TrevorCarpenter.com

As you know, I’m a crazy photo-geek. I’m dragging my camera around with me everywhere. I don’t always have good photos to share, but I am always shooting. You probably also know that I’m a huge fan of Zooomr, an online photo-sharing website. The features are great, the no limit uploading is great, and the community is great. The only real problem I’ve had with Zooomr is the reliability. I know it’s still a beta app, but man, most of us Zooomrites have grown to depend on Zooomr for much of our photo hosting, and well, we get a little worked up when it fails. I’m sure that I get a little more worked up than the average user, however, we all seem to respond.

Last week, some major uploading issues arose and nearly no one could upload. The community responded, and I jumped in the fray. Expressing myself, without restraint, I think I lost some friends. (Recently I’ve seen little to know responses to my comments made in Zipline.) You know, without criticism we are only fan-boys and blind followers.

I will point out that when Raoul announced his break from Zooomr, some time back, we saw an immediate response to his problems. Now, I won’t attribute last week’s repairs to only my sniveling, but I will point out that repairs were made after we lit a fire.

Anyway, continuing on…

As a back up, I’ve had a Flickr account for quite a bit. I am very aware of Flickr’s own downfalls, and have some issues with their style. However, they have many features that Zooomr users have yearned to command. Features like batch services (ie. tagging), reliable geotagging/geolabeling, and better groups interaction.

This wasn’t supposed to be a complaint on Zooomr post. I’ll get to the point.

With my upcoming December Challenge, I really have been concerned about Zooomr’s reliablity issues causing a problem with my daily posting of portraits. So, I considered using my Flickr account as a back up. One problem is that I wasn’t a PRO user, and hence had limits to my uploading per month. I whined about it for a bit, and then thought I’d just ask….so I did. I tossed out a request on all the regular socially obsessed websites, Facebook, Twitter, and Pownce, and presto, someone bought me a PRO account. Can you believe it? Awesome!

So, Dave Cohen, thanks! You rock!

Popularity: 31% [?]

First off, let me start with a clear proclamation…

I am not interested in offending anyone who is not a Christian.

However, having no other more appropriate podium to announce my concerns, I will venture into an area of theological debate that will cause many to become polarized.

Over the last several years, I have observed an increasing trend within the Church that causes me great concern. Early on, I stood by and watched churches embrace a modern marketing approach to managing their church. An approach that placed marketing surveys and trendy schemes over teaching the Word of God. Many of these churches are simply emulating the numerical and financial success of a small number of massive churches. An important note to observe would be that no where has anyone observed tremendous life change or transformation, just a lot of people “praying the prayer” and giving their cash.

Then I began to witness as many of these churches and many more begin to take the post-modern mantra into their elder meetings. The embracing of an attitude of rebellion began to permeate their whole church, manifesting itself in as many ways as possible. This movement decided that they were emerging from something that needed to be emerged from. The most concerning acts I’ve seen here are the embracing of practices that have traditionally been considered hertical and pagan. The two most scary influences seem to have been the meditative approach of the Hindus (eastern religion) and what was once considered Christianity, the Roman Catholic church.

Now, catholics, I’m really not trying to attack you here. What I am saying is that if modern day Protestant Christianity agrees that the Reformation was necessary, then we must come to a place of nonagreement over what is Christiandom.

So, if what Martin Luther had to say was relevant, then Protestant Evangelical Reformed Christianity must NOT accept the teachings of any catholic after the Reformation. And if anything close to Christianity wants to admit that the Bible is THE Word of God, then nothing the East has to offer should even be allowed on our Tivos.

Here’s a couple of real men of God sharing their perspective:

• Mark Driscoll
• John Piper

So, you can take your yoga, contemplative prayer, secret prayer closets, and your ex-catholic monks and take a hike.

Me? I’ll be over here, reading the Word of God.

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 2:1

“For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.” Mark 4:22

“Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.” Jude 1:8

• The Basics on the emerging church

Popularity: 43% [?]