April 2004

Lucinda Williams

Last week I watched On the Record with Bob Costas and he interviewed Cassandra Wilson. During the week, I thought I would enjoy listening to her new album Glamoured. Yesterday, went to walmart and while there I decided to purchase her album. Only thing was, I forgot her name and the album name. I thought it started with a W and remembered the title had something to do with Gaelic. In the W's I found the album. "Righteously" had to be that Gaelic word her and Costas were talking about, and the name Lucinda Williams seemed familiar. Well, Cassandra and Lucinda sound alike and so do Wilson and Williams. Cover of album gave no identity to what the artist looked like. Kelly and I listened to the album and the fun began. "This doesn't sound like jazz" "hmmm... doesn't to me either, but I know its the right album. Second song will be different." Kelly opened the insert inside the pocket and said "I thought you said she was black, this is a white chick". "Woww, this ain't the album". Didn't care for her voice at first (she will never be a Tracy Chapman), but the album grows on you listening to it a second time. Its called World Without Tears and put out by Lost Highways. That label has one of the most creative website designs I have seen. About 10 artists are signed with this label, her site and Wilie Nelson's are of similar design. Ryan Adams is the most creative design (although I wouldn't buy his music). Below is an interesting snip, from the press release section (Guitar World Acoustic). Wonder how Aerosmith is doing in sales with their blues cover album?

GWA   Would you say that the success of Car Wheels on a Gravel Road made it possible for you to make dramatically different albums like Essence and World Without Tears?

WILLIAMS   Yeah. It was a turning point because it got me more attention, although I've also matured as an artist and am more confident about trying new things. Essence was poorly received because people wanted me to do another Car Wheels, with more uptempo songs and the bigger rock sound, and I made an acoustic album. World Without Tears is more rock‹there¹s a bunch of uptempo songs ­so the record company is flipping out over it, I'm getting more airplay and it's being accepted by more people. It's a commercial album, but I didn't plan it that way‹I didn't record it in reaction to the way Essence was received.

GWA   Where do you go from here?

WILLIAMS   Next I might want to do a blues record, or maybe an old-time Loretta Lynn-style country record. I talked to my label about doing a blues record but they said, "You can, but it's not gonna count towards fulfilling your contract." I guess blues is still seen as something for your library rather than a commercially viable product.

Intelligence

There are all sorts of definitions of intelligence on the net, from business intelligence to emotional intelligence. A short history page that makes a few good points or view a long detailed page. Indiana University has a timeline from historical foundations to current trends in intelligence theories and research. I did a page on intelligence a year ago and stand by my basic premise; "I define intelligence thru the utilization of different skills learned thru experience, observation or being taught". But after reviewing other pages, it is alot more complex than I thought. Heng Tuten, from the Netherlands, has an extensive page on defining intelligence. I linked to his definition. The whole page is well worth reviewing. The Atlantic Online has a three page article entitled "Who Owns Intelligence". Below is a snip from the February 1999 article. On second thought, maybe you just want to know why you do things.

Three unresolved issues will dominate the discussion of intelligence: whether intelligence is one thing or many things; whether intelligence is inherited; and whether any of its elements can accurately be measured. The debate, a prominent psychologist argues, is really over proprietary rights to a fundamental concept of our age.

The public is more interested in the second question: Is intelligence (or are intelligences) largely inherited? This is by and large a Western question. In the Confucian societies of East Asia individual differences in endowment are assumed to be modest, and differences in achievement are thought to be due largely to effort. In the West, however, many students of the subject sympathize with the view -- defended within psychology by Lewis Terman, among others -- that intelligence is inborn and one can do little to alter one's intellectual birthright.

A thought to ponder: If intelligence is linked to wisdom, how does one achieve wisdom? An answer I found in a forum:

I think wisdom is more about the content than about the intelligence itself. Of course, a certain IQ is needed, but one can be regarded as wise and having IQ 90, and someone with an IQ of 160 can be utterly lost in this world. I think wisdom has more to do with successful survival and communication techniques, rather than with a high IQ. To figure out which survival and communication techniques are successful in a certain environment takes a lot of experience, and a lot of experience takes a lot of time.

Explainer

Slate has an explainer column, where he gives in depth answers to questions. Everything you did not want to know about Summer Blend Gasoline.

The term "summer blend" is shorthand for a menu of federally and locally mandated summertime fuel recipes that are designed to cut down on smog. The gasoline we use is always refined from an intricate blend of ingredients; the process combines coffee-dark crude oil with various additives that increase performance or make fuel burn more cleanly. Because overlapping federal and local requirements call for different recipes in different locales and seasons, there are approximately 20 distinct "boutique blends" of gasoline sold in the United States. Some Americans end up pumping a blend called Carb (named for the California Air Resources Board) while others burn Atlanta (named for Georgia's capital, where it's sold).

MPEG-4

An article entitled "MPEG-4 is dead".

Simply stated, MPEG-1 and 2 were developed almost in a vacuum, with no real competition in the computer marketplace. In fact, they were developed almost exclusively for non-PC devices—MPEG-1 for VideoCD and CD-i (DVD-like players that connected directly to television sets for playback), and MPEG-2 for broadcast and DVD.

Contrast this to the current streaming media environment. Before MPEG-4 was introduced, three streaming technologies enjoyed widespread use: RealVideo, Microsoft's Windows Media Video, and Sorenson Video. MPEG-4 offers lower quality than any of them.

In addition to offering lower quality, MPEG-4 also sports the obligation to pay royalties, not only on encoders and decoders, but also on content. Given that decoders for the other three have always been free, it's doubtful that this costs more, looks worse "value proposition" will win many takers in the streaming media space.

Also an article on Apple and the iPod:

With the Macintosh, Apple decided to keep its operating system proprietary, licensing it out only on a few rare occasions and keeping control of both hardware and software. The approach has arguably given Apple an edge, when it comes to integrating new capabilities such as DVD burning, but the Macintosh also has become a niche player in a Windows-dominated PC market.

But that's a half measure, according to Glaser, who recently quipped that Apple might go the way of the Soviet Union, unless it takes a more liberal stance toward licensing its software, specifically the FairPlay digital rights management (DRM) controls that prevent songs purchased through iTunes from being illegally copied.

American History

DigitalHistory is an enhanced learning and teaching resource, developed by the University of Houston. You will find resource guides, biographies, essays, links to other learning sites, and alot more. From the Debts to Spanish and Mexican Cultures page:

Cowboys adopted their outfits, their terminology, their customs, and even their songs from a Spanish and Mexican prototype. Vaqueros, who tended cows (vacas), became cowboys. They rode on a saddle with a horn, which became the western saddle. Vaqueros used the horn as a place to hang their riata or lariat (rope), and after throwing their lazo (lasso), tied it to the horn.

Many Spanish terms were incorporated into English. These include such words as corral, hombre, and bronco. The word vaquero became the basis for the word buckaroo. Cowboy dress was adapted from the vaqueros. Vaqueros wore a wide-brimmed hat (sombrero) to shade their face from the hot sun. They wore high-heeled, pointed boots to keep their feet in their stirrups as they galloped. They also wore leather chaparrerjos (chaps), to protect their legs from thorny chaparral bushes.

Nostalgia

Packagemuseum is an archive of corporate heritage and branding, a digital photo gallery of products from yesterday. Compare them with today's packaging. I remeber Dr Pepper in the bottle (what did the 10,2,4 mean?). I do not remember Alka Seltzer in glass tubes.

Cell Phones

Some people are just so rude when it comes to talking on a cell phone in public places! Enough said, they should visit cell manners and learn some etiquette. I browsed the forum and found the Q&A in Ask Cell Manners quite entertaining. Has the below ever happened to you? On another note is a recent study done "Why Mobile Phones are Annoying". A less technical version or summary can be found at birdhouse.org. A brief page on the history of cell phones (site has many "history of" topics).

And You're Not Here...

Dear CellManners,

I experienced a particular incident of cell phone abuse (in which I wasthe victim) and I thought I would share this incident with your readers. What happened to me one afternoon should never happen to a million people in two-way conversations and I hope that my experience will serve as a model of what should never happen again. I was casually eating lunch with a friend of mine, when after 20 minutes into our conversation, his cell phone rings, and to my astonishment, he a) answers the phone, and b) takes the call! He continues to speak to the caller for about five minutes, while I'm sitting on the opposite side of the table sheepishly eating my french fries. Is this the epitome of cell phone crudeness? Has he no manners? Am I uptight?
Please help me find the words I was looking for at that moment.

Thank you,
Victim of a Cell Phone Abuser

Dear Victim,
Your friend exhibited the most rude behavior that we at cellmanners.com see and hear about. Allowing oneself to be interrupted during a social engagement indicates that you think the caller is more important than the people you are with. After your friend hung up, I would have gently laughed and said "Well, nothing like dialogus interruptus during lunch! The CellManners.com people would have a field day with that one." His interest may have been piqued then, giving you an opening to discuss cell phone etiquette with him. Remember that keeping emotions light while letting the other person know how you feel is important when educating others on cell phone manners. I hope your future lunches prove to be quieter and more enjoyable.

Happy Lunching,
Cell Manners Specialist

Rude Customers

Dear CellManners,

I am annoyed with people who use their cell phones in my shop without regard for others, all the while expecting me or my staff to wait on them. I don't expect total abstinence, because it is sometimes necessary for someone to call and double check what they are looking for.
I am looking for suggestions on how to phrase signs to politely ask people to use their phones appropriately.

Thank you.
I'm Not Chopped Liver

Dear "I'm Not Chopped Liver,"
Ah, yes, as letter writing is a lost art, so is conversation with those who serve us. Here is a suggestion for a friendly but direct sign for your shop: "To better serve you we must be able to talk with you. Please keep cell phone conversations to a minimum." Have a profitable and friendly season!

Happy Holidays,
Cell Manner Specialist

Mac computers

MacDirectory has a refreshing section on Mac and Culture. A look at the new trends, people and places that are using Apple products to drive the digital culture of the 21st century forward. Below is from the page on Macs in Africa.

Why isn't Apple a larger force in Africa's computer industry?
"Price, poor marketing and a huge installed base of other systems, " says South Africa's Daily Mail & Guardian editor David Shapshak. But Apple isn't totally absent in Africa. "Our graphics and design sections use Macs, " says Henri Sabiti of The Monitor Online, Uganda's most comprehensive news website.

First, some background.
As evidence, the wireless market in Africa has virtually exploded. The country has become one of the fastest-growing markets for cellular phones. New local firms and multi-national corporations are working to meet the demand for cheaper and more efficient communication technologies. Cell phones are as prevelant today as transistor radios were in years past. Nowadays, Johannesberg could be mistaken for any western city.

Perhaps the watershed event in the entire Apple Computer-African relationship was the 1986 U.S. Comprehensive Sanctions Law governing trade with South Africa. The law prohibited the sale of computers to apartheid-enforcing agencies, such as the military and police. This legislation led to the Apple Computer's policy of not selling to South African's former racist regime - 5 million whites controlled 31 million blacks and Asians.

It also contributed to a belief that Apple could survive without aggressively courting the African market. That mindset ultimately led to the increased role of distributors, and the quiet pull back of Apple Computer's hands-on role in Africa. This process saved Apple money, but also gave an incredible amount of company power to the distributors, who in turn did a lot to erode customer loyalty to Apple when they were unable to meet customer's needs.

Reincarnation

Article from ABC news on a boy living today and a downed WWII pilot named James Huston. It is entitled Second Lives: could a little boy be proof of reincarnation? Another article that has some background on the pilot. A page explaining the concepts of reincarnation The Basics. Snip from page; "The most fundamental aspect of reincarnation is the belief that a single soul will be incarnated in more than one body.  By definition, reincarnation is the doctrine of the soul incarnating or reappearing after death in another and different bodily form.  Furthermore, this rebirth of the soul in another body can occur numerous times (some believe reincarnation can involve hundreds, if not thousands, of different lives)."

Nearly six decades ago, a 21-year-old Navy fighter pilot on a mission over the Pacific was shot down by Japanese artillery. His name might have been forgotten, were it not for 6-year-old James Leininger.

Bowman said James was at the age when former lives are most easily recalled. "They haven't had the cultural conditioning, the layering over the experience in this life so the memories can percolate up more easily," she said.

Nationmaster

Nationmaster is a website that allowed users to generate graphs based on numerical data extracted from the CIA World Factbook. Primary mission is to promote education and understanding about the world. To make it easy to engage with the indicators that shape global commerce, health, politics and ecology. To make the facts easily accessible and meaningful. To bring the works of academics, public agencies and private researchers to a wider audience. Left corner of index page is a random factiod block, or go to interesting facts about our world. Included on site is an encyclodpedia and forum sections.

Low Carb

Lowcarbiseasy.com has a good about low carb diets page. On another site is a Low Carb Dictionary, explaining the more common terms with easy to understand definitions. Alas, this thread would not be complete if I did not link to a forum.

The science behind low carb diets
Low carb diets are based largely on the science of blood sugar control mechanisms. A very simplified explanation of the process is as follows: carbohydrate foods (starches and sugars) are converted by digestion to a form of sugar called glucose. The rising levels in the blood trigger the pancreas to release the hormone insulin. It is the job of insulin to keep the blood sugar levels stable and trigger the process by which excess glucose is removed from the bloodstream and, if not needed for immediate energy, stored as fat.

The importance of drinking water
"Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. This is because the kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolise stored fat into usable energy for the body. But, if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolises less fat, more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.
Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water it perceives this as a threat to survival, and begins to hold onto every drop. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs - more water. Only then will stored water be released. The overweight person needs more water than the thin one."

Chineese Literature

Chinese Literature (page is to the fables section) was founded in 1951, and published in English and French. Over the past half century since its establishment, it has been focusing on introducing the best Chinese literary works, literary and artistic criticism, and art from every period in Chinese history. It has been serving as a window on Chinese literature and culture, enjoying widespread popularity among readers both within China and abroad.

We hope that this website will become a rich source of literary enjoyment for our readers, provide important reference materials for all students of China's language, history, philosophy and other branches of humanities, and act as a valuable aid for them to better understand the Chinese people.

The Otter's Mistake

The otters changed their dwelling places almost every day, but still failed to escape being caught and killed by hunters.

Why was this so? They went to the hedgehog, who was known to be wise, and asked him to tell them the reason.

"Have you taken any precautions against hunters?" asked the hedgehog, after listening to them.

"Yes, of course we have," answered the otters. "Every time we go out to look for food or relieve ourselves, we always use our tails to sweep out our footprints as we pass the beach so that the hunters cannot track us..."

"That's it!" said the hedgehog cutting them short. "That's where you're going wrong."

"How can it be wrong to take such an elaborate precaution?" the otters asked in surprise.

"The sweep of your tail over your footprints provides the hunters with a clear clue. If you have any doubts, let's go to the spot and see."

When they arrived at the beach, the otters were stunned by what they saw: A strip was clearly marked in the sand where they had swept their footprints away!

The hedgehog pointed to it and said, "See? It was this clue that led hunters to your dwellings."

People are often likely to overlook a mistake that arises from correcting another.

Science Began?

Very thought provoking thread in a physlink.com forum. It's entitled The Origin of Science? (66 replies) in the physics, philosophy & religion forum.

At what point do you think science began?  For example, did it start with the discovery of fire, the beginning of widespread use of the scientific method, or do you think it has always been a part of humanity in one way or another...

Reply  I think this depends on how you define science.  I tend towards the most fundamental definitions e.g. the first time logic was used to solve a physical problem.  I guess this might mean making the first tool.  But then I hesitate.  Recently in the news, a pet crow is seen fashioning a tool from a piece of wire.  He used this to retrieve food that is otherwise inaccessible.  So, this would mean that we have crow science?  Yikes!  

Reply  A great meaty topic worthy of several dissertations.

The phenomena of the universe prior to the pre-Socratic philosophy [catagorically the Greek Natural Philosophy Movement] was most likely observed and utilized [not necessarily understood as we would understand today] by shamans, medicine men, and cult/religion priests. Probably, what understanding they had [the ability to recognize repetitive events of astronomy, physical phenomena, chemical reactions, etc.] were used to mystify and subjugate the members of a tribe or civilization for personal gains--"magic" kept the incumbent in power until he was usurped by a clever/more powerful rival/priestly group, or died.

It wasn't until the 6th century B.C., did the process of separating myth/magic from a logical view of the world begin in ernest. The likes of the Atomists, Pythagoreans, Heraclities, etc. where a more logical approach which began to develop and become more and more sophisticated in time.

So, at this point: Logical approach to natural phenomena is the key word.

Laptop Bag

A good article from Tidbits on how to choose a laptop bag. For the ladies, an article on chic bags.

Essential Advice -- No matter which bag style you choose, keep the following factors in mind while you're shopping.

Weight is extremely important. My 15-inch PowerBook G4 is pretty svelte at 5.6 pounds (2.5 kg), but I also carry an extra power adapter, an assortment of cables, Palm organizer, iPod, and other stuff that adds up - I don't need more weight added by the bag itself. Although a rich leather exterior looks sharp, I prefer to carry something made of lighter materials.

Speaking of materials, other than leather you'll commonly find bags made of materials such as ballistic nylon and Cordura (a durable fabric manufactured by DuPont). They're resistant to tears and scuffs and provide some level of water-resistance - though be wary of companies claiming their bags as being "waterproof." Cordura or nylon alone won't keep the liquid out over time, and zippers and seams are often not properly sealed or treated to keep moisture out. If you really need a waterproof bag (if, say, you bike to work in Seattle every day throughout the year), look into getting a dry bag with a roll-down opening, such as those made by Ortlieb. For the ultimate in rough knocks durability, look for something like Matias Corporation's Laptop Armor case, which has a hard outer shell and a padded foam interior.

World Factbook

This is a publication of the CIA. A good place to start would be the Notes and Definitions section. From there I clicked the Independence link and was surprised at how many countries got their independence from UK. Couple of pages I found interesting was Southern Ocean (I thought there was only four) and Vatican City.

Southern Ocean   A decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 delimited a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - from the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit. The Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean).

Holy See (Vatican City)   Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include the failing health of Pope John Paul II, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.

Beyond Google

PC World magazine has a 13 page online article entitled Beyond Google, which lists many search engines for various needs.

As heretical as this may seem to some PC users, Google doesn't know it all. Sure, the paragon of search engines deftly handles most of our search requests. But just as you wouldn't drive miles past the local grocery store to a cavernous warehouse club to buy a dozen eggs, you don't want to slog through pages of search results from Google or another search engine every time you need a bit of information.

Better to rely on a cadre of specialized sites that will swiftly retrieve the nuggets you're looking for. Here are the best data resources on the Web, from the latest business news sites to the most useful addresses for hearth and home.

AD/HD

Tamingthetriad.com is an educational site about Attention Deficit Disorders. ADHD affects 3-10% of children with up to 50% of these individuals having persisting symptoms into adulthood. Site contains a directory of related weblinks.

2. What is the difference between ADD and ADHD?

ADD and ADHD are the same condition. ADHD is the most recent name given to the group of conditions known as attention deficit disorders. According to the Fourth Edition of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), this group is divided into three categories; 1) ADHD, primarily inattentive type, 2) ADHD, primarily hyperactive-impulsive type, and 3) ADHD, combined type (all three characteristics are present. ADHD is also sometimes diagnosed as ADHD, not otherwise classified or ADHD, residual type.
Prior names for this condition include minimal brain dysfunction (MBD), hyperkinetic syndrome of childhood and attention deficit disorder (ADD) with or without hyperactivity.

Leanan Sidhe

The Leanan-Sidhe is an Irish fairy, often thought to be the inspiration of poets and minstrels. Her name means "the fairy sweetheart". In Ireland, she's regarded as a positive spirit. However, those on the Isle of Man regard the sweetheart fairy as a vampirish creature, who attaches herself to a single person until she has drained the life force out of him. That's why poets are often said to live intense and passionate lives, but to die young.

The translation of her name hold the first clue to who and what she is. The words are Gaelic and refer to a faery muse. "Leanan" means the love of my soul or spirit...my inspiration. "Sidhe" is the word for a faery. In Irish poetic tradition, she was the muse who appeared to the bard as the "Aisling" or vision. In his vision he meets her on a hillside and she then inspires music or poetry that has an otherworldly sadness and regret for the glorious past of the Irish. For those who settled the Celtic Countries, this could be a later translation of contact with the women of the Sidhe. The Sidhe are an ancient race who once made their home on the Green Islands long before the coming of the Irish. A race that remains to this day, an unannounced yet vital influence upon the imagination.

Leanan Sidhe is a powerful muse who bestows a gift; the ability to create a work of art, music, or poetry with great depth of feeling. The price of her dark and delicate gift is often a sorrow or heartbreak that is born of obsession. An artist may be spent as furiously as he draws from his source, hence the mythos of the artist who when possessed of the Leanan Sidhe lives a brilliant but brief life. Her true purpose is revealed in the creative works she inspires in poets, painters, and musicians. She is an empath who is compelled to inspire love and despair, longing and desire. She teaches the beauty and power of such emotion and that all such feeling is vital to creation with many dark nights of the soul required to convey the sorrow of her history.

Astronomy

Nineplanets.org is an overview of the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge of each of the planets and moons in our solar system. A collection of information intended for a general audience with little technical background. No special expertise or knowledge is needed; all technical and astronomical terms and proper names are defined in the glossary. At the bottom of the saturn page is a list of open issues, the last one may be answered in a few months. In the glossary, I had a laugh at how they defined congress. Included on site is a comprehensive page on spacecraft.

If all goes well, the Cassini orbiter will go into orbit around Saturn on July 1st, 2004. In addition to an extensive survey of Saturn and its major moons, it will drop a probe (called Huygens, built by the European Space Agency) onto the surface of Titan.

Prophecy

An interesting article entitled Jews and Prophecy: cast aside or destined for glory? Skip the first few paragraphs because that's pure dribble. Amazing how many prophecy sites there are on the net, all interpreting bible verses favoring their point of view. Koinonia House is another source for prophetic articles, from a christian viewpoint.

4) Language — When the Jews were scattered worldwide in the first century, they ceased speaking the Hebrew language. The Jews who settled in Europe developed a language called Yiddish (a combination of Hebrew and German). The Jews in the Mediterranean basin mixed Hebrew with Spanish to produce a language called Ladino. The prophet Zephaniah implied a time would come when the Hebrew language would be revived (Zephaniah 3:9). It has been. Today the Israelis speak Biblical Hebrew. It is the only example in history of the resurrection of a dead language. The man God used to revive the language was Eliezer Ben Yehuda (1858 — 1922).

From the After these Things website, I linked to this article The Market-Driven Church: a look behind the scenes.

Take the church growth movement for example. Having watched a large segment of the church become content with short yardage and lousy scores, some decided that there had to be a better way. The church was not penetrating society; she was not pulling in the masses; she was not making a significant impact for the gospel. It was not that the church leaders did''t care, it was, it seemed, that they lacked the "know-how," the tools, to effect change. The gospel was still "the power of God for salvation" (Romans 1:16), but it was being rejected out-of-hand by too many. What was needed, apparently, were new methods to reach the lost, new techniques to promote the church, new packages for the gospel message. People, we were told, were not rejecting the gospel or Christ; they were rejecting our out-of-date, unappetizing forms, philosophies, and methods. It is these pronouncements that need to be examined.

First, we must distinguish between megachurches and new paradigm churches: Megachurches are defined as those with average worship attendance of 2,000 or more, but these behemoth churches come in all shapes, stripes, and forms. Some are centers of great preaching and teaching, some are charismatic, others are little more than social clubs. New paradigm churches, on the other hand, are identified by a philosophy of ministry intentionally designed to effect numerical growth. In their church growth methodologies, more attention is paid to market strategy, business techniques, and demographics than to New Testament instruction. Read the leading literature from the pens of the church growth experts (e.g. The Purpose Driven Church, by Rick Warren of Saddleback; Marketing the Church, by George Barna and Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry, by Lee Strobel) and you will find bucket loads of marketing techniques and only passing references to the book of Acts (the divinely inspired "church growth" manual), or to any other Scripture for that matter.

The premise of all marketing is that the consumer must be pleased; he must be kept happy; he must be given what he needs, or has been programmed to think he needs, if we are to succeed. This premise works very well for say, McDonal''s, but can it be adopted by the church? Certainly it can, but is not the church, and more importantly, the gospel message, altered and distorted in the process? Listen to these words by Wells, "The fact is that while we may be able to market the church, we cannot market Christ, the gospel, Christian character, or meaning in life. The church can offer handy childcare to weary parents, intellectual stimulation to the restless video generation, a feeling of family to the lonely and dispossessed -- and, indeed, lots of people come to churches for these reasons. But neither Christ nor his truth can be marketed by appealing to consumer interest, because the premise of all marketing is that the consumer's need is sovereign, that the customer is always right and this is precisely what the gospel insists cannot be the case".