The Almighty $

December 16, 2002 12:59 AM

Christians become aquainted with the Almighty. "When the Wheat Ridge man got laid off from his computer-programming job in June, his friends and family asked what they could do to help. He asked them to pray for him and offered a daily reminder: an automated text message on cellphones and pagers. Now, Wostenberg, a devout Catholic, is offering that same technology to anyone who wants a psalm sent to him each day at 3 p.m. He's selling the service online at PsalmWeaver.com He charges $19.95 a year, plus a $4 setup fee."
posted by crasspastor (16 comments total)

ack. "Acquainted". I fucking hate dirtying up the frontpage with misspellings.
posted by crasspastor at 1:06 AM on December 16, 2002

how singularly unintresting.
posted by delmoi at 1:09 AM on December 16, 2002

I don't know, I think it's a pretty intriguing innovation--sort of like automated wake-up calls, only...different. I can see it leading to "It's time to take your pill" services and the like.
posted by hippugeek at 1:22 AM on December 16, 2002

I can see good things coming from the technology but I find this type of thing plain ol' dumb.
posted by freethinker1 at 1:33 AM on December 16, 2002

Why should this immaterial text messaging crap be paid for though? Why is it a service to do that which has been done without text-messaging for centuries, to do the same only *charge* for it?

As far as "It's time to take your pill" calls go. I know plenty of fellas that would write a perl script or some such and allow you to automate that crap yourself and free of charge. I also know I've seen a number of tupperware style pill dispensers that have provided exactly the same service for twenty years (one time charge).

"What a sham" I would (I hope) imagine most Christians saying. To have to pay monthly for the service of receiving the LORD's word?

Capitalism comes of age. "WWJD?" or something like that.
posted by crasspastor at 1:53 AM on December 16, 2002

I mean, of course most christians would just slough this off with a chuckle and never, of course, give this guy the time of day.

Yet still, it makes the business page of the Monday issue of a relatively large city. Who, not at all do they seem uncomfortable with mixing relgion and business and printing such obviously, non "real" business news.

The company does apparently have 75 whole subscribers.

--And that, you can print!

--anon
posted by crasspastor at 2:01 AM on December 16, 2002

automated text message on cellphones and pagers...anyone who wants a psalm sent to him

a whole psalm? in cellphone format? some of the psalms are pretty long, and last time i looked my phone had a text message length limit of 160 characters.

that's a whole lot of text messages to receive, or are they going to be compressed into that ridiculous fone-speak format? (no vowels etc).
posted by apidya at 2:09 AM on December 16, 2002

Yh tho I wlk thru d vly of d shdw of dth,
I shl fr no evl, 4 thou rt w/ me.
Thy rd n thy stf they cmfrt me...

I wouldn't want to pay for that, either.
posted by hippugeek at 2:22 AM on December 16, 2002

phil greenspun has been running an automated odd-even parking reminder via email for years. looks like he may have dropped that one now, perhaps a shot of down home gospel spreadin' is what it needed!
posted by quonsar at 4:38 AM on December 16, 2002

looks like the moneychangers have invaded the temple yet again.

I can certainly appreciate how religion can be a comfort in tough times, this just smacks of desperation, not to mention it makes no sense economically speaking. For the same price you could probably buy a nice paperback size bible for your purse or backpack and read the psalms yourself.
posted by jonmc at 5:24 AM on December 16, 2002

i know , 20 dollars a year is a lot of money , the guy that started this up probably lives on a gold plated yaucht surrounded by gun - toting bodyguards and high heeled bikini clad supermodels.

None of you guys have any interest in religion whatsoever , but are quite quick to offer your advice on how i should lead my life , that being your main criticism of religion in the first place.

have you ever thought of the priesthood guys ?

you'd be perfect candidates.
posted by sgt.serenity at 6:28 AM on December 16, 2002

see, we've already converted you!
posted by quonsar at 6:44 AM on December 16, 2002

have you ever thought of the priesthood guys ?

Yeah, but I like Sundays off.
posted by jonmc at 9:25 AM on December 16, 2002

What is accomplished here that couldn't be done for free by a Christian willing to run a yahoo group and using your phone's pager address as the email address? Seems if you could customize the time and type of messages you receive that would be differant.
posted by benjh at 11:43 AM on December 16, 2002

yes , but isnt yahoo run by satan ?
posted by sgt.serenity at 7:47 PM on December 16, 2002

He should call it Psalm Pilot.
posted by metaforth at 11:14 AM on December 17, 2002