Tamara's Blog

Blog Update: On the Front Porch with Beck and Dull

UPDATE (02/10/07): The poll that was introduced in this post has been archived. Read about the results here.

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This week, I want to honor Wile E. Coyote for his tenacity and commitment to capture the Road Runner. Beep-beep! [Did you just hear the Road Runner beep-beep in your head?] How many Acme gadgets did Wile E. go through? Did he ever give up? Did he ever catch the Road Runner? Wile E. Coyote is my hero. And you should know this-why? Well...

What's Up with the On the Front Porch Blog?

Many of you have heard me talk about "On the Front Porch" since last fall. And anyone who's heard about it has responded with, "Sounds cool! Let me know when you go live!"

The reality, though, is that despite my attempts to "Go Live!" - much like Wile E.'s attempts - the blog is not live. Yet. 

The original thought behind this blog was to invite regular people, like you and me, to an online version of a front porch community. We'd talk about events of the day, none of it too serious, and always entertaining.

We were going to kick it off with two authors: Me and someone who would be more than happy to offer up alternative views. Sort of like Hannity & Colmes. Unfortunately, Beck (of "with Beck and Dull") won't be able to participate on a regular basis.

So now it's onto the next Acme gadget...

The Options

For a minute, let's pretend you're into reading blogs. [I realize that this blog thing is new for many of you.] How should I move forward with On the Front Porch? What kind of blog would interest you?

Option 1. Stick with the original plan and find another permanent author, someone who's positively opinionated and wears a different pair of glasses than I do. That shouldn't be too hard. :)

Option 2. Rotate different folks to join me in the Front Porch conversation each week. As a friend said, this would be more Oprahesque, but Tamaraesque style. This way, you'll hear lots of different voices, perhaps even your own.

Option 3. Some other kewl idea you think would work.

How Can You Help?

Let me know which option appeals to you the most by casting your vote in the poll in the right margin. It's easy to do. Two clicks and you're done.

For the more ambitious, you can also post a comment and/or send me an email with any thoughts you may have. Unlike Wile E. Coyote, I will capture this "Road Runner." Thanks for your time.

Video Highlight: The Evolution of Dance

And speaking of dancing, let's take a commercial break and enjoy one of the most famous videos on the internet today-the Evolution of Dance. Up to 100 million people have already viewed it. Are you one of them?

If you have seen it, watch it again. It will make you laugh and smile and feel all happy inside all over again. For those who  haven't seen it, it's a 6-minute video with Judson Laipply who takes us through all the dance moves from the 60's to now. It's mindless entertainment at its finest.

Turn up your speakers and ENJOY!

Give the Users What They Want

One of the challenges of software development is building an application - whether it's on the Web or installed on your PC - that you, the user of the application, will really use. There's the infamous developer dance between "Do I give the users what they want?" or "Do I give the users what they need?"

It is almost guaranteed that if you deliver a product that the users ask for, they won't be happy. You will inevitably need to change it because it's not what they wanted. Granted, they thought they wanted it when you asked them earlier, but now that they have it, they see that it's not what they really needed. "Can you just change this one thing?" is the beginning of The Journey of Many Changes.

The flipside is that if you give the users something that they didn't necessarily ask for, but you believe is what they really need, they won't be happy either. Why? Because you gave them something they didn't ask for. And the dance goes on.

What got us on this topic of software and dancing - as if these two words even belong in the same sentence? Well, if you recall my post from last week, I was talking about Church 1.0, Web 2.0 and Church 2.0.

If Web 2.0 is the user-friendly, more interactive version of the initial version of the Web (1.0), then is Church 2.0 the more user-friendly, more interactive version of the church we grew up with and may still attend (Church 1.0)?

Many people would say that a more user-friendly, more interactive, more participatory type of church experience is what they want. They don't want to come to church to be passively entertained and/or educated by the same people every week. They used to want that, but not anymore. Now they want to BE the church. Get involved. Do something that's going to make a difference - in the lives of their families, friends, and communities. All for God's glory.

But is this really what they want? Aren't these the same people who are too busy as it is? I mean, who's not too busy? If Church 2.0 was a pervasive reality, would people really come? Would they really have the time or the desire? Would they really participate?

Do you give the "users" what they want or what they need? It's a dance, I tell you.

To be continued next week...

Book Talk: The Sinner's Guide to the Evangelical Right

I requested this book for Christmas (gasp!), received it, and read it (double gasp!). Why would I waste my time on such a book? What goodness could possibly come from a book with a title that clearly attacks that which I believe in?

First, what is the book about? It is a satire, written by Robert Lanham, an ex-Bible Belter, that educates "sinners" about everything under the "Evangelical Right" Umbrella. It focuses on certain prominent leaders and the Evangelical Vatican (a.k.a. Colorado Springs), mixed in with quotes from evangelicals interviewed for the book. It is similar to The Daily Report with Jon Stewart, twisting correct facts & figures and half-truths to both entertain and confound the uneducated reader - in this case, "the sinner."

Why did I read it? If you know me well, you know that I read a lot and across the board. I have a sincere desire to better understand others' perspectives - from politics to religion to current affairs - regardless of whether I agree with their perspective or not. I know what I believe in, and reading a book like this one isn't going to change any of that.

Is the book funny? Sure. Will it offend some? Sure. Does it really help "sinners" understand the "Evangelical Right"? Maybe, but I doubt it. As one who sits inside the "Evangelical Right" camp (oh, how I despise that term) and one who often scratches my head about some of the outrageous statements made by some of our "leaders," it was interesting and entertaining (at times) to see how we appear to those sitting on the outside. Some of it is pretty funny.

Should you read the book? If you only read a couple of books a year (in a good year), then don't bother with this one. There are way too many other books out there worth your time and attention. If you do read a lot, and you want to throw this one into the mix, then borrow mine. And then, don't spend more than an hour on it.

Church 1.0 + Web 2.0 = Church 2.0?

What's up with that title? Let's just say it's a working title, a title in progress, a title that needs help. But for right now, it'll do. For what? Well, it's a working title, or rather subject matter, for my first graduate research paper.

The capstone in my current course is the production of a 4,000 word (~20 pages) paper. Last week, I had to choose a research topic within the guidelines provided, so I decided to research a current missiological issue. Which issue? Well, the one I'm most interested in. The one I've been breathing in, day in and day out, for the last 20+ years: technology.

If it works out, for the duration of my masters program, I would like to look at the modern-day church through the technology lens. What is the current relationship between the two? What could it be? What should it be? and the list of questions goes on.

So back to our working title. What does it mean? The only part of it that may be remotely familiar to you is Web 2.0. For example, did you know that the reason I am able to write this blog and you are able to participate in it is because of Web 2.0 technologies? 

Check in next week to hear the rest of this story. What is Church 1.0? Is it some sort of software you can buy? When is Church 2.0 going to be released? Is it like Microsoft software - you have to wait until version 3.0 before you know it's any good? Stay tuned.

About You: Kirk and Kay Carver

About once a month, I want to highlight one of you and talk about what's going on in your part of the world. Of course, I'll ask for your permission first, as I did with my friends, Kirk & Kay, for today's post.

I met Kay in Ms. Shapiro's English class in the 10th grade in Chesterfield, MO. She was a ballerina; I was a long-distance runner. We graduated in 1981. The Highway of Life eventually took her (and Kirk) to the East coast, while it took me back to the West coast.

Seventeen years later, we crossed paths again on the Internet Highway. At that time, I was enjoying season tickets to the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and she was running 10 mile races around the Pentagon.

I have visited Kirk & Kay a few times in Maryland. They were the ones who took me to Annapolis to try sushi for the first time. We also toured the U.S. Naval Academy. Now THAT was tres kewl! Annapolis is a great little town.

What are Kirk & Kay up to these days? Well, in the near future, they'll be headed to North Carolina, then to France, then to  Africa. Click here to learn why in this recent article. It's all about the journey. Godspeed, Kirk & Kay!

The Official Launch of Tamara's Blog

Welcome to the official launch of Tamara's Blog! To get started, read some of the other posts to become more familiar with what this blog is all about.

Next, be sure to sign up to receive an email whenever I post an update (about 2 times per week). All you have to do is provide an email address in the right-hand column. For those who know about feed readers, you can also subscribe to this blog's feed.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to participate in the blog discussions. It will make for a more lively discussion, and plus, you won't be stuck "listening" to me all the time! See the post - How to Participate in the Discussion - if you're not sure how to do this.

Again, welcome to my blog! My next post will be on Tuesday, January 9th.

Starbucks Store Robbed?

On New Year's Day in the early afternoon, I met a friend at Starbucks. After about 45 minutes, everyone in the store was politely asked to leave due to a "facility issue." The store was closing. That moment. Odd. Okay. So we all left.

On Tuesday AM, I stopped by my regular Starbucks on the way to work. I told my favorite barista about the previous day's experience. Her immediate response was, "The store was being robbed!" Apparently, closing the store is standard protocol for a Starbucks robbery. She also added, "The toilet may have been backed up too."

What's up with that? First of all, why would anyone want to rob Starbucks? Isn't that like messing with "holy ground"? Second, don't you love the classy, understated Starbucks response to a robbery? It's not like the robberies you hear or read about for 7-11, like "Teenage Gang Member Plows Car Through 7-11 and Steals All the Bazooka Bubble Gum."

I don't know why the Starbucks store was closed on New Year's Day. Of course, this could all be a moot point. The toilet really could have been backed up.

My Winter 2007 Course

Today is the second day of my first 10-week class, Orientation to Theological Studies. This class will prepare me to study theology at Fuller, focusing primarily on critical thinking, reading and writing skills.

Two of the books I will be reading for this course are How to Read a Book and Eats, Shoots and Leaves: A Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. I purchased both of these books a long while back, and they were sitting in my bookcase, collecting dust, waiting to be read. Chalk one up for procrastination-now I will get credit for reading them! I will post a brief review of these books in the upcoming weeks.

How to Participate in the Discussion

It is easy to participate in the blog discussion. As the author of the blog, I will be the only one publishing "posts." Everyone else (including me) can respond to a post by submitting a comment.

If you're reading a single post, any comments that have been made will be listed right after the post in chronological order. If you're reading a post from the Main blog page, look for the Comments (#) link at the end of the post. Click on this link to view the post and its comments (if any).

To add your own comment, scroll down to the “Post a comment” section for the post you want to respond to. Fill in your name, email address, URL (if you want to share your own site with others), and finally, your comment. Click the Post button.That’s it!

You are now ready to participate in the blog discussion!