Savor this time, friends. Mid-May is always fun. The weather is heating up, end-of-school excitement is building, and outdoor events are starting to take place. Here we go with my latest Thursday Rundown…

Surprise Ticket – This is pretty wild. On Saturday at Sloan’s soccer match, my dad peeled away the label on his 20 oz Pepsi bottle (something he never does). When he did, it revealed another label that said he had won a free ticket to Silverwood. Here is the crazy thing: there was no marketing at all on the bottle indicating any sort of giveaway or cross promotion with Silverwood. The bottle just included regular Pepsi branding. My dad purchased the bottle from one of those sliding door coolers at the checkout stand so we don’t know if perhaps the packaging said something about it. But the other weird thing is that when I did a Google search for “Silverwood Golden Giveaway” and other combinations (i.e. “Pepsi Silverwood”) nothing came up whatsoever. Considering a Silverwood ticket at the gate is $84, this sure was an awesome—and mysterious—surprise.

13th Anniversary of Don’t Blink – As I mentioned this week, Don’t Blink turned 13 on Tuesday. Since 2011, I have written more than 2,520 blog posts. I started blogging as a cocky young 20-something who wanted to spout off his “insightful” hot takes. As my ego lessened (but just a bit) I started writing more to maintain a personal brand, strategically grow my digital footprint, and increase my professional prospects. These days, I am no longer writing solely for me. Rather, I put forth such an effort with this blog to chronicle memories. My posts have become dramatically more family-centered over the last several years. It is less about my opinion and more about lifestyle. My hope is that my writings will forever remind my family about these precious years and be something that my children will value decades down the road. This post summarizes the history of my blog.

Oppenheimer – To go from “Unfrosted” to “Oppenheimer” is quite the contrast. But all joking aside, I finally had the chance to watch “Oppenheimer” as I streamed it on Peacock. Wow, it wasn’t awarded the Best Picture Oscar for nothing. The film is smart, complex, and extremely well-done. To get that glimpse into the life of Dr. Oppenheimer and the battles he faced was fascinating and worth every minute of the three-hour movie. After going in-depth with the Manhattan Project when I watched the Turning Point documentary, it was interesting to see it covered via this film. I strongly recommend “Oppenheimer.”

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Battle – Yesterday marked eight years since I conducted one of the most scientific and important experiments of our generation: I conducted a blind cookie dough ice cream taste test. I twisted Sidney’s arm to sample FIVE different cookie dough ice cream brands and rank them. To this day, I am still shocked at the results. My wife didn’t rate powerhouses like Ben & Jerry’s or Blue Bunny her favorite. Instead, she selected the Walmart Great Value option as her top choice. Can you believe that?! For all the details and photos from that day, you can read the post here.

Google Search Changes – On Tuesday, Google kicked off its I/O 2024 Developer Conference and it was all about AI. What stood out to me the most, especially as a marketer, is the complete revamp of its search capabilities. Pretty soon—like within the week—AI will handle all of our Google search queries. Instead of the prominent display of web links based on what we typed, AI technology will simply provide us with the info we requested right at the top of the page…no links needed. Of course this poses many questions for those of us who rely on SEO to promote our businesses (or universities OR silly blogs) as web links will now be regulated to the bottom of the page. However, as my very smart and talented web colleague told me, these changes will actually present opportunity as well. Stay tuned for more and a get ready for an entirely different Google experience.

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As I wrap up this Thursday Rundown that corresponds to my 13th blogging anniversary, I want to thank everyone for their support and readership over the years. I appreciate you! If possible, please pray for Sid and me this weekend as we will preside over another retreat for engaged couples. Don’t Blink.