Following Kirstin's post from yesterday, here is what I need according to Google:
Okay, so this is the last thing I should be doing when I said I was just going to fall into bed early to kick a cold like a bad habit, but I noticed that someone I know had done this little exercise and the results made me laugh out loud. So here goes...
Basically, you Google your name followed by "needs" and record the top ten results. So apart from going to bed, Kirstin needs...
So since I removed all of my interests from Facebook, it's been intriguing to see what "the system" assumes about me based on the few things it does know (my gender, age and marital status) and revealed by the pattern of ads that appear. Apparently, I'm dying to lose weight and save money, even if it means taking a risk on a scam. I love diamonds and visual puzzle games, especially when they feed my competitive nature. I also have young children. Yeah, not so much.
I haven't decided yet whether it's wise to take the opportunity to designate ads as irrelevant, offensive, etc. or if that just feeds into the targeting of my own demographic of one. I also should confess this is all a verrrrrry gray area for me as an advertised-to and advertis-er; I use Facebook regularly in my work to communicate possibilities for participation to the likeliest people to be involved. I'm haunted by a statement from the PBS film The Persuaders--that when there are no stories left that exist simply to move us, when all stories are attempting to sell us something, we cease to be a "culture." Is this possible? Is this impending?
I just finished creating a mix CD for a few friends and I thought I'd share the track listing here. The theme linking these together is fairly simple: artists I've been listening to lately. Most of the linked track names will take you to iTunes--a few go elsewhere--to give you an idea of what the songs sound like. Enjoy!
In a recent interview with The Atlantic, Desmond Tutu accidentally said "starlode" instead of "lodestar"--which caused him to laugh jubilantly at his error in a remarkably delightful manner (listen here). I can learn a lot about joy from a man who has seen what he has enjoying life as much as he does.
I'm working on ads for Calvin College's biennial Festival of Faith & Music and came across this on Relevant Magazine's advertising web page:
The 18-to-34 demographic is ours. We've made a science of speaking to the needs, wants and interests of this generation like no one else. You need our audience. Our audience wants your products. You need to get RELEVANT.
What in the world is this crap? I can't figure out how a Christian publication would think that this kind of market-driven language is appropriate when talking about people. I'm supposedly in Relevant's demographic, but here are my initial responses to reading this:
It seems to me that Christian publications should be more interested in fostering genuine community--shalom, if you will--than in reducing entire groups of people into possible economic transactions. I think it would be wise for Relevant to revisit this statement ...
incarnational
enculturated
commodification
