So much for that weekend trip to Green Bay to hang with the fam. Despite the 21 inches of snow southern Minnesota received today, we scoffed at the mere inch or two in the Cities and loaded up the car to head out this afternoon. Two hours later when we hadn’t hit Menomenie we decided we better turn back.
On the plus side, it’ll be easier to try and score some U2 tickets tomorrow at, um, 11:00 a.m.
On Sunday there’s supposed to be a story in the Pioneer Press about people who use iPods for purposes other than listening to music. I’m supposed to be featured because I use my iPod to record interviews. There’s also supposed to be a photospread.
I warn you now: I’m going to look like a mad scientist. I just did what the photographer asked (I have the whole photoshoot recorded if you don’t believe me). Frankly, I was a real sport about the whole thing. But I just want to warn you ahead of time. I’ll have more details about the whole thing later.
A week or so ago Jason Kottke wrote about the various businesses that inspire him, especially as he’s gone full-time with the blogging. I can’t help but agree with him on a lot of counts. I think there’s a growing trend of people moving away from the selfish, money-grubbing, profits-focused business approach of someone like, say, Donald Trump.
Having launched my own business, I’m more interested in being self-supportive and providing for my family’s needs. I’m not trying to be rich (though I wouldn’t complain if it happened). I’m not trying to have exponential growth. I’m not looking to expand into a mega-corporation. I like being just me in my house, and while growth is good and necessary, and while I’m not against expanding, I don’t feel the same greed drive that seems to power so many businesses (especially in the ‘how-to’ realm).
Steve Knight makes a great point over at Knightopia, asking what would happen if all the religious fervor poured into the Terry Schiavo case were directed towards stopping genocide in Sudan.
Apparently we only focus on the families in the U.S. Too busy keeping an eye on SpongeBob.
Suzanne Hinn, wife of quirky televangelist Benny Hinn, suggests that if you’re a backslidden Christian you need a “Holy Ghost enema right up your rear end.” It’s in a 2-minute video clip available on Beliefnet which shows her stalking across the stage, making the strange comment, removing her shoes, running back and forth and finally collapsing.
Apparently the religious satire magazine The Wittenburg Door is distributing the clip and getting sued for it.
While I think this story is pretty funny, it’s more funny to me because of the delivery and the fact that I’d never expect this kind of a comment from someone like her. Despite her apparent intoxicated state, it’s not a terrible metaphor (though it is a horrible image). It’s the kind of off-beat comment you’d expect from someone like Bono (though he has a little more tact).
(link via Nick Ciske)
The New York Times covers annoyances at the hands of marketers and how people respond. It covers stuff like Starbucks’ sizing lingo (tall/grande/venti instead of small/medium/large) or those annoying subscriber cards that always fall out of magazines. The article mentions one guy who stacks up the subscriber cards and mails them back blank so the magazine will have to pay the postage but not gain a subscriber. The story also talks about people returning weighed down junk mail so the companies have to pony up for the extra postage.
It’s kind of bizarre and the article doesn’t really go anywhere with it, but it’s still fun. The Ad Freak blog disagrees–but oh yeah, they’re run by Ad Week, who has their own subscriber cards. What’s the most annoying thing you put up with?
(link via Kottke)
Speaking of music, I’m listening to Cities 97 today while I work. Why? Bribery. It’s–sigh–U-2sday (shudder) on Cities 97 today, which means when they play a U2 song you can call in and try to win tickets to the upcoming, sure-to-be-sold-out U2 show. I know my chances are slim, but they’re probably about as good as being able to buy tickets through Ticketmaster. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and will probably be sold out by 10:09 a.m. Plus I’ll be in Green Bay on Saturday. Oh, I mean the tickets go on sale at 11:00 a.m.–yeah, that’s it. Don’t bother trying at 10:00. No sirree.
So I’m listening to crappy radio. And since they’re giving away tickets when they play U2, they’re not playing much U2. Oh, how I miss The Current. Cities 97 keeps playing the same songs they always play, and the commercials, oh, the commercials. I swear the DJ must be living in a mansion after all the stuff they just personally endorsed. I did notice that now they tell you how long the commercials will last, in most cases with a line like, “back to the music in three minutes.” I can’t help but wonder if that’s a direct result of the success of public radio.
Why can’t a Twin Cities church do this? (CMS has the full story on that one)
Update: No U2 tickets yet, though I did notice they played Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” at 11:08 a.m. and 3:23 p.m.
And Maroon5’s “Sunday Morning” at 11:01 a.m. and 4:26 p.m.
And “Crazy Love” by Ray Charles and Van Morrison at 10:06 a.m. and 3:44 p.m.
And “Lady” by Lenny Kravitz at 1:06 p.m. and 4:54 p.m.
And Jet’s “Look What You’ve Done” at 11:19 a.m. and 5:17 p.m.
And Carbon Leaf’s “Life Less Ordinary” at 9:17 a.m. and 1:21 p.m.
All courtesy of the “last 97 songs played”, their online song archive. So much for their “wider variety” claim.
Update: No free U2 tickets for me. Bah. So long Cities 97–it’s back to the Current as fast as my little legs will carry me. I guess I’ll just have to try my luck on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.–yeah, 11:00 a.m.
Minnesota musician Sara Groves just released an indie album, Station Wagon: Songs for Parents, available online. I’d tell you all about it, but I’m cheap, and no one’s sent me a free copy to hype, so you’re out of luck. You can check out CT’s review, though based on my thoughts on Groves’ last album, I’m sure this one is worth a listen.
There seems to be a mini-trend of rockers releasing indie projects available only from them. Justin McRoberts released a web-only live disc at the end of 2004. Too bad neither of these projects are available on iTunes.
Last month I quoted a comment from Lt. Gen. James Mattis who said “it’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot [Afghanis],” drawing quite a response. I just came across a column from Gene Edward Veith defending Mattis. In part Veith argues that soldiers are fulfilling a God-given vocation, obeying their authorities and thus like other occupations, “there is nothing wrong with enjoying one’s work.” Martin Marty has a response, reprinted by the EPA (that’s the Evangelical Press Association, not the other EPA). Marty asks “how finding it a ‘hell of a lot of fun to shoot’ those who ‘ain’t got no manhood’ squares in any way with ‘love your enemies’?
Reuters’ AlertNet has released a list of the top 10 “forgotten” emergencies in the world. 4 out of 8 are emergencies happening in Africa, and the only two world-wide emergencies are especially ravaging Africa. That’s 6 out of 10 related to Africa, and all of the top 5.
Africa needs some help.