Thu 25 Sep 2008
Just like with Tina Fey and Sarah Palin, you’ve never seen Jennifer Aniston and Colbie Caillat (singer of “Bubbly”…”it starts in my toes, and I crinkle my nose…”) together at the same time. Plus, the rumor is that John “make-out with everyone” Mayer (split with Jen now) was kissing Colbie, while Jen was still with John…but was she really away?!
See?! Who is who?! Does John Mayer even know? Oh, so many questions!
Wed 24 Sep 2008
Here’s some insights from around the blogworld:
Great story on what was the final use of a church marketing packet.
Hilarious tale of a child and the delightful things they say, especially in public.
Happy Reading!
Mon 15 Sep 2008
I told you!
Tue 9 Sep 2008
If you’re into devotionals, or would like a study guide for the Gospel of John for you, or your small group, then the info is below. And, if I can humbly ask you to pimp my book on your own website or blog (if you’re okay with that), then please do so! Thanks!!
A Study Devotional …
By John A. Page
Mon 8 Sep 2008
In a follow up to a Shame, from a previous post, here are two more quotes:
In the 1950s, public drunkeness, filing for bankruptcy, having an abortion, having a child out of wedlock, drug addiction, hitting a woman, lotting stores, using vulgar language in public, being on welfare, or getting a divorce was enough to make you hang your head. Most of these reflected concerns about limiting individual behavior within a group.
Want to feel shame today? Wear anything fur, smoke in public, grow fat, have breasts too small, don’t recycle. Most of these acts violate codes of consumption. Somehow things have changed.
Back in the day it seems that “the good of the whole” was far more important, thus the shaming of individualized, or self-centered behavior. Today, we are all about “my own personal choice, this is my life” type of thinking, so the shaming of such behavior or choices seems to have no effect. What about his position that this is a matter of consumption?
And for another little brain expander, take a gander at how Listerine became THE thing to use for bad breath:
Whether you wanted to sell a car, toothpaste, gas, breakfast cereal, air-and-water bread, hand cream, a laundry service, shaving cream, life insurance, books, furniture, music lessons - you name it, in the pre-TV world you made your pitch by asserting the shame of not having your product. Listerine came about because they discovered the word halitosis and began applying shame to having bad breath, thus creating the need for something to kill bad breath, thus, the need for Listerine. Listerine started out as a wall disinfectant, used in operating rooms and the like. Not now.
Be sure to rinse tonight!
Tue 2 Sep 2008
I’ve been on a James Twitchell kick as of late, as he writes compelling books about marketing and church and branding, all of which are of interest to me. From one of his latest books, Branded Nation: The Marketing of Megachurch, College Inc, and Museumworld, is this arresting bit of statistics:
Brand consolidation is predictable with megachurches: half of all churchgoing Americans are attending only 12% of the nation’s 400,000 churches. Small congregations of fewer than 100 in worship are closing at the rate of 50 per week. They are going the way of small, underendowed private schools and museums.
Will small churches actually survive or will “big box” churches win the day? Does money play that big a part in a church’s survival?
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