Serotonin[road] Update .....

It's the end of the road for The Roadist and Scarlet Stang.

Look! In The Sky! .....

It's a bird ..... it's a plane ..... it's a Fire Ant!

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Faith .....

The last few Sundays at First Prez-Midland, the sermons have addressed the topic of "Ordinary People: Real Faith" with stories of very ordinary people in the Bible whose expressions of faith had extraordinary consequences for us all, 2000+ years later.

These have included the passerby Simon of Cyrene, who for a time carried Christ's cross on the road to Golgotha ..... the prostitute Rahab, who sheltered Joshua's spies and helped them escape the Jericho authorities ..... and a nameless boy who shared his lunch of loaves and fish - blessed by Jesus - with a multitude.

It's a point that is reinforced by music, as well. The closing hymn this morning was that old favorite, Amazing Grace, with words by John Newton, set to an old Scottish tune. Of all the roads that ultimately led to the pulpit, there are few that covered as many miles, or took as many unlikely turns as Newton's, Perhaps that is why his words have reverberated with undiminished power for nearly 250 years.

And perhaps there was something in his own experiences that came through in those words ..... something that appealed especially to people who suffered, or sought to ease the suffering of others. In her novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe includes an extra verse, adding it to the six Newton composed (the additional verse is part of most hymnals today). The Cherokees sang the song - translated into their own language - as they were forced to walk the Trail of Tears. And the song - often played on bagpipes - has become a fixture at the funerals of those who have served in the armed forces, or in law enforcement.

Wish Me Luck .....

I had a job interview today, applying for work at one of our local churches ..... it's part of their youth ministry - just more of the administrative/coordinating part of the job, freeing up the youth minister for ... well ... ministry.

ARRRRRRRR!.....

That saucy wench, Becky at The Knitting Barista, is remindin' us that the nineteenth day of September be Talk Like A Pirate Day.

'We Blow Drama' .....

Friday night had us watching Men In Black on TNT ..... and getting - for us, at least - our first taste of a "new and innovative way for [advertiser] to engage with consumers ..... by partnering them with TNT to create this mini-movie, viewers will be rewarded with a unique entertainment experience that also delivers a relevant [advertiser] message" ..... apparently, this 'TNT Mini Drama' concept was first premiered a year ago ..... which just goes to show how much we tune-in to some networks.

The one we watched, "Change of Plans," was about "an overworked businesswoman looking to get her day-to-day responsibilities completed without her boss’s demands getting in the way of her job ..... she suddenly decides to make a change of plans, and utilizes her [advertiser] credit card." Here's the complete write-up on this one. And, you can watch it here, courtesy of ChaseFreedom on YouTube.

Its producers described it as an "engaging tale" and a "compelling content piece" ..... I was neither engaged nor compelled ..... just anxious for the silly three-minute piece of mediocrity to finish, so we could back to some real entertainment. I guess it's just one more reason to keep watching the Encore, Universal and HDNET channels, and to rent movies ..... anything that gives a good film a little more of the respect it deserves.

Serotonin[road] Update .....

Some of the definitive sights of the American West ..... are coming into view for The Roadist and Scarlet Stang.

Brothers Of The Brush .....

My bearded e-friend Frank at Books, Inq. tipped me off to this competition ..... We might not have made it past the qualifying round, but I definitely think Burr Williams at El Llanero could'a been a contenduh.

Want Better Service? .....

"Be a better customer," says Eric at Fire Ant Gazette ..... a good post, and some GREAT discussion in the comments ..... all of which continues, later in the day, with this post .

9/11-Inspired Posts .....

Locally, they range from the sublime (and here), to the ridiculous. Nationally, at philly.com Michael Smerconish offers this post about Aaron Brown and his reporting of the news that day, from a rooftop overlooking Manhattan. "I just rewatched much of his work at YouTube," Smerconish writes. "I wish all Americans would do likewise. It's the perfect, unifying antidote to the partisan division that fighting the 'war on terror' has become."

At all levels, there are plenty of posts on the blogosphere, and that number will grow throughout the day

Another Way the Web's Just Another Medium .....

"Most savvy consumers would never do business with an unfamiliar company without first running a quick Internet background check. Ten seconds on Google can ward off months of irritation," says Bob in this post at Red Tape Chronicles. "But that strategy might not always work. Companies are now hiring search engine optimization firms to fight back against their Google-given reputations. Recently, Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, was the target of one such 'make the negative story disappear' campaign."

SHEESH! .....

I haven't heard much buzz locally about the 'laughing anchors' story. Of course, it's not really news, so much as an opportunity for all of us in the media to consider our product, and our delivery of said product. Chris at TVNewser has the latest update on this growing, developing story out of New York City.

For what it's worth - and, admittedly, that's not much - I'd send Taina and Ryan to the front office, giggling all the way, for their pink slips.

Serotonin[road] .....

The journey's under way ..... whither The Roadist and Scarlet Stang?

Is Anybody Listening? .....

You work the desk at a local television station long enough (for me, twenty years at two different stations) and you eventually develop a list of 'stock' complaints from viewers ..... those that you hear again and again, season after season, year after year. Among those is that we do some stories over and over, annoying the viewers with needless repetition of something they already know ..... well, maybe ..... then again, maybe not .....

One of those stories is "Don't drive through the water" or something to that effect ..... every time there's a good-size rainstorm, you'll have a reporter standing next to a stretch of flooded road, somewhere, advising drivers to avoid areas like these. The story's only been done a zillion times ..... but is anybody listening?

If you watch the reports closely enough, you'll notice that they rarely resort to file video ..... they don't have to ..... there's always plenty of fresh video of still another fire crew rescuing still another driver from still another stalled car in the middle of still another flooded intersection.

The efforts of local media have been supplemented by the National Weather Service with their "Turn Around, Don't Drown" campaign ..... getting the word out through web pages, bumper stickers and billboards. And you can always count on someone from the Weather Service, or law enforcement, to visit with reporters on-camera, and help get the word out. That should help ..... right? I mean, can we finally put this story to rest?

This morning, Younger Son and I were on our way to drop him off at school. We pulled off the road and stopped, to look at an SUV in the bottom of Scharbauer Draw, wedged under the Lamesa Road bridge. I hope everyone got out safely ..... these things can be dangerous ..... really, I wish the news media would get the word out!

And A Website Grows In West Texas .....

..... according to this post by Ricë at Notes From the Voodoo Cafe.

A Mystery Grows In Pennsylvania .....

"The road is clear," says Jim of Serotoninrain ..... but where-to?

A Tree Grows In Ohio .....

..... courtesy of this post by Karen at Pen In Hand.

The Times, They Are a'Changing .....

"It doesn’t take much to get thrown off an airplane these days, as Kyla Ebbert found out when a Southwest Airlines employee told her she was too bare for the air. Two months later, she’s still trying to figure out what was wrong with her outfit." Here's the complete report from the Today Show.

Being (as of today) the 'Big Five-Oh,' I can still remember the days when Southwest Airlines promoted their own, official, scantily-clad women in television ads (this one, courtesy of aapino on YouTube) and on billboards ("That's Love, Southwest Style," said one in Albukookoo, featuring a woman with a little bit of pants, and lots of leg). The photo comes from this post at the FashionFotos blog.

The Company I Keep .....

Among those born on this day are Queen Elizabeth the First (1558), painter Grandma Moses (1860), financier John Pierpont Morgan, Jr. (1837), novelist Taylor Caldwell (1900), heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey (1908), astronomer/space scientist James Alfred Van Allen (1914), football coach/owner Paul Brown (1908), film director/producer Elia Kazan (1909), jazz musician Sonny Rollins (1930), singer Gloria Gaynor (1949), and West Texas' very own rock legend, Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holly (1936) .....
..... oh, yeah ..... and me (1957).

Virtual Hugs And Actual Prayers .....

For Spookyrach at Skewed View, as she waits it out in the hospital waiting room, and finds that laughter may be the best medicine.