Aaron Stewart

Rice and Beans Month Information Video!

2010-02-17T15:29:00.000-08:00

Lahash Christmas Video!

2009-12-11T12:20:00.001-08:00

Lahash Christmas Giving 2009 from Lahash International on Vimeo.

Define Irony.

2009-11-06T14:46:00.001-08:00

A man protesting the pending health-care overhaul needed medical attention is tended to by paramedics during a rally in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Thursday.

Thoughts on life and death #1

2009-10-19T08:14:00.001-07:00

Shunryu Suzuki Roshi:

Life is like

stepping onto a boat

which is about to sail

out to sea

and sink

"Proximity to death wakes us up. Death dispels the most potent illusion about life - that i t belongs to us, and that we have all the time we need to arrange it the way we awant. But in many ways it is a gift that our life is limited, impermanent. We hold it more dear because it is so."

~ Wayne Muller

I got married.

2009-09-15T10:00:00.001-07:00

For the handful of people that follow this thing here are a couple of photos.

Life is very good.

20 years ago today.

2009-06-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

Remembering Tianamen Square.

Wikipedia article.

My chic little golfer.

2009-06-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

I think she's the only one I know that could show up in a dress and with a purse for her first round of golf ever and pull it off. For the record she did great. :)

A day spent at Mt. St. Helens

2009-05-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

Gosh I love living in the Northwest.

Fleet Foxes in a big room, from Blogotheque.

2009-05-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

Superb.

The fragrance of a rose.

2009-03-30T11:11:00.001-07:00

The disciples were absorbed in a discussion of Lao-tzu's dictum:

Those who know do not say;
Those who say do not know.

When the Master entered they asked him what the words meant.

Said the Master, "Which of you knows the fragrance of a rose?"

All of them knew.
Then he said, "Put it into words."
All of them were silent.

Happy Birthday Mr. Rogers.

2009-03-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks for being my neighbor.

This is incredible.

2009-03-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

What happens when you take random samplings from around Youtube and mix them together? It's a form of sampling, but he's pulling it all together from a bunch of unknowns, instrument by instrument, voice by voice and the result is exceedingly awesome. I encourage you to watch, wait for at least 43 seconds in.

1999. No comment.

2009-02-19T08:58:00.000-08:00

Time's article from 1999.

St. Valentine Sushi Decadance

2009-02-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

Had a wonderful meal at Zilla Sake for Valentine's day. I would highly recommend it.

How then shall we live?

2009-02-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

"People cleave to their worldly possessions and selfish passions so blindly as to sacrifice their own lives for them." ~ The Buddah

In a consumer society how much of our time, energy and lives are tied to the lie that at some point in the distant future we will arrive and be happy through the ownership of more stuff?

"The things you own end up owning you. It's only after you lose everything that you're free to do anything." ~ Fight Club

As the saying goes 'time is money' and when given the choice most people gladly trade their time, which is not seen as valuable, for more money. The problem is that the stuff of live can only be cultivated in the fertile quiet soil of a soul that has time to rest. We look to the marketplace for something that feels like happiness and contentment rather than just stopping. We are scared of finding out just how wasted our time and consequently our lives really are.

"The real revolutionary is the one who has nothing to lose." ~ MLK

Fear is the final excuse. Usually that fear is rooted ultimately in the unknown and death. The irony is that the one thing that we can be sure of in life is that from the day we are born we are
dead. It is only a matter of time. Sometimes people ask one another, "If you knew you were going to die tomorrow what would you do with your last 24 hours?"

I would pose the same question. Knowing that you are going to die in the next 80 years, how then should you live?

"You cannot serve both God and money." ~ Jesus

Jesus was the perfect human and yet from the Gospel accounts he possessed nothing. Do we honestly think that we have stumbled upon something Jesus didn't know?

What if Jesus really means what he said?

2009-02-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

“The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we as Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How will I ever get on in the world?

Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming to close. Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.” ~ Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)

Working hard to rest.

2009-02-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

"In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, — no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, — my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, — all mean egotism vanishes."

Over the weekend my best friend Matt and I stared the day with breakfast and hit the road to find dirt, trees and solitude. Where we ended was five miles up a mountain trail crosssing rivers in February with sunshine streaming through the trees while our river soaked feet crunched through tightly packed snow. With every step the sound of rushing water grew louder and the world of man made things grew more quiet.

Thai pineapple pork.

2009-02-07T16:42:00.000-08:00

Joelle and I enjoy cooking a lot, lately we've learning a lot of Asian cuisine and this has emerged as one of our favorites. It contains pork, pineapple, fresh mint, fresh cilantro, garlic, green onion and fresh squeezed lime juice. It's a breeze to make and should work just as easily with chicken. If anyone is interested I'll update this post with the recipe, just let me know.

Recipe is as follows.

- About a pound of cut or cubed pork. Can be pork tenderloin or any similar variety.
- About 1/2 cup ( I like more ) chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
- Chopped pineapple, half a can works
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tblsp fish sauce
- Chopped green onion, maybe 6 or 7 green onions

1. Add oil to a very hot wok or pan and cook down the garlic and green onion together for 2-3 minutes
2. Remove onion and garlic
3. Add 2 tablespoon of oil and stir fry pork until golden and done. Season pork with salt and pepper
4. Add pineapple, garlic, green onion, lime juice and fish sauce to still hot pan, stir in, turn down the heat to medium/low.
5. Add cilantro and mint and toss thoroughly right before serving.
6. Serve over rice.

BBC Planet Earth

2009-02-06T08:38:00.001-08:00

If you are a nature lover and have not yet seen this series you must.

Thoughts on forced restfulness.

2009-01-26T14:36:00.003-08:00

"There is more to life than merely increasing its' speed." ~ Ghandi

"If we are terrified of what we will find in rest, we will refuse to look up from our work, refuse to stop moving. We quickly fill all the blanks on our calendar with tasks accomplishments, errands, things to be done - anything to fill the time, the empty space." ~ Wayne Muller "Sabbath"

I am thankful for the last three days of sickness. I don't often stop and make space for slience and rest these days. By not stopping I realize how out of touch and distant I feel with myself and with others. When life is consumed with work, social obligations and various forms of entertainment opportunities for solutide, silence, art, prayer, music, eating, drinking and the other things that make life beautiful are drowned out by the sea of noise that vies for my attention and begs me to consume things rather than to create them.

John Piper on being overly zealous.

2009-01-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

"... my sense is that in the prosperous West, the danger in the church is not that there are too many overly zealous people who care too deeply about the lost, and invest hazardously in the cause of the Gospel, and ruin their lives with excessive mercy to the poor. For every careless saint who burns himself out and breaks up his family with misdirected zeal, I venture, there are a thousand who coast with the world, treating Jesus like a helpful add-on, but not as an all-satisying, all -authoritative King in the cause of love." ~ John Piper, "Don't Waste Your Life"

Hooray for Christmas trees.

2008-12-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

Reasons why I love John Piper.

2008-11-20T11:39:00.000-08:00

He tells it like it is and lays down the hammer on the idea of that God wants to give you stuff and help you live a life of comfort.

485,000 people die every year in Congo.

2008-11-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

With a death toll of 5.4 million people no other conflict since World War II has been so costly in terms of human life but most people might have trouble finding The Democratic Republic of Congo on a map since it used to be called Zaire. While a conflict like Darfur has garnered international attention and condemnation DRC is much more complicated and there isn't always a state sponsored perpetrators of war crimes like President Bashiir of Sudan. This war has been going on since the end of the Rwandan Genocide and continues to this day.

It has only been in recent months that it is coming to the forefront of the mainstream media. This is what the UN and relief world call a chronic conflict. In a world with an attention span that can be measured in hours a conflict like Congo that lasts for 10 years causes people to eventually lose interest in hearing the sames stories that comes out of a war zone but do not change during that time. Please consider supporting the work of organizations like Medair that are working in these forgotten conflicts and restoring hope to individuals and communities.

A stunning collection of photos of the current situation can be found here.

A simple explanation for our economic problems. Part 2.

2008-11-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

While what this video says is nothing new, in fact it is from 2007, it compiles it in such a way that pulls the pieces of certain difficulties our economy faces in a coherent way. Please take a few minutes to watch this.

Amidst the current economic crisis and the looming recession I would like to point out that my original stance on this has not changed one bit. While Mr. Walker calls the biggest threat to the United States "our own fiscal irresponsibility" I would use the old fashioned word greed to describe why were are where we are as a country. Since I am fond of lists lately here is one of ways that I believe that greed is not just manifest in our culture but that it has become a part of our culture.

1. The idea that lessening the tax burden on the middle class and working poor in this country is "socialism" while a $800 billion dollar handout to the institutions and corporate fat cats that got us into this mess is not.

2. The pipe dream that trickle down economics works has been given eight years to work itself out. Conclusion. It doesn't.

3. Americans spend $450 billion dollars a year just on Christmas while for the nominal figure of $10 billion dollars safe clean drinking water could be provided for everyone in the world that has access to none. Contaminated water is the number one killer of children around the world.

4. We want to consume as many products as possible at the cheapest possible price. This means that we'd rather not think about the fact that child labor and often various forms of slavery are used to produce all the fancy things that we won't pay a few extra dollars to have made here in this country.

The fact of the matter is that it's not going to last, eventually we will have stores filled with every imaginable product and no one that can actually afford to buy them because there is little or no work for them to do.

What would you add to this list?

The next president of the United States.

2008-11-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

More great photos here.

When life becomes stranger than fiction.

2008-10-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

This was from The Onion 15 years ago. With this "Joe the Plumber" nonsense we have now become a parody of ourselves. The worst part is that there is a large percentage of the population in this country that buy into this sort of nonsense. And as all this isn't ridiculous enough allow me ot introduce you to the McCain campaign's latest tool, "Tito the Builder". I'm not even making this stuff up, I wish I was.

This is populist pandering at it's worst and I am amazed that it works at a time when issues that matter to voters should be at the forefront of all discussion.

Gosh I love Autumn.

2008-10-26T21:46:00.001-07:00

Erath Winery

An interesting wardrobe malfunction.

2008-10-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to let the photo speak a thousand words.

Last nights debate summed up in one photo.

2008-10-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

I also find it unnverving how often the man blinks. It seems to get worse with stress.

(Source)

Recipe for a good weekend.

2008-10-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by Erin's post so here is mine.

Mix the following and pan fry over high heat:

- Early Saturday morning breakfast with a good friend at Cup and Saucer

- Knocking out all domestic chores and tasks by 11 am including groceries

- Two long bike rides through the west hills on sunny days

- Coffee with a good friend at Albina Press and the best hot chocolate I have ever had

- Cooking dinner for my lovely Joelle

- A relaxed morning spent worshiping and enjoying my community at the Lucky Lab.

- Conversation, cheese, wine, and art hosted at a friends house

- Hitting up three wineries on a goregous golden day and tasting a $100 a bottle pinot noir among others.

A simple explanation for our economic problems.

2008-10-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

The long and short of the problem with how the American economy is structured can be stated as follows. The dollar is worth a dollar because people believe it is, not because there is any actual capital or production to back it up. We consume more than any other country and export more debt than any other country on the face of the planet. It is only natural that this will catch up with us.

In the following video Peter Schiff describes, two years ago, where things are headed and why. The worst part is listening to the counter arguments made by the greedy investment CEO as to why we should consider our economy to be healthy.

To take things one step further watch 60 minutes report on the real issue behind why sub prime mortgages failing is so monumental. The only reason they were bought and traded as real investments in the first place is that those selling them offered insurance for the investors money without ever having an capital to back it up. As a result the largest financial institutions in this country are closing their doors because they don't actually own anthing other than huge amounts of money to investors that they have no capital for.

Watch the video here.

Our economic woes in three lines.

2008-10-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

You buy things that you don't need.

With money that you don't have.

To impress people that you don't even like.

This is true.

2008-09-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

Eating in.

2008-09-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

Goat cheese and crackers, mixed green salad with a divine vinaigrette, and pasta with a meat, veggie tomato sauce made by yours truly. Life is good.

Goodbye Summer.

2008-09-23T15:32:00.001-07:00

Conflicting messages in a fortune cookie.

2008-09-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

At dinner tonight I had the good luck to receive two fortunes in my cookie instead of one. Needless to say I had a hard time deciding which one was going to be true for the next 30 days.

From Aaron Stewart

C.S. Lewis thought of the day.

2008-08-25T15:56:00.001-07:00

“The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down…. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked - the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’”

- from Mere Christianity

The real McCain. Part 2.

2008-08-11T15:10:00.001-07:00

You know McCain must be a warmonger if even Pat Buchanan worries that McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."

Bonus points on the video for having the soundtrack from "Requiem for a Dream" in it.

The real McCain.

2008-08-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Recommended foods for hiking.

2008-07-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

Herb crusted goat cheese + smoked salmon + cracker = decadent picnic in the woods.

Nine out of ten chipmunks agree.

Iran you so crazy!

2008-07-11T13:11:00.001-07:00

So there has been speculation about whether or not all the images released by the Iranian government are genuine or not. I hope this image that I found can clear up the question once and for all of whether or not their missile tests have been real.

It is clearly authentic. Clearly.

Gosh I love my bike.

2008-07-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

I had been shopping around for awhile to find a racing style road bike that would work equally well for my commute to work and for a 50 mile day in the saddle as well. What I came up with was a bike that is custom built, easy on the eyes and worth about two and a half times what I paid for it and both my fork and frame have a lifetime warranty. It weighs in at under 19 lbs and flies like the wind. It is so much fun to ride I can hardly stand it, in fact my commute to work the other day came in at just under nine minutes which isn't bad for three and a half miles.

I am hoping to spend Monday out at Sauvie Island for a few hours to see what all the fuss is about out there. Anyone want to join me? :)

Wall E

2008-06-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

I cannot wait to see this movie.

C.S. Lewis thought of the day.

2008-06-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and can't really get rid of it.

My sentiments exactly.

2008-06-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a really interesting tool that shows just how he won.

Reasons I love Portland #12

2008-06-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Andina.
I don't know what else to say other than Sunday night was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences I have ever had. The food was perfection and it was a wonderful way to celebrate a year together. So I will just let the promised images speak for themselves.

Roasted mahi mahi over a shiitake mushroom, smoked bacon, and bok choy broth, topped with slivers of ginger, rocoto, and scallion basted with smoking sesame oil, served with asparagus-quinoa fried rice

Cascade Natural New York Strip, marinated in Pisco, grilled to order, and served with local mushrooms, heirloom radish-rocoto chimichurri, and a crispy parmesan tuile stuffed with julienned vegetables

As if all that wasn't great enough our waitress, who was wonderful, brought this little desert out at the end. In the way of a resturaunt review I don't think I can recommend Andina highly enough, it is on the pricey side so it is not somewhere I will be going on a regular basis except for their excellent happy hour specials on the best mojitos in town.

One year.

2008-06-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how time goes by and how much you learn in that time with someone you love. Today I celebrate Joelle putting up with me for a whole year, to do so we will dine at Adina. If you have not been I would highly recommend it, it is a divine fusion of new and old Peruvian food that has to be experienced. There will be pictures.

This currency about to expire.

2008-05-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago I posted about Zimbabwe's inflation being out of control. However this image that I saw this morning would seem to show that in four months things have gotten exponentially worse. This one still has an expiry date on the currency but it has also picked up a few extra zeros.

75,000

2008-05-19T12:18:00.001-07:00

That's how many people crowded Waterfront Park to see Senator Obama speak, the previous record turnout for Mr. Obama was 35.000. Lots of photos here.

What message is CNN trying to send?

2008-05-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

I'm not trying to read into things but I do know what is conjured up in my mind when I see something like this. :)

Taken from here.

C.J. Mahaney on relational conflict.

2008-04-25T13:02:00.001-07:00

"Genuine confession if it is sincere it's normally specific and brief. Be very suspicious if your confession is lengthy, if it's lengthy there's a good probability you aren't asking forgiveness but instead are appealing for understanding... you are excusing your sin."

This is a quote taken from C.J. Mahaney's sermon on relational conflict. The two main points that he drives home throughout are these. I guarantee you that it is time well spent listening to his teaching on the subject. I have been left very convicted and very humbled. But that is not where it ends, ultimately I am encouraged by how simple it is to admit that I am wrong to those that I love and ask for them to forgive me.

Even the ballots want Obama to win.

2008-04-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

Click for a larger view.

Mundane is the new fascinating.

2008-04-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

I'm probably not the only one to notice this but the internet is chock full of people that walk around taking pictures of their laundry and dirty dishes ( always tastefully touched up in Photoshop or taken with a higher quality camera) with a sentence along the lines of "this is what I did today and I thought it was so interesting that you would probably want to read about it even though it's something that you do every day". So in the anti-spirit of boring blog posts I usually choose to not blog every day because when I actually catch myself I realize that what I'm getting ready to write is probably not worth reading.

And now I will depart with the following ironic image of penguins that aren't really farting but look like they are that I took while walking at a moderate pace and not doing anything note worthy.

Hillary Clinton is a big fat liar. Part 2.

2008-04-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's almost like people operate these days as if the internet doesn't exist. At any rate did you know that Hillary Clinton was a board member for Walmart? Yep... big evil corporation, child labor, loss of American jobs, anti worker's rights, etc. I guess she "forgot" about that six year period of her life too. The video is short and worth watching, I'd be curious to know your thoughts.

A death that doesn't make much sense.

2008-04-02T09:50:00.001-07:00

A good friend of mine from college was killed in a freak accident on Sunday evening. Ben Hawkins was the embodiment of a servant's heart, he loved his wife Rachel dearly and was a blessing to all those that met him no matter how brief. I loved him dearly and can't find anything worthwhile or eloquent to say other than my heart is breaking for his wife and his family. If you are the praying type if you could send some love to Rachel and his family they might not know you but they will appreciate it.

Godspeed Ben, we miss you already but stand firm in the belief that we will see you again some day.

Hillary Clinton is a big fat liar.

2008-03-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Clinton said she had been told “that we had to land a certain way and move quickly because of the threat of sniper fire,” not that actual shots were being fired.

Take a look at the video below and make up your own mind it's just under two minutes and worth watching.

MSNBC has picked up on this story as well. This is just further proof that all this "experience" that she talks about is nothing more than her delusions of grandeur about her time as the first lady in the White House.

"Hillary Clinton’s presidential prospects continue to dim. The door is closing. Night is coming. The end, however, is not near... No wonder the Clinton campaign feels impersonal. It’s like a machine for the production of politics. It plows ahead from event to event following its own iron logic. The only question is whether Clinton herself can step outside the apparatus long enough to turn it off and withdraw voluntarily or whether she will force the rest of her party to intervene and jam the gears." ~ New York Times

Back from Miami.

2008-03-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

I was at the University of Miami all last week on business. There were parts about it that were fun but anytime you travel for work rather than pleasure a lot of things are pretty much the same no matter where you go. Although I have to say I didn't have one of these on my college campus.

(For those that can't tell from the lame camera phone pic, that's a crocodile)

Thought provoking ads

2008-03-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

What thoughts does this provoke?

Pad Why

2008-03-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

Many of your are probably familiar with the classic dish Pad Thai. I would like to introduce you to the lesser known relative, like bologna is to New York steak, of Pad Thai, we call it Pad Why. As in why did I spend money on ingredients and think that I could use something tomatoe-y, as a base instead of what you have used before with great success? Why did the noodles end up tasting like ketchup and pepper?

Joelle and I love cooking together and had a lot of laughs as we tried to eat this abomination last night. We've had so many meals turn out wonderful we were bound to balance that out with failure. Joelle said that this meal was up there with her attempts at falafel that ended up dubbed Fail-afal and Feel-Awful.

Reflections : Civil War and Peace

2008-03-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

“If things go on as they are now, war will break out,” said Sila Musa Kangi, the commissioner of Kormuk in Blue Nile. “And it can break out at any time.” NY Times

"Fresh fighting has flared between Arab nomads and former southern rebels in an oil-rich border between north and south Sudan, First Vice President Salva Kiir said on Monday. The clashes began on Sunday, a week after fierce gunbattles left around 70 dead and displaced more than 100"
AFP

For so long peace was a dream for the people of Sudan, specifically Southerners, in 2005 it seemed that that dream had finally been realized in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. After 50 years of fighting most southerners would tell you that they thought it was too good to be true, people are still desperately poor in the south and living day to day life in survival mode because even for the firmest believer in the peace in the back of their minds they're still waiting for it to all blow up again.

I hope and pray that things are going to settle down and those in the south with get their chance to vote for cessation and a new country but with three fourths of all oil fields and reserves residing in the South it isn't likely that the North will give those up without a fight. Every couple of weeks the news brings word of more clashes and more conflict along the highly contested border between the North and South.

I asked my program manager one day whether or not he thought the CPA would hold and there would be a lasting peace between North and South and he said something to the effect of "it's not a matter of if but when the war will start again." Pray for Darfur and pray for those living and working in the south.

"... it looks increasingly likely that Darfur will become simply the prologue to a far bloodier conflict that engulfs all Sudan." Same NY Times Article

Obama's faith in his own words.

2008-03-06T09:58:00.001-08:00

Just in case you have been reading the ridiculous claims about Obama being a muslim or are curious about his faith.

"I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful."

I think that sums it up pretty clearly. You can read the whole interview here if you're interested.

Am I missing something?

2008-02-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

Apparently I'm just out of touch since I think of this as looking more like a hilarious creature out of a Warner Brothers Cartoon and not high fashion.

No. Yes.

2008-02-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

No.

Yes.

Feel good post of the day.

2008-02-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

I just had to point you to this, click it. You'll be glad you did.

In his own words.

2008-02-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

"We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease." -Gothenburg, Sweden, June 14, 2001

"I'm the commander -- see, I don't need to explain -- I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president." --as quoted in Bob Woodward's Bush at War

There are lots more here.

Happy Hallmark Day!

2008-02-14T09:36:00.000-08:00

Errr.. I mean Valentine's Day!

I know it's cheesy but I don't care, I do a lot of that these days. I am in love with a wonderful girl and she loves me back. It's grand. I never could have predicted the blessing that God would bring into my life, or how for that matter, through Joelle.

McCain: No we can't.

2008-02-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

"John McCain will make Dick Cheney look like Ghandi.." ~ Pat Buchanan

Facebook wins.

2008-02-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

This is a nerdy post but I'll make it short and sweet. Facebook's interface is beautiful, it works and doesn't cram tons of garbage down your throat. Myspace is ugly, buggy, spams you non stop and is clunky. I like Myspace for listening to music and finding new artists but that's about all I use it for anymore. I think Myspace has run it's course as the dominant social networking website on the internet.

Moving Mountains.

2008-02-05T14:58:00.000-08:00

The following is a question and my response on a blog that read occasionally.

“One thing that I have a conflict with is whether or not we are supposed to use the brain that “God” gave us-knowing that mountains cannot literally be moved....”

In light of this question if you believe that a Creator being actually does exist does it really matter? I mean if there really is a supernatural being out there that spoke things into a Big Bang and counts the stars as easily as the hairs on the top of your head isn’t probably within the realm of possibility that mountains would do the can can if he told them to?

There’s a bigger question that it sounds like you need to answer first. The fact that mountains are big doesn’t mean much in a universe that is 15 billion light years across in size.

I'll take a Whopper and a side of slavery.

2008-01-30T08:09:00.000-08:00

From God's Politics: "Farmworkers are among the least paid workers in the nation; to make $50 in a day, a worker must pick nearly two tons of tomatoes one-by-one. The CIW has unearthed, investigated, and assisted federal officials in prosecuting five forced labor operations in Florida agriculture in the last decade alone – resulting in the liberation of more than 1,000 people."

I wonder how Burger King's PR department will spin this one.

My economic stimulus plan.

2008-01-30T07:24:00.000-08:00

With all the talk that's happening about stimulus packages and how it's going to give the economy a boost, when it really isn't because people like me are going to save the money not spend it, I have a simple yet elegant solution for an economic stimulus package.

End the stinking war.

David Lee Roth is hilarious

2008-01-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

It's Van Halen like you've never heard before, someone leaked the solo vocal track to one of their songs and it's pretty amazing. Make sure you at least listen to the last minute, it would seem that the song has no lyrics just a lot of "Hoo ya!" and "Yaaaa has".

Listen here.

Someone was also kind enough to match it to the music video on YouTube.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist.

2008-01-25T14:49:00.000-08:00

But something fishy is going on in New Hampshire with the primary recount. Watch the video and decide for yourself. Ballots go into an insecure room, have a peice of easily removable tape placed on them to "seal the ballots", next morning the room is unlocked, boxes have holes in them and the seals are still perfectly in place. What the heck?

Cheap substitutes.

2008-01-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

I am part of a generation that has grown up with glowing color screens and music that you can fit in your pocket. I knew that I wanted a Nintendo by the time I was five and I can still sing no less than 20 commercial jingles that are at least 15 years old. I grew up with more external sources of stimulation than any generation before me and this was all before the advent of the internet.

I believe that as the number of sources of information and the availability of entertainment increases the inherent quality and the value that a person places in it decreases. As my college campus pastor would say, "We are a mile wide in every direction and about an inch deep" Here are a few ways that I think this is true.

Online Activists. Nowadays people don't protest, picket or travel to other places phsyically to effect change in the world. They do their part by "signing an online petition" and "sending a letter to their congressman". Keep in mind it's not an actual petition or a physical letter it's a link to a link that already has their information filled in and they hit submit.

News and Books. I don't care what anyone says having 100 websites with news feeds will never hold a candle to a cup of coffee and reading the New York times cover to cover on a Saturday morning. Also reading a million articles online from various authors, bloggers, sources, websites will never suffice in the face of a good book and easy chair.

Music and Movies. There are so many albums and movies available for download and streaming online that I can't actually remember the last time I bought a record or a movie. I have folders filled with new music but rarely listen to it all as it cost me nothing to obtain. Every single day you can watch tons of hilarious video clips that take a bit of the shine out of silly shows like America's Funniest Home Videos.

Remembering things. I don't know anyone's phone number except my parents and mine and will be in a world of hurt if I break my phone. I usually have to have a spell checker remind me how to spell things like 'fundamentally' or 'exquisite'.

Social Interaction. Things like email, Myspace, Facebook and other electronic communication have become a surrogate for actually spending time with people.

Text Messaging. A passive aggressive dream. While convenient I readily admit that I have fallen victim to texting a wide number of people with messages of very little value instead of taking the time to call them for 15 minutes.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I think that I fall into the trap of thinking that by filling my life up with more of the stuff that I've written about above I can massage my conscience into thinking feeling that I have actually accomplished something. Anyone else out there feel the same way? I am working ever so slowly to bring about change in these areas of my life.

Better than words.

2008-01-22T12:27:00.001-08:00

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke pauses while discussing the current economic situation of the United States. Call me crazy but I think we're headed for a recession. American markets are recovering a little today with the interest rate cut but the same can't be said for other global markets. I don't want to beat a dead horse but maybe it's time to start spending our money domestically in responsible ways instead of wasting hundreds of billions on a war that nobody wants to be a part of.a

Best before revolution.

2008-01-21T08:43:00.000-08:00

I can't say that I've ever seen this before. Government issued currency with a "best before" date on it. This is further indication of just how desperate things are in Zimbabwe. Inflation is now estimated to be running at 150,000%. Yes that's a 1 with five more numbers after it.

Creative Zen

2008-01-18T12:39:00.001-08:00

If you are looking for a flash based mp3 player that sounds good and doesn't kill your wallet I couldn't recommend the Creative Zen V highly enough. I picked it up at Target for $86 when compared to an iPod Nano or others is excellent. Cnet also rated it as one of the top 5 mp3 players for 2007 so you can't really go wrong with it. Some might complain about the video playback but honestly, why would you want to watch movies on a such a tiny screen in the first place?

The Reason for God : Imperfect People

2008-01-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

"The mistaken belief that a person must "clean up" his or her own life in order to merit God's presence is not Christianity. This means, though, that the church will be filled with imperfect people who stll have a long way to go emotionally, morally and spiritually. As the saying has it: " The church is a hostpital for sinners, not a museum for saints." ~ Timothy Keller, The Reason for God

C.S. Lewis Quote of the Day.

2008-01-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

Odd, the way the less the Bible is read the more it is translated.

The benefits of a camera phone.

2007-12-31T09:53:00.000-08:00

Caleb I would dare to say is one the most adorable babies at the nursery that has become our church and I got to hang out with him on Sunday morning. Lucky me!

It's official.

2007-12-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

Winter weather is here in Oregon. I don't think "I'm dreaming of an overcast grey Christmas" has the same ring to it.

Save Mr. Splashy Pants

2007-12-10T08:43:00.000-08:00

Well now that he's been named it's time to actually do something to save him and some of his friends. Do your part by signing the petition here with your name and email to lobby Japanese whaling companies.

It will only take you 15 seconds.

Einstein on Jesus

2007-12-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

“To what extent are you influenced by Christianity?

As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene.

Have you read Emil Ludwig’s book on Jesus?

Emil Ludwig’s Jesus is shallow. Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrasemongers, however artful. No man can dispose of Christianity with a bon mot [a witty remark].

You accept the historical existence of Jesus?

Unquestionably! No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.”

~"What Life Means to Einstein", The Saturday Evening Post, 26 October 1929.

The Reason for God

2007-11-30T12:04:00.000-08:00

"To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible's teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn't have any views that upset you. Does that belief make sense?"

"...An authoritative Bible is not the enemy of a personal relationship with God. It is the pre-condition for it."

I currently have the privilege of reading an advance uncopyedited manuscript of Timothy Keller's book The Reason For God that I received from a friend that works at a bookstore. In the tradition of great Christian thinkers like C.S. Lewis and Thomas Merton, Keller has written a thoughtful defense of why even in this age of skepticism faith, and specifically Christian faith, makes sense. I will continue to share thoughts on this book as I read through it and hope that it gives rise to further discussion.

Mister Splashy Pants

2007-11-27T07:57:00.000-08:00

Greenpeace is having a vote to name a whale they have 'adopted'. All the options are the names of ancient gods of the sea. And then there's 'Mister Splashy Pants'. Please vote 'Mister Splashy Pants'.

Vote here.

It feels like a lifetime ago.

2007-11-21T10:10:00.000-08:00

A year ago today I was announcing that I was moving to Sudan to my friends and family. My how time flies.

Pirates and Emperors

2007-11-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

I don't usually do the post a video thing without a reason and I know this isn't a very good update after almost 4 weeks of not blogging but I would highly encourage you to watch this all the way through. It raises a lot of spot on questions in a School House Rocks style.

Reasons I love Portland #11

2007-10-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

Well after a bit of a hiatus I am back with another exciting installment of why I love living in this city (and state) so much. As you can see leaves are changing here in Oregon, but what kind of leaves? Well I'm glad you asked. Grape leaves! Specifically wine grapes.

Oregon boasts one of the most diverse and exceptional wine industries in the nation and the best part is many of these wineries are no more than a thirty minute drive away. Many have complimentary tasting rooms and plenty of views to go with the glorified grape juice that you are teasing your taste buds with. I had never been wine tasting before this Sunday but I can assure you I will be going again soon.

The photo above was taken at Erath Vineyards in Dundee, Oregon. They have a complimentary flight of three wines, plenty of cheese, chocolate and the best view of any that we visited. At a grand total of ten dollars it makes for a lovely afternoon out and I would highly recommend doing it during the fall while the leaves are changing.

Uganda opens first HIV drug plant

2007-10-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

A factory that will produce treatments for HIV/Aids is opening in Uganda, the first of its kind in the country. It aims to reduce the cost of the vital medication by cutting import costs. Locally produced anti-retroviral HIV drugs and anti-malaria drugs should be available by January, Uganda's health minister told the BBC's Network Africa. Article

It is refreshing to see the little guy giving the finger to the WTO and drug companies in a way that will ultimately improve the quality of life for it's citizens. I am all for companies being able to charge what they want for their product, however when you work to lobby with the WTO and other organizations to keep companies in India and elsewhere from producing their own generic versions of these life saving drugs it borders on murder. At the very least it is pure greed.

"It is one of the world's most grotesque injustices that HIV in Scotland is a health status, but for the poor in South Africa it's a death sentence."

So here's to Uganda hitting the bully below the belt for the developing world. I would be very encouraged if this started to become a trend throughout the continent.

Thanks Kizzie.

Angels in the Dust

2007-10-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

In an age where cyniscm gives birth to apathy about the impact one person's life can have on the world Angels in the Dust is a refreshing reminder that nothing could be further from the truth. I look forward to seeing it when it comes through Portland.

UNinvolved

2007-10-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Worth a thousand words. Although those words will be left to your discretion. ;)

Thanks to Kevin in Liberia.

Reflections : Who is being helped?

2007-10-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

It became painfully apparent to me upon arriving on the African continent that things are not always what they seem. It constantly amazed me that for a country that was so lacking in basic infrastructure the South Sudan government had quickly mastered the art of bloated beuaracracy. Within this there is corruption and lots of it, greasing the palms of officials might get you what you want but your credibility will not win out in the end if word gets around to other agencies and donors that you operate this way. Medair has a policy of never giving or accepting bribes in any way shape or form. I have the utmost respect for the way that they operate and saw it pratically lived out through many trying situations.

There are certain things that make my brain hurt when I think about them for too long, for instance the Government of South Sudan spending millions and millions of dollars on back logged wages to soldiers during a time that they are asking aid agencies to implement water treatment systems around the country because people are dying of cholera.

These things have only strengthened my resolve that whenever possible, obviously if possible, grass roots aid and development directly with the people that will benefit will help keep money out of the hands that see it as a chance to profit. There are no easy answers to this and I'm not proposing any, just processing.

Reflections: Water

2007-10-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

I still feel guilty every time I flush a toilet or turn on a faucet and safe drinkable water comes out. When I first came back I think this was the hardest thing for me to deal with other than four lanes of smooth highway running either direction with everyone obeying the traffic laws. I tend to think back to the recent past that involved a slow and detailed process of purification and then I think about how I good I had it even within the context of Sudan. While I was drinking water with just a hint of chlorine the overwhelming majority of Sudanese were drinking their water directly from the Nile which was absolutely filthy.

I have never had a glass of cold water that tasted as good as in Sudan and I don't think I will until I am there again. It's funny to say this but with all the choices of beverages that I have here none even come close to an ice cold glass of water patiently chilled in the freezer running on a generator from a tin cup after a 12 hour day in 100+ degree weather.

Four months later.

2007-09-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that I've been back for that long. There are still a lot of mixed feelings about living here now but a contentment in a life that is beautiful and a God that is taking a lot of time to work on me. I have learned things since being back that I never would have had time to take a hard look and honestly reflect on. I absolutely loved my time in Sudan and look forward to the day that I will go back and be a part again in what God is doing there.

I think I'll make an effort to blog a bit about what I've been processing lately, feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments section and I'd be happy to answer them.

Why bother helping the poor?

2007-09-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

I had written this before but wanted to post my response to a blog post that I found short sighted and pretty self centered.

He's pointing out things that are fairly obvious and inferring that they be used as excuse for inaction on the church's part. ( at least that's my take ). For instance it is completely missing the point of loving and serving the poor and most vulnerable in this world to say that it's worthless to do so if they don't become Christians. I'm not trying to sound harsh but sometimes the work that is being done is about the sanctification of not only the victims of conflict and poverty but those that are doing the service themselves. As he so eloquently stated God doesn't really need us to do this work for him, he could solve it all himself with a snap of his fingers. However he invites us to be a part of what he's doing here on Earth because this whole thing called life is to learn how to love and serve others as Jesus did. God chose to set an example for a life of sacrifice and service to others by coming down and walking around in a human suit, it is for this reason that I support and advocate the church doing anything and I mean anything that focuses attention outside of itself and tries to love and affect the lives of those that are suffering.

I think there's a point here is that serving the poor often has more effect on those doing The restoration of this world is going to happen whether we are working in it or not. It is the fact that we get to take part in what God is already doing in the world through his divine grace and power that is the exciting part. It is for this reason that I will consistently say yes we are commanded to bind up the wounds of the afflicted, feed the poor, love the fatherless and take in the widows. However if we do these things because we think we are going to save the world or even somehow restore it we are deceiving ourselves and trying to do what God is going to do with or without us.

I think a more sustainable motivation to acknowledge in alleviating suffering in it's many forms in this world, other than because it is part of obedience to God, is because in living a life that is sacrificed I am being restored and transformed and allowing God to work through me in the things that I do. This brings me back to my statement that whether I do anything or not God is going to save this world.

Goodbye Summer.

2007-09-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hello pumpkin lattes, falling leaves, reading by the fire, turkey, silly costumes, harvest moons, seasonal ales at the Horse Brass, football, layered clothing, crisp days, scarves, beanies, wool socks, extra hot coffee and more.

What did I leave out?

Who spiked the water cooler at CNN today?

2007-09-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

I just have to say between using a cartoon of a used car salesmen to describe the arms trade in the Middle East and a story about a man suing God it seems like someone has lost it. Click above for said cartoon.

Man Sues God

CNN seems to have a way with words when it comes to writing headlines as well.

Your kung fu is weak.

2007-09-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

Article

At least that's what China is hoping won't be said about its efforts to appease the worldwide movement opposed to their support of the genocidal Sudanese dictatorship. In the grand scheme of things I think getting the international spotlight off of their actions for even awhile at the cost of only 315 kung fu troops to the UN peacekeeping force is quite a bargain.

"the government hopes it will dispel the idea that it is happy to extract the riches of poorer countries, such as Sudan's oil, and turn a blind eye to atrocities or even fuel them."

They can hope for it but I don't see it happening.

Buy a new leg for Tarver!

2007-09-14T07:39:00.001-07:00

If you're a Digg user please vote at the link below.

Shirts for Limbs Digg Article!

www.shirtsforlimbs.com