iTunes and the Church

I was browsing the inspirational section in the iTunes music store today and I noticed that they have performance tracks for songs like "Sing a Song" by Third Day. A performance track for 99 cents is pretty good. You can even choose your range and select a version with or without backup. The selection is limited right now (39 songs). However, if churches use the service then I'm sure the inventory will continue to grow.

Check it out: Apple iTunes

tags: iTunes church

Teens and blogging

Battle Cry has an interesting story about teens and blogging. Teenagers don't think their parent's are reading their blog and they are probably right. Many teenagers treat their blog as a journal where they spill out their feelings and hurts online. Teens understand the open nature of the Internet though and reading their blog isn't an invasion of their privacy. Spilling their guts online is, in a way therapeutic.

"...one third of the students at the middle school have blogs, and only 5% of their parents know about it."

So what are teens writing and what can parents learn by reading? Check out the "Battle Cry for a Generation" web site for more information.

Web link: "What are teens blogging?"

Tags: teenagers

Survivor: Post-Ep 6 Update

We are well into the Survivor season now. It's obviously been a grueling one on the players but not all that exciting to watch. There are no really interesting storylines emerging. It's been hard to pick a favorite this year too. Last year Ian was my fav from day one. This year it's hard to get excited about any of the them.

Of the two returning players I think you have to like Bobby-Jon. Stephenie's confessionals have been a little whiny. She looks beaten and nothing like the fiery competitor we knew from last season. Meanwhile, Bobby stays positive, plays smart and seems to be catching a few breaks that he just couldn't get in Palau.

Of the new players I like Danni. She gave a good impression in her pre-show interview on the Survivor web site. She seems smart and she's playing it under-the-radar but not in a way that she appears to be riding anyone else's coattails. But can I just say that she looks way too skinny for this early in the season? We're used to seeing some of the girls looking pretty emaciated by the final couple of episodes but Danni needs to win an all-you-can eat buffet reward and soon.

I also like Brandon. You would expect him to get the hick edit and be the "Big Tom" of Guatemala. Instead, he's been low key, made good alliances and showed his loyalty to them. It's too soon to flip on your friends (are you listening Judd?). Establishing your trustworthiness will help you form alliances that will carry you beyond the merge. You need to have the backstab still in your toolbox at the merge so you can pull it out to get into the final four.

So my top three right now would look like:
1) Danni
2) Brandon
3) Bobby Jon

CBS really messed up the Fantasy League this year. It didn't go online until the day of the premier. Some of the people I invited to private tribe didn't get the message until they were already one show behind. The thing is still buggy and they aren't giving a complete record of points scored.

Our private tribe rankings have flip flopped all over the place. Angel went from last place to first place and back to last place in three weeks. This week I'm in the number one position (where I should be) but who knows if it will last.

There are no reliable spoilers this year and without scoring data every week is truly a guess.

A Supreme Court Nominee's Conversion

A lot of people don't know what to make of Harriet Miers. She was a Democrat and now she's a Republican. She seems to be a person with a past full of contradictions. Today, a NY Times article tells the story of her conversion to Christianity:

"She decided that she wanted faith to be a bigger part of her life," Justice Hecht, who now serves on the Texas Supreme Court, said in an interview. "One evening she called me to her office and said she was ready to make a commitment" to accept Jesus Christ as her savior and be born again, he said. He walked down the hallway from his office to hers, and there amid the legal briefs and court papers, Ms. Miers and Justice Hecht "prayed and talked," he said.

Still, her position on social issues are as clear as mud, leaving people on both sides of American politics asking, "Would the real Harriet Miers please stand up?"

Source: NY Times

Tags: harriet miers, Supreme Court