A few months back, my friend Philip Cardwell invited me to accept an invitation on Facebook. So I created an account and acknowledged my friendship with him. Then, over the next few days and weeks, other people discovered my meager listing and sent friend requests (and all other kinds of requests). I've begrudgingly acknowledged the friendship requests (eventually)--I mean, I don't want anyone to think I'm not willing to be their friend--but I've never been an active Facebook participant.

And I never will be.

Not too long after Facebook friend invites started pouring in, one friend who requested I add her, and after obviously seeing a neglected profile and no interaction sent me a text message saying, "You've got so much to learn about Facebook!" Of course I interpreted her message as saying, "Ha ha, I know more about something on the internet than you do for once!"

Well, not exactly true. And perhaps if you're one of the folks with whom I've exchanged invites you feel the same way. But let me explain my position. Here's the thing... I've got this website that you're on right now called This Lamp. In spite of the fact that I haven't had time to update the site much lately, Sitemeter tells me that I'm still receiving over 400 hits a day, which is pretty healthy for a personal website, especially a neglected one, in my opinion. And that's not even counting the folks who read This Lamp strictly on the RSS feed which I'm not tracking at the moment. And I wonder how many pastors, politicians and other public figures would love to have that kind of audience on a daily basis? Thus, with my limited time, if I am going to invest my online efforts anywhere, I think I should simply do it here.

In fact, I'm going to completely cancel my FaceBook profile in a few days. There's no point in keeping it. I'm warning you now. I have no idea what happens when one of your FaceBook "friends" disappears. Just don't take it personally.

So am I being anti-social by saying no to social networking? No. This website can be quite the social place at times as are some of yours. Frankly, I consider myself a very social person, and if you've ever received an email from me, you'll notice that I even give out my cell phone number freely. Plus, I've got four different instant messaging identities because I have different friends who use different systems. I often have all four running during the day. Feel free to add me:

AIM/iChat: rmansfield@mac.com
Microsoft Messenger: rmansfield@hotmail.com
Yahoo Messenger: rick_mansfield
ICQ: 7367293

Feel free to chat away with me on any of the above. You'll find I'm quite social. But as for FaceBook, and last year's "in" social site MySpace and all the other social networking tools (Twitter, LinkedIn, and all the new ones that launch each day), I'm going to have to pass.

Who's got the time?

Four years ago, Zondervan published the first edition of A Reader's Greek New Testament. A second edition is set to be released sometime in November.


SOME BACKGROUND: THE FIRST EDITION

I've always found A Reader's Greek New Testament (RGNT from this point forward) to be an extremely practical resource. The RGNT addresses the issue that while there are over 5,000 distinct words in the Greek NT, the reality is that many of this words only occur a few times or even in single occurances. While it's an admirable goal for a student of Greek to memorize every word, it's not a reality for most. Most introductory grammars, in fact, only cover a little over 300 words, but these words occur so frequently that they account for roughly 80 of the entire New Testament. But that remaining 20% is still enough from keeping the average person who has a familiarity with Greek from sitting down and reading the New Testament in its original language as easily as one might read an English translation. In fact, in my experience and observation, I've known personally of only about two or three people who can really read the Greek NT without stumbling. Oh, sure, the dirty little secret is that any of us can read a passage just fine when we've taken the time to work through it ahead of time. But as soon as someone asks us a question about a different passage--one that we haven't prepared beforehand, we stumble and stammer as we try to read it in a quick and efficient manner.

The RGNT is noted for including lexical forms for all words of the Greek New Testament that occur 30 times or less. If this sounds like a crutch, think again. The reader still has to know his or her Greek grammar fairly well to use this resource. In fact, I tend to carry the first edition of the RGNT with me to church on Sundays. If I need to look up something quickly, and come across a word that's not part of my working vocabulary, I can look at the footnote at the bottom of the page. It's not realistic for me to carry a lexicon with me to church, and I usually don't have my MacBook so that I can access such tools in Accordance. Perhaps one day, I'll make time to memorize all 5000+ words in the Greek NT, but for right now it's not a practical goal and the RGNT is an ideal solution.

The other distinct feature of the RGNT first edition has to do with its textual basis. Most might assume that this is simply an edition of the current UBS/NA eclectic Greek text with a special apparatus. Not so. The Greek text in this edition is actually one that has been retrofitted, so to speak, to match the text that underpins the New International Version. The reality is that every translation committee makes decisions that sometimes causes them to choose a different textual route than the majority opinion of the UBS/NA committees. The RGNT first edition has about 200 instances, all noted in the footnotes, where its text differs from the standard text.


IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES IN THE SECOND EDITION

New Greek font. I don't know if the font itself is actually a different font, but the main difference from the first edition is that the text in the second edition is not in italics. And I say, "Thank goodness!" My major complaint about the first edition of the RGNT is the italicized text that is extremely difficult to read. I have no idea why some publishers of Greek texts like to do this. The UBS 4th edition Greek NT uses a horribly thin italicized text also making it difficult to read. Thankfully, Zondervan changed this policy in the RGNT 2nd edition.

However, the font itself does look slightly smaller than the original edition. I've made a comparison in the graphic below that displays the first page of Matthew's Gospel on the left in the first edition and with the second edition on the right (note that the image below is not actual size).


The observant reader may notice that there's slightly more text (most of Matt 1:12) on the second edition page. Therefore, the font is either tighter or smaller. Zondervan offers a PDF sample of the RGNT2 featuring the first five pages of Matthew. The second edition ends with Matt 3:17 while the equivalent page in the fist edition ends with 3:15. Two verses--is that a big deal? Probably not, but there is definitely an attempt to use fewer pages. Why? Because while there are more features in the RGNT2, but there are actually fewer pages than the first edition. Therefore, an attempt was made to conserve space. And while I wish Zondervan had not chosen to use a tighter/smaller font, I will say that regardless, the new text is much easier to read than the italicized text of the first edition.

But that brings us to another issue, and frequent readers of This Lamp will have to pardon a familiar complaint that I've discussed many times before. This New Testament, (presumably) like its predecessor is a thinline. How do I know this? Well, in spite of the fact that complete measurements have not been released, we do know a few things. I'm guessing the dimensions are a bit wider because the outer margin on each page is wider (see more below). We also know that although there is about a twenty page difference in the two editions, the weight is comparable (1.065 lbs. for the first edition vs. 1 lb. for the second edition). Thickness measurements for the second edition have not been released, but the first edition is 7/10 of an inch thick. Since the two editions weigh virtually the same, I can only assume that the second edition will be just as thin.

So what's wrong with a thinline Bible? Lots of things. First, thinner paper is used that causes bleedthrough of text from underlying pages. If you look at the scan on the right from the RGNT first edition, which I have enlarged for the point I am making, you can easily see text from the other side of the page. But if you look carefully, you will note that it's not just the text from the back of the page; you can also make out text from the next page. And I'll tell you the truth--the bleedthrough is much worse to the eye than what is picked up by my scanner. Fortunately most of the time our eyes can adjust to bleedthrough after a while, and we simply filter it out. Regardless, it can also be an unnecessary distraction. Second, thinline Bible tend to use fonts that allow for more text on the page in addition to using a smaller point size in general. Many thinline Bibles end up looking very crowded in their layouts, and all of this creates a page that is harder to read. Third, the pages of thinline Bibles are often simply not good surfaces for making personal notes, and certainly not for highlighting as such personal additions will bleed through to the next page.

Personally, I hope that one day, publishers will get over their infatuation with thin Bibles and realize that the target market for a resource like this does not mind having a book that is somewhere between one inch and one and a half inches in thickness. I'm sorry, but cramming 576 pages into 7/10 of an inch is ridiculous.

A wider margin? Now let me make a careful distinction here. The second edition of the RGNT is not a wide margin Bible. However, if the PDFs are representative of the final product, the margin of the second edition is significantly wider than that of the first edition. When looking at the PDFs, I immediately noticed the change in the text's outer margin. Turning on the rulers in Adobe Acrobat, as shown in the image on the left, quickly demonstrated that the margin is slightly greater than 3/4 of an inch, an improvement over the 1/2 margins of the first edition.

Again, this is an area where I with publishers would realize that those who buy products such as the RGNT appreciate not just thicker paper, but also wide margins for making notes, Regardless, whereas, the first edition's anemic margins were useless for any annotations, the new wider margins begin to approach a minimum width for note-taking,

Mlnl-Lexlcon. For those occasions when the reader forgels one of those words that occur more than 30 times, a new mini-lexicon has been added, presumably in the back of the RGNT.

Maps. Four new color maps have been added to the second edition of the RGNT. Already UBS/NA Greek New Testaments tend to have basic contextual maps inside the front and back covers. With the addition of these maps to the RGNT, this resource begins to take the feel of a standard reference tool and even a one-stop instrument for public use.

And the rest. Like the first edition, the new RGNT comes in an Italian Duo-Tone binding, I've stated before that I like this material just as much as actual leather. Assuming that these covers are going to hold up over decades-long use, I find them to be a very adequate substitute for real leather, especially if this keeps the price down. Perhaps Zondervan could put a disclaimer on the copyright page: "No cows were harmed in the publishing of this New Testament."

And of of course, the RGNT second edition will continue to offer lexical forms of words that occur less than 30 times in the Greek NT as well as noting where the text diverges from the UBS/NA texts. I'm pleased that they continue to keep these notes on the same page as the NT text, in footnote fashion, rather than by some other means.

I'll have more to say about the RGNT2 after I get my hands on one in November, Butfrom what l can already determine, it is already looking to be a great improvement over what was already a very practical and useful resource.

Tags: Greek NT, TNIV, NIV, Zondervan

Ever since I first laid eyes on a "Jonathan Edwards Is My Homeboy" t-shirt, I knew I wanted to wear one that honored A. T. Robertson (1863-1934). Therefore, I wish to announce that I have created just such an "A. T. Robertson Is My Homeboy" design which is immediately available on apparel and gift items at my Café Press Store.

However, you may immediately notice that my design is somewhat different than merely being a knockoff of the Edwards shirt. Since A. T. Roberts is so closely associated with New Testament Greek studies, I thought it would be fitting to offer an equivalent Greek rendering of "is my homeboy." At first, I came up with some awkward phrasing that literally said "A. T. Robertson is the boy of my house." This didn't work, so after some thought and consultation, I cracked open the Louw & Nida lexicon which groups words around semantic domains. I began working my way through the section on "kinship terms." Finally, I came across the word, οἰκεῖος, a derivative of the Greek word for home/house [οἶκος] and which means kinsman, relative or member of a household. The word only occurs three times in the New Testament (Gal 6:10; Eph 2:19; 1 Tim 5:8), and I admit it was not part of my working vocabulary. But after looking at it and getting the opinion of a couple of other folks, I decided that in contemporary terms, in a very, very dynamic rendering, οἰκεῖος could be translated as "homeboy." Thus we have "A. T. Robertson ἐστιν ὁ ἐμὸς οἰκεῖος."

A bit of a stretch? Perhaps, but still valid I believe. Plus, like the "Jonathan Edwards is my homeboy" shirt, this is done somewhat tongue in cheek. I imagine such a shirt would draw quite a few stares, as well as being quite the conversation starter for those who get it and for those to whom you have to explain it.

A. T. Robertson was not only one of the greatest Southern Baptist theologians to have ever lived, but he would still probably rank as one of the most significant scholars in the area of modern New Testament Greek studies. After graduating from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, Robertson was invited to teach at the school where he remained until his death in 1934. During his lifetime, he wrote over 45 books including four Greek grammars. Many of his works are still in print, and some are now thankfully in the public domain and can be accessed as easily as performing an internet search on his name. Robertson is probably best known for his six volume Word Pictures of the New Testament, a work that he wrote with both the reader in mind who knew Greek and the reader who did not. And of course, Robertson's 1500+ page magnum opus, Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research has more than stood the test of time. Although dated in some places, it is still a valuable resource and must for any serious student of NT Greek.

There's such a rich legacy of works left behind A. T. Robertson, that I've often thought of creating a podcast simply based on the reading of selections from his writing. In the meantime, if you want to show your appreciation to this great figure Greek studies, be sure to drop by my Café Press store and pick up a shirt, mug, journal or other item and let the world know, "A. T. Robertson ἐστιν ὁ ἐμὸς οἰκεῖος."

Tags: Café Press, Apparel

I've set up a Café Press Store for apparel and such related to This Lamp. You can find it at https://www.cafepress.com/thislamp. The first offerings made available relate strictly to the website itself, including the lamp & library logo:



In all there are over 50 items already available with the This Lamp log including mugs, book backs, and all manner of apparel for men, women, children, toddlers and even your pet.

The logo items are just the beginning. Part of my desire with the Café Press Store is to create really cool items related to biblical history, language and more--the kind of stuff I'd like to wear myself, but never see anywhere else. Later this afternoon, or tomorrow at the latest, I'm going to offer the first real project at the store, which I think many of you are going to get a kick out of.

Am I making a profit? Yes, but very little. I placed what I felt was a very modest markup on the items, and then I went back and made it even more modest. Although I think I have some good ideas, you never really know until you throw it out there. My hope is that the offerings I'm going to make in the future might get popular enough that it could provide a little bit of suplemental income--especially as we're gearing up to make a trip to China next year for our adoption.

You're not going to ever see anything like random Google ads are anything on This Lamp. Yes, there may be items such as these from Café Press and sometimes from Amazon, but these are extremely specific, and will always be something--as in the case of the above items--that I would use or wear myself. And I will.

So stay tuned, and check the store often. There's now a link in the menu at the top left. And if you have any ideas, feel free to send them along.

Tags: Café Press, Apparel

I received my Fall 2007 edition of Biblical Illustrator Plus CD-ROM about three weeks ago. As always, the articles look very interesting, just from scanning the table of contents. I teach from Lifeway's "Explore the Bible" curriculum which focuses on the Gospel of Matthew for September through November, and many of the articles in this quarter's BI relate to elements of this gospel.

I highly recommend Biblical Illustrator for any student of the Bible's history. The articles are accessible for anyone of almost any background. Even if one has access to journals and such works as the Anchor Bible Dictionary (a favorite of mine), BI is sometimes a faster and more specific resource. And although I could not imagine preparing a Sunday School lesson without it, BI is also valuable for those not using Lifeway's curriculum. Every quarter I take all the articles on the CD (which are in PDF format) and organize them onto my computer's hard drive by biblical book. Then whenever I am preparing a sermon, Bible study, doing research, or anything in which I would need to access historical information about biblical ideas and customs, I have scores of articles at my disposal.

The cover of the Fall issue of BI contains a photograph of the "statue of Amenophis III from his mortuary temple on the West Bank at Thebes, famous for the so-called 'Colossi of Memnon.' Amenophis III was the first Egyptian king to be worshiped as a god in his own lifetime. Eighteenth dynasty, about 1350 B.C." The image relates to the article "King as God" by Joel F. Drinkard, Jr.

The back cover of the CD-ROM case contains these thoughts:

"The God said, 'Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness' ...
So God created man in His own image;
He created him in the image of God;
He created them male and female."
--Genesis 1:26-27, HCSB

How simple and yet profound! "Created" changes our origin and destiny. "In His own image" affects our understanding of human dignity, worth, and potential.

Of all creation, God created human beings in His image. That unique feature has compelled mankind to seek, to know, and to worship Him. But, how we have messed that up! People have worshiped everything from nature to creatively fashioned idols. Some have even worshiped man as god. In all of those cases, mankind has missed it.

But "In these last days, [God] has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things and through whom He made the universe. He is the radiance of His glroy, the exact expression of His nature, and He sustains all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:2-3, HCSB). In Him alone do we find worship satisfaction.

Below are the new articles in the Fall 2007 issue of Biblical Illustrator:

Andrews, Stephen J.	Book Review: Bible Archaeology: An Exploration of the History and Culture of Early Civilizations by Alfred Hoerth and John McRay
Bergen, Robert	Jerusalem's Fall to the Babylonians	Dan 1
Beyer, Bryan E.	Who Were the Medes?	Dan 5
Booth, Steve	Who Were the "Sinners"?	Matt 9, 11, 25
Capes, David B.	First Century Capernaum	Matt 4, 8, 12
Drinkard, Joel F.	The King as God in the Ancient Near East and Israel	Dan 3
Eddinger, Terry W.	Kings and Kingdoms in Daniel's Time	Book of Daniel
Gonzalez, Rudy	Almsgiving: Its Use and Abuse	Matt 6:1-18
Gritz, Sharon H.	Judas Iscariot, the Betrayer	Matt 26-28
Jackson, Paul N.	The Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees	Matt 5:13-20
Kelly, Bobby	Matthew and His Gospel	Matt 1-2
Lane, Hal	Stranger: A Word Study	Matt 25:31-46
McCoy, Glenn	Joseph the Carpenter	Matt 1, 2, 13
Polhill, John	You Have Heard It Said: Jewish Laws Behind Jesus' Teachings	Matt 5:21-48
Ray, Charles A.	John the Baptist: His Life and Ministry	Matt 3, 11, 14
Roark, C. Mack	Forgiveness and the Jewish Tradition	Matt 18
Stevens, Gerald L.	Divorce in the First Century	Matt 1, 5, 19
VanHorn, Wayne	Belshazzar: All We Know	Dan 5:1-31
Ward, Patrick D.	The "John the Baptist Cave" [ARTifacts]
Weathers, Robert A.	The "Kingdom of Heaven" in Matthew	Matt 12, 13, 16, 19
Wilder, Terry L.	What About the Gospel of Judas?
[CenterSpread]	The Messiah's Ministry: An Account by Matthew

The articles above are in both the print issue of BI and the BI Plus CD-ROM. However, the articles below are from previous issues and can be found only on the CD-ROM edition.

Arnold, Stuart	Debtor's Slavery	Matt 18:21-35
Bailey, John	Jesus as "Prophet"	Matt 21:4-14
Boyd, Timothy N.	The Disciples in History and Tradition	Matt 9:36 - 10:1, 27-29
Brooks, James A.	Lawyer and Scribe in the First Century	Luke 10:25; Matt 5:20; 23:1, 23, 27
Caldwell, Daniel	Babylonian and Persian Kings	Dan 3:1-30
Carter, Terry	A Talent	Matt 18:21-35; 25:14-30
Champy III, Harry D.	Belshazzar: All We Know	Dan 5:1-7, 25-28
Cheavens, Alice D.	The Roman Mile	Matt 5:41
Cole, Dennis	First Century Bethlehem	Matt 2:1-12
Cook, Donald E.	Jesus' Use of Parables	Isa 5:1-7
Cook III, William F.	Lamps in Ancient Israel	Matt 5:13-20
Davis, Conn	House Construction in Jesus' Time	Matt 7:24-29
Dehoney, Wayne	The Place of Jesus' "Sermon"
Draper, Charles W.	The Heavenly Host	Ps 148:2-5; 103:20-21
Drinkard, Joel	The Spoils of War	Dan 1:3-5, 8-16
Drinkard, Joel	Wealth, Trade, Money & Coinage in the Ancient World	Prov 16:16; 22:4; 28:20
Dunn, Mark R.	The Blind in Jesus' Day	Matt 9:18-38; 15:16-20
Fowler, R. D.	Zebedee the Fisherman	Matt 20:20-28; Rom 12:9-13
Easley, Kendall H.	Commerce in First-Century Israel	Matt 13:24-52
Easley, Kendall H.	Prayer Customs in First Century Judaism	Matt 6:5-15
Evans, Bob	The Practice of Making Oaths	Matt 5:27-37
Green, Joe	The Learning and Wisdom of Chaldea	Dan 1:17
Gregg Sr., D. Larry	The House of Herod	Isa 9:6-7; Matt 1:18-23; 2:1-2, 9-11
Gritz, Sharon	Kingdom of God in Intertestamental Judaism	Matt 13:1-23; 13:24-52; 16:13-28
Gritz, Sharon	Pilate's Power and Authority	Matt 28
Haag, H. Joseph	The Early Church's View of Poverty	John 12:5; James 2:15-16
Hall, Kevin	Apocalyptic Literature	Books of Daniel and Revelation
Hankins, L. Milton	Beams & Motes	Matt 7:1-12
Huckaby, Gary C.	Caesarea Philippi	Matt 16:13
Jackson, Paul	Jesus' Last 40 Days	Matt 28:1-10
Jones, Timothy Paul	The Meaning of "Raca"	Matt 5:21-26
Knight, George W.	The Galilee Boat	Matt 14:22-33
Knowles, Julie Nall	The Church's Use of the Model Prayer	Matt 6:9-15
Lain, Gil	Ancient Storage Facilities	Matt 6:26
Lain, Gil	Early Ships and Boats	Matt 14:29
Lane, Hal	Worry: a Word Study	Matt 6:25-34
Lanier, David E.	Salt in Ancient Israel	Matt 5:1-16
Lemke, Steve W.	"Falling Away" or "Erring" from the Faith?	1 Tim 4:1; 6:10
McCoy, Glenn	God as Heavenly Father	Matt 5:45, 48
McCoy, Glenn	The Mount of Transfiguration	Matt 17:1-13
McGraw, Larry	God's Angelic Messengers in the New Testament	Psalm 103:20-21; Matt 13:39-42; Mark 13:26-27; Acts 12:7-9, 11; 27:23-24
McWilliams, Warren	Predestination: Time and Space	Matt 6:8
Miller, Stephen R.	Capital Punishment in the Ancient Near East	Dan 3; Esth 4:11
Miller, Stephen R.	The Neo-Babylonian Empire	Book of Daniel
Moseley, Allan	Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: All We Know	Dan 1:8, 14-17; 3:17-18, 26-28
Parsons, Mikeal C.	The Holy Spirit: A History of Interpretation	Rom 5:5
Patterson, Bill	Divorce in First Century Israel	Matt 19:4-6, 10-12; Rom 16:3-5a; 1 Cor 7:7-9, 32-35; Eph 5:21-22, 25
Peacock, Kevin C.	The Battle of Carchemish	Books of Ezekiel and Daniel
Poulton, Gary	The Roman Military in Jesus' Day	Matt 8:1-13
Pouncey, Greg	Who Were the Magi?	Matt 2:1-23
Rathel, Mark	Salvation: A Word Study	Luke 2:25-38
Reeves, Rodney	Mourning the Dead in the First Century	Matt 9:18-31; 36-38
Register, Dean N.	Jesus as the Son of God	Matt 3:17; 4:3
Roberts, Sharon	Pearls in the Ancient World
Robertson, Paul E.	The Love of Money	1 Tim 6:10
Robinson, Dale G.	The Trumpet in the New Testament	Matt 24:3-6, 29-31, 42-47
Sandlin, Bryce	A History of Darius I	Dan 6:1-28
Simmons, Billy E.	Poverty and Wealth in the Early Church	Matt 6:1-18
Tench, Tony	The Pure in Heart	Matt 5:3-12
Trammell, Timothy	Introducing Matthew's Gospel	Matt 2:1-12
Ward, Patrick D.	City Gates in Jesus' Day	Matt 7:13-29
Ward, Patrick D.	Jesus' Early Life
Warren, William	Our English Bible
Wood, Darryl	Prayer: Its History and Use	1 Thess 5:17
Woodward, C. Alan	Annas and Caiaphas	Matt 26:1-56; John 18:15-27; 19:1-42
Woodward, C. Alan	"Mammon"	Matt 6:19-24

---

Finally, I was honored to be quoted in an ad for Biblical Illustrator appearing in one of Lifeway's publications this quarter. Here is a reproduction of the ad below. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Tags: Biblical Illustrator

For all the pictures, check out my web gallery.

Okay, I admit it. I'm the kind of person who will stand in line for stuff like this. I've seen quite a few midnight showings of movies on their release day. In 2004 I stood in line to get a copy of Halo 2 for the Xbox at midnight. A couple of months ago, I stood in line to to get an iPhone on its launch date. What's wrong with me (and others who do the same thing)? Am I simply too impatient? Did I have to be at the Oxmoor Mall for the grand opening of Louisville's new Apple Store? I mean couldn't I go this weekend and avoid all crowds?

Certainly. But that's not why we go.

Such activities are an event themselves, a pinpoint in one's personal history that merges with the history of significant cultural events. Standing in line with folks you don't know personally, but with whom you obviously have much in common makes for great conversation despite a lack of personal history. You can look back and say, "I was there--there on the very first day."

But I'll tell you, in spite of all the lines I've stood in, I've never been to an event quite like the one last night. This was my first Apple Store grand opening, but there were people there wearing t-shirts from grand openings at other locales. We had been promised that the first thousand of us would get a free t-shirt commemorating the event. I got there about an hour before the doors were to open, and there was already a line more than 100 yards long. You really can't tell from the picture on the right, but we are about a football field's length from the Apple Store. The line ran from the store down to the end of Oxmoor Mall's east wing. Then it zig-zagged through ropes set up for the occasion. Then it zig-zagged a few loops more which is where I stood. Then, before the doors even opened, the line went back down the wing again on the other side another hundred yards. I would guess that there were a couple thousand people there last night. I'm sure management at the mall was thrilled about this new store. But the poor guy at the cell phone kiosk in the middle of the wing looked anything but thrilled. With hundreds of folks lined up on both sides of his booth, he wasn't getting any business. And since he was not selling iPhones, this crowd wasn't interested in what he had to offer.

As I said, this was my first Apple Store grand opening, and although I've been to other such events, I have to say that this was the most energized crowd I've ever been part of at this kind of thing. Everyone was excited, and occasionally people would burst into cheers or applause at the other end of the wing and all of us would join in--even if we didn't know exactly what it was for. The shot on the left here isn't that great because the iPhone isn't good at action shots. But at about ten minutes before the store opened, all the employees--clad in lime-green t-shirts--ran out of the store and started high-fiving all of us waiting to get in. They ran all the way around the crowd, which would almost be like running around a football field (although not quite as wide), and some of them ran it twice. Not only were we, the customers, taking pictures and video, so were many of the employees. They were like cheerleaders and we were like participants in a pep rally. Later, I would notice that as people in the store walked out with purchases, there were Apple Store employees stationed at the door who would cheer and applaud for them.

If there is indeed a "cult of Mac," then such events serve as revival services to stir up the faithful. It made this techno-disciple feel connected to the larger body of devotees after feeling quite alone at times over the last decade when many times I would be the sole Mac user in a Windows environment. As I stood in line and looked at the immense number of people who had gathered, I thought to myself, "I never realized there were this many Mac users in Louisville." For us Mac faithful, if the Apple Cupertino headquarters is Mecca, then Apple Stores are the local mosques--holy ground if you will. And this was our pilgrimage. After all those times strolling through the aisles of software at the local office store and seeing nothing but Windows programs, here was an entire wall of Macintosh apps. Last night I looked at all the offerings, many I didn't even know existed. For all supposed claims that the Mac is not a business computer, I was surprised to see all the software geared toward business: finance software, accounting and bookkeeping packages, billing and receipt software.

The Apple store also had every one of the new iPod offerings that had just been announced the day before. Amazing. In fact, the iPods were definitely the focus of most of the displays in the store. Something I didn't realize until I saw it up close--there are no longer any white iPods. Everything's metal now. For what is being called the iPod Classic, one can choose between silver and black, but the iPod's original all white front is now gone from every model and line. Also, the new iPod nano which has unfortunately been dubbed the "fatty" based on early pictures, did not come across that way at all when it was in my hand. It takes holding it to get it, and it's surprisingly smaller than I realized it was simply from seeing the pictures. I don't think I would ever be in the market for any iPod again because my iPhone meets that function, but the new iPod nano's form factor would comfortably fit in just about any pocket.

Finally, before I left, I took a moment to look around the store and reflect upon the evening. The place was packed, and there were still people waiting in line who probably would still be waiting in another hour or so. What other company can pull off such devotion? I mean first, the timing was right. The mall opens at 9 AM, but the Apple Store didn't open its doors until 6PM--right about the time everyone is leaving work. But think about it. When Victoria's Secret or the Gap or even a Sony Style store opens in a mall, do people turn out by the thousands? No. And realize that such devotion is based on consumerism, a consumerism that's driven by regularly introducing new products so as to convince you that what you spent money on last time is now obsolete.

All of the sales people were extremely friendly. I didn't leave to cheers (because I didn't purchase anything), but I did get my t-shirt and friendly farewells from the Apple Store employees. One of the workers, a young man in his twenties with bright red hair said to me, "Isn't this great?!" He seemed just as enthusiastic about being an employee as the rest of us felt about being customers. I said, "Yeah. Hey, are there any grand opening specials going on tonight?" I hadn't seen any indication of such, but often stores such as Best Buy will offer tremendous sale price savings for the entire week when a new store is opens. He smiled, and without hesitation said, "No, really the free t-shirt is the special tonight." Makes sense. There was a steady stream of people to get in, and another steady stream of people walking out with iPods, iPhones, and iMacs. Why on earth would they need to run specials. Cult of Mac, indeed.

But at least I got my t-shirt.

---

Don't forget to see all my pictures of the Apple Store Oxmoor Grand Opening at my web gallery.

Tags: Apple, Macintosh