TiVo is spreading the word to religious leaders about its parental controls. Apparently, parents can limit their children’s access to TV using lists of appropriate programming developed by trusted non-profits. Of course, this puts a heavy burden on the non-profits, and it’s probably not failsafe (there’s hardly a parental control that a determined adolescent can’t get around). But, it’s an admirable effort by TiVo to understand and connect with customers who might find this useful.

Now, if you could only get this new service paired with TV Guardian, the foul language filter, and you’d have a real winner…

Later: Welcome Challies readers!  Tim rightly asks “is this using the church for marketing purposes?”  It’s worth noting that the minister quoted in the article, Dina Steiner, is guarded about that, too: “She said that as pastor she will not push a particular product, but the breakfast did give her knowledge to share with parents concerned about controlling what their kids watch.”  Who knows if she was typical, but I’m glad to see her admit that there is a line.  It’s a different tone than a Chronicles of Narnia-themed sermon writing contest…

In June, after the roof of the just-built Cedar Grove Methodist Church near Thorsby, Ala., collapsed (with no one inside), church officials revealed that they had never sought building permits, based on Pastor Jeff Carroll’s assumption that “separation of church and state” meant that his church was none of the government’s business. Carroll, whose day job is as a home builder, said volunteers designed and then built the church, but agreed to get a permit for the re-building. [Birmingham News, 6-25-06] (HT: Orin Kerr)

Wow.  Randy’s weekend sounds disturbingly like mine.  First Friday in the Crossroads…check.  Davidsons…check. Contemplating the infantaphobic…check.  A’ pickin’ and a’ grinnin’? Well, not so much.