Some of my best work…

This blog has, in some shape or form, been around for a while. 3 and a half years in fact. And more than 1,400 posts. Which is much longer than most of my current readers would realise. I think. So it strikes me that you may have missed some of my sterling stainless steel early work. Which seems a shame.

So I’m going to start digging some out of the archives – or at least linking to them – just so they don’t go to waste.

The one where I solve the Croc V Shark debate by talking to an expert

The ones where try to get the Wiggles blacklisted and take on some Nigerian Scammers

The one with the awesome recipes from my share house days

The one were I get spammed by a bunch of students from Washington State University

The one where we play six degrees of Wikipedia

The one where I pick on a dangerous ninja

The one where I tell the Tractor Joke – and the one where somebody else improves it.

The one where I rant about emoticons.

The one where I took on a crazy Japanese tourist and turned it into a film noir novella.

The one where some people want to build a giant crucifix shaped conference centre.

The one about environmentally friendly dating services.

The one where Craig and I liveblog a Garage Sailing Adventure.

That’ll do. For now.

May 26, 2009

A bunch of links – May 25, 2009

May 25, 2009

Design brief

I have a new design – that’s obvious for those of you visiting – but for the subscribers you should perhaps stop by and check it out.

Robyn doesn’t like it though – so I may have to change it if I want her posting more often.

Also, apparently commenting is difficult for some people (not the general vibe but a specific) – I think it’s got something to do with the OpenID plug-in I’m using. If commenting has been a problem – can you try commenting on this post without including a website in the website field – that will confirm my suspicions if it works.

Oh yeah, feedback on the design/design issues would be more than welcome.

May 25, 2009

Calvin and bobs

It’s Calvin’s 500th birthday this year. Not the comic character – the predestination guy (for all you Arminians out there).

To celebrate this milestone our church is putting on a Calvin Conference – at which I am presenting something as yet undetermined about his interactions with government. Exciting times. To get me in the mood I’m thinking I may purchase one of these John Calvin Bobble Heads.

May 25, 2009

Offensive offensive

Yesterday while I was thinking about Guerrilla Evangelism, it occurred to me that road safety ads could be easily edited to be ads about not leaving a decision about Christianity to the last minute. Death bed confessions only work for people who know they’re on their death bed.

This ad is slightly disturbing… so only watch it if you want to fully appreciate my argument.

Would you have a problem with an “offensive” ad like this – ie one designed to shock – being used to promote Jesus? I know a uni group copped some flack a few years back for dressing up as death and running around harvesting people with sickles.

I suspect imminent mortality is one of the only things that atheists find confronting.

May 25, 2009

Eurovisions of grandeur

What do you get when you cross Eurovision rehearsals and some awesome Segway moves? This post. That’s what.

May 24, 2009

Bran-ded data

Cereal and computers don’t mix. Trust me. I’m speaking from experience when it comes to mixing milk and circuitry. This guy has found a way to turn this all into a winning formula…

May 24, 2009

A bunch of links – May 24, 2009

May 24, 2009

Guerrilla Evangelism

I’ve been toying with the idea of how Christians can use emerging technologies and the public sphere to conduct “guerrilla evangelism” (not to be confused with gorilla evangelism).

I know gospel proclamation occurs best in the context of an actual person to person relationship – but that doesn’t discount the idea of keeping Christianity in the public eye.

Here are five ideas I think are perhaps worth considering if you’ve got some time on your hands:

  1. Calling talkback radio – there are myriad talkback topics that lend themselves to Christian content – if I had a job that allowed me to call radio stations during the day, I would. 
  2. Writing letters to the editor – but not the angry “religious right” type, or the terrible capitalising on current events type – more the classy Christian commentary where appropriate… this already happens to a degree in Sydney – but not enough elsewhere. Those are the low hanging fruit though… here are some evangelism 2.0 ideas…
  3. Find contentious Wikipedia entries and edit them as often as possible to present orthodox evangelical views on particular hotbed issues – or even the basics. Given that Wikipedia is both the primary source of information for most people and user generated it lends itself to this sort of concerted effort… 
  4. Comment on popular blogs – and major media outlets – but again, not in the “flame an atheist” or condemn people to hell kind of way that has been made popular by theological ingrates.
  5. Share/bookmark/vote for good Christian articles – this one’s for the technologically literate – Digg, Reddit, Delicious, and Google Reader shared items are all popular sources of information for people – they tend to have a thoroughly atheist bent. Particularly Digg. I’ve seen one Driscoll article make it into the “What’s hot on Google Reader” feed – and not many turning up on the main page for Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon – or any of the other services that are out there. 
  6. Putting evangelistic comments in your status on Twitter and Facebook is a bit cliched – but at least in some cases it satisfies the relational criteria of evangelism. 

Any other ideas?

May 24, 2009

Sign Language: Under New Management

“Under new management” signs make a pretty clear statement of discontinuity with the past. I suggest that the more prominent the sign, or the longer it’s shown – the greater the intended discontinuity.

One of the Pizza Hut restaurants in Townsville (one of the few remaining dine-in Pizza Huts in Queensland) has had a large “Under New Management” sign on its roof for a couple of months now.

May 24, 2009

A bunch of links – May 23, 2009

May 23, 2009

Peripheral vision

Turns out when it comes to Transformers peripherals there’s more than initially meets the eye. Not only can you get the awesome transformers thumb drive I put up the other day – you can get a matching USB hub – or a mouse… from here.

The Hub goes from this:

… to this

Then there are two mice to choose from:

This one…

And this one:

May 23, 2009

Calendar with stigmata attached

It’s 2009 AD – that’s Anno Domini – the year of our Lord. You probably know this, others may need constant reminding – which is why you should install this calendar in your office cubicle. It’ll no doubt be a great tool for office evangelism – or for ruling right angles/architectural drawings.

May 23, 2009

Sticky marketing

Human Rights activists spend far too much time sitting in cages in public spaces and doing things that are too easy to ignore. Largely because they’re so obnoxiously offensive that we immediately shield ourselves from the horrors they describe. Their campaigns aren’t generally “sticky” for this reason.

Stickiness is an important part of any marketing campaign – finding a message that is memorable is vital if your product isn’t something that involves an immediate and spontaneous purchasing decision (like a bottle of Coke). 

Stickiness was particularly important to this UNICEF anti-landmine campaign, in a more literal sense.

Adhesive stickers with bottom side simulating a detonator for explosive were placed on the pavements in Zurich. When the passers by checked their shoes, they saw the message from Unicef: In many other countries you would now be mutilated! Help the victims of landmines!

May 23, 2009

Unclutter your cutter

Lif e is full of redundancies – nowhere moreso than the humble cutlery drawer. I grew up with splayds (and other cutlery too) – and regret not receiving any as wedding presents. 

For those not familiar with splayds or the myriad other food consuming implements I present this Venn Diagram…

From here.

May 23, 2009