Guest Post on The Greatest Blog of All Time

I recently did a guest post over at Joseph Craven's The Greatest Blog of All Time. It's about superstition and sports. If you've got a few spare moments, go check it out:

How To Be A Sports Fan Lesson Four: Superstition

Seeking Help

I've seen it so many times in my life.

I've heard the excuses, the lies, the denial.

I've witnessed heads placed in sand, hoping that if the problem is ignored long enough, it will eventually go away. It's all wishful thinking, because problems don't go away on their own. Especially addiction problems.

Maybe it's the culture a person grew up in, or their desire to not be publicly embarrassed. Perhaps they feel that admitting they are addicted is a sign of weakness.

Whatever the reason, it's not enough. Addiction--to alcohol, drugs, food, whatever--will kill you. Whatever is holding you back, preventing you from seeking help, is not as important as living one more day. Your life matters.

You matter.

If you feel like there is no one to help, you are wrong. Ask your spouse. Your children. Your friends. Your coworkers. Drive to a hospital and ask for help. Scream at the top of your lungs in a crowded room if you must. I promise, you will find someone who cares.

Someone who believes you matter.

Here are some places to start:

http://www.aa.org

http://www.na.org/

Here's an interview I did with Bill Hanks, author of Serenity: It's a God Deal:

http://www.benzajdel.com/2013/01/interview-with-bill-hanks-author-of.html

Graduating from Sunday School

A few years ago, a friend and I were talking about writing some essays and he brought up one he called "Graduating from Sunday School." I don't know if he ever wrote that essay, but the idea has stuck with me over time.

It seems as if Christians spend a large amount of time training to help others and teach them about Jesus, but never actually go out and do the very things they've been learning at their church.

Too many churches expect their members to only attend Sunday School, Sunday morning worship, and small groups on Wednesday night. There is never any concern for those outside the church walls, for those who don't know anything about Jesus.

Members are told to read the latest book about evangelism, to attend marriage seminars and parenting conferences, to read their Bibles daily, and set aside a time for prayer. But there are no programs to help members reach out to their community, and few opportunities to welcome seekers into their church.

What is the point of all these books, Bible studies, conferences and seminars? If they are not utilized to spread the message of Jesus Christ, they are useless. The reason for all this studying is to tell others about the love of God, to feed the hungry, to heal the broken, and to proclaim the Gospel.

We all, of course, need refreshers from time to time. I am not against studying the Bible, attending a sermon, or reading the latest book. What I am saying is that you should not be only training. There should be a purpose behind your attendance in Sunday School.

It's time for Christians to put down their books and leave their church buildings. It's time to get our hands dirty and put our education to use.

It's time for us to graduate from Sunday School.

Road Trips and Late Night TV

About a dozen times every summer, the Texas Rangers take a road trip out to the West Coast to play the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Oakland Athletics, or the Seattle Mariners. Sometimes they take a week and a half long trip and play all three. Because of the time difference, the games start at 9pm in the Central Standard time zone, where I reside.

When this happens, I inevitably forget that the Rangers are playing. You know--out of sight, out of mind. Until I settle down to watch some TV around 9:30, start flipping channels, find the game and realize that it just started.

It's like discovering a little treat at the end of the day. Like finding a five dollar bill in your jacket pocket. I'll usually pour myself a glass of milk, grab a magazine or a book, then head to my room and watch the game from my bed.

And yes, 60% of the time I fall asleep while watching. I still love it.

I don't have a greater point or expect you to find this especially compelling. I just wanted to let you know about something I really, really love.

What little things give you joy?

Where Are They Now? (Sports Movie Edition)

Have you ever wondered what the stars of your favorite sports movies have been up to? I did some research on the youngest person to every start a major league game, the sixth grader who managed the Minnesota Twins, and Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn. Read on to find out what they've been doing the last few years.

Henry Rowengartner (Rookie of the Year)--After finding stunning success as a 12 year-old major league pitcher, Henry Rowengartner returned to middle school and continued his career at the middle school level. Without his irregularly healed shoulder injury, Rowengartner was never the same player. He tried pitching with normal teenage ability, but was never able to recapture the sizzling fastball he once displayed for the Chicago Cubs. He stopped playing baseball in tenth grade, when he failed to make the Junior Varsity baseball team.

But having tasted the thrill of being adored by millions, Rowengartner turned to acting, and after hard work and suffering through a role as a kid transported through time to King Arthur's court, he was able to land a semi-major role in a decent but completely juvenile movie involving apple pie that spawned a nauseating amount of sequels.

Chet Steadman (Rookie of the Year)--Henry Rowengartner's major league mentor, Chet Steadman retired after tearing his rotator cuff in the Cubs final game of the 1993 season. He dated Rowengartner's mother, Mary, for a short time after that season, but their relationship ended during the strike-shortened season of 1994. Steadman tried his hand at a broadcasting career, but eventually reached a dead-end in that profession due to claims of unprofessionalism related to alcoholism. He is currently the host of a web show in which he rants about current baseball events and how that "Rozengurter kid" was the best of all time.

Jerry Maguire (Jerry Maguire)--Jerry Maguire is still happily married to Dorothy Boyd-Maguire. Their son Ray is a Jeopardy champion and Rhodes Scholar. Maguire is still a sports agent, though his only current client is Mike Trout, for whom he is unable to negotiate a fair market contract, leaving Trout vastly underpaid. It is an almost unanimous opinion among baseball executives that Trout will dump Maguire for Scott Boras as soon as he is arbitration eligible.

Rod Tidwell (Jerry Maguire)--Rod Tidwell played out the rest of his career with the Arizona Cardinals and then began a career in broadcasting. In 2010 he was placed on paid leave by ESPN after screaming "Show me the money!" at Skip Bayless for five straight minutes during First Take. He returned a few months later after rest and mandated emotional therapy. He is currently an analyst on the NFL Network.

"Steamin' Willie Beamen (Any Given Sunday)--Willie Beamen played in the AFFA for eight years, never reaching the potential he showed during the 2001 season for the Miami Sharks. Beamen led the Sharks to the Pantheon Cup Championship that season but lost to San Fransisco. When Miami failed to offer him an extension on his expiring contract, Beamen followed former Sharks coach Tony D'Amato to the Alburquerque Aztecs, where he played for four years.

Injuries slowed his growth as a quarterback, as Beamen only played in 34 out of a possible 64 games for the Aztecs. They never made the playoffs during Beamen and D'Amato's tenure there. Beamen finished his career with the Dallas Knights, spending time as a backup and the occasional "wildcat" threat. After his two year contract ended with the Knights, no other team made him an offer. He spent some time as a sideline reporter for Fox Sports, and is currently a prominent member of Deion Sanders' entourage.

Billy Heywood (Little Big League)--Still majority owner of the Twins, Heywood has stepped away from the spotlight and left the managing up to the pros. He has become heavily involved in charity work (like giving $100 million to Joe Mauer's knees) while earning his PhD in business. There are persistent rumors that he sabotaged Ken Griffey Jr.'s career by convincing Junior that stretching and exercise were not necessary for a successful career in baseball, all in retaliation for the star centerfielder catching Lou Collins almost-homer that would have sent the Twins to the 1993 ALCS. These rumors have never been verified.

Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn (Major League)--Vaughn found average success as a major league pitcher, but was never able to be the ace that led his team to a World Series victory. Never suited for the media, Vaughn never pursued a career as a baseball analyst. He did have a short stint as pitching coach for the minor league Buffalo Bisons, but was soon out of baseball due to anger issues. He is currently serving a prison sentence for intentionally hitting Crash Davis in the head during an Old Timers' game. Davis sustained brain damage as a result and has never been the same since, going on to a career in film that involves disasters such as The Postman and Open Range.

Pedro Cerrano (Major League)--Cerrano retired from baseball in 2003 and began a successful career as an Allstate Insurance agent.

Willie Mays Hayes (Major League)--Hayes retired from baseball in 2005, finishing second all-time in steals, 17th in runs scored. He is currently an analyst for ESPN's Baseball Tonight and is well-regarded throughout media circles as a rising star. There are, however, rumors that Hayes is mentally unstable, and he considers himself a half vampire-half human hybrid charged with eradicating the vampire race from Earth. This stems from a 2010 aggravated assault charge in which Hayes attacked a group of teenagers waiting in line for an installment of the Twilight movie series. Amateur video from the incident show Hayes waving a crossbow made from a baseball bat at the victims as he screamed "Pale-faced bloodsuckers! Ain't no room for Draculas here in America!"

Buy Better Gas

For the longest time, I bought the cheapest gas I could find. By my calculations, ten cents less per gallon added up to a whole lot of savings over the course of a year. I was wrong. I went through three fuel pumps (it didn't help that I let my tank get down to almost empty every time), which is a pretty costly repair.

After doing some better math, I figured out that lowest priced gas is not always the best bargain. Let me show you:

Currently, the cheapest gas in my neighborhood is at a local grocery store and sells regular unleaded for $3.46 per gallon. I have a 20 gallon tank, so from almost completely empty, it would cost me $69.20 to fill up.

$3.46 X 20 = $69.20

That's a decent price right now. It's three cents cheaper than the next competitor, a warehouse club store. Unfortunately, this gas makes both my vehicles hesitate while idling and kills my acceleration. Just those two things alone let me know the gasoline from this grocery store probably has some junk in it. And that junk will eventually clog my fuel pump, injector, and lines.

I have found that name brand gasolines are a little better quality. Shell is one that has worked great for me in the past. I can distinctly tell a difference in the way my engine runs when I fill up with Shell gasoline. But it is a little more pricey. The Shell station in my neighborhood currently sells regular unleaded for $3.57 per gallon. That's 11 cents more per gallon than the grocery store gas station.

The math, however, will show that it's really not worth saving those 11 cents. The cost of filling up my 20 gallon tank at Shell?

$3.57 X 20 = $71.40

That's only a savings of $2.20. But it will add up over the year, you say. Will it? If you filled up once a week for an entire year, you would manage to save $114.40. That's a pretty significant chunk of money.

What is also a significant chunk of money is the cost of a new fuel pump, which averages between $150-$200 for just the part. And the majority of people are going to have to head to the auto repair shop, because most fuel pumps are located inside the gas tank. Cars must be jacked up high enough to drop the tank, and most people don't have the tools (or knowledge) to do this at home. But just the price of the fuel pump itself outweighs the savings from the cheap gas.

I'm not saying you'll have to replace your fuel pump every year if you buy cheaper gas. What I am saying is that the gas you buy matters, especially if you plan on keeping your vehicle for a long time. Cheap gas is usually filled with by-products and gunk that will clog your fuel system. So before you make a habit of filling up at that discount station, make sure you know the quality of the gas they sell.

Also, here's a website that helps you find the best gas prices in your area. I've provided the website for Texas, because it's where I live (and the best state in the Union. Not an opinion. Fact.). But there is a site for every state.

http://www.texasgasprices.com/index.aspx

Coffee Bars for Bookstores

I'm no expert on business, but in my opinion, in today's market, bookstores must have a coffee bar inside. We can say that we love bookstores (and I do, a lot), but we also have to recognize what the current market looks like. Traditional bookstores are a thing of the past.

If any bookstore wants to compete with online book sellers, they have to transform their store into a third place. What is a third place? It's a that place between home and work. It's where people get together to meet and hang out, have a beer or a coffee, and in general have conversations.

You can't get a third place on the Internet (at least not yet). This is where bookstores can step up and meet an area of need in their communities. This, however, means transforming your business model from selling books to selling ambiance and atmosphere.

The idea would be to sell high margin coffee and food items to make up for the obvious lack of book sales. This "third place" bookstore would have ample, comfortable seating, which would mean less selling space. Bookshelves would be at a minimum, as would the number of titles carried. Only the bestselling books or those that are brand new would be stocked. This seems counter-intuitive, but remember: this bookstore no longer sells books. It sells the comfort of meeting friends, family, and coworkers on neutral ground.

The important thing to take away from this is that customers no longer need to go to a bookstore to get the book they want. In fact, with so many books being published these days it is almost impossible for any brick-and-mortar establishment to carry all the books customers would request. The idea is that customers will come to the bookstore as their third place and while there buy high margin items.

What do you think? Can bookstores survive only selling books?