How Corporations Tame the Web

The web is an amazing thing. From all perspectives. It gives a global platform for corporations (or other business entities) not only to market their goods, but also to provide better customer service. How much better is life now that we can just google a company and immediately (usually) find out their store locations, contact numbers, sales of the week, etc. Before the internet, you were constrained by your own knowledge base and the yellow pages.

However the internet gives the consumer a much more vocal power base as well. Before the web, to find out if there were any complaints about a business, you had to call the BBB or Attorney General's office and the process could take much more time than the answer was probably worth. Now, it's a few simple clicks and you can view complaints, see reviews of products and services. Honestly, I rarely buy anything without searching for consumer reviews. Amazon? They've got 'em. Target? Sure.

One of the newer platforms for reviews is the blogosphere. Bloggers of all types can review new products, applications, technologies, and not only can their readers hear their review, but it's indexed and searchable. Have a bad experience with a company? Blog about it. Twitter it. Get it out there. You can almost see the PR execs scrambling for a handhold in this avalanche of Very Public Information.

One way that it seems companies have been taking control of this issue is to have someone scour the web (either by computer programs or actual employees) for references about the company. And then have that person, or someone in the PR department respond. I have seen a couple examples of this. The most recent involves the use of a survey on the Quaker Oats website. I was attracted to this post because I have had experiences like this (popups about subscribing to newsletters, as well as surveys) and it was annoying to me as well. So I read the comments. The post was blogged on Jan. 6 and by Jan. 14, someone from Quaker Oats commented. Not too bad of a turnaround. Granted, the replies are usually couched in typical PR-speak, but what it says to me is that companies are keeping track of what is being said about them.

So, how can we apply this? As churches, it's especially salient that we know what our reputation is in the community. This may apply more toward larger churches, who may have more of a web presence. But it's always possible that someone, somewhere is blogging about their great/horrible/boringly normal experience at your church. And that is hard marketing data that you need to know.

So, what should you do? Periodically search the major search engines for your church. I regularly do this for my own name, so why shouldn't I do this for my church (or employer) as well? The internet can be a powerful tool, both for the public, but also for corporations. That is, if the corporations (or churches) can learn how to harness that power.

Business as Usual: A family Model

So it's become increasingly clear the past few months that the economy is unstable. It was brought into stark clarity this morning when I woke up to news that Lehman Brothers has filed for Chapter 11. How can a company over 150 years old lose control? And it made me think of something I heard a while back about how families should be considered as a business. And in this increasingly volatile market, it seems even more true.

So; how can one treat a family as a business? Sound business practices are always a good foundation. Ethical integrity in what you do; Knowing the laws and obeying them; Find out what is important to you and create a core value system; Periodically discuss your ethical issues; Create a stable financial portfolio; Maintain open lines of communication; All of those seem like great ways to shore up a family unit during turbulent times.

Financially, it's a good idea as well. In business, it's always "us vs. them". What do we need to do to ensure that we survive even while they may not? A bit of that mindset might not be amiss in families. Sure, too much of that leads to elitism and aggression and lots of other unsavory things. But a tiny bit is enough to realize that the world likes to break up families.

So, for family finances, as with business, a budget is primary. Do an expense report and an income analysis; monthly, and yearly. Figure out exactly where the money is going and whether it should be allotted elsewhere. Businesses (except, I suppose, sole-proprietorship's) are partnerships. Financial decisions are not made by a single person. They are discussed, debated, and voted on for the health and well-being of the business. Families should not be sole-proprietorship's. Share the financial work; Have one person do the budgeting and one person pay the bills. Or have both people involved with both. But having one person always doing both can lead to resentment and contention.

It's also important to plan for the future. You never know when the market will collapse, or the family will go through a difficult time. Have an emergency savings; plan for retirement; create a disaster recovery plan. These are all good practices for business and families both.

Finally, and most importantly, invest back into the family. Successful businesses funnel some of their profits back into the business. Why shouldn't families do the same? Invest in quality time with family members; Understand that the family is more than the physical, and that there are human beings involved with emotions and opinions, each widely different than the next.

So, how can one run a family like a business? Simple: It's all in the mindset. It's about financial management skills, communication and planning skills, people management skills. It's about understanding your place in the world and knowing your worth. It's about loving the family so much that you'll do anything to see it survive.

Which, after all, is more than many businesses can say for themselves; especially Lehman Brothers who has yet to even address their poor employees. Not much of a family indeed.

With the recent naming of the unsurprising, and very surprising, choices for Vice President, I thought a post was due out about the possibilities for Christianity. To be upfront, I am a registered democrat. However, my political beliefs are a complicated amalgamation of being raised with middle class, democratic values, and my personal Christian beliefs.

I have usually seen three separate camps in mainstream Christianity. The Party Line, staunch Republicans who think politics and religion are inseparable; The Lost Sheep, who don't pay much (if any) attention to politics but vote Republican because their pastor says to; and The Free Thinkers, who see no problem in mixing ideologies and political platforms for form their own, personalized views. So, let's take a look at the two Vice Presidents.

First, as he was named first, is Delaware Senator Joe Biden. While being a typical democrat with his voting record and stands on key issues, he certainly lends experience, age, and panache to Obama's relative inexperience. It is a good balance, and stands to reconcile the ticket with those who were wary of Obama's lack of experience in the high powered political arena. For Christians, Biden represents a mixed box of chocolates. True, he is a Catholic and has agreed that life begins at conception, but at the same time, he advocates pro-choice. It seems that his separation of personal religion and exercise of power will anger some Christians and placate others. Overall, Biden is not too different than any mainstream democrat, though he does tend more toward the populist mindset.

Today word spread over the blogosphere that McCain had named Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his choice for Veep. Shocking, I know, especially as she was practically a non-entity until now. Some hasty research paints an interesting picture. Her Wikipedia page seems to make her out to be a sort of "clean-government" crusader who resigned from her Alaskan Oil and Gas Commission under protest for the lack of ethics of her fellow Republican leaders. Looks promising so far. She is also a prominent member of Feminists for Life, whose motto is "Refuse to Choose: Women Deserve Better than Abortion". Their aim to to eradicate the underlying reasons for abortion and believe that we shouldn't have to choose between women and children. An admirable goal, and it will sit nicely with the younger set in mainstream Christianity and the free thinkers who like to mix their ideologies. Her voting record, however, is somewhat bare; thus showing her relative inexperience in DC politics. So she offsets McCain pretty well and fills in what he lacks. He is older, and she is extremely young (44); He is a stereotypical Republican and Bush-ite, and she brings freshness and a more moderate viewpoint; He can be snappish and curmudgeonly, and she exudes charm and charisma (being a former Miss Alaska).

So, what should we make of these choices? I honestly don't know yet. It certainly muddles the waters a bit and a choice that may have been pretty clear yesterday may not be as clear today. From a political standpoint, the Vice President choices are excellent and serve to round out and moderate the candidates. From a Christian standpoint, I am less sure of my vote than I was yesterday.

This much is clear: However you vote, come November, history will be made. Whether it will be for the first Black President, or the first Woman Vice President, it is a good day for politics.

The Power of Play

It is no secret in Early Childhood Education that children learn through sensorimotor exploration. They learn through blocks and imaginative play and coloring and all those fun preschool activities. That's how they learn about gravity and interpersonal skills and everything they'll need to become functioning adults.

And then sometime over the next twenty years our self-esteem plummets and we forget how to imagine. Or how to let ourselves go and simply play. Even those things which adults call "play" (like golf or exercise) can often turn into work; and sometimes can even be more stressful than work.

That's why I love the urban playground movement. Call me a liberal. Call me a neo-hippie. Call me whatever you want. But anything that gets a group of adults together for a 7 minute game of duck duck goose in a San Francisco park is alright in my book. And it's not just San Francisco. These so-called "flash mobs" have been occurring since the late nineties, but lately they've been turning more and more toward play, rather than pointless havoc. A pillow fight in Central Park. A mass coordinated dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller". It all sounds like a bunch of fun.

So; what does any of this have to do with religion? Well, not so much on the surface. Underneath though, it seems to make a solid statement about society. Or at least, our discontent with the state or direction of society. People are realizing that they are not the only ones tired of consumerism; of the endless work week; of living life for nothing; can I go so far as to say that people are even getting tired of nihilism?

It seems to me, at least, that if people are realizing that something is lacking in life, it gives more room for God to move. Once people understand that life needs meaning (no, life demands meaning) they may be more receptive to the redemptive message of Christ. And anything that opens up the way for Christ (and can incorporate childish games) is more than okay to me.

I am still alive!

Yes, I admit, I've been a little lax lately with my posts. As in, it's been over two months since I've posted anything here. Oops?

As I'm entering my second trimester, I'm able to go through the whole day without taking any naps (yay!). And that increase of energy also translates into more creative energy, so I've been redesigning my youth group website and learning more and working and taking care of judah. And, of course, my professional blog comes first. Especially as I am on a handful of blogrolls and I have a few links that give me a whole buttload of traffic on my blog. A recent one is from the Dr. Rev. Kendall Harmon who mentioned my blog about praying for the Anglicans and the Lambeth Conference. And surprisingly, I'm on the blogroll of Reason to Doubt, a website of a guy who lost his faith and is figuring out how to tell his family. Interesting.



So things are moving along. We rented a three bedroom house in Alta Sierra. It's great, and perfect, and Judah love his bedroom and his yard. So we're pretty happy right now.

And that's always good, right?

The Joy of Procreation

Praise God that I'm pregnant again. We're really excited. It will be another February baby (or late January).

That being said (yay!), I probably won't be blogging very often as I am very tired. This pregnancy exhaustion is hitting me early and hard, so maybe as the weeks go on I will be able to rebound, but we'll see.

Just thought I should let y'all know.

UnMothers Unite!

Mother's Day: A day of flowers, of jewlery, of blatant consumerism. Sunday morning, many churches will have a pastor's wife or other female preach on the "highest value of womanhood". While we're all at church, waxing lyrical on the value of mothers, there are millions of women skipping church because for them, it's the worst day of the year.

I would know, for seven years I hated Mother's Day with every fiber of my being. You see, the doctor had told us that I probably wouldn't be able to have kids, and for seven years that proved true. Sure, I sucked it up and went to church, but I never actually listened to the sermon on mothers (something that I would never be). Instead I wrote bitter tirades against God, the church, life, any spirit from the dark beyond that was screwing up my life. And then I finally had a kid, for which I'm forever grateful; but not everyone does.

Along with the childless, there are those that are childfree by choice. Either because they weren't ready and are no longer able, or they choose to devote their life to their calling. Whatever the reason, it is a valid choice. They too feel denigrated and less-valued on Mother's Day; especially in the church. How horrible it is, that in the one place where everyone should be welcome, we alienate and disdain.

On top of that, there are those who recently lost a mother, or whose mothers were horrible mothers (read: abuse, molestation, even infanticide). Too often the church pretends that everything is all shiny, and that all mothers deserve to be lauded, or that simply by giving birth they gain a sort of sainthood. I've known some terrible mothers and I would certainly never praise their "motherhood", such as it is. I would like to see the church recognize Mother's Day, and then go on with business as usual. Perhaps some churches wouldn't see a drop in female attendance on that day.

In the US, Mother's Day was originally a day for women to protest war. The spirit was activism and empowerment for women, not a mindless indulgent consumer holiday. Consider Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation of 1870:

Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -
In the name of womanhood and humanity,
I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

So, in the original spirit of Mother's Day, I hereby claim this day for all women, mothers or not. I claim it for the childed, the childless, and the childfree. I claim it for their God-given gifts, their creativity, and their many and endless births (of children and projects and creative manifestations). I claim this day for what we are capable of when we band together and by ourselves. On this Mother's Day, celebrate all the women in your life simply for who they are: Mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, friends, and children of the Most High King. Motherhood notwithstanding, of course.