Good Will Hinton Interviews Bill Strickland about "Make the Impossible Possible"
by Will Hinton ()
Listen in to my interview with Bill Strickland, CEO of the Manchester Bidwell Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Manchester Bidwell is an arts and job training organization in inner city Pittsburgh that Bill started in 1968.
Bill has a new book out, Make The Impossible Possible that I highly recommend. In light of my conversation with Andy Crouch earlier this week, I would say that Bill is a leading expert on "culture making". Every city needs a "Bill Strickland" who eschews conventional wisdom and just goes about the business of helping people and treating those who are often ignored with tremendous respect. read more »
Good Will Hinton Interviews Andy Crouch About Culture Making
by Will Hinton ()
Listen in to an interview with my friend Andy Crouch, editorial director of for The Christian Vision Project at Christianity Today. Andy has written a new book released this week called Culture Making: Rediscovering our Creative Calling. In this interview, Andy and I discuss an alternative to Christians seeking to change culture through politics, why non-Christians shouldn't fear Christians seeking to create culture, and examples of culture making.
I highly recommend checking out Andy's new website, Culture Making, and getting his new book.
Culture Making referenced in this interview:
Chick-Fil-A
In-N-Out Burger
Kiva
Prison Entrepreneuership Program
Rep. Charles Rangel and Rent Control: Total Hypocrisy on Affordable Housing
by Will Hinton ()
In last week's New York Times, I found a fascinating article about Congressman Charles Rangel and newly released information about his home in New York. I was particularly interested because Rangel's home actually consists of four rent stabilized apartments in Harlem.
As many of you may not know what rent control and rent stabilization is, here is a quick primer. From Wikipedia: "Rent control refers to laws or ordinances that set price controls on the renting of residential housing. It functions as a price ceiling." Actually the original premise of rent control is founded upon good intentions; the idea being that in a city we should be able to provide a stock of affordable housing for lower income families. If only good intentions won the day!
So let's consider a number of things. How likely is it that Congressman Charles Rangel heads a low income family? Well, according to the NYTimes article, his net worth is somewhere between $566k and $1.2 million. Not Bill Gates worthy but certainly not low income. How did Rangel come to acquire not just one rent-stabilized apartment, but FOUR? Certainly there is some sort of income requirements in order to qualify for rent stabilized apartments? Nope. Actually there isn't. So how does one acquire one of these coveted apartments? According to my friends that live in New York City, there are three ways that one acquires a rent stabilized apartment: inheritance, by knowing someone, or by paying what is referred to as "key money" (which, while illegal, is not uncommon). And so how likely is it that low income families acquire rent stabilized apartments through these means? Almost never. read more »
Good Will Hinton Interviews U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-4th)
by Will Hinton ()Good Will Hinton interviews U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson in a broad ranging conversation covering the current energy crisis, real estate foreclosures, the War on Terror, and Barack Obama.
Part 1 - Energy Crisis
Part 2 - Real Estate & Foreclosures
Part 3 - War on Terrorism
Part 4 - Byrne/JAG & Arbitration Fairness Act
Part 5 - Barack Obama & Election season
Part 1 covers the energy crisis. read more »
Comment Spam from the Changzhou Communist Consolidated Aliance Office
by Will Hinton ()I was checking my comments tonight on the site and found the following comment spam:
Inside I recognized a lot of friends. It is good to know them, when I was bullied by other people; they always came to help me the first time. They said they have no Goonzu money, or they would give me. In this way, I would become a little terrible. I did not know from the beginning of the day, one day, I as usual medicines, upgrade practice that she suddenly appeared in my side. I did not know why I would shout out:” wife!” shouted after my heart was strange, of course she did not know I felt at this moment, and then she laughed at me. Then she ran.
Fairly typical spam with a link that I have removed.
Then things get really interesting. I checked my Sitemeter logs and discovered the culprit.
Domain Name 163data.com.cn ? (China)
IP Address 218.93.19.# (changzhou communist consolidated aliance office)
ISP Data Communication Division
Location
Continent : Asia
Country : China (Facts)
State/Region : Jiangsu
City : Changzhou
So why is the Chinese Communist Party putting comment spam on my blog???
Update: Ha! And now they are trying to add the comment spam to this post!
Top 10 Concerts of All Time - YouTube Style
by Will Hinton ()I may be getting older but I still love a great rock concert. Recently I went to a show and was so blown away that I realized that it was one of the best concerts I have ever seen.
So what makes a great rock concert? There are many criteria that someone might use to rate a show but it all comes down to one thing for me - energy. Am I moved? Do I get goosebumps? Do I scream my lungs out to the point of losing my voice? Am I utterly exhausted at the end? Is that moment cemented in my mind forever?
I started thinking about all my favorites and then decided to do a little research. To my amazement, I found a handful of videos online from great shows I had been to. So I give you the Top 10 Concerts I have been to. These aren't necessarily my favorites bands but ones that left an incredible impression on me.
1) New Order @ The Reading Festival, Reading, England - August 1993
The setting was everything here. In 1993, my brother and I went to the Reading Festival aways outside of London. The last show of the night was close to midnight. I'm standing in an English pasture. Full moon overhead. Someone asked me today if it had anything to do with anyone I was with. I don't think I even noticed a person around me I was so entranced.
This video was taken at the exact show I was at. read more »
Good Will Hinton Interviews Daniel Radosh, author of Rapture Ready
by Will Hinton ()
Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Daniel Radosh, author of the new book Rapture Ready. Daniel wrote the book to investigate Christian pop culture and came away surprised at what he found. I highly recommend checking out his book.
Daniel and I had a great time discussing the "Culture War" and civility in the public arena. While I am sure that Daniel and I have many differences, I couldn't have found a better guy to enjoy a morning chat with.
Good Will Hinton in NYC
by Will Hinton ()So I am now in NYC for the next ten days. I love coming to NYC because of the tremendous energy in the city. I always feel that great things are happening here.
Hopefully I will have some good things to report on this week including a few interesting interviews that I hope to conduct this week.
If any of my readers in NYC would like to get together, shoot me an email at will@goodwillhinton.com.
David Brooks on The Great Seduction
by Will Hinton ()If you read nothing else this week, read David Brook's column today in the New York Times: The Great Seduction.
The loosening of financial inhibition has meant more options for the well-educated but more temptation and chaos for the most vulnerable. Social norms, the invisible threads that guide behavior, have deteriorated. Over the past years, Americans have been more socially conscious about protecting the environment and inhaling tobacco. They have become less socially conscious about money and debt. read more »
Thoughts On The Loss of Community in America Part 2
by Will Hinton ()Yesterday I wrote about the loss of community in America and mostly talked about what we have lost. What do we have now?
I lived in San Diego for almost 3 years from 1999-2001. The neighborhood we moved into was intended I believe to encourage community. There were public green spaces instead of individual private yards, lots of sidewalks, and the homes were oriented so as to encourage interaction. Yet somehow there was absolutely zero community. And not for lack of trying. There is only so many times that you can try to strike up a conversation with neighbors as they are trying to escape back into the confines of their home. I'll never forget the day we moved. We had a moving van out front and my next door neighbor walked by. "We'll miss you John." Yeah, that's how close we were. read more »
Thoughts On The Loss of Community in America
by Will Hinton ()My friend Jeff Shinabarger wrote a very thought provoking post earlier this week about community in the wake of tornadoes that came through his neighborhood in East Atlanta. His post ended up being a great topic of discussion with my posse this week and prompted these thoughts from me:
I've been thinking about this idea of community for years and I can't quite put my finger on what has caused a general decline in the sense of community. Many people talk about the rise of suburbs or wealth as primary reasons but I think that those are but small contributing factors. Many of my friends grew up in suburban neighborhoods in Atlanta or elsewhere and had a tremendous sense of community. I know that I did in my prototypical suburban neighborhood. In my cul-de-sac infested suburban sprawl neighborhood, I have at one point been inside every single house in that neighborhood and dozens in surrounding neighborhoods. And not just those where my friends lived. There was a sense as a kid that I could get in almost as much trouble with another adult in the neighborhood as with my parents; parents weren't afraid to actually discipline other people's kids even if they hardly knew them. I have talked about these experiences with friends who grew up in other parts of the country, with friends who grew up in poverty stricken neighborhoods, and those who grew up around the country club and while the details may differ, the general experience of community was the same. read more »
Hyper-Politicization and the Demonization of Bush
by Will Hinton ()So this morning I am reading Wired.com and come across an article "What Is the Ultimate Apocalypsemobile". I am assuming that there are going to be references to Mad Max and descriptions of how to modify cars for what the author and many others fear is a coming world struggling with a lack of oil.
And as far-fetched as this scenario is to some, the author Joe Brown just couldn't resist seeing the Devil at work:
Through both his environmental and foreign policy, George W. Bush has set in motion events that will likely destroy the world as we know it. Our land will cease to support life, our cities will become havens for gangs of the violent undead and we will all be forced out into the scorched wasteland to fend for ourselves, looting gas stations for canned goods, stockpiling water and food.Don't forget Joe, that when children cry anywhere in the world, it is because of Bush. read more »
Jimmy Carter: No To Clinton on Ticket with Obama
by Will Hinton ()
"I think it would be the worst mistake that could be made," said Carter. "That would just accumulate the negative aspects of both candidates."
Carter, who formally endorsed the Illinois senator last night, cited opinion polls showing 50% of US voters with a negative view of Clinton.
In terms that might discomfort the Obama camp, he said: "If you take that 50% who just don't want to vote for Clinton and add it to whatever element there might be who don't think Obama is white enough or old enough or experienced enough or because he's got a middle name that sounds Arab, you could have the worst of both worlds."
I'm sure both Obama and Clinton are thrilled about this. Not.
Five Reasons Why Macs Are Right For Most Businesses
by Will Hinton ()I really didn't want to be "that guy" always writing about how much he loves his new Mac. I wrote last week about why I finally made the switch. But I read an article at CNNMoney.com this week that I just have to respond to. Jonathan Blum wrote "Why Macs still aren't right for most businesses". Having worked as an IT professional at one point in my career, I could think of a few likely reasons that someone might suggest not using Macs in business. But I wasn't prepared for the lack of substance in this article.
"First off, the packaging is seriously overdone: The slogan "Designed by Apple in California" posivitively shouts at you from the box. Like I care."
Like it matters! Are you serious? This is the first reason for not using a Mac for a business? read more »
Good Will Hinton Weekly Podcast: Chris Heuertz of Word Made Flesh
by Will Hinton ()
Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing my friend Chris Heuertz, Executive Director of Word Made Flesh. Chris has a new book arriving on bookshelves next month called Simple Spirituality: Learning To See God in a Broken World. In this interview, Chris and I discuss his time in India with Mother Teresa, his impetus for this new book, and how this idea of spirituality can sometimes conflict with common perceptions of Christianity in a Western culture.
For those of you disillusioned with Christianity or those who lament the state of organized religion, I encourage you to check out how Chris and his community is "serving Jesus among the poorest of the poor." read more »Young Hillary Clinton
by Will Hinton ()
Carbon Ration Cards?
by Will Hinton ()I read today about a proposed plan in the UK that would require all adults to carry a carbon ration card.
"Under the scheme, everyone would be given an annual carbon allowance to use when buying oil, gas, electricity and flights. Anyone who exceeds their entitlement would have to buy top-up credits from individuals who haven't used up their allowance. The amount paid would be driven by market forces and the deal done through a specialist company."I absolutely agree that strong measures are going to have to be taken regarding energy consumption and stewardship of the Earth. But if there was ever a plan tailor-made for graft, corruption, and influence-peddling, this is it. I'm not sure how this plan uses "market forces" particularly since market forces will not determine what the initial carbon "entitlement" will be.
The Fallacy of Corporate Taxes
by Will Hinton ()I just looked through Drudge Report to see if there was anything new this weekend and found this report about a new tax proposal in California:
California state lawmakers are considering an unusual idea to solve the state's huge budget shortfall: Tax pornography.
The idea was proposed by a state assemblyman, and would impose a 25 percent tax on the production and sales of pornographic videos -- the vast majority of which are made in southern California.
It is unknown, however, how seriously lawmakers will take the idea or how the porn business would deal with the new tax. It is likely, though, that porm-makers would simply pass the cost along to consumers by making pornographic materials more expensive. read more »
Desperation Has Set In For Hillary Clinton
by Will Hinton ()A friend of mine just sent me this article:
Hillary Clinton today brought up the assassination of Sen. Robert Kennedy while defending her decision to stay in the race against Barack Obama.
"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it," she said, dismissing calls to drop out.
Watch a video of the editorial board meeting here.
Clinton made her comments at a meeting with the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader's editorial board while campaigning in South Dakota, where she complained that, "People have been trying to push me out of this ever since Iowa."
Obama, the first African-American to advance so far in the race for the White House, has faced threats, sources have said. read more »
McCain Plan To Cut Spending
by Will Hinton ()Maybe a reason to vote for McCain?
McCain Vows To Replace Secret Service With His Own Bare Fists
