entertainment Archives

Hog Wild on the Trail to Vail

For years fitness experts have been urging Americans to eat right, get plenty of exercise, drink enough water to quench the thirst of a camel, and sleep at least seven hours a night. Why? To maintain a healthy lifestyle. While I totally agree those things are key, there’s another part of the equation that’s easy to overlook: Having fun with a hobby.

There’s something about enjoying a recreational activity–be it scrap booking, fishing on Saturday morning, wood working, or playing Monopoly with the kids–that does wonders for the human spirit.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, faith, friendship July 17, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Faith & Fast Cars

The last time I went to a NASCAR race, I was something like 14 years old. That’s back when NASCAR legend Richard “The King” Petty was burning up the tracks. Ten days ago, I was invited by Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) to witness the Sprint Showdown and the Sprint All-Star Race XXIV at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.. I had no idea I’d get to watch the 100 laps of heart-stopping action from the best seat in the house–on the infield!

Topics: Focus Events Tags: entertainment, events, kids May 28, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

There’s More To Life Than Winning

My dad was passionate about baseball.

As a young boy, I remember listening to my dad telling stories about the year he played for the Detroit Tigers. As I mention in my book FINDING HOME, there are two reasons why it’s a bit difficult to prove whether or not Dad actually wore the Tiger’s uniform for a season.

First, he’s dead. This, of course, complicates asking him any follow-up questions on the subject.

The second issue has to do with my last name.

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, events, pop culture, relationships May 12, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Mobile News & Movie Reviews

Has this happened to you?

It’s date night and you decide to see a movie. You’re standing in the ticket line tempted to see the movie everyone is talking about. You notice the larger-than-life posters swinging from the ceiling in the lobby heralding its release. Sure look interesting. But you remain uncertain. Far too often you’ve been disappointed by a friend’s recommendation. There’s been too much violence . . . more profanity than a gangsta rap record .

Topics: Focus Events Tags: entertainment, promos, technology May 7, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Be Our Guest

I enjoy starting my day with a fresh cup of Starbucks coffee – Grande vanilla latte, low fat, half caff, thank you very much. Not only do I enjoy the coffee, I’m blown away by their level of customer service. When I walk in the door of our local Starbucks, I’m still surprised that the barrister knows what I like to drink, what size cup I typically order, and even how hot to brew it for my taste – before I order!

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, family, staff April 9, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Toes in the Sand

There are nice beaches – and then there are really nice beaches.

During spring break my family and I discovered one of the most beautiful slices of sand and surf in the country – thanks to an extremely generous friend who gave us the gift of saying at their beach house. It’s a picturesque town called Seaside, located on the Florida panhandle halfway between Panama City and Pensacola. Forgive me if I sound like a travel agent, but Seaside will take your breath away.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, family, parenting, relationships April 8, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Applause of Heaven

The battle over who gets to compete for the coveted Super Bowl XLII ring comes down to how the Patriots, the Packers, the Chargers, and the Giants perform in the final playoff round. Personally, I had been pulling for the Colts to do a repeat performance of last season. After all, head coach Tony Dungy is such a class act, both on and off the field. He’s one of the best role models to come along in a long time.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, events, pop culture January 16, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Name That Christmas Carol – #1

Here’s a fun group activity a friend sent to me that you might enjoy using with the family over the Christmas holiday. The goal is to see who can identify the real song title from this list of twenty-one hints. You could divide the guests or family members into two teams or simply make it every person for him or her self. Maybe sweeten the pot with a White Elephant gift for the person or team who gets the most correct answers.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, events, technology December 22, 2007 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Doctor’s Order: No PlayStation

Jean and I were at a birthday party last week. While we dined with the adults, the boys were in another room with their peers enjoying kid-friendly food and games. One of the after dinner activities for the children was playing with a Wii (pronounced “We”). That’s the hot new video game console offered by Nintendo. As I learned, what sets Wii apart from other video games is a wireless controller that senses motion. This allows the gamers’ hand movements to interact with the on-screen action.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, family, kids, parenting, pop culture December 21, 2007 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Behind Bella

When was the last time you saw a movie at the theater with a pro-life theme? If you’re having trouble thinking of one, join the crowd. With all of their talk about celebrating diverse viewpoints, Hollywood filmmakers don’t appear to be comfortable portraying pro-life characters in a positive light. Which makes the movie Bella such a breath of fresh air. Although it debuted in limited release last weekend, Bella is an exceptional movie.

While you can read the full review of Bella at PluggedInOnline.com, I wanted to share the story behind the lead actor, Eduardo Verastegui.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, family November 1, 2007 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura