Which bill?

This just in an email from Obama's campaign:

Barack just co-sponsored a bill in the Senate that you should know about.

Under current law, Washington lobbyists can hide their dealings with foreign businesses and governments. This bill will close that loophole and establish a new standard for disclosure.

...

While Barack Obama is working to change the culture in Washington, John McCain has turned a blind eye to the lobbyist loophole.

He has to if he's going to look out for his friends.

A number of McCain's senior campaign staffers are Washington lobbyists who have exploited this loophole to avoid disclosing their activities. And McCain has built his fundraising strategy around huge checks from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs. He literally cannot afford to lose their support.

This campaign is different. We have never accepted contributions from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs, so Barack is only accountable to ordinary people like you.

John McCain is committed to perpetuating politics-as-usual in Washington -- but you can help stop him and bring about the change this country needs.

Take a stand right now, and invite your friends to stand with you on this important issue:

http://my.barackobama.com/closetheloophole

What bill is this referring to? My best guess in S.3077

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-3077

unChristian

Have you heard of the book unChristian by David Kinnaman? He’s part of the Barna Group.

http://www.amazon.com/unChristian-Generation-Really-Christianity-Matters/dp/0801013003/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213665116&sr=8-1

I finished reading it today. It focuses on 16-29 year olds and what their perceptions of Christianity are, both as insiders (Christians) and outsiders (non-Christians). The six main points from outsiders are:

1. Hypocritical
2. Salvation focused
3. Anti homosexual
4. Sheltered
5. Too political
6. Judgmental

Our pastors recently preached a six part sermon series matching these topics. You can listen to them here, if you’re interested:

http://www.thenewcom.com/podcast/

It was a humbling read. I imagine that the older you are, the harder this is to read. The younger you are, especially under 30, the more accurate you find the results of this research.

Burma

As Westerners we want Western solutions for Burma. We want planes to
fly in supplies to save people who we know could be saved. We live in a
world where we can replace bad hearts with good hearts, clone organs,
and do bone marrow transplants. We think putting men on the moon is old
school. Flying in a planeload of life-saving supplies should be child's
play.

In Burma making a phone call is difficult. Only seven percent of the
country's 52 million people have electricity. For Burma's excessively
paranoid generals we might just as well ask them if we can fly in a
planeload of anthrax as one of aid. To them, this act might save lives
but it would poison the culture, and while it may be a culture of fear
and defeat, they unfortunately see it as their culture to defend.

Read the rest of Eugene Cho's post on the God's Politics blog here.

What Labels Really Mean

This is the Eco-labels center from Consumer Reports: Greener Choices. You can search for marketing phrases on products and learn what they mean and don't mean.

Eco-labels center site

Swedish Company Will Vend Verified Sustainable Ethanol

Swedish biofuel company SEKAB says it will become the first company to
vend ethanol verified to be environmentally and socially sustainable.

Summary with links to the source.

New MPG Measurement Standard

Maybe you drive a car that's older than a 2008 model. From this Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) site, you can see what your car would rate under the new standards. Our 2006 Vue was rated 19/25 by the old 1970's standard and is now 17/23 by the new standard starting with the 2008 models. Check it out.

Political Action Committee (PAC) Money

McCain and the Republican National Convention (RNC) are different from Obama and the Democratic National Convention (DNC). When in doubt, follow the money. Wasn't McCain calling for campaign finance reform in the past?

They [the RNC] depend on donations from Washington lobbyists and special interest
PACs. And top officials in McCain's campaign have been asking these
donors to write checks and raise money from their clients to the tune
of $50,000 each.

Barack is doing things differently.

This [Obama's] campaign has never accepted donations from Washington
lobbyists or special interest PACs. And yesterday the Democratic
National Committee announced that they will follow the same
restriction.

For all his talk of reform, John McCain is willing to rely on huge
donations from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.

Here it is from Fox News:
At the end of May, the RNC had nearly $54 million in the bank to the DNC’s $4 million.

By banning federal lobbyist and PAC money from the DNC, Obama sought to
avoid an inconsistency with his own campaign’s fundraising policy. The
ban applies to future fundraising, meaning the party won’t have to
return money it has already raised from lobbyists and PACs.

“Today as the Democratic nominee for president, I am announcing that
going forward, the Democratic National Committee will uphold the same
standard — we will not take a dime from Washington lobbyists,” Obama
said at a town-hall meeting in Bristol, Va.

McCain’s senior advisers are former lobbyists, including campaign
manager Rick Davis. McCain was stung last month by the disclosure that
two advisers — now gone — had worked for a firm that had represented
the military junta in Myanmar, also known as Burma, which has
restricted foreign assistance for cyclone victims.

Frank Schaeffer about his dad, Francis Schaeffer

When Senator Obama's preacher thundered about racism and injustice
Obama suffered smear-by-association. But when my late father --
Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer -- denounced America and even
called for the violent overthrow of the US government, he was invited
to lunch with presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush, Sr.

Dad and I were amongst the founders of the Religious right. In the
1970s and 1980s, while Dad and I crisscrossed America denouncing our
nation's sins instead of getting in trouble we became darlings of the
Republican Party. (This was while I was my father's sidekick before I
dropped out of the evangelical movement altogether.) We were rewarded
for our "stand" by people such as Congressman Jack Kemp, the Fords,
Reagan and the Bush family. The top Republican leadership depended on
preachers and agitators like us to energize their rank and file. No one
called us un-American.

The rest of the article from the Huffington Post.

Toxic Soup of Plastic Debris, Twice the Size of US, Forms in the Pacific Ocean

It is twice the size of the continental United States, yet you cannot
set foot on it. Scientists have named it "Plastic Soup", and
appropriately so. Floating in the Northern Pacific Ocean lays a huge
expanse of plastic refuse. This garbage patch is actually two attached
areas on either side of Hawaii, known as the Western and Eastern Pacific Garbage Patches.

Read the rest of the article.

The Hook in Hookahs

Furthermore, evidence suggests that an average 45-minute hookah session
raises levels of nicotine in the blood up to 250 percent. It also
delivers the equivalent of 100 times the smoke of a cigarette (with its
related toxic agents such as carbon monoxide), contributing to a
growing concern in the medical community that the practice may lead to
regular cravings and addiction to cigarettes.

From Consumer Reports Health Blog. Read the rest of the article.

Obama and Woods Food

This February 24, 2008 article has not attracted much media attention. When I search it on Google, I don't find anything from major news sources. I would like to hear if anyone knows about this claim that "Obama worked with terrorist: Senator helped fund organization that rejects 'racist' Israel's existence."

Read the article from WorldNetDaily.

Serving God by Going Green

This former ER doctor explains the link between taking a day of rest each week (Sabbath) and love for the created world. I had not thought of it like this before and like the premise.

Read the article.

Atonement Revisited

This article is by a North Park Theological Seminary professor. It's a 10 minute read and not too deep - anyone reading this post can read and understand the article. I hope it gives a fuller understanding of Christ's saving death on the cross and following resurrection.

"Waldenström considered the idea that God needed to be repaid or
appeased a heathen one because it not only painted the picture of God
as cruel, it also was articulated in terms of human legal systems. Most
importantly, Waldenström thought the view of penal substitution was
absent from the biblical account, so he took up a study of Scripture."

Read the rest of the article.

Let Wal-Mart Fix US Health Care

Wal-Mart has done more to expand coverage and lower costs in the past
year than any government program to come out of Washington in the past
10 years. And I'd bet the new programs that this company -- known for
stiffing its own part-time workers on health care benefits -- has
announced in the past year will do more to expand coverage and cut
costs than anything likely to come out of a McCain, Clinton or Obama
first term.

Read the rest of the story from MSN Money.

Nintendo Coffee Table Controller

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/diyer_builds_nes_coffee_table_controller/

Meet Your Meat

This video is not for the faint-hearted. I almost vomited watching the abuse of chickens, turkeys, cattle, dairy cows, pigs, etc. It may be time to pay for meat that's treated fairly or to give it up entirely. Saddest of all is that most of us eating hamburgers aren't aware of any of this.

www.meat.org

In Case of Rapture...

If millions of Christians suddenly disappear from the face of the Earth
as the opening act for Armageddon, Threat Level thinks most
nonbelievers will be too busy freaking the hell out to check their
e-mail. But if they do log in, now they can be treated to some
post-Rapture needling from their missing friends and loved ones,
courtesy of web startup YouveBeenLeftBehind.com.

For just $40 a year, believers can arrange for up to 62 people to get a
final message exactly six days after the Rapture, that day when --
according to Christian end times dogma -- Christians will be swept up
to heaven, while doubters are left behind to suffer seven years of
Tribulation under a global government headed by the Antichrist.

Read the rest of this blog post from Wired.com.

Statistically Speaking...

Abramowitz has tracked the effect of those variables on the last 15
presidential elections and found that they accurately predicted the
popular vote outcome in 14 and came close in the 15th.

The formula adds the incumbent president’s net approval rating
(approval minus disapproval), the second-quarter election-year GDP
growth rate multiplied by five (emphasizing the importance of the
economy) and then (factoring in time-for-a-change sentiment) subtracts
25 points if the in-party is finishing a second term.

Bush’s net approval now stands at minus 40. The first-quarter growth
rate was 0.6 percent and Bush is finishing eight years, meaning that
this year’s electoral barometer currently stands at minus 62.

If such a number holds, it “would predict a decisive defeat for the
Republican presidential candidate,” Abramowitz wrote. “The only
election since World War II with a score in this range was 1980,” when
“Jimmy Carter suffered the worst defeat for an incumbent president
since Herbert Hoover in 1932.”

The second worst occurred in 1952, when Democrat Adlai Stevenson
tried to succeed Harry S. Truman with a minus 50 score and lost the
popular vote by 11 points to Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Read the rest of the article.

Scribe Fire

This is a test of Scribe Fire. I hope it makes blog posting easier and faster.

Isn't there more we can do?

This 53 second video by Bread for the World is fun and fitting



www.bread.org/recipeforhope

Visiting the Palace

Jen and I went to the Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday to watch Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. We were in the second to last row of the upper bowl, just behind the end line of the SW corner of the court. We could see everything well. Unfortunately, the Pistons played like they expected the win to come easily and lost miserably. We went with our friends Tammi and Edith and still had a great time.

Pistons Stunned in Game 3
Celtics 94, Pistons 80

The Celtics regained home-court advantage of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday night with their first road playoff win in seven tries. Though from the look of their 14-point victory in Game 3 at The Palace, you'd think they had never left Boston. The Celtics scored the first 11 points of the game, withstood a pair of Detroit runs directed by Rodney Stuckey in the first and fourth quarters and held the Pistons to 80 points. Boston's top ranked defense had been more permeable away from TD Banknorth Garden - allowing 95.3 points entering Saturday - but it clearly had something going for it at The Palace. The Pistons misfired early and often (38 percent FG shooting) and were outrebounded, 44-28

Rodney Stuckey went to work earlier than usual when Billups picked up his second foul in the first quarter. And he had his work cut out for him, already down 15-4. But he sparked 13 unanswered points by driving to the basket and repeatedly drawing contact. He drew a foul for two free throws, had a breakaway that led to two more, and then bullied his way past Cassell to find Maxiell cutting to the basket. Wallace tipped in Maxiell's attempt at the rim, and Detroit had its first lead of the game with Billups on the bench, 17-15. He scored 17 points and was 9-of-10 at the line.

Paul Pierce didn't even shoot the ball after his game-opening dunk. Ray Allen shot like Game 2 never happened, missing five of his first six shots. The "White Out" crowd at The Palace was ready for any reason to explode. But the Pistons could not take advantage in the first half, as the Celtics bench made its mark on the series. Sam Cassell - who had not made a field goal since Game 2 of the Cleveland series (May 8) - delivered five points, including a triple. James Posey - who had five points in games 1 and 2 combined - scored eight points in the first half - or the same as Billups (2), Hamilton (4) and Prince (2) combined. The statistical oddity is not nearly as significant as the confidence it gives to the Celtics' supporting cast heading into Game 4.

SAUNDERS: "In [Game 2] we choked off their role players and tonight their role players really were the ones who really hurt us. Garnett had a huge game and Paul did some steady things but you look at what Perkins did, you look at the guys off the bench. When the score's a close game Cassell comes in and makes a couple big shots to go on a 10-0 run to finish the (second) quarter and they took the game over at that point again."

US Christians urged to cancel church services and help poor

Conducted by Faith in Action and Harris Interactive, the national survey polled more than 2,800 adults. Sixty-seven percent of respondents "agreed" or "strongly agreed" with the statement, "My church already does enough to help the poor in my community." "Faith in Action is designed to be a step toward alleviating the complacency that is afflicting churches across the country, and an effective call to action to follow Christ's example of compassion."

Current data provided by the US Census Bureau reveals the national poverty level has increased from 11.7 percent in 2001 to 13.3 percent in 2005, or 38 million Americans.

Additionally, demand for food stamps between 2007-08, a key economic indicator provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, is up significantly in 43 states, increasing the need for significant help among more than 28 million Americans.

The rest of the story.

The "Surge" of Iraqi Prisoners

Amid all the talk about the U.S. military "surge" in Iraq, little has been said about the accompanying "surge" of Iraqi prisoners, whose numbers rose to nearly 51,000 at the end of 2007. Four years after the Abu Ghraib scandal, occupation forces are holding far more Iraqis than ever before and thousands more languish in horrendous Iraqi-run prisons.

The detention facilities are closed to human rights monitors like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, or the International Federation of Human Rights. Even the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, mandated by the Security Council to provide human rights reporting, is denied access by the U.S. command. Lack of such monitors greatly increases the likelihood that detainees will suffer from abuse and bad conditions, as human rights organizations have often pointed out.

The rest of the story.

Military Man

In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy's challenge to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, left college in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines.

While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective father. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger than the African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through family connections.

This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, who has been in the news for comments he made over the last three decades.

Source: Op-Ed in the Chicago Tribine.

Jersey Boys

Another light one - does Andrew look like anyone in this photo of the Jersey Boys, a musical several friends have seen in Chicago.

Peter Potty

OK, I know it's been a long string of more serious posts. This is something my friend Rus told me about. His son absolutely loves his play urinal called Peter Potty...except that it really works. Like training wheels in the bathroom. If we ever have a son, we are definitely getting one of these.

Obama leads Clinton in superdelegate count

Big news today (May 12): for the first time since this campaign began, Barack Obama has taken the lead among superdelegates.

We've won more elected delegates, more states, and more votes than Senator Clinton. But until yesterday we trailed among Governors, Members of Congress, and Democratic Party leaders -- the so-called "superdelegates" who have a vote in the nominating process.

As it stands, we have 279 superdelegates who have committed to cast their convention votes for us. That includes 21 since last Tuesday's elections, and 3 who switched their support from Senator Clinton.

We have just 152 delegates to go before Barack Obama clinches the nomination.

Green Cleaning Schools Act Goes into Effect this Week in Illinois!

This act makes Illinois the second state in the nation to require schools to use green cleaning products.

How schools are cleaned and the products that are used can significantly affect the health and performance of students, administrators and cleaning staff. Choices in cleaning products, equipment and procedures also affect the lifespan of building materials and furnishings. The Green Clean Schools Act will ensure that Illinois schools are providing healthier and safer environments for students and staff while also preserving the environment.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=184833

Way to go, Chicago!

Petition Brita to Recycle Used Filters

You probably didn't know that Brita, America's #1 water filter, is owned by Clorox. Brita helps its customers feel good about filtering water without buying untold numbers of plastic bottles. Indeed, the Brita filter option is much better than purchasing bottled water. With that said, the U.S. version of the Brita filter is currently designed to be disposable. Hundreds of thousands of plastic Brita filters needlessly flow into U.S. landfills, while in Europe, the same company is providing those cartridges in a recyclable form. As a result, Brita is currently being pressured by consumers and TakeBacktheFilter.org to change its policies. Learn more about how you can send in your used Brita filters to pressure the company to make the green shift: http://www.takebackthefilter.org

Plastic Recycling Codes

Wondering what those codes mean? This handy guide briefly explains what they mean, how environmentally friendly they are, and what the health risks are.

Colbert tells Zimbardo

The Sentencing Project

The way the war on drugs has been pursued is one of the biggest reasons for the growing racial disparities in criminal justice over all.

- Ryan S. King, a policy analyst with The Sentencing Project, which recently released a report describing large disparities in the rate at which blacks and whites are arrested and imprisoned for drug offenses, even though the two groups use illegal drugs at roughly equal rates. (Source: The New York Times)

February Donations

In February alone, more than 94% of Senator Obama's donors gave in amounts of $200 or less. Meanwhile, campaign finance reports show that donations of $200 or less make up just 13% of Senator McCain's total campaign funds, and only 26% of Senator Clinton's.

Senator McCain has raised more than 70% of his total campaign funds from high-dollar donors giving $1,000 or more. Senator Clinton has raised 60% of her funds from $1,000-and-up donors. And both Senator McCain and Senator Clinton have accepted millions of dollars from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.

Refusing to accept donations from lobbyists and special interests has allowed Senator Obama's campaign to answer only to ordinary Americans like you.

Hillary's Christianity

Jim Wallis thinks she is legit:

I can't count the number of times that reporters have asked me about Hillary's religion, just assuming she must be pandering. One asked, "when was the first time Hilary talked to you about her faith?" I said that it was the first time I met her - after she came to Washington in 1992. The reporter didn't seem to believe me. I explained, as I have to many reporters, how Hillary Clinton was a Methodist youth group kid in Chicago, where her youth pastor took teenagers on "urban plunges" to the inner city and to hear Martin Luther King Jr. speak. Her Methodism is apparent in her longtime advocacy for children, as well as other issues. Agree or disagree with her politics, it's clear that Hillary Clinton is a committed Christian laywoman.

Fluoride Action Network

This quick Fluoride Action Network video shows us some of the major concerns of fluoride in drinking water. Check out the warning label on your toothpaste tube. It notes that the amount of fluoride in a single brushing (.25 mg) should not be swallowed, and if so, the label says you should contact a Poison Control Center. Interestingly, that's the same amount that's in an average glass of tap water. Learn more and watch: http://www.fluoridealert.org/

Federal Budget in Cookies

Watch this short entertaining video by our allies at True Majority to see how the federal government is spending our tax money. Tax policies may seem abstract, but not when you visualize them in terms of cookies.

Hillary's Hundred v. Barack's Million (and a half)

A new pro-Hillary Clinton group spent $864,000 making and airing ads in Texas and Ohio in the run-up to her victory in the March 4 primaries. And the group has at least $200,000 in the bank toward an expected air war on her behalf in Pennsylvania and the subsequent states.

American Leadership Project raised a total of $1.2 million – $1 million of which came from AFSCME, which has endorsed Clinton – since Feb. 21, according to a report it filed Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission.

This article from Politico came to my attention months ago via this Barack Obama email:

News broke yesterday that a few wealthy Clinton supporters are gearing up for a massive spending campaign to boost her chances in the big upcoming contests in Texas and Ohio on March 4th.

The so-called "American Leadership Project" will take unlimited contributions from individuals and is organized the same way as the infamous Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

ABC News reports that this group is seeking 100 Clinton supporters to each give $100,000 to fund its $10 million effort to promote Senator Clinton and "contrast" her positions with Barack Obama's.

Edwards endorses Obama

From Barack Obama:

I have some very exciting news.

My good friend John Edwards is endorsing our campaign and joining our movement for change.

We're here in Grand Rapids, Michigan -- and if you receive this message in time, you can probably turn on your TV and be part of the moment.

I'm deeply honored by John's support. He is a true leader who dedicated his career to improving the lives of ordinary Americans.

John ran a strong, principled campaign for president, focusing on a number of important issues where we share common ground -- universal health care, bringing our troops home from Iraq, and eliminating poverty in America.

The way he ran his campaign was also important. He ran in a way that reflected our shared conviction that we need to fundamentally change politics.

Like our campaign, John's campaign never accepted donations from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs.

All I can say is: It's about time!

Evangelical Manifesto

Not sure what is meant by "Evangelical"? Me neither. Here's a 20 page attempt at it by some names you might recognize: Os Guinness, Rich Mouw, Dallas Willard.

60 Years for the political state of Israel

If I were anybody important, I too would sign with Palmberg, Brueggemann, Mouw, Wallis, McLaren about the Israel-Palestine situation.

The Declaration

We, the undersigned, church leaders and representatives of our different denominations and organisations, join together on the 60th anniversary of the Israeli state to offer a contribution to that which makes for peace.

We recognise that today, millions of Israelis and Jews around the world will joyfully mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel (Yom Ha'atzmaut). For many, this landmark powerfully symbolises the Jewish people’s ability to defy the power of hatred so destructively embodied in the Nazi Holocaust. Additionally, it is an opportunity to celebrate the wealth of cultural, economic and scientific achievements of Israeli society, in all its vitality and diversity.

We also recognise that this same day, millions of Palestinians living inside Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and the worldwide diaspora, will mourn 60 years since over 700,000 of them were uprooted from their homes and forbidden from returning, while more than 400 villages were destroyed (al-Nakba). For them, this day is not just about the remembrance of a past catastrophic dispossession, dispersal, and loss; it is also a reminder that their struggle for self-determination and restitution is ongoing.

To hold both of these responses together in balanced tension is not easy. But it is vital if a peaceful way forward is to be forged, and is central to the Biblical call to “seek peace and pursue it” (Ps. 34:14). We acknowledge with sorrow that for the last 60 years, while extending empathy and support to the Israeli narrative of independence and struggle, many of us in the church worldwide have denied the same solidarity to the Palestinians, deaf to their cries of pain and distress.
To acknowledge and respect these dual histories is not, by itself, sufficient, but does offer a paradigm for building a peaceful future. Many lives have been lost, and there has been much suffering. The weak are exploited by the strong, while fear and bitterness stunt the imagination and cripple the capacity for forgiveness.

We therefore urge all those working for peace and justice in Israel/Palestine to consider that any lasting solution must be built on the foundation of justice, which is rooted in the very character of God. After all, it is justice that “will produce lasting peace and security” (Isaiah 32:17). Let us commit ourselves in prophetic word and practical deed to a courageous settlement whose details will honour both peoples’ shared love for the land, and protect the individual and collective rights of Jews and Palestinians in the Holy Land.

“Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid” (Micah 4:4)

Mike Huckabee on Rev. Jeremiah Wright

I did not see this one coming. I sure do like it.

As easy as it is for those of us who are white to look back and say, "That's a terrible statement," I grew up in a very segregated South, and I think that you have to cut some slack. And I'm going to be probably the only conservative in America who's going to say something like this, but I'm just telling you: We've got to cut some slack to people who grew up being called names, being told, "You have to sit in the balcony when you go to the movie. You have to go to the back door to go into the restaurant. And you can't sit out there with everyone else. There's a separate waiting room in the doctor's office. Here's where you sit on the bus." And you know what? Sometimes people do have a chip on their shoulder and resentment. And you have to just say, I probably would too. I probably would too. In fact, I may have had ... more of a chip on my shoulder had it been me.

- Mike Huckabee, offering his perspective on the preaching of Rev. Jeremiah Wright. (Source: MSNBC)

Five Minutes of Stillness Remembering Five Years...

On Easter Sunday, four U.S. soldiers were killed in Baghdad, bringing the total to 4,000. Around the country of Iraq, more than 60 people were killed in attacks. The Iraq Body Count database has now documented 90,000 civilian deaths – other estimates go into the hundreds of thousands.

Jim Wallis and Tony Perkins on CNN's Situation Room

Perkins' code word "social conservatives." Prioritizes abortion and gay marriage above other social concerns.

Wallis' code word "evangelicals." Sees poverty, the environment, war and peace, and health care in addition to abortion and gay marriage as the social concerns.

Evangelical Politics: Three Generations

SoundSeen: Video - Three Degrees of Separation

Khakis, blue jeans, and dungarees graced the stage at this public event in San Diego. The generational differences seemed obvious. But this lively conversation revealed a shared theology that guides these three men — as they interpret and live out their values in varying ways.

Krista Tippett (NPR host of Speaking of Faith) has a conversation with Chuck Colson, Greg Boyd and Shane Claiborne as representatives of my grandparents', parents and my generation, respecrively.

View the video here:
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/evangelical_politics/soundseen_npc.shtml#slideshow

Jim Wallis and Jimmy Carter

Jim Wallis and Jimmy Carter discuss faith, politics, and race.
From Sojourners. March 19, 2008

A Crude Awakening - Oil Crash

Here's a 10 minute video about our current state of addiction.

Hopeful Young Pastors

Some of the fastest-growing churches are now being led by Gen-X pastors who have made caring for creation core expressions of their churches. They light candles like Catholics, sing like Pentecostals, quote scripture like Baptists, drink beer like Lutherans and recycle like Mennonites. And they fill me with hope.

Baptists Battling For Environment
April 23, 2008

http://deepgreenconversation.org/baptists-battling-for-environment/

The Constant Gardener

We have become increasingly aware of our love for conspiracy theories. We don't love the deception that goes along with them, but we are intrigued by the quest for truth and inspired to question "common sense". We have enjoyed watching "An Inconvenient Truth" followed by "The Great Global Warming Swindle" on YouTube. Then we watched "Who Killed the Electric Car" about how hundreds of EV1's were suddenly and almost silently pulled off the road in California in the early 2000's. If you have any documentaries you think we should watch, please let us know!!

A few weeks ago, we watched "The Constant Gardener". I had heard of this movie but had no idea what to expect. Wow. A British man and woman marry and go to Africa. He works for the government, and she keeps her life to herself, using her husband's position to gain access to "big-wigs" and get to the bottom of secret drug testing on the poorest of the poor in Africa. She dies suddenly and he is left to uncover secrets of her research and whether she had loved him or if it was simply a marriage of convenience.

I want to say so much, but I don't want to give it away. What I will say is that you should watch this movie. I have a place in my heart for Africa after spending 7 weeks at a rural hospital in Zimbabwe in college. Have you seen the movie "Sahara"? In it the "bad guys" talk about the poisoning of innocent people that results from their money making ventures and wonder if anyone will find out. The leader says "This is Africa. Nobody cares about Africa."

This movie was one that kept us thinking for several days afterward. If you are interesting in watching a movie that will pull at your heart and mind, this is the movie for you...

A Call for Urinals (He that pisseth agains the wall)

I saw this today for the first time. It is hilarious! I think this guy is serious, but I hope not. Enjoy.

We Are The Ones

Politics

Jen and I both strongly support Barack Obama not only as the Democratic candidate but also as the next President of the United States. At present, MSNBC has Obama up by 130, CNN has Obama by 40, and ABCNEWS has Obama up by 70, FoxNews has Obama up by 55. Here are the 4 links I check daily to see the delegate counts:

MSNBC
CNN
ABCNEWS
FOXNEWS

If you want to learn more about how delegates and especially superdelegates work, take a look at this article.

A Christianity Today interview with Obama can be found here.

A Time article about Obama's spiritual journey (as a Christian; he never was a Muslim) can be found here.

More from Obama himself can be found on his campaign website.

For the best of the news, polls and prediction from a variety of sources, check RealClearPolitics.com.

This is a real time blog that CNN keeps about breaking political news.

Lastly, I leave you with my favored Republican candidate, Ron Paul. From the man who conined the phrase "compassionate conservatism" comes this article about who really won the GOP primary.

If you're unfamiliar with him, this 15 minute YouTube video will help.


More about Ron Paul from his campaign website.

I leave you with a humorous thought called "Hillary's Dream"

The Blondins 11-25

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The alarm went off for church, Andrew turned if off and decided we would sleep in, and Jen woke up an hour and a half later and realized church had started 15 min earlier! So we had a slow morning and made waffles and eggs for breakfast. As we were sitting down to eat, Andrew got a call from Rus, who said they had spontaneously decided to come to Chicago for the day. We told them to come on over!! They were about 20 min away, so we quickly ate breakfast and took showers!

It was great to hang out with them. We talked about a little of everything. Jen was supposed to work at 3, but was able to be put on call. We walked a few blocks to eat lunch at Los Magotes (I think that's how it's spelled???), a small Mexican diner. Barrett enjoyed the walk, especially over the river. He spent a lot of time on that bridge! We got plenty of photos, but again, mostly of Barrett! These kids are just so photogenic! :) Here's Barrett learning to play Nintendo:And Barrett rearranging magnets on the fridge:

And Barrett going for a ride in our cooler:

Holidays in Michigan!

We left for Michigan the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We had great plans for the short trip, and they all went swimmingly! We got to Grand Rapids about 2:30, just after Beth got home from work. Our plans for this Wednesday were to prepare her home for Christmas!! Yes, that's right! The day BEFORE Thanksgiving we put up the tree and lights and ornaments! Ahh, the joys of being first! We listened to Christmas music and ate green and red wrapped Hershey Kisses.

Andrew gave subtle tributes to Meredith by taking note of how many ornaments have here name and how few have his! Mer, we talked about you a lot while preparing the house for Christmas and for your return!

The next day we went to Lansing to have Thanksgiving with the zurBurgs! It was great to see Mary and Henry and to meet their "kids" for the first time. Their kids are about 10 years older than Andrew and me. The zurBurg tradition is to do a holiday craft after dinner. This year we painted ornaments, which was great fun! In the early hours of painting there were about 5 of us, and after maybe 2 hours, it was just me (Jen) and Deb and our ornaments! Deb was great and taught me a lot about this kind of painting. The Packers beat the Lions and we had a lot of laughs with these guys, so it was a great day!

The next morning, "Black Friday", we woke up at 5am, and were at Circuit City(which opened at 5am) by 5:40 and still had to wait in line for about 15 minutes before getting in the front doors! Once inside, I quickly found the "shortest" line and stepped in. Andrew and Beth gathered purchases and gave them to me in line. Then they went to Menards. They called when they finished and I was still in line. Then they went to Staples, and I was still in line. Then they picked up some breakfast at Panera, Andrew ate his, then came and took my place in line! I was finally about 4th in line, but after standing in line for 1:30, I was ready to get some breakfast!

The rest of the day was fun too! We shopped for ourselves and had a marvelous time! We took a break after lunch to watch Enchanted and take a sit break, then back to shopping! We got home after 7pm, which made for a long but fun day!! The next morning was back to Chicago because I had to work at 3pm. It was great to take a break from home and see Beth!

The Pistons Game (Oh, and the Bulls were there!)

On Nov 8, we went to the Bulls vs. Pistons game here in Chicago. Andrew got us some great tickets online (great as in the price was low for the seats we had, not that we were center court in the lower level of course!) We took the train down to Dan and Edith Michmerhuizen's apartment to meet Edith and pick up dinner. This is Chicago, so there was a hot dog/polish sausage stand that we frequent together for dinners! Then Dan got home from work and we headed off to the game!
It was not the best we've seen the Pistons play, but it was great to be there! We sported the Pistons colors and amazingly we were sitting by some other Pistons fans. No one threw their Cokes at us or tried to beat us up, so the night went well. Until...








The Pistons were within range to take the win with about 2 min left. At this point in the season, the Bulls had not yet won a game, and the Pistons had not yet lost one. Both teams broke their streaks on Nov 8! The Bulls won! Of course we were disappointed, but it was a close game and we had a lot of fun just being there. It has been great having the Michmerhuizen's in town! We love you guys!

The V-hyde surprise! Nov 4

We were on our way back from church on an average Sunday morning... oh, except it was Daylight Savings, when the phone rang. Chris and Holly were in town from Minnesota and were eating lunch at the Charcoal Delights just a block and a half from our apartment! We hurried to get there just as they were finishing eating lunch. They came back to our apartment for a few hours and it was great to catch up a little! We got a lot of photos, mostly of a smiley little girl!

Grand Rapids Marathon (Oct 28)

Well, after the incredible disappointment of the Chicago Marathon, we registered to run the Grand Rapids Marathon on Oct 28, just 3 weeks after the Chicago! Did we continue with the rigorous training schedule, you ask?? The answer is a less than enthusiastic no. Jen tried a nice and easy 5 mile jog on the Thursday after the Sunday Chicago Marathon, and by the time she finished she wasn't sure she could make the 1/4 mile walk home. Left knee pain was nearly crippling, and this was the first time she had experienced it. Andrew was enjoying the rest and all the free time he now had without hours of running each week. We each jogged about 2 times between the marathons!

We arrived in GR on Friday and stayed with Beth, Andrew's mom. On Saturday afternoon we went to the expo, and discovered how different the GR marathon was going to be from the Chicago. Instead of pace teams to finish in 4 hours, 4:15, 4:30 etc, the teams are named after famous people who have finished marathons! There was the P. Diddy Pacers, Team Oprah, and many more! The people were easy going, and we knew this race was not just about finishing, it was about having fun too.

Sunday morning it was about 29 degrees at the starting line! We lined up and left our coats and pants with Beth, but the gloves and ear bands stayed on! Beth drove to several points along the race to cheer us on! It was great to see her. It was a beautiful run with the leaves changing and a good part of the run along the river. Much of the run was on paths, not on roads, so although it was paved it felt freer and closer to nature. The runners, at least the ones as slow as us, were laid back and open to conversation.

We ran separately and both had a strong start. About mile 12, Jen's knee was becoming problematic again. Until this point, she was ahead of the 4:44 pace team which put her well ahead of her goal of finishing in 5 hours. With the knee, she was forced to walk, jog, and limp. As she watched the 4:44 group pass by, she was nearly in tears. It was about 2 miles until she finally decided she would have to stop early (again!). It was the longest 2 miles she's gone, but felt much more at peace with this than with the Chicago. She met Beth at mile 14, limped to the car, and went to the finish to watch Andrew.

It didn't seem like too long until Andrew came barreling down the straight-away to the finish line! He was surely giving it his all. After a strong finish in just under 4:12 his whole body was shaking! He was so exhausted that he didn't remember how to recover, so Jen assumed the role of coach and told him to stop standing still and bending over! He needed to walk! After 20-30 min of walking and drinking water and nibbling snacks, he felt great. We posed for some photos in the now balmy low 40 degree day and headed off to Panera for lunch with friends.

We regret to inform you... we have no photos of this lunch! But, I assure you it happened! There were about 12 of us from as far away as Lansing and Holland, and we had a nice time of catching up. After that, back to Beth's for a nap and more food, then back home to Chicago.

Most Americans Take Well-Known Bible Stories at Face Value

The Barna Group released a report on October 21 revealing that the following percentages of adult Americans believe the following Biblical accounts to be “literally true, meaning it happened exactly as described in the Bible” as opposed to "meant to illustrate a principle but is not to be taken literally."

• 75% "the story of Jesus Christ rising from the dead, after being crucified and buried"
• 65% Daniel surviving in the lion’s den
• 64% Moses literally parted the Red Sea
• 63% David, killed the giant warrior, Goliath, with stones and a sling
• 60% Peter walking on water with Jesus
• 60% God creating the universe in six days

"This report is based upon a nationwide telephone survey conducted by The Barna Group in August 2007 among a random sample of 1000 adults, age 18 and older. The maximum margin of sampling error associated with the aggregate sample is ±3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. "

Read the entire report here.

Back to the States! (Feb 13, 2007)

We awoke after a decent night's sleep, got our continental breakfast. We were NOT taking a taxi!! So we walked 100 meters to the bus stop! When we went to check in, we learned that there is a new 20 Euro ($40) tax for people leaving the country!! So we dropped a quick $80, and boarded our plane.

After a 9 hour flight to Chicago, it was good to stretch our legs a bit! We needed one more flight to get to Madison, and we knew it could be a while because there was a blizzard in Chicago. Looking at the board, over 90% of the flights were either delayed or canceled! We finally got to board, then we sat while the plane was getting de-iced. When we arrived in Madison, Jen's mom and stepdad were there to meet us, and they took us to Rocky Rococo's for dinner (Jen's fav Pizza). We were exhausted, so we went straight to bed and slept great!

We were sure to look over our journal in the few days after our return. We made lists of what we need to see again, and what we can pass on next time. We made notes about packing...what we were glad we had, what we wished we had brought, and what we can leave home next time. If you are planning on taking a trip to any of the places we visited, feel free to ask us our opinions. Anyone who knows us, knows we are not shy to share our thoughts!!! Thanks for reading about our travels, and now we can blog about current life! Here we go!

The Final Day (Feb 12)

This was our final day of our trip. We awoke at the Reeds, and Jerry had made breakfast... cereal, kiwi, toast, and juice. Familiar food was nice by this point! Nate picked us up before 10:00 to go climb the Torre de Hercules, the world's oldest working lighthouse built in the second century by the Romans! It was really windy, but a great view as enormous waves crashed up onto the shore.


Jen was a little disturbed by the "breastfeeding Buddha", which was really "Caronte" the boatman of the sacred river to welcome visitors. Scary!

Then Nate took us to Maria Pita Prazza, the main plaza. There were so many shoe sales! We just didn't have time to shop!! We headed back to the Reeds for lunch, then Nate took us to the airport and we were off to London. Sad to leave, but it's been a great trip!

In London, we had an absolutely ridiculous time trying to get to our hotel, which was about 2 miles from the airport! First, we didn't have the postal code of the hotel, and apparently there are 4 or 5 Hounslow Roads in London! So, we had to call the hotel for the postal code and line up for a taxi again. Then, the driver took us around town, and to make a long story short, by the time we got to our hotel he wanted us to pay $100 for the excruciatingly long ride!! Andrew pretty much said "No way!" and offered him $60. The driver dropped the F bomb in his British accent, and we left the cab quickly! We got into our room and decided we were not even going to leave for dinner! We ate our travel snacks instead... bread, cheese, chocolate, and fruit!

Santiago de Compostela (Feb 11)

We took our final night train from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela, in the Northwest of Spain. The conductor woke Jen up for our stop, but apparently our tickets stuck together so Andrew did not get a friendly wake up! Luckily, he awoke on his own in time. When we arrived in Santiago, it was raining, so we decided to wait it out in the train station and journal for a while. Well, 2 hours later when the journaling was all caught up, it was raining harder!! So we pulled up our hoods and headed out!

Santiago is the #3 pilgrimage location in the world, after Israel and Rome. In the morning we visited el Museo das Peregrinacions (written in Gallego, the language of NW Spain). The museum was free on Sunday mornings, and at the end of our travels we were excited for anything free! Nothing incredibly notable at the museum, just nice to learn some history of this spot. We ate lunch at the small restaurant "Los Sobrinos del Padre" where Andrew got clams with his Caldo Gallego. Very traditional.

After lunch we moved to the highlight of this stop... the Cathedral which "houses the remains of St. James". The story goes that his remains were "rescued" from Jerusalem after his decapitation, put in a small boat, and sailed here by 2 disciples through the Mediterranean and Atlantic ocean in order to hide his bones. They were rediscovered in 813 by a monk led by the stars. At that time, Spain was fighting against the Moors and needed to unite as Christian. Convenient, no?

By this time, it was POURING! So we boarded our last train and arrived soaking wet in A Coruna at 4pm. Nate Finch was there to pick us up! (Remember him? He played and sang at our wedding.) It was raining here too, so he gave us a driving tour of the city, took us to get coffee, then to his place to rest for a bit and catch up. This was our first chance to tell someone about our Europe adventures, so he got more than he bargained for when he asked "How's your trip going?"

We picked up Jerry Reed for dinner and had Spanish tortilla, salad with oil and vinegar, white wine, potatoes (french fries), and delicious pork with garlic. After food and wine, it was back to Jerry's to sleep. We were cashed!

Our Favorites: Madrid and Toledo

Madrid

1: Good, easy to follow metro, but man hallways were too low and Andrew had to walk hunched over!

2: Everywhere seemed close to where we stayed, a short metro ride or walk. Dinner was just around the corner at Restaurante Puerto Rico! Delicious and reasonably priced!

Toledo

1: Stores everywhere selling Medieval stuff... swards, armor, shields...

2: Way more touristy than expected!

3: Like Sienna, a small town on a hill with small, hard to follow twisty roads. One difference? El Greco!

Toledo: the Former Capital (Feb 10)

We checked our bags at the train station in Madrid and were surprised to learn we needed reservations for the train to Toledo! So we got some last min reservations and boarded the train 2 min before departure! That's cutting it close for a couple of control freaky first borns!

Once in Toledo we boarded a bus and headed up, up, up into the center of town. We easily found our way to the Santa Cruz Museum, which was free because it was under renovation. There were 15 El Grecos here, and he remains Jen's favorite artist! As Rick says: No painter before or since has captured the supernatural the way he does. Jen likes it because it's not all fluffy and rosy cheeked!

We next went to the Sefardic Museum, which was recommended to us by some folks we met in Sevilla. It taught the history of Jews from Spain, their historical heritage and tradition. It was not amazing, but it was a nice change from art museums! The moment we realized we were ready to go home was when we agreed on lunch at an Asian restaurant. There we were in the small, romantic town of Toledo, and we were having Asian food. Spanish Asian food tastes the same as American Asian food. :)

After lunch, we went to the Iglesia de Santo Tome, where we saw El Greco's most-loved painting: The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. The painting remains where the painter placed it 400 years ago. The Count of Orgaz was buried here in this church in 1312. We stood for a while and took it all in. Finally, we went to the Catedral de Toledo. There was art by El Greco, Caravaggio, Velazquez, and Bellini. Sound familiar? They did to us by now! This was a Gothic style church, and great to walk around.

Chicago Marathon Oct 7 2007

Let's start at the very beginning.... a very good place to start... (recognize that from the Sound of Music?)

Sometime on the road trip last fall, we decided to run the Chicago Marathon. We signed up in January and began training in March after settling into our new home here in Chicago. We began to get ready before the official "Spring Training" because spring training required us to run 2-3 miles. After gaining 20 lbs with 5 months of travel, 10 min (one mile) seemed impossible to Jen! So we started on the indoor track at the university running laps and trying not to get discouraged when 3 miles seemed an insurmountable task.

After 12 weeks of "Spring Training", Andrew was recovering from a collapsed lung, and we could both run 6 miles in about an hour. Now it was time for 18 weeks of official training. We ran 4 times a week including the long run on weekends. Usually we only ran together for the first half of these long runs. Once we had completed our 18 mile long run in early September, we ran the "Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon" to prepare ourselves mentally for race day. Jen's longest race until now was a 5k in college, and Andrew had run a 25k in college, so we needed this "practice run". We woke up at 4am with Jen's friend Diane, and took public transportation to the race. It was good to line up at the start and not cross the start line for several minutes. There were 13,000 runners in this race, and it was great for our confidence and prepared us for the motions and emotions of race day! We both had a great race and felt inspired and pumped up!

Then we completed the 20 mile training run in 3:45 and began to taper to prepare for the Marathon. The week before the race was full of rest, carbs, and intentional water retention! Race morning we pinned on our numbers, rubbed Body Glide on all friction spots, grabbed our Gatorade and headed to the trains. We lined up on the starting line (or 300 yards behind it) with 40,000 runners and it was already 80 degrees. Both of us felt great the first half of the race.

However, Jen started to notice problems at the first 2 aid stations... they were out of water and only had Gatorade. So by mile 5, people left the road and jumped in a fountain in the park, then they drank from it. Then all was well until about mile 14 when we left the shade of the tall buildings and were hit by direct sunlight for the first time. When Jen reached the aid stations at mile 15 and 17, they were completely out of water AND Gatorade!! People were desperate shouting things like "We're DYING out here!" Spectators started to bring out pitchers from their homes and fill people's cups and bottles. (Jen was thankful she carried a bottle during the race.) Some people picked up dirty cups off the ground to get a drink.

That's when people started collapsing. Jen saw people go down, and like the Red Sea, runners parted to go around them. Medics were on them immediately, and ambulance sirens rang out almost constantly. More and more people were walking, so it was difficult to run around them all. By Jen's mile 17, Andrew's mile 19, we heard rumors of the race being canceled and someone told us to walk. We were confused and mumbled amongst ourselves and decided to keep running. 2 miles later, police were lined up across the road and announcing from the car's megaphone speakers that the race was canceled and we were "urged" to walk. One man was shouting "Stop running! We're out of ambulances!" Andrew was allowed to finish all 26.2 miles walking, but Jen was told to take a detour or get on a bus to the finish line. She took the detour and ended up with a total of about 24 miles. We later learned that 45,000 people registered for the race, 36,000 showed up that morning, and only about 24,500 finished.

After months and months of training that took up 10-15 hours a week (or more including recovery time) this was a very disappointing finale. But, we finished, and we finished on our feet. One man died, over 300 got medical help, over 100 hospitalized, and 5 in critical condition still 24 hours later. So if you ever talk to us about it, maybe we won't say we "ran" the Chicago Marathon, but we'll say we "did" the Chicago Marathon. And, we were part of history. This has never happened before, and I hope it never happens again.

El Escorial (Feb 9)

We woke up early and got to the Renfe train station to catch the Cercanias suburban train out to El Escorial. Well, we missed the first train and eventually got the next one! El Escorial is a fortress/castle commissioned by King Felipe and was built between 1563-1584. (You should click on the link to see photos!!) We saw the Hall of Battles: a long thin room frescoed with major battles of Spain's history. You could easily spend half a day trying to take it in!

We also got to see the Pantheon of the Kings, where 26 kings and queens are buried. There are 3 open spaces, all reserved! No room for Juan Carlos, the current king...

After trying to take in as much as we could, we took the train back to Madrid to see the Royal Palace! It's built on the site of a former Hapsburg Palace that burned down. It's Europe's third greatest palace, including "The Porcelain Room" made of 300 separate porcelain plates on the wall held up by screws and the "Smoking Room" for men modeled after a Chinese opium den! The "Throne Room" was amazing...gold and red. It looked fake it was so perfect!

After the Royal Palace we walked to Puerta del Sol and with Rick Steves' guide, we saw a lot of neat things on the way. One thing is that many of these streets have been the same for hundreds of years. That means that street signs were placed before people could read, so the signs have pictures on them to help the illiterate navigate the city!

Our final stop was the Reina Sofia. The most notable piece of art here was Picasso's Guernica. 11'x26'. Amazing! It was great to learn some history and to have help understanding what was going on in this work. Franco, leader of Spain in 1937, gave Hitler permission to try out his new air force on this town. In doing so the town was leveled. On the lower left is a woman holding her dead baby, and on the right a woman dragging her injured leg behind her. It was powerful in the way I picture standing at the Vietnam Memorial to be. Silence required...