What We've Been Up To
This month we've had two big things happen. First, the World Cup started and I've been really getting into it. Thanks to ESPN3.com I've been able to stream almost all the games on my computer. At first Jessi thought I was nuts for being so enthusiastic about the tournament. However, over time it's begun to rub off on her. Now she gets up early (7am is early for her!) and watches the games with me. It's fun to have someone I can cheer with. She finally got enough soccer fever that we went out and bought a soccer ball so we could kick it around. If I'm lucky, I might even get her to join my indoor soccer team! I also found out I'm going to be in Germany during the final match. I'm looking forward to being in a place where soccer is the main sport.
We also went to Denver. Univera held it's annual convention there this year and we won free tickets. It was fun to see all of our business partners again. We talk on the phone a lot, but it's nice to see, and hug, people every once in a while. Jessi's family also lives in Colorado, so we were table to spend some time with them. That was a lot of fun! Since we were in Colorado, Jessi was able to spend Father's Day with her dad which was really special.
Interesting Articles
I'm in the data business for HP. I primarily work with numbers and use data to help HP's managers make better decisions. So, this article about data and it's impact on journalism caught my eye. Basically, governments and organizations are slowly opening up their data to the world. With all this abundance of data, a new need arises: the need to curate and make sense of it all. Often times data hounds will try to get into marketing or finance, however it appears journalism could be an interesting frontier for data junkies.
Now that I eat and living healthier, I've grown attached to the idea of also having plants in our house for the benefit of producing clean air. It seems like a practical solution for someone, like myself, who spends way too much time inside working. The question becomes though, which plants do more than just look pretty? In 2009 there was TED talk about three specific plants. Here's the presentation:
Jessi is in love with the idea of buying any kind of plant. So this summer we're going to start getting them. This month I learned about 12 more plants that, according to NASA, also help clean the air. It's very fascinating and I recommend checking out the list.
Notable Tech
This month I got to use Eventbright for the first time. It's an online service that allows you to post an event, create tickets, and have people purchase them. It's super slick because Eventbright handles all the backend information like who's attending, how many tickets you've sold, how much you've made, and so much more. The interface for posting your event is also very simple. Perhaps one of the small, but useful features is the ability to create a custom, easily memorize-able, url for your event. Finally, Eventbright makes their money by charging a small percent off of each ticket sold. So, if your event is free, so is the service. The next time you're putting together and event, I recommend checking it out. It's definitely more professional than Evite.
A Video I Liked
Like last month, I'd like to share an inspirational video I watched. It's Nick Vujicic talking about his life. (link)
Bible Story
Finally, I'd like to leave you with this Bible story. I read it this month and really like the creativity and wisdom Solomon uses to solve the conflict.
1 Kings 3:16-28
A Wise Ruling
Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. One of them said, "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me.
The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.
"During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast.
The next morning, I got up to nurse my son-and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne."
The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours."
But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued before the king.
The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.' "
Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king.
He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other."
The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!"
But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"
Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."
When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.
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