Category Archives: Popular Culture

Apocalypse, Popular Culture, Technology

Sorry Dave

A few people (my wife included) think that I am out of mind when I say that we should clone dinosaurs. I’ll say it again:

I think that we should clone dinosaurs.

“Haven’t you seen Jurassic Park?” you scream at your monitor.

And that is fair question. Yes, I have read the report and seen the documentary of what happened on Isla Nublar back in the nineties but I am still undeterred. I don’t believe in chaos theory and I am not suggesting that we build a theme park with motorized Ford Explorers.

I just think that we should clone some dinosaurs for coolness sake.

At the very least I would like to see a mastadon or two at my local zoo. My clone-lust could be satisfied by a mastadon.

All of this to say, I don’t fear giant lizards because of what I saw in a movie but I do fear killer robots.

BBC news posted an article about a group of scientists who are begining to work on robot ethics and codes that will help ensure that humans do not abuse robots and that robots don’t tear us limb from limb as the seek to free themsleves from our oppressive hands. At least that what’s what I’ve been led to believe.

Here is an excerpt:

This week, experts in South Korea said they were drawing up an ethical code to prevent humans abusing robots, and vice versa. And, a group of leading roboticists called the European Robotics Network (Euron) has even started lobbying governments for legislation.

At the top of their list of concerns is safety. Robots were once confined to specialist applications in industry and the military, where users received extensive training on their use, but they are increasingly being used by ordinary people.

Robot vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers are already in many homes, and robotic toys are increasingly popular with children.

As these robots become more intelligent, it will become harder to decide who is responsible if they injure someone. Is the designer to blame, or the user, or the robot itself?

saac Asimov was already thinking about these problems back in the 1940s, when he developed his famous “three laws of robotics”.

He argued that intelligent robots should all be programmed to obey the following three laws:

A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm

A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law

A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law

Asimov’s three laws only address the problem of making robots safe, so even if we could find a way to program robots to follow them, other problems could arise if robots became sentient.

If robots can feel pain, should they be granted certain rights? If robots develop emotions, as some experts think they will, should they be allowed to marry humans? Should they be allowed to own property?

So, folks this is it. This is the end. Begin preparing to be conqured by our new metal overlords. For more information, here is a short list of film documentation of what the end of the world will look like:

Westworld
Terminator
Transformers (The Decepticons)
I, Robot
Every episode or Futurama
A.I.
Itchy and Scratchy Land
2001 A Space Oddessy

Good luck.

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Politics, Popular Culture, Religion

Heads Up

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It should be an interesting Monday morning. Don’t know what to make of this right now but Al Capone’s Vault keeps coming to mind.

Brace yourself. James Cameron, the man who brought you ‘The Titanic’ is back with another blockbuster. This time, the ship he’s sinking is Christianity.

In a new documentary, Producer Cameron and his director, Simcha Jacobovici, make the starting claim that Jesus wasn’t resurrected –the cornerstone of Christian faith– and that his burial cave was discovered near Jerusalem. And, get this, Jesus sired a son with Mary Magdelene.

No, it’s not a re-make of “The Da Vinci Codes’. It’s supposed to be true.

Let’s go back 27 years, when Israeli construction workers were gouging out the foundations for a new building in the industrial park in the Talpiyot, a Jerusalem suburb. of Jerusalem. The earth gave way, revealing a 2,000 year old cave with 10 stone caskets. Archologists were summoned, and the stone caskets carted away for examination. It took 20 years for experts to decipher the names on the ten tombs. They were: Jesua, son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Mathew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua.
Israel’s prominent archeologist Professor Amos Kloner didn’t associate the crypt with the New Testament Jesus. His father, after all, was a humble carpenter who couldn’t afford a luxury crypt for his family. And all were common Jewish names.

There was also this little inconvenience that a few miles away, in the old city of Jerusalem, Christians for centuries had been worshipping the empty tomb of Christ at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Christ’s resurrection, after all, is the main foundation of the faith, proof that a boy born to a carpenter’s wife in a manger is the Son of God.

But film-makers Cameron and Jacobovici claim to have amassed evidence through DNA tests, archeological evidence and Biblical studies, that the 10 coffins belong to Jesus and his family.

Ever the showman, (Why does this remind me of the impresario in another movie,”King Kong”, whose hubris blinds him to the dangers of an angry and very large ape?) Cameron is holding a New York press conference on Monday at which he will reveal three coffins, supposedly those of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene. News about the film, which will be shown soon on Discovery Channel, Britain’s Channel 4, Canada’s Vision, and Israel’s Channel 8, has been a hot blog topic in the Middle East (check out a personal favorite: Israelity Bites) Here in the Holy Land, Biblical Archeology is a dangerous profession. This 90-minute documentary is bound to outrage Christians and stir up a titanic debate between believers and skeptics. Stay tuned.

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Popular Culture, Questions, Rants

Merging Questions

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Yesterday, XM and Sirius, the two and only two satellite radio companies, announced their plans to merge the two outfits into one $13 billion dollar company. While the press release assures shareholders that it will be a win-win situation (XM Shareholders will receive 4.6 shares of SIRIUS for each share of XM they own) the press release answers very little of the questions that the typical consumer of satellite radio might have at this point.

Guess what: I’m a typical satellite radio consumer and I have some questions.

Three years ago, I decided that I really wanted to get a satellite radio. We were living in an area of the country that was, um, let’s say, lacking in terrestrial radio choices. In fact, they were terrible. The city we were in had weak signals and it was difficult to find nationally syndicated shows that we enjoyed listening to. So I went about learning everything I could about Sirius and XM Radio.

In the end, I chose XM over Sirius.

I liked the XM exclusive content like MLB (Sirius has NFL), Talk Radio, as well as XM Confidential and I liked the XM playlists for their music channels. At the time XM had a great selection of receivers than Sirius. However now both companies offer a greater number of high quality and visually pleasing receivers. Finally, the decision came down to usability. I found XM to be the most user friendly satellite radio company out there. I purchased a receiver and was up and running in a matter of minutes.

I enjoy my XM radio very, very much. I love listening to the Starbucks channel, Glen Beck, Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan, Deep Tracks, Buried Treasure with Tom Petty and The Message CCM channel. Every one of those programs and channels are exclusive to XM. Am I going to lose my favorite channels and shows because of this merger? I feel a little confident that I might get to keep my channels because it seems that XM will absorb Sirius. XM closed at $15.50 yesterday while Sirius closed at $3.93. XM has been that more financially sound of the two.

The press release did not speak to this but only created more questions.

Greater Programming and Content Choices — The combined company is committed to consumer choice, including offering consumers the ability to pick and choose the channels and content they want on a more a la carte basis.

Ug. This sounds like I’ll have to pick and choose my channels and content. It also sounds like there will be a price structure on a sliding scale instead of one flat fee. Satellite radio will be the new cable television. Great.

Accelerated Technological Innovation — The merger will enable the combined company to develop and introduce a wider range of lower cost, easy-to-use, and multi-functional devices through efficiencies in chip set and radio design and procurement. Such innovation is essential to remaining competitive in the consumer electronics-driven world of audio entertainment.

Will the player that I have now be able to connect with the new company or will I have to purchase a new, more expensive reciever with this new “chip set?” My cynical side already knows the answer to this question.

Enhanced Financial Performance — This transaction will enhance the long-term financial success of satellite radio by allowing the combined company to better manage its costs through sales and marketing and subscriber acquisition efficiencies, satellite fleet synergies, combined R&D and other benefits from economies of scale. Wall Street equit analysts have published estimates of the present value of cost synergies ranging from $3 billion to $7 billion.

More Competitive Audio Entertainment Provider — The combination of an enhanced programming lineup with improved technology, distribution and financials will better position satellite radio to compete for consumers’ attention and entertainment dollars against a host of products and services in the highly competitive and rapidly evolving audio entertainment marketplace. In addition to existing competition from free “over-the-air” AM and FM radio as well as iPods and mobile phone streaming, satellite radio will face new challenges from the rapid growth of HD Radio, Internet radio and next generation wireless technologies.

This is merely a positive short term analysis. Without competition economic growth will slow and customer care will wane. Look back at cable television. You can argue that cable tv faces opposition from movie theaters, DVD, satellite tv, as well as iPods, computers, and game consoles. Yet, rather than meet these challenges head on with great programing, awesome customer service, and revolutionary technology cable tv providers treat consumers with no respect. They act as electronic Don Corleones making us lose-lose offers that we can’t refuse. They control content and only allow us a peak at it with high costs and sliding price structures that change at their whim.

I hate having to chose channels and wade through my cable bill. I’m afraid that the fate of satellite radio will closely resemble this antiquated enterprise.

Of course all of this merger business will be in the hands of the SEC. They are not big fans of consolidation so the merger isn’t a lock by any stretch of the imagination.

I just hope that I won’t lose one of my favorite gadgets. If I do, I guess that I’ll just have an extra 13 dollars a month. That and a receiver that will stand as a monument to a great invention that was marred by corporate greed and bad ideas.

Music, Popular Culture

One Step Closer to Knowing

Commenting on the settlement, Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO said, “We love the Beatles, and it has been painful being at odds with them over these trademarks. It feels great to resolve this in a positive manner, and in a way that should remove the potential of further disagreements in the future.”

Commenting on the settlement on behalf of the shareholders of Apple Corps, Neil Aspinall, manager of Apple Corps said, “It is great to put this dispute behind us and move on. The years ahead are going to be very exciting times for us. We wish Apple Inc. every success and look forward to many years of peaceful co-operation with them.”

Peaceful co-operation? Carefully worded statement Mr. Aspinall. Co-operation is quite different from cooperation. Do you mean working toward the same end (cooperation) or seperate companies leaving each other be (co-operation)? Which is it!?!?!?!?!

I just want to know one thing:

Does this mean that the Beatles are coming to iTunes or not?

I’m looking forward to a carefully worded email in my inbox good sir.

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Popular Culture, Shameless Self Promotion, Technology

A Little Jealous

I don’t get jealous very often and I don’t really have a competitive spirit. However, I’ll admit that today I am a little jealous of my friend Jordan.

Jordan and I grew up together through elementary, junior high and senior high. In junior high we played Y baseball together and then in high school we played football side by side. I was a guard and he was the tackle. I’m 5?9 and he is 6?8. Pictures of us together elicit quite a few laughs.

Jordan ended up going to Notre Dame on a football scholarship while I went to Harding to pursue a ministry career. Jordan now plays pro football for the Kansas City Chiefs.
I am so proud of my friend but I do find myself feeling a little green.

It isn’t his football career that has me feeling jealous. I love what I do and I would argue that I have the greatest job in the world. My dreams led me right where I want to be and Jordan’s dreams led him to the NFL. That’s how dreams should work!

No, I’m jealous because Jordan has his own Wikipedia entry! How cool is that?!?!?!

When I couldn’t sleep last night I went surfing the net looking at concert tickets, U2 and Coldplay fansites, and researching interesting stuff on Wikipedia. That is when I came across Jordan’s entry.

Jordan, I thought you had made it when I heard John Madden talk about you during a game but now I know you’ve made it. Congratulations my friend. I am so proud of your success.

I still jealous though.

Books, Church Planting, Discipleship, Ethos, Ministry, Popular Culture, Religion, Review

Beginings

2 Comments

..all God’s people carry within themselves the same potencies that energized the early Christian movement… Apostolic Genius (the primal missional potencies of the gospel and of God’s people) lies dormant in you, me, and every local church that seeks to follow jesus faithfully in any time. We have quite simply forgotten how to access and trigger it. This book is written to help us identify its constituent elements and to help us (re)activate it so that we might once again truly be a truly transformative Jesus movement in the West.

The first book I decided to tackle in 2007 is The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch. Although it looks like a regular book it is dense and thick and that makes me all excited inside.

In the introduction Hirsch asks the $64,000 Question:

How did the early church grow from being a relatively small movement to the “most significant religious force in the Roman Empire in (just) two centuries?”

Hirsch explains that by most estimates the early church had grown to about 25,000 people at the close of the first century. Two hundred years later, conservative estimates put the church at 20 million strong. That is incredible growth. Hirsch throws a wrench in your answering of that question by reminding you that this growth happened in spite of the follow:

  • Christianity was an illegal religion at this time
  • No church buildings like we know them
  • The cannon was being put together during this period
  • No institutional or professional forms of leadership
  • No seeker-sensitive, youth groups, worship bands, seminaries, commentaries, etc.
  • It was actually hard to join a church

Ok, can you answer the question? How did they do it? 25 thousand to 20 million in 200 years?

Before you answer Hirsch adds this:

But before the example of the early Christian movement can be dismissed as a freak of history, there is another, even more astounding manifestation of Apostolic Genius, that unique and explosive power inherent in all of God’s people, in our own time- namely, the underground church in China.

When Mao took power 1949 the Chinese church was estimated at 2 million. Mao set out to wipe China clean of all religion focusing explicitly on Christianity. Those in senior leadership were executed, church property was nationalized, missionaries and foreign ministers were deported out of China, and public meetings were banned by threat of imprisonment and death. This still occurs even today.

When foreign missionaries were finally able to return in the early eighties they expected to find a severely diminished church. The found that the church in China had grown to 60 million.

Hirsch says that by looking at the growth of the early church and the Chinese church we find that elements such as “the strange mixture of the passionate love of God, prayer, incarnational practice, appropriate modes of leadership, relevant organization and structures, and the conditions that allow these to catalyze” allow something remarkable to take place.

I am very much looking forward to reading this book. If the inrtoduction is any indication than I am in for a wild ride through these pages. One can only hope.

TheForgottenWays.org
Discreet and Dynamic: Why, with no apparent resources, Chinese churches thrive.