Just Browsing

A few things that have become unnecessary essentials lately:

The Moth podcast
Sound Opinions podcast (you were right, Robby, it’s great)
BetterWorld Books: great selection, free shipping, and they are very conscientious, even towards local libraries.
The Iconogram and Blog Networks Facebook apps: windows into heaven, and into the make-up of the communities behind your favorite blogs.
1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: I got to scan this before sending it off to a lucky winner. If you’re an optimist, there’s also 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
The Freecycle Network: Pass it around
Congresspedia: Real made up stuff about congress
phonezoo: Make your own dang ring tone

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Opportunities

1) This morning, getting fruit and a whole wheat bagel (see New Year’s Gentle Intentions post – oh, wait, I didn’t write that), I got all excited to see the caf serving Pura Vida coffees, and decided to contribute to the cause. They’re still warming Seattle’s Best (I always think, “is that true?”), but there’s a big display and it’s a nice move.

I also got excited that my to go container for the mixed melon (see New. . . oh, wait, nevermind) was pressed paper instead of plastic, but was informed at the register that, no, this isn’t a new development, “We always have these, we just use them when we run out of plastic.” We get a point for the coffee, though, I say.

2. This morning, John Baille praises God, so well, “For the great and mysterious opportunity of my life.”

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19 Shopping Days Left Until Epiphany!

This will only help with those of you who forgot to already buy Christmas gifts, but I’ve been trying to build a collection of alternative shopping resources the last few weeks.* Here are a few, and if you’re familiar with others, I’d be interested to know about them:

Benefitting the poor in 2/3 world countries (generally an “in honor of” gift):
TEAR Australia
Heifer International
World Vision
Kiva (small loans)
Save the Children

Fair Trade/Alt Economics
a greater gift
Ten Thousand Villages
Heartbeats
No Sweat Apparel
People Not Profit

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Next two things

1) Saw I’m Not There and The Darjeeling Limited this week. Two films featuring trains, drugs, spirituality, and a life-altering motorcycle accident. Also include interesting casting overlaps with other films in which the same actors appear. Both are among my favorites this year. Only one has David Cross as Alan Ginsberg.

1b) Also watched Year of the Dog. I really liked Molly Shannon. This is a great little movie.

1c) Maybe next time I’m in this position I will have a one man movie festival featuring all one man titles: The Man Who Knew Too Much; The Man with One Red Shoe; The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; The Man Who Wasn’t There; The Third Man; The Elephant Man; The Man Who Fell to Earth; The Man with Two Brains; A Man for All Seasons; The Man on the Train; The Minus Man; The Amazing Colossal Man; The Man with the Golden Gun; Last Man Standing; Repo Man. Maybe by that time, The Man in the Chair. Possibly Spider-Man, probably not She’s the Man.

2) “There is an African proverb that says, ‘If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.'”

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Two ways to save

1) Paste, a la Radiohead, is offering a “pay what you want” one year subscription. A lot of the new artists I listen to came to me through the monthly Paste CD and magazine. I am amazed if this will work for them financially (you can even renew at your own price), but it’s great news for the next year of hearing new music. They cover film, books, etc. as well, but I’m in a phase of life that requires more multitasking than those media allow.

2) How to dry your hands using one paper towel (I’d HT Stephanie, if she had a site to tip). From Cool People Care (noticed their banner ad for Greener Nashville, for my massive TN audience).

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The Wrath of More Things I Don’t Have Time to Write About

1) One of my favorite reads as an MDiver was Larry Crabb’s The Safest Place on Earth. Crabb’s reputation as a Christianized pop psychologist (earned before his self-reorienting encounter with spiritual formation-in-community models), as well as the somewhat cheesy self-helpy cover art, has kept a lot of my friends from taking the recommendation seriously. So, I was glad to see that it has been repackaged and retitled Becoming a True Spiritual Community. A somewhat slick marketing maneuver, but I’d love to see it put this book in more hands.

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Legislating morality

Today we saw a guy in a Prius smoking a cigarette, and it gave us a great idea for a new LA city ordinance.

On a related note, we were in IKEA the other day, and they are now selling their merch lugging bags for 49 cents or something, with the warning that they will soon be charging customers 5 cents a bag to use disposable plastic. You can read more about it here (please do not print this article).

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Lived Earth

When I was in elementary school, I had a sticker on my door that I got in one of those gumball-toy machines for a quarter: “Ev’ry Litter Bit Hurts.” So began my conservationist quest. That’s right. I subscribed to Ranger Rick. Since then, I have twice collected aluminum cans. Once, I turned them in for recycling. And, I recycle newspapers, usually turn the lights out (some of which are energy-saving bulbs), and drive a car with a PZE sticker. Most Americans would probably consider me a rabid environmentalist. And a Democrat. All that to say, I do a pretty crappy job of helping the world. Full disclosure section completed.

There was a great discussion on this week’s To the Point about the impact of Live Earth and similar events. Guests (including Harry Shearer, who performed in London with Spinal Tap) reflected on the problem of whether artists get and communicate the message they’re promoting, and whether participants (especially at an event aimed at altering daily practices and pushing for international policies) merely feel that purchasing tickets and joining the cheering throng supported the cause. There are a lot of questions here, although Shearer and others feel that the “nudge in the right direction” is worth the spectacle, and I tend to agree (what else were we all going to do last Saturday?).

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