Lately, I've been using Facebook a lot more often to post short articles, just because I have enough Facebook friends that I can count on one or two comments indicating that they have actually been read. So rather than post the article here, I am just going to put the link to that post in this article.
https://www.facebook.com/mark.pettigrew.3950/posts/1010358462314782
Monday, December 22, 2014
Friday, December 19, 2014
Jim Rehnberg and His Rent-A-Rev Service
When I lived in the Chicago area, I made the acquaintance of a talented abstract painter named Marg Rehnberg. At the time, she was attending Willow Creek, a megachurch in the suburbs that later started a downtown Chicago branch.
I helped Marg to paint her suburban painting studio, for which I was paid a modest amount that nevertheless made it possible for me to survive some hard financial times.
Her husband, Jim Rehnberg, is an ordained minister. But he didn't pastor a church, and still does not do so. Instead, he runs a business he calls Rent-A-Rev. He specializes in officiating at marriage ceremonies, and also other kinds of events that are typically done by pastors.
http://www.rentarev.com/contact.php is his contact information.
Call the Rent-a-Rev: 312.386.1348 - Chicago
847.854.1230 - North & NW suburbs
630.232.2211 - West & SW suburbs 847.854.1098 - fax
jim@rentarev.com
I'm hoping to start a radio show at Praise 106.5 FM in Linden. It would be called "Get Hitched" (no big surprise there). I'm thinking that an interview with Jim might make for an interesting show.
I helped Marg to paint her suburban painting studio, for which I was paid a modest amount that nevertheless made it possible for me to survive some hard financial times.
Her husband, Jim Rehnberg, is an ordained minister. But he didn't pastor a church, and still does not do so. Instead, he runs a business he calls Rent-A-Rev. He specializes in officiating at marriage ceremonies, and also other kinds of events that are typically done by pastors.
http://www.rentarev.com/contact.php is his contact information.
Call the Rent-a-Rev: 312.386.1348 - Chicago
847.854.1230 - North & NW suburbs
630.232.2211 - West & SW suburbs 847.854.1098 - fax
jim@rentarev.com
I'm hoping to start a radio show at Praise 106.5 FM in Linden. It would be called "Get Hitched" (no big surprise there). I'm thinking that an interview with Jim might make for an interesting show.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Bellingham Socials and Get Hitched
I currently have four Meetup.com groups, one of which is Get Hitched. I started Get Hitched specifically for single people hoping to meet potential romantic partners.
But that may be too narrow for some people, in terms of an agenda. As it turns out, it seems that Bellingham Socials' previous organizer, Eva, had specified that the group had been created for singles.
When I first joined the group, I noticed that some of the existing members were married, so she does not seem to have enforced that aspect of the group's existence. That's probably a good thing.
Having said that, I do want to keep the original emphasis on single people.
But that may be too narrow for some people, in terms of an agenda. As it turns out, it seems that Bellingham Socials' previous organizer, Eva, had specified that the group had been created for singles.
When I first joined the group, I noticed that some of the existing members were married, so she does not seem to have enforced that aspect of the group's existence. That's probably a good thing.
Having said that, I do want to keep the original emphasis on single people.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Alicia's Bridal & The Formal House Bowed Out
As you can see, I approached Alicia's Bridal in Bellingham, regarding the possibility that they might help Get Hitched, by sponsoring the group on Meetup.com. (It seemed like a logical partnership to me.) http://alturl.com/2jttj is the link to the Facebook post where I presented that possibility to them. But they replied " I'm sorry but at this time our marketing dollars are already allocated. Good luck with your venture!" Good luck indeed. I will need luck, since God knows that I have very little money. Rather discouraging, as many events in my life have been.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
An Innocent Man
Currently, I am listening to the Billy Joel song An Innocent Man, on Spotify, while looking at the Wikipedia article about the John Grisham book ("his first outside of the legal fiction genre") entitled, "The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town".
I don't know how applicable Billy Joel's protestations of innocence were, but I know that the Grisham book was about a man named Ronald Keith Williamson who served time on death row, for the murder of Debra Sue Carter, before DNA evidence cleared his name. I read that book, and as I recall, Williamson spent a little bit of time in the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners (in my hometown of Springfield, Missouri), even though he was no longer on death row in Oklahoma. The trauma he suffered as a result of his wrongful conviction was severe, and he paid for that experience for the rest of his life. It took a fair amount of work on the part of The Innocence Project to clear his name, but thankfully, our courts are structured in such a way that there are provisions for the fallibility of the system.
Why do I now find myself thinking about such things? Have I been accused of committing a horrendous crime? Well, no, not at least in terms of accusations from law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys. But the bar is considerably lower for pastors, who seem to think that the mere fact that they "speak for God" entitles them to impugn the integrity of fellow Christian believers, without a shred of evidence to support their insulting accusations. Matt Atkins, the pastor of the Mosaic church in Bellingham, Washington, recently sent me an e-mail message, in which he said that he thought that I was guilty of seeking "nonconsensual" relationships with adult women, and of seeking loving and sexual relationships with "minors". That was an idiotic accusation. Matt clearly needs to brush up on the law. According to the Wikipedia article, "minor" is a legal term. "The age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is generally 18." In the context of laws pertaining to consumption of alcohol, the term is a bit broader. People younger than 21 are considered to be minors in that context. But drinking coffee at Starbucks is legal for a person of any age.
At a service Mosaic called "Listening Sunday" (when we were encouraged to listen for the voice of God, during a visit to a park at Lake Whatcom), I approached a somewhat attractive young woman and passed her a note, expressing my desire in exploring the possibility that she and I might be compatible, and asking her to call or e-mail me if she would be interested in meeting with me for a cup of coffee. For that, I was repaid by Matt Atkins' insulting accusations. I later learned, from a pastor named Mitch Senti, that she had been 19 years old at the time. As I told him, I had no idea what her age was, since people do not typically walk around wearing big signs around their necks telling people how old they are. If I'd known that she was that young, I probably would not have handed that note to her. But 19 years of age STILL IS NOT A MINOR.
In 1974, I sat in front of the draft board in Springfield, Missouri, and explained my reasons for considering myself to be a conscientious objector. I had to do so, because I was eligible to be drafted and sent to Viet Nam. Apparently, the U.S. government thought that an 18-yearr-old young MAN was old enough to make such decisions, and to kill and die on behalf of his country, unless he could come up with a darn good reason why he should be made exempt.
So let me get this straight: I was old enough, at age 18, to do those things. But a woman 1 year older is not old enough to say "no" when she is handed a note asking her out for a cup of coffee. GIVE ME A FREAKING BREAK!!!!!
And as for the "nonconsensual" accusation, I have never even kissed a woman or girl without first asking her if it was OK for me to do so. (One girl, named Cathy Boysen, said no. I didn't like it that she did, but I am a gentleman, and I know how to take no for an answer.) If Matt Atkins thinks that I am some kind of a rapist, he knows where I live, since he was there when Mosaic helped me to move from Apartment 107 to Apartment 118 in the same apartment complex. Matt has as much access to the Bellingham Police as any other citizen of this city. But I have not noticed that any of them have shown up with warrants for my arrest, even though I sent an e-mail to Allan Jensen (a detective) with the accusatory paragraph contained in Matt's e-mail.
The Ninth of the Ten Commandments is "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." You know something? If a man is not willing to at least obey that commandment, he isn't qualified to be chief bottle washer, much less the pastor of a church.
I don't know how applicable Billy Joel's protestations of innocence were, but I know that the Grisham book was about a man named Ronald Keith Williamson who served time on death row, for the murder of Debra Sue Carter, before DNA evidence cleared his name. I read that book, and as I recall, Williamson spent a little bit of time in the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners (in my hometown of Springfield, Missouri), even though he was no longer on death row in Oklahoma. The trauma he suffered as a result of his wrongful conviction was severe, and he paid for that experience for the rest of his life. It took a fair amount of work on the part of The Innocence Project to clear his name, but thankfully, our courts are structured in such a way that there are provisions for the fallibility of the system.
Why do I now find myself thinking about such things? Have I been accused of committing a horrendous crime? Well, no, not at least in terms of accusations from law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys. But the bar is considerably lower for pastors, who seem to think that the mere fact that they "speak for God" entitles them to impugn the integrity of fellow Christian believers, without a shred of evidence to support their insulting accusations. Matt Atkins, the pastor of the Mosaic church in Bellingham, Washington, recently sent me an e-mail message, in which he said that he thought that I was guilty of seeking "nonconsensual" relationships with adult women, and of seeking loving and sexual relationships with "minors". That was an idiotic accusation. Matt clearly needs to brush up on the law. According to the Wikipedia article, "minor" is a legal term. "The age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is generally 18." In the context of laws pertaining to consumption of alcohol, the term is a bit broader. People younger than 21 are considered to be minors in that context. But drinking coffee at Starbucks is legal for a person of any age.
At a service Mosaic called "Listening Sunday" (when we were encouraged to listen for the voice of God, during a visit to a park at Lake Whatcom), I approached a somewhat attractive young woman and passed her a note, expressing my desire in exploring the possibility that she and I might be compatible, and asking her to call or e-mail me if she would be interested in meeting with me for a cup of coffee. For that, I was repaid by Matt Atkins' insulting accusations. I later learned, from a pastor named Mitch Senti, that she had been 19 years old at the time. As I told him, I had no idea what her age was, since people do not typically walk around wearing big signs around their necks telling people how old they are. If I'd known that she was that young, I probably would not have handed that note to her. But 19 years of age STILL IS NOT A MINOR.
In 1974, I sat in front of the draft board in Springfield, Missouri, and explained my reasons for considering myself to be a conscientious objector. I had to do so, because I was eligible to be drafted and sent to Viet Nam. Apparently, the U.S. government thought that an 18-yearr-old young MAN was old enough to make such decisions, and to kill and die on behalf of his country, unless he could come up with a darn good reason why he should be made exempt.
So let me get this straight: I was old enough, at age 18, to do those things. But a woman 1 year older is not old enough to say "no" when she is handed a note asking her out for a cup of coffee. GIVE ME A FREAKING BREAK!!!!!
And as for the "nonconsensual" accusation, I have never even kissed a woman or girl without first asking her if it was OK for me to do so. (One girl, named Cathy Boysen, said no. I didn't like it that she did, but I am a gentleman, and I know how to take no for an answer.) If Matt Atkins thinks that I am some kind of a rapist, he knows where I live, since he was there when Mosaic helped me to move from Apartment 107 to Apartment 118 in the same apartment complex. Matt has as much access to the Bellingham Police as any other citizen of this city. But I have not noticed that any of them have shown up with warrants for my arrest, even though I sent an e-mail to Allan Jensen (a detective) with the accusatory paragraph contained in Matt's e-mail.
The Ninth of the Ten Commandments is "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." You know something? If a man is not willing to at least obey that commandment, he isn't qualified to be chief bottle washer, much less the pastor of a church.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Dues for Get Hitched
I have created a document which lists various expenses for which dues would be needed in relation to the Get Hitched singles group in Bellingham. Among other things, dues would pay for EDDM mailings with which to publicize the group, since I do not trust in the promotional emails from Meetup.com to the extent that I am confident that they could help the group to expand to the point that the group would be really useful to its male and female members. Other options for raising funds would include crowdfunding, selling products pertaining to the group (e.g., T-shirts) and so forth.
The idea of paying dues might sound like a negative thing, but when you compare the option of paying $5 per month ($60 per year) to the option of paying at least $2,000 per year to belong to a group like Events and Adventures, $60 per year sounds like a real bargain. I would not be getting rich from such dues, believe me. In fact, I might have to raise the dues to an amount higher than $5 per month (the default setting at Meetup.com), since the group would need at least 17 members just to pay the $1000 needed for an EDDM mailing from Postcard Mania. That would particularly be the case if payment of dues was voluntary. I think that it should be, because I like the "pay what you can" model established by the Panera Cares program at Panera Bread. That program got acclaim from the Stanford Social Innovation Review. It's ridiculous that some singles groups, such as Events and Adventures, insist on payments as high as $2,000 per year! Of course, I understand that they have a very nice web site, and such things are not free. But really, that seems to me to be a bit excessive.
Meetup.com uses WePay.com, not PayPal, to collect payments. I think that responsible leadership of any group includes a certain level of accountability, in terms of how the funds raised via fundraising are used. So anyone who chooses to e-mail me at mwp1212@gmail.com or mark_w_pettigrew@hotmail.com is free to ask me about the group's current financial situation, and about plans for the use of the funds paid to the group in the form of dues. I am also looking to the option of sponsorships and financial "perks" with which to raise funds. A financial arrangement with the Lovers store in Bellingham would seem to be a particularly appropriate choice, in terms of sponsorships. Bridal supply stores (e.g., Alicia's Bridal) would also seem to be a logical choice.
The idea of paying dues might sound like a negative thing, but when you compare the option of paying $5 per month ($60 per year) to the option of paying at least $2,000 per year to belong to a group like Events and Adventures, $60 per year sounds like a real bargain. I would not be getting rich from such dues, believe me. In fact, I might have to raise the dues to an amount higher than $5 per month (the default setting at Meetup.com), since the group would need at least 17 members just to pay the $1000 needed for an EDDM mailing from Postcard Mania. That would particularly be the case if payment of dues was voluntary. I think that it should be, because I like the "pay what you can" model established by the Panera Cares program at Panera Bread. That program got acclaim from the Stanford Social Innovation Review. It's ridiculous that some singles groups, such as Events and Adventures, insist on payments as high as $2,000 per year! Of course, I understand that they have a very nice web site, and such things are not free. But really, that seems to me to be a bit excessive.
Meetup.com uses WePay.com, not PayPal, to collect payments. I think that responsible leadership of any group includes a certain level of accountability, in terms of how the funds raised via fundraising are used. So anyone who chooses to e-mail me at mwp1212@gmail.com or mark_w_pettigrew@hotmail.com is free to ask me about the group's current financial situation, and about plans for the use of the funds paid to the group in the form of dues. I am also looking to the option of sponsorships and financial "perks" with which to raise funds. A financial arrangement with the Lovers store in Bellingham would seem to be a particularly appropriate choice, in terms of sponsorships. Bridal supply stores (e.g., Alicia's Bridal) would also seem to be a logical choice.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
TFund, Cafe Press, and Fund Raising Options for Get Hitched and Other Meetup.com Groups
Crowdfunding is "hot", as a means of enabling people to raise money for expensive projects. Kickstarter.com may be one of the best-known crowdfunding web sites, in relation to "creative" or artistic projects, like movies and so forth, but there are a number of other competing sites, and they do not all have the drawbacks associated with Kickstarter, which a.) Requires the ability to create and submit digital videos, and b.) Has an "all or nothing" fund raising model which requires that folks meet a particularly deadline or forfeit any of the funds raised via the site for that particular project. (Kickstarter has raised funds for some worthy projects, like the movie Blue Like Jazz, which took the Christian message into the mainstream, so I'm not knocking the site. But it's just one of the ten companies listed in this article about crowdfunding web sites for small businesses.)
Donald Trump, the real estate magnate who once ran for U.S. President, has chosen to back a crowdfunding web site called FundAnything.com. I haven't used that site much, but it seems to have some potential, and the idea of funding "anything" is certainly appealing.
WeFunder.com is listed at the top of the aforementioned article. On the company's home page, they list a project involving the creation of flying cars. Seriously! It's called the Terrafugia Transition, and it can be seen at www.terrafugia.com or www.driventofly.com or https://wefunder.com/terrafugia. There are also plans for a flying car that can take off and land vertically, without the need for a runway. It's called the TF-X, and won't be available for another ten years.
GoFundMe.com. http://www.gofundme.com/47hpeg is the page I have set up for the purpose of raising funds with which to promote Get Hitched, via EDDM mailings, printed by a company such as Postcard Mania.
Quirky.com is specifically for inventors. One of the images on the home page shows a nice AC power strip I have actually seen in local stores.
Many crowdfunding web sites operate by offering various levels of "perks" for donors. That's a good thing to do, in terms of offering an incentive to people who might donate funds. But it usually is not tied directly to specific products.
Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com) has a new crowdfunding option which seems pretty attractive. It's called TFund (www.tfund.com). By designing "Direct To Garment" products, one can create salable products which can be used to raise funds, and which can also promote one's product or project or group. So, for example, I could design a T-shirt with the text "Get Hitched: A Group for Men and Women Seeking Spouses". It would include a graphic image consisting of a QR code which would lead people to that Meetup.com site, or to this blog. Not everyone has a "smart phone" with which to easily scan the QR code, and not everyone knows how easy it is to upload digital photos of QR codes to sites which will decode them, so it would also be important to include contact information such as a phone number and an email address.
The Meetup.com site offers the ability to create "sponsors" for various groups there, and to link to the relevant pages for those sponsors. I could be wrong, but it seems likely to me that one could designate one's TFund.com as one of the sponsors for one's Meetup.com site/group. I haven't yet done that, but I plan to explore the option of doing so, because none of my Meetup.com groups, like Get Hitched or Bellingham Socials, are likely to succeed unless and until they can be adequately promoted.
Donald Trump, the real estate magnate who once ran for U.S. President, has chosen to back a crowdfunding web site called FundAnything.com. I haven't used that site much, but it seems to have some potential, and the idea of funding "anything" is certainly appealing.
WeFunder.com is listed at the top of the aforementioned article. On the company's home page, they list a project involving the creation of flying cars. Seriously! It's called the Terrafugia Transition, and it can be seen at www.terrafugia.com or www.driventofly.com or https://wefunder.com/terrafugia. There are also plans for a flying car that can take off and land vertically, without the need for a runway. It's called the TF-X, and won't be available for another ten years.
GoFundMe.com. http://www.gofundme.com/47hpeg is the page I have set up for the purpose of raising funds with which to promote Get Hitched, via EDDM mailings, printed by a company such as Postcard Mania.
Quirky.com is specifically for inventors. One of the images on the home page shows a nice AC power strip I have actually seen in local stores.
Many crowdfunding web sites operate by offering various levels of "perks" for donors. That's a good thing to do, in terms of offering an incentive to people who might donate funds. But it usually is not tied directly to specific products.
Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com) has a new crowdfunding option which seems pretty attractive. It's called TFund (www.tfund.com). By designing "Direct To Garment" products, one can create salable products which can be used to raise funds, and which can also promote one's product or project or group. So, for example, I could design a T-shirt with the text "Get Hitched: A Group for Men and Women Seeking Spouses". It would include a graphic image consisting of a QR code which would lead people to that Meetup.com site, or to this blog. Not everyone has a "smart phone" with which to easily scan the QR code, and not everyone knows how easy it is to upload digital photos of QR codes to sites which will decode them, so it would also be important to include contact information such as a phone number and an email address.
The Meetup.com site offers the ability to create "sponsors" for various groups there, and to link to the relevant pages for those sponsors. I could be wrong, but it seems likely to me that one could designate one's TFund.com as one of the sponsors for one's Meetup.com site/group. I haven't yet done that, but I plan to explore the option of doing so, because none of my Meetup.com groups, like Get Hitched or Bellingham Socials, are likely to succeed unless and until they can be adequately promoted.
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