Daniel Dessinger

Month: July 2010

  • Attractions That No Longer Exist in DFW

    Today I happened across a forum discussion about a DFW attraction that no longer exists, and it kickstarted a chain reaction of memories. Here are a few attractions that no longer exist, but were once a BIG deal in DFW:

    Sesame Place (now a Walmart on Esters and Airport Freeway in Irving) – theme park with tons of activities for kids.

    International Wildlife Park (Grand Prairie) – flooded twice in 1989. 200+ acre preserve that was located directly across Beltline from the Race Track in Grand Prairie.

    Casa Bonita (Hulen Mall, Fort Worth) – only the coolest Mexican restaurant EVER.

    White Water – Water park now a Ford dealership on northwest corner of I-30 and Beltline in Grand Prairie.

    What else have I forgotten?

    Beltline Station (Hwy 183 and Beltline Rd in Irving) – Go carts, arcade, and batting cages. Possibly also mini golf. Very similar to Putt Putt Golf and Games, I think.

  • Why Do I Lose the Revelation I Share?

    One of the greatest frustrations in my adult life has been the mystery and consequence of sharing prematurely. A revelation hits me, I get excited, I immediately turnand share it with someone else, and by tomorrow, it’s gone. Completely forgotten. This life-changing revelation has disappeared. And it’s no coincidence. It happens over and over and over and over again. I think God is showing me why:

    Parable of the Sower

    “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

    The Parable Explained

    “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

    The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

    Being the Wrong Type of Soil

    I’ve noticed that when I quickly share a new insight or revelation, I lose the benefit of that very thing. I’m so excited to have had the thought, that I immediately want to share it with someone else – usually someone I think needs to hear it more than I do. I share it with someone, who inevitably pats me on the head with verbal praise and/or appreciation, and I walk away satisfied. This is the problem.

    Jesus addressed this concept in Matthew 6:16-18

    When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

    Fasting is an act of humility and contrition. It is a humbling of oneself by choosing to go without food either due to overwhelming sorrow or in collaboration with daily prayers earnestly seeking the Lord for something.

    Motive is EVERYTHING

    But there were people in Jesus’ day who played it up to get attention. They WANTED everyone to know they were fasting so that they’d be seen as holier and more respectable for their discipline. Jesus says that they’ve already received their reward in full. They put on a show and got the admiration and respect of the people. In other words, the outward display was a front for the true intention of getting public recognition.

    The BETTER way is to get dressed and groomed and behave as though you are NOT fasting, so that your heart is certainly NOT focused on getting men’s attention, but rather God’s. If we choose to sacrifice and humble ourselves for God, He will reward us. If we do it to perform for men, they will reward us. It’s a question of whom we want to give us a reward.

    Which Soil Am I?

    I’m still trying to decide which type of soil this describes. I think sharing revelation too quickly makes me the rocky soil. I am the man “who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time.”

    Are you tracking with me? In my mind, these two passages of Scripture are intertwined in my experience. I’ve become the rocky soil because I share the word too quickly and fail to develop deep roots. I am at risk of falling away at the point of trouble or persecution. I wish Jesus had explained what the rocks symbolize. Save that for another prayer. In the meantime, I have a dilemma.

    To Blog or To Grow?

    Have I arrived at the wrong conclusion? I don’t think so. When a revelation comes, I have two choices: write it in my journal, or write it on my blog. Which will I choose? I don’t have the energy to write it twice. By the time I get a thought out, I’m done. I’m wiped. I have two choices, and this is why I sometimes regret that I ever started blogging. If I’d just stuck with my journals, I’d have a ton more content and I’d theoretically be simmering a lot more revelation. But my 6+ blogs have drained the life out of me. And yet, I can’t abandon all of them. All but two, maybe. But not all.

    Maybe it’s a mood swing. That’s very possible. Maybe I’ll see it differently tomorrow. But for now, I look at my life, and I wonder: should I be blogging at all?

    Father, show me the answer. Show me how to blog and not give away the seeds I should be holding.

  • I Meditate on Your Wonders

    Let me understand the teaching of your precepts*;
    then I will meditate on your wonders.

    Psalm 119:27

    One of the ways I want to grow, Father, is by meditating on Your wonders. Your great deeds tell me about who You are. I can see how You’ve responded to the cry of Your children in times past. And since You are unchanging, what I learn about you from the past is who You are today.

    Your wonders are marvelous


    When I meditate on your wonders, I most often reflect on the universe. I picture seemingly infinite space. I see planets, comets, stars, galaxies. Such beauty as one could only imagine. You are the God who created such beauty as could never be replicated by another.

    This is one aspect of who You are.

    I confess that I have a little trouble with Your immutability (never changing), because You also commanded the Israelites to kill man, woman, and child in the cities of the promised land. It’s hard to say and fully believe You are the same God who would do this, yet who later says He wills that none should perish.

    I’ve heard speculation as to Your motives. I don’t know exactly what I believe. Some things I just don’t understand. I’m not throwing out the baby with the bath water. I’m not discarding my faith in You because of a paradox. But I would benefit from deeper comprehension. Teach me of Your ways, O Lord.

    You called yourself my Father. You see me as Your son. It is one thing to ponder Your creation, but there is so much more to Your wonders. So much more. Show me Your wonders, Father. Cause them to pass before my focused attention so that I may perceive Your nature and Your character.

    Demonstrations of Power

    But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.

    And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed.

    Exodus 3:19-21

    Father, You performed such wonders before Egypt’s pharaoh and the Your people in the days of Moses. You demonstrated Your power – Your supremacy over any gods the Egyptians worshipped. You gave testimony to Your own omnipotence.

    Show us throughout Scripture other great examples of Your wonders. Remind us of Your wonders in our own lives. That we may see you with new eyes. With fresh understanding. With renewed hope and trust.

    *Precept – a commandment or direction given as a rule of action or conduct; an injunction as to moral conduct; maxim; a procedural directive or rule, as for the performance of some technical operation.

  • danielthepoet’s 102nd Picture

    no, i don’t believe in eating our young.

  • danielthepoet’s 101st Picture

    watching ourselves on dailybooth… because we can. and it’s friday.

  • For the Love of God, Host Your Own Blog

    It’s Friday, and time to hand out a single tip for amateur bloggers. There’s plenty to glean from the daily crush, but today is my own personal case study: to see if beginner tips are still needed. We’re going to start simple and work our way up. So let’s start at the very beginning.

    Twitter Search Enlightened Me

    I try to answer questions floating around on Twitter from all sorts of people. Questions about blogging. Anything from “Why don’t I get more traffic? I thought this blog thing was going to be easy!” to “Why can’t I change the style of XYZ on my blog?” After pulling up their profiles and clicking links to blogs, I found that 80% of the questions I run across are asked by people blogging on third-party blog platforms.

    Host Your Own Blog

    1. Register a Domain

    2. Create a Hosting Account

    3. Upload WordPress 3.0

    4. Import Existing Blog Posts

    If you’re still using free blogging solutions like WordPress.com, Blogspot, or TypePad, you won’t always be able to implement these Friday tips or the other ideas you might catch from some of the blog crushes featured here. Some of them simply cannot be implemented until you have full control over your blog.

    So if you’re serious… if you will commit to blogging at least three times a week for the next six months… be a good little blogger, scrounge up $9/yr for a domain. I recommend using Moniker for domain registrar. The spend $5/mo for hosting. I recommend HostGator. Most affordable hosting solutions have a simple WordPress installation button. Look in your dashboard. It’s really simple.

    Why Spend Money on My Blog If It Won’t Make Money?

    There are no guarantees you will make money on your blog. But that’s not why you should take the time to blog or spend the money on hosting and domains. If blogging is important to you, be the best blogger you can be.

    No one takes a third-party blog seriously. Your friends might visit, but it’s very difficult for a free blog to gain steam beyond your closest friends and family.

    Why? Because you’re using a crappy template and your domain name says randomblogtitle.blogspot.com. That’s a mouthful! It’s not memborable. A memorable domain name will stick in people’s minds. It’ll also look better on a business card. Trust me. Business cards are a good idea. Even if you’re not a business.

    The Cardinal Rule

    If you don’t care about your blog, why should anyone else? Never forget that. If it’s completely bland without character or voice, DON’T host your own blog. Use the free third-party platform. You won’t care about it, and neither will anyone else.

    But if it matters to you… if you have something to say… make it something worth visiting.

    You’re Killin’ Me, Smallz

    If you refuse this foundational advice, you can still benefit from my site… just not as much as you COULD. You’ll still get tips on writing, voice, and most importantly examples of bloggers who do it well. But if I’m going to care about HOW I write, I wouldn’t waste my killer content on a forgettable, subpar blogspot template. But that’s  just me.

  • Restoring Life to the Desert… Literally

    “So we went in and had a look and thought, Oh no! This is the end of the earth! This is like as hard as you can get. This is hyper arid. And it’s ten acres of almost dead flat. Completely salted landscape, 400 meters below sea level. The lowest place on earth. 2 kilometers from the Dead Sea. About 2 kilometers from where Jesus was christened. Hardly got any rainfall. Temperatures in August that go over 50 degrees Centigrade…”

    See the amazing video below…
    (more…)

  • Phandroid.com: Show Me The Apps!

    Name ONE blog you find so attractive that you would visit often even if the subject matter changed.

    I must confess: if this were a blog about tooth decay, I would still visit often to see the design. What can I say? I’m a sucker for these stunning color combinations. Luckily for me, Phandroid is a blog about one of my favorite things: the Google Android OS and devices.

    If there is a perfect shade of blue, I’ve found it here. Seriously. I don’t know if I’m the only one, but I can literally stare at this site for minutes at a time and not really even read anything.

    Logo and Brand

    The brand name itself is clever. Fans of Android? Check. And let’s be honest. Don’t we think “Phandroid” is a much cooler alternative to “Fandroid”? Just being slightly less obvious is clever. Or it seems clever. Whatever.

    To create a memorable logo, Phandroid started with the now conventional form of the Google Android. Then, they personalized it. Adding a wink and a smile, Phandroid and I are suddenly friends. Not friends only, but sharers of secrets. Insider secrets. Secrets most people won’t know for at least another week. Then you add the arms, and he’s holding – no, hugging – the name. Maybe I can’t describe it fully. But it’s good. And I like it!

    Color scheme is great. The perfect two-toned blue with the perfect two-toned tan. There are no words. Just go look and stare.

    Advertisements

    I’m not usually a big fan of top page banner ads. They usually overwhelm the site’s much smaller logo. Not here. Each time I refresh, the top banner ad is a bright contrasting color that only serves to provide further color contrast. Well done. It doesn’t hurt that the logo is such a deep, rich blue either. A grayscale image (like I often employ) would be swallowed up in comparison. But the blue phandroid fits wonderfully.

    At present I count three ads on the home page. Top banner, wide/short sidebar, and skyscraper sidebar. Not at all intrusive or annoying. I wonder, however, how much money those ads yield, or if their primary source of revenue stems from the accessories store.

    Navigation

    I’ve always been a proponent for secondary and tertiary drop-down navigation. I like knowing that I can find the precise page I’m looking for without having to click one or two more times first. But in Phandroid’s case, I’ll gladly make an exception. The double nav bars work wonderfully when you have a clear and attractive distinction between them.

    SEO

    Title Tags – Take a look at the home page title tag: “Android Phone”. That’s it? Really? At first thought, I’m thinking these Phandroid fellasare seriously failing to take advantage of the Title Tag real estate for ranking purposes. Then I do a Google search. #1 result for “Android Phone”? Yep… Phandroid.com. Huh. Not only does the singularity of their title tag communicate a greater relevance upon that one phrase, it looks really cool in the SERPs. Imagine doing a search for “Android Phone” and the #1 result looks like this: “Android Phone – Android Blog – Android News” or something like that. You may know more precisely what all is contained in that site. Maybe that’s a selling point for some. But then again, if what you see is “Android Phone”, are you more likely to assume that this site is the definitive place to learn about Android phones? I think they come across as more elite this way.

    Content

    I could go on and on about how I like every little aspect of the site’s design, but that would drive some of you away before you even know if it’s worth reading. When it comes to content, this site is definitely geared toward the technophile. Obviously. But seriously. They cover every bit of news about every single Android phone on the market or coming to the market. I don’t know about you, but I’m only going to buy ONE phone every couple years (thanks to contracts). I’m somewhat curious about the innovations made in new phones coming out, but a solid 70% of the content on Phandroid is NOT geared toward me. And I think I’m not unusual this time.

    I think Phandroid’s approach to content PREVENTS them from being a daily read to the majority of their readers. I’m betting that since they cover EVERY phone, they get a lot of Incredible owners, Evo 4G owners, CLIQ owners, G1 owners, and Droid owners who only skim most of the titles for something that applies to them: whether that be a comparison of phones, updates to their phone, or news on something amazing coming soon. But the minutiae? I know I don’t need to know that much.

    Who is their core audience?

    That’s THE question. I’m sure the Phandroid writers could answer that question very succinctly. Either they’re marketing a little of their weekly content to EVERYONE with a smartphone and an interest or they’re marketing ALL of their content to a much smaller core of developers. And as it stands, perhaps these two demographics combine to make up their whole target audience. If so, I suppose they’re quite effective.

    Kudos for Open Comments

    Though it’s not a HUGE deal, I’m so annoyed by another Android blog (to remain unnamed) who requires membership to comment that I want to give kudos to Phandroid for keeping comments open to the public. I’m one of those people (as I mentioned in my last post) who won’t take the time to sign up or login to leave a comment. So I’ll probably never comment on sites like Lifehacker, SEOMoz, or AndroidCentral.

    I might have to revisit and rewrite once I graduate from my ridiculous CLIQ to a real Android phone, like the Incredible or Evo 4G (or whatever comes out by year’s end). Once I’m using a phone that doesn’t suck, I’ll probably find Android news more fascinating.

    The ONE thing I Would Change

    Probably the most universally interesting aspects to the Android OS are the apps. There are no doubt a dozen if not a hundred apps out there I’ve never used because I’ve never heard of them. Phandroid has an App section of the site, but it’s not part of the blog. It’s more of a database of apps and user ratings. And you know what? I NEVER use that part of the site. Because if I’ve never heard of the app, I wouldn’t know what to look for. Want to REALLY impress me and bring me back to the site several times per day? Showcase new apps with detailed reviews ON THE BLOG. I will be here all the time. I promise.

    My suggestion: create a separate tag cloud or categories for app verticals, so they can be divided into categories, and start blogging about the apps. That’s what I want to read. Yes, there are people who specifically want to search for social networking apps, or arcade game apps, or life-saving time-saving Lifehacker approved apps. But that’s not me. I want to stumble across new and interesting apps I’d never have heard of any other way except I was visiting the Phandroid site and I saw this amazing app in detail right there on the blog.

    If you want to seriously increase pageviews, give it a shot. Review 2-3 apps per day: morning, afternoon, and evening. I know I’ll be there to read them.

    Daily Crush:

    4.25 of 5

  • Restoring Life to the Desert… Literally

    “So we went in and had a look and thought, Oh no! This is the end of the earth! This is like as hard as you can get. This is hyper arid. And it’s ten acres of almost dead flat. Completely salted landscape, 400 meters below sea level. The lowest place on earth. 2 kilometers from the Dead Sea. About 2 kilometers from where Jesus was christened. Hardly got any rainfall. Temperatures in August that go over 50 degrees Centigrade…”

    See the amazing video after the jump.

    Read Article on RenewMyMind.com

  • Restoring Life to the Desert… Literally

    “So we went in and had a look and thought, Oh no! This is the end of the earth! This is like as hard as you can get. This is hyper arid. And it’s ten acres of almost dead flat. Completely salted landscape, 400 meters below sea level. The lowest place on earth. 2 kilometers from the Dead Sea. About 2 kilometers from where Jesus was christened. Hardly got any rainfall. Temperatures in August that go over 50 degrees Centigrade…”

    See the amazing video after the jump.

    Geoff Lawton of the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia

    “Everybody farming under plastic strips. Everybody spray, spray, spray. Everybody’s putting synthetic fertilizer on. Overgrazed with goats. Just like maggots eating the flesh down to the bones of the country. Literally like maggots, giant maggots, eating it to nothing.

    So we designed a system that would harvest every single bit of rainwater that fell on it. On ten acres. That’s one and a half kilometers of swell, water harvesting ditch on contour. And when they’re full, one million liters of water soak into the landscape. And they’ll fill quite a few times over a winter. And then we heavily mulch those swells with organic matter which was trash from organic fields nearby.

    Life in the Desert

    “We put that almost half a meter deep. So we saved that, and mulched the swells, which were about two meters wide and half a meter deep on the trench. Then we put micro irrigation underneath the mulch. And then on the uphill side of the water harvesting trench, we put nitrogen fixing very hardy pioneer desert trees, which help shade and reduce wind evaporation, and help put nitrogen back into the soil. And structure the soil for us. And then on the lower side of the trench, we put fruit trees. Major date palms as the long-term over story. Then we put in figs, pomegranates, mulberries, guavas, now some citrus. Within four months,  we had figs a meter high, with figs on, which is impossible.

    We trained up some locals, got a translator who has a degree in agriculture in Jordan University. He got onto his mates in the agriculture department and said, ‘Well, you couldn’t grow figs. We’ve grown figs. You better come test the soil. No matter what you say, we’re either growing in salty soil what shouldn’t be growing, or we’ve desalted the soil. And we’d like to know what we’ve done.’ They came in, and the salt levels were dropping, and they became interested…”

    This is amazing. Many thanks to Geoff Lawton and staff for providing us with such an amazing and inspiring example of restorative stewardship.

    Just One of Many Applications

    You might wonder why you’re watching a fascinating video on restoring barren salty desert into lush green life giving soil.

    “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

    I was severely tempted to make this a very spiritual post, about our “mandate” to subdue the earth and what not. But that’s artificial. That’s not where I’m coming from.

    My REAL purpose in posting this is to share where we’re at as a family. There’s a family vision being formed which includes, but is not limited to, stewardship of the earth. When I saw this video, I got excited. I want to do this. It’s not ALL I want to do, but I want to be part of transforming a piece of this planet into something lush, thriving, and beautiful.

    Those of you who know me know that, these days, I’m more of a thinker than a get-your-hands-dirty kind of guy. But it’s almost as though I recognize a call from the earth to reconnect to it in a way I never have before, but was intended to.