Don't smoke
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Charp sent me more great snaps from my distant past. This is me (middle), him (left) and Wayne Hanson (right) in Germany doing our best Eurotrash pose. And It would be pretty cool taking a drag on our fake smokes, if it weren't for the stupid American fanny packs silently screaming "tourist." I believe Wayne was playing some street music to earn some quick Marks for souvenirs. This would have been spring of 1990 (May or June)--the NCBC choir trip to Austria, Germany and Hungary. While not-so-secretly pining for a new girlfriend back home, I think my goal was to play it as cool as possible, and not get swept up in some stupid choir trip fling (like that would ever have happened). What a geek. But, then again, I'm just a bigger geek now. And, I got the girl. (PS: Bri, made you look at another fake smoke gag - gotcha, pal!) |
Why they call it the Jesus phone
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Okay, I promise this will be my last iPhone-related post this month. But this cracked me up. David Pogue, technology columnist for the New York Times, does a send-up music video on the iPhone. Also added to the blogroll, The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs--a super popular blog by one known as "fake Steve Jobs." Also hilarious.TSAWWT Social Bookmarks:
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iPhone pwns your PC, you just don’t know it yet
Friday, July 27, 2007
Seeking Alpha, an investment industry trendspotter, recently published a story by Andrew Melcher that lines up with my longstanding podcomputing predictions—and generously dishes out some doom and gloom for Microsoft’s ability to compete. I would never go this far, but I must admit, reading this makes me a little giddy. As the computing paradigm begins to shift toward mobility—and make no mistake, it is shifting—the old Mac vs. Windows OS battle is back on. This time, Apple has the edge, because size matters, and smaller is better. “The smaller Apple OS has a critical advantage here.” Writes Melcher. “It will be at least another year before flash memory chips are big enough to power a standard Windows bloatware device. It seems that Windows will be stuck without next year's absolutely-must-have functionality - platform ubiquity.”
Then, Melcher moves into nearly insane (or insanely great, depending on your take) territory with this assertion: “Once a critical mass of people leaves Windows, the only source of power Microsoft ever really had (its user network) will evaporate. At that point, Apple handhelds stop being a million user curiosity and starts looking like a $600/unit global communication standard/network that will eventually replace nearly a billion desktop computers.” Beyond Microsoft, Melcher also predicts doom and gloom for cell phone hardware manufacters: “The likes of Nokia will simply not be able to create functions valuable enough to compete with … iPhones that are also dockable Apple computers. iPhone's offspring could dominate node computing and communication by bridging both ends of the mobility continuum. After all, if you had a dockable Apple computer in your pocket—a device that could always access the Internet for free—would you need another computer, or a cell phone?”
Think the iPhone is just an overhyped fad? Maybe so, but the idea behind it isn’t. In the near future, computers will look like the iPhone pictured above. Just dock it to a keyboard, mouse and large screen wherever you have WiFi knocking about.
The desktop or even laptop PC as we know it is a dead man walking.
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A reckless and necessary change of course
Friday, July 27, 2007
Thoughts on thesis, part 7Posts in a series of commentaries on my thesis project for the Master of Arts in Communication.
I’m taking steps now to change the focus of my thesis at this point. Proof positive that my blogging has helped me get in touch with what really matters most to me (and hopefully others), I’m moving away from the idea of doing a rhetorical analysis of church advertising and toward developing a project around commercial media in the church and the notion of sanctuary. This has been what has resonated the most in my review of literature and is what I consider the most important area for me to concentrate my studies. You get a good flavor for this from reading my June 2 post, entitled "clarity, at last."
This means throwing out a good chunk of my prospectus which would have eventually made up the theoretical and methodological portions of my Thesis. But, I feel like this is the right decision—this is where my heart has been for some time. While church advertising is more of a tactical issue relating to the syncretism of consumer marketing and evangelism, commodification of the church itself as target market is more about the core of how we define the church and its role in advancing the kingdom. In addition, I’ve observed little reflection on this ethical dilemma in my research.
I’ll keep you posted on where this goes.
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Save the dates: June 30 to July 5
Friday, July 27, 2007
As I am expecting to graduate in May, 2008, I plan to go all out for C-stone in 2008. Boys, put in for your vacation days and bribe your wives with gifts now, cause we’re gonna be there. Oh yes, and Mr. Orvis, you may want to talk to Romantica about getting a booking on the Gallery stage—you’re definitely good enough, or better. Would love to see you there. You know we’ll feed the band with Doug’s famously ginormous burgers.
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We were merely freshman
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
We can't be held responsible.
I can be accused of pride at times. In an effort to keep myself humble, here is a damning photograph of me with a full blown 80s pop music mullet. I'm accompanied by my NCBC freshmen-in-arms, Christopher Morris Heile (left) and David Charpentier (right). We haunted the west end of floor 4 - Carlson Hall, and judiciously inflicted our musical sensibilities on the "holy boys" that surrounded us (those legalistic male pastoral majors who dressed for "their best lives now" and felt that listening to Sting, The Beatles, 10,000 Maniacs and a steady supply of U2 was injurious to our eternal souls and theirs). As is apparent, I am compensating for my lack of guitar skill (something Chris had in spades) buy kissing my fancy hollow body acoustic-electric Kramer. I figured it was okay if I was a barely functional on the instrument, so long as I loved it that much. Truth be told, it was the only kiss I could get my freshman year. And then there was Charp, with his freshly minted Rattle and Hum movie T-shirt. I wanted that shirt.
Fond memories, culminating in one of the greatest road trips of my lifetime to Charlevoix, MI for Mr. Heile's fantastic wedding. Good times. So there's another question for Charp: can you find the videotape we made of that trip? Thanks for the scans. So nice to have hair again (on my head).
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The aesthetic wisdom of crowds
Saturday, July 21, 2007
My other life as a mediocre graphic designer has allowed me to be a part of many leading edge technology trends over the years. Consider: the Mac GUI, Pagemaker, the laser printer, Zip drives, Photoshop, digital cameras and photos, modems, the world wide web, etc. It’s been geek heaven. Yet, sometimes simple things I’ve stumbled upon as super gnarly for graphic design work, are also part of much larger technological, societal and business trends. That’s true of istockphoto.com. 
iStock is one of a few commercially disruptive social networks that harnesses masses of amateur and professional digital photographers to resell their work via the internet on a royalty free, generous usage rights basis. The Wired article link gives you a better picture of what it is and what it has done to the stock photo world and beyond. As a designer working for non profit clients on a shoe-strong budget, iStock is fan-freakin’-tastic. For professional stock photographers, not so much."With microstock, it’s much more a conversation between the photographers and designers in the audience," Khoi Vinh, design director for NYTimes.com, said. "It’s a different kind of marketplace; they [photographers] can adapt much more quickly. You'll see over time microstock get much more sophisticated and varied, and there’s going to be a stylistic difference between microstock and big stock houses. It’s an entirely different economic gain, so it makes for different creative gain as well."
My personal (and perhaps obvious) observation is that iStock’s runaway success is the result of a convergence of four distinct technologies and/or trends: 1) Web 2.0 social networking technology, 2) the proliferation of photo media due to wide adoption of digital photography, 3) open source/crowdsourcing, and, of course 4) Photoshop—the ability to readily manipulate and use disparate graphics and photos to create “new” art to suit new purposes.
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Lamentation in absentia: Cornerstone 07
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Well, a five year run was broken this year. I didn’t go to Cornerstone. My absence can be attributed to a confluence of circumstances: A new baby at home—making life crazy with three kids, classes for my MA program, the earlier date for the fest, lack of a quorum among my Cornerstone compadres. But rather than whine about it (too much), I’ll just post a few tidbits about 2007 acts and speakers I wish I could have seen and heard. Think of these as notes for next year—and there will be a next year!The Over the Rhine midnight show. This really goes without saying. But I missed new tracks from their next record, The Trumpet Child, and the fine addition of multi-instrumentalist Jacob Bradley, formerly of VOL, on bass, dobro and lap steel. Gee whiz.
Anberlin. Will they be there in 2008 and can Stephen Christian’s live vocals finally keep up with the band's frenetic rock show? I guess it rained the evening they played main stage, so maybe this was one to miss.The Violet Burning. Nothing like campfire cooking with real live rock stars. And, I understand I missed a huge rock show at the Gallery stage, their preferred venue. Aw shucks!
Tess Wiley. Former member of Sixpence during The Beautiful Mess era. I always appreciated her contribution to that record, and since she is now a resident of Germany, I doubt I’ll get many chances to see her play live. Pity.
Leigh Nash. I just love her recent Blue on Blue album. Missed her in 2006 and really missed her this year. Nuts.Monk. Former guitarist for Over the Rhine, Ric Hordinski’s modern ethereal ensemble. Would have like to seen/heard that. You missed it Kuku—you know you did.
Rosie Thomas. A fun and quirky folk songstress that I have now managed to miss twice. Whine.
The Next Big ThingTM. Nothing like saying you saw them first way back when: Eisley in 2002, Robert Randolph and Copeland in 2004, Lovedrug and MuteMath in 2005 (and many more). For 2007, it is likely that that would have been Tifah, from what I read on the fest blogs. Darn.
Reunion shows. What can I say? In the past, I’ve been treated to The Alarm, The Prayer Chain, The Choir, Altar Boys, Undercover, Steve Taylor, 77s. 80s music heaven. Who’s next? This year we missed a heaven’s metal bloodbath: Bloodgood, Whitecross, etc. Sigh.Imaginarium/Flickerings. Really, I’d like to get in on these as a separate event without feeling conflicted about missing a potentially brilliant music show to sit on my butt and watch films (or vice versa). I must credit Cornerstone for exposing me to The Ring, Donnie Darko and the concept of film festivals in general (although Cornerstone needs to make some investment in a better viewing venue—that pole barn is horrible). Oh well, there’s always Netflix.
Songsmithing workshops. Missed discussions with Leigh Nash and John Davis this year. Boo-hoo.
Shane Claiborne. The “so hot right now” simple way, social justice guru. I’m anxious to read his book and hear him speak. I guess his sessions were mobbed. Rock star.Loren Abraham. How design can help commerce and creation care coexist fruitfully.
Mimi Haddad and the CBE tent. “It’s a world gone crazy, keeps a woman in chains.” Shout "Yeah" for CBE!
Aiden Enns. This guy is all about affluence and consumer culture from a critical POV. I’ll have to catch up with him in cyberspace.
I'm sure there would have been other discoveries stumbled upon by wandering around the farm in a sweaty, sleep deprived stupor.
How can I replace the experience of cohabitating in tents and trailers with old friends and having a good old-fashioned night terror as my delusional screams rouse us all from peaceful slumber? Good times.
Just for those who don't have a clue why this festival is different from all the others, here's a YouTube overview from their DVD. It maybe highlights more of the heavy music, but you get the idea if you watch all the clips.
Click for Part 2
Click for Part 3
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Wii love it
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Dawnshelle and I decided to get Dad (that’s me) a Wii for my birthday (recently). Now, I know what you may be thinking: “You both decided to get it? Right, Todd. Nice way to justify it.” Well, we wanted to get the whole family into something more active and group oriented than sitting on the couch playing sedentary console games. That meant no Xbox 360 or PS3. Plus, the Wii fascinated both of us based in what we had been reading and seeing in the commercials.I must say, it’s been a lot of fun so far. Of course, my 8-year-old is asking me to play it with her every night (and I’m very conflicted about this because I have homework to do). But the great thing is being engaged together in a game like tennis or golf or bowling (all played standing up, swinging your arms). Now, you can trick the Wii and play this stuff sitting on your butt. But what for? Getting up and doing the real deal (in a video game sort of way) is half the fun—the other half is watching someone else do it. Downside: Wii doesn’t play DVD movies, so there isn’t an opportunity to replace a TV component.
Pictured above is our family Mii’s (our personal Wii characters, players). We haven’t created a Mii for Everett, yet. And the Mii’s here are subject to change as we tweak them. For example, I added a hat last night to hide my sad, balding head.
Last night, Dawni and I even snuck downstairs to bowl a couple games after the kids were in bed. I never thought I’d be playing video games with my wife—but there we were. Dad Mii bowled a 171 (six spares and two strikes). “Nice Throw!”
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On a philosophy kick
Friday, July 06, 2007
I’ve been hitting the philosophy pretty hard lately, with my core MA curriculum reaching into the rhetorical traditions of ancient philosophers, and the modern/postmodern aspects of the thesis work. So, when someone mentioned this old Python sketch, I had to search YouTube to find it. And there it was. If you’re familiar with all or any of these philosophical athletes, you’ll get some giggles out of this classic soccer match. Those ancients can bring it!TSAWWT Social Bookmarks:
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