Thursday, August 28, 2008

Mascot Fights FTW!

And here's a daily funny since college football is in season. And I'm a Husky.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Rambling thoughts...

I rabbit trailed a bit online tonight. It's a fun exercise to do. Basically, if you're reading a topic online, say, an article about Michael Phelps and his training regimen on the Butterfly, look up the Butterfly stroke in Wikipedia. Learn the history of it. Then read about the swimmer who invented the stroke. So on and so forth. An hour later, you've stumbled across the Soviet Union's plan for US invasion and world domination.

No, not really, but that's kinda what happens with rabbit trails.

I was reading a poll result and wanted to know what "Mosaics" are. Turns out they are the young generation, Generation Y or Generation Echo- the kids of boomers. Reading further, I thought of the typical stereotypes associated with generations, particularly Gen X (me). A shiftless, loners, apathetic, low loyalty generation that supposedly has no future. Economically, Gen Xers are making less than generations before them, the first time in history a generation is not better off. Gen Xers are left with cleaning up the mistakes of the past (which generation hasn't?).

Some of this is ironic, considering I remember reading about Gen X a long time ago. It was a doomed generation from the get-go according to the "experts". Baby boomers led the charge in technology achievements. Apple, Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, Sun, etc, started in the 70s and 80s as technology made advancements.

If you look at the computer applications we use daily: Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, Amazon.com, Twitter, MySpace... all Gen Xer founded/led. A generation that grew up alone (we're also the latchkey generation), watching TV and cartoons, we've suddenly created a virtual neighborhood where we can make friends across the world.

Look at us now, world. We're leading the charge to connect to millions. We define who and what comes into our lives, and we decide when. We have so much information available and are connected so well that we are an honest generation. If a leader falters, there is no hiding it. If an athlete cheats, news is out before a statement can be made. We've built such a network that soon instantaneous won't be fast enough. Secrets can't be hid. If they are, they will destroy the trust of millions.

Of course, in true Gen X fashion, it will be forgotten shortly. Like if you're still reading this, you're likely not a Gen Xer. 'Cause we got short attention spans from watching TV in short bursts on MTV, ESPN, or whatever. Rabbit trail... I don't agree with MTV claiming people don't want music videos... ESPN still shows sports! I don't see a reality show on Making the Yankees! Crap, that's prolly all up in Steinbrenner's office now. Or maybe it's now "Manipulated TV" instead of Music Television.

So glad I support AT&T/Jeff Burton

I think I'm done with the Sprint/Nextel/Little Tykes/Pampers Cup Series. Here's why.

I'm terribly sorry that Kyle Busch, a driver with tremendous talent and a top tier ride, is a complete pansy. That's being polite. I kinda wish he was the driver at the beginning of last year.

Kyle happens to be part of that inevitable public eye, where everything he says is recorded. And many things happen to come out of his mouth in the heat of the moment, so sometimes you just have to laugh.

But Kyle, pay attention. You wrecked Johnny Benson, with no respect to his team's place in the series. In a series you aren't running for points, just wins, you had this to say:
"My move is probably a pretty stupid move, people will call it," Busch said on Fox. "But I'm a racer and I'm going after another spot. I'm not happy with a third-place finish. I'm going to go for second if I got a spot I think I can get for second. Obviously, stuff happens on the race track that happens on a race track. That's how I see it."

If somebody raced a Cup race and took out Kyle (purposeful or accidental), the media would never hear the end of it.

Carl Edwards ran a traditional "bump-and-run" at Bristol. With 30 laps to go. You're telling me, Kyle, that a bump with 30 laps to go derailed your victory? Hardly. You don't like the way Carl raced you? Guess what? There are probably 30 teams between the Trucks, Nationwide, and Cup series that don't like racing you.

Here's the kicker: NASCAR, in it's new Eastern Thinking (ya, I went there), decided to put both Kyle and Carl on probation for the post-race activity. Sure, Carl retaliated and spun Kyle out, but that was after two big hits Kyle put on Carl. Bristol is like this. NASCAR knows Kyle is a hot head, and he's used the cool down lap, aka sucker-punch, before, been fined $50,000 for throwing his HANS device at another racer. It's time to grow up and accept you can't win every race, Kyle. Short track racing is a contact sport.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

"I know him!" (Elf)

Perusing YouTube and found this gem:



You get the feel of the canyon. And other racers. Listen to a few at the beginning, but then skip to the last 20 seconds or so. You'll hear it before you see it (barely see it, too). And it sounds awesome, even without hi-def recording.

And there are more vids, I'll see what else is around.

Friday, August 22, 2008

"I want my MTV!"

Apparently Canada and/or Europe has ala carte cable channels. The powers that be here in the US say it's impossible to do. Smaller, less-subscribed channels would loose ad revenue because they'd have to charge less because a smaller viewer share.

Eeeeeeennnnh! Want to go for Double Jeopardy where the game can really change?

Right now cable packages are carrying along these "weaker" (business Darwinism) channels. Being part of package A, B, C, etc., a media company can sell time on smaller channels, claiming "over 25 million subscribers to this channel" and it won't be a lie. The problem can be only 300 people watch the channel. Or something statistically insignificant based on Nielsen ratings.

But here's the kicker with ala carte packages: The people who subscribe to these channels will watch them. It will be a more focused and targeted advertising because the advertisers will be actually reaching who they want. No blind shotgun approach, or a guess to who's watching.

Regardless of ratings and demographics, in today's media environment there is no concrete method to tell what people are actually watching. Tivo, yes. But how many homes have Tivo/DVR in overall TV-watching homes? I think if I dig deep enough, I'll find some evidence of young viewers melding today's media- cable, internet, cell- which I've seen a few advertisers try to accomplish.

However, a target-market focused campaign will be more effective if advertisers know exactly who is watching. Sure, it won't be cheap (inexpensive), but reaching who you want isn't.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Dangnabit

I had a sweet blog post running through my head while driving, but forgot to write it down when I had it. Don't you hate that? I do remember that it would have been a long post.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it..." (MI)

Reading some blogs this morning and ran across this from John Chandler:

In The Forgotten Ways, Alan Hirsch describes this community of shared mission as communitas:

“Communitas is therefore always linked with the experience of liminality. It involves adventure and movement, and it describes that unique experience of togetherness that only really happens among a group of people inspired by the vision of a better world who actually attempt to do something about it.” (pg 221)

The church exists as an agent of the Kingdom of God. Our mission is to make the way of Jesus known…to put Life on display. Rather than hold on to the phrase doing life together, I am holding on to the idea of being life together. For me, this captures the idea that community, or communitas, must be relationships that are focused on a shared mission. Our relationships are not exclusively focused in toward each other, but alongside each other as Life is demonstrated.


I think even if Christianese adopts "Being Life Together" as the catch-all mission, the phrase still sends the message of Christian is a club, civic group, elitist group. That's why I think "Connecting people to Life" is a great mission because it's outward focused and actionable. "Being Life Together" is more of the objective of small groups or support ministries.

Monday, August 4, 2008

CNN Masters of Geography

CNN does have some brainiacs. Headlines missing prepositions. And a current realignment of continents in the worse case of continental drift I've seen. Apparently Washington is somewhere in the Midwest, near the Great Lakes region. I know Lake Washington is breathtaking, but I don't think it falls within the definition of "Great Lakes" most people accept.

Blog title goes here.

A story published by a central news agency* talked about the segregation still present in churches. I find it hard to believe it is still solely a racial thing. People usually go to the churches their parents go to. It's a comfort thing; but that's speculation.

I don't have hard facts. I didn't read the whole article. The authors (don't even know if it was one, two, or the ubiquitous et. al.) seem intent on showing everyone how racist we (America) still is.

If the media brings up a topic constantly, that's all the public will ever see. I'm not saying America doesn't have a racial problem, but if everyone points out the spot on your shirt, that's all you'll ever see. I'm saying the public will always see the problem, whether it exists or not, and nothing more. No solution. No alternative. No questions.

When the "problem" arises in our own life, we tend to be hyper-sensitive and focus on the perception of the "problem" rather than being ourselves and conducting relationships with the utmost character and integrity.

I don't mean to trivialize racism, as it is a horrible scar to bear in history, but think about this: Pete Rose. What was he- a gambler or baseball player? And how do you know this?

*no link because it will cement the notion as fact.