Our group of friends in Nashville has strong ties to the Downtown Presbyterian Church. Many of them attend the church, others have done at various times, and some have had art studios, worked on programs with the homeless or simply found some shelter in the building.
First listens to the album are promising – the selection of gospel tunes and Buddy Miller’s production work well and I’m particularly enjoying the soulful backing vocals. You can preview it courtesy of NPR.
A tweet from Jenny this evening reminded me to blog a little more about the snow in Tennessee when we were there last week.
This wasn’t the first time we’d been in Nashville when it was snowing. A few years back a few flakes fell on New Year’s Day. Nothing really remarkable in many places, but even that elicited some surprise at the time.
This year there was significantly more snow, though still barely a grazing compared to what the UK has experienced over the past week, let alone a typical winter snowfall in Michigan. It was somewhat satisfying to see another society grinding to a halt in the face of a lot less snow, having been one of the many rolling my eyes when, during the snow in February 2009, the CBI and others moaned about Britain’s poor infrastructure and the billions of pounds lost to the economy. And then there was the way many less jaded than I were loving the snow. A reminder that an economy that can’t handle a few days of unplanned collective unwinding is at least as bad as one that insists on continuing whatever the weather.
I’d never flown facing backward before last night, and had a little trepidation before take-off as I wondered how it felt. But I’d very happily do it again. The views of early-evening Chicago as we took off, circled around the city and then headed east over the lake were stunning. Somehow the fairly dull grid system that rules the city came to life and the occasional diagonal created wonderful effects.
We were travelling 24 hours later than planned—and taking a different route—because of delays on the previous day’s flights between Nashville and Washington DC. Spending an extra night in Nashville paid off as we were upgraded to business class (flights from the US to London are so backed up that the upgrade was the easiest way for them to find us seats) and got full use of the lounges during a lengthy layover and significantly more comfort during the transatlantic flight.
And so I found myself in one of the newly redesigned business cabins where half the seats face backwards. And got used to it far too easily.
When we lived in Grand Rapids, I did a lot of that living in coffee shops. Through my research for the (now rather neglected) Grand Rapids WiFi site I became a bit of an expert on the different outlets around town. These days—having an office—I spend a lot less time in coffee shops. Except when we’re back visiting the US and I’m crazily trying to fit work into the trip.
This time around I got the chance to check out two new coffee shops in Grand Rapids: Sparrows and Madcap. I’d heard a lot of talk about the former and really enjoyed working there, surrounded by the magazines that it also sells. The United States has an incredible magazine culture with many, many fantastic titles. But most of the country is terribly short of good places to buy them. I would have loved to have a place so near our house to walk to and browse magazines when we lived in GR, and I’m very glad it’s there now.
Since living in London I’ve noticed my coffee tastes changing, influenced by the antipodean trends that have swept the city. I found much of the coffee I drank in my older haunts lacking in body and have really been longing for a good americano or flat white, or something made in a cafetière. Madcap sated that thirst a little with their slow brewed coffees. Standing apart from the drip coffees so standard in US coffee shops, these had real depth and body to them and lots of flavour. I’m very grateful to Karl for suggesting I check the place out.
Last time we were in the States, Nathan Phillips handed me a CD-R of his then-new record Postcard. Nathan had played one of our Ambridge evenings with Julie Lee while touring with her, and I was delighted to have the record. It’s a beautifully understated home recording made over the course of a year, and numerous people have asked me how to get hold of it.
Finally, having caught up with Nathan as he returns from California to Nashville, I’m able to answer that question. So if you’ve been dying to hear it, you can preview and/or buy it over at CD Baby. If you’ve not, I’d still recommend it.
Kevin Kelly, of Wired Magazine and Long Now Foundation fame, has a lengthy piece on his blog exploring the Amish adoption of technology. It wasn’t until we watched the documentary Devil’s Playground a few years back that I was really aware of the Amish approach to selectively adopting new technologies only once they’ve explored their likely social impact and how they fit with their core values. I’m not sure I could convince myself to slow down that much, but it’s a fascinating idea:
The Amish are steadily adopting technology — at their pace. They are slow geeks. As one Amish man told Howard Rheingold, “We don’t want to stop progress, we just want to slow it down,” But their manner of slow adoption is instructive.
They are selective. They know how to say “no” and are not afraid to refuse new things. They ban more than they adopt.
They evaluate new things by experience instead of by theory. They let the early adopters get their jollies by pioneering new stuff under watchful eyes.
They have criteria by which to select choices: technologies must enhance family and community and distance themselves from the outside world.
The choices are not individual, but communal. The community shapes and enforces technological direction.
This method works for the Amish, but can it work for the rest of us? I don’t know. It has not really been tried yet. And if the Amish hackers and early adopters teach us anything, it’s that you have to try things first. Try first and relinquish later if need be. We are good at trying first; not good at relinquishing – except as individuals. To fulfill the Amish model we’d have to get better at relinquishing as a group. Social relinquishing. Not merely a large number (as in a movement) but a giving up that relies on mutual support. I have not seen any evidence of that happening, but it would be a telling sign if it did appear.
For a few years, the Oscars got quite a lot of my attention. It’s not that I often agreed with the Academy’s choice, but I did try and make sure I’d seen as many as possible of the nominated films, and was eager to engage in commentary about the rights and wrongs of the Academy’s choices.
This year, I’ve found myself almost entirely disinterested. But I did read Stephanie Zecharek’s overview—”Let’s Beat Up On The Oscars“—and enjoyed a couple of sections enough to want to share.
But the idea of being deserving or not is beside the point with the Oscars: Most of us watch the ceremony on TV as a way of matching up our own ragtag sets of likes and dislikes with those of the Hollywood professionals, who — ostensibly — know what they’re doing. That’s part of the fun, and even our frustration with the Academy is part of the fun. So why beat up on them?
Because beating up on them is also fun.
and
In his speech on Tuesday, President Obama cited a number of human traits that can help us get through hard times: Curiosity was one of them. The Academy Award nominations this year, as they do every year, offered a few surprises amid a gaggle of complete nonsurprises. The Academy — film professionals, all of them — appear, as a group, to be professionally uncurious. I’m certain civilian moviegoers are a much more adventurous group. In seeking out what’s truly imaginative, engaging or moving, we have to be our own pioneers.
December 12th, 2008 by james | Comments Off | Filed in Life
UPDATE: The item has now been sold
Having recently upgraded to the wonderful Canon EOS 50D I’m looking for a new home for my old 400D (actually the US version: the Digital Rebel XTi). I’ve taken about 15,000 photos with it and it was a great introduction to the world of digital SLRs. Despite all that use, it’s in really good shape and will come complete with a 2GB memory card, a spare (non-Canon, but perfectly fine) battery, strap, 18-55mm kit lens, and US and UK chargers, all in the original box.
I’m planning to list the camera on ebay on Monday or Tuesday next week, but wanted to throw the option out there if anyone wants to make me offers in the region of £275 including postage (within the UK). Email me at james@jystewart.net if you’re interested.
December 6th, 2008 by james | 1 Comment | Filed in Life
Elisabeth Soraya Clare Stewart, born 7.13pm on December 4th. Mother and baby (and father) all doing well.
Being in the hospital, witnessing the birth, and just living through the past few days have been wonderful and fascinating. Elisabeth permitting, I may just have to write a few notes on this neglected blog next week.
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