Michael Jackson - Thriller

by jason cupp on January 3, 2009

So, I’m doing laundry, trying to burn the house down by not turning off the stove, and getting ready for a business trip, when I sit down and start cruising through the new ATT U-Verse On-Demand offerings.  I realize that VH1 has a pretty decent list of old-school music videos, including weirdo Michael Jackson doing Thriller.

Now, I realize I was a product of the 80’s, and was like 10 when this video came out, but wow….  I watched this for the first time in like 20 years, and I thought, “Michael Jackson was a freak show back then, too” - I mean, just take a look at what he looked like at the beginning of the video, then when he turned into a zombie, then 25 years afterwards when they did a re-do or something like that to pay for his “whatever his issue” is at the time….

Apparently, MJJ has made a deal with YouTube to not let anyone embed the video, so click here to see the shortened version.  He’s a freak.

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Elf Yourself Merry Christmas Video…

by jason cupp on December 29, 2008

So you ever wonder what my family does on Christmas? Well, we sit at the computer and make funny videos. This one, starring my cousins, Melissa and Chris, their dog Vader, my mom Marsha and myself, I think is pretty funny. Enjoy. Oh, and Merry Christmas!

Sadly, I had to take the link down because, for whatever reason, it was modifying the look of my blog. Here is a screenshot, below, and the link the video. It’s only good until Jan 15th anyway…

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61 degrees for the high; 4 degrees for the low

by jason cupp on December 15, 2008

It’s so stupid its funny.  Oh, and we got snow and ice here in Kansas City today.

That’s right, this afternoon it was 61 Degrees, now it’s 7 Degrees, with a low of 4 Degrees.

Mother Nature, you’re funny.  Like WKRP in Cincinnati funny.

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Happy Birthday, Uncle Marty

by jason cupp on December 10, 2008

I’m good for a deep cry several times a year - last night right before bed was no exception… It was the crack of Midnight, and my Outlook popped up the list of stuff for today, and the first thing was that it is my Uncle Marty’s birthday. Unfortunately, we don’t get to celebrate with him. As most of you know who is close to my family, Marty’s life was cut short - unexpectedly - a year and a half ago.

For his service, I did a video on my computer that outlined his life. I tried to upload it overnight so I could put it in this blog entry, but it was just too big (100MB), and I’m not smart enough to make it smaller so it’s an easier upload… But, I watched the video late last night, laying on my bed crying - thinking about what an incredible impact Marty had on my entire family - from his laugh, to his smile, to his encouraging word.

I know there are a few out there who will get this entry emailed to them, and it will likely cause them to do the same thing - cry.

Although I truly miss Marty, and everything that he is, I know he is proud of us as a family - for what we’ve attempted to overcome, what we’ve realized about ourselves, and most importantly, that his legacy truly does live on.

I miss you, Uncle Marty. I love you.

Happy Birthday.

(Uncle Marty with his children, my cousins, Ryan and Melissa)

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lawnandlandscape.tv

by jason cupp on December 8, 2008

Recently, industry magazine Lawn and Landscape uploaded some video interviews that they did at GIC in October in Louisville.  On the first day of our trade show, I was the opening interview with Magazine Editor and friend Cindy Code. 

I talked about everything from the trade show, to our industry, to the economy, to the effect its having on my own business. We also spent some time talking about PLANET business.

Here is the interview:

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Coldplay and Michael Stipe on Austin City Limits

by jason cupp on December 7, 2008

Growing up, I absolutely loved REM.   Unfortunately, they haven’t been that grand in these last many years, but some of the greatest memories of my high school career included the band REM…  I’ve written several times about the band…

I spent part of my Sunday afternoon catching up on some Tivo - Colplay was the most recent record.  I’ve also written about Coldplay, in what was, and still is the best video I’ve seen in my MTV lifetime.

That said, I was pretty excited (and even predicted as they were leading into it) that Coldplay invited R.E.M lead singer Michael Stipe to join them on stage for a few songs.  It was awesome!

The first song was a Joseph Arthur cover called In The Sun - pretty powerful lyrics.  This is the first time I’ve heard this song, even though I realized it’s been used in several different television shows and movies… I later found that Michael Stipe started a foundation for Gulf Coast victims from Hurricane Rita and Katrina named In The Sun Foundation.  Visit their website here.

The second song was R.E.M. favorite, Nightswimming.  Another incredible song from my past that means something…

See the lyrics from In The Sun here and the lyrics from Nightswimming here.

Enjoy the vids!

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Tired of Waxing?

by jason cupp on December 5, 2008

YES I AM!

Well, how can you be tired of something when you’ve actually never done it?  This implies I wax.  I laugh a lot at the ads on Facebook - this is one of them…  and the fact that they are giving $5,000 in free services, does that mean that you could actually spend $5,000 on hair removal treatments?  Let’s be honest…. is it really worth that much?  And why would you want to do it in the first place?  Gheeesh.

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Happy Birthday Mom!

by jason cupp on December 3, 2008

Thanks for letting me be your son all these years!

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So, if you are my friend on Facebook, you know that my hot water heater has been slowly dying…  On mornings where I run out of hot water, I usually put some crazy message up on my FB page.  I know.  I know.  TMI.

Well, it’s on its last leg, where you can barely take a shower without it turning crazy-cold by the end.  So, on T’Giving, I talked to everyone about getting a replacement.  Chris and Melissa said that Derek, their best buddy, might have some experience, and I could probably bribe him with a case of cranberry juice.  Sounds like a deal.  I hear Costco has great deals on cases of cranberry juice.

Anyway, my dad and I planned to go to Home Depot tonight to check them out.  He’s kind of a funny type of micro-manager in situations like this.  (I should tell you about when my garage door opener broke a few years ago…  oh my gosh, priceless)….  Anyway, we planned to meet after we both ended our day, but I got stuck behind this lady in the drive through at the bank that I swear deposited $17.2 Million all in quarters.  Ridiculous - I was behind her for 15 minutes!  Grrrrr.  (Maybe we can send all those quarters to Ford, Chrysler, and GM to help in the bailout!)

So, I was running late, and dad called and I let him know…  I get to the Home Depot, and I’m cruising through the parking lot and I see this homeless man sitting in the cold (we are supposed to get snow tomorrow) on this retaining wall in the front of Home Depot.  A closer look and I see it’s one C. W. Cupp, otherwise known as Chuck Wagon to my close friends.  He’s sitting, shivering, legs crossed, jacket pulled tight, looking like he should have a cardboard sign that says “wil werk for fuud”….   Hilarious.  Dad, you crack me up.

I pull up quickly, put PLANET pal Sabeena on hold, and snap this picture.

Now a close look at this picture makes it funnier.  He’s sitting on a freaking Pavestone display!  We are Belgard’s biggest installer in Kansas City (or so they tell us this) - dang it dad.  If you’re gonna represent the ‘ole company in a bad economy, at least sit on a retaining wall in the cold that we sell.  What would the paparazzi say?  Gheesh.   LOL.

When I asked CW about what was going on, his response…  “Well, I’m in the cold all day long, so its not really that big of a deal…”  - Making it sound like he’s on one of our snow crews.  He works at a car dealership, in a heated building.  ????   Sorry, but I don’t get it.  :)

Last hit…  Classic CW quote on Thanksgiving:

Me:  Dad, what is your favorite comdey on TV?

CW:  Probably China Beach or Hill Street Blues

Uhm, first.  Those shows are not on TV anymore.  Second, not sure they are comedies.  Of course, this came when Melissa and I are doing Family Guy quotes and showing YouTube clips on our iPhones, and everyone was cracking up, but dad sat there stonefaced, totally focused on beating us at Yahtzee.  Guess what I did then?  I threw the dice in his pumpkin pie.  :)  Dad, I love you!

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I’m Thankful. “Words to Build a Life On”

by jason cupp on November 27, 2008

I’m not sure I can even eloquently write how thankful I am this year.  Honestly, this year has been one of the best and hardest ever, but I’m truly thankful for so much.  I just changed my Facebook Status to say “Jason is celebrating Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for so much this year - family and friends at the top of the list… I’m different without you.”  I am different without my incredible community of friends…  from all areas of life…

Last weekend, I attended Vox Dei Community with my best buds Ed and Kyle - they had a CD available for sale there from the Jacob’s Well, which, for a variety of reasons (some legitimate, some not) I haven’t been to for a long time…  the CD was recorded there, with Mike Crawford as the lead.  You can read a lot better assessment of it on Tim Keel’s blog.  (There is a link within Tim’s entry if you want to buy it…) - That said, I bought the CD at Vox Dei that morning.

The song, Words to Build a Life On, captivates my thoughts this Thanksgiving.  It causes me to cry.  Cry because I’m thankful, and cry because I know I’m stifled in my life right now.

These are words to build a life on
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words I want them to be mine

Blessed are the poor
Blessed are the weak
Blessed are the ones
Who can barely speak

Blessed in your hurt
Blessed in your pain
Blessed when your teardrops
Are falling down like rain

Blessed when you’re broken
Blessed when you’re blind
Blessed when you’re fragile
When you have lost your mind

Blessed when you’re desperate
Blessed when you’re scared
Blessed when you’re lonely
Blessed when you’ve failed

Blessed when you’re beat up
Blessed when you’re bruised
Blessed when you’re tore down
Blessed when you’re used

These are words to build a life on
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words I want them to be mine

Blessed when you’re heartbroke
Blessed when you’re fired
Blessed when you’re choked up
Blessed when you’re tired

Blessed when the plans
That you so carefully laid
End up in the junkyard
With all the trash you made

Blessed when you feel like
Giving up the ghost
Blessed when your loved ones
Are the ones who hurt you most

Blessed when you lose your
Own identity
Then blessed when you find it
And it has been redeemed

Blessed when you see what
Your friends can never be
Blessed with your eyes closed
Then blessed you see Me

These are words to build a life on
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words I want them to be mine

Blessed when you’re hungry
Blessed when you thirst
Cause that’s when you will eat of
The bread that matters most

Blessed when you’re put down
Because of me you’re dissed
Because of me you’re kicked out
They take you off their list

You know you’re on the mark
You know you’ve got it right
You are to be my salt
You are to be my light

So bring out all the flavour
In the feast of this My world
And light up all the colors
Let the banner be unfurled

Shout it from the rooftops
Let the trumpets ring
Sing your freaking lungs out
Jesus Christ is King!

Jesus is my Savior
Jesus is divine
Jesus is my answer
Jesus is my life

These are words to build a life on
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words I want them to be mine

Give us ears that we may hear them
voice that we may sing them
life that we may live them
hope that we may give them
hearts that we can feel them
eyes that we can see them
thoughts that we may think them
tongues that we may speak Your words

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For the love of clip art…

by jason cupp on November 26, 2008

I’ll be honest. I think clip art is ridiculous. Now, maybe I’m being a snob, but seriously folks, with all of the advancements in technology and grapics, clip art is just not where it’s at for me.

Today, I went back to the doctors office for a check-up for my month of being sick, and I noticed someone is a HUGE fan of clip art. Check it out:

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Mission in the Marketplace - Jeff Comment

by jason cupp on November 24, 2008

Many years ago, I was the “Announcement Guy” along with Bob Schock, Mark Mansingh and many others at Heartland Community Church.  That meant that I got up at the beginning of the service, welcomed everyone, and then gave some announcements…  sometimes we had surprises, videos, special music…  it really was a blast.  The weird part was that I was known around town as Heartland’s Annoucement Guy - imagine when Bob and I had lunch!

One highlight of my time in this volunteer role was when Jeff Comment, who attended our church, was speaking.  Jeff is best known by his corporate accomplishments, inluding being the CEO of Helzberg Diamonds, which is headquartered here in KC.  In a sentence, Jeff was an absolute amazing man - who gave unselfishly to anyone he met.  I was truly honored to introduce him one morning during a Sunday service.

The next week, I received a handwritten note from Jeff thanking me for the introduction, and he included a copy of a book he wrote - Mission in the Marketplace:  Perspectives for Life and Work.  Over the following months, I read his book, and it was a benchmark to me going through difficult times in my business with a large client who was unable to pay us.  Its impact is still in me today, and if you’ve ever heard me speak publicly about the landscape industry, or my company, chances are you’ve heard my Jeff Comment story… that small things to you are huge to those around you.  Jeff’s impact on me was instrumental, and unquantifiable.

I remember every time that I saw Jeff after that time, I thanked him profusely.  Then, in 2005, I got the call from Bob Schock.  Jeff and his wonderful wife Martha were dancing together, and he died.  I was truly saddened that such a great man would no longer be able to have impact in so many people’s lives.  I tried to rearrange my travel schedule to be at his services, but I couldn’t.  Here is what Young Life Relationships Magazine had to say about Jeff:

Jeff Comment collapsed while dancing with his wife, Martha, and died on the evening of October 30. Chairman and CEO of Helzberg Diamonds at the time of his death, Comment was widely known in the Kansas City area (home to Helzberg Diamonds) and beyond as a man of faith who had a passion for giving to others.
While attending Comment’s memorial service, Young Life President Denny Rydberg was reminded of the impact Comment had on his family, his community and his industry. Comment, who in 1995 wrote Mission in the Marketplace: Perspectives for Life and Work, had “a passion for bridging his faith and the world. The marketplace really summarized who Jeff was,” Rydberg said.
In his quest to put the principles of his faith into practice, Comment personally reached out to hurting children. Each year for the past decade or so Comment played Santa to children in pediatric hospitals around the country. Comment co-authored a book with Warren Buffet from his experiences with suffering kids, titled Santa’s Gift: True Stories of Courage, Humor, Hope and Love.
Comment and his wife, Martha, first became involved with Young Life when they lived in Miami, Fla., and in addition to Comment’s service on the Young Life Board of Trustees, the couple continued their support for local Young Life when they moved to the greater Kansas City area. They were instrumental in founding and supporting urban Young Life in Kansas City. The Comments had been married 34 years at the time of his death.

It was at that time, that I decided I would try my best to ‘change’ the way I did things - to have a little bit of Jeff inside me.  Bob and I speak about this often (which, by the way, we’ve been scheduled to have lunch every two weeks for the last 13 years… wow!).. and how Jeff’s legacy is in both of us as we tackle the business world - sometimes unsuccessfully - with Jeff’s inpact inside us.

I see Martha from time to time at Young Life, Reconnect Resources or Heartland events…  I always take a few moments to tell her once again about the impact that Jeff had on me, my business, and likely many others…  This past Saturday night was no different -

Reconnect Resources, a ministry that my best buddy Kyle Gillespie started five years ago, had their annual dinner at Martha’s house.  At the end of the night, while we were scraping dishes, I once again told Martha how grateful I am for Jeff.  I also told her that a few years ago, I let someone borrow my MITM book, and she said she had a box of them in the basement….  She came back upstairs with several copies…

I will undoubtedly keep one for myself, I already gave one to Ed when i was taking him to the airport yesterday, but I have copies available…  to lend out.  If you want to read a great book on life and work balance, and the impact you can have on those around you, from the eyes of Jeff Comment, email me…   I want Martha’s generosity on me to have a similar impact on those around me.

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Family Guy - OVER

by jason cupp on November 13, 2008

So, continuing my obsession with Family Guy, I’m watching this episode that my tivo recorded tonight (I’m so bored being sick and stuck in bed that I’ve run through everything on my tivo, so its a “watch as they record” mentality) - this might be one of the funniest Family Guy clips I’ve ever seen…   I’ve watched it a dozen times on the TV, and I can’t stop laughing….

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Southwest Greens of Kansas City - George Brett Install

by jason cupp on November 11, 2008

OK, so about a month ago, I wrote about exciting news out of Highland Outdoor - SWGKC.  You can read the brief entries here and here.

Well, we’re ready to launch the new company - and I’m excited to share with you the photos, and the story here.

Southwest Greens of Kansas City is a new company that provides professional, competition quality synthetic putting greens installed in golfer’s residences.  Our first install, I’m proud to say, was the home of my friend and MLB Hall of Famer George Brett.  George approached me through a mutual friend, Tim Gillin, about a year ago about Southwest Greens.  (You can read the entire story in the About Us section of the SWGKC website…)

George has been building a new home in Mission Hills the past two years, and he wanted a golf green to practice on near his outdoor kitchen and firepit.  After a year of conversations, trips to see the product, and decisions about what his green would look like we opened for business quietly about a month ago.  Now, honestly, we don’t want to be so quiet about it.  So, my blogosphere, help me out.  If you know a golfer, send them to our website.  This product is so amazing - and I know I’m biased, but it truly is.  George is a great golfer (2 handicap) and he hopes to have a marketable improvement on his game with the SWG in his backyard…  SWG is endorsed by so many PGA players and Pro Atheletes that it’s almost overwhelming - that itself must say something.

See all the photos of the install here on the Highland Outdoor website…  and I also have some on my Facebook page as well… I also have them on my FLICKR page as well…

We’re really excited about this product, as we continue to reinvent our company in these interesting and tough economic times…  We think that SWG and our high-end residential projects, with a more focused staff is the key to us navigating these times…  And, we are excited to find out…  Follow along on this fun and interesting business venture!

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Dexter - Showtime Drama - Rocks…

by jason cupp on November 10, 2008

One of my Facebook friends put his status tongiht at “I love Sunday night on HBO” - I could not agree more - Entourage… and in different times of the year, Big Love, Curb your Enthusiasm, Flight of the Conchords, and of course my perennial favorite, The Sopranos.  I’m a big fan…

Sunday night on Showtime is pretty damn awesome as well.  Dexter is a crazy drama that I love.  (Californication is pretty good too, but over the top in the sex department)  OK, back to Dexter.  For those of you that are not in the know, Dexter is cop with a bizarre family past that has caused him to be a semi-serial murderer - only killing those that get past the justice system.

SPOILER ALERT>>>>>> In tonights episode, he is asked to kill a long time family friend, that knows some of the dysfunctional past that has made him who he is, because she is dying of lung cancer.  Kind of like a Jack Kervorkian deal.  In the end, he decides to do it.

One thing that I love about Dexter is the voice-overs - mostly at the end of the show…  and this is what he said, after he had laced key lime pie with Sodium Pentothal

“all the lives i’ve ever taken has been for mercy. i’ve never understood that concept until now…”

“this is mercy, but only for a friend…”

Off topic, but I mentioned the Sopranos, and I immediately went to YouTube to watch the final scene once again.  I’ve written a decent amount about the Sopranos on my blog, but this is way too priceless…  (And, another plug for Entourage, Turtle has been hooking up with Jaime Lynn Siegler, who played Meadow Soprano… sweet!)  Check out the final scene once again.  LOVE IT.  (Spilman, waiting….)

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