What a Downer Week….. October 6, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Breaking News, Church, Powerful Passages, The Cultural Conversation, Culture and Faith, Entrepreneuring, Faith at Work , add a commentStock market ….DOWN
Michigan throttled by Illinois 45-20
Cubs Lose in first round of playoffs
White Sox Bounced from playoffs
At least we got Jesus and the Promises of God below in our corner…..
The Promises of God
| REFERENCE | |
| Seeking the best investment… | Matthew 7 |
| Starting a new job… | Psalm 1; Proverbs 16; Philippians 3:7-21 |
| You have been placed in a position of responsibility… | Joshua 1:1-9; Proverbs 2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 |
| Making a new home… | Psalm 127; Proverbs 17; Ephesians 5; Colossians 3; 1 Peter 3:1-17; John 4 |
| Wanting to live successfully with your fellow man… | Romans 12 |
| Anxious for dear ones… | Psalm 121; Luke 17 |
| Business is poor… | Psalm 37; 92; Ecclesiastes 5 |
| Discouraged… | Psalm 23; 42; 43 |
| Everything seems to go from bad to worse… | 2 Timothy 3; |
| Friends seem to go back on you… | Matthew 5; 1 Corinthians 13 |
| Sorrow overtakes you… | Psalm 46; Matthew 28 |
| Things look “blue”… | Psalm 34; 71; Isaiah 40 |
| You seem too busy… | Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 |
| You cannot go to sleep… | Psalm 4; 56; 130 |
| You have quarreled… | Matthew 18; Ephesians 4; James 4 |
| You are weary… | Psalm 95:1-7; Matthew 11 |
| Worries oppose you… | Psalm 46; Matthew 6 |
Are You a Slacker? October 1, 2008
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Are you a Slacker? or an I-Podder? Later this month, Slacker introduces it portable digital music player and the questions are already coming. Is it an iPod? Is it an old-fashioned transistor radio? These are just some of the questions the Slacker portable digital music player will have to answer when it hits U.S. stores this month in time for the lucrative holiday season.
Owners of the more than 160 million iPods out there no doubt love their sleek digital music players and their favorite music. But even favorite music gets old, and that’s where the new Slacker G2 comes in.
The $200 Slacker is a new Web radio-enabled player whose makers hope will go one better than the iPod by helping music fans to update their songs while on the go — and for free.
Here’s how it works: Users pick from a variety of pre-programmed and personalized stations on the Slacker website (www.slacker.com), ranging from those that play classic jazz to ones that play the latest indie rock hits.
They can then save their favorite stations to the Slacker — about the size of a small deck of cards with a 2.4-inch color screen — by linking to their PC either via a standard USB port or by a wireless Internet connection.
The Slacker G2 comes in a 4GB version that carries 25 stations, or around 2,500 songs, with around 1GB of personal storage space for MP3 audio files. There is also an 8GB version that carries 40 stations, or 4,000 songs, has 3GB of personal storage and sells for $250.
WiFi access makes the device particularly elegant since it refreshes your player with new music for each station saved on the player every time you connect. Once an updated station is saved, users can skip ahead on songs, or save the ones they like to a personalized station on the Slacker player.
Google Phone is Almost Here! September 30, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Breaking News, Technology, Tech Tips , add a commentThe first mobile phone powered by Google was launched last week, ready to do battle with Apple’s iPhone for the top spot on many people’s Christmas gift list. The long-awaited smart phone, the T-Mobile G1, which was unveiled at a press conference in New York, will go on sale in the US next month (Oct 22), and T-Mobile announced they will begin selling the G1 phone for $179, the first to run Google’s Android operating system.
Check out the first video review of the Google Phone here.
Android has been compared to Apple iPhone interface and the G1 phone happily adopts the best features of the iPhone and BlackBerry — two of the best smart phones on the market. It has the easy-to-navigate and intuitive touchscreen, like the iPhone. But, like the BlackBerry, it has a qwerty keyboard, which slides out, and a “trackball” that helps you navigate around the screen. It’s features include: downloadable applications, 3G data service, WiFi, 3-megapixel camera, 256 MB storage and microSD slot, a slideout keyboard and a full web browser. Local T-Mobile stores will have demo units, but the carrier is only selling the G1 at stores where T-Mobile offers 3G service. Sprint Nextel also plans to sell a Android phone in the future.
What’s promising about Android is it is open platform that developers can make interesting programs. One that caught my eye uses the phone’s camera to scan barcodes. The phone then scans the Internet shops for prices of that product. Since the Android operating system is being offered for free to phone makers, there will be many flavors of the phone. Unlike the iPhone, which has only one model, there will be a lot of variety.
The arrival of Android signals the opening round of the battle between Google and its rivals, such as Nokia and Apple, to create software for the next generation of mobile phones that allows users to connect seamlessly to the internet.
At $179 with a two-year contract, the G1 will cost $20 less than the 3G iPhone. But for all of the hullabaloo about Android’s impact on Apple, Google’s efforts appear to be targeted directly at Microsoft’s Exchange, a multifaceted e-mail server software, says Pablo Perez-Fernandez, a wireless analyst for Global Crown Capital, a San Francisco boutique investment firm. “The tight integration of Google’s mobile applications and business services, such as maps, Gmail, calendar and search, essentially eliminates the need for an Exchange server for a wide range of companies,” Perez-Fernandez says.
Provision Theater’s World Premier September 24, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Breaking News, The Cultural Conversation, The Arts in the City, Provision Theater, Culture and Faith , add a commentIf it is starting to cool outside and football is in full swing, then it must be theater time in Chicago. This year will prove to be an exceptional year in Chicago Theater, especially for Provision Theater, who starts off their season with a WORLD PREMIER of Truman Capote’s best -selling books, A CHRISTMAS MEMORY and THE THANKSGIVING VISITOR, that have been adapted by Provision’s Artsitic Director, Tim Gregory. Come check out the world premier at the Royal George Theater from November 5 to December 21.
Thanksgiving and Christmas mean something different to everyone. For seven-year-old Buddy, it means a new home and a new family. When his parents drop him off with distant relatives in a town with no other children his age, Buddy becomes close with an older, simple woman named Sook. Before long, the two find themselves on one amazing adventure after another, proving that friendship is the greatest gift of all. Based on the best selling books by Truman Capote, A CHRISTMAS MEMORY and THE THANKSGIVING VISITOR are sure to warm the heart or your entire family this holiday season!
Solar Cells Get to 20% Conversion Efficiency September 23, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Methods & Strategies, Energy Efficiency, Entrepreneuring, Sustainability , add a commentI am becoming a big fan of solar power as it begins the long march toward parity with current power supplies — I would love to get off the Commonwealth Edison grid and not have to pay that big electricity bill every month.
So I was excited to see today that Suniva Inc. announced that its R&D team has developed several silicon solar cells in its lab with more than 20% conversion efficiencies using its patented combination of cell designs and screen printing technologies.
“Our R&D team already has a solid roadmap in place to further increase our efficiencies. We are excited about Suniva’s continued momentum on the path to make solar electricity cost-competitive with conventional grid electricity.” — Dr. Ajeet Rohatgi, Founder and CTO, Suniva
These high efficiency milestones have been verified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The efficiency achievement closely follows Suniva’s two recent customer agreements with Germany’s Solon AG and India’s Titan Energy Systems Ltd, together worth approximately US $1 billion. “This demonstrates that Suniva’s advanced technologies in diffusion, surface passivation and contacts can increase conversion efficiency while reducing processing time and maintaining low cell cost,” said Dr. Ajeet Rohatgi, Suniva’s founder and CTO. “Our R&D team already has a solid roadmap in place to further increase our efficiencies. We are excited about Suniva’s continued momentum on the path to make solar electricity cost-competitive with conventional grid electricity.”
Wait … Now who was President in 1929? September 23, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentI try to stay apolitical on my blog, but I just love ole’ Joe Biden. He says whatever he wants and sometimes, he angers his boss, sometimes he asks a man in a wheelchair to stand up, and other times he forgets history — but he is always sure to create some memorable quotes if he is given enough talking time. He reminds me of another VP - Dan Quayle of the infamous “potatoe” episode……..
Yesterday, in his interview with Katie Couric, it looked like he forgot to study his talking points closely. He said (video here):“When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the princes of greed. He said, ‘look, here’s what happened.’”
As I was growing up, my grandparents always told me about the stock market crash of 1929. Two problems here: Television did not even exist in 1929, and FDR was elected in 1932, so he wasn’t even the leader at the time of the crash. When Joe was in history class, he must have been sleeping or doodling. Of course, TV celebrity Katie Couric made no effort to correct the Senator on this obvious error.
He certainly adds to the spice of this election……
Arrrrgh! It’s Talk like a Pirate Day! September 19, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog, Movies, The Cultural Conversation, Culture and Faith , add a commentToday marks International Talk Like a Pirate Day (ITLAPD), a parodic holiday invented in 1995 by John Baur (Ol’ Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap’n Slappy), of Corvallis, Oregon, who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate. For example, an observer of this holiday would greet friends not with “Hello,” but with “Ahoy, me hearty!” The holiday, and its observance, springs from a romanticized view of the Golden Age of Piracy. In part a send-up of the “Golden Age of Piracy,” tech culture has absorbed pirate symbology and made it a kind of comical meme, much like LOLcats or “Don’t tase me, bro!“.
Search Engine Land prepared a short list of tech and online companies participating in Pirate Day:
- Google, through its Google Pirate Search feature.
- Friendfeed has a commemorative logo honoring the holiday.
- Search Engine Roundtable prepared a special theme.
- Dogpile’s mascot dressed up like a pirate.
Other Derivative Sites:
- Tom Smith has written and recorded the song “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” the quasi-official anthem of the holiday.[10]
- In the Nintendo DS version of The Sims 2, in-game characters celebrate “Talk Like A Pirate Day” on September 19, in which a special quest is released, involving a pirate quiz.
- The holiday is observed by the followers of the satirical Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, who consider pirates to be divine beings.[11]
- In the online game Lord of the Rings Online, in-game characters can celebrate “Talk Like a Pirate Day” with a special quest, involving a shipwreck. Quest rewards include a pirate-type hat.
- World of Warcraft now celebrates “Pirate’s Day”, an anniversary thought up by two of the in game characters called “Ol’ Chumbucket” and “Cap’n Slappy” (a reference to the creators of Talk Like a Pirate Day). Talking to the in game character ‘Dread Captain DeMeza’ will provide your character with a pirate costume that lasts for 12 hours. Characters can also see commoners in the major cities dressed as pirates who will also provide your character with a pirate costume.
- In the online game Kingdom of Loathing, players can celebrate “Talk Like a Pirate Day”. Phrases such as “Arr” are occasionally added to the end of sentences in chat, as well as during random encounters with pirates.
65 MPG but Not Available in USA September 8, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , 1 comment so far 
Businessweek: If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system, and gets a whopping 65 miles to the gallon. Oh yes, and the car is made by Ford Motor (F), known widely for lumbering gas hogs. Ford’s 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic goes on sale in November. But here’s the catch: Despite the car’s potential to transform Ford’s image and help it compete with Toyota Motor (TM) and Honda Motor (HMC) in its home market, the company will sell the little fuel sipper only in Europe.
“We know it’s an awesome vehicle,” says Ford America President Mark Fields. “But there are business reasons why we can’t sell it in the U.S.” The main one: The Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel. Automakers such as Volkswagen (VLKAY) and Mercedes-Benz (DAI) have predicted for years that a technology called “clean diesel” would overcome many Americans’ antipathy to a fuel still often thought of as the smelly stuff that powers tractor trailers. Diesel vehicles now hitting the market with pollution-fighting technology are as clean or cleaner than gasoline and at least 30% more fuel-efficient. Yet while half of all cars sold in Europe last year ran on diesel, the U.S. market remains relatively unfriendly to the fuel. (more…)
Who Pays Taxes in America September 3, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentAs we are in the political season where each politican wants to use the federal government numbers to bolster his or her tax increase or tax cut, I thought I would share with you the plain facts about who pays taxes in the U.S.
In 2006, the latest year to get actual numbers, there were 135.7 million tax returns filed, and of those, IRS data, shows that in 2006, 92.7 million (68.3%) of the tax returns came from people who paid taxes into the Treasury.
More than 43 million tax returns (or 31.7%) were filed by people with positive adjusted gross income (AGI) who used exemptions, deductions and tax credits to completely wipe out their federal income tax liability. Not only did they get back every dollar that the federal government withheld from their paychecks during 2005, but some even received more back from the IRS. This is a result of refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, which are not included in the aggregate percentile data here. (For more on the limitations of the data on this page, see the notes below. For a detailed paper on the distribution of the entire U.S. fiscal system, including all federal, state and local taxes, read Who Pays Taxes and Who Receives Government Spending? An Analysis of Federal, State and Local Tax and Spending Distributions, 1991 - 2004.)
Tax year 2006’s numbers (see below) show that both the income share earned by the top 1 percent of tax returns and the tax share paid by that top 1 percent have once again reached all-time highs. In 2006, the top 1 percent of tax returns paid 39.9 percent of all federal individual income taxes but only earned 22.1 percent of adjusted gross income, both of which are significantly higher than 2004 when the top 1 percent earned 19 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI) and paid 36.9 percent of federal individual income taxes. The bottom 50% of all tax return filers paid less than 3% of federal income taxes in 2006.
The top-earning 25 percent of taxpayers (AGI over $64,702) earned 68.2 percent of the nation’s income, but they paid more than four out of every five dollars collected by the federal income tax (86.3 percent). The top 1 percent of taxpayers (AGI over $388,806) earned approximately 22.1 percent of the nation’s income (as defined by AGI), yet paid 39.9 percent of all federal income taxes. That means the top 1 percent of tax returns paid about the same amount of federal individual income taxes as the bottom 95 percent of tax returns.
Provision Theater Gets Another Jeff Nomination! August 26, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentAs we get ready head to the fall and the cooling temperatures, it is awards time in the Chicago theater community and the Jeff Awards committee has made their selections for the 2007-2008 Equity Awards. Once again, Provision Theater Company has garnered a nomination.
This year, Brad Armacost was nominated for best solo performance in C.S. Lewis on Stage, performed at the Royal George Theater.
This one-man show captured the personality and writing of the author of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and SCREWTAPE LETTERS so well as Brad gave us an intimate look at the Oxford man who could make his audience think as deeply as he made them laugh. Congrats to Brad!
This represents the 6th nomination (7th total) for this highly-regarded Chicago theater company in its short four year history.
Provision Theater Company burst onto the Chicago theater scene in March 2004 with the opening of Harry Chapin’s off-Broadway smash hit Cotton Patch Gospel, which played to packed houses and unanimous critical praise from numerous publications, including: Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader and more. The production was also nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award. Provision Theater Company followed that with two more Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for their critically-acclaimed production of A Christmas Carol. Other highly praised and Joseph Jefferson nominated productions include: The Boys Next Door, The Spitfire Grill, The Gospel of John and Beast on the Moon. Check out their 2 minute promo video to learn more about the company.
Previous Awards and Nominations for this excellent theater company include:
- Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination for Best Actor in a Musical (Timothy Gregory), 2004 - Cotton Patch Gospel
- After Dark Award for Best Actor (Timothy Gregory), 2004 - Cotton Patch Gospel
- Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination for Best New Adaptation (Timothy Gregory and David H. Bell), 2006 – A Christmas Carol
- Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination for Best Actor in a Musical (Bradley Armacost), 2006 – A Christmas Carol
- Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical (Susan Moniz), 2006 – The Spitfire Grill
- Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Principal Role (Tiffany Scott), 2007 – Beast on the Moon
Park is a place about GRACE August 11, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentI was greatly touched by JR Kerr’s message yesterday about grace. As an example, he told the story about Sara Tucholsky of the Western Oregon University softball team, who hit a home run in a game against Central Washington this year, but as she was headed to first base, her knee buckled and she went down. It’s against the rules for your own team to help you around the bases, so since she was unable to run herself, it looked as though the home run wouldn’t count. But, two players from Central Washington actually picked Sara up and carried her around the bases stopping on each base so she could touch the bag with her foot. This selfless act of grace moved Sara’s teammates to tears, but it also cost Central Washington the playoffs because they were disqualified. But, doing the right thing was the only thing to do. Central Washington may have lost out on the playoffs, but their character was stronger than ever and what grace they showed.
It reminded me of an act of grace at Park a number of years ago that shows what the body of Christ should be — read and be inspired:
———————————————————————————————————–
Joe Barrett — His unusual donation saved a life — by Christine Tatum
(reprinted from Today’s Christian, September/October 1997)
Brad Szczecinski was looking for God when he wandered into a prayer meeting at Park Community Church in Chicago back in 1996. He figured the Lord owed him a few explanations for the troubles in his life. Chief among them, kidney failure. Joe Barrett, the group’s leader, took one look at the pale, chisel-cheeked visitor and wondered how to help him. Prayer seemed simple enough, so he invited Brad to stay after the group dismissed.”I had never considered myself the type to be able to sit down with another guy, hold hands, and pray,” Brad said. “But that’s what we did. And that night at church changed my entire life.” The Lord rattled Joe Barrett, too. He went home with Brad’s health weighing on his heart.
“I kept praying for healing for Brad,” Joe said. “Then it occurred to me that God has infinite ways of solving problems, and with his help, I had the power to be one of them.”Two weeks after their first meeting, Joe offered to give Brad one of his kidneys. But because five relatives already had volunteered to become donors, Brad didn’t think he would need to accept his new friend’s offer. He was wrong. Doctors ruled out Brad’s mother, aunt, and uncle right away, focusing instead on his brother and a cousin. The testing process took months; Brad was put on dialysis three times a week. Joe spent much of that time at his side, reading the Bible and praying. Brad’s younger brother seemed to be the ideal match until doctors discovered an undiagnosed heart condition. The day after that announcement, Brad’s cousin was rushed to the hospital with gall bladder trouble. She, too, was an unsuitable donor.
“I was going nuts and called Joe just to say I was pulling my hair out,” Brad said. “He had been my sounding board and knew what I was going through.”Joe wasted little time. Tests showed he was a suitable donor, and doctors performed the kidney transplant in November 1996. But, Joe admits, the operation never would have happened two years earlier.”I would’ve felt sorry for him and maybe wished him luck and then gone about my business,” said Joe, the owner of an international finance company. “Because that was my life—business. Being very self-centered, I did what I wanted. But that was before Christ entered my heart and changed my priorities.”Both men spent much of the winter recovering from the surgery. Brad successfully fought episodes of organ rejection. Joe said the pain he endured cannot compare to the joy he feels every time he sees a spring in Brad’s step or color in his cheeks. “God’s love has so powerfully moved this entire process,” Joe explains. “At first, I just prayed for him to perform a miracle and heal Brad. But that would have had such a limited effect.”We tend to think miracles are things that happen to others, not us,” he adds. “But I’m here to tell you that isn’t so.”
Our Greatest Fear August 8, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentOur greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
—– Marianne Williamson
My kids and I watched “Akeelah and the Bee,” last week, in which an 11-year-old, African-American girl comes to embrace her talent as a speller with the help of a mentor played by Laurence Fishburne. His character uses the Williamson quote to help inspire Akeelah toward her quest of becoming a spelling-bee champion. What a great reminder on this Friday that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Big Sale on Luxury Resorts thru Sunday July 24, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentI am a travel-holic and when I see a good deal, I love to tell people about it. Travelzoo.com tells us this week that there is a big sale at Rock Resorts.
$96 — 96-Hour Sale at 7 Upscale Resorts* 
Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Caribbean
Travel dates: Select dates Aug. 17 - Jan. 31
By Travelzoo Staff
Through 11:59PM MT on Sunday, July 27, RockResorts has put its collection of luxurious resorts on sale for as little as $96 per night. This represents a huge savings, with rooms discounted between 30%-70% OFF regular rates.
Located in spectacular destinations in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and the Caribbean, many of these upscale resorts are AAA 4-Diamond award-winners and members of Preferred Hotels & Resorts or The Leading Hotels of the World.
This sale is valid for Sunday-Thursday nights between Aug. 17 and Jan. 31. Some weekends are available as well, depending on each resort’s availability. The 7 participating $96 properties include:
- Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado (reg. $279)
- The Pines Lodge in Beaver Creek, Colorado (reg. $219)
- Keystone Lodge & Spa in Keystone, Colorado (reg. $249)
- The Lodge at Vail, Vail Village, Colorado (reg. $229)
- La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa in Santa Fe, New Mexico (reg. $335)
- Snake River Lodge & Spa in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (reg. $260)
- The Landings St. Lucia, West Indies (reg. $420)
Also available:
- The Arrabelle at Vail Square, Colorado, starts at $136 (reg. $425)
- The brand-new Osprey at Beaver Creek, Colorado, which opens Dec. 19 and starts at $295 (reg. $395)
Blackout Dates: These will vary by property. To find the valid travel dates for each property, visit RockResorts’ Web site and click “Available dates” below the corresponding resort.
Travelzoo Tip: If you are already planning for next season’s ski trip to Beaver Creek, Keystone, Vail or Jackson Hole, note that this sale includes discounted dates at the Colorado and Wyoming resorts through Jan. 15.
Click here for full details and to book with RockResorts. Note: All stays must be booked online by 11:59PM MT on Sunday, July 27, must be pre-paid and are nonrefundable.
How Good are You in the Wild? July 23, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentI love to find little quizzes and tests to take on the web.
This week, I came across this one and thought I would share it with the 135 readers of this blog.
Test Your Instincts is a free (brought to you by Samsung Instinct!) quiz that gauges a person’s wildlife savvy: what do you do when a jellyfish stings, when a shark comes angling for your surfboard, or when you’re stuck in quicksand (which happens to me all the time)?
The scenarios are wordy, but you’ll at least learn something and there’s no registration process.
I fared poorly, getting 6 out of 13 — it says I am ready for camping in my own backyard!
5 Ways to Watch the Tour de France July 7, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a comment(HT: Mashable)
If you’re looking for an official US-friendly capture, Mashable has put together a great list of sources.
Versus
is doing a decent job of presenting the first two stages live. The first stage is over with, so tomorrow’s racing will be the last available. Rise and shine bright and early, because the man-powered rubber meets many many miles of road starting at a sprightly 7:00AM ET and will run to about 8:30AM ET. Post Sunday’s leg of Le Tour, Versus will only be spreading full-on coverage to cable television subscribers.
If you want to take your Web video viewing past the weekend, there are a few sites that’ll help you get what you need, depending on your operating system and additional software installed, some of which in fact carry over from the top sources for Euro 2008 championship match coverage between Spain and Germany last weekend:
Cyclingfans.com - A compendium of options. Links abound, with video and audio choices available from multiple sources. Find one that suits.
MyP2P.eu - Simple construction, but who needs extras. Video is what you’re after, eh? If you’re watching on a Mac, download Flip4Mac for Windows Media conversion or get yourself Sopcast. Both are free.
Channelsurfing - Another basic choice that also plays with Windows and Mac-based machines alike.
Veetle - requires a player download. Do that, return to the site, click where you must, then sit back and watch wheels spin
ITV - Only UK-based fans will get this feed. Enjoy, mates!
Matt Heard Returned to Park - June 29th July 7, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentOn June 29, Matt Heard returned as our first guest speaker at our Crosby Campus. Many of you know that Matt was the founding pastor of Park Community Church back in 1987 when he took 50 people up to the Geneva Youth Camp to talk about launching a new work in the city of Chicago. He served as pastor until 1990 and presently serves as the lead pastor of Woodmen Valley Chapel in Colorado Springs.
It was an emotional time for Matt, as he saw Park through its first three years, then left to get his seminary degree in Florida. “I want to congratulate and affirm you for continuing a vision and unpacking it in powerful ways in this city,” Matt said. He challenged us through a message on the ‘theology of plumbing’ of what our role here in the city is. Matt defined the theology of plumbing as the difference between a pipe and a bucket: what goes into a bucket stays in a bucket, but what goes into a pipe flows through that pipe somewhere else. In the context of our Christian life, we’re not called to be buckets. Buckets keep what God has done in our lives to ourselves, and what flows into a bucket stagnates. Rather, we’re called to be pipes, and let what God is doing in us flow out of us into the lives of those around us.
In closing, Matt encouraged us saying, “We don’t fully comprehend how significant these days are for Park Community Church. It’s a moment of celebration for what God has provided, but it’s also a moment of decision of how you will steward what God has provided in this new building. Realize this building is to be a tool in God’s hands in facilitating a community of ‘pipes’ who will be conduits of who God is and what He’s done in the city.”
We encourage you to take a moment and listen to the entire message and share your thoughts and reactions to the message in the comments section.
(HT: Park Facebook)
Multi-Site from the Horses Mouth July 1, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentOne of the things I am most excited about Park Community Church is our vision — to be a biblical community where the Gospel of Jesus Christ transforms live, renews the city and impacts the world.
As we opened up our building last week, it was great to hear that the building is a tool, a gathering place, but we are the church and we need to take the Gospel to others in this city of 77 community areas. As we look to launch other campuses in the city, I came across this and thought many would find it interesting.
He spoke about In last week’s issue of Rick Warren’s Ministry Toolbox, the right column had a banner button that linked to an interview by Tony Steward with Scott Hitzel and Randy Craft, two guys that actually implement the hands-on efforts at Saddleback Church’s multi-site location in San Clemente.In this spontaneous 16-minute interview, you’ll hear the first-hand report of nuts & bolts involved at a remote campus. At around the 5:00 mark on the clip, Scott gives an overview of 4 models for how they have distributed content between the Lake Forest location and the San Clemente location.
I think this video clip can be particularly helpful as we think about launching a multi-site campus.
Solar as Alternative? June 30, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Methods & Strategies, Adaptive Reuse, Tech Tips, Energy Efficiency, Entrepreneuring, Sustainability , add a commentI am beginning to look into solar options but I live in Illinois (never really known as the land of the uninterrupted sun) so I wanted to find out how to calculate whether an investment in solar makes sense in Chicago. I learned that the total solar energy available to the earth is approximately 3850 zettajoules (ZJ) per year, while worldwide energy consumption was 0.471 ZJ in 2004, according to the US Department of Energy. Even if you aren’t a solar panel installer, you can tell that there’s way more solar energy available than the world will ever need.
Doing my homework, I found FindSolar.com, a Web site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the American Solar Energy Society, and the Solar Electric Power Association.
To get started, select your state and county, power company, and the type of system you’re interested in-whether it’s electric, hot water, spa/pool heating, or space heating/cooling-as well as your average utility expenditure. The online calculator then determines the average cost of a solar-electric system based on the data you’ve provided, plus any state or local rebates you qualify for. If you’re ready to start pumping out those rays, you can contact solar installers and distributors in the site’s directory for quotes or additional info.
