys her even if she’s a good sport about it. He has an iPod touch that he really likes, and I think if someone were to hand him an iPhone he would finally want to take the plunge. Plus, when people see he has a cell phone, there will be all sorts of fun rumors about their expanding family.

I was extremely confident that I’d just turned in the winning entry, but it was not meant to be. Joe and I lost. The winner submitted the following video comment.

Watch “iPhone 3GS hand-me-down” on YouTube

I have to admit, I think the guy who won was a good choice. Sorry, Joe. Better luck next time.

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

I am about to make my first foray into smart phones. I just pre-ordered the new iPhone 4. It’ll be released on June 24.

I’ve been following the development of smart phones, app stores, and the like for years. I have a general idea of the apps I’d like to use, but I want to hear from the people who have been using them. What iPhone apps do you use? Which are your favorites? These could be apps from Apple’s App Store or they could be web apps.

Leave your suggestions in the comments. I’ll try out all the free apps you suggest and many of the premium ones, too. I’ll write a follow-up post in a few weeks.

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

Chris Futch and Zack Latham (@Sandpapery) performed a parody of the famous final courtroom scene from “A Few Good Men” at the FSU Navigators (@fsunavigators) talent show back in April. I’m finally getting around to posting video from that night.

Here’s the complete script, in case you’re interested. The dialogue contains its fair share of Nav references and other inside jokes. I’ll do my best to decode them with links.

Zack: You want to be on the Bridge?

Chris: I think I’m entitled to be there.

Zack: You’re on the Bridge?!

Chris: I’m on the Bridge!

Zack: You can’t handle the Bridge! Son, we live in a world that has sin. And those sins have to be punished by God with justice. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Dave Wirgau? Christ has a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for your self-righteousness and you curse God’s mercy. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Christ’s death, while tragic, gloriously saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the Bridge. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about at parties, you know you can’t fill that roll. You need Christ there. We use words like Navs, Skeen, TMS — we use these words as the backbone to a life spent proclaiming something. You use ‘em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the wisdom to explain the Bridge to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very thing that blinds him to the Truth, then questions the manner in which his sin is revealed to him. I’d prefer you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you give me your number and we grab lunch some day. Either way, I don’t give a Covington what you think you’re entitled to!

Chris: Why can’t I be on the Bridge?

Zack: I really have a class I need to get to…

Chris: Can you explain it to me again?

Zack: By His good grace right I can!

Compare it to the Original

Watch “You Can’t Handle the Truth” on YouTube

Okay, so our guys don’t quite have the acting chops of Nicholson and Cruise. But if you’d like to compare (gracefully) the parody to the original, watch the video above. (The part of the scene Chris and Zack remade begins at the 1:35 mark of this video.)

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

For the last several months I have been developing a new website for Commuter Services of North Florida, a program administered by The Marketing Institute in the FSU College of Business. This morning I flipped the switch and that site is now live!

Before and After

Check out what it used to look like:

It really needed a facelift! (And yes, it was left-justified. Yuck!)

I’m really proud of how the new-look turned out:

Under the Hood

This site uses self-hosted WordPress, the best content management software around. The look-and-feel of the site is a heavily modified version of the WP Remix theme. (Knowing what I know now, I would not recommend the purchase or use of this theme. It has some of the most convoluted coding I’ve ever seen.)

My favorite design element has to be the semi-transparent pull-down menus. (These were made prior to the inclusion of the built-in Menu feature in WordPress. I’ll switch to it at some point.)

Feedback

It’d be great to hear what you think of the design and usability of the site. Take it for a spin, then come back and leave a comment.

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

I’m a big fan of Conan O’Brien. He and Andy Richter recently made a stop at Google headquarters where they gave a tremendous interview. The video is a bit long but it’s hysterical.

Find out more about Conan’s comedy tour at teamcoco.com.

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved