Last night, like many people, we were laughing extremely hard after watching the end of American Idol. This show always seems to make a celebrity out of a few people that truly deserve to be heard from. And, of course, a few that you would probably be better off having never heard of. General Larry Platt (in the video below) didn’t have a shot at winning the competition, since he 34 years over the age limit of 28. But I think you’ll like watching the video, and reading the story this man has lived over on Yahoo today. Thanks for the laughs Larry! You really are a true American Idol.

This might tie in with my recent post where I fumed about “the lady who cuts the check”, and some of you might relate to this just as much. I’ve had a few clients that I’ve worked with that connected with a “consultant” to look over their use of technology. One of the aspects they inspect just so happens to be my area of service, their website. It’s usually hard enough to work one-on-one with a client and make sure they are a satisifed client, so bringing in a third-party inspector sure adds to the mix!

What irritates me the most about consultants is that they seem to have advice on quite a few areas of business, but have never really put much time or gained much experience on each specific area. They are the epitome of being a “jack of all trades – master of none”. And the input they provide usually makes that obvious. They might not be trying to intentionally annoy the people who actually know what they are doing (in their respective fields), but they’re sure skilled at that.

My advice to these “Inspector Gadget types” is to slow down, ask questions instead of giving instant advice or suggestions, and making sure they know where the client has been in the recent past. Some of your glorious requests might have been desired, but maybe the budget couldn’t support it? Maybe the client has every intention of having done everything you are suggesting and you end up being more annoying than helpful. Nobody is THE go-to expert on anything. That’s just how God has wired us. We always need the insight of others. Anyone have any stories or advice on how they have dealt with this?

PRAYING for my brother, and that God would continue to bless his ministry. PRAISING God for continually showing me to be of service and not coming in as THE expert.

We all need to laugh, especially in difficult times. It’s said that laughter adds 8 years to life, so why not try it out? I wonder if you have to laugh extremely hard to add all of those years, or if a chuckle will do? I guess we’ll find out. One way to play it safe is to find better comedians, and stop watching those who just make you chuckle. Check these people out, and you’ll be sure to LOL!

BRIAN REGAN	JOBY SAAD	RHETT & LINK	TIM HAWKINS	JEFF ALLEN

I always need to laugh more. Do you have a comedian who you think is worth checking out?

PRAYING over a decision on whether or not to split office space with a friend (get out of house – make more progress). PRAISING God for making some funny people who bring smiles to our lives!

I’ll give Bill Maher some credit. Knowing it wouldn’t be a hit, he took his religious (or agnostic) views and made them as public and available as possible on this DVD. Most Christians wouldn’t touch a movie that ridiculed the one thing in life they hold most dear, the God and Creator that they love. I knew what kind of film I was going to be watching once I saw on the cover that the director was also a part of Borat (one of the less intelligent movies I’ve ever seen) and that the company who helped create the film, Lionsgate, made very clear that the views expressed on the film weren’t theirs.

Bill, if you’re unfamiliar with him, is the prime example for your children if you’d like them (and their mouth) to stay 13 for the rest of their lives. Speaking of 13. That’s when Bill was dumped by his girlfriend and left the church, hinting that the catholic church wasn’t a fan of masturbation (which he enjoyed) and that the God they worshiped should have been “working for Bill” for the relationship to work out. Throughout the film he attempts to prove that he understands God, but obviously that’s already thrown out the door after the first few minutes.

He went about the film in the usual God-bashing way that most do, sticking to these lame arguments that have gone around the block and back:

• Suggests that Christianity is all about being good (apparently doesn’t listen to those of us that admit we’re sinners)
• Pushed the spotlight onto Catholic priests and televangelists (mainly because they fail publicly)
• Blasts Christians for “hating homosexuals”, but didn’t attempt to understand what sin really is
• Hinted that Christ found Catholicism – wrong for many reasons, for another post!
• Believes that a monotheistic God is immoral, and shouldn’t be jealous
• Pointed the finger at Christians and how they judge people by suggesting they need Christ

I’ll do Bill a big favor and let him on a tip that would have made this movie worth watching, maybe even bring in a decent profit or be a hit. When blasting a specific religion, go to the current leaders that are most respected, rather than dropping bombs on a Trucker’s Chapel or book store owner. Might have been more respectable if he started a dialogue with James MacDonald, John Piper or Mark Driscoll? A shining example of this is when Ben Stein went for the jugular with evolution in the Expelled movie. He went straight to the most respected leader of the day, Richard Dawkins, and made his point extremely clear. No reviews needed, and those who opposed him were in an uproar. If Bill’s film would have been worth his time, I (a devout Christian) would be furious and asking people not to watch it. Instead, I urge you to check it out. Thanks for the laugh Bill! I thought for sure I’d be laughing at your humor and not the result of all of the time you put into this film with your thoughts and direction.

PRAYING that God will connect Bill with those who actually understand Christianity sometime soon. PRAISING God for never changing, and being the answer for every curious life.

Last night Rhett and Link (internetainers – see their site here and watch live on the web every Thursday at 9pm EST) were in Ohio for a live concert, so I drove two hours to enjoy the show! They drew a crowd of around 60 and really put on a good show. Thanks to Steve and Brian for hosting these guys and all of us! They won one of R&L’s contests and the prize was a free concert at your home base. R&L were pretty glad the winners didn’t live too far across the globe from North Carolina. You can see a few more photos I shot of the evening over here. If you want to check it out, you can listen to an interview I did with the guys back in April of 2008 on the God’s Mac Podcast here.

It really is pretty amazing that these guys were headed into a career in engineering, but are now full time with their talents on the web. Last night showed that they’re really connected with their fan base. And the fan base is pretty diverse in age, a result of their show, music videos and songs being clean and enjoyable. You’ll definitely want to check out all of their media that is available on their site, and watch for the new stuff that shows up frequently. You’re guaranteed to laugh, and I’m guessing you’ll even enjoy their Thursday live shows just as much. Thanks to R&L for making the flight up here, and for the enjoyable Thursday evening!

PRAYING that God provides great opportunities for R&L in the future. PRAISING God for allowing us all to use our unique talents!