There are some issues that define a generation. For our grandfathers that issue was the Nazi slaughter of the Jews. For their grandfathers the issue was slavery. Our generation faces a similar defining issue. Will you be remembered as those who stood up or vegged out?

Please watch this 2 minute video:

Because of abortion there are 100,000 fewer black Americans each year than the year before. This must stop. Their blood cries out from the ground for justice. God’s wrath will not wait forever. If we do not stand in the gap and intercede for our nation who will?

This morning I heard Lue Engle speak here in Austin for the first time. I wept.

If you know me you know I don’t often cry. But, my heart broke this morning. If you have a few minutes it would bless me  if you would take the time to listen to the message he gave this morning. You can download it here. To copy the mp3 to your computer or iPod download the zip here.

The following information is from an email Jana sent me about the march next week. I will be there. I hope you will come too.

The Crisis

The Second largest abortion clinic in the world is being built at this present moment in Houston, Texas. This six-story Planned Parenthood abortion “super center” is right in the middle of four (4) “super neighborhoods.” Three average to 85% Latino in population and the other is 85% African American.

Planned Parenthood is targeting these minority pro-family communities, both for their finances and the restriction of their populations. But, there is a voice rising out of Houston and out of Texas, declaring, “We don’t want this death camp specializing in late-term abortions in our neighborhoods!”

On Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday, January 18th, 2010, thousands are gathering to march against this Goliath to pray, fast, and peacefully siege this massive injustice in the spirit of that great liberator Martin Luther King Jr. Key African American, Latino, and political leaders are coming to speak and hold a nationwide press conference challenging this “super center.”

This is a great hour for the Hispanic pro-LIFE people, Catholic and Evangelical, to raise their voices against abortion and for adoption. Public opinion over abortion is shifting radically in America to pro-LIFE at the same time this facility is exalting itself above the humble and oppressed.

We are entering into the 37th anniversary of the “Roe V. Wade” abortion decree of 1973 on January 22, 2010. We are in a ’73/’37 window to reverse that decree. It started in Texas, now let it begin to reverse there.

The Call

We are calling for the pro-LIFE people of Houston, Texas, and America to gather Sunday night, January 17th, 2010 for four hours of prayer for spiritual awakening and justice, from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at Grace Community Church.

On this evening, 1/17, we will be unifying with one voice before God to pray for the Luke 1:17 answer to the killing of our babies and the wounding of our women – “And he will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the rebellious to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

The Call Info:

• When: Sunday, January 17th Location @ 6:00PM:
• Where: Grace Community Church South Campus
  • 14505 Gulf Freeway
  • Houston, TX 77034 (map)

Parking on Sunday is limited. Please carpool.

The Siege

On January 18th, at 9:00am on Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday, we will gather by the thousands to launch a silent prayer march through the streets to the abortion “super center” for the nationwide press conference and prayer stand.

As Martin Luther King Jr. would proclaim it – It is time to “subpoena the conscience” of the nation from the flashpoint of Houston, Texas. Maybe Houston could become the Birmingham of our day to let the unborn go free and spare the pregnant mother the agony of guilt. Maybe out of Houston a great demonstration of compassion could be launched through pregnant mother care with a mass movement of adoption.

Martin Luther King Jr. cried, “I have a dream”. Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., has eloquently stated, “How can the dream live as long as we kill our children?” God has a dream. He has a dream for America and He has a dream for every mother and every child and a six-story massive abortion facility has never been a part of that dream. Lets end the nightmare and let the dream live.

March on Planned Parenthood

• When: Monday, January 18th Location @ 9:30 AM:
• Where: Catholic Charismatic Center
  • 1949 Cullen Blvd.
  • Houston, TX 77023 (Map)

Parking on Monday is limited. Please carpool.

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2. Texas Rally for Life 2008 (Photos) Last Saturday I went with some friends to the Texas...
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After over 10 years of doing choir in school I swore I would never sing in choir again. I put aside my musical side for  occasional beat boxing and perhaps singing with my family. No more the answers “no” thank you.

But this was not to be.

After my dad asked me for the seventh time to join the Hope Chapel Christmas choir I relented. I had a great time! Despite my expectations I might add. This is a great example of what my dad calls “forced fun.”

Below are some recordings of the songs we sang. Our camera was not so good but Bill Ledbetter, the camera guy, did a great job with our camera such as it was.

Rise & Shine by Deb Dorman

This is a newer song from Deb Dorman. This may have been the first performance. In earlier practices it seemed like she may have still been tweaking it. It was fun to sing. Deb is one of my favorite worship music writers. She is also a fun choir director.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch Rise and Shine on YouTube

Cradled in a Manger Meanly by George Rowe

This is one of my all time favorite Christmas songs and one you have probably now heard. Legend has it that this song helped inspire the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Or at least the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.  I don’t know if that is true but I do know I like this song.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch Cradled in a Manger Meanly on YouTube

Celebrate the Child by Michael Card

Geno the pastor had us sing this song a second time and told us to put “more soul in it.” Everyone seemed to like it a lot.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch Celebrate the Child on YouTube

Infant Holy Infant Lowly by Spiewni­czek Ko­sciel­ne

Infant Holy is a traditional Polish Christmas Carol. Traditional in Poland I guess. I had never heard it before but it’s catchy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch Infant Holy on YouTube.

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Two Russian orphans.

The biggest question I have received about my trip to Russia is “What is MIR?” No one has heard of it. To help answer that question I have put together the following video.

While in Russia I helped:

• Setup a several new computers
• Setup a new secure email system
• Demoed the XO Laptop to orphanage directors (yes yes a post on XO Laptops is coming)
• Secure the network.
• Increase the network speed.
• Setup auto backup.
• Trouble shot numerous computer related issues
• Setup StoneworksInternational.com
• Setup Mir’s new website  (still a work in progress)
• Tech training on how to process email more efficiently.
• Training on how to use a Mac
• Shot video footage for the Mir Video.
• Setup a website for Street Cry (still a work in progress)
• Edited the Mir Video.
• Passed out tracts with the folks from StreetCry

I also drank a lot of tea at the Cantrell’s with my Russian Family and explored a winter war battlefield.

Here I am filming an orphanage director. Her orphanage is interested in joining the XO-Laptop program. They are also involved in MIR's hosting program.

Related posts:

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Last Weekend David Umstattd and I visit the American Christian Writers conference in Oklahoma City. At the conference we learned about how to write better and about the business of writing. This is an exciting to time to write because the web gives us greater access to our readers than ever before. But with that it is harder to get published than it has been in the past.

Here is a quick video with some of the cool people we met at the ACW conference .

I’m in St. Petersurg now and will post about that soon.

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Everyone once in a while a short film like this comes along. Volition is short, well made and powerful. If you havent seen it yet stop whatever you are doing and watch it right now. Its that good.

For those of you who have already watched it what did you think?

Related posts:

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It is here. CEBC #3 Registration is now open.

Watch the CEBC promo on GodTube.

This outreach will help you face your fears as you serve with other Christians who desire to “preach the gospel to all creation”.  If your commitment to Christ compels you to grow as a witness who serves effectively, inoffensively, and biblically then register today.

For more info about the Christmas Evangelism Boot Camp please visit AustinEvangelism.com .

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You will notice a political twist to today’s New Media Monday. I did some media consulting for a local political candidate and I prepared a guide for him on Viral Video. He ignored my advice but I hope you will find it helpful.

Why YouTube is Important

Why did we have no good presidential candidates this year? George Allen was an attractive articulate Reagan conservative who people liked. He probably would have been the best republican presidential candidate if it had not been for YouTube and one word:  Macaca . Right now, Youtube is where conservatives go to die. I hope that will change

Conservatives aren’t the only ones who die on YouTube. Obama’s 1984 add was the begining of the end for the Clinton Dinetsty. That “anonymous” add started Hillary’s long decline from 70% democratic approval down to oblivion.

The temptation for Christians is to flee to GodTube because the content is cleaner. But the people are not at GodTube they are at YouTube. If you want to reach people you need to post your videos to YouTube.

12 Tips For Effective YouTube Videos

1. Keep it Short – The best videos are short no longer than 5 minutes best if under two. The longer the video the more it must change scenes. I have seen effective videos go as long as 8 minutes but they do this by splicing together 15-30 second clips.
2. Low Friction Transfers – Videos must be easy to share. These means embedding and email functions should be built into the video itself. YouTube does this for you. Uploading an .mov or .wmv to your website is not good enough.
3. Be Funny – Funny videos get more views and are remembered well.
4. Offer a service – How-to videos go all over the internet. Help people and they will spread the word about your video.
5. Find a strategic partner – Only political junkies knew who Mike Huckabee was before Church Norris endorsed him. Now that there is a YouTube Video with Chuck and Huck it gets tens of thousands of views a day and Mike is growing in the polls.
6. Be relevant – Videos on current events get lots of hits. On the internet current means less than 24 hours and preferably less than 12. Posting a video response to a presidential debate on YouTube for example will likely get lots of hits but only if it is posted an hour or less after the debate.
7. Pick a Interesting Thumbnail & Title – Make sure the thumbnail is interesting and high quality. There are millions of other videos on YouTube. If you want someone to watch your you must convince them that your video is more interesting than all the other videos on YouTube. Your title and thumbnail will either save you or kill you.
8. Promote Like Crazy – Don’t expect your video to just take off. If you want the video to go viral you need to infect a lot of people all at once. Otherwise the other 100k videos will drowned you out. Get your blogger friends to post your video, get it on Facebook & MySpace. Here is a site with
9. Use a Tripod – If possible use a tripod will give much better quality than handheld. This is particularly true with compressed videos like the ones on YouTube.
10. Good Audio Quality – If there is one thing that kills online videos it is poor audio. If you want a successful video, tear the microphone out of your camera and get creative. Ways of employing good audio include:
    1. Use clips off of the TV – This is considered fair use for short clips.
    2. Consider Using Only Music – Videos that use music, pictures and text can be effective. The key is to have good music, powerful pictures and well worded text.
    3. External Mic – If you want live footage use a handheld mic, shotgun or a lapel mic.
    4. Good Compression Quality – The best way to keep the quality up is to upload directly from Apple iLife 08. If you don’t use a mac for your video editing consider it. The higher the resolution the better.  Use an effective codec (like H.264) if you can’t upload directly from iLife.
11. Use Studio Lights – Video is not as important as audio but is still vital.  The key to good video is good lighting. Investing in some lights and an external mic will do more for you videos than buying that fancy new camera you’ve been eying. It’s probably cheaper too.
12. Advance an Issue not a Candidate – People don’t care about candidates. Unless your candidate used to be a professional wrestler he is boring.  Politicians all have the same haircut and wear the same red tie white shirt blue blazer.But, if you can offer best explanation for why the Trans Texas Corridor is bad for Texas, people passionate about the Trans Texas Corridor will forward your video all over the internet. One of Fred Thompson’s most popular videos was about federalism not Fred Thompson.

    If you champion the causes of the people, the people will champion you.Another benefit of advancing issues over candidates is that even if you loose the issues you stand for have still be advanced which can lead to victories down the road. Ros Perot lost but we did have a more balanced the budget in 1993 because of his advancement of that issue.

Helpfull Recources

• 10 YouTube Promotion Tips More YouTube Tips
  
• YouTube For Dummies Learning the Ins and outs of YouTube takes more than a blog post.
  
• How to Do Everything with YouTube Another YouTube Book
  
• Digital Video For Dummies Shooting video is important.
  
• Izzy Video Free & paid video guides for shooting better video. Best place to learn ninja camera skills.

What Do You Think?

Have you posted a video to YouTube? Share it with us in the comments.

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Today is the first in a series I am calling New Media Mondays. For the next several Monday’s I am going to explain a new form of media, how it works, and how you can use it to change the world.

Today we are talking about blogs. What are they? What are they good for? And how to have a great blog.

Filter friendly video link .

What are blogs?
Blog are platforms for you to have your own publication. They started off as journals or weB LOGs but they have become so much more now.

Blogs are better than email for mass communication. Email is plagued by spam filters and by people deleting it before reading it. Blogs don’t face these challenges. Facebook notes and MySpace notes are not real blogs.

Blogs often have comments section after each post allowing for community discussion

What are they good for?

1. Gaining accesses to famous people: Having a blog has allowed me to interview and interrogate a state representative, congressmen and even the Texas Land Commissioner.
2. Gaining local influence: Local political blogs are one of the most powerful weapons in the modern political arsenal. If you have a good blog on Podunk Texas politics you can become just as influential as the Podunk Texas newspaper. All politics is local.
3. Communicating with the press: I have had major news magazines contact me about blog posts. As a candidate it is a great way to communicate with the media in between press releases. There is really no reason to be a candidate and not have a blog.
4. Advocating Issues: Sometimes the best way to take on the local school board is to blog about them. If you blog each school board meeting you will become the source of information about the school board.  You will become the expert and able to influence change.
5. Fact Checking the Media: It is a lot harder for the liberal media to get away with lying now with bloggers watching. Rick Green may have one in 2002 if he or some of his supporters had active blogs and could have held the press accountable for their deceptions. If you don’t believe me I have two words for you. Dan Rather.
6. Search Engine Optimization: Google likes blogs. Just google “Abolition of Abortion” and see what comes up.

Blog Tips:

1. Have something to say. People have no patience for parrots. If you don’t have something original and why should someone read you?
2. Practice . The first 2 years of my blog were awful. Getting the hang of writing something other people want to read takes practice.
3. Read other blogs. Google reader is the best blog reader and it is free! reader.google.com for more info. ProBlogger and CopyBlogger are some great blogs on blogging. The key to reading blogs is to understand and use RSS feeds .
4. Be interesting. Boring blogs don’t get read.
5. Be Original. Touting the party line is boring. So is repeating Rush Limbaugh or Shaun Hanity.
6. Study Blogging. I recomend reading and applying: 50 Way to Take Your Blog to the Next Level

My Favorite Blogs

News & Business Blogs

• AppleInsider
• Seth Godin’s Blog
• Good URL Bad URL

Public Speaking/Presentation Blogs

• Presentation Zen
• Create Your Communications Experience
• Beyond Bullet Points

Fun Blogs

• Homestar Runner
• The Joy of Tech
• Calvin and Hobbes (Unofficial)
• Dilbert Daily Strip
• Pearls Before Swine
• indexed

Political Blogs

• The Patriot Academy Blog
• Lessig Blog
• Right in Texas

Friends Blogs

• The O’Brian FACTor!
• Renae Brumbaugh
• David Umstattd
• Paul Hastings

Educational Blogs

• Common Craft – Explanations In Plain English
• Dictionary.com Word of the Day

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So what is wikipedia? Why is it so important? How can you use a wiki and even wikipedia? These questions and more will be answered in today’s New Media Monday.

Wikis in Plain English

• Wiki Tutorial Video 3m
• Filter Friendly Video Link

What is Wikipedia?
Wikipedia is the source of truth for many people. When they look for the facts they ask google and google sends them to Wikipedia. Anyone can edit wikipedia. That means YOU can edit wikipedia. Each wiki page has a discussion page where users debate what the content should be.

At one time the 3 page Wikipedia post on abortion had over 80 pages of discussion. Every word has been a struggle. Is it a fetus or a baby? Pro Life or Anti-Abortion? The Wikipedia discussion page is on the front lines of the abortion debate.

Disagreements on wikipedia are settled democratically so the side with the most people wins. Wikipedia leans left because conservatives don’t edit it.

What is wikipedia good for?

• Arena of Ideas: The debate pages on wikipedia are some of the most important on the internet.
• Candidate Information: Some candidates have lots of accurate information about them on wikipedia. Some do not. This is where the press will goes to look for details and sources. Google any politician and their wikipedia page will in the top three sites on that politician.
• Driving Traffic to Conservative Sites: Each wikipedia page has a links section at the bottom. You may find it useful.

How to Edit Wikipedia

Editing wikipedia, or any wiki for that matter, is not as hard as you might think. Belive it or not wikipedia has a great article on how to edit wikipedia .

Careful:
Wikipeida does not look kindly on vanity pages. Unless you are running for a major office (State rep and up) and a party nominee a page on you will likely be deleted. It is better to edit other pages than to create one about yourself.

Wikipedia is not the place to fight for your point of view. Wikipedia is your place to fight for fairness.

How & Where to find time to edit Wikipedia

How to Use a Wiki for a Debate Clup
The Austin Rhetoric Club has started using a wiki to handle all our research. So far it has saved us a tun of time and the students seem to enjoy editing it. We tried Wet Paint but found that it was lacking several important features (such as an easy way to print) to work well for a debate club.

We settled on Deki Wiki which is also free and powerful. It lacks a to-do feature but we bypassed our need for it by having a to do page that the students themselves can edit.

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Here is a part of me you may have never seen. I am a beatbox and this is my audition for McLane idol. I ended up winning a free dinner and a movie. If the embedded video doesn’t work try this link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=LtDocZQFUS4

And yes I had no hair at this time.

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