On the blogs and in my brain this week…
I try not to get too “political” but this is an important read: The Supreme Court orders a 5-4 decision on where to order lunch (I’ll have to side with Justice Scalia on this one).
Dan Dick reviews George Hunter’s book,The Recovery of a Contagious Methodist Movement (Amazon affiliate link), giving it very high marks. I haven’t had the chance (or the money) to check out the “recommended” books for this year’s General Conference, but it sounds like this is one to get.
Donald Miller: How to Know if You Are a Controlling Person. Also from Miller: Want to Do Meaningful Work? Keep Reading. Literally.
April 1 Fun: Google Voice for Pets; Seth Godin fights for restrictive control of intellectual property by trademarking the terms “Purple” and “Cow”; and Rachel Held Evans offers an incredible news round up, including the fact that Rob Bell’s Lasik Surgery Will Cost Christian Hipsters Millions.
Lifehacker: Get Your Bike in Shape for Spring. I splurged for a real tune-up at a local bike shop just because it has been 15 years since any professional has touched it, but this guide will be a helpful place to start for basic maintenance.
Jeremy Smith: No Southern Church Left Behind interesting analysis of the potential geographic bias that surrounds the support of Call to Action in the United Methodist Church.
Fred Clark: Friday the 13th – A Ghost Story. Oh, how I wish this were true, the idea of the ghost of Frederick Douglas haunting racists, preaching, and kicking butt is an awesome movie begging to be made.
When I worked overnights as a radio DJ, I could pretty easily get lost in just studying the weather radar feed, especially when I storm was coming in. This real time wind map feeds that same weather nerdiness.
The New Red Scare: Why Muslims Aren’t Republican Anymore. Fascinating article that talks about how in the 2000 Presidential Election 78% of Muslims supported Republicans because of their emphasis on moral values, fiscal conservatism, and “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality, but since then support has dropped to 11%. In order to satisfy one political base they’ve alienated another who were sympathetic to their basic values.
The Atlantic: How Copyright Makes Books Disappear. Here’s where intellectual property law is “broken”- it creates an undeniable gap in access to creative work. Want to find a new book originally published before 1910 – no problem. Want to find a new book originally published between 1920 and 1980 – good luck.
My inner 14-year-old self rejoices: There is a Kickstarter campaign to revive Leisure Suit Larry.
Music this week from Detroit’s own Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – “We Almost Lost Detroit”: