Cranium-Embedded Concrete

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Final exams begin tomorrow and these pretty well depict my posture for the next two weeks.
(HT: 3 Quarks Daily)
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Indoctrinate U

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This film piqued my interest. I hope it comes to the college/university-saturated city of Minneapolis. Anything that raises awareness of the intellectual inbreeding that happens in many universities today is in itself a valuable contribution to higher education. (HT: Instapundit)
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"Bono Still Hasn't Found What He's Looking For" - More on the (RED) Campaign

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Ryan T. Anderson writes a discerning article over at First Things that illuminates some of the conflictedness Christians feel when considering relief efforts like the (RED) Campaign. Actually, he does more than that; he summarizes the spiritual dissonance of sacrifice-free humanitarianism. He also points out the practical damage done when millions of dollars are imprudently thrown at the problems of Africa, when Africa's greatest needs are spiritual and social.

Here's part of what he wrote:

A little more than a year ago, Bono and Bobby Shriver launched the (RED) campaign in London. It would go on to attract attention (and advertising) from such media elites as Steven Spielberg, Chris Rock, and Oprah Winfrey, while attracting sponsorships from AOL and MySpace. It created quite a buzz: Ads were all over the place and the world would be changed.

The idea was simple: new lines of consumer goods—all from the trendiest companies, Gap, Giorgio Armani, Motorola, Apple iPod—would be launched with the (RED) logo. When you bought one of these products, the company would give a fraction of the proceeds to the Global Fund. The (RED) Manifesto put it simply: “You buy (RED) stuff. We get the money, buy the pills and distribute them. . . . If they don’t get the pills, they die. We don’t want them to die. We want to give them the pills. And we can. And you can. And it’s easy. All you have to do is upgrade your choice.”

By “upgrade your choice,” they meant buy their products. “You, the consumer, can take your purchase to the power of (RED) simply by upgrading your choice. Thus the proposition: (YOU)RED. Be embraced, take your own fine self to the power of (RED). What better way to become a good-looking samaritan?!”

Buying overpriced luxury items—the true meaning of the Parable of the Good-Looking Samaritan. Anyway, it’s been a year now, and the results seem poor. Unhappy with the Advertising Age report, the CEO of (RED) issued a public response. It makes some valid points: The money was going to be spent on product advertising anyway, so we might as well raise awareness about AIDS in Africa and raise some money at the same time. Certainly the sick in Africa aren’t sneering at the $18 million. For many, it has been the difference between life and death.

But there is something wrongheaded—even repulsive—about the approach. Turning the life-and-death plight of an entire continent into just another advertising strategy. Making charitable giving a matter of satisfying consumerist desires. Attempting to solve African need by Western greed.

It reminded me of one of Bono’s earlier endeavors: the ONE Campaign. Bono titled this “the campaign to make poverty history.” Its strategy was simply to rally Americans to call upon President Bush to allocate one additional percentage point of the U.S. budget to fighting extreme poverty across the globe.

Surprisingly, they never ask for any direct contributions: “ONE isn’t asking for your money, we’re asking for your voice. ONE does not accept donations. Instead, we hope that you’ll take action with ONE by contacting Congress, the President and other elected officials and ask them to do even more to fight global AIDS and extreme poverty. We encourage you to sign the ONE declaration and help by spreading the word about the ONE Campaign by talking about it with your friends, family and co-workers. Additionally, you can show your community that you support ONE by purchasing ONE merchandise on our website.”

Just sign our petition! Just call President Bush! Wear our wristband! That’s all it takes to make poverty history! You don’t even need to give a dime!

What a bizarre method. Why not appeal to our consciences directly and ask every American to donate 1 percent of our personal budget to the poverty-fighting charity of our choice? The ONE Campaign made significant inroads with the religious communities—having them demand more from the government. Why not ask for a tithe? Why not call for personal contributions instead of political noise-making?

But that would require sacrifice. And that wouldn’t sell. Nor would it be trendy. It’s so much easier to say we can fight AIDS by buying Armani and Gap. It’s so much easier to say we’ll end world poverty by telling Congress to do something about it. My “good-looking” “fine self” sleeps so much better at night knowing that my (RED) purchase has bought pills for someone in Africa, that my signature on the ONE declaration means I’ve done my part.

The entire thing is well worth reading. _________________________________________________________________________________________

Globalism

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Just your average 21st century, AK-47-toting, lip plate wearing, Coldplay listening Mursi tribeswoman.
(HT: Wired News)
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Random Essentials for the ADD-addled Mind

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1. An irresistible reminder that relief is as close as your nearest bunny.
2. How the heck do I select a good seat on an Airbus A320?
3. Best free online documetaries.
4. Of the many reasons to hate the band Nickelback, this is probably the best.
5. A brief, lucid summation of the dangers of paternalism and imperialism for western
Christians
6. Google's effort to illuminate the tragedy of Darfur
7. Didn't get into MIT? Trip not, my friend.
8. Probably one of the nicest songs you'll hear today
(HT: Kottke, Evangelical Outpost, Cute Overload, Between Two Worlds)
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"Pearls Before Breakfast"

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The Washington Post had a question: If you took a world-class violinist and had him play for spare change in the D.C. subway, would anyone recognize the genius? Would people stop and listen? How much money would he make?

This fascinating article answers these questions and contains some remarkable insights about beauty, context, children and gratitude.

The speculation during the planning of the experiment:

In preparing for this event, editors at The Post Magazine discussed how to deal with likely outcomes. The most widely held assumption was that there could well be a problem with crowd control: In a demographic as sophisticated as Washington, the thinking went, several people would surely recognize Bell. Nervous "what-if" scenarios abounded. As people gathered, what if others stopped just to see what the attraction was? Word would spread through the crowd. Cameras would flash. More people flock to the scene; rush-hour pedestrian traffic backs up; tempers flare; the National Guard is called; tear gas, rubber bullets, etc.

Did these concerns prove justified? Read the article and find out.


(HT: Kottke)
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Here You Go, Mac Snobs

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(HT: Between Two Worlds)
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Well, I'm Impressed

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(In a nasally Yorkshire accent) I suppose this represents, yet again, the democratization and degredation of high-brow art forms by YouTube. Now the proletariat can hear Vivaldi being massacred by common Brummy louts, flailing away on 20th century instruments to the abecedarian delight of their college mates. Bullocks.



(HT: Neatorama)
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10 Most Magnificent Trees in the World

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I like trees. Always have. And maybe you do, too. If so, here's an interesting top-10 list of the world's greatest trees (includes some nice photos). Make sure to scroll down and read "Bonus #2."

(HT: Kottke)








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Amnesty International Outdoor Ad Campaign

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The text of the Amnesty ads reads, “It’s not happening here, but it’s happening now.”





(HT: Adland)
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More On How to Handle Criticism

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Last October, rap artist Curtis "Voice" Allen performed at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis at the invite of Pastor John Piper. He writes in Boundless Webzine about the harsh criticism he received from some Christians who saw a video of the performance. Here's an excerpt from the article:

Now how did I get from anger and judgment to encouragement and gratitude? It was through the cross of Jesus Christ. Let me explain.

The Holy Spirit brought to my mind a 1999 Journal of Biblical Counseling article called "The Cross and Criticism," by Alfred Poirer. The article pointed out that Christ's death on the cross criticizes us more than anyone else ever can. The fact that Jesus had to die for us to be forgiven indicates that we are a lot worse than we think.

"In light of God's judgment and justification of the sinner in the cross of Christ, we can begin to discover how to deal with any and all criticism. By agreeing with God's criticism of me in Christ's cross, I can face any criticism man may lay against me. In other words, no one can criticize me more than the cross has. And the most devastating criticism turns out to be the finest mercy. If you thus know yourself as having been crucified with Christ, then you can respond to any criticism, even mistaken or hostile criticism, without bitterness, defensiveness, or blame-shifting."

In other words, whenever you receive correction or criticism, look to the cross and see the ultimate critique of all you have done. Nothing we do apart from His Spirit is ever motivated by a love for Him or a desire to please Him (Romans 3:10-12, John 15:1-5). Even after salvation and our desire changes, at best our motives are mixed. This is humbling, I know. It is offensive to our pride.

The Lord also worked on my heart as I was beginning to write an angry e-mail to my critics. He showed me that I am not morally superior to them. He reminded me that I have slandered others and gossiped about others many times. How was I any better than these people? I could almost hear these questions, audibly, in my head. The Holy Spirit convicted me of my self-righteousness.

Read the whole thing.


(HT: Between Two Worlds)
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Homespun Advice: On Receiving Criticism

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You didn't ask for it, but I'm going to dole out some free, homespun advice here.

If I am given the privilege of one day walking my (currently in utero) child through adolesence and the teen years, I am going to tell her this:

Learn how to accept and receive criticism, but do not think that is enough. When your work is critiqued and your character judged, the ability to receive that criticism is good, but the constancy to receive it and yet refuse to complain is even better.

Here's why. Usually we are receiving criticism from someone with superior acumen and experience. And even when such correction is given in a tactful way, it is natural to chafe at the abrasion and to find solace in complaining to our colleagues who are in the same place (think high school and college). Indeed, it is often the default posture upon receiving correction to immediately whine about the faults or style of the corrector, but if whining becomes the ordinary reaction to criticism, two problems arise.

One, we simply do not develop the backbone to handle it. We get used to pandering to our own bruised psyches by lying to ourselves about the merits of our work. We blame the critics and the crude systems that give such luddites the power to give correction and generally assume an intellectual fetal position on the couch of self-pity. This process is a sure-fire way to create small, perpetually provoked people with little capacity for dialectic learning and accountability.

Two, when that time comes wherein an authority figure does give some plainly bad or undeserved correction, we have no grid with which to discern such faulty advice. The years of knee-jerk rejection of any criticism has left us bereft of discernment and unable to actually differentiate between bad advice and good advice poorly given. The internalization of some criticism is inevitable, and even while complaining, we usually are considering and sometimes heeding correction. But the whining retards our growth in discernment. Discernment and complaining have a polar repulsion that makes the exercise of one the abandonment of the other.

But there is an even deeper problem inherent in complaining and, conversely, a greater glory than simply being able to handle criticism. Read this from Philippians 2:

(14) Do all things without grumbling or questioning, (15) that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world

It's interesting that the criteria for "shin[ing] in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation" is, in this passage, simply to not bellyache or question. Do you want to shine out in this depraved and darkened world? Then do stuff without complaining. Obviously, the list is not exhaustive, but it does serve to remind us that our refusal to complain is meant to set us apart in this generation. Our ability to display the glory of God, in a significant way, is contingent on our willingness to shut up, be grateful, and not complain when we are criticized at work or school or in friendships. So, in light of this, I leave you with my amplified version of the well-loved "Serenity Prayer":

God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed,the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other, and the strength to simply shut up and learn from criticism. Amen.

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Three Quality Minutes

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You need to multi-task while watching this video, created by my friend Josh C. at Spec-ta-cles. Listen, get annoyed, read, and consider. It's worth your viewing.
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Warning Bono-philes!! Possible Blasphemy

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So far, I haven't spent a red cent
on Bono's "Red Campaign," but apparently some people have.

The problem is this: It appears that the advertising effort undertaken to promote the program (people paying a premium for "red" items, with the extra money sent as aid to Africa) has dwarfed the actual funds raised.

So, some groups are calling the campaign out and imploring people to "Buy less crap"and simply donate more directly to relief work.

I don't know enough to have an opinion on this dispute, but I do know that it will
not help my recovery from Bono Fatigue.


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"The Only Indigenous Piece of Journalism in Darfur."

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An article on a remarkable journalist - 24-year-old Awatif Ahmed Isshag. For 10 years she has been reporting first hand on events in Darfur. A rather prolific start to a journalism career, I would say.

(HT: Instapundit)
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Thought(s) of the Day

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Shift Happens . . . to Celtic sounding movie scores, apparently.

Don't know if all these assertions are true, but I assume most of them are.



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Thought of the Day

A Shameless Appeal For Blog Set-up Advice

I am looking to receive and share tips on setting up attractive, functional blogs.
"Nate," you say, "why not just get tips and input from Dashboard?"

"Because Dashboard cannot personally critique my blog, nor is it as acutely aware of this blog's many maladies as are my friends," says I.

So, if anyone want to share their blogging acumen with me and the legion readers of The Ricochet, it would be greatly appreciated.

I Just Discovered Your Comments . . .

. . . buried in an "unmoderated comment" page. How was I to know that your comments needed my moderation? As any reader of this blog knows, the last thing we need around here is more moderation.

Anyway, I figured it out and comments should show up automatically. Provided my crummy blog-setup skills haven't failed me. I'll make a ribald appeal in my next post.

Stop Worrying About Killer Astroids; The U.N. is on It.

Some may say that it's a bit premature to start worrying about killer astroids scheduled to graze earth in 2036, but those people would probably not be members of the U.N.

A confidence-inspiring quote from Reuters:

The favored approach to dealing with a potentially deadly space rock is to dispatch a spacecraft that would use gravity to alter the asteroid's course so it no longer threatens Earth, said astronaut Ed Lu, a veteran of the International Space Station.

Personally, I favor giant rock-busting lasers shot from triangular-shaped spacecraft, but I could be persuaded otherwise. Which approach to do you favor?

(HT: www.powerlineblog.com)